The question started to rein in his mind: How to be a hero when you wouldn't even save yourself?
Was it like a sacrificial thing? Like a thought that everything would be alright if he was gone by not the person next to him so he would rather save them then himself.
Thoughts and feelings were confusing
He didn't want to bring anything back up to All Might. He needed to focus on getting into UA. So he did. Cleaning that stupid beach till his body about gave out on him every night.
There was still no word from Kirishima though he had stopped pressing in fear he was being annoying at this point. He had intervened but obviously his tactic failed. Bakugou was also still very much avoiding him.
Maybe it was the lack of people to talk to that he found himself mumbling even more and more to himself. Only noticing when classmates threw something at him to shut him up.
Really all this muttering was going to get him in trouble one day
But he really couldn't help it
Maybe it was the combination of lack of people to talk to and stress that led to him looking like a crazy person that Saturday morning.
Morning training done. He snuck away to a new tea shop to work on some analysis before going to evening training. Per habit he tucked himself away in a corner but close enough to the door in order to make a quick get away if needed. He was bent over his book looking at his old All Might notes along with the new ones.
All Might really hadn't explained at this point exactly how he was supposed to handle the quirk. He just knew his body wasn't prepared. He had looked over All Might's technique over and over again but he couldn't find the exact reason why all this beach clean up was going to be of any use.
"Oh so it's you cleaning up the beach."
Midoriya would be lying if he said he didn't jump almost a foot in the air. A small squeak may have even escaped him.
Who could tell
"Sorry you were muttering," the guy who had spoke before glanced at Midoriya and then to the line he was standing in waiting to order
Midoriya felt like he recalled him from somewhere. The split hair and different eyes. Not to mention the scar. He just couldn't pinpoint it.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to mutter like that. It's a bad habit unfortunately," Midoriya leaned slightly on his table slightly covering his notes with his arms
"You are the one cleaning the beach."
Midoriya blinked and nodded realizing he hadn't responded the first round
"By yourself?"
Midoriya nodded again
"What's your quirk you've done nicely? Figured it was someone with a cleaning quirk or something," they guy looking ahead and not at Midoriya his hands in his pockets
"Oh no it's a strength quirk but I'm not using my quirk to clean. I'm just trying to build strength so I can handle my quirk better."
The boy had the nerve to glance up and down at Midoriya and nod, "Yeah makes sense."
Midoriya felt pink and slightly grateful the line moved so the guy had to walk forward to order. He put away his notebooks and started focusing on finishing his tea before it grew cold. He still had almost a full cup.
In his time of muttering it looked like the tea shop had filled up a bit. Likely lunch rush filtering in. Midoriya wiggled his nose realizing the dual haired guy probably wasn't the only one who heard him muttering.
He scrunched his face again in thought. Where had they met before? He definitely recognized him. Hard not to forget someone with mixed hair, different colored eyes, and a scar like that. Even in a world of quirks.
"Soulmate problems remember? Or something of that nature according to you and your... friend."
Midoriya jumped again as the guy passed by again with a dull look but raised eyebrow
"I was muttering again wasn't I?"
"Yes," the guy gave a small nod earning a groan from Midoriya
"Sorry... again."
"It's a bad habit."
"Unfortunately."
The pair stared at each other. The one guy with a to-go cup in his hand. Midoriya's tea half finished at this point. Secretly hoping the other would leave so he could sulk in his embarrassment alone.
"May I ask something?" The guy asked tapping his to-go cup
Midoriya awkwardly gestures to the seat in front of him. Less awkward to sit across from a stranger than stand and potentially block the line.
The guy sat stiffly across from Midoirya. Tapping the side of the cup still and staring at the table. Midoriya fiddled with his own fingers around his cup staring at the remaining contents.
"You are not a soulmate expert correct?"
Midoriya blinked up in surprise. Vaguely recalling their original conversation when Bakugou had him up against a wall over the fact Kirishima wasn't responding to him.
"No. If I am honest I kinda sucked with the whole thing... I think."
"But... you know of it," The guy still not looking up at Midoriya
"Um... basics yes why?"
The guy shuffled slightly and sighed
"Sorry... it's taboo at my house to mention it but... I want to do better for mine and I don't know how," the guy final looked up at Midoriya but his cold blank stare remained the same despite his words
"Well... it depends what you're doing now right? Soulmates," Midoriya waved a hand slightly and searched for the wording, "Well honestly maybe it's just me but they seem to be overhyped. So many people strongly desire to know them because it's the one person they are connected too right? People rush into things. So... if you want to do it right or better isn't it better to just do a step at a time?"
"I don't think we are even at step one," the guy said flatly
Midoriya tilted his head slightly and tapped his thumb on the table, "You don't talk?"
"We aren't supposed to but in rare moments we do."
Not supposed to?
"Do you actually want to know more about them or are you content with them not living up to your expectations?"
The guy's face seriously never changed since the moment he sat down but his eyes blinked a few times as if trying to reprocess what was said a few times. He took the first sip of his drink and let it finally settle on the table in front of him.
"I don't have expectations for them. I just want to know they are alright."
Midoriya opened and closed his mouth with a sigh. This guy wasn't making much sense. Then again... when do idiots with soulmate troubles ever do?
"Well what's their name? You should be able to keep track of them or file a report of sorts if you think they are in trouble but there is a limit between caring and being creepy."
"We haven't shared names. I don't think we could safely and to be honest I don't want them to know me just yet."
Again... not helping
Midoriya chewed the inside of his cheek. He really had no advice for the guy. He couldn't help Kirishima and Bakugou. He could help his own soulmate. How the hell was he supposed to help some stranger and his?
"I... I honestly don't think I'm help here," Midoriya glanced at the floor in frustration, "I only have a bit of an understanding on my... friend's soulmate issue because he's an idiot. He's hot headed and speaks before he thinks and makes a mess of things easily. So I understand how to fix... ok attempt to fix his issues. But with yours I'm afraid I can't help unless I know more about the situation."
Midoriya conceded feeling a tinge of disappointment. Why people go to him for advice he wasn't going to understand. He sucked at it. Obviously. Just look at the now.
"Unfortunately," the dual eyed guy glanced toward the door before back at Midoriya, "My current situation won't let me elaborate."
Midoriya's brows dropped slightly looking at the door and back to the guy who still seemed relatively unphased. He seemed more entertained at staring at his cup he just took a sip out of. He frowned and switched hands the cup was in and peeked in the hole in the lid as if checking something.
"Are you... safe?" Midoriya asked
He wasn't really sure what exactly he was supposed to ask but if he couldn't talk about it... maybe there was a reason.
The guy looked up raising a brow a millimeter and nodded, "Yeah. My father is just a dick and my mother never got to elaborate the whole soulmate thing so I don't really have access to talk to them freely without being berated."
"Oh I'm sorry," Midoriya mutter but the guy only shrugged
"I gotta go. Thank you for your time. Sorry for being a bother. You may want to answer your phone. It's been buzzing for awhile," the guy tilted his head to the name lighting up Midoriya's phone
It was on silent. He hadn't heard or seen it. He gasped slightly seeing the name but he didn't get the chance to answer as the front door dinged open and a pair of red eyes locked on to Midoriya and the stranger still across from him. Phone still pressed to his ear.
"Midoriya emergency!"
"Kirishima?" Midoriya blinked several times as if to make sure the boy was still there
"Good luck with the beach thing," the dual haired guy gave a slight wave and walked out letting Kirishima have the seat before Midoriya could even really say goodbye
Let alone ask for his name
"Who was that?" Kirishima asked hanging up the phone
"I have no clue. He was asking.... it doesn't matter. What's going on? Are you all right? How did you find me this isn't our normal spot?" Midoriya shook his head looking at Kirishima now across from him
Despite Kirishima's rush early he seemed to stall and panic.
"Well it's just... ok maybe... well first sorry! For ditching and leaving and crap. I panicked. I didn't want to make things weird for you but I'm sure it was anyway. Then I just kinda left and I don't know what was happening. Then Mina of all people said something about you and Bakugou sent this long ass apology a few days ago and I don't know what else to say. I messed up and didn't step up, which isn't manly of me at all and I needed to find you and talk to you and say I'm sorry!"
Midoriya didn't think his brain would have been able to process all that if he wasn't so used to his own mumbling.
"You don't have to be sorry for anything! Things kinda got thrown at you. There was a lot to process. Plus Kacchan isn't exactly the easiest person to deal with... I get it takes time," Midoriya patted Kirishima's arm slightly
Kirishima gave a sharp grin and relief seemed to flood through his body.
"So you don't hate me?"
Midoriya snorted slightly, "No not at all! But your friend Mina is a bit weird by the way."
Kirishima chuckled and shrugged, "Is it bad I don't really consider her a friend? More like... a rival right now?"
Midoriya rolled his eyes, "I mean... it doesn't surprise me."
Midoriya did frown slightly and tapped the table, "How did you find me?"
Kirishima brightened again, "Well you weren't answering so I figured you might be near the Endeavor battle that was happening. I was running by here toward it when I peeked in and saw you with the other guy."
"Wait there was an attack nearby," Midoriya sat forward rising to his feet slightly
Kirishima gave a sheepish grin and handed his phone over for Midoriya to see a live news report, "Sorry Midoriya, it's over now."
Midoriya made a noise as he flipped back in his seat looking down at the report. At least it didn't seem too exciting.
"Well," Midoriya waved his hand slightly, pushing the phone back to Kirishima, "catch me up. How have you been?"