Philophobia: A Soulmate AU
Along with quirks, people are born with words tattooed on their body that connect them to their soulmates. (Alternatively: Ichigo Kurosaki fights fate, and fate fights back.)
I
There are three laws governing soulmate bonds. I know them by heart, mostly because they're taught in kindergarten and repeated every grade thereafter with increasing detail. Law #1: If you are a human, you have a soulmate. Law #2: The first words your soulmate speaks to you will be tattooed somewhere on your body in their handwriting. Law #3: Your soulmate is your perfect match.
Plenty of companies make money off of finding soulmate pairs, hunting down people who are lucky enough to know their soulmates names off the bat. Commercials, movies, and popular literature love to romanticise the idea of a "soulmate", and the entirety of society is in love with the idea of fated, perfect pairs. Although some marriages aren't fated pairs, they're generally looked down upon as "improper."
I had been of the opinion since a young age that it was all propaganda. That was mostly because of my grandmother and her soulmate's affect on my life (no one should be willing to sacrifice a child for their own happiness) and the fact my soulmate was a jerk.
"How did I know they're a jerk?" you might ask? The explanation was fairly simple, because tattooed along my collarbone were the words: I'm stronger than you.
Whoever and wherever my soulmate was, I hoped the words tattooed across their forehead were: Challenge accepted.
II
Izuku was a bit nervous to meet his soulmate. Mostly because he was pretty sure their introduction was going to be messy. The reason behind that assumption are the neatly printed words on his thigh reading: Sorry about that, but it'd be bad luck to trip on your first day!
If Izuku was a little neurotic about watching his feet whenever he walked into school each new year, he had a perfectly good excuse. And it wasn't that he wasn't excited to meet his soulmate! Honestly, he couldn't even begin to explain how happy he was that he even had a soulmate (more than one rumor had suggested that useless, quirkless Deku didn't have a soulmate either, but these rumors were quickly dispelled by Kacchan in a roar of explosions and enraged yelling), but that didn't mean he wanted to meet them in a bout of clumsiness!
Fortunately, just because Izuku had terrible, horrible luck with his soulmate, didn't mean everyone else did. Kacchan, Izuku's very talented best friend, was lucky enough to have his soulmate's name revealed in the greeting scrawled down his spine: Nice to meet you, my name's Eijirou Kirishima! Kacchan was very proud of this, and when he turned five, his parents paid one of those expensive soulmate-hunter companies to track down their son's perfect match.
Eijirou Kirishima was a boy with bright red eyes and hair, along with sharp, shark-like teeth. He was very kind to Izuku, and he managed Kacchan's bouts of arrogance with the patience and even-temper of a saint. Izuku and Kacchan's relationship had always been rocky, and Izuku could probably credit Eijirou with his and Kacchan's continued friendship.
Needless to say, Izuku liked Eijirou a lot, and couldn't wait to meet his own soulmate.
III
Shouto's mother didn't like to talk about soulmates. She told Shouto about how her and his father met many times - the incredible experience of being rescued by the #2 hero, only to find out he was her soulmate - but whenever Shouto asked about his own soulmate, she would go very quiet, and her eyes would water before she changed the subject abruptly. His father didn't look much happier, and sometimes when Shouto's shirt sleeves rode up, he'd catch Endeavor frowning at the graceful kanji curling around his bicep. At one point, Shouto got frustrated, and demanded that his mother tell him what the words on his arm meant. She patted him on the head and said that she'd explain when he was older.
"Older" turned out to be when he turned four, and Fuyumi taught him to read the pretty, complex script lining his arm. Shouto sounded out each kanji victoriously, and then an instant later comprehended their meaning. A chill ran down his spine. There's been worse ways to die, stood out in bold black on his skin, unmistakable. Shouto wouldn't meet his soulmate until their life was endangered, and suddenly he understood why his mother looked so unbearably sad at the mention of his fated partner.
The next day, Shouto walked up to his father and begged him to teach him how to fight with his quirk. Endeavor, confused by Shouto's sudden interest in combat training, asked why.
"I want to be strong enough to protect my soulmate," Shouto answered, fists clenched and jaw set with determination. "I… I want to become a hero, so I can keep them safe."
Endeavor set a heavy hand on Shouto's head, and smiled proudly. "Fair enough," he said. "But I'll have to talk to your mother first."
Shouto grinned, and promised his soulmate, whoever and wherever they are, that he would save them. (He spends the next ten years being haunted by nightmares of faceless, screaming victims falling under invisible murderers' blades, dead before he could love or be loved by them. His parents don't complain when Shouto moves into Fuyumi's bedroom.)
IV
The first day of school was always nerve-wracking, and I liked to pretend I wasn't prepared to stab myself in the gut to avoid entering the classroom. Mister Aizawa had made it very clear the day before that if I tried to hide and avoid meeting my classmates, he'd force me to run laps around the school until I collapsed. I'd faced that punishment before and knew that Mister Aizawa had a policy of "100% follow through". It was sufficient motivation for me to decide that sitting in my desk quietly and avoiding eye contact was my best shot at survival.
The first time the classroom door opened, a boy with green curls and a girl with rosy cheeks came bumbling in, smiling contently and chatting up a storm. I noted their clasped hands and happily flushed cheeks, and realized they were soulmates. My nose wrinkled, and I turned to look out the window instead.
Soulmates were repulsive to me. They created single-minded obsessions that were painful for everyone involved, and personally, I didn't think heroes should even be allowed to have soulmates, because they would ultimately prioritize their soulmate's safety above all else. There had been multiple incidences in the past of villains attempting to kidnap heroes' soulmates for leverage, only to get brutally slaughtered by the hero in question after they entered a protective, vengeful rage. Everyone is taught from a young age that murder is wrong, but the media celebrated those heroes for their dedication to their partners. It was a gross double-standard.
"Excuse me? Do you mind if I sit here?" A polite voice interrupted my grumpy daze. I blinked, glancing back over my shoulder to see a tall girl with a puffy ponytail pointing to the desk behind me.
I smiled reassuringly. "Not at all," I said, and the girl sat down. "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, by the way. What's yours?" I inquired, watching her organize her belongings inside her desk.
The other girl lifted her head and offered me a warm grin. "My name is Momo Yaoyorozu. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kurosaki," she responded kindly. "Are you excited for the new school year?"
"Yep!" I agreed, giggling. Yaoyorozu had a natural aura of brightness around her, and I couldn't help but match her bubliness with my own. "I still can't believe I got into Yuuei Academy!"
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Indeed! My family very much appreciated my acceptance into the recommendation program," she paused, and pursed her lips. "I apologize, did that sound arrogant?" Yaoyorozu asked concernedly.
"Not at all! I'm glad that you're part of the recommendation program actually," I answered, slightly relieved. "I'm part of the scholarship program, so neither of us have to feel like braggarts." I'd been worried about telling anyone about my scholarship status because of how prestigious and competitive the program was, but if Yaoyorozu was part of the recommendation program, than we were most likely on the same level.
Yaoyorozu instantly brightened again. "That's amazing! You must be a very accomplished student!" she cheered, and I smiled bashfully, nodding along. Her sudden acceptance of my status surprised me, but also bolstered my confidence about attempting to befriend her.
Unfortunately, before I could speak again, a new voice cut in. "Excuse me, but you shouldn't converse so loudly!" A new person scolded, appearing between Yaoyorozu and I. "Our teacher could arrive any moment, and it would be disrespectful to them if we behave poorly! It is of the utmost importance we make a good impression!"
Yaoyorozu's mouth fell open, and I looked at her oddly, before facing the newcomer. "My apologies," I said, ducking my head and deciding this new, zealous personality would probably be easiest to deal with if I just surrendered. "We will attempt to keep our voices down from now on."
"... Those were my words," Yaoyorozu whispered breathlessly, and despite the noise of the quickly filling classroom both the boy and I froze.
The boy pushed his glasses up his nose, lenses flashing. "Ah, those were mine as well," he confirmed awkwardly. There's a long pause, and then the boy extends his hand. "My name is Tenya Iida," he introduced. "It is nice to meet you."
Yaoyorozu took his head gently, still looking stunned. "Momo Yaoyorozu," she responded automatically. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Watching the two stare at each other in silence made my stomach twist, so I coughed into my hand to break the quiet. Both snapped their gazes to me, and I smiled, trying to cover the nauseous feeling building in my gut. "I'm glad you both have met each other, but you might want to follow your own advice, Iida," I suggested, pointing at the clock. "Class starts in thirty seconds, but I'm sure there will be time for you to talk later."
"Ah, yes. Of course!" Iida said, straightening. "Until later, Yaoyorozu," he added, spinning around and marching over to his desk stiffly. Yaoyorozu watched him walk away, an odd twinkle in her eye.
I bit my lip to stop myself from grimacing. "Ah, Yaoyorozu?" I asked, and when she didn't look towards me, too focused on Iida, I sighed. Soulmates were the worst.
Moments later, Mister Aizawa slid the classroom door open and slouched into the classroom, finally pulling Yaoyorozu's eyes away from her newly found soulmate. I listened to his explanation of the Quirk Assessment Test half-heartedly, wondering if befriending Yaoyorozu would even be possible now. After meeting each other, soulmates could become fixated for possibly weeks on end. Growing closer to her could be impossible.
"Stupid soulmate bonds," I muttered as I climbed to my feet, following the crowd of students towards the locker rooms.
V
I didn't end up befriending Yaoyorozu. After their shared discovery, Yaoyorozu and Iida had been glued to each other's sides for the rest of the day, before finally walking home together. They weren't the only ones. Including the girl and boy I'd first seen, Class 1-A had no less than 6 different soulmate pairs, and it was only day two. I was disgusted by it all, and did my best to seperate myself from the "happy couples". I ended up hanging out with a girl named Mina Ashido and a boy named Hanta Sero, who were part of the half of the class not making cow eyes at each other.
"Ashido, is that really necessary?" I asked, staring at the pink-skinned girl as she walked out of the locker room on her hands. Ashido's costume was colorful and patterned, a sharp contrast to the dull, dark fabric of my own uniform. It matched our personalities well, in my opinion.
Ashido's feet wavered, and she folded forward and stood up. "Not really, but it's fun!" she laughed, offering me a bright grin.
I smiled in response, lips closed. Ashido was childish and cocky in the worst sort of way, the way that Mister Aizawa had warned me would get me killed. Still, she and Sero were better companions than anyone else, so I suffered in silence. At least Ashido would make a good sparring partner.
Sero appeared over Ashido's should, hands on his hips proudly. "What do you think?" he questioned, showing off his new black, white and orange costume. "Do I look awesome or what?"
"The colors of your costume compliment each other," I said, nodding appreciatively. "You designed it well." I hadn't designed my costume, but I was sure that even if I'd had the opportunity, I wouldn't have done near as well as Sero.
"Thanks!" Sero responded, before pointing at my costume. "But since we're talking about colors, what's that supposed to be?" he demanded, gesturing to my all-black outfit. I shrugged, not having a response.
Ashido propped her elbow on top of my head and waggled a finger in Sero's face. "Black is never out of style, Sero," she scolded jokingly. "Don't you know anything about fashion?"
"The person wearing purple and green camouflage doesn't get to talk," Sero said teasingly. Ashido gasped in mock offence, but before she could speak, All Might cut in, announcing the start of our first exercise: the Battle Trials. I listened to him read out each pair in silence. When he finished drawing out the names, I took a long second to see if I'd missed something. I hadn't.
Raising my hand, I asked dryly, "Excuse me, sir, but what team am I on?" My expression was flat and expectant, a mirror image of Mister Aizawa after a long day of grading papers.
All Might's eyes widened, and he coughed into his hand sheepishly. "Ah, yes! Miss Kurosaki, feel free to join team… I!" he announced, and with an eye roll I turned away from the embarrassed hero to greet my new teammates.
I scanned them distastefully, recognizing them as one of the many soulmate pairs in the class. Tooru Hagakure and Mashirao Ojiro, quirks of invisibility and a strong tail. They weren't giving me much to work with on a raw power level, but I'd do my best to give us a tactical advantage.
"It's nice to meet you," I said, the lie tasting sour. "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki." I pasted a smile on my face, trying to hide how upset I was about being in a group with a complete soulmate pair.
Hagakure giggled. "It's nice to meet you too!" she said happily, and Ojiro's arm moved as she hugged it against her chest (or so I assumed). "My name's Tooru Hagakure, and this is my soulmate, Mashirao Ojiro!"
I ducked my head, pretending I hadn't already read Mister Aizawa's files on them and knew much more information than just their names. "I hope we will work well together," I continued formally, and bit my tongue to stop myself from gagging when Hagakure giggled again as Ojiro wrapped his arm around her shoulders affectionately.
All Might let out a booming laugh, interrupting our "friendly" introductions. "ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN YOUR MATCHES?!" he asked, as if our answers even mattered. Before anyone could even respond, All Might plunged his hands into the two drawing boxes, and pulled out two cards. "FIRST UP IS TEAM A VERSUS TEAM D!"
A happy laugh rang out. "Izuku, that's us!" A girl said excitedly, and I saw the same boy and girl from the first day approach All Might immediately. The green haired boy - who I identified as Izuku Midoriya - smiled down at a brown haired girl with rosy cheeks. Ochako Uraraka was dragging Midoriya forward happily, and I felt the urge to vomit at the lovesick look in their eyes.
"Oi, Deku!" A brash voice cut in, and my eyes flickered over to see a blonde, red-eyed boy peel away from the crowd. "I'm going to win this!"
Midoriya grinned at the snarling boy. "I'd like to see you try, Kacchan!" he teased. Just when I thought the blonde was going to lunge forward, and redhead with spiky hair pulled up beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Woah Katsuki, take a breather," the boy urged, and I frowned at the revealing nature of Eijirou Kirishima's costume. Had he no shame?
The blonde, who had been previously chomping at the bit, instantly relaxed. "Whatever," he huffed, turning away from Midoriya, who just chuckled as Uraraka tittered behind her hand. Kirishima thumped his soulmate on the back, and I turned away, uninterested in their match. Who wanted to see a bunch of friends play-fight? Instead, I spent the valuable time I was being given to strategize.
When my match finally rolled around, I was fully prepared to lead my team to victory. I'd set up a series of contingency plans based on the remaining teams for whatever role my group could assume: Villain or Hero. Personally, I had my hopes set on being a villain, they had much better chances for winning.
Perched over the entrance gate next to Hagakure, I reviewed my stratagem. Todoroki and Shouji would enter the gate expecting to track down the team and subsequent rocket. Once Shouji revealed an opening, Hagakure would capture him with a ribbon. Todoroki would then freeze her, and I would act as a distraction so Hagakure could rip herself free and capture Todoroki as well, under the protection of my quirk. Meanwhile, Ojiro would wait and watch from the rooftops, ready to escape with the missle if necessary.
I smirked, hearing All Might begin the ten second countdown. This would be a piece of cake.
"BEGIN!" All Might shouted, and the gate under us slid open. Todoroki and Shouji walked in quietly, eyes focused on the path ahead of them. Beside me, Hagakure tensed, but I held my hand up as a gesture to wait.
Shouji spread his arms, multiple noses and ears searching for any traces of our team. There was a long pause, while he sniffed the air and listened in. "There's a trace of them heading North - wait!" he yelled, hearing the sound of Hagakure leaping forward moment before a neat white ribbon tied itself around his highest tentacle.
With Shouji now captured, Hagakure moved to flee. Before she could, however, Todoroki froze her up to the neck. I winced at the ruthlessness of it, realizing that if Hagakure wasn't guarded by my quirk, she'd currently be at risk for frostbite. It was harsh, but practical.
"Nice try, but you won't escape," he told Hagakure. I tensed, and just before Todoroki could thicken the ice binding Hagakure down, I lunged forward, foot aimed for the back of his head. In a surprising show of reflexes, Todoroki spun around, arms raised to block my attack. I hit his forearms and slid, landing in a backhandspring before twisting to my feet. As I took a combat position, Todoroki stared me down. "I'm stronger than you," he declared confidently. "You won't beat me."
The rational part of my brain told me to back down, and continue to distract Todoroki for as long as possible. However, as the blood rushed to my brain and pounded in my ears, logic was the last thing on my mind. This was my soulmate. This was the asshole that had branded me from birth as weak. I was going to tear him to bits, rules and training be damned.
Vision tinged red, I rushed forward, aiming a kick at Todoroki's right side. When he crunched to block the blow with his elbow, I darted forward and planted a vicious fist in his throat. Todoroki gagged, but even as he choked he managed to repel me with a burst of scathing flames, sending me tumbling backwards in an attempt to dodge. As soon as I hit the ground, ice crawled up my body and restrained me. Panting for air, Todoroki opened his mouth to say something smug, fire curling into the air from his shoulders, just as a white ribbon laced itself around his boot.
"VILLAIN TEAM WINS!" All Might proclaimed, but as Todoroki reached out to melt the ice restraining me, I felt anything but victorious. When the taller teen offered a hand to help me up, I slapped it away and rolled backwards to my feet, stalking off the training field.
Right then and there, I promised myself I wouldn't say a word to Shouto Todoroki. His skin had better be blank, and if any words were traced there, I expected them to say something along the lines of: fuck you, asshole.
VI
My new friends were surprisingly tolerant of my bad attitude. Ashido and Sero rolled with whatever sour comments I made, sometimes even going so far as to agree. It surprised me, when Ashido nodded along to one of my more bitter comments about Uraraka's inability to focus in class because of Midoriya.
"It's aggravating," I huffed, swallowing another gigantic bite of steak and rice, glaring at the table sulkily. "She's constantly sighing and staring at him, and it's distracting me! Like honestly, if you don't want to pay attention in class, that's fine, but don't make everyone else suffer!"
Ashido nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's really unfair," she agreed, and I jolted in shock, staring at her with wide eyes. Soulmate behavior was normally so tolerated that most people would ignore my words, or tell me off for my opinion. Ashido picked up on my astoundment, and laughed at my stupefied face. "Why are you so surprised? It really does seem unfair!" she chuckled, before shaking her head. "Uraraka doesn't pay attention during lectures, but Yaoyorozu helps her after class anyways," Ashido explained, a bitter twist to her lips. "I'm actually trying to learn, but Uraraka still does better than me."
I bit my lip unsurely. I hadn't realized that Ashido had been having trouble in class. I hadn't really cared to know, not considering her important enough to invest any real time in. But she was sympathetic to me, she was willing to understand how I felt in a way no one else was.
"Tell you what, I'll tutor you on the material after school as long as you promise to warn me whenever Todoroki is nearby," I compromised, and this time it was Ashido's turn to look at me with rounded black and yellow eyes. "I have perfect scores across the board, I know I can simplify and explain the material if you need me to."
Ashido blinked for a moment, and then a huge grin spread across her lips. "Seriously? Thank you so much, Kurosaki!" she cheered, throwing her arms up in a cheer.
I smiled despite myself, and unlike before it wasn't fake. "You're welcome," I said, and held out my hand to shake on it. Ashido smacked her hand against mine firmly, gripping my hand hard enough to hurt and shaking my arm vigorously.
"I don't know why you want to avoid Todoroki, but you've got a deal," Ashido said, eyes bright with excitement. My smile grew a little tighter around the corners, but Ashido just released my hand and sat back in her seat. She cracked her knuckles, expression determined. "This is going to be great," she declared.
Sero suddenly slid back into his seat, having returned from the bathroom. "What's going to be great?" he asked, jumping into the conversation without permission.
"Kuro-chan offered to help tutor me after school!" Ashido answered excitedly, and I flinched at the new nickname. I hated having "-chan" attached to my name, it brought bad memories.
"'Kuro-chan'?" I choked out, sounding like I was being strangled.
Ashido looked at me, grinning proudly at her creativity. "Yep!" she agreed. "Your hair is black, you're cute and small, and it's part of your last name!" she declared. "It's perfect!"
Sero leaned forward, smiling widely as well. "Hey, mind if I join in, Kuro-chan?" he requested, jerking a thumb at Ashido. "I'm not having as much trouble as her, but I could use some extra study time." Ashido shoved his hand away from her face in mock offence, and they both laughed.
I swallowed, and told myself that Yuuei was a new beginning. I'd left Asano-chan behind already. "Sure," I agreed, and I didn't resist when Ashido reached forward to ruffle my hair. I had friends now, I could use a new nickname. Why not?
VII
By the time the Sports Festival began, Ashido and Sero were fully entrenched in my life. I couldn't remove them even if I wanted to. I spent my mornings training with Mister Aizawa, getting ready in the locker rooms before heading to class, and I spent my evenings studying and training with Ashido and Sero, finally falling asleep out behind a restaurant near the school. I hadn't ever thought I would grow so close to them both (or anyone), but I found myself laughing at inside jokes and teaching them judo-flips until suddenly, I realized I had actual, real friends. Of the not-imaginary variety.
It startled me so badly, that I fell out of my chair in the middle of class.
The day of the Sports Festival, Mister Aizawa had given me the morning off, so I met up with Ashido and Sero at the cafeteria to eat breakfast. Normally, eating at the school cafeteria wouldn't be the best idea, but Lunch-Rush was in charge of the Yuuei cafeteria, so we ate like kings.
Giggling as I watched Sero slather in pancakes in enough syrup to drown a man, I set aside my anxiety about the upcoming competition. It was hard to be stressed when Sero was filling up on sugar and Ashido was trying to rob everyone of their food.
"Take that bitches!" Ashido crowed triumphantly, stuffing her mouth full of one of Sero's drowning victims; said boy looked downtrodden at Ashido's thorough demolition of his food. I laughed anyways. Being around Ashido and Sero just in general made me happy. It was a bit strange, but I didn't really mind.
Sero lunged forward out of nowhere, grabbing a handful of Ashido's sausages and shoving them into his mouth. "Hah!" he barked back, voice gargled from the amount of meat blocking his airway. At this point I was giggling so hard I couldn't breathe, reduced to wheezing and gasping for air as my eyes watered.
Ashido gaped at him, and then narrowed her eyes. "You jerk," she hissed. "I will avenge my breakfast!" she rallied, before reaching out, grabbing the syrup bottle, and spraying it in Sero's face. Sero spluttered in shock, getting some of the liquid sugar in his mouth, while Ashido sat back with a satisfied "hmph".
I took a few deep breaths, gathering enough oxygen to string a sentence together. "There's still… time to… take a shower… in the locker room…" I huffed, struggling to speak. My chest still hurt from laughing.
Sero wiped the syrup from his eyes. "Sure thing, Kuro-chan," he agreed, tossing Ashido a dirty look before striding out of the cafeteria, presumably in the direction of the boy's locker room. Ashido and I were silent for about 0.2 seconds after the cafeteria door shut, before bursting into laughter all over again.
About thirty minutes later, Ashido and I finished our meals, leaving the empty trays with their companions in a pile near the door, before heading towards our classroom. Mister Aizawa had explained in no uncertain terms that we couldn't be late on the day of the festival, because a bus would be taking us to the arena exactly two hours before the festival began. If we were late, we wouldn't get to participate, which could be potentially devastating for our future careers.
Personally I wasn't all that bothered, because I knew that my position was already secure, but on the ride over to the stadium, Ashido and Sero were two buzzing balls of nerves, squirming and fidgeting the entire way over. It remained about the same while we sat in the waiting room, listening for Present Mic to announce our time to enter the spotlight.
Sitting and watching Ashido compulsively bother Sero as a distraction, I didn't expect the sudden hand on my shoulder. A small shriek ripped itself from my mouth moments before I leaped out of my chair and onto the tabletop, fists ready. I paused when I saw Todoroki standing behind my chair, hand still extended.
I narrowed my eyes at him, cheeks heating up when I realized the entire room had gone silent and was staring at me. I slid down to the floor on the other side of the table, placing Ashido and the tabletop between Todoroki and I.
The heterochromatic boy stared at me blankly for a few moments, before lowering his hand. "Sorry," he apologized shortly.
I glanced up at Ashido expectantly, calling on her debt. The pink haired girl looked slightly startled, before she turned to face Todoroki. "Ah, I don't think your apology is accepted," she said in my stead, sounding sheepish. "What's up?"
Todoroki looked between Ashido and I curiously, before responding. "I wanted to know what Kurosaki's issue with my friends and I was," he started, clearly referring to Midoriya and his usual companions. "I've noticed her glaring, and it's become uncomfortable," he added.
I tugged on Ashido's sleeve, and when she looked down at me, I shook my head and shrugged. I had glared at Midoriya, Todoroki, and the others many times over the past few months, but only when they made nuisances of themselves. Outside of that, I didn't know what he was referring to, and if that was what he was talking about, I wasn't sorry.
Ashido scratched the back of her head. "Ah, Kuro-chan says she's sorry, that she hadn't realized, and that she'll stop," Ashido translated incorrectly, and I facepalmed. Whatever, as long as Todoroki went away, I figured.
"... Right," Todoroki agreed, staring at me weirdly. He then turned on his heel sharply, walking back to his friends' table stiffly. I observed Midoriya talking to Todoroki in a reassuring manner, while Iida chopped his hand through the air several times in a stern fashion.
I cut my gaze away, looking to Ashido. "What was he talking about?" I asked, mystified. "Like, I know I've glared at them a few times… but that's when they're being annoying," I continued, befuddled.
"I guess you haven't been very subtle," Ashido answered, shrugging and shaking her head. "That, or Todoroki is being over-sensitive."
Sero leaned in. "Speaking of which, what the hell is going on between you two? Kuro-chan, why is Ashido talking for you?" he demanded, looking baffled.
I frowned, crossing my arms. "I just don't like him, okay?" I answered huffily. When Ashido and Sero continued to stare, I added, "I really don't like him." I watched the two share an exasperated look before giving up. Good, I was more stubborn and had no intention of explaining.
VIII
The first two festival games ran along smoothly enough. I placed in third and first place respectively, and I was fairly proud of my scores. Competing neck and neck with Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo was surprisingly pleasant. I didn't have to like them to appreciate their fighting abilities. It was when the one-on-one matches began that the real problems started.
The first battle was between Todoroki and Sero. It was a bad match-up from the beginning, placing Sero at a thorough disadvantage. I knew he was going to lose, Todoroki would either burn up Sero's tape or freeze him down, but what happened next was unprecedented. Todoroki didn't just beat Sero, he wiped the floor with him in the most embarrassing manner possible. I was forced to look on from the stands as Todoroki used his fire to slowly herd Sero out of the white box, setting the concrete aflame and then watching with his hands in his pockets as Sero was coerced into stepping out of bounds by the violent heat.
When Sero's foot finally crossed the boundary, Present Mic howled out, "TODOROKI WINS!" Sero looked down at his own foot in horror, and moments later the fires vanished. Todoroki, not even bothering to look back, turned around and lifted his hand, waving up at the audience. I followed his line of sight over to Endeavor, who was looking down at his son proudly, an approving smile on his face.
With Present Mic's compliments for Endeavor's parenting in the background, I watched Sero exit the arena with slumped shoulders. My face reddened, this time not in embarrassment, but anger. Todoroki was deaddeaddead. Sero and Ashido were my first and only friends, an attack on them was an attack on me.
I now had double the reason to beat Todoroki up, and this was my best chance. Fuck the pain, he was going down. My fight against Shiozaki barely even registered. In my rage filled haze, the pain of being impaled wasn't even worth noticing. My nails were constantly cutting into my palms, small streams of blood dripping from between my knuckles. Ashido seemed to pick up on my fury, but she was equally upset and therefore in no place to calm me down.
Ashido went on to lose to Shinsou, my teammate from the last round. When the two shook hands before exiting the field amiably, I felt slightly better. I was upset that both my friends had lost in the first round, but at least Shinsou was respectful about it. That train of thought looped me right back to "kill Todoroki" however, and I was pissed all over again.
By the time Sero actually returned to the seating box, clearly disheartened and embarrassed, I had already fought Kirishima and entered the semifinals. The only people left for me to fight were Todoroki, Bakugo, and Midoriya. I wasn't sure if I'd be capable of beating Midoriya, simply because of how ill-matched my quirk was against his in this setting, but I was also relatively positive that if the green-haired boy continued using his hyper-powerful punches the way he was, I could potentially overwhelm him.
"Hey guys," Sero greeted flatly, sliding into his empty seat between Ashido and I. I instantly picked up on his slumped shoulders and hanging head, and bit back a growl. Todoroki wasn't even in the viewing box, sitting with his family in the front-row seating reserved for Pro Heroes, so my wrath wouldn't have a good target.
"Hey, Sero," Ashido said sympathetically. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, giving the boy half a hug. "Sorry about your match. That wasn't a good set up for you."
Sero, if possible, slouched in further. "Yeah," he agreed. "Todoroki is so much stronger than me… he didn't even have to try." Sero laughed weakly, looking to me. "Little guys like us must not even register to you guys, huh?" he asked, clearly referring to Todoroki and I's powerful quirks.
I shook my head, expression flat. "Not taking an opponent - any opponent - seriously is a mistake," I disagreed. "No matter how weak or strong someone's quirk is, its how they use it that makes a difference." I grabbed Sero's hand, ignoring my usual tendency to avoid human contact. "In an empty field like the arena, you were at every tactical disadvantage in the book, especially against someone like Todoroki, who's greatest strength lays in his ability to manipulate terrain. So don't beat yourself up. You aren't a 'little guy'," I assured him, before my expression darkened. "Besides, I'm going to beat his ass for being such a jerk to you."
Ashido stared at me with wide eyes. "Uh, Kuro-chan? The festival isn't the best place for a grudge match…" she informed me. "I get that you're pissed - I am too - but we're on TV right now."
"I'm not going to talk," I assured her. "I'll just make sure that he suffers as much as possible within the bounds of the rules." Ashido didn't look very reassured. I shrugged, leaning back in my seat and looking downwards. Present Mic had just declared that Bakugo and Midoriya would be facing each other in the semifinals. I smirked, realizing that meant my chance to fight Todoroki was here.
"Excuse me, Kurosaki?" A familiarly annoying voice cut in. I narrowed my eyes and turned around to see Uraraka, who was looking at me concernedly. "Did you just say you wanted to make Shouto suffer?" she repeated questioningly.
I stared at her flatly. "That sounds about right," I confirmed, not in the mood to act civil.
Uraraka's face screwed up. "You shouldn't make threats like that," she said. "It's wrong. And Shouto doesn't deserve that. Why do you hate all of us anyways? What did we do to you?" she asked.
I rolled my eyes, giving the girl my back so I could watch the upcoming match. "Deserve it? He embarrassed my friend on international television," I pointed out bitterly. "He absolutely 'deserves it'."
"You can't - heroes don't threaten to torture people!" Uraraka snapped, sounding very, very upset.
I crossed my arms, refusing to look at her. "Good thing I'm not planning to appear in any rankings," I quipped back dryly. "And I don't 'hate all of you'. You just annoy me." Uraraka let out a sound of consternation, but I just ignored her from then on. There was nothing left to say, after all.
In the end, Midoriya won the match. Bakugo had put up a good fight, but once he made the mistake of putting too much space between Midoriya and himself, the green-haired boy had flicked the blonde straight out of the air, sending Bakugo careening into the arena wall. As Recovery Girl attended to the blonde, I stood up and stretched my arms.
"Looks like I'm up," I said, high-fiving Ashido as I walked out of the observation box. This was my chance to set some things straight, after all. Todoroki was free to throw as much fire and ice at me as he wanted, I was going to get him in a chokehold if it was the last thing I did.
IX
When I stood facing down my "soulmate" from across the arena, I found myself biting back a thrill of anticipation. I told myself that the butterflies in my stomach were just a by-product of the millions of people watching, and that the rapid beating of my heart was from bloodlust. Todoroki was waiting in his side of the box, hands in his pockets and expression lackadaisical, like he didn't expect much from this match or me.
I grit my teeth, clenched my fists, and waited for Present Mic to announce the start of the match. As I tensed, Todoroki only seemed to relax.
"GO!" Present Mic shouted out of nowhere, and I was off instantly, shooting towards Todoroki like a bullet. The teen's eyes widened in surprise at my sudden burst of speed, right before a wave of ice licked my ankles. I jumped into the air, expecting that, and continued to slide forwards across the ice. My quirk was already active, rapidly raising my body temperature to repel Todoroki's ice.
I already knew Todoroki's general strategy. He would use his ice against far away targets. Once someone got within about five feet, he would suddenly switch over to his fire quirk, repelling them away just enough so he could switch back to using ice. It was my guess that Todoroki didn't have as good a handle on his fire as he did his ice, which was why he preferred it. That meant I could hurt him easily. I was going to get close to him, and then leave him with two choices. Either set me on fire, or let me attack him. He'd either look like a ruthless villain, or a weakling.
Smirking when Todoroki sent another burst of ice my way, I allowed the frozen water to climb up my ankles, seconds before my temperature rocketed up even further. I wasn't even sweating anymore, there was steam tickling my skin, and by god did I love the adrenaline rush. I was sure I looked like an animal, ripping through the ice with my teeth bared and vapor crawling from my skin, but I was more focused on Todoroki's expression, eyes growing wider and wider as I got closer and closer.
When I finally crossed the halfway point, I was gasping for air and still laying on the speed, feet scrambling to carry me forwards. My eyes were locked on Todoroki's face, as the last ten feet between him and I rapidly closed. Eight feet… six feet… when his arms drew back, feet taking a more firm stance, I channeled the last of my strength and lunged downwards. A shot of flame rippled over my back, heat scraping my skin as I rolled forwards. A moment later and I was popping up, knuckles aimed at Todoroki's throat again. It was just like the Battle Trials.
This time, Todoroki slipped to the side of my punch, aiming a blow for my side. I slid my leg back, and when his arm recoiled, my leg followed, sending a powerful kick for his ribs. He blocked the attack successfully, but I wasn't done. The moment my toes touched back down, I aimed to kick him again, but this time my target was his head. I saw Todoroki's eyes widen moments before I performed a practical split and my foot clocked him in the face.
Todoroki took a step backwards, head snapping sideways, and with a snarl I planted my foot and tried to punch him again. I got one good punch in at his sternum, before Todoroki regained his bearings. I caught a glimpse of the blood pouring from his broken nose and already bruising eye before, teeth bared in anger, he dropped down to the ground and slammed his hand against the concrete.
I didn't have a chance to react before I was swallowed by a mountain of ice. Completely immobilized inside a gigantic glacier, my quirk chose that moment to give out. The rapid temperature change from boiling hot to sub-zero was too much for my body to handle. My vision faded, and I was left with a last sensation of pure, frustrated fury before I went under.
X
I woke up in the infirmary, with Sero and Ashido sitting beside my bed. I barely noted their worried faces, more occupied with my own pain. With a low groan and a splitting headache, I lifted my arm up to cover my eyes.
"Someone turn off the lights," I ordered gruffly, voice raspy and weak.
"Kuro-chan!" Ashido shouted, and then I felt an iron-tight grip around my wrist. Something warm pressed itself against my stomach, and I assumed it was Ashido's face. I let a high-pitched, pained whine slip out from between my lips unwillingly.
Then the emptiness behind my eyelids darkened, and I knew Sero had switched off the lights. A moment later a hand settled on my shoulder. "I'm glad you're up," Sero said. "Recovery Girl was starting to get concerned, you've been out for three hours now."
I huffed unhappily, remembering exactly what had led up to my state. "Todoroki?" I asked faintly. If he had gotten away unscathed, I was going to be pissed.
"Ah, Recovery Girl noted a dislocated jaw, broken nose, bruised orbitals, hairline fracture on the radius, and major bruising on the arms and torso," Sero recited, sounding like he was cringing. I flickered my eyes open just enough to confirm that he was, indeed, wincing. "He wasn't able to compete in the finals. Uh, he actually went up to get the silver medal wearing a cast."
Ashido's voice was muffled as she added, "Recovery Girl said he was too injured for her to heal everything and not knock him out."
My lips quirked upwards. "How's that for weak…" I mumbled. Todoroki wasn't in the room to hear me, but I still felt triumphant.
Sero sighed. "Kurosaki… I get that you got upset in my stead, and I'm thankful you care that much," he began, and I tensed, hearing the "but" already coming. "But I didn't want to see anyone hospitalized. You… you really beat him up. You injured yourself too," Sero inhaled, and I peered at him through barely open eyes. "Please, promise me you won't do that again. We're going to become heroes, I don't want anyone hurt along the way."
I felt a small twinge of guilt at that comment. Almost. Todoroki had definitely deserved what he'd gotten, but maybe I had gone a bit overboard. "Sure," I muttered, the word feeling sour and difficult to get out.
I caught a final glimpse of Sero nodding before my eyes slid shut. I heard the door close somewhere far off, and exhaled deeply. Now on my own, I started to relax. Just as my muscles untensed, the door slid open again, and I was rigid as a board.
"Ichigo," Mister Aizawa's voice said bluntly, and I winced. He sounded upset, in his own special, apathetic way.
I gulped nervously, eyes still shut. "... Mister Aizawa?" I said finally, unable to keep the fearful note out of my tone.
"Endangerment of a comrade, allowing emotions to interfere with logical reasoning, and reckless behavior on a field of combat," he listed, taking the time to pause between each item. "Tell me, what rule didn't you violate?"
I paused, considering my options. I was damned if I didn't respond, and damned if I did. "Rule #6: No friendly fire?" I answered his rhetorical question, knowing my smartassery wouldn't be appreciated but unable to stay silent.
"That isn't a rule," Mister Aizawa said cuttingly, and I deflated.
"I'm sorry, Mister Aizawa," I apologized, already sounding defeated. "It's just… Todoroki… he hurt Sero and I…"
"Acted irrationally out of a misplaced grudge," Mister Aizawa finished unforgivingly. "If anyone was to blame, it'd be the referees who allowed the match up, or Endeavor, who trained his son to act laidback while fighting because it instills a sense of confidence in those you're protecting." My shoulders slumped, hearing the truth in his words. I'd been a fool, and Mister Aizawa was going to point out every reason why. "I've already spoken to Endeavor about the incident, and he agrees that Todoroki acted out of line as well."
I jolted in shock at the added statement, eyes snapping open. "He did?" I repeated, stunned.
"He tried to douse you in flames, Ichigo," Mister Aizawa reminded me dryly, and my eyes widened at the memory. "That was an excessive use of force." He was right, of course. I'd been so focused on trying to time when Todoroki would use his fire that I had forgotten that tidbit.
I let out a sigh, closing my eyes as my head started to throb again. "So what's the punishment?" I asked, fully expecting to run hundreds of laps around the academy for the next several weeks.
"You'll be spending your apprenticeship together," Mister Aizawa answered, and as much as I wanted to scream in anger and surprise, I couldn't because my headache was rapidly worsening. "Endeavor and I agreed that working together for a long period would be a fitting repercussion for your actions today. You'll be spending the next week with Todoroki under his father's command," Mister Aizawa continued.
I grimaced, unable to voice my protests. As it was, all I could was tighten my grip on the sheets and bite my tongue as my head pulsed. I didn't like this punishment at all, but what more could I say? That Mister Aizawa just wanted to go on vacation with Present Mic and was pawning me off?
The sound of a chair scraping the floor cut through my pain-filled daze. "I'll leave you here, try and get some sleep," Mister Aizawa said quietly, and I felt him drag the thin hospital sheets up to my chin. A few moments later the infirmary door slid open and shut again, this time leaving me alone for real.
XI
Izuku could honestly say that life was great. He had no clue where his good fortune had come from. Izuku had a wonderful soulmate, a powerful quirk, a circle of friends, and his mentor was All Might! He had never been lucky before, but now Izuku could understand why Kacchan walked around like he ruled the world all the time. Being lucky felt incredible, like fate was on your side.
"Uh, Izuku?" Ochako's concerned voice cut in, and Izuku looked up from his desk curiously. "Why are you smiling at your desk?" she asked, eyes wide.
Izuku blushed, realizing how odd he must've appeared. "Sorry, Ochako. I was just thinking," he excused, before leaning over to peek at the paperwork on his soulmate's desk. "So, where are you apprenticing?" Izuku question, redirecting the conversation.
Ochako lifted her paper up so Izuku couldn't read it. "I don't know yet," she said, smiling mischievously. "I'll get back to you once I decide."
"Not even a hint?" Izuku wheedled, and then grinned when Ochako burst into laughter.
"Okay, okay," she agreed, once her giggle started to die down. "I'm trying to decide between Gunhead and Uwabami. Both gave me offers, but…" Ochako paused and bit her lip. "I don't know, I don't really know either of them well, so it's hard to choose."
Izuku nodded understanding, already prepared to help. "Gunhead has a focus on combatives. He's actually highly successful, but he's not as popular because his agency does a poor job with marketing. Uwabami has a focus on publicity, but her activity in the community is lacking," he rattled off. Being a hero-nerd came in handy pretty often, as a Yuuei student. "It really depends on whether you want to focus on the skill side or business side of heroism for your apprenticeship, Ochako."
Ochako's eyes widened, and then she nodded. Her lips quirked up into a teasing smile. "I guess it's nice that I've got a hero-expert for a soulmate, hm?" she said, and Izuku smiled and flushed happily. Ochako picked up her pen and circled Gunhead's name. "I think I'll focus on practical skills for now, that's my weak point. I can learn more about the business side later."
Izuku bobbed his head. "That makes sense," he said, folding up his own paperwork. "Then I'll go turn this in, want me to take yours to the teachers' offices as well?" he offered politely.
Ochako handed over her paperwork immediately. "Please," she responded, and when Izuku took the papers, she smiled at him. "Thank you," Ochako added with a twinkle in her eyes, and as Izuku walked out of the classroom he found that he couldn't stop smiling. Something about making Ochako happy made him ecstatic as well.
Izuku walked down the school hallway floating on cloud nine, the best combination of bubbly and elated. This happy daze ended the second he saw Yaoyorozu standing in the middle of the hall, wringing her hands and staring at the wall in clearly worried silence.
Izuku stopped next to her, looking up at his friend's wrinkled brow and pursed lips. "Yaoyorozu? What's wrong?" he asked, unable to leave someone so obviously in trouble alone.
Yaoyorozu jumped, startled, and glanced down at Midoriya. Her eyes widened, and then she looked at Midoriya intently. "Can you promise me that you will not share this information?" she asked seriously. "I do not want to risk the futures of those involved."
"Uh, sure," Izuku agreed automatically, eyes wide. He felt a little hesitant, being so unsure of what he'd just gotten himself involved in.
Then Yaoyorozu smiled at him tearfully, and whatever reluctance he felt vanished. "Thank you," she said, voice practically dripping in gratitude and relief. "It's about Tenya…"
XII
The day my apprenticeship started, I was standing in the train station stiffly, backpack slung over my shoulder and an extra briefcase in my hand containing my costume. Sero and Ashido had already left on their respective ways to their own apprenticeships, and I was stuck waiting for the afternoon train towards Endeavor's headquarters with Todoroki and a few other laggers.
Those "other few" were Midoriya and Kirishima. The three boys were conversing only a few feet away, while I fixed my gaze firmly to the tracks. After almost ten minutes of me burning holes into the incoming trains in stony silence, one of them had the bright idea of talking to me.
"Uh, hey, Kurosaki!" Kirishima said, stepping into my line of view. I fixed my eyes on him blandly, and he visibly swallowed. "Uh, you excited for your apprenticeship?" he questioned, clearly struggling to start an actual dialogue.
If Todoroki hadn't been standing a few feet away, I might have considered actually responding. As it was, I just silently shook my head.
Kirishima nodded along, obviously confused and put-off by my refusal to talk. And yet he tried again. "You aren't excited? Who're you apprenticing with?" he asked. In answer, I jerked my thumb towards Todoroki, lips turning down at the corners.
This time, Todoroki responded instead. "My father and her mentor reached an agreement," he explained, biting out the last word with clear animosity. It was more passion than he usually showed when talking, and I glanced at him curiously. Todoroki's eyes were burning with unconcealed anger, and I resisted the urge to smirk.
It seemed he disliked me as much as I did him. How was that for a "perfect match"?
Kirishima coughed awkwardly as Todoroki set his furious gaze on me, and I smirked smugly back. "... Right. That really sucks, man," he said sympathetically, thumping Todoroki on the back. "Well, my train is going to arrive in a minute or so, so I'm just gonna go. Bye!" Kirishima finished, ducking out and escaping the awkward situation.
"My train is here too, bye Todoroki!" Midoriya rushed out, offering Todoroki a tense smile before vanishing as well.
Todoroki and I stood in complete silence, now that his friends were gone. He narrowed his eyes on me further, and my smirk only grew more satisfied. "You're still playing the quiet game," he observed, and I crossed my arms triumphantly, because yes, yes I was. "My father won't appreciate it," Todoroki added, and when my expression soured, it was his turn to smile smugly.
I huffed, turning my back on him to check the train schedule again. Our train was scheduled to arrive any moment as well. When I spotted our train on the display, its arrival delayed by fifteen minutes, I let out a loud groan. I got a few odd looks for my dramatics, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to care.
What fresh hell was this?
XIII
Endeavor was firm, but confident. His rules were straightforward and he had certain expectations set up. He reminded me of Mister Aizawa, in all honesty. Plus, despite Todoroki's threats, I didn't have to speak to Endeavor in the slightest. Simple nods and headshakes were more than enough for the number two hero, who didn't need all that much input for a high-school student anyways. I might've liked Endeavor actually, if it wasn't for his responsibility in creating the bane of my existence.
"Are you both prepared?" Endeavor rumbled, facing down Todoroki and I in his grand, western-style office. Both Todoroki and I had been asked to report to him earlier this morning in our costumes ASAP.
"Yes sir," Todoroki responded formally, while I nodded in confirmation. As a general rule, Todoroki was the one to talk, while I shadowed after him. It was only our second day into the apprenticeship, and I'd already developed a behavior pattern that suited my needs.
Endeavor stood up from his desk, flames swirling around him decoratively. "Then we'll be starting today by having both of you run through an obstacle course my sidekicks use," he declared, opening the office door and holding it open. "It requires a minimum of two people, so you will have to work together."
I wrinkled my nose unhappily as Todoroki clenched his jaw with a distinct click. "Understood, Dad," he answered, leading the way out of the office. I trailed after him, very discontent with this ridiculous situation. A teamwork obstacle course? With Todoroki? Was Endeavor trying to get us both killed?
Endeavor shut the door behind us, marching ahead and guiding us through the various, elegant hallways of his headquarters. Observing the lacquered floors and and chandeliers, I wondered how much money this man made to waste it on decorating hallways. More than I'd ever seen or would see in a lifetime, for sure.
Finally, Endeavor halted in front of a door made of heavy metal. He punched a few numbers into the lock, and the door slid open with the passcode. Todoroki stepped through first, and I followed after him, knowing Endeavor was only a few steps behind. When I got a full view of the training field, I paused and gulped, daunted. Mister Aizawa's obstacle courses were all about acrobatics. Endeavor's training field looked like actual city streets, with multiple familiar robots from Yuuei scattered between the buildings. I could see a small platform off to the side, and suddenly realized what was happening.
Todoroki and I would be freerunning while combating enemies. No wonder this required a minimum of two people. When one of them died, someone was needed to call the ambulance.
Endeavor continued walking ahead, approaching the dreaded platform. "This will be your first test," he began. "If you can manage to finish the course by this evening, you will be allowed to sleep in tomorrow," he explained.
I glanced to Todoroki, very much intimidated by this new challenge. Todoroki didn't look perturbed in the slightest, seeming almost comfortably familiar with this test. And of course he was, Todoroki was Endeavor's son. Which meant I was going to make a fool out of myself in a set of obstacles Todoroki had faced a thousand times. I frowned, extremely unhappy with my newfound problem.
When neither Todoroki or I stepped forward, Endeavor glanced back expectantly. "Well? Are you starting any time today?" he demanded.
XIV
Shouto, reluctantly, found himself starting to tolerate Kurosaki. It was a very slow, very painful process, but as he spent more and more time working with the girl as part of his father's agency, he began to learn more about her. For example, despite refusing to talk, Kurosaki still managed to communicate effectively, even during combat. Shouto hadn't ever been very good at charades, but somehow Kurosaki could make him understand her odd hand-gestures and eye rolls with ease. And Shouto had never realized how long Kurosaki's hair was, until he'd had to watch her spend over fifteen minutes carefully brushing and redoing her braids after each training session.
"Why don't you just cut your hair?" He asked one day, unable to withhold his curiosity. Kurosaki had always struck him as ruthlessly practical, and her long braids were an unnecessary burden. "It'd be easier to take care of."
Kurosaki paused in her brushing, looking slightly startled that Shouto had even spoken. Then, she shrugged, and continued brushing. It was the first time, however, that Shouto had seen her smile at anything other than her friends. The message came across fairly clearly: I just like it this way.
There were plenty of other little things as well. Like when they were sparring under Endeavor's supervision, Shouto would sometimes catch Kurosaki's eyes shining in the middle of a fight. It was usually seconds before she flipped him over her shoulder or nailed him with a particularly hard attack, but regardless, Shouto couldn't help but notice her love for fighting that he - unwillingly - found contagious. Or the way that she would sometimes pause while they were walking around headquarters and stare at certain people intently, usually right before they did something stupid, and then burst into giggles. Shouto didn't know how she always managed to spot people about to embarrass themselves, but her dark sense of humor was amusing, if only because Kurosaki didn't look so sadistic.
So yes, Shouto found himself beginning to tolerate Kurosaki. He'd even, he'd dare say, claim to enjoy her presence, if it weren't for the moments that she would sometimes glare at him like his very existence offended her. It was slightly disturbing, to see how quickly she could flip from acting perfectly pleasant to downright irritable, and usually all it took was one misstep on Shouto's part. And he didn't even know what he was doing to upset her! The fact that they were forced to spent hours a day together didn't help matters.
"You've both done well over the past four days," Endeavor declared, towering over a panting Shouto and red-faced, sweating Kurosaki. They had just managed to clear the obstacle course from Day 1 in under five minutes, beating their previous record of six minutes and thirty-two seconds. "I'm pleased with your progress," Endeavor continued crossing his arms. "Your ability to work together has improved sufficiently, so we'll be traveling to Hosu for tomorrow. You both will be following me during my patrols."
Shouto smiled despite his exhaustion. He knew for a fact that Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, and Iida were in Hosu right now from his text exchanges with them. It'd be nice to see them again, especially after spending four days with only eerily-quiet Kurosaki for company.
"Well done, Shouto," Endeavor finished, offering a final compliment to his son. His voice was warm, and Shouto knew that his father was proud of him.
"Thanks Dad," Shouto said gratefully, before turning towards the locker rooms for a shower. He needed to pack up his belongings, after all.
XV
Izuku had known this was coming, but facing down the Hero Killer still felt surreal. There he was, standing in a dark, unfamiliar alleyway late at night, with a deadly villain that had Iida nailed to the brickwall by a sword impaled through his shoulder. Izuku's hands were shaking, but he managed to take a fighting stance, knowing that Yaoyorozu was beside him and needed him to be confident as well.
Iida was staring at Yaoyorozu in horror. "Momo! What are you doing here?!" he demanded, voice strangled with pain. Iida's expression was terrified, knowing that his soulmate was now in danger of being killed as well.
"I'm here to save you, Tenya," Yaoyorozu declared proudly, using her quirk to create a sword and shield quickly. She took her stance next to Izuku, who tried to ignore how tense her shoulders were. They were both terrified, it seemed.
The Hero Killer tilted his head, looking at them curiously. Izuku shivered at the insane light in his eyes. "I see," the murderer said casually, like he wasn't a few inches away from killing someone. "Your soulmate has come to save you," he observed clinically, allowing Iida to drop to the ground. Iida let out a pained grunt as the landing jostled the blade embedded in his shoulder.
A moment later the area was filled with the sound of clashing metal. Izuku spun to see Yaoyorozu holding up her now heavily-damaged shield, the Hero Killer standing a few inches away with a new set of blades drawn.
Yaoyorozu clenched her jaw. "Midoriya, remove Tenya and the other hero from here," she ordered. "I will do my best to hold the Hero Killer back."
Izuku nodded, unable to summon up the courage to speak. When the Hero Killer disappeared into a blur of movement again, so did he, using his newly-learned Full Cowl to snatch up the Pro Hero bleeding out on the concrete. Bouncing back to the alley's exit, Izuku propped the hero up against a wall gently. The screech of metal echoed behind him, and with only a small bit of hope in his heart, Izuku whipped out his phone and sent out his location.
XVI
There was a bank-robbery going on less than a block away, and Todoroki and I were rushing after Endeavor through the streets of Hosu. Only one day into our stay at Hosu, and there was already an incident for us to participate in.
Suddenly, Todoroki stopped running, holding out his phone with a mix of shock and fear. I froze as well, halting my trailing after Endeavor to peer over Todoroki's arm at his phone screen. All I saw was Midoriya's location, sent in a group chat with no context. I glanced up at Todoroki skeptically, wondering what the hell he was on about. Todoroki wasn't paying attention to me, however, instead looking to his father with wide eyes. "Dad, I have to go! I'll forward you the location, send heroes there!" he shouted, before spinning around and booking it down the street.
I watched him go, eyes wide and incredulous. Our first actual patrol, and he does this? What was happening? Had Midoriya sent out some secret distress call I couldn't understand? Endeavor looked just as confused.
I bit my lip, and then looked up at the Pro Hero. "Sir, I'm requesting permission to follow him," I said formally, speaking to the number two hero for the first time in the past five days. "If there is actual danger, I'm uniquely suited to controlling injuries until the real heroes arrive."
Endeavor glanced down at me, looking a mixture of surprised and concerned for his son. "Go," he grumbled. "I'll deal with the robbers." I nodded in confirmation, and then spun around to take off after Todoroki.
As I was running, my mind was running overtime, wondering what the situation was. Clearly Todoroki suspected Midoriya was endangered, but why? He knew Midoriya better than I did for sure, but Todoroki hadn't even momentarily considered that the location had been shared as an accident. Was there some sort of prior knowledge I wasn't privy to? I was frustrated by my lack of intel, because heroes shouldn't ever go into situations blind. As Todoroki led me through a network of alleys, I struggled to keep up while remaining alert for any strange noises or movements.
I turned a corner into another alleyway, and as I did so my eyes widened in shock. The Hero Killer was standing over Iida's body, licking his lips, while Todoroki defended a fallen Midoriya and Yaoyorozu with a wall of flame. The Hero Killer's sword shined as he raised it up, prepared to plunge the blade into Iida's back. My brain was scrambling to put the details together into a coherent picture, and then I was moving.
Before I'd even managed to fully think, I was rushing forwards, and suddenly a sword was stabbing through my back and I could see bloody metal protruding through my stomach. Iida's rounded, horrified eyes were looking up at me, but I was busy smashing my shoulder into the Hero Killer's side, sending him tumbling backwards.
I straightened up painfully. I could feel my quirk wanting to activate, but if I wanted the injury to heal properly, I needed the blade removed first. Luckily, Todoroki was already behind me, planting his forearm against my back and ripping the sword out.
"What were you thinking?!" he demanded, dropping the sword to the ground and taking his place beside me, using a burst of fire to push the Hero Killer farther back away from Iida. "You could've died!" he said, practically scolding me.
I don't know if it was the pain, the adrenaline, or the fear that caused me to answer him. "There's been worse ways to die," I told him with resolve, and before I could see Todoroki's eyes widen or watch him stumble, I was lunging forward, chasing after the Hero Killer with steam roiling around me, the hole through my gut already numbed and closing.
The Hero Killer was practically salivating, and in a few seconds he was holding another blade and aiming for my skull. "Pretty words, but can you back them up?" he asked, and I twisted around, relying on pure instinct built from over a year of training on dodging as I barely managed to avoid his attack. The killer jumped back, and I pressed forward, landing in front of him. The Hero Killer instantly moved to stab me again, this time in the neck, and I managed to block his blow with shaking arms, allowing the momentum to spin us both around, so his back was facing Todoroki.
"Do it!" I screamed, entire body trembling with the effort to resist the murderer's strength. The Hero Killer snarled, and the sharp metal tore through the fabric of my shoulder, leaving a wavering, bloody line slowly carving itself towards my neck.
Suddenly the Hero Killer was up to his neck in ice. My body was still shaking from the adrenaline as I fell backwards, stunned. Feeling sweaty and disgusting, I deactivated my quirk, remembering Mister Aizawa's lecture about not pushing my limits. Instantly I felt a wave of dizziness and nausea, and I rolled over to vomit on the concrete.
Even as I gagged, I felt hands grasp my shoulders, ripping me up and spinning me around. Todoroki was clutching me tight enough to hurt, eyes narrowed. He looked the worst combination of hurt and angry. "Those were my words! Why didn't you-!" he paused, sound dying on his lips. I weakly noted that the Hero Killer's attack had torn my shirt, revealing my collarbone and the kanji lining it. "... You knew," Todoroki said flatly. It wasn't a question, but I answered anyways.
"I don't want… a soulmate," I slurred out, before my head lolled back and the last of my adrenaline rush died. I didn't really fall unconscious, my body just sort of gave out. Everything else was a blur of sound and movement from then on, but I felt someone pick me up and lay me down next to a pile of shining metal that I briefly theorized to be Iida's armor. I could hear several voices talking nearby, a girl and two boys. It was hard for me to think, like my mind was jelly.
Dimly, I wondered where I'd go from here, because the jig was officially up.
Author's Note
This was my first time doing a one-shot, so please tell me what you think! I know a lot of the characters changed, what with Ichigo being (a bit) of a bitch, Shouto being not-abused, and Izuku being confident from having friends growing up, but I couldn't imagine a society so led by fate not being more peaceful. If the soulmate dynamic seems kind of dark in this AU, please remember that Ichigo is a heavily biased narrator. She thinks the worst of soulmates, and therefor sees the worst of them. They actually do a lot of good (as seen by Shouto's childhood). If you guys really like this, I'll do a part two that'll finish it and wrap up the loose end (I know I left a bunch, I'm sorry, I can't make this longer). I wanted to add more but this was getting kind of long. It probably wasn't as romantic as you guys were hoping, and that had been my original game-plan, but about half-way through I realized I'd made Ichigo an antagonist and everything went downhill from there XD.
Extra notes: for those who don't know, philophobia is the fear of falling in love, which is how I picked the title. Additionally, it's referenced in the beginning, but in this AU Koharu and Ichigo's grandmother were soulmates. I'll explain more if I do an extension of this, but Ichigo's generation is one of the first to really accept the existence of same-sex soulmate pairings. For Koharu and Mitsuki, homosexual relationships were frowned upon, so they married people other than their soulmates. The reason that Koharu didn't help Ichigo in this AU was because she didn't want her soulmate taken away - hence Ichigo's hatred of soulmate bonds. She blames the soulmate phenomenon for her poor childhood. Other extra things would be that Shouto doesn't have a scar in this AU, and Ichigo doesn't have her scarf (yet). I also didn't forget about the USJ incident. It doesn't occur for a very specific reason, which has to do with Tomura. I wanted to add that in here, but this was getting really long and I couldn't fit it in.
Extra-Extra note: I originally wrote this on Quotev after an extensive poll with different AU ideas. People seemed to ship Shouchigo a lot on this site too, so I decided to repost it here. Additionally, Ichigo was more confident in this AU because since she was tiny, she's taken the words "I'm stronger than you" as her personal challenge. Basically, she's been preparing to punch her soulmate in the face from the moment she learned how to read. And below are all the different soulmate pairings in this story, they were selected from the poll (THEY DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE CANNON STS ENDGAME PAIRINGS):
1) Shouta Aizawa & Hizashi Yamada (Present Mic)
2) Katsuki Bakugo & Eijirou Kirishima
3) Izuku Midoriya & Ochako Uraraka
4) Shouto Todoroki & Ichigo Kurosaki
5) Tenya Iida & Momo Yaoyorozu
6) Denki Kaminari & Kyoka Jirou
7) Mashirao Ojiro & Tooru Hagakure
8) Fumikage Tokoyami & Tsuyu Asui
Prince: I have done as you requested XD