Requested by: SerenityTheWolf
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Childhood innocence veiled it for years, giving the impression that you had formulated the plan on your own. In reality, your companion's father, the current number two pro hero, had paid a hefty sum to your parents, in exchange for their consent to a marriage involving you and Shouto; it was an arranged, forced, quirk marriage, much like what he and Rei had endured. Endeavor always wanted his prodigy to follow in his obnoxious footsteps, no matter the cost. To him, mental health was a foreign concept, and he didn't see just how he was pulling the two of you apart. For years, you played together happily, content in the knowledge that you would one day be married to each other. Although, you assumed it was nothing quite as sinister as it actually was. Your mother placed a candy ring in the palm of your hand, curling your fingers around it as though it contained a great secret. She instructed you to run up to the heterochromatic boy, and give him this wonderful gift.
So, that's exactly what you did.
Your smile that day was blinding, fantastical, and Shouto saw a thousand suns, concentrating their magnificent rays on your features, gracefully outlining every single detail. Your (e/c) eyes fluttered shut as you shoved the ring into his hands. A finger flew to your lips, and you cast your gaze aside, shuffling your little feet nervously. When your irises became visible to him, they shone like a high-quality flashlight, permeating his entire body, and forcing a gentle laughter from his throat.
He looked down, spotting the edible symbol of your engagement. He turned it over, admiring the object, and wondering why this seemed to be so very important. For a moment, he looked back up, immediately flushing upon seeing the timid bite of your lip, and the crimson tint coating your cheeks. The item in his palm surely didn't have that much significance, right? He knew you to be an amiable, confident, out-going person, so why were you now acting completely differently? Your friendly nature was the very reason you were so close, after all, and he adored it, although he never thought to tell you. He was learning to keep his feelings to himself, so that nobody got hurt.
"What is it?" He asked, tentatively.
You gasped. "It's a ring, Shou-chan."
Nodding, he responded, "I know. What's it for?"
A gigantic smile overtook your entire face, and the sudden return of your confident aura almost made him double over.
"We're going to get married!" You yelled, jumping up and down.
He stilled, cheeks burning. "M-Married?"
"Yep! I decided I'm gonna marry you when we're older!" You giggled.
His forehead started to sweat profusely, nerves wracking his system. He had always known that he wanted to marry you at some point, but he was supposed to be the one to ask, and present a ring. He was the man, after all. Well, he would be. He often contemplated a future with you, and put more thought into it than most young children should even be able. However, he always ended up scowling and throwing something across the floor. He was going to exactly like his old man - an abusive, sick adult, who hurt his family to further his own goals. He didn't want to be like that. He didn't want to hurt you. He wanted to make you happy, but he wasn't sure he could do that.
His anxiety seeped into the air around you, prompting your hands to enclose his, in an effort to comfort him. You started talking about how you were going to be an excellent wife and mother. As he started into your profound (e/c) orbs, he saw only excitement. He didn't think you would be that happy in the future, but he vowed to protect that look for as long as possible.
Alas, when your last year of middle school was approaching, you noticed a thick tension, like fog, between the two of you. He had been distancing himself for a while now, but you were so caught up in trying to get into UA, and fawning over thoughts of the future, that you failed to realise until it was too late. You puffed out your chest and walked towards him, but every time he saw you, he would immediately begin ambling in the opposite direction, regardless of where he actually needed to be. This happened so frequently, that you figured you must have done something, and then blacked out. You did have a really strong thunder quirk, and if you strained yourself, you did run the risk of losing consciousness for a few hours. You were currently attempting to lessen that vulnerability. In fact, your quirk was so incredible that it had instigated the whole arranged marriage. Endeavor viewed you simply as another pawn, just like the rest of his family.
Shouto had noticed, and he was disgusted. He decided, despite how selfish it may have seemed, that he would not cause you any more problems. He started removing himself from your life, slowly. Perhaps if you figured he no longer cared, then you would stop pursuing him, and you could freely, and happily, marry someone else. The thought alone made him want to vomit, but he reminded himself that he was doing it for you. That conviction was strong, and it was the only thing holding him back from cradling you in his arms, whispering words of comfort and yelling about how very sorry he was. He recognised the creasing of your face when he rejected your request to hold a conversation. You couldn't understand what was happening - why he was acing so cold - and honestly, it broke you. It forced you into solitary confinement for long periods of time, locked up in your room, shoving your face into a pillow and crying. You just let the tears cascade, like a sad waterfall.
Whatever had caused him to hate you, you wanted it to die, slowly and painfully. You failed to hold back the additional stream of water that dripped down your face when you reminisced about your younger years. At that time, Shouto always had a determined glint in his beautifully mismatched eyes, and you always managed to get a smile out of him. You stayed beside the poor boy when his father's training became too harsh, and you loved him with all your heart. It was utter agony now. You thought he felt the same. You knew he had, but recently, something changed. It didn't appear as though he found a new love, because he remained cold and monotonous to everyone, and he distanced himself from the rest of his peers. However, it was always different with you. He had genuinely treasured you, loved you. It was overly obvious in his eyes, but now, that look had faded out of existence. The boy you once knew and loved had been replaced. This one didn't hold any special feelings for you, and although you wondered why, desperately and with every fibre of your being, you never got close enough to ask.
You supposed the engagement was off, then.
[Word Count: 1197]