The Cavalry Battle began and naturally, all eyes were on Izuku.
It went without saying that Katsuki would also be targeting your curly-haired friend—for the purpose of winning, sure, but there were definitely some more personal feelings at play. You wanted to support your soulmate, but you also had slightly mixed feelings about taking down the poor freckled boy. But it was fine. You'd chosen to be on this opposing team, after all; there was no backing down now.
"I'm gonna kill that shitty nerd," Katsuki muttered, eyes laced with disdain. Currently, there was a cluster of students blocking your way, but you knew that it would hardly be able to hold back the blonde for much longer. It seemed like Izuku had gotten his hands on a jet pack of sorts, courtesy of the Support Department —he was using it to outmaneuver his rivals and escape to safety.
You forced a smile, even though you knew that Katsuki wouldn't see it.
"Let's try to be patient for now, okay? We'll get that headband, that much I'm sure of. We just need to wait for the others to wear themselves out and go in at the best possible opportunity."
He scoffed, but didn't say anything. You knew he wasn't an idiot, and was actually far more calculating and analytical than he looked, but whenever Izuku was concerned he always seemed to lose his composure. Well, more than normal, at least.
Kirishima chuckled. "Come on, [Name]-chan—we all know that Bakugou's pretty much incapable of staying calm."
"The fuck was that, shitty hair?!"
You heaved a sigh. Izuku had just landed a ways off after propelling himself into the air with the jet pack. It seemed that his relief would be short-lived though, as another group was right on his heels. Again, he slammed his thumb down onto the button that spurred the jet pack to life. Except the whirring of the machine was overshadowed by something far louder.
"Bakugou, don't—!!"
Kirishima cried out in vain, for the blonde had already sparked off an explosion that propelled him in Izuku's direction. You paled, worried that your team had just been disqualified for breaching the rules, but a glance in Midnight's direction told you that wasn't the case. You guys were still in the running, so long as you actually caught him before he hit the ground.
"Dude, come on!" Sero whined, having just retrieved Katsuki with his tape. "At least give us a warning before you do stuff like that!"
Katsuki grimaced, no doubt frustrated by his failed assault. Izuku's team had Tokoyami on their side, and he was easily able to defend against others' blows. The ability to manipulate a creature of darkness...it was almost a polar opposite to your own power; both in nature and in terms of offensive ability. It would sure be nice if you had a power like that in your arsenal.
No, I can't think so pessimistically. I joined Katsuki-kun's team in order to help him, and to prove something to myself. This win means a lot to the both of us. I need to make sure it happens.
You let out a huff, blowing a strand of hair away from your eyes. Katsuki was yelling something about beating the shit out of Izuku, while Kirishima and Sero attempted to chastise him. It wasn't going very well, but you soon realized that would be the least of your problems.
"...Like taking candy from a baby, Class 1-A."
You didn't exactly know how or when the opposing team had crept up behind yours, but Katsuki soon found his headband being torn away. All you could do was watch with widened eyes as his expression contorted first into one of surprise, then shifted readily into sheer, unadulterated anger.
"What the fuck?!" he cried out. "You fucking piece of shit...! Give it back!!"
The blonde whom you'd fallen prey to—some self-absorbed asshole, by the looks of it—was looking down at you with a crude smile. Even though Katsuki had demanded he return it, there was clearly no way in hell that was ever going to happen. If anything, the little shit seemed to be enjoying watching your team as it fell apart.
His pale, blue eyes fell upon your frame, and the smile tugging at his lips only grew wider.
"[Name]," the boy chided, "Don't give me that look. You still don't recognize me?"
You blinked in surprise, earning a few dubious looks from your classmates. It took a few moments, but eventually, you let out a soft gasp upon realizing exactly who the boy was.
"Monoma-kun? Is that you?"
He chuckled. "Took you long enough. And here I was, thinking that you'd know who I was right away. I could tell who you were on the spot, you know."
There was a fair bit of distance between your two teams; evidently, they were still being wary of the fact that you were currently rivals. Kirishima briefly glanced over in your direction, brows furrowed.
"You know this guy?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah. We went to the same grade school back when I was little," you explained. "But he moved away at some point—to go study abroad in France, or something like that."
"Do I look like I give a fuck about this asshole's backstory?!" Katsuki spat. "Fucking let me beat the shit out of him, already!"
Monoma chuckled in amusement. You weren't opposed to reconnecting with some old acquaintances, but now certainly wasn't the time. Although he probably realized that, and was striking up a casual conversation just to spite the ash blonde resting on your shoulders.
"There's really no problem," he mused. "You guys won't be going anywhere for a long time." His eyes flickered down to the ground, and you only then realized that the soil had melded and your feet had been solidified in place. A cluster of enemy teams had also encircled yours, keeping you entrapped.
When did they—?
"Just take a break for now." Monoma smiled ruefully, shifting his gaze back towards yours. "By the way, [Name]. Did you ever find out who your soulmate is? From what I remember, you had something really nasty tattooed on your body. I hope for your sake that soulmate thing is a hoax—whoever it is must be a downright horrible person, and you know what people say about those failed relationships. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you."
You gaped back at him, unable to come up with a response. He was now staring directly at Katsuki, and you knew you weren't just imagining it. He'd always been oddly perceptive, and you didn't know exactly for how long he'd been observing you, but he must've picked up on something. Perhaps you'd been spending too much time by Katsuki's side, or maybe he put two and two together and realized that he was quite possibly the only person who could say such horrific things. Either way—
He knows.
You couldn't think of anything to say, or even if it would be right to acknowledge in the moment, but it turned out you wouldn't have to—Katsuki was now quivering above you, and you could hear the way his teeth ground down against one another. However Monoma had found out, it was clear that he'd been trying to rile his opponent up as much as possible, even after securing the points. He'd always been a little shit that way, and it was obvious that his taunting had done the job.
"Dude, please not again!" Kirishima cried out, but Katsuki had already propelled himself off your shoulders. He was veering head-first towards Monoma, who instructed one of his teammates to attend to their defense—AKA an invisible wall that Katsuki slammed right into in midair. Your teammates wailed out in vain, but the blonde was past the point of being reeled in. He was yelling out at the top of his lungs, but showed no sign of backing down until he got his headband back.
Sero yanked him back as quickly as he could, and in his plight, he'd managed to secure not one, but two headbands. Even still, he wasn't satisfied, bellowing how it wasn't "enough" and he needed to teach the little shit a lesson. You had to act quickly and imbue your fingertips with warm light, to try and melt the hardened material around your feet. Right now, the only thing you should've been focused on was the match right in front of you, yet you couldn't keep from replaying Monoma's words.
"You know what people say about those failed relationships."
No. You didn't.
What did they say?
—
For the second time that day, you had to watch Katsuki throw a fit.
Since Monoma had kept you occupied for the most part, you hadn't been able to secure the headband that was worth one million points. It had initially been Izuku's, but at some point during the match, Todoroki's team had stolen it from him. They'd luckily still been able to place in the top four, which meant that Uraraka and them would be advancing to the final round.
Now, for the most pressing issue...
Katsuki had slammed his fist on the ground, and proceeded to curse for losing yet again. You bit down on your bottom lip. You were frustrated, yes, but the simple fact of the matter was that you just hadn't gotten to Todoroki's headband in time. Even now, you were blown away by the sheer determination Katsuki had shown in order to break free and reclaim your team's headband. He was incredible—at least, you thought so. Why was he acting as though second place was a total failure?
The rest of your teammates were distancing themselves from Katsuki, and for good reason, but you still felt the need to give talking to him a try. You understood that your relationship was still clumsy, and well in its early stages, but if anyone had a chance of cheering him up, it had to be you—his soulmate.
Kirishima spotted you wading over towards Katsuki's side, and his brows rocketed almost immediately.
"[N-Name]-chan," he stammered, "I think it's probably best to leave him alone for now..."
"I'll be fine, don't worry."
The redhead didn't seem very convinced, if the lofty sigh he let out was anything to go by, but you'd already bridged the gap between yourself and the fuming blonde that was crumpled on the ground. Katsuki was raking his fingers through the soil, shoulders trembling all the while. You inhaled sharply.
"Katsuki-kun."
You knew that you'd spoken loud enough for him to hear you, but he didn't even bother to look in your direction. If not for the torrent of curses spilling out his lips, he probably would've blown the ground to bits.
I know he's upset, but...
"Katsuki-kun," you spoke again, doing your best to keep your voice level. "Can I please talk to you for a moment?"
Again, he said nothing. Katsuki was usually so brash and loud, you'd never realized just how frustrating it would be for him to ignore you. He was disappointed with his loss, understandably so, but it certainly wasn't that bad. He would make up for it in the next round—that much you were sure of.
You pressed your lips into a tight line. "Katsuki-kun, can you just—"
"Will you fucking shut up already?!" Katsuki cried out. He'd slammed his fist down onto the ground once more, making you tremble in place. "It's fuckin' obvious I don't want to talk, so why can't you just take the hint and leave me the fuck alone?! Stop constantly following me around and clinging to me like a desperate little bitch, fuck!"
It didn't take long for your expression to sink. Yes, you'd expected him to be frustrated and irritated, but you didn't think he'd react like this. Just earlier he'd let you hug him, and when you'd consoled him after the obstacle race, he'd even thanked you, so what the hell was going on now? Seriously, he was so damn moody and unpredictable; far too much for someone as sensitive as you.
Come to think of it, he told me to piss off right before the Sports Festival officially began...and now he's yelling at me again.
You frowned.
He yells at me; he makes up with me. He loses his shit one moment; the next he's telling me to speak my mind and act honestly around him. What the fuck...?
Usually, you were pretty good at remaining calm and keeping your emotions at bay, but this was something else. And the worst part of all of it was that you could gradually see your relationship reverting back to where it'd been at the very beginning; erasing all of the progress you'd since made. You'd convinced yourself that he wasn't actually a shitty person, but now you weren't quite so sure. This situation was unstable, at best, and you realized that you'd putting in a lot more effort than you were seeing in return.
"Okay, then," you cut back dryly. "I won't talk to you anymore. If you have anything to say, come find me yourself."
You didn't even have to look back to know that he hadn't bothered to lift up his head. Your chest felt tight; uncomfortable, but you couldn't afford this kind of toxicity right now. Even though you weren't as strong as him, and your odds probably weren't the best, you were also here at this Sports Festival to try and win.
"A-are you alright...?" Kirishima prodded, no doubt having watched the whole exchange go down. Sero was standing by with a stiff jaw, eyes laced with worry. You nodded absent-mindedly, breezing past them.
"I'm fine. I told you I'd be okay. Just decided that some space would be a good idea."
"If you say so..."
Following the conclusion of the Cavalry Battle, you were to be given one hour for lunch break. Before, you might've tried to sit with Katsuki, but that sure as hell wasn't happening now. It was fine. You wanted to catch up with Uraraka anyways.
You hedged your way off the field and over towards the mess hall, but you couldn't seem to ignore the throbbing pain that had erupted across your hip. Your fingers gingerly lifted up the edge of your shirt, allowing you access to the writing scrawled across. It didn't look any different than usual, but for some reason, it hurt like hell.
At some point, I sort of became okay with it, but now it's making me feel sick all over again. I wonder if I could—
"That's a soulmate tattoo, right?"
Your head jolted upright almost immediately. You hadn't been expecting any company, and you'd failed to take note of the bi-color haired boy that was standing a distance away and staring at you with a glassy look in his eyes. Todoroki...Shouto, you thought you recalled his first name being. The boy who'd placed first in the Cavalry Battle.
"It's nothing really," you replied, hurriedly swiping down your shirt. "I should've made sure I was in private first before checking it. Sorry about that."
He shrugged. "Nothing to apologize over. I was just surprised to see that you have one; I don't think I've ever actually met someone who does."
You forced a smile. "It's not all it's cracked out to be, I can tell you that much."
Todoroki's eyes skimmed your frame. You'd never really payed much attention to him before—he was attractive, you could say that much, but you'd been preoccupied too much with a certain blonde to bother learning much about your other classmates. He had heterochromia; a condition that resulted in both his eyes being different colors. You'd never encountered someone like that before, but it was strangely beautiful to see the way his orbs flitted with hues of gray and turquoise.
"So, do you know who your soulmate is?"
You stiffened, caught off-guard by the sudden question. "Beg your pardon...?"
"You said that it's not all it's cracked out to be," he repeated, "So that does mean you've already met your soulmate? Are you dissatisfied with them?"
"N-no, I don't actually know who my soulmate is." You'd blurted the words out without even realizing it, but it somehow felt like the right thing to say. You remembered your encounter with Monoma, and the way he'd stared the ash blonde down. Before, you'd been trying to keep it a secret for Katsuki's sake, but you just didn't feel like acknowledging that it was him anymore. Perhaps it was meant to be cruel, or maybe you just felt ashamed.
Either way, it was a step in the wrong direction.
"I just meant that it attracts a lot of unwanted attention," you continued. "People always fawn over my mark and tell me how amazing it is...but I don't know that I feel the same way. Plus, the sentence I have written is quite frankly a bit frightening."
Todoroki bobbed his head apathetically. "I see. Sorry for asking. I realize now it's a bit of a personal question."
"It's no problem," you smiled. Suddenly, you had a thought. "Hey...Todoroki-kun?" you prodded. "Would you maybe want to go eat lunch together?"
You didn't really know what exactly you were trying to do—you hardly knew the guy, and it would definitely have been more relaxing to sit with Uraraka and your other friends. But that uncomfortable, festering sensation in your chest still had yet to disappear. You realized, in your immaturity, that a small part of you might've been hoping to make Katsuki jealous.
"Oh." Todoroki's brows lifted just slightly, but he slowly shook his head. "I was actually...just about to go do something. Sorry." He turned before you could utter a response, but glanced over his shoulder as he began walking away. "Maybe we could eat together another time, if you still want."
"Ah...sure. That would be nice."
Your eyes glazed over in spite of yourself. Truly, you didn't know what you'd been expecting.
I'm so stupid.
With a weary sigh, you trudged over towards the mess hall, in search of friends and comfort. The mark on your hip would throb ever so often. You did your best to ignore it.
Little did you know that Katsuki's mark was hurting just the same. And as he watched you flash Todoroki one of your gentle smiles, the pain worsened. He could only grit down on his teeth out of spite.
He hated this fucking soulmate crap.