Internships were just around the corner, and you honestly couldn't give less of a shit.

The evening you'd discovered your soulmate mark fading away had quickly unraveled, ultimately ending with you curling up into the fetal position and bathing in your own tears. You'd actually debated telling your parents about it, but you couldn't imagine what they'd say. Even now, you couldn't possibly wrap your head around what Monoma had told you.

Your soulmate mark had begun to disappear. Did that mean that you were going to die? Just like that? Was your fate all but sealed? And what about Katsuki?

Right, you'd thought. What about him? If this is happening to me, does that mean that his tattoo is fading away as well?

Besides slumping down into the tub and letting the water consume you, racking your brain was really all you could do to keep yourself tethered to reality. The night ended with you wiping your tear-filled, blotchy face and heading straight to bed—you hadn't even bothered to dry your damp hair.

You didn't get any sleep, either.

—

When you awoke, you were pleasantly surprised to find that your mood had been lifted somewhat. Granted, you still felt very much distressed over the recent development, but you arose with a much more optimistic mindset. It wasn't as though what Monoma had told you was set in stone, anyways. It could be fading for reasons that were utterly incomprehensible; it didn't mean that your life was ending. Either way, the most important thing to do right now was find him, and see what was happening with your very own eyes.

Which is why you were determined to see Katsuki today.

Me:

[9:53 AM]

Hey, could we please meet up today? I know you probably wanna spend this day off trying to prepare for your internship, but I just wanted to hang out. That okay?

Katsuki:

Yeesh. When did you get so damn clingy?

Me:

Ur a dick

Katsuki:

And you're annoying, but whatever.

Katsuki:

What time you wanna meet up? I'm only doing this to make you stop crying, so don't get too excited.

Me:

Wtf? Who said I was crying?

Katsuki:

I can just tell. You miss me too much, I guess. So lame.

Me:

Uh....okay? I feel like you're way too full of yourself lol

Katsuki:

Just shut up and tell me a time, loser.

You chuckled, feeling that weird twinge in your chest you always seemed to get whenever Katsuki was involved. It was a bit disheartening, though—you were so desperately trying to find some sign that your relationship was going south, but you saw nothing of the sort. Yes, he had a crude vocabulary and was quite likely the most brash person you'd ever encountered, but that was just Katsuki; it was all playful banter, and nothing more.

And even so...my soulmate mark is still fading.

Your lip trembled as you ran your hand across your marked hip. The writing had become scraggly and misshapen; parts of letters had begun to dissolve and the ink-like coloring itself had visibly lightened. Last night when you'd been sobbing in the tub, you hadn't felt any pain, yet now it seemed to ache with a newfound vigor. Like molten lava, burning you from the inside out.

You hadn't even realized that your jaw had gone slack and you'd been staring listlessly into the distance. The buzzing of your phone made you jolt.

Katsuki:

[9:59 AM]

Ok you're takin too long to decide so I'm deciding for you—meet me in an hour. My place. I'll text you the address so you better haul ass and get over here quick.

Me:

Alright. I can do that.

Nothing was making sense right now; you needed to see him and get to the bottom of this.

—

"You're fuckin' late," Katsuki barked.

"Yeah...sorry about that."

A timid smile rose to your lips. You were currently standing on Katsuki's front steps, waiting for his scowl to diffuse so that he would usher you inside. The two of you actually didn't live too far away from one another, which made things a lot more convenient.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Looks like I'm the only one who actually respects meet-up times. Come in, already—stop standing around like a weirdo."

You exhaled weakly, deciding to dismiss his offhand remarks. The house itself was cute; nothing too special, but you liked the layout of it. Whoever did the decorating (his mom, presumably), had done a very nice job.

"You have a beautiful home," you appraised.

"Eh? Miss me with that bullshit, [Name]."

"...It was just a compliment."

"Still stupid." You rolled your eyes, following behind Katsuki as he strode over towards the kitchen. He opened the door to the fridge and pulled out a cold pitcher of water, which he then neatly poured into a glass and handed to you. "Here," he smirked. "You must be dehydrated from all that crying you were doing earlier."

"Oh, ha-ha."

Although I actually was bawling my eyes out last night. Not that he needs to know.

You raised the cup to your lips and drew in a sip, sighing contentedly at how cool and refreshing it was. "Thanks," you smiled. "I was pretty thirsty. You might not exactly be the most polite guy, but you know how to greet your guests, it seems like."

Katsuki scoffed. "I don't have 'guests'. Why would I invite some assholes back to my place?"

"So you've never had friends over before?"

"When I was younger. Don't think I'd call them my friends, though."

He reached across the counter to grab himself a glass. You eyed him warily, from the crease of his brow down to the small divet in his chin. You realized, with a pang, that since they'd known each other since childhood, he must've had Izuku over for playdates back then. Obviously, things hadn't turned out very well between them, but you were sure he must've had other kids to play with as well. So then, even including them, was there really...no one Katsuki could genuinely call his friend?

You smiled weakly. "What would you call them, then?"

"Dunno," Katsuki respired, downing his water in two gulps. He slammed it back down on the counter and shrugged. "That's a shitty term, anyways. The fuck's a 'friend'? At the end of the day, they're all just some sheep who follow you around 'cause they ain't got anything better to do."

"...Oh." For some reason, that response hurt you more than you'd expected. You looked up at him hesitantly. "So then...am I not your friend, either?"

The corners of his lips curled up just so. He hesitated a bit before replying, "Of course you're not my friend."

"Ah."

"—You're my fucking soulmate," Katsuki declared, watching as your expression shifted from despondence to wide-eyed surprise. "I would think you'd know that by now. It's more special than all that friend bullshit, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah," you stammered. The apples of your cheeks began to flush. "You're right. My bad."

"Seriously, you're such a weirdo. Always saying dumb shit. C'mon," he gestured, beckoning you forth over his shoulder. "You came here to actually do something, right?"

You nodded absentmindedly; you were still much too focused on the way he'd called you his soulmate. There was a fire in his eyes when he'd said it—one that hadn't been present before.

All things considered, it was ironic.

He's speaking so assuredly about our relationship now, when my mark's begun to fade away. One way or another, I need to steal a glance at his today—to see it for myself.

Katsuki had begun muttering about something or another, leading you through the back hallway. You realized before long, once you turned the bend and stopped before a door marked "keep out", that you were about to see his room for the first time.

Surely enough, he turned the knob and mercilessly swung the door open. You blinked twice.

"It's...clean," you remarked.

Katsuki scoffed. "The fuck do you sound so surprised for? Like hell I'm gonna have a mess in my room—how would I find all my shit? I'll have you know that I'm organized as fuck."

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

The room was, albeit, not what you'd expected at all. You didn't actually know what you'd envisioned—a dark color scheme came to mind, with skulls and graffiti all over the walls. He came across as a delinquent, so it certainly fit his rough image. But suffice it to say, his abode was arguably much neater than your own. He had a bookshelf (did Katsuki even read books?), a desk which was stacked with homework, papers, and a tray of pencils, and the rest of the room looked pretty damn normal. He had some All Might memorabilia here and there—a few posters and action figures—but other than that, it was surprisingly less edgy than you would've thought.

You hummed in approval, (e/c) orbs flickering every which way in an attempt to fully take in the scene. Eventually, you plopped down onto the edge of his bed, letting out a contented sigh.

"Your bed is comfy, too. Where'd you buy your mattress from?"

Katsuki's jaw clenched. "Oi. Get off there, dumbass. If you mess up the covers I'll kick your ass."

"Awe. But you wouldn't hurt your soulmate," you teased, batting your lashes for effect.

"Piss off. You're my soulmate, so I get to fuck you up however the hell I want."

"Oh, wow. That's probably the most romantic thing I've ever heard."

He half-snorted, but you caught a small smile playing at his lips. It seemed like his threats were just as empty as you'd presumed, and he soon took a seat beside you on the bed. Suddenly, you felt nervous.

His parents were out working, which meant that the two of you were utterly alone in his room...on his bed. And normally, you would've never made such an association, had you been with any other guy, but the fact that he was your soulmate—and you were essentially in a romantic relationship—well, it changed things.

I-I'm being silly. We're still getting to know each other properly, and besides, Katsuki-kun's not the type to throw himself onto a girl. He talks a big game, but at the end of the day, he's not a bad guy.

Still, it was growing increasingly difficult for you to focus on anything else. Katsuki's shoulders were slouched against your own; he was staring listlessly off into the distance, and you felt his thumb slowly roll across your wrist.

"Um, Katsuki—"

"Let's lie down," he blurted out. Your eyes widened for a half a second, and then he was gripping you by your arm and tugging you down onto the mattress. You fell to your side, letting out a soft gasp, while Katsuki rolled over to face you.

His gleaming crimson orbs were staring right into your own. You could've sworn your heart had never been beating so fast.

"H-hi," you croaked, cheeks only flushing deeper by the second. "What are you doing...?"

"Nothing. I'm tired, I guess."

He gave off the air of being passive and unaffected, but you could see the way a rosy flush was slowly coloring his complexion. Even now, his thumb was gently caressing the back of your hand.

You averted your gaze for a moment. "Sorry..." you mumbled. "I feel a bit nervous just laying here with you. Is that dumb?"

"Yes," he deadpanned. "It is dumb. The fuck do you think I'm gonna do? I'm not as much of an asshole as you've convinced yourself I am."

"No, of course not, I meant—we're just lying and bed and—" You sighed. "Sorry, I phrased that wrong. I'm more embarrassed than I am nervous. I keep thinking you might try something, and I won't know what to do..."

Katsuki blinked. A few seconds of lip pursing and his cheeks had all but turned scarlet, no doubt having realized what you meant. He scowled, dipping his head down.

"Moron," he muttered, lifting his hand to poke you on the chin. "I wouldn't do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. Besides, even if I did...would it be so bad?"

"U-um—"

"Never mind. Shit. Fuck." He turned away from you; even the tips of his ears were red. "Forget I said anything."

"Alright. It's fine," you smiled, pressing yourself up against his back. "Let's just stay here for a while."

Katsuki grunted back at you in response. His entire body was so warm and comforting, you'd almost forgotten what you'd come here to do in the first place. But then you remembered, and your eyes immediately fell towards his hip.

You remembered from back when he'd shown you that his left hip was the one with the marking, just like your own. In his current position, facing away from you and towards his desk, you could easily steal a glance if you lifted his shirt up quickly enough. You could already imagine the way he'd react if you got caught, but it didn't matter—you needed to see with your own two eyes.

Here goes nothing...!

Your fingers moved more deftly than ever; one second your hand was sprawled across the mattress, and the next it had gingerly skirted up the edge of Katsuki's black tee. When the fabric shifted to reveal his bare flesh underneath, you paled.

It should've been what you wanted to see—you should've been happy for this turn of events, so why did it make a pit settle into your stomach?

Why was your mark the only one that was fading?

...I'm the only one. Monoma-kun said that couple both lost their soulmate tattoos, but mine's the only one that's disappearing. It's good news, I think. But then...why? How is it only affecting me and not him?

Your discovery should have served as a relief. His mark was fully intact, just like it'd been when he'd shown it to you the very first time. It was completely different than in Monoma's story—neither of you had any symptoms of illness, either.

In that case, maybe there was just something wrong with you.

With veins pooling chilled blood, you drew in a sharp breath. "Katsuki-kun...we're gonna be okay, right? Everything's gonna be fine?"

"Huh?" He shifted on the bed to look back at you. "The hell are you saying? What's gotten into you now?"

"It's nothing. Just...tell me that we're going to be fine. Please."

Katsuki furrowed his brows, still trying to make sense of what you were saying. Still, he must've noticed how your complexion had paled, and the way your lips trembled. Before long, you felt his fingers interlace with your own and give your hand a tight squeeze.

"Relax," he mumbled. "I don't know what you're on about, but everything's just fucking fine. Things may have started off shitty, but they're good now. You don't need to worry over nothing."

"....I don't?"

"Nah." Katsuki's cheeks reddened, and he pulled your hand up against his lips. You shuddered when you felt his breath run through your knuckles. "Stop looking for problems, [Name]. Just fucking live in the present."

"Okay," you breathed out. "I can do that. We'll be fine."

"Yeah."

...

We'll be fine.