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My Hero Academia/Boku No Hero Academia & All associated trademarks are property of Kohei Horikoshi, Shounen Jump, Toho, Studio Bones and Funimation.

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

Training Buddies

For Bakugo Katsuki the state of being encouraged by those around him and cheered on both in spirit and in a literal, vocal sense was commonplace and largely expected affair and as such it had become a simple thing for him to tune out and distance himself from the voices, the people around him becoming a sea of faceless extras in events that he was the obvious main character of; his world being narrowed and refined down to the moment and the series of actions between himself and his goal. There was a time when it had also been commonplace for the volatile blonde to be facing off against opponents larger and, if one were to disregard his quirk more physically powerful than himself; older kids around the neighbourhood had often taken issue with the explosive and arrogant upstart determined to upset the established social pecking order and whilst those scuffles and skirmishes were juvenile things with stakes no higher than a scraped knee of black eye, perhaps singed hair or clothes if Bakugo had been in a particularly destructive mood they had, feeble as they were in comparison to the level he currently trained at given him experience and an instinct which he could easily draw upon, allowing him to simply act where others might have faltered.

Though there was little he could do about the fact that Mirio Togata hit like a freight train.

The star amongst the final year students and one third of the famous 'Big Three' was still technically on a leave of absence for medical reasons following an injury he had received during an attack on the home of a Yakuza boss whose business involved the manufacture of Quirk altering drugs which had left Mirio functionally quirkless until a treatment could be found.

Despite his current condition the older blonde teen was still a somewhat regular presence on the campus of UA High and its' attached dormitories as he visited for not only scheduled appointments with the school nurse in order to assess his progress but also to keep abreast of his studies and make himself useful in any way that he could, be that by helping with the matter of the small girl who has allegedly been connected to the Yakuza family or else simply tutoring younger students in need of a helping hand. Mirio also however made frequent visits to the campus gym, often in the company of his two closest friends both in an effort to ensure that when the time came he was properly prepared to step back into active heroics and also for his own vanity and peace of mind; there was after all a distinct satisfaction that came with having a sculpted and powerful physique which drew as many people to his as his sunny disposition and kind-hearted, easygoing nature.

Mirio entering the gym on a day which Bakugo had dedicated to sparring had been the first event in a sequence whose conclusion had felt inevitable to those who knew the younger student.

With Midoriya absent and likely attending to his own personal training session whose specifics Bakugo would not divulge under any circumstances, the freckled boy having grown far beyond the weakling he remembered victimising and frequently venting his own frustrations on to become an opponent the blonde relished the opportunity to compete and compare his own progress against no matter how Midoriya had come to possess his remarkable power it had seemed only natural that Mirio and Bakugo should spar with one another and within moments of the idea first being voiced, by an enthusiastic Sero Hanta from somewhere on the sidelines a sizeable crowd had gathered as students from all of UA's various classes prepared to watch one of the most capable heroes the school had produced save for Allmight himself face off against the raining champion of the first year students.

As a left jab to the right shoulder and collarbone was followed by a straight right to the chest Bakugo let out a wordless growl of frustration, growing steadily more irate at how poor of a showing he was giving.

"Hey, you're doing great. You've definitely improved since I trained with your whole class, you've actually landed some hits today; keep it up" Mirio's words were chipper and encouraging, with only the faintest traces of breathless exertion and yet upon hearing them Bakugo's fiery red eyes narrowed whilst his snarling expression became something almost feral in its' ferocity as he took the encouragement as patronising mockery. The latest attack from Mirio had sent him skidding and staggering backwards across the surface of the sparring area and sinking to one-knee as he struggled to suck in painful lungfuls of air, his chest left in near-blinding pain and constricted whilst his right arm was left almost too stiff to be of any use and his head continued to pound from the effects of an earlier exchange.

"Fuck you" he spat, the effort of speaking feeling like shards of broken glass in his ribcage before he charged again; surging to his feet and forwards at full force before ducking low and forcing his arms to comply with his wishes in a display of raw willpower, his intent to seize Mirio about the waist and tackle him to the ground. Fresh grunts of pain were torn from the younger of the two combatants a moment later when Mirio managed to shift his weight and sprawl as he caught the incoming attack, arms locking tightly around Bakugo's neck and shoulders before forcing him downwards and off-balance, sneaking in a pair of swift but impossibly strong punches to the ribs before adjusting his grip and pivoting at the waist to throw his opponent across the arena in which they fought. Bakugo's fury reached a shattering point as he hit the ground painfully and rolled to a stop, white hot anger flowing through him to such a degree that it took every ounce of self control he took to not leap to his feet and begin using his quirk.

"YOU CAN DO IT BAKU-BRO!" the hopeful and exuberant cheer from the sidelines managed to pierce through the red haze of pain and rage, his focus rattled by the repeated impacts to such an extent that he was forced to take a moment to centre himself, a moment he could scarcely afford as, even as Bakugo took in the sight of those classmates who had been in the gym surrounding the sparring mats urging him to rise to his feet and make them proud he became painfully aware of the looming shadow cast by Mirio's hulking form falling over him.

Actions came to Bakugo faster than thought, instinct propelling him forward before he could hope to rationalise the decision to win by any means necessary.

Mirio was left curled up on the ground, face contorted in pain and teeth gritted to keep himself from howling out at the burning, stabbing sensation as Bakugo used the motion of rising to his feet to sidestep and incoming blow and then, faster than even the third year student react deliver a punishing, snapping kick with all the force he could muster directly to the area of Mirio's leg that had been injured fighting the Yakuza.

The cheering stopped, fearful whispers and mutterings beginning to take its' place to which Bakugo, still panting for breath, aching and covered in a sheen of sweat could only answer by glaring at any whose expression held an unspoken accusation, silently daring them to challenge him properly or not at all. Unsurprisingly it was the remaining members of the Big Three who made their feelings known first, Amajiki showing a rare display of aggression and spirit as he slammed his shoulder painfully into Bakugo as he moved the younger teen aside to get to his friend, using the opportunity to mutter something truly unrepeatable in Bakugo's ear before trying to help Mirio to his feet in a way that would cause as little pain as possible, Nejire appearing at Mirio's other side an instant later wearing a look of shock and disgust which seemed entirely out of place on her face, though Bakugo noted that it was a look that was mirrored several times amongst the students in the gym.

"What is wrong with you?" Nejire demanded furiously, her usual airy tones replaced by a harshness laden with emotion which threatened to make her voice crack "It was a sparring match!"

"Yeah" Bakugo raised his chin defiantly, forcing a smile that was all teeth and bordered on predatory when paired with the manic gleam in his eyes "And I won"

"Wasn't very manly, hitting a friend where you know they're injured. Would have been more manly to just take the loss and learn from it….I-we all expected better from you" the words could only have come from Kirishima and Bakugo quickly sought the redhead out, finding him towards the rear of the group where he had seemingly been spotting for Ochako Ururaka as she used a weight bench prior to the sparring match beginning. A lump appeared in the blonde boys' throat at those words and he forced himself to quickly swallow and push through the swell of emotions that came with seeing the crestfallen look on the face of someone who once thought so highly of him and whose opinion mattered to him far more than he had the words to explain, of knowing that he had fallen short of an expectation.

"And so our raining champion shows his true colours once again, a violent despot reigning over Class One A with an iron fist. Truly a villain in the making!" it was the smug and self-satisfied voice of Monoma, the quirk-copying resident loudmouth of Class One B and a self-appointed nemesis of sorts who Bakugo would deem beneath himself and not worth stooping to under normal circumstances, at present however the sneering tone and the particular barb about tendencies which might see him begin down a path of villainy which had been commented on by more than one Pro Hero already were exactly the right combination of incentives for Bakugo to abandon the last of his restraint.

"YOU WANNA GO EXTRA? GET THE HELL IN HERE AND BACK THAT TALK UP!" seeing Monoma quail under his explosive fury Bakugo rounded on the audience as a whole, spittle flying from his mouth as he ranted.

"I GAVE MIRIO EXACTLY WHAT HE DESERVED! I GAVE HIM MY BEST, EVERYTHING I HAD TO THROW AT HIM, EVERYTHING IT TOOK FOR ME TO WIN BECAUSE ANYTHING LESS WOULD BE AN INSULT TO BOTH OF US! ANYONE HERE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT SHOULD QUIT, YOU DON'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES! OR DOES ANYBODY HERE HAVE THE GUTS TO GET OVER HERE AND SAY IT TO MY FACE!"

"I will" the air seemed to freeze and time stand still as Bakugo was left blinking, the simple answer cleaving through the momentum that his tirade had managed to gather and utterly derailing what passed as a train of thought in such a volatile state; his own fiery red gaze following those of his peers to seek out the challenger and be left in a state of mild confusion by the sight of Ochako standing on the weight bench she had been using, arms folded across her chest as she glared at Bakugo with deep brown eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"I don't care how you want to excuse it, you're just a bully and we're all sick of it!" she snapped, prominent and rounded cheeks puffing up and reddening somewhat as she continued despite the sudden focus directed at her "And besides….it's about time we had a rematch"

"Okay pink cheeks" Bakugo growled, a familiar confidence settling over him and allowing him to pull himself back from his near incandescent rage "Get in the ring"

A few minutes passed before Ochako made good on her challenge, taking time to warm up whilst Bakugo used the time to calm down and bring himself to a reasonably level and centred place within himself from which he could focus and strategise, knowing well from previous experience that his next opponent was capable; strong, tenacious and worthy of as much respect as a fighter as he could afford to give yet as she stepped onto the training mats Bakugo found his thinking interrupted again in ways he was entirely unprepared for.

He was unsure of when exactly Ochako Ururaka had gotten so buff.

His classmates were not something Bakugo allowed himself to pay regular attention to beyond the challenges they presented yet upon studying his opponent he felt certain that he should have noticed the changes to her physique at some point before now. When they had last fought the gravity-warping girl had been, if not exactly plump then at least soft around the middle and huggable, as loathe as he was to use such a description however the Ochako that stood opposite him now, whilst far from slender was lean and toned; her sleeveless black vest being form-fitting enough to hint at strong core muscles and wide, well-exercised hips whilst also leaving arms and shoulders that had grown notably larger and more defined on display.

Despite his attempt at focus and single-mindedness Bakugo was still a teenage boy attracted to multiple genders and as such the effect the sight had on him was an entirely involuntarily one, yet as Ochako reached up to tie her hair back, the motion flexing the muscles around her neck and collar something about the gesture left him swallowing thickly before he shook his head to clear it and stepped forward, raising his fists; striding out into the centre of the sparring mats as Ochako did the same until the two of them were close enough to reach out and touch fists as boxers might touch one another's gloves before a bout. The two locked eyes and upon seeing the pure steel in his opponents' gaze Bakugo found his customary intimidating smirk, a sharks' grin on a human face entirely impossible to muster and instead the pair simply stared at one another in silence until the lingering moment was brought to a close by the voice of a student the explosive blonde did not recognise.

"Both of you ready?" nods from both parties followed the words "Good….Three, two, one. BEGIN!"

Bakugo's opening gambit was pure instinct and habit, a heavy-handed left hook intended to hammer into the side of his opponents' skull which struck only air as Ochako weaved around it without ever moving from her position; gritting his teeth Bakugo followed up with a leaping knee strike in an effort to force her off balance, forcing his opponent to spend time and focus on simply remaining upright so that he could use vital seconds to unleash the first attacks in what would become a crushing deluge.

The effort failed, instead the knee strike sailed by its' target as Ochako sidestepped the incoming blow effortlessly and countered by seizing Bakugo's left shoulder, kicking at his right ankle and hurling him backwards in an effort to reverse things and leave him scrambling for footing and position. He was equal to this however and managed to all but throw himself back into a wide stance, a wild left backhand intended more as a diversion was checked perfectly by Ochako's right elbow and as the stinging pain ripped through his knuckles the infuriated teen burst forward, intending to deliver a decisive and overwhelming onslaught; leg muscles pistoned and he managed to turn his left hand to grab at the elbow which had blocked it in order to drag his opponent closer as he lunged forward, right fist rearing back for a telegraphed but unstoppable haymaker yet the blow never landed. Instead Ochako moved in a way he had never seen her move before, her entire upper body almost serpentine in its' fluid gracefulness as she once again weaved around his arm, slipping free of the hold on her elbow and stepping inside his guard, dangerously close with a fist already raised.

Then there was an explosion of pain and then nothing.

Bakugo was unsure of exactly how long he had been on the floor for, though as he stared up at the ceiling whose overhead lighting made his eyes water and exacerbated the mind-shattering pain coursing through his skull and the back of his neck he managed to surmise, from both the fact that the blood from his flattened nose was still dripping into his open mouth and the fact that the entirety of the crowd of students were still cheering and if he were to guess, still carrying Ochako around on their shoulders somewhere in the distance that it had likely been no more than a few minutes, perhaps less.

"What the hell just happened" the words were a dry, cracking croak where pain and disbelief fought for dominance and as he spoke blood that had trickled into his open mouth spattered the mats to either side of him though he supposed, in his rattled state that he should at least be grateful that his teeth all seemed to be present and accounted for.

He had been left on the ground with blood pouring into his open mouth, something that could possibly cause him to choke and in the excitement of his defeat nobody had bothered to check on him though to Bakugo this was no surprise at all; he understood from a young age that people were fickle and that the same sycophants who followed him and commented on how gifted he was one day would abandon him the next if someone who cast a larger shadow for them to lurk in appeared.

His mind was diverted from such gloomy and morose thoughts as a shadow fell over him and he found himself looking up into a familiar pair of eyes, though the warmth that often filled them and the accompanying shark-toothed smile were absent.

"You got knocked out….Are you gonna be okay?" Kirishima's words were almost entirely toneless and yet the bloodied and beaten blonde could still hear everything that remained unsaid between the two of them; the result being several seconds of what would have been awkward silence were it not for the outbursts of their fellow students; particularly the exchange student from America whom Bakugo had little reason to interact with, her name was Mule or something similar if he recalled correctly and whilst he had no idea what 'World-star!' meant she seemed enthusiastic in her yelling of it.

"Bullshit" he eventually managed to force the word out through bloodstained teeth "There's no way in hell that I-"

"Ururaka knocked you out cold, with one punch. I'm gonna take you to the nurse….I think you might have a concussion" Kirishima stated flatly and for a moment Bakugo was uncertain whether he should be more grateful that there was at least one person who would bother to help him stand when he had fallen so low or merely angry that he had been so thoroughly trounced.

In the end seething anger came more naturally to him.

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It was currently Friday evening and Ochako had spent the days since her mid-week sparring match with Bakugo which the rumour mill of the academy, with no small amount of encouragement thanks to chatterboxes such as Monoma, Mina Ashido and Denki Kaminari had gone on to term a grudge match and a battle for the ages in a state of panic which had steadily faded into a more mild, hard to place kind of discomfort.

Initially she had been frightened of the prospect of some form of retaliation as Bakugo sought to soothe a bruised ego and reassert his dominance over his surroundings through means that would no doubt be unpleasant. Once her almost automatic waves of panic and dread at the notion had washed over her she had taken the opportunity to calm herself and look at the situation more rationally Ochako found the notion increasingly unlikely as the admittedly volatile boy had already been punished enough for the unsanctioned sparring match, or full blown fight if rumours were be believed between himself and Izuku and it was doubtful that he would jeopardise a place at UA which seemed to be something he genuinely, deeply cared about; there was also the fact that Ochako had been expecting something vaguely underhanded which was simply not Bakugo's style, despite whatever faults the boy possessed he could at least be relied upon to fight fair, if not particularly honourably and without subterfuge.

With more than a day passing without incident Ochako had found herself surreptitiously trying to watch the boy she had knocked unconscious with a single, well-placed use of the skills she had proudly learned and honed under the tutelage of the Pro Hero Gunhead; each fleeting glance she stole leading to her gradual change of opinion. Katsuki Bakugo was a bruised and pulverised mess, to such a degree that even the normally stern and demanding Aizawa had seen fit to curb his expectations of the blonde boy in light of what he clearly assumed to be a training accident and it could be considered a sign that something was amiss that Bakugo did not respond to being coddled in such a way by furiously insisting that he was anything but weak.

It seemed that after being helped to the nurses' office Bakugo had taken only the bare minimum of assistance, likely only accepting that which would render him able to attend classes the following day before leaving and asserting that he was fine despite all evidence to the contrary and as such he had spent the time since then walking with a notable limp and grimacing with pain disguised at anger whenever a sudden movement jostled his ribs; Ochako knew that these injuries along with the vast majority of his extensive bruising could be attributed to his sparring match with Mirio however she was equally certain that she held sole responsibility for the stretch of deep indigo that extended from the bridge of a nose that remained swollen and somewhat misshapen to beneath his eyes and suggested that she had actually managed to break her classmates' nose entirely.

Ochako Ururaka did not want to consider herself the kind of person did things like that.

Bakugo was a hard person to like, even beyond the knowledge of how he had treated someone as kind and likeable as Izuku the blonde seemed to actively avoid any connections beyond the most superficial of friendships in most cases, almost making an effort to snap and snarl at anyone who might draw close like a mistreated a puppy; an analogy which Ochako noted he would no doubt be furious to hear. Despite all of this however the fact remained that she had entered into a sparring match with someone who was exhausted and already beaten, fighting at a level far below their best and had attacked with an uncalled for level of force and causing clear injuries.

It was overkill and exactly the same kind of thing that had so incensed her to the point of taking action in the first place; with the idea of being a hypocrite leaving a taste in Ochako's mouth which easily rivalled the effect of overusing her quirk.

It was with all of this in consideration that she had awoken on Friday with a goal in mind and had, over the course of the day approached the classmates who were closest to Bakugo asked each of them both how her former opponent was taking the knock to his pride and also how to best offer an apology for her actions and any ill-will that they had caused.

The reactions from the self-proclaimed Baku-Squad were telling in a way which left Ochako feeling oddly sorry for the belligerent blonde as each of them in turn revealed how little they actually knew about their supposed friend and ringleader as a person, with the prevailing wisdom, such as it was being that Katsuki Bakugo would hate the defeat and yet would take it as its' own reward and would need nothing more than an opportunity to rise to meet this new challenge. Disheartened at answers which would have felt cold and callous were they not delivered with such earnestness and a genuine belief that they would be helpful Ochako had looked elsewhere for guidance only to be further denied as the two people she assumed would be closest to Bakugo were unavailable, with Izuku simply being elsewhere whilst the idea of discussing the subject with Kirishima seemed as though it would be uncomfortable for all parties.

With little else but her own instinct to work with Ochako had finally decided to simply offer an apology and make amends in a way that she would have appreciated herself and that was why, at a little past eight in the evening the gravity-warping girl made her way onto the floor which contained the boys' dorms, secure in the knowledge that her classmates were distracted as they enjoyed the beginning of their weekend downstairs with a small collection of chocolate buns clutched to her chest. Growing up as poor as she had, despite her families' best efforts and hard work had made sweet treats a scarcity which Ochako relished and indulged in at every opportunity to do so and she reasoned that Bakugo could not possibly be so prickly that he would decline them; meaning that it would be a simple matter to knock on his door and hand them over before apologising and discussing the events of their sparring match before going their separate ways and putting the incident behind them.

She continued to tell herself that it was simply for her own conscience and peace of mind, nothing at all to do with the deeply, almost profoundly sad looks she had seen on Bakugo's face when casting glances his way or the looks that he had been risking in return when he thought he would not be noticed.

"Bakugo" she spoke softly as she rapped on the door, waiting for a moment and being answered with only silence before trying again "Bakugo….Katsuki?….Kaachan?"

Ochako winced at her own unexpected forwardness, not entirely sure where the words had come from as she used her classmates' first name and then the nickname that only one person seemed to have the privilege of calling him despite how strenuous and complicated things often seemed between Bakugo and Izuku. She waited a moment longer and still no response came, something which made Ochako pout in annoyance at the thought of being so bluntly ignored until she forced herself to think before acting rashly, Bakugo was known for the fact that he habitually retired early and it was in fact entirely possible that he was already asleep, the bedroom light was still switched on however and she could see it through the small gap between the bottom of the door and the floor; a further explanation which occurred to Ochako and was accepted as reasonable was that Bakugo simply had not heard her. The explosive blonde, from what little she knew had music tastes similar to those of Kyoka Jiro and could often be found wearing headphones whose casing rattled with music whose volume rivalled his own explosive blasts.

In a fit of daring and still unsure of what had come over her Ochako took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hey Bakugo?" she spoke a little louder this time as she stepped into the blonde boys' living space and realised as she did so that, since Bakugo had declined to take part in the room rating and tours that the rest of the class had enjoyed she might be the first person to see what exactly went on below the explosive and acerbic surface and take a peek at the inner workings of Katsuki Bakugo as they were reflected in his dorm. It was also possible that Kirishima had seen this and more though Ochako did not want to involve herself in that part of her classmates' business, the redhead was a friend and a good gym partner and his private affairs were not something she wanted to intrude upon.

"Huh?" the word left Ochako almost of its' own accord as she slunk slowly and silently into the room and took in a sight that was far removed from what she had been expecting, setting down the chocolate buns she had brought on a writing desk near the bed as she did so. If she had been forced to hazard a guess before now she would have suggested that Bakugo's room would be at least a little bit messy, enough to give it a lived in appearance and decorated with posters of rock bands and Pro Heroes though to a lesser extent than Izuku's admittedly slightly off-putting collection.

In truth Bakugo's room was utilitarian albeit with a decidedly different bent to Iida's spotlessness; there was little in the way of truly personal effects and instead of shelves of books there were collections of small free weights which were not the same brand used by the campus gym, suggesting that Bakugo had brought his own along with other paraphernalia such as skipping ropes, resistance bands and what appeared to be a vest weighted in a way that would simulate running whilst carrying another person across ones' shoulders. Ochako spied a dented but still working mini-fridge in a corner of the room where she saw the first signs of the expected untidiness in the form of tubs and bottles of substances whose labels claimed them to be workout supplements, something she herself had no experience with and continued outwards to a series of cork boards upon which several hand-scrawled charts and the occasional official looking piece of paperwork had been affixed, an up to date checklist of assignments and study schedule being interspersed with what appeared to be a workout regimen, though Ochako found herself unable to believe that it could possibly be accurate due to how detailed and extensive it was, with various exercises she had never seen before and also a plan for meal prep.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" Ochako was unashamed to admit that the sound which escaped her upon hearing Bakugo's irate growl from behind her was something akin to a squawk of panic and she wheeled around in an instant, hands already splayed wide in an apologetic gesture and flailing frantically as she tried to explain the gross breach of privacy.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, really sorry! I knocked and I thought you might not have heard me, I just wanted to come and say sorry for what happened in the gym, it was mean, I shouldn't have hit you that hard….I uh, I brought you chocolate buns" the words rattled out of her at rapid-fire rate and Ochako was left further discombobulated as her brain finally caught up with her senses enough to process the sight in front of her.

Bakugo had indeed been preparing to go to bed.

She had known that he was strong and muscular, almost all of the boys in her class were; however seeing him standing only a few feet away with toned muscles straining against skin that was bruised and littered with scars and old burns presumably from when he had first began controlling his quirk was an entirely different matter. His blonde hair was damp and messy, suggesting that it had been towelled dry only moments ago and it still dripped, sending small trails of water downward to pool around the recesses formed by impossibly broad shoulders and well-defined collarbones or trickle down large and chiselled chest muscles left bare by the fact that he slept only in pyjama pants, the trails leading Ochako's gaze in a direction which quickly left her blushing a vibrant shade of pink which reached her ears and made them burn fervently as she cast her eyes downward.

If Bakugo had noticed he gave no indication of it.

"You shouldn't have hit me that hard?" he scoffed, words filled an incalculable level of mocking scorn "You still don't get it….I thought you did, after the way you made me work for that win at the sports festival I really thought that you understood, better than the other extras-"

"I mean-"

"I don't want your apologies and I don't want your damn pity!" he snapped, the familiar anger rising to the surface "I want your best! I want to know that whichever one of us wins you gave it everything you had because if not then what's the point of any of it? You wanna apologise for something then apologise for ever thinking about holding back for my sake!….It's bad enough knowing that Icy-hot pulled a punch at the last minute"

The revelation and the admission that Bakugo had, at least in his own mind not won the accolade for which he was so lauded fairly or by his own ability shocked Ochako and something in her wide-eyed stare seemed to register in the boys' red-eyed fury, cutting it off before it could build further and leaving standing in a silence that might have been introspective or thoughtful were he alone but instead was simply rendered sullen, thought the pause allowed Ochako a moment to at least attempt to gather her thoughts and try to utter at least one sentence which didn't end up feeling as though it were a catastrophic mistake.

"I'm not pitying you, I just didn't mean to break your nose….You expect my best, that includes some self control" she realised even as she spoke that her words could be construed as a jab at the boys' own temper and quickly followed up with "The chocolate buns are on the desk there-"

"I really don't eat treats, candy or junk food" Bakugo admitted, his voice was rough and somewhat croaky though it lacked any of the blistering anger that it so often held and before Ochako could respond he let out slow sigh and added in a muffled, uncertain voice "But thank you"

"You're welcome" Ochako felt her cheeks colour again, almost squeaking her words out in the face of the honestly unexpected thanks only for the moment to be utterly undercut as the boy before her reached out, wrapping a muscular arm around her shoulders and firmly ushering her out of the door with an irritable growl before slamming the door behind her with a reverberating thud.

"Now get the fuck out of my room….I was trying to go to bed" with that Ochako was left standing dumbstruck in the hallway trying to wrap her mind around what she had seen and heard in the last few minutes, only to let out a wordless huff and bury her face in her hands as she realised that even with her apology accepted she did not feel better and was instead confronted by a whole array of new confusions and dilemmas, chief amongst them being how she could ever hope to look Katsuki Bakugo in the face again after being caught sneaking into his room whilst he was half naked.

Though she supposed that being made to feel like an idiot was only fair all things considered.

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Saturday morning had come and Ochako had seized the opportunities that the day presented, rising early and leaving the student dormitories before her friends had even begun to contemplate leaving the comfort of their beds.

The reason for her early departure was not, she had firmly insisted to herself an effort to steer clear of Katsuki Bakugo and prevent herself from doing something stupid or be caught staring in a way which might draw the attention of the well known gossip-merchant Mina Ashido and was instead a matter of simple practicality and financial sensibility. Even early on a Saturday morning the public transport of Musutafu City could be relied upon to run regularly and in a timely fashion however having an adequate balance on her railcard or loose change on her person was often less reliable and so, where possible Ochako walked; using her Quirk in limited bursts to take the occasional shortcut as she made her way towards a destination which would have left a spring in her step even without her manipulation of gravity.

She had visited her fathers' place of work.

Shuhei Ururaka was the head of a small construction company where the man was no mere figurehead or idle filler of office space and was instead an integral part of the firms' day to day operations on the ground level, being skilled in multiple trades and disciplines and having earned his powerful, brawny and rugged build and tanned, weather-beaten complexion by doing so. The companies' premises were comprised of an adequately sized yard, filled with vehicles and flanked on one side by a small office building which had initially been a series of portable cabins and on the other a collection of shipping containers serving as glorified lockers and a tin-roofed, rusting and rickety shed in which to store the largest of the equipment and materials.

Work on sites the company was involved with took place from Monday to Friday whilst on Saturdays Ochako knew that her father, along with several of his longest serving colleagues, men whom she had known since her earliest childhood memories along with their sons in many cases would be at the yard and office itself; where the gravity-warping girl had spent a great deal of her weekends as a child, being doted over by those around her and learning valuable life skills as well as helping the family business in any way she could both with and without the use of her quirk.

It was also where Ochako trained.

Upon first deciding that a career as a Pro Hero was something she wanted to pursue and dedicating herself to working towards a place at the prestigious UA High in pursuit of that lofty goal her father, with his employees eager assistance had set about offering the young girl every ounce of assistance they could, each of them thrilled at the prospect of seeing one of their own succeed in life.

There were several former boxers amongst the collection of rough and rugged working class men, some of whom had once had promising careers along with others who had been members of wrestling or martial arts clubs during their school and college years and whilst this knowledge had been superseded entirely by the skills she had acquired on her Work Placement they had still given her a basis to work from; the true result of her fathers' labour of love however, something Ochako had almost cried with joy upon first seeing at thirteen years of age was a personal gym made entirely from scratch with whatever her parents could afford and any materials that her fathers' firm could spare or find at the various sites they worked on.

One such find was the heavy punchbag she was currently raining blows down on.

She remembered that she had once been too weak to move the old, stained bag which was held aloft by a rusted but durable chain attached to a contraption made of old scaffolding which her father had welded together one weekend, her punches doing nothing at all and forcing her to instead use it as an aid for training her quirk. Now, with much more regular training and the healthy physique which was steadily becoming something she could be truly proud of that it had given her and her actions fuelled by a steadily building irritation and energy each attack she threw out left the entire metal frame that the punchbag was attached to rattling and tilting slightly as it was rocked; around her the labourers, tradesmen and apprentices who had been attending to various tasks about the yard or else enjoying their breakfast, a cigarette or cup of coffee whilst on a break had ceased what they were doing to instead watch as the teenager who had made her father so proud when she had appeared on television continued to show her skills, many of them cheering her on and raucously offering their advice and support though Ochako heard none of them, her focus narrowing down to nothing but the moment and her own thoughts.

'Is this what Bakugo feels like all the time?' she found herself wondering as the faint stinging of her knuckles rewarded a lightning fast pair of left jabs that would have halted any opponent, following them by springing forward and pivoting at the waist to slam her right elbow into the bag at head-height with force that made the entire frame rock; a frown deepening on her face as she did so. The thought had been unexpected and yet she could not bring herself to call it entirely unwelcome, instead allowing her mind to continue to wander in the direction of her explosive classmate.

'Why is he so….intense about everything?' she mused, corners of her mouth twitching upwards a fraction as she pulled back and continued her combination of blows by throwing out another elbow strike, this time from her left arm intending to block and answer an incoming attack in the same motion.

'It's like everything is the most important thing in the world; no wonder he's always on edge and about to lose it. It can't be good for him to live like that all the time, it's like he only relaxes when he sleeps' Ochako forced the punchbag back with a backhand and caught its' return swing with a flurry of blindly fast punches and followed with a snapping front kick all whilst making a concentrated effort to keep her mind away from the thought of the blonde boy in his nightclothes, or lack of them and with cheeks already beginning to burn she redirected her train of thought.

'And why the heck does he always go to bed so early?' a series of strikes sent the punchbag swinging and its' frame trembling again as Ochako's questioning of the particulars of Katsuki Bakugo left her wondering the most important thing of all.

'And just who the heck doesn't eat chocolate buns? Was he messing with me?' at that she delivered a stunningly powerful haymaker which threw her punchbag back with enough force to almost tip the entire frame supporting until Ochako leapt forward and clutched at it, fingers glowing with her Quirk and a startled cry on her lips.

"Oh crap, damn it!" she managed to catch the frame and make it weightless before it could fall, carefully repositioning and reorienting it before setting it down; cheeks flushing crimson with embarrassment as she became more fully aware of her surroundings and the audience she had gathered around herself and more important the friendly, but still teasing cheers and jokes being made at her expense only for the moment to end in short order as a familiar figure stepped into view and spoke.

"Okay back to work everyone, we need everything ready for Monday! We've got a big job coming up!" as the crowd began to disperse Shuhei Ururaka looked down at Ochako with a smile that somehow managed to contain a warning "And a little bit less of that kind of language from you young lady"

"Sorry Dad" she found herself fidgeting with her eyes downcast, wondering when exactly she had gotten so casual about cursing and almost ironically being left fighting the urge to curse once at the realisation that it was likely a habit learned after spending so much time around her more foul-mouthed classmates in the student accommodations; with Katsuki Bakugo, who used words like 'bastard' as though they were punctuation being a more notable offender.

"Is something wrong?" her father asked, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder whilst nodding at the still retreating forms of his employees "Some on them mentioned that you looked upset about something and you were hitting that bag like you were angry with it….Is there a problem at school?"

"At school….But not with school" Ochako chose her words carefully, truthfully unsure of why she was still so on edge about the entire business with Katsuki, whom she realised she was referring to by his first name in her own head and the sparring match and certainly not wanting to be a cause of worry for her parents.

"You can talk to me about anything" her father assured her "Me or your mother, we're both so proud of you and if you're struggling-"

"It's not that" Ochako shook her head, opening with reassurances before trying to tackle the subject "I'm doing okay in classes….They're hard but living in the dorms means we can have study groups and extra training all the time"

"Just make sure you don't push yourself too hard"

"I think it was going to hard and too far that's the problem" she grimaced, letting out a sigh before adding "I hurt a classmate in a sparring match….I broke his nose"

"Oh" Shuhei took a moment to process the information, choosing how best to respond whilst privately allowing himself no small amount of satisfaction at the knowledge that his daughter was capable of looking after herself if the need ever arose.

"Yeah and now I feel like an idiot and I feel bad about it even though he said he doesn't want me to" Ochako found herself speaking again, unsure of where the words were coming from and yet unable to halt them "It's just sad because he was hurt and nobody really cared, even his friends and I just wanted to make it up to him but I think I might have upset him and offended him even more and….Ugh!"

"Now I see" Shuhei gave a small, rumbling chuckle before pulling his daughter into a loose hug and ruffling her tied back hair with one hand "Boy troubles….But in a Hero way?"

"DAD!" Ochako gasped, burying her face in his shirt if only to hide her mortified expression as she let out a wordless groan, certain that her blush would be a truly spectacular shade if it were displayed openly.

"Is it the one with the green hair and the freckles from the sports festival?" upon hearing this Ochako gave serious consideration to simply floating away with her Quirk whilst her father wore a look that he was extremely pleased with himself for managing to take his daughters' mind off of her problems for a moment even if he couldn't help her directly

She sufficed with returning to her training, the conundrum that was Katsuki forgotten.

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Katsuki found that grumbling was a pass time that was beginning to become so regular that he should look into taking it up competitively or as a profession, however he would still argue the subject of his current muttered griping was well-deserved.

"Can't believe that old hag sometimes" his fists clenched in the pockets of the nondescript, if artistically ripped and faded denim jacket he was wearing with its' collar popped and over a black hoodie, seeing the sidelong look that his current companion was giving he merely shook his head and made a wordless sound of annoyance, though this time it was directed more at the fact other people seemed eager to impose their personal norms and idiosyncrasies onto his own families' relationships; to Katsuki there was no question that his family was a loving one no matter how vulgar or blunt he and his mother often were with one another.

The current perceived slight however was something more than a verbal exchange, the boy had made an effort and taken the time out of his routine, missing a much needed gym session in relative peace whilst his classmates were busy and altering his entire schedule for the week to do so in order to visit home, only for him to be sent to run errands a considerable distance away almost immediately upon his arrival. His father, by far more meek and mild mannered than the woman he had married and offspring he had produced was apparently in the midst of redecorating the entire apartment, a job Katsuki could readily admit would please his mother and was being done with skill however it seemed that some much needed tools and supplies had either been misplaced or forgotten and as such his mother had sent him to acquire them, specifically from a trade supplier on an industrial estate which he had needed to take a train to reach.

On said train he had run into an old acquaintance.

To call his old middle-school and childhood cronies friends was far more generous than the explosive blonde was willing to be and Tsubasa had done little to make himself notable as more than a hanger on in the time the two had spent apart, something which frankly irked the blonde who saw it a waste of a fair amount of potential. The boy with red-scaled and draconian wings had once been plump in a way that held the promise of bulky, functional muscle but instead he had allowed himself to squander that potential with the only well developed muscles to speak of being those of his wings as he had taken to flapping them and hovering a few inches above the ground rather than walking; Tsubasa had made it into a trade school that had been his third choice from what Bakugo could recall and yet even the promise of a life of working with his hands and physical exertion had not convinced the boy to take care better care of his body. Truthfully Bakugo would likely have made no effort to seek his old crony out and would probably have ignored him if they had passed one another in the street however upon being spotted by the rotund boy whose wings took up an uncomfortable amount of space inside a train carriage even when tucked against his back he had been forced to endure a stressful amount of small talk, during which he had learned that Tsubasa was heading in the same direction for reasons pertaining to the trade he was studying and knew the area well enough to offer a shortcut.

Which brought them to their current destination, with Bakugo shooting a harsh glower at the larger teen.

"Dumb-ass! When you said a shortcut I didn't think you'd send me somewhere that I need to fly to get to!" he snarled gesticulating at the sight in front of him; the two had made their way from the train station into an industrial part of the city and were now staring at a high fence which marked the perimeter of what old and faded signs proclaimed to be a builders' yard whose entrance was at the other side of the property. Getting over the barrier would be no problem for the red-eyes blonde who could likely have leaped over the fence with a running start and without the use of his quirk if he had warmed up first however, as he had reminded Tsubasa and his fellow cronies countless times when they were peers he had little interest at all in risking his place at UA by being involved in trespassing, vandalism or other petty crimes.

"B-B-Bakugo it's fine!" Tsubasa waved his arms, making a pitiful effort of protecting his face as though he expected Bakugo to punch him whilst his wings flapped so erratically that he dropped to the ground with a heavy thud as they became unable to support him.

"Seriously it's cool" he continued "Me and some of the guys from school cut through here when we're out here for off-campus training and classes….One of the guys' uncles is a plasterer for this company so-"

"Alright, alright" Bakugo waved him off "Are you sure we're heading the right way?"

"Yeah, the trade store you want is on the other side of the yard and then across the road, to the right-" Bakugo tuned out anything that was said after than, instead making a small jump to find purchase on the top of the fence and brace himself against it with one foot before hauling himself up and almost entirely over, pausing in an awkwardly balanced position and staring downwards in disbelief whilst Tsubasa hovered lazily into view beside him.

"Tsubasa, beat it. Go around" he said bluntly.

"Why man, I just"

"Get the hell out of here" his voice grew more harsh and commanding, the plump boy letting out a defeated sigh before swooping gracelessly downwards and preparing to take the longer route to wherever he needed to be, leaving Bakugo to stare down at the object of his sudden disbelief once again.

Ochako Ururaka.

Towards the rear of the builders' yard Bakugo could see that a painfully makeshift gym of sorts had been cobbled together from what appeared to be whatever odds and ends could be found in a way that was almost impressive in its' resourcefulness and frugality. In the midst of this the gravity-warping girl who had broken his nose, intruded into his personal space bearing chocolate and somehow managed to make herself a staple of his thoughts and cause of no small amount of distraction in recent days had been in the midst of using a weight bench and putting on a show which left Katsuki's throat dry in doing so; he knew Ochako was strong but seeing her flushed with exertion, muscles of her arms pumped and straining and a look of pure determination on her face as she bench-pressed a respectable amount of weight with perfect form was something else altogether and the blonde could not bring himself to look away.

And then she stopped, evidently catching sight of something in the corner of her eye or hearing his brief exchange with Tsubasa and as she set the weights down and pulled herself into a sitting position, wiping her brow and pushing aside stray strands of brown hair that had fallen away from where it was once again tied back Bakugo realised, after an amount of time that undoubtedly made him look liken an idiot or a pervert comparable to Mineta that she was looking directly at him.

"Kat-Bakugo?" the moment of stammering confusion was quickly pushed aside as she pulled herself to her feet and stretched whilst arching an eyebrow and speaking with more confidence "Is this payback for yesterday? You're the one sneaking around now?"

"I'm not sneaking" he grunted out defensively, suddenly feeling immensely awkward that he felt his usual brusque bluntness would do nothing to help and yet feeling compelled to leap down into the builders' yard and stroll towards Ochako who eyed him with cautious smile and a faint colouration to her cheeks that seemed reluctant to leave even after she had caught her breath.

"Sure looks like it"

"I was heading to the trade store to pick something up for my Dad. I ran into somebody I used to go to school with who said that this was a shortcut"

"Oh right" Ochako's smile widened into one of understanding which Katsuki felt was strange until she spoke again "Is that why you went to bed early last night? You wanted to go and see your parents, that's sweet"

"I go to bed early because I want eight hours of sleep" the blonde couldn't help but blink in slight confusion at the question before gesturing at Ochaoko's arms which were once again left bare by her tank-top "We're training to be Pro Heroes, that means we need to be at our best and training to make our best even better….How can you expect to do that if you're starting the day tired….And where the hell is your water bottle pink cheeks, are you seriously telling me you came out here to work out and you're not staying hydrated?"

"You are….really into this huh?" Ochako spoke slowly, taking a moment to process that Katsuki, for she was still thinking of him on a first name basis was as blunt and snappish as possible yet his comments were sensible and seemed to be coming from a place of legitimate concern.

"I learned some better workout routines while I was on my work placement" she continued, suddenly interested in the idea of keeping the conversation going and intrigued at what else lay beneath Bakugo's hard and intense exterior.

"I can tell, you look good" the words left Bakugo's mouth before he could stop them and his eyes widened at the same time as Ochako's as he realised how they had sounded; averting his eyes and scowling at his own idiocy whilst her cheeks darkened "I mean jacked, you've built muscle since the sports festival and you're a lot stronger….It's good"

"Thank you" Ochako managed to squeak the words out in embarrassment before clearing her throat and pushing ahead despite herself "Most of what I learned was hand to hand fighting and restraining criminals though….I saw some of the plans for workout routines and stuff in your room and, well, wow. That looks a lot more advanced than what I do"

"I keep updating it, trying to find something more effective and work new stuff in" Katsuki shrugged, taking a deep breath before tilting his head back and looking up at the sky before uttering words that were not common or easy for him "And I'm sorry about yesterday, I was rude….I just like my space after dealing with people all day"

"It's fine, I shouldn't have just walked into your room; I don't know what came over me" Ochako replied, still struggling to meet Katsuki's vivid red eyes even as an idea began to take shape in her mind, the nerve to carry it out steadily building.

"I tried the chocolate buns" the boy admitted, catching her entirely off guard "One of them, this morning….Since I'm already throwing my schedule off anyway I might as well have a cheat day. They are really good"

"I'm glad you liked it" she beamed, something swooping pleasantly in her stomach as she finally mustered the courage to act on the thought that had occurred to her

"Would you be able to help me out with my workouts?….I mean not today, I know you're busy but if it's not too much trouble then maybe-"

"Sure" the answer left Katsuki without hesitation and was left trying without success to look less eager at the idea as he added "I mean, yeah I can help you….But I want you to be my sparring partner more often as well, if you're serious about pushing yourself to be better than I should be pushing myself to be able to compete with you"

"Absolutely" Ochako almost bounced with excitement, matching Katsuki's eagerness with far more open exuberance as she recalled their more heated talk the previous evening and realised that since the explosive boy wanted to pit himself against the best and be pushed to his limits in order to improve himself his request could be taken as a compliment of the highest order.

"We'll have to arrange something after class, I've gotta go….My folks expect me back with stuff they need" Bakugo finally sighed with a small amount of irritation to which Ochako simply nodded, the two parting ways with the blonde setting off and only vaguely wondering if Tsubasa had bothered to wait for him or simply gone on ahead to handle his own business before eventually coming to a halt and turning back, looking over his shoulder at Ochako.

Whilst he was undeniably antisocial, often to the point of hostility and paid little attention to norms or etiquette the boy was far from stupid or unaware and was cognizant enough to know that he had very suddenly found himself very attracted to Ochako Ururaka, something which her current attire of a tank-top and sweatpants which both gave a fair impression of her figure only made easier to verify and yet as he watched her make her way towards the weight bench, pause and instead depart to hopefully find a water bottle Katsuki found himself with only one question on his mind, one far less lecherous than some of his peers might have hazarded.

"Hey Pink Cheeks I've gotta know, it's been driving me crazy after seeing how easy you've made gains….What pre-workout do you use?"

"Huh?" Ochako paused and turned, deliberately refusing to acknowledge the fact that Katsuki had been watching her again and instead regarding the question; after so many years of near-poverty and severely limited access to funds and resources, making do with whatever could be found or repurposed the was only answer that the gravity-warping girl could give and it was one that left the explosive boy looking at her in open amazement and bafflement.

"What the heck is pre-workout? I thought that's what a warm up was?"

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A week had passed and Saturday had come again. For Ochako it had been a series of revelations and discoveries which amounted to an education of the variety which had left her sore, aching and exhausted on a nightly basis as she learned first hand just how brutally excessive Katsuki Bakugo was in regards to his own training and the extent he was willing to push himself to.

The usual demanding routine of classes and assignments that came with being a student of such a prestigious school was added to by a workout and training regimen that went far beyond anything she had tried before and was something Ochako found herself frequently comparing to Izuku's obsessive and dedicated analysing of any and all aspects of heroics. Overall though she was convinced that she could almost feel herself growing stronger with each passing day and was grateful for the effort that her explosive classmate, who had been far less volatile in recent days was putting into helping her she was also left with an intimate understanding of just why Katsuki valued his sleep so much as she was left all but crawling into bed day after day and spending almost no time at all in the common area of the student dorms, something which had no doubt become a source of rumours and speculation already.

A more unexpected but far from unwelcome result of asking the blonde boy to help maximise her workouts was that Ochako had found herself noticing small details and learning random titbits of information about Katsuki that their peers were likely not privy too in the conversations they shared, which had started as brief and direct, remaining fixed on the matter at hand but had steadily and almost hopefully began to branch out onto other subjects, lasting a little longer each time as the pair finished their workouts together; such as his music tastes being far more wide and varied than expected, with recommendations from Mina and Jiro making up only a small portion of a series of playlists he had on hand for various workouts, or that he had a severe dislike for vanilla flavoured protein shakes and that the knuckles of his left had were lined with faint ropey scars whilst his right palm and fingers were more calloused.

Eventually however the weekend had arrived and it had become time for Ochako to make good on her end of the arrangement.

She had suggested that the two of them travel out into one of Musutafu Cities' parks so that they could spar and train with less likelihood of being interrupted, or at least by people the knew personally; which Ochako had been correct in assuming would appeal to Bakugo's pride as, no matter how he rationalised things to himself and others the fact remained that he did not particularly want to be knocked unconscious in front of his peers again. With the decision made the two of them had departed, with Bakugo surprising Ochako by bringing a duffel bag filled with mitts, pads and other useful items which had apparently been stored somewhere in his room where Ochako had not seen then, presumably beneath his bed or in a closet.

Those pads had been forgotten however and the two were once again trading blows.

"Come on! You're fighting like a drunk salaryman outside a bar!" Ochako gave a mocking laugh as she easily blocked a series of lightning fast jabs followed by a wild haymaker; the brief fraction of a second it took Katsuki to adjust his footing and prepare for another barrage of blows being spent wondering where exactly that particular outburst had come from and why her jeering had sounded so reminiscent of the explosive blonde himself.

Rather than be infuriated by the taunting Katsuki was instead motivated by it and burst forward with another surge of speed and power, throwing a roundhouse kick which Ochako managed to check with her knee only for the blow to be revealed to be a ruse and a way to close the distance as her opponent aimed a crushing left straight at her face. Ochako felt her hair be rustled and a sting of pain along the top of her earl as she narrowly avoided the hit and answered it with a left hook which Katsuki managed to block with his right hand at the last moment before bringing his left arm and hand snaking around the back of his opponents' neck to draw her into a clinch from which he prepared to throw a series of knee-strikes into her face and chest. The first blow struck home and Ochako was left wheezing and fighting the urge to clutch at her chest in pain as her eyes screwed shut and she forced herself not to audibly cry out, instead pushing through the pain as Katsuki threw another knee-strike and managing to lock an arm around the back of his leg and drag him off balance.

The two separated, each throwing powerful but uncoordinated strikes to create space before meeting one another's gaze and being stunned at the wild-eyed intensity there and it was then that Katsuki caught Ochako off guard with words whose gentleness, despite his heavy panting were as unexpected as her own taunting.

"You are really good at this, you're a natural….Probably one of the best in our class" the blonde himself obviously found the praise less noteworthy as before Ochako could even fully process the heat rising in her cheeks he was already on the offensive again, closing the distance with a hand reared back for a telegraphed punch which she made to block and parry; being forced to throw herself into a roll at the last moment to avoid a hit that would have left her sprawled as Katsuki threw all of his momentum into a leaping, spinning heel kick that was far removed from his normal repertoire.

"What the heck was that?" Ochako demanded as leapt back to her feet.

"I saw Tail use it in the gym once, I don't normally use it when using my Quirk to move because the balance is off" with yet another nugget of information gleaned, namely that Katsuki paid at least enough attention to his peers to study their moves and memorise anything of value for later use the two of them rushed at one another yet again. The blonde this time falling back on something tried and tested in the form of a devastating punch intended to stop a fight with a single hit, which Ochako chose to answer with something which was becoming equally routine and habitual from her training with Gunhead; catching his arm and driving a shoulder into his chest before pivoting and hurling the boy over her hip to send him crashing to the ground.

Only to collapse into a heap on the grass beside him, wheezing and desperate for air.

"Okay" she managed to gasp out, tapping the ground three times in a sign of submission "Time for a break"

"Sure" Katsuki's voice lacked its' usual growling note and the two remained as they were for a few moments with neither of them having the energy or willpower to stand and collect their discarded pads or move themselves beneath a tree to use its' shade. Eventually however the relative peace was brought to a somewhat unceremonious end as Ochako's stomach gave a particularly loud and insistent rumble, hands flying to her mouth in response she turned to face Katsuki only to be left hiding her face entirely upon seeing that he had already been looking at her, fiery red eyes oddly distant until he seemed to catch himself and realise what he was doing.

"Okay, lunch break….What's your meal prep like, just the usual chicken rice and broccoli?" he asked, almost purposefully light and conversational in order to distract from the awkwardness of the moment and yet still managing to say something that left Ochako feeling even more embarrassed.

"I didn't bring anything to eat" she admitted from behind hands that were still covering her face.

"Why the hell not Pink Cheeks?" he demanded, the usual scathing annoyance making a return "How are you even getting so ripped when you don't take care of your body? Do you think-"

"I'm broke!" she shot back, cutting through the tirade and matching it with her own irritation as she was forced to admit the unpleasant truth "I don't like spending money on food when I can eat for free on campus….My parents work hard, but they don't have a lot and I don't want to ask them for"

"Oh" the single word was the softest she had ever heard Katsuki's voice as was the reason she slowly moved her hands away from her face, seeing the boy wearing an expression like a kicked puppy before he spoke again "You didn't have money and you bought those chocolate buns for me?….Damn it Pink Cheeks, now I owe you!"

"You don't owe me-"

"That's it, come on I'm gonna buy you lunch" the words were said with such complete and earnest conviction that Ochako was almost certain that Katsuki had no idea how they had sounded to her ears although this did nothing to stop her from choking on air and sputtering as she tried to keep herself from blushing scarlet, growing privately tired of the effect that the blonde seemed to regularly have on her.

"Okay, I don't know how you meant that to sound" she finally managed to wheeze out "But you ask someone out to lunch or dinner like that it kinda sounds like you meant as a date….And I thought you and Kirishima had something going on?"

"Oh" Katsuki repeated, though this time he looked away and his face was hushed and clearly pained; to which Ochako fought the urge to bury her face out of view again and instead pressed on with a determination to get to the bottom of it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I just didn't want to tread on peoples' toes and I thought-"

"It's fine" he breathed out, a faint edge lingering in his tone as he continued "We did date….Or at least try to but I didn't really work out. I can't compromise on my training, the world needs heroes now that Allmight is retired and I can't afford to relax….I cancelled too many dates, I was hurting him so I ended it"

"That's honestly kinda sad" Ochako admitted "But I get it….I kinda stopped chasing after Izuku for similar reasons, he's so driven and I didn't want to distract him; funny how that worked out"

"Kirishima was kinda like Deku in a way" Katsuki added, missing the slight edge to Ochako's words "Or like Deku was when we were younger….He looked up to me too much and had an idea of me in his head. Shit, the more I think back on it the more I realise how much of a bastard I was to Deku as well-"

"Yeah, you really were" Ochako answered with a bluntness which Katsuki could only respect and admire; she herself had heard some of what had taken place when the two attended middle-school together and, like many of their classmates had chosen to let bygones be bygones only because Izuku had been so insistent on it. The memory of Iida being ready to dispense a brand of tough justice was one that would stick with Ochako for a whole and yet she struggled to reconcile the monstrous, hateful wretch of a bully from the stories to the person currently laying beside her lamenting over being unable to give someone what they deserved in a relationship whilst sporting lingering traces of bruising around their eyes and nose.

"He was a late bloomer with his quirk….Everyone thought he was quirkless for years" Katsuki sighed, expression darkening in a way that Ochako couldn't quite read before he continued "I know that it's messed up now but I was a kid, you hear the way people talk about quirkless people….I was around that and it was all coming from the same people who were telling me how special I was, how powerful I could be and how I was gonna be a hero one day before I even really knew what it meant. I know it sounds like I'm bragging and I'm cocky but I am strong, I always have been tough so I guess I just thought if they were right about me then they must be right about him too"

"I mean you were a kid when it started" Ochako chewed at her lip nervously "But it went on for years and it's a dumb reason. You were a jerk and you owe him an apology one day, a real one"

"Yeah well, I aint buying him any chocolate buns to make up for it" Katsuki snorted, sounding much more like himself before giving Ochako a truly devilish smile which made her heart skip several beats despite her attempts to tell herself otherwise before he added "I don't normally care who people are dating or who's crushing on who but now I'm curious….What did you see in the loser?"

"You jerk! Why are you so curious about it?" Ochako swatted his chest whilst laughing at the comment, surprised at her own sudden boldness even as she followed it up "If you're that interested then go and ask Mina….She's one of your Baku-Squad right?"

"They're not my Baku-Squad, I have specifically told those extras not to call themselves that. They don't listen, which proves they're not my damn squad" Katsuki grumbled for a moment before Ochako's comment fully registered "Wait, what what about Racoon Eyes?"

"Izuku was helping her train remember?" Ochako reminded him "Then Mina, Kirishima, Sero and Hagakure stopped that robber in the city….Mina and Izuku have actually been dating since a week or two after that; so maybe three months now"

"DEKU FUCKS?" Bakugo sat bolt upright, suddenly pale and visibly distraught as though the knowledge had changed something fundamental about how he believed the world worked, a reaction which Ochako could only laugh in response to; remaining curled up on the ground in utter hysterics, both the pain in her chest from sparring and the sting of having missed her chance with the green-haired and freckled boy she still respected but was no longer enamoured with being long forgotten as she managed to chance another potentially risky comment.

"I don't know what they do….Like I said, if you're so interested ask Mina?"

"Damn it! That's a mental image I don't need….You know he'd shout 'Alabama Smash' or something" Katsuki's words left Ochako with tears streaming down her face as she continued to laugh until she began to feel faintly dizzy, the boy rising to his feet and holding a hand out to help her up as he shook his head and offered a final damning assessment of the situation.

"I said I'll buy you lunch….But I think that's just ruined my appetite"

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It was certainly not a date, or if it was it was the kind of low effort, low budget affair that any of her friends would have ridiculed her and Bakugo alike for with varying degrees of jest and yet Ochako herself would be lying spectacularly if she said that she was not enjoying having dinner with Katsuki after training with him.

The park that they had used for sparring practice was one situated reasonably close to UA High itself and upon receiving his initial acceptance into the school the blonde, in a display of foresight which Ochako was beginning to realise was far less out of character than many people would assume had taken the effort to explore the local area well enough to have a working knowledge of where the best places to eat were, something that had apparently proven useful once the students had been moved into dormitories. Outwardly the venue itself seemed an equally stark break from tradition for the famously volatile and belligerent young man who had thought 'Lord Explosion Murder' would somehow be an acceptable hero name, being a small and cosy cafe with an aesthetic that favoured warm and pastel colours and plenty of greenery as well as outdoor seating looking out at the streets which were bustling with activity early on a Saturday afternoon though upon learning that the business prided itself on serving healthy food of both Japanese and foreign origin catering to those who, like Bakugo and Ochako supposed, herself were trying to become or remain fit and active. The pair had ordered and chosen outdoor seating, enjoying the fresh air, pleasant weather and one another's company as they ate.

And in that time Ochako had almost choked on a salad as she realised that she may in fact be attracted to Katsuki Bakugo.

The boy was handsome, there was no doubt about that and his strong, sharp jawline, air of fierce charisma and powerful, athletic physique had been the subject of more than one conversation and bout of idle musing amongst the girls in Class One A earlier in the school year, something which Ochako found more understandable now that she had first hand experience with said physique and had seen more of it than her peers. It was Katsuki's personality that had held him back and despite his often blunt, direct and forceful way of approaching problems and stating things the gravity-warping girl had seen in their previous conversations where he had been more introspective and thoughtful that there was more than first appeared and that the blonde had grown in recent months and was continuing to do so; steadily becoming someone who Ochako would very much enjoy spending more time with and getting to know even better.

He also had a really nice laugh when he wasn't trying to sneer at and belittle someone; unless that someone was Mineta or Monoma whom Ochako could agree deserved it.

"Oh shit, Best Jeanist really did have me looking like Johnny Lawrence and Justin Bieber at the same time!" the current source of his hysterics had come when conversation had moved from the subject of Ochako's work experience to his own, which he had recounted with an affected and frankly hilarious thousand yard stare, punctuating his time with the stylish Pro Hero by producing a photo on his phone of just what the makeover he had been given entailed; which Ochako had answered by producing a picture of the international pop star whom Katsuki claimed to have never heard of despite his wide range in music tastes.

"It's good that you can laugh at your own expense now" she noted with a smile "I remember our first day, when you and Iida were teaming up against Izuku and I….I think back then you would have strangled someone who laughed at your hair….Or anything else"

"Yeah….Yeah probably" Katsuki nodded, with a hint of shame at his previous actions before being reduced to laughter once again "But this isn't at my expense, this is at his….Because there's no way it's a coincidence! This means that Best Jeanist is a Belieber!"

"But how do you know that's what his fans are called if you don't listen to his music" Ochako took a slow sip of a drink that had been supplied with a colourful bendy straw and gave him a pointed look as he sputtered and gestured in a desperate attempt to recover from the verbal slip up only to give a playful, dismissive wave as he leaned back in his chair and stretched out in a way that she was left trying not to watch too closely lest she get caught staring.

"Whatever" he snorted.

The two of them remained in peaceful silence for a while after that, turning their attention to their food and whilst she could not be sure of Katsuki's private thoughts Ochako simply replayed the earlier training and sparring in her mind, looking for areas she could improve whilst also taking in her surroundings upon realising that, likely owing to a lack of disposable money giving her no reason to venture in this direction she had never actually been on this street before.

A few moments later her eyes widened and a cold, leaden weight plunged its' way into the pit of her stomach as she caught sight of a figure stepping out of a business across the street and casting a wary eye in all directions before skulking away and slowly trying to blend into the crowd; a task rendered far more difficult due to the fact that the individual in question boasted a form of mutation quirk which set them apart from passers by and, even more concerning bore several tattoos which were left on display by their current attire whose specific designs caused the people around them to give a wider berth and avoid eye contact.

Irezumi tattoos, identifying a member of a Yakuza family.

"Oh crap" Ochako muttered as she quickly drew her phone and began pulling up a website contributed to by the police and various Hero agencies operating in the region whist Katsuki, hearing her quiet but urgent comment turned his attention towards her and was immediately far more like the image of himself that most people would recognise.

"What's wrong?"

"So, you know how I've got a provisional hero licence and I was part of the raid on Overhaul's base?"

"It was bad-ass and I absolutely should have been there….I'll definitely get my provisional license when I try again" Katsuki nodded with only the merest hint of defensiveness in his words even as his tone became rougher. Ochako slid her phone across and pointed to a picture of an individual who was listed as still at large and wanted in connection for dozens of crimes.

"Not all of the Shie Hassaikai were arrested, there plenty of their people; or low level street-gang members that were being recruited into the family who weren't at the house" Ochako's expression darkened as she tapped against the screen of her phone "I'm pretty certain I just saw them head that way"

"You wanna go find out for sure?" Bakugo asked, though it was clear that it was not truly a question and that the answer was already largely decided. Ochako nodded slowly, chewing at her lip and fretting as she considered.

"We should send a message to one of our teachers, I should probably send a message to Gunhead's agency as well and let the Pro Heroes know what's going on" she paused and gave the boy beside her a worried look "And you don't have a provisional-"

"Doesn't matter, I'm coming with you" he answered, already leaping to his feet with the air beginning to sizzle and pop as his quirk flared into life at his words "These assholes hurt kids and sell drugs that mess up quirks like what they did to LeMillion; I'm not gonna just let one of them walk right by me"

"Then let's go" Ochako nodded, expression set as she rose to her own feet and realised that neither of them had their costumes or even their UA High PE uniforms at the ready, which might complicate matters.

And yet, as she sprung into action with Katsuki beside her she couldn't help but feel as though she would overcome the challenge ahead of her no matter what it took.

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After the Shie Hassaikai had been all but gutted and left functionally non-existent following Overhaul's capture by the Pro Heroes and subsequent mauling by the League of Villains those amongst the ranks of the self described 'Chivalrous Organisation' who had escaped capture by virtue of being away from the large scale raid and subsequent cascade of additional arrests as one gangster after another cracked under pressure and confessed, implicating others in the process had largely gone to ground or fled; either making front businesses their primary source of income or else fleeing Japan entirely to make contact with Yakuza branches in other countries with whom the Shie Hassakai had affiliations and understandings, primarily in America where the Quirk modifying drug market and the product itself were exponentially more advanced.

Tsuki Gekko was not once such member.

She was the eldest daughter of a mid-ranking member of the crime family who had no sons and as such a degree of leniency had been given for the sake of lineage and bloodline, allowing Tsuki to attain a level of notoriety and respect within the largely traditional organisation where women were few and women with authority were almost unheard of; an endeavour which she had devoted too much time and effort to allow herself to falter, especially not when her families' good name within the criminal underworld was at stake.

Her quirk had given her a somewhat feral appearance and monstrous stature which, combined with her own physical conditioning, bearing and her reputed conduct in battle had earned her the moniker which the media had used as her Villain name, despite Tsuki having never described herself as such; 'The She Wolf'. She was tall, standing head and shoulders above the average man and boasted an impossibly muscular upper body which rivalled that of the famed Rabbit Hero which tapered down to a narrow waist whilst everything about her appearance was offset by more animal traits such as greenish-yellow eyes which shone in the gloom, a shaggy and grey-furred tail whose colour and texture was repeated in her mane of tied back hair, her long fingers ended in black-nailed and lethally sharp claws whilst her face, which would be deemed attractive by conventional standards were it not for the horizontal scar running across her left cheek and the perpetual stern and arrogant scowl she wore. She dressed in the traditional sharply cut suit expected of a Yakuza member, currently in a deep plum purple colour with silver and charcoal grey lining and detailing, whilst the heat had compelled her to remove her jacket to reveal the waistcoat and tie worn over a black shirt whose sleeves had been rolled up to reveal tattoos whose full meanings were lost on those who took care to avoid crossing her path.

She was also being followed.

Her quirk gave her wolfish features and inhuman speed, strength and reflexes however it did not grant her any superhuman senses such as the ability to scent her quarry on their air or pick the sound of their movements of the ambient din of a city; none of this was necessary though when her would be pursuer was the current first year reigning champion of the UA High sports festival whose bouts, face and the rage which the She Wolf herself had found relatable and at the same time pitiful had been broadcast on television all across Japan.

After realising that she had picked up a tail who seemed to be acting alone despite his young age, though his frequent stops to check his phone may have suggested that there was more at play as well as being an attempt to look inconspicuous Tsuki had began making diversions which led far away from her initial destination, although not in an attempt to shake off the persistent teenage boy but rather to make an example and remind those who had brought shame and hardship on her people that the Shie Hassaikai did bot tolerate such disrespect and would see their grievances settled.

With that in mind she had taken a route which had ultimately seen her stood alone within a narrow and winding but deserted side-street in a less bustling part of the city, regrettably one which did not sport the seven archways which would identify it as Yakuza territory but still the sort of place where an aspiring hero could be expected to make their move.

And so she came to a halt in the middle of narrow space, being rewarded with the expected challenge.

"Hey! Tsuki Gekko!" Katsuki Bakugo, whose chosen hero name was not yet public knowledge barked out at her "You're wanted in connection with twelve counts of-"

"Do you really think that's how this goes?" the She Wolf interrupted, cutting across the rote speech and giving a wicked grin that was all jagged fangs which Bakugo never saw from behind her "You tell me to kneel and surrender and get to be a good little poster child without doing any real work? Is that what you want?"

"Nah" the blonde, unseen by Tsuki gave a smile that was just as unhinged as her own "The Big Bad Wolf was out of town when her bosses' house got blown down; I wanna tie up loose ends!"

"Cute kid" the She Wolfs' tone hardened and her expression became a murderous glare as she turned to face the upstart boy, making a show of loosening her tie and working out a crick in her neck as did so, flexing muscles and enjoying the look on Bakugo's face as he began to realise just how strong she was likely to be upon doing so.

"My my, what big eyes you have" she snarled "All the better for me to see your fear with!"

With that the two lunged at one another.

Even without his costume and support gear Katsuki could use his quirk to propel himself forward like a living rocket and did so without hesitation, travelling in an unpredictable way which zigzagged and veered off at horizontal and vertical angles however there was still only a limited amount of space within the narrow alleyway and so the She Wolf simply remained on target and reared back a clawed, letting loose with a savage swipe intended to snatch her foe from the air and slam him through the nearest wall with bone-shattering force. Tsuki found herself caught off-guard as the explosive boy showed a level of cunning beneath his volatility by using another of his blasts to sharply reverse his direction at the last moment, wincing in clear pain at the forces exerted on his body yet still managing to steer clear of claw-tipped fingers by the narrowest of margins and then add insult to injury by delivering a punishing kick to the mouth of the She Wolf which rocked her back on her heels and entirely robbed her of her momentum as he was flung backwards his own power, landing in a crouch as he skidded backwards.

"NOW!" Bakugo bellowed and the She Wolf had only the briefest possible moment to both react and appreciate that her prey had some finesse and ability to speak of before the shadow of the trap being sprung fell over her; Tsuki leapt back and then leapt again just to be sure and was still shaken by the nerve-rattling thud of an empty dumpster being dropped into the side-street from above.

"WHAT THE HELL!" she spat hatefully, glaring upwards just in time to see another teenaged attacker hurtling down at her after presumably climbing or flying over the other side of the building and crossing its' roof whilst somehow towing her hefty projectile.

"YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!" Ochako declared boldly as she fell, leg extended for a flying kick whilst in one hand she took care to display her provisional licence.

The threat drew a snarl from the She Wolf and her response was instant and brutal, leaping up to grasp the gravity-warping girls' ankle before her kick could connect and prepared to use all of her might to swing and hurl Ochako through the air and dash her head open against nearby windows. The girls' eyes widened in fright and yet the finishing blow never came as Tsuki was instead halted by the sound of an explosion followed by screeching metal as Katsuki Bakugo took action, rushing forward and slamming his palms into the dropped dumpster, his quirk sending it racing across the ground in a shower of sparks and damaged concrete before it slammed into the Yakuza members' shoulder and sent her rolling to a stop several dozen feet away, dropping Ochako in the process.

"You okay Pink Cheeks?" Katsuki demanded as he leapt over the dumpster and helped his classmate to her feet more gently than his enraged tone would suggest he was capable of in that moment. Ochako used him for support for only a moment, testing her ankles' ability to move and support her weight whilst at the same time regarding where the She Wolf was pulling herself to her own fight after landing in a crumpled heap, clutching at an arm that had not been dislocated but what was clearly the source of extreme pain and discomfort as she did so.

"Well, I'm doing better than she is" Ochako found some of the blonde boys' customary ruthless creeping into her tone as her eyes took on an almost manic gleam which Katsuki could not help but find utterly breathtaking despite how unsuitable the moment was.

"Then let's do this!" he matched her grin and the two were in motion a moment later with the She Wolf once again charging at them though this time she bounded on all fours and with her body low to the ground; seeing that their foe was building up a dangerous amount of momentum and seemed far more unrestrained in her brutality now Katsuki used his quirk again almost as a precaution and fired low, causing paving slabs to erupt into crushed fragments beneath the She Wolf only to be stunned at her agility as she used the force of the blast to ricochet off of a nearby wall, taking a few running paces along its' surface before leaping at the blonde boy with her claws outstretched for a pouncing, mauling attack.

Which Ochako promptly halted.

"This isn't one of Gunhead's!" she declared proudly as she ran passed her fellow student and leapt into the air with her fist drawn back before delivering a punishing and perfectly executed left hook which Katsuki felt a stab of pride upon realising was something she had picked up from him. The She Wolf reeled from the blow and spat out blood before retaliating, waiting until Ochako's momentum carried her into a position where her pack was exposed and slamming a fist downward between her shoulder blades and buckling her knees.

Bakugo was back in the fray in an instant; a volley of burning and explosive blasts sending The She Wolf staggering back several paces and allowing him to draw close, placing himself between the gangster and Ochako where he waited for inevitable assault which came in the form of a wild swiping attack loosely related to a haymaker but performed with extended claws. Katsuki, remembering how Ochako had handled him in their sparring match threw himself at Tsuki Gekko and caught her wrist whilst his shoulder met her body in a painful collision and from there he pivoted and slammed her bodily into the ground.

The She Wolf was unnaturally strong however and even from this position continued to struggle and wrestle before finally managing to wrap an oversized hand around her opponent and slam the boy into the pavement, winding him and buying what she believed would be enough time to take control of the situation.

"KATSUKI!" the panicked yell, tinged with outrage preceded a blinding pain in Tsuki's face as the She Wolf received a running kick from Ochako who fought with a lack of mercy or fairness that was uncommon for her with her friends' safety at risk; following up with a hammering blow to the kidney which left the She Wolf struggling to stand and to keep from vomiting as Ochako used a small amount of her quirk in conjunction with her own athleticism to scale the gangster's back and work her arms beneath Tsuki's and then over them and clasp her hands behind the She Wolf's head.

"GUN-HEAD FULL NELSON!" she yelled "BAKUGO! NOW!"

Katsuki dragged himself to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth before taking aim and firing in a way which the She Wolf knew was something far greater than his previous attacks

"AP SHOT!" blinding pain erupted in Tsuki's stomach and the air was forced from her lungs whilst at the same time her feet left the ground and yet even here the indignity did not end as Ochako began to adjust her grip and find fresh purchase before using her unexpected strength to rotate the two of them in mid-air.

"GUN-HEAD SUPLEX!" with that Tsuki was left seeing stars and almost deafened by the ringing in her ears as she was smashed head-first into the ground with an impact that left blood trickling down her face in a way which only added to her wild appearance and managed to enrage her further, the She Wolf's hair slipping free of the messy ponytail it was tied in to cascade down her back and shoulders as she sprung to her feet once more, unsteady upon them and yet still strong enough to backhand Ochako across the face and split her lip before she could react; seizing the girl and closing a giant hand around her skull before lifting her into the air so that her feet dangled helplessly before smashing the back of her head into a wall with force that rattled nearby windowpanes.

"You should have learned that back alleys are no place for little children to go wandering"

"And you should have learned one of the most basic lessons of working out" Ochako's words were slurred and she was clearly dazed by being hit so hard yet between her clawed fingers the She Wolf could see that the teenager was giving her a mocking smile "NEVER SKIP LEG DAY!"

And then Bakugo appeared again.

The blonde had already noted that whilst Tsuki Gekko's arms, shoulders and back were truly impressive in their sculpted and solid mass her legs were more in proportion with her narrow waist and so, given the opportunity used his quirk to surge across the ground, ripping his sweatpants and grazing the skin of his leg in the process to deliver a slide tackle to the She Wolf's legs which kicked them out from under her with a satisfying yelp of pain. With her own opening secured Ochako, freed from Tsuki's grasp as she toppled, reached out and grabbed the Yakuza member whilst engaging her own quirk; watching with a sense of giddy delight as the She Wolf was sent floating harmlessly upwards and away.

And then she and Katsuki promptly sunk to the ground in pain and exhaustion.

"Please tell me that there's someone heading over to back us up?" the blonde boy ground out through clenched teeth.

"Uh huh" Ochako nodded "Gunhead reached out to another agency, said there was someone nearby who could help with our plan….Look there they are"

"Ha, get wrecked you furry scrub" Katsuki laughed weakly, still sprawled on the ground as the heroes Ochako had reached out to for help whilst remaining out of view and moving into position made their appearance known; Mount Lady at her full giant size looming over the same buildings which Ochako herself had scaled and scooping She Wolf's floating form out of the air whilst Kamui Woods clambered from her shoulder along her enlarged arm and began to entangle the defeated villain in his expanding branches.

"We did it" Ochako murmured, dragging herself a little closer to Katsuki before flopping down half-beside and half-atop him before rolling into a more comfortable position.

"We were pretty awesome together" Katsuki nodded in agreement, with neither of them feeling any need to return to their feet even as the sound of approaching sirens began to fill the air. Eventually Ochako let out a weak giggle and nudged the boy beside her.

"So I'm thinking we should change our workout schedule after that….Cheat day?" she held her arm out with a fist extended.

"Cheat day" Katsuki agreed, giving her the fist bump she was looking for and allowing himself to simply relax and enjoy the moment and the victory while it lasted; especially the feeling of having Ochako so close.

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Several more days had passed since the events of the weekend which had been described in vague terms by the media to protect the identities of those involved and the incident had already faded from prominence as the most important topic of discussion amongst the student body of UA high.

For Ochako and Katsuki themselves the immediate aftermath of the altercation with a wanted criminal had been medical treatment courtesy of the nearest hospital and the school nurse who quirk had allowed for a much speedier recovery, though there had still been follow up treatments and testing to be endured along with the legal and professional ramifications of their actions which had thankfully been largely a matter of formalities and record keeping to ensure that the She Wolf, who was now in custody could not escape justice due to a technicality leading to a mistrial and also ensuring that the limited amount of property damage that had been inflicted in the skirmish was properly paid for.

Ochako had been commended by the agency whose heroes had come to her assistance and by Principal Nezu for helping detain a wanted and dangerous criminal, showing the qualities which had allowed her to obtain her provisional Hero licence so early whilst the case for Katsuki Bakugo had been somewhat more difficult to make. The boy had not managed to earn his own certification when testing for it and was currently in the midst of a waiting period before being allowed to make another attempt, though the latter fact weighed in his favour and so when the other factors at play were brought into consideration, namely that Katsuki had been acting in support of and following the lead of a student who had a provisional license, both UA High and Pro Heroes in the area had been made aware of events before the attempt to detain Tsuki Gekko began and that the two teenagers had the foresight to wait until their target was in a secluded area where there no civilians at risk it had ultimately been decided that there would be further action taken; though Aizawa had suggested that Bakugo would better understand the specific legislation that vigilantes could find themselves subject to if he were forced to write a several page long essay on the matter.

At present however Katsuki was currently in the gym, with Ochako quickly finding him upon entering.

The two had continued to train together and had found themselves spending more and more time together beyond even that, with what limited free time their demanding workloads allowed them being spent in one another's company to such a degree that Ochako could safely say that she liked the blonde boy a lot and was happy for him in his continual efforts to grow and improve, being left stunned when she had seen him talking to Izuku quietly and in private early that day with none of his usual and almost habitual hostility. The notion left her blushing furiously whenever she considered it even within the confines of her own head but she felt that she could date Katsuki without any risk of either of them becoming a distraction to the other, that if they were ever to explore that option they would likely only continue to build one another up and be a source of encouragement and motivation for each other.

At present however there were much more practical and immediate concerns.

"Hey, Blondey on your feet!" Ochako called out to her training partner in her best imitation of his gruff and growling tone, uncaring for the way heads turned in her direction or the wave of whispers and muttering that passed through the gym as she did so; she simply closed the distance between them and reached the weight bench where Katsuki was currently lifting almost double his own body weight, teeth gritted with concentration and effort though he still managed to growl words out between them as Ochako leaned over him and came face to face.

"Who the hell is Blondey?"

"Well if I'm Pink Cheeks then you've gotta have a cute nickname too"

"I have never been cute, I was bad-ass even as a baby" Katsuki managed a cocky grin despite the strain he was placing on himself and Ochako's only response was to roll her eyes before sitting casually on his midsection, completely ruining his efforts and drawing a fresh wave of excited muttering from the onlookers in the gym, many of whom were now interested to know if this exchange could be considered the prelude to a fight or a bizarre form of flirting; a question to which Ochako herself had no answer though she pressed on regardless.

"But you're still cute now, especially when you get all worked up 'cos there's nothing you can do about it" with those words Ochako rose to her feet and wrapped her hands around the bar Katsuki was still lifting with smooth and efficient movements even as they spoke until her quirk rendered it weightless and enabled her to make her show of hoisting the weights overhead with a single hand and staring down at the blonde boy with a slight smirk even as he folded his arms across his chest and looked up at her, his best attempt at stern annoyance cracking after only a moment even as the smattering of nervous laughter from their peers went entirely ignored

"Okay" he sighed, rising into a sitting position slowly and deliberately before stretching and rolling his shoulders back "Who put caffeine in the protein shake I gave you?….Or are you just trying to get your ass kicked?"

"Well we are supposed to be sparring today?" Ochako noted thoughtfully, setting the bar back down in place carefully before releasing her quirk and stepping back so that Katsuki could rise to his feet.

"I was waiting for you" the explosive boy protested, already bouncing on the balls of his feet whilst his grin became wild "And I think I've got you this time Pink Cheeks; I've seen how you move. You won't get a lucky hit this time"

"Oh really" Ochako paused and turned to face him with her hands on her hips "Then let's make it fun, what do you wanna bet on it Mister Explosion Murder?"

"Dinner. Loser buys dinner" Katsuki offered calmly and without hesitation, arms folding once more as he arched an eyebrow as if waiting for Ochako to complain; instead her cheeks flushed a bright shade of rosy pink and there was an audible intake of air from throughout the gym followed by the most severe bout of hushed gossiping yet, all of which went unheard as the explosive boy simply waited for Ochako's answer, which came a moment later as she gave him a smile equal to his own in ferocity and leaned close.

"Bringing free food into it?" she said in stage whisper, her tone too sweet to be anything other than a warning "You don't know what you've gotten yourself in for?"

"Don't I?" Katsuki winked roguishly as he slipped by and took up a position in the designated sparring area, smile only becoming even more confidant as he was his opponent blink and struggle to process what he had said. In his mind the situation was going entirely according to plan, Katsuki would enjoy a challenging sparring match against a worthy and respectable opponent and either he would overcome the challenge or he would be beaten in a way that gave him a clear and concrete path to improvement whilst also allowing him to buy dinner for someone he was fond of and certainly physically attracted to, all without the awkwardness of having to ask for a date.

Whatever the outcome, when it came to dealing with Ochako Ururaka he felt as though he couldn't lose.
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Author's Notes:

The idea for this story came from a Tumblr post I made a while back; specifically that if it wasn't for Horikoshi/Shounen in general's writing that Bakugo wouldn't be part of MHA's "Big 3" either Ochako or Momo would and, if they were ever to have a post-work experience rematch then Ochako would probably be able to take Bakugo in a fight. I then combined that initial thought with a head-canon that since Bakugo canonically goes to bed really early compared to his classmates what if that's actually because of his gym/fitness routines, like he is basically a TikTok gym-bro; those two ideas, combined with the idea that Bakugo actually has a lot of respect for Ochako in his own way led to me having ideas….And I've also seen some really cute art of these two so I know it's something a lot of people ship.

But anyway, let's summarise shall we?
I think it gets overlooked because Deku is the main character but Bakugo was basically the 'Gifted Kid' from an early age because of his Quirk alone and there's probably some fun stories you can tell there if you want to explore gifted kid burn out; it's also canon that he used to fight older kids….Literally episode 01.
Mirio and Bakugo squaring off just feels like it makes sense, because Bakugo needs to be the best in the room or at least have a goal to work towards and Mirio is an absolute darling who would love to help with that.
When someone tries to tackle you, sprawl and force them downwards by moving your centre of gravity and then either punch or knee every bit of them you can reach; if they've still got their arms around you for the tackle then they're not covering their ribs.
Dick move, he went for the banned oblique kick….Because honestly the idea of Bakugo having a win by any means 'Cobra Kai "Sweep the Leg" moment' just makes perfect sense to him as a character….But also, look at the haircut Best Jeanist gave him and tell me it doesn't look like Johnny Lawrence in Karate Kid.
How bad do you have to have fucked up for Amajiki to shoulder check you?
Right from the offset I wanted there to be a hint that something was wrong with Kirishima and Bakugo's relationship/friendship in this story.
Fuck Monoma, always….But at the same time; I feel like Bakugo is self aware enough to know what people, including Pro Heroes think of him and that makes any comment about him being a potential villain a sore spot.
Bakugo's way of thinking was something that actually came up in my previous MHA story and I can't remember if it's something that's been said in canon before but it just feels like it's the way he would view things; anything short of all out is insulting, it's actually why he respects Ochako so much, she gave it her all any very nearly had him.
He's a teenage boy, he's allowed to be distracted for a second by the pretty girl….Also, Bi disaster Bakugo.
I wanted the fight to be dynamic and brief because I don't care who disagrees with me on this, Ochako can throw hands. Bakugo spends his time improving his quirk but Ochako's whole work placement was spent learning to fight with Gunhead and if she's been getting more in shape as well then she could comfortably knock someone out with one good hit.
Pony shouting World-star and Bakugo still not bothering to learn everyone's name made me snort as I wrote it.
'Fair, if not particularly honourably' is Bakugo's style in a nutshell.
Yeah, Bakugo would absolutely hate the mistreated puppy analogy.
Ochako is sweet, she's definitely the kind of person who would have regrets and second thoughts after winning like that.
Bakugo not really having close friends and the Baku-Squad more being their own thing with him as a figurehead who's occasionally around honestly makes a lot of sense.
The chocolate buns….Fuck it, let's tie into canon and make them the exact same kind as the ones the old lady gave them in Season 06.
The fact we never saw Bakugo's room in canon gave me room to work here and I took advantage.
I'd argue that the post-shower Bakugo is no worse in terms of fan-service than what we get in the show.
I don't think knowing that Todoroki held back on him is something that Bakugo is ever going to let go.
Things like canonically-broke Ochako walking to avoid paying train fair are just little character moments that I feel make things feel more real.
Shuhei Ochako, because her parents names are never given so I used her Dad's Japanese VA's name.
Everything about Ochako training in a gym made of scrap and second-hand equipment in the back of the family business just feels like it makes perfect sense and is also a mental image I really enjoyed; perfect training montage setting.
She's got Bakugo on the brain, which naturally leads to her hitting harder and cursing more because why wouldn't it.
Her Dad wanted to say "Nice" so bad.
"Boy troubles….But in a Hero way?" is he wrong?...And of course he knows that Ochako used to have a crush on Midoriya.
Yeah the way Bakugo and his Mum talk together….There's probably a lot to unpack there.
Circumstances were manufactured entirely so that the plot would enable Bakugo and Ochako running into each other, having him randomly run into one his old cronies just felt like it worked; showing the growth that he's already made by juxtaposing him against another kid from middle-school who bullied Deku.
Bakugo, stop staring.
Sleep and stay hydrated, basic common sense shit and none of us do it.
Oh god the awkwardness was physically painful to write.
Canonically broke Ochako does not use pre-workout, protein powder or supplements; she's just strong.
The fact Ochako compared Bakugo's training regimen to Izuku's note-taking definitely opens up some ideas for juxtaposing the two of them against each other to analyse their characters more.
Vanilla protein shake is of the devil, absolute filth and you should spare yourselves from it.
"Come on! You're fighting like a drunk salaryman outside a bar!" she hung out with Katsuki for a week and she's got better trash talk already.
If he's a gym-bro and a fighter then he definitely does MMA and Muai Thai style clinches as well….But also him picking up bits of other peoples' styles like Tailman's martial arts is fitting.
That has to be the most Bakugo way to ask someone to dinner, accidentally and whilst annoyed.
So now we get to address the whole Kirishima thing and this is actually what ties it into my last MHA story...Which also, Jesus how has it been so long since I wrote one?
I like the Bakugo x Kirishima ship, but also I do feel like it would be something that they'd both have to grow a little bit as people before to make work; otherwise Kirishima would basically just hero worship Bakugo and feed into his worst traits.
People think Iida is a nerd, but please remember this guy wanted to 1v1 Stain, he is ride or die and would absolutely have seen it has duty as class rep to beat the brakes out of Bakugo over some of the shit he did to Deku.
Obviously he had to lie a little about Deku's quirk here.
Bakugo was a bastard and honestly I don't think enough has been done with his character in the show to make up for that, he's becoming a better hero without becoming a better person as such, which is the same sort of thinking that lets abusers like Endeavour get a redemption arc….At the same time I did have to see the situation from Katsuki's eyes if this story was going to work, it can also be taken as an extension of the whole "Gifted kid" thing.
But now back to awkward flirting.
The Deku training Mina fic is on my profile, it's called "Acid-Reign"….The slightest hints of Mina x Deku are there if you squint and honestly I didn't even mean for them to be, those two are just pure sunshine and it worked as a dynamic as I was writing it.
Bakugo's reaction was fun to write.
Yeah Johnny Lawrence, Justin Bieber...That haircut gets absolutely no respect.
But would it be one of my stories, in a fandom for a Shounen series if there wasn't a showdown with someone near the end….And besides, a chance to make an OC is always fun.
Tsuki Gekko, according to Google Translate is Moon Moonbeam….Because she's a wolf and I saw my chance and took it.
Spent a little time giving the She Wolf some description and context because a few of my readers are from Tumblr and let's all be honest, "Super buff and tall woman in a suit with wolf-features and tats" is something you're all into.
I made two Big Bad Wolf puns in this fight and I apologise for neither of them.
Straight away the two heroes are showing off with combo moves and Ochako is out here doing some 'Dio Brando with a steamroller' type bullshit from the get go.
Ochako using Bakugo's big left hook, followed by Bakugo using her judo hip-toss that she learned from Gunhead one after another is perfect.
That was honestly a fun and dramatic closing sequence to that fight….And seriously, leg day.
Having actual Pros turn up to contain She Wolf was the only way that could end really.
The fist bump, because it's a thing Ochako does with Izuku in canon but if she's got a thing with Katsuki here it makes sense to carry it over.
Yeah the fallout of the fight makes sense to me, Ochako was acting within her rights and Katsuki gets a pass because of the circumstances.
Given the reason that Ochako chose not to pursue things in canon with Deku, I think she and Bakugo would actually work because neither of them would ever let that become an issue.
Ochako has figured out how to flirt with Bakugo and to anyone looking in at the situation it looks like she has a death-wish.
Aww he gave her protein shakes and probably some pre-workout, gym-bro romance.
Loser buys dinner….And then he was promptly left staring up at the ceiling again within three seconds.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.