Work Text:
The first thing Ochako's mind went to was the article she read that morning.
"Pro Hero Mount Lady goes on leave after she assaults fan". The article went on to interview her fans on why they thought she would do such a thing. Most pinned it on her fame getting to her head and her not appreciating their affections, while others, though they acknowledged what really happened, blamed her choice of costume for being assaulted. Although most of the public knew that she was actually defending herself from being assaulted by a crazed fan, it didn't change how big the false narrative became. For someone with such a large fan base as Mt Lady, the PR team didn't have much choice but to remove her from the spotlight until the storm calmed down. It was nearly impossible for her to work anyways, with the paparazzi waiting at every corner to catch her making another "mistake".
Ochako was fuming as she read this, ranting to Tsuyu about how Mt Lady shouldn't have to be punished for doing her job and for being a woman. Tsuyu nodded silently before concluding, "it's unfair… but we can only control ourselves, and all we can really do is be careful." Ochako didn't like it, but she knew it was true.
So when she felt a hand up her skirt on the train ride home from her internship, she froze.
---
Ochako was going to throw up.
Her heart pounded, her fist gripping the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white. She had been facing the window enjoying the city lights passing by. It was a crowded evening on the train, and she hadn't thought anything of the proximity between her and the other passengers until now. Eyes on the ground, Mt Lady's scandal raced through her mind, of the unfair consequences she had to face for defending herself. Her initial panic turned to fury as her original anger bubbled up. She steeled herself and raised her head, preparing to confront the man behind her. I’ve trained for this! She knew she could easily take him out. When she went to turn around, her eyes caught his face in the reflection of the window.
The man behind her was looking at her with lecherous eyes, cheeks flushed red and breathing heavily. He was shorter, with greasy hair that fell slightly over his eyes. The suit he wore hadn't looked ironed in months. His smile almost reminded her of Shigaraki— excited, but in a twisted way.
"You gonna assault me too?" he breathed into her ear, groping her butt.
She thought her heart would stop beating. All the fight left her, fear paralyzing her. What do I do? What do I do? Her mind spun as she tried to make sense of what was happening, of what to do. Ochako didn't have a large fan base, but she had already met a few weird ones. If they were to band together, would they destroy her chances of a hero career? She hadn't even made it out of high school yet! It'd be over before it began! Her breath hitched as his hand roamed towards her hip, pulling himself flush against her. He sneered at her through the window, somehow knowing she was too terrified to make a move.
Tears pricked her eyes and she trembled, her breath coming out in quick intervals, her grip on the rail the only thing holding her up. Why did the train have to be so busy tonight? She couldn't even walk away if she tried.
A small whimper escaped and she flinched as she felt a finger slip underneath her cotton underwear. Something hard pressed up against her backside—she refused to acknowledge what it was— causing her to stiffen. A tear fell down her cheek as the remaining strength left her body when--
"You better fucking get lost if you don't want me to blow your fucking head off."
A familiar menacing voice threatened through clenched teeth, pulling Ochako out of her paralysis. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, shoving the man back as he turned her into his chest. She glanced up to see Bakugo Katsuki holding the man by his shirt collar, fire and fury in his eyes.
"Let go of me! What do you think you're doing!!" the man yelped, arms flapping around aimlessly.
"I'm a hero, I'm doing my fucking job." Bakugo said with a sneer.
Right then the train came to a halt and the doors opened.
"HEY TRAIN ATTENDEE, THIS DUDE IS A PERV" he shouted as he threw the man out of the train with one arm. The man landed on his face, the doors closing as the train attendants rushed to procure him, but not before they heard him shout, "She asked for it!!"
Ochako stood there, wrapped tightly in Bakugo's arm, eyes wide with shock.
---
Shame encompassed her, taking root deep in the pit of her chest. Did… I really ask for it? Was something about how I presented myself suggestive?? Her eyes started to burn as tears threatened to fall again.
Bakugo must have noticed, because he drew her closer to him, his arms coming up around her shoulders, hiding her from prying eyes. His chest rose and fell in what seemed like deliberate breaths. She found his even breathing oddly comforting. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she drew strength from his nearness as she worked to calm her racing heart. What she didn't notice was Bakugo leaning his face precariously close to the top of her head, his lips brushing the side of her temple, his eyes creased with worry.
The two of them stood silently as the other passengers murmured about what caused the commotion. At one point she thought she heard a camera shutter, but the pounding in her ears was too much for her to be sure. Ochako buried her face into his chest, grateful that she could hide herself away for the time being.
The train continued on, the passengers getting off at their respective stops. As their station neared, Ochako became aware of how long they had held their position. She slowly pulled away, reluctant to leave his warm embrace. He hesitated for a moment before his hands dropped to his side.
"Thanks Bakugo…" she said quietly, her head down.
She expected his usual snide remark, but was surprised that he said nothing. She took a peek at him, and saw him staring at her with an expression she couldn’t get a read on. It was a face she was unfamiliar with. His brows were still cinched together but his eyes held something that looked oddly similar to…concern. But that couldn’t be right. Bakugo feared nothing, and even if he did, what did he have to feel concern over now? The train announced their stop moments later, breaking their shared moment. The doors opened and Bakugo walked past her.
"Let's go, cheeks," he called over his shoulder, prompting her legs to work again.
She ran after him as he turned the corner towards the stairs, only to run into his back. She stumbled, but Bakugo was quick to grab her upper arm, steadying her as she found her footing again. Ochako noted how gentle his grip was. He stood silent again, seemingly trying to get a read on her as she was with him.
Bakugo opened his mouth as if to say something, then decided against it and turned toward the station exit, walking a little slower so she can keep pace with him. She smiled a little, grateful to have Bakugo to walk back to the dorms with. No, I meant grateful to have anyone to walk back to the dorms with.
The rest of their trek back to the dorms was in silence while Ochako tried to process everything that had happened. I was assaulted and I couldn't even save myself. She felt weak and pathetic, that shame growing slightly bigger in her chest. She had never felt more vulnerable in her life. All of her training at UA and for what?? In the face of danger her fear paralyzed her— what if this happened when someone’s life was in danger? Her heart skipped a beat as her mind recalled the look on that mans face. Her shoulders started to cave into herself as she thought about the man's hands on her and--
"Uraraka."
Her head shot up and she turned, finally noticing that Bakugo had stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to their dorms.
"... Ya?" She asked timidly, internally slapping herself for sounding so frail. She had thought that they had a relationship built on respect. Would he respect her now that he'd seen how weak she is?
His brows were furrowed as he walked toward her, each step heavy. He stopped one step below her on the stairs, still towering over her. His crimson eyes held a sort of intensity that she hadn’t seen before. When did he get so tall? She thought to herself absently as she looked up at him.
"You're not weak."
It came out almost in a whisper, and it took Ochako a second to register the words. Bakugo held her gaze, reassuring her that he stood by his words. Ochako opened her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing formed. He gave a small smirk, then gently pressed his fist into her cheek before walking past her to enter the building.
She stood there, stock still, as his words seeped into her body, replacing the shame she felt with something warmer.