Chapter Text
14:30 (1.5 hours remaining)
“Kiri, wake up. Kiri!” Hitoshi shakes Eijirou with his knee.
A soft groan echoes through the room.
“Kiri!”
“Shinsou?” Eijirou yawns, hand trying to cover his mouth. “Why’re my hands tied behind my back?”
“We were captured by Shouji and Satou,” Hitoshi whispers, eyes gliding over the room. “But they’re not here right now.”
“Shinsou, Kirishima, you’re awake!” Momo’s voice fills their ears.
“Perfect timing,” Izuku adds. “We’re coming to save you.”
“You can’t,” Hitoshi sighs. “They know you might blow up their base, so they’ve been patrolling around it. There’s also a civilian boy in the room below us. He’s playing with Kouda’s crow.”
“We’re going to have to make this work,” Momo states, “Kouda and Ojirou are still in the plaza with Bakugou’s team. Shouji is guarding the front and Satou is guarding the back.”
“I wonder why they aren’t guarding you guys,” Tooru whispers to herself.
“They probably didn’t think we’d wake up that quickly,” Eijirou grunts as pain flares up his arm.
“Yeah, well they shouldn’t underestimate an insomniac,” Hitoshi mutters, pulling at his binds. “You might wanna hurry though. Kiri’s still injured.”
“We’ll be there in five seconds.”
Silence fills the room.
“Do you think he’s serious?” Eijirou whispers.
“Midoriya never lies.”
Eijirou startles at the voice behind them. “Hagakure?”
“Yup! Invisible Girl at your service!” A floating pair of scissors appears in front of them.
“Noon, once you’re done, open all the windows, then head down to the basement. Don’t go in until my signal.”
“Roger!” Tooru whispers as she cuts the zip ties off of her teammate’s wrists. She rummages through her bag, taking two black cloaks out from it. “These are for you two!”
Eijirou immediately puts the cloak on, letting it swish around his feet. Hitoshi follows soon after, pulling the hood over his head.
“Dawn, dusk, I’ll guide you from here. Night, don’t pull the hook until my signal.”
“Roger.”
“Okay.” Momo takes a deep breath. “Dawn, dusk, if you could please follow my lead.”
Eijirou meets Hitoshi’s tired gaze. “We’re ready.”
“Look for a bookshelf or CD rack inside the room.”
“Are we looking for a secret exit or something?” Eijirou laughs half jokingly.
“Yes,” Momo mutters. “I found one in both the orphanage and the hospital. I think the people who built this place really like secret passageways.”
“Where did they lead to?” Izuku asks curiously.
“I was only able to go through the one in the hospital, but it led me straight back to the central plaza.”
“We’re lucky our building is perfectly camouflaged. If not, we’d probably been the first base that got destroyed,” Tooru mutters to herself. “I kinda want to know what type of paint they used.”
“So if we find the passageway, we have a free pass back to base?” Hitoshi asks.
“No, you’ll have to sneak around a few heroes. Kouda and Ojirou are still- Oh no-!”
“What happened?” Izuku asks worriedly.
“Yaoyorozu?” Hitoshi mutters, pulling on random books.
“Rain check! Noon, go in and save the boy! Dawn and dusk, Kouda and Ojirou are heading back to base!”
“Shit!” Hitoshi and Eijirou double their speed, frantically pulling at anything that sticks out from the wall.
“How long until they get here?”
“10 minutes tops!”
“Is there anything more specific that we can look for? Like a symbol or author?”
“No, it was different for each place,” Momo mutters. “Noon, did you get the boy?”
“Yeah, it took a bit of coaxing, but he’s safely in my arms now! I’m heading back up!”
“Night, are you in position?”
“I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Dawn, Dusk, change of plans. I know Dawn is injured, but Dusk, I trust you can defeat Shouji and Satou by yourself?”
“You mean take their minds hostage?” Hitoshi smirks. “I’ve been waiting for this.”
“Dawn and noon, don’t leave the building until my signal. Dusk, be careful. Night, remain on standby.
“Roger.”
“Okay Dusk, it’s your time to shine,” Momo smiles.
“You mean my time to bring darkness,” Hitoshi smirks, striding towards the exit.
Eijirou laughs. “Have fun,” he waves as his friend sneaks out of the door.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Shouji, what’s your status?”
“No-” Shouji’s whole body freezes as his eyes glaze over.
“Walk toward the hospital and don’t look back,” Hitoshi mutters, already making his way to the back of the building.
Shouji’s body shudders as it moves to follow his command. Hitoshi watches him walk a few more steps, then jogs to the back.
“Shouji has been compromised,” Hitoshi whispers.
“Dawn, noon, go out from the front,” Momo leads.
Tooru and Eijirou sneak out of the front door and sprint to the nearest cover.
“Nice to see you safe,” Izuku whispers, holding out his fist.
“You too,” Eijirou fist bumps the cloaked figure. “Are we all wearing these?”
“Our children insisted,” Tooru grins, pulling on her cloak. She cradles the boy in one arm and kisses his forehead. The boy yawns, opening his big hazel eyes.
“What’s your name, little guy?” Eijirou slowly reaches out to the boy.
The boy yawns again. “Su-Suekichi,” he mutters, grabbing Eijirou’s thumb.
“Do you have a brother and sister?”
Suekichi’s whole face brightens.
Eijirou smiles. “You’re gonna have so much fun back at our base.”
“Satou, what’s your status?”
The taller boy’s head whips towards him, eyes narrowing in on his hooded figure.
“Shit.” Hitoshi ducks under a punch, pulling at the scarves around his neck. He aims them at the other boy’s legs, but Satou dodges both strands.
“How did you get out?” he glares at Hitoshi.
“Why did you capture us?” he answers with a question.
Satou continues to glare at him, sinking into a fighting stance. Hitoshi adjusts his grip on his scarves, allowing more of the fabric to unwind from his neck.
“Dusk, do you need back up?”
“No, I’m almost done,” Hitoshi mutters, dodging another punch. This time, he manages to wrap his scarf around Satou’s wrist and swiftly twists his arm behind his back. Satou grunts as he’s forced to take a knee.
“Answer my question and no one gets hurt,” Hitoshi mutters, tying Satou’s wrists together.
“You’re really getting into the villain charade, huh?” Satou grins up at him.
“What if I- Kurgh-” Hitoshi doubles over, instinctively pulling at Satou’s binds. The other boy hisses in pain, but looks proud of his own bleeding nose.
Hitoshi glares down at him, massaging his jaw. “I didn’t think I’d get headbutted today.”
“Then release me. You don’t need me for the next part of your plan, do you?” Satou challenges, fists clenching at his sides. Hitoshi jumps back as the veins in Satou’s arms start bulging.
“Shit, you better not-”
A harsh ripping sound fills the plaza as Satou muscles his way out of Hitoshi’s scarves.
Hitoshi backflips out of his reach, pulling his scarves back in. “Gotta admit, that was pretty impressive,” he deadpans.
“Kaminari’s rubbing off on you,” Satou laughs, lunging at the other boy. Hitoshi sighs, extending his scarves to pull himself up onto the nearest lamp post. He slides down into a squatting position, letting the tattered fabric dangle underneath him.
“Do you have the grenade?” Satou asks, circling around Hitoshi. The shorter boy follows him with his eyes, getting ready to jump down at any opening.
“What if I do?” Hitoshi smirks.
“You-” Satou’s eyes glaze over. His head tilts lazily towards the wall.
“Walk toward the west wall and don’t look back.” Hitoshi mutters, jumping down from the lamp post.
Satou’s body trembles as it’s forced to walk away from the base.
“Satou’s taken care of,” Hitoshi states. “I should be able to hold them for another 20 minutes, depending on how fast they go.”
“Kouda and Shouji will be there in 30 seconds. Dusk, can you-”
“I’ll take care of them,” Izuku volunteers.
“Be careful,” Momo murmurs. “Dawn and noon, head back to base. Dusk, stay for back-up. Night, you can pull the hook as soon as you’re done.”
“Let’s go Izu-niichan!” Kichi’s shout is joined by three enthusiastic cheers.
“Stay safe, Midoriya,” Eijirou whispers, patting his back.
“Izuku,” the green-haired boy whispers, meeting Eijirou’s eyes.
“Hm?”
“Call me Izuku,” he smiles bashfully.
“Then you can call me Eiji!” Eijirou exclaims, fist-bumping him again. “You too!” He smiles at Tooru and Suekichi.
“I think they saw me,” Hitoshi joins their group, huffing quietly.
“Night, are you in position?”
“Yeah, I’m ready!”
“The final phase is underway.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Is your arm okay?”
“It stopped bleeding, so it should be. I stopped feeling anything from it about five minutes ago,” Eijirou admits, running faster.
“Isn’t that really bad?” Tooru whispers.
“Katsuki might’ve taken a painkiller or something,” Eijirou mutters, even though he knows full well his boyfriend hates medicine.
“We’ll patch you up at base,” Momo states. “Dusk, you have five robots heading your way.”
“Got it.”
Momo watches as Izuku steps out of the shadows and immediately gets swarmed by a murder of crows. She anxiously bounces her leg, Yami giggling excitedly as he opens a matryoshka doll.
“Night, are you okay? What-”
Izuku reappears amongst the dark cloud of birds, body sparking with green light. He looks almost ethereal as his black cloak floats around him.
Momo smiles, hugging Yami to her chest.
“Kouda.” Izuku’s eerily passive voice can be heard clearly over the loud bird calls. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I’d rather my team not get hurt or captured.”
“You came here alone to save your team?” Ojirou’s eyes widen, but he shifts into a fighting stance.
“Is that not what teammates do?” Izuku answers cryptically. His body tightens like a spring ready to explode.
“Night, you might want to make this quick. Bakugou and Todoroki are headed your way,” Momo mutters, eyes flickering between each screen.
“So Bakugou was right,” Ojirou whispers, eyes narrowing on the hooded figure in front of him. “You were the mastermind behind everything.”
“No,” Izuku takes a step forward. The sea of crows moves along with him, swirling around his body. “This was a team effort. I can’t take full credit when it’s not deserved.” He takes another step.
“Night, Bakugou and Todoroki are almost there. Ojirou and Kouda are far enough. Pull the hook.”
“Looks like we’re ready for the final phase,” Izuku grins, taking off his hood. He pulls the grenade out of his pocket, holding it in front of his face.
“Oh no no no,” Ojirou blanches, running towards Izuku.
“Too late.” Izuku pulls the ring and throws the grenade, watching as it flies through an open window. He ducks under Ojirou’s punch and kicks him in the shin. He avoids a crow’s beak to the face, jumping out of the swarm of birds.
“Ten.. Nine.. Eight..” Five concerned voices count down as they watch Izuku’s blurred black and green figure flit across the screen. “Five.. Four.. Three.. Two.. One.. Zero!”
KAABBBLOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!!!
The swarm of crows disperses, the piercing cacophony of their cries making Kouda wince in empathy. Izuku uses their surprise to an advantage, kicking Ojirou in the chest. The larger boy skids back with his arms crossed in front of him.
“Dawn, night, head back to base before-”
“DEEKKUUUUUUUU!!!!!!” Katsuki’s murderous shout rivals the sound of the explosion. He’s followed by a boy sliding on ice who fights to keep his expression neutral.
“Kacchan. Todoroki-kun. Nice of you to join us,” Izuku sings, lips curling into a deranged grin.
“You fucking piece of SHIT!!!” Katsuki swings at Izuku.
The other boy easily dodges, hands clasped behind his back. “Shouldn’t you make sure Kirishima and Shinsou are alright?” Izuku waves at the destroyed building.
Todoroki’s eyes widen. “You wouldn’t.”
“What if I did?”
A tense silence fills the field.
Katsuki growls. “Icy-hot, take care of that fucker. I’m saving Eijirou.”
“But the explosion-”
“Shut UP!” Katsuki seethes, flying towards the destroyed building.
Todoroki’s eyes meet sparkling green. “You wouldn’t." He repeats.
“You think too well of me,” Izuku chuckles, glancing between Ojirou and Todoroki.
“Night, we need to go. Denki’s team is heading back our way,” Hitoshi warns.
“Looks like play time is up.” Izuku lets his cloak swish behind him, body crackling with green light. He jumps up onto the rooftops, dodging ice spears and walls.
“I don’t have time to play,” Izuku repeats, glaring back at his soulmate.
“I can’t let you go,” Todoroki yells, continuing to throw ice at him.
“That almost sounds like a confession,” Izuku laughs, front-flipping off of the roof. He uses a lamp pole to land safely on the ground, immediately taking off towards the central plaza.
“What if it is?” Todoroki mutters, fire glowing in his left hand.
Izuku falters a step, doing a back flip to regain his balance. “That doesn’t sound very convincing.”
“Date me,” Todoroki mutters, left side blazing on fire. He continues to throw ice at Izuku, and begins throwing fire in the mix.
“Why?” Izuku asks, genuinely curious. He swings on a street sign, catapulting himself over a wall of ice.
“You're my soulmate.”
Izuku can’t hide his gasp as he dodges a ball of fire. His left foot gets caught by an icy hand and he’s slammed against the wall, fire singing his cloak.
They stare into each other’s eyes, neither boy backing down.
“Date me,” Todoroki repeats, leaning closer.
“Just because I'm your soulmate, doesn’t mean you like me,” Izuku whispers, pushing Todoroki away. He slams his left foot on the ground, shattering the ice off. Todoroki winces, watching the tiny drops of water immediately evaporate off the ground. “And if you’re absolutely serious, I’d rather answer when we’re not fighting,” Izuku adds.
“We’re not fighting right now.” Todoroki’s flames flicker out.
“Night, they’re almost here!” Hitoshi’s voice pierces his ear.
Izuku shakes his head. “Time’s up.” He pushes him away and speeds off towards the rooftops, leaving behind an overwhelmed teen with a heart full of disappointment.
“Did you catch him?” Ojirou asks, climbing up the wall. He pulls himself over the railing and jogs to Todoroki’s side.
Todoroki shakes his head. “He got away.”
“Then you need to chase him!” Ojirou grabs his shoulder, giving him a strong push. Todoroki stumbles, glaring at him. Ojirou glares back. “You can’t let him get away!”
Todoroki’s body jolts at his words. “No. I can’t.” Ice forms beneath him and he uses it to slide towards where he last saw Izuku headed.
~~~~~~~~~~
15:30 (30 minutes remaining)
“Holy shoots, it was like you walked straight out of a manga,” Eijirou whispers in awe.
“That was some intense fighting right there,” Tooru whistles, high-fiving Izuku.
“You guys were watching?” Izuku mutters, scratching his cheek.
“Yeah, I got a front row seat to the best action movie of the year,” Hitoshi drawls, smirking as Izuku’s blush deepens.
“We only got to see your battle with Todoroki, but that was epic !” Eijirou praises, waving both arms in the air. The bone in his left forearm had been set back into place with a makeshift splint wrapped around it. His knuckles have colorful band-aids haphazardly taped across them.
“Epic! Epic!” The five children echo his words. Kichi and Daikichi run to hug their brother, yelling reassuring words to him. Kou and Yami quickly join the group hug, squeezing tighter when they hear a small sniffle from the boy in the center.
Momo smiles, returning her teammates’ high fives.
A single firework explodes in the middle of the cloudless sky. “The villain team has won the battle. Please gather at the central plaza for the debriefing.” Aizawa’s voice smooths over the city.
“We won,” Tooru breathes out.
“We won!” Daikichi jumps up and down.
“We won! We won! Our oniichans and oneechans won!!!” The children burst in joy, hugging the closest teen’s leg.
“I can’t believe it,” Izuku whispers, smiling softly.
“I can’t believe you. Never thought you’d pull an act like that,” Hitoshi whispers, “but thanks.”
“It’s not a win if we’re not together,” Izuku mutters, patting Suekichi’s head. “And I wanted to make sure Eiji was alright,” Izuku smiles at Eijirou.
“Thanks Izuku. You’re a true bro,” he lifts his uninjured fist up to Izuku. Their knuckles collide.
“I want to go to the art museum!” Yami shouts.
“Me too!”
“Me three!”
“We can visit a real one after we get back to school,” Eijirou promises, lifting Daikichi onto his shoulders. Daikichi pats his forehead before grabbing a fistful of his hair.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Hitoshi whispers, lifting Yami into his arms.
“I’m sure your dad can make something work,” Eijirou winks, gently grabbing Daikichi’s ankle to help him keep balance.
“Yeah, he even took you to the cat shelter,” Tooru giggles, cradling Kichi against her chest.
“I want a cat,” Kou whispers, snuggling into Izuku’s arms.
“Are we all ready?” Momo mutters, smiling as Suekichi pulls on her pant leg. She gently lifts him up and cradles him against her hip.
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Honestly, this is very troubling,” Aizawa sighs as several students’ gazes drop to the ground. “The villain team showed the most humanity during this lesson. The heroes were too focused on finishing the objectives and didn’t focus on the bigger picture.”
“When do we get to go to the museum?” Yami whisper-shouts, oblivious to everyone’s stares.
“Shhh, we need to listen to Aizawa-sensei’s speech before we go,” Eijirou whispers.
“He blew up our base,” Katsuki scowls, glaring at Izuku. “How is that humane? ”
“They didn’t hurt a single living being. They took good care of the civilians and trusted each other,” Aizawa mutters, gaze falling over the five students standing next to him. “They each had a task, and did their best to complete it. If a plan failed, they communicated with each other to make sure everyone agreed with the new plan. No one was left behind.”
“Hii-niichan, he looks just like you!” Kichi giggles as she points to Aizawa. Hitoshi hides his blush behind his scarf.
“The bus will be here soon,” Aizawa glances at Kichi before returning his gaze to his students. “Your reflections are due next Friday.”
A soft groan goes through the crowd of teens.
“Villain team, come with me. Hero teams, go with Yamada.” Aizawa mutters, watching his students disperse.
“Dad, we can’t let them go back to the orphanage,” Hitoshi whispers, “they’ve been through too much.” He looks down at the boy in his arms, hugging him tighter.
“I know,” Aizawa sighs, meeting eyes with his husband. “We’re already figuring things out.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Eijirou hisses as Mina unwraps the tape around his arm. “Is this because of Katsu?”
Katsuki’s eyes snap up to meet hers. “What the fuck?”
“You still haven’t told him?” Mina sighs, poking at Eijirou’s arm. She sighs again when both boys wince and Katsuki stares at his bandaged left arm.
“Can we talk about this later?” Eijirou mutters, wincing as Mina pulls on the tape.
“You can’t avoid it forever,” she whispers, tugging harder. She grins mischievously as Katsuki rubs his own forearm.
“Stop.” Eijirou grabs the tape out of Mina’s hand.
“Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
Eijirou walks out of the room, ignoring Mina’s worried gaze.
~~~~~~~~~~~
U.A. Dorms - Common Area
“I can feel him glaring from the other side of the room,” Izuku whispers, nudging Eijirou’s shoulder.
“He’s just jealous I’m spending so much time with you,” Eijirou chuckles.
“Is he mad about us blowing up his base?”
“Nah, I don’t think he’s that petty.” Eijirou laughs, rubbing his arm.
Izuku’s gaze falls to the cast on his friend’s arm. “You still haven’t told him?”
“Nope.”
“Are you ever going to tell him?” Izuku’s eyes flicker up to meet Eijirou’s somber gaze.
“He doesn’t believe in soulmates.”
Izuku frowns, “You should still talk to him, though.”
“Did you talk with Todoroki?” Hitoshi asks, sitting next to Izuku.
“Yeah. We decided to see how things go for a week, before officially dating,” Izuku mumbles, face blooming a soft pink.
“That’s great!” Eijirou exclaims, patting his back.
“Aren’t you both in love with each other?” Hitoshi mutters. “Why not just start dating now?”
“I- My heart’s not ready!” Izuku covers his face.
“You’ve been in love with him for over a year,” Hitoshi deadpans.
“I know but it’s just- Did you ever find out if Kaminari-kun’s your soulmate?” Izuku changes the subject.
Hitoshi lets out a long sigh. “No.”
“Oh. Um, sorry, I didn’t-”
“And I don’t care. I chose him and he chose me. I’m not going to let fate or whatever break us up.”
“I didn’t know you were a romantic,” Izuku whispers, nudging Hitoshi’s side with his elbow.
“You sound like Katsuki!” Eijirou laughs, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
“Eijirou.”
He freezes at the vacant voice from behind him. He turns around, meeting equally empty eyes. “We need to talk.”
~~~~~~~~~~
A tense silence falls over them as neither boy attempts to speak. Eijirou glances down at his injured arm, clenching and unclenching his fist.
“I don’t believe in soulmates,” Katsuki whispers, leaning against the wall.
“I know.”
Another charged silence threatens to take over the room.
“You know how I told you about my moms?” Eijirou asks.
Katsuki’s lips tighten, but he nods for him to continue.
“Mom lost her soulmate in a car crash. She died immediately, so she didn’t have to go through too much pain,” Eijirou whispers.
Katsuki lets out a sharp breath, tapping his knee against Eijirou’s foot.
“Mama lost hers in a fire. She still has burn marks covering her back,” Eijirou whispers, “my parents met in therapy and never got married. They found me on the streets after I’d ran away from my third foster home.”
Katsuki grabs his hand, smoothing his fingers over Eijirou’s palm. “Soulmates don’t exist,” he continues to deny.
“But what if-”
“It’s a waste of time to believe in them,” Katsuki mutters.
“Why?” Eijirou breathes out, eyes flickering up to Katsuki’s face.
“My mom doesn’t believe in soulmates. My dad just doesn’t care.” Katsuki pulls his hand away.
“Have they ever...” Eijirou trails off, nervously chewing at his bottom lip.
“My dad thought he found his soulmate three years after I was born,” Katsuki admits, finally lifting his gaze. “He almost left us.”
Eijirou gasps as their eyes meet, Katsuki’s gaze masked with anger. He sees glimpses of fear and sorrow fly past, betraying his boyfriend’s anxiety.
“He gave up after mom threatened to divorce him for even thinking about leaving,” Katsuki scoffs, fists clenching instinctively. “Soulmate labels are just a pain in the ass.”
“But you have one, right?” Eijirou whispers, gauging Katsuki’s expression.
“Like hell I do.” Katsuki turns away, pretending to stare outside the closed window.
“You do. Everyone does.” Eijirou scoots closer, hand reaching out toward Katsuki’s knee.
“Why the hell do you care?!” Katsuki shoots up to his feet, palms popping with nervous energy.
“Because you’re my soulmate.”
Katsuki’s eyes whip down to meet Eijirou’s equally fierce gaze. He glares at him for a few seconds before, “Get out.”
“Katsuki-!”
“Get. Out!”
Explosions threaten to consume the room, and the small space quickly fills with dark smoke.
Eijirou can only hold his gaze for a few more seconds before his lungs scream for air. He struggles on his next breath, devolving into choked coughs.
“Get out!” Katsuki shoves him away, ignoring the flash of hurt in Eijirou’s eyes. The red-haired boy grabs his workbook and backpack, slamming the door behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m home!” Eijirou fakes a smile as he walks through the front door.
“Ei-niichan!” Three excited shouts travel through the house.
“No running indoors!” a familiar voice drifts from the kitchen.
“Welcome home,” a tired voice comes from the living room.
Eijirou quickly kicks off his shoes before three bodies barrel into him. He laughs as he returns their hugs, carrying them into the living room.
“How’s the hero life been?” his mom asks, turning the volume down on the TV.
“The usual,” he replies, glancing at the screen and frowning as he sees the front of the UA gates.
His mom follows his gaze, glaring at the screen. “He finally got arrested. I want to go to his court trial just to punch him in the face.”
“Hey, we don’t condone violence in here,” his mama laughs, carrying a platter of lasagna to the dining table. “Daikichi dear, can you help mama set up the table?”
“I’ll help too!” Eijirou exclaims.
“You can play with Suekichi and Kichi while we get ready for dinner. Daikichi can help me make the salad!” his mama claps her hands, then helps her child get up on the step stool.
“Can we add corn and olives?” Daikichi asks, already reaching for the cans on the counter.
“Of course!”
Eijirou watches them with a soft smile and hugs his siblings tighter.
“I want to play kingdom!” Kichi shouts, wrapping her arms around Eijirou’s neck.
“I want to be the knight!” Suekichi exclaims, clinging onto Eijirou’s leg. He tickles his sister’s feet, laughing along with her soft giggles.
“Then I’ll be the dragon!” Eijirou laughs, carrying them into his room.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Ouch!” Suekichi cradles his wrist, slumping towards the ground.
“Oh no, my knight has fallen!” Kichi rushes to her brother’s side, peering down at his arm.
“Are you okay?” Eijirou kneels next to him, eyes widening as a large bruise starts to spread over his right forearm.
“What’s happening?” Suekichi mutters, eyes glistening as his gaze flies up to his older brother.
“Your soulmate got hurt,” Eijirou whispers, gently picking Suekichi up and settling him down on his bed. “It might sting for a bit, but we’ll just have to hope your soulmate gets help.”
“What’s a soulmate?” Kichi mutters, tugging on Eijirou’s shirt.
Eijirou smiles, picking her up and settling her down next to Suekichi. “A soulmate is a person who loves you very much. Their body and soul are connected to yours.”
“Is that why Suekichi got a booboo?” Kichi whispers.
“Mhmm,” Eijirou murmurs, gently grabbing his brother’s wrist. He lifts the injured arm up to his mouth and kisses the darkest part of the bruise.
“Do you have a soulmate?” Suekichi asks curiously.
“I do.”
“Do you love them?” Kichi giggles.
“I do.”
“Can we meet him someday?” she asks, smiling knowingly.
“You’ve already seen him before,” Eijirou mutters, lips quivering.
“Do you not want us to meet him?” she pouts, eyes drifting to the picture frames neatly lined up on her brother’s desk.
Eijirou laughs hollowly. “I’d love for you to meet him. It’s just...”
“Did you have a fight with him? That’s not good!” Kichi yells, putting her hands on her hips. “You need to make up with a kiss!”
“Ewww, no! Just give him a bro hug! Like this!” Suekichi wraps his arm around his brother’s ribs, fingers tickling Eijirou’s side.
“Pfaahaha, that’s not how you bro hug someone,” Eijirou lets out a soft chuckle and hugs both siblings to his chest.
“Niichan’s hugs are the best!” Kichi exclaims, snuggling into his side.
“Thanks, Kichi,” Eijirou murmurs, patting her head.
“You just need to tell him you love him!” Suekichi shouts, returning to the subject.
“That’s...” Eijirou mutters, sighing softly. “I love him, but I’m not sure if he loves me back...”
“Of course he loves you back! If he doesn’t then I’ll blast him away with my superpowers!” Kichi shouts, palms popping with determination.
“Me too!” Suekichi bounces on the bed, fists heating up with excitement.
“Hey hey, no violence in our house,” Eijirou scolds, gently ruffling both their heads. “Come on, let’s see if dinner’s ready!”
“Yeah!”
~~~~~~~~~~
He’s never seen Eijirou this... calm.
No, it’s not that he’s calm. It’s more like his focus is elsewhere. Like, someone took his will to live away.
He nearly shudders at the last thought, scowling as Denki pokes Eijirou’s cheek, trying but failing to get his attention.
It’s been a rough week. He knows he messed up big time, but he doesn’t know how to fix it. Usually, Eijirou’s the one to initiate contact after an argument, but can he really call that an argument? Even he knows it was more a one-sided attack than an argument.
He doesn’t know how to apologize. How the hell do you say sorry for kicking your boyfriend out of his own room? Will Eijirou even forgive him? Will he even want to talk to him?
“Bakugou.”
His head snaps up and he glares at the person leaning into his space. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Eiji’s hosting a movie night tomorrow. His room, same time as always. He told me to tell you you’re invited.”
“Since when do you call him Eiji?” Katsuki scowls.
“Since we kicked your sorry asses,” Hitoshi smirks, before his expression darkens. “I know soulmates are a heavy topic, and I don’t fully believe in that bullshit either, but-”
“Shut up. Don’t fucking talk to me,” Katsuki mutters, pretending to read his textbook.
Hitoshi sighs. “Movie night. Friday. Be there, or I’ll steal your boyfriend.”
“You already have one,” Katsuki glares.
“So?” Hitoshi smiles. He returns his glare, then walks to Eijirou’s side. He wraps an arm around both Eijirou and Denki’s shoulders, smirking back at Katsuki.
Sparks fly between them. “I’m gonna fucking kill you.”
~~~~~~~~~~
He slams the door open, stomping into the room. He sits down on the opposite side of the floor from his boyfriend, ignoring Hitoshi’s knowing smirk.
“Nice of you to join us, Katsu.” Mina wiggles her eyebrows.
He ignores her, glaring at Eijirou’s back. His eyes narrow as he watches Izuku, Hitoshi, and Eijirou laugh at Denki’s joke. Izuku leans over to whisper something in Todoroki’s ear, and the taller boy smiles softly.
“They’ve gotten a lot closer since the last lesson,” Hanta mutters, leaning his head against Tenya’s shoulder. The two boys have their legs stretched out in front of them, Hanta’s fingers gently wrapped around Tenya’s sweaty palm.
“I could say the same to you,” Mina whispers in Hanta’s ear. She returns Tooru’s high-five as they giggle loudly.
Hanta blushes, squeezing Tenya’s hand. His soulmate squeezes back.
“By popular vote, we’re watching Tangled!” Eijirou exclaims, holding up the DVD. Denki cheers.
“Isn’t this like, the fifth time we’re watching it?” Hanta groans.
“I’ve never watched Tangled before,” Todoroki comments.
“I haven’t as well,” Iida adds.
Hanta gasps. “We’re watching Tangled!”
Eijirou grins as he puts the disc into his DVD player. He clicks the play button, turns off the lights, and walks to stand in front of his boyfriend.
“Wha-” Katsuki freezes as his boyfriend plops himself into his lap. He feels his right arm being pulled around Eijirou’s waist. “What the-”
“Shhh, it’s starting!” Mina shushes, holding back a giggle.
“Relax, ‘Tsuki,” Eijirou whispers in his ear. He massages Katsuki’s palm, smiling as his boyfriend slowly relaxes.
The movie drones on, Katsuki barely looking at the screen. His eyelids droop and his chin falls on his boyfriend’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry for cornering you like that,” Eijirou whispers, fingers tracing letters onto Katsuki’s palm.
‘I L O V E Y O U.’
Katsuki smiles, kissing the back of Eijirou’s neck. “Sorry for yelling at you. And kicking you out of your room.”
Eijirou hums, fingers still tracing. ‘I F O R G I V E Y O U.’
A soft snore can be heard from the other side of the room. Hitoshi sighs, carding his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair.
Izuku knocks his shoulder against Todoroki’s side, whispering quietly. Todoroki smiles, whispering something back.
“I still don’t believe in soulmates,” Katsuki huffs, squeezing Eijirou’s hand.
“Sure you don’t,” Eijirou laughs, eyes twinkling with amusement.
“I don’t. Because I chose you . Some weird soulmate bullshit isn’t going to change my mind.” Katsuki grabs Eijirou’s hips, turning him so that he straddles his waist.
“Awww, I love you too.” Eijirou nuzzles his nose against Katsuki’s jaw, letting soft huffs of breath tickle his neck.
Katsuki leans into the touch, bringing their entwined hands up to his mouth. He bites his boyfriend’s ring finger, flinching as his own finger stings with pain. He lifts his left hand, inspecting the small red indents.
“I didn’t know you were a biter,” Eijirou teases, licking Katsuki’s neck.
“Didn’t know you were a fucking cat,” Katsuki teases back, continuing to bite his finger, leaving deeper indents. Eijirou gasps at a particularly strong bite, shuddering in anticipation. Suddenly, he finds himself on his back, Katsuki’s head resting on his chest. “Fucking tired.” Katsuki wraps an arm around his waist, his injured arm cradled against his chest. Eijirou chuckles, shifting so that his own injured arm rests beside Katsuki’s. A small smile blooms across his face and he closes his eyes, letting sleep consume him.
~~~~~~~~~~
“So I’m guessing you guys made up?” Denki wiggles his eyebrows, gaze flickering between their thoroughly marked left ring fingers.
“Yeah man! Thanks for your advice!”
“You followed drooly’s advice?” Katsuki scoffs, glaring at Denki.
Mina snickers from behind Eijirou, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “If you follow Denki’s advice, you won’t be married until you’re thirty!”
“I’m pretty good with that, actually,” Eijirou smiles up at his boyfriend.
“Not if I propose first,” Katsuki states, glaring at the arm wrapped around Eijirou’s shoulder. Mina grins, wrapping her other arm around Eijirou’s neck.
“Katsuki, you can’t just-” Eijirou sputters, hiding his face in his hands.
“You four. Get to your seats or you’re staying for detention.” Aizawa’s voice makes them startle, Denki immediately jumping towards his seat. Mina holds Katsuki’s gaze with a smirk, daring him to say anything. Hanta shakes his head, limping to his desk.
Aizawa’s heavy sigh makes Mina flinch, and she finally releases Eijirou, skipping to her seat. Katsuki rubs Eijirou’s nape on the way to his own desk, smirking when he looks back to see his boyfriend’s ears blooming red.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Did you bite yourself, or did he bite you?” Denki asks, carefully inspecting Eijirou’s hand.
“Denki, have you seen Ei’s teeth? And why would he bite himself when he has a dog to do it for him?” Hanta smirks.
“I bet he has a collar,” Mina adds.
“Kinky,” Denki smiles and rests his chin on Hitoshi’s head. “Why haven’t we done that before?”
“What?” Hitoshi looks up from his phone, ignoring Mina and Hanta’s muffled laughter.
“You want to couples cosplay with him?” Mina giggles excitedly.
“No, I mean, yeah but-”
“You want him to bite you,” Hanta grins.
“I mean, we’re soulmates, right? Shouldn’t we- shit-” Denki’s face contorts in horror.
“Since when are we soulmates?” Hitoshi gives him a confused frown.
“Forget what I said! I- I have to finish my homework!” Denki jumps to his feet, turning around-
Bang!
“Fuck!”
“Ow!”
Four boys rub at their foreheads. Denki freezes, fear flashing through his eyes. Katsuki scowls, but immediately calms down when his boyfriend grasps his hand. Eijirou sighs, leaning into Katsuki’s warmth.
“What the hell...” Hitoshi mutters, still rubbing at his forehead. His gaze meets Denki’s frantic one, and they stare at each other, unsure of what to say.
“Just kiss already!” Mina pushes Hitoshi into a startled Denki and they tumble to the ground, Hitoshi’s head landing on Denki’s thigh.
“Um, shit, I, uh,” Denki feels like he’s short-circuiting.
“Since when?” Hitoshi breathes out, slowly sitting up.
“Hwa?” Denki stares up at him, arms splayed out on the ground.
“Since when did you know we’re...” Hitoshi slowly extends his hand toward Denki’s face, gasping as his fingers brush Denki’s cheek, the pain on his forehead disappearing.
“Soulmates?” Denki breathes out, covering Hitoshi’s hand with his own. “Um, would you be mad if I said, uh...” he trails off, searching Hitoshi’s eyes. He sees only curiosity and fondness, so he gathers enough courage to say, “two months or so?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he can’t hide the disappointment in his voice.
“You’re not really supposed to? Our history textbook said something about it being dangerous if you ‘play with fate’ and tell your soulmate early.”
“You’re a dumbass.” Katsuki snickers.
“Hey!” Denki and Eijirou shout in unison. They share a surprised look before grinning knowingly.
“We’re a mess,” Mina giggles, sneakily taking pictures with her cellphone. “Hey, Denki, can you lean into Shinsou a little more. Yeah, that’s perfect! And Ei, pull your boyfriend closer-”
“If you take one more, I’ll fucking blast your phone,” Katsuki threatens, hand sparking.
“Leave the single girl alone! I just want references for when I ask Tooru out!”
“Oh, what’s this? You have a crush on someone?” Denki teases, finally sitting up.
“You’ve known since last year!” Mina blushes, hugging her phone to her chest. “It’s not fair you all got to find love before me!”
“Don’t worry Mina! We’ll help you!” Eijirou grins.
“Yeah! We’re the best wingmen you could ask for!” Denki fistbumps his bro and squeezes his soulmate’s hand.
“Thank you guys so much!” Mina hugs them both, nearly toppling them over.
“Get your own soulmate,” Katsuki tugs on Eijirou’s hand, pulling him back towards himself.
“Katsuki you-!” Eijirou’s lip trembles and his eyes glisten with unshed tears.
“Fuck! I said get your own fucking supporter, raccoon eyes!” Katsuki corrects, gripping Eijirou’s hand tighter.
“That’s not very convincing, blasty boy,” Hanta laughs.
“Don’t deny it,” Hitoshi smirks, allowing himself to be pulled into Denki’s embrace.
“You wanna fucking die?!”
“Woah there, you’re not going anywhere,” Eijirou pulls Katsuki into his lap, rubbing gentle circles into his palm. Katsuki slowly relaxes, head nestling onto Eijirou’s shoulder. His eyes remain open and he glares at the other four.
“I feel like we’re interrupting something,” Denki mutters sheepishly.
“Yeah,” Hanta whispers, shuffling backwards a bit.
“I’d rather not die today,” Hitoshi mutters, squeezing Denki’s hand.
“Let’s go,” Mina motions for them to leave, and they swiftly make their way out of Eijirou’s room.
“Finally,” Katsuki breathes out, mouthing at Eijirou’s neck.
“Katsuki, I-”
He’s silenced by a fierce kiss, and his lips quiver as he struggles to follow Katsuki’s passionate movements.
“Hey, relax. Just follow my lead.”
He feels something cup his cheek, and he realizes he’d closed his eyes. He lets out a shaky breath and nods. Soft lips ghost over his own before pressing harder. He leans into the kiss, lips opening and closing in gentle harmony with Katsuki’s eager smile. He feels a tongue brush against his lower lip and he lets it explore deeper, groaning as it rubs against his back molars. He reciprocates the action, fighting back a smirk when he hears Katsuki grunt as he attacks the roof of his boyfriend’s mouth.
They pull apart with a soft pop, foreheads touching. He can still feel Katsuki’s breath against his lips, the soft puffs of air making him shudder with want.
“I love you,” Katsuki whispers, meeting Eijirou’s gaze.
Eijirou’s sight blurs, but he can recognize the overwhelming amount of affection in his boyfriend’s eyes. “I- I-” His vision clouds further and his voice breaks. “I love you too.”
Their lips meet again as they immerse each other in love, all their pains and worries forgotten.