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There’s only one truth all human beings agree on: not a single person is alone in this world. No matter how lonely or desperate you are, there’ll always be someone waiting for you out there, someone made for you and only you. Denki knows it’s not just a fairy tale. The proof is engraved on his shoulder, a mark that will follow him to the ends of time.
His soul mark is a beautiful one. A delicate heart, filled with what Denki believes to be small explosions, lies in the center. From the heart emerge eight points, each of them with their own tiny, precious details. At first glance, they’re like swords struck by thunder. With the explosive heart, the truth is clear: a star.
The details are as enthralling as they are terrifying. Denki will spend hours admiring it in the mirror some days. He traces the lines with trembling fingers, trying to imagine what his soulmate will be like.
Denki can’t shake the idea that they’ll be hard to deal with. Maybe it’s the tiny explosions, the way they’re contained within the heart. A highly emotive person, Denki is sure of it. The thunders are his own quirk. Denki is the part that makes the star. It’d be poetic if the idea of it wasn’t so distressingly terrifying.
He wants to meet his soulmate one day. Before that, Denki wants to become better. Someone strong and reliable. Someone they can be proud of. Someone they can love.
Going to UA is the easiest solution he finds. UA doesn’t accept weak heroes. Only those with true potential can thrive in this environment. If Denki can make it into the school, he’s sure, there’ll be nothing he can’t do.
The entrance exam is a nightmare. Denki isn’t sure what happened after the first five minutes. He was in the infirmary when he woke up. No robots, no fight, nothing. The entire week is but a solemn affair. The results don’t improve his mood much either. Denki didn’t make it to the top 10. His numbers are distressingly low; he’s lucky he even got in.
Perhaps it’s karma. Denki overusing his quirk is what led to this. He failed himself.
The 1-A class is… a mess, to say the least. Denki is amazed at how different they all are. How is it possible they get along at all? Well, most of them get along, at least.
Just the mention of Bakugou Katsuki’s name makes Denki shiver in fear. The first place of the entrance exam. A brat with power that never knew what it’s like to be denied. He’s infuriating in a way Denki can’t explain. The uneasiness he feels goes way beyond Bakugou’s bratty attitude and violent tendencies.
There’s only one person who Bakugou doesn’t treat like shit. Midoriya Izuku is his polar opposite: sweet, kind and, oh, so gentle. Sometimes Denki can’t believe this boy got into UA as well; he doubts Izuku can hurt anyone, villain or not. It’s just not who he is.
Izuku’s quirk is just as kind as its owner. Pursue is a searching-type quirk. He can find people as long as he remembers their face or has a deep connection to them. Alternatively, he can also find them through the memories and connections of a third party. A quirk more than perfect for rescues. Unfortunately, it’s only remembered as the ‘soulmate finder’.
Soon, Izuku’s surrounded by students from all classes and years, all of them more than eager to know who their soulmates are. Most of those from 1-A class also asked him to find their fated person. Part of Denki wants to ask him, too. However, he’s still too scared to take that step forward.
Now, if only he had a choice in the matter. He had just left his shower stall when it happened. Denki’s entire body throbs from the training exercise and his head hurts. Nothing a painkiller and a good meal won’t solve.
For the first time, he managed to use his indiscriminate shocks twice without going into derp mode. He’s finally taking a step towards the right direction. Of course there’s no comparison with guys like Bakugou or Todoroki or Kirishima, but it’s progress.
Denki is happy. He’s proud of himself. He’s sure nothing can ruin his mood… But one look forward shatters his very world.
He knows that drawing too well. Denki can’t count how many hours he stared at it, memorized every line and curve and shape. An explosive heart surrounded by eight thunderstruck swords; the prettiest star Denki saw in his life completely out of place in that too-broad back.
It’s not time. Denki’s still not good enough for his soulmate. He needs time. He needs to get stronger. He needs to get better.
He’s not ready.
Of course, Fate doesn’t agree with him. There’s no time, no preparation, no ideal places. It simply happens, and it scares Denki to his core. Who wouldn’t be, knowing your soulmate is Bakugou Katsuki?
He’s frozen in place, unsure between reaching out and running away. His stomach flips uncomfortably and he feels dizzy. Denki hates this. He hates his own weakness. He hates the worried looks on his classmates’ faces.
Red eyes meet Denki’s.
He can’t.
Denki barely hears the calls. His feet move before he can think about it. He’s unsure where he’s heading. All he knows is that he needs to get away, away from everyone, away from Bakugou. How interesting that all his plans failed so spectacularly. All he wanted was to be a hero worthy of his soulmate, someone they—no, he could rely on. He wanted to be more than a coward. He wanted to be someone deserving of love.
And look where he is, fated to the one who’ll possibly earn the Number One title in the future. Even now, Bakugou is… He’s perfect. His grades are perfect, his quirk is astounding, he’s certainly the most handsome guy Denki ever laid his eyes on. He’s strong and capable, far more reliable than that foul mouth would make one believe.
He deserves so, so much better than Denki.
Denki shuts the door to his room. His breath comes out in hagged pants. His body shakes from the sheer effort of the run. He crawls up his bedroom and pulls a blanket over his body. The weight is familiar and comforting.
Bakugou is his soulmate. He’s the one Denki always waited for. He’s the only reason behind Denki’s will to become stronger, better. But as he closes his eyes, all Denki can see is Izuku’s easy smile and Bakugou leaning over his shoulder to peek on his friend’s phone. He knew from the beginning where Bakugou’s heart lied—the whole class, perhaps the whole school did.
Denki’s hands close into a fist. In all honesty, he can live without Bakugou. He already did for years. Denki knows he can do it. He just needs time and space and soon all those feelings will disappear. It’ll be alright. Bakugou won’t have to live with the disappointment of having Denki for a soulmate. No, he’ll have a bright future, far brighter than whatever Denki could offer him. He’ll have Izuku by his side. The perfect couple. There’s no doubt they’ll make each other happy.
Denki wishes that thought didn’t hurt him nearly as much as it truly does. He’s mind is filled with memories of Bakugou. There’s no denying his feelings anymore. Like a moth attracted to a flame, Denki’s always been attracted to Bakugou. It’s a dangerous feeling. It scares Denki to the point of shaking. And yet...
I don’t want it to go away.
He holds his legs, hiding his face between his knees. Denki ’s tired. He’s so, so tired he doubts he can go face his classmates for dinner. There’s no way he can pretend everything is alright, especially not after what just happened. His friends will notice. They’ll make questions Denki cannot answer.
At this rate it’ll only be a matter of time until...
“Open. The. Damn. Door. Now!” His heart practically jumps out of his chest at the sound of Bakugou’s voice. Each word is punctuated by a harsh knock on the door, each of them louder and more threatening than the last. Denki covers his mouth with both hands. He can hear Bakugou’s groan, “Don’t make me explode this shit door.”
Of course, Denki knows at least a dozen reasons Bakugou would be mad at him right now. He does everything wrong; even when he’s supposed to avoid Bakugou, he manages to attract the man’s anger.
He swallows. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll go away if Denki stays quiet. No one saw him coming to his room. He’s sure there’s no way Bakugou would know for sure...
“Wait, Kacchan! You’ll get in trouble with the teachers,” a second voice interjects. It trembles on the verge between fear and regret. “And you’re not a kid anymore. Behave for a bit, will you?”
Damnit, Izuku! Denki bites his lip. Frustration fills his body. He heard people referring to his quirk as ‘soulmate finder’ for so long that Denki forgot his true power for a moment. If Bakugou wanted to find someone, of course he’d go to Izuku. Of course. Denki’s body shakes with a low, bitter chuckle. If Izuku’s here, that can only mean... “You know.”
Silence meets him. Denki doesn’t know if they heard him. It doesn’t matter. He’s ruined anyway, he—
“Go.” It’s only one word, so quiet Denki barely hears it. He freezes, body so tense he could easily pass for a statue. He holds his breath, waiting—for what, Denki is not sure. An explosion, maybe? More screams? Whatever he expected, none of it comes true. Instead, “Open the door. Please.”
Denki swallows. That quiet desperation sounds so wrong in Bakugou’s voice it hurts to hear. The floor feels cold against his bare feet. He can barely hear his own footsteps. The creaking door feels too loud to Denki’s ear; the sudden clarity blinds him for a moment.
There’s no time to think. Bakugou’s already making his way in. Denki doesn’t offer resistance, simply letting Bakugou push him back to the bed. Bakugou kneels on the floor before him, his red eyes glistening with something Denki can’t quite describe. He opens his mouth, then closes it again. Bakugou tsks, frustration evident on his face. “Just show me already.”
He wants to argue, but his voice won’t come out. Denki bites his lip and reaches for his shirt with trembling fingers. One button at a time, the shirt comes undone and beneath it...
Bakugou inhales sharply. Cold fingers touch Denki’s bare chest, tracing the lines he already knows by heart. The touch is light and careful, almost reverent in its nature.
Denki shivers. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t read Bakugou’s expression. He’s disappointed, isn’t he? He has to be. There’s no way he’d want Denki, not when he has everything, when Izuku is right there and—“Thank goodness.”
It’s barely a whisper. Denki blinks, a whirlwind of surprise and confusion roaring in his mind. It only gets louder when a pair of strong, warm arms surround him. Bakugou smells of burnt cinnamon. Denki can’t help but think it’s perfect. “Are you... Not angry?”
“Are you outta your mind?” Bakugou sneers. He only holds Denki tighter. “I thought Raccoon Eyes was my soulmate. Can’t you tell my agony?!”
“Oh.” Denki relaxes into his arms. He thinks of Mina, unsure what part of his friend caused Bakugou’s supposed agony. “And how does that make me any better?”
“You’re a guy.” Oh. Oh. Of course. Denki is an... “Idiot.”
“Sorry,” he whispers embarrassedly. “I’ll try to get better. Promise.”
“You better,” Bakugou hums in approval. He pulls back just enough that he can see Denki’s face. “But y’know... You’re not that bad. We can make it work.”
A hiccup escapes Denki’s lips. He nods, a teary smile on his face. That’s so, so much more than he thought he could have. If it’s a dream, Denki will make sure to enjoy every last bit of it. If it’s real... then he’ll do everything he can to make it worth it, but for him and Bakugou. But that’s a thought for the future. For now, all Denki can think about is the warmth of Bakugou, the softness of his soulmate’s lips against his own.
Denki never thought his first kiss would be so sweet.