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Practicing with All Might and Izuku Midoriya was turning out okay for Katsuki. Deku still wasn’t great at controlling blackwhip, but he’d certainly improved since the first time Katsuki had seen him use it. Playing Catch-a-Kacchan was going to give people the wrong impression, but it was what Deku wanted to test his skills to their maximum capabilities. “Don’t go easy on me!” He would remind Katsuki, and Katsuki made sure not to. Deku was far too used to his Quirk by now to be phased by a few explosions in his face here or there.
“Uraraka is coming to practice today.” Deku jumped after Katsuki, chasing him around the training facility.
“Yeah, and? Tape arms told me that him and frog-girl are coming too.” Katsuki wasn’t a fan of small talk during or between sparring matches, preferring to save his breath and energy for kicking his opponent’s ass. Deku, however, had other ideas for today.
“Well it’ll be fun, won’t it? To practice with more of our classmates so we can all get stronger.” Deku was unfailingly positive, always looking for that bright light at the end of a tunnel. It killed Katsuki when he acted like this, like they weren’t all on the brink of dying or being attacked by villains at any moment.
“I guess.” Katsuki let out with a grunt as he successfully feinted and hit Deku with a particularly close explosion, causing his hair to poof up into a frizzy mess.
“So, what do you think about Uraraka?” Deku rebounded quickly and began his chase again.
Katsuki was uneasy with where this was going, “What about her?”
“Well she’s--you know...”
“She’s what?” Katsuki shot Deku a glare as he dodged another blackwhip tendril.
“I think--”
“Spit it out, Deku!”
“She’s cool, isn’t she?” Deku seemed nervous as he asked. Were they going to have that discussion? Katsuki had the fleeting thought that he’d hit Deku a little too hard earlier. He was not the person to be having romance talks with. Regardless, he was able to dodge and lunged at Deku to gift him with yet another explosive blast.
“Listen, you know I don’t give a crap about--” He started, but Deku cut him off quickly.
“I think you should ask her out.” Deku let out with a gasp of air, dropping to the ground. Katsuki slowly followed, his face puzzled. What the fuck was going on right now?
“Are you that clueless? She likes you, you idiot!” Katsuki was getting angry now, Deku was wasting precious time that they were supposed to be spending training, “We should get back to work.”
Deku began speaking while Katsuki was mid sentence, “Well, she does now, or at least she thinks she does. But I think you guys have a lot in common!”
“You don’t want to have to turn her down, huh?” Katsuki saw where this was going now, and Deku let out a little sigh as they walked together toward a bench to rest.
“Yes, but that’s not all. It’s not just her, it’s any girl. I don’t know if I can do it.” He plopped down next to Katsuki and uncapped a water bottle, "You've seen All Might, a symbol of peace can’t have personal attachments. It gets too complicated.”
“And you just don’t like her like that.” Katsuki didn’t mince words, there was no reason to. Deku shot him a flashing look, and Katsuki wasn’t ready for what he had up his sleeve next.
“I tried! I did, but I just don't have those feelings. Maybe there's something wrong with me.” Katsuki scoffed. Deku continued, “Do you think I haven’t seen the way you look at her?”
That shut Katsuki up, and he couldn’t respond for a second, trying to think of a quick retort to grind this uncomfortable interaction to a screeching halt. It was a little difficult to take Deku seriously with his hair looking like a bushel of broccoli, but this was obviously something he’d been thinking about for a while.
“Bullshit.” Katsuki muttered, but Deku shook his head.
“I’ve been watching you my entire life, even before I was watching All Might. Do you really think I wouldn’t notice?”
“It doesn’t matter, she likes you.” Katsuki did his best to keep any sign of resignation out of his voice. He had just gotten over his inferiority complex with this damn nerd, and he had to go and bring up the one last thing--er, person, that he would always hold over Katsuki’s head whether he wanted to or not: Ochako Uraraka.
And for a moment, he thought of her big brown eyes, imploring him to please be friends with Deku again, “It’s like you distance yourself from him.” She’d put words to thoughts he’d had a million times, but never the courage to say them out loud. She’d seen right through him, it was intimate and jarring.
Katsuki forgot that Deku was still talking. “...She admires me. She wants to be a hero like me, but I don’t think she understands her feelings.”
Katsuki wasn’t ready, not yet. He took a swig of his water bottle before uttering, “I don’t care.” And without another word got up and began stretching, letting Deku know that this conversation was over.
Later, Uraraka would show up with Sero and Tsu, her hair tied up and her face wrought with determination and optimism. “Once a jerk, always a jerk!” She chastised Katsuki like she was a disappointed wife when she heard about Catch-a-Kacchan, and he had to defend his questionable training methods. He wished that Deku hadn’t brought her up at all, because her words were starting to come back to haunt him. As he sat with All Might and watched Uraraka teach Deku how to float, Katsuki tried to sort out his feelings. But he only ended up more confused.
The hospital lights always felt so invasive, and too bright. Ochako didn’t like the brightness, she didn’t like the sterile smells, she hated the solemn atmosphere. Hospitals were her least favorite place to be, and it seemed like since she began her time at UA she was spending more and more time there.
This time the damage was different, the hurt was different. The carnage was immense, and the pain was palpable in the eyes of her classmates. Everywhere she turned it seemed that she learned of more injuries and new casualties. And of course, Deku was worse off than anybody.
“I’m here to see Izuku Midoriya.” Ochako gave the receptionist a small smile as the world buzzed and moved around her. The craziness from after the battle was starting to die down, and the hospital was reaching normalcy again. She’d seen a few of her classmates milling about here and there, but they all knew who she was there to see.
The receptionist gave her the room number, and Ochako took the long trek down what were now somewhat familiar halls to the room he’d been assigned. On her way she passed Todoroki, who was taking turns with his siblings tending to his father. He gave her a slight wave, but passed in silence. There was a lot that he still had to sort out, too.
Ochako had brought mochi for Deku, who she’d been avoiding. Himiko Toga’s words kept resonating in her mind, much as she tried to ignore them. As she entered his hospital room, she could hardly recognize the boy in front of her. He looked more beat up than she had ever seen him, hooked up to machines and contraptions that she couldn’t even begin to name. His arms were wrapped up to his shoulders in thick casts. At least they’re still attached to his body, she thought to herself. And for the first time, Ochako felt something like pity when looking at Deku. Those feelings she had hidden away had been replaced by something else, something she couldn’t put her finger on. There was no way he could ever love another human the way he loved humanity as a whole; that need to save people far superseded any romantic feelings he could have for somebody else.
No, don’t think like that. She told herself. Push those feelings away, too.
“He’s in a medically induced coma.” A nurse briskly moved past where Ochako was standing by his bedside to tend to Deku’s IV that was pushing nutrients and medicine through his lifeless body.
“Oh, okay. Can I leave this here?” Ochako motioned to the parcel in her hand. She felt a little silly, of course he wasn’t going to be awake yet.
The nurse gave her a sad smile, “If you’d like to, you can. He will probably be unconscious for a while still. You might want to bring him some in a week or so.” Ochako let the enormity of Deku’s injuries and the time it would take him to fully recover sink in.
She felt frozen, but knew there was no reason for her to stay, “Thank you.” Ochako said quietly.
She took one last look at Deku before exiting the room in a daze, mochi in hand. Where was she supposed to go now? The dorms were empty, as most of the students were sent home early for the year due to the enormity of the injuries that had wracked not only class 1A, but the Hero world in general. The rest were either at the hospital or volunteering at the battle sites to clean up the rubble. Ochako wasn’t sure if she was going to be coming back next year, her future was hanging in the balance as her parents tried to rectify what their daughter and her classmates had gone through.
Ochako walked slowly, lost in her thoughts, until somebody unintentionally shook her out of them. It just so happened that Katsuki Bakugo’s room wasn’t too far away from Deku’s, and his wild yell echoed throughout the empty hallway.
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, YOU FUCKIN’ CREEPS!”
“Mr. Bakugo, please, hold still!” Ochako’s curiosity got the better of her, and as she approached Bakugo’s room she took a peek behind the doorway to see two big, bulky male nurses attempting to hold him down, while yet another tried to administer a shot into his arm with a butterfly needle. As she lay in bed later that night, Ochako couldn’t explain what made her do it, but she appeared in the doorway and made her presence known.
“Hi Bakugo!” She held her hand up in a wave and smiled brightly, catching him off guard. Bakugo paused momentarily, his face going from its usual feral scowl to bewilderment in a matter of seconds. The nurses took the opportunity and pushed the needle deep into his bicep before he could argue further.
“OW, WHAT THE HELL?” Having successfully administered his drugs, the nurses gave Ochako a look of gratitude and backed away from the angry blonde, who was holding his damaged left arm and giving his most menacing glare.
“Alright, that’s it for your afternoon medicine. We’ll be back in a few hours, have fun with your friend.” One of the nurses mouthed “thank you” to Ochako as they passed her in the doorway.
“Yeah, whatever.” Bakugo grumbled and slumped back in his hospital bed, “What are you doing here?”
“I was going to drop off some mochi for Deku, but he’s still asleep.” Ochako held up her treats as some sort of proof, starting to wonder why she thought this was a good idea.
“Of course you were.” Bakugo grumbled under his breath. Ochako ignored him and tentatively moved further into the room.
“He hasn’t woken up yet, they put him in a coma.” She felt stupid for even saying it, because of course Bakugo already knew that. She moved closer to Bakugo’s bedside, getting a better look at the bandaged wounds on his upper arm, “That looks really painful.”
Bakugo didn’t answer, just gave a noncommittal grunt. He seemed depressed, or maybe it was forlorn. Maybe it was the medicine, but Ochako had a feeling that he was running through the gamut with his emotions, as well. She wasn’t used to this quiet Bakugo.
“Can I sit down?” Ochako motioned to the chair that was by his bedside. Bakugo narrowed his eyes, and she imagined that he was going through all of their previous interactions, weighing the pros and cons of having to spend any significant amount of time with her, especially when he couldn’t readily escape.
“If you want.” He answered after a few awkward moments. Ochako didn’t notice the redness that was slowly creeping up his neck.
After Ochako sat down, she didn’t waste any time opening up her package of mochi. “Do you want any?” She asked, already reaching for her favorite snack.
“No.” Bakugo answered flatly.
“More for me, then.” Ochako wasn’t going to let his sour mood deter her now that she’d gone and made herself comfortable. She was going to make this trip to the hospital worth it. Maybe, when she left, she could call Bakugo a friend.
“Bakugo?” She asked suddenly, a lightbulb flashing in her mind.
He rolled his head to shoot her a look that seemed to be a mixture of boredom and slight annoyance, “What?” He responded, sounding uninterested in whatever Ochako had on her mind.
“What’s your favorite food?”
“What?” His eyes turned into slits. Ochako realized she was taking a gamble here, but she wanted to talk to Bakugo. She wanted to get to know him. And this was the only way she knew how.
“Your favorite food, what is it?” She asked again, trying to be gentle.
Bakugo was clearly confused, “Why do you care?”
“Would it kill you to just answer the question?” It was Ochako’s turn to roll her eyes. He was so stubborn.
“Fine, weirdo. I like anything, as long as it’s the spicy version.” He answered finally. But then, he did something surprising: He held out his hand. When Ochako didn’t immediately drop the mochi into it, he shook it impatiently.
Right before she placed the confection into his palm, she hesitated, “You didn’t say please.”
“Oh, come on!” He was about to complain, but a look from Ochako’s big, brown eyes stopped him. Bakugo let out a groan and acquiesced, sounding a little put out, “Please.”
Ochako smiled and happily rewarded Bakugo’s politeness.
“So if mochi is your favorite food, what’s your least favorite?” He had caught Ochako by surprise, she was supposed to be the one asking questions.
“I don’t have a least favorite.” Ochako replied thoughtfully, and it was true. Bakugo’s look of incredulousness was enough to force her to explain further. “Food is something that shouldn’t be wasted.”
“So you’ll eat anything?” He reached over to grab another mochi, wincing and grasping his torso. Ochako placed them on the side of his hospital bed for easy reaching and grabbed another for herself.
“Have you ever had to skip dinner?” She asked in between bites. Bakugo shook his head ‘No’ and Ochako continued, “Well, having to do it makes you appreciate meals a lot more.”
“That’s stupid. If you don’t have food, why don’t you just ask?” It seemed like a perfectly reasonable solution to Bakugo, who had never gone without a meal his entire life.
“I can’t just do that!”
“You shouldn’t go hungry. If you don’t get nutrients, you won’t get stronger.” He was right, but Ochako didn’t want to talk about herself anymore, that wasn’t as fun as prodding Bakugo about his thoughts and feelings.
“Bakugo?” She asked again, this time he looked amused as he reached for yet another mochi, the parcel now almost entirely gone.
“Yes, Uraraka?” He asked, mouth full.
“Do you ever get nightmares?”
"Sometimes, usually about my teeth falling out and stupid shit like that." Ochako had a feeling he had nightmares about other, more personal stuff, too. He probably wasn't ready to share that stuff yet.
"You?" He broke her out of her reverie.
"What about me?"
"Do you ever get nightmares!" His voice was rising, sounding slightly irritated. But Ochako knew he wasn't, not really.
That was how they spent the next few hours, and Ochako found out more about Bakugo than she ever thought possible. She wondered how long she could keep the questions coming before he got sick of her, but he never did. Instead, he would veer off course and continue to ask her about herself, too: “How have you never been rock climbing?” (It's expensive), “What’s your favorite holiday?” (New Year's Eve), and “Why are you so bad at math?” (Math is hard!)
Mitsuki Bakugo hadn’t seen her son in a week, and it was absolutely killing her. The last time she visited she made too much of a fuss, and an enraged Katsuki had told the nurses and doctors to not let her come see him more than once a week. Normally, Mitsuki wouldn’t listen, it was her kid, after all. But there was something that had changed in him, and she felt like maybe some space was what he needed.
She rounded the familiar corners of the hospital hallways, mentally preparing herself to see her battered son. The fear she felt that day, the thought of losing her only child, still stopped Mitsuki in her tracks. There was nothing she could do to protect him; It was the most powerless feeling, and she felt useless. What kind of mother was she if she couldn’t even protect her son?
As she neared his room, Mitsuki heard something that she wasn’t expecting. Katsuki’s voice...and a girl’s?
“...That’s the stupidest answer I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?!” The girl sounded familiar. Mitsuki peeked around the door, doing her best to remain unseen, and tried to get a better look at the girl who was placating her child.
“You would bring the tools to make mochi, to a deserted island? You get to choose five items, and you choose that?”
“It’s my favorite food! I need to eat!” The girl sounded defiant, the back of her brown head now visible to Mitsuki. She was leaning forward in the hospital chair, balancing on her arms which were on Katsuki’s bed. Her chin was in her hand, and she was facing Katsuki with a good natured grin on her face.
Katsuki looked...relaxed. His hospital bed was in the sitting position and he was leaned slightly back, one arm folded against his middle while his other was hanging limply by his side. His face looked soft, and Mitsuki felt realization wash over her. He liked this girl.
“You’re an idiot.” He said with a laugh, “You need two people to make mochi, you know that.”
“In that case somebody’s going to have to come with me.” This was the girl that Katsuki had fought in the Sports Festival, Mitsuki finally recognized her. What was her name?
“That’s against the rules!” Katsuki’s voice was getting that slightly harsh edge to it; the edge that made most people turn away from him. Mitsuki was tempted to interrupt. Except...
“But it’s for the mochi!” She wasn’t scared of Katsuki at all.
“Well, it’ll probably have to be somebody strong.” Katsuki’s voice lost that very same edge as quickly as he got it, and there was a heavy silence between them. Mitsuki had to turn away from where she was hiding and lean against the cool wall of the hallway. This was something intimate; something she probably wasn’t meant to be there for.
“Looks like you’re coming with me then!” The girl responded, her voice laced with a little nervousness. Mitsuki may have been mistaken, but she thought she heard Katsuki let out a long breath that he must have been holding. As if he was expecting somebody else’s name to come out of her mouth.
“I wouldn’t be any good with this stupid thing.” Katsuki must have been talking about his left arm. Mitsuki turned toward the entrance to get one last look of her son and this sweet girl. What was her name? Ura-something. Mitsuki made a mental note to check her son’s school directory when she got home.
“You’re going to get better, Bakugo.” The girl’s hands were now on the edge of the bed, gripping it. It was as if she was holding back from grabbing Katsuki and had to physically restrain herself.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t change what happened.” Mitsuki knew it was time to go. She would text Katsuki from the parking lot to tell him she’d be coming some other day this week instead. Some things were just meant to be experienced between two people. In her mind, she tucked away the image of her son’s face, smiling softly. She hadn’t seen that smile in so long, and she wanted to keep that memory.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I’m a coward.” Bakugo turned away from Ochako, and she felt emotions bubbling deep inside her that she wasn’t prepared for.
“Don’t say that, Bakugo.” She tried to keep the shakiness out of her voice, but it wasn’t working.
“You know it, I know it. I did everything I could, but I couldn’t save him.” Bakugo was growing more erratic, his voice getting higher and slightly more panicked.
“Stop.” Ochako responded quietly. She wasn’t mentally equipped for this. She balled her fists into the sheets on Bakugo’s bed and looked down, the tears pooling in her eyes.
“It’s my fault! If I hadn’t bullied him for so long I would have seen it sooner!” Bakugo was starting to get choked up, too, his voice getting thicker.
“Bakugo, stop!” Ochako was crying now, tears starting to come freely.
“Then he wouldn’t have this stupid, self sacrificing complex! He wouldn’t be so obsessed with saving everybody!” Ochako didn’t respond, she knew that Bakugo was holding a lot of guilt deep inside, but she hadn’t understood how deeply that guilt affected everything he did; how he acted, how he treated others...everything.
Instead of answering with words, Ochako did the only thing that seemed right, and the only thing she really wanted to do at that moment. Before he could begin his next sentence, Ochako wrapped her arms around Bakugo and held him close. She thought she felt his breathing stop for a moment, it was like he was frozen.
Ochako thought maybe she had done the wrong thing, and immediately regretted her decision. It was a little awkward as she half leaned, half sat on the hospital bed; trying to be careful with his wounds, not wanting to hurt him.
Maybe he felt her move slightly, because as soon as she was about to pull away, Bakugo wrapped his good arm around her back, slightly turning his head to bury himself in her neck. His ragged breaths on her skin gave Ochako goosebumps, and she had to remind herself to focus.
“You’re not a coward.” Ochako whispered from the nook of his shoulder. He didn’t respond, just embraced her while he tried to calm himself. They had held on to each other just a moment too long, and Bakugo slowly moved his hand from around her back. Ochako returned to sitting in her chair and started talking just to fill the room with noise.
“I thought about this earlier, and Deku would have done what he did whether you were there or not,” She began, and Ochako resigned herself to the truth that they both knew, “He loves...society.”
Bakugo gave her a look of understanding, “He’s reckless, he’s too self- sacrificing, and it’s going to be the end of him if we aren’t there to help.” He paused, then added, “You were right, you know.”
“Right about what?” Ochako was full of so many feelings, she felt like she was about to burst.
Bakugo was having trouble meeting her gaze, “I was distancing myself from him. I felt inferior, and to make up for it I bullied him; to hide my own feelings of guilt and shame.”
“Why would you do that? You’re amazing, Bakugo.” Ochako wanted to give him another hug, but thought better of it.
Bakugo scratched the back of his head, uncomfortable with being so vulnerable and looking a little sheepish, “I’m not proud of it.” He muttered. “There were a lot of things that he had, or I thought he had, that I wanted.”
“Well, I’m just happy you guys are friends again.” Ochako couldn’t believe he remembered what she’d said, that he’d even listened to her back then. She could still recall the conversation, and how it was both so difficult and so easy to say those words to him; to be that honest and open. She’d seen how much their rivalry affected both of them, and it was Bakugo who seemed worse for wear most of the time, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
“How’d you even know?” Bakugo asked after a few moments of silence. Ochako was at a loss as to how she should navigate this new territory with him.
“Know what?” Ochako wasn’t following his line of questioning.
Bakugo rolled his eyes, exasperated, “How’d you know that I was doing that?”
“Distancing yourself from Deku?” She wasn’t trying to be dense on purpose, but she wanted to be sure.
“Yes!”
“Well, it’s not like Deku was the only person who I was watching.” Ochako blushed at the admission, not sure how else to word it, but the damage had already been done.
“So you were watching me?” Bakugo shot her a smug smile. Now that Ochako thought about it, she had been paying a lot more attention to Bakugo than she had originally thought.
“I mean--you know, you guys were always arguing and fighting. I couldn’t help but pay attention.” She was feeling flustered in a way that she never had before, and it was both frustrating and exciting. Bakugo, for his part, was suddenly in a much better mood.
“I watched you, too.” Ochako’s eyes grew wide at his confession.
“Really?” She was surprised, Katsuki Bakugo had grown a lot over the past year, but he was usually still too self-focused to pay attention to anybody else. At least that’s what Ochako had thought.
“Are you kidding? After you nearly kicked my ass I had to be on the lookout.”
“One day I’m going to beat you, too.” Ochako gave him a determined look, which made Bakugo laugh.
“No way.”
The afternoon passed quickly, and eventually hospital staff came around to the rooms to remind visitors that their time was almost up. Ochako nodded as a nurse told her that it was time to go, and she began to pull on her spring jacket and gather her things.
“Hey, Uraraka,” Bakugo said suddenly, echoing her line of questioning from earlier. He wasn’t looking at her, his face was bright red.
“What?” Ochako asked as she pulled the sleeves of her jacket over her arms.
“Thanks for visiting me today. I--uh, it made the time go by faster.” Ochako didn’t respond at first, feeling a little bubble of anticipation building in her tummy. She was scared that this was all just a fever dream that was going to evaporate before her eyes.
“I’m glad I got to see you.” She waited until he was looking at her so that she could flash him a small smile.
“Do you wanna come again tomorrow?” Bakugo asked almost shyly. Ochako was surprised at how easily the word, “Yes” flew out of her mouth.
“Should I bring more mochi?” She asked, nodding to the empty container that was now in the trash.
Bakugo was looking at her with an intensity that made Ochako’s heart leap a little in her chest. “You better.”
“Okay,” Ochako had a lot to think about, but she wasn’t upset about it. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
Ochako was almost out of the room before she heard, “Hey, Uraraka.” for a second time.
“Hm?” She turned at the doorway, not at all mad that Bakugo seemed to be dragging this farewell out to last as long as he possibly could.
“Come here.” Bakugo had a look in his eyes that Uraraka wasn’t altogether unfamiliar with. It was similar to the way he had momentarily looked at her when they were fighting, the Sports Festival seemed like it was forever ago.
It was a look of challenge, like a predator stalking its prey. Except she wasn’t sure if fighting was exactly what was on his mind. With wobbly legs she walked back over to his bed.
As she approached, Bakugo moved with rapid fire reflexes. Before he could give her any time to think, he had grabbed Ochako’s arm to pull her to him; his big hand circling her wrist strongly and easily, even in his shoulder’s wounded state. With his other he reached over to awkwardly grab her by the back of the head, bringing her face close to his. In one swift motion, Ochako felt Bakugo’s hot breath on the side of her face, and his lips were pressed into the softest part of her cheek.
It must have only lasted a few seconds, but Ochako felt hours pass around them. As quickly as he had initiated the kiss, it was over. Bakugo released Ochako’s head and arm, and she was left to process what he’d just done.
“See ya tomorrow, Pink Cheeks.” Bakugo finished with a smile, and there was no embarrassment there at all. He’d all but rendered Ochako speechless, and he must have known it. His face looked somewhat mocking, but there was something else behind the intensity of those red eyes. There was gentleness, there was fondness, and maybe a little adoration. Ochako was positively gobsmacked.
“I’ll se--see you tomorrow.” She said breathlessly as she turned to once again to leave, holding the side of her face in disbelief.
Ochako exited the hospital in a trance, walking on autopilot through hallway after hallway until she found her way to the entrance and into the cool, spring air. She could still feel Bakugo’s lips on her rosy cheek. She realized then that he had effectively just marked his territory, in the only way that he could. This wasn’t a hickey, no, but Ochako was sure that she was going to feel his lips on her skin for days to come.
Her face flared up again as she thought about what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of a hickey from Katsuki Bakugo. Her heart pounded, even as she walked back to the dorms her thoughts remained occupied with the grumpy blonde.
“But I like Deku...” She said quietly to herself, wondering how things had gotten so confusing. Did she like Deku? She thought she had, but when she thought about getting a hickey from him, her reaction was definitely not the same. Because it would be weird, it would be like kissing a brother, and Ochako grimaced at the thought.
Maybe these feelings for Bakugo were feelings that she didn’t have to hide away. Maybe there was something that she hadn’t seen before, in somebody she’d chosen not to see before. And maybe, she could become a Hero and achieve her dreams without having to pine away for somebody who wouldn’t, or couldn’t, want her back.