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Chapter Text

Izuku found himself lost in thought—he was much of the time since the war had ended. He’d thought and thought so much that his thoughts had stopped having any actual words, just those lingering feelings that seemed to creep through him. Just the face of Tenko, of Spinner, of what he’d had to do. It was never ending and ever pervasive. So he turned his thoughts to those around him, his friends who had been by his side, who had fought with all their might, who had felt the same fear that he had. They all felt it, that heaviness, and yet they did their best to continue on. 

Despite that desperate, hollow pain inside him, he continued on with them. 

His thoughts settled again on Ochako, her smile flashing across his mind. It was so bright, so happy as she flitted back and forth through their tasks—but conversations with her were always short and fleeting. It was a lie, that smile. He knew it was. Everyone probably did. At least, he did. He could always see her fake one from her real one. Asui did too, her concern apparent on her face. They’d exchanged glances as Ochako had flitted off again for an onigiri. 

What do we do? Asui seemed to say. But he wasn't sure. And he was sure he’d looked just as helpless as she had. 

It’s just like the sports festival. Just like so many other times. That smile… But it was different now, heavier and filled with grief in a way he’d never seen. Yet her smile was that much cheerier. 

Uraraka…

So he sat on the couch, pondering her latest words to him. She’d had a backpack on her shoulders and that bright smile on her face—stretched so wide he could almost see her cracks starting to appear. 

“Wow, we get to go home now, huh? That’s great! I think I’ll uh- go and spend time with my folks! It’s been awhile since I could! It’ll be nice to be home.”

Her words had been a flurry, spoken to the room in a rush, and then she was gone out the door. Izuku frowned again. She hadn’t even given anyone a chance to say something to her before she left. 

His hands gripped together, worry filling him again. Did she really go home? The thought had stuck in his mind all this time. If she had, she could rely on her parents to give her that emotional support she so obviously, desperately needed. But had she? Would she lean on them?

No. No she won’t. Izuku frowned deeper. I know you won’t. 

The selfless Ochako Uraraka would never let someone else carry her weight. 

He thought of her face again, smiling away as she reassured him. Again and again and again and again! He bit his lip, feeling a fierce need to go to her and wrench her burdens from her small hands—whether she liked it or not.

But what do I do? What do I say?

It was then that Asui walked into the common area, tears brimming her eyes as she fretted. 

“Ochako has been ignoring my texts…” she said, her voice wobbling. “She never does that.”

A beat of silence fell on the room. Then before he had a chance to even form a thought, Izuku was on his feet and striding towards the door. 

“Midoriya?” Todoroki asked, but he didn’t stop. 

Asui caught up to him as he sat to put on his shoes. “Where’re you going?”

“I’m gonna find her,” he said, his voice lower and more intense than he’d meant it to be. 

His boldness would’ve surprised him before everything had happened, but not now. Asui's eyes were wide, brimming with tears. “I don’t know where to find her. I called her mom and she said she hadn’t seen her yet.”

Maybe it was intuition, maybe it was inspiration, but his mind flashed back to that conversation they’d had on the cliff—how it was probably the first time she’d ever let him see her inner thoughts before. The way she looked out to the broken city, so somber and sad. 

“I know where she is,” Izuku said, startling Asui and the rest as they caught up to him. He stood, tapping his shoes on. 

“What?! Where?”

“Troy,” he said as he opened the door and stepped into the night air.

“But how?” Asui said, tears now on her cheeks. “She didn’t say anything- I’ve been trying to help, but she just won’t-“ she stopped, rubbing her face. 

“She might want the time alone,” Todoroki said softly.

“Maybe.” Izuku looked up at him, his face firm. He thought of the sound of her cries through that door, that feeling of helplessness he’d felt. He thought of her smiling ear to ear with those cracks of grief in her eyes. “But it’s not what she needs.” 

They all stared at him, but he turned anyway, looking in the direction of Troy. He heard his class talking to him, but he wasn't going to stop now that there was a fire in him to move. To go to her. He crouched, feeling that familiar surge as One for All filled his very blood. Then he shot high into the sky, leaping towards the abandoned makeshift fortress. 

The night air was cool, the city lights gleaming below him. It was quiet, and he felt a pang at the reminder that One for All truly was gone. Over the last few months, in these kinds of quiet solitude, he'd had their voices to help him consider and think through things. They were gone now, those vestiges of past lives. He hoped they had found peace and their souls could rest now.

But it was lonely without them. And now as he flew, thinking of what to do for his dear friend, he would've welcomed their voices. 

He grit his teeth and continued on, images of Ochako standing on the cliff, her hair whipping about her face. That place where they'd shared their strange feelings and desires to save the seemingly irredeemable. Even as he second-guessed himself, wondering if she was on her way home now, he still bounded towards that spot. 

It didn't take long, and soon his suspicions were confirmed. There at the very place they had spoken was the figure of a girl. As he got closer, he could see she was bowed over, and her sobs carried in the wind. He felt his heart break for her, and he pushed a little harder than necessary, feeling that need to reach her grow ever stronger. 

He hit the ground like a meteor, the dirt splintering and bursting from his impact. He hardly felt it. He was already running to her. 

"Uraraka!"

She whipped toward the sound, panic in her voice as her arms immediately went to work rubbing away her tears. "Deku! Why are you here? How’d you…?"

The way she covered her face seemed to showcase those walls she’d put up, shutting him out. He could feel how much she did not want him there, and it gave him pause for only a moment. He stopped, catching the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. 

"I just knew somehow! So I used One for All to come up here," he said in a huff. "Because this is the place where we had our heart-to-heart."

Ochako continued to rub away the evidence of her tears. "That's not what I meant… I- I said I was going home, didn't I?"

Which was a lie, he frowned. "You did. And it would've been fine if that was really the case. But I had a feeling that you'd be here."

Her eyes poked over her arms now, looking at him with all the desperate need to hide within them. He hated to see it, but he didn't dare look away. He held her gaze fiercely. With everything that had happened, everything that she was carrying, he couldn't afford to be polite and conscientious now. And he didn't want to be.

You can't bear it alone forever. I won’t let you. 

"Why…" She said, her voice quieter than before. "I didn't want you to see me…"

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "But I want you to show me… what you’re going through."

She was still now, her eyes brimming with apprehension—fear even. Was she so afraid to be seen? To be known? His guilt at forcing her was outweighed by his need to help her. Afterall, that’s what she’s been doing for him—every single step of the way. 

“Because, Uraraka, you've always been that way,” he said solemnly. “Even back during the entrance exam. And with the points we needed to pass…”

He brought up every memory he had of her. Her smile, her joy, her desire to always put him and others first, always pushing aside her own needs and feelings. Putting them all together was overwhelming, and he felt tears in his own eyes beginning to brim. 

“You’ve always been like that! All along, without fail….” His voice grew stronger as he spoke, the images of her again and again saving him from either physical or emotional pain. She had given him back that cruel name and turned it into something good. She had saved him when Blackwhip had manifested, harming herself in the process. Hiding her tears, bringing a smile to sadness. 

“You’ve always prioritized others over yourself!”

As Izuku’s voice rose to a shout, tears formed once more in her silent eyes.

“At the sports festival… Every time. Always!”

Lean on me. Let me carry it. 

“You've been saving me every step of the way!” He cried, feeling his own tears form as Ochako’s fell down her face. How blessed he had been just to meet such a beautiful person. 

“You're my hero!” 

Let me carry you for once!

“Which is why…” Izuku’s voice softened. He stepped towards her, closing the distance between them, never taking his eyes off hers. “I can’t keep taking that strength of yours for granted.” 

Ochako was still making a diligent effort to keep her face covered and closed off from him, her arms being her last wall put up as she cried behind them. Izuku reached out and gently caressed her fist open and took her hand in his. He tugged softly, unwrapping her arm from her face as tenderly as he could. Her touch was so soft, and he was reminded of that night in the rain, the angry mob shouting at him and that fear he’d felt—until her small, gentle hand had taken his, pushing it all away for him. 

“It soothes my heart just to hold your hand.”

Let mine do the same.

He took her other hand as well, then pulled their joined hands close to him, revealing her tear-streaked face at last. Izuku felt his heart start to shatter all over again, seeing such desperate despair on this girl made of sunshine. 

Ochako gaped at him in almost a glare for a moment, then she breathed in a gasp and began to sob, 

“Himiko… she…!” She got out, her words ragged and breathless. “It’s my fault she’s dead!”

Ochako gripped his hands then, bowing her head until she was crying against his chest. 

“If only I didn’t get stabbed! If only my heart wasn’t full of pointless thoughts! Cuz her quirk let her share blood with others!” Her words came out in a rush of choked sobs, her hands trembling in his. “But it didn’t have to end up like that!! I bet I could’ve found another way! If only I’d figured her out sooner! Maybe it would’ve gone differently if we'd met as little kids!” 

Izuku listened to every word she shared until her words were only sobs, and she’d crumpled against him like a broken flower. He was silent for a while, letting her cry it out, but also taking in what she’d said bit by bit. 

He hadn’t known everything that had happened on her battlefield. He’d known she'd ben stabbed... and he’d known Toga had died. Toga had given up her life for Ochako? He felt that same breathless fear within him, knowing already how close she'd been to death in the aftermath of the battle. He hadn't realized—Ochako would’ve died had it not been for Himiko Toga…

He gripped her hands a little tighter, pulling her closer into him, wishing he could change it for her, protect her from her wounds after the fact. If Ochako had died, he would’ve- he couldn't- it hurt too much to even consider. 

But it wasn’t the time or place to dwell on hypotheticals that hadn’t happened. She was alive, he didn’t need to worry about her physical wellbeing. This was about her broken heart and broken spirit. 

Still… he was sure he would’ve never forgiven himself if she’d been killed after he’d left her behind on that battlefield. His heart threatened to break at the very thought. 

Thank you, Himiko Toga, he said silently to himself. Thank you… for saving this wonderful girl.

Ochako’s grief was heavy. He felt it brimming and overflowing from her onto him. He tightened his hold on her hands, holding her steady. I can carry it. I can hold you up. Just let it out. Her face was pressed to his chest, her body trembling with her continued sobs. He wanted to hug her, embrace her with everything he had, but her tiny hands were gripping onto his like a vice, her nails digging into his skin. So he just held her close, trying to convey all the compassion and comfort he could into her hands.

The rest of her words felt very similar to his own regrets—which didn’t surprise him at all. They were the same, alike in motivation and resolve. They’d thought those same strange ideas, and had that same desire to save a broken child within a villain. And they’d both had to watch that person die before them—and they had both been the cause of that demise…

But Tenko had remained Shigaraki. He’d resolved himself to his ideals to the very end—but Izuku had been able to reach that crying child. He’d been able to clear that shroud of hatred, and break All for One’s hold upon him. He’d saved him in all the ways he could’ve been saved. But Ochako’s words rang in his ears— “Maybe it would’ve gone differently if we’d met as littler kids!” 

He was sure that was true. But they hadn’t, and there was no changing the past. Tenko became Shigaraki after a life of being turned away and broken down into the hateful, destructive tool he’d become. If only All for One didn’t exist to cause such misery in a person. If only Shimura’s son had been a loving father. There were so many ways to regret it, but…

Izuku waited to speak until her sobs quieted to soft moans. Her hands wilted against his in her exhaustion. He held her firm, never letting her slip from his fingers. 

“I get it,” he said at last, his voice quiet. “The same thing’s been weighing on me about Tenko… about Tomura Shigaraki, I mean.”

She was still as he spoke, and her hair smelled sweet as it brushed across his face. He let her closeness ease his own heart for a moment, breathing her in and feeling her touch before continuing. 

“I was told that I couldn’t tackle that battle the same way as the others. All for One said it himself—that the path I chose was a thorny one.”

It was then that Ochako finally lifted her head, her face tear-stricken and her eyes red-rimmed—but her gaze was clear and bright, and he felt warmer looking into her eyes. He grasped her hands, holding her close to him as he spoke with all the earnestness he had. 

“Even so…” he said softly, a hope in him now that hadn’t felt big enough before. “I know if we keep going above and beyond to reach out, even when nobody’s asking… it’ll make a difference!”

Ochako’s eyes shone with the city lights as they stared at each other for a moment. She was so close, but for once he felt bolstered by it instead of embarrassed. And just like the sun rising after a long, dark night, Ochako’s lips rose in the smallest, but most real smile he’d seen on her in a long while. And she truly was beautiful—dazzling even—in those hazy nighttime lights. The sight of her took his breath away. 

She opened her mouth to speak, then suddenly a voice shouted behind them-

“Ah! She really is here!!”

They both nearly jumped out of their skin at the interruption. In her surprise, Ochako activated her quirk and Izuku felt his feet begin to leave the ground. They both watched, stunned, as their entire class bounded over the hill to meet them. 

“Uraraka!! We’re here for you too,” they called to her, clamoring over each other to reach her. He was surprised to see them come, and part of him felt a pang of… disappointment that his and Ochako’s incredibly intimate moment was interrupted. But seeing the worry in their faces softened that. They cared for her too, they had worried about her too. He understood. 

“Stupid Ochako!” Asui exclaimed, leaping forward towards them. Ochako pulled her hands from his to catch her, then promptly released her quirk and his feet touched the ground again. 

“I was waiting for you to open up to me!” Asui cried, her own tears falling now. “You know you can say whatever’s on your mind!”

Ochako laughed weakly and there were tears in her eyes, but her smile was real. And as much as he missed holding her hands already, he was glad to see her let herself be genuine with the rest of their friends too—hopefully a first step to being more open and willing to be helped. 

He smiled at her once more, then lingered on that feeling deep inside him of the small flame One for All had left him. It burned warm within him for now. He looked at his hand, grateful yet again for the gift All Might had given him. 

I was able to reach her thanks to you, he thought as tears filled his eyes once more. 

Katsuki stepped up beside him, looking down at Izuku’s hand. “That was a big burst you used to get here. How's the ember doing?”

Izuku wiped away his tears. “It’s fine.”

“Huh?! The ember…?” Mineta cried, and much of the attention turned on him. 

Izuku laughed, he couldn’t help it. Nor could he help the tears that he cried again as he explained what was happening and would happen to his quirk. It broke his heart to see it go, and giving it up would be another action of his that he would regret for the rest of his life—but he wouldn’t take it back. He’d completed One for All, just as he’d set out to do. It was meant to be used to save, and that’s exactly what he did. The very first time he’d used it to save a girl who’d been so kind to him—and now he was happy to use some of the last flames to save her again. 

The class had arrived on a bus, courtesy of Aizawa. Exhausted from the tears and the stress, everyone seemed to have a relaxed and tired slump to their postures. He was no exception—and neither was Ochako. He tried to stay close to her, his hand itching to take hers again, but Asui had been worried about her too, and she clung to the other girl tightly. Izuku contented himself with closeby at the very least. 

As they entered the bus, Ochako turned her tired eyes behind her, looking for him. Her face seemed to ease when she found him. He smiled gently, and it warmed him to see her return it. 

Asui had a hold on Ochako’s arm, tears still on her face. Ochako followed her into a seat, but she looked at him with a small gesture towards the adjacent seat. He just nodded, trying to reassure her. 

He let Todoroki in for the window seat, then sat on the aisle himself and glanced at Ochako again. Her eyes were so heavy and red, and her smile was faint, but she looked genuine. She wasn’t alright, but this was a good step forward. 

She reached her hand out towards him, which he gladly took and held across the aisle. 

“Thank you,” she said, her voice soft. “Thank you, Deku.”

He squeezed her hand. “Of course.”

She smiled that soft, beautiful smile once more, then shut her eyes and fell asleep. Her face looked so peaceful as her hand relaxed in his. He tightened his grip on her, not willing to sever the connection just yet. 

“You got through to her,” Todoroki said from beside him. 

Izuku looked up, seeing Todoroki beside him, and Iida from the row behind looking at him intently. He nodded, subtly squeezing her hand again. 

“That’s what friends do, right?” He smiled. 

The two of them, both who so deeply understood this sentiment, smiled in return. 

Izuku leaned his head back against the seat, looking at Ochako once more. Her breaths were quiet as she slept, and he smiled again. As similar as it was to when he’d meddled with Todoroki and Iida's situations, it had been vastly different with Ochako. 

He gripped her hand in his, relishing the comfort her touch gave him, and he pondered how changed his heart felt, just by knowing her. 

Thank you… Ochako.

Notes:

(putting this here because I hate how the first chap note shows up in every chap…)

I love this chapter. I was pretty mad at it when I first read it for that unfortunate timing and interruption, but after writing this out, I feel a lot better.

If you’ve read any of my previous stuff, you’ll understand how ecstatic I have been seeing this plot point (Ochako hiding her feelings and Izuku busting down her walls) come to fruition. I’ve been with My Hero Academia for so long now, and to see it end has been incredible. I love these two so much, and it’ll be so bittersweet and sublime to say goodbye to their journey.

(Edit): this will be a multi-chapter fic so please enjoy chapter 2! Comments are much appreciated if you can spare em

Chapter Text

Ochako woke softly the morning after her moonlit talk with Izuku Midoriya. No nightmares, no tear-stained cheeks. Her eyes opened to a stream of golden sunlight lighting up her room. It was serene in only the way a silent morning can be. She took in a deep breath, almost worried even breathing would break this spell of serenity. 

Her heart still felt the grief, but there was calm in her now. The pain hadn’t gotten lighter, but it felt like she could hold it easier. The despair and shame was gone. Sadness remained, and she wished so dearly that Himiko could’ve lived. She would wish it all her days—but she could recall the joy on that sad, strange girl’s face as she laid beside her, choosing to save someone like Ochako–and the guilt gave way to gratitude for the life she was given. Ochako felt the pain in her heart, and a tear slide down her cheek, but just like the sunshine coming up over the hill, she could feel that healing was near, not present yet but was on its way. 

Ochako looked at her hands, and she could still feel the tenderness that Izuku had as he held her tight, wrenching her burdens away from her and onto himself. She could feel how small she’d felt in his grasp, but how safe and whole she became as he wrapped her up into his chest. She sighed shakily, pulling her hands into her, curling up tight inside her blankets. 

He sees me… she thought, pondering his words to her the night before. He saw me the way I never wanted anyone to… the way no one ever has before. He saw her every smile, her every truth and lie. He saw her heart and how dearly she tried to lighten everyone around her. He saw her. He knows me so much more than I thought he could… 

And…

“You are my hero!” His words echoed in her head once more, his voice strong and sure. She was surprised it hadn’t brought her to her knees, how powerful those words had been in his mouth. Why? Why me? How could he think that for me? She didn’t know, she truly couldn't fathom it, but she was blown away all the same. 

And to be seen… to be known so intimately was so much more peaceful and freeing than she had ever imagined. 

I love you, Izuku Midoriya. 

She felt it deep in her heart, deeper than this feeling had ever been before. But it did not cause her stress. No anxiety crept into her at the foreign emotion with an unknown future. No, with the memory of him holding her as he had, his beautiful words shouted at her, she knew how much she dearly loved him. It was beyond a crush now. It was her whole heart—full and completely in love with that wonderful boy. It had been for some time now, his words just brought that to the forefront. And it felt good. It felt warm. It felt… like this gentle morning sunshine on her face. 

And Ochako smiled, hugging her hands to her chest. Despite how deeply her heart ached, in her solitude she could smile again. 

I have to thank him, she thought with a soft sigh. I have to tell him. Finally. 

And even that thought didn’t scare her as badly anymore. Because now, hearing the way he spoke, the way he saw her in a way that no one else truly did, the way he made her feel so incredibly loved without saying so specifically… That unknown future that had so unnerved her now felt like, perhaps, she could imagine him by her side–maybe for the rest of her life. And she wanted that. Even now, she longed to be back in his arms again.

She sat up and stretched, feeling almost like a new person. Changed yet again, she thought, into a stronger person. Ochako let her arms fall, pondering Himiko Toga yet again. 

You loved with your whole heart too, didn’t you? Ochako asked the girl within her memory. You told it all to the world, huh?

Ochako gripped her fingers together, feeling her tears fall from his chin once more. “Himiko… is that how you’d want me to be, too?”

She felt grief and pain, but bigger than those was a gentle softness in her heart, almost like a confirmation to her question. “Live, Ochako. Show your love with your whole face. Don't hide anymore!” 

Ochako sobbed then, weeping anew into a pillow as she hugged it to her chest. 

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting her cries. Ochako took a shaky breath before calling to whoever it was to come in. The door opened and Tsuyu’s worried face appeared around the door. 

“Oh Ochako,” she said, coming over to her bed and wrapping her up in a hug.

“It’s okay,” Ochako said around a choked sob. “Really it is.”

Tsuyu hugged her tight, patting her back until she calmed down again. 

Ochako rubbed her face clean, then smiled at her. “Tsu, I… I feel like I’m a new person. Is that strange?”

Tsuyu shook her head. “I don’t know. But you’re okay?”

She nodded. “I’m okay. I’m… I’m not sure, I’m still trying to sort everything out.”

Tsuyu bit her lip, then hugged her again. “Ochako, I’m really sorry.”

“For what?” Ochako asked, still wiping at her face.

“For a lot of things,” Tsuyu sighed. “For not being able to help with Himiko Toga, for not being able to help you carry your burdens, and-“

Tsuyu lifted her head, sniffling. “I’m sorry for interrupting you and Midoriya last night. For all of it. I feel like a really bad friend, ribbit.”

Ochako blinked, then laughed despite the fresh tears. 

“Oh Tsu, you’re not a bad friend at all! You’re just wonderful!” She wiped at her face, feeling that joy yet again. “And you shouldn't feel bad about that either. I know you were worried too. Deku was just too fast, huh?”

Tsuyu’s shoulders slumped. “Still, when I saw you two holding hands like you were, I thought I should stop and wait, but I was just- so worried and scared. I should’ve waited, ribbit.”

Ochako felt her cheeks warm at the mention. She’d almost forgotten that everyone in their class had seen that. It felt like it should've been a quiet, intimate moment between just her and Izuku. Just for the two of them to treasure. But what was done is done. Still, she felt how much of a loss it had been to feel his hands suddenly pulled away from hers, his embrace ended so abruptly. 

She sighed, then thought of her earlier resolution. I need to tell him. And if I’m going to do this, I do not want an audience…

She gripped her hand in her sheet, determined not to let her fear win any longer. 

“It’s alright,” she told Tsuyu. “But I have a way you can make it up to me, if you want.”

Chapter Text

Izuku felt the wind rush through his hair, running as if nothing had changed at all. He was simply going about his daily routine before classes could start. He shut his eyes, feeling the warmth of spring already trying to break through the hazy morning. 

Ochako’s face came to his mind, her perfect cheeks covered in tears, her hands in his. He’d only taken a moment afterward to feel embarrassed by how familiar he’d been with her, how abrupt and touchy. But he didn’t regret it. He didn’t regret a single word or action. Holding her like that, it felt like warmth in a snowstorm, chilling and hot until the feeling came back in pins and needles. He didn’t want to make her cry, he didn’t want to see her hurting—but he wanted so desperately to make sure that sunshine smile he loved was true to what her heart felt. After everything they’d been through, after everything she’d done for him, it was practically his responsibility to ensure her joy. And he would—always and always. For her. 

He slowed on the path, gripping his hands into fists as he recalled how she wept and wailed, broken and bowed into him as if her grief was some kind of astronomical weight. And it hurt. It hurt to see, and it hurt to bear.  

I wanna hold her again, he thought with a sigh. His hands and arms felt incredibly empty after she’d been pulled away by Asui. And how he wished to fill them with her again…

But what’s done is done. He didn’t need to dwell on unnecessary things. Ochako’s grief hopefully was lifted, and hopefully today she would feel—maybe not better, but definitely more able to bear it—knowing she had him and others to help her. 

He let out a sigh, finishing his run before the sun could finish rising. 

The morning felt fairly normal afterward. The class woke and began making breakfast together—they still had more meager rations as before, but even the food available was a reminder of what they’d been through, and how their country was healing already. 

Izuku helped as well, setting out dishes for the class, but when Ochako walked into the common room, he could only stop and stare. 

She had always been beautiful—he could say that easily. But in that morning light, her face now free of tears, was serene and practically radiant. He could hardly believe the change. 

She found his eyes then, and a smile burst across her face. His heart skipped a beat at the sight. And he was sure he was gaping at her until she found her way across the room to stand in front of him, her smile even wider. 

“Can I help with that?” She asked. 

He looked down, still holding his stack of dishes. “Uh, yeah.”

Ochako smiled at him once more, so much warmth in her eyes as she lifted the plates from his hands, her fingers brushing his. 

Before she could walk away, he touched her shoulder. “Uraraka, I-“

She turned back, waiting. 

The image of her tears flashed across his mind once more. “How are you doing today?”

Ochako blinked, then set the dishes on the table as she smiled, her cheeks rosy. She brought a hand up to her chest. “Better. It’s- it’s still there, but…”

She reached out, clasping a soft hand on his. He felt that warmth within him yet again at her touch, and he recalled his own words to her from the night before: “My heart is soothed.” 

He grasped her hand firmly in his own, smiling back at her. "I'm glad," he said, and her smile deepened. 

She held him a moment more before she slipped her hand from his and turned back to the task, setting out dishes for their classmates. He watched her for a moment before turning back to the kitchen, wishing for… 

He felt her warmth still on his hand as he turned his attention back to breakfast. 

They spent their efforts towards classes in the morning, and community rebuilding in the afternoon. It was odd, how back-to-normal everything seemed, and yet something very distinctive within him was changed completely. Just by reaching out his hand to her, he felt different. Steadier, more confident in that stance that things will heal and improve, and that his own shame at it all could be lifted, just by lifting someone else. 

And perhaps that what all of this meant–to extend charity was to extend love. And to extend love was to heal the world. 

Even if that didn't always work, just by reaching a hand and giving that person in need an opportunity to reach back, so that they can choose which step to take next. That's what Tenko had done–used Izuku's outstretched hand to destroy All for One. That's what Himiko Toga had done for Ochako–given up her life so that Ochako would live. And he had reached his hand to Ochako in her pain, and now there was sunshine in her face again. 

He wiped sweat from his brow as he worked, smiling lightly to himself. He looked up and saw Ochako talking with some civilians, moving something with her quirk as they directed her. She laughed with them, and there was joy in her face as she worked, a lightness to her step. She flitted between them and the task, laughing once again as she served. 

Izuku felt that same warmth in him yet again. He didn't dare name the feelings he was feeling though. But he was glad for it, for that sweet smile, for that bright laugh. 

“Midoriya,” Asui called to him, and he turned to her.

“Hmm?” He answered as Asui ran up to him. 

She stopped, glancing at Ochako where his eyes had just been. “I wanted to ask you something, and I’m sorry if it’s abrupt.”

Izuku wasn’t sure what to think, but nodded anyway. “Okay.”

Asui bit her lip, then spoke softly. “How do you feel about Ochako? Because to me, you seem to care for her a lot, ribbit.”

He felt his shoulders stiffen, his cheeks flushed. Asui had always been bold and said whatever she wanted. With how they’d looked the night before, he was sure most of the class was thinking something… romantic had happened… and it didn’t! ...Did it?

“I-“ he started, distracted by how hot his face felt. “I was just- uh, trying to help her smile again.”

“Ribbit,” Asui said, her face soft. “I know. Ochako wouldn’t want me to ask it, but I just wanted to know, if you'd tell me.”

Izuku glanced at Ochako, at the sweat on her face as she worked and helped, the shine in her eyes. He pushed away the awkwardness and just considered those feelings he often didn’t address within his heart. How it all had bubbled up since that night—he knew what he felt. He knew that he’d felt it, that love, since he’d met her. It led that hope and inspiration he always took from her, and in it she became such a light to him. 

But he didn’t think he wanted to share it with anyone else just yet.

“I think—” he said to Asui. “—that Uraraka deserves all the love this world has to offer.”

Asui smiled at that, a big happy grin on her face. “I see.”

He blushed once more, scratching at his face. 

Asui smiled at him a moment more, then shrugged. “Shall we get back to work then?”

Izuku nodded and Asui walked off to help Yaoyorozu with a pile of rubble. He had no idea what that was about, but his eyes fell on Ochako once more. He really had hardly been able to keep them off her! But he was dazzled yet again by that beautiful smile. He let go of the embarrassment he’d felt and just enjoyed taking in that sight. 

Throughout their days, they studied, they cleared rubble and helped citizens, and then they patrolled in the evening. There wasn’t very often much to do during those patrols though. Crime had lessened considerably since All for One had fallen and the citizens had begun to pick themselves back up again.  

Mostly what they did was lend aid where they could. Or they tried—like he and Ochako had both tried to do for that little boy. Haggard and broken, and obvious signs of what could’ve been a quirk explosion suddenly suppressed by the gentle hand of an old woman. He'd had to catch his breath, seeing such similarities in him as was in Tenko, a crying, broken child who knew nothing but hatred and terror. And when Ochako turned to look at him, he could see she’d thought the same—probably about Himiko Toga. 

The grandmother took the boy’s hand, and he began to cry. She gathered him up with her and they went on their way. Crisis—if there was to be one—averted. And it was so casual, so simple. 

He turned to Ochako, thinking of their worries and sadness that they shared, and Ochako smiled at him despite the tears in her eyes. 

“If we keep going above and beyond to reach out, even when nobody’s asking… it’ll make a difference!”

He wasn’t sure if he’d reached first or if she had, but the gentle warmth he felt from their clasped hands indeed soothed his heart.  

Ochako didn’t say anything, but he could see the joy in her eyes. The comfort—that maybe society could actually heal into a place that would’ve helped those children before they became the League of Villains. It would take time, he knew, but this was a start. A confirmation of the path they were now treading.   

They turned back to the street, back to patrolling, but when Ochako began to slide her hand from his, he grasped tighter to her, keeping her hand in his. She looked at him silently, questioning, but he just smiled at her again. She didn’t ask, and he didn’t speak, but he knew that he never wanted to let her go. And his heart felt full in a way that he couldn’t completely explain. 

Chapter Text

It was a familiar feeling, to come home in their gear tired, but at the same time invigorated. Eventually he’d had to let go of Ochako’s hand, but he still felt that warmth within him. 

It wasn’t terribly late, but the sun had already gone down. The class all settled into the common area with an air of contented fatigue. 

After a stretch of quiet, Ochako stood up with a smile on her face. 

“Everyone, I wanted to say… thanks for being there for me,” she said, that same joyful smile on her face that she’d had when they saw the old woman with that child. “Sorry I’ve been secretive before, but I’m- I’m really glad to have friends who I can always rely on.”

Tears were in her eyes now. And not just hers. 

“Of course!” 

“Uraraka!” 

“We're always here for you!”

Ochako laughed as she was showered with praise and affection, wiping at her face even as she blushed. 

“I just wanted to let you all know that I’m actually gonna go home tonight,” she smiled. “But I promise that’s actually where I’m going this time!”

The mood was warm, and they all gave her such kind words and he was grateful again for having such a close knit group of friends. Still, he felt a small pang at the thought that she was leaving. Of course she’d be back, but living all together in the dorms was probably one of the most joyful things to come as a result of the villain attacks of last year. If Ochako wasn’t a part of that, then that joy would indeed be diminished some. 

“When are you leaving? It’s already dark out,” Yaoyorozu asked. 

“It would be better if you waited until tomorrow, Uraraka,” Iida said. 

Ochako shook her head. “It’s alright, it’s not that far, and I’ll be back after the weekend.” 

“Well, you don’t have to go alone!” Ashido cried. “We can-

“Actually,” Asui interjected. “That’s a good idea. Midoriya, would you walk her to the train station? Just to make sure she actually gets there?”

He recalled that moment earlier when Asui had asked him about his feelings for Ochako, and he felt warmth touch his ears, but he smiled anyway. He was about to offer that anyway. 

“Yeah, of course,” he replied. 

Ochako tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling brightly. “Thank you, Deku.”

“I’ll go get my shoes,” he said through the warmth on his face. But he chose to ignore any not-so-subtle remarks and looks from their fellow students. 

“I’ll get my bag.”

After leaving the dorms, they walked down the road towards the train station, a comfortable silence between them. Ochako didn’t say much, but she gave him lots of smiles, the pink in her cheeks making her look even brighter. The despair was gone from her face now, even the hidden vestiges of it. Sadness, yes, but nothing was hiding anymore. He knew, he could tell as he scanned her features. 

But still, before she left, he wanted to make sure he wasn’t being fooled by that pretty smile. 

“You’re really okay?” He asked. 

Ochako breathed out a long breath, looking at him softly. “I am, thanks to you.”

He bit his lip, feeling that ache for her that seemed to be present every time he looked at her. He’d always enjoyed her presence, delighted in her friendship, and was always beyond grateful for her care. He’d always thought her wonderful, brave, beautiful inside and out—but this longing for her closeness was new. Maybe because he’d never really been close to her until that night on the cliff. Maybe now he'd been able to actually grow up and not be so embarrassed by her closeness. But he’d held her to give her an anchor to lean on, not for his own desires, so he tried not to dwell too heavily on the depth of those feelings he'd had for her. That was starting to become difficult as more longing set in... 

He sighed lightly, rubbing a hand through his hair. “Have you talked to your parents yet?”

“I’m gonna,” she said, her accent slipping through. “They’re not gonna ask, but I’ve kept a lot from ‘em, since the war began and all…”

She tugged her backpack tighter around her shoulders. “I have a lot to tell them.”

He nodded. He understood that. It was difficult to tell his own mother what had happened—much of it he elected not to. There was no need to tell her about the danger he’d been in, how he’d nearly suffocated from his own quirk, or was beaten half to hell, or how he’d lost both his arms…! 

Izuku rubbed a hand over his sleeve, that horrible, creeping feeling took hold of him once more at even just a glancing thought of the memory. He had always had a strong ability to put things behind him that didn’t matter anymore—not to forget, but to not be bothered much. That… bothered him. And he was sure he probably had some kind of PTSD from it, but he could always look down and remember the miracle Eri had given him. As horrifying as it was, he’d still been blessed by that sweet, little girl. 

They walked out from around the main building, past the courtyard where they’d met and she’d stopped him from falling, where she’d given his name a new meaning, and where she stood against an angry mob—defending his right to be a person. Just the thought of it all made him feel a solemn gratitude to her all over again. 

He had walked down this path with her countless times before they’d lived together in the dorms. Walking past the yellow streetlights, he could almost convince himself that nothing had changed. They were just friends walking home together after school. Just normal teenagers without a care in the world. 

Except that obviously wasn’t true. Everything had changed. Everything. And when he looked at Ochako again, he knew they were both transformed beyond recognition by their first chaotic, wondrous, sorrowful, blissful year at UA.

Before they got to the barrier, Ochako stopped, looking at him quietly. “Uh, could we talk for a bit? There’s a bench a little bit down this path, we could…”

She gestured off to the right, a blush on her cheeks. Izuku thought of Asui’s words from before but put it out of his mind, even as his own blush lingered. 

“Won’t your parents be expecting you?”

Ochako shook her head. “I’m surprising them anyway. I’m not in any rush.”

They walked a little further into the treeline until they came to a bench, sitting beneath an oak tree and lit by a single streetlamp. Izuku had run past the area many times—he was sure he knew every inch of this campus now. 

They sat together for a long moment before she said anything. After that tearfilled night where he practically forced her to speak to him, he wanted to be quiet for her, let her go at her own pace—now that she was willing to open up. So he waited patiently for her. 

After a minute or two, she turned to him. “I wanted to thank you, Deku. For what you did, what you said… I- you didn’t have to go out of your way for me like that.”

Izuku shook his head. “You’ve always been going out of your way for me, and for everyone else too. You don’t need to thank me when I was just returning the favor.”

Ochako smiled sadly at that. There was something so forlorn in her eyes, but it wasn’t the endless grief from before. It was something more bittersweet and lingering. To have that sunshine in her dampened by that sadness felt like such a loss, but… it also felt like a maturity that they both now knew intimately. They couldn’t return to childhood summer sunshine the same way—not anymore. 

But Ochako wore it with grace, a somber sort of glow now instead of constant buttery sunshine. And knowing what she’d hid behind that smile, perhaps it was better this way. 

“Then let me say this instead,” Ochako continued with that painfully beautiful, genuine smile. “The way you can see me, really see me, even when I don’t want to be seen…”

She reached out and took his hand, her fingers soft against his rough skin. “I’ve never felt so vulnerable before, or so safe and cared for— knowing that you had seen me… this whole time. That you’ve known me, so completely… I just-“

Tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled. “I can't tell you how wonderful you’ve made me feel. So thank you, Deku. Thank you… from the bottom of my heart.”

She smiled then, a teary, starry-eyed smile, and Izuku felt overwhelmed at her words, at that smile. 

He half-stood suddenly, startling Ochako. Still grasping her hand, he threw his leg over the other side of the bench. Then he sat facing her completely and leaned in closer to her, grabbing up her hand with both of his. 

“Uraraka,” he said softly, suppressing the outlandish urge to caress her cheek. “I… have always seen you. Always. Since the day we met. I'm just sorry it's taken me this long to show you that. You are such a blessing in my life! And I’m so grateful that I get the privilege of being close to you.”

Her tears fell then, and she leaned into him, hugging him tight. He released her hand and wrapped her up in his arms, holding her as close as she would permit. He held her like that a long time, the two of them curled into each other on the bench. It was similar to the night she’d wept bitterly in her despair, but the tears were more hopeful tonight, the air a little sweeter, and their embrace warmer. She’d let him take her grief and make it lighter, so what they shared now was something deeper and more tender than he could fully put into words. But what he could say was how much he loved holding her close to him—and he would cherish this moment all his life. 

“How can you be so wonderful?” She whispered. 

Izuku laughed, unsure of what to even say to something like that. “So are you, Uraraka.”

She shook her head, her voice muffled in his neck. “My wonderful Deku.”

His heart ached in such a profound way, almost hurting at her words. Those feelings within him that he'd always been content to let be seemed to surge forward with an almost desperation. It all clicked into place, and he knew in an instant that he wanted to be hers. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to know her. He wanted to be by her side, forever and always. He wanted to love her with everything he had. 

Before he could lean back and bear his whole heart to her in a frantic rush, Ochako pulled away and grasped his hands, holding them between them. 

“For the longest time, since we met, since we got to be friends, since I got to watch you become my hero, my inspiration. Deku, since the very start, I-“ she cut herself off, tears streaming down her cheeks now. But her smile—it was like a sunrise after such a long, dark night. 

“I want to tell you—with my whole face…” she cried, her words so quiet, and so gentle. “…how much I love you, Deku.”

Ochako laughed then, almost like a dam had broken within her as her tears fell. “I love you so much, Izuku Midoriya!”

*
He couldn't describe the joy he felt as his own tears filled his eyes. And for a moment, he was brought back to that first heart to heart they'd had on the cliff, their thoughts and hearts aligned in such a way. And now—she gave him her love just as his was ready to burst forth from him. He cried with her, even as a laugh filled his voice. 

“Uraraka,” he whispered as he gripped her hands, that overwhelming joy filling his heart. “I was just about to tell you the same thing.”

Her eyes widened, then she cried even harder, “Really?”

“Yes.” His inhibitions were gone now. He willingly threw them aside. He didn't even feel his typical embarrassment, he was just so overjoyed. He reached out and touched her cheek, bringing her close to press his forehead to hers. “Uraraka, I love you too. With everything I have. Since the day we met.”

Before she could speak—before he could think, because he really hadn't intended on it—he leaned in, kissing her right on the mouth. The contact was a jolt, a thrill as they sat stock still against each other, stunned. His heart stuttered within him, mind short-circuiting.

Then her hands reached out, gently touching his shoulders as she sighed, and at her touch he melted.   

She was incredibly still as he kissed her softly. Her lips quivered against him, moving thoughtfully with his, and it stirred such warmth and love in him, he could hardly believe it. He brought both hands to her cheeks, pouring all that love he felt back into her in this slow, gentle, sublime moment under the yellow light.

After a short eternity, he pulled away, and his breath caught in his lungs at the dazzling smile she gave to him. She beamed at him in a way that made his heart stutter. She was probably about as red as he felt, but they smiled anyway, dazed at it all. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him again. 

*

A minute or so passed before she pulled away and just hugged him tight as if she would never let him go. He breathed out, feeling every tension in his body relax, taking in every millisecond. 

Then he remembered, after coming to from this blissful moment, that she was leaving. He had been walking her to the train station before this. 

He gripped her tighter to him. “You sure you wanna go to your parents house tonight?”

She laughed, pulling back to wipe her tears away. “As much as I wanna say, ‘no,’ I think I need to.”

Her face sobered a bit, but she nodded again. “I need to, but I’ll be back on Monday.”

Izuku nodded, but couldn’t resist the little sigh he let out. “That’s fair.”

She laughed again, then cupped his face with her small hands and kissed his lips once more. Her hands stroked across his cheeks and snaked around his neck, her head tilting with his. It was insane that this was happening—kissing Ochako Uraraka. He felt like this was some sort of dream that he never wanted to wake from. 

“I’ll miss you too,” she sighed when she pulled away, her arms draped over his shoulders. “This wasn’t how I expected tonight to go.”

“Me either,” he smiled, a blushed in his cheeks. “But I’m so happy for it.”

Ochako smiled at him, eyes glistening and shining like stars. So beautiful. He reached up and touched her rosy cheek, feeling a flush on his own face. 

“My Ochako,” he breathed, gaining a small giggle from the girl in his arms—and that very quickly became one of his most favorite sounds. 

Izuku was sure that, no matter what sadness and hardships they faced in the future, he would never forget the joy he felt that night. 

Chapter Text

Izuku surprised himself, to be honest, kissing her as he had. It was a big deal to kiss someone on the mouth like that, he knew that. He should’ve been mortified, floored by his embarrassment. But he’d still done it. Very soft, chaste kisses, but still. And he didn’t even feel any reservations about it—kissing Ochako Uraraka. He knew, wholly and completely, that he loved her. And that he would love her for as long as he lived. His heart was already committed to that—to her. It was probably far too hasty and such, but he didn’t care one bit. And as she followed suit, kissing him as well, he thought… maybe she felt that way too. 

He felt like maybe he should be scared by the depth of it, the intensity of his feelings, but he wasn’t. He just felt… overjoyed. 

They sat on that bench far longer than they’d meant to, holding each other and talking in a way neither of them had ever experienced, stealing kisses in that secluded path—how thrilling to catch her in a kiss before she could finish a word, feeling her laugh against him. It was so strange, so foreign, and so wonderful. To be lost in each other in such a simple, profound way, it was healing. After everything that had happened, everything he carried with him, all the weight of society itself upon his shoulders, fighting for his life, giving up his dream and the bitterness that came with it… After all that, how relieving it was to have something gentle. Something soft and sweet before him, making him feel warmth ahead. After it all, he wanted to just sit there and watch Ochako beam so brightly forever and ever. 

But the time was approaching curfew, and he knew once he returned to the dorms he would have a mountain of questions thrown at him. At least Ochako got to escape it for a few nights. 

They walked hand in hand to the train station. After all the times he had walked that very route with her, he would’ve never dreamed of this. Now he gripped her hand confidently, keeping her close by his side until the train arrived. 

“I’ll meet you here on Monday,” he said. “We can walk to class like we used to.”

Ochako nodded, squeezing his hand. “That’d be nice.”

Then she blushed and groaned. “I guess everyone will know by then too, huh…”

Izuku scratched his face, feeling his own blush. “Probably. I was just thinking they’re probably wondering why it’s taken so long to walk you here.”

Ochako leaned her face into his arm, as if trying to hide from the anticipation of embarrassment. “We couldn’t just keep it a secret?”

“I doubt it,” he replied, looking fondly at her. He was honestly amazed how she was the more flustered one now. “And I don’t really want to either.”

Ochako looked up at him, the blush and stress still on her face. “Me either, but it’s gonna be so embarrassing!”

Izuku smiled, then kissed her forehead, overwhelmed by how cute she was. She stilled at that, and he was surprised again at his own boldness. But Ochako was his girlfriend now, and he could kiss her if he wanted to, right?

And her lovely smile just made him want to do it more. 

She looped her hands around his arm, leaning against him again. “I’m gonna get it from my folks too,” she moaned. “Gosh, I really do hate the attention.”

Izuku laughed lightly. “It’s better than hiding it though, right?”

Ochako didn’t respond, her face hidden in his sleeve. Izuku frowned a bit, then took her hand and turned to face her.  

“Ochako,” he said, her given name definitely feeling foreign in his mouth. “I have something I need to ask you.”

She blinked. “What is it?”

He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t hide things from me anymore.”

Ochako flushed, looking off to the side helplessly. “I- it’s hard, ya know? I’ve just… always been this way…”

“I know,” Izuku said softly. “I get it. And if that’s something you have to do sometimes, that’s fine. But not to me.”

She looked back at him, then shrugged. “I’ll try. I just…”

He let go of her shoulders, then held out a hand. “If you can’t say it, then I want you to just take my hand and hold it tight—just let me know. Then you can work on sharing your words with me later.”

Ochako silently took his hand, an uncertainty in her eyes. He gripped her hand tight.

“I want to help you carry your burdens, if I can. I’m just asking you to let me,” Izuku said gently. “I’m your b- b- boyfriend—aren’t I?”

Ochako’s face changed from her small frown to a blushing laugh. “Was that a bit hard?”

He sighed, dropping his head. “Well?”

She nodded, then pulled her hand free and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in close to his face, and he felt his heart skip a beat—as if they hadn’t just spent the last half an hour just like this. 

“I will let you know, I’ll try not to hide,” she said. “And yes, of course you're my boyfriend.”

“It was more rhetorical, but I’m glad for the confirmation,” Izuku said, feeling his ears warm. There were people around at the train station, and Ochako was pretty close to him. 

“I still can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered, smiling at him with that comforting warmth in her eyes. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”

He laughed lightly. “So do I. I honestly can’t fathom why you’d think that about me!”

Ochako tilted her head. “I’ve never felt like this for anyone else. I’ve been loving you for the past year. So is it that weird?”

“Yeah it is,” he chuckled, scratching his head bashfully. “I’ve never really had much attention from girls before.”

Ochako scoffed. “That you know of.”

Izuku gaped at her. “The thought has truly never crossed my mind.” Except for Himiko Toga’s insane out-of-the-blue confession… But he didn’t want to bring that up. 

She just laughed. “You might’ve broken some hearts without even realizing it, you know.”

“I doubt it,” he shook his head with a scoff. 

Ochako’s face softened from her teasing. Then she kissed his cheek. She’d kissed him a number of times now throughout this dreamlike evening, but the way she lingered now, her lips impossibly soft against his skin, made his heart still. 

When she leaned away, he just couldn’t pull his eyes away, and she was silent as she stared back at him. In the quiet between them, he felt again how full his heart was—how beautiful she was, how lucky he was, and how incredible it felt to not be scared of this. In that moment, he was sure that, no matter what their future held, he would love this wonderful girl for the rest of his life. He’d felt it before, and it was just as poignant feeling it again now. 

The train coming into the station broke whatever trance was laid on them, and Ochako pulled free from him, a blush on her cheeks. “Ah, that’s my train!”

He glanced at it, then took her hands again. “Ochako.”

“Hmm?” She looked back at him, her hair blowing about her face as the train doors opened. 

He smiled as he pressed his forehead to hers. 

“I love you,” he said solemnly, tenderly—his voice so quiet he wasn’t sure if she could hear him over the train. 

She hummed happily, then pulled back and gave him one more of those dazzling smiles. She held his hands, lacing her fingers between his. “I love you too. So so much. And I’ll be back on Monday!”

He nodded. “I’ll be here.”

Izuku was glad she wasn’t going far—but he was sure he’d not missed anyone with such aching longing before, but he felt it as her train pulled away. 

With a sigh, he slid his hands in his pockets and headed back towards the dorms. 

When he walked in, not everyone was downstairs. It was the quiet part of the evening where many had already gone to get ready for bed. Some lingered, chatting and hanging out in the common area. Izuku pulled his shoes off, wondering how much they’d actually noticed. Maybe nothing would come of him coming back so late. 

“Oh, Midoriya,” Todoroki said, noticing his entrance from one of the couches. 

“You were gone a long time,” Iida said next to him, standing up from the couch. “I feared you wouldn’t make it back in time for curfew. Was there some delay?”

Izuku felt heat rise in his face. “Uh- no, we just got to uh- just talking.”

“Is she doing alright now?” Iida asked, concern on his face. 

“Yeah,” he said with a breath. “Yeah, I- she’s doing a lot better now.”

Iida nodded. “To think she’d been keeping so much to herself. I am ashamed to know that I didn’t see it, as you did.”

Izuku frowned. “She hides it well—always has. Hiding behind a bright smile is a good way to make people feel at ease.”

“How did you notice?” Todoroki asked. 

He felt his ears get warmer, but he brushed it away. “I’ve known how she handles things for awhile now, I just… I didn’t always want to barge in when something wasn’t a big deal. It felt- too intrusive, you know?”

Todoroko nodded. “I can see that.”

“This time was different,” Izuku sighed. “I could see she was ready to break, and I… didn’t want her to bear it all alone.”

“You are very admirable, Midoriya,” Iida said softly, and Izuku blinked. 

“I know each of us here have had you personally looking out for us when things were hard to bear. So watching you go out of your way for your friends—again and again… I always feel quite inspired by you.”

Izuku scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. “Since coming to UA, I have been so blessed to have made such amazing friends at every turn. How could I not do everything in my power to help them in return?”

“You’re the one who does the most,” Todoroki said. “Make sure you let us help you too.”

He let out a soft laugh. “Thank you.”

Izuku felt warmed as these wonderful friends showed him such support and care, and he truly felt beyond blessed again and again to have them in his life. 

“Midoriya’s back?” Ashido asked, leaning around the corner with a toothbrush in her hand. Hagakure was close behind her. 

Oh boy, Izuku thought, readying himself.

Ashido smiled a little too knowingly at him. “Midoriya.”

He felt that flush in his ears now. “Hmm?”

“What'd you guys get to talking about that took ya over an hour for a ten minute walk?”

“Well…” He scratched at his head, blushing so brightly now. “Just…”

Hagakure squeaked—actually squeaked!—excitement exuded from her. “Ah! Was it a love confession?! Was it?”

“Hagakure, you can’t just ask something so private!” Iida exclaimed, but it didn’t matter. Now all the attention of the room was upon him, and soon he was surrounded by everyone in the common area , having heard Hagakure’s emphatic question. 

“Wait, you and Uraraka-?” Kirishima asked. 

“What happened?” Kaminari poked his head out of the bathroom. “What'd you say, Hagakure?”

“She said Midoriya confessed to Uraraka!”

“Eh?!”

“That’s what you were talking about?” Todoroki asked. 

It was already getting out of hand. He waved his hands in front of him. “No, I-“

“Hang on, hang on, you guys,” Jirou bopped Hagakure on the head. “He hasn’t said anything—stop jumping to conclusions.”

He was about to breathe a sigh of relief before she looked at him and said directly. “Are you guys dating now?”

“Uh…” he stuttered. “Y- yeah.”

Excitement burst from everyone around him and he just gaped at them all, unable to fully process it. 

“Alright, man!” Kirishima smacked his back. “Proud of you!”

“I knew it! I knew it!” Ashido shouted, jumping up and down with Hagakure. 

“I’m happy for you two,” Todoroki patted his shoulder. 

“Why is everyone shouting?” Ojiro asked from the hall. 

“Midoriya and Ochako are dating!” Hagakure yelled.

“Huh?!”

“Wait, you are?!”

“What happened?!”

Izuku just stood there, blushing brightly as his friends clambored around him. Ochako was right, this kind of attention is beyond embarrassing. He couldn’t think of a single word to say as they all bombarded him with their questions. So he laughed. He laughed and laughed as they all crowded around him, demanding their answers. He laughed until he could hardly breathe and his sides ached. 

Soon the whole room was full of laughter as they congratulated him and Ochako both. 

“It’s about time.”

“You guys were made for each other!”

“We’re so happy for you.”

Mineta tried to shout out his vulgar line of questioning, but was promptly wrapped and gagged by Sero—much to Izuku’s immense gratitude. 

“But why didn’t Ochako come tell us too!” Ashido exclaimed. 

“I mean, she was going home, wasn’t she?” Jirou said. 

Ashido pouted. “Still! Using that to sneak away again.”

Izuku just laughed again. That’s exactly what she did. 

He was honestly appalled by how many ‘I knew it!’s and ‘finallys!’ he was hearing. Was it really that obvious? Had everyone noticed except the two of them? Was he really so unobservant? 

“Why you all so damn noisy!” Katsuki suddenly shouted at them from the hall. “Shut up already!”

“Bakugo!” Kirishima called. “Midoriya and Uraraka finally started dating!”

Katsuki glared at the crowd, then at Izuku. Then he huffed. “About damn time.”

Izuku gaped. Even Kacchan?!

Laughter broke out from everyone again, and Izuku again felt that kindness, that joy of friendship, and while he was incredibly embarrassed, he also felt how much each of these amazing people cared so much about him—and about Ochako too. And he, in turn, cherished each and every one of them. 

“It’s just-!” Ashido clasped her hands over her chest. “We’re just all so happy for you! For both of you!”

Izuku pressed a hand to his face. “Thanks.”

Eventually the crowd calmed down, with help from Iida and lights-out approaching. He was sure his friends would’ve kept him up all night with their overjoyed questions and congratulations had he not. But it was a relief when the room quieted down and he could finally breathe, having laughed through most of it. 

After most had already gone, Asui sidled up beside him. “She made it home safe?”

Izuku wiped at his eyes. “Yeah, she sent me a text when she arrived.” He looked down at her with a nod. “She’s good.”

Asui smiled, beamed really. “I’m happy for you two.”

Izuku laughed again, blushing once more. “Ah- thank you.”

As she turned to leave, Izuku remembered something. 

“A- Tsu,” he called. 

“Ribbit?”

“You knew, didn’t you?” He asked quietly. “About-“

Asui smiled again. “She didn’t tell me, but she didn’t really have to either. Mina and them really wanted to follow you guys, but I made sure they didn’t.”

He felt dread at even the thought of that time being eavesdropped on, and he was all that much more relieved. “Thanks. That would’ve been… ah, Ochako would’ve hated that.”

“Ochako?” Asui said, her smile deepening. 

Izuku blushed again. “A- anyway, I should get to bed.”

“Ribbit,” she chuckled. “Goodnight, Midoriya.”

“Goodnight.”

When he got back to his room and shut the door, he felt strangely drained and amped up all at once. The quiet after all the commotion rang around him for a moment and he let out a long breath. His mind turned over the events of the evening, hardly believing any of it. 

Uraraka loves me, he thought in wonderment. Ochako loves me.

He changed into his pajamas, then laid down and shut his eyes, remembering every moment, every word, and every touch. He thought of her smile, her genuine, beautiful smile as she gave him her heart. He remembered how her eyes shined so brightly, and his heart felt fuller than he’d ever felt before. 

“I’ve been so blessed already,” he whispered to himself. “And now this…”

His phone dinged then, and he sat up to see it. Even as his thoughts had been on nothing but her, it still gave him a bit of a thrill to see it was from her. 

Izuku smiled, returning her messages, all the while feeling wholly and completely blessed. 

Chapter Text

The train ride was longer than Ochako remembered, and she recalled why it was so convenient to live on campus. The dark scenery passed by the window in blurred lights, and she leaned her head against the siding. She expected to be a mess of thoughts, but she spent most of the time zoning out—her mind oddly empty. It actually felt soothing. So she watched the passing lights and refused to think until the train stopped and she walked down the street to her old home. 

Rubble and ruin had reached even here. Much was fixed up already, but the damage was still visible. She could see some of her old play places were gone, destroyed in the rioting and wars. She felt her heartache return at that—a reminder of her damaged heart, and how her childhood innocence had been picked clean from her. 

Ochako sought refuge within herself, seeking her familiar walls as she tried to show forth a smile, but her heart would not be stifled nor contained. And she pondered that as she approached her childhood home. 

She knocked on the door instead of using her key. While she waited, her thoughts finally formed into words—all these feelings within her heart. The joy she felt, knowing that Izuku loved her with all his heart, and she joyously loved him too. Along with that joy was her sorrow, eased but pervasive within her, mourning, relief, etc. And the realization that, having borne her soul to Izuku, he’d broken something within her—those walls she’d always been able to hold to when things got hard. But they were shattered now, crushed and thrown down as he’d forced his way into her locked away heart. She couldn’t hide anymore. How could she face her parents, bearing out everything she’d been through? How could she contain the weight of all of it, reliving it before the two who had loved and raised her?

By the time her dad opened the door, Ochako was sobbing. Kenichi’s brief moment of delighted surprise turned to concern, and he pulled her into his arms.

“Oh Ochako, my sweet girl,” he sighed. “Welcome home.”

“Daddy,” Ochako cried, her voice muffled in his shirt. “Daddy!”

He pulled her inside and gently shut the door. 

She told them everything. She told them every bit she could remember. From the time she’d met Himiko Toga, to the fear and weight she bore, watching her friends risk everything—watching Izuku nearly die over and over. How that terrified and inspired her. Holding Sir Nighteye in her arms, trusted with and failed saving his life. The death of Midnight-sensei. She talked of her motivations shifting, from helping with their financial burden to bearing the weight of lives and happiness. Who will help the heroes who need it? Izuku leaving UA and their desperate desire to bring him home—what self-sacrifice felt like to those who were being sacrificed for. Why she’d given that speech for him. And then her shift to: Who will help the villains who need it? 

Himiko…

She told them the story of that sad, forgotten, cast aside girl who’d killed so many, who’d longed so deeply for acceptance and love she’d never been given—that she should’ve felt from her own family. Instead she was hated, feared, ignored, pushed away. Pushed to choices she may not have made had she known true, merciful love before. 

Ochako had given her a hand, a kind word, and a gentle hug—and this poor girl had been so moved and changed by such an easy, simple thing that she willingly gave up her life—to keep that one kind person from dying. 

Ochako cried hard at that part, her hand gripping at the healed wound on her stomach. But she shared it all, gave them her burdens, just like she’d given to Izuku. And just like with him, what she got in return was love and understanding, and gentle hands to soothe her. 

“I knew,” her father said as he held her. “That you would be such a kind, strong hero. My wonderful girl. I’m so proud of you.”

Naoko kissed her hair as she sobbed. “We’re so glad you came home, Ochako.”

She cried in their arms for a long time, the quiet of the night disrupted only by her fading cries, and by the soft croons of her loving parents. 

I never realized how lucky I am…

Just like before with Izuku, the crying left her exhausted. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes were swollen. Her body felt heavy as she curled up on their couch. 

“After a good cry,” Naoko said. “We need a good movie and all your favorite snacks.”

Ochako smiled as her dad laughed. “Go wash up, Ochako. We’ll set everything up.”

She did as she was told. It felt good to just sit in the warm water, letting her body relax and her tired eyes close. 

After going through her whole story the way she had, it felt… like she could breathe again, deeply, completely… for the first time since it had all happened. No more frantic smiles to hide behind, no more suffocating walls, no more restraint. She felt so free, and yet so terrified. It was too open, too exposed. But there was no going back now. She was known now. 

She thought of Izuku then. How she’d held her feelings for him in as hard as she could, emerging through war and death and heartbreak and mourning before she could finally even think of opening up. And then there was just him—the way he’d smiled at her, the words he'd said, his eyes shining bright as he freely—immediately—returned her love. 

I really… she thought quietly. …had nothing to be afraid of… 

She imagined his hands again, rough and scarred as he was, but so gentle, so loving and tender. She imagined how he’d spoken to her, how he’d kissed her, making her feel like she was on fire with such a simple touch. And she wished he’d just keep on kissing her like that over and over. 

Is he really the same boy? She smiled at the thought. He’d grown so much, so much older and more confident, more bold. More kind. More thoughtful. More wonderful. 

*
Ochako sighed, settling deeper in the water, still completely blown away. Had all that really happened only a couple hours ago? It felt like some kind of outside experience, like she was no longer even in reality. Deku loves me. He loves me! It was incredible, hard to truly believe, and yet she could still feel the impression of his kisses on her lips, his hands holding her face between them as if she were made of porcelain. She lifted her hands to her face and shut her eyes, imagining those hands as she relived every touch he’d given her.

* 

When she finished up with her bath, she dried herself off and put on some pajamas her mother had laid out—“my comfiest set!” she’d said. 

Ochako laughed lightly, brushing through her hair when she saw her phone light up. She flipped it open to see a number of texts, missed while she was telling her story and taking a bath. There were multiple from Mina, and from Tooru—theirs demanding details and answers and Ochako again felt that desire to dig a pit and bury her head inside. Her stomach flipped and she moved on to the next set—congratulations from Momo and Kyoka, and from Iida as well. Still humiliating, but heartwarming as well. The one from Tsuyu was so dear, she felt her heart ache a little. No new ones from Izuku since she’d gotten home and let him know, and she found herself opening the thread. 

—Looks like everyone knows, huh?

She set the phone down to finish brushing her hair, but it buzzed a few moments after she’d sent it. 

Yeah… I didn’t even have to say anything either—

Ochako laughed despite her embarrassment. 

—sorry to leave you alone for that 

It’s fine! I’ll gladly take the embarrassment for you, since you hate it so much—

Ochako nearly cried again at that. Just how well did he know her? It was such a small, simple thing that caused her stress, and he was already shielding her from it. I guess he asked for that, she sighed. Since he broke my walls down in the first place. 

How’s it going?—

She sighed again and set to typing. 

—I told them everything. My head hurts from crying so much, but I feel like I needed it. I really did.

—thank you, Deku 

It was a couple minutes before he responded. 

I’m glad you were able to talk to them. I really was worried about how you keep everything in—

I guess about me too, huh?—

Ochako felt her heart throb, and she bit her lip. 

—yeah… about you too

—but there wasn't much time for stuff like that though. It wasn’t just me hiding. It was everything else too. We've all been working so hard, especially you. 

—I didn’t want to get in the way

Another tear rolled over her cheek before she’d even realized. She wiped it away, tired of crying. Then her phone buzzed and her efforts to stop her tears were thwarted. 

You could never be in my way— He wrote back immediately. 

You’ve always been helping me through. Every step of the way. So many people have helped me stand where I needed to stand, but I wouldn’t have even gotten accepted into UA without you—

You pulled me across my starting line—

Ochako’s eyes were blurry now as she read his messages. Then one more dinged as she began to type, and she just about started weeping all over again. 

So if you’d chosen to tell me before, I know you would’ve just helped me towards those goals even more. That’s just the kind of person you are—

She hugged the phone to her chest, hating that she couldn’t hug him right then. Maybe it was a wrong choice to come to her parent’s place this weekend after all.

—Deku!

—You’re not allowed to say such sweet things when I can’t be there to kiss you for it! 

Her message was so bold, but she sent it before she could erase it and second guess herself. 

Sorry—

She just buried her face in her towel, groaning at herself and wondering what he would do if she just stayed hidden in her parent’s bathroom forever. 

Her mind suddenly recalled the thunderous crack of him landing behind her on the cliff, bursting the ground beneath his feet… just because she was crying…

She’d always known he was a force to be reckoned with but seeing him like that was… wow. 

The phone buzzed and she peeked at it, her face flushed. 

Or you could keep count until Monday—

Another buzz.

You’re very pretty—

She stared at the texts, realizing he was flirting with her! Deku! Flirting with me! For some reason, the idea of Izuku flirting with her was more outlandish than kissing him. 

She tentatively typed her own response to that. 

—2

“Ochako?” She just about jumped out of her skin at her mother’s voice at the door. “I’ve got a package of mochi with your name on it.”

“I- I’m almost ready!” She called, feeling her phone buzz in her hand, making her feel all the more flushed. 

She looked down, and she smiled at the warmth that flooded her heart. 

You make me so happy, Ochako—

She hardly knew what to say to that! He was just so darn sweet. She felt those familiar butterflies swirl around her insides. 

—🩷

Ochako sighed, but she just couldn’t come up with words to respond. She hoped he understood. She tried to dismiss her insecurities and tell herself, yes he does. He knows me. After everything that had happened these last couple days, she almost thought he knew her better than she knew herself. 

Her phone buzzed one more time and she felt warmed all over again. 

I love you too— 

Goodnight, Ochako—

She sighed again. How good could he be?

—Goodnight, my wonderful Deku 

Feeling so incredibly loved, she finished up brushing her hair and joined her parents. 

Ochako curled into the couch next to her mom. Her pajamas were cozy, her mother was comfy, the movie was funny and relaxed, she had a bowl of sweet snacks beside her. Everything was almost perfect. 

She glanced at her phone again. She hadn’t texted him again, but she couldn’t stop glancing at the little conversation. She imagined being able to just watch a movie with him—something so normal, after everything that had happened. He could put his arm around her, she could curl up into him, hold his hand as he hugged her. Maybe he could kiss the top of her head… and she never realized how much of a romantic sap she could be until it became her reality…

*

Still she sighed, It’d be all the way perfect if Deku- if Izuku were here…

*

Ochako glanced at her mother and father, twisting a loose thread around her finger. Izuku—their relationship—was the one thing she'd left out of the story, and now… She groaned internally. Why was it always so hard to tell them—or anyone!—anything? 

“Who’re you texting?” Noako asked, her eyes still looking at the screen as she popped a chip in her mouth. 

Ochako bit her lip, feeling her cheeks burn. But she’d set out to tell them everything—and really this one she couldn’t very well hide for long anyway. 

“My uh….” She squirmed. “My… boyfriend…”

Naoko jerked her head down, her eyes uncharacteristically wide. “What?!”

Kenichi paused the movie, looking startled. “What is it?! What's wrong?!”

Ochako reevaluated everything. It was terrible being honest. Izuku was a liar. She buried her face in a pillow, feeling her ears burn. 

“You have a- Ochako, you can’t just-“ Naoko laughed after her exclamations. “C’mon, baby. Drop the pillow.”

“Nope…”

“What is going on?!” Kenichi cried. 

Naoko gave up on the pillow when Ochako refused to relinquish it. “Ochako just said- she’s texting- she has a boyfriend!” Naoko laughed, her voice like tinkling bells. She was joined by Kenichi’s boisterous belly laugh. 

Ochako sunk herself down into the cushions. Oh it’s gonna be so much worse when I go back to school!

Suddenly she was being lifted entirely from the couch, the pillow pulled away just to see her dad’s smiling face next to hers, his arms secure around her as he lifted her up into him. 

“Now how'd my little Ochako get herself a boyfriend when she shells up like this?”

Ochako pouted, letting him carry her like she was a little girl. “He yelled at me until I cried…”

“What?”

At that, Ochako snickered. Then sombered and laid her head on his shoulder. “Deku, he saw me, ya know? He sees me, through whatever walls I try to put up. And he just told me straight off that I needed to show him my tears, needed to lean on him and not bear everything alone. So… I did.”

Kenichi set her down on the couch and sat beside her, still holding firmly to his daughter. Naoko sat beside them, patting Ochako’s back. Ochako shut her eyes, amazed at how incredibly loved she felt in that moment—her parents holding her as they were, Izuku back at the dorms waiting for her to return, their class crying out for her to let them in. She sighed, breathing it in. 

“Deku,” Naoko said. “Izuku Midoriya?”

Ochako flushed again, but nodded. “Yup.”

“That’s wonderful, Ochako. What an amazing kid.” Kenichi said, hugging her tighter. “If it was anyone else, I’d have said no one’s good enough for my little girl, but well- I think he might just be the only exception I’d make.”

“Dad,” Ochako groaned, but Kenichi just laughed heartily. 

“I guess I’m not all that surprised,” Naoko said. “At least that it's him. The way you’ve always talked about that boy, everytime.”

Ochako sighed, covering her face again. “Was it really that obvious?”

“Sweetie,” her mother stroked her hair between her fingers. “We were there when you spoke up for him in front of that crowd.”

She cringed at the memory. Of course she never regretted what she’d done, or what she’d said. But the way people always talked about it was so centered on her, spotlight shining right at her. It was so uncomfortable how public it was—and it had to be. But… she really hated her feelings being known, didn’t she?

She sighed. “What I said wasn’t even about that…”

“I’m sure he was grateful though,” Naoko said softly. 

Ochako thought about Izuku’s words to her—how he’d shouted about all the things she’d done for him, listing so many things she hadn’t thought about in ages—he remembered it all. 

“You’re my hero!”

She gripped a hand to her chest, a soft warmth in her heart. “He was. He is.”

Kenichi patted her head. “Did you know he saved our lives?”

“He saved the country, so-“

“No sweetie, the two of us.”

Ochako sat up, staring at them with cold dread. “What?”

Naoko coaxed her back, letting her settle into the seat between them. “It was before you made your beautiful speech to him.”

Kenichi nodded. “When we were getting ready to move ourselves to UA, we got caught up in a small riot—looting, beating, all that. Then one of the fellows, a big guy with a nasty quirk, got all worked up and his quirk started going crazy, shaking everything around us. He didn’t like all the people around him, even though he was the one who wouldn’t let us leave. Opened up cracks under us like some kind of earthquake. Mom and I started to fall.”

Ochako stared in horror at the story. How had she not heard this? How could they not tell her? —the thought made her immediately feel like a hypocrite, but she didn’t care. 

“It was over in an instant,” Kenichi continued. “The kid, Deku, he’d taken down the big guy, snatched both of us from the fissure, and laid a large piece of debris over it so no one else could fall in.”

“I barely recognized him,” Naoko said. “He looked so haggard. We tried to thank him, but he was gone as quick as he’d come. Is he doing alright now, after everything? He’s really been through so much, hasn't he?”

Ochako opened her mouth to respond when Kenichi laughed loudly again. “I’ll bet he’s doing just fine! I mean, he just got a girlfriend, right?”

“Dad!” Ochako wailed, and Naoko laughed. 

“When did this happen, baby?” Naoko asked. 

Ochako felt her ears get warm. “Just… before I got on the train tonight…”

“Oooo,” they both cooed at her, and she just wanted to die again. 

Her shoulders dropped as she looked at her lap, tugging at her hair. “I… I’ve had a crush on him all year… I just didn’t realize… he liked me back.”

She frowned. Of course they were still teenagers. She knew they were young and inexperienced, but… to use such language as ‘crush’ and ‘like’ just felt… not quite accurate—past tense to what they felt like now. Having gone through the hell on earth that this war had been—after barely escaping with their lives in the end—after her words to Himiko—nothing short of deeply in love felt like it sufficed. Everything was too strong, too profound. And so, no, she didn’t have ‘a crush’ on Izuku Midoriya. She was wholly and completely, desperately, in love with him. And she felt that same depth of affection from him to her as well. 

It honestly scared her how deeply she loved him. But that, she supposed, was nothing new. 

Ochako looked up, tears brimming in her eyes. “I really love him… and I know he loves me. It’s all really strange and surreal.” 

“Well, you’ve never really liked anyone before,” Naoko said simply. “It’s normal.”

Ochako glanced at her smiling face, and wondered if it was. Had the weight of their experiences given this more weight? Or were they just teenagers in the haze of a first love? She didn’t know. She doubted she could at this point.

“You’ve gotta bring him over next time!” Kenichi laughed. “We gotta meet him properly!”

Ochako groaned. “I knew you'd say that…”

“Don’t we get to meet our little girl’s first boyfriend?”

She sunk into the couch, covering her face. “I suppose…”

“That’s the easy part, kid!” Kenichi said. 

“Doesn’t it make it easier that your parents already love him?” Naoko smiled. 

Ochako peaked through her fingers. “I guess so.”

Kenichi sighed and knelt down in front of her, placing his hand on her head. “This is all going pretty quickly, huh?”

Ochako bit her lip and nodded. 

He laughed, rubbing her hair now, just like he’d done when she was a little girl. 

“With this war over now, Ochako, you deserve things to calm down. Take it slow, there’s no hurry. Just take your time and get to know each other better. We can wait if you need.”

She let out a sigh, feeling her heart ache a bit. Then she leaned forward and threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Daddy.”

He grinned. “Just not too long, okay?”

She smiled wanly. “Okay.”

Chapter Text

Ochako stepped off the train, and a smile immediately filled her face as Izuku strode over to meet her. 

“Hi,” he said, smiling at her. 

“Hi,” she replied. 

He’d stopped just in front of her, as if he was unsure for a moment. But she understood, she felt the same. After that night in their rush of emotion and affection, having spent the weekend apart, it was a bit awkward. Neither of them could quite believe they’d already bridged this gap. 

Ochako felt her heart thump, but she stepped forward anyway, bringing him into a hug. He melted into her, his arms cradling her in a way she already adored. 

“Welcome back,” he said into her hair. 

“Good to be back,” she giggled. 

When they pulled away, Ochako looked up at his smiling face and felt herself go a little weak at the knees—which was a bit ridiculous. But she hadn’t spent time away from him in a while. And having spent the weekend thinking about him with no restraint from her hiding heart, she was just a little bit smitten, looking up into those gentle, green eyes, that loving smile. 

“Let’s go,” he said sweetly, taking her by the hand. 

I wanna kiss him… she thought soundly. I wanna kiss his adorable face. 

But there were far too many people milling about at the train station, and she could already feel the embarrassment starting to settle in just by holding his hand in the crowd. 

“It was weird not having you at the dorms,” Izuku said as they walked. “Although I can’t say anything different really happened. How was your weekend?”

*

Ochako tugged at her hair, feeling herself blushing. It was so strange, having such a normal conversation while he held her hand so romantically. “I- it was nice—my mom and dad were pretty excited to have me there. They went a little too out of their way to pamper me.”

*

He laughed, and she just took in the sight of it. He’s so cute. How'd he get to be so handsome? She just wanted to look at him all day. She recalled when she’d met him and how she’d called him plain. How wrong she’d been. 

“I think I’ll need to go home soon too,” he said. “With everything that’s happened, I really haven’t thought about my mom enough.”

She watched a flash of regret pass over his face, and she squeezed his hand. “I’m sure she’d like that.”

“I wonder if the dorm system will actually be abolished altogether,” he continued thoughtfully. “Since… well, you know.”

She nodded. He was right. The whole reason for them in the first place was the League of Villains and how they’d targeted their class from the get go. With no more League, then there really wasn’t a reason to board them on the campus. 

It would be sad, though, to permanently part from it. Living in the dorms was how they’d all grown so close. They’d had so much fun having their own space to spend time together, to cook and make a home together, study and learn together, all of it. Their dorms were definitely like home now. 

“I can understand why they’d abolish it,” Ochako replied. “But I would miss it so much. I already did just being away for the weekend.”

She thought of their class, how dear they’d become to her. Although…

She groaned, remembering that she’d actively ignored many of them and their texts to her and how she was absolutely gonna get it when they got to class… 

“Actually maybe I should just stay home forever…” she grumbled, shrinking in on herself. “They're gonna be so crazy today…”

Izuku looked confused for a moment, then looked down at their hands and nodded. “Yeah… since they didn’t get a chance to talk to you yet, they probably will. And I’m sure what I said was not nearly satisfying enough.”

“You didn’t talk about it?”

He shrugged. “Not very much. I didn’t really know what to say. How are you supposed to respond when someone asks stuff like that? I don't know. I’m out of my depth with all this.”

“Me too,” Ochako sighed. 

His face went from a pleasant blush to a long, beleaguered scowl. “Mineta tried hard too… I had to actually have a talk with him about all that…”

She blinked, then blushed, realizing exactly what kinds of things Mineta would’ve wanted to talk about. “About me?!”

Izuku covered his face with his freehand, blushing brightly. “I- I told him he wasn’t allowed to talk l- l- like that-! about you, or us, or any of it—I wanted to make sure he knew that before you came back- ugh, what a conversation that had been…”

The flash of discomfort eased and she felt warmth within her burn brighter than before. He even thought of my discomfort in that. It hadn’t even crossed her mind how battling Mineta’s comments would’ve mortified and humiliated her beyond belief—but Izuku had already taken care of it for her.

She pulled on his hand until he stopped to look at her. She smiled and went up on her toes to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Deku.”

*

He pressed his hand to his face and gawked at her, stunned, but also... adoring. The way he looked at her—the way it made her feel so incredibly seen and far too seen set her heart racing. She flushed and tore her eyes from his. “W- we should probably keep going, so we’re not late!”

“Mhm,” Izuku said, a blush on his cheeks as well.

As they walked along the paths back to their school, Ochako looked around. Much of it was back to normal, although there was still rubble strewn about in the creases and corners of their walk. They hopped over a jagged crack in the sidewalk, and Ochako glanced back at it. 

*

As at ease as she felt right then, walking to school, holding Izuku’s hand —everything had been affected. Even his hand itself was layered scars upon scars, and she could feel them raised and pocked against her skin.

And, hidden from view, she felt the tight pull of that jagged scar upon herself… but she pushed that sensation away from her mind, focusing on the hand wrapped around hers.  

She looked up at him, and he had a smile on his face as they walked in a pleasant quiet. And she remembered when these streets were ravaged, the atmosphere cold and dark, and Izuku, my Deku, fighting alone in that darkness as it tore him apart—just trying to save every person that he could, including her and their friends. 

They passed through the UA entrance gate when Izuku saw her gaze on him—concern flashed through his eyes. “What's the matter?”

Ochako blinked, feeling her eyes sting a bit, but she pushed away the tears. “Deku… did you know that you saved my parent’s lives?”

He stopped, his eyes widening. “What?”

Ochako nodded. “Back when you were fighting alone. They were on their way to UA—Deku, I didn’t know either.”

He looked like he was raking through his memories, trying to remember when. “I- I don’t remember. What happened?”

“My dad said they got caught up in some sort of robbery or riot or something,” she said. “One of them had a strong quirk and it broke the ground, and then before they could fall in a sinkhole, you saved them.”

She gripped his hand tighter. “You say I’ve been a blessing in your life, but it’s you—you’re the one who… I’d have lost everything and not even known it…” 

Before she could cry, she wiped at her face and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Deku. Truly, thank you. You saved my family—my world.”

“I didn't know,” Izuku replied with gentle eyes. He looked down. “I think I remember that instance at least. The man was another jailbreaker—dangerous. He’d kill without remorse. There were a number of civilians dead before I caught up to him.”

He took her other hand, grasping her tightly. “I’m so glad I was able to help your parents. I had no idea.”

“They say they knew you, or at least recognized that it was you afterward,” she said. “They tried to thank you, but never got the chance.”

He smiled softly. “I’ll have to come by sometime.”

Ochako felt a blush on her face, but smiled anyway. “You should—it’s only proper for a girl’s parents to meet her boyfriend.”

He blushed too, laughing softly. How dearly she loved his face when he laughed…

“And besides, they already adore you, so you don’t have to worry about makin’ a good impression.”

He blinked. “They do?”

“Of course they do!” She giggled. “You saved their lives, you saved the nation, and you’ve been a devoted friend to me since the beginning of school. What’s not to love? You’re a very impressive person, you know.”

“I see.” Izuku was looking at her again, his expression soft as he just looked at her. Something about that look, how his pretty green eyes seemed to light up as she met them—it was so obvious how much he loved her. It made her heart ache, her stomach flutter with butterflies, and it stilled the world around her, making everything feel like sunshine. She wanted to look at him forever, but it also made her heart feel like it would burst. 

Oh, he has no idea what he’s doing to me…

Ochako flushed under his gaze—it was just too much, too much exposure to how much he loved her, it overwhelmed her every time. 

“So- uh- whenever works for you, they’d be happy to have me bring you along,” Ochako stuttered out, averting her eyes. 

“Oh, um… my mom actually was asking for the same,” he replied, blinking as if he were in a daze. “She hasn't seen much of me since… well, everything, and I was thinking of bringing you with me. Would that be alright?”

She felt that warmth in her heart swell. He was asking her to come meet his mother—she felt those flustered feelings in conjunction with her love, her usual combination of emotions when Izuku did so much as look at her—so she should probably get used to it. 

“Of course,” Ochako said, her voice quieter now. “I’d love to come.”

Izuku smiled brightly and grasped her hand a little tighter. “I’ll let her know.”

She felt herself smile in return, being drawn into it yet again—and yet again, the amount of sheer adoration he could send her in such an expression was genuinely impressive. 

Rubbing at her hair awkwardly, she tore her eyes away from him. “J- just let me know when then.”

She heard him breathe a soft laugh. “Okay.”

Ochako Uraraka, Izuku decided, was a much more complicated person than most anyone thought. Sometimes she was carefree and happily affectionate with him, like when they’d sat on that bench and kissed and cried and talked for nearly an hour—and other times, the strangest things overwhelmed and embarrassed her. And he couldn’t figure out when it was going to be which. 

All I did was look at her, right? But she seemed so embarrassed. He wondered why. What would set it off? How could he avoid that and just be able to have her relax with him. He wished he could ease the discomfort she so obviously felt, but he supposed some of that would just have to come with time as they got more used to this. 

They walked into the classroom, hands intertwined—something they’d chosen to do just to get all those reactions out of the way. Ochako had been uncomfortable there, but so had he, so he understood. It was honestly baffling the reactions they’d elicited. The only thing that calmed them down was Aizawa getting after them for making a ruckus. 

Most of the day went by like normal—almost too normal. He’d missed her so much over the weekend, but now that she was here, it was almost like nothing had changed… at least when other people were around. 

But it was becoming increasingly obvious any alone time was going to have to be fought for. 

When they were dismissed from their classes for lunch, Aizawa called for the two of them to stay behind. Izuku glanced at Ochako, but she was dedicatedly forcing her books into her bag. 

“I don’t care about the love lives of my students,” Aizawa said as they stood before the desk. “There’s no policy against such things at UA. However…”

The glare he gave them was withering. 

“With you both living in the same dorm, I expect you to behave appropriately. Understood?”

They both flushed from head to foot. Izuku understood why it would be necessary for a teacher to address a topic like this, but… how utterly mortifying… 

“Ah- of course!”

“Yes, teacher!”

Aizawa frowned, then pinched his nose. “Good. If you don’t make this a problem, and you pay attention to your studies, I don’t care. Now go to lunch.”

Izuku was sure that both of them couldn’t have been more relieved to leave that classroom. In fact, they'd both left so quickly that they’d missed the soft smile their teacher had on his face as they sped out the door. 

Once in the empty hallway, Ochako slumped, embarrassment clear on her face. 

“Gaaaahhh! Will this day ever end?!” She exclaimed, but there was a laugh in her voice. 

“I guess we just grin and bear it,” Izuku replied. 

She blew out a breath, then laughed. “That’s better than any sort of alternative.”

Izuku nodded, then took her hand happily. “That’s true.”

Ochako looked up at him as a beat of quiet spread between them. For a moment, Izuku worried that she was going to retreat again, like she’d done that morning. Instead, she stepped forward and kissed his lips softly. He blinked, body frozen. Before he could even react, she pulled back and kissed him once again. Both far too briefly. It didn’t stop his heart from lurching and his face flushing. 

When she opened her eyes, she smiled softly. “Not a lot of chances to do that today. So there’s me paying you back.”

Ah yes, his haphazard attempt at flirting with her. It was easier over text, for sure, but he knew that the moment he tried that in person, he’d fail miserably and utterly humiliate himself. 

Still he grinned as he felt the impression of her against his lips, and he resisted the urge to do it again—right outside the classroom where their teacher had just warned them about being ‘inappropriate.’ So instead, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her warmly. She laughed breathlessly, pressing her face into his neck, and he just sighed. He tugged her closer, feeling such a soft comfort simply by holding her. 

“I love this,” she hummed. 

“Me too,” he said, squeezing her a bit tighter. 

She hugged him a moment more before pulling away with a smile. “C’mon, we’re gonna be late for lunch.”

He heard down the hallway a familiar sound and paused. He glanced behind them and started to blush, but he gave Ochako a bright smile. “You go on ahead, I have to check something.”

Ochako blinked, then smiled happily. “Okay!” 

She glanced around once more, then leaned in and kissed him briefly yet again. Then she skipped off and was gone. 

He sighed after her, then wheeled down the hallway and around the corner. 

“All Might!”

“Young Midoriya!” He shouted happily, leaning back in his electric wheelchair. “Forgive me for eavesdropping, it wasn’t my intention.”

"O- oh..." Izuku flushed, realizing he'd definitely seen that whole exchange. “…Why’re you back at school? I thought you’d still be resting.”

“I couldn’t just lounge around, not when everyone’s working so hard,” All Might replied. “But you didn’t tell me about this new development with Young Uraraka! When did this happen?”

“Ah-!” He scratched the back of his neck, blushing brightly. “Friday night… she uh- told me while I walked her to the train—she’s been home until just this morning.”

“I see,” All Might said, then smiled warmly at him, and Izuku felt eased just by that look alone.  “I’m happy for you, my boy. What a good girl Young Uraraka is.”

“Yeah,” Izuku sighed. “She really is.”

“When I came to find you after class though, I didn’t expect I’d be interrupting a little lover’s rendezvous, so I apologize for that-“

“A what?!”

All Might laughed then, reaching up to pat his shoulder. “It’s alright, although I’d refrain from such moments in front of the classroom—Aizawa is much quieter than I am.”

Izuku felt like he was melting in embarrassment. “Y- yeah…”

“But are you meeting her for lunch then? I won’t keep you,” All Might smiled. 

“Actually, All Might, I had something I wanted to ask you about,” Izuku said, growing a little more somber at the sight of the man.

“What is it, Young Midoriya?”

He opened his mouth, then stopped and shook his head. “I- actually, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

All Might tilted his head, concern on his face. “You know that I’m here for you, for whatever you need.”

Izuku felt his heart swell, part of him still baffled that he had such a relationship with All Might—the hero he had always looked up to, always admired and aspired to be like. And to compare those childhood hopes and dreams with the reality of being his actual student, his successor—it was just too incredible. Truly, he’d been blessed enough in his short life to have accounted for a lifetime. 

“Thanks,” he smiled, wrenching his heart to feel gratitude instead of loss. “I really can’t thank you enough—for everything, All Might.”

To have been chosen by All Might, trained and taught by All Might, and given such opportunities—he had no right at all to complain. 

All Might smiled then. “And I thank you, my boy. I’m grateful more than you can know.”

Izuku bit his lip, feeling his eyes stinging, but he pushed it back. “Will you be teaching today?”

“Yes, fortunately,” he said. “Although it’ll probably just be training in Gym Gamma today. I’m not entirely sure what curriculum to come up with now for Hero Basic Training. It feels a bit redundant—after everything you and your class have done, you're fledgling heroes in age alone.”

Izuku nodded. “Alright, well I should get to lunch before I miss it.”

“I won’t keep you,” All Might said again. “And tell Young Uraraka I’m happy for her and you both.”

He blushed. “Thanks, All Might.”

All Might sent him off with a wave, and Izuku sighed as he made his way through the hallways. 

I’m grateful, he thought to himself. I’m so grateful for my life.

And even as that cloud of unfairness swept over him, he envisioned the couple years he’d had with his hero, and the blessing One for All was to him. He pictured how amazing it had been—to live his dream. 

He looked down at his hand, feeling those flames lingering, burning within him gently—for now. He clenched his fist and moved towards the cafeteria, brushing it aside.

I am… grateful.

Chapter Text

Izuku picked up a tray of humble portions and made his way over to where Ochako sat, joined by Asui, Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki—and he smiled at their very familiar grouping of friends. Then Ochako looked up and smiled radiantly and he felt even more blessed.

“What did you need to check?” Ochako asked, and he gave her a wan smile. 

“I saw All Might in the hallway, so I was just talking to him for a bit.”

“All Might? He was-?” She cut off, her eyes widening. 

Izuku bit his lip and gave her a small shrug, and she blushed brightly as she realized that, yes, All Might had indeed seen her kiss him. Three times. Lover’s rendezvous… he flushed and shook his head at the recollection. But despite her discomfort, he couldn’t help but smile. She was always so cute. 

He placed a reassuring hand on her back as she tried to quietly compose herself. 

“All Might is here?” Todoroki asked. “I didn’t see him.”

“Yeah, he must've just arrived,” Izuku replied. “He said we'd be training in Gym Gamma for today.”

“A calm day, then,” Iida said. 

“All Might said he wasn’t sure what to teach us now,” Izuku said, and he felt that somber air come over him once again. And looking across the faces at the table, it seemed he wasn’t the only one. 

“Quirk training is just as well,” Asui said after a beat. “Honestly it’s a bit peaceful, ribbit. And I know there’s still things that I can work on. It’s not like we’re perfect at it or anything.”

Izuku was still at the conversation turn—each of them discussing their quirks and what they wanted to try out, practice on, flaws, improvements. He still had the embers, it was true, and he loved spending time training with these people, these precious friends and comrades—but… To use the embers for training purposes seemed… wasteful. But was it wasteful to spend this last bit of time with these people who had learned and grown beside him this whole time? If he didn’t waste the time he had with his power, would he be wasting this little time with his friends?

He’d be lying, though, if he said he didn't already feel like he was being left behind…

“I…” Ochako said softly from beside him, looking down at her hand. “I need to see if I can… use that again.”

He looked at her, and he thought of the footage of her fight with Toga. He’d tried to watch as much as was available for each of them, and Ochako’s was no exception. He’d watched her struggle, he’d watched as the cameras caught the moment she’d been injured—and his stomach had churned at the viciousness of the attack that Toga had inflicted upon her. He’d watched as Ochako, bleeding and struggling, had somehow changed her quirk, lifting every single clone and person in the vicinity, without direct contact—thousands of people encased in the bubbles of pink lightmi. Truly remarkable. 

He felt a mixture of things. Awe, wonder, burning curiosity, terror remembering the blood, just how close she’d been to death… He felt envy too as he thought of One for All, but he chose not to dwell on that one too heavily. Maybe he was a hypocrite, ignoring those feelings within him as he’d scolded Ochako for hiding hers—yet, he pushed them aside and kept them to himself. 

But what else was he supposed to do?

With a sigh, he reached out for her hand, grasping it quietly and out of sight under the table. He didn’t look at her, but he felt her eyes on him, and the squeeze of her hand. And he was immensely relieved that he could even hold her hand like this—something that would've been impossible without Eri. So he let the comfort of her touch sweep through him, soothing these feelings within him. 

He glanced at her and caught her eye silently as the others continued to talk about their training plans. She gave him a questioning look, and he smiled gently, lacing his fingers with hers. 

When she smiled, he felt like he could easily leave his problems behind and just bask in her. And he wanted to do just that. He was so overjoyed to have her in his life like this. She made him breathlessly happy, and he was beyond grateful to be able to pour his heart out to her, let his mind settle upon her. After everything that had happened, he was happy to shift his focus onto her as much as he could.  

Ochako blushed under his gaze, but this time she stayed, smiling sweetly at him. Neither of them noticed it when Ashido slid into the seat across from them, a coy smile on her face. 

“Hey, Ochakooo,” she called, drawing them out of their love dappled little moment. 

Ochako blinked as she turned from his gaze to see Ashido. 

“You guys done pining yet?”

Izuku blushed, laughing a bit, but Ochako dropped her face onto the tabletop, a loud smack emanating from it. 

“Uraraka!” Iida cried as Izuku jumped. “Are you trying to concuss yourself?!”

“Maybe…” her voice muttered from the table. 

“She’s fine,” Ashido folded her arms, her face mischievous. “But you got some explaining to do, and no, I’m not gonna leave you alone about it. Leaving Midoriya to do all the explaining is not gonna cut it.”

“Ashido-“ he started, but she would not be subdued. 

She leaned across the table, tapping on Ochako’s head. “Hey hey, guess what! Sleepover in your room tonight, okay?”

Ochako shot up, horror on her face. “What?!”

Ashido grinned. “I’ll bring you mochi!”

Her shoulders slumped. “You think I’m so easily bought off?”

Ashido laughed. “I have two whole packages for you!”

Ochako pursed her lips, then folded her arms. 

“Three then,” she laughed, and despite the red in her cheeks, Ochako laughed too. 

Apparently she is easily bought off.

“And it’ll be fun, I promise,” Ashido sighed. “Afterall, you avoided us all weekend. Fair is fair.”

“I wasn’t avoiding you…” Ochako said.

“Yeah, you were,” Ashido retorted with another laugh. “But we’ll just get everything outta you tonight, so it’s fine. Sorry, Midoriya. We’re gonna talk about you a lot.”

He flushed, flabbergasted at that. “O- okay?”

Ochako’s face was on the table again. “Mina…!”

Ashido reached out and patted Ochako’s hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll let everyone know and arrange it. You don’t have to do a thing.”

“Except talk…”

“Now you get it,” Ashido smiled. Then waved as she strode away. “See you later!”

“She sure is interested in your personal life,” Iida commented. “I’m content just knowing you two are happy, and am happy to be in your confidence if you desire, but it’s strange to me that she and Hagakure want to force it.”

“Some people are just like that,” Asui said. “Apparently it’s a normal topic of conversation at sleepovers and things like that, ribbit.”

“I remember the one at our summer camp,” Ochako moaned. “I was still figuring out my feelings, so I felt like fresh meat.”

Izuku blinked at her, then smiled softly as she buried her face on the table. He knew she’d liked him back then, but to hear specifics about it made him reel a little bit.

“You didn’t talk about it though,” Yaoyorozu said from beside Todoroki. “At least, I don’t remember if you did.”

“No, I definitely didn’t, I just tried not to show how much I was blushing,” Ochako said, then pulled herself up and sighed. “Isn’t there anything else anyone wants to talk about today?”

The group looked at each other, then Todoroki said blankly. “There’s a new selection of soup on Lunch Rush’s menu.”

At that, they all laughed. Izuku leaned an elbow on the table, smiling at that beautiful, bright, blushing girl, his heart feeling so full at the sight of her—especially as she laughed. She was being pushed on all sides to be more open—about everything. Of course he’d started that, and their class had continued it, refusing to let her hide again. But she was so hesitant to do so, even about something so positive as their relationship. And he thought back to that night the week before, when she’d ran away to cry all alone, trying so desperately to hide it all. So despite her discomfort, he was glad for it, for all of this. He was glad she wasn’t running anymore. And of course, he was glad she’d told him how she felt. He looked at her and wanted to take her hand again, but he refrained, figuring she’d just be embarrassed all over again—so he contented himself to just smile at her as she laughed with their friends. 

Their school day went by quickly after that, and with it being an off day from their community cleanup, it gave them time to tend to their studies as well. He was grateful for that, although it felt so strange and off—to go back to doing homework after everything they’d been through. But he was sure Aizawa figured it was perfectly logical. They were still students, after all. 

Ochako had gone off to her room, letting herself have a “little escape from the madness” as she’d said. Izuku contented himself to study on his own as well. 

So he was surprised when she’d texted him a little while after dinner.

—meet me at the steps outside

He blinked, confused. 

Sure—

Are you okay?—

It was a few moments before she responded. 

—yeah I am. I just wanted to go on a walk with you

—I’m just gonna hop out my window

—can you grab my shoes?

He snorted at that, but smiled anyway. Just how desperate was she to hide?

I’ll be right there—

He shut his schoolbooks and slid them into his backpack, completely amused by his adorable girlfriend—and he was still so flabbergasted that he could just call her that now. 

He shook his head and made his way to the entry way. He tapped on his own shoes, then picked up her pink tennis shoes and quietly walked out the door. 

He walked past the porch and down the steps, looking around for her. 

“Deku!”

He looked up toward the sound of her voice to see her floating through the air, a happy smile on her face. He laughed, struck as he always was when she used her quirk. She was so beautiful, the way she sailed gently through the air, her hair and clothes billowing around her like she was straight out of a classical painting. So he just smiled in awe of her as she drifted towards him. 

As she got closer, she reached out to him, and he caught her soft hand in his, effortlessly pulling her through the air. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him snugly. 

“I missed you,” she sighed into his ear. 

He laughed nervously, feeling himself blush. “It’s only been an hour or so.”

“I mean on our own,” she said, giving him a squeeze. “Did you get my shoes?”

“Right here,” he smiled. 

Ochako pulled back, giving him a dazzling smile as she took her shoes from him. “Thank you!”

She released her quirk and let her feet touch the ground, then slid her shoes on. “I feel like we haven’t even gotten a chance to breathe. I thought a walk would be nice.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, extending his hand to her. 

She smiled happily at him, sliding her fingers between his. 

As they walked, Izuku glanced at the girl beside him, a smile on her mouth as she talked. It was a relief to see her relax. And it brought him a lot of delight to know that she would seek him out specifically to relax. And he felt it too, letting it bring a little peace to all those parts of his heart that still ached. He was honestly happy to just let himself be happy, instead of dwelling on everything else so much. 

They were quiet for a time, and the warm summer breeze swept through the trees around them. He let out a breath, looking at her as she tucked her hair behind her ears. She’s so beautiful, I can’t believe I get to call her mine.

She caught him staring, and pink tinged her cheeks. “What is it?”

He blushed, but smiled anyway. He squeezed her hand. “I’m just really happy you’re my girlfriend.”

She smiled, her cheeks going rosier. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Ah- yeah. I- me too.”

He felt again that pull away from him—something in her reaction telling him that she was getting overwhelmed by him again, just like that morning. He didn't think he’d said anything that outlandish or romantic. She was… incredibly bashful sometimes—more so than he was now, which was surprising. Was she uncomfortable? Was she happy? He couldn’t tell, these random bouts were a little confusing. 

But…

He bit his lip, but held tighter to her hand and gently pulled her about until they were facing each other. Ochako looked at him, a timid surprise in her eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, tilting his head. 

“Eh- what do you mean?”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” He asked, his voice soft as he watched her face. 

Ochako’s eyes widened, and she flushed a little harder as she looked away. “N- no, I’m fine.”

“Ochako,” he said, his voice still soft, but firm. 

She looked back, and he hesitated. It was so strange how much more he was learning about her having taken such a step with her. And realizing how much he didn’t know. 

“I’m not upset or anything,” she said, letting her smile relax into an unsure glance. “Of course I’m not. I just… I don’t always know what to say.”

“That’s okay,” he said gently, taking her other hand. “But when you pull away like you do, I just- I want to understand. I want to know where you want me.”

“I want you next to me,” she said quickly, grasping his hand tighter. “I- sorry, I’m not trying to be difficult.”

“You’re not being difficult, Ochako,” he said. “I wanna do this right, but I just- I’m new to this.”

Ochako heaved a laugh. “We both are.”

“Yeah,” Izuku sighed. “I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

She frowned, looking down at her feet. "I'm sorry. I- that's not what-" And then she stomped a foot, pulling her hands away to smack herself in the forehead. 

"What're you-!"

"I really suck at talking about my feelings!" She exclaimed, frustration in her words, even as she half laughed at herself. She shook her head and blew out a breath before looking at him again. "Deku, you do not make me uncomfortable. You make me feel loved. That's why."

Izuku blinked. "Isn't that a… good thing?"

"Yes," she said. "I'm just really really bad at accepting it, I guess."

She bowed her head forward, pulling her hair over her face. "The way you look at me, the way you talk to me, hold my hand, k- kiss me… I can just… feel… how much you love me. And I wanna give that all back to you too, 'cuz I feel the same. But then I just look at you, and I feel that urge to hide it again—like I’ve been doing this whole time. Every time I feel how much my heart feels, I’m used to just- I put it aside. Because focusing on it was always too much– At least, that’s what I’ve done up until now. Now, it’s so… feeling all that love you have for me… I guess it is a bit overwhelming.”

She looked up from where she was wringing at her skirt, then shook her hands in front of her. "N- not to say that any of it is bad! It's not! I'm so happy too, I just don't know how to react everytime…"

Izuku just smiled, feeling relieved. At least she's not changing her mind about this whole thing. 

"I'm not sure what to do about it then," he laughed. "I'm not gonna stop loving you."

Ochako gave him such a sweet smile. She reached out and held his hands once more. "No, please don't. And really, there's nothing to fix. It's just- me."

Izuku wasn't sure about her insinuation that she was a problem, but left it be for now. Still, the feeling of her pulling back from him weighed on him. "When it is overwhelming, do you need me to back off? I can do that, if you want me to."

Her hands gripped his as she looked up at him a little bit helplessly. "I… don't know what I want. No? No. I don't want you to back off. But…" She sighed again. "Maybe I'll be able to get used to it after a while."

She nodded to herself, and turned to him. "Maybe when I do feel overwhelmed, we just ignore it? If you can just keep giving me your love, I'm sure that that feeling will go away quicker, right?"

"Um, yeah okay," he replied, still grasping her hands. Then laughed. This whole situation was so new, so strange. Ochako was so strange, and he loved her all the more for it. However, specifically ignoring her when she wanted to retreat seemed a little forceful. But that was how this had begun–he'd crashed into that cliffside and taken her hands and her burdens whether she'd wanted him to or not. But the more strange it was, the more he felt this was special, she was special and rare, and worth any bump in the road.

Then she flushed, and he realized how long he'd been staring at her. Again he felt how flustered she was beginning to feel, and he laughed a bit.

"Like that?"

Ochako sighed, scratching at her hair. "Yeah, like that…"

He was about to apologize, then stopped. Instead, he reached out, stepping closer. Her eyes widened, but she didn't step away. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him. I love her too much, huh? It genuinely made him want to laugh. 

He smiled, then, ignoring his own embarrassment and overwhelmed feelings, he brought her face up and kissed her. Her hands grasped his sleeves as she moved with him, kissing him back. It was different than the other kisses they had shared up to that point. It was still soft and lingering, but deeper than any they'd kissed before. Izuku let himself kiss her more passionately than he'd done previously, hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. He couldn’t think, his mind a blur, lost in the feeling of her. And he was indeed overwhelmed—but he had zero desire to run away. Ochako’s hands reached up to his cheeks, and he felt the strange numbness of her fingertips against his scar. He barely even noticed the sudden swooping feeling within him as their feet left the sidewalk, his body weightless with hers. She sighed against him, and he thrilled at it, kissing her with a strange sense of urgency. He brought a hand up, trailing over her back until he laced his fingers in her hair, cradling her into his kiss. 

As they were swept away in each other, his thoughts finally emerged to tell him: ‘You’re on a public walkway!’ And he realized just how easily something like this could get out of hand... He’d have to be careful. 

He stilled against her, giving her one last lingering kiss, then slowly pulled away, gaping at her as he caught his breath. Her face was so close, flushed and soft. Her hair whipped about her face, free from gravity—he loved it when it did that. 

She blinked, looking dazed, then she laughed. “T- that’s one way to do it…” she said breathlessly. 

Izuku couldn't help it. His actions caught up with his mind and his face felt like it was on fire. It didn't help that his lips tingled from kissing her like that, and that rush of it all still burned in him. He felt beyond mortified. 

He covered his mouth and jerked back from her, feeling the leaves of a tree behind him. He grabbed the branch, steadying himself as she floated in front of him, looking downright ethereal. 

“O- Ochako…”

“Hmm?” She smiled, her face still a bit dazed, and he just blushed more to have her looking at him like that, floating toward him like some kind of angel. 

He just sighed, covering his blushing face and turning away. I can’t believe I did that… Thank goodness nobody had walked by… that he knew of…

Ochako laughed, her embarrassment somehow miraculously gone—effectively transferred into him, it seemed. She came forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. 

“Oh Izuku,” she smiled, pressing her lips to his cheek. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head, but laughed anyway. “I might have gotten carried away…”

Her hands clasped together against his chest, and he took in a deliberate breath. 

“I noticed,” she sighed, her voice so close beside his ear—which did not help him calm down.  

“S- sorry…”

Ochako laid her head against his shoulder, embracing him soundly. “You don't have anything to be sorry about. Nothing at all.”

Her voice lowered and she pressed her face into his neck. “It did help though.”

“I think it’s because I took on all of your embarrassment,” he muttered, shutting his eyes and sinking into her embrace. 

“Maybe,” she laughed, her voice so light and happy. “Maybe it was beyond overwhelming and I’m desentized now.”

Izuku just groaned. 

Ochako touched his hand and pulled it from his face. Then she gently cupped his cheek until he was looking at her again. Gosh, she’s so beautiful.

“Izuku,” she whispered, her voice more still now than before. 

“Hm?”

“I think…” she started. “I will love you all my life.”

Izuku felt the breeze still, the rustling branches around them settling restlessly. And Ochako, with her hair floating honey-warm around her face, smiled—her smile feeling like it was almost lost within those feelings she felt. But he could feel how much she meant it. He could feel, with her, the weight of their future before them. This was only the beginning. After everything they’d been through, after it all—to know how much they had ahead eased the present pain, and he felt his heart still with the trees around them. 

Tears stung at his eyes, and he reached out and grasped one of her hands, then brought it into him. He pressed her hand to his heart, shutting his eyes in this soft peace she had spelled upon them. 

“Ockako,” he breathed. Then he leaned in and touched his forehead to hers. “You make me feel so blessed.”

She laughed softly as they floated in the sun dappled trees. “Same.”

“It’s not just this,” he said, holding her tighter, feeling how solemn his heart grew. “But in everything. Ochako—I am so moved by you. So inspired by you. Everything that you’ve done, every way you’ve shown me I can rely on you—I’m just so grateful.”

Ochako blushed, but her smile remained. “Deku, you- I don’t even know how I could be that inspiring honestly!”

“You are,” he breathed. “Just by being you.”

She let out a heavy sigh, pressing a hand to her blushing cheek. “Deku…”

He grasped both his hands to hers on his chest, against his heart. “In my last charge toward Tenko and All for One, when everyone came to fight with me on that battlefield—Ochako, even though you couldn’t be there, I felt you—your inspiration guiding me, leading us all on.”

She blinked, opening her mouth, but no words came. So he continued. 

“Iida caught me by the arm and helped me stay on my feet as I ran, and he told me—he said he finally understood what you meant when you gave my nickname a new meaning.” He stroked his thumbs over her knuckles. “‘Do your best.’ It was so simple, and yet I carried that with me to the end. It got me through, carrying that mantra like a banner, and it felt like the whole world was shouting it out to me. So thank you—for guiding me to the end, and thank you for loving me. Even though you never said anything until now, I think… I could always feel it.”

Her brown eyes were wide, and he watched as they filled with tears. Then she smiled, her tears floating around her face. “I never realized how transparent I was.”

He shrugged. “We were both a little bit preoccupied. But I wouldn’t change anything.”

“Me either,” she sighed. 

The sidewalk was far below them now as they floated inside the tree canopy. Izuku glanced down at the ground, then when he didn’t see anyone around, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. And as she kissed him back, melting into him, he was sure that she was right—he would love her to the end of his days, and in whatever came afterward.  

Eventually they had to return, much to Ochako’s dismay—which only grew the closer they got to the dorm building. 

Ochako stopped on the covered porch area, squirming. “What if I just go back to my parents’ house? They’d understand, right?”

Izuku just smiled at her, knowing that whatever answer he could give her would be pointless. Their persistence was impressive, honestly. 

But, even as embarrassing as it was, he thought back to just how much he felt so loved by them all—how when they’d found out about him and Ochako, how happy they all were for them. Izuku knew that those girls just wanted to show Ochako how much they care. 

“We have a lot of good friends, don’t we?” He said softly. 

Ochako sighed. “Too good, I think.”

He squeezed her hand gently. “They all love you, Ochako. Give them a chance to show you that.”

She looked up at him a little hopelessly, but nodded. “I know. I’m trying. It’s just…”

He hugged her gently, feeling such warmth at being able to do that. “I know. It’s okay.”

He touched her cheek and was about to kiss her once more when they heard muffled giggles through the glass of the window, and they both flushed to their ears. “Ah- we have an audience…”

Ochako bit her lip. “Yep.”

Izuku pulled back from her, feeling incredibly awkward, and they both looked in to see a number of very predictable faces looking back at them.

“They noticed!” They heard Hagakure cry. 

The two of them laughed at their dear, very nosy, friends as they scrambled over each other. Izuku opened the door, blushing as he looked over the group. Ashido, Hagakure, Kaminari, Mineta, Kirishima and Sero, and Jirou near the other wall looking too nonchalant.  

“Welcome back!” Ashido said happily. “How was your walk?”

“Uh…”

Just like the night he’d returned from the train, there were a lot of questions and laughter, and even as he felt embarrassed, he couldn’t help but feel eased by it. Ochako, on the other hand, had pulled away from him entirely, her face flaming. 

“Well, we’re here to retrieve you,” laughed Jirou. “Say your goodnights and face your punishment.”

Ochako sighed at her, then looked desperately at Izuku and gave him a tiny, strained little goodnight. 

He grasped her hand, which just made her look more embarrassed, but he tried to give her a reassuring smile. “Have fun, okay?”

She groaned, but was whisked away anyway. 

“Sorry, man,” Kirishima said, chuckling. “But you know how Ashido and Hagakure are.”

Izuku nodded. “I know. It’s alright.”

Mineta looked like he wanted to say something, then in frustration, said nothing. And Izuku thought back to that awful conversation they’d had—how he’d had to be dead serious to make sure his point and lines were made clear. So Mineta saying nothing now, just showed Izuku that he too cared, in his own, strange way. And Izuku appreciated that. 

But with perversion taken off the table as a subject of conversation, both Mineta and Kaminari didn’t have a lot to say. Other than congratulations, which he could handle far better. 

“How'd you get up the courage, man?” Kaminari said as they got ready for bed. “No offense, but I didn't think you’d be the first of us to get a girlfriend.”

Izuku flushed, but shrugged. “I guess it helped she liked me back?”

Kaminari tilted his head, frowning in the mirror. “Hmm.”

He glanced up, thinking of that girl now, and he couldn’t help but smile lightly. I hope you let yourself have fun, Ochako.

He pulled out his phone and shot her a text, then went back to brushing his teeth. 

Chapter Text

Ochako felt trapped, sitting on the floor covered in blankets and pillows. Her room was far too small to really house the six of them. After this first day being back after she and Izuku had come together— they had severely insisted upon a sleepover, and not just Mina and Tooru, it was all of them! Which was surprising, even Tsuyu and Momo. 

So now Ochako was surrounded by all these girls, snacks and blankets shoved at her as they settled in all comfy on her floor. 

“Well out with it,” Kyoka said with a smirk. “No getting out of it now.”

“Yeah, spill!” Mina cried. “Why'd you always hide it from us anyway, Ochako!”

Ochako moaned, hiding her face in a pillow. “You guys sure are persistent.”

Mina reached out and snatched the pillow, much to Ochako’s dismay. “No more hiding! We’re your friends, aren't we?”

Ochako brought her knees to her chest. “Yeah, of course, I just-“

She sighed, leaning a cheek against her knee. “I’ve never been very good at sharing my feelings. I’m so much more comfortable just- just helping someone else out. I don’t even know what to do with my own feelings. And then—oh, when you would tease me and talk about romantic things while my heart was still confused and all stirred up-! I just-“

Ochako groaned, covering her face. “It was so mortifying even thinking of telling you guys.”

Mina frowned, looking at the other girls and then to Ochako. 

“Oh, Ochako,” she sighed. “I just get so excited! I’m really sorry.”

Ochako blinked and looked up. “Huh? Oh no, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad! Gah, this is why I don’t-! I’m sorry.”

Mina took Ochako’s hands and looked at her firmly. “It shouldn't feel mortifying to talk about stuff like this with your friends,” Mina said emphatically. “We’re your friends and we love you! We wanna be people you can confide in! People you can have fun with! People you can rely on! Not just in herowork, but in everything!”

“We’re always here for you, Ochako,” Tyusu added gently. 

“No matter what!” Cried Tooru. 

“You’ve always proved you’ve got our backs,” Kyoka said. “And we’ll show you we've got yours.”

“It’s the very least we can do,” Momo said. 

Ochako was crying before she knew it, and all of those wonderful girls had their arms about her, hugging her with everything they had. It was amazing—these past few days she’d experienced so much love poured out to her at every turn, from every person she opened her heart to. From Izuku, to her parents, to these wonderful friends. Her heart was so full, and all she could do was cry, feeling so incredibly cherished. 

That sadness within her gave her the picture of that sad little girl, and how much she’d longed for this very thing: acceptance, love, friendship, support. Ochako cried a little harder, holding her friends close. 

Himiko… if things had been different, you could’ve been in the midst of all this love with me. She could’ve joined this sleepover, been friends with these girls, talked about romance with all of them. Just been a normal girl with us.  

Ochako sighed, leaning against Mina’s shoulder, letting her heart feel that sadness, but also let in the love they were giving to her. 

“I’m so grateful for all of you,” Ochako wept. “Thanks.”

They hugged like that for a little while before settling into their comfy spots. Ochako laid on her stomach, holding a drink in her hands and snacks beside her—she knew what would come next. 

“Okay,” she said, already feeling the blush in her face. “I guess ask your questions.”

Mina pumped a fist in the air. “Okay! Has Midoriya kissed you?!

Ochako about spit out her drink. “Mina!”

“Well has he?”

Ochako looked anywhere but at Mina’s face. Her ears were red as she, very begrudgingly, gave a single nod. Then groaned as the girls around her chortled and awed.

“Not surprised, it looked like he was gonna kiss you at the door before someone was too loud,” Mina sighed as Ochako groaned again. “What does it feel like to be kissed?”

“Don’t you think that’s too much to ask?” Tsuyu asked. 

“Nope! She said she wanted to share now! None of us have ever kissed anyone, right? You're the only one, Ochako! So spill! What's it like? Is Midoriya a good kisser?”

Ochako thought back to their walk, that surprisingly passionate kiss he’d given her that made her unconsciously lift them up into the trees. Her face burned and she buried it in her hands. “He’s… just fine…”

“But what does it feel like?” Tooru exclaimed. “To be kissed by someone who loves you! It’s gotta be, like, so romantic, right?”

“Ughhhhh….” Ochako felt like her face was on fire. “It’s- uh- well, it’s- Oh, I don’t know! Like floaty? Warm? Soft… It feels very loving, alright?!”

She groaned as they laughed and awed again. 

“Something else please!” Ochako cried, getting another laugh from her friends.

“What made you want to tell him finally?” Momo asked, a hand on her face. “If you’ve been carrying it a long time without a word. Why now?”

Ochako felt her heart still a little at that, remembering, and she set her drink down. “That’s… well…”

She didn’t speak for a minute or so. It was because of Himiko. It was because she’d felt a duty to be open with herself, her feelings, for the sake of that girl and the way she’d lived her life. Ochako was the only thing left of her life now—the blood in her veins. But… that conversation wasn’t really… something she needed to talk about right then. They were seeking romance, not… tragedy. 

“Honestly,” Kyoka interjected softly when Ochako didn't speak. She fiddled with her hair where her left earlobe should've been. “It’s kinda just a relief, you know?”

Ochako looked up, seeing how her eyes looked a little bit distant, pained, soft. 

“It’s so normal, to sit around and talk about romance at a sleepover like this,” Kyoka continued. “I know that I- well with everything we've all been through, it’s hard to get it out of my head all the way.”

From the faces across the room, Ochako knew—they felt it, each of them. 

“It’s strange how easy it is to forget,” Momo added, her voice incredibly quiet. “That we needed to become soldiers in a war. Child soldiers. There was no other choice. But… we are just that—children.”

“I mean, teenagers,” Tooru said with a little pout, maybe trying to lighten the mood again. “It’s nice to be normal teenagers again.”

Ochako felt her heart ache, looking around the room at them, these girls who'd been by her this whole time, had talked with her, trained with her, laughed with her, fought by her side. Really, she knew she couldn’t have asked for truer friends than these. 

Her throat tightened as tears filled her eyes. I didn’t need to hide from them either… any of it. 

But it was enough of a confirmation: she wasn’t going to talk about Himiko right now. It hurt too much, and they were hurting too. She would talk to them about her, she would not shut them out anymore—just not right now. 

So she sat up from her spot on the floor, looking at those dear, wonderful girls and mustered up all the determination she could—to give them amusement, joy, fun, and whatever else she could. Because, even if she was uncomfortable, she wanted to let them in too. And it honestly wasn’t as bad, knowing how much they cared and loved her no matter how much she’d kept them away. They loved her enough to stay, to understand, and to try. 

“Okay,” she said resolutely. “You wanna hear my love story?”

The mood shifted immediately from solemn to frantic giddiness. 

“Yes, oh please tell us your love story!” Mina cried, clasping her hands together. 

So Ochako told them her story, how she and Izuku had met, how he’d saved her and she him, the points at the entrance exam, becoming his first friend at UA—and on from there the course of that insane first year they had had. Much of it they knew, some they didn’t. But to express how she’d felt at each instance was freeing, more so than she would’ve expected. 

She told them of what Aoyama said, and how that broke open that wall she hadn’t even realized she’d had, and it changed everything. All those flustered butterflies now had a name, and she didn’t know how to cope. And as he kept working hard to be a hero, she just kept feeling distracted. 

“I decided to push my feelings away, because I didn't want to get in the way, for him and for me,” she sighed, clasping her hands. “And do you know what he said when I told him that? ‘You could never be in my way.’”

A collective ‘aw’ rang through the room, and Ochako laughed. 

“It was just- you know, a lot of things, all that time knowing him, and doing school and stuff together. Like… oh, 'Deku' used to be a name Bakugo used to bully him, so I thought it was his name when we met, ya know? Well, when he explained, I just wanted to cheer him up about it and I said that it sounded kinda like, ya know ‘Do your best!’ And he loved it from then on.”

“It was you?” Tooru sighed. “I remember when he said that, that someone changed the meaning for him. I mean, it’s totally easy to figure out, but still!”

Ochako smiled. “I didn’t expect him to make it his hero name, but… it made me really happy to hear I’d made him happy.”

“It makes sense,” Tsuyu said, a smile across her face. “Midoriya’s always been looking at you, you know.”

She blushed, but continued. There were things to tell revolving around the war—their heart-to-heart outside of Troy, how they thought those same weird thoughts, her connection to Himiko and what that brought her to feel and to do. And there was also how Izuku had said so much of his thoughts in that battle were so deeply inspired by her—how he’d heard her words in his head, cheering him along. 

She chose to skim past the war-related instances—this was meant to be a diversion from war, to ease their hearts too, so she kept those things a little more private. 

“When he found me at the cliff that night, when I was crying,” she said, her voice growing more solemn. “He told me how much every thing I’d done for him up to that point meant to him. Like—not just my speech or saving him physically, but like… being friendly, smiling at him, lifting him up, making him happy, stuff like that. He remembered everything, like things that I hadn't even thought of. He thought of them, and he’d seen me, really seen me since the moment we met.”

Mina kicked her legs happily, her face half buried in a pillow. “How can you two be this sweet? I can’t handle it! Keep going!”

Ochako smiled, hugging her knees as she shut her eyes. “He told me that I’m his hero. That holding hands can soothe your heart—and he pulled my hands away from my face, I was trying to hide my tears even then—and he just held me. I needed him, right then, so much more than I’d realized. And there he was, and it felt like, even though it hurt, I- as long as he was there beside me, I knew that one day I could heal.”   

It was strange to let a romantic lens color that memory. It had been such a severe moment, full of pain and heartbreak. She thought about how much it had hurt, being in that moment. How much she’d needed his hands to hold her steady and grounded. She’d truly needed him so desperately as her heart shattered across the plain. But looking in retrospect was soothing in a way too. A way to make sense of it all. It softened the pain further, thinking of him and knowing now how he’d loved her enough to reach for her like that. 

“Wow, Midoriya,” Tsuyu smiled.

“Do you remember when he couldn’t talk to any of us without turning into a tomato?” Tooru said. “When’d he go and get so grown up and romantic?!”

The group laughed, but they all knew the answer to that. She remembered how flustered he’d gotten receiving a simple Christmas gift from her, but shortly after that they began clashing head to head with the villains, and nothing made you grow up to be more solemn than war. And Izuku went through more of that than they had—leaving to fight alone through those ruined streets. 

“At some point, we switched,” Ochako sighed. “He was able to chat to me like a normal person, but I would turn into a wreck. I think I missed out on lots of times when I could’ve had fun with him instead of freaking out. I always wondered what he was thinking when I would run away from him.”

Ochako cringed at the memory of standing alone with him at the mall. She wished she’d have stayed, she wished they could’ve had fun together—and she could’ve prevented the danger he’d been in because he was alone. But still. 

“I told him how I felt when he walked me to the train station. After… after everything, and after what he’d done for me on the cliff, I knew I just… it was time for me to show my feelings,” Ochako continued, her voice quieter. “I thanked him and I told him, and—he just said he was going to say the same thing!”

Ochako covered her blushing cheeks, part of her still unable to believe this was all happening. 

“I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that,” she said softly, feeling all those butterflies in her again. “I mean, I don’t know if I- I mean, I hoped, but…”

“Well of course he liked you back!” Mina shouted. “Any of us could’ve told you that at any point!” 

Ochako half groaned, half laughed. “I guess that’s one benefit of talking to your friends…”

She should’ve been used to them all laughing at her like that, but she still squirmed and sighed. Her face was bright and blushing as she continued. “Well, then after that he… I wasn’t expecting it at all, I don’t think he was either, but he just—kissed me, right there on that bench.”

“Ohhh,” Tooru sighed. “It’s so romantic, I’m gonna die!”

Ochako laughed, pressing her hands to her face. She decided to leave out that they’d spent a good amount of time on that bench, kissing each other like that. Small, gentle, chaste touches, but many. She didn’t think she could even count how many times he’d kissed her—or how many times she'd returned them. 

He really likes to kiss me, she smiled to herself. 

“After that, we talked for a long time,” she concluded. “Then he walked me to the train station. And that’s pretty much it.”

Mina laid down on her pillows with a long sigh. “You guys are too sweet, I can’t stand it.”

“What a lovely story,” Momo smiled. “And to see our dear friends find love is so wonderful.”

“Couldn’t have wished better for either of you,” Tsuyu said. “You’re both just so good, ribbit.”

Ochako laid her face in her pillow, flushing at the praise. “I- I dunno, but I’m- I’m pretty happy, and I’m glad that he’s happy.”

She curled up, hugging her pillow with a small sigh. “After everything… it feels really nice—to hold onto something happy.”

Her phone dinged then, and she glanced at it, feeling her cheeks flush and the girls bolstered at it. 

“Was that from Midoriya?” Mina cried. “What'd he say? Oh please tell us! I’m not ready for the romance to end!”

Ochako looked around at the eager faces, then sighed and flipped open her phone. “He says… ‘I hope you’re having lots of fun!’”

As she read, he sent one more text, and she bit her lip, feeling her heart swell. 

“And… ‘I love you with all my heart.’”

“Aw Midoriya,” Hagakure cooed, and they all sighed, making Ochako laugh. 

“He’s so sweet!” Mina cried. 

“Didn’t expect that fanboy to be so smooth,” Kyoka laughed. 

Ochako just laughed, then set to writing another text to him—only to be swarmed by the others with laughter all around her. 

“Guys!”

“Oh you’re fine, show us your response!”

Ochako sighed heavily, then typed. 

—I love you too!

—we are having fun, but I suppose my texts are being monitored now, so…

“Don’t tell him that!” Tooru cried, but Ochako smirked at her as she hit send. 

“He has a right to know he’s being snooped on, since I can’t stop you apparently.”

“But now he’ll just be awkward. I want romantic Midoriya!”

“Tooru!” Ochako laughed. 

It was a moment before another text was sent, causing even more laughter. 

Oh—

Hello everyone—

“See?!” Tooru cried. 

Ochako just laughed, and her phone buzzed once more in her hand. 

I’m glad you’re all such good friends—

Her heart warmed at his message, his care. He wanted to help her so much, at every turn. Sometimes that was to shield her, sometimes it was to push her along. He’d urged her to have fun, be open, and he’d been right. She did feel loved. She felt giddy excitement with the rest of them, and was genuinely glad for it—glad for them. Glad they’d cared enough to try to reach her too. And as they laughed and joked without a care in the world, she felt a little bit more free. 

Ochako woke to a fresh breeze she wasn’t expecting, especially in the crowded room. She looked and saw her balcony door was open. Confusion filled as she blinked and pulled herself out of bed. 

She found Tsuyu sitting on the balcony, looking up at the moon. Ochako sat beside her, seeing the slump of her shoulders, the somberness of her face. Tsuyu was one of Ochako’s very best friends, and they understood each other very well—at least, as well and Ochako had always allowed. But Tsuyu was different than her. Tsuyu was always an openbook. Her feelings shone on her face as subtly as a lighthouse on a foggy night. 

And right now, Tsuyu was sad… incredibly sad.

“You okay?” Ochako asked softly. 

Tsuyu turned to her, watching her face instead. 

“Ochako,” Tsuyu said, tears starting to fill her eyes. “You mean the world to me. Do you know that?”

Ochako nodded. “Yeah. I do. I think the same of you.”

She smiled, despite the tears on her froggy face. “It was a lot of fun tonight, to hear about you and Midoriya, about you finding your courage and finding happiness together. It made me so happy—for you and for Midoriya, both of you are such precious friends to me.” 

Ochako knew how Tsuyu talked, how she communicated her thoughts and feelings out. She tended to ponder for a bit, then lay everything out all at once, so she gently laid a hand on her back and patiently waited. 

“Aside from a few people, I’ve never been able to make really close friends, ribbit,” Tsuyu said softly. “Deep friendships where we just get it, get where the other is coming from without having to say it—a kindred spirit. I don’t find that often, and I’m so glad to have found it in you.”

“Me too,” Ochako smiled, but concern still in her face. “But you’ve gotta tell me why you’re sad now.”

Tsuyu looked up, wiping her eyes. “I want to ask you to tell me what happened with Himiko Toga.”

Ochako went still, looking at Tsuyu’s tears, and that knowing look in her eyes. 

“What happened with her in the war, and how did it end up that way?” Tsuyu continued. “I need to know because, well… I really don’t know what happened, but I keep seeing it all in my dreams. And I just see over and over… you, my precious friend… bleeding to death on the ground.”

Tsuyu whimpered softly, her hand pressed to her eye. 

“You almost died, but I don’t understand what happened, and why she saved you, or why she was dead,” Tsuyu’s tears slid down her face and dripped from her chin. “I don’t understand what happened when I found you two.”

Tsuyu found us like that… 

Ochako felt that grief so potently in her heart, the ache—that ground cracked beneath her like a sinkhole falling out from under her. She didn’t want to talk about it. It felt like she’d talked about it so much these past couple days—to Izuku, to her parents, each time that wound felt reopened, any healing undone. But she… she was trying to open up and to share. Tsuyu was someone she wanted to be open with. And she was suffering too. So despite how much she shied away from this like a blazing fire, she nodded all the same. 

I want to be better, she thought to herself. I want to handle things better. I want to be better. 

“I’ll tell you,” she whispered, her voice shaking already. “And I’m sorry I haven’t. It’s just-“

“It’s painful,” Tsuyu said softly. “I know.”

So Ochako took a breath and she started to speak. There was much Tsuyu already knew, and much she didn’t. There was much she’d guessed at, and Ochako was amazed how well she did know her, and honestly how well everyone seemed to, if they took the time to look. 

She didn’t cry as much this time—the wound was still fresh, and her eyes welled up and spilled over, but she wasn’t wracked with sobs in her anguish. The night felt calm, calm enough to hold her broken heart a little more gently for now. 

“In the end,” Ochako said, her lips trembling. “Himiko saved me, saying she- she didn’t want a world without me to exist. She repaid the love I sent to her, trying to reach her. I sent her kindness and care, and she gave to me instead of taking away.”

Ochako scratched at the place on her arm where Himiko had placed the IV. 

“Deku and I both talked to her about how we don’t want to hurt people we love. And I guess I proved that to her during our fight. I just- I needed her to feel that I knew. I knew, finally, what was in her heart and why. But I was…” her eyes swam. “Too late.”

Tsuyu rubbed her back gently as she sniffled, trying to keep her tears in check. 

“I think… she was trying to give me love in my way—giving back to me. She was learning. After everything, she learned from me how I show love. If she hadn’t- if she’d- she would’ve kept on learning… she would’ve kept on growing-! She wasn’t much older than we are and she- we’re just kids.”  

“Ochako,” Tsuyu cried, embracing Ochako tight, and Ochako cried with her then. Their tears were quiet, whispered weeping as they held each other. 

After they’d cried for a while, they’d both settled against the railing, Tsuyu’s head on her shoulder. 

Ochako took a deep breath once her tears had stilled. She pulled her knees to her chest, leaning a cheek against them. “I… wasn’t gonna tell anyone. I was just gonna keep it close, keep it in—but it was too big. I could feel myself cracking, and I just- I didn’t want to bring it all back up for everyone. Everyone was hurt back then. And the fact that we could smile and move on—I didn’t want to ruin it.”

“I saw,” Tsuyu said. “Especially that day, when we were eating the lunch those people prepared for us. I knew it. I wish I was braver, I just-“ she started to cry again. “I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to help my hurting friend, even when she has always been able to help me, ribbit. I’m grateful Midoriya knew—I knew he saw what I saw. And that he could help you the way he did. I just wish I could’ve- I don’t know, done something.” 

Tsuyu wiped away some more tears from her face. 

Ochako sighed at the memory, remembering both their faces as she’d skittered away as quickly as she could. It was unbearable, back then. Hiding, desperately smiling with every bit of determination she’d had, and still they looked at her with that aching worry—but she knew there was a difference. Tsuyu’s worries were easier to handle than Izuku’s. Something in it, Ochako knew—knew that she was safer from discovery with Tsuyu. With Izuku, she couldn’t bear to even let him speak to her after the war. 

Which is probably what led him to force it…

“I think… it had to be him,” Ochako said, considering it all. “And it’s not because you don’t care enough, Tsu.”

Tsuyu looked up, her lip still trembling, but Ochako gave her a soft smile. 

“I’m stubborn, and I had my walls up as hard as I could put them. You’re so generous with your compassion, Tsu, and I know that you love me very much. But I think your kindness would’ve stopped you at those walls, worried you’d hurt me more by forcing them open.” 

Ochako took a deep breath, remembering that night, his words to her shouted across the cliff. 

“Before Deku offered any comfort, he made sure to shatter my walls completely. It felt like a battering ram, honestly,” she said, touching her hand to her chest, remembering how raw and revealing it had been—genuinely beautiful but ruthless how he’d shredded her defenses, then so tenderly stepped in to become her comfort, and she loved him so much for it. She’d needed him so badly, needed him to shatter her and stay by her side. If he hadn’t, the shattering would’ve happened anyway, she just would’ve been completely alone, by her own design. 

“I’m not saying that your way was wrong or anything, of course not. But I think those walls needed that battering ram,” Ochako continued, placing a hand on Tsuyu’s back. “A gentle knock wouldn’t have been enough at that point.”

“I’m not hurt that you opened up to Midoriya and not to me,” Tsuyu said softly, a gentle smile on her face. “I understand. It makes sense. What I feel is I want to be reliable to you.”

“You are reliable to me,” Ochako said emphatically. 

Tsuyu smiled sadly. “Well, you would’ve come to me first if I was—someone you could emotionally rely on. And that was maybe a combination of me needing to be more bold and you needing to be more open.”

“Probably,” Ochako sighed, wiping at her face. “I’m getting a crash course in that this week. But… it is helping.” 

And she felt it—she felt a lightness in her soul, maybe not alleviated entirely, she doubted it ever would be, but it was definitely softer. Izuku started it, his hands reaching through those shattered walls to pull her into him, letting her give it to him. Her parents’ warmth as she settled in their home together, the understanding and loving arms of these girls she’d come to know and love dearly. And now Tsuyu in her quiet steadiness and open soul. She felt so much grace given to her, so much tenderness, asking her permission to help her heal. 

Maybe one day I will. 

“Thank you for always being there for me,” Ochako said, wrapping her arms around Tsuyu. “I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.”

“Me either, ribbit.” Tsuyu leaned into her with a long breath. “And I’m glad Midoriya is a person you can rely on. He’s so straightforward and kind, and to see how much he loves you—after watching you struggle and stress about your own feelings—it makes me very happy.”

Ochako’s heart swelled, biting her lip as her eyes filled again this time with happier tears. “I’m happy too. I’m… so happy with him, I can hardly believe it.”

Tsuyu smiled again, hugging her tighter. “I’m so glad, Ochako.”

Ochako didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but despite everything, all the discomfort, all the pain in her heart, she felt hopeful once again. Having the reminder that there were people around her who loved her, who cared—

She looked up at the moon, shutting her eyes in that moment and let herself pull in a deep breath, then released it with a sigh. 

“Me too, Tsu.”

Chapter Text

Most often their days were spent helping different areas of the community. There never seemed to be an end to the mounds of rubble. They worked and worked until Ochako was sure she’d have blisters on every part of her feet, and her fingertips were rubbed raw. 

But she didn’t mind it. It truly did make her happy to see the people—see them smile, see them work, see them dirty their own hands in the mess left behind to better their own future. It felt like something made whole. 

Didn’t mean it wasn’t exhausting. Ochako often looked forward to those couple days a week when they stayed on campus—days when she could work on bringing about her new quirk potential. 

Since that day, she’d been unable to activate whatever that was again. She’d tried, sure, but her quirk could only activate by touch as usual, no sign of those bubbles as of yet. But she could feel that change, that strangeness within her as she tried. It was there, she just wasn’t entirely sure how to fully reach it. 

So she talked to Izuku about it as they sat in the shade, taking a break from clearing the rubble. He grinned excitedly, then immediately went into full mutter-mode quirk-analysis, speaking so quickly she had to stop him. 

“Sorry,” he laughed, then pondered, tapping his chin. Ochako smiled, melting a little. He’s so cute. I love how much he loves this stuff. 

“It's not just physical then,” Izuku said. “I mean, it makes sense. Every time I- well, accessing the quirks of One for All got easier with each one, but you remember when I unlocked Black Whip.”

She did. It made sense now, but how incredibly terrifying and confusing it had been in the moment. Ochako took a bite of her onigiri, listening. 

“It’s emotional,” Izuku continued. “Emotions trigger it, maybe more than you’d want sometimes, but—I mean, if you’re avoiding those feelings—sorry, but that's probably the roadblock you’re hitting with this.”

Ochako bit her lip. Of course it was emotional. That’s something she’d thought about. It was incredibly heightened emotion that had led to her awakening it in the first place. It was reaching with all her might to save that lonely girl, desperate to reach into her thorny heart. And it hurt. It hurt more than anything had in her whole life—to succeed as she had, and yet to fail so miserably. 

She reached out, grabbing his hand and holding it tight, quietly seeking his comfort. 

Izuku squeezed her hand, understanding passing between them. Even though he wore his thick gauntlets, she could feel the tenderness in his touch, and she was so grateful to him once again. 

“It’s okay,” he said softly, and Ochako pressed her lips together, nodding. 

She felt him rest his other hand on her back, and she shut her eyes, letting him comfort her. 

“Thank you,” she sighed, looking at him warmly. 

Izuku gave her that look he often did—his face so gentle and his eyes so filled with adoration, she hardly knew what to do. But she bore her blushing cheeks and fluttering heart, returning his loving smile as she let herself linger in it with him. 

Until she couldn’t bear it—then swiftly pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. 

“Ah- Ochako…” he laughed nervously, looking around. But they were off in a shaded corner, and she was quick—

So she beamed at him, happy to feel her confidence grow just a little bit more. “It’s your fault for being so sweet, you know.”

He blinked at her, then laughed, and she warmed all over again. 

“What in the world,” he chuckled, pulling her a little closer into his side. 

She happily leaned into him, letting him make her heart feel lighter. 

It wasn’t until the day after that that she got the chance to try out his hypothesis. 

She wiped the sweat from her brow as she worked, trying hard to understand that new aspect of her quirk—trying to reach within her emotions to draw it out from herself. 

It’s not physical, she thought, shutting her eyes, thinking of Izuku’s words again. It’s emotional. 

She tried to reach inside herself. It hurt, the pain in her heart still fresh. She’d reached out to Himiko with this power, trying to lift the sadness in her heart. She felt the tears threaten to spill, but she kept at it, reaching her hand out—reaching with her quirk—towards the chunks of rock. 

She squeezed her eyes shut, bringing those feelings she’d felt in that moment to the surface.

If I could lift her up… if I could lift everyone up. She gritted her teeth, seeking that tug inside herself. If… I can control this, if I can lift up the dark places of society… maybe… 

Light bubbled from her fingertips, and the rocks began to twitch as the bubbles flowed around them. Ochako let out her breath, feeling it surge forward, she having finally met that new threshold. 

If I can lift enough people, no one will go through what Himiko did ever again…

Ochako’s feet left the ground, and she was suddenly surrounded by dazzling orbs of light. The rocks left the ground around her and she gaped at this feeling—the pull within her was strong, powerful, steady. And she was almost afraid to move for fear it would shift and that steadiness would be shaken. Even so, she glanced down at some practice dummies below her, and swept her arm towards them, gently guiding the small lights towards them. 

As if commanded, the light carried down towards them, and they too began to float… objects five meters away. 

She spun in the air, testing her mobility, and the orbs danced around her in a stream, but the power remained strong. Despite herself and the fresh grief using this power brought to her heart, she smiled softly, feeling that lightness in her head—this was amazing. It felt amazing. She felt amazing. And she spun again, smiling to herself as she not only floated, but controlled the descent of the objects. This was groundbreaking. The ability to increase gravity slowly meant—she might have the ability to manipulate gravity in general, not just take it away. The possibilities were suddenly endless. 

Then her vision spun, a surge of nausea lurching through her stomach. There’s the limit, she thought. She hadn’t noticed it before—she hadn’t felt the additional dizziness and nausea through all the blood loss… She set the debris down and deliberately descended until her toes sunk to the ground. She touched her fingers to release, then grasped her mouth and her stomach both, trying to keep her lunch down. 

Through her costume, she felt the outline of that scar on her belly, and she felt a little colder—but now wasn’t the time and she brushed those feelings away. Just for now.

“That was amazing!” 

She turned to see a small number of her classmates watching her in awe, applauding now that she’d finished. 

“When did you learn to do that?” Sero exclaimed.

“I didn’t get a good look at it before, but wow, Ochako,” Kyoka said. “It really is so cool.”

“You can use your quirk long distance now,” Tokoyami added. “That’s very formidable.”

Ochako laughed, scratching at her hair. “I guess so! I’ll have to practice some more with it—the limit’s pretty short!”

She glanced over them and she saw, much to her amusement, her sweet boyfriend—head down in a notebook writing furiously. 

“-creating bubbles of zero gravity from the pads on her fingers, so that they affect anything that touches them. Looks like she can control the trajectory of them with her hands, maybe by thought too? What's the range, I wonder? If they work as a medium for her fingertips, then they- but the footage showed a chain reaction between people, so the power must pass somehow between objects as well as the bubbles. Descent was different too, not just a release, but a slow descent—control of gravity maybe? Gravity manipulation would vastly recharacterize her entire quirk. Could she increase someone else’s gravity? She’d have to test that out to see if-“

“Deku!”

He blinked, looking up to see her, and laughed.  “Oh, mumbling?”

The group laughed, and Izuku put his pen between the pages and tucked it under his elbow. “Sorry, I hadn't seen it in person yet, so there was a lot to consider. You were incredible!”

“How does it feel?” Kyoka asked. 

Ochako hummed, crossing her arms. “Strong, actually. Like specifically, there’s something about it that feels really solid. It only kinda gave out when I reached my limit.”

“How much time did it take to reach your limit?” Izuku asked, writing again. “And how much weight do you think you lifted?”

“I think it was about three minutes? I don’t- really remember what it was… the first time.” Ochako bit her lip as her eyes stung, but she pushed that aside. “As for the weight, I have no idea if there even is a limit—judging by how many people I lifted up on the battlefield all at once. There must’ve been thousands of people, so over a couple hundred tons maybe? I’m not sure.”

Izuku was looking at her now, and she could see his concern as he read right through her, but she just smiled lightly. Please don’t bring it up in front of everyone, Deku… Please. Please don’t-

“Ochako, are you oka-?”

“Yup!” She turned around, her face flaming as her heart felt heavy. “Anyway, I’ve got a lot to work on with this, I know. I haven’t had to worry about that nausea kicking in anymore, so that’s something to consider.”

She could feel his eyes on her, and the eyes of everyone else now, and she felt that anxiety creep up her chest and over her skin. It felt like she was building up to cry, which was not what she needed right then.

“Ochako-“ Izuku continued, taking a step towards her. 

Ochako shot him a look, feeling the panic in her eyes, just pleading for him to stop. Don’t make this a scene. 

He did stop, looking confused, hurt even. She  swallowed dryly as she turned away from him again. 

“Kyoka, wanna train with me a little more? I wanna see if I can understand a little more of what I’m doing.”

“Uh, sure yeah, no problem,” Kyoka said hesitantly, but Ochako was already walking away before any more could be said.  

When Kyoka caught up with her, she glanced back between her and Izuku. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Ochako said, fighting to keep her demeanor light. “It’s- nothing happened. It’s all good.”

Kyoka frowned, but nodded. “Okay. But you can talk about, you know, if you need to.”

Ochako flushed up her neck as she bit her lip, looking back at Izuku, but when she saw his eyes still on her, she faced away from him, worried already that she’d start crying. For what?! She didn’t even fully understand the feelings that had come over her so suddenly. 

“I’ll figure it out,” Ochako sighed, tugging at her sleeve. “Deku didn't… he didn't do anything. I’m just… working on a lot of stuff in my head.”

Kyoka pursed her lips, but nodded again. “I'm sure he’ll be happy to hear that, ‘cause he kinda looks like a kicked puppy right now.”

She bristled, not daring to look again. Anxiety creeped within her, crawling through her chest and making her feel cold. 

“I- I’ll talk to him later,” Ochako got out, turning towards the practice dummies. 

“Hmm,” Kyoka hummed,

Ochako felt that anxiety anew, and her cheeks flushed with shame. So she stopped talking and spread her hands, trying again to summon those bubbles. She didn’t even have to dig for the emotions, they came readily to her now. 

Gosh… I’m the worst… she moaned to herself, feeling awful. 

Izuku frowned at Ochako’s back, holding his notebook with a grip much too strong to be merited. 

Sero scratched his neck. “Hey man, I don’t know what you did, but I think you did something wrong there.”

He glanced at him, exasperated. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Probably talk to her about it later,” Sero said, patting his shoulder, then moved off to get back to his own training. 

Izuku sighed, looking back to where Ochako was talking to Jirou. She’d started to glance in his direction once, but then turned away from him quite purposefully. He could almost see those walls back up, firmly in place again. Her hands gripped at her sleeves and her back was tense. 

Yeah… I think I know what I did. 

She actually avoided him much of the rest of the day. He’d tried to get her attention, bring her close again, just talk, but she’d skitter away with that big fake smile and some excuse. Even when he’d grabbed her by the hand, she’d slipped out of his grasp and run from him. Suddenly she wanted to be anywhere but near him. 

It was hardly anything! He thought, feeling uneasy—and frustrated. Did I break her trust in me so easily?

He didn’t know. And he was frustrated he didn’t know—because she wouldn’t talk to him. 

But… he didn’t want to be frustrated with her. 

So it was a long day as they went about their typical routine—and what had been normal, with her seeking his side, his hand—was now her trying actively to avoid him. He couldn’t help feeling that frustration within him build. 

It wasn’t until the end of the day when they had returned to the dorms that Ochako finally approached him. He sat on one of the couches, working on a grip strengthener when focusing on homework proved difficult. 

Ochako tentatively walked up to the side of the couch, then touched his shoulder.

“Deku?” She said softly.

He blinked, having not seen her until just then. “Ochako.”

She bit her lip, her eyes downcast as she grasped her hands behind her back. “Wanna take a walk?”

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”

The evening was warm still, the sun just started to set. They tread the paths that were quickly becoming their own in how often they walked them. But now they walked in what seemed to be their first argument—shown all the more starkly in how she was wringing her hands instead of holding his. 

He frowned, his hands digging a little deeper into his pockets. 

“So,” he started when she didn’t. “What exactly did I do?”

Ochako’s shoulders were already tense. “Nothing really.”

Izuku sighed. “No, don’t do that. It’s just us now. Just- just talk to me.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, looking down. “I’m trying to. I am… I’m just- gah, I’m so useless when it comes to stuff like this.”

He frowned deeply. “You’re not useless, Ochako.”

“Hopeless then? Ridiculous? I feel ridiculous,” she said, her voice wobbly. “I feel completely stupid.”

He stopped, turned to her and grasped her arms. His hands were gentle but firm as he leaned in to make her look at him. 

“You’re not hopeless, you’re not ridiculous, and you’re definitely not stupid,” he sighed. “You’re just scared.”

Ochako’s eyes swam as tears welled up. “You say that, but then why did you—try to make me talk about it back then?”

“Make you?” He furrowed his brow. “I just asked if you were okay.”

“I wasn’t, but I didn’t need it announced to the whole class!” She cried, looking down again as her tears fell. 

Izuku gaped at her. “Ochako, I’m not trying to force you, I’ve been trying to help make it easier for you to open up. Right?”

“I know,” she said, still looking at the ground. “But I can’t just change overnight, I’m trying but I just can’t. And in front of everyone when I'm not prepared for it is just so- so petrifying…”

She reached up, rubbing at her tears with her fists. “I’m working on it, and I wanna talk to them too, just not like that. Not when I’m- when I think about what happened, and I just wanna cry- I- I thought you saw and you’d talk to me later. Not there, not right then…”

Izuku wasn’t sure what to say. She’d wanted what exactly? For him to know exactly what to do based on a look? There was a lot he knew he could read off her, but it looked like there was more that he couldn’t. 

“I…” he started, then sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it. But, Ochako, ignoring me all day?”

Ochako’s tears continued to fall, and she looked down off to the side, anywhere but at him. He gently touched her chin, bringing her face up again. “I thought we agreed you weren’t going to run away from me anymore.”

Her lip quivered. “I’m sorry, Deku. I just… I was… so mortified, and then I was just ashamed of myself—and I didn’t know what to say, and there was always someone around, and I knew I was gonna cry, and I couldn’t-“ She stopped, looking up with big tears on her face. “I’m really sorry.”

His heart ached, and he brought her into his arms, hugging her tight. She melted into him, crying fully now. And Izuku felt like a horrible boyfriend—but he tried to push that feeling away. It was difficult to do though, as Ochako cried into his shirt because of him. But it was because he’d shown concern for her in the wrong way. I’m definitely new to this…

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m sorry too.”

Ochako groaned. “You shouldn't have to feel sorry! I have no idea why I’m getting so worked up, I- I just don’t- Oh, this is so stupid…”

He didn’t reply to that, just held her tight, letting the frustration and confusion melt away. After a few moments of this, he gently led her off the main path to somewhere a little less open—figuring she wouldn’t like someone walking by and seeing her like that. 

She sat beside him under a tree, still clinging to him as if she worried he’d just walk away—fed up with her already… as if he would ever do that. 

After she calmed, she took a long breath and sighed. “Maybe I’m more sensitive now because I’m not used to someone else knowing what my inner  thoughts and feelings are. But you were right though,” she shut her eyes. “I am scared.”

“We’re both new to this,” he sighed. “It’s alright. We just get to work on figuring this whole thing out.”

“Yeah,” she breathed, pressing her face into his shoulder. “Talking is good. I’ve felt miserable all day without you.”

He squeezed her tighter. “Same. From now on, if there’s a conversation like this that needs to happen, we don’t run away from it. Just—talk it through instead.”

“Okay,” she nodded, then looked up at him, her eyes shining with the last of her tears. “Deku, I really wasn’t trying to hide it from you, ya know? I do trust you. I just…”

She trailed off, but he understood. He gave her a small smile. “I know. I’m sorry I embarrassed you, I really didn't mean to.” 

She groaned, lifting herself up, holding his hand tight. “I know you didn’t. Like you said, this is all just still new, and with everything that happened… it’s heavy and it hurts, and I’m working on being able to talk to people about it, but I have to choose when I’m okay with it. It’s- I mean, some things I should be able to keep to myself. It’s-“

“Too private?” He suggested, and she nodded against his sleeve.

“Yeah,” she said. “Something like that.”

He watched her, her shoulders curled in, and tears still on her face. His heart felt heavy with guilt, but it was… almost a relief—to be weighed down by something as normal as a misunderstanding in a budding relationship. He took a breath and let it out, listening to the breeze as it blew gently through the leaves. Then he turned and softly touched her cheek, wiping away her tears. “I am sorry, Ochako.”

“It’s okay,” she said, looking up at him in resignation.  “You’re part of my personal life now, so I guess, don’t try to talk about the personal things I’ve trusted you with in front of a crowd.” 

“I won’t,” he smiled, then leaned in, touching his forehead to hers. “I promise.”

She placed her hands against his shoulders, grasping his shirt as she sighed. “I really missed you today.”

“Yeah,” he said, his voice soft. “Same here.”

Ochako looked up at him with a gentle smile. “I do love you. I truly do.”

He laughed lightly, then shut his eyes, feeling her warmth. “Same here.”

She kissed him then, her lips eager against his. She grasped his shirt, bringing them closer. He let the feeling of it all wash over him, ridding them of the stress and frustration entirely. His hands found her face, holding her to him as he returned her kiss, just as eagerly as she was. 

Her arms wrapped about his neck, pulling him into her so abruptly he lost his balance. He caught himself against the tree before he could fall on her. She blinked at him, catching her breath, face probably as red as his own. 

“Oh,” she said, glancing over his face. Then she smiled, tugging lightly on him. 

Izuku stared at her, feeling his heartbeat loud in his chest. He took in her every feature, how warm her brown eyes were, her sweet complexion, the perfect way her hair framed her face, how soft her lips were. 

“Beautiful,” he murmured as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, almost not realizing he’d spoken. Ochako’s eyes widened for a moment, then she smiled rapturously. 

“Izuku,” she breathed his given name with so much love he wanted to cry. 

He returned her kiss, leaning into her with the treebark beneath his palm. She sighed against him, kissing him with as much fervor as she could muster. Izuku followed her lead happily, moving his lips with hers. 

After it had gone on a solid minute or two, he finally pulled away, leaving them both dazed and breathless. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck, and she gave him the sweetest little giggle. “Mmm.”

He wanted nothing more than to just keep on kissing her after that, especially with how adorable her giggles were, how cute face was—but Aizawa's words rung in his head. 

‘Behave appropriately… or else.’ 

That “or else” hadn’t been his direct words, but they’d been very strongly implied…

Izuku pulled himself away, grinning lightly at her. “Well, we can do that without dying of embarrassment. So I think we’ve come a long way.”

Ochako laughed, her hands clinging to him for a moment before letting him escape. “Yeah. Such progress.”

He sat back in the grass and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He may not have combusted from the embarrassment, but he definitely still felt it. He was sure his face was redder than he'd like, but he was able to smile about it anyway. 

“We should probably head back,” he said, but Ochako shook her head. 

“Nah,” she replied, then laid back on the hill, looking up at the sky. “Stay a little longer with me.”

A blush filled his cheeks again, but he did as she asked. He laid beside her in the grass, albeit a little stiffly, and looked up at the clouds as they began to turn pink, the sun lowering in the horizon line. 

Ochako curled towards him, hugging his arm and shutting her eyes. “Thank you.”

“For what?” He asked. 

“For being mine,” she sighed, her body relaxing into the grass. 

He just smiled, turning his head towards her. “Always.”

There was something about the warm air, the golden sunlight, the gentle breeze through the grass, shifting the leaves—that made him feel frozen in time. 

They laid like that for a while, the sky changing from sunset to twilight, and they let the light fade around them in a comfortable silence. Ochako was warm with her face pressed into his arm. At some point, her breaths grew longer and deeper. He glanced over to see she’d drifted off. Her face was gentle and slack, rosy in the waning light. He bit his lip and rolled to his side, gazing at her sleeping face with a sigh. He imagined again, briefly, that future he’d thought of before—how much he hoped for it. In the wake of losing his lifelong dream, and with how much that hurt… he felt a glimmer of hope at a new dream to help ease that ache. Of her, her face soft in the morning light waking up beside him in a home they made together, in the stillness of dawn. 

You’ve only been dating a week… It wasn't the first time he’d let his thoughts stray like this, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last time. 

But she’d already told him she would love him forever, so maybe he wasn’t being so weird after all. 

Or maybe, he thought with a gentle smile. We’re both weird. 

Chapter Text

Ochako was on edge when she arrived at the Midoriya household. Izuku had reassured her many times that she had nothing to worry about—it was just him and his mom. But no amount of reassurances were enough to calm her nerves. Sure, she’d met Inko Midoriya briefly before, as Izuku’s friend and classmate, but now as his girlfriend—That was vastly different. 

But when the woman opened the door, and her eyes sparkled at her, she felt her shoulders drop the tension they’d been carrying. 

“Izuku, Uraraka, come in, come in,” Inko smiled brightly, and Ochako could see where he got it from. “Oh it’s so good to have you here. I’ve got tea already made.”

“Thank you,” she said breathlessly, letting Izuku lead her into the small apartment, his hand on her back. 

Inko had laid out a table of not just tea, but of various kinds of sweets as well. Ochako smiled at that, just knowing the woman had probably grilled her son for Ochako’s favorite things, judging by the selections of cakes and mochi and candies. She looked at the woman bustling around, describing her day to Izuku, and suddenly her anxiety was completely gone. It was replaced with a tender feeling of care for the woman who had raised the boy she loved. She was sweet, and she would probably go out of her way too much to make sure Ochako was comfortable and content. She seemed a little bit overwhelmed every moment. And Ochako found that she wanted to ease this woman's anxiety. 

So she stood instead of sitting and enjoying the snack, and walked over to where Inko was getting some dinner ready. 

“Can I help?” She asked, and Inko shook her head. 

“Oh no, it’s alright. Don’t trouble yourself,” she said, but Ochako was already rolling up sleeves. 

“It’s no trouble,” she smiled brightly. “I’d be happy to. What do you need?”

Ochako chopped veggies and Izuku washed dishes while Inko breaded the pork cutlets. Ochako smiled as she worked beside the woman, trying to make sure the cabbage and onions were thin enough. 

“You know, I thought I was alright at preparing things like this,” Ochako laughed to Inko. “Then Bakugo saw me cutting up some carrots and yelled at me about how to do it properly!”

“Ah Kacchan…” Izuku muttered woefully from the sink. 

Inko sighed. “That boy has always been a handful. Honestly. I’m glad that he’s finally grown up some. I’m sorry he gave you a hard time, they look perfectly fine to me.”

Ochako grinned. “It was all good fun. And thank you. I’m glad to help.”

Inko looked at her with a bright smile, and Ochako felt herself pink under the woman’s eyes. 

“Hmm?”

Inko set down her cooking chopsticks and touched Ochako’s shoulder. Ochako blinked, especially when Inko’s eyes filled with tears. 

“Uraraka,” she said. “You’re a wonderful girl, you know that?”

Now Ochako flushed completely. “Ah- I- thank you.”

Inko wiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just… I’ve wanted to thank you for a long time, since that night at UA—what you said for my Izuku. I-“

She cut herself off, sniffling. “And now you’re in my kitchen helping me with dinner!”

Ochako bit her lip, trying desperately to not let her discomfort run away with her. She looked up and Izuku was watching her, that exact same glow of gratitude in his eyes as were in his mother’s—so he was no help at all. 

“I-“ she started, turning back to the vegetables. “Of course. Back then, I knew that—I mean… of course.”

She looked back at Inko, feeling her own tears in her eyes. “I couldn’t let them turn him away. After everything he’d done. After everything we've been through, and all that he means to me,” she looked up, feeling that love in her again as she met Izuku’s eyes. “He’s my hero, afterall.”

There was a beat between them, and Ochako smiled gently at that wonderful boy. His eyes were wide and watery, and he wore that brilliant smile she loved so much. Before he could say anything though, she turned back as Inko clasped her hands together, tears on her cheeks. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Dinner was lovely. It was incredibly funny and sweet to see how similar Izuku was to Inko. The way they spoke about things, and they had the same laugh, the same smile. Ochako couldn’t help but adore them both. 

Though she did wonder… There were no pictures of Izuku’s father anywhere she’d seen. Neither of them mentioned him—in fact, she was certain she’d never heard Izuku say a single word about the man. She wondered what had happened… 

It made her feel incredibly sad for her sweet boyfriend. She had a lifetime’s worth of memories with her own amazing father. He doted on her, bolstered her spirits, lifted her up. There wasn’t a moment in her life that she didn’t feel that love from her father. 

She thought of Himiko—her parents—and with tears shining in her eyes, she thought again of just how lucky she was. 

She felt Izuku take her hand under the table, giving her a gentle squeeze. She glanced at him to see a subtle concern on his face. He must’ve seen the tears in her eyes—though he didn’t say anything, thank goodness. She just smiled reassuringly, grasping his hand tight before letting go. 

Inko sighed after regaling them with her workplace stories. She set to clearing away dishes. “But you know, it’s so much better than it was. I’m honestly surprised the place is still intact, but I’m glad for it. I wouldn’t want to find a new job. It's definitely helpful having a flexible schedule.”

“I’m glad, Mom,” Izuku said quietly, and Ochako felt her heart ache. She knew he took a lot of the responsibility for the destruction upon his own shoulders—as if he’d been the one to smash up the cities. 

Inko smiled. “It’s all thanks to you, Izuku. Do you know how much everyone talks about you? It’s amazing! My son, the hero of Japan!”

Izuku flushed, laughing. “Yeah, I never really know what to say.”

“I do,” Inko wiped a few tears away. “I always just say how proud I am.”

Ochako smiled at the two of them as they talked. She was used to being the one to fill up space socially with a bubbly, happy attitude, but she decided to sit and listen for now. They were both so gentle in their souls. Being quiet as she was made it so she could hear that all the more—an unassuming pleasantness. Ochako took a breath, feeling surprised how easy it was to feel comfortable here with them. She could almost imagine it was her own home, her own family, and she felt so at ease. 

“Ochako,” Izuku said, tapping her shoulder. 

She started. “Ah, sorry! I guess I zoned out for a sec! Sorry!”

Inko just smiled. 

“It's alright. I just asked how are your parents doing? I spoke with them a few times when we were housed at UA,” Inko said, a touch of concern in her smile. “We parents tended to band together, we were all so worried.”

Ochako felt a pang of guilt, and she remembered that the footage of the fights were broadcasted. They’d all witnessed everything, every wound and struggle had been sent directly to their terrified parents. 

Ochako’s hand grasped at her stomach. All except… 

She could feel Izuku’s eyes watching her, seeing her pain more easily than she was entirely comfortable with. But she put that smile on—not for him, but for this sweet woman in front of her who wanted desperately for her to have a good time. Inko didn’t need to know her pain—she could let Izuku know it now, but she didn’t have to share it with everyone. And as he discreetly squeezed her hand once more, she was glad he understood that. 

“They’re good,” she smiled. “Settled back into our old place just fine. It’s really lucky it was pretty untouched through everything. But I grew up kinda in the country, so I think a little bit less was damaged out there.”

Inko nodded, a gentle smile on her face. “I’m glad. That’s far to go for school, huh? It must’ve been a relief when you could move into the dorms.”

Ochako laughed. “Yup! I was living in an apartment on my own before that, so it felt a lot less lonely getting to live with everyone after that!”

“Oh, you poor dear,” Inko sighed. 

Ochako waved her free hand, giving her that bright smile. “It was fine! And I got to walk home with Izuku during that time, so I- I always looked forward to that!”

“You did?” Izuku asked beside her, and she scoffed. 

“Of course I did!” She laughed at the blush in his cheeks. She squeezed his hand softly. And he just smiled that lovely, wonderful smile of his, warming her heart. 

She returned his smile for a beat, starting to get lost in each other before remembering—they were not alone. He seemed to realize it at the same time and let her go, but Inko was blinking wide eyes at them, and at their hands. 

“Mom?”

Inko gaped at him, then blinked. “Izuku, are you- are you two…?”

Izuku looked… confused? “What?”

Inko gestured between them. “You two! Are you dating?!”

Ochako flushed, matching Izuku exactly. I thought… he’d already told her. How could she not know?! She gaped at Inko, and then at Izuku, who seemed suddenly very flustered. 

“Oh Mom,” he groaned. “I thought I told you-!”

Inko cried then, looking simultaneously furious and rapturous. “You absolutely did not!” 

For some reason, the exchange didn’t embarrass her as much as she thought it would, and Ochako laughed, blushing brightly. “You forgot to tell your own mother?!”

Izuku buried his face in his hands. “I didn't want to over text, and I thought I’d said so on the phone when I invited her over for dinner, I guess you were so flustered and excited, and we got all caught up in planning it- I- I’m so sorry, Mom. I can't believe I-” He shook his head. “There’s been a lot on my mind. I'm really sorry.”

But Inko’s fury was gone already. She stood and embraced him, 

“I’m so happy,” she whispered, patting his hair. “I’m so happy to see you happy, Izuku.”

Ochako felt tears in her own eyes at the exchange. Then Inko reached out and brought her into their hug as well. Ochako blushed, but feeling Izuku wrap his arm around her too, she felt incredibly loved. It was just like with her parents, and she cried a little more, melting into the warmth of this wonderful little family. 

“So happy to have you, Uraraka,” Inko sighed. “It’s just too wonderful. I’m so happy for you both.”

She pulled away and there were tears all around, but they laughed anyway. 

“Now,” Inko laughed, rubbing away her tears and she smiled. “Tell me all about it!”

They sat with her for an hour or so, regaling her with their stories—some embarrassing, some amusing, some heartwarming. Ochako let Izuku lead that conversation, interjecting here and there with her own parts, but it was lovely to hear his thoughts throughout their journey. And he spoke so clearly, so boldly that she almost forgot his tale was about her—she was just enraptured by his storytelling. 

Inko was too, weeping happily as she listened with delight throughout her features. Ochako could see in her eyes the love she had for her son so clearly. How could these two love so openly with just a look? She didn’t know, but she could see it as adoration filled both their bright, green eyes. 

“In the end, she was the one who told me,” Izuku said softly, holding her hand a little tighter. “Before I could get a chance.”

“I definitely wasn’t expecting you to say ‘Same!’ right then!” She laughed. 

“But of course I felt the same,” he replied. 

“And I’m apparently blind, because I had no clue!” Ochako sighed, and lamented again the time they’d lost as she’d run away from this instead of towards his open heart. 

Izuku just laughed. “Maybe you are, I feel like I was painfully obvious.”

Inko laughed with them, a handkerchief in her hands as she dabbed at her eyes. She smiled at them with such tenderness and love, but Ochako missed the gentle melancholy in the woman’s eyes. A melancholy any parent would feel seeing their child grow up and find love—tender, sweet joy, but a loss of that little child who used to be small. 

“Well,” Izuku stood after much laughter and stories. “We should probably be heading back.”

“Wait!” Inko said, scrambling for her phone. “Sit down again, let me take a picture of you two.”

“Oh! Uh, sure!” Izuku said, sitting down beside Ochako once more. 

Ochako felt the blush on her face, but she laughed anyway. She wrapped her hands around his arm, looking up as Inko stood to take their picture. Izuku felt stiff beside her, but that just made her laugh all the more. 

“Izuku, relax,” Inko chastised. “I’m gonna frame this, you know.”

“Uh- yeah,” he chuckled, glancing at Ochako as he scratched his neck. “Sorry.”

They sat with happy smiles for a minute more before Inko was satisfied. She looked down at her phone, smiling happily before she let them up. 

“I’ll make sure to send them to you, Izuku, and Uraraka, would you like them too?” Inko asked. 

Ochako blushed, but felt a sudden rush of joy at that. She and Izuku hadn’t really had a picture of them together—and the thought of that made her more happy than she realized. 

“Yeah, although my phone is no good with pictures. I’ll write my email down for you.”

After exchanging some information and many hugs, Inko waved them off as they left the apartment.

“Come back again soon!” Inko called to them. 

”Of course!” Ochako waved, feeling that fullness in her heart again. 

“See ya, Mom!”

As they walked down the street, Ochako smiled to herself as she slipped her hand into his. He laced his fingers through hers, his rough hands always so gentle, and her smile turned to a contented sigh. It had grown so second nature to them, taking each other’s hands like this. Since the night when he’d unwrapped her and grasped her hands in his, it had been like—and maybe it was horribly cheesy to even think—that maybe their hands had been made to hold each other’s. 

“What're you thinking about?” Izuku asked.

Ochako blushed a bit, but smiled anyway. “Uh- just I’m glad I came today. Your mom is so nice.”

Izuku gave her that adorable grin she loved so much. “She really is. I’m glad you came too. I knew she’d love you.”

She grasped his hand a little tighter, then hugged his arm with her other hand, leaning into his shoulder briefly. “You’re a lot like her, you know.”

He laughed, scratching at his cheek. “Yeah… I suppose so. But that makes sense, it was always just me and her until I came to UA basically.”

That gave her pause, and she remembered again the complete and utter absence of his father in his life, in what he said, in the photos on the walls. Ochako bit her lip, that sadness coming over her again. 

“Do you mind if I ask you something kinda personal?” She asked.

Izuku glanced at her and cocked an eyebrow. “I mean, sure. Although you don’t really have to ask, since you’re my girlfriend.”

“Still,” Ochako shrugged, her eyes filled with concern. “What… what’s the story of your father?”

Izuku stopped, looking at her in surprise. “Oh, I guess I’ve never really told you.”

“You…” she said hesitantly. “You’ve never even mentioned him. And I didn’t see any pictures of him on the walls, just you and your mom, and the All Might posters.”

He just shrugged, continuing to walk. “There’s not much to tell. It didn’t really work out between him and my mom, so he ended up getting a job overseas. He doesn’t really call or anything, just sends child support to her. That’s kinda it.”

Ochako bit her lip, hearing how dully he talked of it—none of his usual brightness. She reached out and grabbed his hand, and he looked at her with an unreadable expression. Was he sad? Was he just calm? What was he thinking? She couldn’t tell, but she wanted to know. 

After a moment, he breathed a sigh and squeezed her hand. “Let me show you something before we head back.”

“Okay,” she said, letting him lead her down a different street. 

He walked confidently down the streets of his childhood district, and she followed with him, watching him in confusion. He was usually the open one, the easy to read one, his heart often on his sleeve. This was probably the closest she’d seen him be closed off from her. And her sadness grew. 

Soon the pavement turned into sand, and he led her down to a beach. It was beautiful. Some debris was collected in areas of it, but for the most part it seemed untouched by the damage—probably since there was nowhere to hunker down and nothing to steal at a solitary beach park. There was just a small pier and a gazebo overlooking the water. The sunset was dazzling as it reflected off the waves. 

“This beach used to be a dump,” Izuku said as he walked with her, stepping up onto the pier. “There’s something about the currents that brings trash in from the coastline onto the beach.”

Ochako blinked, looking around. The debris here wasn’t trash really, it was bits of rubble. “What happened?”

“This is where I trained with All Might,” Izuku said softly, a smile on his face now. “He brought me here the day after we met—and he had me clean every bit of it to help train my body to carry One for All.”

“Oh,” she looked around. “Well, it’s really nice now.”

“Yeah,” he smiled at her, his eyes warm and his face soft in the golden light as he looked squarely at her. “Really pretty.”

She blinked, then blushed as she realized— he means me! She laughed. “Deku, are you flirting with me?”

He blushed as he grinned, scratching at his hair. “Anyway, All Might stuck by me those ten months while I trained. I cleaned, he rooted me on, he helped me grow and prepare. And then at the end of it all, he gave me One for All here—the morning of the entrance exam.”

“Wait-“ she gaped. “You got it that day?” 

He nodded. “Yeah. The first time I used it was when I saved you.”

Ochako remembered it well. The terror she’d felt at being pinned, and the awe of seeing a stranger run out to help her—and then panic anew when he was so hurt that he couldn’t save himself. 

“That’s why you were so messed up from it, huh?” She asked. “Reckless to jump when you couldn’t catch yourself.”

“Yeah, I didn't know what the repercussions of it would be. It definitely took a bit to get used to,” he groaned, making the understatement of the year. 

“Well anyway,” he sighed. “My dad, he never really bothered with me. Never called or came to visit. I remember a little bit of when he was around though—how Mom and him used to fight. And you’ve seen my mom, it’s not really in her nature to fight—I really hated it.”

Ochako bit her lip and squeezed his hand. He sent her a small smile, then continued. 

“I think I was probably about four or so. But I still remember the night he left us,” he said somberly, sitting on the bench and looking out at the waves. “I don't really remember what he said, but I remember what I said.”

Ochako sat beside him, looping her hands around his arm. He looked at her, then covered her hand with his own. 

“That night, he was going off on another overseas shift, and Mom didn’t want him to go. I don’t remember what he said to her, but he made her cry. It wasn’t the first time, but I remember I’d had enough.” Izuku took a deep breath, his gaze back on the waves far away. “It was the first time I'd looked at someone and thought they must be a real villain, and I had to protect my mom from him—like All Might. I thought he should've been like All Might, making her smile, not cry. So I told him he should just sail away and never come back if he was just gonna make her cry.”

He stopped at that, looking down as his brow furrowed. Ochako watched him close, feeling his grief even as he tried to pass it off as casual. We really are alike, he and I… 

“So he did,” Izuku sighed. “I haven’t seen him since. But… I remember the look in his eyes, how hurt he’d seemed.  And even then, I second guessed my assertion that he was a villain—he was just a person, but I didn’t really know how to comprehend it all at that age. And when he never came back, I thought I had to accept that it was my fault. And Mom was so sad, so I had to be the one to make her smile as much as I could. I had to be a hero for her to bring back her smile. So I did my best to be like All Might, a cool hero who always had a smile on his face.”

As Ochako watched him, listening to his story, his reasonings, even as a child—she felt like she understood him more. How he was the way he was, how he thought, the kind of hero he was. It made a lot of sense. 

“But I think… he’s probably one of the reasons why I couldn’t just cut ties with Kaachan—even when he was at his worst,” Izuku said, rubbing his neck. “There are consequences that were just too complicated for a four year old to grasp, but I could still feel them. So I didn’t want to push someone close to me from my life again. I thought maybe it would get better one day, but I couldn’t know unless I stuck around and tried.”

That also made sense, knowing his personality and convictions. She didn’t know a lot, but she wasn’t blind. She saw the way Bakugo acted, the way he talked—she saw the way Izuku had flinched at the beginning of the year. Hearing what he said now, it made sense why Izuku had put up with it when he really did not need to. Thankfully things had changed immensely over the course of the year, and she was grateful for that. Along with his apology, Bakugo had softened and sombered. Still his ruckus self, but there was more respect in his mannerisms that only those who knew him could see. And Izuku knew him well. Seeing them together now was so much more relaxed, so much more like friends than she would’ve thought possible at the beginning of their first year. 

That man sure hurt Izuku and his mother deeply, if Izuku was more willing to forgive Bakugo over him…

She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking out at the waves with him. “Well, your dad has no idea how much he’s missing out.”

Izuku chuckled softly. “Thanks.”

Ochako looked up, her face set. His eyes were forlorn, catching the light of the sunset faraway. She reached up and touched his chin, bringing his gaze to her. 

“I’m serious,” she said. “You are probably the very best person I know, have ever known. And you deserve better than that. You’re not to blame for any of it.”

“I know that,” he said, his face blushing at her praise. “Four-year-old me didn’t, but of course I wouldn’t blame a little kid—and I don’t blame myself. It was on him and his actions, and he probably would’ve left even if I hadn’t said all that. His choices are his own.”

His shoulders sagged heavily, and he looked down at his hands. He breathed out a sigh, then smiled as he looked over the beach. 

“It’s actually—why I wanted to bring you here,” he started, looking at her with a genuinely happy smile. “It reminds me how grateful I am that I met All Might. Who would’ve thought the man I so looked up to and admired would become more of a father to me than my own? I’m so grateful.”

Ochako smiled with him, feeling the atmosphere warm after his tale—it was a relief. She thought of her own father, his big, warm smile and his ever open arms. She couldn’t imagine her life without him. He’d always been her biggest supporter, a steady rock, and a beacon of joy. Izuku went and found a father who would actually care for him and guide him. And in that moment, Ochako understood why Izuku loved All Might as much as he did. 

“Ochako,” he said softly. 

“Hmm?”

He leaned in, touching his forehead to hers. Her breath caught—just like it did whenever he did something like this. 

He brought his hand up and touched her chin, then brought her lips to meet his. Ochako smiled against him, and she felt him do the same. How bold he had grown, how romantic and open. She was beyond delighted, which just grew as he moved his lips against hers, making her feel that burning aching in  her heart, butterflies ready to burst from within her. 

He pulled away, keeping his face close to hers. He let out a light laugh, gazing at her with such love in those bright green eyes. 

“When I was fourteen, working and training, I’d never have imagined doing that here.”

Ochako blinked at him, then laughed heartily. “So that’s why you brought me here!”

Izuku laughed with her. “I’ve seen enough couples come through here to know it’s a fairly romantic location.”

She stared at him, feeling those fuzzy butterflies again as he smiled at her, and she felt struck by how incredibly gorgeous he was, with the golden sun behind him reflecting off the sea. Had he always been this handsome? She took in the way his eyes turned up with his smile, his tenderness in his features. When had his jawline gotten more defined? His hair swept across his face, and she about sighed, framing his eyes in a way the took her breath away. 

How could I have ever thought him plain?

“Can I see your phone for a sec?”

Izuku blinked, pulling it from his pocket. “Uh, sure?”

“I just wanted to take a picture,” she laughed. “Your camera is better than mine.”

“Ah,” Izuku said, then opened the camera app and handed it to her.

Ochako leaned back and pointed it at him, the golden horizon in the background. “Smile!”

He blushed a bit, but smiled gently, albeit a bit nervously. He’s so camera shy! 

Ochako looked down at the pictures, leaning in so he could see them too. “I don’t think I’ve told you this, but you’re really handsome, ya know.”

He gaped at her, blushing brightly. “Huh?!”

She chuckled, taking another picture on a whim, which she was sure he appreciated. “It’s true!”

“I mean,” he said, still incredulous. “I thought you said- I guess thanks!”

She just laughed. “I love your face!”

He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at her bashfully. “Geez.”

She bit her lip, then took another picture. He sighed, reaching towards her. “Okay, give that back.”

Ochako giggled, taking a couple more before he pulled it from her hands, then turned the camera on her. She smiled brightly, letting him take some of her as well. 

His eyes flicked from the screen to her face, and he just melted, his eyes so soft as he gazed at her. 

Ochako could feel her bashfulness rising, but chose to focus on that playful giddiness she felt. So she grinned, leaning in as she scooched closer to him. His eyes widened as she reached out, grabbing his phone once more with a coy smile. Then she held it up and kissed his cheek, lingering as she snapped a picture. 

Izuku laughed, then he wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms and bringing her into him. She giggled again. 

“You’re really cute,” he sighed, hugging her tight.

“Send all those to me,” she grinned against him as he pulled his phone from her hands again. “No deleting.”

“Sure,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. 

Ochako melted into his touch, closing her eyes and feeling his warmth as he hugged her to him. She clasped her hands to her chest as laid her head against him. She let out a sigh as she snuggled in closer. “You're so warm.”

He didn’t say anything, just held her tight as he hummed. Sometimes she wished she could read his mind, truly know what he was thinking, even if she could read him well enough. Instead she let her worries trickle away for a moment and just breathed, amazed at the peace she felt in his arms. He had such a gentle touch, a soothing air, and a dazzling smile. How lucky she was, how incredibly, crazily, lucky he’d wanted her back. But for some reason, she’d never really worried about that. How astounding that he loved her just as much as she loved him. 

“Lucky,” she sighed. 

“What?” He asked, leaning down. 

Ochako curled up into him, smiling contentedly in the warm light. “I’m so lucky I get to call you mine.”

She felt him still against her, but she remained cuddled into him, content. 

“Ochako,” he murmured. 

Ochako looked up, still smiling softly. “Hmm?”

His eyes were so soft, so gentle. He reached out a hand, his fingers caressing her cheek. She could feel the rough edges of his damaged skin, but even with that, there was such tenderness in his touch that made her want to cry. 

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she actually did tear up, feeling in such a simple gesture how deeply and profoundly he loved her—without a single word from him. She was struck again at how clearly and openly he could love. It was devastating to any wall she might’ve put up. The moment he’d decided to show her that love, come and rescued her heart on that cliff—from that moment, she’d had no chance. So she willingly embraced his open heart, and let him open hers up as well. 

Her mind turned to the warmth and ease of being a part of his home and his family tonight, and she felt her heart flood with love all over again. 

“Thank you,” she whispered when he pulled away. 

“For what?”

Ochako looked up, feeling those tears sting her now. “For being you.”

Izuku’s eyes widened at that, and his eyes shone with his own tears in that golden light. She reached out, wiping away his tears with her fingers. “Why're you crying?”

He took her hands, smiling at her with his beautiful smile. “I’m just really happy.”

Ochako returned his smile with her own. 

“So am I.”

Chapter Text

Ochako dreamed of blood. She felt it in her veins, cold and slow, her body going numb. She couldn’t hear anymore, her vision blurry. But she could see a smiling face—then warmth flooded through her, her body could feel again. 

Himiko… Himiko, don’t-

But the blood continued, seeping into her body and bringing her heat. She could feel… she could see… how cold the person next to her was becoming. 

No… no-! Stop! 

Her words were muted, she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t cry. There was only the heat. She was on fire. Her heart was about to burst. It was too much. It was too much!

She tried to reach out, grab the tube, grab Himiko—before it was too late. But her body wouldn’t move. The air choked from her lungs as she filled with blood. It was in her lungs, bursting from her mouth, blinding her eyes—falling like tears. 

Don’t give this to me! She cried, but her screams were silent. Himiko’s smile faded as her body disappeared in the red. 

STOP! 

Ochako woke to the sound of her own scream, her body shivering in a cold sweat. The darkness around her was suffocating. She gasped, mistaking the sticky sweat for blood and her skin felt like it was crawling. Her breaths came in gasps and she had to get out—anywhere was better than here. 

Frantically, she fumbled her way through the darkness, yanking on the door out to her balcony and shoved it open into the night air. She stumbled to her knees, gasps turning into sobs. She bowed her head into the floor, fists shaking against stomach. 

Her heart was beating so hard, she felt like it would burst out of her chest. It hurt—it hurt so much. Fear and guilt and pain wracked her to the very core, and she just wanted it to end—just wanted the tears to stop—just wanted to smother it until she didn’t feel anything—just wanted something to… soothe her heart. 

She was about as vulnerable as she could be, and yet she grabbed up her phone anyway, frantically typing a single phrase. 

— help me

He was there before she could even wonder if he'd  gotten her message. Izuku knelt beside her on the balcony, green lightning still crackling around him as his hands gently lifted her off the floor and into his arms. She felt so frail, still gasping, her sobs almost silent. He cradled her to him, stroking her hair. 

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s gonna be okay.”

But it wasn’t. She could still feel the blood burning through her, filling her lungs, her throat, choking out her voice and her breath, bursting her veins—and all she could do was lie there and watch as Himiko died-!

So she wept, bitterly, broken and mangled. She should've died. She hated the thought but she knew—she should have died there. It was so much worse… living upon the literal lifeblood of another person. Someone she’d tried so hard to save. She didn’t wish she was dead in the daytime when the sun was warm and she could see the hope for the future—a future where Himiko could’ve lived happier. But in the night, when the blood stained every inch of her—Ochako found that, maybe, she wished she was dead. Or at least, hadn’t survived like that. 

Izuku grabbed up her hand and held it against his chest. Ochako’s eyes snapped open. 

I’m here, he squeezed her hand firm, pressing it to his heart. Let me help. 

Ochako’s silent sobs turned to whispers then. And she cried as she told him those words. Those fears. What she dreamed. All the blood as she drowned in it.  

“I wish I hadn’t survived at all,” she gasped, barely a whisper. Her hand grasped to her shirt, feeling the knife pierce through her side once more, the pain sharp and throbbing. “When I dream, when I see it all again, I just… wish I was dead. What’s- what’s wrong with me?!”

But saying those words out loud terrified her—and her spirit knew—she knew it wasn’t true. It was the night talking, the long, bitter, so terribly lonesome night where too many of her thoughts came to call. Where she couldn’t escape. 

Izuku grasped her so tight it almost hurt. She could feel a tremble through his body now too. Then he lifted her up and brought her into his lap, curling around her as if he were trying to envelope her entirely, protecting her from this darkness. 

Ochako sank into him, her ear pressed to his chest. Her body seemed to go limp after a while, and she took a slow breath as she listened to his heartbeat, beating far more quickly than it should. 

I said too much, she thought, her mind starting to clear from the panic. What a horrible burden to give to him… How could I call him in the middle of the night and throw all that onto him?!

“The sun will rise soon,” he breathed, his voice so quiet. “I know that the night feels so long, but I promise the light will come. I promise you.”

Ochako stilled, then lifted herself up to look at him.  He touched her cheek, so much love in his scarred fingers. “As long as you’re still here, Ochako, there will always be light.”

She bit her lip as her vision blurred again. 

“But,” he continued, tears in his own eyes. “Without you, this world would feel so much darker. I-“

He stroked his thumb across her cheek, tears falling down his face. His voice was barely audible as he spoke. “I don’t think I could ever forgive myself if you’d…”

Ochako let out a long breath, then sank into him as he wrapped his arms around her once more.

“Deku,” she whispered. “Thank you for coming when I needed you. I- Thank you.”

His hands spread over her back, holding her like he was afraid if he let go she would disappear. Then she felt him press a kiss to her hair. 

“Always.”

She shut her eyes, letting him hold her as he gently rubbed his hand over her back, soothing her as much as he was able. After a long while, the deep abiding ache in her chest seemed to release, and she no longer felt that heaviness pinning her down and taking her breath. She felt comfort and she felt warmth—not heat and fire like in her dream—but a gentle sunlight on her skin. Not gone, but soothed. 

“Izuku,” she whispered. 

“Yes?”

She breathed out, relaxing completely, a swooping sigh shifting through her body. “Thank you.”

Ochako relaxed against him, her body sagging and her head lulling against his chest. Her breaths were slower now as sleep finally took her. 

Izuku sat with her, cradling her to him, his hands gripping her tight. 

Everything she’d said, her dreams… he’d felt despair and terror radiating from her. He wished he could take them from her, lift her burdens, repaint her dreams, but there was nothing he could do. 

She wished… she hadn’t survived…? 

Izuku thought back to that moment, standing in the water as chaos ensued around them. He remembered the fear he’d felt, seeing a flash of blood as the knife sank into her shoulder. Then she’d looked at him, her determination and resolve shining through in her smile. “I’ll be fine. Trust me,” she’d seemed to say. And he’d wanted that—to trust her. He’d wanted to believe in her, but all the while he felt that fear— What if I leave her… and she doesn’t make it? What if I leave her and I never see her smile again? 

If Toga had killed her… if Ochako had died, bled out and left mangled on the battlefield… Izuku knew he would never have recovered. He would’ve never found the will to smile again. Not when he’d stood there, not when he’d willingly left her side. Not when, with his power, he could’ve easily taken out Toga if he’d tried harder… 

But she wouldn’t have wanted that, he sighed. Because it wouldn’t have saved that sad, strange girl. 

And now Ochako… wished she herself hadn’t returned. 

He bowed his head into her hair, holding her sleeping frame close. He had no idea what to do to make this right. No idea how to take such a burden. No idea how to heal her of the immense amount of survivor’s guilt she carried. 

He eased her back slightly, cradling her so that he could see her face, laxed now in her sleep. He freed his hand from under her leg and touched her cheek, still damp with her tears. 

“You don’t deserve this,” he whispered to her. “You deserve nothing less than perfect happiness, Ochako Uraraka.”

She continued to sleep, her breaths deep. 

He sat like that with her for a long time, feeling her warmth. He gazed at her sleeping face, illuminated in the moonlight. She was beautiful, of course. Her soft features softened further by the gentle light—but her cheeks were red and tear-stained, her eyes dark and tired. Misery was laced in her face, and he felt his heart break for her. He gripped her tighter to him, feeling her life within her, her breath upon his face. She was alive, she had survived, and he reminded himself of that again. 

Her words haunted him though, and he bit his lip, bowing his head into her. 

“Ochako…” he whispered as he began to cry. 

Eventually he knew he had to return to his own dorm. So he got his feet underneath him and lifted her up. He carried her through the open balcony door, the curtains billowing out through the glass. He sidestepped them and brought her to her bed. 

She rolled easily from his arms, snuggling into the mattress, trying to get comfortable. For that brief moment, his worries subsided as he smiled gently—she was just too adorable. Then the edge of her shirt inched up and he froze, seeing the long, jagged scar marring the skin of her abdomen. Even just seeing a portion of it, he could see the torn edges and the depth of it easily—it looked like a knife had been not just plunged into her, but twisted and sawed at her flesh. The brutality of it was not lost on him. 

He’d known already that it was there, what had happened to her, but he’d obviously not seen her scar before—now actually seeing the damage done to her body in conjunction with her emotional wounds, his heart broke all the more. An anger began to rise within him, which he had to consciously tamp down. There was nothing to direct such a response toward, no one left to be angry at. Toga was dead—and she had died to make up for the brutal stabbing she’d inflicted upon Ochako. She had paid her own punishment for it. Ochako was struggling to accept that choice, but seeing her wound now, knowing what Toga had done, had tried and nearly succeeded in doing—he felt… grateful for the justice that girl had taken upon herself to ensure. He didn’t want Toga dead… but he’d rather Ochako live than become a martyr to her own righteous ideals.

Izuku sighed, then gathered her blanket and covered her with it. She snuggled deeper into it, her face completely slack now. He bit his lip, then gently brushed a lock of hair from her face. 

“Goodnight, Ochako.”

He stood up to leave, then glanced at the desk adjacent to her bed and frowned, thinking of her words again: “I just wish I was dead…” His heart ached. He could feel the weight of it trying to crush him. 

I can’t leave her feeling like that…

He picked up an empty paper and a pen, then he sat and began to write. He pressed a hand to his forehead, writing out his thoughts to her, trying to convey all the words and emotions he needed to. His pen strokes moved across the page for nearly half an hour before he’d finished, giving every phrase deep thought. Then he folded it neatly and wrote her name at the front. 

Izuku gave her one last glance, feeling his heart ache once more, then he stepped out to the balcony and returned to his own room. 

Ochako woke to the light of sunrise streaming in through her open curtains. She laid in her bed, her blanket draped over her, but she didn’t have on the gloves she usually wore. She wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep, but it must’ve been soon after she’d finally stopped crying. The last thing she remembered were Izuku’s arms about her as she laid exhausted against his chest. She could almost feel the rhythm of his heart still there against her ear. He was so warm, so gentle. How could he be so comforting just by existing? 

Izuku must’ve brought me to my bed.

Even knowing he wouldn’t be there, part of her wished he’d have stayed. She knew he couldn’t, and would have been mortified if he had—but that part of her wished it anyway. How crazy! But she imagined the gentleness of waking up in the morning with him holding her in the pale light. 

Maybe one day, she sighed. But not now.

She looked around at the sunlit room and let out a long breath, grateful morning had finally come, putting to bed her dark thoughts and dreams of blood and death—resting until the hurt came to be unbearable once more... 

Her eyes stopped at her desk, seeing a folded up piece of paper that she hadn't left there. Ochako stood from her bed and picked it up, seeing her name written neatly on the top in Izuku’s handwriting.

Ochako blinked, feeling her heart flutter with multiple different emotions, but her fear of being known did not want to read this—not after what he’d witnessed and heard her say last night. But even just looking at it, knowing he’d lingered here and taken time to write something for her, She could feel his love through that simple action alone. 

So she sat and opened his letter, trying to be brave.

Ochako,

Thank you for reaching out to me. To think of you sitting here hurting while I had no idea… I’m glad you told me. I’m glad I could give you some comfort, at the very least. I hope you sleep better after I leave.

I meant what I said—every word of it. Even when it feels like there’s nothing but darkness around you, there will always be light. That’s one of the lessons I’ve learned along the way—and I learned that from you. You, standing on the top of UA, became my light, my hope for the future where we all could smile again. You guided me out of that darkness I couldn’t escape from by myself. Even after everything our friends said to me—even as dear as I hold those things—I was not going to stay until I heard the words you spoke on my behalf. 

I understand what it’s like to be brought down by despair. I feel it too. My own heart often feels heavy, and my nightmares feel unending. But they do end. And with every action we take, we step into a brighter future. I know it hurts that Himiko Toga can’t live in this future as you hoped she could. I understand—I wanted the same for Tenko. But she was so moved by you and your light that she saved you instead. Remember what her face looked like in the end. You did save her. And she saved you and that was her choice—I know it hurts, but I’m so grateful she did. I’m so grateful that you’re alive, Ochako. And I know that Himiko Toga is too. She wouldn’t have saved you otherwise. 

So live, Ochako. Live and always look for the light. It will always be there, no matter how dark it feels. Please don’t give up. I’m right here with you. And I love you with all my heart. 

Izuku

P.S. I’m glad you were able to text me. I’m proud of you!

Izuku, Ochalo thought, feeling such overwhelming love from this wonderful boy. 

A couple drops fell onto the paper as she read, and she wiped her eyes again. She sighed and hugged the paper to her chest. 

My Deku.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke feeling heavy and tired. It had already been two in the morning when Ochako had texted him, and he’d stayed with her deep into the night. 

He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling his stomach churn. Ochako wished she had died? Whether or not she actually did, it didn’t matter. Those words had left her lips, and he felt them weigh on his heart. Heavy. Cold. He wanted to see her, make sure she was okay—and not fake okay. He didn’t want to see that smile that she hid her pain behind. In this moment, he’d rather see her tears. 

What else can I do? What more should I be doing? He just had no idea. He’d offered himself as a comfort, as someone to rely on—and she’d accepted him, taken him up on it. She wasn’t gonna heal overnight, he knew that…. But why did it seem worse than before? 

It probably seems worse because she let me see more…

Izuku sighed. That was probably it—which meant it was all so much worse than he’d thought. 

Knowing he wasn’t going to get anymore sleep, he stood from his bed and started getting ready for the day. He grabbed his gym clothes and changed into them, getting ready to go on his morning run. As he zipped up his jacket, his phone buzzed from where it laid on his desk. 

—are you awake? Ochako wrote.

Izuku felt that lump in his chest yet again. 

Yes—

Are you okay?—

It was a good minute or two before her next text came through. 

—yeah

—I’m so sorry

He sighed and sat heavily on the bed. He wasn’t surprised. Of course she’d feel bad about opening up…

You have nothing to apologize for— He wrote the words out hastily, but before he could say anything further, she texted him again. 

—do you wanna take a walk? 

He rubbed a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath.

I’ll be right down— 

The common area was quiet, always very still in the early hours of morning. Izuku’s eyes felt scratchy and his eyelids heavy, but he walked until he found Ochako sitting on one of the couches near the door. 

When he walked up to her, she stood. Her eyes were rimmed red and her hair was mussed. But there was a small smile on her face, and Izuku watched it warily. 

Before he could say anything, she embraced him warmly. “Thank you.”

He returned the embrace, his arms tight as he brought her firmly against him. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, but he squeezed her a bit tighter— I don’t believe you.

“Better than I was,” she sighed. “It was… a really bad nightmare this time. It's not always like that, I promise.”

Izuku nodded, bringing his hand up to her hair. “I’m sorry, Ochako.”

She hugged him a moment more, then pulled back, looking up at him with brighter eyes. “Let's go outside… before the others wake up.”

They walked through the soft morning light. Ochako had taken his hand and he held her firmly, not willing to let her go. Not after last night. He’d truly wanted to linger and keep holding her as he had, so he clung to her now. 

Ochako walked them through the woods, on trail paths rather than walkways. And he watched her determined step and wondered what she was thinking about. 

Eventually she stopped in a secluded grove and sat down in the dewey grass. Izuku sat beside her, and quiet passed between them again. 

“I’m working on being more open,” she sighed. “But I still have a hard time with it. I feel like I will for a long time.”

She grabbed at some grass, looking at the ground. “And now I feel like I’ve shared too much, so I’m trying to talk about it instead of push it—and you—away. And…”

She looked up now, her eyes sad. “I don’t want to be so self-centered.”

“Ochako,” he murmured, bringing her hand into his lap as he stroked her knuckles. “You come to some strange conclusions, you know?”

At that, she smiled. “I know. But…”

She leaned in, her hair catching the soft morning light in flecks of gold. “Your letter was beautiful, Deku. Thank you so much. When I read it, I just- I felt incredibly loved. But… I didn’t know you had nightmares too. You didn't tell me. You’re hiding your pain from me too?”

Izuku blinked, then considered. “i have my own burdens from it all. I just… I haven't felt much need in talking about them. Everything’s already been resolved. It’s not that I’m specifically hiding them… but I guess it is similar. I'm sorry, you probably think I’m a hypocrite now, huh?”

“Hardly,” Ochako smiled a sad kind of smile. “But if this is how we're going to go about it, then you need to share with me your burdens too. I can’t just share mine and have you carry everything.”

She squeezed his hand as he held hers between his. “Last night was a little too heavy, I think.”

Izuku watched her face, searching. “Ochako… last night, I- Do I… need to worry about you trying to-“

“No,” Ochako said firmly. “No, I’m not suicidal. Not in the slightest.”

But he’d heard her the night before, and she must’ve read the distrust in his face. Her shoulders sunk and she sighed. 

“I feel like… I don’t have a right to my own life anymore,” she said, her voice quiet. “Like, no matter what I do, I’ll know that it’s… it’s kinda like borrowed time now. Like I don’t…”

She sniffed, bringing her knees up to her chest. “I don’t feel like I can deserve it unless I’m—I don’t know. I can’t figure it all the way out yet.”

“You feel like,” he said softly. “You don’t deserve to live because she saved your life?”

Ochako bit her lip, looking at him. “Gave up her life… for me. And for that, I have a… responsibility to work on that—to deserve it. So I need to make the world better, so that Himiko-“

A few tears fell then, and she buried her face in her knees. “-so that it can’t happen again.”

Izuku placed a hand against her back. He understood. He really did. He understood so well feeling such a responsibility to rebuild a better, kinder, more charitable society. But this layer of survivor’s guilt upon her added a kind of desperation and urgency that seemed… unfair to her. 

A part of him was angry though. He’d felt it when he saw that scar, torn into her and ripped her apart. Toga had been vicious—and she’d done what she did to take it back. Her choices made the whole argument moot. Ochako beating herself up for having been almost murdered excluded the fact that Toga had made those choices, and she paid her own price—one she chose herself. 

But she was a person too, and a friend in the end to Ochako. He understood. Despite how it made him feel knowing he’d almost lost her—he understood. 

“Ochako,” he sighed. “You deserve to live. Period. That’s what Himiko Toga meant when she saved you.”

Ochako glanced at him, pain in her eyes. 

“Don’t put conditions on your own life,” his voice was sterner than maybe it should've been, but he meant it. “You don’t have to work for your life to have meaning, and you do not need permission from her to live your life.”

She stared at him, then to the ground, shoulders curled in and knees tight against her. Closed off entirely. “Stop.” he could read clearly from her body language. 

So he took a breath, then slid closer to her and wrapped a gentle arm around her. She was crying again, her body shaking. He hugged her to him, and she let him, curling into him, but she didn’t speak. He worried he’d just cut off any willingness she’d been building up to share with him. 

He laid his cheek against her hair. “Too much?”

She didn’t respond, and he wanted to kick himself again. 

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, holding her a little tighter. “I…” 

But he didn’t really know what to say. He didn’t take it back, but Ochako was shut away again, curled into him and fragile now. 

“You mean so much to me… when I- you could’ve-“ he sighed, hugging her tight against him. “No action could add more value to your life when you yourself are priceless.” 

Ochako took a deep breath, then unwound hands from her legs and reached out for him. He brought his hand to hers, grasping her tight, giving her the comfort she asked for. 

“I'm sorry, too,” she whispered. “I-“

When she looked up, her eyes were still full of tears. “I know… I know that what you’re saying is true. But how my heart feels… it’s just- I have to do something to make it right. I have to work towards making a difference. I- I don’t think I’ll ever be able to feel whole again… until my hands can work to fix that gaping hole that Himiko had fallen in.”

Izuku looked at her, feeling a tug at his heart once more. If she was determined to put that kind of price on her head, there wasn’t much he could do to dissuade her. 

“Then I’ll work beside you,” he whispered. “That was my plan anyway.”

Ochako blinked at him, but he simply inclined his head. “I will be by your side in every way that I can be.”

That one hurt, and he didn’t try to hide it, as per her request—but it was a bittersweet kind of hurt. He knew he wouldn’t be able to continue being a hero without One for All. When those embers finally vanished and he was back to being quirkless, he would retire as a hero. He’d thrown his dream at Tenko and shattered his hatred, sacrificed it to save his heart. And now… he was grateful the embers could grant him just a little more time. 

“I will lose One for All probably before we become pros, and that… breaks my heart,” Izuku said softly. “But that doesn’t mean that I will stop working toward this brighter future we promised to build.”

He brought his hand up from her shoulders, her hair so soft between his fingers. Her brown eyes caught the light of the morning, shining brightly with her tears. “But even so, I will still be doing what I can to build a better future. And I will do it not because I feel driven by guilt, but because it would put their spirits at ease. So Ochako, help me bring them peace, but not retribution.”

Ochako looked up at him, more tears on her face now. She sniffed as her mouth formed a wobbly smile. “I don’t deserve you.”

Izuku blinked, then frowned at her. “Don’t say that.”

But she just smiled a little wider, crying now. “I'll work together with you, Deku.” 

Her voice was quiet now, a gentle whisper as some of her hope seemed to return to her. “It'll be hard, but it’ll be worth it, right? Let’s do our best.”

Izuku’s heart ached at her words, but he returned her hopeful smile, despite the pain he felt. “Yeah!”

She reached a hand to his face, her fingers brushing over the scar where his freckles used to be, her face growing solemn. “But I am sorry… about One for All. Truly, Deku. I- I can’t imagine…”

He felt his eyes sting, and he bit his lip. He nodded a few times as he tried to find his words. “I knew it would… end that way, somehow. It was always an impossible dream.”

Ochako stroked her fingers across his scarred cheek. He reached up and grasped her hand against him. He thought back to those moments, the other users sacrificing themselves beside him, upholding his own desire—to save instead of simply destroy. 

And yet…

“I don’t regret it,” he said. “I don’t. There was… no other way. Shigaraki had to be stopped, but I also—I wanted to save him. And your words kept pushing me forward the whole time.”

“My words?” Ochako asked.

“That he was a person,” he said. “So even though it was the harder choice, I had to try. I couldn’t live with myself if I hadn’t.”

His hands trembled, and he moved to wrap his arms around himself, feeling again that they were still there. He felt the fear, the pain, and desperation to keep going—and all the while knowing that if he stopped for even an instant that he would die, and that Shigaraki and All for One would destroy the world along with everything and everyone he loved. And yet he chose that harder path—and sacrificed it all. 

“This power was given to me, and it was a blessing from the start,” he sighed. “I was never meant to be a hero, but All Might helped me defy that fate. What a miraculous gift.”

His vision blurred as those bitter feelings rose to the surface. “But… I wish I…” he said softly, voice shaking. “I… didn’t have to give up my dream, this precious gift, to do it.”

He covered his eyes as his tears fell, his heart hurting as he whispered. “Does that make me selfish?”

Ochako’s arms embraced him, pulling his head into her and wrapping him in her warmth, much like he’d done for her the night before. He let himself cry then, listening to her heart as she stroked his hair—her fingers sending a tingly feeling through him as she brushed over the shaved part of his head. He shut his eyes and let her comfort him, let her give him that warmth.

“Not at all,” Ochako’s voice was so soft, and she curled around him a little tighter. “No, Izuku Midoriya, you are the kindest, most selfless person I have ever known.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he was silent as he cried in her arms. He reached up and grasped her arm, feeling again how terrifying it was to lose his hands—those memories all came rushing in. He gripped her tight as that fear and revulsion and the utter unfairness of it all left him breathless. 

Ochako held him like that for some time, her fingers brushing through his hair, the gentleness of her shining through, even as his body remembered what had happened to him. But he felt calmer with every beat of her heart. 

I came out here to comfort her, he chided himself, but he breathed in her warmth anyway, feeling that much more grateful for her. 

“Are you okay?” She asked after a few minutes, and he squeezed her arm. 

“I’m okay,” he sighed, shutting his eyes as he let her warmth fill him up. Then he gently untangled himself from her and smiled. “Thank you, Ochako.”

He reached out and grasped her hands. “Thank you for soothing my heart.”

“I should say the same to you,” she sighed.

Izuku wiped his face with his shoulder, then looked down at their hands, growing more solemn. “As painful as it is, I do feel satisfied with how everything turned out—I was able to live my dream for a little while, at least. It has changed my life in every way possible, and… I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

“I’m so grateful for it. I wouldn't have met you otherwise,” she smiled gently, easing closer to him. “I am so happy to have you in my life, Izuku Midoriya. You have always been my inspiration, from the very start. And that will never change.”

He felt warmed by her again. He doubted that the mess within both of their hearts could’ve been resolved so quickly, but he could see hope shining in her eyes again, reflecting his own. It was encouraging to see. 

Tugging a hand free, she cupped his cheek and touched her lips to his, sending a thrill through him once again. I’ll never get used to that. He grasped her wrist, feeling how much she loved him as she kissed him so sweetly. And he smiled against her lips. 

“I love you,” he whispered into her, tears falling down his face once more. “Ochako.”

She hummed as she stroked his face, and he felt his heart warm that much more. 

They still carried darkness in their wounds, but he was indeed grateful to feel the dawn come. And as he held Ochako in that golden morning, he felt that warmth touch even the darkest corners within him—and he prayed she felt it too.

Together they would brave this pain, moving forward into each new dawn. 

End of Part I

Chapter Text

There's nothing that I take back

But it's hard to say there's nothing I regret

Silhouettes by Of Monsters and Men

Izuku’s dreams were vivid, disorienting. The images flashed before his eyes, interlaced with those instances, emotions, memories not all his own. He was bombarded with image after image, a family dying into dust, All Might blasting away the sludge villain, hiding a secret photo with his sister, his shoes wet as he reached out to help Katsuki—they went on and on. He felt dizzy as it spun in circles. 

He felt the rush within him as his arms suddenly reappeared into existence, that absence of feeling suddenly returned. He felt the belief of his friends as they backed him up on the battlefield, reaching out to push him forward, a helping hand at every turn. Thank you- thank you! In his mind again and again. 

”Do your best ,” they cried out to him. “Do your best!”

And as he charged forward, goal in sight, he could see the girl who’d changed it all, how she'd made Deku a hero—he felt her as her words echoed in every heart, especially his own. 

Uraraka, he’d gritted his teeth, leaping up to finish this fight. I will—I’ll do my best. Thank you.

He jolted awake, blinking at the stillness of the hospital ceiling. 

His dreams came often, and were made more vivid, he was told, because of the painkillers, but that was the clearest he’d remembered anything from them. 

Uraraka… She hadn’t been there, but it was almost like he could feel her there. And when he fell from the sky, he half expected her to be there to catch him—like she always had been. 

But she wasn’t this time, was she?

His throat felt dry as he groggily looked around. Where is she? Did I hear what happened to her yet? He didn’t remember. 

She’s okay, right?

Why wasn’t she there, too?

“All Might?” He said, his voice dry. 

“Yeah, kid?” All Might answered, fatigue in his voice. 

Izuku looked over at him. “Did we- did anyone say what happened to Uraraka?”

All Might blinked at him, then hummed. “No, I don’t think so. At least I haven’t heard of anything. 

He bit his lip, feeling worry stir within him. Asui had been there on that final battlefield… and she… wouldn’t have left Ochako unless… unless she couldn’t have come at all. 

He thought back to her face as she looked over at  him, her shoulder bleeding—but her smile was determined, encouraging, and… 

What if that was the last time I saw her smile? 

He shuddered and pushed the thought away. It hadn’t been long since the war ended. Maybe she hadn’t come to visit him just yet? Maybe she had her own wounds and was recovering just fine. 

Worry ate at him though. He knew the states of the others—Katsuki being the worst that he knew of, but… even he had been there in that last charge. If he’d been able to, with all those wounds, then Ochako…

“Kid, I’m sure she’s alright,” All Might said softly. 

Izuku glanced at him. “I… she- she was one of the only ones who wasn’t- Asui had come without her. And she wouldn’t have left her behind unless…”

All Might frowned, but didn’t contradict him. 

It was a couple hours later when a knock at the door revealed a small group of their class—come to see him. Usually these visits always made him happy. To see the friends he’d made care enough to see him in the hospital. It always warmed his heart. 

This time, though, he scanned the faces—Kirishima, Ashido, Iida, Asui, Sero, Koda, Jirou—and as happy as he was to see them all, his worry grew deeper within him. 

She’s not here… usually she would be here…

“How're you feeling?” Ashido asked, parts of her skin strangely pale and ashen, compared to her normal pink. Even part of her sclera, usually black, was now white. 

Even as his mind raced over her quirk, whatever had happened that made that side effect—his worry persisted. 

“I’m alright,” he said, looking again through their faces. “Thank you all—for what you did.”

They glanced at each other, a collective sigh through them. 

“It is us who should be thanking you,” Iida said, a solemn smile on his mouth as he pressed a hand to his chest. 

“They’re calling you the savior of Japan!” Koda said. “Did you know that?”

“None of it could’ve happened without you, Midoriya,” said Asui. 

Izuku sunk deeper into the pillow, too tired to even blush. 

“Your whole fight was on TV, the world saw all of it,” Sero laughed. “Man, talk about insane.”

“I was able to watch some of it,” Kirishima added. “That was some crazy stuff you went through. We’re all just glad you’re okay.”

He bit his lip, feeling those embers within him, and the silence in the absence of One for All. 

“You guys are alright too, yeah?” He asked. “How is everyone? How is…”

He glanced around, worried again. 

“I think everyone’s been injured in some way,” Kirishima said. “But the worst of it were definitely Bakugo and-“

“—Ochako…” Asui said, her voice softer now, her brow furrowed and a frown on her face. 

His heart sank into his toes—that’s what he’d been afraid of. But to have confirmation made his stomach twist. “I- I know about Kacchan already. What- what happened to Uraraka? Is she-“

He saw the pain in Asui’s face, and his blood ran cold. His heart twisted as the fear filled up inside of him. 

“I- is she… alive?” He whispered.

Iida nodded. “She’s alive... but she’s been in surgery until late last night.”

Izuku gaped at him, processing the words. 

“She was stabbed in the gut, and was nearly exsanguinated by the time she was picked up. There was damage to her internal organs, and with gut wounds… Now they're watching her recovery closely. There's a real worry for infection and sepsis with that kind of wound.” Iida looked down, biting his lip. “The surgeon said it was… a miracle… she pulled through.”

The group grew somber, worry reflecting in their faces as well. 

He turned his wide eyes to Asui, questioning. She looked at him, her eyes watering. 

"I don’t really—I don’t know everything that had happened. But Ochako was stabbed by Himiko Toga, and she didn’t give up after that. She just… kept fighting to talk to her. And…"

She cut herself off, wiping at her face. 

"She must’ve had a quirk awakening," Jirou continued, putting a hand on Asui's shoulder. "It was incredible. She single handedly lifted the entire army of Twice clones and all of us heroes—it was almost like gravity was just gone from the whole area."

Izuku gaped at her, his mind reeling a bit. Ochako's quirk? She lifted that many people? She didn’t need to use direct contact then? Her weight capacity changed? —he stopped himself before he could get carried away. 

Toga… stabbed her…

He looked down, feeling again how it had felt when he’d found Katsuki and the rest beaten nearly to death, blood everywhere, pooling underneath—

Ochako had nearly bled to death… First Kacchan… and everyone at UA, and now her… 

If only I’d- but I had to leave! I couldn’t stay, but- what if she doesn’t make it…?!

"What is Young Uraraka's condition now?" All Might asked from beside him. 

"Last I heard, she was stable," Iida said calmly. 

Izuku felt relief at the same time as anxiety. He trusted Iida's word completely, but he felt fear creeping through him. He needed to see her, make sure she was truly alright—truly alive. 

Izuku pulled himself up, his body aching. 

“Kid,” All Might said from beside him, but Izuku sat up anyway. 

He saw her face in his mind, her determination in that smile on her face, urging him to go—leave her behind to face Shigaraki. She’d had blood rolling down her shoulder… 

And now…

Izuku pulled the blankets off, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. His head rushed and the world spun, but he ignored it. Iida grasped his shoulder, avoiding the area where the PICC line was inserted. “You still need your rest, Midoriya. She’s recovering now.”

"You’re in no condition to be moving around, dude," Kirishima said. 

“I need to see her,” he looked up, desperation in his voice. “Please.”

“Let us get a nurse to help, at least,” Sero fretted, but Izuku was already trying to get on his feet. His arms were still tingling oddly under his bandages, but he could feel more than before. His head throbbed and spun, making his stomach lurch, but he ignored it as he stood, leaning on Iida’s arm as he braced against him. 

The door opened then, a nurse walking in. “How're you doing in here- what’re you doing up? Please get back in bed, Midoriya-san.”

Izuku glanced at All Might, seeing his call light button clicked. 

“He has a friend who just got out of surgery last night,” All Might said. “Would it be possible to assist him in seeing her?”

The nurse frowned, then sighed. “I’ll go grab a wheelchair. But don’t just leave! You're on a lot of painkillers, you know? And if you pull yourself off these monitors, our sensors will just think you died, got it?"

“Yes,” Izuku said, letting Iida help him sit back down. 

The nurse left, and Izuku looked back at All Might.

“It’s easier to get around with their approval, trust me,” All Might sighed. “Besides, if Young Uraraka is recovering from surgery, then she’s likely in the ICU, judging by her injuries and the severity for infection—you’ll probably need an escort.”

Izuku bit his lip. "Thanks, All Might."

But All Might smiled. "I’ve always admired your ability to make such close connections. You’re truly a wonder, boy."

After a few minutes, the nurse returned and helped him into the wheelchair, his PICC line on a portable pole to wheel around with him. Asui pushed that as they made their way through the hospital. Iida walked close to his side as the nurse pushed him, the rest of the group close behind. 

All Might had been wrong, she was actually on the MedSurg floor—which his nurse assured him was a good thing. ‘We don’t want her to stay in intensive care.’ It meant she had a decent prognosis for now. 

They came to the room and his nurse stopped.

“Wait here,” she said, then knocked and entered the room. 

“Have you seen her yet?” Izuku asked them. 

Iida shook his head. “I’ve just been keeping myself apprised of any updates—for Uraraka, and for the rest of our class. But of all of us, Uraraka was probably the worst case outside of Bakugo. I am grateful both of them are on the mend."

Izuku nodded. He was too, and he was glad to hear everyone else was mostly okay, as well. But it didn’t stop his heart racing in fear for her. 

The nurse came back quickly, a compassionate smile on her face. “Let's just have a few of you come in. There's not a lot of room, and she’s already got her parents in there." 

There was a collective nod from the group, and Kirishima grasped Izuku's shoulder. "Tell her hi for us."

"Will do," he replied. 

In the end, it was just him, Iida, and Asui. The nurse knocked and brought him around the curtain at her parent's call. He saw their faces first, the evidence of tears and exhaustion on both of them, but they smiled at him— she looks just like her mom…

"How are you feeling, Midoriya?" Her father said. "You sure went through the ringer too, huh?"

Izuku nodded, barely hearing the question, his eyes moving to her bed. "Yeah, I…"

She was strapped to cords and monitors alike, her face slackened and pale—the sweet little blush she normally had in her cheeks was completely absent. His stomach lurched to see her, fear gripping him all the more. "H- how is she?"

Her father sighed, clasping his hands together. "Holding strong. She’s a tough girl, she’s pulling through. It’ll just… it’s gonna take some time."

"She saved so many people, ribbit," Asui said softly, her voice swollen. "Including me."

"And me as well," Iida said solemnly. "Stopping the Twice clones as she did."

Izuku thought of that feeling of her in that final charge, her words in his head… in his heart. He ached at it all over again. "She’s always been saving me," he whispered. 

Her parents both just smiled, pride on their faces now, along with their worry. 

He turned to them, feeling his eyes sting. "Can I…?"

"Go ahead," her mother said, gesturing towards her daughter. 

Iida pushed him forward until he was beside her bed. She looked so still, so serene, but even as pale and limp as she was—she was beautiful. His shoulders sank, wishing these bandages of his were gone—wishing he could hold her hand at least. But he could see her chest move with her breath, and he could hear the beeping on her heart monitor. She’s alive. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to her as she slept. “I’m sorry I had to leave you behind. If I- I should’ve…”

He looked down, letting out a harsh breath. “I let you down. I’m sorry, Uraraka. But…”

He leaned in, biting his lip as his eyes stung. “I’m so happy that you’re alive. If you hadn’t come back, I-“

His tears overflowed, soaking into the bandages over his eye, and he rubbed at his face with the back of his wrapped hand. He shut his eyes, then placed his hands on the edge of her bed and bowed his head to her. "I’m so sorry, Uraraka."

He felt a gentle pressure on his hand despite the numbness to his nerves. He blinked and looked up, seeing her eyes opening, tiredly blinking at him. 

"Deku," she whispered, her voice cracking and tired, and a little bit swollen as she spoke around her NG tube. "Are you okay?"

He laughed lightly, feeling his tears continue to fall. "Yeah, yeah, I’m alright. You-"

"Tsu… and Iida, too. You guys—everyone…?"

"Everyone's alright," Iida said reassuringly. "It’s honestly a miracle."

Asui leaned in next to Izuku, placing a hand on Uraraka's knee. "I’m sorry too, Ochako. I couldn’t help you at all. I just watched as you-"

"It’s okay," she smiled weakly. "Both of you, saying sorry for nothing."

She looked at Asui. "Without your support, I couldn’t have… none of it would’ve been possible. So thank you, Tsu. And Deku-"

Her eyes turned to him, soft and warm, her hand still touched to his. "What’re you sorry for?" She smiled gently. "You saved everyone, didn't you, Deku? Everyone. You worked so hard to keep this country and everyone in it from being destroyed. You’re amazing, Deku. I really admire you."

His gaped at her, then bit his lip as he cried more. She’s still reassuring me… even now… 

"Uraraka…"

"I’ll be alright," she said happily. "The doctor said I was already on the mend."

Her smile widened, exuding brightness in her features. 

"So you don’t have to worry about me!" She said, lifting a fist in the air. "I’ll be just- ah!"

Her voice broke in pain and she buckled, grabbing at her stomach. 

"Uraraka!"

"Ochako!"

Her mother came to the other side of the bed, steadying her.

"I’m fine, I’m fine!" She said weakly, tears in her eyes. 

"Just lie still, sweetheart," her mother said softly, stroking her hair.

Izuku sat back, biting his lip as she trembled at her pain. And he realized… in all their time going to UA, and with all the times that he’d wound up in the hospital—he’d never seen her injured like this. He’d always been the one others came to see, but he- He felt that stab of guilt once again at having to leave her.

"It'd be best to let her rest for now," her father said. "Thank you for coming to see her."

"Of course," Iida said. "It’s good to see you’re recovering, Uraraka."

Ochako smiled through a wince. "I’ll see you guys later."

She glanced at Izuku, and he saw something in her. A glint of pain in her eyes, giving a hollowness to her smile. His heart clenched. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but she looked away, smiling wider. 

"Feel better, okay?" She said happily. "I’ll be right as rain in no time."

They said their goodbyes, but Izuku couldn’t take his eyes off of her until the moment Iida wheeled him out of sight—that look on her face…

"Well, I’m glad she’s healing well, and in good spirits too," Iida said solemnly as they walked back towards Izuku's room. 

"Yeah…" Izuku frowned, thinking of that smile she’d had—the pain in her face, behind her smiling eyes. And it wasn’t just her physical wounds, was it? He couldn’t tell for sure but…

His mind drifted back to what felt like years ago—her smile at the sports festival, wide and happy, and her sobs behind the closed door. 

"Ribbit," Asui croaked quietly beside him. Izuku glanced at her, seeing the same worry on her face. So she saw it too. 

Asui caught his eyes, and he shared her concern. No, Ochako was not in good spirits. She was not fine at all. But she was hiding it again—so much more than she had before, he thought. 

But… at least she’s alive.

And that was the best he could wish for right now. She had returned—they all had. And he understood being weighed down by the things they had survived. He understood. Healing would come with time.

Which meant he still had work to do—to save the smiles of those he cared for. He wasn’t done, not anywhere close yet.

Chapter Text

PRESENT

The trees swayed in the wind as Izuku walked, pondering. He did a lot of walking lately, often with Ochako, but sometimes just by himself. This morning was no different, and after he'd finished his run he walked quietly through the grounds. 

Though he could feel the warm power of those embers, the absence of the voices of One for All left him feeling a little bit lonely. 

There was a lot to process still, as he was learning—things couldn’t be entirely as they were because it had all changed. The world had changed. The people around him had changed. And… he himself had changed. 

He shut his eyes, feeling the wind as he thought back to that day. How had it already been months since then? He thought of his goals, his attempt to save that sad boy—and though he had saved his soul in a way, shattering that hatred he bore and freeing him of All for One's grasp… Izuku had still been the cause of his death. 

"Murderer," Spinner had called him, and he supposed that was true. He knew there had been no other choice, but he felt the weight of it nonetheless. Tenko—Tomura Shigaraki had died by his hand, his body crumbling under the weight of bearing All for One and One for All together. Forcing One for All into him had killed him, ultimately. So Izuku was responsible, and that knowledge felt heavy in his soul. 

There was plenty of justification for it. How many people would’ve died had he failed to stop him? How much destruction and mayhem would’ve spread across the globe? Shigaraki had made his choices, and that only gave Izuku so many of his own choices to stop him. 

Even with all the justification and reasoning, he felt sick at having to become an executioner. 

"Sometimes the only way to save is by killing," Gran Torino's words came to his mind, chilling him to the bone. 

Izuku sighed, rubbing at his arm as he looked up at the misty sky. It was still cool before the summer sun could burn it off. 

He turned his mind to that morning a couple days ago, as he’d sat with Ochako and cried with her. Guilt and regrets hung heavy between them. And he thought over it all. 

He worried about her still, those nightmares she had, the guilt she carried on her shoulders. He felt it too, felt the same—but… knowing her and knowing how she coped… he was glad, for her sake, that it wasn’t her hand that ended Himiko Toga's life. As many things as they had in common, Ochako wasn’t a… murderer… like he was. 

I think… it would’ve crushed her entirely… 

Though the situation had been similar, he was grateful that Shoto had not become an executioner as well. Just like with Ochako, to have that kind blood on your hands—his own brother… it wasn’t something he could even imagine. 

Shoto had visited Dabi—Touya—as often as he could. He didn’t talk much about it, even when Izuku would ask. But he was calm, turmoil not seemingly present in him, at least. He felt more melancholic, regretful, but resigned. Which Izuku understood. 

Those feelings hadn’t changed much after his brother's death, but there seemed to be a heaviness in his friend—one Izuku felt was very familiar. 

The ceremony had been simple, and only Shoto's immediate family had been there, aside from Iida, Katsuki, and Izuku, as Shoto had personally asked them to come.

Izuku stopped, looking down at his hand, feeling a bit at a loss. Winning as he had, he’d wanted to give reassurance and peace to everyone, but it just didn’t work like that. He couldn’t take the pain from his friend's eyes, and he couldn’t prevent the horrors in his girlfriend's dreams. He really hadn’t realized exactly how flimsy the peace All Might's age had sustained. 

We can rebuild, he sighed, clinging to that little flame within him. I can help them bear it, at the very least. 

"Hey!" He heard a familiar voice. 

Izuku smiled and waved as All Might rolled down the sidewalk in his motorized wheelchair. It still amazed him that whenever he wanted to see All Might , he could just ask the man himself. If he’d told the Izuku Midoriya of three years ago that, he wouldn’t have believed it. 

"Here," All Might smiled, handing him a can of tea. 

"Thank you," he said, accepting the gift with the reverence he always reserved for moments like this with his idol. 

He was grateful for All Might's promptness in meeting with him. It all seemed to be getting heavier, and after that talk with Ochako, bearing out all of these burdens to one another, his mind was set in a solemnness he couldn’t shake. She’d said he wasn’t being selfish, and objectively he knew that—however it was hard to not feel that stab of shame for being less than grateful for what he’d been given. 

So he sought out the only person in the world who could understand this—and he knew All Might understood entirely. 

"How're you feeling?" The man asked. 

Izuku sat on the bench beside where All Might had parked his scooter. "I’m just fine. There’s some aching in my hands and arms sometimes, but even then, it's not much."

All Might nodded, but he still held that solemnity. "And One for All?"

With a sinking in his stomach, Izuku looked at his hand. "I try to not use it too much, so that I can preserve it for as long as I can. Though I did use it again a couple nights ago…"

"Oh? What for?"

Izuku thought of when he’d come at her cry for help, finding her collapsed in a heap on her veranda, wracked with her turmoil. 

"It wasn't much," he said quietly. "Ochako, she… she’s been having nightmares. And I… it was faster to jump than to walk."

All Might's expression filled with concern and he sighed. "Poor girl. It isn’t a burden any of you should’ve had to bear, this war."

He looked at the man's face, lined with those familiar regrets. "You’re not responsible for it either, All Might."

All Might looked at him in surprise, then smiled. "Thank you, my boy. I understand that, though it is difficult to shake the feeling sometimes—No, I hadn’t imagined it would be so complicated to defeat All for One." 

Izuku nodded, rubbing a hand over his arm absentmindedly. "Neither did I."

"I guess I proved to myself that brute force alone wasn’t going to cut it, as my first run in with him had been both devastating, but also indeterminate."

"No," Izuku sighed. "All for One… needed to be destroyed completely."

All Might was quiet for a moment. "Another reason I wish I hadn't needed to leave that burden to you."

"Well, it wasn’t something you could control," he said. "And Gran Torino was right in what he said to me."

"What did he say?"

"Killing is another way to save…" he said, his voice quiet. 

All Might bowed his head. "Yes, he would say that, I’m sure."

Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see such a sad, gentle expression on the man's face, and Izuku hadn’t expected it to make him feel so much like a little kid. 

"There is a difference between being a soldier on a battlefield, and committing murder, Young Midoriya," All Might said, his voice somber. "You did what you could to be merciful, but you still upheld what was needed and just."

His eyes went wide, and he looked down, biting his lip. "Yeah… I know that. But… it doesn’t make it any easier to figure this all out."

"I am here," All Might sighed. "Whenever you need me."

Izuku wiped at his misting eyes before they could spill over. "Thank you, All Might."

He felt that flame flutter within him, warm, ever burning—It made… a poetic kind of sense that the struggle would end only when both quirks were destroyed.

He gripped a fist against his knee, looking down. 

"All Might," Izuku said, his voice quiet. "How long… do you think I’ll be able to hold onto these embers for?"

All Might was quiet for a moment, but Izuku didn’t want to look up. He was trying to be optimistic, trying to be grateful, but feeling those flames slowly burn out as time passed was… not something he looked forward to. It hurt, and it was a pain that made him feel that same selfishness he’d felt before, and he was genuinely ashamed of those feelings—despite Ochako's gentle words. 

"It’s hard to tell," All Might said softly. "For me, I was using it not just in herowork, but also to hide my body's fragility—to keep up my image. And in the end, taking down All for One probably snuffed out much time I would’ve had." 

The man took a sip of his tea, looking up at the sky. "But when I passed One for All onto you, it grew exponentially. Does that mean that the amount of power in the embers within you would be exponentially larger than mine had been? Most likely."

Izuku looked out towards the blue sky, the clouds in the distance losing the pink tinge of sunrise. He didn’t respond as All Might continued to gather his thoughts regarding the power. It didn’t do much to hang on his words and hope for anything significant. It was all… just lingering.  

"I had roughly six months after passing it on to you," All Might said at last. "It stands to reason that you will have a couple years, depending on what you do with them."

A couple years… graduation, then? The poeticism continued. 

"I guess I’ll…" he started. "...be able to finish here at UA, at least."

All Might nodded. "Yes, but you know this institution would not throw you out if you lost the embers sooner."

Izuku smiled at him. "I know that. It just seems fitting. One for All gave me that impossible chance to live my dream, but with it a responsibility to uphold. I got to become a hero while still honoring that responsibility. I’m grateful for such a gift."

"It was indeed a heavy responsibility," All Might sighed. "One that I, perhaps, didn’t consider thoroughly enough before passing it on to you." 

He frowned at All Might, and the guilt that laced his tone. "I’m still grateful, All Might. I don’t regret it at all. The things I’ve been able to do, to experience, I- you gave me the chance of a lifetime. If this was my price to pay for that, then I’m glad I got to have it for a little while, at least."

All Might smiled wanly, then patted a hand lightly on his hair. "You’ve done your duty wonderfully, my boy. So with the time that you have left, do whatever you want with this gift."

His eyes swam. "Thank you, All Might."

He sighed, then looked up at the sky. "The thing is… I’m not sure… what it is I want—having my future with this dream become impossible once again."

He thought of the time he’d had, how he’d learned, grown, his frantic race to the end of this fight, always feeling like he could never do enough. There was always more room to grow, more room to do. And now… as his time ticked away, there was the vast freedom that came with the lack of a goal, a direct purpose. He was as strong as he could be, more or less. What would be the point in wasting it away to strengthen it further? He would always defend the weak and do his best to aid and improve their crumbled society, but all to the same end—the fading of the embers of One for All. He could do everything and nothing and it would end the same. 

But how to spend this time? What was most important to him? What would be the part that would hurt most to miss out on?

Putting aside that impossible, dreamlike future, he thought of what he had now—he thought of his friends, their smiling faces as they worked and sweat together, getting stronger, growing closer, relying on one another as not just friends or rivals, not just as teammates or classmates, but… family. And as he thought of each of them, that feeling grew within him. 

"What I want…" Izuku said solemnly. "...is to spend this time with my friends. That's all I think I could ask for at this point."

All Might's solemn face warmed as he smiled. "That doesn't surprise me one bit, Young Midoriya."

He smiled back, his heart feeling a little bit lighter. 

The conversation with All Might did a few things in Izuku's mind, but most of all, he felt invigorated. He clenched his fists as they settled into practice and strengthening exercises. 

"Did you have a good chat with All Might?" Ochako asked as she set up her own practice dummies, continuing to train her new quirk abilities. 

"Yeah," he smiled. "He gave me some direction I think I was needing."

She tilted her head. "Hm?"

But he just smiled, then jogged over to the broken road—the practice area unfortunately still matching a large chunk of the actual city. 

"Iida!" He called over to him. 

"Midoriya," Iida blinked as Izuku ran over to meet him. "Is everything well?"

Izuku nodded, a smile on his face. "Yeah. I wanted to test something out, and I need your help."

"Oh?"

He raised a fist, a smile on his face. "Let’s see who's faster between the two of us."

Now Iida looked even more surprised. "A race?"

"Yeah!" Izuku grinned. "With a speedometer at the end so we know how fast exactly. It would honestly be some crazy data."

Iida placed a hand on his chin, considering. "You’re right about that. I’m sure the results would be invaluable indeed. But—"

He looked down, concern in his eyes. "Midoriya, what about the embers? It seems a… trivial use of something so precious to you."

Izuku felt that pang in his heart, but he smiled anyway. "It’s not trivial. This is exactly what I want—to keep learning and growing alongside my friends."

Iida bit his lip, emotion on his face before he nodded, smiling solemnly. "Then I will gladly oblige."

Word quickly spread throughout the class of the friendly competition, and soon all of them were gathered to watch. 

"Who's actually faster, I wonder?"

"Dude, I have no idea at this point," Kirishima laughed. 

"Iida was able to simulate a jet engine," Shoto said. "But Midoriya has been as fast as a bullet before."

"We'll see what those embers can do without their extra quirks," Katsuki said, his voice still strangely mellow. 

"I don’t think I could even guess," Ochako laughed beside them. "Do you think we'll even be able to see?"

"There's probably not enough runway, to be honest."

Izuku smiled at the little crowd, then at his friend beside him. "Give it all you got," he said, extending a fist towards him. 

"Of course," Iida smiled, giving him a fist bump. 

"On your marks!" Ashido shouted excitedly, waving a little flag, courtesy of Yaoyorozu. 

Izuku brought up One for All, letting it burn through his body with excitement. Beside him, Iida revved his engines, blue flames bursting off his legs. 

"Get set-!"

He shut his eyes, relishing this feeling—of friends, of power, of the height of his dreams within his grasp for just a little while longer. 

"Go!"

The two of them streaked away with a bang, leaving the class behind in a millisecond. And as the wind blew against him, Izuku smiled, genuinely happy to live such a life as his own.

Chapter Text

Prepping for midterms was entirely different this time around. It was actually easy to forget it was happening. Of course they studied like usual for the written, but they also spent a lot of time cleaning up the community. The different districts and cities coming together to rebuild and beautify had made Japan look almost back to normal in only a matter of months. There was still plenty to do and repair, but even so, the progress was amazing. 

This time, they weren’t slotted to be tried and tested by their teachers, judging their abilities to think like heroes in battle against villains. Now their midterm practical was to put a park back together as a class. 

Aizawa napped on the floor as the class piled around the plans and papers of the area, interjecting their ideas on what it should look like. 

"An amusement park!" Ashido waved a fist in the air. "Wouldn’t a carousel be just perfect right there?"

"Yes, but shouldn't it be more functional than that?" Yaoyorozu said, tapping her chin. "We want it to give back to the community, so would the maintenance of an amusement park be too much of a drain?"

"Maybe," Shoto said. 

"But recreation is important for bolstering the civilians' spirits, too," Asui interjected logically. 

"Ah-" Yaoyorozu started. "Of course, you’re absolutely right! What was I thinking?"

"It’s not a bad thing to be frugal," Ojiro said, scratching his face. "I mean, the whole country is just surviving right now. We gotta do our best to do the most we can with little resources."

"And we got the queen of frugality over here!" Kaminari said with a chuckle, gesturing at Ochako. "Remember when you said taking naps saves money?"

Ochako blushed, mussing her hair. "I mean- you can’t worry about being too hot or too hungry if you're asleep! Take a nap when it’s the hottest out and you won’t need to turn on the A/C, or skip lunch and sleep past noon, then you’ve saved an entire meal for later!"

"See? She’s nuts!" 

"Hey!" Ochako laughed, though the red in her cheeks was unmistakable. "I do what I have ta!"

The conversation moved on to the specific areas and designs, but Izuku looked down at her beside him. He knew that the conversation was lighthearted, but he knew Ochako well. 

He gently took her hand, and he smiled as her fingers slid between his. 

"Hm?" She hummed, smiling sweetly at him. 

He felt his cheeks warm, still amazed at this. He had to take a moment to shake himself from it. Her smile was just too wonderful. Then he remembered his concern. "You didn’t eat?" He said softly. 

She just laughed. "I did! I just stretched stuff out, no big deal."

"I once saw her claim a handful of shrimp chips as breakfast, ribbit," Asui interjected, hand to her face. 

 "It was a big handful…" Ochako scoffed. "It’s a lot easier having access to the dorm kitchen and Lunch Rush's cafeteria for meals." 

He laughed with her, grateful that she wasn’t alone. He didn’t realize he needed to be concerned about her eating habits too. The list seemed to get longer and longer the closer together they got. Maybe that was concerning too…

Ochako squeezed his hand reassuringly. He looked down as she tilted her head, that lovely smile on her face again. "Don’t worry," she said softly. So he let it go for now and they turned back to the plans. 

After a while of chatting and planning out what exactly they wanted to do, the vision of their little park was coming about. They were so caught up in it together that they hardly noticed the time. 

"Be quicker about it so you're not late to Gym Gamma," Aizawa said grumpily from underneath his desk. "Other classes wanna use the space too."

"Ah! Sorry, Teacher!" The class called out together. 

They all changed into their costumes and headed for the rubbled room. As the rest headed towards different areas to work on their various, specific needs and weak points, Izuku stood back, considering. What can I do this time? He was honestly more useful as a tool to help his classmates grow stronger, rather than anything for himself. 

In the distance, he saw Tokoyami practicing with dark shadow in a makeshift dark cave, courtesy of Cementoss. Then there was Kaminari and Jirou in a different corner, working on some kind of tag team. Kirishima was using himself as a human punching bag for Sato and Ashido, strengthening his hardening. And Shoji was simply weight training. With each individual and group, he evaluated what he would be able to do to help out. He smiled, ideas forming in his head. 

Inevitably, his eyes found Ochako. She was working hard to grasp these new workings of her evolved quirk. She had a crease in her brow as she seemed to be talking herself through something. He could think of several ways he’d like to help her out, but he also worried he’d be distracting to her—and probably to himself too. 

A side effect of not having a personal goal was he didn’t have much to focus on. So it was way too easy to just get wrapped up in all those fluttery feelings she made him feel. He sighed. They’d been harassed about being too flirty with each other only that morning, so he figured he’d let her be for now. 

After a moment, she looked back over at him, and her face was so happy, so bright and lovely, all he could do was stare at her. She sent him a small wave, then turned back to her training. Izuku let out a sigh, glad to know she didn’t think him creepy for staring. 

I can stare at my girlfriend if I want to, he chided that little bout of uncertainty within himself. She is my girlfriend, afterall! 

Suddenly his mask got tossed over his head and he blinked, pushing it back. 

“Quit making goo goo eyes at Uraraka and come spar me,” Katsuki growled. 

“Uh- sure,” Izuku flushed, but followed anyway. 

The embers within him were still strong, burning within his heart. Unlike what All Might did, using up his embers in a single, explosive battle, Izuku had only used a portion of it to finish his fight with All for One. They burned brightly, but even with his decision to use them this exact way, for his friends and their little time left at school—he calculated every burst he used to how completely vital it was. Sparring with Katsuki was vital to that goal, just as racing Iida had been. He remembered vividly the tears Katsuki had shed in his hospital room, his regret and pain—and wishing they had more time to be proper rivals, and proper friends in this way. 

Those fights were extremely limited though, nowhere near the scale that they were capable of. Katsuki was still recovering from his injuries, and his scarred heart and lungs left him out of breath more often than he liked. His right arm was unusable, strapped securely to his chest while they fought. But he still made himself formidable with just his left, and Izuku did his best to balance reigning it in while still giving his opponent the challenge he wanted. Katsuki probably came away more frustrated than not, but they both knew just how little time they had to compete like this. 

The match ended as it usually did—Izuku standing victorious and Katsuki winded and breathless, his body shaking. It hurt to see, but he couldn’t let up more than he already did—that would just insult Katsuki further. Still, his strength was akin to All Might’s now, and he wasn’t inclined to use even half of that on his childhood friend, especially in the state that he was in. 

“How’s the embers?” Katsuki said, taking a sip from a water bottle. 

“Just fine,” Izuku replied, leaning back against the wall. “They’re still pretty strong. I think I’ll have them for a few years at least.”

Katsuki frowned. “Going off All Might’s experience?”

Izuku shrugged. “It could be sooner, like his, if some formidable villain shows up again—but he used that up in one go against All for One.”

“At least that bastard’s dead and gone now.”

“Yeah,” Izuku sighed. “Doesn’t mean no one else could try to fill that hole.”

Katsuki glowered at him. “And you don’t have to be the one to go out in smoke fighting ‘em, either.”

Izuku smiled. “True. But still, how it's going now, I feel… I’ll probably have them with me up until our third year at least—graduation if I’m lucky.”

Katsuki’s shoulders sank and as he took another sip, his face still turned down into a scowl. 

“What’ll you do?” Katsuki asked, his voice quieter. “After those embers are gone.” 

Izuku sighed again, a small smile on his face. “I know the reality of trying to become a hero without a quirk.”

His brow furled as Izuku said that, frown deepening. “Have you looked into support gear?”

“I mean, sure. I have an entire notebook dedicated to those possibilities,” Izuku said, rubbing at the scars on his wrist. “But think of Armored All Might.”

Izuku had watched the footage of All Might’s final stand against All for One. How could he not? It was nothing short of miraculous. When he’d retired, that should’ve been the end—but All Might still wanted to join in the fight with One for All against that great evil. Izuku had watched that fight again and again. 

Katsuki looked at his hand and pursed his lips. “It was powerful… but it ended up being a glass cannon in the end.”

“Exactly,” Izuku nodded. He felt a sting in his eyes at the conversation, but pushed that away for now. “I think of what Aizawa said to me on that first day of school—I can’t rely on my teammates to always save me when I’m in a tight spot. And if the support gear isn’t reliable enough to keep going after a single fight-“

He sighed again, looking back at Katsuki. “I won’t become a hindrance to you.”

Katsuki breathed out a harsh breath, looking at him squarely. “So you’re giving it up?”

Izuku frowned back at him, then looked out at the training center. 

“I don’t have a choice,” was Izuku’s response to that. “It’s just… completely out of reach for the technology available—not to mention how much money it would cost to create and maintain a suit that would be reliable enough.”

He looked up then, considering it all—this amazing year of becoming a hero, of holding One for All. Honing it, strengthening himself, fighting with power in his limbs and fire in his veins. It was exhilarating, such a blessing to be able to even experience that once—and he’d had a whole year and then some. His heart hurt at the recent sting, as he’d held onto Ochako and cried in his disappointment, but he felt no bitterness in this moment. Just… gratitude for what he’d been given. 

“But I got to live my dream for a little while, and I have to be content with that.”

Katsuki watched him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he sat forward, a heaviness to his posture. 

“I’m upping my physical therapy,” he said sharply. “I’m not gonna let it stop me, this arm.”

Izuku frowned. He understood. He knew what it was like to be impatient. He felt the frustration at how limited their rematches were too. It was a possibility that, if physical therapy didn’t take, Katsuki could be retiring right alongside him. 

“You shouldn't rush it,” Izuku said softly. “You could damage your arm further, pushing it like that.”

“I’ll do as I damn well please,” Katsuki said flatly, and it was still strange to hear his usual outbursts in such a calm voice. 

Izuku smiled though. “I guess if you’re determined to be left handed, by all means.”

Katsuki shot him an annoyed look, and Izuku laughed. But the air between them was no longer filled with raw nerves and hostility. It was calm, it was familiar. And though it had been so long ago, he’d missed it. 

It was still strange to him though, being comfortable like this with Katsuki—being friends once more. All of the years filled with that tension to almost suddenly camaraderie, understanding. It was crazy how much had truly changed. But as he sat, discussing quirks and the future together with his childhood friend, he found that feeling of gratitude returning to him yet again. 

One for All gave me so much, he thought with a smile. It even gave me back my friend. 

"How's she doing now?" Katsuki asked, gesturing with his water bottle. "After everything."

Izuku looked over to where he pointed, seeing Ochako as she trained. His heart felt a little heavier, remembering that night, how terrified she’d been, how utterly wracked with despair. Her words… "Better… and worse—more than she lets on."

"Seems about right," he shook his head. "The both of you act like that, ya know? Too selfless."

He rubbed at his neck. "I don’t really know how else to be. As for her…"

His shoulders slumped, taking in the gentle smile on her face, the sweet shine in her complexion that made her look just so bright. "Well, if there’s nothing anyone could say to change how I think and act, then it’s the same for her. But she’s taking it all… pretty hard."

"She did almost die," Katsuki said, his voice somber. "That can take a toll."

"She’s not even worried about almost dying," he sighed, hearing the hard edge in his voice. "She’s just… consumed with survivor's guilt for the girl who nearly killed her."

Katsuki frowned deeper. "Of course Uraraka'd think like that."

Izuku rubbed a hand through his hair. "I’m not really sure what to do—at least more than I’m already doing. I just can’t help but think there must be something more I can do."

They looked at her from across the training ground, and she laughed as she caught a couple of their other classmates up in her quirk, floating them in a cloud of pink bubbles. 

"It's probably more than what you can handle, honestly," Katsuki said. 

Izuku bristled at that, but he was probably right. "I’ve asked her if she’d consider going to counseling. She just looked mortified."

"She’s strong," Katsuki said, taking a drink of his water. "She'll come through eventually."

"It’s the 'eventually' part that I worry about," he sighed. "But I couldn't force her, even if I wanted to."

They sat for a few moments, and Izuku was again bewildered that it was a comfortable silence. Their friendship had begun again, having had everything else gutted and mucked out felt so weird… but he was glad for it. Katsuki's apology and tears of remorse were both things that had startled and shocked him, but he was grateful for them regardless. 

After a couple minutes, Katsuki snorted. 

"Huh?" Izuku asked. 

"It’s so weird you have a girlfriend," Katsuki laughed, his voice in his normal, hard-edged mockery.

Izuku flushed. "Ah- why?!"

Katsuki smirked. "You’re still such a damn nerd."

His shoulders sagged, a smile on his face. The words, though they were the same, held no malice now. He had the thought that he could give him a friendly shove and his former bully wouldn’t react with unforgiving violence now—but he figured he wouldn’t test the limits of this new stage they found themselves in. 

So Izuku just rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks."

Chapter Text

Happiness hit her

Like a bullet in the back

Dog Days Are Over by Florence + the Machine

Working as a class came second nature to them now, after everything they had been through together. Whether it was patrolling, fighting, training, community clean up, or just hanging out together. And Ochako loved being together with them. Putting together the little park had been way more fun than it had any right to be. Now with it finished, she sat on one of the swings, admiring it all. 

Of course their foliage would need time to grow in, but the tree saplings stood happy to be in their new home. Flowers were freshly planted around in the beds they'd prepared, and the fresh sod was damp and soggy—but still green. There was something about the patch of green in the middle of the disarrayed urban area that made it feel like a rebirth. 

It was dusk now. They’d all worked the whole day to make it even better than they had planned. As she sat on the new swing set, Ochako felt a contentment in her heart at it all. She kicked her legs, breathing it in as she swung gently through the warm air. 

"Higher, Daddy! Higher!" She could recall herself saying, feeling her father's strong hands on her back as he laughed, pushing her up and up. There was one moment in particular that stood out in her mind—a night when she’d been out late with him and they’d stopped at a playground, a quiet place just like this. 

"Look, Ochako!" He’d said as he pushed her up through the chilly night. "You can reach the stars!"

And she almost believed she could, her tiny hands reached out, grasping towards the shimmering glitter across the sky.

Ochako looked up, seeing a couple stars already begin to peak out against the darkening sky. Without thinking, she lifted a hand to the little lights, pondering. Peace. 

Melancholy hit her then, as it always seemed to be lingering on the edges of her heart. It felt like such a pitiful tune she danced to alone in her mind—constantly one step forward, two steps back. Every time she made strides towards healing, towards peace—every time she reached that feeling of peace and softness to soothe her soul, this melancholy kept creeping up on her again and again.  

But… she wanted peace, right? So why did it keep slipping away from her fingers every time she touched it? Izuku couldn’t always be there, holding it all at bay, but it was starting to feel like that was the only time when she felt peace. Even if he did come running every time she called, she couldn’t rely on him so heavily that she couldn’t stand on her own. And relying on him in this way blinded her to the fact that he was hurting too, and he needed her help. 

She bit her lip and sighed, resigned. Is it always going to be like this?

She looked up to see her friends, her classmates milling around the park, doing various different last minute tasks. Some just talked, happy to have this project completed. Ochako knew that any of them would be willing to bear this with her, and yet… she let an easy smile turn her lips up. It was hard to feel exposed, even now. 

Izuku was talking with some of the boys, and she was torn between calling for him and letting him be. Was she becoming a burden to him? He worked so hard to help her heal. He always offered to take her burdens away, while bearing his own weights without a word or complaint. 

Will it always be this way? She thought again, looking down. 

But as she swung, she looked beside her and thought she could imagine that sad girl, who should’ve been her friend, sitting beside her, kicking her legs back and forth. Himiko's smile haunted her, reminding her of it all. Her success—and failure. Her regrets, her sadness, her guilt. 

What should I do to make this stop? She didn’t know. Forgive herself? Repair this society? Work harder and harder until it didn’t hurt anymore? 

Ochako pushed away the tears and sighed, leaning her head against the chain. 

Inevitably, she felt a warm hand on her back, soothing and gentle with all the love in the world. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know who it was. 

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked, his voice kind. 

Ochako opened her eyes, looking down the hill, that melancholy surging around her once more. "I feel like a broken record…"

Izuku sat in the swing beside her, twisting the chain so he was turned towards her. "Ochako…"

Her eyes found his, and she knew he saw her shining tears. "It feels like no matter what, I’m gonna always feel like this. No matter how happy I am, I just feel this pull towards sadness, and I-"

She stopped, looking down. Things were easier when she could just ignore it. 

"Well," he said. "You may not see it, but you’ve already come a long way."

Ochako bit her lip. "Maybe."

"You have," he said, his voice reassuring. "Because only a couple weeks ago, you wouldn’t have said a word about it. Now you told me right away. I think that’s progress."

Ochako knew he was right. It just felt exhausting having to keep talking and talking and opening up over and over, while still feeling these feelings festering in her soul. "I just… miss how easy this all used to be."

Izuku nodded, letting his swing sway. "Me too."

They were quiet for a while like that, looking out over the park, their friends milling about, finishing up last minute tasks or just chatting and hanging out. Ochako felt her shoulders sink a little lower, her body feeling tired now. 

"What can I do?" Izuku asked softly. 

She glanced at him, feeling that love and guilt fill her simultaneously. There he was again, being so kind and so selfless as he ignored himself and reached for her. The heaviness in her chest grew. 

Ochako closed her eyes as the last of the sunshine faded into night. "Soothe my heart."

She heard him stand, his footsteps coming closer until she felt his fingers wrap around her hands. He held her tight as he stood before her until she let a couple tears fall. She leaned forward into his chest, letting out a heavy sigh. 

"Why can’t I…" she stopped, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say. Her words escaped her, as if she’d locked them away from her own self now. 

Izuku released one of her hands, then stroked her hair behind her ear. She looked up at him, seeing that warmth in his eyes that she loved so much. 

"You’re doing your best," he said, his hand resting on her head. "That’s enough for now."

Her breath shuddered out of her, and she bit her lip. Then she nestled her head against him again, clinging to his hand and grasping his shirt with the hand he'd released. He gently stroked her hair, and she felt some of that tension melt away at his touch. 

"Midoriya! Uraraka! Would you please join us?" Iida's voice carried up to them over the hill. 

"Yeah, no one wants to see that crap!" Mineta called after her. 

Ochako couldn't help the blush and little snicker as Izuku pulled away. "Ah- yeah!" He called down. 

She kept his hand though, holding firm as she stood. Then she smiled gently. "Alright."

He frowned at the smile, but understanding passed between them. She didn’t need to speak for him to know. She could make it a little longer, until that next bout. He could soothe her when she couldn’t bring up a smile, and their classmates could soothe her in making the world feel normal again. 

He laced his fingers between hers, and they started towards the group. 

"Welcome back, love birds," Tooru laughed, causing them both to blush a bit. 

Gentle (or sometimes not gentle at all) teasing from some and unrestrained adoration from others were both things they’d had to get used to, and though they blushed, it was all in good fun. Ochako didn’t even mind anymore, especially since the attention on them was diminished after the upstart of them first getting together. 

Momo smiled softly at them, then turned to the group. "Since we’ve all been working so hard to rebuild and get our studies in and just regroup altogether, we've unfortunately neglected a couple important dates!"

"So we as a class have decided to remedy that, in retrospect for some," Iida continued from beside her, his face so full of his usual, boisterous earnestness. 

Ochako felt her joy begin to return, especially as she looked at Izuku's confused face.

"What’re you talking about, Yaomomo?" Sero asked. 

"Yeah, Yaomomo! Iida! What's this about? Don't leave us in suspense!" Mina exclaimed.

Momo smiled happily, then gestured behind them. 

Sato grinned as he wheeled out a cart with a big cake on it, lit up with sparklers. "We're almost to August and we haven't celebrated any of you July birthdays, so come on up so we can sing and eat!"

Izuku blinked as Ochako and the rest laughed. She’d been in on it, of course. Everyone had except for the July birthdays. She squeezed his hand and brought him forward. 

"Wait, even me?" Shinso blinked. 

"Yes, even you!" Sato laughed. "You're part of our class, aren’t you?"

He looked stunned still, but Kaminari pushed him forward happily. "C’mon let’s sing so we can eat!"

Ochako couldn’t take her eyes off Izuku though. He laughed with a blush as they all sang to him and the rest. Ochako kept his hand in hers, singing beside him. He lit up in such a way when the whole group did things like this, and she knew what he felt about it. He was just so grateful to have friends, to have connections and good times with people who wanted him there. He looked at the group, and then to her, that shining gratitude in his eyes. 

She smirked, then leaned in to be heard over the crowd of singing. 

"Sorry it’s a little late," she said close to his ear. She pulled a small wrapped gift from her pocket and gently pressed it into his hands. "But happy birthday, Izuku."

He blinked at her, tears in his eyes. How can he be so perfect? 

With a smile, he wrapped his arm around her, hugging her to his side, and she continued to sing happily. 

Maybe joy couldn’t be present all the time, and maybe that melancholy would always return. She felt frustrated, and she would continue to feel that—but in these moments of joy, surrounded by those she adored, she could rest from it. 

So as she watched them all sing and laugh and eat sweets together, she figured what she could do for now was seek joy in every moment she could. It wouldn’t fix the problems in her head and in her heart, but it would give her a reprieve at the very least. 

It was enough for now. 

Chapter Text

“You all could've done a lot worse on your midterms," Aizawa said in a monotone voice, looking over the results. "Having missed out on the first part of the school year."

It was probably as close to a 'good job' as they were going to get. But it was nowhere near as intensive as it had been last year, with their team ups to rival their teachers. It was more concentrated on the written portion anyway. And doing the park had been a breath of fresh air. 

"I have two announcements for you before your summer break begins, so listen up," Aizawa said to them all dryly, looking down at his papers. “I don’t know what your individual plans are, but UA will be sending the classes of second and third years to aid in construction across Japan. It’s not compulsory, but for class 2-A, the school will house you in Otoh, near Okinawa.”

There was a swell of excitement across the room. 

“Wait,” Kaminari interjected. “We’re going on a beach trip?!”

A chorus of excited chattering began, but was quickly cut off by Aizawa’s deadly glare—just as effective without the use of his quirk. 

“You’ll be sent there for reconstruction purposes,” he said sternly. “But… it will also be for recreation, courtesy of the school."

He said that last part a little beleagueredly, as if the rational part of him was fighting the mere concept. 

The class, however, was overjoyed. 

"A beach trip?!" Many cried at once, excitement peaking as the group chattered amongst themselves. And it was exciting! It had been how long since they’d had this kind of fun with a school activity or event? Izuku found himself smiling at the class's excitement—aside from the commentary of Mineta's from behind him… But after the war, it felt refreshing to say the least. 

"I’m not done," Aizawa glared at them, and the class went silent immediately. 

He sighed, looking over them. "I will hand you each a form including all the information regarding the trip after homeroom. And our second order of business is… the discontinuation of the dorm system."

The mood of the room changed from excitement to downright heartbreak. 

"We won’t be living together anymore?" Hagakure cried. 

"We implemented the system to keep you kids safe from the League of Villains," Aizawa said softly. "Since there is no longer a League of Villains targeting you, the school has found it unnecessary to continue. We will be reverting back to how it was before."

Izuku frowned along with the rest. They had all grown so close, living together in those dorms. It had united them in ways he could never have imagined before UA. But it did make sense, and having the dorm system going was a constant drain on the school's resources and manpower—things it was actively using to rebuild and strengthen the country. 

He sighed, looking around to see a reflection of his own glumness in each face he saw. Across the room, he met Ochako's eyes. She sighed, disappointment clear on her face, and he was sure his held the same. So he gave her a sad smile. It would sting to not be so near to her most of all. 

"I will be handing out information regarding this as well," Aizawa said. "But let me say this."

He looked over them with a softened face that most would confuse with his normal, gruff aloofness—but not his students. They knew. 

"Each and every one of you have grown beyond your capacity—to the point where I can hardly recognize you," he said thoughtfully. "While we have endeavored to protect you, you have turned around and protected this school, and this nation instead. You are true heroes, each one of you."

Izuku bit his lip, heart hurting, but still felt a small smile on his face. He was grateful, truly. And with the little bit of time gifted to him—he would be a hero for as long as he was granted. 

The class convened for lunch, and Izuku was about to head to the cafeteria when he saw Ochako standing to the side in the hallway, her phone pressed to her ear. 

He lingered behind, settling to wait for her. 

"Yeah, I know," Ochako said softly, rubbing a hand through her hair. "I know, Mom… I’m not- I’ve got lots of friends who live around here- uh- yes, Mom, him too… I’m not gonna be all alone- Momma, it'll be fine, I promise… I can just grab something from the cafeteria and bring it back for dinners… No, I know how to cook… I can! Some stuff, at least..." 

She paced a bit, looking agitated as she talked. 

"No Mom, you can’t! You’ve got too much going on over there- it’s okay. Mom, I’m okay. Don’t worry, it’s-"

She sighed. "I really won’t be lonely, I promise. And I’ll come home on the weekends… We can talk more about it later with Dad… Okay, thanks Mom… I love you too, bye."

She shut her phone and leaned against the wall, looking up with an expression of defeat. Sadness. He frowned. 

When he walked over to her, the shine in her eye didn’t go unnoticed. "Are you okay?"

Ochako started at his voice, then wiped at her eyes. "Deku! Yeah, I’m fine, I-"

She glanced around, then her shoulders sagged in the rapidly emptied hallway. She shyly reached out her hand and he took it gladly.

"That was my mom," she said. "It was rough, paying two rents so I could be closer to the school."

"Isn’t your dad working a bunch?" He asked in confusion. "There’s a big need for construction right now so…"

"He won’t even take pay on half the jobs he’s doing," Ochako said, her voice thoughtful. "He says this is his way of 'doing his best,' too."

Izuku blinked, then felt his heart clench. Even her dad… 

"Well," he said. "Maybe you could ask one of the other girls to stay with them during the week?"

His desire to help and make her life easier wanted to offer his own family's apartment as an option, but for… obvious reasons… that wouldn’t work. 

But Ochako had that look on her face where she was a little embarrassed and mortified. "Ah- I don’t think I- No, i- it’s okay. I don’t think that that’ll be necessary. It’s fine."

He scratched his head. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don’t know," she sighed. "I think it is what it is. Nothing to fix, really."

She squeezed his hand, giving him a small smile. "But thank you, Deku. It’ll be fine, really. Now wanna go get some lunch?"

He nodded. "Sure."

It was too nice to not be outside though, as Ochako had deduced emphatically. So they said a brief hello to their usual table, both got bento boxes, and then sought out a place to eat. Izuku wasn’t very particular—he was happy just to be beside her, but Ochako searched instead. 

"Hmm…" she said, looking around at the courtyard of mingling students. 

"Looking for something specific?" He asked as she sighed. Then cast her eyes upward. 

"Oh!" She smiled, then took his hand and hurried along the path. 

"What’re you-!" He started, but didn’t get a chance to finish before she activated her quirk and lifted them off the ground. He laughed as they floated up over the trees. 

He maneuvered himself in the air to face her, grinning at her smiling face. "Where're you taking us?"

She didn’t say anything, though, but he didn’t mind. Her mischievous smile made him feel those fluttering feelings she often tended to bring about in him. So he floated along with her.

She led them up to the roof of Heights Alliance, which just made him laugh a little more. From the top of their dorm building, they could see much of the campus, and the trees and forests around it, as well as the city beyond. 

Ochako sighed, stepping down to the surface and tugging him down with her. She released him as his foot touched the roof, his balance off and he stumbled a bit, but she caught him with a hug and a giggle. 

"You planned that, huh?" He laughed. 

Ochako kissed his cheek. "It’s a bad omen to trip and fall!"

His heart clenched at her words, her bright smile, and he grasped her tighter as he held her close. "You’ve never let me fall," he sighed. 

"Mmmm," she hummed happily against his face. "Never."

Izuku wondered if one day he would ever stop feeling this same bewilderment at their relationship—her adoration for him, and how his mere presence with her changed so much. But he supposed he adored her and acted differently when it was just the two of them as well. It really was so strange, being romantic. 

"C’mon," she smiled up at him. "I’m hungry."

Usually they sat with the rest of their circle of friends for lunch, so just being the two of them was a little bit strange. But as they ate and chatted back and forth and settled into comfortable silences with each other, he felt very fond. 

He thought back to earlier, her phone conversation with her mother, the worry on her face. 

"I know you’re not sure about asking someone, but I know that Asui would be happy to help, if you let her."

"Deku—" she sighed. "I mean, yeah, I’m sure she would, but what about the rest of her siblings? I wouldn’t want to put such a burden on her family."

"Yaoyorozu?" 

Her face blanched at the suggestion, as she was undoubtedly imagining what it would be like to board with that kind of wealthy family. 

"Oh, Deku," she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It’s fine."

Her worried face came to his mind, her hand seeking comfort. "Is it? There should be something we can do about it."

She squeezed his arm, a laugh in her voice. "It’s just fine. You know, I appreciate that you wanna help—you’re just so kind."

He blushed, feeling awkward at her compliment. "Yeah…"

Ochako looked up, a gentle exasperation on her face. "But sometimes, I guess I don’t really know what to do with it."

"What do you mean?"

"You wanna fix all my problems," she shrugged. "And that’s not a bad thing! I’m grateful for the help, and I’m grateful that you care and that you can always see me. But there are problems that don’t have an easy solution."

He bit his lip, but waited for her to continue. 

"Just listen," she said with a sweet smile. "Not all problems have a fix. Sometimes just feeling heard by you will be enough to help me."

He took her in as she spoke, watching as she smiled, her anxiety about it already eased. Even now, he could see how she'd grown—how they’d both grown together. Just knowing that made him smile. He touched her hand, gently running his fingertips over her wrist. 

"Just let me know then," he breathed, and he watched her blush and sigh at him—he suppressed the urge to laugh that he could elicit such a reaction in her. 

So he smiled wider, letting himself feel a little bit bold—another result of their growth together, even though he did have to fight his own embarrassment tooth and nail sometimes. He reached out, stroking her hair as he swept it over her shoulder. He could smell her shampoo as he leaned in and touched his lips to her cheek just before her ear. 

"You sure like kissing me," she said, trying to sound casual despite the slight tremble in her voice. He wondered again at his ability to overwhelm her at such a small touch. It was honestly still astounding to him, to be her boyfriend, to be the one she loved. Me–of all people!

But he smiled, humming at her words as he kissed her once more. His hand came up, touching her other cheek as he pressed small kisses across her face, moving to kneel in front of her. 

She was right—he did like kissing her. He loved it, in fact. He loved hearing her hums and breaths, he loved how she giggled. He loved how it sent shivers through him. He loved feeling her smile , taking it to a whole new level how much he loved, and had always loved, her dazzling smile. 

He leaned in towards her mouth, watching as she lifted her chin to meet him, eyes shut and smiling lips parted in such a way that took his breath away. But he stopped, then pressed his kiss to her nose instead. 

And she giggled happily, exactly the way he was hoping she would. 

"Hey!" She exclaimed as she opened her eyes. 

He just smiled at her, pulling back a bit. "Hm?"

She pouted—actually pouted!—at him, and he couldn’t believe how adorable it was. He marveled yet again to be in this situation, this relationship, with her. Unable to resist, he kissed her lips, and felt again how wonderfully blessed he was. 

Ochako hummed as he pulled away, then hugged him tight. "Much better."

He sighed, melting into her. A little over a year ago, he would’ve never imagined this, sitting on a rooftop, kissing this beautiful girl, or even just hugging her! Before All Might, he'd…really had no one but his mom. He thought of the affection he’d gotten, now having friends reach out to him, take his hand and guide him back, of the constant support and comfort they gave—of Ochako giving to him such love as she touched him, hugged him, peppered him with kisses. And he hadn’t realized how much he’d needed it, how much he’d longed for this kind of affection—and of human contact in general.  

"I’m so glad I can just hold you now,". he said, pressing his face into her hair. "I've never been able to really hold anyone before."

Ochako brought her hand up, stroking her fingers through his hair, and he felt himself relax even further into her. 

"Never?"

"Just hugs from my mom," he laughed. "Never like this. It- it’s really nice."

She stilled against him, and he could almost feel the sadness radiating from her, which ached in his heart. She’s so kind. So willing to feel for those around her at every turn. 

"It’s okay," he sighed, rubbing her back. "I’m not alone now, especially since coming to UA. It feels good to be here with you is all I'm saying."

After a tight squeeze, she pulled away, looking at him with a sad sort of tenderness. She cupped her hand to his cheek, and he leaned into it, taking in the softness of her touch. 

"Well," she said, stroking his cheek so lovingly. "You can hold me whenever you want, Izuku."

He blinked, struck by her utter kindness yet again. His heart felt so warm and full, he could barely contain it. When he couldn’t find the words, he just leaned in and hugged her close to him again. 

"You know," he said after a few minutes of just holding each other. "You don’t run away from me anymore."

Ochako blinked, then smiled brightly up at him, comfortable, happy. He loved to see her happy. "I guess you’re right. I didn't realize it."

He touched her cheek and kissed her forehead, breathless at it all. 

She smiled, then moved to sit beside him against the half wall from the edge of the roof. 

"Deku," she said softly. "I'll miss living so near to each other."

He nodded. "Yeah, me too. To you, and everyone else too."

She sagged, leaning against him and looking out over the UA grounds. "It was fun."

"It was," Izuku sighed, leaning his cheek against her hair. Gosh, I love being close like this. 

"But we'll still see each other every day at school," he said. "And we'll have this beach trip. And if you want, I’m sure my mom would be happy to have you over whenever you’d like."

Ochako turned her head, looking up at him with her bright, gorgeous eyes. "And you could come to my place too."

He nodded, although he felt heat in his ears. "Y- yeah, if you want me to."

"Of course I do," she scoffed. Then she took his hand and wrapped his arm around her. He blushed a little more, but smiled all the same. 

Their first year had been a chaotic ride of the unexpected, full of wonderful highs and devastating lows. With war now passed and behind them, it truly felt like their second year would be entirely different. Not just a new chapter, but a new book. What new possibilities were in store for them? 

As he looked down at this beautiful girl wrapped in his arms, he looked forward to every bit of it.

Chapter Text

It was a bright day as the class of 2-A arrived at the shopping mall, moving and bustling in a contented relief as all seemed grateful that one more thing was back to normal. It was good to see. No more shattered windows and boarded up doors, no more grime and debris, just people happy to be out and about together. It felt like a blessing. And reminiscent of the year before, the class decided it would be fun to go shopping together for their beach trip to that very spot. 

"I’m just glad it’s not summer training camp from hell, again," Kaminari sighed, his shoulders slumped. 

"I mean," Sero shrugged. "We've all been through worse at this point."

"I know," Kaminari fretted. "I mean, this time, we get to just relax and take it easy!"

"It’s honestly so predictable, coming from you," Jirou sighed, smirking at him. "You gotta try a more original bit at some point."

"You know what, Jirou!" He shouted as she laughed, the two continuing to bicker back and forth. 

Looking at the class now, it was easy to forget the things they'd been through. It was easy to just be here, have fun, and think nothing had changed at all. He was grateful for some of those changes though—one major change being the girl by his side. He blushed lightly to himself as he felt the impression of her lips on his from her discreetly stolen kiss earlier. Yes, that was a nice change indeed. 

Although with all the reminiscing, he was pondered that, unlike last year, he wouldn’t relive that encounter he’d had with Shigaraki. 

The memory made him feel very solemn, and he took a breath, letting all those regrets and guilts settle like silt within his heart. 

Quickly the group dispersed, Iida shouting about meeting back together in the main plaza at the designated time. Soon Izuku stood alone next to Ochako. 

"Guess it’s just us," Izuku said, smiling at the familiarity. 

Ochako laughed, taking his hand as they walked. "You know, I am sorry about before."

He cocked his head. "Huh? About what?"

"Last year," she sighed. "When we went shopping as a class before the summer training camp. We were just like this, left behind by everyone else. And I ran away from you!"

She groaned, shaking her head. 

"Oh yeah," Izuku laughed. "I just thought I was bugging you."

She looked at him in horror, then hugged his arm, 

"No no, it wasn’t like that at all!" She cried, making him laugh harder. "You could never bug me! I’m so sorry, Deku!"

"It’s okay!" Izuku said, patting her head. "Although I was confused. Why did you run away like that?"

Ochako sighed, looking up at him, helplessness in her bright features. "That was back when I just started realizing I had feelings for you, and my heart was all frantic and jumbled."

"Back then?" He blinked. It still baffled him immensely to think back, knowing how she’d felt back then. I was so awkward…? He didn’t really understand what was even appealing, but with her hand in his, he wasn’t going to complain. 

She nodded. "Aoyama asked me if I was in love with you, right in the middle of our midterm practical, no less—and it was so out of the blue that I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. And then I just had no idea how to be normal around you."

Izuku looked down at her, taking in this new information. So Aoyama knew? How blind had he been? But he supposed if he still couldn’t quite believe he was actually dating this girl, then he could grant his past self some grace for not figuring it out. Afterall, she was the first girl he’d ever been close to aside from his mother. 

His mind pondered that training camp, and what had happened there. In their highly anticipated school trip, they’d only gotten to have fun for part of it. For the rest, they’d fought for their lives against the League of Villains, terror throughout that dark night in the woods. He thought of his fight with Muscular, and how he’d decimated himself and his chances of preventing Katsuki's kidnapping. What a truly awful turn of events. 

As Ochako hugged his arm, he looked down and remembered her hands from that night. He remembered the astonishment he'd felt as she ripped her own shirt apart and splinted his arms with it. As he took her in beside him, he could see the wear and tear of the t-shirt she wore now. Her family can’t afford to give her new clothes often… And yet, even back then, she'd given him the shirt off her back. 

I never even thanked her… After everything that had happened that night, and then going to Kamino and the destruction that had taken place, his mind had definitely been on other things. But now, maybe he could make it up to her?

Would it be weird for me to buy her clothes though? 

He wasn’t sure what the etiquette was there. Would she be offended? Probably not, but she might be uncomfortable, and he didn’t want that either. 

"What’re you muttering about?" She asked, and he froze, not realizing he’d actually been speaking. 

"Uh-! N- nothing, sorry!" He scratched his neck. "Just thinking. Hang on a sec."

Ochako smiled and nodded, sitting on a bench to wait for him as he stepped away. 

He pulled his phone out, seeking guidance. 

"Hello, Young Midoriya, how're you doing?"

"All Might! I’m fine. I just had kind of a weird question, and- well, I’m just, I don’t really know how any of this works or if I’m gonna be way out of line or-"

All Might laughed through the phone. "Slow down, young man! How can I help if I have no idea what you’re talking about!"

"Right, sorry!" He sagged, feeling awkward again. "Well, I- back at our summer training camp when we got attacked by the League, and my arms got all busted up, Ochako, she… she ripped up her shirt to bandage me up, and I never really thanked her for that, and her family really doesn’t have much, I just thought I might- what I mean is, would it be weird for me to buy her a shirt, as her b- boyfriend? I have no idea."

"You want to buy her a shirt?" 

"Yeah."

The man laughed again, and Izuku blushed. 

"Young man, I have no idea if your young Uraraka would think it's weird or not!" All Might chuckled. "I’m gonna guess you don’t know her size though, hm?"

He blushed even harder. Hadn’t thought of that… And he wouldn't even begin to know how to guess based on her… shape… "N- not specifically, no."

"That’s the only thing I can think of that might make her uncomfortable," he said through the phone. "I’m happy you think of me when you need help with something, but I don’t think I can be of much help to you here. You could always ask her? Or perhaps one of the other young women of your class? Perhaps they’d know?"

Somehow asking one of the girls felt even more mortifying. But All Might was probably right in that he’d sought out the wrong source. 

"O- okay. Well, thank you, All Might."

"Good luck, young man," All Might replied, a smile in his voice. 

The phone clicked, and he opened his messages and typed out his question, feeling his ears burning. 

But Asui was understanding in her response. —You want to surprise her?

Yeah, I guess I do—

—What kind of shirt was it? Maybe it would be best to replicate that so you can get a style you know she likes

Right. It was a button up, I think?—

—Oh yeah, I remember it was pink

—I think she’s a size medium in blouses

—Is that enough information?

Izuku was blushing through the whole exchange, but he appreciated Asui's straightforwardness. Yes, thank you very much!—

Ochako smiled as he walked back over to her. "Ready?"

He nodded, taking her hand happily. "Yeah. I wanted to ask, what’re you- I mean, what do you need to buy?"

She tilted her head, thinking. "Well, it’s a beach trip. I could probably use some sandals, and I think I need a new swim suit too. But I don’t think I’ll get that today."

He flushed at that, scratching at his face. "O- oh, right."

"What about you?" She asked happily, not seeming to notice how flushed his face was. Or if she did, she was giving him the courtesy of ignoring it, which… he appreciated…

"Um, maybe some clothes?"

She beamed, and he melted at her smile, despite his nerves. "Okay!"

He tried to pay special attention to the things she looked at and took interest in, but those were random things like a snowglobe in a window display, a wall scroll with star constellations on it, a sweets shop, a large sword replica, but not really any clothes.

"What kind of clothes do you need?" She asked, looking at a rack of shirts—unfortunately in the men's section. 

"I- it doesn’t really matter. T-shirts are fine," he said, glancing over towards the women's section across the walkway. "What kind of shirt do you like?" He said, trying to sound casual. 

"Hmm," Ochako said, picking up a hanger and examining it. It was a bright red button up with a strange flame pattern. He blinked at her choice, unsure of what to even think. "Something comfy, I guess. Doesn’t this look like something Kirishima would wear?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess it does." He laughed.

She giggled, putting it back and rifling through more of the clothes. 

"Are you-?" A voice said from behind him. Izuku turned to see a small group of girls staring at him, their eyes wide and smiles even wider. "You're- Izuku Midoriya?!

"Uh- y- yes?" He sputtered out as their excitement grew. 

They laughed and giggled, looking completely enthralled at the sight of him—which was baffling. He felt his face flush and he swore his ears were steaming. 

"We watched you on TV!" One of the girls said. "You were incredible! It was amazing!"

"We can even go out shopping now because of you!"

"You were so cool!"

He took a step back, unable to even form a sentence at the onslaught. It was one thing when he’d been just part of the famous Class 1-A, but it was totally different now after the events of the war. These girls were practically treating him like All Might!

"You’re my favorite hero, Deku!" One of them held up a notebook. "Can I have your autograph?"

"Uh-! Yeah- I-" He couldn’t speak, he just took the pen and wrote his name on the page she presented. "Um-"

She bowed, hugging the notebook to her chest as she blushed. "Thank you so much! And thank you for what you did!"

Izuku scratched at his hair. "Uh huh!"

After the whirlwind of it all, the group left, waving goodbyes and more excitement at him as they went. Izuku waved, having no idea what even just happened. 

When they were gone, Izuku deflated, his face still as red as a tomato. What in the world…? 

He turned back to where Ochako was, and he saw her shove through the rack of shirts rather forcefully, her face set in a heavy frown. 

"Are you okay?" He asked as he moved over to her. 

She glanced at him, then the door where the girls had left, then she went back to the clothes. "Mhm."

He blinked at her, her reaction, her change in mood. She’d been having fun before—well, before a bunch of girls started inexplicably fawning over him…

His eyes widened as it dawned on him. "You- are you jealous right now?!"

Ochako gaped at him with indignation in her eyes. "Ah-! N- no! Of course not! Just forget it!"

He was so baffled, he didn’t even know what to think. He didn’t mean it as an accusation, it was just unbelievable. Despite her words, her face was flushed with embarrassment. Ochako… jealous over me?! He really wasn’t the kind of person that someone got jealous over. He was an awkward fanboy, and he’d never really gotten any sort of attention prior to everything that had happened going to UA. 

…but then, Ochako did want to date him, which was also inexplicable to him…

Now Ochako was visibly upset and annoyed, and it was his fault, if not indirectly. 

He slipped his hand into hers, squeezing softly. "Sorry, I’m just… it’s kinda crazy to me, is all."

Ochako glanced at him. She was trying to disguise her annoyance in an aloof face, but he could see her lips falling into a pout. 

"I dunno what you’re talkin' about…" she said, wholly unconvincingly. 

But if she didn’t wanna talk about it, he wouldn’t make her. He released her hand and took a step back, scratching at his neck. "Sorry."

As he turned away, Ochako sighed and grabbed his arm. He turned back to see shame in her features. "No, no, I’m sorry, Deku. Y- you were right."

"Huh?"

She bit her lip, looking at him helplessly. "I- it’s hard not to get jealous sometimes. I haven’t felt that in awhile, I thought it would go away now that I’m actually dating you. I didn’t expect it to be worse…"

He just stared at her. "Wait, you were jealous before we started dating?"

Ochako groaned. "Maybe…"

Now he was even more confused. "W- when?!"

"I mean…" Ochako sighed, mussing her hair. "Just- whenever you were with other girls, you- you’re just a very friendly person, and I- look, it’s not like it’s logical!"

She sighed, looking away, her voice quiet now. "I’d just, I’d see you get all flustered and blushy, and I just- I wanted you to look at me that way, not anyone else…"

Izuku gaped at her, trying to think back on times when that had happened.

How did I… never see that?! How did I not notice?! He couldn’t help but laugh, which didn’t help Ochako's frown. So he pulled her into a hug. 

"Do you realize that I did look at you like that? Like all the time?"

Ochako sighed again. "I guess I didn’t see it back then…"

"I'm surprised you didn't, actually," he laughed again.  "Just being too near to you was enough to make me feel like I’d implode—more than with anyone else."

She sagged in defeat against him. He was still so baffled. She really did just keep surprising him—and every different feeling she had about him was no exception. Ochako… jealous over me… it was crazier than those girls treating him like All Might. 

"I’m sorry," she moaned. 

"It’s okay!" He said, squeezing her tighter. Then he chuckled. "Did you wanna give them your autograph too?"

"No no, I’m good!" Ochako laughed. She leaned back, and he melted at seeing her so beautiful in his arms like this. 

She looked up, smiling his favorite smile. "But I think I will head to the bathroom for a minute. Wait here for me?"

"Yup," he smiled. 

He watched her go, then turned his attention back to his goal: find a pretty, comfy shirt his girlfriend would like. He made sure she was gone, then strode over to the women's section, and was lost almost immediately. 

Why are there so many different kinds of styles and sections? And is this medium smaller than this one? How is that the same size? He thought of the shirts he usually wore and understood a new level of irony at having a basic t-shirt state itself to be something else. It sure made this simpler. 

"Can I help you to find anything- ah, Deku?!"

Izuku flushed, blinking as the attendant switched from a customer service smile to starry-eyed excitement. "Uh-"

She gaped at him. "You're Izuku Midoriya, right?"

"Y- yeah," he said, rubbing his neck bashfully. Again…? He was starting to feel truly humiliated at this point.

The shop attendant bowed to him, and he started. "Ah-! What’re you-?!"

"Thank you so much!" She said earnestly, flabbergasting him even further. "For saving our country, and me and my family. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you."

Izuku squirmed. He'd been so flustered before that his thoughts didn't have a chance to linger on this. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. He knew that before everything had happened, he would’ve still been awkward, but happy to know that he’d helped someone—saved someone as All Might might have. Now… there was just too much in his head about Tenko, about One for All, about all of it. And now he just felt… unsure of himself. 

"I- I’m glad," he said after a moment, scratching his head. "That you and your family stayed safe."

She stood up, then smiled softly. "Sorry to bother you. I’ll let you get back to your shopping."

Izuku nodded, then paused. He glanced at the door where Ochako had gone, a thought coming to his mind. "Actually Miss, I- I could use your help with something." 

She turned, tilted her head. "Of course. What do you need?"

"Well," he blushed again. "My uh- my girlfriend, she- uh-" he bit his lip, feeling awkward. But the attendant just smiled, waiting patiently. 

"She tore up a shirt of hers to make a bandage for me, and I- well, I thought I’d try and find one to give to her—to replace the one she’d ruined. I’m just- I’m not really sure what to pick…"

"Oh!" She clapped her hands together happily. "That’s so sweet! Of course I can help. Do you know what she’d like and what size to get for her?"

He glanced over at the door, making sure she wasn’t coming just yet. "It was a pink button up, and our friend said she’s a medium. I just haven’t had a chance to look before now because she’s here with me today. She’ll be back from the bathroom anytime, and all these options, I just don't have a clue…."

"Ah, I see," She smiled, then nodded. "If you'd like, I can pick a few out and put them over in the corner there—so you can pick out whichever one you’d like and let me know. I’ll do my best to be discreet!"

Izuku sighed. "Thank you so much."

She nodded again, then walked away towards the front. Izuku made his way back to where Ochako had left him. A minute or so later, Ochako made her way back to his side. "Find anything you like?"

"Not yet," he said, squeezing her hand as she laced her fingers with his.

They continued to look through the sections, chatting and laughing about different options. He smiled at her. She was just too cute when she was being silly. 

He glanced over to the shop attendant as she paroused the women's section, a smile on her face. She walked over to the corner rack and placed a couple shirts on it. She didn’t look at him, but gave a small thumbs up, and he had to bite his lip to stop from laughing at this completely weird situation he’d found himself in. 

"Oh, they have notebooks here!" Ochako said. "I’m gonna go check their prices."

"I’ll meet you over there in a sec," he smiled. 

She squeezed his hand, then walked over to the shelf. 

Lucky… he thought, then moved to the corner where the attendant had put the shirts. 

There were three options placed on the rack. They were all about the same light pink, all button ups, and each something he thought he could see her wearing and liking, based on what he’d seen her wear before. He hummed, unsure of how to choose. She said comfy was good… He touched the material, gauging their softness. One was stiffer than the others. Would that make it less comfortable? Maybe. He set it aside and looked at the other two. One had a ruffle along the collar and a ribbon tie, the other was a simple line of buttons with a cherry blossom pattern. He tried to imagine her wearing them. 

He decided on the simple cherry blossom one, and looked up to find that store attendant. He caught her eye as she stood behind the counter. While Ochako's back was turned, he lifted the shirt, and she nodded, giving a thumbs up. He laughed to himself. This was probably the strangest shopping trip he’d ever gone on, but he appreciated the help immensely. 

He walked over to where she was scanning through notebooks. "Find one you like?"

She placed the two she was holding back into the shelf. "Nah, I probably don’t need a new one just yet. I mean, there's some cute ones, but none of those ones are on sale, so nevermind," she laughed. 

"If there’s one you like, I can buy it for you," he offered. 

She blinked at him, a flush in her face, then mussed at her hair. "No, no no, you don’t- it’s fine, you don’t need to."

"You sure?" He continued, her reaction confusing him. "I don’t mind."

Ochako cringed away from him. "Nevermind, nevermind- it’s okay."

He tilted his head at her reaction. "What’s wrong?"

Her expression looked fatigued, all of a sudden as she rejected his offer. "I just-! I feel bad, having you buy me something like that, just cuz I… can’t afford it…" her voice was small as she spoke the words, looking down with embarrassment. "Please, just… it’s fine. I really don’t need much."

He frowned at her, watching her reaction closely, then backed off. "Okay."

He gently touched her hand, offering his, which she gladly took as she sighed in relief—as if she was worried he’d push her on this. He bit his lip, looking up at the counter to where the shop attendant had her gift prepared. Would she hate it? He hadn’t taken into consideration this aspect of how she felt about stuff like this. Should he take it back? It wasn’t meant to be because she couldn’t afford it, not entirely, anyway. He wanted to show his gratitude. 

The shop attendant looked up, smiling happily at the two of them, and Izuku's shoulders sagged. 

I hope she doesn’t hate this, at least…

"It’s getting closer to the time we gotta meet up with the rest of the class," Ochako said softly, giving his hand a squeeze. "Wanna go?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

They approached the counter, and were greeted happily by the shop attendant. "Will this be all?"

"Uh, yup!" Izuku said, watching as she wrapped up the couple shirts he'd bought, then placed them in a bag—already set beside a wrapped bag so that it looked like one of the purchases he’d walked up with. 

He glanced at Ochako, but she was looking off to the side at a display on the counter. He looked back to the attendant and her warm smile. 

"Thank you," he said gratefully. 

She just smiled. "Thank you," she said with a bow. "And have a nice rest of your visit!"

He nodded, then took Ochako's hand and walked out into the mall. 

"When do you wanna meet up with everyone else?" Ochako asked. "It’s not time yet, but I bet Iida gets there twenty minutes early to make sure he doesn’t miss anyone."

"I’m good whenever you are," he smiled. "And I bet you’re right. We could always keep him company."

They smiled together for a moment. Then Izuku looked down at his hand and the two paper bags in his grasp. He blinked, noticing for the first time a small paper folded over the edge of the bag. He let go of Ochako's hand and picked it up. 

"Hm?" She asked, eyeing the paper curiously. 

He glanced at her, kicking himself for drawing attention to it. 

"Uh, hang on," he muttered, then unfolded it to see a note scribbled on a blank receipt. 

I took the liberty of charging your purchases to my personal account. It’s the least I could do for the person who saved my life and that of my family! The place where you stopped Shigaraki was just before our home—we'd taken shelter in our basement with our neighbors. We would’ve died if he’d been allowed to continue and I thank you. 

I hope Uravity likes your gift! I think it will look very nice on her! I was happy to help you find a gift for her! 

I’m glad to have met my hero. Thank you again, Deku. 

Aya Sugimura

(I also threw in a bag of chocolates! A gift for a girlfriend should have sweets. I hope she likes them!)

Izuku stared at the letter, then despite the discomfort and weird stirred up feelings in his heart, he felt warmed. 

Yes… I killed Tenko. I killed Tomura Shigaraki. But… That woman was alive today because of his actions. It could not be a black and white world. Heroes cannot be unstained, and villains cannot be without humanity. They were all people, all doing their best to live together in this world. 

So he decided to be happy to have been a hero. He knew he’d saved many people, the entirety of their nation, if not more, depending on All for One's plans—but regardless, he was happy to have saved Aya Sugimura, so that she could live and smile and extend her own kindness into their healing society. 

It made a difference. So he let himself feel the joy in that. 

"What is it?" Ochako asked after a moment, glancing again at the paper in his hand. 

Izuku blinked, looking at her, then shrugged. "It’s uh… well, the shop attendant back there—she actually recognized me and wrote this letter to thank me… for saving her and her family."

"Oh," Ochako said softly, still looking him over. "You seem really somber about it. What’re you thinkin'?" 

He hesitated, looking off to the side. "I was thinking… about how different it feels… when someone thanks me now."

She cocked her head to the side, waiting, listening. 

"It feels different to go through it all, to live on afterward as I have. Eri and Kota are kids I personally saved, so getting to know them and watching them survive something terrible, and then flourish afterward is something I get to cherish. It feels personal," he said, looking down at the note in his hand. "But this… that shop attendant thanked me and I had no idea who she was. It just… felt kinda weird, I guess."

Ochako touched his hand, giving him a gentle support. He looked up and gave her a warm smile. 

"But I’m still glad," he continued. "I’m glad that even though I didn’t see her personally, my actions saved her, let her live on and put her own light into the world. And that means something. We as people can’t know the effect we have on the world—but whether it’s good or bad, we touch the lives of the people around us with every choice and action we make. So I guess Aya Sugimura is evidence of that."

As Izuku took in the girl before him, he thought again of every moment she had changed his life, lifted him up, and granted him comfort. And he was amazed by it all. 

"You too, Ochako," he said, smiling at her. 

"Huh?"

He put the piece of paper into his bag, and took her hand once more. "From the moment you caught me from tripping, your actions have affected my life at every turn. I've always felt bolstered by you, supported and encouraged by you, and loved by you. Feeling all that, it’s- well—your kindness and love has really changed my life and my heart."

He leaned into her a little, watching her face as she blushed softly. 

"I wouldn’t be who I am now if I hadn’t met you," his voice was quiet as he spoke. "So thank you."

"Uh- I-" she stuttered, then smiled brightly, squeezing his hand. "I feel the same, Deku."

He sighed, wishing he could kiss her, but with the amount of people milling around the mall, he didn’t dare. He looked down at their hands, feeling a little bit nervous again. I really hope she doesn’t hate it… 

"So," he started. "I… I actually have a gift for you… if you’ll accept it."

She blinked at him. "Huh?"

Izuku bit his lip, feeling the flush in his cheeks. "I wasn’t- I mean, I’m not trying to just buy stuff for you because you didn’t want to spend money on it," he said, his voice quiet to not embarrass her further. "I do have a reason. But after what you said earlier, I- I understand if you don’t want it."

Ochako's face was red, as he expected, and her eyes flicked between him and the bags in his hand. "When did you-?"

He shrugged, scratching at his neck. "I was trying to be discreet, looking around as we shopped. I did want it to be a surprise—actually the shop attendant in there ended up helping me out a lot."

She blinked, her eyes wide. "You’ve been… planning this the whole time we’ve been here?"

"Yeah…" he sighed. "Should’ve said something, I guess. I’m sorry."

Ochako stepped in front of him, her fingers stretched out to stop him, and her eyes were incredulous. "Deku, you’re saying sorry… because of what I said about the notebooks?"

He shrugged. "Yeah? I just don’t want to embarrass you."

She sighed, burying her face in one of her palms. "You’re just too good, ya know that?" 

He flushed, scratching at his cheek. "I don’t-"

She grasped his hand suddenly, pulling him towards a bench. She placed her hands on his shoulders and sat him down. He stared at her as she sat beside him, more confused than anything else. 

"I don’t want you to worry like this," Ochako sighed as she sat facing him, her legs curled underneath her. "Which I know is not gonna make it any less confusing, 'cause I’m just all over the place…"

Izuku took in her blushing face, her frustration with herself. And she was right, she did tend to make this stuff a little more confusing. She wanted him to know when to do things for her, and when to not do things for her—without having to ask. Very confusing. Were relationships just confusing in general? Maybe? Still, he smiled at her, feeling fond despite it all. 

"Then…" he said softly. "I guess I won’t worry about any of it. I’ll just… like with how you’d run from me before. Is this—do you think—another aspect of this new relationship where we'll have to get used to it with each other?"

Ochako blew her bangs up from her face, deflating a bit. "It’s probably exactly like that…"

"In that case," he smiled. "I know what to do."

He brought the wrapped up bag forward, setting it in her hands. "For you… because I wanted to get it for you."

She blushed, taking the bag and pulling the tissue paper out with an awkward smile. He could tell she was itching to say something like 'you don’t have to get me stuff,' or something like it, but she just blushed and accepted the gift this time. Reaching her hand in, she pulled out the shirt. His boldness seemed to fade a bit, surprise replacing it. He didn’t think he’d feel nervous for her reaction, but he didn’t want her to think he was being weird, or to make her uncomfortable. 

"Deku-"

"I wanted to say thank you for last year," he said quickly. "When you ripped up your shirt to splint my arms—at the training camp. I- I never said thank you, so I thought I would- yeah… it is alright?"

Ochako gaped at him, astonished. "Ah- wow, you really never forget anythin', do ya?"

"Well," he sighed. "I mean… you’ve always meant the world to me, since I met you—just knowing you changed my life, and I- well… Do you like it?"

Her eyes were wide, shining at his words. Then she smiled brightly, much to his relief. "Yes, I do. It’s really cute! Thank you, Deku!"

She took his hand, her smile turning from exuberant to warm. "And you don’t need to thank me for that. Of course I would lend whatever help I could. Even back then, you were my precious friend and you were in pain. You’re worth more than a shirt."

He was stunned for a moment, feeling his eyes sting. She always seemed to know what to say to touch his heart so deeply. With a smile, he wrapped his arms about her, hugging her tight—still amazed and grateful he could just do that. 

Ochako laughed, patting his back. "You’re so wonderful."

Izuku just laughed at that, then pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before letting her go. "There should be some sweets in there as well, if you want."

She beamed, pulling out the bag of chocolates with a happy laugh. "You know me so well."

"Well, I’m glad you like it," he sighed, smiling as she ate the chocolate. 

"I do," Ochako touched his arm. "Thank you. Now here, try some!"

He smiled, taking some of the small pieces and popping them in his mouth. 

It felt like a strange dichotomy, as it usually did, to feel the weight of the trauma they’d gone through simultaneously to the joy of this new path they were walking together. But watching her smile as they sat in this peaceful moment, he didn’t mind the confusion. Maybe love was always a bit confusing—but he was happy to share that with her too. 

We'll just both keep doing our best, he thought gently at the weight on his heart. And it’ll be enough as we keep moving forward.

Chapter Text

Izuku felt more nervous than he probably needed to be—walking from the train station to meet Ochako’s parents officially. Ochako’s hand was grasped in his, and her assurances were in his head. They apparently already loved him—which was honestly baffling and he didn’t quite believe it. But ever since the war, his fight with Tomura Shigaraki broadcasted to the world, he was still surprised by how much praise and gratitude he was given from the general public. Aya Sugimura, the shop attendant, was evidence of that. 

He hardly knew how to process that, so he just acted as normal, which meant it kept surprising him. So Ochako skipped along beside him, looking very pretty in the pink blouse he'd given her, plenty chipper while not noticing he was sweating bullets. Even if they did love him, he was still meeting his girlfriend's parents officially. I gotta make a good impression!

“Ah, it’s raining!” Ochako said, looking up as the drops began to fall. 

Izuku felt the drops on his face and arms, growing faster and heavier already. “I would’ve brought an umbrella if I’d thought to check. You think we’ll make it to your parents’ place?”

Ochako sighed, covering her head. “It’s still a ways to go.”

Izuku glanced around, then took her hand. “C’mon.”

He pulled her with him just as the rain began to pour down, splashing around them into puddles. Ochako laughed as they ran until he led her to a small wayside shrine off the road. Despite them trying to get out of the rain in time, they were still pretty wet by the time they reached cover. He could feel his hair stuck to his forehead and water dripped down his neck. Ochako was in a similar boat, her hair damp and falling into her eyes. And she laughed happily, then leaned out, reaching her hand into the downfall. 

“This kind of rain is the best,” Ochako grinned. “Not the drizzly kind. When it comes down all at once, I just think it’s so exciting.”

Izuku leaned against the beam, smiling at her. The sounds of the rain pounded around them and on the tiny roof above them, making it almost hard to hear her words. The rain kicked up a grey and misty haze across the lane, giving everything a secluded feeling. 

Ochako’s hand was still stretched out into the stream pouring down from the edge of the roof, letting the clear water run down off her fingers, and he just took her in. 

Ochako Uraraka was a wonder. A treasure. And to see her find joy in something as simple as the rain made his heart swell within him. How much grief had she been bearing? How much heartache and guilt? But here—he thought back on this wonderful year of knowing her, and all the times within it when she was just joyful. That smile was a gift, and he felt like, for the first time since the war, he was getting to truly see her joy once more. And oh, how he had missed it, that smile—genuine and unfettered. It was the smile he’d seen when she’d caught him that first time they’d met. That smile she gifted him along with her friendship and constant companionship—that smile that he fell in love with from the moment he’d tripped. 

It was that smile that had kept coming back to his mind as he fought desperately to right everything that had gone wrong in the world. That smile on the lips of Ochako Uraraka—was the smile he had longed to see most—the picture of perfect happiness. 

Though he knew well the scars she carried, still to see that joy gave him hope beyond anything—that she would be whole again—if not now, then one day. 

And he hoped—one day, to share in that unadulterated joy with her, to be the reason for it in her beautiful smile. 

She turned to him, her hair dripping as she smiled brightly at him, her hand stretched into the rain. His heart stuttered within him, and it was as if all the world around them had stilled. 

I want… he thought, even his quiet wishes barely a whisper within himself. One day… I want to marry you, Ochako Uraraka. 

The thought was abrupt, startling, specific. But as he gazed at her, he knew, he knew— he meant it with his whole soul. And he could almost picture her, this wonderful girl, standing before him with flowers in her hair and that smile on her lips—sharing wedding vows with him. And part of him hoped that it would be raining like this if ever that day should come. 

I’m insane…  he thought with a sigh. But he longed for that future regardless. 

His heart was ready to burst and he felt tears in his eyes. So he leaned forward to where she stood. She looked at him with that smile once more, but her face turned to surprise as he grabbed her up, hugging her tenderly. Even after these few months of being together, he was still amazed that he could just do that. 

“Deku? You okay?” She asked, and he smiled at her concern, giving her a gentle squeeze before pulling away to look at her, their faces close. 

He smiled, still imagining that happy future that he could only hope for at this point. Then he brought her close again, his cheek pressed to hers, lips almost touching her ear. 

“I just love your smile,” he whispered, his voice almost drowned out in the rain. “So much. Ochako.”

“Eh?!” She stiffened against him, that panicked sort of giddiness in her voice. “Wha- Deku!” 

But he just smiled, then turned and pressed a kiss to her, still holding her close. After a moment, she relaxed into him, her hands against his shoulders. 

“What on earth are you thinkin’ about?” Ochako asked softly. 

Izuku breathed a sigh, deciding he would definitely not tell her. Not yet, anyway. They were so new to this! They'd only been dating for two months, and he was aware he was being hasty and completely unhinged. And despite what they’d been through, they were still so young. He was barely seventeen, and she only sixteen, for goodness’ sake!

But… that didn’t mean he couldn't cherish this dream, this longing, gently in his heart. 

“I’m thinking,” he said. “That it feels really good to see you smile like that.”

Ochako laughed lightly, and he felt her smile against his cheek. He shut his eyes, letting the joy wash over him as well. 

After a moment, she pulled back and touched a hand to his cheek, and he just gazed at her, knowing that all of his love for her was on display—and he didn’t care. But she didn’t run, although the blush on her cheeks didn’t go unnoticed. 

He expected her to say something, to pull away, but she didn’t. She just gave him the brightest smile he’d ever seen on her, and then he realized—this was another gift from her. She was purposefully giving him her smile. Just when he thought he couldn’t love her more…

Izuku wasn’t sure how long they’d stood there, just gazing at each other. But after a time, he leaned in and touched a soft kiss to her lips. 

She hummed against him, and sighed when he pulled away. “Izuku Midoriya, you sure are something.”

He laughed, pressing his forehead to hers. “And you, Ochako Uraraka, are a treasure.”

She laughed, the joyful sound mixing with the pattering rain. 

Eventually she pulled away from him with a sigh, then pulled out her phone. 

“Looks like it’s not letting up anytime soon,” she sighed. “We’re already late. You wanna wait more or make a run for it?”

As much as he didn’t want her to catch cold or anything, she was right—they were late. And he could already feel the chillness from their damp clothing. “I guess we should go.”

She nodded, then held out a hand, which he gladly took. Then together they ran through the rain. 

Chapter Text

When they arrived on the doorstep of the Uraraka home, they were both completely drenched. 

“Oh you poor things!" Ochako’s mother fretted as she ushered them in. "I was worried when I saw the rain. You don’t even have an umbrella! C’mon, let’s get you dry.”

Ochako rubbed a towel through her hair as her mother, Naoko, bustled around them. “Where’s Dad?” 

“He actually took the truck to the train station to pick you up so you didn’t have to walk in the rain. I guess he didn’t text you?”

“No,” Ochako laughed. 

Naoko shook her head. “That man. No doubt he was wanting to surprise you. Well, I’ll give him a call in case he isn’t already on his way back. But here—“

She handed them both a set of clothes. “Why don’t you two go change into these dry clothes, and I’ll set yours to dry. There’s a chill to this summer storm.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Thank you very much,” Izuku said with a polite bow. 

Naoko smiled sweetly, then stepped out to make her call. 

Ochako tucked a wet lock of hair behind her ear. “You can use the bathroom here, I’ll just use my room.”

“Sounds good.”

It wasn’t really a situation he’d expected when he’d come to officially meet his girlfriend's parents—he’d dressed nicely and everything. Now he pulled off his button up and held out the large t-shirt which was obviously Ochako’s father’s. He definitely wasn’t as small as he was when he was in middle school, but the shirt was big enough to dwarf him a bit. He sighed with a shrug and pulled it over his head. 

He came out to the hallway as the front door opened. 

“Sorry about that, love,” he heard the man say. 

“It’s fine,” Naoko laughed, taking his umbrella as he pulled off his shoes. “I gave them some clothes to change into. Just sopping wet, the both of ‘em.”

Kenichi laughed heartily. “Ah, to be young.”

Izuku stepped into the hallway, seeing that Ochako wasn’t quite done yet. So he walked up to the two of them and bowed politely. “Uh- thank you very much for the clothes, and for going out of your way to pick us up.”

Kenichi turned, an easy grin on his face. “Yeah, sure kid.”

“Welcome to our home,” Naoko smiled. Izuku was still struck by how identical she was to Ochako. 

“Thank you,” Izuku replied. 

Kenichi walked over and patted him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you come help me out with the grill? Go on and grab that bag of charcoal.”

“Sure!”

He followed the man out to the porch, carrying the bag on his shoulder. The rain still fell, pattering and dripping down off the awning that covered them. 

“You can set it right there,” Kenichi gestured, setting down some matches and a bottle of lighter fluid. 

Izuku watched quietly as Kenichi laid out the briquettes and drenched them with the liquid, then struck a match and let them burn.

“You healing up alright?” Kenichi asked suddenly. “You were in pretty rough shape.”

Izuku blinked, his hand rubbing at his elbow. “Uh- yeah, I’m good. I didn’t- I was alright.”

Kenichi’s face was somber, glancing back at him. “What you did—what you went through to help this country. What you did for my family, too.” He reached out, placing a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “I can’t thank you enough, Deku.”

Izuku’s eyes were wide, feeling them sting a bit at the man’s words. He bit his lip and nodded. “O- of course. And I’m glad you two are alright. I had no idea at the time-“

“-That you were saving Ochako’s parents?”

He let out a light laugh. “Yeah. I should’ve, but back then…”

“I know,” he said, his eyes compassionate. ”Still, thank you.”

Sometimes Izuku forgot how much of it all was common knowledge to the public—but Ochako had made sure that his struggles were just that, on display for the world to not only see, but to empathize with. To understand. He wasn’t some immortal deity, immune to pain and injury—like All Might had been thought of before. Despite having that incredible power, he was still just a highschooler, as Ochako had said. How easily he could’ve been killed…

“That just shows how much of a hero you really are, Deku,” Kenichi said, pulling the grill open to check the charcoal. “Save anyone regardless of who it is.”

“Yeah,” Izuku scratched at his face, remembering Tenko’s crying face in his mind. “I… do my best.”

Kenichi glanced at him, a smile on his face. Izuku wasn’t entirely sure what he was thinking, but he felt more bolstered than embarrassed. It was like—he wanted to make sure this man could rely on him, thought well of him. He wanted him to know that he cared for Ochako more than he could say. 

"Ochako is actually the one who gave me that name," he said, smiling at the memory. "Deku."

Kenichi sat in one of the chairs, gesturing beside him to the other. "She did, did she?"

“On our first day of school, she mistook that name, Deku, for my given name,” Izuku said, sitting beside him. “Deku was actually a name used to make fun of me, but she—when I told her that, she immediately turned it around.”

Izuku smiled, remembering the day. 

“She said it sounded like, ‘do your best!’ And that sorta changed everything for me. It was actually amazing how much of a difference it made,” he looked back to Kenichi, feeling warmed. “She’s been supporting me and helping me ever since and I… Uraraka-san, you have… an amazing daughter.”

Her father looked out over the rainy cityscape, smiling. "She’s always been one of a kind. I can’t tell ya how proud I am of her. She doesn’t like me tellin' her that, gets all squirmy and such. But I’m her dad, I got a right to be proud of my kid."

Izuku watched him, then felt a touch of solemnity in his heart—his mind turning to his own father. He really didn’t think of him much, it wouldn’t make much difference anyway. But… his name was famous now, and his fight with Shigaraki and All for One had been televised. I wonder… Did he see it, too? Was… he proud…?

Not that it really mattered or changed anything. But he did wonder.

“She told us what you did for her too,” Kenichi said softly after a moment, drawing Izuku from his thoughts. 

“My Ochako has always been closed off, I suppose. I really couldn’t tell you why. That’s just how she is,” he sighed. “Afraid of putting people out, of inconveniencing them…”

“Afraid to be known,” Izuku said softly.

Kenichi blinked at him, then nodded. “It’s exactly that. You sure hit the nail on the head."

"Yeah," he shrugged, then thought back to a year ago, when they’d still just been getting to know each other. How different she had seemed to him, then versus now. He really hadn’t known how to know her back then, hadn’t seen how much she hid until the sports festival. And even then, he’d been ignorant. But… to see her fear, her apprehension at even something positive, like her feelings for him, it was still something he was trying to understand. 

“I’ve known that a long time now,” he continued. ”Since the sports festival. I just… I didn’t really know how to approach the issue—I didn’t know how to help her until now.”

“Well, I’m grateful you did,” Kenichi said, standing again and stepping back over to the grill. “She’s stubborn, but she’s got a good heart, and good intentions. She’s really gotten away with not having many deep connections until UA. I have wondered what it would take—to let her."

The man frowned then, looking out solemnly. "It shouldn't have been war. Letting her go, put herself at risk… as her dad, I…"

Izuku felt that weight in his heart. Of course he felt that way—to send your own kid to war… he really couldn’t imagine. And it made him feel that much more tenderness for his mother, for her enduring, if not quivering strength—something she’d definitely needed to have him as a son. 

Kenichi straightened, looking at him again, that seriousness in his face now. "I may just be speaking as her father, but after everything—I just think she deserves nothing but joy in her life now."

Izuku nodded. "I think so too. I’ve thought that since the day we met. In my darkest moments, it was the thought of her smile that often kept me going, trying harder to win back that future where we could all be happy again. She has been more than a strength to me, she’s been a guiding light—a future to fight for."

Kenichi looked at him, his face soft but unreadable. “You love her, huh?”

Izuku looked up, feeling his face warm. Part of him wanted to squirm in embarrassment, but he nodded regardless, determination building within him. “I do.”

Kenichi watched him, a mild smile on his face now. Then turned back to the grill, placing the skewers on the rack. 

"Pardon my curiosity," he said softly. "But can I ask why?"

Izuku blinked at him. It was such a small question for such a monumental answer. 

Why do I love Ochako? 

Izuku clasped his fingers together, looking down, pondering where to even start. "From the moment I met her, Ochako has been saving me. She saved me from tripping over my own feet, she went out of her way to help me, a stranger, to pass the entrance exam, at the expense of herself. She was one of my first real friends. She was always there by my side, from the beginning."

He stopped, looking out to the rain as it fell down into the streets below. He thought of how she stood on the UA building, crying out at the top of her lungs—fighting for his right to smile again. 

"Ochako is such a generous friend. She gives and gives, never expecting—or even wanting—anything in return," he sighed, voice solemn. "There came a certain point where I was… aware that she held back part of herself. That she showed herself to be open when she was actually the opposite—at great expense to herself. And I just wanted her to- I want to be able to tell her— show her—"

He cut himself off, considering.

"All I want is for her to feel loved, to feel how much she means to everyone around her," he sighed as he brought a hand up to his chest. "Especially to me. And after everything she’s done, I just-" he said softly, heart full as he pondered. 

"How do you thank someone for everything they do? For everything they are? For simply existing beside you?" His voice was quiet as he spoke, the words falling out of his mouth as he got lost in the thoughts. "How do you tell someone, 'You are the world to me,' 'You changed my life,' or 'You are my hero'...?"

He smiled, feeling his eyes sting as he looked down at his mangled hands. "How can I say all that and not mean 'I love you'?"

Quiet stretched between them as the rain continued to fall. Izuku felt his face flush as it dawned on him how much he'd said. He wasn’t sure what to even do, having rambled as he had to Ochako's father!

"Uh-" he stuttered, clasping his hands in embarrassment. "I mean-"

Kenichi laughed heartily, making Izuku look up in surprise.

"Oh my word, boy!" Kenichi said in his amusement. "I didn’t expect a novel!"

Izuku blushed brightly. "I- sorry, I’m pretty prone to rambling… That was… I’m sorry."

The man shook his head, smiling warmly at him. "I didn’t have many doubts to start with," Kenichi said. "Ochako is emotionally closed off enough for me to know that anyone who could get that close to her will have had to earn it. But after hearing all that—It takes a load off my mind knowing you’re the one she fell for."

Izuku blinked, then looked down, scratching at his face. He felt bolstered at the words, realizing just how much he’d wanted to impress Ochako's dad.

“So am I.”

It was then that the door slid open to reveal Ochako, her hair damp and freshly combed through, wearing fuzzy, pink pajamas. She looked adorable. 

"Dad! Are you torturing my boyfriend?" 

"Of course not!" Kenichi laughed boisterously. 

Ochako narrowed her eyes as if she absolutely didn’t believe him. So he smiled, standing up. "We were having a good talk." Then he looked over at Kenichi with such warmth in his heart, to this wonderful father Ochako had. "Thank you."

Kenichi simply nodded, standing up as well and stepped over to the grill. "These should be done soon, so why don’t you both head inside."

She looked at him now, and she could probably see how moved he felt, so she visibly relaxed. He extended a hand which she gladly took and they walked back into the house. 

After the conversation they'd had, he felt immensely more at ease with Ochako's family. The nerves almost completely subsided as he watched them together, smiles all around as they asked about school, community clean up efforts, Ochako's quirk progress, and so on. 

"Ochako tells us that you love to see other people's quirks and how they work," Naoko smiled happily. 

Izuku flushed, glancing at Ochako before laughing lightly. "I think it’s pretty cool. Everyone is so unique, and that really shines through in what their natural power is and what they choose to do with it."

Naoko nodded. "That makes sense. Here—" she reached out, holding the pitcher of water out to him. 

He took it—and his arm nearly flung up in the air, as he’d been expecting it to weigh more. He laughed, examining the pitcher. "Zero gravity?"

"Similar," she said, touching her fingers to the pitcher again and letting it set back down to the table with its normal weight. "I can make things lighter, but not completely weightless, like Ochako can. Definitely helped in my school days. Textbooks can be heavy, ya know."

"That’s so interesting, especially considering how that manifested into Ochako's quirk," he considered the use of such a quirk. It wasn’t weaker persay, just a different manifestation of using such a force against gravity. He wondered how a further incarnation of that quirk would deepen that control—maybe if Ochako had a child, then that kid could—

He flushed for a moment, quickly putting aside all the thoughts he had about that . 

"Do you know how much lighter you can make things?" he asked, drawing his attention back to Ochako's mother. "Is there a certain level you can reach in general, or is it based on each individual item you touch?"

She tapped her chin. "Hmm… I’m not really sure, actually. Maybe a ton? I’ve never bothered to measure it exactly. Most things I can make at least a little lighter. It's based on the individual object, but I couldn’t tell you specific numbers. I’ve never done so well with physics and those calculations."

He thought up a couple different ways to measure such a thing, to test those limits and understand what she was working with. If it was based on the individual objects, then that meant there must be things that can’t get any lighter before she is negating gravity entirely. If that level isn’t possible with her quirk, then surely that could be a measure of what the upper limit of effect would be-

"Deku!" Ochako laughed, poking his shoulder. 

He looked up to see amusement on the faces around him. He blushed, laughing with them. "Oh, was I mumbling?"

She took his hand, nodding as she laughed. 

"I’m sorry, I do get pretty fascinated." Izuku shrugged, feeling bolstered by her hand in his. "When we first started at UA, I spent the entire first night writing out pages for each of our classmates and their quirks and what I understood from the day of watching everyone—at least, what I could remember off the top of my head."

"Good memory," Kenichi said. "That’s pretty impressive, to pay that close attention and remember it all."

"I definitely added to them and edited those more over the course of getting to know everyone better," he said, then he glanced at Ochako. "I’ve had to write an entirely new section for your quirk now, after how that’s changed."

He watched her cheeks turn pink, and he melted a bit at the sight. 

"Oh, that’s just- I dunno…" she laughed awkwardly, pressing a hand to her cheek. "I’m still figuring all that new stuff out."

"I know. It’s still incredible."

She continued to blush, but he just smiled, lightly squeezing her hand and letting it go to not further embarrass her.

"Dad, show him yours!" She said, and Kenichi laughed loudly. 

"Sure sure," he said, then stood up and grabbed the empty chair beside where Izuku sat. He lifted it up onto its side until just one of its legs was on the ground, then he let go. Incredibly, it didn’t topple over. 

Izuku stood, examining the chair with wide eyes. "Oh wow."

"I bet you can guess," Kenichi said. "Give it a shot."

He nodded. "Hmm… it’s different than Ochako's and your wife's—not determined by weight. Entirely negating balance though. Is it an alteration of an object's center of gravity?"

"Sure is," the man laughed. "See? Give it a good push."

Izuku smiled broadly, pushing the chair, almost still expecting it to toppled over, but it didn’t. It teetered and settled back on the exact point of the chair leg it had been before. "That’s so cool!"

Kenichi just grinned, then picked up and set it in its place once more. "I can do that to anything of any weight, and I’ve definitely worked on increasing the time capacity—I can make something balance like that for about an hour now, longer if it’s not at an outrageous angle like that chair was."

"I bet that helps in your construction work," Izuku said, sitting back down.

"That’s why I’ve worked so hard on it over the years. With a small crew, it's saved so much time and equipment just to touch something and make it safe and stable until we can get it secured. There’s a reason I got into construction in the first place."

"So your quirk shaped that decision?"

"Pretty much," he nodded, glancing at his wife as he took her hand. "And making ends meet took priority over the architecture degree I was working on, when we found out Ochako was coming."

Izuku couldn’t help but be amazed. He’d always wanted to be a hero, other professions had simply not held much time in his head as a possibility. How fascinating the exploration of what architecture could do when you could manipulate balance and apply it in large scale—and how useful to make it work for you to cut costs and increase safety in a construction zone. People are amazing.  

"I’d have loved to see your buildings," Ochako sighed, leaning her cheek in her hand. "Your sketches look so cool."

"I dunno," Kenichi shrugged. "Going back to school now after all this time-! Nah, it’s all good, kiddo."

"Still," Ochako sighed, her shoulders sagging, and as Izuku watched her, he wondered—was this the origin of her guilt over being a burden? It likely contributed to it—her father giving up his dream career to take care of his child and family?

"I wouldn’t have changed a thing, Ochako," his smile softened. "Not one thing, ya hear? Every moment you’ve been here in our lives, I wouldn’t change a single second of it."

She bit her lip, eyes swimming, and she rubbed at her face. "Dad…"

So he laughed again, which Ochako and Naoko joined in with. Izuku took in their family of laughter and hope, and he felt beyond warmed—and beyond grateful to be accepted here. To see Ochako with her parents, especially her dad… well, it warmed him to see it in ways he hadn’t expected. Having brought up everything to her about his own dad, those emotions felt a little more raw than usual, and seeing Kenichi look at Ochako, hearing how he'd given up his dreams to be there for her… There was a touch of heartbreak within that self-centered part of him. But most of what he felt was warmth. To see the love that Ochako had grown up with was wonderful, and to be a part of this now was something he cherished beyond belief. 

"I know you hate it, kid, but that’s why we're all here tonight, ya know!" Kenichi continued. "We're all here to celebrate you!" 

"Nuh- no, that's-" Ochako groaned again, bowing her head into the table. "Gosh…"

Izuku smiled at her, at her parents, and the generally comfortable and cheery environment their home possessed. It was fun, and it was loving. And for a moment, he could imagine Ochako's childhood here—full of joy and laughter, despite the financial trials this family faced. The happiness outshone the struggles, he could see it. 

He turned his eyes back to her and her lovely smile, and his thoughts strayed again to his vision in the rain, and he hoped… one day… for joy just like this. 

"So Deku," her mother asked with a gentle smile, pulling him from his thoughts. "What kind of hero agency do you think you’ll specialize in after you graduate?"

He looked back at her, feeling that jolt of pain in his heart at her innocent question. Of course, the fading of One for All wasn’t common knowledge, and he was genuinely grateful for that, but it did make questions like this hurt. 

He felt Ochako's hand on his, and it was comforting to feel her love and concern, but still… in that moment, he understood her aversion to such a spotlight. 

"What kind of hero do I want to be…" he said softly, pondering. 

That dream, the dream he’d longed for for his entire life… was ending. There was no way around it. To the scale of where he had been, it was simply impossible. But… he considered the people in his life, those who had guided him, taught him, helped him grow to become that hero he had been. 

Why do I want to be a hero?

"I think…" he said, possibilities starting to form in his head as he thought hard, of All Might, of Aizawa, of Sir Night Eye, Gran Torino, the vestiges in his head guiding him… "I would enjoy helping others learn what it means to be a hero."

Ochako looked at him with surprise, and he smiled gently at her. 

"Like… a teacher?" Naoko asked. 

As he considered that, he found he wasn’t opposed to it. He struggled speaking in a public setting, so that would be challenging, but… "Maybe. I’m still considering, so I’m not sure yet. But… I know I’ve learned so much from the people around me who had the patience to teach me. Maybe I could… return that effort to the future."

"I can see that," Ochako said softly, and he looked to such tenderness in her features. "You, a teacher. If that’s the direction you wanted to go."

Izuku smiled. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "You know more about quirks than anyone I know. You just kinda—" She gestured her hands over her temples. "—just get it, ya know? Make connections, see really out there application of techniques. You’ve helped me loads, and I know I’m not the only one from our class alone."

He watched her, taking in her words, the ideas presented before him. 

"You’ve got, what, fourteen hero analysis notebooks?" She asked. "Imagine what you could do with a class full of kids like us."

He was imagining. He considered her words, considered the possibilities, the direction, the fulfillment he got whenever he saw one of their classmates succeed. He thought of Eri, Kota, Katsuma, their bright futures each before them. It was a joy in itsl own right, seeing someone soar after he’d helped them—laced with the bittersweet memories of feeling the same after he’d been guided. He thought and thought. 

Who would I be… as a teacher? 

"I…" he started, feeling a smile on his face. "I’ll have to think about it some more."

Ochako tilted her head at him, but smiled all the same. Her fingers tightened around his, and he felt warmed again by her touch. 

As he met her eyes, he considered his life, his dreams, his goals. He considered his life with her, his potential in career, and where he stood now. And he didn't feel regretful. He didn’t feel abandoned. He felt… hopeful. In a way, it was like he was standing at that start line again, getting ready to cross the line and find new walls to climb. 

I’m too blessed. 

Chapter Text

Ochako didn’t have much in the way of possessions. She’d lived that way from a very young age—probably stemming from her family's poverty and her desire not to ever be a burden. As much as she adored Izuku's love of everything All Might and how his room was filled to the brim with merchandise, it really wasn’t something she understood. The extent of items she owned that weren't actual necessities were small things that had been cheap. There was also a star map her mother had bought her for her tenth birthday, some picture frames—of her parents, of class A, of her and Izuku smiling at each other on his mother's couch—and a little cactus in a pot. 

And… a small All Might keychain she had tucked away in her drawer. 

Ochako had already packed her things into two of the provided boxes when she opened the drawer to see it. It was dear to her, a precious Christmas gift from the boy she loved. It had become a vessel for those feelings she’d tucked away, in theory removed from herself and made into an external object to cherish, but not to feel. That hadn’t worked, of course, and with both hers and Izuku's love already freely exchanged, there was no need to tuck them away to cherish in secret. 

She picked it up, feeling that cold in her heart again. The small keychain now had blood seeped into it, leaked into its compartment on her gear as she'd laid in a pool of her own blood. It marred both the surface and the meaning it had held. No matter how much she’d scrubbed, the blood stain lingered. It was now a reminder of that pain—of Himiko. And instead of it being something she fondly cherished, it was something she hid from her face. 

Ochako sat heavily on her bed, letting out a sigh. 

"Hey," she heard a voice at the open door say with a knock. 

She turned and gave Izuku a smile as he peaked in. "You already packed?"

"Mhm," she nodded, holding the keychain tight in her hands. 

He cocked his head, stepping in with concern on his face. "Ochako?"

She reached a hand out to him, and he strode over to take it, sitting beside her on the bed. She leaned her head on his shoulder, holding his hand firmly while she waited for the knot in her chest to ease. 

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked, voice quiet. 

"No," she said. "It’s nothin' new. And I’d rather just think about something else."

Izuku leaned his cheek on her hair, and she felt his breath against her. "Okay."

Ochako let out a long sigh, then held up the keychain. 

He laughed, taking it from her hands. "You kept it!"

"Yeah," she said, watching his eyes light up. "I carried it with me all the time, right up until after the war."

He blinked at her. "Really? Why?"

Ochako leaned her chin on his shoulder. "It was a Christmas gift from the boy I was secretly in love with," she said simply, enjoying the blush on his face. 

She poked at his cheek. "Now, what’s this for? You know how I feel, don’t you?"

Izuku scratched at his face bashfully. "Yeah, but hearing you say it like that is just…" he trailed off, laughing again.

Ochako focused on this fondness she felt, that sweetness of him instead of the tragedy that threatened to take her. "Actually, it became kinda like a very important charm to me, because of you."

He smiled. "What do you mean?"

"It was like a symbol of my feelings for you—ones I’d decided to hold to myself and cherish on my own. I usually kept it tucked in one of the compartments in my gear—out of sight, but close to me."

He stared at her now, that blush still on her face as he just looked at her, dumbfounded. Ochako tugged on her hair, squirming under his gaze. "W- what?!"

"I’m just- wow," he said softly, that loving expression filling his face. 

Ochako pressed a hand to her face as embarrassment filled her. "Yeah…"

Izuku continued to smile until he turned the doll over in his hand and saw the blood upon it. He stilled at that, his smile falling. Ochako felt that cold feeling again, recalling what it had felt like to nearly bleed to death. And then… what it felt like to be revived like that… 

She bit her lip, but thankfully he said nothing—she’d said she didn’t want to talk about all those things right now, and she was grateful he didn’t push that. But his hand covered the back of the doll with reverence, pain in his face too. 

Ochako pulled herself up on the bed, and hugged herself against his back, startling him. 

"Ah- what’re you-?" He said, and she felt his ear warm against her cheek. She tightened her arms around his chest, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

"I’m glad I don’t have to hide my feelings anymore," she sighed, squeezing him tighter as she nuzzled her face into his neck. "Because I adore you."

She could feel his conflicted feelings—he was embarrassed by her sudden affection, all the while he held the All Might doll firm in his grasp, fingers against the bloody stain. His mind undoubtedly still on the fact that she’d nearly died, and… everything that went with that. Ochako reached out, letting her hand cover the keychain before gently pulling it out of his hand. He looked up as she leaned away, placing it into the box at the end of the bed, out of both of their sights for now. 

"Ochako," he said, his voice quiet. 

But she shook her head and buried her face in his neck again. "It’s not something I wanna think about right now."

He grasped her hands against his chest. "Okay."

Turning her heart's attention to him, she tenderly pressed kisses to his neck and his cheek, still hugging close to him. She resisted the urge to pull him over and snuggle him in the bed they sat on, even though she very much wanted to. She’d hug him and kiss him and everything would feel so much happier, but she was sure he’d probably spontaneously combust from something so intimate and bold. Heck, if she was in any less of a giddy state, she probably would too. 

Still, she felt him stiffen against her, his body as rigid as a board, and she could imagine his tomato face perfectly. So she stopped before any of that could get out of hand. She let him go and moved to simply sit beside him once more. 

When she smiled up at his face, he barely gave her a chance to breathe before his lips were pressed to hers. She gasped, not expecting it, but welcomed it regardless. She stroked her fingers through his hair as his hand grasped her about her waist, pulling her close. She felt his other hand dip the mattress as he leaned into her, kissing her soundly. She sighed against him and followed his lead. 

He didn’t kiss her like that for long—he pulled away abruptly moments later, his face just as red as she thought he'd be. They both froze, staring at each other for a moment, her arms still wrapped around his neck. Then he sat up straight, pulling her up with him. After a moment, she laughed at the sudden onslaught of passion. 

"Deku!" She chuckled. 

He flushed, letting out a nervous laugh. "Sorry."

Ochako smiled, her heart beating too quickly in her chest. But all this and whatever awkward conversation that needed to happen about it—it could definitely wait. For now, maybe no more making out on her bed…

She let one of her hands linger against his head, feeling where his shorn hair had grown. It was long enough now that she could actually stroke her fingers through it. "Your hair's growing back!"

Izuku lifted a hand, feeling it with a nervous laugh. "Yeah…"

Turning her heart towards these lighter feelings, she let herself be a bit more goofy. So she giggled, scrubbing at his head until he grabbed her hand with an easier laugh. "Okay, okay!"

Ochako grinned happily, and she was happy. She was trying to figure out the balance of repressing these heavy emotions. It didn’t mean that she had to talk about all those traumatic things all the time, and it didn’t mean that she could push them into a box and never think about them again. It meant she gave time to joy and time to sorrow. It wasn’t perfect, but it helped to have something to fall back on when she was at a loss. And it helped to have someone to lean on, in joy and sorrow. 

So she laughed with this wonderful person who shared her joy and her sorrow, who built her up and carried her through. Who adored her completely and gave her his love. 

I’m gonna miss this… 

With her wrist still grasped in Izuku's hand, she leaned into him, curling herself into his arms, letting her goofiness calm. 

"I’ll miss living with you," she sighed. 

"I won’t be far," he said, happy to cradle her against him. "And you can always call me when we're apart." 

"I will," she said. "And you can call too, ya know."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I just- I feel bad intruding…"

Ochako couldn’t help but laugh. "Since when?!"

Izuku chuckled at that, then hugged her closer to him, resting his chin on her head. "Ochako, when your nightmares come, I want you to call me right then—even if you think I’m asleep."

She frowned at that, the joy box closing as the pain began to open. But she nodded anyway. "I… can do that…"

"Promise me." His voice was quiet, but firm.

Ochako leaned back, looking up at him. She pressed her hand against his cheek, a light smile on her lips. "I promise."

"And wake your mom or dad too," he said. "They want to help you too. You’re not alone."

That knot formed in her chest again as her vision began to swim. "I mean, living alone in an apartment means I will be alone… at least during that time."

He sighed, squeezing her tighter. "Then when it gets really bad, I will use One for All to come to you."

She looked up at him with watery eyes. "Deku…"

"If you’re gonna tell me it’s a waste, don’t. I know how I want to use these embers," he stated firmly. He leaned into the hand against his face, then touched his forehead to hers. "I will always come when you need me."

Ochako felt tears fall down her face, but Izuku was already wiping them away. He leaned away, a gentle smile on his face now as he brushed away her tears. "It’s okay," he whispered. 

She wasn’t sure what to say, so she just leaned into his embrace once more—trying to think, and trying not to think about it at all. 

Time heals, right? She frowned. But even if that was true, she had no idea how much time. For now… she would do her best.

Chapter Text

They knew that this was an inevitability, but it didn’t make it suck any less. Izuku looked over the stacks of boxes piled up in the common room as the others packed up their rooms, bringing their things to their designated spaces. His was already finished. He'd packed away his things and said farewell to the little room already, this precious home away from home. This place had become not just a home, but a refuge, and safe haven and comfort in his darkest moments. And a place to be together with this group of people he had come to know and hold so dear. 

He set down Ochako's last box for her in her area, the couple boxes and things overwhelmingly less than his stack of belongings—mainly All Might memorabilia. Seeing it compared like that made him laugh at himself—in some ways, the two of them were so much the same. In other ways, they couldn’t be more different. But he smiled at her, grateful to be complementary to each other. 

"Already done, you two?" Hagakure said, the box she held floating as she stacked it on her own pile.

Izuku nodded. "I spent a lot of time on it last night." 

Ochako shrugged. "I just never had much in there in the first place."

Hagakure sighed, her suitcase sagging as she leaned on it. "It’s such a bummer, huh? I really like living here with everyone!"

Izuku felt his own shoulders slump a bit. Of course, they’d still be in school together, resuming classes after the summer break. But living together, they’d had so much time to bond, to grow close as a class, and as lifelong friends— and more, he thought, glancing at the girl beside him. Living in the dorms together with Class A had changed his life. 

"It does make sense though. They don’t really need to protect us anymore. And the resources they're using to support us would be better spent towards rebuilding the community."

"Oh, I know all that," she said. "I just still wanna live together! Aren’t you sad you two don't get to live together anymore?"

They both flushed bright red at her words. 

"Tooru! Don't say it like that!" Ochako exclaimed, but she just laughed. 

"But aren’t you?"

He caught Ochako's eye as they glanced at each other, but the embarrassment rolled off of them as he did, pondering the conversation they’d had upstairs—not just missing each other, but the worry he felt at her being alone. 

"It’ll be alright," he said, both to her and in response to Hagakure's question. "At least we'll still see each other often."

"And the rest of you too," Ochako added quickly as Hagakure's smile turned more sly—probably trying to head off more embarrassing poking and prodding. Ochako sighed, letting her face show her sorrow, even just a little bit. "I’ll miss all of you."

"Aw, Ochako," Hagakure's voice turned wobbly. Then she hugged Ochako tightly, which she readily returned. He was again immeasurably grateful for the friendship and support of their friends, not just for himself, but also for her. 

As they continued to talk, Izuku saw Todoroki across the room, laying down a box on his own stack. Izuku gently touched a hand to Ochako's back, then moved off to talk to him. 

"Finished up already?" He asked, making Todororki look up. 

"Yeah," he said. "It took less time to take apart than to put together."

"Makes sense," Izuku replied, then bit his lip. With everything that had happened, his whole family being wrapped up in war, Dabi—Touya's funeral… Moving out and being isolated from friends wasn't something he only worried about with Ochako.  "How're you holding up?"

But Todoroki just smiled. "I’m alright. I’ve been home more often lately anyway."

Izuku leaned against the wall as Todoroki sat on a box. "Yeah?"

"It’s different than it was," he sighed. "Nastuo got married a few weeks ago, so the only ones at the house now will be me and Fuyumi—and Mom too, now that she’s back. My dad doesn’t come around too much anymore. I think he got an apartment."

Izuku nodded. He remembered how it felt the be in the Todoroki home before—the simmering, seething, uncomfortable feelings within those walls. To see how the family had been torn apart at the seams, nothing but staples hastily holding it together, it felt only natural that healing would come from letting it drift apart where it needed. 

"How's your mom doing?" He asked solemnly. 

Todoroki actually smiled at that, albeit a small one. "She still has her struggles, but I think she’s more herself than she’s been my whole life. It’s… good to see."

"That’s great," Izuku smiled, a flood of relief in him for his friend, for his family and their much-needed healing. 

As they spoke, the common room filled with their classmates as more and more of them finished up packing and bringing their things downstairs. When everyone was downstairs, it became increasingly apparent—this was it. This was their last time in the dorms together, hanging out in the common room where they’d become more than just a simple class, but a family. A team. And this chapter of their story was over. It left Izuku feeling a longing melancholy and they hadn’t even left yet. 

As the time drew shorter, Iida got up, pushing his way to the front of the group and gathered their attention. 

"As your class president, I feel obligated to share a few words with all of you as we are set to part ways at this time," Iida said, with all the solemnity he could seemingly muster. 

Izuku felt a small, soft hand slip into his and he smiled as Ochako sidled up beside him. "He’s so formal," she chuckled gently, her face full of fondness, and Izuku was suddenly reminded of those first couple weeks at UA, having her and Iida as his first friends, walking together, eating lunch together, really supporting each other in a way he’d never experienced before. They’d been there for him from the very beginning, but the reminder that he would no longer be able to easily support Ochako in her trauma made his worries surge a little bit more. But they would figure it out and make it work, he was sure. 

So he squeezed her hand, looking up at their class president, feeling even more bittersweet at it all. 

"You all are my honorable comrades, and precious friends. It has been a great privilege to house here with you, and to grow so close. I will miss you all dearly."

"Iida, we're still gonna see each other at school," Sero called. 

"Even so," he said. "Living together and making this our home together will always be a cherished memory of mine, and I’m sure all of you feel the same. But after everything we have been through at each other's sides, let us blaze forth a trail towards a brighter future together, not just as classmates, but as lifelong friends."

Even though it was overly formal and a little bit silly, Iida's speech brought tears to many of their eyes, and Izuku was no exception.

"Oh Iida!" Called Ashido, flailing her arms around as the room burst into touched emotion. "Why'd you have ta make us all cry like that!"

"I simply felt moved to speak from the heart," Iida replied, though he had to remove his glasses. "And I meant it from the bottom of my heart."

"So- so manly!" Kirishima gripped a fist, tears in his eyes as well. 

And with that, they all milled about together with a level of emotion and warmth Izuku wasn’t sure he could adequately describe. Even Katsuki was warm in his own way, quiet and fond as his closest friends milled about him. 

Izuku looked around at these wonderful friends, pondering this time they’d spent together since the very beginning. They had been not just classmates to him, but beacons of support, of loyalty, and of such kind care. He thought of them all reaching for him that rainy night, begging him to come back as they belayed all of their individualized speeches to him, as examples of how much they cared. He'd tried so hard to tune them out, reject their feelings for fear they would sway him from his duty—though he hadn’t even given Ochako space to speak, simply ran away from her words and her outstretched arms. He knew, even back then, he wouldn’t have been able to resist her, no matter how hard he tried. 

And then, one by one, each of them had propelled him forward in that last charge, helping him reach that final blow to bring about a time of peace. Grateful couldn’t even begin to describe how he felt about these people. 

But grateful he was, and even though this time in the dorms was ending, they had had such wonderful times together. Back in middle school, he'd never have imagined being so close with so many people, having friends like this (or a girlfriend, for that matter). So he squeezed her hand in his, smiling joyfully at the faces around them. 

With every passing day, he felt more and more blessed. 

Chapter Text

The bus ride out from the city and through the forested roads felt so familiar to their summer trip the year before. The atmosphere among their class was jovial, excited—ready for the fun promised of a leisurely beach holiday.

Izuku smiled at the girl beside him as she chatted to Asui behind them, and Jirou in the adjacent seat. The smile on her face was a genuine one… he thought. Whether she was forcing herself too much or not, he just didn't know. He wanted to know the difference, and he liked to think he could tell, but sometimes she was a bit of a mystery. 

He thought of that little keychain he'd given her, how she'd kept it since Christmas with thoughts of him. It made his heart clench at the knowledge of just how long and how much she'd loved him that whole time—but the pleasant feelings couldn't last long when he remembered the blood stain upon it, tainting the bright colors into a dull ruddy brown. It seemed a metaphor for the feelings within her heart. 

His shoulders slouched, pondering deeply the implications of that. 

I wish I could do more… And Katsuki had been right in what he'd said—she really did need more help than he could give. But he couldn't force something like that. He couldn't make her say or do anything she didn't want to. And to convince her, to intervene in such a way felt way too inconsiderate of her feelings—even for him. 

"This is a lot like last year," Sero said thoughtfully. "Aside from Aoyama not being here, one look around and who'd hardly think it was different."

"Just minor details," Jirou sighed, touching her hair.

"Yeah, scars and stuff, definitely," Kaminari said, looking at her with a somber expression, then he smirked. "And those two!"  

Jirou laughed with the rest as Izuku and Ochako flushed. 

"Let's be real, is it really that different?" Kirishima interjected.

"That's true. Those two have always been fawning over each other," Ashido snickered.

"Must be nice," Mineta said sullenly.

"Oh c'mon, lay off!" Ochako cried, burying her face in her hands as the others laughed. Izuku simply smiled. He didn't feel egregiously embarrassed about it anymore—at least not all the time. Ochako truly had become his greatest joy. What was there to be embarrassed about?

After the class had a good collective laugh at them and at Ochako's blushing face, they sought other means of entertainment. 

"Well," Yaoyorozu clapped her hands together. "If we're reminiscing about our passage to our summer trip, what are some of the things we enjoyed before? Perhaps we should revisit them!"

"Yeah, Yaomomo!" Kaminari exclaimed. "What stuff were you thinkin'?"

"There was the quiz Midoriya gave us before," Shoji suggested, leading the others to groan. 

"What quiz?" Shinso asked curiously. 

"Well, Midoriya came up with a quiz for us to answer-" Todoroki started, before Ashido interjected. 

"I’m sorry, Midori, but we don’t want some All Might trivia quiz," Ashido sighed. 

Izuku did flush at that. "Well, I-"

"Oh, it's alright," Ochako said, waving Ashio down. "I'm sure there's some trivia we could all know. Give it a try."

Feeling bolstered by her reassurance, Izuku smiled. "Well… hmmm… During All Might's bronze age days, he gave three different answers in interviews for what his quirk actually was. What was the second answer?"

The bus gave a collective groan, and Izuku honestly didn’t know why he felt astonished.

"Guess that's not one all of us could know, huh?" Sero groaned.

"I thought that one wasn't too hard…" he laughed, rubbing his neck.

"Uh… didn’t he just…" Ochako started, face red. "He just laughed… right?"

The bus went quiet for a moment, and she blushed harder. "Right?!"

Izuku stared at her, then beamed. "Correct!"

"Yay!" She laughed. 

"He’s infected her!" Kaminari cried, causing the bus to laugh. 

"What?!" Izuku blushed at the chortles. 

Ochako was blushing too, but she just shrugged. "I just remembered you saying something about it, I guess?"

The others had their own words to say about all that, but Izuku found himself just smiling warmly at her. Wow… He shouldn't have felt so affected by something as simple as that, but—no one really took his All Might collector hobby seriously, which he didn’t expect. So for her to actually go out of her way to listen to his ramblings, to learn and remember little arbitrary facts that absolutely didn’t matter to her personally—

Forgetting for a moment they were in a bus full of people, he leaned in and kissed her cheek—much to her embarrassment and their friends' jovial exasperation.

"Ah-!" Ochako squeaked as she gaped at him, touching her cheek. 

"Oh that’s so cute!"

"Get a room, you two!"

"Ashido, please sit while the bus is in motion!"

"...but you’re not sitting either, prez."

Izuku didn't mind the chortles thrown at them, but Ochako looked at him with utter betrayal. So he just shrugged and laughed, prompting her own smile. 

"What was that?" She quietly exclaimed. 

He took her hand, still touched by her casual display of love for him. "Just made me happy, is all."

Although she was still blushing, her startlement melted into something sweeter, and he felt inclined to kiss her again—not that he would, but he felt like it. 

"Tsu!" Hagakure cried—presumably—leaning out into the aisle to get her attention. "You should tell us a story again! It was so good!"

"Hey, what about my story?!" Mineta shouted. 

The bus collectively cringed a little, maybe with more than a little embarrassment at having actually been taken in by the risque story. 

"Nah, Tsu's was better," Sero shrugged, crushing the other boy. 

After some bickering, mostly on Mineta's part, they settled on Asui's storytelling ability. 

"I don’t know if I trust you, Tsu!" Ochako said, leaning over the back of their seat to look at the other girl. "You with your surprise ghost story! That gives me the heebie jeebies every time I even think of it!"

"Would you feel better if I told you it was a ghost story beforehand?"

Ochako frowned, looking a little ashen. "Probably not… Is it?"

"Uraraka! Please sit down while the bus is in motion!" Iida cried at her, repeating the line from before. 

Ochako turned around and slid into her seat beside Izuku, sighing as Asui began her story. 

"An old woman lived in an old house in an old town," Asui said. "She had seen many things in her lifetime, so not much could surprise her. But after her old husband's funeral, the house seemed different than it had been before. The shadows were longer, the air felt colder. It was as if she could feel—out of the corner of her eye—that someone was always watching for her, somewhere in the spaces between her walls."

As Asui spoke, Ochako reached out, grasping onto him tight, curling her face into his chest. He looked down at her, a little baffled. This girl, he knew, was brave and courageous on the battlefield. She was smart and strategic, unfazed at danger and injury—yet here she was, terrified of a ghost story. 

"Soon, those feelings turned into actual events. Freak winds would blow open doors and slam against the shutters. Water would pour from the pump before she could touch the handle. Light flickered on and off, silhouettes in the mirror behind her, things like that."

Asui looked around at the faces of her classmates and their varying reactions ranging from calm to actually spooked. Izuku didn't feel particularly scared—maybe a little alarmed, but Ochako was stiff against him, her hand gripping his tighter than necessary. He patted her hand, but it had little effect. 

"The old woman had never been bothered by much," Asui continued. "She felt she'd grown resilient to most things. But after all the strange phenomenon around her in her beloved house, what got to her most of all was the words… whispered through the walls, as if they were whispered right into her ear."

He wasn't embarrassed of their relationship, truly. But despite how much they’d already grown comfortable around each other, his face was pretty pink, to say the least, at how close Ochako was—she was all but sitting in his lap, holding onto him as Asui continued her tale. And… truly the story wasn't that scary, but there was legitimate fear in her frame. 

"Are you okay?" He whispered softly to her. 

Ochako smacked a hand over his mouth, shivering. "Don't-!"

Despite her fear, he chuckled at her reaction. But he didn't try to whisper again. So he just wrapped his arm around her and let her hold tight to him.

"It went on like this for weeks, and the woman was at her wit's end. She tried priests, spirit mediums, exorcisms, but nothing worked. It was always there, just around the corner, and touch of the hand away."

Ochako shook her head against his chest, trying to hide, it seemed. He smiled down at her, gently patting her back.

"Finally," Asui said. "She shouted with all her might, 'What do you want from me?! I just want to live my life in peace! Leave me be!'

"Then the voice finally spoke, clearer than ever before, and the old woman felt a warmth in her as she finally opened her ears to hear it, 'Darling, do you remember that old ring you lost decades ago?' said the voice of her husband. 'It’s right there under the floorboard. That’s all I wanted to say.' The old woman, full of fright still, shook her head at her husband as she laughed. 'Well, why didn’t you say so to start with!"'

The class erupted in laughter, even Ochako as she felt a little bit more relaxed. 

"From then on, the old woman embraced her haunted house as she and her ghostly husband spent their days side by side until she peacefully joined him."

Though the story had been 'scary,' the ending left everyone feeling quite warmed by the sweet conclusion. Izuku smiled, rubbing Ochako's arm gently.

The rest of the road trip was pretty calm after that, the class was content to settle into smaller groups, chatting and playing games in their vicinities. 

Izuku looked down at Ochako, her hands still wrapped about his elbow from when she was frightened. 

"Was that too scary?" He asked. 

"Kinda," she sighed, sinking her face against his arm. "But the end was funny. I could totally see my grandparents acting like that."

"Yeah, same," he grinned, but was happy she didn’t immediately pull away. He swore, he would never truly be used to this with her. Romance and love was so different from what he knew, even months after sharing these feelings. He took a deep breath, relishing just this casual contact of her beside him. 

It's good to get away, he thought, letting his head lean against her hair as he turned his eyes  to the passing scenery outside. They’d gone straight back into their normal, everyday school life after the war, with only a hospital stay to separate the different states of being. As he sagged in his seat, letting it all sink in a bit, he felt more relieved than he’d realized to leave the usual routine. 

"What’re you thinkin' about?" Ochako asked quietly. "Pondering somethin'?"

He smiled at her and how well she just knew him. "I’m just glad to have a change of pace, ya know?"

She sighed, leaning into him happily. "Me too. Going on trips is not something I’ve ever got to do much—going with my boyfriend is definitely new."

Izuku chuckled at that. "Oh, don’t get me started on how weird that still is."

He melted at her quiet laugh, then her hand grasped his as she looked up at him. "It’s a good weird, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Good."

Chapter Text

When the bus arrived, unlike before at the training camp, they actually arrived at a destination, much to everyone's silent relief. The house was large but didn’t look terribly lavish, much to Hagakure's dismay. It was a simple, traditional design, encircled by a trimmed hedge. The house itself was just off the sand though, with the beach a little walk away. It was probably the closest Izuku had ever stayed to the ocean, and by the way Ochako grinned at the open horizon, it was probably the same for her. 

"Same as you’d expect," Aizawa said tiredly, having napped through most of the journey. "There are boys' and girls' sleeping areas, bathing areas, etc. Boys are in the left wing and the girls are in the right, and there are common areas in between. It goes without saying, but I expect there won’t be any problems with that, right?"

His eye glared down Mineta, and then, humiliatingly, Izuku and Ochako too. He flushed under that look, feeling mortified. 

"There is food already stocked and provided. You as a class will assign amongst yourselves cooking and cleaning," he sighed. "There are large community clean ups that UA has volunteered to assist with, and we'll go into those details a little later. For now, go ahead and settle in."

"Yes, Teacher!" The class responded emphatically. 

He gave a great sigh. "Once you’re settled in, there should be time for you to swim at the beach."

Excitement blossomed through the group. "Yes, Teacher!" They said again, boisterous joy at that. 

The boys' rooms were similar to how they’d been at Summer camp the year before. He set down his things, looking around at both his friends and the room they were in. 

"Let’s hurry up, people!" Mineta squaked at them all, then his words turned into muttering to himself. "I don’t wanna waste a single second. Beach trip—we've actually gone to heaven, haven’t we?"

Izuku frowned at him, the insinuations making him feel… just downright gross. Not just for the sake of his own girlfriend, but for the rest of the girls too. "Mineta…"

Mineta blinked at him, and Izuku just sagged. 

"Can you not make the girls uncomfortable for this trip?" He sighed. "They've all been through a lot already."

Mineta gaped at him in surprise, as if he’d actually expected Izuku to go along with whatever fantasies—or likely schemes—he’d come up with. 

"Seriously, man, it really gets old," Sero agreed. 

"It’s demeaning to our comrades," Tokoyami added, sitting solemnly in the corner. 

"B- but-! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! If we don't take advantage of the blessing of a beach trip, can we even call ourselves men-"

Katsuki ruthlessly hurled a pillow at his head, cutting off his emphatic statement. "Just shut the hell up!"

Ochako stood quietly in the corner, one of the last of the girls to finish changing. She sighed, looking down at the swimsuit she wore. 

Sure, she’d picked it out, bought it—and despite it being on clearance, it was cute. It was black with pink lining the stylish twist on the bust, and on the ruffles of the bottom piece. It made her feel just downright cute. When she’d tried it on before, she did a little twirl, actually feeling pretty adorable. It made her smile. She wanted to wear it, and dang it, she wanted Izuku to think she was cute too, which wasn’t much of a worry in her mind, but this was still new to her. It was normal for her to want her boyfriend to see her in a swimsuit and think she looked cute, right?

But…

It was a two piece, and there was no way of hiding that jagged, raised scar that stretched across her abdomen. 

No matter what she did, that scar would be there, marring her skin for the rest of her life. And despite her desire to simply look cute at their class trip in a new swimsuit, that heavy reality felt a bit crushing.

As she stood there, her emotions roiling, she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

"Ochako? Are you okay?" Tsuyu asked softly. 

Ovhako glanced at her, and realized everyone else had finished up and already left the room. She stood alone beside Tsuyu. 

"Y- yeah," she said, wiping at her misty eyes. "I- uh…"

Tsuyu frowned, concern flooding her features. "Ochako-"

"I’m fine-" she started, then stopped herself, looking down as her friend's eyes inevitably glanced at her scar. Ochako could feel the fear and alarm just the sight of that scar brought up in her dear friend. Her arms came up, hugging herself about her middle. "I- I’m not sure what I wanna do…"

Tsuyu nodded, then shook herself a bit. "How can I help?"

Again, tears shone in her eyes, but there was a warmth beside the shame that had washed over her now. How lucky she was to have such a wonderful friend. Still, it wasn’t really a problem she could fix, but it brought her some relief knowing Tsuyu wanted to try. 

"I don’t really know," she shrugged, gesturing down at herself. "I just… I thought maybe I could try it out, but now all I see is this— I…"

Tsuyu placed a hand on her back, listening. And Ochako felt comforted and more than a little embarrassed by what came out of her mouth next. 

"...I just wanted Deku to think I’m cute-" 

But as she said it out loud, she thought of Himiko, her words as they'd drifted in the sky, and her heart ached within her as those nightmares came to mind—the cold and disconnected feeling of bleeding out, then the terrifying heat as she lost consciousness, Himiko fading away—

Her heart throbbed as she shut that pain tightly away, closing the lid to that box and shoving it from her thoughts. 

Not right now. Please. 

"Ochako," Tsuyu said, unaware of the internal struggle her friend was having as she gave her a small smile. "He will no matter what. You don’t have to worry about that."

Her heart trembled, but she let out a long breath. Her shoulders slumped as she leaned against the wall. "I- I know. I know—it’s not really just about that. It’s- ya know, it’s all of this. Everything. It’s just another reminder that I… that nothing is gonna be normal, I guess. I can’t even… think about looking nice for my boyfriend without thinking about… this."

Tsuyu leaned against the wall beside her, letting out a sigh as she bumped her shoulder gently. "I dunno if there’s a right thing to do. You’re right, it can't really be the same as it was—there's a lot of normal that can’t be how it was before. But we can do our best together to make what we can of what we have."

Ochako looked at her as Tsuyu sighed, giving her a small smile. 

"I’m sorry it hurts, Ochako. I know you’re trying so hard to make things right—but I’m also glad you can talk to me about it now," she said softly. "I wish I  could do more than listen."

But Ochako felt her heart calm, and her spirit lighten, if just a bit. Having support like this, even if it didn’t take the pain, it did help. She thought back in her life at all the times she hid behind that smile, covering the pain so that she could bear it alone. To have a friend come and speak quietly with her, understand her—already, she felt just a little more hopeful. 

"Tsu, you help me so much. Probably more than you know," Ochako sighed, slouching against the wall. "Thank you for helping me feel calmer."

Tsuyu looked at her pensively for a moment. "Do you want to borrow my swimsuit? It’s a one piece. I don’t mind."

"No no, thank you, Tsu," she waved her hand at her. "You keep yours—you’re already dressed, anyway."

"Yeah, but still…"

The door began to slide open and they both looked up to see Kyoka as she poked her head in, a worry in her face. "Sorry about this, but… I overheard—can I help?"

Ochako blinked, feeling tears at it all well up big in her eyes, but she nodded anyway, gesturing for her to sit beside them. 

"Y- yeah."

Kyoka came in, her face looking both bashful and concerned. "I… didn’t go through what you did," Kyoka said, bringing her knees up to her chest. "But I can understand the lasting, visible damage, and how hard it is to… let others see."  

She touched a hand to her ear, the one where the flesh had been mutilated and ripped off her head. Ochako felt her insides churn at the sight as Kyoka pulled her hair back. 

"It’s weird, right?" She scoffed. "Battle scars, things that nearly killed us, facing enemies who hurt us, coming out on the other side and those feelings are just still there. I don’t- I mean, it feels different than I was expecting, ya know?"

Ochako wiped her face and nodded. Yes, it did. When she saw that scar, it was first 'Himiko sacrificed her life for me' not 'I almost died'. There was a strange disconnect between herself and her own mortality that was inherently visible to everyone else. 

"It’s hard to feel normal again," Kyoka continued, leaning her head back against the wall. "I know that I- well, I still have nightmares of that… that fear that I felt, and when I see my ear, it’s just a reminder of that."

Ochako frowned at her, then down as she gingerly touched the edges of the scar on her stomach. 

"But then I get to get up and smile because, ya know, I made it," she smiled. "We get to live and have fun in spite of what we’ve been through. We get to choose what we do with our time, right?"

Biting her lip, she looked at Kyoka's exuberant face as she lifted a fist. 

We get to choose what we do… how we feel… Of course, she was right. That’s what Ochako had been actively trying to do since the war ended—choose to move on, to heal, to put it past her. It was… more complicated than she wanted. Those boxes she’d decided to visualize had only helped a bit, but they still tended to open and close of their own will, and not at her demand. 

But… she tried anyway. What else was there to do?

Ochako sniffed, wiping away the stray tears and stood up. The girls beside her stood as well, watching her. 

"Thank you, both of you," she said, shaking away the pain and shutting it away for now. Maybe the lid was loose, but she didn’t feel overwhelmed by it, at least. "And you’re right, I want to choose how I feel. And I… don’t want to ruin this vacation."

"You’re not ruining anything," Tsuyu said softly. 

Ochako turned to her, a misting in her eye, but she tried to smile around it. "Even so, I’m not gonna drag myself down. I’m not gonna lie and say I’m fine, but… I’ll try to let that relax, ya know?"

Tsuyu blinked at her, then smiled gently, worry still there, but lessened. "Just let us know if you're having a hard time, okay?"

"I will," Ochako smiled, then shook off the worries and jumped in the air. "Let’s go to the beach!"

Izuku wondered at Ochako taking so long. Most of the class had already headed down to the beach and she hadn’t even emerged yet. And of course, that filled him with worry. 

He worried about her a lot, didn’t he?

It did make sense though. This had all begun with him coming to her as she ran away with her tears. 

Asui and Jirou came out, giving him friendly smiles. "You waiting for Ochako?" Asui asked.

"Uh- yeah…" he blushed a bit. "Is she finished?"

"Just about," Asui nodded, then looked up at him with a somber expression. "She might need some extra help today."

He paused, then nodded. He understood what she meant. Ochako's issues were far from settled. Even on her best of days, he could see her grief sometimes lingering the cracks in her soul. 

"Thanks," he sighed. 

Jirou patted Asui on the back. "Well, see you guys over there!"

With that, they headed out the door to follow the rest of their class. He watched them go for a moment, worry filling him. He sighed and glanced back just in time to see Ochako as she walked into the common area, a smile on her face. And he… had to look away immediately. He covered his mouth, trying and failing to purge his mind of all thoughts of her wearing a swimsuit. 

Gosh…

"Are you okay?" She asked him, blinking, close. Suddenly he felt like he was fifteen again, having just barely met this girl and thrilled at her even speaking to him—all the while he was ready to combust. He thought he’d grown past that, but he supposed he was wrong.

He squeaked, turning to her, then looked up towards the ceiling. "Uh- y- yep! It- What a great day to go to the beach, huh?!"

Ochako blinked at him, tilting her head. "Deku?"

He bit his lip, looking down at her with a deep steadying breath. "Hmm?"

Her big brown eyes were concerned, her brow furrowed. Her lips were pouted in just a way that made him wish he could just grab her and kiss her right there—which was insane. She’s way too cute… he internally groaned as he covered his mouth again. 

A blush filled her cheeks, and he could see embarrassment on her face now, and he just felt more mortified. "Gah sorry- sorry- I-" 

"Izuku," she said, quieter now. She reached out and touched his hand. He blinked down at it. I did not miss getting so flustered like this! 

"I- I’m working on it, ya know, but I wanna tell ya, I guess I- well, I'm… struggling… with how visible my scar is…" She sighed, voice barely a whisper.

He stopped, eyes widening at her, and he understood Asui's words entirely now. He looked down to that specific spot, seeing where it laid on her skin. 

The sight of it sobered him up and he felt a solemness between them now. "Ochako…"

"I just…" she said, scratching at her hair, squirming a little bit. "I wanted to feel cute… even though… I don’t know. I'm trying to be… brave enough… and I feel like it's a really stupid thing for that to matter so much."

Oh hell…

Izuku pushed away his flusters, his embarrassment, and most of all his desires, and took her hands, holding her firmly as he looked squarely at her. "Ochako. You are so cute, I can barely look at you."

She swelled with a hopeful, hesitant smile. Her cheeks went rosy again and he just wanted to look at her, so he pushed away those feelings once again. 

"You-" he sighed, looking at the sadness still lining her expression. "Ochako, I know the things you feel regarding that scar—but know that no one, here especially, is going to judge you, or pity you for it. There’s no reason for you to- I mean, look at me!" 

As he spoke, she did, looking down at his bare arms, his torso. He knew there was probably not an inch of him that wasn’t covered in some kind of damage. Concern filled her eyes as her hands grasped his a little tighter. He just smiled gently. 

"It’s okay," he said, trying to reassure her. "So, what do you want to do?"

She took a breath, and then smiled sweetly. "I wanna have fun."

"Sounds good to me."

Ochako gazed at him gently, then shook herself and clenched her fists. "I'll do my best then!"

He lifted a fist with her. "Yeah!"

She made a little stomp, then grabbed up her sandals and leaned down to strap them onto her feet. 

Izuku looked away immediately, flushing to the tips of his ears. He shook his head at himself, tamping down those thoughts he definitely wasn’t interested in entertaining. 

He didn’t dare look again until he saw in his periphery her saw stand upright once more and reach up to grab a hat that was hung up on a peg. He watched her stretch her hand up to it, it being just a little bit too tall for her, and her foot popped up in her stance. He bit his lip. She’s worried about looking cute? How ridiculous, honestly. She was so cute, it was becoming a problem. 

Don’t you dare be like Mineta, you creep, he chastised himself. 

Ochako placed the sun hat on her head, and then she saw him staring at her a little too long— oh, damn me… He blushed once more as she smiled, sidling to him as she laced her fingers with his. 

"Soo you do think I look pretty?" 

He felt himself sweat as he laughed at her question. "Ah- yeah, o- of course you’re pretty."

"But you think so, hmm?" She grinned at him mischievously. 

He bit his lip, taking her in as she leaned into him playfully, squeezing his hand. 

"You’re… gonna get me into trouble," he got out, and she blinked as if she were confused—which was baffling. 

He sighed and shook himself, pulling her hand to walk with him, smiling at her as he felt incredibly grateful and happy to be holding the hand of this insanely gorgeous girl. Damn everything else, she was just simply incredible. 

"You’re beautiful," he breathed, gazing at her sweet face with all the love in his heart. 

Ochako giggled, pressing her hand to her face as she followed along with him. "Ah- oh, Deku!"

She carried heavy burdens, just as he did. And he wanted to help her carry every one of them. So if complimenting her and boosting her esteem was something that helped with that, then he would gladly do that all day long.

Chapter Text

Class A having fun in the sun.

Chapter Text

Perhaps almost surprisingly, their school remained just that—a nice school trip. Their days were often spent aiding in community cleanup and various assistance they could lend. And when they exhausted themselves in the effort to improve the area's situation, they actually relaxed! Ochako could barely believe it. They got to swim, eat, nap, sunbathe, you name it. Ochako almost didn’t know what to do with herself, and she knew that Izuku and the rest of the class really all felt that to varying degrees. 

So, of course, the suggestion for a test of courage came about, much to her immediate dismay and then to her… quiet discomfort. 

Still, she smiled with the others—if they wanted to do it, then who was she to stop it?

As much as she’d wished to draw pairs with Izuku, she was relieved to be teamed up with Tsuyu. The pressure to keep up the façade was significantly lessened walking arm in arm with her best friend. 

"Sorry if the story was too scary for you," Tsuyu said, looking her over. "I know you're sensitive to that stuff."

Ochako shook her head, leaning against Tsuyu's shoulder. "Nah, it was fine. You were right, it wasn't too scary. Trying to spook each other here is probably scarier, but…"

Tsuyu looked at her as her feet slowed. "Thinkin' about last year?"

She blinked at her, then nodded. Well, it made sense Tsuyu would see it, she'd been there. Ochako remembered the fear she'd felt at seeing her—Himiko Toga—for the first time. That smile stretched across her face in her genuine delight. Terrifying, tragic—and it ached in her heart anew. Somehow she expected that girl to round the corner of each rock and ask to be friends. 

Ochako's hand found her side, covering that horrible wound on her skin, and she felt cold as Tsuyu followed the motion.

"Ochako," Tsuyu said softly. "I'm here… if you wanna talk, or if you don't wanna talk. But… maybe it'd be better if you did."

She glanced at the other girl, then bit her lip. "The thing is… I do talk about it. A lot… probably more than I'd like to. It's just… I dunno, still there no matter what I say."

Tsuyu frowned, and Ochako felt herself bristle a bit, hand clinging tighter to her side. I don't wanna bring my friends down… but she wouldn't want me to think that way! But… I can't help it. Every time anyone… sees this… 

She felt her chest tighten, almost choking her with the stirred up feelings. 

"What do you need from me?" Tsuyu asked, grasping her hand gently.

Ochako stared at her, then bowed her head, feeling it all along her shoulders and down into her chest and stomach—this sinking chill. A spreading anxiety threatening to choke her. "I… think I need some air. Is that… okay?"

Tsuyu squeezed her hand, a sad smile on her face. "Yeah. Do you want me to cover for you, ribbit?"

The relief at an escape was immeasurable. Ochako flung her arms around the other girl, eyes stinging. "Thanks, Tsu."

Tsuyu patted her back, squeezing her tight. "It’ll be okay, Ochako. Eventually it’ll get easier. I promise."

Ochako's lips trembled, but she nodded. Then she pulled away and gave her friend one last attempt at a reassuring smile, then turned on her heel and practically ran for solitude. 

With the way the test of courage was set up, they were meant to move forward through the little cave systems, not backwards. Izuku didn’t expect to see Ochako until the end, as she and Asui were ahead of his group. 

He walked beside Satou, peering around the edges of the corners, seeing if their classmate had put in any scares. It gave him goosebumps down his spine, feeling alarmed in a similar way to when he’d possessed Danger Sense. But having been through what he had, facing true danger, these scares didn’t do much more than that. He mostly just felt like laughing when Ashido had popped out, using her acid to make it look like her flesh was melting. It may not have been scary, but this whole thing was nice to do—to be silly and have fun with friends. It was a genuine relief. 

"I guess one of the important parts is really whipping up the batter with the eggs before the flour goes in," Satou continued as they walked forward. "It’s really easy to make the cake too dense, but that would help to focus on that."

"That makes sense," Izuku laughed. "The last time I tried, it did feel a little bit like a brick."

Satou chuckled at that. "Uraraka likes sweets so much, I bet she still loved it."

He sighed, remembering his attempt at making her something, but the way her eyes lit up at it, it almost took away his embarrassment at it turning out so poorly. "She ate every bite."

As they laughed, Izuku heard footsteps from ahead of them. He and Satou both stiffened. Even if they knew it was a classmate, it was hard to turn off the inclination to be battle ready, and he was sure that was true for each of them. 

While he’d expected a jump scare, he didn’t expect to see Asui round the corner of the cove wall—Asui alone, a look of concern on her face . He frowned deeper, especially as Ochako didn’t not round the corner with her. 

"Tsu," he said as she walked to them. "Wha-?"

"Ochako was having a hard time," Asui sighed, her shoulders slumping. "She looked like- well, she almost seemed panicked, ribbit."

Izuku felt that very familiar sinking in his stomach at that, knowing that exact face by heart at this point. He bit his lip. "Did she leave?"

Asui nodded. "I told her I’d cover for her, but I- I’m worried. I don’t want her to be alone."

"You should go find her, man," Satou said, concern on his face as well. "Tsu and I can be a team. It's all good."

"Thank you," he sighed, nodding. "And thanks, Tsu. I’ll find her."

Asui bit her lip, slumping as she nodded with him. "I wish I could do more."

Izuku felt that sadness in him, completely understanding how she felt. "I wish I could too."

With that, he took the corner through the rocky terrain, searching the beach for where she’d gone. 

It's not bad to be alone, Ochako reassured herself as she strode to a new section of beach, away from the rocky caves they'd set up in. The pale light of the moon was above her, shining like silver against the sand. 

It wasn't bad to take time to think about stuff on her own. She wasn't shutting Tsuyu out, she'd told her what was hard in that moment. She hadn't just smiled it away. But still… she knew she was retreating. It wasn’t so much that she was hiding. She'd talk to her about this some more later. It was just… all these memories, all the emotions that came with them… A melancholy seemed to come with the moon on the waves tonight, painting her thoughts in a severe kind of stillness. So in her two steps back, she just walked, her feet tracing between sand and surf.

She walked like that for a while, and she wondered if her friends would get after her for bailing on the test of courage. They'd probably understand, but she prepared herself to joke with them about it—not truly ready to face a different reaction just yet, mostly from herself. 

…Izuku would probably be worried, though. She didn't have her phone on her, so he couldn't contact her if he wanted. But if he wanted to find her, he definitely would. And she wouldn’t hide from him. When she had, he'd still found her on that cliff, sobbing her eyes out as he crashed down into the earth like a meteor. 

So as she thought of it, it really didn’t surprise her to hear footsteps running towards her in the sand. She turned, a small smile finding its way to her lips despite herself. She was grateful to have already soothed that panic within her before he’d arrived. Despite all the love and support he always gave to her, she still hated crying in front of him. 

"What’s the matter?" Izuku asked as he caught up to her. "Asui said you weren't feeling good. You okay?"

He's so predictable, Ochako thought fondly as she smiled at him, then extended a hand. He huffed out a breath, taking it firmly in his, and he followed as she continued to walk. 

"I’m sorry I worried her. I'm just… working through my thoughts. The test of courage was a bit much for tonight, I guess, so I just felt like having some space to myself," she said honestly, surprising even herself by how easily it came out. 

Izuku's eyes widened, and he bit his lip. "I’m sorry, did you want me to-"

"No, I was just thinking you'd come find me," she replied, squeezing his hand tighter. "Being alone with you is better than being alone by myself."

"Oh," he said. "You know, that doesn’t really make any sense."

She smiled up at the starry night sky. "I know."

The moonlit surf led into a rocky ruff with sand soft underfoot as they ducked into another small cove in their path. The moon still shone down from the opening above, but the rocks made almost a perfect little room on the sandy shore. Ochako stopped, feeling a little more at ease in her heavy emotions being less exposed to the world. 

"It’s just…" She continued quietly, touching her fingers to the scar on her belly, and she watched his eyes follow where she touched. "With all these memories about it, and I— I’ve been trying not to feel self-conscious. What you said before was kind, but… it really is hard to change how you feel."

"I get it," Izuku said softly, and he took her hand with both of his, his fingers smoothing over her knuckles. "It’s okay."

Ochako looked sadly up at him. "It’s not just that I almost died, but it’s- ya know, Himiko… and everything… When people see it, they just look at me all scared because they care about me and are glad I survived, but… it’s so hard to take that in with all these other feelings stirring in me. So I… I just don’t know."

She sat heavily on a rock, sighing quietly. Izuku knelt in front of her, concern on his face. 

"Ochako…"

That soft melancholy seemed to deepen now, feeling the weight of his emotions too. Izuku also looked at her with that fear—which made perfect sense. He’d been terrified that she’d almost died. He listened and cared for the hurt she had in her heart, he understood as much as he was able, having gone through what he had with Shigaraki… Still, it felt different. The guilt of that sad girl's very life left a scar of its own, and it held its own weight, deep underneath the scar on her belly. 

She let out a shaky breath, trying to temper the pain. And she looked over the boy in front of her, a gentle care in his eyes—and her heart ached for a different reason. 

Izuku… he was covered in scars. That was something she’d already known, but still… seeing it all up close like this was different. The way the scars came to almost definitive lines below his shoulders—accentuating the places where his arms had been taken from him…

Her stomach flipped at the memory, the realization that Izuku had actually lost both his arms—were it not for Eri, he’d have been a double amputee, his life irrevocably damaged forever. How horrible, how traumatic, and yet here he was, comforting her this whole time. 

She remembered his hands holding hers as she cried on that cliff, and she shivered at how much more weight his words held, after knowing what he’d nearly lost forever. 

Just holding hands can soothe the heart.

She looked up at him from where she sat, feeling her cheeks flush as he looked at her with the same intensity, feeling that fear together with him now—fear of what could’ve happened to the both of them. And just as she took in the damage done to him, she could see his eyes were upon her stomach still, filled with her same terror. Though she shied away from it with the others, feeling this from Izuku was different… she'd felt this same fear for his life so many times, it suddenly felt like it would boil over.  

Ochako bit her lip as determination filled her. She reached out and took his hand again, then brought it to her, pressing his fingers against her bare stomach—to that gnarled scar. 

Izuku gaped at her, but she said nothing. She just looked at him fiercely, letting him feel this incredibly sensitive pain. And as he met her eyes, she could see that he understood. 

I will share with you my pain. I won't hide it away. 

“Ochako,” he murmured softly as he traced his fingers over the edges of her scar. 

“Yeah.”

He frowned deep, tension in his hand, even as he touched her so delicately. “I don’t think I could bear it… if I lost you.”

There was fear in his voice, and also… anger. It struck her deeply, but… she understood it. 

She reached out, her fingers tracing over the scar at his hairline, then down along his cheek. “Neither could I.”

He looked up at her with that dark intensity in his eyes, but she gave him a gentle smile in return. Her heart ached with guilt, with pain, but even so… “We're both still here.”

He reached out his other hand, holding her firmly by the waist now. There was a tremble in his grip that made her heart ache. She knew this anger and this fear. She knew that he loved her, but the intensity of these emotions actually staggered her. 

It’s because of my nightmares, she thought numbly. It’s because of the things I said before…

Ochako stroked her fingers over the sides of his head, then brought his face to her lips. She pressed a kiss to the scar on his forehead, then moved down to his cheek. She pressed gentle kisses down the rough scar, all the way to his jaw. He was incredibly still, frozen at her touch. 

When she pulled away, he gaped at her, his expression a little unreadable—surprised, touched, something else. She didn't speak, but she didn’t want to smile either, for fear it would come off as deceptive to him. So she tilted her head, trying to read what he was thinking as she stroked her thumb over his cheek. 

His green eyes were wide and bright in the silver moonlight as he stared at her. Ochako bit her lip, unsure of what to say. 

After a moment, determination filled his features. He grasped tighter to her waist, his fingers firm against her. Then he leaned down, and she felt his lips as he pressed them firmly to her skin. She blinked, dumbfounded as he touched kisses along her scar, his breath—his lips too warm against her skin. 

"Ah—" she stuttered

It was… intimate… him pressing a kiss to her bare stomach as he was—and she was suddenly very aware that he was shirtless, the muscles of his back and shoulders defined starkly in the moonlight as he bent into her. It made her stomach swoop and her heart beat like crazy, and part of her wanted to push him away and scream from embarrassment at the sheer closeness. She felt her cheeks flaming, but at the same time, she knew what this kiss meant, and it had nothing to do with that. 

No, he was returning her sentiment, kissing scars in a solemn, loving moment. He was trying to convey healing and relief to her, kissing her wound to help ease the pain. But how quickly that intensity of emotions shifted from pain to… something else was startling. 

He didn’t linger long though. He kissed her softly, tenderly, staying only a few breathless moments before pulling away and looking up at her. Even though it was brief, she could still feel the impression of his lips against her stomach, her insides fluttering in a nervous giddiness. She saw his eyes widen and his face go just as red as hers, but he was somber and quiet as he knelt in front of her. 

There was a weight in the air between them, filling the space in a way they had touched on occasionally, but she’d never felt it like this before. His hands were still on her waist as they just stared at each other in the dark. Ochako opened her mouth to speak, but even taking a breath felt heavy. 

“Izuku…” she breathed, touching her hands to his shoulders.

She saw him swallow, his green eyes wider still. It was as if they both realized what they were feeling in that moment—like they’d crossed a line they shouldn't have... or were about to… And she didn’t know what to do with it, or how to feel about it. Part of her was drawn to him, yearned for him, and that surprised her, scared her. She didn’t know what to do. And as she watched his face, she thought he might be feeling those exact same conflicting feelings. 

“I…" he said, voice shaking.

They were locked in place with their hands and eyes on each other still, frozen completely—like if either of them moved, it would shatter something one way or the other. And yet… she wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel his lips moving with hers, slow and soft at first, then pressing deeper, feeling their passion rise as she tasted him, grasped him tight, feeling him press her closer and closer, mouth eager against hers as his hands moved over her waist, fingers sliding across her skin—

Ochako wrenched herself back to reality, sitting stone still as she stared at this boy, her face aflame. What in the world…  

As her heart threatened to beat out of her chest, she stopped herself and thought hard , tentatively, what would happen if they actually crossed that line… 

What then? It felt so much bigger—so much more important—putting aside how embarrassingly vulnerable and uncomfortable it would be, and how neither of them had any clue of what to do... But is that truly what she wanted from him right now? Is that what he wanted from her?  

What would it mean? 

What would it change?

Are… we ready for something like that…?

…

The sea breeze swept over them, raising goosebumps on her skin.

…No. 

And as she thought the word, Ochako felt a calmness sweep over her, relieving her frantic heart and letting her chest loosen. 

This is… something that I want to be done in love… She didn't want it to be in a rush of indecision and embarrassment, something they would end up regretting. Aside from this impulsive draw she felt towards him, she didn't feel entirely happy to be at that point with him right now, mostly just… anxious, exposed, and way too embarrassed for any of their love to take the spotlight. 

So…

Ochako took a breath, grasping onto that calm as she decided—she did not want this. Not now, not here, not when they were still so young, still figuring this all out. She wanted to be able to be filled with comfort and love and not anxiety, for the both of them. She wanted to be a woman, an adult without so much confusion of youth. No, she did not want it like this. 

She let out that long, steadying breath and let go of him. Then she reached out and touched her fingers to his chest. His eyes were already wide, but they widened further at her touch. She smiled gently, then softly pushed him back from her, and he exhaled, following her lead. He settled in to sit, a length away from her now, and it felt like the air was breathable again. She slipped down from her seat on the rock and knelt in front of him, her hands on her knees. 

“I…” she said, looking up at him. “I think we need to take a step back.”

Izuku nodded, an incredulous expression on his face. “I’m so sorry, Ochako. I didn’t mean to- that was- I- you know, I never meant-!”

She touched a finger to his lips, freezing him once again. Then she cupped his cheek, warmth filling her again. “It’s okay. But I think we can both see what almost happened there.”

His eyes went so wide, she was almost afraid they would pop out. He bowed himself onto the ground, forehead to his hands. “I’m so sorry!”

Ochako laughed, grateful to feel calmer now, after having made her decision. She reached out and grabbed his hands, holding them in hers as she pulled him up. “I… felt it, too. That just means we need to talk this through—be on the same page, right?”

The poor boy was sweating bullets now, looking down as he held her hands gingerly, his ears practically steaming. “R- right.”

“Let me tell you what I’m thinking,” she sighed, smiling gently. “I… don’t want to cross that line. Not until… not until we’re grown. Being just kids, we- we're not ready for that. It’s just too much right now. I want it to be, you know, something we don’t have to feel embarrassed about. Something that feels right when it happens.”

He stared at her for a moment, then let out a sigh, as if letting out all the built up tension in his body. “Yeah, I’m right there with you.”

She smiled wider then, laughing a bit. “I’m glad! Because I do love you. I do, so so much.”

Izuku laughed too, his face still so red. “I know-! I wouldn’t think- gah, of course I’d never think you wouldn’t if we didn’t-! I wasn’t even trying to suggest-! Oh damn it all.” 

He pulled his hands back from her, burying his face in them, still laughing incredulously. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

”Nothing at all,” Ochako sighed, holding a hand to her flushed cheek. “This is probably a normal conversation that every couple has at some point, right?”

Izuku just groaned, shaking his head. ”It wasn’t my intent at all, Ochako. Really it wasn’t.”

“I know,” Ochako melted. “I know what you meant by that kiss, and, Izuku—“ she reached out, taking his hand again, drawing his eyes back to her. 

“Thank you for it. You always… you understand me in ways I don’t always understand myself.”

Izuku still blushed, but his expression sobered a bit as he listened to her words. Then he smiled softly as he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “I’m glad for it.”

There was that swelling warmth within her, the swoop of her stomach and the thump of her chest—her body still on edge from that moment they’d shared, but she bit her lip and pushed those feelings gently away. I don’t want that right now. 

“We should probably head back,” Izuku said quietly, scratching a hand over the back of his neck, which was not helping Ochako keep these feelings under control. 

“Y- yeah,” Ochako nodded, rubbing a hand over her bare arms. “It is getting a bit cold.”

Izuku stood and tugged on her hand, helping her to her feet. She smiled at him, squeezing his hand happily.

“I’m sure everyone’s wondering where we went,” he said. 

Ochako felt that surge of awkwardness at knowing their whole class knew so much, but she was getting used to it. Being together with Izuku made her realize one thing—people don’t tend to worry about your personal life as much as your stress seems to make it out to be. Sure, they laughed and chummed around at their expense sometimes, but overall, it hadn’t changed much at all. And she was grateful for that. 

Although, if they knew what she and Izuku had just been contemplating…

She shuddered to even think it. She could barely comprehend it with just the two of them! Talking about… that… with Deku! 

Her embarrassment threatened to catch up with her again and she suddenly felt like disappearing forever. 

But they’d talked it through, traced a line in the sand, and honestly having that line drawn made her feel worlds more comfortable. So she took a breath and let it out slowly. Then she grasped tighter to his hand, pushing aside those awkward feelings. 

“Deku,” she said, hopping over the rocky terrain beside him. 

“Yeah?” He said softly. 

Ockako stopped and smiled gently at him. “I’m glad you’re in my life.”

He blinked at her, his cheeks darkening in the pale light, but his mouth turned up in a wobbly smile. “Ochako…”

“I’m just amazed. It still surprises me that you're actually my boyfriend now, and that we're actually together." She laughed, pressing her face into his shoulder affectionately. "You make me so happy."

He was still for a moment, then he turned into her, brought her into his arms. With a smile, he bent down and pressed his lips to hers. 

"Me too," he whispered into her. Then he enveloped her in his kiss, holding her securely as he kissed her earnestly. Her heart jumped, aching within her with all that heat from that earlier conversation. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling that flurry bursting in her chest. Gosh… 

He pulled away, looking at her bashfully. "Sorry."

"We just talked about this, right?" She giggled. 

"Sorry sorry," he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. 

Ochako sighed, smiling up at him, taking in his cute face in the moonlight. If she’d have thought a year ago that she’d be taking a moonlit stroll on the beach with Izuku Midoriya, with him kissing her like that, she wouldn’t have believed it. 

But she also wouldn’t have believed the things they had gone through in that war either… This year had been a rollercoaster of so many different things. 

Although, of all the things to be distracted about on this night where her grief had sat on the fringes of her mind, she thought— Himiko would probably be happy we're in love…

Whether that made a difference in her heart, she didn’t know, but Izuku had definitely driven away the grief in an interesting way this time…

Izuku had to walk the beach for a while after leaving Ochako at the girl's room. Even after their discussion, he still felt incredibly stirred up. 

Of all the things he’d have imagined for himself a year ago, that was not one. And yet, they’d had to have that conversation! He’d never thought they’d get close enough to that line to warrant it now! But-!

He shivered, still able to feel her waist in his hands, the skin of her abdomen so soft against his lips… He rubbed a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. The hell was I thinking…?! Before he knew it, he was running hard across the beach, the sand sinking beneath his shoes. 

If she hadn’t stopped us, would I have…? He felt so stirred up to know that… truly if she’d asked, he’d have done anything for her... And she was right, it would’ve been so incredibly uncomfortable for both of them. He couldn’t even think of the words in his own mind, he was so mortified. He had no idea what to do, no knowledge or anything like that other than… basics. They would’ve stumbled their way through awkwardly, probably causing more harm or discomfort than… pleasure... 

He sped on faster, trying to bury the creeping anxiety in his chest with a cardio workout, his heart pounding steadily instead of erratically. 

Ochako was right about everything, he heaved a breath, slowing to a walk once more. Neither of us are anywhere near ready for that! And it was a relief to agree to not go down that road or cross that line until they were, at the very least, no longer kids. 

But despite the conversation, their decision, the massive amount of awkwardness they’d endured… he still… definitely appreciated how good she looked in a swimsuit…

With a groan, he smacked himself in the face and turned to run another lap across the beach. 

Chapter Text

Ochako felt like her lungs were on fire as her eyes shot open, a cold sweat on her neck. Thankfully she didn't scream this time, but it was close. The nightmares were… seemingly getting worse. Even here at a relaxed beach home, surrounded by people who loved her, they still followed relentlesly. 

She felt the weight of the dreams, the blood in her throat, the cold, lifelessness in her body, and… in the body beside her…

Her stomach lurched and she ached in the dark. It hurt. It hurt to feel… and it hurt to bear.

Despite the lateness of the hour, she turned, shaking as she listened to the quiet breaths of the girls in the room with her. Despite feeling that ache within her, it helped. How relieving it was not to be alone.

"Tsuyu?" Ochako whispered to the girl beside her.

"Mhmm?" She hummed softly, sleepiness in her voice.

Ochako immediately felt horrible at waking her up, and bit back the stinging in her eyes. "Ah- sorry, i- it's nothing, I-"

Tsuyu quietly reached out and held out her hand, an understanding in her air that made those tears want to fall even more. Ochako bit her lip and took her hand, feeling the comfort warm her. She clasped her fingers between Tsuyu's, feeling pretty small. She didn't say anything, which Ochako was grateful for. Trying to say the words right then would've just unleashed a floodgate she didn't want to feel. It was better to endure it quietly. But just having that hand to hold in the dark was enough to help her feel steady, stable, like she could keep her head above the surface of the blood, air still in her lungs. 

"Do you wanna talk about it, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked softly.

"I-" Ochako sighed. "No… if that's okay."

"That's okay." Tsuyu squeezed her hand gently. "You were gone a while with Midoriya. Wanna talk about that, ribbit?"

At that, Ochako snickered, and even just laughing a little eased the tension in her chest just a bit. "Ah- well, only if you want to see me be a blushy mess."

"I'm happy to listen," she said, a smile in her voice. "Whatever makes you feel a little better, ribbit."

Ochako let out a long breath, putting the pain and the grief into a box for now. She held tighter to her hand, leaning her head against Tsuyu's. 

"I think…" Ochako bit her lip. "I'm gonna marry him one day."

Tsuyu laughed quietly. "A nice night then?"

"It's not just-" Ochako sighed. "It's everything. It's… just him. I just wonder…"

"Ribbit?"

Ochako sighed, then shook her head and snuggled in beside her. "It's nothing—anyway, how was the rest of the test of courage? Sorry I bailed on you like that."

"It's okay, I get it, ribbit," Tsuyu said. "I was worried about you, but I felt better about it after I found Midoriya and sent him after you."

Ochako sighed. "Thank you for that… it helped."

"I'm glad," Tsuyu softly, holding her hand a little tighter. "It went well—I'd say Satou does get more spooked than I do, so that was sort of funny to watch, ribbit."

Ochako laid beside her dear friend and listened to the stories, letting herself calm as the everyday eased her soul. 

I can make it through this… she sighed, gripping tighter to Tsuyu's hand—having to be a burden to her loved ones still hurt, but… she would do her best. 

Chapter Text

There was so much more leisure than they were used to here at the beach. Sure, they did some training, they did some cleaning, but it all felt so relaxed. After everything they had been through, it really was a relief.

Ochako lifted up a large support beam, floating it over to Kirishima's waiting hands. The house was one of a few beach homes, plus a community building, that had been crushed in the fighting and chaos. But despite the wreckage, the beach goers were still here, still relaxing and having fun further down the surf as they enjoyed the cool sea breezes and the warmth of the sand. 

She glanced over at Izuku, because of course she did. He was talking with Bakugo and Todoroki, coordinating some kind of plan to move things around. He had a confidence in his frame as he appeared to be making some kind of snarky jab—to which Bakugo shouted and Izuku laughed. It brought a smile to her face, especially seeing that confident grin on his mouth. She remembered only a year ago how hesitant and nervous he’d been. Look at him now. 

Her thoughts strayed, sending her back to the night before. She’d been thinking about him a lot since then—that conversation they’d had still lingering in her mind. Her heart rate increased just a bit, but she shook her head at it, turning her hands back to her task. Still, her thoughts deepened anyway. 

It opened so much more thoughts to their future—to what they wanted in their lives, what they wanted from each other, and that future they desired was coming faster with each passing day. She flushed at her words to Tsuyu, but it didn't seem… impossible. But thinking of all those futures in store for them, Ochako felt a sort of… hesitation. Not about Izuku, of course. She knew she loved him. She knew she wanted to stand by him forever for the rest of their lives, but what about her? 

These feelings—this bitter remorse filled her soul despite her efforts to root it out. She wanted to heal. She wanted to get better. She wanted to wake up in the morning without a cold sweat and tears on her face. 

Izuku was so compassionate, so supportive—he gave and gave to her, never expecting a single thing. He wanted to heal her and lend her his strength, but to need it constantly felt almost… pathetic. Was that something she wanted for both of their futures? To be such a broken burden to him that he had to carry along with him? Is that really what he wanted? Could she live with saddling him with that when he had such a bright light in his eyes, looking to the future, despite what he had lost. 

"Hey, Uraraka, you okay?" Kirishima asked from beneath her.

Ochako glanced down, then smiled brightly—what a default. "Yeah, totally! You ready for another load?"

But even he looked skeptically at her, and she recalled again that night on the cliff—it hadn't just been Izuku ripping her walls apart, but their entire class had come to witness the wreckage that was her stripped bare of her defenses. 

She bit her lip as Kirishima caught the stack of boards, but she wasn’t sure what to say. It felt weird that she was so transparent now—it had never been like this before.

"Hey, Kirishima?"

"Yeah?"

She bit her lip, her stomach lurching as he waited. So she… turned it inward towards a sealed box and smiled. 

"I wanna try something out, could you stand back a bit?" She asked Kirishima. 

He blinked, confused at the shift, no doubt, but stepped aside anyway. 

Ochako smiled gratefully, then held a hand aloft and considered the feelings in her heart—to lift those around her, to light the world, to never let anyone be burdened again—Slowly, the little pink bubbles formed, then bubbled into little spheres of light, surrounding her. She let them flow over and through the debris of the building. 

"Woah!" Kirishima grinned at the display, and then over at her. "I saw some of that from the tapes, but that’s sick. You’ve been working at it hard, huh?"

"Since the war," Ochako said, raising the cascade into the cracks surrounding their section of rubble, lifting it gently into the air. She twisted her hand lightly, gesturing it in the direction of their clean up truck. "I haven’t used it at a scale like- like that since then, but I- I’ve been working hard."

"That’s awesome, man," Kirishima said, holding up his fists passionately. 

'Man?' 

But Ochako just laughed, happy to have some kind of easy conversation at this point. 

In an instant, a great force swept her and Kirishima both off their feet, hurling them into the sand like a battering ram. The sound caught up a moment later, filling her ears with a shrill, agonized screech. 

"What- the hell?!" Kirishima got out, his body hardened as he lifted himself against the force,  trying to shield her.  

Ochako covered her ears, looking around for the source. When she found it, her eyes widened. 

There was… a small child kneeling in the sand, tears falling in big drops down her chin and she gripped her ears, red hair whipping about her face in a flurry. 

"A kid—it’s a kid!" She said.

"Huh?!"

She pointed, and Kirishima turned to follow her gesture. 

"Oh damn it!" He groaned, a heartbreak in his face that she felt too. She was so small, it was probably her own brand new quirk going haywire. 

Kirishima grabbed Ochako's arm and lifted her up, bracing her to him. "Let’s get out of range first, see what we can do."

"Yeah!"

Thankfully, the range of impact wasn't huge, just that ear-piercing screech left in the air—once they no longer felt the pressure on them, they ran through the sand at the crowd gathering, and more of Class A was congregating. 

We only have half our class in this section! And Aizawa's with Momo's group!

"I will run at once to bring our teacher to handle the situation!" She heard Iida say as she and Kirishima joined the group. 

Fire burst from his engines as he ran down the beach line, booking it over to the next beach over. 

A woman with red hair was standing at the center of their group, crying and hugging herself as Mina rubbed a hand over her shoulder. 

The girl's mom, no doubt. 

"I don’t know-! I just-! Ever since it manifested, it's just unmanageable, I can’t do anything!" She cried, hands to her mouth. "It’s like a night terror, sometimes I just hold her for as long as I can. I’m already suffering some hearing loss—but this is- she’s just so scared of herself at this point! After everything, I just wanted to let her have fun at a quiet beach!" 

She buried her face in her hands, sobbing. 

"I can’t even get close to her!" She wept. "I’m so sorry, Kairi."

"We'll do everything we can," Mina said consolingly. "Our teacher can stop quirks, he'll be able to help her!"

"Thank you- thank you," she wept. "I just- I don't know what to do…"

"I might be able to cancel it out for now," Kyoka called, running to the edge of the wall of force. "Until Iida comes back with Mr. Aizawa!"

Ochako stood and watched, feeling the inside of her stomach sink in such a way that was so familiar at this point. It hurt. 

"Heartbeat wall!" She cried, surrounded the girl, blocking the shrill cries that reverberated through the air. 

Ochako watched as the little girl grasped her head, shaking, crying, her screams trembling out of her as she gasped. 

"Hang on, you just gotta calm down, it’s okay!" Kyoka called to her, trying to console. "Our teacher's on his way—he’s gonna help you! Just hang on!"

It hurts… Even when Aizawa stops it… she’s still gonna have this quirk she’s terrified of, has no control of. Just like how Eri was. This quirk that’s part of her, a thing she likely… tried to supress out of fear and shame… just like— 

Before she knew it, she was running. She felt the pressure as she raced through Kyoka's quirk. Kyoka shouted, and so did the others, but she didn’t stop. She stretched her hands out, reaching desperately for the child. 

The screams hit her again like a truck, blinding pain split through her head, and she gasped at it, staggering in her charge, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t even hear the cries behind her. It was like a static zone where only these girl's screams existed. 

"Kairi!" She cried, her own voice sounding muffled in her own ears. "Kairi, it's okay!"

The girl saw her, big tears rolling down her cheeks. "M- mommy- Mommy's hurt because of me! Mommy! Mommy! I- I didn't mean to be bad!!"

Ochako felt a surge of that force, pushing her back, but just as she nearly flew backward, she felt familiar hands on her back, bracing her against the blast. 

"You have a plan, don’t you?!" Izuku shouted, adding his strength to hers. "I’ll get you to her!"

Ochako felt tears in her eyes, but she nodded. "Thanks!"

Despite the child's power enveloping them, she felt the immense strength of just the embers of One for All as Izuku held onto her and pushed forward against it. Her head hurt so bad, but she didn’t want to stop. She needed to reach that little girl, she needed to help her!

Izuku grunted, probably feeling the exact same way, but he pushed forward with her, not letting up. He braced against her, arms wrapped around her middle as the green electricity crackled around them. She knew if it weren't for One for All, they’d both be sent flying.

As they reached the girl, Ochako felt it as her ears began to bleed, hot liquid sliding down her neck. She grit her teeth, grabbing her ear as she stretched her hand out. "Kairi!"

The little girl didn’t even respond. She was so hysterical that she didn’t even seem to notice them anymore.  

"It’s okay!" She cried, the pain of the screams making her vision start to go white. "You didn’t mean to hurt your mommy! You didn’t mean to hurt anyone! I promise, you’re not bad!"

Kairi finally looked up at her, her screams still in full force, but lessened. There was blood from her ears as well. 

“You just got this power, it's not bad! You just need help learning what to do with it" Ochako got out, feeling herself be pushed against. Izuku was strong though, his hands braced against her waist as he held her against him. "You haven't figured it out yet—but that’s okay!"

They stepped forward together, and she could feel the power surging from Izuku's very core, bringing her closer and closer to the girl until Ochako could just about touch her. Her head was screaming as the pressure built within her, her ears ringing as the blood dripped onto her shoulder. 

At last, Ochako grabbed her up and pulled her into her arms. She felt Izuku reach around her to brace Kairi to her, hugging them both to keep them all from flying apart at the overwhelming power. 

"Kairi!" Izuku cried, leaning over Ochako's shoulder to talk. "I know it’s scary—quirks can be scary sometimes. I’ve been scared of my quirk too! I’ve been hurt by my quirk before—and I’ve accidentally hurt others with it too!"

"Huh?" Kairi looked up at him, her eyes wide. The wails still sounded through the air echoing in a torrential cacophony of sound. It felt like Ochako's head was going to split apart—she could only imagine how it felt for this kid. 

"But it’s part of you, you don’t have to hate it, you just don’t know how to control it yet! That’s what I had to learn! You can too, I promise!"

"You don’t have to be scared!" Ochako squeezed her tight. "Let’s figure out how to turn it off! Can you do that?"

Kairi sobbed, looking at both her and Izuku, her face crumpling. "It- it’s too scary-!"

Izuku leaned in, grasping tight to the little girl. 

"Kairi, you can’t learn by running from it! It'll come out anyway, so much bigger and harder than before. Hiding it is-" Izuku paused briefly, and she felt the impact of his words on her heart. "Hiding from it will only hurt you more."

Kairi trembled, a shriek emitting from her as she sobbed, and Ochako felt Izuku's feet slide back a bit before he sured himself up stronger, gripping tight to the both of them. 

"Don’t just think of how to stop it!" He shouted. "Think how you can control it! Visualize it! Think of it as a- a- a volume button!" 

If the situation wasn’t so dire, she would’ve snorted. But Izuku continued leaning over her shoulder to speak. "It’s cranked up to max volume right now! Just focus on slowly turning that sound down. Can you do that, Kairi?"

"It- it hurts!" She sobbed. 

"I know it hurts—" Ochako hugged her tighter. "But it’s up to you to try. Just try—focus on how it feels! We're here to help, we're not gonna leave you alone."

"You can do it!" Izuku called. "Close your eyes and feel the volume buttons. Can you feel them?"

Kairi ducked her head against Ochako's chest, her eyes squeezed tight, and Ochako felt her nod. "Yeah?" She said. 

"Good! Now press the down button, okay? Don’t worry about turning it all the way off, just start pressing it down!"

"O- okay!" Kairi said, her voice still hoarse and trembling. 

"You can do it!" Ochako cheered, rubbing her arm encouragingly. 

It took time and a lot of encouragement, but slowly, the strain of the screams faded. That force diminished with it until all that was left was the ringing in her ears as the air felt light again. Kairi bowed forward, collapsing unconcious into her arms. Ochako caught her, but she didn’t realize how wobbly she herself was until she tried to move and her limbs just about gave out. Izuku caught them both soundly, breathing a sigh of relief. 

"Good going," he sighed, practically cradling them both in his lap. 

"Thanks… for the backup…" she huffed, lifting a hand to his face where his nose was bleeding. "You okay?"

He just smiled, looking over her exhausted face and bleeding ears. "I should ask you the same."

She laughed weakly, patting his cheek. "Crisis averted, at least."

Izuku squeezed her tighter, burying his face in her shoulder. "You’re incredible."

"Mm," Ochako shook her head. "No, that’s you."

 He just laughed at that. 

"Kairi!" They heard her mom call. 

Ochako lifted herself up with effort as the mother landed on her knees in front of them, taking in the situation. 

"She managed to turn it off herself," Izuku said, relief in his exhausted voice. "She did great."

"You should probably get her-" Ochako cut herself off as the woman pressed her face into the sand, bowing to them as she cried. 

"Deku, Uravity—Please forgive me, my daughter- I-" she sobbed, hands gripped into fists in the sand. "Thank you for helping her when I couldn’t!"

Ochako exchanged a look with Izuku, but he just smiled softly at the woman. "It’s okay, we're happy to help—and we were able to give her a way of learning control on her own, and that’s what matters. She'll just need practice, that's all."

She looked up, face covered in sand and tears. "I- I-"

"She’s gonna find a way to love her quirk," Ochako sighed, a gentle smile on her face. "Just do your best to support her."

A determination filled that mom's face, and she sat up and nodded. "I will. I-"

"Mommy-?" Kairi whimpered quietly, and her mother pulled her gently from Ochako's arms and held her tight. 

"Are you okay?" She crooned, stroking the girl's hair. Kairi was crying again, but it was a soft, tired cry now instead of the shrill siren of before. "I heard you controlled it yourself! I’m so proud of you!"

Kairi blinked, then a little smile appeared on her mouth—hope in her face. She shut her eyes and hugged tighter to her. "Mommy…"

"We’ve got medical coming soon, no doubt," Izuku said, then gestured towards Momo. "Take Kairi to Creati and she should be able to start administering first-aid."

"Thank you!" The woman bowed her head again, then scooped up her daughter and headed over to her. 

The whole ordeal lasted only a few minutes, thankfully. Ochako looked over and could see Iida back now, Aizawa in tow, but it was over now. 

"Can you stand up?" Izuku asked.

Ochako wanted to say 'yes,' but it was taking a sizable amount of effort to even be upright. She laughed lightly, then leaned into him, letting his arms wrap around her. "Probably not. You?"

"I’m alright," he said. 

 "How?!" 

He just laughed. "Well, my quirk has always put a lot of strain on my body, so I guess I’m pretty conditioned against something like this."

"Makes sense," Ochako sighed, slumping as the pain continued ringing through her head. "Feel like I’m gonna pass out…"

She felt him press a gentle kiss to her hair, which made her heart soar. Then he lifted her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. "I’ve got you, don’t worry."

Ochako looked up at him, blood on his face and a smile on his mouth, and she felt her body relax into the oblivion.