Tied to Another

Chapter 4: Cut, Undone, and Abandoned

   Katsuki was just minding his own business- in the company of Eijiro of course- when he felt Deku mess with the string. He snarled earning a disapproving glance from Eijiro but little more than that. He huffed and leaned further on his boyfriend. Eijiro shook his head and wrapped an arm around Katsuki's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Katsuki's expression softened, and he leaned into the embrace. He exhaled heavily, feeling his anger slightly dissipate.

Eijiro was paying more attention to the TV than Katsuki, but it was understandable. They did agree to watch a movie. Katsuki had already decided the movie was shit and had shifted his gaze from... whatever was on the TV to Eijiro's face until his attention was once again stolen by a sharp stabbing sort of pain to his pinky which ended almost as soon as it came. He looked down alarmed, his sharp movements prompting Eijiro to look as well to find Katsuki and De...ku's soul string, but it had been cut...

Izuku shuddered as another wave of grief and agony washed over him, starting from his string. He choked back a sob. He wasn't sure how long he'd been laying there, but he knew from visitors that Bakugo had tied his string to Kirishima's other pinky. Izuku was glad for them... he really was....

Iida stopped by a couple of times to gently scold him for not congratulating the two and locking himself in his room all day. Kirishima had stopped by to thank him for giving up Bakugo... Izuku couldn't help thinking after Kirishima had shared his gratitude that Bakugo wasn't worth holding on to. The girls stopped by with Aoyama and Sato to bring him food, but he wasn't sure how often. Aizawa and All Might came by at one point to try to get him to let them in, something he adamantly refused to do. He didn't think his mom knew yet, but he wasn't sure. Someone talked Shinso to try to brain wash Izuku into letting someone in, which gave Izuku the idea it had been a few days since he cut his string and it had been pretty easily backed up by the growing pain and despair....

He sighed and buried his tear stained face into his blanket again at a knock at his door.

"Midoriya?" Ah, Iida's back. "Are you okay?" That took Izuku by surprise, but it was a question. Izuku met it with silence.

"We agreed we'd be there for each other." Izuku was hit with another wave of missing having a soulmate as well as guilt and distrust for the person behind the door. He figured Iida had already shown his concern in his Iida way.

"Go away, Hitoshi. I want to be left alone." It took all his remaining energy to steel himself to say that sentence without shaking and sobbing, and he felt a bit of pride for setting a boundary clearly, something he struggled with. "I appreciate the concern, but please go away."

Izuku heard a sigh in Hitoshi-kun's familiar voice. "Sorry... I... we hope you feel better soon. I've missed seeing you around all the time..." Izuku listened to Hitoshi sit down rather heavily against his door. "It's been about a week... you know that, right?" A pause for Izuku's processing and Hitoshi failing again. "If you ever need anything, we're all willing to help you. You only have to ask. See you soon, Izuku?"

Izuku listened to the soft dripping of tears and the hesitant footsteps of Hitoshi and allowed the world around him fade out again.

Izuku could feel the pain crushing his soul, knowing now it had been longer than a week. He'd started having... strange thoughts. His mind cried for his soul string to be tied to someone... anyone!

He tossed himself and groaned in pain. His stomach hurt so bad... he was so hungry, but he didn't want to eat. He hadn't touched the remaining flavoured former ice-cream since before he cut the string. The pain made him... wonder about things.

For as long as he could remember, he'd been told soulmates were always two or more individuals, but he wondered how true that was. With eyes he'd cried dry, he looked down at string and messed with it with the other hand. It wouldn't hurt to try...

It took a couple of attempts but he eventually tied it to his other pinky. He watched the string light up to its usual bright red. He watched it grow and shorten in length as he moved his hands closer and farther for each other and felt every bad thing dissipate. He could feel the link rebind itself, but to himself. It was only after he calmed down that he began to wonder how much of what he thought of Bakugo was the work of a soul link, and how much was what he really thought as he felt the connection he severed tie itself again.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt so whole, if ever, as he got off the bed.