The night after the sports festival, Katsuki sits on his bed in silence.

There were so many things from that day that still pisses him off, so many things that made him want to blow the whole world up until he was the only thing left... The shame of what he felt was a bitter defeat, the humiliation of being chained for the world to see, for the world to gawk at the monster instead of gazing in awe at the soon to be hero... He tried in vain to keep his emotions from overflowing from his eyes and exploding in his hands, but angry, bitter tears came forth and so did tiny explosions that popped in his palms.

Fucking pathetic.

Everything else seemed to stop in time when he felt a twinge of the old telltale warmth in his arm. He sat up, staring at it for a moment, unsure if what was happening was really happening... Then the little spot spread like a calm fire about his arm, and then it spread to the rest of him until it all began to pool into his chest.

The silent calling that Katsuki hadn't felt in years was back in full force, and he hated it. He had spent the better part of 10 years ignoring it, yet he could feel all the emotions that came as the lines would appear on his skin. Nervousness, hesitation, worry... All emotions that Katsuki wished he could just fucking throw away. He didn't need them! Same with the pointless concept of a soulmate. He didn't need one. All he needed was to become stronger than everyone else, come out on top and be number one! He didn't want some nobody dragging him down!

Yet...

He remembered the indescribable feeling that ran through him when the purple haired boy came out from the crowd, endless bags under his eyes and an almost condescending smirk on his face. Katsuki almost wanted to smack it off, but even if he did want to, he knew he couldn't. He wanted to feel nothing towards this extra who dared challenge him, but everything else in him screamed an adoration for someone whose face he had never even seen until then... These feelings didn't even feel like his own... It was like there was some unknown entity feeling for him, demanding that he love this stranger who would undoubtedly drag him down.

Even now, his heart still raced as he waited for the warmth to fade... Even after it stopped it continued to hammer in his chest, his usually explosive hand hovering over the sleeve that covered whatever message his soulmate had for him. Katsuki hated how his hands shook over such a simple, pathetic thing... He just needed to pull his sleeve up, that's it... Hitoshi had a message for him for the first time in years. He wants to think it's something pathetic like "take me back," but Hitoshi wasn't like that, he could see.

Fuck, he could even remember his name! It's the one name that would be engraved into his mind, never leaving him no matter what he does! And now he had a shitty face to go with it, that wouldn't go away, either! Fuck absolutely everything!

With a newfound determination fueled by anger, he yanks his sleeve up harshly to reveal purple letters, fully expecting words full of anger and spite... But that's not what's written at all.

"Are you okay?"

It's just a short phrase, one almost as simple as the short words they first shared as children... Yet it opened the floodgates of Katsuki's mind, which wasn't appreciated in the slightest, but it brought up one powerful fact: Hitoshi knows. Fuck, Katsuki hates how terrifying this fact is- nothing should make him, of all people, so afraid! He isn't a little brat who cowers in difficult situations! Why is he affected like this?

You know why, a voice in his head chided gently.

Before Katsuki even knew what he was doing, he was already across the room and holding a red pen from his desk. What the fuck was he even doing? Writing back to this fucker like some giddy, pathetically love-struck thing? What would be the point? This extra would just keep him from being the best, infect him with mediocrity and weakness! He can't give in to this bullshit!

But apparently, he can't ignore it, either. So in spite of all the voices in his head reminding him how terrible of an idea this is, he writes back anyway.
"Does it matter?"

Almost five minutes of agonizing silence before he gets a reply.

"I wouldn't be asking if it didn't."

Katsuki groans, resting his head on the desk. Did he really want to keep doing this? They've had years of silence, why break it? They can both move on. Katsuki can become the best and... What do extras do? What does Hitoshi do? Why does it matter? Does it even matter? He's surely got some plans, but Katsuki has every intention of ignoring him the whole time... But he can't ignore him, can he?

Apparently not, because the warmth returning on his arm made him look back up and see what the other had sent.

"Do you know who I am? Like, beyond what I've told you." It was slow, hesitant, not unlike the accompanying feelings.

"Yeah," Katsuki replies, his own feelings of uncertainty rising up.

"Good, because this would be awkward."

He huffs. "It already is awkward, dumbass."

Hitoshi feels more amused as he adds, "Then it'd be even more awkward."

"I'm going to fucking bed."

"Cool, talk to you later."

Katsuki had to resist the urge to growl at the writing on his arm. Who the fuck does this bastard think he is? "NO YOU WON'T!"

"Sure, Jan."

"FUCK OFF."

Katsuki's walking into his classroom when he feels the telltale warmth on his arm again. He stifles a groan and takes his seat, pulling his sleeve up so he can see the message.

"Morning."

He makes sure nobody's looking before he pulls his pen out and writes back, "Fuck off, purple bastard."

Hitoshi isn't fazed in the slightest. "Someone's cranky today. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"Eat shit."

"Bakugou?"

Katsuki nearly jolts out of his seat. He whips his sleeve back down and looks up to see the six-armed bastard... Octotwat. Yeah, that's his name now. He can't see much of his face because of his stupid mask (why does he even wear it anyway?), but under the usual neutrality he can see concern. Katsuki has to resist the urge to explode his face off. Especially since he can feel Hitoshi replying again.

"Are you alright?" The hulking figure asks. "You-"

"I'm fine, Octotwat," Katsuki cuts him off with a glare. "Fuck off."

He stands there for a moment, not seeming offended by Katsuki's interruption, instead eyeing him up like he was going to press further. Thankfully, he just gives a simple nod. "Alright." He doesn't push the conversation further, turning around and greeting the sparkly bastard as he walks in and engaging in conversation.

Katsuki quietly lets out a breath he had been holding. The last thing he needed was his blabbermouth classmates finding out about his soulmate- which, by the way, he doesn't even want! Well, the big octopus bastard seems like he could keep his mouth shut, he obviously has secrets to hide... But what about the others? It's a miracle that Deku never fucking talked about it! The little shit went on and on about how much he wanted a soulmate for the longest fucking time! Just like with the quirk!

And now he had a fucking quirk... Did this mean he has a shitty soulmate, too?

Katsuki shakes his head to clear that particular thought process away. Nope, not entertaining that train of thought! Not today, Satan!

He pulled his sleeve back up when he knew it was safe, the students filing in all seeming to be ignoring him.

"Glad to know you care~" The little shit drew a heart next to his writing.

Quickly confirming that nobody was watching once more, he wrote back, "Go fuck yourself."

"Awww, how flattering!"

If Aizawa hadn't already dragged himself into the classroom and started the lesson, Katsuki would've just said something during class... But the disaster bastard was sharper than people gave him credit for. He'd notice, and if Katsuki was called out his plan of keeping this quiet would be blown apart- no pun intended. He has no choice but to wait until lunch to reply

He's going to kick that motherfucker's gremlin ass.

haaaaaaaaaaaa it's been,,, a hot minute since I updated this, and I'm really sorry about that! I hope yall liked this chapter, even if it's shorter! btw Bakugou's kind of a pain to write, I'm not used to this firey lil shit yet WHEEZE