Work Text:
1.
It’s a rare moment of peace for class 1-A
Aizawa-sensei had called a momentary break from physical training when Aoyama, more than a little green in the face, collapsed into a heap on the ground. A few moments grew into many, and the dark-haired man broke his resolve easily, calling out a flat “class dismissed” as he busied himself with dragging Aoyama off in the direction of Recovery Girl’s office.
But despite the dismissal, the majority of students remained exactly where they were. Something about the combination of the inviting, afternoon sun, along with the bone-deep exhaustion that came with their constant internships had the class 1-A students pretty content to lounge out in the training grounds; sweaty uniforms and all.
Ochako, in particular, had found her perfect relaxation spot: face-down in the grass, sharing the space with Midoriya and Todoroki. Izuku’s ramblings, not as high-voltage as usual, serve as pleasant background noise, as Ochako savors the feeling of sweat cooling underneath her gym jacket. The only words she manages to catch are “All-might” (of course), “ultimate moves”, and “hero rankings”. Todoroki sure finds it amusing though, if his soft little laughs were anything to go by.
Even Iida seems to be affected by the chiller vibe in the air. He chats idly with Yaoyorozu near the entrance to the dorms, one hand on his hip and a water bottle in the other. His uniform was even half-unzipped! For their class-rep, that was comparable to running naked down the street with the word “Delinquent” sharpied onto his chest. The mental image alone is enough to rouse her a bit from her fatigue-induced daze, cheeks whiskering into a small smile.
“Check out Iida,” she can’t help but comment, “Looks like he’s really letting his hair down for once!”
“Oh yeah,” Midoriya laughs, after a moment of buffering, “I remember he got back to the dorms late last night from visiting Tensei. Must be why he’s in such a relaxed mood today.”
Todoroki nods in understanding. “The extra burden of provisional hero work has also undoubtedly weighed on the rest of us as well.”
Iida suddenly bursts into a loud laugh, throwing his head back at something Yaomomo has apparently said. She hides her own smile behind her hand, looking both embarrassed and pleased at Iida’s reaction. A tiny frown tugs at Ochako’s mouth. As much as she loved the taller girl, she really wasn’t the joke-telling type, usually leaving that up to Mina and Jirou.
Ochako doesn't know why the sight gives her any pause in the first place-- it's just two of her classmates enjoying some much-needed time off together, as Todoroki had mentioned. Totally typical and ordinary in every way possible. She should be happy, if anything, to see her friends enjoying themselves, faces free of the stress that worries their foreheads all too often these day. Still, something about it makes her stomach feel a little off, with the only experience she can compare it to being the nausea she gets when she uses her quirk too frequently. It's just...
Surely whatever Yaoyorozu said couldn’t have been that funny.
“I wonder what they’re talking about,” she says, aiming for her usual bubbly tone. She makes sure to smile for good measure.
“Probably class rep stuff,” Todoroki replies, looking disinterested.
“If I’m remembering correctly, they have a presentation pitch coming up for a new club idea,” Izuku says, the thoughtful, attentive darling that he is. “They must be rehearsing what they’re going to say to Principal Nezu.”
“Sorry for eavesdropping, but is anyone else actually scared shitless of that guy?” Kaminari pipes up, blowing a leaf out of his sunflower-yellow hair. “I mean, I know he’s just a mouse or whatever, but seeing him operate that fork-lift really changed my perception. Like, yikes.”
“Mind your own business, dumbass,” says Sero. He lets loose a string of tape in Kaminari’s direction, dragging him out of earshot with an apologetic expression.
Ochako’s feels her smile get more wooden, maybe more of a grimace than a smile now. Her eyes are still fixed on Iida and Momo. “You know, I never really thought about it before now, but those two sure do look good together. Don’t they?”
She doesn’t know why she’s saying these things, they just seem to be spilling out of her mouth.
Izuku blinks at her. “Uh, not that I’m disagreeing or anything, but what brought this on?”
For some godforsaken reason, Ochako doubles down. Izuku’s tone, slightly concerned and slightly intrigued, triggers her self-preservation systems.
“Well, just look at them!” She flings her arms around wildly, “They could be on a high-end billboard together. They’re both just so elegant! And rich! I mean, what else do you need in a couple?”
Todoroki rolls his eyes. “If being rich is the foundation for a good relationship, then that means they should both date me as well.”
Ochako glares at her dual-toned friend. He glares at her right back, the challenge raging in his eyes.
Let it be known that Uraraka Ochako never knew when to back down from a fight.
“Well, not to mention they’re both crazy smart too!” Attagirl, there are those acting chops. She doesn’t think she’s ever defended anything as passionately as she is Iida and Yaoyorozu’s hypothetical relationship right now. Where was her Oscar for this ground-breaking performance? “She’s literally a princess. Plus Iida has that whole hot nerd thing going on; there’s no way Yaomomo isn’t totally into it. And when he does that thing where he opens the door for you and puts his hand on your back? She’s a goner for sure.”
Ochako is starting to get the sense that the stunned silence is not because her friends are wowed by her speech, like she previously assumed. Said suspicions are confirmed when Midoriya and Todoroki exchange a long, impossible-to-read look. Honestly, it’s like these guys have an entire secret language between them. Ochako would almost be jealous of how close Todoroki is to Izuku, but instead she’s mostly just impressed.
“What?” She glances between them. “What did I say?”
Todoroki looks over to give her his full attention. It makes her feel like a particularly interesting species of bug that he wants to dissect. “Let me ask you something, Uraraka,” he says. “When our class goes on any type of trip, who is it that you always sit next to?”
“Iida,” she answers with a frown. “But that because you usually sit next to Deku.” She does her best not to blush, at the implication that she might want to sit next to Izuku.
“And whose house have you been to multiple times to study? Alone,” Todoroki continues.
“He’s number two in the whole class, Todoroki! I’d be stupid not to study with him!” She exclaims. “If you’re jealous, you can just come next time. I don’t see why you would though, your grades are already super good.”
He rolls his eyes at her (Rude!), ignoring her jab.
“And after the Shie Hassaikai Raid,” he starts, with the air of someone unveiling their secret weapon, “Who was the first person you called? Before your parents, before calling Midoriya in the hospital, who was first?”
Was there a point to this? “It was Iida,” she answers impatiently. “I don’t get what you’re trying to say, Todoroki! That’s all just friend stuff. You know, because we’re friends, who like each other? Is that a problem? That we’re bros?”
“…I’m gonna tell her,” Todoroki says.
“Don’t you dare,” Izuku responds immediately.
What the heck were they talking about? Was it possible that…? No, that Iida and Yaoyorozu were already dating?!? Ochako feels her brain going into overdrive, trying to make sense of this possible new reality. Was it a secret then? Why did Midoriya and Todoroki already know, and not her? She was going to have a strongly-worded talk with Iida about the importance of sharing essential information with your best friends. The sheer audacity of it all.
“I’m going to tell her,” Todoroki nods solemnly.
“Todoroki Shoto,” Izuku growls, in a very un-Izuku like way. One silent eye-contact battle later, and Todoroki is deflating, flopping onto his back.
“Fine!” she barks. “Don’t tell me then!”
Izuku spares her a pitying look, but knowing him it’s actually genuine, and that makes her even angrier. He pats her knee sympathetically.
“Boys are weird,” she finally grumbles.
Todoroki snorts. Ochako wonders if Hagakure would still wax poetic about Todoroki Shoto, the most handsome boy in the entire school, if she heard the way he snorted. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that’s the problem.”
That candy-cane, silver-spoon, secret-keeping son-of-a-bitch.
She gets up so abruptly that it draws the eyes of their still lazing classmates. “You know what, I should really go wash up. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” she all but growls. As she stomps off to the locker rooms, she hears the noises of the other students stirring, murmuring their agreements. It seemed like Ochako’s outburst had effectively popped the bubble of tranquility, bringing the real world rushing back it.
One thing’s for sure; that was the last time she tried to play matchmaker.
2.
“What’s up Ochak-bro! You ready to kill this training session or what!?”
“You know it!” Ochako immediately roars, matching Kirishima’s energy in spades.
The legendary Ochako-Kirishima-Work-Out-Duo™ had been going strong for a while now. It was one of the constants in her life that she had come to rely on—Kirishima’s solid fist knocking on her door and his razor-sharp grin every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.
Sure, it’s true that it was rarely just the two of them in the weight room or the gymnasium. The General Studies students, Class 2-B, and even their own classmates all had to get their swole on too. It was normal to toss a hesitant Shouji into their workout mix every now and then, or take an impromptu tumble with Ojiro on the sparring mats, their tailed friend remaining as unruffled as always.
But Ochako had struck gold with her workout buddy. Kirishima was the kind of guy who could pump you up just by looking at him, and unlike a lot of their other friends who tended to get annoyed by it, she really got all the manliness crap he was always going on about. The two of them egged each other on, swirling around and around in a hype tornado that inevitably ended in bruised knuckles and a really satisfying workout.
See, the last thing Ochako wanted to do was be a one-note hero. She knew that, thanks to the nature of her power, one of her natural weak spots was her combat skills. So, she sought out opportunities to challenge herself, and to improve. Kirishima, bless his red-flavored little soul, was more than happy to come along on her journey with her.
And today was the unveil of one of their best ideas to date. The physical exam the pair had been agonizing about for weeks loomed imminently ahead of them. During one of their recent cool-down sessions, Kirishima had sat up with a proposal for the ultimate hype building tool—Ochako had agreed on the spot.
Three Words: Matching. Workout. Outfits.
“You look so freaking cool!!!” They squeal in unison, the second they lay eyes on each other.
Matching flame-boarded shorts, neon red exercise shoes, some snazzy-ass headbands, and a pair of tank tops that read, “My Other Quirk is My Gains”. Truly a stroke of genius. In this fit, Ochako felt ready to knock that knife-wielding psycho on her ass, one hand tied behind her back.
Kirishima does that thing he does when he thinks something is really manly, and he’s trying not to cry about it. “Okay, let’s have the most kick-ass training session of our entire lives, alright??”
Ochako tackles him to the ground immediately, so inspired by his declaration, and delivers a sucker punch to Kirishima’s already-hardened skin. The two of them tumble around on the ground for a bit, adrenaline and pure heroic passion manifesting itself in some trash-talking and friendly grappling.
A cool voice interrupts them.
“I must ask that you cease this unseemly conduct at once,” Iida says, stepping though the entry way to the gym arena. He looks ready to train too, clad in a blue exercise shirt that she recognizes instantly. The thunderous expression on his face was not as familiar to her, however. That was usually reserved for the most heinous of villains, or Mineta before he got expelled in the beginning of 2nd year.
“Oh, hey Iida!” She says, finally rolling off of Kiri.
“How’s it going, prez?” The red-head grins, panting for breath much like Ochako currently was. “You looking to get in on this epic session or what?”
Iida’s mouth is pressed into a thin line, looking back and forth between them like he’s searching for a tell. “Listen, you know I support a good-natured display of heroic vigor as much as the next man, but this is simply inappropriate. As your class representative, it is my duty to inform you that as UA students, blatant public displays of affection like this are unacceptable.” His tone is as even as it always is when he spouts off orders like this, but his body language gives off the energy of someone who is trying to act as normal as possible, and not particularly succeeding at it.
Before she or Kirishima can ask what the hell he was talking about, the doors to the gym burst open again, this time delivering them a much more explosive package.
Bakugou definitely looks like the odd one out here, dressed more for a night-in than a grueling training session. He’s wearing slippers. They have skulls on them.
“Oi, red! What the hell do you think you’re doing all the way over here on this side of campus?” Despite his mild case of bedhead, the blond still manages to look all sorts of murderous and intimidating. It’s a gift, really. “I wasted enough of my precious time looking for your dumbass.”
Kirishima huffs, finally dragging himself off of the floor. “C’mon, dude, you know my Thursdays are designated Uraraka-time only. Our swole journey waits for no one!”
“Motherfucker, is this what you skipped out on True Beauty for? Some shitty workout with mochi-face? You know,” he says, in a parody of Kirishima’s distinctive rumble, “that I’ve been waiting to watch the season finale, and tonight is the only night that works out with my homework schedule!”
Bakugou suddenly freezes, as if taking in his surroundings for the first time. His gaze flickers back and forth between Ochako and Kirishima, much like Iida’s had before, but this time it distinctly feels like Bakugou’s sizing her up before a battle.
It’s a feeling she’s intimately familiar with, unfortunately.
Ochako doesn’t really know what’s happening at this point, but the alarm bells in her head are going off. She might have to put these practiced combat skills to the test after all.
“Alright, hold on a damn second,” Bakugou grunts, surprisingly not yelling for once. “Now what the hell is all this?”
Kirishima looks perplexed for a moment, before he seemingly interprets Bakugou’s vague-ass statement. He’s always been skilled at translating sparky-boy speak.
“Oh, you mean our sweet digs? Ochako and I designed them ourselves. Ain’t that right?” He wiggles his eyebrows, holding out a fist bump to her.
Ochako hesitantly returns it (she would never leave a bro hanging), but she is not as oblivious as Kirishima, and she doesn’t miss the way the furious set of Bakugou’s brows worsens, something she previously didn’t even think was possible. Iida, similarly, has a stormy look in his eyes as he watches the situation unfold. Light catches in the reflection of his glasses, flashing dangerously for an instant.
She remembers something Izuku told her a long time ago, about finding Iida scary when he first met him. Ochako had honestly found it ridiculous at the time. Iida? The guy who insists on putting band-aids on for you, in order to ensure “proper germ-prevention hygiene”, scary? Now, though, she thinks she might get where he was coming from.
“So is this like…” Bakugou cuts himself off, like he’s having trouble getting the words out. To be honest, Ochako has never seen the explosive boy this awkward, and she’s pretty sure it’s making the rest of them just as uncomfortable as he probably feels.
“A couple’s outfit or something?” He finally spits out.
Kirishima and Ochako look at each other, red eyes meeting brown for a split second, before they’re breaking out into ugly, shrieking laughter—complete with the waterworks, the spit, and the barely being able to keep yourself from passing out.
“EXCUSE me?” Bakugou squawks, hands starting to crackle, “What are you two pissing yourselves about?!”
“You thought,” Ochako wheezes, “That we—we were dating?” She didn’t know Bakugou had the ability to be so dumb, and it’s weirdly humanizing in a way.
“Absolutely not,” Kirishima agrees, wiping away a tear. “The outfits were just a motivation tactic, man. You know, to psyche us up! The exam’s coming up and we needed a little extra confidence boost. Besides, Uraraka and I are great bros, but as a couple?”
Ochako shakes her head. “No way. Don’t get me wrong, Kiri, you’re sexy and everything—”
“Thanks, dude,” Kirishima says, blushing, and Bakugou growls again.
“But you’re totally not my type,” Ochako finishes with a laugh.
“Yeah, and Bakugou,” Kirishima interjects, “You do know I’m gay right? Like extremely, flamingly homosexual.”
The blond currently looks like he’s re-evaluating his entire life leading up to that moment. He only manages to mumble out some half-hearted insults under his breath. They lack both the venom and the elegance that they've all come to expect from him, which can only mean one thing:
Bakugou's got a crush.
He really dragged himself half-way across campus, angry Pomeranian hair and pajamas and all, to ask the boy he likes to come and watch their show together. And he was actually jealous, about something that wasn't even hero-related in the slightest! UA really had a way of keeping you on your toes. Ochako, valuing her life, says none of this, of course.
“Kirishima’s been helping me out with my strength training,” she feels the need to explain instead, forcing herself to keep steady under the critical weight of Iida’s stare. “After all, how am I going to become the buffest, most kick-ass hero in class 2-A if I don’t put in the effort?!”
“That’s the spirit!” Kirishima chuckles.
That seems to finally shake Bakugou out of his daze. “Huh?” He huffs, “You? The buffest hero? …You’re kidding right?”
Ochako flexes her biceps, immensely pleased when there’s a visible difference, thanks to her months of hard work. “C’mon, Iida,” she puffs, still flexing. “Aren’t I the strongest in the entire class?”
“What the hell—”
“Yes of course,” Iida response immediately, pushing up his glasses.
“See!” She booms, jumping up to throw an arm around Iida’s shoulder. “I knew it!”
“Alright losers,” Bakugou cuts in, “I’m out. Have fun with your dumb training or whatever.”
Kirishima crowds up into the other boy’s space, in a move mirroring Ochako’s own. “Hang on, I thought you were all hot and bothered about watching True Beauty with me.”
Bakugou flushes a bright red and shrugs Kiri off. “True Beauty can wait,” he murmurs, mostly to himself. “I have a lot of things to think about.”
“Hmm?” Kirishima tilts his head. “Like what?”
“Just THINGS, okay?” Bakugou shrieks. “I’m gonna go. Think. About things. Don’t wait up!” He calls over his shoulder, hustling out of the doorway. It’s the closest thing to a retreat she’s ever seen from Bakugou.
“Wonder what that was about,” Kirishima says mildly, watching Bakugou’s retreating back.
“So what were you talking about earlier, Iida?” Ochako takes the opportunity to ask, the thought lingering in the back of her mind during the entire exchange. “Something about unseemly conduct? Sounded serious.”
It’s Iida’s turn to flush a light pink, as he runs a hand though his neat undercut. “Ah. It appears that I simply was mistaken, Uraraka. Forgive my impertinence.”
“Sure,” she agrees easily. “So you want to pump some iron with us? Not that you look like you need it. Talk about a gun show, am I right?” She grabs a fistful of Iida-arm, whistling when she’s met with a solid wall of muscle. Holy shit, how is that even fair?
“No kidding,” Kirishima laughs, latching onto Iida’s other arm, feeling him up too. “What’s your bench, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“On second thought,” Iida says in a weird, high-pitched voice, “I also have, um, some things to think about. So I—I better be going.”
“Don’t you usually do some laps around the gym though?” Ochako finds herself asking. “You’re trying to beat your personal time record, remember? Only consistent reps will get you closer to that goal, prez!”
Iida laughs—a deep, exaggerated Ha Ha Ha that echoes awkwardly thanks to the gymnasium acoustics. “Admirable attitude as always, Uraraka! But I’m sure I can get plenty of practice in on way back to the dorms. Happy Improving, you two!” He exclaims, activating his recipro-burst. It sends a pretty strong message, namely that Iida would do anything to get the fuck out of there.
When the smoke clears, Kirishima’s hair is sticking up in an even more vertical, gravity-defying fashion than usual.
“Okaaaay,” he finally says, when they’ve both finished coughing out exhaust, “If that’s the last of the distractions—which, god, I hope it is—can we please get back to the main event? This face isn’t gonna punch itself.”
That’s enough to get the fire back pumping in her veins. “You don’t need to ask me twice!” She bellows. “Prepare for the smackdown of a lifetime!”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
3.
The thing about the third-year dorms is that the ac-system is way better than the first or second year’s. It makes sense, in a way, that the school would shell out the big bucks for the third years, the supposed crowned jewels of UA. Gotta keep the pride and joy of the school nice and cool, before shoving them out into the real world to fight crime.
That means on days like this, when the heat climbs to reach hellish temperatures, the members of class 3-A are able to survive them relatively easily.
That doesn’t mean, though, they don’t take the excuse to become lazy pieces of shit, lounging around the common rooms in as little clothes as possible. Old habits die hard, and even if it’s not necessary anymore, their heat-wave ritual of communal suffering had sort-of become a class A tradition.
Jirou flips through channels on the television, the rest of them watching along with varying degrees of interest. For attire, Ochako’s friends wear tiny little tank tops and breezy pairs of shorts. They do this mostly for nostalgia, because it really is a nice, temperate feel in the room right now. Ochako tries to keep her eyes to herself, but if she sneaks a peak every now and again at a bicep or a calf… Her classmates keep in shape, sue her! And there’s basically skin on display everywhere she looks.
She’s a high-schooler, not a saint.
Some kind of talk-show plays on the TV. The two hosts, a young man who would be cute if it wasn’t for his smarmy grin and a woman with bright green scales, gesture wildly to each other as they speak. It looks like the sort of show she’s seen pro-heroes on countless times, charming hosts with their battle stories and their elegant answers to tough questions. She imagines herself, for a moment, sitting on the plush couches alongside the MC’s. In her head, she’s totally nailing the punchline of this joke she’s telling. Something about Bakugou’s hot-headed temper. The crowd eats it up.
“Uh, what kind of show is this?” Sero says, interrupting her daydream. His smile, usually the most distinguishable feature on his face, is just a shadow of its normal self, overtaken by a raging blush.
“Japan’s Top 50 Sexiest Heroes of the Year”, Ochako only now realizes the bottom banner of the screen reads.
Tenya shifts in his seat next to her; she can already feel a rant coming on. She places a hand on his knee, covered by the smooth material of athletic shorts. The glasses-clad boy opens his mouth, but she raises her eyebrows and tilts her head towards him. He raises his eyebrows back, an honest-to-god pout on his face, so she pats the spot her hand occupies on his leg again.
“It’s not worth it.”
Tenya furrows his brows. “But—”
“Be reasonable, please,” she frowns.
Tenya shrinks a bit, taking a second to visibly reign himself in.
“It is simply disgraceful that this is the coverage that the media decides to produce in regards to hero-work,” he settles on saying, with only a minimal amount of arm flailing. “Especially when there are pros putting their lives on the line every day for the safety of civilians. It undermines everything we as aspiring heroes should stand for!”
“It is indeed strange that this is the kind of thing the press likes to focus on,” Tokoyami agrees, rubbing a hand underneath his chin. “One of the less glamourous aspects of hero-work, I suppose.”
Jirou shrugs. “I don’t mind them that much when they at least ogle the guys and girls equally. They’re always way too focused on the female heroes.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” Kaminari asks, hanging upside down from the recliner, “A lot of female heroes take a lot of extra time and care to look good. Are we not allowed to appreciate that?”
“And the Number 3 spot of course goes to the up-and-coming rookie, Mount Lady! With a rear-end like that, it’s no wonder her fanclub reached triple digits within the first week of her debut.” The tinny voice on the TV comes crackling through.
Ochako winces. Kaminari did have a knack for saying the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time, without fail. It was a secondary quirk, Ochako would bet money on it.
“Kaminari,” Jirou says through gritted teeth, “I know you’re an idiot, so you can’t help it sometimes. But if you say a single word, I cannot be held responsible for what I do next.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kaminari replies sheepishly, “I get it; objectifying women bad. It’s not about the size of her waist, but the weight of her deeds.”
This time it’s Sero who slaps him.
“Dude!” the blonde protests. “Look I’m sorry! You know I joke when I’m nervous!”
“You’re just lucky you would never end up on a list like that, Kaminari,” a new voice says, as Mina and Kirishima step into the room, “It’d suck to make last place, wouldn’t it?”
“No way!” Kaminari gasps, offended, “You know I would be top 3, at least! Have you seen these legs?”
“If your legs are all you’ve got going for you, then I wouldn’t count on it,” Jirou smirks. “Sero’s legs blow yours out of the water.”
“They’re also about a meter longer,” Uraraka snickers.
Sero punches his fist in the air. “Hell yeah! Sorry man, but the ladies have spoken.”
“Alright dude, don’t choke on that ego,” Kaminari grumbles, shoving at the taller boy’s shoulder. “If it’s a muscle competition, you’re getting annihilated. Kirishima’s biceps could eat your biceps. And his chest? You put a bra on those things, you can barely tell the difference.”
Kirishima’s face goes the same shade as his hair. “Uh, thanks? I think that was a compliment.”
Sero grins. “You do realize that all of that also applies to you, right Kaminari? So if it’s not legs, not chest, not biceps... What exactly is your strong suit again?”
“…He does have you there,” Tokoyami agrees.
“Tokoyami, not you too!” Comes Kaminari’s betrayed gasp. “I thought I could count on you, of all people, to be above all this superficial bullshit.”
Tokoyami doesn’t respond, but if Ochako didn’t know any better, she would swear she saw a smirk.
“At least I’ll always have my beautiful face,” Kaminari dejectedly says, sitting cross-legged on the floor with way more force than necessary.
“If you’re talking about waist, though,” Kirishima interrupts, with a dopey look on his face, “I think Bakugou takes the cake. I can almost fit just my hands around the entire thing. The whole! Thing!”
“Alright man, I know you’re on that honeymoon high, but keep your dick in your pants,” Sero snickers.
(The two had only recently started dating, after months of suffocating tension and a screaming match that ended in mutual confessions. Secretly, Ochako prides herself in the role she played in the couple finally getting together. She’s certain that the gym escapade was a catalyst of some kind for Bakugou realizing his feelings for their beloved redhead. Teenage boys are stupid like that.)
“My dick is still in my pants!” Kirishima protests hotly. “You’re the one who made it perverted in the first place!”
“You guys are all forgetting one important thing,” Ochako finally speaks up. The others fall silent, spell-bound by her sudden authority.
“Huh? What’s that, Ochako?” Mina asks.
“Best butt!” She exclaims proudly. The group immediately lets out an ahhhh of understanding, like rest of the class honestly can’t believe they’d forgotten something so pivotal.
“It has to be Tenya, no question,” she continues, and her friend immediately splutters.
“What—Ochako!! Where is this coming from—wait, do you all actually agree?!” He squeaks, looking around at their nods of assent.
“It’s true,” Kaminari shrugs, “Your ass is nothing short of presidential, I gotta say.”
“It’s probably from all the running you do,” Jirou provides, helpfully or unhelpfully, depending on who you asked.
“Aww, don’t be embarrassed,” Mina cooed, “Take it as something to be proud of! The ass-representative of 3-A!”
They give an enthusiastic round of Plus-Ultra’s as Tenya buries his face in his hands.
“Of course Uraraka was the one to bring up the prez’s ass,” Sero says afterwards. He says it so casually that it seems like he didn’t even realize he was talking out loud.
Tenya and Ochako both cock their heads in confusion. “What do you mean?”
The TV interrupts them again. “And for the Number One sexiest hero in Japan, and the only male entry on the entire list, we have the man, the myth, the legend himself. Allll Miiiiight!”
“Huh…” Kaminari says, after a moment of silence. “I guess it’s true. Everyone really does love All Might.”
Jirou’s jaw works unhappily. “But,” she pauses, shaking. “I thought that just meant people looked up to him a lot. You know, cause he’s a hero.” She hisses, looking around for support, but finding none. She looks like she’s about to cry.
“DO PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO FUCK ALL MIGHT—”
((“You really shouldn’t be embarrassed,” Ochako whispers to Tenya, while the rest of the group tries to console a hysterical Jirou. “I think your butt is cute!”
Whatever Tenya’s reaction might’ve been is lost however, when Monoma strides into the dorm proclaiming the superiority of class 3-B’s physiques, and it all goes to hell.))
4.
Mina is rambling again.
Ochako finds that she doesn’t really mind. She doesn’t mind because Tsuyu is braiding hair, there’s a record playing lowly in the background, and it’s girls’ night.
Maybe one of the last girls’ nights ever, because they’re graduating soon, and everything’s going to change.
That’s just Ochako’s catastrophizing mind at work, and she knows that they’ll all still probably hang out a bunch after they’re done with school. Still, knowing all that, intellectually, doesn’t always mean much when she’s already carried away in her anxious feelings.
“Am I really the only one freaking out?” Mina asks through a slightly panicked laugh, unconsciously reflecting Ochako’s own thoughts.
It’s weird seeing Mina, who’s always so confident and larger-than-life, sound so uncertain. “We’re literally standing on the doorstep to the rest of our lives! Who even knows what comes next!? What if it sucks!?!”
Jirou hums, considering Mina’s words. “While I understand where you’re coming from, I think you can relax a bit. It’s true that we don’t know exactly what’s gonna happen next, but it’s not like we’re going in completely blind. We’re all here because we want to be heroes. Nothing’s going to get in the way of that.”
Mina sighs, some of the tension leaking out of her. “Easy for you to say,” she says as she flops back onto the bed. “Mrs. Domestic bliss over here. At least you have one thing you know for sure won’t change.” It’s all bark and no bite, in typical Mina-fashion. Ochako can already see the freaking-out about the future start to give way into a teasing tone.
Yaoyorozu instantly blushes, and Jirou glares at Mina from her place in her girlfriend’s arms.
“That’s a shit excuse, even for you,” Jirou challenges her friend. “You know you could lock Sero’s dumbass down whenever you wanted. If you ever decided to stop stringing him along, that is.”
Mina huffs. “Sero and I are just messing around. It’s not boyfriend-girlfriend level seriousness. It’s just some fun. Like stress-relief!” She says that, but it’s impossible to miss how her voice rises in pitch and there’s something wild about her as she tries to convince them.
Ochako politely doesn’t point out the fact that Mina’s phone background is currently a picture of her and Sero holding hands in front of a blooming cherry blossom tree. And that his contact name is “Tape Face”, with about a million sparkling hearts. She figures that would just be cruel, at this point.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jirou responds, “Just don’t forget that the fact you’re not cuffed is your own choice. The same doesn’t go for everyone.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Ochako suddenly groans, stuffing a pillow over her face. “All this talk about couples is just rubbing in what a massive failure my high-school love life has been.”
“What do you mean?” Momo asks, balancing her usual politeness with what Ochako can tell is genuine curiosity.
“I’m pretty sure that at this point, my chances with Izuku are less than zero,” she sighs, sounding pitiful even to her own ears. “I was planning on asking him out during graduation, but I’m not even sure that’s such a good idea anymore.”
The rest of the girls blink.
“Uhhh, hello?” Ochako complains. “I was kinda expecting you guys to, I don’t know? Comfort me or something?”
Mina is the one to recover first. “Yeah, of course! It’s just, you haven’t mentioned Izuku in a while, Ochako. I didn’t even really know you still liked him!”
…Ochako not liking Izuku? That sounded like an impossibility.
It was something she had grown so used to over the years, until it just became a fact of life. Green hair, red shoes, cute freckles, those were the kinds of things that made her heart speed up. Right?
Although, if she really thought about it, she hadn’t really been noticing things like that as much as she used to. In a way, she had been taking the fact that she was in love with Midoriya for granted. It existed, in the background of her life, just muted. It didn’t really affect her day-to-day actions, or feelings, really, but that was normal, right? (Right?)
She hadn’t, not for a second, considered that it …might not be true?
Even just thinking it sounded wrong!
“I’m sorry, but I have to borrow Ochako,” Tsuyu muttered, dragging Ochako out of Mina’s bedroom with her surprisingly powerful froggy-strength.
“Jeez, Tsu, watch the merchandise,” Ochako tried to joke as Tsuyu shut the door to her dorm room behind her.
Tsuyu’s room was always a delight to be in, with it’s soft green walls and running waterfall, but the girl herself looked downright pissed. “Ochako,” she croaks, “I know you’re not this dumb.”
“Hey!” She protests, feeling her pride bruising a bit, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Asui crosses her arms. “I don’t get it. Why are bringing up Midoriya all of the sudden?”
Is this what she dragged Ochako all the way here to talk about? “You know I’m in love with Izuku, Tsu,” Ochako, not even bothering to mask her annoyance.
At least, she should know, by now. Tsuyu’s been the one listening to Ochako complain about all of her Izuku-related emergencies for the past three years, after all. If she hadn’t put two and two together yet, Ochako would have to re-evaluate some things about their friendship. And about Tsu’s observational skills.
“No you aren’t!” Tsuyu bursts out. Her own eyes widen as she says it, but she doesn’t back down after the words are out.
“Excuse me?” Ochako can’t help but ask. She was starting to get sick and tired of this whole confusing charade. Couldn’t they just go back to face masks and karaoke? You know, things that made sense?
Asui takes a deep breath. “Ochako, pay attention to this. I want you to know I’m only saying these things because you’re one of my best friends. In any other circumstance, I’d be happy to let you realize things, or not, at your own pace. But I can’t stand to watch this train wreck unfold any longer.”
Well, that’s dramatic. Ochako pouts, but waits patiently for Tsuyu to speak again.
“Why do you think you’re in love with Midoriya?” The other girl asks eventually. She looks like this conversation is physically weighing her down, but is determined to get through it no matter what. Like taking one of Present Mic’s ridiculous English Exams. Or setting a broken bone. (Similar feelings, in her experience).
“Because I am?” Ochako responds instinctively, but it doesn’t feel like a good answer. After another second of contemplation, she continues. “I don’t know, I just enjoy being around him? And when I’m with him, I can’t help but blush and my heart starts to race—”
“Nope,” Tsuyu interrupts, “Think harder, Ochako. All that might have been true at some point, a long time ago. But think about it. When’s the last time your heart started to race when you talked to Midoriya? If I had to guess, it hasn’t happened in a while.”
There may be, perhaps, some truth to what Tsuyu is trying to get her to say.
She and Izuku hung out all the time; he was one of her best friends, for fuck’s sake! But when they spend time together, that’s exactly what it feels like—friends hanging out. There wasn’t any underlying tension or anything. She didn’t really feel the need to tear his clothes off when they were just watching old Cowboy Bebop reruns.
But still! She finds herself wanting to argue, despite herself. It might just be the way Tsuyu’s looking at her, the very picture of fond exasperation.
“That’s not all!” Ochako blurts, “I also really admire him! That’s part of liking someone, isn’t it? He’s so strong, and he never gives up—”
“Yeah, but do you want to kiss him?” Asui demands. “When you think about him, does your heart set on fire? Do you get swept away in romantic passion until you can’t even think straight anymore??”
“Dang, Tsu,” Ochako mutters, blushing and looking away. “Where did you learn so much about romance?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Tsuyu says mysteriously, “Do you get it now?”
Ochako grabs her friend’s shoulders. “I do,” she says, with the air a life-changing declaration like this deserves, “Thank you, Tsu.”
Tsuyu lets out a giant sigh of relief, ribbiting happily to herself. She looks at Ochako with an almost parental look of pride. Ochako is torn between feeling pleased and patronized.
“Guess what!” Ochako exclaims, as she kicks open the door to Mina’s room. “I have an announcement!”
“Speak your truth!” Mina shouts back.
“I,” she states, spreading her arms in a grand sweeping gesture, “Am not in love with Midoriya Izuku!”
The answering cheering and applause were not the expected reaction, but they’re not entirely unwelcome either.
“I am officially a free woman!” She shouts, vigorously returning Mina’s high-five. “Nothing can tie me down now!”
“Oh, thank god,” Hagakure sighs. “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to bring up the whole Midoriya and Todoroki thing.”
“Midoriya… and Todoroki?” Ochako asks. She runs over her mental catalogue of all Midoriya and Todoroki-related memories, re-examining them in this new context. “Ohhhhh. You know what, that actually explains a lot of things.”
Namely the time she walked in on them cuddling in the common room. Midoriya’s sleeping form was explainable enough (he gets extra clingy when he’s sleepy). Todoroki’s raging blush, on the other hand. Maybe not so much. And the fact that he asked her not to tell anyone. Some people are just weirdly private, Todoroki most of all, so she decides to not feel too badly about not putting two and two together.
Jirou fixes her with a look. “You know, you’re a really tough fighter, Uraraka.” She says, apropos of nothing. “Hold on to that.”
“Uh, thanks Jirou?” Ochako says with a confused smile.
“Ignore her,” Yaomomo scolds, trying to suppress a smile herself. “She’s being impudent.”
Ochako… totally knew what that word meant. On the floor, Ashido looks similarly confused, which makes her feel a little bit better.
Thankfully, the buzzing of Ochako’s flip-phone catches her attention:
Tenya: So how is girl’s night going?
Tenya: It’s so admirable how you all set aside the time to strengthen your comradery with one another! We do something similar, but I doubt it’s as relaxing. Bakugou and Kaminari can be… quite the handful.
“Who is it?” Tsuyu asks, looking over her shoulder to read the text.
“Just Tenya,” Ochako replies, quickly typing out a response.
Ochako: You’re just mad you have to hang with a bunch of stinky boys (•̀ᴗ•́)
Tenya: …No Comment ( ￢ _ ￢ ;)
Ochako squees at Tenya’s adorable use of emoticons. He never ceases to find new ways to delight her. She wonders if he did it just for her, because he knew she would like it? That was… so goddamn cute! Tenya was such a caring friend sometimes it wasn’t even funny.
Mina’s black eyes study her for a moment that feels big and expectant. She opens her mouth, “So while we’re already here—”
Tsuyu places a hand on her pink arm. “I think we can save that for another time, Mina. We’ve had enough breakthroughs for tonight.”
Mina’s expression dissolves into one of understanding. She nods. “You’re right, Tsu. Hey, Ochako. Hagakure picked up some Taiyaki for girls’ night. Do you want any?”
She waggles a plate of the fish-shaped cakes in front of Ochako’s nose, steam rising up from them.
“You had Taiyaki this whole time and you didn’t even tell me?!” Ochako demands. “And I thought we were friends!”
When the other burst out into laughter around them—Mina’s high pitch-giggle, Jirou’s raspy laugh, Hagakure’s bright cackle, Yaomomo’s surprisingly deep, full-bodied laugh, and Tsu’s silent but warm smile—Ochako’s heart soars.
5.
Today’s the fucking day, and Ochako can barely believe it.
There was one class during second-year when Aizawa-sensei had attempted to teach them some exercises that were supposed to help calm them in stressful situations. Breathing techniques, centering methods, things like that. It was also the same day that Bakugou managed to explode the entire classroom thanks to something stupid Kaminari said.
So, forgive her if she can’t quite remember the specifics of those exercises at the moment. She’ll be damned if she ever forgets that specific brand of ozone-smell that Bakugou gives off when he’s really pissed, though. (Stinging, with just a touch of something sweet. Never fails to kick her fight or flight into gear).
The point is, it’s highly possible that Ochako might be absolutely losing her shit, and she has no idea how to handle it.
Everyone looks beautiful and strong as hell, each of them holding the satisfying air of something finally coming to fruition, only won after countless hours of hard work and self-improvement. Her classmates, like herself, are all wearing their usual school uniforms. The sight has become so normal to her over the years, that she would usually never look twice at it. But now, knowing that this would be the last time she would ever see it, she can’t help but notice the differences.
They fill out their uniforms a little more than when they were just first years. Hard-earned muscle and surprise growth spurts leave her friends looking less like kids, and something closer to real-life adults. Heroes, capable of taking care of themselves. And not only themselves, but other people too! The thought makes Ochako dizzy, even though she knows that’s what they’ve been working towards this entire time.
Reality is a lot different when you actually get there.
Todoroki and Midoriya aren’t the same baby-faced teens from her memories anymore. She can see that clearly from where they stand off to the side, huddled together like they’re in their own world (because some things, thank god, never change). Kirishima now towers over the rest of them, rivaled only by Sero, who refused to give up his title of tallest without a fight. His jaw is sharper, and he has a few more scars than he used to, but his toothy grin is the same as the one he used to shoot them when Cementoss would get on their case about talking during class. Yaomomo never hesitates when she gives out orders anymore. She doesn’t hunch self-consciously in her hero outfit, or cut herself off mid-sentence to second guess her own instructions. Instead, when she walks the halls, it’s with the confidence and set shoulders of a woman who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it.
They’re all the same people Ochako’s known and loved for years now, but they’re also different. And it’s not bad. Of course it’s not bad, she’s so unspeakably proud of every single one of them. She knows first-hand what they’ve had to overcome. She’s so happy… And sad, too. It’s very surprising just how easily the two emotions coexist inside of her, but she can’t deny it. She wants to laugh, and jump into the huge crowd of people, and cry all at once.
She thinks that getting older means that she’ll have to get used to the feeling.
The ceremony passes in blur. All she really registers is the cool breeze in the courtyard, and finding her parents beaming faces in the crowd at some point. Her dad has his shitty, disposable camera glued to his face, and she knows the people around them are probably annoyed to death by the constant flash of pictures being taken. It sends a thrill of terrible fondness up her spine.
She’s sure that she crossed the stage at one point or another, because she finds herself with a diploma clutched in her hand as she suddenly becomes engulfed in a crowd of clamoring parents. For some reason, she can only focus on the shoes of those passing by her. Shiny, polished dress shoes. Brightly colored stiletto heels fighting to stay even on the grass of the field. She’s in the middle of studying the dirty blue sneakers of someone’s baby brother when she feels a hand on her shoulder.
“Ochako-chan? Is that you?” She immediately recognizes Tensei’s deep, friendly voice.
At once, Ochako comes back to life like a third-rate amusement park animatronic. “Tensei-senpai!” She blurts out. “It’s so great to see you again!” Tensei is wearing a pristine white-button down and a navy tie. She recognizes, not for the first time, just how handsome he is, and how much he looks like his brother.
Tensei smiles warmly at her. “Congratulations, kiddo! It’s not every day you graduate from the top hero school in the country, you know.” His tone slips into the teasing that she’s come to realize is pretty much his default. Ochako flushes happily and digs her toe into the ground, thanking Tensei.
“Speaking of,” he says, squinting across the crowd, “Tenya was just looking for you. How did I lose someone so tall so quickly?”
The mention of Tenya has her immediately perking up. “Oh really?” She joins Tensei in searching for the younger Iida son in the throng of people. She spies Tokoyami and his family, Jirou arguing with her mom, Sero and Mina’s families mingling excitedly with each other. There’s Kendou, Shoji, Shinsou and Aizawa, where is he?
“…surprised you didn’t find each other right away, knowing Tenya,” Tensei is saying. He chuckles suddenly. “Mom and dad are going to want to take about a million pictures of the two of you.” He says it like a complaint, but the affection in his face is undeniable.
“I would be honored,” Ochako replies dutifully. Tensei laughs his full-bodied laugh that seems to somehow rip through the deafening chatter of families and students.
Suddenly, a familiar head of deep-blue hair shoots up in the rush of people. “Ochako!” Tenya yells, waving his hands wildly in the air. 3 years of class-rep experience has made Tenya’s voice into a finely-tuned instrument of destruction. The man could wake the dead with one well-executed shout.
“Tenya!” Ochako shouts back, jumping and waving, probably making a fool out of herself but she really couldn’t care less. She notices that he’s managed to locate both his own parents as well as Ochako’s. Like she would expect anything less.
Before she can even blink, Tenya has crossed the distance of the field. All of the sudden, her feet are off the ground and she has two armfuls of Iida. “Did you really run over here?” She laughs delightedly, as he swings her around (which is how she can tell that he’s beyond excited; normally he would have asked for permission to hug her in that deadly serious voice of his, the one that makes the crease in his forehead come out), “We would have made our way over to you! So impatient, Ingenium. What would Aizawa say if he could see you now?”
Tenya finally lets her down, but he remains close enough to touch. It feels so comforting, so right, that Ochako can’t even bring herself to comment on it. “I can imagine it wouldn’t be very flattering,” he agrees, sardonically. People who think Tenya doesn’t have a sense of humor just weren’t paying attention, Ochako thinks; she pities the fool that misses out on Iida Tenya’s one-liners. Not to mention his rare but devastating clapbacks, the ones that can get even Shoto to crack a smile.
“Allow me to escort you two,” he says, bowing deeply, a tiny smile playing at his lips.
“Such a gentleman,” Ochako grins, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen into Tenya’s face. “Where does he get it, Tensei?”
“Certainly not me,” Tensei grins back.
Tenya begins loudly and efficiently clearing a path for Tensei to cross, arm chopping and arranging people with a sophistication that only he can pull off. Tensei is still glancing between Tenya and Ochako with a deeply satisfied smile.
“I’m so glad you guys have each other,” he confides to her, quiet enough so Tenya can’t hear up ahead. “Don’t tell him I said this, but I’ve always worried about Tenya. He’s such a good kid, but you know he can be… a lot. In the best possible way, of course, but it still takes a special person to handle it. Seeing you two together, though. I realize I was worried about nothing.” He pats Ochako’s shoulder. His palm is hot, and so are her cheeks.
The words warm her up and make her heart start to beat even faster, which is impressive considering how worked up she’s been all day long. Who allowed Tensei to say something so sweet out of nowhere? The phrasing was a little strange, but the sentiment was lovely all the same. A fresh wave of melancholy washes over her and she very quickly has to fight off the mortifying urge to cry. She doesn't think her pride would ever recover if she ended up snotting all over a pro-hero, no matter how close she was with his younger brother.
Ochako covers Tensei’s hand with her own. “That’s what friends are for,” she answers, trying to psychically promise to him that she would always protect and support Tenya to the very best of her ability. They were in this whole hero business together, after all.
Tensei’s eyebrows furrow and he starts to speak—
“—please proceed, brother!” Tenya promptly interrupts him.
“Oh!” Ochako snaps back, “Here, let me help.” She touches her hands to Tensei’s wheelchair, the pink glow enveloping it in an instant. She makes it a smidge lighter, nothing crazy, but just enough to make the glide across the grassy terrain easy.
The former-hero’s smile returns, but this time it looks like he’s trying very hard not to laugh at something. It’s still incredibly loving, but it’s also tinged with something else. Disbelief? Exasperation? Ochako was never great with words.
“Thanks, kid,” Is all he says. “Let’s not keep them waiting, okay?”
Later, when she and Tenya are posing for photo after photo (vogue, the classic prom stance with Iida in the front and Ochako in the back, they pull out all the stops), Ochako thinks about the odd interaction again. But then Izuku, Tsuyu, Kaminari and Mina come bounding up, demanding photos of their own and making extravagant dinners plans to celebrate. And all she can think about are the boundless possibilities ahead, and Tenya’s smile.
+1
Hero-work is… weirder than she thought it would be, Ochako won’t lie.
It isn’t always punching bad guys or pulling bystanders out of debris, although there is plenty of that stuff as well. Sometimes it’s more complicated; sometimes, you have to sneak around, and play your cards exactly right in order to ensure the peace. Ochako is reminded of her school days, and the Shie Hassaikai raid. Sometimes the name of the game was intel, and the method was reconnaissance.
She and Tenya are sidekicks still, like most of their former classmates, but they’ve made names for themselves in the world of heroes. The media knows them, and the pros trust them, which is why it was almost a no-brainer to assign them this case.
That’s how the two of them end up in the Shinjuku district on a Saturday night, dressed in gaudy disguises to hide their faces from the public. Shinsou and Hagakure are around somewhere too, but that fact doesn’t help them much when their cover is about to be blown right now.
Tenya is a wonderful hero. Honestly. His strict code of ethics and his never-ending respect for everyone has helped his approval rating skyrocket throughout his hero career. Just last month, Hero Weekly named him the most-voted hero that readers would like to bring home to their parents (and you can bet that Ochako ran out to buy the first copy of it she saw, proudly displaying it on her refrigerator for all to see). But it also means that he’s not the best fit for undercover work.
And when he sees a drunk university student smash his beer bottle onto the pavement and leave it there, it was almost an inevitability that Tenya would launch into a spirited lecture about the dangers of littering… Suspicious behavior didn’t even begin to cover it.
Needless to say, Ochako and Tenya had attracted the attention of their marks. And although the heroes had rounded the corner as fast as they could, it seems like it hadn’t been enough to give them the slip. Based on the shouts behind them, the dealers they were supposed to be tailing would be upon them any second now.
Tenya, not wearing his glasses for once, glances at her with wide, panicked eyes. Ochako pulls at the hair of her long blond wig, willing herself to think of something, anything.
And there was... one thing. Something she saw in a film once; and yeah, she knew applying movie-logic to real life was bad form, but they were running out of time and options... All Might, give her strength for what she was about to do.
“Okay,” she whispers furiously, pulling him into the nearest alleyway, “I have an idea, but you have to trust me on this one.”
Tenya breathes an enormous sigh of relief, and just says, “Of course.”
Then Ochako is shoving him up against the brick wall and laying one on him like her life depends on it. Which, frankly, isn’t far off from the truth. Tenya takes almost no time to adjust, falling apart under her touch like this is something they’ve done a thousand times already. She can feel the hard lines of his body against her own, and the whole thing is very easy to get carried away with.
There may or may not be tongue involved.
“I think they went this—Oh, sorry,” someone finally gets them to break apart. It’s one of the marks, the one with the giant snake fangs. He blushes and looks away. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. You two enjoy your night now. And go easy on him, sweetheart, it looks like he needs it!”
It all but bounces off of Ochako’s ears. The only thing in her entire universe right now is Tenya, Tenya, Tenya, and the pretty way his chest rises and falls.
“Oh,” she finally breathes out.
“Yes, oh,” Tenya agrees, his hands on her hips. He looks like he’s just been waiting for her to catch up, this entire time. He’s so beautiful it hurts, his deep blue eyes almost disappearing into crescents as he smiles down at her.
"How long have you—"
"Since almost the very beginning," Tenya cuts her off, swiping his thumb across the soft skin of her cheek. He takes another steadying breath that Ochako feels vividly, almost as if it were her own.
"I remember seeing you at the entrance exam and thinking that you looked very determined. And that you'd become a great hero someday. I even told off Izuku for trying to distract you." Tenya laughs then, almost shy. "I think I might've actually been a bit jealous, on some sub-conscious level. Obviously, it was barely even a crush back then, but that's when it started. And it's only gotten worse every day since, I’m afraid.”
There is a very real, very awful possibility that Uraraka Ochako is one of the most oblivious dumbasses on the face of the planet.
Worse than Bakugou. Ugh, even worse than Kirishima. Her shame is unknowable, but it also isn’t that important at the moment, because Tenya is still looking at her lips.
“Isn’t this a little unprofessional?” She manages to ask. They finally make eye contact and it hits her that this is Tenya, who she’s known for years, and it feels more right than anything ever has, and she can’t believe that she’s missed something this big when it was right in her face every single day.
He licks his lips. “Well, we’re still in character, aren’t we? Two ruffians, out on the town..." One sharp eyebrow quirked, Tenya is deviance incarnate. "Unprofessional? I’m sure I don’t know the meaning of the word.”
Ochako feels her smile get wider. “I like the way you think, prez,” she murmurs, “Now show me what those acting chops of yours can do.”
The space between them disappears again, and pretty soon, the mission is the last thing on her mind.
…
“Whew, that was a close one,” Shinsou says eventually. “I’m assuming you guys got out of there safely, right? … Hello? Guys?”