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And Then There Were Three

The next couple of days before school started was honestly the best time I've had in a very long while. Shinsou was not kidding about making sure we spent our last few "free" days together.

We ended up going to a cat cafe a few days after I met his dads and it was honestly the cutest thing. He clearly loved cats and had no qualms geeking out over them. He knew the name of every one of the cat residents and told me their likes and dislikes.

Giggling, I wiped cat hair off of his black shirt. "Shinsou, you are covered in hair!"

"Good. I like my cats at home to feel like they need to work for my attention. This lets them know that I have options." He sent me a sly look as I cackled, bumping his arm.

"You are so strange, eyebags! But seriously, how much sleep did you get last night?" He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand, leading us outside.

"I got more than normal. I think the physical contact is actually helping my mind to slow down. It's been a nice change of pace."

Lacing my fingers in his, I gave him a wide smile, happy that I could help. Suddenly, I bumped into a very solid person. Seriously, I don't even think he budged. Shinsou quickly pulled me into his chest while I looked up, dazed.

"Watch where the fuck you're going, crusher." A very angry blond growled. Blinking in confusion, I just stared at the red eyes glaring down at me. Why do I have to be the shortest?

"Crusher? Where the heck did you come up with that nickname, Bakugo?" I reached out and placed my fingertips on his arm, watching as his glare turned from anger to confusion to understanding in a matter of minutes.

"Oi, don't fucking touch me!" He yanked his arm away but didn't back up, making me feel slightly claustrophobic. Shinsou tightened his hold on me when I tried to wiggle away and Bakugo noticed, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Sorry. Um, can we all talk for a minute?" I'm not sure what was going on in his mind but I didn't expect him to just shrug and start walking off, not turning to see if we followed him.

Giving Shinsou a look, I shrugged as we both followed our soulmate. I wonder if he knows that we're all soulmates. He seemed to feel something when I touched him so maybe he at least has an idea.

We entered a small park and Bakugo led us to a picnic table covered by the shade of a large tree. He sat and Shinsou took the seat opposite of him, leaving me to stand awkwardly on the side. I don't want it to look like I'm choosing a side. I want this to start off as well as possible.

"Well, what the fuck was it you wanted to talk about so desperately?" Furrowing my brow, I gave Shinsou a look, asking him to let me do the talking. He rolled his eyes and plopped his cheek in his hand.

"Just tell him, short stuff. Let's just get this over with and see how it turns out."

I nodded, cutting off Bakugo's protests. "Right. Um, Bakugo, do you have any idea why I wanted to talk with you? Why we wanted to talk with you?"

"If I fucking knew why you wanted to talk, then I would have been able to avoid this awkward shit altogether. I'm fucking leaving." He stood up and I panicked, pushing him back down, not without some effort though.

"Geez, your quirk has really helped you build some muscle," I mumble, turning red at his surprised look.

He started laughing loudly, catching me by surprise. "If you wanted to just fucking ogle me, then you could have at least done it without fucking bothering me." He tried to get up again but I once again pushed him down, this time using my quirk.

"Stop trying to walk away and listen to what I have to say! If you weren't so far up your own butt, you would realize that we're trying to tell you that you're our soulmate!" Both of the boys flinched at my yelling, making me realize that I was screaming. I looked around and noticed people in the park staring at us. Covering my face in embarrassment, I plopped down next to Bakugo and groaned.

"Ugh, I'm sorry I screamed at you. I just kind of panicked because you kept trying to leave." Shinsou started to laugh, his head hitting the table with a loud thud. The two of us stared at him until he looked back up and pointed at me.

"You are an oxymoron, you know that? You are one of the most cautious people I have ever met and yet, you throw it all out the window just minutes after talking with this guy. I must say, I think I'm a little jealous that he can pull this out of you."

Blush deepening, I started to stutter, trying to come up with a valid explanation. "W-what? I m-mean, it's just that, HE REALLY MADE ME MAD!" Shinsou started laughing again and Bakugo huffed, giving me hella side eye.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, sparky! You shouldn't just walk away from people who have something important to talk about. I freaking ran away from Shinsou when I saw his nose bleed and—"

"You're the reason my nose has been bleeding for no fucking reason?!" He shouted, standing up and towering over me. I coward instinctually, covering my vulnerable neck and head.

"Hey," Shinsou warned. "She's been through some shit, sit down and don't try the intimidation tactic. It won't fly here." Bakugo turned, slamming his hands on the table and started spouting off at him.

I once again panicked and grabbed his hand, not flinching when he tried to explode my hand out of his. He paused and gave me a confused look, making the explosions bigger.

"Why the fuck can't I blow your fucking hand off, bitch?"

I flinched at his tone but didn't back down, holding a hand up to tell Shinsou to relax. "I can cover my skin with my shield manipulation. It's actually the strongest use of my quirk since it never has to leave my body. It's practically impenetrable. Go ahead, try."

He gave me an odd look before letting off a terrifying explosion. When the smoke cleared, he grabbed my hand, turning it over and examining it carefully.

Sitting back down, he tried to cross his arms but I grabbed his hand again. He tried to shake me off but I wouldn't release him. "Let the fuck go, you human shield."

"I don't want to. You need to relax and the soulmate bond will help. Plus, I don't want to be the quitter in whatever this is." He glared at me and then turned towards Shinsou, deciding he didn't want to deal with me anymore.

Hah! I knew he would be super competitive. There is no way he's letting go now that it can be seen as a competition.

"What's your fucking quirk, zombie?" I snorted at his nickname and nudged Shinsou with my foot, giving him a smile.

"Brainwashing, sparky. And the next time you treat her like shit, I'll use it on you to make you do something fucking embarrassing. You don't know anything about either of us and you sure as hell don't know how to read the mood. Were you always this fucking obnoxious or did this happen to you after your quirk developed?"

Bakugo looked like he was about to blow another gasket but then, he didn't. He turned thoughtful, looking down at our connected hands. But I don't think he really saw them. He turned my hand over again and examined my palm, running a finger over the lines and indents, stopping at the tips of each fingertip. I shivered at the contact and he glanced up, brows scrunched in thought.

"First of all, fuck you for being right about the physical contact calming me down. Secondly, holy shit. I can't believe I'm fucking saying this but, you're spot on. I didn't have trouble with my anger until my fucking quirk manifested. I bet Deku has fucking notes about this shit."

Shinsou and I shared a look, before asking the obvious question. "Who is Deku and why do you sound so pissed off just mentioning him?" Bakugo scoffed dropped my hand, getting up and pacing behind me. Turning around, I followed his form, feeling anxiety creep in with every stomp of his foot.

"He's this fucking nerd in my school. We used to be friends and then he came up quirkless. I basically became his personal bully, trying to get him to give up on his dream of being a hero. I don't want his fucking ass to get killed or some stupid shit. AH FUCK. I'VE GONE ABOUT THIS ALL WRONG." He let off a couple explosions angrily and growled unintelligibly.

I jumped at his sudden shift and crawled over the tabletop to sit next to Shinsou. "Hey, calm down man. I get that controlling yourself is something you're going to have to work on but, Ren here doesn't do great with unexpected surprises."

Whipping around, he glared at Shinsou and then shifted his focus on me. I shifted and gave Bakugo an encouraging smile.

"I think it makes me uncomfortable more than scared. It's hard to explain but… most people are deceptive about their true nature and you literally can't hide what you're thinking. I'll work on my skittishness - which I've already been doing with you, Shinsou - as long as you work on your outbursts."

"Why the fuck would you two be willing to put up with my shit attitude? Just because we're soulmates?" I hummed thoughtfully, rolling my eyes when Shinsou pointed out the fact that he never said he would try.

"Hush, Shinsou. You know you're willing to give this a shot. To answer your question, it's a yes and no scenario." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully while motioning for him to sit. Surprisingly, he complies.

"I want to try because you're my soulmate but also because I know what it's like to be avoided or used for your quirk. It's not necessarily out of your control, your attitude that is however, I know the way people react affects you. If you want to be a hero, then you have to get your act together. Mainly your people skills and I want to help with that! Your quirk is great for hero work but without personal growth, you'll flop. I don't want to see that happen."

Crossing his arms, he stared at me and then shifted his gaze to Shinsou. "You know this isn't going to be fucking easy. Don't expect a fucking courtship or some stupid shit like that."

Shinsou chortled, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Dude, the three of us are about to have a lot on our plates. Let's just try for a solid friendship and see what happens from there. Besides, you don't exactly seem like the cuddly type that would bring someone roses."

Before the bickering could begin, I pulled out my phone and handed it to Bakugo. I giggled when he basically threw his at me in return.

After that fascinating meet up, we all went our separate ways. Once I was home, I flopped on the couch, laying my head on Hana's lap. I told her all about Bakugo and his personality, hoping she could shed some light on the situation but she just told me what I already knew. Be patient and kind, we never know what someone is walking through.

My phone chimed while I was getting ready for bed. I flipped it open to see who would be texting me so late at night. I couldn't help but smile when I saw that the guys had started a conversation while I was in the shower.

Bakugo:
So, how the fuck does this shit work?

Shinsou:
What do you mean?

Bakugo:
I don't fucking know! That's why I'm asking.

Shinsou:
*eye roll*
I mean, we just hang out and get to know more about each other.
Basically what I said earlier today, actually become friends.

Bakugo:
…

Ren:
Hey! Sorry I was in the shower!
Yeah, sparky! It's like eyebags said, we just hang out.
It's new to all of us and we have a lot to learn about one another!

I put my phone down and went to brush my teeth, wondering how all of this was going to work out. I could feel my anxiety creeping in and I took a deep breath, instantly choking on toothpaste. After crying for a solid five minutes, I crawled in bed and checked my phone again.

Bakugo:
Right.
Seems simple for now.

Shinsou:
Let's not forget that villains would try to use this against us.
It would be better if we could actually sell that we were friends before starting at Yuei.
Just trying to be realistic.

Ren:
Yeah, I wouldn't want my dad to use this against any of us.
Well, goodnight!
Let's all hang out tomorrow since school starts the day after!