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Izuku was in the dining room blowing cold wind at her steaming cup of coffee as she studied the broken timer on her right arm with a gloomy smile. Ever since she was young, her friends and classmates bullied her for having a broken timer while adults always looked at her with pity, but she had her mother, who always held her close as she cried every night wishing that her timer wasn’t broken. There are two reasons why a person had a broken timer her mother told her; the first reason was that her soulmate wasn’t born yet while the second reason is that her soulmate was already dead. But as years went on she realized that there was a third reason, that there was a chance she never will have a soulmate in her entire life, she was part of the 1% of the population to not have one and it hurts so much, she understands why her mother never told her the third reason but it still hurts to not have learned it from her and she had to find out through bullying.
Half of her friends already had soulmates, which made her feel more bitter. She knows it's selfish, but she wishes that they won't find their soulmate because she doesn’t want to be alone. From the last time she checks on the timer on her close friend's arm, Ochako should be seeing her soulmate soon and Izuku dreads the call coming soon, she knows that Ochako would want to throw a party when she finds her other half, she knows that she would be invited to the party, but she wants to avoid going to the party at all costs. Izuku couldn’t handle being in a room with others and their soulmates, it would break her already fragile heart.
No one will ever understand the pain in her chest when she glances at her friends kissing their other half or when she sees Tsuyu holding hands with Tokoyami or Shouto kissing Hanta's hand while looking at him with the most gentle smile on their faces knowing that she doesn’t have a soulmate, she doesn’t want her friends to stop showing affection to their other half because of her, she just wishes that they try to avoid doing that in front of her or if she's watching but what can you do? It’s not as if they can’t stop loving their soulmates for her.
Izuku sighs as she finally takes a sip of her coffee, she lets out a sigh of relief as she breathes in the aroma of her coffee, God it always smells so lovely after thinking of depressing thoughts. Deep in thought, she flinched and almost spilled her coffee on herself when a sudden noise echoed throughout her small apartment. Taking a big gulp of her coffee she returns to the kitchen to place her cup in the sink as she follows where the sound is coming from. A sound of ringing echoes throughout her bedroom as soon as Izuku enters the room with a frown on her freckled face she glances toward the phone placed on her nightstand that was ringing violently.
Izuku's face dropped as she soon realized what the call was all about, she was ready to face what was going on the other side of the phone with a worn-out sigh. Izuku walks toward her nightstand and grabs the phone, she stares at it for a few minutes taking her sweet time before she answers the call and immediately puts it on speaker and sits on her bed. “Hell-” Izuku was cut off when a familiar voice screamed through the phone.
“IZUKU GUESS WHAT!!” a loud high pitched scream entered Izuku's ear, she scrunched her button nose and cringed at the loud screaming hoping that her neighbors would not come knocking on her door, grabbing her phone quickly she lowers the volume slightly so that she won’t suffer from going deaf because of Ochako’s screams “Ochako-chan, shush you don’t need to scream so loudly, you’re on speaker everyone on the block could hear you...Ochako-chan I can feel my ears bleeding because of your scream” Izuku says as she massages her forehead in irritation, while mumbling the last part because fuck, she did feel like she was going to go deaf from listening to her friends scream from meeting their soulmates. She loves her friends with all her heart but damn her friends nowadays geez. She’s about to block everyone's number if they don’t stop screaming her poor ears off.
Laughter soon followed, flowing through the room making Izuku slightly smile at her friend's happy laugh “Sorry about that, I was just so excited, and I don’t care if people hear me scream, I have no shame!!” Her friend laughed maniacally. Izuku rolled her eyes as she gazed out her open window grinning as she felt the wind enter her room. She glanced back at her phone on top of her nightstand with raised eyebrows as her voice slowly turned to a teasing tone “Oh? Did you just say that you have no shame? Don’t you remember that one time when you embarrassed yourself in front of my neighbor because you–” A loud shout cut off Izuku “OHMYGODSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP” Izuku grabbed her stomach and laughed at Ochako’s embarrassment serve her right for saying she has no shame.
“So, are you going to tell me your big news that made you so excited that you had to scream once I answered the call?” Izuku asks after she stops laughing, her eyes drag down to the timer on her arm, and sighs. Izuku felt her pulse quicken, she rubs circles into the skin trying her hardest to calm her frantic beating heart. Ochako stutters with her response. Izuku gulps as she prepares her heart for another impact.
“I found my soulmate.”
Silence filled the room as Izuku tries to stop herself from wanting to cry and curse her friends for having soulmates, but she doesn’t have one, it was so unfair, why her? Izuku took a deep breath through her nose and let the air escape through her mouth. Izuku smiles “Congrats Ochako-chan, I’m so happy for you” Ochako let out a sigh “Thank you Izu’” Izuku smiles, running her fingers through her hair Ochako spoke again but quieter this time “I’m hosting a party later, my soulmate will be there, and you’ll be able to meet her..will you be able to come?” Izuku licked her lips, Ochako was the only friend that understand her feeling when it comes to this, but she doesn’t want to sour the mood if she doesn’t come. This is an important day for everyone with or without a soulmate.
“I’m coming. It’s a special day of course and I know you need help with decorating for the party” Izuku smiles when she hears Ochako scream in delight “Thank you Izuku, y’know how much this means to me” Izuku smiles as she closes her eyes “I know” Izuku whispers “I know” she repeated. ’I too would want to host a party after meeting my soulmate’ Izuku thought, her smile dropping as she feels the pain in her chest coming back. Scenarios of meeting her soulmate appear behind her closed lids. “You’re an amazing friend Izuku, you know that right?” Ochako softly asked, Izuku opened her eyes as she hummed a response “I know, but let’s focus on the most important part” Izuku giggled at Ochako’s “Huh??”
“You finally met your soulmate first before lida!” Silence then another scream echoed throughout her room, oh her neighbors are going to harass her later once she steps foot out of her apartment for all the screaming, she should prepare. “OH MY GOD YOU’RE RIGHT!” Ochako laughed, “Everyone owes me 20 bucks, except for you.” Izuku could imagine that Ochako was pouting over Izuku not owing her money, unlike the others. Izuku let a sigh of relief escape her, Glad that she had the tendency to always check her friend's timer and calculate when they are going to meet so she wouldn’t join the betting game they had ever since college. Her wallet lives another day.
They talk for another hour before Izuku ends the call with a sigh, she stands up from the bed and stretches her body letting the hour of sitting fatigue let go of her. She looks out the window of her apartment and sighs. She has been sighing all day she realized it wasn’t healthy of her to sigh so much but the emotions she had been trying to hold down caught up to her as she fell to her knees against the wooden flooring and sobbed. She can’t handle being so selfish, she can’t handle another wave of depression hitting her. But it hurts so fucking much, she might even be overdoing it, or her depression had gotten worse. She should have not quit therapy, Izuku needs to go back or else she might die because of her stupid brain saying stupid things to herself.
She has to stay strong, Izuku thought as she ran her hand over her forearm. A sad look was plastered on her face for eternity. God, she fucking hates it whenever she becomes like this, self pity is a fucking bitch, and she hopes she can fucking kill this bitch soon. Izuku laughed at herself and stood up, her left hand still running over her forearm. “I should take a bath and eat, I don't want to be late "Izuku whispered to herself and walked out of the room to prepare everything she needs for the party.
“This should be enough,” Izuku said to herself as she packed up the decoration she had, she sent Ochako a text and a picture of the decoration she had already packed up asking if these were okay. Placing down her phone, Izuku walks to the kitchen and opens the refrigerator, grabbing the glass pitcher inside the fridge she pours herself a glass of water while she waits for her phone to ring. While waiting she felt a small but noticeable burn on her forearm. Izuku let out a quiet hiss she looked down at her right arm and examined it with a frown on her face. She didn’t have any noticeable burn on her arm, and she was sure that her lotion wasn't the cause of it since she always used it so why was her arm burning?
Ping
She raised her head in the direction of her phone, Izuku could always check later she thought. Izuku returned the pitcher to the refrigerator along with her glass and walked towards the counter. Leaning against the table she opens her phone and taps the chat notification.
Zu’Zu:
Will this be enough?
[Picture.jpeg]
Ochako /(*｀ｴ´*)/ :
Yup!! What time are you coming?
Izuku glanced towards the clock on the wall. The clock read 2:30 pm, she turned back to her phone is starts typing a response
Ochako /(*｀ｴ´*)/:
Yup!! What time are you coming?
Zu’Zu:
I might come early like 2:50 or something.
What time does your party start?
Ochako /(*｀ｴ´*)/ :
6:20 !!
Zu’ can we call? Before you come over?
Zu’Zu:
Sure!!
“Izuku, thank you so much, do you need help carrying the decoration here?” Ochako asked as soon as Izuku answered the call. “I can bring it on my own Ochako-chan, no need to help me” Izuku smiled as she look back at her friend who is pouting and glaring at her “Liar, That’s too heavy for you, come on let me help you carry them to my house, it could also help us use less time on deciding on where to put the decoration” Izuku sighed, “alright alright, save me from weight that I know I can handle, my knight in shining armor” Izuku said in a sarcastic tone rolling her eyes at Ochako as she laughed her butt off, her pink face slowly turning red while she laugh “God, you’re such a tomato” Izuku teased, Ochako stop laughing and looked at Izuku straight in the eye, her face becoming more red like a bright red apple.
“Do I actually look like a tomato?” Ochako says as she drags the phone closer to her face, as Ochako examines her face through the screen. Izuku raises an eyebrow at her action, a teasing smile on her face “Yes.” she bluntly said. Ochako groaned, her hand sliding down her face as she loudly whined “That’s the first thing she said, that I look like a biteable Tomato. She even asked if she could bite my cheeks!” Ochako whined loudly, voice growing high pitch. Izuku laughed loudly but then let out a loud hiss of pain, she let go of her phone and she dropped to her knees with a loud thud. Her phone landed on the floor next to her face down, Ochako let out a concerned shout, but Izuku couldn’t hear her. She gripped her right arm tightly; her newly painted nails dug into her skin leaving a crescent moon against her broken timer. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as Izuku continued to hiss in pain.
There was a fog in Izuku's head, everything was so bright, every light assaulting her now sensitive eye, and every sound from Ochako’s repeated questions and the sounds outside her apartment overwhelmed Izuku. Izuku blinked away the tears vision slowly turning back to normal and the sounds slowly calming down, but Izuku noticed something,
The burn was still there. but only this time it was stronger. It was spreading through her whole arm.
“Izuku! Are you alright?!” Ochako's loud voice cut through the fog in Izuku’s head “Y-yeah, I think I’m doing fine” Izuku groaned as she sat down properly and grabbed her phone with her shaky right hand. Her left hand was still tightly wrapped around her forearm trying to decrease the pain by putting pressure on it. “Bullshit” Ochako cursed, eyes wet with tears as she stares Izuku down through the screen.
Izuku sheepishly looks away from the screen, away from Ochako’s burning gaze. Ochako was mad mad if she was cursing Izuku out on her shitty bullshit. “I’m coming over alright? stay put” Ochako ended the call before Izuku could even decline. This is such a fucking mess, why is Izuku’s arm burning so much? Izuku wiped the tears from her face and stood up and walked towards the nearest chair she can sit on. Once she sat down, she waited for Ochako to arrive, after 45 minutes she could hear her front door unlocking and a loud voice burst into her quiet apartment, she heard hurried footsteps run across her wooden floors “Izuku!” Ochako shouted when she spotted her sitting, her eyes were still blood red.
“Here, she drops the bag in her hand on the table, opening the bag she brought out an ice bag and bandages “I have no idea what I’m doing but this could work right?” Ochako mumbled to herself as she assessed Izuku’s arm. “Ochako-chan you don’t have to do this” Ochako glared at Izuku, making the poor greenette shiver. “I’m doing what I’m best at, helping my friends, so let me do my damn job.” Ochako grumbled through her teeth, as she checks the arm on her hand “Plus” She pause as she looks away from Izuku “I may not know what I am doing but you’ve done so much for me already the best thing I could do is to repay it to you, that’s what a friend told me” Izuku smiled softly, she giggles “They must be an awesome friend,” Ochako grins “Yeah she is!” Ochako and Izuku grow silent, just watching as Ochako gently tabs the ice bag on Izuku's right arm just over her soulmate Timer.
“Does it still hurt?” Ochako asked hesitantly as she wrapped the cold and slightly wet bandage around Izuku’s arm, “Not as much anymore, but it tingly in a way? I can’t find words to explain it” Ochako nodded as she tied the end of the bandage together, “That should do it?” Ochako asked herself, tilting her head in a way to show that she doubts her words. Izuku rolled her eyes at the girl, it wouldn't do much, but it could be a distraction from the tingly pain in her arm. “We should get going” Izuku stood up “We still have a party to prepare” Ochako hummed as she stood up as well, she returned the thing inside her bag and swung the beg across her left shoulder. She grabs the bag that Izuku was about to grab “Hey! I was going to carry that'' Ochako raised her eyebrows at her, “Don’t care” Ochako sang.
Izuku glared as Ochako smugly smiled at her, “Let’s get goi–”
Tick Tock
Time stopped.
Ochako's eyes locked with hers.
Your timer will continue to tick for the rest of your life until the faithful day that you will have finally met your soulmate and it will stop, tracking down the hour, minute, and second of your encounter. But if you’re unlucky enough it will continue to tick till the day of your death. Izuku's mother told her that when she asked why her timer was making a noise when she was younger and naive to the concept of soulmates.
But since Izuku’s was broken, it was frozen in time. Not making a single sound. Numbers forever set to zero.
But did she hear that right? Was that her's? Was that her timer ticking?
Ochako's eyes wide, mouth gaping open as tears gather in her eye, “Izu’” she cried as she drops the bags into the ground with a thud. She wipes her eyes with the back of her forearm. She was smiling. She was smiling for Izuku
It wasn’t possible. She searched, she searched if it was possible to have your timer fixed, she searched if it was even possible for a timer to reset. She–
She– Izuku felt a tear drop from her eyes and arms in gulf her into a hug. Sweet caramel flooded Izuku’s nose. Ah, Ochako san, she was hugging Izuku while whispering words to her. Izuku dropped to her knees, and she followed suit.
Izuku slowly unwraps the bandage on her arm but stop as the faint ticking that surrounded them grew louder when she unwraps half of the bandage. Ochako unwraps her arm around Izuku’s waist as Ochako held her close helping Izuku unwrap the bandage. Izuku let out a loud sob when her timer was finally revealed. Her time was ticking, God it was actually ticking her time read 7:15:45 Izuku smiled as she sobbed into Ochako’s shoulder while the girl hugged her again and rubbed smooth and soothing motions onto her back.
Izuku wanted to scream and shout she wanted her neighbors to come banging on her door demanding her to keep the hell down as she ignores them to continue to scream and shout in delight but she didn’t do any of that instead she cried her heart out, bearing her fears, her happiness, her confusion to the world as her timer continued to tick, she was scared that if she stops looking at it would disappear and stop ticking.
She was supposed to be happy that her time was ticking but all she felt was fear, fear that it was an error, a mistake by fate. What if it was a mistake, was her soulmate a dead person brought back to life? What if her soulmate wouldn’t like her? Fear crept into her mind.
She wasn’t able to help Ochako decorate the party. Ochako insisted that she could do it herself and that Izuku should take the time to absorb the situation, but she ignored the looks of many when they glance towards her, especially her group of friends. Her close friends were informed of the situation, and they were overjoyed that Izuku also had a soulmate out there and that she would be able to meet them soon. They all gathered inside Ochako’s house earlier than expected to help Ochako decorate while Tsuyu and Shouto stayed by Izuku's side as she sat on the couch next to the entrance of Ochako's rented house.
“What is the time, Tsuyu?” Tsuyu glanced up from her phone, a questioning hum left her mouth “7:50 why?” Izuku hummed to herself 4 hours, 15 minutes, and 45 minutes, there is still a lot of time to pass. Izuku stood up and stretch her body letting out a satisfied groan she faced Tsuyu who was still watching her with a questioning stare, “I’m heading to the kitchen do you need anything?” Izuku asked as she glance towards the kitchen entrance “A glass of water please” Tsuyu tilts her head glancing in the direction of her boyfriend who was talking to a guy with blond hair, a striking lighting bold at the side of his hair that glowed under the fluorescent light “Make it two” Tsuyu added. Izuku nodded.
Izuku walks towards the kitchen passing around groups of people who were busy chatting to move out of the way, she's surprised that Ochako knows this many people and here she thought Ochako was an introvert like her. She finally arrived at the kitchen after the group finally left the kitchen leaving her all alone, then suddenly a hand suddenly wrapped around her left wrist. Izuku flinched at the contact she looked back at the person and was faced with an unfamiliar person.
The girl had long blond hair that was styled into two space buns, and perfectly cut bangs that framed her face beautifully that attracts a person's eye to her red gem-like eyes that shine brightly against the kitchen light. She smiled at Izuku and let go of Izuku's wrist she grabbed "You must be Izuku, nice to meet you, the name is Toga Himiko!" She says kindly, reaching a hand for her Izuku smiles back at her and shakes her hand “You must be her soulmate then?” Toga blushed. “I am, she’s so perfect,” Toga says dreamily leaning against the countertop Izuku smiled giggling to herself, opening the upper cabinet she grabbed a glass cup and she poured herself a cup of whiskey.
“I’m so glad that Ochako has a friend like you, Izuku-kun!” Izuku stopped pouring the whiskey, she glances over her shoulder at Toga who continued giving her a sweet and genuine smile, it was almost as bright as Ochako's smile. They are truly perfect for each other. Izuku shook her head clearing her thought, 'Now's not the time stupid brain!' Izuku cursed at herself. Izuku felt the corner of her mouth curl upward into a small smile “Thank you, I’m glad that she was able to meet you” Toga beamed, blush quickly returning to her face, mouth turning to a big grin showing off all her perfect white teeth.
“Pass me a whiskey ey?” Toga says mischievously, a glint in her eye. Izuku grins back at her, eyes crinkling back in mischief.
“Sure!” Izuku shouted
Izuku waved goodbye to her friends and to Toga-chan who carried a drunk Ochako home, they ended the party 2 hours ago and decided to go to the bar to get more food and drinks, mostly drinks by Todoroki’s and Hanta’s request. But it was Hanta who requested to go out drinking since "quote in quote" the drinks Ochako had weren't strong enough to get drunk on which Ochako was offended at and challenged Hanta to a drinking contest which she lost after three shots of tequila and a shot of vodka.
Izuku had fun, it took her mind off the whole soulmate thing and after spending a full 7 hours with her friends, Izuku drunkenly walked down the streets heading back home, walking to her house with a small smile on her face she crossed the road giggling to herself. A bright light suddenly caught her attention, she glanced towards the light to see a car rushing towards beeping its horns at Izuku loudly. Due to her drunken state, she wasn’t able to react fast enough but a bystander who was near Izuku grabbed her before she could get hit by the car.
The car’s owner flipped them off by the open window as they sped away from them, Izuku laughed as she returned the gesture. She faces the person who saved her with a smile on her face before she could utter her gratitude a loud beeping sound echoed through the air, she looked down at her arm and the timer read “0:0:0” Her eyes widened. Izuku shyly glanced up at the person in front of her. The person– the girl was also shocked as she looked between her arm and at Izuku
“Huh?” The girl uttered as she dropped her arm and looked at Izuku “Didn’t expect my soulmate to be a klutz” she says with a smirk on her face. Izuku tilted her head as she giggled quietly “Didn’t expect my soulmate to be a girl” The girl's face turned dark as she averts her eyes away from Izuku “You don’t like what you see?” Izuku frowned a bit, she stares deeply at her soulmate's face, studying it. She was like an angel under the moonlight, that showed off her features beautifully to her spiky blond hair that Izuku would love to run her fingers through, to the pretty red lipstick she had on and the most beautiful part of her that took Izuku's breath away was her eyes. Her eyes looked like rubies under the moon, they shine as if they held stars in them.
Izuku’s soulmate gulped as if she could feel the fire in Izuku’s stare “I like what I see, you’re exactly my type” Izuku ends it with a smile on her face as she carefully wraps her arms around her soulmate's arm. Leaning against her soulmate's body.
Her soulmate smiles as she raises her eyebrows teasingly “Oh? I’m your type?” Izuku nods, gently placing her head on top of her soulmate's shoulder. Her soulmate laughs, “I’ll bring you home so you can sober up alright?” She sends a gentle smile towards Izuku that makes her insides all gushy and feel like there were butterflies inside her “Sure” she whispers as she and her soulmate walk towards her soulmate's home. A small smile tugs on Izuku's lips as she glances at her soulmate's face.
So pretty she thought, she sends one glance at her right forearm with a smile 'It was all worth it in the end"