Izuku was so excited after learning about his two soulmates, that when school came around the next day he was eager to share the discovery with his friend, Kacchan.

Kacchan could be mean sometimes, but it was only because Izuku didn't have a quirk and everyone knew that Kacchan's was the strongest. He'd be a great hero someday.

That was why when he came into the classroom with a bright smile on his face he went straight for Kacchan, despite the sour look on the other kindergartener's face.

"Kacchan! Guess what happened to me yesterday?"

"Go away, stupid Deku. I don't care what happened to make a quirkless loser like you so happy." Kacchan lashes out, his hand coming up to push against Izuku's face, forcing the green haired boy away from him. That was how Izuku spotted the mark on the other boy's palm.

"Kacchan? You got a soulmark too?"

"Too?" The blonde boy furrows his brows at the question before glaring at Izuku with a new kind of anger boiling beneath his skin. "Who would want to be soulmates with a quirkless loser like you?"

"Kacchan?"

"Stupid soulmates make someone soft, a hero can't afford to have a weakness like a soulmate. I don't care who they are, I don't want to meet them. They're probably lame like you anyway."

Tears welling in his eyes Izuku stares at Kacchan as the blond boy turns away from him, storming off. The small boy clenches at his shirt over his heart, not understanding why he felt so much pain at Kacchan's rejection. He'd recognized that mark, it was the same one his mom had shown him was on his back. To have Kacchan, his soulmate, push him away, dismiss him so thoroughly left a void in the young boy that he didn't understand.

That day after school let out and his mother came to pick him up, she noticed how upset he was.

"Izuku, is everything alright?"

Wiping at his eyes, despite not having any tears left to cry after a too long day, Izuku shakes his head.

Frowning Inko looks down at her son, knowing he is just being stubborn about whatever is bothering him.

However she soon gets an idea of how she may be able to cheer him up and get to the root of what is bothering him. In the blink of an eye she is scooping the small boy into her arms, tickling him relentlessly. At first he lets out a shriek of surprise before giggling uncontrollably at the onslaught. After several long moments Inko lets up on the tickling and just holds her son, both smiling and breathing heavily at the exertion of what just happened.

"Is everything better now sweety, do you want to talk about it?" She doesn't set her son down, just letting him rest his head on her shoulder as they walk along the sidewalk toward their home.

Izuku's small fists tighten their grip on his mother's shirt. "Kacchan got his soulmark yesterday."

"Oh?" Inko isn't sure why that would have her son so upset, but figured if he was going to share that information it would be best to let him do so at his own pace.

"It matches the ones you showed me, the ones on my back." A hiccupping sob bubbles out of the small boy and Inko pats his back in an attempt to comfort the child. "He, he said he didn't want a soulmate, that it would just make him weak and that a hero didn't need one." The sobs increase, making it harder to understand what he says next. "He said, he, he said no one would want, want a quirkless soulmate, that, that I, I'd just be a burden."

Inko stops, her hand rubbing soothing circles into Izuku's back. Anger flickers across her face for a brief moment before she manages to take a deep breath. "Izuku?" She gives the boy a moment to turn his attention to her before continuing. "Did you tell Kacchan you were his soulmate?"

She feels her son's head shake against her shoulder, recognizing the nonverbal answer. Relief washes through her in that moment, knowing that things were not all lost. A little white lie might be in order to protect her son's happiness. "Kacchan's probably just not ready to meet his soulmate. Maybe when you find your other soulmate, the two of you can tell him them."

Izuku leans back, rubbing at his red rimmed eyes. "You, you think so Mama? You think when I find our other soulmate that Kacchan won't be angry anymore?"

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, but I'm sure that given time, he'll eventually want to be with you."

"Okay." Izuku leans back in, arms wrapped securely around his mother's neck.

Inko couldn't help the smile that stretches across her face at having turned Izuku's mood around. Though she wonders if she shouldn't contact her friend Mitsuki and let her know what is going on between their sons. She would think about it, but there was no need to rush things.

Mitsuki didn't know what to think as she sits across from here long time friend. Inko had just told the blonde woman about her son's soulmark that had shown up not 2 days ago. Which was around the same time her own son's soulmark had appeared.

"A heart, sword, and crown, overlapping each other?"

"Mhmm." Inko takes a calm sip of her tea, eyeing her friend knowling over it. "There were two of them on his back, just near his heart."

Mituski let's her eyes drift down to stare into her own cup of tea, slowly cooling as she tries to process what her friend is not telling her.

"Did you see Katsuki's or did Izuku say something?"

"Izuku saw it. He was also rather upset when Katsuki told him that he didn't want to find his soulmates. I managed to calm him down, but,"

"No, I get it." Mitsuki leans forward, an elbow resting on the table as she props her chin up. "That brat was so pissy when he saw he was the heart. I think he's just lashing out because he doesn't want to be seen as weak and since his soulmates will know which one he is, well it's no excuse, but I at least understand it."

Inko looks thoughtful for a long moment before grinning slyly. "I should have known it was Katsuki when I saw the explosion."

"Explosion?"

"Mhmm, the heart it looks like an explosion when you see it in color. It makes me curious about the crown though."

"So Izuku is the sword?" At Inko's nod, Mitsuki let's a small spread over her face. "Considering how he's always trying to protect others and help them I shouldn't be so surprised." Sitting back up, Mitsuki takes a sip of her tea and hums. "I need to do something about Katsuki though. Izuku's such a darling, it would be terrible to let this anger Katsuki's harboring toward his soulmates to grow."

"What are you thinking Mitsuki?"

"Maybe counseling. Despite knowing how rough he is when he plays none of his teachers have commented on his behavior, even when I ask. They just say how wonderful his quirk is and praise him to no end for his sharp mind."

Inko frowns at that, knowing how bright her own boy is, but never having heard anything from his teachers other than that he's making do. "You don't think they're being honest with you because of his quirk potential?"

"Not at all. Katsuki's certainly smart and has a powerful quirk, but he's no angel. I've seen how he plays with Izuku at the park."

They share a sad smile before looking thoughtfully into their cups.

"Counselling then?"

"Yeah, just need to find someone that would be willing to be honest with Katsuki and not just praise him for every damn thing he does."