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“You need a new car.”
Ochako rolled her eyes, stepping out of the driver seat as she approached the front of her car to meet her husband. “Hi baby,” she grinned merrily as she stepped in front of him. Rising to her toes, she dropped a kiss to his scowling lips.
“You’re fucking lucky I was patrolling near here,” Katsuki scowled, wrapping his arms around her for a moment. He took the car keys from her hands, moving toward the driver's seat. “What the hell were you doing over here? I thought you finished your shift.”
“I did.” She watched him release the latch for the hood. “But, I figured since we couldn’t really celebrate our anniversary until next week-” The fact that they were able to find any common time in their busy schedules was a miracle, but they’d both managed to swing two days off for a weekend trip. “That we should have some anniversary cupcakes tonight.” Ochako nodded toward the bakery behind her with a grin.
He stood in front of the hood, his scowl turning into a crooked smile as he shook his head at his wife.
“Surprise,” Ochako beamed happily.
“You dork,” he murmured affectionately as he inspected the engine.
“Your dork.”
True. “Yeah.” He had trouble disagreeing with that statement. “What the hell happened to this thing?” Katsuki wasn’t an expert on cars but from what he could see, everything looked fine.
“I don’t know,” Ochako confessed, shrugging as she moved next to him to look at the engine. “Um, I had a little trouble getting it started when I was leaving work-”
Katsuki frowned, turning his head and looking down at the top of her head, “What?”
“I mean, it felt a little weird driving to work this morning,” she recalled, lips twisting to the side as she thought. “I thought it was that I wasn’t pushing on the gas hard enough when I was getting on the highway but-”
“You’re telling me the car felt funny and you still drove it?!” Katsuki questioned, leaning down to inspect the battery.
“It’s an old car-”
Ancient. “It’s a piece of shit.”
She sighed. “It’s paid for.” She’d bought the car a year after they graduated from high school. It was used and had a few obvious dings and dents, but it didn’t have too many miles on it considering how it had been.
Most importantly, the owner had given her a great deal.
“And it still works.”
“Barely,” Katsuki grumbled, fiddling with the battery. “Your battery is probably fucked.”
“It’s not the battery.”
“You said the car wouldn’t start.”
“But the electronics came on when I turned the key,” Ochako pointed out, tapping his shoulder. “So, it’s not the battery.”
“Tch,” he scoffed as he continued to look over things, “You need a new fucking car.”
“Nope,” she answered calmly, popping the ‘p’ as she looked at him with joyful defiance. “I’m going to drive this thing until it dies.”
“Well,” he quipped, throwing his hands up, “It’s fucking dead.”
“It just needs a jump.”
Katsuki frowned, pulling the hood down, “You said it wasn’t the battery.”
“There’s nothing else wrong with it. I was just driving it. I had a little trouble getting it started when I left my agency but-”
“You realize if you have trouble getting the car started, you probably shouldn’t stop for fucking cupcakes.”
“If I wasn’t able to get the car started, how did I get here?” She knew exactly what he was talking about. “I didn’t think anything of it because I got the car started and drove all the way here.” It didn’t seem like a problem. “And we needed cupcakes.”
He’d watched this woman analyze building plans with amazing accuracy and detail. Katsuki had listened to her point out what walls could and couldn’t be destroyed in a battle to ensure the structure, patch up walls and plumbing better than any of their landlords, and secured crumbling buildings like she was doing a child’s puzzle.
With all of her knowledge, Katsuki couldn’t believe she knew nothing about cars?
“Maybe it’s my oil? I’m overdue for an oil change,” Ochako mused, nibbling on her thumbnail. “We both are.” But, his car didn’t have any trouble starting. Katsuki’s car was also much newer.
“It’s not the damn oil. Probably has something to do with that check engine light that you’ve been ignoring.” He pulled out his phone, checking the time.
“No, that light’s been on since before we were married.”
Oh my god. “You’re fucking kidding?” he barked, looking at her in surprise.
“I figured you’d seen it one of the times you’ve driven my car,” Ochako shrugged unapologetically. “The guy at the dealership said it probably had something to do with the temperature.”
“Or that fuck doesn’t wanna do his fucking job,” he grumbled, adjusting the edge of his mask. “My shifts about over, so I can head back to my agency, grab my car, and we can try to give it a jump or something.”
Ochako nodded, jogging over to the passenger seat to retrieve her purse and the treats she’d just purchased.
Katsuki eyed the bag in her hand.
“I don’t want the icing to melt,” she explained, looking at him like the answer was obvious. Ochako closed the door and jogged to his side. She tilted her head up toward him as she nudged his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
He tucked her keys into his pocket. “You have too much shit on your damn keychain,” he commented, stuffing the worn lanyard into his pocket. “How the fuck does this shit even fit in your pocket?”
She cackled as they walked down the street. “I don’t keep them in my pocket. I usually have them in my purse.” Ochako tipped the little light backpack up.
“You know, if you had a car with a button starter you could leave your five pounds of keys in your purse,” Katsuki smirked.
“Well,” she started slyly, keeping pace with him, “Maybe in a couple of years.”
“That piece of shit isn’t gonna last a couple of years,” Katsuki murmured loud enough for her to hear her.
“Stop it,” she warned teasingly, nudging her elbow against his side.
He chuckled, grabbing her forearm to hold her hand.
“Hey, hey,” Ochako clicked her tongue, taking a step away from him, “no mushy stuff on the job, mister.”
“What?” he barked, stopping his pace for a moment and then stomping forward.
She shrugged, continuing down the sidewalk without him. “You heard me. No PDA on the job, Ground Zero.” While they did try to keep the public affection limited while they were their uniforms, Ochako was just trying to irritate him. Their relationship had been public knowledge for years, but they tried not to give the media so much to work with.
“ You kissed me!”
Hooking their arms together, Ochako laced their fingers together as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I know.”
He grumbled, gently yanking her closer to him as they walked.
“You smell hot.” She buried her nose in his shoulder.
“The fuck!”
Ochako pulled back, laughing wildly at his confusion. “You stink,” she told him sweetly, resting her head against his shoulder.
“I’ve been on patrol for over eight hours-”
“You still stink.”
“Yeah, well,” he grumbled, pulling her in front of him. He draped his arms over her shoulders as he pressed his chest against her back. Keeping her against him, he guided her down the sidewalk. “Now you stink too.” Katsuki dropped his chin to her shoulder.
“I do not,” she pouted. “You’re causing a scene.” She didn’t bother to look at how many people were staring at them. Even though rush hour had passed, the streets were busy enough that they wouldn’t go unnoticed. “And your mask is poking me.”
It wasn’t. “No it’s not.”
“Yes it is.”
“Fucking liar,” he murmured affectionately as he rubbed his cheek against her to prove his point.
She giggled, reaching back to swat him with the bags in her hand. “What did you want for dinner tonight?” Ochako hummed happily feeling his weight rest against her back. She turned her head, catching his glance for a moment as she felt him shrug.
“I don’t care.”
“I was thinking,” she started, swaying from side to side as she walked. “After you take me back to my car-”
“And attempt to revive that piece of shit?”
Ochako sighed dramatically, stopping her walk. “I was thinking,” she started again, rolling her eyes sweetly as their legs brushed. “We could just get something from that cafe, so we don’t have to cook.”
That sounded good.
“Or we could just eat the cupcakes for dinner?” she grinned.
“Tch, no.” Katsuki lowered his arms around her waist as he brought his chin to rest against her shoulder. “If we don’t feel like getting something from that cafe, we can just order a pizza when we get home.”
“It’s not cheat day,” she pouted, tilting her gaze toward him as they continued moving leisurely.
“You have cupcakes!”
“Yeah well,” Ochako shrugged, wiggling her back against his chest, “Some of them have fruit, so they’re kind of healthy.” Little moments like this grounded her. Even though he was still in his suit, they were more than Uravity and Ground Zero.
They were Katsuki and Ochako.
They were like any other married couple.
“That’s not how that shit works, cheeks,” he muttered.
“Makes me feel better, but-” She sighed loudly as they approached his agency. “I guess pizza is acceptable. I don’t really feel like going back into that cafe since you got your sweat all over me.”
“You’re welcome.” Katsuki released her as he moved in front of her to grab the door.
“I didn’t thank you,” Ochako countered, sticking her tongue out at him as she stepped inside the building.
“Whatever,” he snorted, following her, “I’ll just leave you here then.”
Her nose wrinkled as she caught the smirk on his face. “Well then,” Ochako told him as they walked toward the elevator, “no cupcakes for you.”