Chapter Text
It was white. That was the only possible way to describe the space Shota found himself in. A pure, bright white which should have been blinding to his sensitive eyes, yet for some reason, it wasn’t. The space was warm, inviting, and filled with potential.
Potential for what, Shota couldn’t tell you, but something in the core of his being was screaming. This place was important.
This place was important, and the only reason he was here was because he was about to find out why.
Shota looked around carefully, but not cautiously. The space warped behind him.
“Woah.”
Shota spun to face the source of the sound, short hair whipping around his head. He narrowed his eyes at the other teenager who was in the strange space. He wasn’t facing Shota, but shota could see a lean figure, and a shock of bright blonde hair, styled upwards. He didn’t have time to take more of the other’s appearance in before the guy turned, catching sight of Shota.
He too whipped around to face him fully, before his eyes widened and he greeted Shota with a big smile.
“Yo! You’re in my heroics class at UA! Shota Aizawa, right?”
Shota side-eyed him wearily and hummed. The guy just kept grinning.
“I’m Hizashi Yamada! Man, it’s weird to be seeing you like this. But it’s good because me and my other new friend Shirakumo wanted to hang out with you!”
As the guy- Yamada- kept talking, Shota slid away slowly in confusion, and began mourning the loss of his peaceful sleep. Why has his head been invaded by one of his loudest classmates? Was he hit by a quirk or something?”
Shota’s shoulders jumped at the sudden increase in volume from his left, and turned to find that Yamada was now next to him. Shota dragged his hand down his face in self-pity as he turned to face his classmate.
Yamada was wiggling his eyebrows. Why was Yamada wiggling his eyebrows? Shota leaned backwards to move away from the teenager, but Yamada only leaned over him to maintain eye contact. “Hey, Aizawa, surely you know what this room means?” Shota fumbled a little as he continued to lean and be followed before stepping back into a natural position and slumping defeatedly. “You know what it means right? Right?” Yamada continued to parrot.
Shota looked down at the floor tiredly while Yamada gestured extravagantly. “No. Please stop.”
“Aizawa!” Yamada suddenly announced, causing the tired 15-year old to jump and face him again. “We’re soulmates!”
Shota took a moment to stare at his classmate in mild disgust before speed walking in the other direction. Yamada reached out for him dramatically. “Wait~!” He dragged out, before running to catch up with Aizawa.
Shota idly noted that while the space looked like it had walls, he hadn’t actually reached one of them. It was as though he couldn’t be anywhere but the centre of the room.
Yamada caught up to Shota, who decided to take pity on him and stop. Yamada breathed heavily for a moment, holding up a finger to tell Shota to wait, before speaking up again. “Aizawa, do you really not know what this room is?”
Aizawa furrowed his brows at the shift in tone and self-consciously crossed his arms. “No.”
Yamada began to nervously babble, which piqued Shota’s interest much more than his cryptic teasing. “Well, there are a bunch of news stories right? A bunch of articles, a bunch of attempted and failed scientific research. On this room. I mean not… this room… but the space itself isn’t unique.”
Shota lifted a brow. “Unique?” He drawled.
Yamada laughed nervously and rubbed a hand on his neck. “Well, I mean… we’re probably the only two people who have been in this specific room, but the room itself is part of an actual recorded phenomenon. It’s not even that rare. I don’t think so at least. I wasn’t kidding when I said we were soulmates.”
Shota shifted his stance and narrowed his eyes at Yamada. “Is this a common quirk effect or something?”
Yamada smiled knowingly and shook his head. “Nope. You seem like the type to really hate this kind of concept, but people are pretty sure it’s something to do with fate.” Shota didn’t actually have any feelings on the notion, but he kept his face as impassive as he could while his classmate kept talking.
“Basically, people who are meant to be family meet in this room while they sleep. I mean, it’s usually… families. People have just been collectively calling these groups of people soulmates.”
“Good thing I don’t sleep then.” Shota deadpanned.
“Awh c’mon Aizawa, don’t be like that! It won’t stay in your dreams forever don’t worry! I mean, it will for a while.” Yamada looked up and put a finger on his chin. “From what I’ve heard, we won’t remember anything that happens here when we’re awake, even though we’ll come here every night.”
Every night?! Shota suddenly didn’t yearn for more sleep anymore. Yamada was so… loud.
Yamada pouted. “Hey, what’s with that face?!” Aizawa quickly schooled his expression of distaste. He harrumphed before continuing. “As I was saying. We spend time here together, but won’t remember any of it until skin-on-skin contact is made.” Yamada wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “We’ll remember we’re meant to be family~.”
Aizawa cringed and tried to walk away again, but Yamada kept a grip on him this time. “Wait, I’m sorry! The family thing could mean lots of things, you know?”
Aizawa stopped and decided to hear him out. Yamada appeared to relax. “It’s not necessarily traditional family stuff. Family in terms of soulmates just describes something innate. People with soulmates describe it as caring and loving one another on a more visceral level, ya dig?”
For the first time, Yamada seemed to relax fully as he smiled softly at Aizawa. Aizawa couldn’t help but stare back, electric lime eyes drawing him in. “It just means that I’ll care for you, and you’ll care for me, okay?”
Shota nodded, and Yamada let go of his arm, and took a few steps away before twisting to look at Aizawa while facing the wrong direction.
“So, soulmate!” Yamada was back making extravagant poses. “We’ve got a lifetime of friendship ahead of us.” He aimed finger guns at Shota before declaring. “Today is only the beginning for us.”
Shota slumped tiredly, and hid a twitch in the corner of his mouth that could have led to a smile. He was never going to know peace again, was he?