Soul Marked

Chapter Twenty

Words of the Heart

This chapter came out a lot sooner than the last! I've made myself a new writing schedule but I can't promise I'll always be able to keep to it. So I'll try to keep our updates to at least a week before the next one, but again no promises.

Read Authors note at bottom

This has not been betaed yet, will be soon

Izuka felt her head pound as she came too, she was highly aware this wasn't her own bed she was laying in. The mattress was more stiff and the blankets itchier than normal. Just lying still she got her barings, trying to remember what happened and why exactly she was in a hospital bed. This couldn't be anything else than where she was, it was becoming familiar. Her whole body felt like she had been plowed down by a semi but she knew it was only the fault of her battle with Todoroki and then going ahead and fighting with Kacchan. That should have been a mistake but she couldn't make herself believe it, she had said what she needed to, and hopefully it led to finally figuring out what they were to one another.

She was growing annoyed with how things were now. She constantly felt this need to be around him, a feat not easy to do when the person you were undeniably wanting to be with couldn't stand to be within a few feet of you. That thought actually caused her to flinch making another wave of pain shoot through her body.

"You really did a number on yourself," Recovery Girl said noticing her patient was awake. Izuka slowly blinked her eyes opened to see the older nurse who was staring disappointingly down at her.

"I'm sorry," Midoriya said feeling just the slightest bit disappointed in herself. "I had to." Recovery Girl sighed but didn't push the subject any farther as she leaned forward and kissed the girls forehead.

"You'll be fully healed in a couple of days," she said with a shake of her head. "Just come see me before class every day until then. And Midoriya, I was serious you must know your limits and not push past them. This is unhealthy."

"I understand ma'am," Izuka said as she began to pull herself up to her feet.

"There's a young man waiting outside for you," she said as she began to move so she could place a backpack on the table next to the bed. "I'll let him in once your changed." Frowning the green-haired girl nodded as she grabbed for her bag and the clothes inside of them. She began to open her mouth and ask who was waiting for her but the little old lady was gone. Not wanting to keep whoever was waiting for long she began to quickly pull out her after school clothes, having packed to be prepared today.

It was a bit hard trying to figure out how to take her gym uniform off, and then even worse when it came to pulling her clothes on. Her sling her arm was in caused this predicament. Eventually she had given up, and with half her shirt hanging off from her she called out for Recovery Girls help. The older woman busily went to pulling her clothes off, talking soothingly all the while. It was helpful in keeping it too embarrassing.

"Don't worry, you're not the first I've had to help," she said with a kind smile as she turned to the door. "You really shouldn't make him wait any longer. He seemed quite persistent in seeing you."

This only caused her to grow more confused before turning to leave the infirmary.

"Took long enough," came a familiar angry voice. Izuka turned surprisingly at Bakugo as she used her free hand to clutch at her chest. Her heart was beating rapidly and she willed it to calm down, afraid he would be able to hear it.

"K-kacchan," she said in a soft greeting. She hadn't expected him to be the one to be waiting for her, she almost expected for it to be Kaminari, wanting to talk about all the fights. Her eyes roamed over his form before she could stop herself. Taking notice of the first place medal clutched in a death grip in his right hand. The ribbon threaded through the medal was balled up and already showing ware from how angrily he had been holding it.

Her eyes darting to his left hand where another medal was hanging, but far more gently then the other. He caught on to where she was looking at and quickly shoved the award toward her good hand, basically forcing her to take it. Thrown off guard she barely caught it in her hand before he let go, and only managed to keep it from falling.

"That's yours from the ceremony," he said gruffly. She could hear the barely concealed anger in his tone, and she knew he wasn't happy with how their fight went. A wave of exhaustion tugged at her body at the thought of trying to get him to listen to her about why she hadn't gone all out. Though if she was being honest it should have been pretty obvious why.

Her mouth opened to begin the denial of holding back but he raised his now free left hand to shut her up.

"Follow me," he said simply having reigned in his anger and was now just feeling a more subdued hostility. Izuka opened her mouth to protest, ready to say how tired she was, but Kacchan reaching out for her to take her arm quieted down any objections. His touch was light, something she hadn't felt in a while from him. He guided her down the hallways and toward the stairs that would be the closest path to the front entrance.

Shock had filled her system and vagually she wondered if she was dreaming and would wake up at any moment. They had made it outside before she opened her mouth again to speak. Her curiosity not able to be held back anymore.

"Where are we going, Kacchan?" she asked as she silently relished in the kind gesture. He sighed, the noise slipping harshly between his teeth as he physically reigned in any annoyance. This wasn't how he wanted to start this conversation, angry and bitter from the start. Something at the back of his mind tugged at him to be kind, that this conversation would go the best that way. However, kind wasn't a word that described Bakugo Katsuki, and he found it hard to muster up. Trying to tap into his five-year-old self, before the bitterness had taken over, was proving harder to do.

"Just please allow me this," he gritted out. Izuka fell silent once more and they continued to walk at a slow pace that matched her comfort in speed. It was honestly slower than she, or he, liked but it was all she could manage, and he was the one dragging her out here. The walk to the park took longer than it normally would have, Izuka knew by the time she made it home it would be getting late, and her mother would be worried, but something compelled her to see what Bakugo wanted with her.

He grip on her arm had never left, a part of him afraid she might pass out on him during the walk, but now that they had made it to his destination he lightly pushed against her arm, silently telling her to sit down. Taking the cue Izuka fell down onto the bench in a relieved puddle, as she watched him sit down on the opposite end in a more graceful manor.

Beginning to feel nervous she began to fiddle with the ribbon of the medal that hung from her pocket. Bakugo hadn't begun to talk and she wasn't sure what to say, though perhaps asking why he brought her here would be a good start. After several long moments she had finally gained the courage to ask when he beat her to it.

"When did it fucking activate?" he spit out as he glared down at the grass. His shoe kicked at a couple stray rocks sending them flying to the other side of the sidewalk that led the path through the park. Izuka jumped at the question, her eyes darting over to him, and then back again. A questioning look crossed over her face not sure of what he was asking. "The Mark."

"Ah," she said softly her own eyes staring down into her lap. "That first day of class, when I saw you fighting with Iida." She began to bite her bottom lip feeling awkward. It was so much easier when things were said in the heat of the moment. Her heart began to pound harder as she gulped. When his gaze fell onto her she could feel the intensity of it, not helping her slightly panicked feelings. Katsuki's gaze fell to her left wrist where her Mark would be if she didn't have it covered.

"Why?" came a half angry, half broken mumbled word. His body stiffened as he tried to gain control back over his emotions, but his gaze never flickered from that one space that had caused him so much grief over the years. "I don't understand why now. Why not then?" He had failed at keeping his emotions at bay, the anger beginning to trickle back through.

Izuka shifted in her spot being able to feel his hard gaze and absentmindedly her fingers twitched. "I gained the Mark after my quirk activated." Her voice was calm and quiet, trying not to give much else away. She had promised Toshi to wait to tell Bakugo about All For One. If their relationship ever grew onto better terms she wouldn't be able to lie to him.

Bakugo frowned, the action tugging harshly at his lips, as he found he wasn't satisfied with that answer. It didn't make him feel better in the slightest. There was still years worth of anger and pain built up.

"Funny, I almost thought I'd feel better when I heard those words come from you," he barked out with a humorless laugh. "Instead there's still so much rage, years worth of it." He began to rub at his chest, an aching feeling tugging deep inside of him. "I hated you for so long, this action born from my Mark. I always wondered why I bonded with you, someone who clearly hadn't, or couldn't, bond back with me." One of his fingers looped through one of the many gaps in the bench as he tugged harshly to keep his emotions at bay.

"I never realized," she said with a fake calmness. The anxiety was still thudding away inside of her body but she refused to show it. "Honestly, Kacchan, I didn't know. I hadn't understood why we became friends so easily, I was never good at connecting with others. Makes sense, but I had only assumed because I never had a solid color Mark, that no one ever would bond with me."

The sadness that she use to feel at that knowledge rushed over her, causing her to drown in it. Her arm moved to rub her wrist against her leg, her normal motion of rubbing her wrist with her opposite hand not possible at the moment. Bakugo didn't miss the action as his eyes snapped up to her face. He could read the truth in her features.

"I was happy, you know, in the beginning," he said after a couple moments of silence. Izuka knew this to be true, they had spent several weeks being happily friends before that day happened. She could still remember how much she relied on him, had needed to be near him, and the comfort she took from his presence. Idly she wondered if that was the bond speaking, even if it had been one sided at the time.

"Yes," she said her gaze darting over to him. "So was I." She was allowing him to lead this conversation knowing he had more on his chest to let lose than she did. If their relationship was to get better he would need to tell her everything, to help her to understand, and let things go, or it would never work out.

"I felt this need to protect you, to constantly be near whenever we were together, and even after that day I guess those emotions never truly disappeared. Instead they helped fuel my anger and bitterness toward you." He cracked his neck before dropping his gaze back down, not able to continue looking at her as he let all this out. "When I saw your wrist that day, something inside of me just gave way. It felt hopeless, and for weeks I fought with all the different emotions inside of myself. I couldn't understand why you didn't have one too, even though logically I knew why. There were so many sides of me, all tugging into different directions, and they all grew worse when you were around. I began to hate your presence."

Izuka's lips pressed into a thin line together. It was hard listening to him, but even harder to know that this was their reality for ten years.

"I struggled with the idea that I would be bound to you for the rest of my life, knowing that you could very easily choose to leave me behind." His muscles were rigid, his shoulders hunched over, as his head stayed bowed. "It was then that I decided I needed to distance myself from you. A lot easier in theory. The damn bond wouldn't let me, not without physical and mental repercussions."

Katsuki fell quiet and Izuka was too afraid to break the silence. A heaviness lingered between them and she knew that wasn't everything.

"Every fucking day I looked to your wrist and hoped that the Mark would finally blemish your skin," he said finally, his words breaking and barely eligible to her ears. Izuka couldn't take the tension between them, the way his voice cracked, or how she noticed the slight shake to his body. Hesitantly she slid over, her leg brushing against his own, as her sling awkwardly brushed against his arm. The touch was enough to douse them both in a comforting feeling, the only sense they ever felt when touching one another.

Izuka could feel her body untense as it washed over her in comforting waves, and next to her she felt Kacchan do the same.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. His head began to shake, causing his hair to fall over his face.

"It doesn't mean I should have treated you the way I did," he said. "I was fucking five and let all those negative emotions in, but it doesn't mean it was right of me. I caused you a shit load of pain with my actions. As my Soulmate, even if it was one sided, doesn't give me the right to treat you that way. But fuck, destiny wasn't right in doing that either."

Izuka felt he was right, it hadn't been right, but there was still time to fix it.

"Kacchan," she said gaining his attention. "I've forgiven you for everything you've ever done, almost as nearly as soon as you did it. I never could give up on our friendship, even after everything you said, or did, toward me. There was an urge inside of me that pushed me to stay by your side. I-" Her voice dropped as she tried to find the words for what she needed to say. "You've always been important to me and recently it's only grown worse. Whether your in my life as a friend, or an enemy, I was always willing to accept it, as long as you were there."

She felt as Katsuki shifted closer to her not allowing for any space between their sides. Izuka felt, rather than heard, the sigh that left his body. It hung in the air heavily before she felt him shift some more. His upper body had turned to face her and one look up toward his face had her body reacting on it's own.

Before he could respond she had leaned forward, her head tucking under his chin, as her good arm wrapped around his waist, as she positioned her hurt arm between them. He froze at her actions, his first response to shove her away, but oddly enough he wasn't feeling the normal anger. Instead a content feeling warmed his body reminding him of those few weeks during his childhood. Hesitantly his arms moved to wrap around her body and tug her closer, mindful of her arm as he did it.

A memory of when he once hugged her with ease flashed across his mind, and for one second they were five-years-old again, and everything was perfect.

"I'm tired of the way we are, Katsuki," Izuka said using his first name to show how serious she was. There was no way she could continue going the way they were, she could feel it breaking her down.

"Don't call me that," he said wincing at the sound of his name on her lips. For as long as he had known her, she never once uttered any other name than Kacchan. Even over the years of him torturing her, she never once called him by anything else. It was strange to hear her say anything else and needed to make sure she knew that. "Only Kacchan."

Izuka blinked at his demanding request but nodded, her head lightly hitting against him. They sat like that, taking comfort in one another, before Bakugo abruptly pulled himself from her grip. She stared up at him in confusion wondering if he had more that needed to be said, but instead he was looking behind her, staring into the sky.

"It's getting late," he said his voice falling back into his default tone. "Our train will be leaving soon, and the next one doesn't leave until after dark." Watching as he shoved himself from the bench he turned to hold out a hand toward her, silently asking her if she wanted his help. Taking the offered hand she forced her legs up and under her. Izuka briefly thought over the fact that he never answered her, but his actions were in the right direction, so she hoped this was his way of answering her. Things had to get better now, it just had too.

She wasn't sure what she would do if they just continued the way things were going.

After Kacchan had walked her home, it had unfortunately taken them more than an hour to finally arrive at her house, and the sun was close to setting, he had grabbed at her phone from her pocket. A blush lit up her face at the action but she wasn't surprised when he began to tap right away at her screen, as she never locked the phone. Her brows furrowed in confusion at the sight.

"What are you doing Kacchan?" she asked trying to lean forward and see. He simply moved out from her view before looking satisfied as his thumbs stopped moving and she could vaguely hear his own phone ping.

Without another word he twisted on his heel and began to walk away as soon as her phone was safely back into her hand. "Kacchan!" she yelled out in annoyance and confusion but he never turned back. Letting out a huff she growled lightly to herself before stomping toward her house. As her door closed forcefully she wondered how he could be so infuriating even after the talk they had.

"Honey is that you?" her mother called out. Izuka opened her mouth to reply but was cut off as the sound of her phone going, 'A message is here,' announcing someone had texted her.

"Yeah, mom, it's me!" she called out as she pulled her phone from the pocket she had shoved back into her pocket. "Sorry I'm late, I talked with Kacchan after the festival."

Her eyes darted down to where her phone said she had one new text message. Swiping her thumb across the screen she opened her phone and blinked at the name that lit up her screen. The name 'Kacchan' read in simple blocky letters as she opened it up to read.

"Keep this number in your phone for emergencies." -Kacchan.

It was then that she realized he must have added his number to her phone before texting himself so he had hers as well. A small smile graced her lips as the irritation from before disappeared completely. That was quickly removed from her mind as her mother came out of nowhere and almost caused her to drop her phone when she wrapped her daughter into a tight hug.

"Mom?" she said hesitantly when her mother pulled back and a flash of anger lit up her eyes.

"You scared me so much, Izuka!" she yelped as she pulled her in for another hug. "I thought I nearly died from fight on several occasions watching you fight. Then you went up against that one boy and you got hurt so bad. Why did you go up against Katsuki? That could have been really dangerous, I mean look at you." She pulled back from her daughter and eyed the condition she came home in.

"I'm sorry mom," she said with a comforting pat to her mother's shoulders. "I just felt like there was more for me to prove."

"You proved plenty. I know I said I was excited about your strange quirk manifesting but I hadn't realized how much I was going to worry about you. It's only going to get worst isn't it? One day you'll be fighting against villains on a daily base." Izuka sent her mother a comforting smile as she squeezed her shoulders lightly.

"Mom, I'll be fine," she said. "I've got amazing teachers. Besides you've got a few years before worrying about that." Her mother dropped the subject and led her daughter to the dinner table, but they both knew she was thinking about the one incident where she had already fought against criminals. Neither one felt to speak their thoughts on that matter thought, instead deciding to gush about the festival, or in her mother's case, let her daughter know of everytime she fainted.

子猫

The next day Izuka found herself standing in front of an unfamiliar door, arriving at the address the text from Toshi told her to meet him. As she waited for someone to answer she thought back to how all day she had to force herself from sending a text to Kacchan. It hadn't been clear if he only wanted her to use the number for emergencies or if she was allowed to text him at any time. She hoped for the second option, especially if they really were going to give this a try at correcting the past.

In the end she decided to wait until he texted her first.

The door swung open to reveal Toshi himself as he waved her in. "So this is your home?" she asked with interest as she entered. The house was full of the bare minimum, showing that even though he had money he didn't flaunt that fact. As she followed him to the sitting room she found that she liked the look, it felt comfortable.

Tea was waiting for them when he motioned for her to sit down. Handing her the cup she took it happily and smiled at the taste of the sip she took. His tea was some of the best she had ever tasted.

"You did great yesterday," he spoke breaking the silence. "I only wish I could have presented you with the award myself." Izuka ducked her head at the memory of yesterday. She was happy he had given Bakugo the award and told him to give it to her. It had made him wait for her and led to the opportunity to talk. "I hope young Bakugo was able to give it to you."

"Yeah, he waited for me to wake up," she said happily. "Actually we finally was able to talk. Nothing is truly fixed yet, there's too much that needs to be made up for between the both of us, but it's a step in the right direction."

"It's good to hear you two were able to clear the air and step in the direction your bond has been leading you toward." Izuka leaned forward and set her tea down.

"Not that I'm excited to see your home, Toshi, but why did you ask me to come here?" Toshi cleared his throat having not planned to just jump right into things so quickly.

"Several of our last talks have heavily been on soulmates and being quirkless before receiving One For All," Toshi began as he looked slightly uncomfortable with what he was saying. "I've decided I'd like to tell you a bit more about my Mark. Perhaps in doing so you'll understand a bit better why I hope you and young Bakugo work past the issues, and allowing me to let a heavy burden fall from my shoulders. I've never spoken about this with anyone, and I feel it's time I've opened up."

Midoriya began to nod her head enthusiastically as she smiled at her friend. "Like you've told me Toshi, it's better to let it off your chest, instead of holding it in. I'll listen if your ready."

"Thank you," Toshi said as he leaned back into the seat. "I met her, the one I'm bound to, back after I first was given One For All by my mentor. She was a student at U.A., though not in the hero course, just general studies. Neither one of us talked of the Mark, I guess we always just figured there would be time for that later. I had just wanted to get to know her, I didn't need a relationship at that point in my life, and the same seemed to be for her as well."

He sipped slowly at his tea in a clear sign to buy more time before he had to speak again. Izuka flinched upon hearing her phone go off, but she ignored it, believing that Toshi was more important right now. She would have time later to answer whoever it was. Toshi smirked at the sound of her ring tone but didn't comment on it causing Midoriya's cheeks to heat up just the slightest.

"Are you going to get that?" he asked kindly while still smirking. Izuka shook her head as her phone fell silent.

"I can just answer it later," she said. "Go on with your story." A flash of unsureness crossed his face, almost wishing she had taken the time to answer. It was hard for him to talk about this, he hadn't mentioned her to anyone since Nana. That secret died with her, no one else knew who he bonded with, or that he ever did.

"My training stepped up after my predecessor died, and I didn't see her for a while after. In my grief came the need to gain control over One For All, to become the symbol I needed to be. Our time spent with one another only picked up after several months, but even then we rarely saw one another, and I had begun to notice a difference in her mood. Foolishly I ignored it, she never spoke of what was wrong so I just assumed I was seeing things. After our graduation was when our paths diverged."

"Toshi," she said kindly, a hint of her smile barely shining through. Toshi frowned when he saw her, the smile never reached her eyes now days, but there was something else. Her expression had darkened, her eyes were hallow, her skin paler. She hadn't been sleeping was the first thing brought to his mind. Worry began to creep up inside of him as he walked closer toward her.

"Rei, are you okay?" he asked moving to stand directly in front of her. "I got your message, what did I need to come down here for so quickly?" Rei's eyes darted around as she began to fidget.

"I know we've never talked about it," she said softly her voice barely carrying to him, even though he was only a mere couple inches away. "I always assumed we would later, when I knew what I wanted from life. In recent times I've been meaning to bring it up, but our time together has always been so precious to me, that I didn't want to dilute it with anything bad."

Toshi stared down at her in worry, not understanding what she was saying, but getting that it wasn't something he was going to want to hear. "I'm not understanding." Her face lifted to show him her grey eyes that normally sparkle but today they seemed dull. Another observance he had been ignoring in their last couple of get togethers.

"My family has agreed to a deal," she said. A sad glint flashed across her eyes. "A man with power and money wants me to agree to a quirk marriage. He says that my quirk is one that would make our children greater than any other. I have no choice but to agree."

Anger flashed across Toshi's face before he gained control back over his emotions. His features were still hard but they remained blank. The only sign that his anger was still there was in the way his hands clenched at his side.

"No other choice?" he said in confused. "Rei, you have a choice."

"My family has already signed the contract, I even told them of finding my soulmate," she cried. "My father didn't care. He said it was no matter, that bonds were a weakness, and that this deal gave them everything to be happy in life. I needed to see you tonight to let you know. Other than short of fleeing into the night I won't be able to get out of it." Toshi knew of her need to follow her father's orders, the man was the voice of the family, and his word was law.

"Come with me," he said speaking before actually thinking. "I'm moving to America soon. Leave with me." Rei's grey eyes sadly fell onto his own deep blue. Her hand raised up to cup at his cheek as she brushed her thumb across it.

"Do you mean that?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I want you to follow me to America. I can take care of you." A smile slid across her face as his hand reached up to join the one on her cheek, before falling away into a frown.

"I would only come between your dream," she said, her voice cracking. "You're going there because you must, there isn't any room for me. You were leaving to protect yourself, and me." Her hand slipped out from underneath his as she cradled it to her side. "No one can find out about me, or they'd use me against you." Toshi's face fell along with her realization.

"We can find a way." She softly shook her head.

"No, Toshi.." A tear fell down her cheek only to be caught by Toshi's finger as he flicked it away. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Funny, that this is the only way in the end. If I go along with this proposal no one would ever know, and you can become great like your meant to be."

"She went back home that night and accepted," he said before taking another long drag of his tea. "We both agreed in the end it would be the safer option. No one would have been the wiser to use her against me. This form is a protected secret that not many know about, but I still couldn't take that risk. I lost her that night, and several years later heard what became of her."

"Who was she?" Izuka asked with some hesitance. The story seemed to have taken a lot out of Toshi, who was now slumped against the couch he resided on.

"You've heard of her from your friend," he said. "Her name after getting married was Todoroki Rei. After she was sent to the hospital I never gained the courage to go see her. I still believe it would be safer for me not too, but I almost believe I just hide behind that out of fear."

Izuka blinked against the new knowledge. Toshi's soulmate was Todoroki's mother.

Her heart tugged for the woman, after having heard her story, knowing what the woman had gone through from what her son said, adding onto the bonds pull, she never had a chance for happiness. Frowning Izuka leaned forward and patted the hand of Toshi's that was closest to her reach.

"I don't believe there's a reason to be scared," she said after a moment of silence. "You both chose what you did out of protection for the other. Bonds don't just go away, something I know that you know. Your feeling it, have always felt it. There's no need to fear rejection from her. However, I understand your desire to keep protecting her by staying away, but Toshi your time as the symbol of peace is coming up. Perhaps it's time to start thinking about your own personal happiness. Reuniting wouldn't be so bad, right?"

"Young Midoriya, your advice is sound as always," he began with a smile on his face. "But I believe that's a decision for future me to make."

"Just don't make it something you'll regret later on."

Izuka left later that evening after several hours of conversation on much lighter topics and a promise that she would be back another day. The sun had begun to set but she knew there was still a good hour before dark with plenty of time to get home. After closing the door behind her and zipping up her jacket Izuka remembered the text from earlier. One that had turned into two just a few minutes earlier.

Swiping open her phone she found they were both from Kacchan. A smile played on her lips as she opened them to read what they had to say.

Don't leave your house early before school tomorrow"

And then another saying.

What the fuck it's been hours.

She gave out a short laugh and rolled her eyes. It was such a Kacchan thing to be mad at his text not being responded too right away. She responded with a curious okay, but quickly sent another text asking why she couldn't. Not surprisingly she never gained an response back and idly she wondered if this was his way of working things out.

Either way things were beginning to look up, and the festival had ended up being more beneficial than once thought.

子猫

Bakugo stared down at his phone in anger and a hint of worry as he sent his second text to the girl who always got under his skin. She had responded to his first one and after giving it a few hours of still no response, he had seen her respond to a text as soon as getting it often enough to know this wasn't normal, he had begun to grow inpatient. The bond between the two of them showed no difference than normal. The swirl of emotions that usually bombarded him were still there. The only difference his how he tolerated them more than normal.

It was the only reason he hadn't begun to call her phone and cuss her out for it. Truthfully he wasn't worried, just pissed, or so he told himself.

Finally his phone went off, showing the name of Koneko on it's screen. Exiting out of the game he had been playing he opened the messages and felt a sense of relief at knowing she was ok after all. Not bothering to respond, his personal vengeance for her taking so long, he settled back onto his bed.

His arms moved to be used as pillows as he stared up at his ceiling. Tomorrow changes were going to be needed, and a show of at least trying. Anything that involved him would be rocky, and he still had to force himself to keep his anger in check, but he would try.

If he had taken the time to notice he would have realized his Mark once again had begun to change. The lone blossom had been joined by a couple more small ones.

His thorns weren't the only thing showing anymore.

This is one you've all been waiting for! However, keep in mind that they have not gotten together and it will still be a short while before they decide they can commit to that. A lot of the past has to be made up for, and proven that it won't happen again.

Thank you to Amaya-chan07 who requested this bonus chapter!

Bonus Chapter: Six

"She's really cute!" came the boyish reply from a kid during recess. "For someone that's quirkless that is." His friends laughed at his words but the boy shut them up with a glare.

"You shouldn't say things like that about Midoriya," said his friend after sobering up from his laughter. "Bakugo would beat you up." The other boy simply shrugged in response, not an ounce of fear on his face for the blonde.

"I'm not afraid of that bully," he said. "He doesn't own the girl. He hates her, I don't see why he cares so much." The three friends began to walk toward the swings, the leader of the group continuing to eye the green-haired girl.

"You remember what he said," came the same boy from before. "He would blow any of us up for touching her." The leader rolled his eyes and shoved the boy away from him.

"Oh, shut up," he said gruffly. "Stop being a coward. I'm going to go talk to her."

"Good luck," said the third boy who had been silent up to this point. "I'll give my eulogy at your funeral." The boy ignored his friend as he began to stalk forward toward the girl not noticing the blonde's presence coming up behind him.

A hand reached out and shoved at his shoulder causing his balance to be thrown off. Shoving his hands out to break his fall he quickly rolled over to stare up at who had attacked him.

"So, did I hear right, Ichirou," snarled Bakugo as he glared down at him. "You like that quirkless freak." Ichirou gulped as he slid back a few paces trying to put some space between them. His hands drug painfully against the cement. Bakugo wasn't having that as he stepped forward with each scramble backwards.

"I thought I made myself clear that no one was allowed to touch her. I think you need to turn around and walk away." His quirk began to go off in the palms of his hands, many explosions filling the silence that hung between them. Snarling the ash blonde leaned forward and allowed an explosion to go off a few inches away from his face. "Scram."

Ichirou deciding it was best to leave and abandon his plan toward the girl shot to his feet and ran into the school. Katsuki shoved his hands into his pockets as he watched him leave, the glare never leaving his face, even once he disappeared into the building.

"Fucking extra," he hissed as his eyes locked onto the girl that had been the boys destination. His crimson eyes narrowed dangerously at her but he made no move to go to her. No one ever touched the girl except for himself when he bullied her. The most they ever did was snicker and throw comments at her. That is all he allowed.

Everyone would be best to remember that.