Chapter Text
Five years. Three-hundred and two days. Nine hours, thirty minutes, and six seconds.
Five seconds.
Four.
“Three,” Katsuki breathes, staring at the numbers on his wrist tick down under a blinking street lamp. “Two…one.”
He sighs, tilting his head back to look up at the night sky. He’ll be twenty-three when he meets his soulmate. A little late for his liking, but whatever.
Katsuki hates to admit that he’s become one of those lovesick idiots who obsess over their timers, but the more his parents drag him to fashion shows, photo shoots, and private fittings, the more willing he is to sacrifice his dignity to find his soulmate. Because maybe when he does, life won’t be as shitty.
“Five years, three-hundred and two days,” Katsuki murmurs, reaching for the cigarette he hid under his yukata. “Nine hours and twenty—fuck.”
He pats himself down and groans. He knew he forgot something.
“Looking for a lighter?” a voice asks.
“SHIT!” Katsuki jumps back. He didn’t expect anyone else to be at this abandoned soccer field at this hour, especially with the festival and parties happening in town celebrating the triennial Celestial Reunion. And for a half a second he thinks he might actually be in danger, but then he’s standing face-to-face with a kid who looks to be around his age.
With black hair. Red eyes. And sharp teeth.
Maybe he is in danger.
“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me,” Katsuki says, looking down at his hands which are suddenly empty.
“You dropped it,” the kid points to the ground where Katsuki’s one and only cigarette lays in the dirt.
“Great. Thanks a lot, Shitty Hair.”
The kid quirks a scarred eyebrow. “It’s Eijirou, but sure, I guess ‘Shitty Hair’ works. You shouldn’t be smoking anyway.”
Katsuki huffs. “Are you seriously going to give me a lecture right now?”
“It’s not a long lecture,” Eijirou says with a dismissive hand. “Lung cancer. Heart disease. Blood clots. Plus, it’ll ruin that beautiful smile you have.”
“I didn’t need the—” Katsuki blushes, chest tight as Eijirou’s words catch up to him. That was certainly unexpected. But, much to Katsuki’s surprise, certainly not unwelcomed. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”
“Um—yes.”
“Do you want to die?”
Katsuki can see Eijirou paling at the mild threat and he realizes he should probably learn other ways of reciprocating that don’t include tactics of intimidation.
Luckily, Eijirou recovers quickly and chuckles, albeit somewhat awkwardly. He scratches the back of his head, giving Katsuki a bashful smile. “Sorry, I don’t know what got into me. I’m not usually that forward.”
“S’fine. I… didn’t really mean it.”
They fall into silence, which is not unusual for Katsuki whose social skills are trash, but there’s something about Eijirou that makes him want to spill everything. Which is strange because they just met. He shouldn’t want to tell this random extra anything. He shouldn’t even care.
And yet…
“Katsuki. You can call me Katsuki.”
Eijirou grins and leans a shoulder against the lamppost. “So, Katsuki, why aren’t you at the festival?” He reaches out to give the sleeve of Katsuki’s yukata a playful tug. “You running away, too?”
Ugh, well that’s embarrassing. His yukata is far from basic, even though he prefers basic, but his mother made him wear one of her more extravagant designs for the festival. One with a floral haori and a bright pink hakama.
“My folks are in fashion,” Katsuki murmurs, shrugging the haori off. His mom will probably be pissed if he used it as a blanket to sit on, but his feet are tired. “This is one of theirs.”
“Oh, right,” Eijirou says, taking his own jacket off and placing it on the ground. He takes a seat on a sleeve, presumably saving the rest for Katsuki. “The fashion circuit comes to town during this time of year, right?”
“Yeah…” Katsuki hesitates but Eijirou’s warm smile pulls him in like a current, so he drops down and sits beside him. “They keep dressing me up in their garb and parading me around like some sort of freak. I couldn’t stand it anymore.”
“I’m sorry. If it’s any consolation, you probably garnered them a lot of attention.”
“Obviously. I’m the best model they’ve got.”
“So modest,” Eijirou says, rolling his eyes with a smirk. “Don’t start criticizing the way I dress.”
“Oh, you mean the faded jeans from 1999 and the crocs that I’m sure were in style way back never?” Katsuki drawls.
Eijirou laughs. “Oh my god, you are such an ass.” He stretches his legs out in front of him and wiggles his toes. “At least I’m comfortable.”
Katsuki snorts. “Tch. You got me there,” he says, kicking his sandals off. “So, what are you running from?”
“Uh, my friends,” Eijirou says meekly, folding his hands on his lap. “They’ve made it their mission this summer to set me up with someone. Today, they invited a whole bunch of us to the festival and I thought, y’know, this will be fun. It won’t just be the normal crew.” He leans his head against the lamppost. “But, then they ditched me with this guy from another school, left us alone together, and it was… awkward. So when we caught back up with them, I just left.”
Katsuki studies Eijirou and the way he stares off in the distance. Something’s weighing on his heart, that’s for sure. After a moment, Katsuki’s eyes drift to Eijirou’s wrist.
“So, you’re not going to wait for…?” Katsuki asks, nodding to Eijirou’s hand.
Eijirou wrinkles his nose. “I mean, yeah, I could…” He rolls his cuff and reveals his timer.
3Y: 3D: 4H: 11M: 44S
Katsuki knits his eyebrows together. That’s not long at all. It’s even shorter than Katsuki’s timer.
“I’m just not really into it,” Eijirou explains somewhat sheepishly. “My parents aren’t soulmates and they found love in their own time, in their own way.”
“Oh,” Katsuki replies, nodding. “So you’re one of those people.” It isn’t uncommon for people to find love outside their soulmate. Those who have to wait years, well into their middle or old age, often decide to spend the rest of their lives with someone else.
“I mean, it’s not that I don’t believe in them or despise the idea. My older siblings are all married to their soulmates. I just…”
“Want to find the right person,” Katsuki finishes, closing his eyes, “regardless of the timer. Yeah, no. I get it. That’s…valid.”
He’s only mildly aware that Eijirou is staring at him, even though he can’t see it. He can feel the weight of his gaze and it makes his cheeks stupid warm.
“What does your timer say?” Eijirou asks softly.
Katsuki turns to him. “I’ve got a little longer to wait,” he says, pulling his sleeve up to show him. “I wonder what kind of person I’ll be.”
“You mean what kind of person they’ll be?”
Katsuki shakes his head and for some reason he can’t seem to tear his gaze away from Eijirou. “No, I mean I wonder what kind of person I’ll be. When I meet them. I hope I’m worthy.”
Eijirou smiles sadly, gently taking Katsuki’s wrist and brushing a thumb over his timer. “You don’t have to worry. You’re already worthy.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Katsuki’s Timer - 5Y: 301D: 23H: 2M: 10S
“Christ, Katsuki, it’s past noon,” Mitsuki drones as Katsuki wanders into the kitchen, still half asleep. It seems his parents are having lunch, but Katsuki just wants coffee and hopes to fuck there’s still some left in the pot.
“Stop nagging me.”
“I’ll do as I please,” Mitsuki says, gesturing at the place setting next to his father. “Where did you run off to last night? You just left us in the middle of the Celestial Festival. And why did you come home at the crack ass of dawn?”
All valid questions. The truth is he and Eijirou ended up just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. They laid in the grass, laughed, and gazed up at the Celestial Reunion, silently watching the meteor showers in the sky. They fell asleep at some point, woke up before dawn, and bid each other a tired farewell, leaving Katsuki wondering how a connection like that can be so strong.
And wondering if he’ll ever see Eijirou again.
“I met someone,” Katsuki admits unwittingly, sliding into the chair next to Masaru.
His father reacts somewhat subtly, a tiny twitch in the eye that’s gone in a flash, but his mother is more obvious.
“Katsuki, you’re supposed to be working over your summer break,” Mitsuki scolds, pouring coffee into a mug. “Sugar? Cream?”
“I’ll take it black.”
“Can’t be your soulmate,” Masaru says thoughtfully.
Katsuki shakes his head. “No, obviously not. Just…someone else.”
“You shouldn’t waste your time,” Mitsuki says, placing the cup in front of Katsuki right as he snarls at her. She sighs. “I just mean that you should really think about this. I mean, we don’t even live here, we’re only here on business.”
“It’s still my home,” Katsuki snaps.
“Katsuki. We left when you were eight.”
“I’m planning to move back,” he pouts because he seems to have a propensity to argue when he’s tired. Plus, he’s stubborn. “Eventually.”
“Fine by me.” Mitsuki crosses her arms, unwilling to back down. “But, for now, you can’t let anything distract you while we’re working the circuit.”
Katsuki stares into his mug. It’s pointless to try to convince her otherwise when she’s got tunnel vision. All she cares about is making sure the business is a success. And it’s not like he didn’t expect this kind of response; he didn’t even expect her to be supportive. Just a bit more understanding.
“Your mom just doesn’t want you to get too attached,” Masaru says gently. “We go back to the states in two weeks.”
“And besides, the bond with your soulmate will be so much stronger,” Mitsuki adds.
Katsuki can’t really argue with that. He knows the bond with his soulmate is eternal and untouchable. So, in lieu of derailing his parents’ mood and potentially their productivity, he decides to shut his trap for the remainder of lunch and focuses on getting through the day.
Not surprisingly, it takes an immense amount of effort to maintain his composure while Mitsuki drags them around town on errands. They spend most of the day in the shopping district, buying fabric and visiting local tailors, and by the time they’re back home, it’s already dark.
“Want to help with dinner?” Masaru asks, holding out two aprons in front of him.
“Will the old hag be around?” Katsuki grumbles, dropping the shopping bags on the counter.
“She’ll be soaking in the bath for a while.”
Katsuki sighs in relief because as much as he loves his mother, there’s only so much he can handle. “Then I’ll help.”
“Wonderful. Since it’s late, do you wanna do something quick?”
“Stirfry?”
Masaru nods approvingly and sets a wok on the stove. “Good idea.”
Working the kitchen with Masaru has always been one of the few joys growing up. They usually cook in silence, which Katsuki prefers. Occasionally, Masaru will ask precise, thoughtful questions that Katsuki prefers over Mitsuki’s long winded ones that sound more like rants than anything.
“Did you enjoy yourself last night?” Masaru asks matter-of-factly.
Katsuki pauses mid-dice and steals a glimpse at his father, who’s peeling shrimp with a small curl to his lips.
“Mmhmm,” Katsuki answers, slowly returning to his mise-en-place.
“Someone your age? A neighborhood kid?”
“Yeah.” Katsuki can feel his heart starting to pound against his chest, like he’s suddenly really nervous, even though he has no reason to be. “His name is Eijirou.”
“Hmmm. His kanji includes the characters for ‘sharp’ and ‘son’.”
“He’s not that sharp,” Katsuki murmurs and Masuru chuckles.
“Well, I for one am happy you met him,” his father says. “You don’t keep many friends and I’m afraid that’s our fault for moving and traveling so much. I’m glad you were able to find one while we’re here.”
Katsuki flushes, his stomach tangled in knots. At least there’s one parent in his corner and for now that’s enough. “Thanks, dad.”
After dinner, Katsuki slinks into his room and lays in bed, waiting for his parents to wind down. About ninety minutes later, the lights in the house go out, giving Katsuki the chance to sneak out and head to the abandoned soccer field.
He can’t really be sure that Eijirou will be there. They didn’t make plans to meet up nor did they exchange contact information, and he’ll definitely feel like an idiot if he doesn’t show. But, Katsuki can’t stop thinking about him and probably won’t be able to sleep until he sees Eijirou again, so he has to at least try.
“Hey, Katsuki!”
Katsuki shivers at the sound of his name. He smiles involuntarily and spins around, both shocked and delighted that his intuition was correct.
“Hey, Ei—” Katsuki’s jaw plummets as Eijirou approaches him with a toothy grin.
What the hell?
“Eijirou…” Katsuki gapes at the horrifying sight before him. “What did you do?”
“Uh, yeah,” Eijirou says, twirling a finger around a strand of very blonde hair. “I bleached it.”
Katsuki buries his face in his hands. The black hair wasn’t that bad, it just looked like it was styled in the dark, but now Eijirou looks like a poor man’s Draco Malfoy.
“‘Shitty Hair’ wasn’t enough?” Katsuki demands. “You want to be known as ‘Shittiest Hair’?”
“It ain’t that bad!”
“Oh god,” Katsuki says, snatching Eijirou’s arm and pulling him directly under the lamppost. “You bleached your eyebrows too?!”
“It’s temporary!” Eijirou exclaims, jerking his arm away. “I’ve been wanting to dye my hair, but can’t dye my hair any other color without bleaching it first.”
Katsuki grunts in disgust. “I’m afraid to ask, but what color are you thinking of dyeing it?”
“Umm…” Eijirou runs his finger through his hair and grimaces. “Maybe hot pink?”
Katsuki stares, unblinking. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Why not?” Eijirou complains.
“It’ll clash with every croc you own,” Katsuki says flatly, eyeing the fluorescent green pair Eijirou’s currently wearing. He honestly can’t believe they let him out of the house like this.
Eijirou shakes his head with an amused smile. “Fine, I’ll pick another color.”
Thank god. Katsuki reaches a hand out to brush a few strands away from Eijirou’s forehead, but stops himself. He usually keeps people at arm’s length, his personal space important to him, but he almost didn’t hesitate there.
“You can touch it,” Eijirou reassures. “I had it done earlier.”
Katsuki reddens and shrinks back, but he’d be foolish not to take Eijirou up on his offer, especially after revealing just how curious he was. He compromises and quickly pinches the ends of Eijirou’s hair.
“Red will at least bring out your eyes,” Katsuki says before realizing he just said his thought out loud. He winces, but luckily Eijirou doesn’t seem to notice and merely nods, touching the same spot Katsuki reached for.
“That’s a good idea! I’ll ask the stylist what they think, too.”
Katsuki sighs, relieved. “At least you had the common sense to get it done professionally.”
“Yeah,” Eijirou chuckles. “It was also cheap, I got a discount at the new salon in the shopping district. They had their grand opening today.”
“I was there today, I didn’t see a new salon.”
“Aw, we must have missed each other,” Eijirou says, walking toward the middle of the field, likely to find a place to sit. “Were you getting all your yukatas dry-cleaned?”
Katsuki follows him, grinning. The kid should know better than to roast his fashion sense. “I was. And is that a muscle shirt underneath your bomber jacket you have on tonight?”
Eijirou pauses in his tracks and opens his jacket up to confirm. “Yes? From your tone, I’m guessing this is another disastrous fashion choice?”
“It’s just such a waste,” Katsuki says, tugging at the bottom of Eijirou’s jacket to inspect further. “You have this great body, but you do nothing to show it off. Er, I mean…”
Both boys blush and Katsuki scolds himself. Again, the words fly out and this time there’s little Katsuki can say to redeem himself. The worst part is he’s not sure why it keeps happening.
“Um,” Katsuki clears his throat in an attempt to redirect the conversation. “Do you work out a lot?”
Ugh. Excellent redirect, Katsuki.
“Kinda,” Eijirou says, plopping on the grass and laying on his back with his knees bent. “I’m a bit of a gym rat. But, in my defense, I like to eat and exercising helps with my metabolism.”
Katsuki joins him, but when he drops onto the grass beside him, he lands a bit too close. Still, he doesn’t have the willpower to scoot away. “What do you like to eat?”
Eijirou turns his head to face him, giving Katsuki a goofy grin. “I’m a carnivore, so anything that involves meat. Why do you think evolution gave me such sharp teeth? I like the feeling I get when I’m ripping the flesh off an animal.”
Katsuki scrunches his nose. Uh, ew.
“Gross.”
“How about you?” Eijirou asks. “What do you like to eat?”
“I’m not too picky.” Katsuki holds his breath, briefly wondering how vulnerable he wants to be. Eijirou already scaled most of his walls last night, it feels unfair to hold back now. “Actually, I like to cook.”
Eijirou’s face lights up. “Yeah? You know that cooking involves more than tossing a salad, right?”
Oh my god.
And the roasting continues.
Katsuki sits up. “Excuse you?”
“Aren’t all you fashionistas vegan?” Eijirou asks innocently even though his grin’s widening. Katsuki doesn’t even hesitate, he throws himself at a laughing Eijirou and straddles him, pinning his shoulders to the ground.
“You stupid extra!” Katsuki exclaims, hoping to shake Eijirou into submission. “Are you fucking stereotyping me?!”
Eijirou continues to laugh. “I’m just saying, how else is your waist that tiny?”
“STOP LOOKING AT MY WAISTLINE!” Katsuki bellows, but Eijirou’s laughter is infectious and soon he’s rolling off him in a fit of giggles. He doesn’t remember when his cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
After they’ve settled down, they stare at the sky in silence. The stars are even brighter out tonight, the meteor showers even more visible, and Katsuki’s perfectly content watching their performance. Right here, shoulder-to-shoulder with Eijirou.
“I never wanted to be in the fashion industry,” Katsuki says after a while. “My folks kinda led me into it.”
Eijirou studies him. “You don’t have to follow the path they laid out for you.”
“Yeah, I know, it’s just… more complicated than that.”
“Sounds like you feel stuck,” Eijirou says, stretching his arms out and rubbing his timer absentmindedly.
“Yeah,” Katsuki says softly. “That’s what it feels like.”
“I sometimes wonder if we were meant to know our destinies.” Eijirou drops his arms and their hands brush momentarily. “Like, even if you were meant to be in fashion, I wonder if you’d enjoy it more if you had discovered it on your own.”
Somehow Katsuki knows Eijirou’s talking about his soulmate. While Katsuki’s always been goal-oriented, eager to reach the end above all else, it’s clear that Eijirou treasures the journey. The discovery. The timer ruins that for him.
“I dunno,” Katsuki whispers. “Maybe.”
“Hmm.” Eijirou gives Katsuki’s sleeve a gentle tug. “Hey, will you cook for me one of these days?”
Katsuki smiles, a warm feeling spreading throughout his body. “Sure. As long as you don’t complain about how spicy it is.”
Eijirou snickers. “I can’t make any promises.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Katsuki’s Timer - 5Y: 297D: 13H: 12M: 43S
“You’re color coordinated today,” Katsuki points out with a smirk.
Eijirou does a little runway walk to the lamppost, with way too much hip and not enough swag, but it has Katsuki snorting with laughter. “Look, ma, I tried!”
“You did,” Katsuki says, scanning him from head to toe. The dark jeans and the crop top hoodie are a vast improvement, and it may or may not be because he gets to see a bit of skin. “I’m impressed.”
“Your fashion sense must be rubbing off on me,” Eijirou says, already wandering to the middle of the field. “Although I have to admit, it was painful leaving my crocs behind. My chest actually hurt.”
Katsuki chuckles. “My chest hurt seeing you wear them the past four nights.”
“Wow, four nights?” Eijirou whistles, stopping mid-step to bump shoulders with him. “Why does it feel like I’ve known you forever?”
Katsuki turns away, blushing. It does seem that way. There’s something about Eijirou that Katsuki keeps gravitating to, but he’s not sure what it is, so he comes back here every night to find out. It almost defies all logic because he was always anticipating this kind of connection with his soulmate. Not some random person he’s known for less than a week.
“One of these days we’ll hang out when the sun’s out,” Eijirou says in humor. “Go on a hike or something.”
Katsuki hums in agreement although it’s not likely. His parents monopolize every second of his schedule. He’s not even supposed to be out this late, crawling back into bed just before 5:00 a.m. He suspects his father is covering for him.
“Oh, if we do hang out, you can meet my friends,” Eijirou says, plopping onto the grass. “They could also use your fashion advice. Especially Denki. And Hanta. Honestly, Tetsutetsu could also benefit, I’m sick of seeing him in Hawaiian shirts…”
Katsuki takes the seat next to him. “I’m gonna have to start charging you.”
They both chuckle and for a few contemplative minutes, they watch the sky in silence and listen to a lonely cicada buzzing in the distance. Although at some point, Katsuki notices out of the corner of his eye Eijirou staring at him again with an expression so soft that it makes his heart burst.
“So, um…I kind of have a date on Saturday.”
Katsuki flinches, his heart suddenly aching for an entirely different reason. He hesitates answering him at first, wondering if he should just say something along the lines of ‘I’ve never been on a date, I can’t help you there.’
But, instead Katsuki asks, “With who?”
“Oh. Someone I’ve known for a while.” Eijirou starts fiddling with a loose thread on his jeans and there’s a glimmer in his eyes that makes Katsuki think that this ‘someone’ is special. “We’ve always been in different classes, but we have a bunch of mutual friends.”
“What’re they like?” Katsuki asks because apparently he can’t help himself.
“He’s sweet.” And now Eijirou is smiling and Katsuki’s chest is tighter than it’s ever been. “Smart, quiet, super thoughtful. He usually has a deadpan expression on, but he’s actually quite funny.”
“He sounds like a good match,” Katsuku murmurs even though he doesn’t really mean it. He wants to be supportive though and besides they’ve only known each other for a few days. Maybe this is a sign from the universe, a reminder that Eijirou isn’t his soulmate and these feelings are just part of the search for love. Practice for when the real thing does happen.
“Anyway, I won’t be much help,” Katsuki finally says. “I’ve never been on a date.”
Eijirou’s eyes widen. “Wait, really? You’re kidding.”
“We move around a lot,” Katsuki says, shrugging. “Just never had the time.” Besides, with a timer on his wrist, he never saw the need to go out on dates, or form real relationships, for that matter.
“Oh, well. I actually don’t need advice about what to do on the date.” Eijirou pulls his knees up in front of him and hugs his legs. “I need advice on, like…how to cancel it.”
Katsuki sucks in a breath. “You’re canceling—why?”
“I dunno, I just…” Eijirou buries his face between his knees. “...don’t feel like it? You see, that sounds awful and I can’t say that.”
Katsuki could scream. He’s canceling the date and Katsuki hates how ridiculously happy that makes him. “Just ditch then say you forgot or that an emergency came up.”
Eijirou looks up and gives him a face. “I don’t want to be a jerk.”
“Then just use your soulmate as an excuse,” Katsuki says, raising his wrist with the timer up. “Tell them you’d rather wait for yours.”
Eijirou makes another face and chews on his bottom lip. “I don’t want to lie to him either.”
“You’re not making this easy.” Katsuki looks up at the stars and wonders what he would say if someone like Eijirou ever asked him out. How would he say ‘you’re not the one, but you still mean a lot to me’? “Tell him his friendship is something you don’t want to lose and you’re not ready to take that next step with him. But, if he’s okay with becoming closer friends then maybe you can just see what the future holds.”
Eijirou blinks, stunned for a couple of seconds, before nodding and reaching out his phone to type something out. “Okay, yeah. Friendship…don’t want to lose…becoming closer friends…see what the future holds. This is great, Katsuki. Thanks.”
Katsuki smirks. “I’m glad I can help you ruin potential love interests with tact and grace,” he teases. “Who’s next?”
Eijirou clicks his tongue. “Sounds like someone’s jealous.”
Katsuki won’t admit that he kind of is. “As if.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Katsuki’s Timer - 5Y: 291D: 12H: 2M: 30S
Almost a week later and it’s clear to Katsuki that Eijirou has been the best part of his summer and the thought of leaving him rips his heart to shreds.
They’ve been seeing each other every night at the same place and at relatively the same time. Sometimes, Katsuki brings leftovers from dinner and sometimes Eijirou makes him laugh so hard that he can hardly get a word in edgewise.
Eijirou knows that Katsuki’s time in Musutafu is coming to a close. He usually redirects those conversations, saying that he doesn’t want to waste any time thinking about what hasn’t happened yet. He just wants to spend it with Katsuki.
Honestly. When he says things like that, it makes Katsuki want to abandon the whole soulmate idea altogether.
When Katsuki arrives at the soccer field tonight, he can feel the moisture in the air and knows rain is coming. And as soon as Eijirou appears, so does the downpour.
They book it all the way to the other side of the field and find shelter in a small shed filled with deflated soccer balls and torn nets. Katsuki had the dumb idea to show off a new (albeit somewhat revealing) outfit without looking at the weather, which was such a stupid idea because now he’s cold. Luckily, Eijirou snatches his arm and leads him to a small space near the window. They huddle together beneath the faint light of a nearby lamppost and Katsuki reveals a thermos full of some Tom Yum soup that he made earlier with his dad.
“How long do you think the rain will last?” he asks, pouring some of the soup into a cup.
“I dunno, I didn’t even know it was going to rain.” Eijirou takes the cup and slurps, always the loud eater, before sighing happily. “Oh my god, it’s still hot. Ugh, so good.”
“Not too spicy?” Katsuki asks, pouring a cup for himself.
Eijirou shakes his head. “No, no, this is perfect. The curry last night set my tongue on fire. I had dreams about being on fire.”
“That’s how you know there’s enough heat.”
Eijirou chooses not to respond to him, only squints at him as he brings the cup back to his lips and finishes what’s left.
It’s cute. He’s cute and Katsuki can finally admit it (in his head). He takes Eijirou’s cup and refills it, but just as he does, Eijirou shrugs his jacket off and drapes it over Katsuki’s shoulders.
“You look nice, by the way,” Eijirou says softly, eyes drifting to Katsuki’s outfit and Katsuki can feel his ears turning red. “I mean, you always do, but—um…sorry that the rain had to ruin it.”
There it is again. Words that make Katsuki want to abandon his soulmate. He bites the inside of his cheek to keep from whimpering and shoves the cup at Eijirou. “It’s fine.”
It’s quiet as they sip. Katsuki doesn’t want to break the silence yet so he thinks about how can broach the subject of him leaving Japan without Eijirou shutting it down. He has less than a week left and then he’s gone. Do they chalk this up to a summer friendship, short-lived but memorable? If they stay in touch, Katsuki’s afraid that his feelings will only deepen and he’ll want more. Leaving his soulmate high and dry.
That is, if Eijirou returns his feelings.
“Hey Katsuki? I…kind of have a confession to make.”
Katsuki’s fingers curl around the cup. He can feel sparks on the very tips of his fingers, skin crawling in anticipation. “What is it?”
Eijirou takes a deep breath and shifts in his seat, his leg brushing against Katsuki’s. “The date I canceled…it wasn’t only because I didn’t have feelings for him. It’s kind of because I have those feelings for someone else.”
Katsuki stills, his mouth gone dry. “Have you told them?”
“No, it’s…a bit complicated? Weird? I dunno. I’m not sure if they feel the same way.” Eijirou groans, pressing his wrist to his forehead, and Katsuki can tell he’s conflicted. He’s usually a chatterbox, but at the moment, he’s having a hard time getting the words out.
“Hey, Ei—”
“Forget it,” Eijirou says, rubbing his face with his hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to spring that on you all of a sudden, I don’t even know why I brought it up. Just forget I said anything.”
Katsuki frowns. “Okay.”
They fall into silence again, listening to the rain hit the windowpane. Katsuki shrinks back, burying himself in Eijirou’s jacket, and for the first time in a while, he feels utterly alone. Left only with his thoughts around liking a boy who is not his soulmate.
It’s not something he’s ever considered before this. Being with his soulmate was always in his plan. It was reassuring, in a way, to know that there was someone waiting for him. There are so few sure things in his life, but this was one and he always relied on that. He always relied on his soulmate, even before knowing who they were. Hell, waiting for his soulmate is what got him through the past couple of years when his parents started to bring him into the fashion world.
Is he willing to give that up?
At some point while he was lost in thought, Eijirou fell asleep. Head perched on Katsuki’s shoulder. When the rain finally stops, Katsuki figures they should go. He’s suddenly exhausted and wants nothing more than a warm bed.
“Eijirou, wake up.”
Eijirou stirs, slowly lifting his head up. “Katsuki?”
“It stopped raining,” Katsuki says, taking the borrowed jacket off and wrapping it around Eijirou’s shoulders. “We should—”
His words are cut off by a pair of soft, cool lips and Katsuki freezes.
Eijirou’s kissing him. Actually kissing him, this guy who he only met ten days ago but somehow managed to steal his heart is giving him his first actual kiss.
It’s feather light and a little unsure and when Eijirou finally pulls away, Katsuki can feel his lips tingling.
“Sorry,” Eijirou whispers. “I had to do that at least once.”
‘It’s fine’ Katsuki wants to say but can’t seem to push the words out. He only stares at Eijirou’s lips, wavering between kissing him again or telling him how he feels.
If he can figure out how he feels. It’s all so confusing.
“We should probably get out of here,” Eijirou says after a while. “Can I walk you home?”
It takes a moment, but eventually Katsuki shakes his head and curls into himself.
“Do…you need a second?” Eijirou asks gently. When Katsuki nods, Eijirou furrows his brow and returns his jacket to around Katsuki’s shoulders before standing to leave. “Don’t stay too long.”
When Katsuki doesn’t respond, Eijirou leaves.
Katsuki doesn’t get home until sunrise.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Katsuki’s Timer - 5Y: 288D: 11H: 55M: 1S
The emotions whirling in his heart are disorienting and Katsuki spends countless hours agonizing over how he feels about Eijirou. Torn between someone he met days ago and someone he has yet to meet. It consumes him so much that he doesn’t realize that he hasn’t seen Eijirou in three days.
“I should go see him,” Katsuki whispers to himself as he lays in bed, hugging Eijirou’s jacket in his arms. It takes another hour to convince himself to get out of the covers. He only really has tonight, then he’s on a plane tomorrow, heading back to the U.S. If he leaves Musutafu with these unresolved feelings, he may regret it for the rest of his life.
When he makes it to the soccer field, Eijirou is already there, sitting against the lamppost, staring at his wrist. Katsuki wonders if Eijirou’s thinking about them too—their soulmates.
“Hey,” Katsuki says, approaching tentatively.
Eijirou jolts up at the sound of his voice, eyes round and wide. “Katsuki.”
“I brought your jacket back,” Katsuki says, handing it to him. “I even got it dry—” he gasps as Eijirou wraps him in a bear hug that Katsuki can’t help but return.
It feels good being in the arms of someone so warm and kind and wonderful. The tension that Katsuki’s been holding just melts into nothingness.
“I thought something happened,” Eijirou sniffles into Katsuki’s shoulder, squeezing tightly. “I thought maybe you left for the states early. I searched for you everywhere.”
“My parents are pretty private, so you wouldn’t have been able to find us,” Katsuki murmurs, not wanting to let go.
“I was so worried,” Eijirou whispers.
Katsuki shuts his eyes, clinging onto Eijirou for far longer than he feels he should. This is his fault. Katsuki should have been a better friend. He should have talked to him instead of ghosting Eijirou for three nights. He just thought he could sort through his feelings before having to face him again, so at least he would have some clarity, but…he’s more confused now than ever.
“I’m so sorry,” Eijirou says, pulling them apart. There are tears stuck in his eyes that Katsuki so badly wants to kiss away, but he knows he can’t.
“It’s okay.”
Eijirou shakes his head. “No, it’s not. I didn’t realize—I didn’t mean to—” he groans in frustration. “I should have told you how I felt before kissing you like that.”
Katsuki presses his lips together in a thin line, skin still tingling from the memory. “Tell me now. Tell me how you feel about me now.”
“I like you,” Eijirou blurts out without even hesitating. He’s so genuine, so honest, it makes Katsuki’s heart want to combust. “You make me stupid happy and I can’t stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I try.”
This isn’t fair. Katsuki looks up at the sky and for the first time in weeks, it’s empty. Black, only a few scattering of stars and a crescent moon hanging above them. He wonders what the universe wants from them. What are they supposed to do now?
“Eijirou, I leave tomorrow night,” Katsuki says softly.
“I know.” Eijirou grabs Katsuki’s hands and squeezes. He must be feeling brave tonight or maybe he’s just done with being scared. “I know it’s not ideal, but I’m willing to try this out. We can text, video call. I can look at colleges there maybe.”
“Don’t move halfway around the world for me,” Katsuki says, still staring at their joined hands. He twists them so their wrists are facing up with their timers. “And what about this?”
Are you going to be able to resist that gravitational pull from your soulmate? Am I going to be able to resist that pull?
“I dunno,” Eijirou admits, rubbing a thumb over Katsuki’s timer. “I only know that you’re the one I have feelings for.”
Katsuki snatches the arm with the timer back, but decides not to let go of Eijirou’s other hand. “I’m just…I’m just so confused. I don’t know what to do. I’m not about to abandon my soulmate for a summer crush, even if my feelings for you are really strong.”
It’s quiet. Katsuki can feel a sob bubbling in his throat, yearning to get out, and he bites his tongue hard to keep it from escaping.
“I don’t want to make it hard for you,” Eijirou says, frowning. “The ball’s in your court, Katsuki, and I totally get it if you don’t want to pursue these feelings with me.” He gives Katsuki’s hand another gentle squeeze. “I get it.”
Katsuki sighs. “How do you make it look so easy?”
Eijirou winces and starts rubbing circles on the back of Katsuki’s hand. “If it makes you feel better, I agonize over my timer too. And, y’know, maybe fate has a plan for me, but I guess I’m also learning to trust my heart, too.”
Ugh. He’s perfect. Eijirou may be a fashion disaster with bleached hair and a low tolerance for spicy foods, but he says all the right things and is so considerate and Katsuki likes him so much.
Why couldn’t you just be my soulmate, Eijirou?
“Kiss me,” Katsuki whispers.
“What?”
“Kiss me,” Katsuki repeats, fingers trembling. “Before I change my mind.”
It’s even better the second time. Eijirou cups his face with both hands, brushing Katsuki’s lips with his thumb before closing the gap in a gentle kiss. Katsuki parts his mouth, wanting more, and when Eijirou hesitates, Katsuki grabs a fistful of his shirt and tugs.
“Mmm,” Eijirou mewls as Katsuki deepens the kiss and he responds in turn, wrapping his arms around Katsuki’s waist, pulling him close.
When they break apart, Katsuki realizes he’s crying. Silent tears that he hastily wipes away. He straightens his spine, trying to regain composure.
“My plane doesn’t leave until late tomorrow night,” Katsuki says, voice cracking a bit. He clears his throat. “Maybe we can do an early dinner?”
Eijirou blinks. “Like a date?”
“Mmhm,” Katsuki says, staring at the ground and shifting his weight from foot to foot. “But, I want to make it clear that I want to take it really slow. One step at a time. I’m still…”
“Yeah, no. I get it. You still want to keep things open. I’m okay with that.” Eijirou lightly kicks the top of Katsuki’s shoe and Katsuki can’t help but look up, smirking. “I’ll be a redhead by our date, too. You’ll be the first to see the new me!”
“Can’t wait,” Katsuki snickers. “Five-thirty okay?”
“Perfect, yeah. Honey Cafe is a nice spot. They have desserts with chili in them that might be fun to try.”
Katsuki lifts an eyebrow. “You must really like me if you’re willing to sacrifice your tongue.”
“I’m willing to sacrifice a lot to be with you,” Eijirou says with a small smile.
Katsuki blushes, stomach twisting in knots. “Honey Cafe. I’ll be there.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Katsuki’s Timer - 5Y: 287D: 15H: 30M: 54S
By the time Mitsuki calls to ask Katsuki where he is, Eijirou is an hour and a half late.
And counting.
“You haven’t even packed yet,” Mitsuki practically yells over the phone. “Get your ass back at the house right now.”
“I’ll be there in a couple of hours,” Katsuki says, eyes glued to the door of the cafe.
“Our plane leaves in three hours!”
“I’ll be packed and ready to go, old hag, relax.”
“Bakugou Katsuki, if you’re not home in an hour, I will make your life a living hell.”
Katsuki groans. “Fine.” He hangs up and waits.
He feels like such an idiot. Why is he waiting? He’s sat there long enough. He looks like a fool.
Katsuki squeezes his eyes shut, trying to keep the tears from spilling. Such an idiot. Why didn’t he grab Eijirou’s phone number before they left last night? Why is this happening?
Half an hour later and Eijirou is a no-show. Katsuki’s heart shatters.
When he boards the plane later that night, he makes a promise to find him. Eijirou must have a Facebook or a Twitter or something. He’ll find him and figure out what happened. Because that’s the only way he can be okay with this, if something urgent came up and Eijirou couldn’t get away.
When the Bakugous are back stateside, Katsuki starts his search.
He finds nothing.