It seemed as though your soulmate mark was in its terminal stages, a few smudges away from fading altogether. You'd been going to Recovery Girl for checkups lately, because no matter how much Katsuki would scoff and tell you he felt fine, getting a professional's opinion surely couldn't hurt.

"Everything looks normal to me," the heroine smiled, stepping away from the blonde's frame. "I've yet to notice anything off when either of you have come to me, [Name]. I know it may be a difficult request, but try to take your mind off it."

You heaved a sigh of relief. The relationship you had now was built around the two of you focusing on one another and not trying to predict the future, but as expected, it was still hard to quell the fear festering in your chest.

It was getting close—too close.

"See?" Katsuki frowned. "She says everything's fine. Like I told you. Unless you've been feeling sick, then there's nothing to worry about."

"Well, no... I haven't been."

"Then just relax." He sat up from the stool and tousled your hair. "We're fine, [Name]. Things are good."

Things were good. You couldn't deny that statement. If something were to happen, you'd agreed long ago that the two of you would face it head-on—together.

"Okay," you smiled, eyes brightening. "Thank you, Recovery Girl. I appreciate you taking the time to do this for us so often."

"It's no problem at all. Happy to help."

You left the nurse's office and made your way back to the dorms. The Provisional License exam was right around the corner, so your classmates were either training their butts off (i.e. Izuku, Todoroki), overcome with nerves (i.e. Uraraka, Jirou, Yaoyorozu), or idling around doing even less than usual (Kaminari + everyone else—but mostly Kaminari).

"Heyyo!" Mina greeted, nibbling on a pocky by the couch. "You guys wanna hang with—"

"Piss off, raccoon-eyes."

Katsuki flipped off the pinkette and trudged through the communal quarters with purpose, all the while dragging you by the wrist. Normally, you would've protested, but truth be told you were far too exhausted to pull another late-nighter. Lounging around in your room and heading off to bed early seemed far more appealing.

"Did you do all your homework?" Katsuki asked, watching as you flopped onto your mattress almost immediately.

"Mmn," came your muffled reply.

"[Name], don't be a lazy butt."

"So what if my butt's lazy? I'm too tired... let's just sleep."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted your head. "I can't sleep with you. We'll get into a load of shit."

You let out an exasperated sigh. What was the point of the two of you living under the same roof now if you couldn't even sleep side-by-side every now and then? Katsuki was certainly not averse to stirring up conflict and bending the rules a bit. Well, perhaps he didn't want you to get in trouble either, but...

"We'll sleep together one day, right?" You propped yourself up by the elbows, gazing hopefully into his crimson eyes. Katsuki's brow relaxed just so.

"'Course, babe. We just gotta do it so we won't get caught."

"Yay!"

Smiling up to your ears, you bounced up and sprung into Katsuki's arms. He wheezed, the very breath having been knocked out of him. Eventually, two strong arms fell around your back and squeezed you tight.

"You're so cute," he mumbled. "I'm lucky as hell."

You flushed and buried your face into his neck. He smelled nice. It was his usual spiced-pine musk, but his hair was a bit different... apple-scented shampoo, maybe? You didn't know, but you liked it.

It'd be nice if he could just hold you in his arms like this, forever.

"You really are sleepy," Katsuki remarked, cupping you by the cheek. "If you're tired, head to bed. I'm probably gonna study a bit and go to sleep myself."

"You're leaving already?"

It was hard to mask the disappointment in your tone. Katsuki chuckled, flicking the tip of your nose.

"Just sleep, [Name]. We can hang out tomorrow, when you're more rested."

He pressed a quick kiss to your lips and sat up from the bed. You whined softly, but your body almost felt numb, that's how tired you were. Katsuki flashed you the faintest of smiles as he carefully retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

The second he was gone, you felt your energy plummet even more.

"Don't wanna go to bed," you muttered under your breath—except really, you did, just not without Katsuki. Still moving sluggishly, you threw off your clothes and changed into your pajamas. You were practically a zombie as you trudged towards the girl's washrooms to brush your teeth.

Within less than twenty minutes, it was lights-out.

You stared up at the ceiling for the first little while, just letting your pupils dilate under the darkness. Even though you had layers upon layers of blankets, you still felt cold somehow. Like you had a chill you just couldn't seem to shake.

The mark on your hip throbbed for a moment, and eventually, you fell asleep.

[...]

"This way, you dork. Don't go off-course."

You hummed thoughtfully. "I like to take in the scene. It's so pretty up here."

Katsuki sighed and watched as you snapped yet another picture with your camera. Trees, again—he wondered how many damn pictures of trees you could possibly take.

"I can tell you don't do this often," he mused. "You're like a fish out of water up here, [Name]."

You puffed out your cheeks. It was true that you'd never really taken up hiking as a recreational hobby, but you certainly weren't that bad. Your stamina had improved drastically, what with all the training you'd undergone at U.A. Maybe before, a marathon-length trek like this might have worn you out, but you were doing a pretty good job of keeping up with an athlete like Katsuki, in any case.

"I think I'm doing well," you frowned, scrolling through the pictures you'd taken so far. "Katsuki-kun, maybe you should go easy on me. I haven't slowed you down yet, have I?"

His lips formed a wobbly grin. "Relax, I'm just teasing. You're so cute when you get all pouty." You rolled your eyes, but Katsuki had already grabbed you by the hand. "C'mon," he ushered, "we've almost reached the viewpoint. This one will be actually worth taking pictures of."

It was better to trust him. He was the expert when it came to navigating this rocky, uneven terrain. The air was so cool and fresh up here; the type that would burn your lungs if you inhaled too much. It was nice to get away from school—aka your new home—and go out someplace different like this. Katsuki stopped in place for a moment, glancing back over his shoulder with a smirk. You traced his pointer-finger towards a small path through a bramble of bushes.

"Follow me," he said, squeezing your hand tightly. "But first—" He pushed the bushes aside, revealing a rocky, down-trodden trail that swooped downwards. It was a bit of a jump, but Katsuki hopped down with ease. He positioned himself below you and outstretched his arms. "Don't trip," he warned. "You'll bash in your knee."

You nodded and carefully stepped down rock-to-rock, rather than springing off the way Katsuki had done. He hovered below, ready to catch you if you lost your footing.

"Phew," you grinned, clasping his hand at the last minute. It was steeper than you'd realized, but you felt somewhat proud for not having needed his help.

"You good?"

"Yep, I'm fine."

"Alright," he nodded. "Just a little more now."

You followed behind him dutifully, watching wide-eyed as he tore through thorny brambles and helped you squeeze through tight spaces. He'd told you not to go "off-course" earlier, but it was clear that wherever he was leading you towards was clearly not a normal, touristy trail. You wondered how he'd managed to memorized all the little junctions to go through and clearly mapped them out in his head. Or maybe he'd just done this very hike countless times. Both scenarios were equally impressive.

You weren't quite sure where exactly he was bringing you, but the rushing of water that you'd begun to hear had given you a pretty good idea. You pressed your lips together and ventured forward, albeit nervously, until you reached your destination.

Having finally emerged from the forested area, you could see it now—a glistening waterfall.

"Oh, lord..."

You hugged at your sides unknowingly. The space in between the two cliff-like slabs of rock churned with rushing white-water that cascaded down and spilled over the edge. You took a step forward and peered hesitantly over the other side. You weren't quite sure why you'd done that—the drop made your stomach churn and break out into a fit of cramps.

"T-This is too high up," you gasped, latching your arm around Katsuki's and clinging to him for dear life. He chuckled and rubbed your hair.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. Just don't get too close to the water. It's cool though, isn't it? You don't get to look down on a waterfall every damn day."

And for good reason. Sure, you were training to become a hero, but a fear of heights—or rather, falling—was undoubtedly justified. The things Katsuki did for fun were fucking insane.

"I-I'll admit that it's beautiful up here," you stammered out, holding your camera between trembling fingers. "At least I'll get some nice pictures..."

Katsuki grinned. "You scared, [Name]?"

"Wouldn't anyone be? One misstep and you're a goner if you fall into that water..."

"I could use the force of my explosions to push myself back out. If you were in a pinch, I'd be able to save you, too."

You doubted that. No matter how strong your boyfriend was, gravity was not a force to be trifled with.

"Just a few more pictures and we're heading back," you mumbled. "Okay...?"

"Relax, relax." Katsuki trudged forward, getting dangerously close to the edge of the rushing water. You nearly had a heart-attack right then and there, but the bastard was laughing at you, of all things.

"Katsuki-kun!" you shouted, taking a slow step on wobbly legs. "This isn't a joke! Please back away from there!"

He crouched forward and grinned mischievously. "You worried about me, babe? Ha-ha, you're so cute. Nothing's gonna happen, just relax."

"I'm serious, back the fuck away from there right NOW!"

"Chill," he muttered. "I can take care of myself."

It was clear he wasn't getting the message, or maybe he was just getting a kick out of fucking with you. Either way, it wasn't funny. It wasn't funny when he moved towards the edge of the water, and it was even LESS funny now that he was ghosting his fingers across its surface.

"Katsuki-kun—!"

You screamed, but the sound got lost in your throat. It seemed as though the universe thought he was asking for an early death. Otherwise, you were sure it wouldn't have happened. No matter how much it had sloped downwards, no matter how much silt and fragile sediment it had accrued, it wouldn't have happened.

The rocky bank wouldn't have given in, right at that very moment.

It hurt your own ears, the strangled scream erupting from your vocal chords. Katsuki's glazed eyes widened to the point that his pupils seemed to disappear. The strap of your camera slid off as you lunged forward, cold metal clunking against the ground.

Your hand barely reached him in time, tears spilling over the corners of your eyes. He was gripping both your hand and the coarse, sliding terrain. Half of his body was submerged in water. Your feeble strength was surely not the main factor tethering him in place—he was keeping himself on the bank by the power of his core alone.

"Push!" you screamed, tears flowing down your cheeks as you tugged on his body as hard as possible. "Push on—push up against the rocks...!"

"S-Shit..."

Katsuki's expression was twisting in upon itself. It made your heart tear right in two, seeing the look of knowing in his eyes. The way he was struggling less and less; the way his strength was failing him.

"Let go, [Name]." He grimaced, fingers slipping backwards. "Let go, or you'll get dragged in along with me."

"NO!"

"This isn't a joke, I'm—"

"I knew it wasn't a joke!" you sobbed. "It wasn't a joke... that's why I didn't want you getting close to begin with! I just—ughhh!" You pulled him as fiercely as you could, to the point that your shoulder felt like it would pop right out of its socket. Katsuki didn't budge. "P-Please," you whined, "please, lift yourself up... somehow. Why am I so weak, I'm so weak— "

"Let go, [Name]."

Katsuki's face was both flushed and pale at the same time. He must've been nearly hypothermic from the freezing water alone. You swallowed your tears and dug your nails into his knuckles.

"H-Hold on to my hand," you begged. "Hold on to my hand, and then... let go of the other one. When you let go, set off an explosion towards me as quickly as possible. It doesn't matter if we collide together or the force blows me back. Just, please... you can—"

"I can't," he grimaced. "The second I let go of either hand, I'm gone. I shouldn't have acted tough and pretended like I'd be fine. God... I'm such a fucking idiot. Why am I such an idiot?"

"No, no, no, no—"

"Shit, I'm sorry. This is so pathetic..."

His hand slipped off your own. One moment you were looking him dead in the eyes, and the next he'd been swept away by the rapids, engulfed by white water. You fell to your knees, nearly kissing the wet dirt. You listened for the sound of an explosion, but you didn't hear it.

You looked over the edge. You saw nothing.

You waited. You saw nothing.

"Katsuki-kun...?"

Your hoarse, trembling voice almost sounded foreign. Your cheeks were so wet with tears you couldn't even tell if you were still crying, or if you'd run out. A searing pain erupted across your hip.

You woke up.

[...]

It was the first time you'd had a nightmare so vivid and intense that you shot up from your bed in the middle of the night sobbing.

Your whole body felt like it was on fire. You hunched forward, forehead slick with sweat, and dry-heaved right onto your blanket. Nothing was purged, just a fiery, searing pain that was left festering in your chest. You cupped a palm to your damp cheeks. Some tears were fresh, others had dried down and left the surface of your skin gritty and parched.

You shivered, leaning over to turn on the lamp by your nightstand. The momentary quell of darkness helped alleviate the fear, if only for a little. You'd always been a dreamer, prone to nightmares and other imaginations, but this was completely unlike anything you'd ever felt before.

This dream had torn through your core, your very being. It was vivid to the point that you were replaying the exact scenes at second-by-second intervals.

It felt real.

It... felt... real.

...felt... real.

...real.

Real.

Without even wasting another breath, you ripped off your shirt and tossed it back on the bed. You shuffled down your pants and blinked through the dim light, eyes zoning in on that one, singular spot. The mark on your hip—the mark which was once whole, but had since been reduced to a smudged patch of misshapen letters.

The mark which was gone.

"No."

You blinked away more tears.

"NO."

It wasn't possible. Yes, it had been very faded, but not enough that it would disappear overnight. A chunk like this had never faded so quickly. Frantic, you checked your other hip, even though you knew very well it had only ever been on your left side.

There was nothing, on either side. It was gone.

You thought back to your nightmare, which had felt so dreadfully real. Even in your dream, your hip had been aching. A beacon, a sign.

A premonition.

You pressed a hand against your lips, drawing in a shaky breath.

"Katsuki-kun...?"