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Hitoshi has been able to see the red threads since he was a kid.
He doesn't remember the very first instance where he saw them, nor why he of all people can see them at all, but they're there. They're meant to show a connection between people. The universe's way of saying "these people are perfect for each other".
Hitoshi can’t always see the threads. They only appear when a person’s soulmate is within a certain distance of them.
Most of the threads signify a romantic bond, but Hitoshi has seen people decide the relationship wasn't for them.
Luckily, there are several types of relationships and bonds. Not all soulmates stay together, even as friends, and Hitoshi thinks there's nothing wrong with that. Having a soulmate does not mean you're destined to be with that one person forever. There’s no pushing force that decides it for you. No, it's just someone fate has decided is on a similar level to you in romantic regards. It's your own decision to pursue a relationship or not.
That being said, Hitoshi has seen his fair share of every possible outcome.
He's awfully clumsy, you know?
Getting distracted and bumping into someone with a little more force than necessary when their soulmate just so happens to be walking by… They're forced to jump in and help the fallen person. He apologizes, he really needs to stop getting lost in his head, daydreaming is both a blessing and a curse.
Most times, people just wave him off with a laugh.
Which, yeah, is understandable because they just met the person that's supposedly meant to be perfect for them. People often tend to feel some kind of inexplicable pull towards their soulmate, sometimes it's just that feeling of "woah, they're really pretty" or other variants along that line.
He's seen people around his home and usual hangout spots slowly fall into and out of love with their soulmate.
Some stay together, others decide to stay friends, sometimes people even form Queer Platonic Relationships, sometimes they consider a polyamorous route because one of them was already in a relationship.
And, sometimes, people go their separate ways.
Hitoshi really can’t judge.
Especially considering that he decided immediately that he wanted absolutely nothing like a romantic relationship with his own soulmate the moment he had a conversation with them.
He’d finally been transferred into Class 1-A because apparently someone got that tiny grape menace booted from the school in total. Good for the girls of UA, he saw how the little shit leered at them and Midnight during the Sports Festival. The guy didn’t deserve to be in the Hero Course if that was how he was going to treat women.
He’d glanced down to find a red string tied around his middle finger topped with a little bow, which was really fucking funny, to be honest. Of course it was him that got stuck with the most crude finger. Red threads can be attached anywhere from the elbow to the tips of your fingers. He’s seen some people have it right at the elbow, others looked like it was barely just holding on to their ring finger. He knows the placings have something to do with the type of bond or person they’re connected to, but he’s never really gotten a chance to find out aside from brief theories.
It’s hard to ask people about something they can’t see.
The revelation that he had a soulmate in Class 1-A made him sigh heavily.
He decided he didn’t want to be in a relationship with his soulmate, because the moment he sat down, he was being crowded by a blonde with a black streak in his hair.
Denki Kaminari. His soulmate was one of the first people he encountered in the festival… How had he not noticed the thread? Granted, he’d been more focused on beating the boy and everyone else, but the bright red of the threads is pretty damn hard to miss.
Kamnari’s end is tied around his ring finger, which Hitoshi thinks is fitting to his flirty personality.
How he knows Kaminari is flirty?
The blonde decided to flirt with Hitoshi the moment he sat down.
Normally, he wouldn’t have a problem with that.
But the blonde had absolutely no concept of personal boundaries.
Leaning so close to someone’s face that they can smell your breakfast on your breath should be something everyone should avoid doing to someone they just met. And despite being so close to Hitoshi, the blonde is loud . And he wouldn’t stop despite Hitoshi’s many hints that he was uncomfortable with how close the boy was.
Yeah, maybe he should have just told him outright that he wasn’t comfortable (communication is key, afterall), but frankly, he didn’t really want to be too closely associated with someone that needed to be told to stay out of personal bubbles. Hitoshi definitely wants to be in close proximity and contact to someone he loves. He’ll want to hold their hand, hug them from behind, leave quick kisses as he passes by them… But someone who acts like that with a stranger is a big deal breaker. He’s not gonna want to watch his significant other lean close enough to someone they don’t know that it looks like they’re about to kiss.
He already had a poor impression of the heroics classes, but this was just a whole different level of annoying to deal with. He’s tired, leave him alone.
Had Kaminari stayed a respectable distance away and kept his volume at lower levels, Hitoshi would have actually considered him. He mentioned earlier that people felt an inexplicable pull to their attached half. It made sense that Kaminari felt the need to flirt with him, Hitoshi could acknowledge that Kaminari was attractive, but physical appearance held little to no weight to him when he’s looking for someone he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
Kaminari had good looks, but he was loud, pushy, and inconsiderate of personal space. Maybe he’s making Kaminari sound like a bad guy, but he’s really not. He actually seemed really nice, both from what Hitoshi had briefly seen in the classroom and watching him at the Sports Festival.
Maybe he’s being a little harsh.
But Hitoshi doesn’t want Kaminari.
Maybe someone else would, but not him.
Just his luck, he sighs, watching Kaminari talk to his friends a little more dejectedly than he had been before. The person that would supposedly be perfect for him is not someone he wants. Did the universe even try for him? Clearly Kaminari isn’t his perfect match if Hitoshi was this repulsed by his habits.
He almost jumps out of his seat when another blonde two seats in front of him, Katsuki Bakugou, he thinks, quite literally blows up. Explosions pop from his hands as he shouts at someone standing in the doorway. Are all blondes this loud and obnoxious? He’s pretty sure that french guy he saw in the festival wasn’t much better.
Hitoshi vaguely notices the red thread wrapped around Bakugou’s thumb. Fitting. Had humans looked at their own hands from an outside perspective, the thumb would definitely stick out in many ways, just as Bakugou does. The string is branched out to the doorway. Ah, Bakugou is yelling at his soulmate. Lovely.
At least Kaminari didn’t yell in anger.
Hitoshi lets his eyes trail along the thread to see which sad soul is possibly stuck with the bomberanian.
His eyes meet a pair of emerald eyes and Hitoshi feels his heart stop.
Izuku Midoriya is an enigma to everyone outside of the Heroics Course. The boy smiles so brightly, yet breaks his own bones with the same eagerness. Hitoshi’s old classmates joked about the boy being the highest level of masochist there was.
Hitoshi admits he's a little scared of the greenette. The boy is the only person to ever break out of Hitoshi’s quirk, he and that tail guy know better than anyone what his quirk does. They know what it is and what it makes him. And now he’s going to be stuck in a classroom with them for the next three years. Ah yes, he can’t wait for the confrontation with the boy with the quirk that breaks his own bones and shatters ice with air force alone.
But Hitoshi can’t focus on that right now.
He’s focused on Midoriya’s thread.
He’s seen the thread in more… unorthodox places. Elbows, wrist, his own on his middle finger is an example.
He’s never seen the thread pass someone’s elbow. It’s always attached to the lower arm somewhere, left or right doesn’t matter.
So why is Midoriya’s thread wrapped around his neck?
+++++++++++++
Fate picks favorites, Hitoshi realizes.
He’s not a favorite himself, but he’s certainly not exactly low on the favour scale either. Sure, he didn’t have many friends growing up, his biological parents gave him up at 5, and he doesn’t have a soulmate he feels connected to… But it’s not terrible. Classmates didn’t seem to care about him much in general, he has two great dads that adopted him at 8, and he doesn’t really mind not feeling connected to Kaminari. It just leaves more options open to him. He’s not going to force himself to love someone that he knows will eventually annoy him to death. Maybe he can try to be friends with the boy, but he sure as hell won’t pursue him romantically.
Midoriya, on the other hand, must be very low.
His red thread is basically a leash. Bakugou has his end on the one finger that’s perfect for gripping, and Midoriya has it around his neck. It’s pretty easy to see the picture that’s being painted here.
Hitoshi isn’t much of an art critic, but he can say with certainty that this is bad art and he hates it.
Bakugou is a favorite.
Hitoshi can tell at a glance that most of the blonde’s life has been all smooth sailing. The boat has barely even rocked. He has the perfect quirk, present and supportive parents, friends who basically refuse to leave… He probably hasn’t faced a hardship in his entire life before UA, Hitoshi thinks with a scowl as he watches the explosive boy yell at a red haired kid, Kirishima. He’s loud, egotistical, brash, and downright hostile at times. The perfect picture of those with “heroic” quirks.
Midoriya, though?
He… doesn’t make sense to Hitoshi.
His quirk is perfect for heroics too, much like Bakugou’s, but he isn’t like Bakugou at all. Midoriya is meek, jittery, kind, and trusting. He’s nervous in a way that Hitoshi recognizes and relates to. He’s wary of fast movements, has no ego whatsoever, and he’s nice.
And it’s weird.
What life did Midoriya lead before UA to end up like that? To be this bundle of nerves that flinches when Iida chops his arm?
“Shinsou?”
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
The purplette looks to his left to find Izuku Midoriya standing by the table, a bento box clutched in his hand.
Oh, he probably wants to sit here…
Eh.
“Yes?”
“Would you mind if I sat with you?” The greenette smiles. “I wanted to officially welcome you into our class, and noticed you were sitting alone.”
Oh. Hitoshi blinks.
“Knock yourself out,” He waves, turning back to his lunch tray. Midoriya squeaks out a “thank you!” and plops himself down in the seat across from Hitoshi.
“I’m so happy you’re in our class!” He beams. “I know that your transfer wasn’t super late, b- but it’s still set you behind a few weeks, right? I just wanted to let you know that if you need help catching up or just need a question answered, I’m always here!”
“What’s the catch?” Hitoshi asks in faux boredom, propping his cheek against his palm as he stirs the rice on his tray. Sue him, he’s a little interested to see how this goes. He’s not sensing any hints of quirkism, another confusing thing about Midoriya.
“H- huh?” The shorter squeaks back intelligently. “Catch? What do you mean?”
Is he serious?
Hitoshi raises a brow. “The catch. What do you want in return?”
“What? Why would I want something?” Midoriya tilts his head.
God, this kid is fucking weird.
Hitoshi spares a glance down to the greenette’s neck, feeling something in him soften at seeing the just-barely there red string. It’s very faded, most likely from the distance between Midoriya and Bakugou in the cafeteria.
Hitoshi momentarily considers asking Midoriya if he wants to move outside.
“Whatever,” He grunts, shoving a rice ball into his mouth to distract his thoughts. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Anytime!”
Hitoshi’s eyes find themselves repeatedly flicking down to the red against Midoriya’s skin for the remainder of lunch.
++++++++++
“Shinsou-kun! Shinsou-kun!”
Hitoshi holds back a (very admittedly, fond) sigh as he turns to watch the greenette bound up to catch up with him. The shorter’s chest heaves with his run, but his smile is no less dimmer than it usually is.
“Hey, Midoriya,” He greets easily.
“Do you wanna pair up during heroics class? We’re doing quirkless sparring, and I really wanna get some practice in, and I think of all the people in class, you’d be best to help with that!” Midoriya rambles. He pauses, before adding a quieter. “I- if you want to, that is…”
Hitoshi chuckles softly, rubbing the back of his neck out of habit.
“Sure, just promise me you won’t use your quirk by accident,” He jokes.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that! Thank you!” Midoriya grins.
Ever since that day at lunch, Midoriya has been setting aside a lot more time for Hitoshi. He doesn’t sit with him at lunch every single day, but he does pretty often. If there’s an assignment in class where they need partners, Midoriya’s first move is to twist in his seat to ask Hitoshi if he wants to work together.
It’s kind of funny just hearing the word “partners” then glancing in front of you to see a boy whip around in his seat to stare at you with a big smile.
Hitoshi hasn’t felt this wanted in a while.
It’s nice.
++++++++++
“You know, I don’t think your quirk is brainwashing.”
Hitoshi has to blink, because had he heard that right ?
He turns his head to stare at Midoriya lying next to him in the grass. They’d made a habit of visiting parks together, just lazing around in the warm sun and doing their own thing. Midoriya suggested taking naps in sunlight to possibly help with Hitoshi’s insomnia, and he was a little amused that Midoriya is basically calling him a cat in that regard.
Happy, because he loves cats, but amused.
“Come again?” he asks.
“I don’t think your quirk is brainwashing.” Midoriya repeats, eyes never once moving from the sky.
“...Okay? So, what is it then?” His voice is full of the skepticism he feels.
“Brainwashing is more like overriding something that already exists. You can’t influence how people think, you’re not changing something that was already there,” The greenette explains, finally turning his head to make eye contact with Hitoshi.
Hitoshi remains silent. What can he say? He’d been ostracized and picked on for something that apparently didn’t exist.
“I would say it’s close to something like hypnosis, or sleep walking,” Midoriya continues. “Granted, I’m pretty sure that a basis for hypnosis is that the person can’t do anything they wouldn’t normally do while conscious. So I think suggestable sleepwalking is the best explanation.”
“I can make people… sleep walk…” Hitoshi runs a hand down his face, feeling fatigue weigh on him.
“Yeah. It’s kind of like you’re putting their body in a puppet-like state, where they’re not fully connected and aware of it, like when you fall asleep, hence the name. But you’re able to swap out their own control, with yours. You’re not erasing or conditioning thoughts, you’re just… making people listen. Like puppetry!” Midoriya smiles.
“So… I just control the parts of the brain that are in charge of body movements…?” Hitoshi deduces.
“Yeah!” The smaller props himself on his arms. “That’s probably why pain snaps people out of it. You’re only controlling what they physically do, not what they physically feel . It reconnects the two.”
“...Lovely.” Despite the negativity that came with the new revelation, he can’t help but feel lighter and softer as he watches Midoriya pump a fist.
“For what’s it worth, I think your quirk is still really cool either way,” Midoriya promises, his eyes twinkling. Hitoshi takes a moment to stare, to watch that freckled face smile so gently at him. A breeze runs through the air, rustling the forest of curls that Hitoshi doesn’t doubt are soft to the touch. He gawks, because for a moment, he swears he saw something red. He let his gaze shift down, only to meet grass.
Looking back up, he meets Midoriya’s eyes. He lets a smile of his own curl onto his lips.
“Thanks, Midoriya.”
+++++++++++
Hitoshi watches with a scowl as Midoriya tries to calm a very volatile Bakugou, the mentioned ashen blonde setting off sparks in his palms as he murderously glares at Midoriya.
Bakugou needs serious anger management. He’s going to end up killing someone, probably Midoriya, at some point. But oh, no, it’ll be an “accident”! Bakugou never meant to hurt someone, no, no. He’s a hero, we shouldn’t tarnish his name with false claims of attempted murder. Don’t overreact!
Oh, piss off, Midoriya has been nothing but patient and accommodating with the blonde brat.
He couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on the red around Midoriya’s neck as the greenette holds his hands up in a surrendering position.
He hates it. He doesn’t like seeing that color in a spot he knows it’s not supposed to be. He hates that Midoriya, of all people, is the one stuck with a bond that is bad.
Midoriya has done nothing in his life to deserve this.
Done nothing to be treated like some kind of dog, like he’s lower than a human.
“Bakugou,” He hisses.
The ashen blonde whips around to face him, hands still sparking in his anger.
“HAH?!”
Hook.
“Do you ever shut up?” Hitoshi asks, a brow cocked, the familiar river of power coursing through his head.
Line.
“WHAT’D YOU JUST SAY-”
And sinker.
Bakugou’s eyes go vacant, an empty red as his posture loses all tension. The popping stops.
“Sit down.” Bakugou has no choice but to follow the order, but Hitoshi doesn’t release his hold even after the volatile teen is seated. He instead turns to look at Midoriya.
The green haired teen looks… confused, and a little awed, Hitoshi realizes with pinking ears. “You okay, Mido?” He asks carefully.
Midoriya snaps out of his trance, shaking his head. Hitoshi is pulled in by the almost mesmerising view of those green curls bouncing and swaying in the movement.
Cute.
“Sh- Shinsou! You’re not supposed to use your quirk!” Midoriya scolds with no real heat. Hitoshi snorts.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let him go when Aizawa-sensei comes back,” He promises.
“A- are you sure?” Midoriya asks uncertainly. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for something so small…”
“I said don’t worry about it,” Hitoshi repeats, smiling.
Midoriya’s cheeks flush pink for a moment, and Hitoshi finds himself drawn in by the sight.
Yeah. Definitely cute.
++++++++++++
“You and Midoriya seem to be getting along.”
Hitoshi pauses from where he’d been about to drink from his water bottle, slowly lowering the item as he turns his head enough to blink at Aizawa. The teacher only stares back, eyes tired. Hitoshi swears he sees something teasing in those gray eyes.
“...He’s nice,” He reluctantly not-agrees. Aizawa hums, glancing away for a moment before making eye contact with Hitoshi.
“Just nice?” He asks.
“Why the sudden interest?” Hitoshi fires back defensively.
“I’m curious, humour me.”
Hitoshi takes another moment to scan Aizawa’s body language. He’s completely relaxed, slouched on one of the benches of the gym.
…Why does the man have to be so hard to read??
“It’s complicated,” Hitoshi admits after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kinda hard to explain without sounding crazy.”
“Try me.”
There’s no way he’s telling an adult about the threads. Not like it should matter, Hitoshi knows Aizawa has already found and married his soulmate. Yeah, maybe he hadn’t been expecting Present Mic to be that soulmate, but opposites attract, he supposes. (Kind of like him and Midoriya…)
Hah, let’s not think about that right now-
Hitoshi grunts and rubs his forehead.
“I don’t know, he just… He doesn’t deserve a lot of the stuff that’s happening to him?” He hates how he phrased it as a question.
“Can you elaborate on that?” Aizawa asks after a beat of silence.
“I don’t think it’s really my place to say,” Hitoshi admits. Not that Midoriya would able willing to admit it either, he doesn’t even know about it. Aizawa gives a soft hum, pushing Hitoshi to continue. “He… he just feels different in so many ways… I feel drawn to him. I want to be close to him, a- and… I don’t know, what else could I do? I just want to be with him. ” He feels a little embarrassed about admitting this all to his teacher, but he trusts Aizawa.
“Have you told him that?”
Hitoshi blinks, looking back to meet Aizawa’s eyes.
“...No…” He slowly answers.
“I suggest trying.” Hitoshi opens his mouth to respond, to deny the suggestion, but Aizawa swiftly stands and gives him a pointed look before he can. “We’re done for today. Go home.”
And he turns and leaves.
Hitoshi is left staring after his mentor with wide eyes.
Should he…
+++++++++++
“Good morning, Shinsou-kun!” The happy voice of a certain greenette startles Hitoshi so much he trips over his own feet.
Thankfully (?????) he’s saved from kissing the tiles of the hallway by a strong pair of arms catching him. Hitoshi’s entire face goes red when he realizes Midoriya caught him-
Oh god, oh god, oh god-
“Shinsou! Careful, are you okay? I’m sorry if I scared you!” The greenette frets, easily righting the taller. His hands hover around Hitoshi’s form, like the other will tip over and plummet to the ground once more.
Why did Aizawa have to talk to him about all of that yesterday? Now it’s all that’s on his mind.
He’s staring, he knows he is, but Midoriya just looks so adorable with his pink, chubby cheeks, and little button nose dusted in freckles. Those wide eyes that can express any emotion, and make it look good , aren’t failing to capture Hitoshi in their pools of viridian in the slightest.
He can only hyperfixate on those bold shoulders and strong arms under the blazer that he knows could probably pick him up and throw him. The thought makes him sweat.
I am so gay.
“Shinsou?”
He’s jolted out of his gay panic by Midoriya’s concerned voice. His brows are furrowed to match. “Are you okay? Do you need to see Recovery Girl?”
“I’m f- fine.” Fuck, he stuttered.
“Are you sure? You didn’t hit your head or anything, right??”
Hitoshi clears his throat, placing his hands on the shorter’s firm shoulders- Oh god, the panic got worse, he shouldn’t have done that. Regardless he tries to continue with his original plan.
“Midoriya, I’m fine, I promise,” he reassures the greenette, mentally cheering that he managed to keep a stern voice.
“...If you say so…”
Oh, trust him, he doesn’t believe a single word he’s saying either.
And it’s clear Midoriya never did either, because he asks a single question at lunch that throws Hitoshi completely off course.
“Did I do something to upset you?”
The rice ball doesn’t make it to Hitoshi’s mouth, as he pauses to stare at Midoriya in confusion.
“...Of course not.” He doesn’t think Midoriya is capable of doing something that upsets him, honestly. Or, at least, not intentionally.
Midoriya doesn’t respond, instead looking down with uncertain eyes.
“What makes you think you did something? Or that I’m even upset?” Hitoshi asks gently.
“...You were acting really weird this morning, and you haven’t really been t- talking to me all day, s- so I thought…” He trails off, picking at the corner of his bento box.
Hitoshi mentally, and almost physically, slaps himself.
Dumbass.
Hitoshi sighs, setting his utensils down.
“You didn’t do anything, Mido. I’ve just… been thinking about some things lately,” he admits, feeling his cheeks heat.
“O- oh?” Hitoshi feels relief at seeing the way Midoriya perks up, thankfully believing him. “Like what, if you don’t mind me asking, that is!”
Hitoshi laughs softly as the boy waves his hands.
“I don’t mind,” he says. “I guess it’d be right to tell you, since it… it does involve you…”
Midoriya blinks. Hitoshi uses the silence to continue.
“Do you… do you ever meet someone, and you just can’t help but think they’re amazing? You want to do everything you can to stay by their side, but you don’t know how…” He starts.
He hears a soft “yeah…” from the teen in front of him, it sounds very dejected and Hitoshi frowns. His friend (crush) is looking down at the table.
“Well, I… I’ve got someone like that, and I really want to tell him, but I don’t know if he’d be interested.” He admits.
Midoriya looks up at Hitoshi for a moment, making eye contact through the green curls.
“...Who is it?”
Hitoshi pauses.
“I suggest trying.”
He takes a deep breath.
“It’s… you.”
It feels like everything freezes around them. Like they’re trapped in a bubble. It’s only them in this world. Nothing else matters.
Slowly, Midoriya’s head lifts and Hitoshi looks into wide, awestruck emeralds.
“...Me?” He echoes carefully.
Hitoshi nods with no hesitation, feeling the smile with his cheeks when Midoriya sparkles.
He looks away from Hitoshi for a split second, his doubt visible on his face, before seeming to steel himself as he reaches forward and gently grasps Hitoshi’s hand resting on the table.
He can’t look away, even if he wanted to he knows wouldn’t be able to do it.
Their fingers intertwine.
The two have matching smiles, cheeks dusted soft shades of pink.
Someone yells across the cafeteria, but neither care.
They only care about the here and then between them.
Maybe if Hitoshi had chanced a glance around the cafeteria, he would have spotted his raven-haired mentor standing a few tables away.
Maybe he would’ve noticed how the man is watching with a soft, satisfied smile.
But he doesn’t notice. He’s too busy admiring the boy in front of him, in his freckled, scarred, green glory.
Which means he doesn’t notice how Aizawa’s eyes are trained on the red thread connecting the two teens’ interlocked pinkies.
--------------------------------
