Chapter Text
Not all men are created equal. Midoriya Izuku had known this since he was four. Being Quirkless was one huge bump in his seventy-eight-step plan to become a hero who'd be able to save the world with a smile.
Unfortunately, Izuku started to receive Kacchan's hurtful words and painful assaults tenfold. Kacchan's lackeys followed where their leader went and picked at the one at the bottom of the hierarchy. Blood was in the water and they were on a power high.
Midoriya Izuku is bullied. He is a deku. And, he has a soulmate. He KNOWS he has to, the crimson strand wrapped around his finger. Honestly, sometimes, the idea that someone out there would love him was the only thing that kept him going. He got teased about that too; Soulmates were, evidently, not as sacred as he believed.
"Why would anyone WANT to end up with a Quirkless nobody like you?" Sneered Kacchan, his palms already igniting explosions as he strode confidently into Izuku's face. "You have exactly jackshit—no, you ARE jackshit."
Izuku started at the ground, tears filling his eyes and threatening to spill over. School was out for the day, it had been for several hours. Kacchan had found a new route to the forest through the grounds lesser-known high school in Musutafu. Kacchan was front and center as he lead his two companions—and Izuku who trailed behind.
"Please...just stop," the greenette mumbled, his grip tightening on the straps of his book bag. He was was getting tired of the repeated insults, the all-too-familiar comments, and the damage to his property. Speaking of which-
The front of his school uniform was grabbed—shit, that would stretch it—as he was hefted off the ground. Kacchan's free hand was creating medium-sized explosions slightly near Izuku's face as the blonde smirked.
"When your Soulmate finally rejects you, tell someone who's not worthless to tell me."-if it was possible, Kacchan's eyes widened even more- "I put money on it happening before the first year of highschool," he said, he unceremoniously dropped Izuku on his ass and turned to leave; the two followers scampering to keep up with the explosive boy.
Ikuzu was left behind.
The blue sky slowly bleed into oranges and reds as he trudged home alone, a pit in his stomach. What if Kacchan was right? The pavement dipped at a cross walk, Izuku waited. The sounds of cars and buses zipping by faded into a soft buzz and he was left with his thoughts.
It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it; his Soulmate meeting and rejecting him quickly. He hated it. He hated that he was even pondering this.
The street sign changed and Izuku quickly crossed. He glanced at his surroundings until his eyes caught onto a billboard. It had the grinning face of All Might and a tube of toothpaste plastered on. The blue words, "Never give up on a brighter future! Or a brighter smile!" stood out against the red and white back drop.
He stopped for a second, determination filling his heart as he looked up at the colorful sign and down at his right pinkie finger.
I'll prove Kacchan wrong. I'll become a hero. I don't know about a Soulmate but I can try.
— — — — — - —
Todoroki Shouto is many things. He's a monster, he's worthless, and he's unlovable. His mother scarred him and left him under the sole guidence of his asshole father. His mother. She was so excited to meet her soulmate: the perfect someone for her, someone who would be able to take her away from the hellscape.
That never happened.
What happened instead involved a phone call, a kettle of boiling water, and the disappearance of Mother. As Shouto sat on the floor, left eye bandaged, all had could think about the works his mother had said second before.
"- like him more and more every day. And Shouto...his left side. Sometimes I look at him and hate what I see. I...can't raise him anymore. I shouldn't raise him..."
Her words scalded him more the the kettle.
Soulmates were a load of bullshit, a point firmly drilled in by his father. He used to have a Soulmate before cutting the string. "Soulmates will only hold you back! Make you WEAK and PATHETIC," were words associated with flames and bruises.
And Shouto was inclined to agree. All Soulmates seemed to do was lead to heartbreak and disappointment. So, so much disappointment. He tugged maliciously at the thread tied to his finger. Shouto had to wait until he was twelve to do it, but he was going to cut all ties with them.