Soul Marked

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Pre-Exam Strangeness

OMG guys I managed to update a few days before the one-month mark! I'm pretty excited that I managed to get it done on time. It's a little shorter than what my chapters have been recently but where the chapter ended I thought was the best spot. Next chapter we will be official in the Provisional License Exam!

I am so excited about this part of the story!

Sweat built at her brow as the breeze from the night glided by her. Body twisting, arching gracefully through the air, Izuka moved to perfect her kick. There should be no hesitation, just fluidity. Her hips rounded as she twisted, but as she landed she felt something was still missing. Scrunching her brow in concentration she tried to picture the way Iida moved. He used his legs more often than not in a fight, and though she wanted to make the move her own, she felt it wouldn't hurt to use him as inspiration. He had been more than happy to give her tips the other day.

It was just frustrating knowing that she was so close but feeling as if there was something not quite right. Crouching she scribbled a change in her notebook before standing back up to stretch.

"Hey!" called out a familiar voice. Spinning around a smile lit up her face as a sunshiny blonde ran across the grass to reach her. "What are you still doing out here?"

"Just practicing," she said while wiping the sweat from her brow. "The exam is only a week away." He finally reached her and in one easy movement wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he began to lead her away.

"You should rest!" She frowned, beginning to refuse. "You're going to do great. Honestly, if you don't pass I'll be surprised. It's like you're a natural at being a hero!"

Kaminari's words had her pausing in surprise as a rush of affection overwhelmed her. She was used to the way the boy naturally gravitated to touching whoever he was around, whether it be in a hug or a simple arm around their shoulders, but she wasn't usually the one to initiate contact. At that moment she couldn't help but turn to hug him tightly.

"You really think so?!" Tears had begun to build in her eyes as she tried shoving them back. Her arms locked around him and it was Kaminari's turn to be caught off guard. He blinked before slowly returning the hug. He glanced down at her. Izuka didn't close herself off from others, but he had noticed the way she avoided touch unless in a situation that required it. It was understandable that she had been a little more emotional than usual since returning to school, but he hadn't realized how much she needed to hear those words.

"Of course." His voice had turned softer. The usual excitement and gusto were absent being replaced with concern and love for his friend. "Are you doing okay, Iz?"

Izuka realized that with all of her extra training and therapy sessions, not including the period of time where Shigaraki's emotions had been persistent, she hadn't been spending much time with anyone. Yes, she went to class with Kacchan and even ate with Kaminari and Momo, but she hadn't hung out with anyone after classes. Instead, she opted to train. The blind need to be so exhausted that nightmares wouldn't affect her sleep had slowly become normal. In the beginning, she had blamed it on the fact that she needed to be prepared for the exam, but honestly, it had only been an excuse.

She had been living and breathing training. It spoke a lot about how preoccupied Kacchan had been to not be the one to pull her out of it. Had she been neglecting him? So wrapped up in her own drama and needs it was only just now clicking on how often he was right at the edge of her vision, but never participating.

Clutching tighter to Kaminari, Izuka nodded, squeezing lightly before nodding.

"I'm going to be alright," she said, deciding not to answer the question right out. She had come to the realization a while back that she wasn't doing as good as she had thought. It was getting better, but she had never before focused so solely on herself that she had missed out on those around her.

Kaminari seemed pleased with her answer. He didn't miss the fact that she hadn't really answered but could feel how truthful she was being. That was enough for now. Pulling away he tilted his head back towards the dorms.

"A few of us are about to start a round of Mario Kart. Wanna join?"

It sounded like fun. Like something she shouldn't refuse.

Reaching out to feel for her bond with Kacchan she could tell he had already retired to his room. How long had she been out here? He hadn't even bothered with dragging her from her training, something he had done quite a bit before that day with saving All Might. It wasn't like him, but it had been a couple of days since she had last truly talked with him.

She really had been out of it not to notice.

Knowing that there wasn't anything she could say to him tonight, Izuka knew she should accept her friend's invitation. It might just be what she needed. With a smile, she nodded allowing him to drag her to the common area.

It was like she had hoped. A good distraction full of fun. Around her, those that had joined in laughed and joked. She felt at ease and didn't mind when Kirishima crushed her in their race against one another. She ended up winning against Ochaco on her next turn. She found herself laughing at the antics of Kaminari as he cursed and panicked when he and Sero were racing.

"Dude!" Kaminari yelled. "You can't just do that!"

"It's not my fault you can't dodge a banana," Sero laughed.

"Gaaah!" A red shell hit him from behind. One of the NPCs had thrown it at him. "Why's everyone picking on me!?" Izuka giggled from her spot next to him. Kaminari eyed her, letting out a small smile of pride at the fact of making her smile.

He had thought she had seemed far too tense and serious lately. He wanted his friend to be happy. Kaminari may seem like someone who didn't notice things, but he had seen the way Bakugo stuck by her side, like a shadow, or guardian. It had caused an uneasy sensation to fill his stomach. If Bakugo thought it was needed to keep an eye on her then Izuka was either not doing as well as she liked to pretend, or those that kidnapped her were still a danger. He wasn't an idiot. Upon bringing it up with Momo, who validated his concerns, Kaminari decided to do something about it. The three of them were close but Kaminari knew he held the best friend title between Momo and himself. That meant it was his job to do something to help.

It hadn't been hard to talk the others into asking Sero to use his gaming system so they could have a game night together. Everyone thought it was a decent and fun way to destress and had jumped at the idea. No, the hard part was trying to get Izuka to agree to stop training long enough to have some fun. He hadn't expected the way she would react to his words of truth. It had surprised him when she hugged him, initiating the contact first, and that's when he had seen how stressed she truly was. It hurt him to realize that he had been fooled by her placating smiles and 'I'm fine's'.

It also hadn't escaped his notice how Bakugo seemed to become distant.

He worried for his friend and wondered if he should step in.

Would she do it for him?

Kaminari thought over his relationship with his soul mate. They were only friends, having made time at least once a week to meet up and visit. He liked her. He knew Izuka would help if something had gone wrong between them. Kami wasn't sure who, or even if, Izuka had a soulmate, she was tight-lipped about that, but Bakugo was still an important person to her. Maybe it wasn't any of his business, but he didn't care. If he had the ability to help his friend he would.

Seeing the lighthearted, and real, smile on her face only cemented his plans. He didn't know what was going on but asking Bakugo seemed like a good idea. And while he did that if he happened to mention how he didn't think it was cool to pull away from a friend, well no one could blame him for being protective.

子猫

Izuka shot up in bed. Her head was pounding. Sweat covered her body. Her clothes clung to her in a gross manner. The shower she had taken before bed ended up being useless in the end. She now felt like she had been training all over again.

It would seem she hadn't practiced enough to fall into a dreamless sleep. She didn't regret hanging out with her friends and classmates, but the nightmare that had obviously ripped through her subconsciousness reminded her of what she trained endlessly for.

Shivering she glanced around. The room was dark, the only light coming from the crack in her curtains that she kept shut at night. The moon was high in the sky, and she still had a few hours before needing to wake up.

How long had it been since the last night she was woken like this?

Not long enough. She shivered again.

Closing her eyes, she reached out for the bond. It didn't matter if she felt Shigaraki or Kacchan. Blindly all she cared about was not feeling so alone anymore. Only she began to panic worse than before when she didn't feel either of them. Anxiety clutched at her tightly, squeezing so hard that Izuka wasn't able to breathe, as she clumsily sat up from bed. The action was so abrupt that she tumbled forward, out of bed, only to yelp at the shock of pain that ran through her system.

If she was thinking more clearly Izuka would have realized that there were indeed flickers of the bonds, faint as it was, and she would have recognized this to mean both were asleep. A rare feat as she realized that Shigaraki hardly ever seemed to rest. The bond always became weaker, or quieter, when the emotions were silenced during sleep.

Wheezing filled the room. Her head spun as dots raced across her vision.

Was the room closing in around her?

It felt bigger during the daytime.

Was that a shadow cast on the wall or a pool of blood?

An attack was settling in, and Izuka was sure she was projecting quite loudly. This normally would have caused her to feel embarrassed, and needlessly distracting toward the others, but at that moment she wasn't even sure if they could sense her. She couldn't sense them. Did that mean something had happened to them?

Why couldn't she sense them?

She was gaining tunnel vision. The urge to stand up and make a mad dash to Kacchan's room was only squashed by the numb sensation that had overtaken her limbs. She couldn't move.

The only sound in the room was her panicked breathing.

Then there was a flicker.

A sensation nagged at her. Softly at first, as if it was waking, before it became more insistent, demanding. It wasn't a warmth that seeped through her bones like Kacchan, but a buzzing, like she was shot through with electricity. It was rejuvenating. Pulsing through her repeatedly, at first insistently, before steadying. It was calming, and with the easing of her mind, and the racing of her heart settling, Izuka realized she could feel a sliver of concern, and a spike of annoyance. She had woken one of them up with her emotions that demanded to be heard. If she wasn't recovering from the panic attack Izuka would have felt awful over waking them but all she could feel was relief at the idea of one of them being there.

It could have been either one of them, but there was an undertone to the annoyance, a familiarity that she didn't associate with Kacchan. It was Shigaraki who was helping her just as she had done for him a few days earlier.

Untangling herself from the blanket, Izuka reminded herself to simply breathe. She couldn't remember what her nightmare had even been about, but she had allowed it to creep into her waking thoughts. There had to be another way to get a dreamless sleep without resorting to working herself to the bones every day. There would be days when she wouldn't be able to tire herself out. With a sigh, she shoved the comforter back onto her bed.

Her head fell forward, leaning against the haphazardly placed comforter, as she took several shuddering breaths.

Another pulsing sensation wracked her. It settled over her, warming her bones, as she was reminded of those moments right after waking up in Shigaraki's clutches.

"Breathe."

She remembered how his heart had beat under her fingers.

"Match your heartbeat to mine."

Slowly, she could feel the racing of her heart calm, before all that was left was a nagging sensation of anxiety at the back of her mind, as her hands shook in the aftermath. Exhaling, Izuka pushed herself from the bed. Her limbs were shaking, and she was tired, could feel it as it tugged at the back of her mind. Glancing over at the alarm clock, Izuka tried wrapping herself tightly in the sensation of the soulmate bond between her and Shigaraki. It was done blindly, in need of comfort, from the one seemingly willing to give it.

It was early, she had barely managed to snatch a few hours of sleep. If she were to lay back down Izuka knew the bond flowing between her and Shigaraki wouldn't be enough. If she managed to fall back asleep the nightmares would slip back in, waking her, and only leaving her more exhausted the next day.

Izuka had been doing fairly well since she started school. Not once had she snuck away to see Bakugo, regardless of the fact that he now slept in the same building, and it wouldn't include either of them walking through the streets at night. She hadn't felt the need to do it. Having felt safe, and most importantly to worn out to feel anything at night. Tonight, however, seemed to be her first slip, the need to quietly make her way to Kacchan's dorm sang tantalizingly at her. Feeling frustrated at her emotions, and lack of ability to seemingly save herself, Izuka curled her hand into a fist. She felt the tears build in her eyes. They were hot and stung, as her lungs spasmed against the need to breathe, the sob building in her throat. She tried forcing it all back. To keep from letting it overflow.

She didn't want to cry.

This feeling of helplessness was growing far too familiar.

She hated it.

Confusion and uncertainty bombarded her, a foreign sensation, reminding Izuka that she had an audience to her emotions. Her fist rubbed at her eyes, trying to rid herself of the frustration, and exhaustion, with the motion of wiping her own tears away. This was not how she wanted Shigaraki or anyone, but especially him to see her.

It was complicated, the emotions that swirled inside of her, about him. His actions had led to the constant fight inside of herself, but there was another deep seeded need to save, to help, to understand him, but how could she possibly do that when she couldn't even do it for herself?

Izuka felt the emotions building up, her tears wouldn't stop, they poured down her cheeks, coating her skin, falling faster than her fingers could wipe away. A storm was raging inside of her. The sensations she received from Shigaraki had only grown stronger, and in her state, she hadn't realized the moment another had joined in.

Why wouldn't the tears stop?

Why did they keep coming?

When would she feel whole again?

Her bond lashed out, wrapping tightly around the two it had chosen for her, urging them, sending waves after waves of emotion toward them in insistent desperation.

One could only feel frustration, as they were surrounded by helplessness, only able to grasp at fleeting sensations, as he tried sending his own back.

The other had risen from bed on instinct. Still half asleep but moving without thought toward her room.

Izuka was on her side, clutching at her chest, as she tried to come back to her senses. She was lost, drowning, as she focused solely on being able to breathe. When the door was shoved open Izuka hadn't even noticed.

It wasn't until someone dropped heavily onto the edge of the mattress, a hand landing softly on her head, fingers carding through her hair, as a tired sigh leaked out beside her, that Izuka realized she was no longer alone. Warmth flooded her body, mixing with the electric sensation, as she shuffled forward, curling her body around the new arrival.

Katsuki stayed sitting, watching as she placed her head in his lap, the rest of her body curling into him as much as possible. It looked awkward and uncomfortable, but she didn't try to move once in place. He simply let her. He didn't try to move her. Silently he picked his hand back up and resumed running his fingers through her long green hair. He listened as she sniffled, shaking, as she tried to pull herself together.

Watching her like this, Katsuki was at a loss as to what he was supposed to do. He was used to seeing her cry. In the past, it had been by his own actions. That familiar push, and pull, to want to help, but never knowing how was still there, leaving him with the sensation of thorns digging into his skin.

It wasn't enough to want to be there.

His fingers stilled. They curled as his head fell back to stare up at the ceiling. Biting his lip his eyes closed, frustration building, but his mouth stayed firmly shut. He didn't know what to say or to do, and silence was far better than anything insensitive that may have fallen from him.

He still wasn't ready.

Still wasn't sure what to do, or how to feel.

Instead, Katsuki's' fingers began to move once more, ignoring the small sobs that escaped her lips, until she fell silent. He stayed there, far after she had fallen asleep, continuing the soothing action, as his mind raced, not bothered by the sleepless night ahead of him.

子猫

Izuka hadn't managed to talk to Kacchan the next morning. For the first time since she had started going to him for comfort at night, he hadn't been there when she woke up. The days leading up to the License Exam had been a repeat of him being just on the edge of her vision, always there, but not nearly close enough to touch, or talk to.

It was a distraction.

It left her feeling as if she wasn't ready for the exams. Her bond was loud and distracting, and Izuka worried that Aikawa and her teachers had been wrong in trusting that she was okay to do this. She could feel the calculating gaze of Aizawa-sensei as he watched her step off the bus, no doubt watching for any sign that she should be pulled from trying out.

Gritting her teeth, Izuka held tighter to the case that contained her hero outfit. She had tried on the upgraded version the day before when it had been handed back to her. Her upgraded outfit hadn't felt heavier, that had been what she expected, but instead, it was light, airy, and still clung to her like before, one feature she had hoped would have changed. Hatsume hadn't told her everything about her upgrade, just how to activate it, and how she owed a contact of hers for making it possible but had been more than happy as it was her best baby yet. Izuka would be lying if she said she wasn't excited about trying it out, but the exams wouldn't be a place for her to do that. It wouldn't be needed. She was patient and could wait until she got her provisional license to try it out. And if she didn't pass, a devastating thought, then she would just test it out and wait until there was a practical use for it. Izuka pretended like the anxiety she was feeling didn't double at the mere thought of her not passing.

Keeping close to Kaminari, Izuka followed along behind him, aware of how close, but still, too far away, Katsuki was.

Focusing on Kacchan ended up causing her to miss out on the way Aizawa fell into step beside her.

"Midoriya."

Startled, Izuka almost stumbled over her feet as her head snapped up to stare at him.

"Sensei."

"We wouldn't have cleared you to be here if we thought you weren't ready for it." Confusion flooded her features. "You need to get better at hiding your emotions. Your face is like an open book, even with that mask on."

"Oh." Biting her lip, her gaze fell to the ground. She felt things far too strongly, and actively fought with projecting those emotions. Before she could dwell on his words, or take them as him chastising her, Izuka felt something heavy pat her head. Blinking, she glanced up to see him staring down at her, something akin to pride shining in his eyes.

"You're going to do fine, kid." His hand retracted and was stuffed back into his pockets as he walked away.

She missed the way Katsuki watched the exchange, having moved closer, ready to intervene if he had changed his mind about allowing her to participate.

Feeling a bit lighter she moved to stand next to Kaminari, listening in on how Aizawa told Mineta not to wonder about how to get a license, but to actually go and get one. She had let a small smile slide onto her face as sensei began to describe them as chicklings, and the pumped-up nature everyone devolved into before their huddle was interrupted by a loud proclamation of 'Plus Ultra' that hadn't belonged to anyone from her class.

She felt overwhelmed at the antics of the giant in front of her. Her eyes were wide, and she hadn't missed the way Kacchan glared at him, before stepping a bit closer to her as the boy apologized to their class in an outrageous way. Izuka worried for his head, wondering how often he did this, and if it was the reason for his strangeness.

Having been too busy staring at the boy, Izuka missed the way one of the other students, a female, saddled up next to her.

"Hi!" came a bright, and happy voice right next to her ear. An older girl with fawn-colored hair was leaning next to her and had moved close enough to speak right into Izuka's ear. "You're so cute! Why are you anxious?" She took another step closer, causing Izuka's eyes to widen as she scrambled back. "We should be friends!"

"Gah!" Izuka said, letting out a startled yelp. "Ah, c-can you take a step back?"

"Oh?" the girl said while tilting her head to the side. "Does it make you uncomfortable? Sorry! I didn't mean to come on so strongly. I'm just so excited to see you!"

"To see… me?" Izuka asked. Her voice was tinted with confusion and doubt, worried that all students of Shiketsu High were a bit abnormal.

"Of course!" Seemingly forgetting Izuka's request the girl moved closer, her hands moving to grip Izuka's shoulders, as she beamed happily. She opened her mouth to speak but a squeaking noise escaped her lips as she was forcefully removed from Izuka's personal space. Katsuki had interrupted the awkward, and slightly uncomfortable, moment, by removing the other girl's hands, and standing between them.

"Fuck off, extra," Katsuki growled, as he narrowed his gaze at the girl. "Anyone ever tell you about personal space? Go annoy someone else."

The happy expression melted away, showing a flicker of something before it was erased and replaced by sad confusion.

"That was kind of harsh," the girl said. "What are you? Her guard dog?"

"Kacchan," Izuka said, moving to glance around his shoulder at the girl. The name seemed to cause another flicker of emotion to cross her face before she wiped it off.

"I hope we get to talk again, without the meanie!" she said as she began to walk toward her class. "We have so much to talk about!"

"What a fucking weirdo."

Izuka watched her walk away, not able to rid herself of the thought that the girl seemed familiar somehow. She had wished that Kacchan hadn't made her go away so quickly. What the girl had said, about wanting to see her, raised questions. How did she know her?

A part of Izuka was hoping they'd get to talk again. Even if it was just the curious side of her, and a deeper part that couldn't get past the thought of finding her familiar.

Turning back toward her teacher Izuka managed to catch sight of The Smile Hero: Ms. Joke as she approached their class, or more accurately their teacher. She listened curiously as the woman called out to their sensei, greeting him before shock flooded her system.

"Have you met your soulmate yet?" she asked point blank. Aizawa seemed to take in a breath, his body slumping a fraction more than usual, as he seemed to steady himself.

"No."

"I haven't found mine; you haven't found yours, let's get married!" The loud exclamation didn't seem to faze him any. In reality, he seemed prepared for it, and entirely over it.

"No thanks."

The interaction between them felt like a conversation that had been frequently gone over in the past. If Aizawa's tired voice and Ms. Joke's easily flowing lines were anything to go by.

"If you married me, we could start a family filled with unbearable laughter and joy."

"That doesn't sound joyful to me."

It almost seemed rehearsed. Izuka couldn't help the amusement that sprung up inside of her. Driving away the anxiety over the test, and thoughts over the strange girl from before.

Ms. Joke had moved on to introducing her students, but before she could finish a boy had come to a stop beside Izuka, moving to shake Bakugo's hand, using both of his own before Bakugo could stop him. Her eyes widened, the action throwing her off, and she wondered if everyone in the other schools were this eccentric.

"My name is Shindou!" He smiled at him. "It must have been tough with all the trouble at U.A. this year, huh?" The words had barely left his mouth before he was moving toward Kaminari, who stood beside her, completely bypassing her as he continued to speak, moving fast, and barely lingering on anyone until he suddenly stopped in front of her.

Izuka blinked as his hand suddenly snatched hers up. His eyes, once bright, and friendly, seemed to have darkened almost, as the fringe of his hair covered them.

"And among them, the one at the center of the Kamino Incident, Midoriya… you have an exceptionally strong spirit. It's our privilege to stand alongside you all today. We will do our very best." His grip had tightened around her hands when she flinched at the sudden mention of Kamino.

Suddenly her hand was being wrenched away, as she was tugged back, and away from the boy whose expression had turned almost smug.

"Screw off, shit face!" Bakugo cut in as he wrapped his arm around her waist, before gently shoving her toward Kaminari in the next instant. The other blonde hadn't caught the expression on the stranger's face but hadn't been happy that he mentioned a touchy subject to his best friend. He gladly pulled Izuka into his embrace. "The words coming out of your mouth don't match up with that look on your face."

The expression melted away, turning into a mixture of happiness and being unbothered. Izuka hoped that no one else randomly decided to come up and talk to them. She wasn't sure she could handle another strange person interacting with her. Her anxiety was beginning to spike. It bothered her that she had been singled out twice now. It made her wonder if the girl from before had recognized her from Kamino as well.

The thought didn't make her feel happy.

子猫

The walls falling down around her caused Izuka to turn into a calculating mood, the gears turning in her head already working at full speed as she placed all of the knowledge that was just handed to them and began to work on a plan.

Without thinking she began to tell her classmates not to wander too far, and to work as a group.

Katsuki felt himself begin to be split into two. On one hand, he didn't want to leave Koneko's side, but on the other, he knew that if he stuck around he would be worried about her and fighting the frustrated feelings that always arose these days around her. She was a complication, causing his mind to become cloudy, making it hard to concentrate. He would be too distracted to focus on the exam.

The problems with their bond, his inability to settle on being alright with it, to be understanding, were all distractions, and he knew that if he stuck around with her during the heat of battle, he wasn't sure he could keep himself focused on what was important.

In actuality he was just a coward, running away from his feelings, and selfish.

Going against every instinct that told him to stay, Bakugo turned to Koneko.

"Don't be reckless and stick with a group."

"Wha-!" Bakugo turned to run away, causing Izuka to stare after him in surprise and annoyance. "Kacchan!" She watched as Kirishima ran after him, not surprising, but what was, was the fact that Kaminari turned to her next.

"I don't feel like I should leave your side, but I've got to catch up with Bakugo. Be safe, and I'll see you after!" He sent her two thumbs up. "You'll do great! We'll kick ass!" He turned and quickly ran away.

Izuka felt bothered by the fact that two of her important people had up and left her with barely any explanation. When Todoroki turned to run off Izuka felt like knocking heads against one another. If they would listen she would have explained why it was stupid to go off on their own. It frustrated her beyond belief, but Izuka couldn't focus on them. Instead, she turned to the rest of her class and focused on helping them.

As they ran she began to tell them her plan, about why they should stick together. To her it was obvious, and the fact that two people already seemed to know her, and the Todoroki had even been asked for his autograph, Izuka knew they had watched the festival. That meant many of them here were at a disadvantage. They had shown the country their powers, and what they were capable of, and that made them a target.

She could hear the countdown being announced.

"Everyone already knows us," Izuka told the others.

Four.

"To get through this we all need to work together. I'm sure we won't be the only ones doing this. I'm sure this is going to turn into a battle between schools, and it's only natural to target and get rid of one of those schools the fastest before moving on."

Three.

"U.A. shows each student and their abilities every year."

Two.

"By thinking that way we're the obvious choice to go after. We know nothing about them, and their quirks, but they know ours intimately because of the way we announced it earlier in the year."

One.

"They're going to aim to crush us."

Guys next chapter is going to be so awesome! I'm psyched for it! Kaminari is finally going to have that talk with Bakugo, and we're going to get to see Toga again! I'm looking forward to having her back even if it is just for a short period of time.

Can't wait to hear from you all!