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Momo has always been comforted by the purple pulsing her soulmate heart tattoo makes at night. It pulses during the day too, but whoever her soulmate is, it seems she is a night owl who does something she loves at night.
Momo knows it’s something she loves because she can faintly feel it along with the pulsing.
Momo wonders if her soulmate’s tattoo pulses in response to Momo’s excitement to her emotion. Or if she knows that Momo’s a nerd who tends to get absorbed in her books and work. She wonders if her soulmate’s tattoo pulsed when Momo finished reading her latest book.
In a world where people try to find their soulmates as soon as they can, Momo is one of the only two people in her friend group who hasn’t found her soulmate. And as much as she does look out for her soulmate, she can be kind of too busy with her job to go out looking. And she's only twenty-three, she still has time to look. Either way, Momo has many questions for her soulmate, and hopes to meet the other woman soon.
However, now isn’t the time to think about her soulmate, even if she can feel faint ripples coming from the tattoo hidden beneath her dress.
Momo smooths the end of her crimson dress as she stands on the last step to the gate that wraps along the side of Shoto and Midoriya’s house. The large gate to the backyard is shut but not locked.
She opens the gate and is greeted by the sight of the decorated yard, the colorful lights synched to the music, and the groups of people having conversations. She immediately spots the birthday boy, his hair already a mess and his button up shirt wide open. His whole chest is exposed, the green heart tattoo on his neck clearly visible.
He turns to see who opened the gate and smiles widely when he sees Momo.
“MOMO!” He yells as he runs straight for her. Before Momo can react he sweeps her into a crushing but loving hug, causing her to laugh. He’s definitely drunk already, but Momo is happy to see him having fun.
“You made it in time to see my friend! I paid her a good amount to play here tonight like this because it was supposed to be her night off but she's cool and said yes! I am so happy to finally be able to throw some money at her!” Shoto excitedly rambles as he waves a hand in the direction of his friend.
Momo turns to see the woman in question, she’s on the side of the small makeshift stage area, fiddling with a microphone and the computer connected to the booming speaker system.
She’s very pretty. Dressed in an alternative leaning style, Momo watches in fascination as she multitasks, turning her guitar, adjusting the microphone, and doing whatever it is she’s doing on the computer. Her small frame seems to be no issue as she quickly works.
“Guys look! Momo’s here!” Shoto calls out to the rest of the friends he was with before.
Momo quickly, and with a lot of effort, turns her eyes away from the woman and to the group. She thankfully recognizes a lot of familiar faces, Ochaco, Tsu, Tenya, Midoriya, Kirishima and Bakugo. However, along with them, there's a few people beside Bakugo that are not as familiar to her.
Momo recognizes them from Bakugo and Kirishima’s social media. Once finding out they were soulmates Bakugo and Kirishima had become practically inseparable, and Kirishima’s friends had also latched onto the man.
“Hello everyone!” Momo responds and the group calls out various greetings of their own.
“Hey Momo! I'm so excited! I’ve never seen her play live before!” Ochaco states as she hugs Tsu closer while continuing her conversation with Midoriya, inviting Momo to join in.
“Yeah! I’ve only seen her once and it was because Kacchan brought Shoto and I along.” Izuku states as Shoto leaves Momo’s side to cling to his boyfriend/soulmate.
“I only did it because Half and Half wouldn’t stop whining!” Bakugo quips back before continuing “And you better have paid her well! Today was supposed to be her night off!”
Momo smiles but holds back her laugh, Bakugo would be the one to fight for his friend to be compensated. Of course Momo agrees, the performer should be paid if this hadn’t been her gift to Shoto, especially if she’s performing so suddenly on her day off.
“I did so hush! I think she’s starting!” Shoto talks back and Momo can only laugh in amusement as Kirishima has to physically hold the blond back from attacking Shoto as the music cuts out.
Momo turns as every one else does, and feels a magnetic pull to the singer once she can finally see the woman in full.
She’s beautiful. Her tight black pants go along well with her cropped purple tank top, showing off the smooth skin of her waist and her collar. She’s not wearing the leather jacket Momo had seen her wearing before, so the full view of fit shoulders and biceps shine in the multicolored lights.
That doesn’t compare to her face, the woman looks to be at ease in front of the crowd, an attractive grin on her lips as her dark eyes move around the open space.
Her eyes light once her eyes catch on Momo’s group and Momo feels her heart race.
How can someone be so pretty?
“Hello everyone. I’m Jirou, and I’m here to play some songs for the birthday boy over there.”
Jirou, Momo is happy to learn, points over at Shoto and wiggles her ring-covered fingers with a grin when Shoto laughs and hides behind Midoriya. Everyone laughs and the group gets even louder when Ochaco pushes Shoto out from his hiding spot.
“Now, I’m not going to sing him happy birthday, but he’s given me a song he wants to sing instead. So for my first song here’s my version of Bad Romance.”
Momo’s head turns at the guitar riff that Kyoka starts the song with and Shoto whoops in joy, rushing closer to the makeshift stage. With a wave behind him he motions for them to follow and Momo, along with the rest of the group quickly follow.
Momo walks alongside everyone as she keeps her eyes on the singer, mesmerized by her voice.
She understands why Shoto asked her to perform.
Tenya and Momo linger towards the back due to being both taller, and assumedly sober. But eventually Momo is drawn forward towards the alluring singer. She gets lost in Jirou’s amazing voice and the lighthearted and fun atmosphere she creates with her songs and music.
Jirou is someone Momo can see going a long way with her r. career.
Jirou sings a few songs, all of them amazing and nicely picked so that they are fun to dance and sing along to. Perfect for a party. But it’s over too soon for Momo’s liking. She wishes she could hear more of Jirou’s singing.
But with her performance ending, Momo is brought along with everyone else to thank and speak to the woman as she packs up her guitar.
An opportunity Momo does not intend to let pass by.
Momo takes her time debating her approach, letting Bakugo and his group of friends approach her first.
Seeing Bakugo with his friends is a heartwarming sight. She remembers seeing the angsty teenage him at parties and gatherings, and while they were friends in Momo’s eyes, she knew at the time they hadn’t been friends to him. Now they are though, and to Momo’s happiness and ire, Bakugo seems to understand her fairly well.
Although Momo doesn’t intend to forgive the man for hiding Jirou away from her when he knows the musician is just her type.
As Momo walks up to the woman alongside her friends she laughs at the state of Shoto’s hair. She reaches up to fix his hair, patting down the wild strands as he laughs at her fussing.
By the time she’s done most of their friends have decided to move to the drink bar. Shoto leading the charge after thanking Jirou for performing.
Momo turns to the musician and smiles, happy to finally see her up close.
“Ponytail, this is Ears.” Bakugo distractedly introduces as he swipes Kirishima’s drink out of the redhead’s hand and begins furiously chugging it as he walks away and follows their friends to the bar.
Jirou rolls her eyes and sticks a hand out to Momo.
“Jirou Kyoka, my parents weren’t cruel enough to name me ears.”
Momo giggles and takes Jirou’s hand, “Yaoyorozu Momo, my parents did not name me ponytail.”
Momo’s smile widens when Jirou laughs as they shake hands. Her hands are rough but in a pleasant way. Momo kind of wants to examine and see where the callouses from years of guitar playing are on Jirou’s hands.
When they break apart Momo feels another beat from her heart tattoo, but ignores it.
It’s painlessly easy to ignore it when those sharp eyes and pretty grin look up at Momo.
Momo would feel bad if she wasn’t enthralled by the woman in front of her.
“You were wonderful! I wish I could see you perform at one of your shows. I’m sure you’re even better there.” Momo continues before she can really think about the words leaving her mouth.
Jirou’s eyes widen before she reaches a hand up to fiddle with her hair.
“Well you can if you want, I could text you the location.”
Momo has her phone in her hand faster than she can think and her only thought is how adorable Jirou is.
The night passes by too quickly for Momo, who spent her time at the party chatting with Jirou and only leaving the woman’s side when their friends pulled them from the table they were at to dance. Even then, Jirou had made her way over to Momo to start talking again. Which Momo was thankful for because she didn’t want to come off too strong.
Momo just had such an amazing time talking to Jirou, and is elated that Jirou felt the same.
In fact, they had such a nice time talking they arranged plans to hang out the next day.
And then after that meeting they met again two days later.
Momo and Kyoka then proceeded to spend nearly all their free time together for the next few weeks, becoming very close in that time. So close that they called each other by their first names and had even slept over at the other’s place. Momo routinely went to see the other woman perform when she had live shows.
Still, it was a special honor when Kyoka had invited Momo to be present at one of her recording sessions one special Friday night.
Kyoka had a private recording studio at her record label’s building. And as Shoto had been quick to tell her, Kyoka apparently never lets anyone sit in while she records.
So Momo had been both nervous and excited to be invited and had quickly said yes.
Presently she is in said studio, sitting on one of the two desk chairs in the room. Kyoka also had a black couch in the room, along with a table away from the desk with all the sound equipment but Momo wants to see her up close through the glass.
Kyoka is in the recording room, tuning her violet colored acoustic guitar and Momo watches with fond eyes.
She’s fallen for Kyoka hard and fast, but also so easily Momo has to wonder if the possibility of not falling for Kyoka even existed.
Momo’s heart tattoo had pulsed so heavily when around Kyoka, Momo was beginning to hope that Kyoka’s tattoo matches.
Momo guards her tattoo, never wearing clothes that reveal it. With her tattoo being on her sternum it’s an easy task.
This knowledge only makes the fact that Kyoka’s tattoo is easily hidden obvious to her.
Momo’s never seen a glimpse of Kyoka’s tattoo. Even with the fairly revealing outfits Kyoka has worn, she’s never spotted it, and trust her, Momo has been looking. Unlike other people who can have their tattoos in easy to see places, Kyoka has to have a tattoo in a place similar to Momo.
As Kyoka adjusts the microphone in front of her Momo takes the time to look over Kyoka again. Kyoka seems to favor tank tops, and the teasing sight of her collarbones and neck always catches Momo’s heated attention. But the low cut of the clothing is such a cruel tease to Momo’s hopeful heart. It is in no way low enough for the skin of Kyoka’s sternum to show, so the fact that it's so close yet so far away is maddening.
Momo sighs and adjusts the blanket over her shoulders.
She can’t just ask to see the tattoo. Some people consider them to be special, sacred even. Although Kyoka’s fairly laid back and open Momo doesn’t want to push her.
Momo’s never let anyone other than Shoto see hers. And no one has ever touched it. Momo’s heard that anyone other than your soulmate touching the tattoo is incredibly painful for both halves, and Momo doesn’t want her soulmate to go through that pain. A sentiment her soulmate must also share because Momo has never felt pain because she let someone else touch her tattoo.
But Kyoka almost makes Momo want to let her try.
In the two months they’ve known each other Momo has never hoped for someone to be her soulmate so much.
And as Momo shifts in her seat she wonders if she should confess her feelings to Kyoka.
But all thoughts of possibly confessing are set aside as Momo refocuses on the situation.
Kyoka had asked Momo to press the record and stop button for her as she records a new song. Teasingly telling her that she’ll give her producer credits for helping her. It makes Momo laugh and helps ease the heavy atmosphere they had in the room.
But Momo can feel that something is about to happen.
Too quickly for Momo to get her bearings, she’s being signaled to press the record button on Kyoka’s soundboard.
Light strums of the guitar play as Kyoka begins to sing.
Her voice is low and soft as she sings pretty heartbreaking lyrics about love and hoping that a person is your soulmate.
Momo doesn’t even realize her eyes are filling with tears until a tear drop spills over and lands on her clenched hands.
Kyoka’s words strike deep within Momo’s heart and it feels like she took all of Momo’s thoughts and feelings about her and turned them into a song. A heartbreaking romantic song with words that are both lyrical and cutting.
As pretty as they are hurtful.
Momo can feel her tattoo pulsing with the strongest emotion she’s ever felt, wave after wave of mixed happiness and pain.
Momo can’t tell where her own emotion and her soulmate’s emotion begin and end.
Momo’s so enraptured by Kyoka’s song that she doesn’t move to wipe her tears, her sole focus is on the musician in front of her.
When Kyoka finishes her song with one last plea for her love to be returned, Momo bites her lower lip to stifle her reaction.
Kyoka opens her eyes and waves her hand, the signal for Momo to press stop on the recording.
Momo presses the button as Kyoka sets her guitar down and exits the sound booth.
When Kyoka exits they make eye contact and Momo, with all of her knowledge and extensive vocabulary, has no words to describe the storm of emotions she sees in Kyoka’s eyes, let alone how her own heart feels.
Her tattoo is pulsing so strongly, Momo can’t resist the urge to lift her hand to attempt to soothe it, and as she does Kyoka’s sharp gaze follows her motion.
Kyoka’s eyes linger on Momo’s hand before moving back up and making eye contact.
Momo is silent as she waits for Kyoka to speak.
“I’ve fallen in love with you Momo.” Kyoka pauses before she licks her lips before continuing. “Did I make my feelings clear enough?”
Momo can only nod before she smiles.
“I feel the same Kyoka…Do you feel it too?”
Kyoka’s eyes widen before she smiles. The musician lifts the edge of her tank top and finally Momo is gifted with the sight of the tattoo she’s spent the past two months looking for.
On Kyoka’s sternum, is a pulsing red heart.
It’s pulsing to a song that Momo's own heart knows.
As Momo drops the blanket, and takes off the sweater she stole from Kyoka three weeks ago, she supposes it was a bit silly of them to have taken so long to realize the other felt the same.
To realize their tattoos’ pulses raced around each other.
Momo lowers her arms and tosses the sweater to the floor beside Kyoka’s shirt.
The soft gaze in Kyoka’s eyes as she stares at the purple pulsing tattoo is all it takes for Momo to let go of all her fears.
She stands and reaches for Kyoka’s hand, taking the talented right hand into her own before pulling it closer to her heart tattoo.
Momo isn’t scared.
She knows this heart is Kyoka’s. Just like Momo’s own heart is Kyoka’s now too.
Momo smiles and nods at Kyoka’s adorably panicked expression.
No more words are needed.
Momo holds her breath and as Kyoka’s fingertips gently brush against the pulsing tattoo, Momo can only feel the love in that gentle touch as her tattoo transforms into a solid dark purple color.
It no longer reverts to black as it pulses. It ripples with shades of purple and she giggles in joy.
“Momo.”
Kyoka whispers and she takes Momo’s hand and brings it to her tattoo.
Momo eagerly, but still gently touches Kyoka’s tattoo.
Seeing the tattoo turn into a beautiful shade of crimson as she feels the warmth of Kyoka’s skin under her fingertips.
Momo can only sigh happily as she watches the transformation, enchanted by it.
“You’re so cute.” Kyoka states and it’s Momo’s only warning before Kyoka leans up on her toes and tugs Momo closer by the arm.
Momo quickly follows along and leans down as she scoops Kyoka into her embrace like she’s done it hundreds of times.
And maybe she has swept Kyoka into her arms hundreds or thousands of times in other lifetimes.
But in this lifetime, the first press of their lips against each other is a feeling Momo will never forget.