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Izuku’s mother said that Izuku’s timer went off when he was only three months old. She told him how surprised she had been when the loud beeps were heard from the two infants as they laid sleeping next to one another, how she and her high school best friend had both turned to each other in shock before laughing and celebrating.
The thing is, as far as Izuku could remember, his timer had been at zero.
In a world where timers were invisible to all except the person whose arm it rested on, it was difficult to explain to children why his was able to be seen. He had just shrugged and dodged the question, not truly sure himself why his was different than everyone else. Well, everyone except his best friend. Kacchan’s timer was also resting at zero on his arm but no one questioned him about it. As they got older, both of them understood that their timers had gone off when their mothers set up their first playdate together. Which meant they were supposed to be important to one another.
Izuku wasn’t upset about that. He didn’t truly know what the word ‘soulmate’ meant, it was just a word that people kept saying. Finally, his mother told him that it was a word to describe two people (or more) that would be the most important person in the others life. Izuku had just nodded at the explanation. That made sense. Kacchan was the most important person. And he thought that Kacchan felt the same about him. The blond would show up at Izuku’s apartment often and grab the smaller boys hand before pulling him toward the park or down the street to his own home. They went into the woods and played explorer, their hands clasped together tightly so neither of them would get lost. Sleepovers were a thing they did often, both of them curling up on Kacchan’s bed while they watched Hero movies and documentaries. All Might was their favorite and the two would ramble for hours about how they would one day be just like him. The two were inseparable.
Until they weren’t.
It had started off slow, so slow that Izuku didn’t really realize it was happening. First, Kacchan got his quirk. It was really cool because Kacchan was able to make things explode and he would often have little sparks shooting out of his palms. All the teachers and the other kids kept telling him how awesome he was, how strong his quirk was, how great he was going to be. And Kacchan would smile proudly at each compliment and tell anyone who listened how he was going to be the number one hero when he got older. Izuku watched his best friend with pride, knowing that this was just one more step toward their goal. Kacchan would ask him each and every day if he had gotten his quirk yet and the silences grew longer and longer each time Izuku shook his head. But Izuku kept a bright smile on his face as he tried to cheer Kacchan up. It would happen soon and then they could both start training together so they could be the best heroes the world had ever seen!
But Kacchan wasn’t the only one growing worried and soon, Izuku found himself sitting in a doctor’s office with his mother at his side as he was told he was quirkless. Izuku didn’t really remember much about that day. He didn’t remember the walk home, or how he ended up on the couch. He did remember sitting there, watching an All Might documentary and telling his mom that he wasn’t going to give up. He remembered her crying. He remembered her apologizing.
Izuku had stayed home the rest of that week and only saw Kacchan when the other boy showed up at his house in a fury on Saturday. He had barged into Izuku’s room and demanded to know why the green haired boy hadn’t been at school or showed up at the park. Izuku had told him that he went to the doctor and what the man had said. He waited for a reaction, waited for his friend to show the same determination that had been growing inside of Izuku throughout the week. So what if he was quirkless? He was still going to be a hero. That was what he needed Kacchan to say. The words his mother hadn’t said.
But Kacchan didn’t say anything for a long time. His red eyes stared at Izuku until they looked down at his own hands that were shooting sparks. Then he sneered and turned on his heel, walking out the door. Izuku had called after him, jumping from his bed and running toward the door, but the blond was already gone by the time he made it into the hall.
When he went back to school, Kacchan barely spoke to him. He seemed to make new friends while Izuku was gone, boys that had already manifested their quirks and kept telling Kacchan just how great he was. Izuku just smiled and continued to follow after them, glad that they now had more people to play with. But then Kacchan’s ‘playing’ style changed as well. They still went into the woods to explore but Kacchan now led the way and made sure Izuku was behind their other friends. He stopped showing up at Izuku’s apartment and he never invited Izuku over to his house. And he began to say and do mean things to other kids – especially kids that didn’t have a quirk or had a quirk that wasn’t very powerful.
He began to call Izuku ‘Deku’.
He told Izuku he didn’t want him around anymore.
And he began to wear a black band on his arm that covered up his timer.
It was then that Izuku knew that he was no longer Kacchan’s favorite and most important person. So, Izuku tried to stay away from Kacchan and his mean words. That seemed to make things even worse and the blond took to physically hitting him if he tried to walk away. Izuku tried to avoid him as much as possible but it was difficult with them almost always ending up in the same classes. In Junior High, more and more kids began to take to tormenting Izuku and his ‘freakishness’. There were occasions when Kacchan would join in but he usually just watched with that sneer on his face unless he was the one starting the confrontation. Izuku wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.
It was in Junior High that he truly began to understand what the word ‘soulmate’ meant and why so many people would excitedly tell others about how long was left on their timers. Izuku had been in the hall one day on the way to the bathroom when two kids ran into each other and a loud beeping filled the hall, echoing off of the walls. He felt his heart fall in his chest when he saw how both of their eyes lit up and they quickly introduced themselves before agreeing to meet up after school.
Izuku would never have that. His timer went off before he even knew what a timer was. He had grown up with the person that was supposed to support him and love him throughout his life. The same person that had turned their back on him. A person that he was forced to see every single day and remember how fate must truly hate him. A soulmate that wanted nothing to do with him. Quirkless. Classmates who wished he would disappear.
Sometimes, Izuku thought that he should. That, maybe, this life was a mistake.
But one look at his mother had all of those other thoughts falling away. He could never do anything to purposefully upset her.
So, Izuku threw himself into studying heroes and his goal. He would become a hero, no matter what his classmates, teachers, or Kacchan said. He had the grades to get into the top hero school in the country and they had recently opened up the entrance exam to those that were quirkless. He just needed to pass the exam and then he could begin training.
He didn’t expect his homeroom teacher to tell his entire class that he was planning on taking the UA entrance exam. He hunched his shoulders as all of his classmates began to mock him, the insults recycled from years of abuse. But then Kacchan got involved and Izuku had pushed himself as far away from the other boy as possible. He had seen the other boy angry, he practically lived in a state of anger, but the absolute fury and loathing he saw painted on the handsome face made Izuku want to put as much distance between them as he possible could.
When Kacchan told him to jump off the building so that he might have a quirk in his next life, Izuku felt himself go numb. They were the same words that had been echoing in his own head for years. Words that he hadn’t expected to come from his soulmate of all people. As he trudged home that day, Izuku thought that it was probably the worst day of his entire life, maybe even worse than the day he was told he was quirkless.
And then the sludge villain attacked and Izuku wondered if fate was really that cruel.
He thought he was going to die. Actually, he was pretty sure that he was dying. His mind flashed to his mother and he hoped someone would take care of her. He was sure Kacchan’s mom would do what she could. Kacchan…Kacchan probably wouldn’t care. He had stated as much earlier that day, hadn’t he? It would just confirm what he had been saying for years – Izuku was weak. Too weak to be a hero. Useless.
Then All Might appeared and Izuku had thought that maybe, maybe, some good would come out of this day anyway.
But then he not only found out that his hero was gravely injured, the man didn’t believe Izuku could be a hero. Because he was quirkless. Because he wouldn’t be able to help anyone – he hadn’t even been able to help himself. What was even the point anymore? For years, his goal of becoming a hero had been the only thing that kept him moving forward. Yet here he was, being told yet again that it was impossible. No one believed in him. Not his mom, not Kacchan, not even All Might.
So what was the point?
Izuku really wasn’t sure where his thoughts were leading him when he came across the mob of people that were watching a villain fight. Izuku, who usually ran forward to take as many notes as possible, barely spared it a glance. Why did it even matter? Nothing he did was going to be able to make up for the fact that he didn’t have a quirk. There wasn’t any reason for him to-
A loud explosion made Izuku’s head snap toward the group once again. Narrowing his eyes, Izuku focused on the fight – only to see it wasn’t a fight at all. No, it was the sludge villain that had attacked him only an hour before. There were heroes standing all around but not one of them were attempting to help the boy the villain had in his clutches.
A boy that Izuku knew all too well.
He really wasn’t sure what happened. His mind was telling him all the reasons he shouldn’t, couldn’t, do this but his feet were already moving. With barely any thought, Izuku ripped the school bag off of his back and threw it in the villain’s eye. He let out a loud yell and reared back, just enough for Izuku to grab ahold of Kacchan. Kacchan who was yelling at him for being an idiot and telling him to get away. Izuku ignored him and tried to force the villain off of his soulmate. It wasn’t working and the fear in Kacchan’s eyes told Izuku that the other boy was aware of it as well.
And then All Might was there. Again.
The villain was captured and taken into custody. The media was surrounding All Might and thanking him for what he had done. Kacchan was being talked too by multiple heroes, all of them admiring his quirk and talking to him about possibility of him working with them in the future.
And Izuku was being lectured for doing something stupid when he didn’t have a quirk.
Of course. It didn’t matter that none of the heroes who did have quirks had made any move to help. It didn’t matter that some of the heroes had said how brave he was until they learned he was quirkless. Then that bravery was turned to stupidity. Izuku made his escape, not wanting to hear another word when he was already aware of how useless everyone thought he was.
He was almost home when Kacchan appeared, yelling at him about how much of an idiot Izuku was and how he would have been able to get out without his help. Izuku knew that was a lie but he didn’t call the other boy out on it. He would no doubt end up in pain if he did. So Izuku just nodded and watched as his soulmate stormed away from him yet again.
The fact that All Might found him shortly after that and told him the secret of One For All almost made up for the horrible day. The fact that he wanted Izuku to succeed him put the day into one of the best of his life.
Years later, Izuku would think how strange that was. The same day, the same twenty-four hours, was considered to be both his best day and his worst. It’s funny how the universe works sometimes.
Kacchan seemed oddly…docile after that. Oh, he was calm or anything. He had never been and probably would never be. But he never initiated anything against Izuku the rest of the year and he merely looked away when others in the class did. After a few weeks of not being able to get a reaction out of the blond, his classmates began to ignore Izuku as well.
It was a very odd school year.
Izuku actually didn’t hear the other boy speak to him until the UA entrance exam. He tripped as he walked toward the building and was saved from falling on his face by a girl that was able to float him back onto his feet. The two of them spoke for a minute when a familiar voice barked at Izuku that he was in the way. Izuku blinked and apologized, mentally wondering why the other boy didn’t just walk around them in the big courtyard. Nevertheless, he waved goodbye to the girl and hurried into the auditorium, only to sigh and tentatively take his assigned seat.
Of course he would end up sitting next to Kacchan. That was how his life worked. He should be used to it by now.
By the end of the entrance exam, Izuku was completely unsure if he passed or not. He was positive he had passed the written exam but the other…well, it hadn’t turned out so well. And it had ended in a lot of pain.
The only good thing was the fact that he and Kacchan had been separated and the blond hadn’t been there to witness his humiliation. If he didn’t get into UA, he could attend one of the other high schools in the area and, for the first time, not go to school with his soulmate. Maybe he might actually make some friends.
That was the only upside he could see in the entire situation.
If he failed, he would be letting All Might down. The man would regret passing One For All to him. Could he take it back? Was that possible? Could he find someone else or was it too late? Not to mention, after all he had done and all he had put his mother through over the years, Izuku didn’t want to fail and show her that everyone had been right about him. He didn’t know how he would be able to look Auntie in the eye whenever she came over to speak to his mother. Not with the knowledge that Kacchan was living their childhood dream and Izuku was, once again, left behind. Especially not with the fact that he had heard his mother crying to Auntie on more than one occasion because she was afraid of how disappointed he would be when he didn’t get into UA.
Not when both women knew that Kacchan was his soulmate and the two of them couldn’t even be in the same room as one another.
That was why he wanted to be alone when he got the results from the school. He couldn’t bear to see the look on his mother’s face if he didn’t get in.
However, much to everyone’s surprise, Izuku did get in. The two Midoriya’s celebrated that night and Izuku made his mother promise not to say anything to Auntie. Inko had been unhappy but Izuku didn’t want his last days of Junior High to be filled with laughter and cruel jokes about how the school had made a mistake. He didn’t want Kacchan to start mocking him again.
When the school itself announced that two of its members had passed the entrance exam, everyone assumed that Izuku had got into the general studies course. Izuku didn’t correct them.
Which is why Kacchan was so surprised when Izuku walked into the 1-A classroom. And furious. Oh, was he furious. However, Izuku was able to push the blond from his mind and focus on introducing himself to his new classmates. Classmates that had never known him when he was quirkless. Classmates that had no idea about his timer. With the long sleeves of his jacket, Izuku was easily able to hide the fact that his timer was visible. There were no questions about his soulmate, not pitying glances, no questions at all. He didn’t have to explain anything.
He liked it.
When his homeroom teacher (Eraserhead!) announced that they were doing a physical and the person in last place was going to be expelled, Izuku felt as if his soul had left his body. Unlike his classmates, he hadn’t had years to practice with his quirk. He could barely use it without harming himself and he was nowhere near able to use its full power. It would probably kill him if he tried.
Well, if Kacchan didn’t get to him first.
It was easy to see that the blond was outraged to learn that Izuku had a quirk. Izuku could understand why – he would be upset to learn that Kacchan had been keeping something that big to himself – but he couldn’t understand why the information was so important. To Izuku, Kacchan was still his person. The person he wanted to be around and help whenever he could. But Kacchan had given that up a long time ago. He had told Izuku to kill himself. It was clear that the other boy had no soft feelings for Izuku any longer. So why did him having a quirk matter?
Was it just because he felt betrayed?
Their first class with All Might was certainly something. And not something good. Izuku was fairly sure that Kacchan was trying to kill him. There was no other reason for the blond to act the way he did. And Izuku almost allowed it. He pushed himself and used One For All in a way that he knew was going to have devastating consequences. And he pushed Kacchan into a corner that had the other boy losing what little control he had over his temper.
Startling enough, it seemed that he and Kacchan had both made friends that day. Whether Kacchan admitted to it or not, there were people in their class that were drawn toward the explosive boy and Izuku could only watch from afar as the four of them somehow pushed themselves into Kacchan’s life. Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero had done what Izuku hadn’t been able to do since he was six years old.
They were friends with Kacchan.
Oh, Izuku had made his own friends. He was particularly close to Iida and Uraraka, the girl who had helped him at the entrance exam. He then became close with Todoroki after the Sports Festival. There were others in the class that he got along with and everyone seemed to at least like him, which was vastly different than his experience at school so far. He enjoyed the fact that many of his classmates looked at him for answers and didn’t mock him when he began to ramble or mutter to himself. Oh, they would tease him but he knew it was all in good fun. Not like what had happened in previous years. The only person that seemed truly irritated by him was Kacchan.
When he and Kacchan were forced to work together during their final exam, Izuku had thought they would fail. There was no way they would be able to work together in a regular situation against any of their teachers but against All Might? It was impossible. He tried to tell Kacchan that but the other boy was adamant about fighting instead of trying to escape. Izuku didn’t understand. Kacchan had always cared about his grades, he always wanted to be the best. Why would he even consider trying to fight against All Might? Had he forgotten what they had seen when they watched those documentaries together when they were kids? Kacchan hated failing and if they failed, which they would, he was going to blame Izuku. Whatever little amount of peace that had been between the two of them the past year would be gone.
Izuku didn’t want that.
But the two reached an agreement and, by some miracle, they ended up passing. That didn’t mean that he and Kacchan were able to hold a civil conversation but it did mean that Kacchan wasn’t going to try to kill him, so Izuku counted it as a win.
The summer camp started and, at first, Izuku thought it was going really well. Oh, they were exhausted and pushed to their limits, but everyone seemed to be getting along. Kacchan had even stopped to show Uraraka how to properly cut vegitables – even if he did it with an annoyed sneer on his face. But everything quickly went to hell when villains attacked and Kacchan was kidnapped.
Izuku could never fully explain how he felt when Muscular said they were after Kacchan. It was as if everything in his body stopped and his mind completely wrapped around the one thought. Kacchan was in danger. Even though Izuku himself, as well as the boy he was trying to save, had an immediate threat in front of them, all he could think about was Kacchan. If he didn’t get away, if he didn’t win this fight, no one would know why the villains were there. And no one would be there to help Kacchan. Kacchan would be take and who knows what would happen if the villains got to him.
But, even if Izuku was able to beat the odds and win his battle, Kacchan was still gone. That moment, the moment when the scarred villain wrapped Kacchan’s neck in his hand and pulled him into the vortex, kept replaying over and over in Izuku’s mind as he laid in the hospital bed. Kacchan was gone. Kacchan had told him to stay back. Kacchan was scared, Izuku could see it. It was the same look he had in his eye when he was being held by that sludge villain. Izuku couldn’t do anything. He didn’t even know where Kacchan was. He didn’t know if he was hurt. The only small comfort he had was that his timer was still black. If it faded to gray, his soulmate was no longer among the living.
His doctor had nearly had a stroke when Izuku first woke and began to slam his cast against the bedrail. He needed to see the timer. To make sure… he only calmed when they had taken off the cast and replaced it, leaving a small sliver of skin where Izuku could see the very last zero.
A zero that was still black.
So, at least Kacchan was alive. That didn’t mean he wasn’t hurt. Didn’t mean he wasn’t being tortured. But, he was still breathing.
It was the only good thought Izuku could hold onto.
So when his friends appeared in the room and began arguing over whether to go after Kacchan or not, there really wasn’t any argument in Izuku’s mind of what he was going to do. He was going to go, whether Iida and Uraraka approved or not. Todoroki seemed to know how he felt and, only a few minutes after Izuku returned from his meeting with the doctor. Izuku looked at him curiously as he sat in the only chair beside Izuku’s bed. The others had decided to go visit the other classmates that were in the hospital, so why had Todoroki returned?
He got his answer only a few minutes later.
“I saw your timer,” the other boy said bluntly. Izuku flinched and glanced down at the still black zero. “Your arms were broken and everyone saw it when Uraraka wrapped your arms. It’s Bakugou, isn’t it?”
Izuku slowly nodded his head and Todoroki’s shoulders slumped. The two sat in silence, Izuku wondering if there was a point to this conversation and if he would have to have it with the others as well. If Kacchan found out that everyone knew, he would be angry. Even Kacchan’s hero costume, much like Izuku’s, made sure to cover his timer. Izuku had noticed how careful Kacchan was since they stated high school, making sure that the timer was never visible. Even when he rolled up his sleeves, he stopped right before the numbers started. He always kept his arm covered and in front of his body as he changed.
Kacchan didn’t want anyone to know.
Neither did Izuku.
“I don’t like him,” Todoroki said bluntly. Izuku’s mouth fell open and his eyes flew to the other boy. This…this really wasn’t the time for the rivalry between Todoroki and Bakugou to make an appearance. “He is not a pleasant person. I do not understand how the two of you are soulmates. I do not understand why he treats you the way he does. But it does make me realize why you are so loyal to him.”
“I’m not-“
“You are,” Todoroki waved a hand, cutting of Izuku’s protests. Izuku flushed. Alright, maybe he wasn’t hiding things nearly as well as he had thought. “I would like to apologize. It is my fault that Bakugou was taken. I should have been quicker. If I had then-“
“It isn’t your fault!” Izuku protested, shaking his head madly. “I should have-“
“Midoriya, you could barely move. You had two broken arms. It was not your responsibility. I do not think Bakugou would believe it was, either. Nevertheless, I will do whatever it takes to make sure we get Bakugou back. I wanted you to know that.”
Midoriya wasn’t really sure what he should say. He wanted to make the other boy feel better, to tell him once again that it wasn’t his fault, but he knew how stubborn Todoroki was. He didn’t really think there was anything he could say at this moment that would change his mind. Not until they were sure that Kacchan was safe. “I’m going with you.”
Todoroki instantly shook his head. “I understand your desire to do so, but you are very injured. It would be best if you stay here.”
“I can’t,” Izuku said firmly, staring into the two toned eyes and willing the other boy to see where he was coming from. “Kacchan and I…we have issues, I’m not saying we don’t. But he’s my soulmate. My most important person. I can’t just sit here while you and Kirishima go after him.”
“And what would Bakugou say? Would he truly want you there when you are like this?”
“I don’t care,” Izuku retorted, clenching his jaw. Kacchan would probably curse a lot and call him a moron but that didn’t matter to Izuku. It wasn’t any different than any of their other conversations. “I’ll meet the two of you tonight.”
Todoroki’s eyes narrowed and skimmed over Izuku’s determined face. After a moment, he sighed and nodded his head. “I see. Well, I will let you rest.”
The boy left the room quickly and Izuku went about trying to get some sleep until Recovery Girl arrived. He wasn’t successful. Instead, images of Kacchan’s scared eyes swam in his mind and Izuku watched as the villain stole the blond away again and again. By the time he had the casts off of his arms and he was pulling on a sweatshirt, he was ready to do whatever he could to get Kacchan back.
He didn’t expect to have Iida and Yaoyorozu join them. He didn’t expect Iida to punch him in the face.
And he didn’t expect to pull up the sleeve of his sweatshirt and push his arm into the other boys line of sight. “He’s my soulmate. I don’t care if you come with me or not, I’m going.”
By the shocked look on Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Kirishima’s faces, not everyone was aware of that bit of information. It was then that Izuku realized that maybe, just maybe, when Todoroki had said everyone had seen the timer, he meant everyone present when Uraraka wrapped his arms.
Oh, Kacchan really was going to kill him.
But it seemed to do the trick. Iida and Yaoyorozu both stated that they would be joining them but only to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid. Izuku nodded in understanding but inwardly protested. He didn’t want any of his friends getting hurt and he would gladly support the two getting Kirishima and Todoroki away from the situation if it was called for, but there was no way Izuku was going to move until he had Kacchan back.
He was still thinking that when All for One stood in front of the angry blond.
They were all terrified. Izuku couldn’t even get his body to move. They had just seen this man take down multiple heroes. He wasn’t even sure that Best Jeanist was alive. And Kacchan was standing in front of the man with other villains surrounding him. Including Shigaraki.
This was bad.
And Izuku didn’t know what to do.
He couldn’t have been more thankful when All Might appeared and began to fight the man. The other villains swarmed Kacchan and Izuku knew he had to do something to help him, even if Iida was currently holding him back. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to think of a plan, something that would allow all of his friends to get away safely but still rescue Kacchan.
And then he had it.
He held onto Kirishima tightly as they flew through the air, Iida’s engines propelling them further. He clenched his jaw as Kirishima reached down and yelled for Kacchan to join them. It had been Izuku’s plan, Izuku had been the one to tell the redhead to do it. He knew that Kacchan wouldn’t come if Izuku had been the one holding his hand out. He had seen the way his friends exchanged startled glances when he told them that, then ignored Iida’s whispered question about why Izuku didn’t do it since they were soulmates. He didn’t want to explain his reasoning. He knew that Kirishima was their best bet. The first person that had been able to break through Kacchan’s walls since they were children. The one person the blond would probably admit to being his friend.
The one person the explosive boy might actually trust.
That person wasn’t Izuku.
They managed to escape from the villains with Kacchan in tow and landed blocks away from where the fighting was taking place. Iida instantly got in touch with Todoroki and Yaoyorozu to make sure they were okay. Kacchan was quiet after his initial yelling, telling them that they didn’t save him. Izuku’s lips twitched up at the familiar words but he kept his head down so the blond wouldn’t notice. Kirishima merely laughed and threw an arm over Kacchan’s shoulders.
Izuku avoided looking at them after that.
Watching All Might win against All For One was bittersweet and it once again reminded Izuku about how a day could be ranked both his best and worst. All for One had been beaten, Kacchan was safe…but All Might was no more. He used up the last of One for All in that fight and there was nothing else for him to give.
It was now up to Izuku.
And he wasn’t ready.
His mother was upset with him when he returned home. He knew she would be. He had left the hospital after being hurt (again), then gone into a fight to rescue Kacchan (despite being told not to), and she had no idea if he was safe. She had held him tightly against her and cried as she said she couldn’t do it anymore and asked him why he couldn’t find a nice, safe job? Why did this have to be his dream? He hadn’t been able to stop his own tears from falling as he told her this was what he had to do. He then told her that Kacchan was safe and at the police station, which led to more tears and a phone call to Auntie.
The next few days were a whirlwind. First, the letter arrived about the new dorms at UA. He and his mother had sat down and had a conversation about it, him saying it was a good thing and her asking yet again if he had to be a hero, then she had stood and said she wanted to speak to Mitsuki. Izuku had protested but found himself being led toward Auntie’s house, his mother’s hand tight around his wrist. Auntie had been surprised to see them but was quick to let them in. Inko wasted no time in demanding to know what Auntie thought of the new arrangement. Mitsuki blinked at her a moment, most likely stunned by her forceful tone, before her eyes shifted to Izuku. He stared up at her, pleading, and he watched as her eyes softened with understanding. “Brat! Get down here!”
“What the fuck do you want?”
“I said come here!”
“Fuck!” Loud stomping greeted the words and soon enough, Kacchan was walking into the foyer. “What the fuck do you- what are you doing here?!”
“Take Izuku to your room while Inko and I talk.”
“Fuck no!”
“Katsuki! Do as I tell you!”
“He can stay the fuck out here!”
“You little-“ Auntie moved forward and slapped Kacchan in the back of the head, causing the boy to hiss between clenched teeth. She then reached forward and grabbed the back of his neck. Instantly, Kacchan’s shoulder’s tensed and his hands began to crackle.
And Izuku saw red.
Before he even knew what he was doing, Izuku activated his quirk and jumped forward, pulling Kacchan from Auntie’s grasp. Kacchan stumbled forward into Izuku’s chest, letting out a loud yell as he did so. “What the hell do you fucking think-“ but Kacchan cut himself off as he looked down at Izuku. Izuku, now aware of what he had done, blushed brightly and took a quick step back.
“Sorry! So sorry!” he said loudly, bowing toward Auntie. “I just – he held onto –“
“Fuck, go talk or something,” Kacchan said loudly, drowning out Izuku’s explanation. He grabbed Izuku’s shoulder and pushed him toward the stairs, “Go you fucking nerd.”
“Katsuki!”
“Izuku, are you okay?!”
“Fine, mom!” Izuku called back, ducking his head to hide the bright blush on his face as he hurried up the stairs. He paused at the top, unsure if he should just walk into Kacchan’s room of if the other boy wanted him to hide in the guest room until their moms were done talking. Kacchan tsked loudly and once again reached out and pushed Izuku toward his bedroom. Getting the hint, Izuku quickly walked into the room that he hadn’t been in in almost ten years.
It had changed but at the same time, it really hadn’t. Some familiar posters still graced the walls but many more of them were gone and replaced by new. Some were of heroes while some were of bands Izuku had never heard of. Some of the figurines he knew Kacchan had were nowhere to be seen while there were some, some of the more valuable ones, were tastefully displayed around the room. The desk beside the bed held a laptop and some of their school books. More books graced the bookshelf on the opposite wall and Izuku was surprised to see that a few of them were in English. The All Might bedspread had been replaced by a plain black one.
Izuku swallowed hard as he took it all in. Right now, at this moment, it truly sank in just how much Kacchan had changed without Izuku really noticing. He then flushed when he realized that Kacchan wouldn’t be able to say the same if he walked into Izuku’s bedroom. It hadn’t changed in years. Oh, he added to it, obviously, but many of the figurines and such were in the same place they had been in when they were small. His bookshelf was still filled with magazines and the childish hero books they had read together, though there were new books for older readers as well. Izuku had never really gotten rid of anything from his childhood.
Not like Kacchan had.
“What the fuck are you here for?” Kacchan growled out, flopping down on his bed and picking up the book he had obviously been reading before he had been called down the stairs.
“Mom, uh, doesn’t want me in the dorms,” Izuku admitted sheepishly as he looked for a place to sit. The bed was off limits. The desk chair was too close to the bed. There really wasn’t anywhere else in the room to sit. Mentally shrugging his shoulders, Izuku dropped down to the floor and sat with his back against the wall.
Kacchan jerked up, his eyebrows raised. “What the fuck are you- no, never mind. I don’t want to fucking know.” With that, he fell back onto the bed once again, leaving Izuku with only a view of his left leg that hung over the side of the bed. “Why doesn’t Auntie want you in the dorms?”
Izuku drew his knees up to his chest. “She…doesn’t want me to be a hero? Doesn’t think the school is protecting us? Something like that.”
There was silence after the statement. Izuku began to fidget and his eyes shifted once more to the bookcase. Maybe Kacchan would let him read something while they waited?
“That’s fucking stupid,” Kacchan finally said, his book slamming shut. “Fucking – stay here.”
“Wai- Kacchan!”
But Kacchan was gone before Izuku could get to his feet. Izuku shifted from one foot to the other, unsure of whether he should follow the other boy or if he should stay put. Kacchan had told him to stay and would take offence to it if Izuku didn’t do so, but he was worried about what the irritated boy was going to do. Inko hadn’t had to deal with Kacchan’s temper in years and would probably get upset if it was unleashed on her. So Izuku should go, right? Just to make sure nothing happened that they would regret?
Then again, Auntie was down there and if anyone could reign Kacchan in, it was her.
Izuku still hadn’t made up his mind when the door flew open and Kacchan stomped inside. His red eyes barely flickered toward Izuku before he threw himself on the bed yet again. “Go away.”
Izuku hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask what had happened and if he was just supposed to leave the room or if their mothers had stopped talking, but the second was quickly answered when Inko’s soft voice drifted up the stairs. Izuku frowned once more, looking toward the blond who had once again picked up his book. Kacchan didn’t even look at him.
With a sigh, Izuku left the room and walked down the stairs, seeing his mothers tear stained face as she smiled at him. “Mom-“
“You can stay in the dorms,” Inko said, her smile turning sad as she pulled her son toward her in a tight hug. “We’ll talk more when we get home. Say goodnight to Mitsuki.”
“Goodnight, Auntie.”
“Night, kid.”
Izuku had really thought that was the end of it. He wasn’t sure what Auntie and Kacchan had said, but his mother had changed her mind and he was going to get to continue going to UA and move into the dorms. Until All Might showed up and it seemed his mother had had a change of heart. Again.
After dealing with that situation, Izuku disappeared into his room and began to pack his things. He knew his mother was upset with the way the school year had been going. He knew she was worried. But he couldn’t just give up on this – this was his dream. He had literally imagined being a hero since he understood what a hero was. He wanted to help people. To save people.
He couldn’t give up on it now.
So the next day, Izuku watched as people from UA came by his apartment and grabbed his boxes, then he kissed his crying mother on the cheek and began the journey toward the school. He had only made it a few blocks when he stopped in surprise. Kacchan was standing outside of his house, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Izuku stared at him for a moment, taking in the light shining off of his hair and the way his shirt stretched across his shoulders. Kacchan had always been attractive but Izuku almost felt as if he was suddenly understanding just how attractive his childhood friend was right in that moment. His face burned brightly at the thought and he ducked his head, ready to hurry past the house.
“What the hell took you so long, nerd?” Kacchan yelled out, pushing off of the wall angrily and making Izuku’s head snap in his direction. “We should have fucking left ages ago! Why the hell do you have to be late to everything?!”
“I-“ Izuku started, not really sure how to answer and wondering if maybe they had plans he didn’t know about. Had his mother been supposed to tell him to meet Kacchan? The two of them hadn’t walked to school together since they were eight years old. “I…didn’t know we were meeting? And we aren’t late.”
“Of course we’re fucking meeting! The fucking police want me to be with someone until those assholes are found and there’s no way in hell I’m going to the dorms with the old hag! What the fuck are you thinking?!” Kacchan demanded, reaching over to grab the sleeve of Izuku’s shirt and pulling him down the street. “And if we don’t beat four eyes there, we’re late. Hurry the fuck up, Deku.”
Izuku jogged along beside the taller boy as he tried to understand what was happening. Was Kacchan willingly walking to school with him? Was this going to be a thing? No, wait, it couldn’t be a thing because they were moving into the dorms on campus. Maybe if they went home for the weekend or something? Would they be traveling together? Is that what was going to happen from now on?
“Stop fucking mumbling! Shit, are you ever going to grow out of that?”
“Uh,” Izuku said intelligently, rubbing the back of his neck. “Probably not. Habit.”
“Then fucking break the habit, idiot,” Kacchan snarled as they came to the train station. Izuku nodded nervously and began to shift from one foot to the other, hoping that the train wouldn’t be late. If the train was late, then they would certainly be late. And if they were late, Kacchan might just kill him. Because, apparently, Izuku was supposed to magically know when Kacchan wanted them to go to school together.
“Stop. Mumbling.”
“Sorry!”
Lucky for Izuku, the train took that moment to arrive and the two boys were quick to step through the doors and find an unoccupied area. Well, as unoccupied as it could be. Every seat was taken and Izuku was just happy that they were standing in a place that people wouldn’t be falling into him every time the train stopped.
The two boys didn’t speak but Izuku was acutely aware that Kacchan was standing right behind him. If Izuku leaned back just slightly, he knew he would feel Kacchan’s chest pressing against his back. Even now, Izuku could feel the heat coming from the other boys body. For the second time that day, his throat ran dry and he closed his eyes as he tried to force the thoughts from his mind.
“Oi! Deku! Get the fuck off!” Kacchan snapped. Izuku’s eyes flew open and he yelped as he realized they had reached their stop and the doors were closing. He ran forward, activating his quirk, and barely managed to get onto the platform before the doors closed behind him. Kacchan scowled and grabbed Izuku’s sleeve yet again. “Fucking idiot. Pay attention! If you had been stuck until the next station there is no fucking way I would have waited for you.”
“Sorry, Kacchan.”
“Fuck off.”
Because Kacchan was convinced that they were going to be late, the two ran to the school. As expected, they were the first ones there and had to stand in awkward silence until the rest of their classmates arrived. Todoroki raised his eyebrows when he saw them and Izuku quickly shook his head, praying that the other boy didn’t say anything. Actually, now that he thought about it, he really should have asked the others not to say anything as well. It was only…Todoroki, Kirishima, Iida, Yaoyorozu…uh, Uraraka, Asui, Shoji, and Tokoyami that knew.
Great. So out of their eighteen classmates, eight of them knew that he and Kacchan were soulmates.
That was less than half. So…that was…
Oh, Kacchan was going to kill him. And now he had better access to do it.
Aizawa showed up and lectured them all on disobeying orders. He stated that those that had gone after Kacchan should have been expelled. Despite the way his heart was pounding, Izuku refused to look down when the man’s eyes landed on him. He didn’t regret going after Kacchan. There was no guarantee that he would have been able to fight off all of those villains and get away alive if they hadn’t been there. He refused to regret it. Aizawa’s eyes flashed at him for a moment but then he turned away. Everyone stood there, no one really wanting to go first into their new home and no one sure of what they should be saying to one another after the last time they were all together. Then Kacchan was moving. He grabbed Kaminari’s shoulder and yanked him back behind a bush (Izuku did not feel jealous. He didn’t.) and then there was a flash of electricity and a fried Kaminari made his way toward them. People began to laugh at the drooling boy but Izuku kept his gaze fixated on Kacchan. He had followed Kaminari toward the group and then turned toward Kirishima, thrusting money into the redhead’s hand. Kirishima grinned and announced that he would be taking them to dinner tonight, receiving cheers at the words. Izuku didn’t make a sound as he watched Kacchan disappear into the dorms. No one else might notice, but Kacchan had disliked the fact that they were upset and he had done something about it. He had wanted them to be normal so he had done it the only way he knew how.
Izuku’s heart pounded as he rushed after the blond.
The rest of the group followed him and Aizawa explained where everything was located and who was assigned to which room. Izuku flinched when he realized Kacchan and Kirishima would be have rooms beside one another and on a completely different floor than Izuku’s. That was probably a smart decision on the administrators’ part but to Izuku, it almost felt like being stabbed with a knife.
Izuku was quick to make his escape after Aizawa left. He stepped into his new room and glanced around at the bare walls and the bed that was pushed into the corner. He could work with this.
He quickly opened the first box and blinked down at his All Might memorabilia. His mind flashed to Kacchan’s room and his thoughts when he saw it. Shaking his head, he began to pull the items out of the box. Fine, so maybe he was still stuck in his fanboy ways. Maybe he wasn’t as grown up as Kacchan. It wasn’t as if the blond would ever step inside Izuku’s room. He would probably rather jump from the balcony. So Izuku didn’t have anything to worry about.
Well, he might not have needed about Kacchan seeing his room but he should have thought about others in the dorm. It wasn’t even twenty-four hours later that every person, minus Asui and Kacchan, had been inside his room and made some sort of comment.
Just thinking about it made him blush.
Living in the dorms was strange at first. Some of them liked to sleep in. Some liked to go to bed early. Some wanted to watch movies every night while some would rather play video games. They all decided to take turns cooking dinner, much to Kacchan’s annoyance, and they quickly learned that there were some that shouldn’t be allowed in the kitchen at all. Kacchan’s food, while absolutely amazing, was so spicy that most of their classmates couldn’t eat it. Izuku liked to think that he was immune due to being forced to eat a large amount of it when he was younger and had gotten a tolerance. Still, many people begged for Kacchan to make two versions, one with much less spice.
Needless to say, the request didn’t go over very well.
Much to Izuku’s chagrin, things seemed to go back to normal between him and Kacchan. If the other boy wasn’t ignoring him, he was yelling at him. Izuku was forced to bite his tongue when he saw the way Kacchan grew even closer to Kirishima, as well as the other three that hung around him. Izuku even thought that Kacchan liked hanging around them. Iida, Uraraka, Asui, and even Todoroki would all send him pitying glances or pat his arm whenever he frowned or looked in Kacchan’s direction. Izuku tried to hide his feelings from his friends but he wasn’t very good at it.
Aizawa announced extra summer lessons and that they would be taking the licensing exam like had been previously planned. They were supposed to get in an entire semesters worth of training at the camp but that hadn’t worked out, so now they were all playing catch up. The other schools would be sending second years so they had a lot to work on.
Izuku was thankful for the extra work and training. He was slowly beginning to find himself and separate himself from All Might and by the time he was back at the dorms each night, he only had time to do his homework, take a bath, and go to bed. They had all quickly come to a routine of setting up at the tables and working on homework so anyone that needed help could ask for it – though some of them would sometimes stay in their rooms.
And one person never came down at all.
Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero would make appearances whenever Kacchan refused to help them. Izuku would be a ball of emotions whenever the four appeared. Happy because if they were here, they weren’t with Kacchan. Annoyed that the only time they came down was when Kacchan wouldn’t help them. Irritated that Kacchan wouldn’t just come down himself and work with everyone. Upset because he wished he and Kacchan could work together… it was all very confusing and Izuku absolutely hated the way Uraraka would pat his arm consolingly and Iida would give him that small smile as his eyes shown with sympathy. He would rather take Todoroki’s hiss of displeasure and the way he shook his head. He actually kind of enjoyed how his friend had begun to stare blankly in Kacchan’s direction whenever they were in the same room together. He knew it drove Kacchan crazy but he couldn’t say the other boy was doing it on purpose.
Then it was time for the licensing exam and Izuku was quick to tell the others that they needed to stick together. He should have known that the second they entered the arena, Kacchan would head off on his own. He also should have foreseen Kirishima and Kaminari going after him. He was irritated and upset and those feelings only grew when Todoroki decided to go on his own as well.
Soon enough, all of his classmates were separated and Izuku was forced to try to adapt to fighting alone. He had always had someone there with him at his side – even if that person was incapacitated, they were there. It was a struggle at first but he managed until Sero and Uraraka found him.
He was happy when they managed to pass the first round and barely heard Uraraka when she pointed out that Kacchan, Kirishima, and Kaminari were walking in their direction and had also passed. Kirishima, Kaminari, Uraraka, and Sero were quick to join together and congratulate one another but Izuku could only stare as Kacchan headed his way. “Kacchan, hey!” Izuku said, forcing a nervous smile on his face as he began to ring his hands – a truly hard thing to do considering the thick gloves and braces he was wearing.
Kacchan stomped past him and Izuku sighed. Still being ignored.
“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised with that quirk you got,” the other boy growled suddenly. Izuku gasped. He couldn’t mean what Izuku thought he did… “Looks like you’ve made that borrowed power your own.”
He…he didn’t… he had mentioned it to Kacchan at the beginning of the year when he was trying to explain that he hadn’t been lying to him but Kacchan hadn’t believed him… why would he suddenly do so now? Oh, Izuku had never told All Might that he had… what would he say if he knew that Kacchan knew about… “Kacchan…”
“Shut up, Deku.”
They all made their way into the waiting building and Izuku sighed in relief as he saw more of their classmates. He quickly walked toward Todoroki and smiled. “You made it!”
“As did you,” the stoic boy replied, glancing around at those standing beside them. “Eleven of us have passed.”
“So nine more to go.” They could do it. Izuku knew they could. They had all been through so much, there was no way they were going to fail.
In the end, all of them made it passed the first part of the exam but the second part, the rescue mission, proved to be more challenging. While Izuku flubbed within the first few minutes, he was quick to find his bearings and pick back up.
Others in his class weren’t so lucky.
“Bakugou failed?” Uraraka whispered to Izuku, her voice incredulous. “But – he…”
“Don’t say anything,” Iida commented lowly. Nervously. “If he hears you-“
“Todoroki failed as well? What happened?”
Izuku didn’t respond. He knew what had happened with Todoroki. With the way things had played out with that student from the other school, there was no way he was going to get passing marks. And his friend knew that. But Kacchan…
“What happened?” Izuku muttered softly to Kirishima after the blond had ripped his scores from the redheads hand.
Kirishima grimaced. “Uh, you know how he is. Yelled a lot. Didn’t manage to find anyone to help… they didn’t take too kindly to it.”
Izuku winced. Of course that would have been Kacchan’s downfall. But at least he and Todoroki only had to do supplemental lessons before they were issued their license. That was better than having to wait until next year to take the test again. Izuku quickly ducked behind the redhead when Kacchan turned around. “What the fuck you doing over here, Deku?!”
“I, uh, nothing, Kacchan.”
“You fucking looking down on me?!”
“What? No!”
“You little-“
“Bakugou, let’s go get changed!” Kirishima broke in, throwing an arm over Kacchan’s shoulder and steering the still ranting boy away. Kacchan shrugged off the arm but continued stomping toward the exit, loudly cursing whenever someone got in his way. Kirishima glanced over his shoulder at Izuku and winked before hurrying after the blond.
Why did Izuku suddenly feel like hitting something?
Kacchan grew even more distant after that. Izuku decided the best thing to do would be to give the boy his space as he came to terms with the fact that he had failed the exam – he didn’t expect to be called out after curfew and confronted about his quirk. The fight that ensued was one of the toughest Izuku had ever had and, though he was disappointed in the end, he wasn’t truly surprised that he had lost.
It was Kacchan, after all.
Being ‘grounded’ to the dorms for three days wasn’t the worst punishment he could have gotten. It sucked having to clean everything and that his classmates couldn’t even tell him what was going on in class, but Izuku found that he wasn’t entirely upset about the events. Not when he spent the three days with Kacchan. Alone. Without any of their friends to pull them away.
And Kacchan was actually talking to him.
“You need to work on your-“
“ – why would you think that was a good idea?”
“Do you have any idea-“
It looked like Izuku’s time for being ignored was over and, even if Kacchan spent most of his time complaining or lecturing him, Izuku was happy for it. It wasn’t until the third and final day of Izuku’s ‘imprisonment’ that Kacchan asked a question that had Izuku dropping the broom he was using.
“So, you and Round Cheeks make it official yet?”
“Wh-what?”
Kacchan barely glanced up as the broom clattered to the floor. “Round Cheeks. Girl you hang out with that blushes like a fucking tomato whenever you’re around her. Two of you-“
“No!” Izuku said quickly, shaking his head and waving his hands around for extra emphasis. “No! We’re friends! We aren’t…like that!”
“What not?” Kacchan asked bluntly, glancing up as he stopped wiping down the table. “She obviously likes you. Fuck if I know why.”
“She – she has a soulmate!”
“So? She met ‘em yet?”
“No?”
“Then what’s the fucking problem? Don’t fucking tell me you’re holding back because of that shit.”
“I – uh – no! She’s just… I mean, she’s nice! Great, actually! But she’s…not my type?”
“Oh,” Kacchan tilted his head slightly and those red eyes began to narrow. “Don’t fucking tell me it’s Half ‘n Half.”
Izuku’s mouth dropped. “Wha- no!”
“Four Eyes?”
“No! And stop giving people nicknames!”
“Don’t fucking tell me what to do!” Kacchan snapped back but it was almost like it was a reflex, like he wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was saying. Instead, his lips pursed as he regarded Izuku. “Fucking – look. You can date other people. Just because we have these shitty timers and the universe decided to fuck us over doesn’t mean-“
“I don’t want to date someone else!” Izuku snapped, throwing his hands up in the air. “I – I get that you don’t like this, Kacchan. That you don’t like me. But…but soulmates are your most important people. The person you care about the most in the world. And you are that person to me. So yeah, maybe someday I’ll find someone or whatever but they will never be you. Alright?”
Heat rose on Izuku’s face when he finally realized the words that he had shouted in the middle of the common room. Kacchan was staring at him, his eyes wide and unblinking. Izuku contemplated running. He wondered if he could reach his room before Kacchan caught up to him. If, maybe, he should ignore the fact that he was ‘grounded’ and go outside toward the school…
“You really are a fucking moron.”
Kacchan quickly disappeared up the stairs and Izuku didn’t see him the rest of the night. Or the next morning. Izuku was able to return to class but Kacchan had another day to go, so he didn’t see him then either. Izuku barely managed to keep himself focused on class, too worried about what was going to happen. What would Kacchan say to him when they did see each other again? Would he go back to ignoring him? To bullying him? What would others in their class think and say?
He was only able to push the questions away when the Big Three joined their class briefly and then Mirio challenged the entire class. After that, well, Izuku had something else to focus on.
His worries came rushing back when class ended and everyone made their way back to the dorms. Kacchan was there, holding a trash bag in hand and screaming at everyone for leaving a mess behind for him to clean up. Their classmates all laughed and Izuku slowly began making his way toward the stairs, hoping to not attract any attention. He had his foot on the first step when he heard it.
“Yo! Bakubro! Your timer! You met your soulmate?” Kaminari yelled loudly, causing everyone in the room to fall silent in either shock or horror.
“Fucking hell, Pikachu! Yeah, I fucking did, alright?!”
“But how? You’ve been stuck in here all week!” Ashido protested and Izuku turned his head just in time to see the girl grab Kacchan’s arm and stare down at the black numbers. Numbers that were visible because Kacchan was wearing a short sleeved shirt. And no black band.
Kacchan had made sure all year to keep his timer hidden.
But today… was it an accident? Had he just forgotten?
Kacchan was quick to pull out of her grasp. “Don’t fucking grab me! And I didn’t fucking leave so don’t go telling people I did!”
“But your timer is at zero!”
“Has been for years! How the fuck is that any of your business?!”
The words were met with silence once more as most of their classmates looked at each other in confusion. A few, like Kirishima, avoided everyone’s gaze. “I don’t understand!” Ashido finally said, stamping her foot. “years? We’ve never seen it before! Who are they? Are you two close? Of course you are, you’re soulmates! Can we meet them? They can get into the dorms if we get permission from Aizawa…is that why you’ve been in such a bad mood? Because you miss them? I’m sure we can-“
“Fucking hell,” Kacchan groaned. Then, before Izuku could register what was happening, Kacchan stomped toward him and grabbed him by the arm. “Here. Meet my fucking soulmate. Now, can we fucking move on? And you all clean up your own fucking trash!”
“Kacchan!” Izuku gasped, horrified as they eyes slowly fell on him. Then on his still covered arm.
“Has anyone ever seen Izuku’s arms?” Ashido asked.
“I haven’t,” Sero confirmed with narrowed eyes.
“Me either.”
“Nope!”
“Are they serious? Those two?”
“Is Bakugou tricking us, Midoriya?”
“I don’t understand-“
“All of you shut the fuck up!” Kacchan yelled before he reached down and grabbed Izuku’s arm. Izuku only watched, almost as if it was someone else’s body, as Kacchan pulled up his sleeve to reveal the zeroed out timer. “Alright? Bunch of fucking extras trying to fuck everything up,” he muttered, letting Izuku’s hand fall to the side as he pushed past the group into the kitchen.
As Kacchan made his escape, Izuku was left standing in the room with every single eye on him. He shifted and took a slow step back. Each person took a step forward. “Midoriya…” Jirou said lowly, her lips twisting up in amusement. “Something you want to tell us? We all know Bakugou isn’t going to give us anymore information.”
“I can’t just – we haven’t really – I don’t know what to say!” Izuku blurted out, burying his burning face into his hands.
“What the fuck are you idiots doing?” Kacchan’s growl sounded loudly and everyone turned on their heels to see Kacchan standing behind the group. “Leave the nerd alone or I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Awe! So sweet!” Hagakure squealed.
“I don’t understand girls at all,” Kaminari muttered to Sero who nodded his head.
“But we need information!” Ashido protested.
“Timers went off when we were fucking infants. Grew up together. Nothing more to fucking say. Now leave the nerd alone and none of you losers better mention this shit again. Got it?”
“But-“
“Got it?!” Kacchan growled, his hands sparking.
“Fine!”
“Good. Nerd, food for you on the counter.”
Izuku frowned and glanced at his amused classmates. “Uh, isn’t it Sero’s turn to-“
“Food. On. The. Counter.”
“Okay, Kacchan!”