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The sound of cheering filled Tenya's ears as he carried a young boy back to his mother, accepting the tearful appreciations from her as well as the appraisal of the civilians around. The boy had nearly been hit by a truck after biking a little too far ahead his mother, and Tenya was luckily there at the right time. He'd implemented his improved speed from training and was able to rescue the boy- and his bike!- just before collision. The truck driver came running over to apologize, though the hero student didn't think anyone was at fault here, and it seemed the boy and his mother had the same opinion.
"I fear what would've happened had you not been there," the driver bowed to the young man after safely seeing off the mother and her son. "I can't thank you enough. Please, take these," He pulled two slips out of his wallet, holding them out for Tenya.
"I couldn't possibly accept this, as a hero-in-training it's my duty to-"
"Please," the driver cut him off. "It's the least I could give you, and I'm far too busy to use these before they expire. I'd feel much better if someone else could enjoy these, perhaps you have a friend to go with?" Tenya hesitated, it felt wrong to accept- he was training to be a hero! anyone in his position would've done what they could to save the boy- but it also felt wrong to decline the offer.
Ultimately, he accepted the kindness in full. Upon examination, the slips were that of weekend tickets to Hero Land, the popular hero theme park. Tenya made his way back to the dorms, pondering what to do with the tickets. He'd been to the theme park before, years ago when he was younger. He remembered going with his family, his older brother Tensei more than happy going on rides with him. Up until around when he started middle school, they'd gone every summer to the park. But after some advances with Idaten, his family got busier and had to stop going; the last time he went, Tensei had brought him and they enjoyed a day as brothers.
Smiling to himself at the fond memories, Tenya wondered which of his classmates would like to go. Izuku Midoriya would probably be delighted to go, being the hero fanboy he is, but he'd been pretty busy as of late. Even though they'd finished their Provisional License Exam, Izuku was hard at work training his newfound Shoot Style. Of course, it was only right! A hero who keeps daily training keeps his skills! And Tenya was overjoyed any time Izuku would request to train with him, a little bit of pride in his own expertise being of use to his friend.
Izuku could be hard on himself sometimes, and Tenya was sure he could use the break. But knowing the freckled boy, he'd be too shy to accept Tenya's invitation out, no matter how much he'd want to go. So Tenya was back to square one.
What about Shoto Todoroki? Knowing his home life growing up was less than kind, Tenya could guess that he'd never been to a theme park before. Would he even enjoy something like that? But his classmate had been coming home to the dorms late, kept out long hours due to the remedial course he attended. Whilst a break from the work could benefit him well, Shoto's fellow remedial classmate, Katsuki Bakugo, would probably throw a hissy fit.
As much as Tenya would like to give his friend a new experience, it was probably best to avoid the conflict. And now he was back to Heights Alliance, with no decision made. Tenya sighed as he made his way into the dorms, announcing his return.
♥•♥•♥
"Way to go, class rep!" Mina Ashido cheered loudly as she skipped into the dining area of Heights Alliance, having just returned with Eijiro Kirishima in tow. "You made the news!" She skipped around, waving her phone in his direction.
"You were totally manly out there!" Eijiro pumped his fist, shooting a toothy grin to Tenya, who bashfully adjusted his glasses. Izuku Midoriya gasped from where he was stirring a pot on the stove, his head snapping up to his friend.
"What?! Why didn't you tell me!" His eyes went wide in a similar way to when he's excited about heroes, making a little bit of pride swell up in Tenya. Next to him, Katsuki Bakugo grumbled something about his classmates being too loud, but was otherwise content to continue chopping vegetables.
"It was nothing special, really-" Tenya was cut off by loud gasps from Mina and Eijiro.
"Nothing special-?!" Eijiro started, Mina cutting him off. "You were a total hero! Saving that boy like you did, I was on the edge of my seat!"
Izuku's eyes sparkled as he looked at his class president, though whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by Katsuki shoving him aside, prompting the two of them to start bickering. Tenya would've made a fuss about it, but ever since they'd been under house arrest together, it seemed their relationship was blooming.
"Woahhh, who saved who?" Ochaco Uraraka questioned curiously as she entered with Tsuyu Asui. Mina hopped up and down excitedly as she explained what happened to the girls, who were both impressed as they gave their own compliments to their class president.
"Dinner will be ready soon, so go wash up!" Tenya cleared his throat as he shooed his classmates out of the kitchen. The girls chanted Hero! Hero! and giggled as they left. He turned back to continue helping cook, paying no mind to Katsuki trying to shove Eijiro out and complaining about him being stinky, as he readied some of the side dishes for dinner.
Tenya glanced over to his classmates, once more pondering the tickets he received earlier. Katsuki would in no way accept an invitation out, and he was sure it would be awkward alone with the stubborn blond. Eijiro, on the other hand, was loud and excitable; he'd surely enjoy a trip out to the theme park. But picking up on some of his seemingly one-sided conversation with Katsuki, it seemed he already had plans for the weekend.
The class president sighed and gathered dishes to set the table. As he placed a stack of plates down, a familiar and warm voice greeted him softly.
"Something bothering you?" The brunette asked, tilting her head. She grabbed napkins and silverware, beginning to help set the table with a quiet thanks and mhm exchanged between them.
Tenya hummed, setting out plates. "Well.. After I rescued that boy today, the driver who'd nearly hit him gave me tickets as thanks," He paused a moment. "He was insistent on giving me them."
"Tickets?" Ochaco prompted, the silverware clinking as she bumped them against the plate.
"Yes, two weekend tickets to Hero Land," Tenya sighed. "He suggested I could bring a friend, but..."
"You don't know who to pick?" She guessed, reading him perfectly. Tenya nodded, Ochaco turning to him as they'd finished setting the table. "I'll go with you!"
Tenya blinked at her. "You will?"
"Yeah! I haven't been in ages!" She smiled. "We didn't get to go very often, since.. Well, anyway, I really love fair food!" Tenya chuckled at her enthusiasm, smiling at her.
"I see. Then in that case, I'd be glad to bring you."
♥•♥•♥
The last few days seemed to breeze by, and before he knew it the weekend had arrived. Tenya ate a light breakfast that morning, skipping his usual morning run to prepare for the day ahead. He dressed himself simple and casual, packing a small bag with a few necessities they may need. He'd also taken the chance to get some money from his parents- admittedly quite a bit. Knowing how Ochaco's family was financially, and the fact the girl had mentioned not getting to go somewhere like a fair in a long time, Tenya was intent on spoiling her for the day.
They met up at the entrance of the dorm, and Tenya was a little embarrassed to admit that he may have checked out his classmate a bit. Ochaco was dressed casually, but it was noticeable that she'd put a little effort into her appearance as well. Fitted with her usual black tights, Ochaco was now also sporting a pair of shorts and a cute blouse, she looked comfortable.
The prettiest thing about her, though, was the bright, genuine smile that adorned her face. Tenya was admiring the light bit of makeup she had on when he noticed her cheeks were a pinker tint than usual. Realizing that he'd been staring without saying anything, he cleared his throat. Goodness, was it warm in here?
"Shall we get going?" He opened the door, letting her pass by him with a giggle.
The trip to the station was uneventful, and the train itself was crowded with people ready to spend their weekends out like the two of them were. Tenya was hyper aware of how Ochaco was practically pressed against him in order to keep out of the way of strangers. They reached their stop, and the class president made sure his classmate had ample room to move around as they disembarked from the train. Watching Ochaco move slightly ahead of him, it was heartwarming to see the slight skip to her gait as they made their way to the amusement park.
Entering without any issue, Tenya pulled a map of the park from the travel bag slung across his chest. Ignoring the quip he got from the brunette, he surveyed the area.
"Looks like there's exhibits and animals nearest here," he looked up to spot the areas that were marked on the map. "Shall we head there first?"
Ochaco nodded enthusiastically, and they made their way to the nearest area; the petting zone. They spent a little bit looking at all the animals, with Ochaco cooing at most of them. The handlers were very kind, and it was clear that they understood and really cared for the animals. Tenya wondered if his classmate, Koji Koda, would enjoy this. He was a man of few words, and it was evident that, with his quirk, he got along well with animals.
After they'd greeted all the animals and chatted a little with the keepers, they made their way to a building nearby. The place was full of all sorts of Hero trivia and history, like a miniature museum. Izuku definitely would've loved this, though he probably could've spent hours rambling additional facts for each item. Ochaco pointed to a replica of Thirteen's suit, and talked a little about her admiration for their hero teacher.
They came across a few pieces related to Tenya's family, and he quietly provided a few extra details about them. Looking at the Ida family hero item replicas with a look of amazement, Ochaco looked a lot like a certain freckled classmate of theirs. Tenya suppressed a chuckle at the likeness, letting her grab him by the arm and pull him along to another thing she found interesting.
Amazingly, two hours had already passed. They found themselves wandering with yakitori in hand, Ochaco pointing to various amusements. The expert sound of someone shredding on a guitar pulled them from their bubble, and they found themselves at a stage. There was already a crowd formed, cheering for the guitarist.
"Wow!" Ochaco gasped. "It's actually Darkstar! I wonder if the rest of Hero Rock will be here?"
Tenya raised an eyebrow at her. "You know them?"
"You don't?"
"Admittedly, no." Tenya hung his head.
Ochaco laughed, patting him on the arm. "Ah, that's okay! Honestly, I only know of them because of Jiro, she's crazy for them!"
Ah, that makes sense. Kyoka Jiro was the resident musician of class 1-A. Tenya hadn't heard much of her musical abilities, but what little he's heard of her guitar skills has been enough to impress him. It would make sense that she knows of a hero band. Ochaco offered a little more information about the group, and Tenya nodded along. Tenya wondered if Izuku knew of other hero bands. Probably so, knowing him. That fanboy.
"Actually," Ochaco mused. "I think Bakugo is a fan of them, that skull shirt he has is their merch I believe."
If that were the case, he wondered if Kyoka had ever tried to start a conversation with him about it. Tenya smiled at the idea.
♥•♥•♥
"Did you want to go on any rides?" Tenya asked as they neared the rides sector of the park. Ochaco looked up, the All Might headband she was wearing bobbing as she did so.
"Ah, not really... Oh!" Ochaco tapped his arm, pointing. "The Ferris Wheel! With the sun going down, I bet we could get a really good view of the sunset!"
"That's a great idea," Tenya nodded. He went over to a ticket booth to get a few tickets for the Ferris Wheel, and they made their way over to the line. They talked minimally about school while they waited, and soon they were seated across from each other in one of the carriages as the ride moved.
Rising into the air, Tenya felt the peaceful silence that washed over them. Ochaco was right; the view of the sunset was gorgeous up here. Tenya looked over to Ochaco, and his breath stuttered at the view. Washed in the golden light of the setting sun, Ochaco looked almost angelic. Her hair had turned to a caramel color, and her eyes glowed a beautiful amber. The soft smile gracing her lips made Tenya's heart skip a beat, and he suddenly understood the things he'd heard others say about love.
Love, that's what this must be, right? Ochaco turned to him, tilting her head. "Is something wrong?" He didn't miss the way her tongue darted out briefly to moisten her lips, and suddenly Tenya felt very warm.
Tenya moved over to sit beside her, taking a deep breath as he turned to her. "Ochaco, can I.. kiss you?" He watched as she processed what he'd asked, her face going as red as he was sure his was.
"Okay."
Nervously reaching out, Tenya cupped his hand on her cheek, watching as her eyes fluttered shut in anticipation. Not wanting to draw things out, he leaned in. Holding his breath, he gently put his lips against hers. Their noses bumped as he explored this new experience, Ochaco leaning in a bit and feeling just as nervous as him.
They moved apart after what was probably only a few seconds, but felt like a lifetime. Ochaco blinked at him, and suddenly he wasn't sure what to do anymore.
"That was.." She licked her lips, thinking. Her already flushed cheeks seemed to glow in the evening light. "Nice. It was nice."
"You think so?" Tenya asked nervously. "I've never done anything like this before," he admitted sheepishly.
"Neither have I," she giggled back. "I liked that, though."
"Do you.. want to do it again?" Ochaco was already leaning in before he finished the question.
Tenderly, their lips connected again. It was slow and gentle, their inexperience likely showing. But Tenya wouldn't trade it for the world. This moment shared between only them, alone in a bubble far above the rest of the world, it felt special.
Ochaco shifted nervously when they pulled away again, twiddling her fingers.
"So.. what now?" She asked.
"I.. don't know," he confessed. "I never thought I'd.. like someone."
Ochaco chuckled at his inflection on the word. "You sound like a middle schooler."
Tenya huffed in response. After another few seconds of silence, Ochaco brushed her foot against his ankle. It was rather comforting, to be honest.
"We don't have to do anything, this happened so.. suddenly. I guess the sunset is romantic," Tenya chuckled. Ochaco hummed.
"I'd be happy to see what happens," she smiled at him. "Whether we stay friends, or if we become something more. I'm willing to find out."
Tenya returned her smile. "I'll always consider you a friend, Ochaco. This won't make me think any differently of you."
She smirked, a playful glint in her eyes. "You mean, not any differently than catching feelings, that is?" Tenya's face warmed.
♥•♥•♥
Wandering around after the scenic ride on the Ferris Wheel, Ochaco spoke up, tapping the class president on the shoulder. "Hey, I know it's getting crowded, but can we go back to the food area?"
"Of course," He replied, nodding. "Is there something in particular you're looking for?"
"Mochi!" She chirped, skipping beside him. "It's my favorite!" Tenya made a mental note of that fact, thinking of the different kinds of mochi. He looked towards the path they walked through earlier, noting the influx of people filing through the same area.
"Make sure to stay beside me, alright?" Ochaco hummed, reaching out to grab onto him to be sure.
With soft fingers holding the back of his shirt tightly, Tenya confidently led the way through the dwindling crowds back towards the concession stands. They stopped at a few different stalls, but unfortunately came up with nothing. They walked past game stalls with all sorts of cutesy and wacky plushies, coming to the last set of food areas. Tenya stepped slightly aside from the crowd around them, turning to Ochaco.
The brunette was staring off into the distance, squinting as if trying to read something. Tenya followed her gaze and his eyes landed on an All Might themed booth. From what he could tell, they specialized in American fair foods; greasy fried treats, bags of pink and blue sugary fluff- cotton candy they called it overseas, a fitting name- and various apples decorated with different candies, some of them resembling key features of Japan's Symbol of Peace.
"I hear that Fried Dough is an American classic at fairs," Ochaco turned her attention to him, tilting her head. "It wont be the same as mochi, though..." She giggled at his slight bashfulness, letting go of his shirt to pat him on the arm.
"I'd love to have some!" She pulled him along, bounding towards the stall like a baby animal excited to see the world. As they wound their way through the people making their way around, something caught Tenya's eye at one of the game stalls. Before he could get a better look, a tall man with the antlers of a deer blocked his view, and then they were at the short line for the foreign food.
The line moved quickly thanks to the small amount of people ordering, as well as the bright foreigner giving and taking the orders. Though their Japanese was rough, Tenya liked the energy they displayed; enthusiastically telling them about the different items on the menu. Upon recommendation, they got a plate of fried dough, dusted with confectioner's sugar.
Bidding their farewells to the kind staff, Tenya and Ochaco made their way to a bench to sit and enjoy their treat. For Tenya, he found the food too heavy and sweet, a little surprising for how simple it was. He was fine with just a few pieces, and better enjoyed the sight of Ochaco's cheeks puffed full of the dough, humming happily.
Remembering something that had caught his eye earlier, Tenya stood to excuse himself, leaving Ochaco to the enjoyment of her treat as he ventured off back into the crowd.
♥•♥•♥
Hurrying through the crowd so he didn't have to make his friend wait any longer, Tenya firmly held a round plushie behind his back. He'd spotted it earlier and, wanting to surprise her, went to win it. The game must've been popular, as there was a little bit of a line- not to mention the game itself being a little tricky.
He slowed to his normal pace as he approached the bench Ochaco was at, watching as she brushed powdered sugar onto her leggings. The class president resisted the urge to chastise her, instead smiling at the white powder splotches she left behind.
"You're back! I was starting to worry, with how long it took." She tilted her head. "What's that?"
Tenya brought his arms to his front, holding out a cutesy Mochi plushie. He watched proudly as her eyes went wide, her smile doing the same.
"I LOVE IT!!" She hopped up and grabbed the plush, squishing it against her face. "It's soo cute!"
"I spotted it earlier, and I thought you'd like it," he nodded. "Though, it isn't edible mochi, I hope you enjoy it."
Ochaco laughed, and then she threw her arms around him. It caught him off-guard, but nonetheless he held her in return.
Giving her a gentle squeeze, they pulled apart. Her infectious smile stayed put, and she gleefully held the plush to her chest. As they began to make their way to the exit, a soft hand brushed against the back of Tenya's own. Steeling his nerves, he made the move to hold her hand; taking care to keep one of her fingers off his hand.
He glanced over at her, taking in her rosy cheeks paired with a giddy smile. Tenya felt his chest swell, his heart squeezing with these newfound feelings. It was nerve wracking, but he enjoyed it. He found himself starting to think of ideas for future dates, places he could take her when they got free time from their hero training.
The rest of the journey back to the dorms was uneventful, filled only by their shared glances and shy blushing as they simultaneously touched and tried to stay away. By time they'd returned to the campus, their fingers were intertwined and Tenya was swinging his arm along as Ochaco skipped. They reached the gate, and she stopped dead in her tracks, thinking.
"Um. I don't want.." she hesitated, glancing at their hands. Tenya understood her worry, squeezing her hand gently before letting go. She looked a little disappointed, but nodded. The image they'd show to their classmates if they returned looking like they were a couple could cause problems; both in their school life and amidst their classmates, knowing some of the girls' ideas on romance.
Ochaco was about to continue walking before Tenya got an idea, and he grabbed her arm. When she turned around, he leaned in to kiss her. It was accidentally rougher than he'd intended, a bit more of a crash together than a gentle touch like earlier, and Ochaco squeaked. She pressed back against his lips before pulling apart, and he gave her a hug. Finally, they parted, putting distance between each other as they headed for the dorms.
"Thank you for today, I had fun." She squeezed the mochi plushie, smiling at him. He returned the smile as he opened the door, offering her to enter first.
Upon the door opening, there was immediate ruckus as several of their classmates jumped to greet them. Tenya watched as Ochaco waved down some of Mina's suggestive questions, instead showing off her gift. He smiled to himself as he turned to tell Izuku about the hero park.
Whether we stay friends, or if we become something more.. Tenya wasn't sure where he'd take them, but knowing that his feelings would be honored if he acted was enough for him to look forward to the future.