Speak (Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

[1; a crude beginning]

From the moment you were born, you had a mark on your hip.

More precisely, words that had been etched into the innermost layer of your skin and stood in stark contrast to its regular hue. They weren't messily scrawled across, either—rather, it seemed as though the blackened imprint had been made with the uttermost care; an ornate intricacy that connected with each and every one of the nerves and sinews in your body.

Simply put, it was a blessing. Or at least, that's what everyone always told you.

"Wow, [Name]-chan, you're so lucky to have that kind of mark!" people would always comment.

"This way you'll know exactly when you meet your soulmate!"

"I wish I had some way of knowing who mine was."

Those were most of the remarks that you received, ever since you'd first revealed the tattoo-like engraving on your skin. Granted, you understood peoples' fascination—having a soulmate was something that many could only dream of, and without a clear marking or sign, they had no way of knowing how or when they would encounter their significant other. Some people went their entire lives without ever meeting the right person, you heard.

Which is why you knew that you should have considered yourself lucky. These days, there were all sorts of manifestations that would help you find your soulmate. Some had a timer that would stop once they met one another; others had a timer that would only start upon a first meeting; and others still were only able to see the world through a lens the color of their soulmate's eyes—up until they met and they were able to see the world the way it was.

You wanted to feel lucky. You really, truly wanted to. But the reality was that you couldn't. Because ever since you'd first learned to read, all you felt was fear.

"Get in my way, and I'll fucking kill you."

Those were the words imprinted on your skin—the very first words that your soulmate would ever speak to you. When your parents had first read the marking, they'd merely laughed it off and always told you that it would probably end up being some kind of joke, but you didn't share in their sentiments. It might've been unfair to make rash judgments, but there was some sick, twisted feeling you got every time you looked down at the mark on your hip.

Because you truly feared that your soulmate would not be a good person.

—

"Aren't you excited, [Name]-chan? Our very first day at U.A!"

Your long-time best friend, Uraraka, was bubbling excitedly as the two of you were attempting to navigate the large, daunting corridors inside campus. During the entrance exam, you'd seen a lot of people who had very strong Quirks; primarily physical. Yours didn't have the most offensive power, but it was certainly quite versatile and could be used in many different ways.

By a universal standard, most people might've considered it to be strong, but they probably hadn't met you.

It's not as if you thought of yourself as weak, per se, but you were the type of person who would never use violence as a means to get what you wanted. The whole reason you'd become a hero was to save others—the component of fighting villains wasn't exactly what had drawn you in. Your Quirk also possessed slight healing properties, so if nothing else, you would've liked to act more as Recovery Girl than the standard, battle-type hero.

Bottom line, you didn't like hurting people, and your chest would ache whenever you would see someone who did.

I'm lucky the entrance exam was just robots, and not actual people...