You awoke in the nurse's office.

Recovery Girl was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, and your friends had also collected by your bedside—Uraraka, Izuku, and Iida, respectively. You briefly recalled the fact that you'd passed out from both exhaustion and pain after your battle with Katsuki, which meant that the second round had officially been wrapped up.

And that you'd...lost.

Uraraka was eyeing you with a worried expression, and you couldn't help but scrunch up your nose. Sure, you'd pretty much been expecting to lose, but the fact that you'd come so close...it just felt like a waste now. You'd actually managed to put up a fight against Katsuki; the sensation of having your victory torn away after forming a shred of hope hurt even more. Still, you couldn't say that things were that bad, after all—

Back then...he said he was proud of me, didn't he?

That thought alone helped pacify the frustration of your loss. You might've been imagining it, but when he'd been facing you back there, he almost looked worried. He was near-frantic, scrambling in every way possible to get you to breathe. You might've lost the battle, yes, but it felt like you'd gotten closer to him—even if just a little.

"How are you feeling?" Uraraka asked, brows creasing with concern. "I felt them too, so I know those explosions hurt a ton..."

"Mm. I'm fine, though. Don't worry," you smiled. "I feel a little bitter about my loss, but overall...I would say that I'm happy with how things worked out."

Izuku and Iida frowned back at each other, as if they couldn't understand what was so fantastic about losing. Uraraka, however, understood without you needing to explain any further. Her brown eyes softened, and the small smile tugging at her lips told you that she knew you were talking about Katsuki.

"Well, that's good then," she acquiesced. "If you're happy right now, then so am I."

Your friends murmured a few more words of consolation, and then they were gone, at Recovery Girl's request. You were still feeling a bit groggy and out of it, but you were no longer in pain. She told you she'd be able to let you go after a quick, final examination.

"Look to the left," she instructed; then, alternately— "now to the right."

You followed her commands while she shone a light in your eyes. She pressed down on certain areas of your skin a few times, probably to ascertain there were no damaged blood vessels, and then let out a hum of approval.

"Would you lift up your shirt for me, sweetheart?" When she noticed you frown, Recovery Girl chuckled. "No, no—there's no need to expose yourself. I just want to have a look at your hip; I saw something strange there earlier."

"O-oh. Sure thing."

You gingerly raised the edge of your shirt, revealing the hip with the writing scrawled across it. She hadn't specified which hip, but you figured she'd been referring to your mark nonetheless.

"It's a soulmate tattoo," you explained. "That's probably what you saw when you were examining me. It's nothing special, but I've had it all my life."

Recovery Girl's expression fell for just a moment, but she hurried to compose herself. "Ah, yes," she coughed. "That must've been what I saw. Forgive me. It's nothing."

You shrugged, pulling your shirt back down. Maybe having a soulmate really was a pretty rare thing to come by; people always looked to be in such awe over it. Before, having a soulmate mark was a more frequent occurrence, you'd heard, but as Quirks became more commonplace, the number of people having a soulmate had also died down. You didn't exactly know how it worked—something to do with people's genes, most likely—but in any case, it was clear that people like you and Katsuki were on the decline. You supposed it couldn't be helped if others found it interesting.

"Well, thanks for your help, Recovery Girl." You smiled and slowly slid off the bed; a bit of fatigue lingered, but you were definitely well enough to walk. "I feel much better now. You really do such amazing work. You're actually kind of my role model," you blushed. "If possible, I'd like to help people the way you do..."

She smiled back. "No need to thank me, dear. Just take of yourself, alright?"

You nodded boisterously, eager to return so that you could watch the semi-finals. Making sure to flash the heroine another grin, you sped out the room and headed for the arena. Recovery Girl's expression sank the moment the door clicked shut.

"That poor, sweet girl...her soulmate bond is beginning to fade away."

—

You were worried that you might've missed the first round of the semi-finals, but it seemed like you hadn't been passed out for too long, and that there was still a small break. If you recalled, Todoroki was to face off against Iida, and Katsuki was going up against Tokoyami. You hummed contentedly; even if he wouldn't see you watching, you wanted to be there to cheer him on.

"You've got to be the happiest damn underdog I've ever seen."

Your feet froze, and you tilted your head to find Katsuki reclined against the wall. He had his arms crossed, and pushed himself away with a small scowl.

"Oh," you blinked. "Katsuki-kun. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for the semi-finals?"

"What's there to get ready for? I'm gonna kick that bird-beak's ass, anyways."

"Uhh, if you say so. But still, what are you doing over here if—"

Oh.

Your cheeks began to burn.

Was he waiting for me to get out of the nurse's office...?

Katsuki probably realized what assumptions you were making, and it didn't take long for his cheeks to blot in turn.

"S-stop lookin' at me with that moronic expression," he huffed. "I didn't come here for you. I just didn't have anywhere better to go, alright?"

You smiled. "Sure."

"I told you you're wrong!"

"Okay, Katsuki-kun. I believe you."

The blonde furrowed his brows. He gave you a quick look-over with those gleaming, crimson eyes of his—probably trying to ascertain for himself that you were alright.

"How you feeling?" he asked. "You can breathe normally now, right?"

"Yep," you smiled. "I'm all good. Thanks for worrying."

He snorted. "Who the fuck said I was worrying?"

"You just asked me how I was feeling."

"...Shut up."

You giggled. One way or another, the tension between the two of you had been completely diffused. It had been a very difficult day, what with all ups and downs the two of you had been through, but right now...thinks felt good; stable. Maybe that battle was really something that the two of you had needed, to face each other honestly and lay all your emotions on the line. With that out of the way, it really did feel like a weight had been lifted.

"Hey...Katsuki-kun?" You glanced up at the blonde, pressing your lips together. "Can I do something? Without you getting mad?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What exactly is this 'something'...?"

"I can't tell you. Or you'll probably get mad."

"The fuck—?! Then how am I supposed to know if I'm okay with it or not?!"

You fidgeted awkwardly, shuffling your shoulders forward. It was probably a really silly thing to ask permission for in the first place, but you could only imagine the fit he'd throw if he wasn't okay with it. In fact, no—really, you were just making excuses for yourself. If you wanted to...you just had to go for it.

Here goes nothing...

Inhaling sharply, you pressed up on the balls of your feet and leaned in to give Katsuki a quick peck on the cheek. The kiss was so fast he barely had time to process what was happening—only after you pulled your lips away from his flushed skin did he show any sign of a reaction.

But boy, oh boy, did he react.

"YOU—!" Katsuki cried out, wagging his index finger at you as if you were some kind of ghost. "Did you just—are you—WHAT?!"

Your stomach began to churn almost immediately. You'd been expecting him to be surprised, yes, but not this surprised. Katsuki's complexion had flushed scarlet; nearly the same shade as his vibrant eyes—which in turn had widened into saucers. He looked embarrassed, that was easy enough to see, but that was it.

Just embarrassment—no sign whatsoever that he was even a little bit happy. You found your palms rising to veil your mortified expression. How could you be so stupid?

"I-I'm so sorry," you croaked. "I didn't know it would upset you this much. Please just forget this ever happened...!"

"[Name], wait—!"

You didn't give him so much as another second to speak; already, you had rushed off in an attempt to get as far away from the ash blonde as possible. Katsuki watched as your feet scrambled clumsily across the floors, skidding ever so often until they finally turned the bend at the end of the corridor. Only once he'd ascertained that you were gone did he raise his hand, fingers prodding the area you'd kissed.

His face flushed even deeper.

"...You moron," he sighed. "I never said I didn't like it."

—

[Katsuki's POV]:

Katsuki didn't see you from that point onward, but he figured it was for the best. He'd moved past the semi-finals without so much as a sweat, and what awaited were the finals—there, he would face that half-assed piece of shit. And after what had happened earlier, running into you again would prove more so a distraction than anything else.

Even now, he could still feel your warm lips brushing up against his temple. Katsuki shuddered involuntarily, a blush racking his entire body. He gritted his teeth.

Focus, dumbass. The only thing that matters right now is WINNING.

It wasn't as though he was in a foul mood or anything; rather, what had happened earlier had been fucking amazing—even if he wouldn't admit to it. But it was frustrating to have his mind wander where it shouldn't, especially when he was going up against that two-haired bastard.

"Ah, shit!" Katsuki groaned, finding none other than Todoroki when he swung the door open. "Why are you here?!" He hurriedly glanced towards the door, only then realizing that it was the wrong waiting room. "Fuck—this is waiting room two? Ah, goddammit!"

Todoroki spent all of two seconds looking at him before turning away.

This fucking asshole.

"Now, now," Katsuki grimaced. "What kind of attitude is that for your opponent in the finals, huh? I'm talking to you, half-assed!!"

He slammed his fist down onto the table, sparking off an explosion in between his fingers. Todoroki didn't even bat an eyelash; that nonchalant attitude of his just pissed Katsuki off even more.

Finally—

"How is [Name] feeling?"

Katsuki blinked. "Huh?"

"She was hurt," Todoroki deadpanned. "During your match—she blacked out, didn't she? I was asking if you'd gone to see how she was doing afterwards."

The blonde didn't even have the words. He'd hated this asshole right off the get-go, especially after hearing his backstory and realizing that he was holding back with his powers. What kind of dumbass would purposefully limit themselves? Katsuki couldn't for the life of him understand. So, it was well-established that he wasn't at all fond of Todoroki, but now hearing him asking about you, too—

He hated it.

Again, he remembered the timid kiss you'd presented him with earlier. This time, he wasn't trying to force it to the back of his mind. He remembered it because he wanted to, and hearing your name fall from Todoroki's lips made him feel more pissed off than he could put into words. A sensation was steadily bubbling up through his chest, and Katsuki realized his frustration with a clench of his fists.

You were his soulmate. He'd been trying to act as though it was unimportant; a nuisance, really, but he now had the urge to claim you as his own. He didn't want any guy—especially not this fuckface—talking about you as if you were such good pals.

"Fuck off," Katsuki spat. "Who the hell gave you permission to ask me questions? I'll tell you right now—I don't give a shit about your family circumstances. You better come at me with all you got during this match. If I see you holding back I swear I'll fuckin' kill you."

Katsuki didn't even glance back to see Todoroki's brows arch in surprise; he'd already stormed out the room with a nasty scowl plastered across his brow. He wasn't an idiot—he could feel how childish and idiotic he was acting, but he just didn't give a shit. For the first time, this soulmate bond was starting to feel pretty good, and he couldn't keep a smirk from tugging at his lips.

The realization that you were his, and his only—Todoroki and all the rest could dream on about being with you, but they would never stand a chance. Everything had already been decided by the will of the cosmos. You were his, and he...

He was now yours.