Chapter Text
General Education classes mixed with hero activities is the combination that occupies the day-to-day lives of these young heroes-in-the-making. Though studying in UA is full of surprises from its talented row of faculty, putting it this way could make it sound monotonous. And let’s just say that those from 1-A, hate monotony whether they admit it or not.
Perhaps, with several to most of them having firsthand experience – even just a glimpse – of what the real world for pro-heroes and villains look like, the preparations that they must undergo to survive means something more than their curriculum allows.
Each of the class’s students has their own way of levelling up their game, and for Izuku Midoriya, it is his evening training that gives him the opportunity to grow more. If he wants to be the master of this power handed down to him, he has to improve more than anyone. He has instilled this seed of thought in his mind all this time and it continues to grow its roots deep and extend its branches wide. More than a simple thought, it is his core in training.
Gazing at the dark blue sky, with the moon watching over him again, he breathes deep with a smile. UA’s dormitories and facilities are made to give them the growth that they all need, and that is why his after-class training is always fulfilling for him. The grounds are perfect for him to test out the giant waves of his quirk, the gym and common area of the dorms are there for his basic maintenance work out, and the atmosphere of the campus itself with everyone onboard for their dreams of being pro-heroes greatly motivates him.
He is just so glad that everything that is happening in his life, though he started at rock bottom and he is still far from the summit, is still filling every inch of him with happiness and warmth. However, even if they share the dream, perhaps, this feeling only exists in him, when he started Quirkless.
Izuku takes a seat on the grass and grabs his pen to fill in his notebook with more observations and challenges.
Training is not limited to crafting new super moves and testing out combination success rates. With the massive One for All in his body, he cannot just rest and be contented with what he has and his progress, despite taking pride in it. After all, this quirk passed by the All Might is not a static kind of quirk and it has surpassed his expectations so many times. He has to be prepared for the unexpected. But at the same time, he has to keep in mind the limitations of his body.
He has been so reckless in his pursuit of heroic victories and by placing justice in his own hands for the past months. But he knows full well that he cannot be a pro-hero at all if he completely destroys this very vessel-– no. He must stop looking at his body as just a vessel for One For All. He has to acknowledge that he has to take care of it because it is his own.
He looks at that mark on his right hand that extends to his arm, the mark that reminds him of what permanent damage is and what a dangerous world they live in. The face of his mom flashes in his mind as he makes a fist, now more determined than ever. The path of a hero is not all about victories over villains. That is why he must get stronger to be able to continue living.
“Okay, time for a cool down!” he says and starts standing and stretching upon closing his notebook. It would be bad if Tenya suddenly yells at him for missing their curfew after all. He forces a smile despite that sigh escaping his nose. The wind comforts the ache of his body as he feels his muscles relax bit by bit.
Some rustling in the grass catches his attention as he twists his torso to look back to see who it is. He doubts it to be their class representative though since Tenya would be the type to yell before he even gets near. He confirms the thought when he is then greeted by the very figure of Ochako Uraraka who has her hand waving at him.
“Hey, Deku-kun!”
“Hi Uraraka-san,” he manages to say and proceeds on stretching his arms and shoulders first before fully turning to meet her. “Did you need anything?” he asks and wipes the sweat coating his skin with the back of his hand. He should probably buy some sweatbands.
“Sorry for disturbing your training!”
“Don’t worry, I was just done. I’m just stretching now,” he says, smiling, as he lifts the round collar of his white shirt to wipe that sweat drop on his temple. Subtly and hopefully she does not notice, he gives his shirt a short sniff; a bit conscious. He has been training for hours, after all. The rambling thoughts inside of his mind distract him to not notice the lass's conflicted expression as well.
“May I help you then?” he finally hears.
If they are in class, the answer would have been natural. They have been partners in some training exercises and have attended to one another for basic stretches. Though he has been always more mindful of girls, especially that of Ochako, physical contact in his ‘hero mode’ is not really bothering him at all. It is especially a necessity when it comes to rescue missions. But with just the two of them under the night sky, in clothes that are not their uniforms, somehow, he becomes conscious – and that is not because of being sweaty but something entirely different. It gives him a sense that they are not heroes right now.
He swallows and keeps his focus back. It would be rude to say no to her. But would it really be alright when he is all soaked?
Hero mode, he reminds himself to tuck those thoughts away.
“A-Alright then. Thanks,” he manages, a bit of that red staining his freckled cheeks.
Ochako then pushes on his shoulders, as he sits back on the grass to stretch his arms to his legs, and also his back. She places her weight gently through her hands as Izuku bends down. She makes sure to be careful by letting her pinkies avoid touching him.
“So, Deku-kun…”
“Yeah?” Izuku asks still bending, his voice in a bit of a stretch.
“Well, uhm…” she pauses and somehow it makes his heart pound. Is she troubled? He sure hopes she is not. Unable to see what expression she is wearing, it suddenly makes him nervous. He could only let his eyes settle on the grass that possesses the same color as his hair. As someone who is used to observing people and even noting down different details and information about them, not seeing her right now makes him anxious about what she has to say. He could only rely on his ears right now.
He feels the fatigue and tension in his joints and muscles crack down in the position, but the weighing concern in her silence pulsates in his nerves. But she finally speaks before the worry breaks him.
“You’re really amazing.”
For a second, he forgets how to breathe. What did she say? This is not really the first time for him to hear her say that. Being his very first friend on campus, she has been very vocal on her views on him (while his humility usually rejects these), and that really makes him thankful (and embarrassingly nervous at times). She is one of the reasons why he is slowly able to build some form of confidence in himself. She has always supported him through different means. But hearing her say it again, with no one around, without seeing the face she is making, he is not sure what to tell her.
“Uraraka-san?”
“EHH?!” She suddenly screams and he still could not tell what is happening, but he feels her weight double – no – triple and the gravitational force just catches him off-guard and pounds his face to the dirty ground. "Errmfff...!"
“W-wah, I’m so sorry, Deku-kun!” she immediately says and helps him up.
Ochako’s days get a different turn ever since that night with Gunhead getting in touch with her. It is after her participation in the Overhaul case which broke news channels and online media outlets, that she got a call from him.
“I’m really sorry that I was unable to take you in for training again, but I was really glad to know that at least you had firsthand experience on something as big,” he says from the other line and Ochako could not help but think that his way of apologizing is just so cute too.
“No, really. Thank you so much. Even if I was under someone else’s care, I was really able to use the things you have taught me. I'm really thankful, Gunhead-san.”
“You flatter me too much, hehe.” His small laughter also makes Ochako smile, remembering her training days with him.
“I actually wanted to talk about something related to it.”
The zero-gravity-quirk-user blinks at her former mentor’s words. “Eh?… About?”
As a pro-hero with many things on his plate, Gunhead had to turn down Ochako’s request that time to train under him again. However, one of the things he regrets is that he forgot to contact her again and give her some tips on the areas he thinks she has to focus on.
He has seen her potential and is actually more than willing to train her again that is why he kept some notes on her, but it is just a mismatched timing for both of them. Instead of waiting for the opportunity again, he thought that he has to give her a lead at least.
“You've greatly improved compared to your performance at the Sports Festival, especially during our training. But you can't rely on the martial arts moves that I taught you. You need to expand your combat skills more and build more strength when speed is not much of an issue especially with Zero Gravity.”
Ochako nods to everything that Gunhead has been saying. Indeed, she could not have said it better than him. Although her training with him has really helped her improve different areas in her combat abilities, as proven by how beneficial the moves have been for her when the situations called for it; deep inside her, she knows that she still has to upgrade these. Being a hero is an ongoing process and she cannot be satisfied just by progress. She has to continue improving.
And though she looks forward to different things outside a hero’s life, she is actually drowning herself in thoughts of training. Lately, she is considering long-range stealthy attacks, but she has yet to think of what kind of training can materialize that with her Quirk. She furrows her eyebrows but agrees with the pro-hero. Maybe before moving on to the next range, she has to at least increase her knowledge more on close-combat or directly tumble on her weak areas.
“I think you're right. Thank you so much, Gunhead-san. I know you’ve been busy. I really appreciate that you gave me time for this,” she says to him, meaning every word.
“Don’t mention it, Uravity!”
Hearing her hero name makes her heart swell. It makes her realize the changes in her routine and mindset ever since her defeat from Katsuki Bakugou. Hearing it from a pro-hero puts a large smile on her face that is hard to suppress because it makes her feel that she is a professional too, rather than a student.
“Uhn!”
“Oh, and before I forget. Do you remember the weak points, the most vulnerable areas of a body that I taught you?”
She nods. “Yes.”
“Those points increase, depending on the Quirk right? Remember that if you're unable to use your hands, you get crippled early in the battle.”
“Understood.”
“Sounds great! For now, I gotta go. I hope we get to meet in professional setups soon,” he says before they give their goodbyes.
Ochako sits on her spreading mattress, unclasping her hand from her phone. Gunhead has brought up an important point. The moment her opponent renders her hands useless, or even just one of the fingers on each hand, she will be unable to activate her Quirk.
“Hmmm…” Right now, the internship has ended and things are still a bit chaotic in the pro-hero world. Though UA has the classes and the facilities made for them, the training she needs right now involves someone with watchful eyes and someone who can assist her. Other than experience, what she needs is a mentor or a partner. She rakes her hair for a scratch. Maybe that can wait? Perhaps she can do something on her own first.
She starts noting down some costume customization additions, like maybe a small blade or spike hidden in her cuffs. She figures that if ever her hands are tied, she could use some bit of a sharp accessory. She, however, realizes that it would not work on metal or tougher materials or even energy-binding forces. She scratches her head again.
Her eyes fall on her finger pads. The Gunhead Martial Arts definitely complements her ability to remove the weight of things. She basically does not need much strength when something has no weight, however, if there comes a time that she cannot use her quirk or if she reaches her limit, she will really need to rely a lot on pure strength.
For now though, as the costume upgrades will have to wait, Ochako needs to assess her current level of strength, and this brings her back to needing a mentor or a partner.
One person enters her mind, of course.
Knowing that he does his own training, excitement fills her as she plans on inviting him. She needs someone whose Quirk is focused on strength and power, and unfortunately, none of the girls have Quirks like that.
Lining up the boys in her mind as she taps her chin, Rikido’s brute strength could help her. Then there’s also Eijiro’s hardening quirk, which is strength in some other form.
But she is the closest to Izuku, whose quirk also boosts his strength... Perhaps there is no harm in asking him first?
The same night, she waits for the timing to ask him if they could train together. Except that, as she sees him in a soaked white shirt, so focused on his notes, chest rising and falling, and sweat gracing his cheeks; she hesitates.
Izuku has been one of the hardcore hardworkers in class and would she be a burden to him if she asks his spare time for training? She slaps her cheeks. After the Overhaul incident, she vows to give it her all and to save more people. Right now, instead of doubting herself, she just has to ask him and make sure that he is not wasting time by training with her.
“Hey, Deku-kun!” She waves when he turns to her.
“Hi Uraraka-san,” he says to her while stretching before coming near her.
“Did you need anything?” he asks, head tilting a bit to the side.
“Sorry for disturbing your training!” she still apologizes, despite the self-encouragement moments ago. A bit of courtesy would not hurt.
“Don’t worry, I was just done. I’m just stretching now,” he smiles at her.
He is always so kind and so polite that sometimes she wants to see a more brash and bold side of him outside of being a hero when she has seen him literally throw and wear himself out for others. So when he lifts his shirt to wipe that sweat on the side of his face, she breathes sharply and presses her lips together, trying to ignore the toned flesh that gets exposed.
What is she going to ask again? She used to tell him anything and everything before without really minding her words. She has always been like that to anyone and everyone. But after realizing her feelings for this green-haired lad, she has been a bit distanced, and so careful with what comes out of her mouth.
“May I help you then?” But she will not run away. No matter how awkward she can get and no matter how heavy her emotions would fill her heart, she is here before him as a hero-aspirant.
He blinks at her as she tries to maintain a calm expression.
“A-Alright then. Thank you,” he says with a hint of reluctance. She shakes her head to rid herself of that tension the moment he turns his back on her and sits on the grass. She pushes on his shoulders, pinkies raised, and gently applies force for the stretch.
Now that he is not looking at her, maybe she can do it. “So Deku-kun…”
“Yeah?” Izuku asks, still bending to the ground.
“Well, uhm…” she pauses. Come on now, Ochako. Just a few words – Would you train with me? Or would you help me train? It is not that hard. It is similar to asking him out… for lunch! Yes, for lunch, not asking him out as in asking him out. She could feel her whole face warm up as her thoughts go on a rampage inside her brain.
Why are her feelings surfacing at the very wrong timing? Of all times why now, when they are alone, and when she is with her? She thinks she has been getting better in keeping her emotions at bay, but why now?
Maybe because she just sees again how magnificent he looks when he is so focused on something. Or maybe because it has been a while since it has been just the two of them? Or is it because of the sky that is just so beautiful especially with the moon peeking right at them which almost makes this moment all perfect? She is never the romantic type until Mina suggested an answer to that stirring in her heart.
“You’re really amazing.” The words escape her mouth without her knowing.
Yes, he really is amazing. The more she thinks of her feelings for him, the more she knows why she has fallen for him. It is futile to deny everything when this person right before her is an amazing person. And it is not only her, everyone can see how much of a wonderful person he is.
Wait… this person right before her…
“Uraraka-san?”
“EHH?!” Hearing him suddenly brings her back to reality. Her fingers touching his heated figure, and the way his skin vibrates when he speaks makes her realize that this is the reality. She accidentally activates her Quirk, brings her full weight on the weightless him, and smacks his face to the ground.
"Errmfff...!"
“W-Wah, I’m so sorry, Deku-kun!” Instantly, she grabs him by the shoulders and faces him. She connects her fingers to ‘release’ him once he is in the right position.
“I-I’m really sorry, Deku-kun! I got distracted,” she exclaims and casually places her hands on his face, slightly tilting his head to face different directions. She inches closer to inspect. His eyes are closed, scrunched, with his nose and cheeks wrinkling. “I-I’m fine, Uraraka-san…” His lips move as his features slowly soften to that of a small smile as his green eyes open.
When she sees no broken nose, no bleeding or cuts, and just dirt, she lets out a relieved sigh. She wants to train with him and now she just hurts him! Breathing out, she lets her fingers brush his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, and his chin, not noticing the way his shoulders jolt every time she does. She has no handkerchief with her right now so she hopes he does not mind for her to do at least this, letting the guilt be her anchor in the situation.
Instead of a response to his statement assuring her that he is fine, she just continues what she is doing, fully concentrating on her task to remove the dirt from his face.
“U-Uraraka-san…” he says, voice shaking a bit, cheeks flushed (not because of his face hitting the ground), and then raises his left hand.
It is her time to be tense when she feels his fingers wrap around her right wrist, while her other hand rests on his neck. Their eyes lock gazes. They might have known each other for almost a year now, but they never had this chance to just stare into each other’s eyes, taking in the colors and how well these matched their respective hair hues.
Both sets of orbs are illuminated by the moonlight though the shadows hide the other side of their noses and faces. They stare at one another, feeling warmth inside of them, not really the shades resting on their cheeks, but something building deeper. Neither dares to look away, not when they can clearly see each other and when their faces are just so close.
“Midoriya-kun! Uraraka-kun! There you are!” A roaring voice comes from afar, which makes them immediately separate from each other with chills crawling under their skin. They stand straight as rigid as poles.
“We must go back to our respective rooms as curfew is here in 9 minutes and 32, no, 31 seconds,” Tenya says balancing the task of running to them, looking at them then his watch, then back at them.
Ochako and Izuku meekly nod at him, which makes him ask as he stops and jogs in the place in front of them, “Are you two okay?”
“Y-Yes! We’re okay!” both say in unison which makes Tenya’s eyebrow raise, especially with the seemingly practiced sway of their hands rapidly waving in defense.
Without exchanging any more words, the two then get back inside and back to their pads under Tenya’s watchful eyes behind his glasses.
Hours later, laying down on her mattress with her blanket over her figure, she really could not fall into a slumber when the moonlight seeps through the windows of her room and reminds her of that moment she had with Izuku under the moon.
But despite the lingering warmth on her hands and chest, Ochako is still determined to ask so she lets her fingers do the tapping (since she could not sleep anyway).
From: Ochako Uraraka
Subject: I’m sorry and…
Deku-kun! I’m really sorry about what happened! But I really wanted to ask you if you could help me train?
Perhaps this is also her chance to somehow pay him back.
On another floor, Izuku lies awake as well, unable to remove that image of Ochako, so close to him, her hands on his face and his neck. Every time he closes his eyes, he ends up remembering how beautiful her eyes are and how that worried expression for him also suits her face though he prefers her smiling at him. He tries to erase those thoughts anyway.
His heartbeat almost stops when his phone flashes to a message from the very girl he has been thinking about for hours. Forcing himself to settle, he opens the message, greeted by a favor from her which is something really rare.
This is not Izuku’s first time to receive a message from Ochako, but this is definitely a first for her to ask him a favor.
Well, this is not exactly the training he thought of when he read her message that night.
“Uhm… Y-Y-You want me to what?” These are the words that Izuku manages to utter after hearing her say, “Deku-kun, pin me down!” enthusiastically and without a worry in the world.
Currently, the two of them are in the training area.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, head tilting to the side.
Izuku breathes in and breathes out. Once. Twice. Thrice. But, of course, this is training, he reminds himself. He has to think rationally and not let any other thoughts cloud his mind.
Did he hear her right? However, when he starts to repeat his question…
“Y-Y-You want me t-to—” The more his lips get closer to producing the words, the harder it gets. “…t-to p-p-pin y-you d-d-down….?” He almost freezes, his lips just trembling not out of fear, but out of nerves.
Her eyes widen as blood creeps to her face and it produces the brightest shade of red. Oh no. When she had put herself in her training shoes and gear, she has decided to tuck all emotions in, but with Izuku repeating her words and the wrong words that left her mouth entering her ears, everything just spills out.
“W-W-Wait—I mean…!” she starts, hands waving, and continues, “I m-mean, j-just restrain my hands so I can’t use my Quirk…!” She starts to get frustrated with herself. When she tries to be careful with her words, she instead loses the ability to talk normally. And when she just lets her mouth run, she ends up saying the weirdest things. She whines internally.
Ochako struggles in trying to keep things – or maybe herself – normal. When she reads Izuku’s positive response to her favor, she reminded herself to never let her emotions get the better of her just like that night. She has to be in control. However, she does not think that something like her raw words could also trigger it. She has decided to choose to be a hero over being a maiden in love, right?
Izuku, on the other hand, nods way too rapidly for his own good. “O-Okay!”
Silence falls on them all of a sudden that it makes everything just suddenly uncomfortable. But when Ochako says with all her might, “I’m ready!” and brings her arms forward, Izuku picks up the call that this is training. He swallows the lump of discomfort in his throat first before encircling her wrists with his hands, just now having the time and consciousness to notice how thin they actually are.
“Deku-kun,” she says to get his attention. “I want you to restrain me so I can’t use my Quirk on you. I asked for your help because your Quirk enhances your power and your style is mostly close-combat. Though Gunhead Martial Arts have really helped me in this area, I think it's only because I get the upper hand by getting the first move.”
She opens her hands to show her palms and closes it again to fists. “However, I’ve never been in a situation where the opponent aims to stop me from using my Quirk. Or that I’m caught before I could move.”
Izuku follows soon on her intent then slides his hands to her hands instead, his palm touching the back of hers, and his grip securing her fingers tightly. “Then I’ll do it this way,” he manages to say, ignoring the smooth of her skin and the fact that his hands just rubbed his way through. The softness of her hands seems to want to distract him but he succeeds to keep his focus. Hero mode, he reminds himself.
Right now, they are heroes in training and to be honest, he enjoys talking like this with her. He is a bit worried the night before when her distraction ended up putting him flat on the ground. The training must have been stressing her out that she ended up not even being able to control her Quirk. Right now, he is just glad that he can help her in any way he can. She has helped him several times in the past and he is not sure how he could return all of her kindness.
She may also think that he is not training when he is only helping her, but observing whatever is the outcome of this exercise is definitely something that will also make him improve, he knows. Perhaps, he could pick up defense pointers if he gets to fight someone who knows martial arts or someone who also uses their hands to activate their Quirks.
Ochako nods. Izuku’s choice to trap her by holding the back of her hands works well since this way she cannot touch him with her finger pads. However, “You need to tighten your grip, Deku-kun.”
This time, he hesitates. Though he understands the point of this training, it would be bad if he puts too much pressure on her hands. If his Quirk can break his bones, what more can it do to others especially to one’s fingers? While his normal level is nowhere compared to when One for All is activated, he is still partly concerned as to how a tighter grip could hurt or worse injure her. She is using his strength as her point of measurement, which could be risky if he makes a mistake.
Already seeing his thoughts seeping out of his face, she tries to flex her fingers. “It’s okay, Deku-kun. I know you won’t hurt me. But I can easily escape your grasp this way.” She smiles.
Izuku nods again. She trusts him and he trusts her, so they must work together with their abilities.
"O-Ow!" he grunts when his back hits the floor again. Good thing he has no weight now or the pain would probably double. Maybe he should try to learn martial arts too.
As Izuku starts muttering, Ochako is smiling, glad that she chose him. She is no match to his grip with just her pure strength. It took her at least six bold attempts (not counting the casual ones) to get out of his grip but she had to rely on Zero Gravity and that involved using her legs and torso to twist and turn just to get her fingers to touch him.
They tried it several times, trying to pin Ochako’s hands from different angles, and from all the trials, she had to use her Quirk to get out of his grasp.
She confirms the need to level up her strength, at least to break grips. She places a finger on her chin. “How about if you tie me up, Deku-kun?”
Izuku stares at her. “… what?”
“Tie me up!”
He remains frozen though. And as realization hits her hard, she matches that red in his face “Aa I mean…! T-Tie me to restrain me… Ugh t-trap me…? N-No… tie… as in…!”
Why are no correct words leaving her lips? She screams more synonymous requests but they both end up dying themselves in more shades of red in every try. Why does everything she say sound so wrong? She decides to give up when both of them are already steaming and probably beyond help. She has to get back her focus though. A hero never gives up.
“Uhm… h-how about you try to restrain me but my hands should be above my head? And maybe you can try stepping on my feet so I can’t really move? I feel like I’m cheating when I move around.”
Though she has phrased it fine, both of them did not know that its execution is more embarrassing than the other words and phrases she has brought up earlier.
Her back is pressed on the wall, arms constrained upward with his right hand trapping both of her palms and fingers while his left hand is on the wall for his own balance and support. His left crimson shoe is over her shoes, her feet flat on the ground. His Full Cowl is activated, the green light enveloping him, just to be sure to increase the strength in his hand and foot. It also lessens the stress in him that he might release too much power.
As Ochako struggles to get out of it, her heart also struggles to calm down. This physical proximity is something she did not really see to happen. And the worse part is that she is losing strength in her knees not because of his hold on her, but mostly because of her lack of concentration. She is pretty sure she was focused moments ago on the task but looks like her narrow vision on fulfilling the task, eventually missed this possibility.
She tries to look away though his neck is so close to her mouth that she could feel her breathe bounce back to her.
As much as she reminds herself that this is training, it is getting more and more difficult to merely think of it as one when his body is so close, when she could feel his breath on her, and when his palm is pressed on hers. She was fine a while ago so this really upsets her. But other emotions fail to break into her when her heart is filled with too much pounding already.
Izuku is not really in the best position too despite that serious face he is trying to maintain (mustering all the tinge of seriousness he has inside that body). Holding Ochako’s hands up somehow in her training gear (which is her favorite black tank top and the bottom of her P.E. uniform)… exposes her to him. Just when he thought that thing with Mei Hatsume would not happen again, here in front of her, pinning Ochako on the wall, all close to her, is similar in view so he looks away and focuses on her hands. But now, he cannot help but recognize how soft it is and he could just feel her breathing on him. Just when breathing is supposed to be a non-voluntary action of the human body, feeling that warm air from her nose brushing past his skin makes him so conscious and makes him believe that breathing is something consciously checked and done. If he stops thinking for a moment, he just might die. Forget all those villains who almost got him, this very situation could be the death of him, sandwiched with that rushing knocking in his chest.
He tried turning his Quirk on to remind himself to focus on this training, but he just knows how distracted he is. He thought that the current task is to help her and well learn from her discoveries. But given his current state, more than observing her, it looks like he needed this training too – mental training that is. He needs a mental armor against distractions because right now he is failing. So. Bad.
Izuku may have his grip on her but his grip on his focus is on the verge of crumbling.
The small distance between them and the feeling of her struggling under him… it is really killing him. It may be weird, but the feeling of being really close to her despite that tiny space between them is more wrecking than when Mei was palming his figure back at Powerloader’s.
As both teens face their inner turmoils, their eyes meet to try and say something but instead, something clicks and snaps in both of them. Some tension fills the air that both of them just do not realize the loosening grip and pressure on their hands. They feel their heads go light, though Ochako did nothing to their weights. The moment they look at each other, they mutually feel themselves getting drawn to one another. The warmth on their faces spread throughout their bodies and instead of discomfort, the urge to get closer wins over all the things weighing in their minds.
At first, their foreheads touch, their eyes staring at one another like a mirror.
Closer...
Their noses bump a bit but that does not break their eye contact.
Closer...
So close that their mouths are just inches apart…
Closer...
Breath hitting their lips… as if exchanging the same air...
Drowning in each other’s eyes…
“U-Uraraka-san…”
“D-Deku-kun…”
And then an alarm rings and Ochako finds herself opening her eyes to the color of her ceiling. She blinks, letting the ringing of her alarm clock flood her ears and senses. Somewhat awake, she lets her hand turn off the screeching clock with a click, but after doing so, her fingers make contact with the pink device and she accidentally makes it float.
Slowly, she gets up from her futon, the hair sticking to her face as the remnants of sleep become more apparent. Is the air heavy or is it really just hot?
“Wh-What…” she manages to say, feeling the dryness of her throat and the dried up sleepy tears at the corner of her eyes. She looks around and sees her notes scattered on the floor. It seems she fell asleep while planning the additional costume accessories after that talk with Gunhead. She looks at her notes and notices the new training regimen she plans to have.
“Oh right… I was thinking of getting a partner and asking Deku-ku—”
Closer...
Their noses bump a bit but that does not break their eye contact.
Closer...
So close that their mouths are just inches apart…
Closer...
Breath hitting their lips… as if exchanging the same air...
Drowning in each other’s eyes…
“U-Uraraka-san…”
“D-Deku-kun…”
Her already wide eyes enlarge and all she could do is scream as she runs around the room, her bare foot hitting the floor with loud thumps and the floating clock moving around. Panic overcomes her as she tries to rack her brain for all the details. Which of it was true? Which was a dream? “I-I can’t believe I just dreamt of k-k-k-YAAAH!” she kneels down the floor not even wishing to revisit the images in her head. Of course, that part was a dream!
Trying her best to recover, shaking hands grab her phone as she tries to check for the recent messages and a soft sigh of relief escapes her mouth when she sees the draft message.
From: Ochako Uraraka
Subject: I’m sorry and…
Deku-kun! I’m really sorry about what happened! But I really wanted to ask you if you could help me train?
“I didn’t send it… okay… yeah… I didn’t…” She pants as she tries to calm her heart hammering inside her chest and that pulsating in her temples from getting up abruptly.
While the girl feels some tension leave her shoulders, a certain green-head wakes up with a burning face.
“W—ha… a… a dream?”
Obviously, that is a dream... Izuku smacks his hand to his mouth as his eyes stare widely in space. His green pair might just fall off anytime.
Both sets of orbs are illuminated by the moonlight though the shadows hid the other side of their noses and faces. They stare at one another, feeling warmth inside of them, not really the shades resting on their cheeks, but something building deeper. Neither dares to look away, not when they can clearly see each other and when their faces are just so close.
That encounter with Ochako the previous evening did not only keep him awake most of the night. It even caused him to have such a dream. He could not believe this.
He sinks to his blanket and places a pillow on his face. Indeed. If something in his dream is actually true, that is that he really needs more mental training.