Song: Your Soul by Rhodes

I feel like this song captures the shift that will occur in this chapter. The music, the singing, the lyrics. It ties it all perfectly. I had it on repeat while writing the second part of the chapter.

P.S. The song 'I Guess I'm In Love' by Clinton Kane is a good representation of Bakugo's feelings for Y/n. I recommend listening to it :)

Enjoy!

...

Shutting the locker close, you tug on the uniform while sighing to yourself. Today was a brand new day, meaning another P.E session. There was something about running around on the track for an hour that didn't sit right with you. Due to your ability to fly around, you began to dislike running. But you knew you had to work on your stamina. The girls were walking out of the locker room, chit-chatting excitedly. Aizawa has been a little too busy running a school, leaving one hero to take over Class 2-A.

"Welcome, class!" All Might greeted loudly, his blue eyes lighting up as he stared at all of the cheerful faces looking back at him. Next to him was Touya, standing with his arms crossed over his chest, a slightly gruntled look on his face. Aizawa said to make himself practical and help All Might conduct class. And since today's lesson had to do with quirk usage and hand-to-hand combat, he thought they could do some use from kicking an ex-villain's butt. Not amused by the setup, Touya reluctantly found himself out on the field with All Might. He might as well get something out of this.

You grinned at Touya, and he rolled his eyes back, going as far as sticking his tongue at you childishly. Now, you knew where Eri got the bad habit.

"Today will consist of two things: improving your hand-to-hand combat and mastering any special moves you have developed recently." The last part was directed at Midoriya, who caught your eye, and smiled bashfully. It was no secret that the boy was swamped with work, stuck between schoolwork and mastering the new quirk Float. "I will be going around and reviewing your work. Young Touya will be here to offer assistance, such as a practice spar partner or testing your moves against his fire. Okay, let's split the class in half." The majority of the class was eager to try out their new moves. Hence why there was a bit of a fight over who got which side.

You, on the other hand, were in no rush to try anything with your quirk. Instead, your gaze locked onto Touya's, and the two of you smirked at each other. Wordlessly, you walked towards the mat set up to the side. Touya followed your movement, already stretching his arms.

"Eager to lose again, little witch?"

"You wish. The last time I checked, the score was 229-183. With me in the lead." You flashed him a cocky grin, dropping down to a slight crouch and stretching your legs.

Before Touya left the warehouse, a fun activity the two of you did was fight each other. Sneaking into the private room, the two of you would spar for hours to have time pass by. However, it turned into something more. It became of battle with neither party ever holding back. There was something about fighting with all the strength you had that intrigued you. Touya didn't like the fact that he was losing to you, but even he had enough pride to admit that you were better than him. Better than all of humankind, to be exact.

You were born to be strong. What made you the perfect candidate for this war was that you had natural killer instincts. The Boss' teachings were successful because he nurtured something you had been born with, not something taught.

"Oh shit, it's about to go down," Sero said, pausing by the other ring, and Kirishima stood across from him.

It was indeed about to go down. While looking at each other, the three seconds ticked down, and with sudden movements, you were running towards each other. Before reaching Touya, you dropped down and slid with a leg sticking out as a way to drop him. But he was accustomed to your fighting technique. Even if time had passed by, years of sparring with each other meant that you had his moves memorized, and he had yours memorized as well. It was a fight to see who would slip up first. The faster you strike, the better. The battle was ruthless. Touya would go in to punch you in the face, but his punch would collide harshly with your forearms. You would try to land a kick against his upper body, but Touya would sidestep at the last minute and evade the attack. It was starting to make you antsy.

"You got slow, crispy bacon," you taunted, even though you were breathing hard. A trickle of sweat slid from your temple and fell onto the top of your P.E uniform.

Touya laughed, chest heaving as he slightly rubbed his red knuckles. He was bound to wake up tomorrow with bruised skin. But it was worth it. The burning in his legs was exhilarating. Nobody in the League ever wanted to spar against him. "Not you too," he said, sidestepping and kneeing you in the stomach, making you grimace and stumble away. "I swear, you and your soulmate come up with awful nicknames."

"FUCK YOU HUMAN HEATER! MY NICKNAMES ARE BADASS! Y/N SUCKS ASS AT IT!" You heard Bakugo yell out from across the training ground, making you gap and turn slowly to face him, betrayal clear on your face.

"FUCK YOU! YOU LIKE MY NICKNAMES, YOU SAPPY LITTLE SHIT!" You yelled back, flipping him off before glaring slightly at Touya's shit-eating grin. "Wipe that look off your face."

"Did I witness a lovers' quarrel?" He asked, eyes wide like he couldn't believe it.

Rolling your eyes at him, you did a half cartwheel, the bottom of your shoe colliding with his jaw. You hoped it bruised. "Shut up, defective fireplace," you grumbled. It wasn't a quarrel or even close to it. Those that knew you and Bakugo understood the strange dynamic of your soulmate bond. The two of you were best friends, besides being lovers. That meant there was teasing, occasional roast sessions, and weird nicknames. This bantering was nothing strange. Bakugo was always looking for a way to mess with you.

Touya grumbled, rubbing at his jaw as he opened and closed his mouth, trying to see if you had managed to dislocate it. "Damn, I feel the love, little sis."

"Suck my ass, burnt toast. You were asking for it. Also, look behind you." He knew better than to fall for your amateur distraction. And you knew he wouldn't fall for it, which is why you pulled your fist back and punched him in the face, grinning when Touya raised his hands in surrender.

"You win. Now stop damaging my pretty face." The two of you dropped down to the mat of the makeshift ring, shoulders aligned as you stared up at the high ceiling. "Just like the old times, hu," Touya mused, turning his head to look at you.

You looked back at him, noticing that, yes, it was like old times. But this was better. There was no one forcing you to fight until you passed out. The soles of your feet were no longer throbbing from constant friction against a worn-out mat. Here, you were free. And Touya was free with you. He didn't have someone dictating his life, and now he lived it the way he wanted to live it. When he said the sun would shine upon you both, this is what he meant. "Better than the old times." Slowly getting up, you pulled him up to his feet. "What will it take to convince you to perform the move with me?"

"Are you talking about THE move?"

"Yes."

He pondered the question. The move you spoke of wasn't something easy. It took a lot of concentration from both ends, and if not performed correctly, it could bring the whole place down. But there was nothing wrong with playing with fire. It made life exciting, after all. "You have to bake me that cake I've been craving."

"Deal."

Standing up, you made sure that All Might wasn't anywhere nearby before hitting the green line. After hours of boredom, Touya randomly suggested, "What if we combine our powers?" And thus, the dragon dance came into existence. As the name suggests, the signature move resembled a dance. His palm holds a small blue flame, while your hand has a purple fire, similar to his. Together, you raise the flame high before turning on the heel of your feet and facing him. The people nearby pause as they see the fluid moves coming from you. Even Touya seemed different in this new light, his eyes softer and his face kinder. The blue and purple intertwine, becoming one as the flames grow between you both.

As the flames grow, they take on the shape of a dragon. The heat radiates brightly, filling up those in the room with warmness.

"What is going on?" Midoriya asks, turning around and gaping at the sight. A midnight blue dragon body began to circle through the room and he couldn've sworn he heard it roar. "Wow," he gasps out, eyes captivated by the creation. Everybody else seemed just as speechless.

You stand across from Touya, your eyes connecting with his, and he nods. Touya would produce the flames, being the source of the fire and fueling it. Although the fire user was great at controlling it now, this particular move required more concentration. Cue your entrance. Your quirk would mix with his and guide it, shaping it and bringing it to life. It was exhilarating watching your creation come to life. Never did you think you would have the power to create something both equally beautiful and powerful.

Even All Might paused in the middle of the inspirational speech he was giving, staring up as the dragon cast a blue hue over his yellow pinstripe suit. He didn't have it in him to shut it down, seeing the pride swimming in Young Touya's eyes. The boy never got tired of seeing the dragon come to life. He grew up resenting his quirk. Unable to withstand too much fire, Touya began to hate his body. And yet, something good came out of the terrible quirk. As the flames slowly died down, Touya wondered how Endeavor would react upon seeing the son he dubbed unworthy create something beautiful. Touya could bet Endeavor never thought he would make it this far, and the thought enough brought a grin to his face. Oh, he enjoyed proving assholes wrong.

"I can never get tired of that," you grin at Touya, only stumbling when Kaminari jumped eagerly on your back, talking rapidly in your ear. His fast-firing questions could even rival Midoriya's at this point. Your brother's lips twitch up, the ghost of a smile on his face as he leaves you alone with your friends, taking the opportunity to walk away. He needed a moment to reflect on the chaotic situation he somehow found himself in now. It felt like the hidden part of himself that he kept locked away had finally stepped out of the darkroom and into the light. 

Your eyes follow him as he leaves, wondering if this was too much for him. But then more people come up to compliment the show and your attention shifts away from the fire wielder.

All he needed was time, you told yourself.

☹☻☹☻☹☻☹☻☹☻☹☻☹☻☹☻☹☻☹☻☹

The scent of freshly baked cookies filled the room as Momo nestled her feet on your lap. Today was determined an emergency girls' day by Ashido, declaring that it's been too long since we've all been together. The girls from Class 2-A were nestled in the comfort of the couches, watching a comedy movie in the main living room. To add to the movie night, you had prepared goodies, such as bread, cookies, and even brownies. Since Touya made sure to cash in his reward, you thought, fuck it, why not. Kill two birds with one stone, as they said.

Under the glow of the t.v screen, your purple toes glittered. It was all thanks to Aoyama for adding the extra glitter. Sinking into the couch, you munched on one of the brownies, trying to enjoy the movie that was playing, but there was a weird feeling spreading through your chest. Something was making you anxious.

"You okay?" Momo whispered, her dark eyes locked onto yours, and it caught Jirou's attention as she also turned to look at you.

You wanted to tell them. But the words didn't leave your mouth. Instead, you rub your chest as it would somehow miraculously alleviate the tension you were feeling. "Something is wrong. I can feel it." That was never a good thing. The girls stood up, and it caught Ashido's attention who paused the movie. They knew that if you sensed something wrong, then there was something going on. Your instincts were always on point. There was uneasiness fluttering through the room as the others caught onto the commotion.

"What is it? Is it the boys?" Uraraka asked, her brown eyes worried. That's right. Endeavor had called in for the Big Three to join him on patrol today as a way to put a temporary stop to the increase of crime. At this moment, even the top hero agency needed the extra hands. Aizawa had been reluctant to agree. There were so many things up in the air at this moment, and he couldn't deem it safe. Nezu was still missing, and nobody knew where he could've gone or if he rigged the security system at the school. The League was still hiding, and the only thing they left behind was the broken debris of their former warehouse. It felt wrong— sitting here and enjoying a movie when evil was stirring.

The ringtone of your phone startled the silence of the room, and even Hagakure jumped at the noise. You grabbed the phone, and your face pinched in worry upon seeing Midoriya's name flash on the screen. You didn't hesitate in picking up. "What happened?"

There is noise in the background, and his voice comes out broken, interrupted by whoever was speaking in the back. But then you hear him, his words slicing through you. "Kacchan got a bit bruised on patrol, so we're sending him home early. Can you meet him at the train station?" You detect the way his voice wavers just a tad bit, probably his way of keeping his emotions in check and not worry you even though he, himself, was feeling worried. Always the hero. "How fast can you get there? He's a bit stubborn."

"Give me two minutes, Izuku," you reply, your voice amused, but the anxious feeling doesn't wither away as you suspected. You tried not to feel overwhelmed by everything. You knew something was wrong, but you couldn't put your finger on it. Bakugo got scruffed up while on patrol, but that came with the job. And knowing the hothead he is, Bakugo most likely got ahead of himself. But the anxiousness wasn't emitting from the soulmate bond.

But then you felt a hand on your shoulder, Momo whispering, "Breathe," and you did calm down a little, slowing down the panicked thoughts. You nod your head in gratitude and your attention shifts to the call.

"Tell him to sit tight, or I'm going to eat the cake I made him."

He must have heard you, and you yank the phone away from your ear. Through the speaker of the phone, you hear Bakugo's loud yelling. "He heard that, and he ain't happy," Midprya replies, sounding like he was struggling on holding back a feral Bakugo.

"Shoot. Give me 30 seconds then." Waving goodbye at the girls, you slide your shoes on and head out of the dorm building, looking up at the darkening sky.

"Okay. We're on the corner of—"

"No need, I'm here." Your voice startles Midoriya as he whirls around and sees you casually standing behind him. You end the call and walk towards Bakugo. He pouted while sitting on the sidewalk curb with an arm stuck in a sling. "You said he got bruised. Why is his arm messed up?"

"Oh yeah," Midoriya begins nervously. He had planned on immediately dipping when you arrived so that you wouldn't chew him out for keeping the minor details out. "His bones got bruised," he tried to be cheeky and say, but the unamused look from you made him back away. "Well, nice seeing you, Y/n! I should get going. I think Shoto is calling me. Bye! Take care, Kacchan!" The oldest lie in the book, but you let him slide as he zoomed away, One for All leaving trails of green behind.

Bakugo doesn't even look up as you stand above him, and he merely stands up and waits there. With his arm messed up, he couldn't use his quirk to fly away. Recovery Girl will fully heal his arm tomorrow. But for the rest of today, he was stuck on bed rest. He wasn't happy with it. He was tired of feeling like a burden. And today, he had the chance to be helpful, to be someone. But he threw that all away.

Wordlessly, you wrap an arm around him, making sure not to jostle his injured arm as your quirk carries you both home. Rather than heading through the front door, you arrived at the balcony of his room. The doors slide open, "I'm going to start the water." He remains in his room, standing there unusually quiet, and you feel the tension rolling off of him. It was strange. He's never been this cold.

The bathtub begins to fill up with warm water, and the humidity fogs the mirror in his bathroom. You sense his presence as he enters the smaller room, and you hear the rustle of clothing. But it stops, and you turn around, seeing the look of pain on his face, struggling to take off the top half of his hero costume. "Come here," you say softly, your fingers gripping the bottom of this tank top and pulling it up, careful not to let it tug on his bad arm. He allows you to take care of him, and his head shifts down so that you can pull it off. His gaze doesn't come back up, and you wonder what is so interesting about the tiles in the room. You unbuckle the sling, gently placing it on the counter of the sink.

"Katsuki," you breathe out, and he tenses up. Was he afraid of you? Did he not want you there?

All you can do is touch him. Fingers pad across his chest, his arms, and they thread through his hair. You gently pull on his hair back, bringing his face up. Those lovely rubies look at you with so much love that it leaves you breathless. But there is reluctant acceptance in his eyes, and you wonder what is eating him inside. "Let me take care of you." He continues to stare into your eyes, "please," you add.

Bakugo shifts his head slightly in a nod, and you take a step back to test out how warm the water is. You don't look at his naked body as he slithers into the water. There's a satisfied sigh from him. Knowing that he can't move his arm, your fingers guide his head over to where you were perched on the edge of the tub and reach over for the shampoo bottle. "It's hair day today, right?"

"Yes," he says, the first word you've heard from him this evening. Nodding to yourself, you begin to work the shampoo into his hair, the pads of your fingers massaging his scalp. Bakugo only glances up for a second and takes in the loving features on your face. Nobody has ever been this way with him. He was used to being treated like he was a hot mess. People would keep their distance. They would look at his hands and think about how much damage they could do. They looked at him and saw someone who was villainous.

But you were never like that. You looked at Bakugo like he hung the stars and the moon. He couldn't count all the time you spent feeling his hands, kissing the callouses he had. You knew how deadly his hands were, and yet, you didn't fear them. Instead, you let them guide you home. At this moment, you took care of him and let him be at peace, with no questions asked. The intimacy from this overwhelmed him. You were there to take care of him at his lowest, and he detected no judgment.

A strong emotion makes him choke up. It's love.

Love.

It's always been love.

When you cup water into the palm of your hands to rinse the shampoo off, your eyes connect with his. "What's wrong, love?" Bakugo lets out a shaky breath as his hand brings your face closer to his. You get a sweet kiss rather than words, but you feel what he's trying to tell you. You can feel the fear, the disappointment, and the bitterness in the kiss. None of it was towards you but towards himself. The kiss ends, and you wish there were more. Instead, you grab the conditioner and drop a quarter into the palm of your hand, working it into his hair. "You can't hold it in forever."

"Maybe I can," he grumbled, closing his eyes as his head lays on your lap. He doesn't care that the water spills slightly and soaks the sweats you were wearing. "If I hadn't been so fucking stubborn that day, none of this would've happened. You would've never been kidnapped or hurt. All I can think about is how alone you were. I hear your cries at night. I see the crusty bastard killing you over and over again. But worst of all, I'm afraid of losing you, of never feeling you through the bond or hearing your voice again." He laughs drily, with no trace of humor. Instead, the laugh is full of resentment. "I thought I was over that. No more being a cocky little shit. But I was wrong."

He feels the water cascading through his hair and trekking down the side of his face. But most importantly, he feels the way your fingers rub the top of his shoulders, and he's almost lulled into sleep. "My stupidity almost cost me my life. You are my life Y/n. Without you, I am nothing." The cries he had been repressing escape him, and the only thing you can do is hold him as he clutches your hands. He digs his face into your lap, and his shoulders shake.

Bakugo feels something cold touch his face, and he looks up, seeing the tears cascade your face and falling onto him. You were crying, unafraid of the raw emotion you were showing.

He's been hoarding these feelings for days, maybe even weeks. And it broke you to pieces, hearing how devasted he felt. No, what shattered you was how he blamed himself. God, what were you going to do with him? This selfless, fierce, stubborn boy. He was going to be the death of you. The biggest closeted romantic. A boy who loved spicy food above anything. A hero with a heart of gold that gave it his everything. He was the one you loved. "Bakugo Katsuki." The full name was spoken, demanding his attention as you cradled his precious face.

He peeked through his lashes and noticed how cute you looked with a pink nose and rosy cheeks. Maybe now was not the time to think about that. He looked at your lips instead, and the hormonal part of him realized that he was stark naked in water that barely covered him, and you were right in front of him. The shirt you wore fell slightly off your shoulder, and he got a nice view of your collar bone. Yeah, not a good idea to focus on how beautiful you are.

"None of this was your fault. Do you understand? I love how passionate you are, and yes, it would've been nice if you had listened that day. But there was no way you could've known that the League was behind the attack. I don't blame you for anything. It was something out of your control. And honestly, I would go through it all over again if it meant you were far away from danger." You caress his cheekbones with your thumbs before leaning forward and kissing him. "Katsuki, you are my sanity. You kept me tethered to this world when I was on the brink of nonexistence. I believed you were dead for weeks, and it was the worst feeling in the world. But you are my victory. You fight for everybody and protect those that need to be protected. There is nothing wrong with being confident in your skills, and I shouldn't have underestimated you. I wanted to keep you safe that day, but my feelings as your soulmate clouded my thinking."

You help him out of the tub, grabbing the fluffiest towel for him to use. Your quirk brings forward his favorite sweats and the hoodie you had gifted him for your monthly anniversary. Bakugo wasn't used to ever being this pampered before. People just assumed he warded off love, but really, he was afraid of hurting those he loved. "In this life and the next, we'll have each other. You're everything I wanted but didn't think I would find."

"The freckles on your back. The dimples on your cheeks. The way I used to make you laugh. Your sappy nicknames. The way you would go above and beyond to fucking surprise me. I would think about it all. I would even fall asleep to thoughts about you. But when the morning came, I would wake up and reach for you, only to find an empty bed. I don't want to experience that ever again." He confessed, allowing you to detangle his hair and apply the oils he used.

Your shoulder touches the space between his shoulder blades, and it lingers there, "We are in each other's souls. I will cross oceans for you, move mountains to get to you, and live through hell to find you again. Bakugo Katsuki, you are my stardust, and my heart beats only for you."

Two souls in love. They each burn with the same intensity and are brighter than the sun.

Not only did girls need reassurance, but so did boys. Bakugo needed a reminder that he was loved, not only by you but by others. Once in a while, he needed to hear that he was worthy and capable of being kind in the face of cruelness.

The night was spent in each other's arms, chasing away the nightmares that plagued the other. When Bakugo would wake up in a cold sweat, swearing for forgetting about his injured arm and feeling empty, you would be there, kissing away the darkness. When you would twitch in your sleep, shouting Katsuki's name, the boy would gently wake you up and kiss away the tears, reminding you that his heart is beating and that it only beats for you. That night, two souls held each other and found peace with their trauma.

Away from the explosive boy's dorm room, a very tired Aizawa rushed to get home. He opened the door and found Touya still awake. "Where are my girls?" He asked urgently, frantically climbing up the stairs to the bedroom, only to find Eri sleeping with her elephant plushy, as she usually was at this late hour.

"What's going on?" Touya asked, watching as Aizawa tugged at his capture weapon and swore under his breath. When the man didn't respond, he answered his previous question. "Y/n is in the dorms. They're both safe."

"Good. Don't let your sisters out of sight."

"Okay, hold up. What the fuck is going on?"

Aizawa took a deep breath in, roughly running a hand through his now knotted hair. There was no point in beating around the bush. And so he stared into Touya's eyes and revealed the news, "The League attacked Tartarus tonight. They managed to get one villain out of there." There was a heavy pause, and Touya almost wished he hadn't asked.

He knew. With how frantic Aizawa was behaving and demanding Touya to keep an eye on his sisters, there was only one explanation.

Aizawa said the last words Touya ever wanted to hear. "Overhaul is free, and he left a message in blood. He's coming for them."

✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿ ✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯

"You were you,
and I was I;
we were two,
before our time.
I was yours,
before I knew;
and you have always
been mine too."

-Lang Leav

How's everybody feeling? Any particular scenes you guys want me to incorporate into the story? I'm open to suggestions!

ALSO! Thank you for 20k views and 1k votes! You don't know how fucking excited I am. It's literally so unbelievable. I sometimes refresh Wattpad to make sure I'm not making anything up. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for reading my story.

-lots of love, mj