Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Just do it, ‘Raka. It was a bet. Just do it real fast and then run away before he eats your face or something.”

Ochako rolled her eyes as she ignored the giggling going around the table, before Yaomomo shushed them. They were in the library after all.

A bet's a bet, Mina had her there, and she had already spent the money from the bet because she was a poor university student and Jirou was generous. That just meant she couldn't turn this down like she really really wanted to.

It was a really mean thing to do but she knew that in the beginning when she had agreed. It had seemed like such a simple thing when she was tipsy and all the girls were hanging out the other night, but now it seemed super mean, even if her target was a well known asshole.

The bet was simple: go up to her target and ask them out after telling them how much she liked them, only to then say something super super mean.

The target wasn't so simple, but Ochako would never have accepted the bet if it had been anyone else because it was downright cruel.

Her target wasn't some random person. Her target was mean, rude, and an absolute asshole. She knew of the rumors too. That he had no friends, that he did nothing but bully and hurt people, that his parents hated him, that he was only still in school because the administration was afraid of him.

Her target was the well known former tormentor of her best friend, Izuku Midoriya.

Her target was none other than the infamous Katsuki Bakugou.

Right now, her and her friends are “studying” in the library. When in reality they were watching Bakugou sit all alone several tables over, reading a book.

She sighed as she looked back at her friends. “Do I really have to do this? This is so mean, even if it's just Bakugou.”

Jirou nodded, “A bet is a bet, Chaks, besides we're not going to let him hurt you.”

She wasn't worried about that. She knew of the rumors plus it wasn't like she couldn't see the scattered scars on Bakugou's hands and arms, probably from fighting, but she wasn't afraid of him hurting her, at least not publicly.

Her best friend Tsu patted her thigh. “You and I can work on paying Jirou back if you don't want to do this, Kero.”

Tsu was always by her side, always giving her an out for the dumb stuff she had agreed to, and as much as she wanted to take that out, she couldn't. She couldn't have Tsu come and save her after every mistake.

She gave Tsu a wobbly smile. “It'll be fine.” She took another drawn out sigh before getting up and making her way over to his table.

The short walk felt like an eternity but she eventually stood at his table. She could tell he knew she was there but it looked like he was ignoring her. “Can I sit here?”

Red eyes flicked up to meet her brown ones. He looked bored but behind those glasses and in those red eyes, she could see a whole lot of brewing emotions. “Piss off.”

It was curt and straight to the point. Ochako should have just left it at that, but she didn't. “Can I sit here, please? I have something I want to tell you.”

She watched as his eyes narrowed into slits. He was suspicious and she couldn't blame him. “What could you possibly have to tell me, round face?”

Round face? That was mean! “That's rude. You shouldn't make fun of people for their weight.”

She wasn't super big but she was a little bigger than most of her friends. She carried a little weight around her tummy and her thighs. She had battled her insecurities about her weight for a very long time. She knew she was beautiful and she was strong, she worked hard for where she was with her body but for him to just so casually take a shot at her, it hurt.

He rolled his eyes. “That's not what I meant.” After that, she could swear she could see him scan over her body, but he went back to reading before she could be sure.

At this point, she just sat down at his table so she could get this over with. Now she was mad and a little upset. What else could he have meant by “Round face?”

Bakugou huffed and sat his book down. “What do you want? You've never tried to talk to me before. The only interactions we've had are when you glare at me when you're around Izu..Deku.”

She wanted to huff and call him mean, but she needed to just get through this. “I..I’ve just been very nervous to approach you. A lot of people told me to never approach you.”

If she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn she saw a very quick flash of hurt cross his face but it was immediately gone, replaced with a glare. “Yeah? Well why didn't you listen to them? Why are you here?”

Ochako played with her hands, a nervous habit. “I..I don't believe the things people say about you.”

She looked up and he was studying her, watching her. “Well, you should.”

She shook her head. “I think below everything, I think you're just misunderstood and a good guy. You're handsome and you're smart and you try super hard at your studies.”

Those last things were true. He was at the top of their class, he always was and he took his studies super seriously. Deku had told her he always had. Plus..he really was handsome. This was the closest she had ever been to him. She could really see the angle of his jaw line, and that he had a little scar on his bottom lip and one on his cheek. Plus his eyes weren't a bright red like she had always thought, they were more of an orangish red. They were pretty.

Ochako shook her head to rid those thoughts and continued. “I think you've been given a bad rep and I want to look past that. I want to get to know the real Bakugou. Not the Bakugou everyone whispers about. I want to go out with you sometime.”

She finally looked back up and there was a look on his face she couldn't quite understand. His anger was present, but his face looked more relaxed, maybe out of shock.

Now was the hard part. She had to be purposely mean to him. She wasn't good at being mean. She had to tell him that he was nothing but a bully and that he was mean and rude and he would never find someone to like him. It was harsh but it was what Hagakure had written for her to say and she didn't really know what else to say. Her nerves were frayed.

She went to open her mouth, but he beat her to it. “I'll meet you at the campus gates this Saturday at ten. Don't be late, I don't like when people waste my time.”

He was up and pushing in his chair before she even realized what happened. “Later..Pink cheeks.” Then he was gone and she just sat there in shock.

She had a date this Saturday?

She had a date this Saturday with Bakugou?

She had a date this Saturday with a bully that she didn't even like!?

Ochako was still sitting in shock when the girls came over and started prodding her. Mina was looking at her, tilting her head. “Well, he didn't get angry or yell, did you go through with it?”

She nodded slowly. Still trying to process everything that had just happened. “I..I have a date this Saturday.”

Every single one of them were eerily quiet, until Yaomomo stammered. “W..What do you mean?”

She looked up at a bewildered Yaomomo and then to her other friends. “I asked him out like we talked about but before I could follow through with the rest, he just accepted it! He told me to meet him at the campus gates Saturday at ten.”

Jirou shrugged. “Just don't go. He's clearly messing with you. He probably knows something's up. He's a smart guy.”

Mina then hummed, “Maybe. If that's the case though, you should definitely go. He's probably going to try to make it an absolute disaster of a day, but you should beat him to it. Be insanely rude the entire time, everything. We'll tag along, won't we girls?”

Tsu shook her head. “We should just stop while we're ahead. We're not supposed to be mean highschool girls. We're supposed to be university students.”

Yaomomo nodded, “I think Tsuyu is correct. I say that you just don't show up Saturday and just ignore him. I guarantee he'll just leave you alone.”

Ochako nodded, “That's probably what I'll do. I did my best, can we just call it even, Mina?”

Mina dramatically sighed, “Yeah, we'll call it even. Boring.”

She let out a breath, good, that was all settled and now she luckily wouldn't have to worry about Bakugou ever again.

Hopefully.

Ochako had never been super lucky.

Two days later, on Friday, she was approached while she was walking out of the gym. Wrestling practice had just wrapped up and she was fresh out of the shower. She was on her way to meet up with Deku and Iida so they could study for their Biology final they had coming up at the end of the month.

“Pink cheeks.”

Ochako turned to see Bakugou walking towards her. She stuttered, “B..Bakugou?”

He stalked towards her until he was towering over her. The glare melted away from his face for just a moment. He shoved something into her hands and mumbled. “I'm looking forward to Saturday.”

Again, he was gone before she could even say anything, all she could do was stare as he walked away. She looked down, and a box was now sitting in her hands.

It was a box of mochi. Strawberry mochi. Her favorite kind of mochi.

What the hell? How would Bakugou even know she liked Mochi? Why would he even do this for her? Was he messing with her?

Ochako tucked the mochi into her bag. Was she really going to go out with Bakugou Saturday?

She groaned as she walked towards her own dorm.

Why was she even in this mess? It was just supposed to be a simple bet.

She knew she should have skipped that stupid party to begin with.

Maybe the world would explode while she slept and she wouldn't even have to decide anything tomorrow.

Unfortunately Ochako’s alarm clock did go off the next morning.

She groaned as she buried her face in her pillow. Blindly reaching for her phone until her alarm finally went off. What was she going to do? Why did it seem like Bakugou was going out of his way to embarrass her? Was he really that smart and had already figured everything out?

Her heart stopped for just a moment. What if Bakugou really liked her?? That's why he had accepted.

That thought passed as quickly as it entered her brain. There was absolutely no way Bakugou liked her. They had never even talked until this week! He had to be trying to embarrass her. Well, if that was the case, she was going on this date and she was going to beat him at his own game.

With this new confidence and a plan, she got up and went through her morning routine.

When she was done with her shower and morning routine, she turned to her wardrobe. She found the sloppiest outfit she had, which mainly just consisted of a raggedy hoodie and very worn track pants. She would never wear something like this on an actual outing, but she had a feeling Katsuki was going to do something similar, so she wanted to get one up on him.

She grabbed her phone and wallet and shoved them both in her usual little bag she carried, slinging it onto her back.

Ochako walked out the door with a confident smirk. Katsuki Bakugou, get ready to get your world rocked.

Chapter Text

Ochako walked with her chin held high until she neared the campus gates and spotted Katsuki. He was looking at his phone so he hadn't noticed her yet, which was good because Ochako couldn't help but just stare at him.

He was dressed the exact opposite of her. She had purposely gone with worn out pants and a ratty hoodie, but he was well put together. His hair was a poofy and spikey mess as usual, and he had his usual thick black glasses on, but other than that, this was a completely new Katsuki. He was wearing a white short sleeved polo with a single black horizontal line going across it. He had paired it with some black jeans, not quite skinny jeans but they fit nicely, and some white sneakers.

It was a far cry from the baggy jeans and the same three black shirts wearing Katsuki that she was used to seeing on the daily.

Why was he so nicely dressed? She thought he'd be dressed just how he usually was, or even worse. Why was he putting in effort if it was just a joke to him?

As she approached, she could sense that he knew she was coming and then he looked up, and just for a second she could swear she saw him actually smile. It was nothing major and it was gone in a flash but she swore she saw it, but then his eyebrows raised before scrunching together.

Ochako immediately felt embarrassed for her choice of wardrobe. She scratched her cheek, “I umm..I didn't know exactly what we were doing today. I don't have a whole lot of extra clothes.”

That wasn't a complete lie. She did have nice clothes, but not very many choices. What she wasn't going to say was that she had purposely picked out those clothes.

His face smoothed back out into a very slight smile, it was barely there, but it was there. She felt her cheeks flush, his smile was super cute.

He started walking and motioned for her, “Come on, Cheeks.”

She huffed as she jogged after him. “Why do you keep making fun of my cheeks?”

They walked in silence for a moment until she heard him sigh and mumble, “I'm not making fun of you.”

She looked up at him, his face was red and he wouldn't look at her. She wanted to ask him what that meant, but it was clear he was done talking about it.

As they walked, she felt his hand brush hers. She was sure it was an accident, but as they kept walking, she felt it again, and this time she felt his pinky wrap around hers.

She almost stuttered to a stop, but kept it together just enough to not make a scene.

What was happening? Who was this guy? Where was the Bakugou she had heard rumor after rumor about?

“How's wrestling practice going?”

She was so far in her own head, she didn't fully hear what he had said. She looked up at him? “I..I’m sorry. What did you say?”

He lightly huffed, but it seemed fond. “I asked how wrestling practice was going?”

She brightened slightly, she loved getting to talk about sports. “It's been great. I'm even in the running to be considered captain.” Not to toot her own horn, but she was one of the best wrestlers on both the boys and girls teams.

She was a wrestler and she was majoring in Biology. She knew Katsuki ran track and was majoring in Chemistry.

They talked about sports and their classes until they apparently arrived at their destination. They had probably been walking for around twenty minutes, but it really hadn't felt like it.

It..was weirdly nice talking to Bakugou.

She finally looked up at the restaurant and her jaw dropped, “Bakugou! This place is so expensive, I can't afford to eat here.”

She watched as he just shrugged. “Who said you were paying? It's my treat, now come on.”

He linked her pinky with hers again and she let him pull her along. She felt so ashamed as she walked through the restaurant. She looked so out of place in a fancy place like this. Had this been his plan all along? To embarrass her?

They were seated quickly as Ochako was still looking around. She had never really been to any fancy restaurants. She looked down at her menu for just a second and her eyes almost rolled out of her head. “Bakugou! I can't let you pay for this, these prices are insane.”

He shrugged again, “I told you not to worry about it, but if it really bothers you, you can pay for the next date.”

She felt her cheeks flush and she squeaked, “Next date!?”

Ochako watched as Bakugou's face started to turn red. “Sorry, that was probably a little forward. I..I mean, if you'd like a second date of course.”

He sighed after a moment when she didn't answer. She was still trying to search for one! “I like you, Ochako. I have for a while. I just didn't think you'd ever like me.”

Ochako's heart had stopped. Bakugou actually…liked her? She felt so sick to her stomach as he smiled a little soft smile at her. A smile she definitely didn't deserve at this point.

She needed to come clean and let him know everything. She was going to hurt him but she needed to do it. She didn't like him and he actively liked her. She had to end this now.

She did her best to smile so she could hopefully get how sorry she was to show. “A..A second date sounds..great.”

No! No! What was she doing? She should have come clean. It was like her mouth wasn't cooperating with her brain. Damnit!

She watched as his cheeks reddened again and he ducked his head. “I'm glad to hear that.”

She was going to hell. She was actually going to go to hell.

Their food eventually came and they ate in silence for a few moments before Ochako couldn't help herself and asked, “Why are you so different outside of school?”

She watched as his usual scowl slipped into place, replacing the easy going look he had been sporting. “Everyone has made up their minds about me, why try fighting it? Rumors spread quick and people are going to think what they want, might as well lean into them. Gets people to leave me alone. I don't need fake ass people in my life.”

He looked away from her for a moment and continued, “I wasn't always the best person. I made a lot of mistakes, but most of the shit people say about me just isn't true.”

She watched as he used his chopsticks to move around a piece of pork. “Plus there's part of me that I'm not ready for people to see. I might not ever be ready.”

Ochako smiled softly at him. “I'd like to eventually see those parts of you, whatever you're willing to show me.”

She wasn't lying about that. She may not like the guy romantically but she was really starting to see that Bakugou was not just the one dimensional asshole everyone thought he was. He was probably going to hate her when she came clean, but maybe, just maybe there was a chance they could actually be friends sometime down the line. She wanted to get to know the real person who made up Katsuki Bakugou.

While she had the moment, she needed to actually come clean. She looked away from him for a moment. “Bakugou..I..”

They were interrupted by a new waiter. “Sorry you two. My name's Kariage, I'll be taking over for your previous..Katsuki..?”

She watched as Bakugou's face paled. “K..Kariage?”

This Kariage guy put a hand on his hip and looked her up and down. “Been a long time. Who's this?”

Whoa. She did not like this guy's vibes or tone. It looked like Bakugou quickly got over his initial shock because his usual scowl was back into place. “This is my date. Could you just grab us the check, we'll be going.”

Kariage scoffed. “So you got into a fancy school, you're wearing those stupid polo shirts again, and you like girls now? Your mom finally beat all of your creativity and self love out of you?”

T..That was a lot to unpack. What did this guy mean that Bakugou liked girls now? Did he not before? Plus that comment about his mom. Was that figurative or literal? Plus why did his voice sound so bitter but also kind of upset and sad?

Bakugou stood up from the table. “Come on, Cheeks. I'll get the check from the front.”

Ochako followed after him as she heard the Kariage guy call after them. “You haven't changed at all, have you Katsuki? Still running and hiding just like you did years ago. Are you going to let this one go too because you can't stand up for yourself?”

She stayed quiet as Bakugou paid for the bill at the front of the restaurant before walking out. They walked in silence for several minutes, before she heard him mumble. “Sorry. You didn't deserve to be put in the middle of that.”

Ochako let him intertwine their pinkies, she told herself it was just for his comfort, as she looked up at him. “Who was that guy?”

Bakugou wouldn't look at her. “Ex-boyfriend.” He sighed as they kept walking. “I'm..I'm fucking bi or whatever. We dated years ago and I fucked it all up. Nobody except Iz..Deku knows so don't go telling anyone.”

She had a feeling he was trying to sound threatening but he just sounded tired. There was so much going through her head. Who really was Bakugou? How much of the things she had heard from others were true and what was false? “What he said about you mom..was that true in a literal sense?”

He dropped her pinky and snarled at her. “It's none of your damn business!”

She felt herself flinch from the sudden tone shift and she watched his eyes widen. “Sorry. Fuck..Sorry.” He ran his hands through his hair. “Just..Just..I'll talk about that stuff some other time.”

They walked in silence for a little bit after that. He reached for her pinky and she didn't deny him because her thoughts were everywhere else.

She could see the Yuuei campus gates approaching when he stopped them. She turned to fully look at him and he honestly looked afraid. She didn't know what of, but he just looked afraid.

He opened his mouth several times but kept shutting it without saying anything until finally words rolled out of his mouth that she would have never guessed in a million tries. “I..I'm trans. I'm a girl.”

Chapter Text

Ochako couldn't help but need a moment to process what she had just heard. “Y..You're a girl?”

She wasn't dumb, she knew what being trans meant and she had some friends that were trans. Momo was a trans girl, but it was something the taller girl kept very close to her chest.

She would have never guessed Bakugou was trans. He just screamed “guy” but that thought just made her want to smack herself in the forehead. If he wasn't out yet and had grown up the way she had a feeling he did, no wonder he portrayed himself the way he did.

Bakugou was looking everywhere but at her. “Yeah, I'm a girl. I tried denying it for years and years but I can't fucking change it. I..I don't know when I'll come out. The world fucking sucks and I hate when people don't take me seriously. I get it if you don't want to go on another date with me. I..I just like you and I don't know, it just wouldn't feel right hiding it from you.”

That was..honestly super kind of him..her..super kind of her. She didn't think Bakugou should have felt the need to come out to her, but she would be as supportive as she could. This was her way of getting out of any dates though. All she had to do was affirm her identity but say she didn't like girls, even though it was a pretty known fact Ochako was bi as well.

That's not what came out of her mouth though. “I don't care if you're a girl, I'd like to go out again.”

What the hell was wrong with her?? Why couldn't she just tell the truth??

This girl had just poured her heart to her and Ochako was still lying between her teeth. She just didn't understand why her brain wouldn't let her just tell Bakugou she didn't like her romantically, that it was all just a fucked up bet.

Bakugou smiled at her, as the taller girl linked pinkies with her again. It was one of the softest looks Ochako had ever seen, from anyone, ever.

It..kind of made her chest feel warm and her cheeks felt kind of hot.

They started walking and Bakugou continued, “My name is Katsumi.”

Ochako looked up at the blonde, “Would you like me to call you that?”

Katsumi nodded. “Yeah, at least when it's me and you.” She paused for a moment but then kept talking, “Izuku knows as well. We have a complicated history.”

That made her almost pause. Izuku knew? She also realized that was the first time she had heard Katsumi call him Izuku and not seem to force herself to say Deku. She had a feeling she was still missing a lot of puzzle pieces.

She wanted to ask about Izuku and everything there, but she held off. She didn't want to pressure Katsumi. She asked another question instead. “Does anyone else know? At school anyway.”

Katsumi nodded. “Only one other person at school knows, Eijirou Kirishima. He's my best friend and roommate.”

Ochako's eyes went wide. “You and Kirishima are best friends!? He's like everyone's favorite cuddly tank. He's like the nicest guy I've ever met.”

Katsumi snorted but there was a smile on her face. “He's a big lovable idiot, that's for sure. It's hard not to love him. Fucker had me spilling my deepest secrets the second day we met. His fashion sense is absolute shit, but he's always pointing out dresses and outfits he thinks I'll like. He's sweet.”

The two of them were almost at the campus gates when she released her pinky. She mentally sighed in relief because if Katsumi didn't, she was going to have to.

They stopped again and Ochako watched as she turned towards her. “I liked going out with you today. Do you want to do it again next Saturday?”

Just say no. Say you're busy. Don't agree.

“I'd love to!”

Damnit!

Katsumi smiled wide at her as she could see relief flood through the taller girl. “Good. I uhh..I'll talk to you soon.”

She watched the blonde leave and it was honestly a sight to see as Katsumi shifted into “Bakugou” once more. The easy going smile was gone and the deep scowl and hunched back and hiked shoulders were back.

Ochako walked to her dorm and made it about three steps in before she was confronted by her pink haired roommate and friend. “Where have you been!? You've been AWOL for like two hours!”

Ochako deadpanned a glare at her friend as Mina shook her shoulders. “I was just busy with a friend. She and I went out so I didn't really pay attention to my phone.”

Mina looked at her through slitted eyes until a smirk spread across her face. “I thought you may have caved and went on a date with Bakugou because you felt bad, but a girl huh? Whose panties are you trying to slide into?”

Ochako rolled her eyes. “I am not sliding into anyone's panties. It wasn't a date.” It technically was but Ochako was not getting into any of that with Mina. “We just had lunch. Friends can have lunch.”

Mina just continued to smirk. “Mhmm. Well, just introduce us to your new girlfriend when you're ready.” She watched as Mina looked her up and down. “You may want to dress a little cuter next time girl, I know you have some cute clothes.”

Ochako felt her cheeks heat up, being reminded that she looked like a total slob while Katsumi had looked so..pretty? Was pretty the right word to use there, it felt right. Thoughts of Katsumi in a nice dress entered her mind and she felt her cheeks heat up even more. Where were those thoughts coming from? “It was just a spur of the moment thing so I didn't think about it.” Liar.

Her pink haired friend just hummed again. “Mhmm. Well, anyway, Kyo wants to do girls night in her room tonight. You okay with that?”

Ochako nodded in relief of the change in subject, “Yeah, that's cool with me.”

The hell was she doing with her life right now?

A couple days later, she was walking alone through the hall after wrestling practice when she noticed Katsumi leaning against the wall right outside the chemistry class.

The blonde looked like she was waiting for her, and as soon as they met eyes, Ochako watched as Katsumi's scowl fell away and it was replaced with a small smile. She couldn't even help when her own lips twitched up into a small smile in return. When did that start happening?

Katsumi seemed to check both ways to make sure it was clear before approaching her. The taller girl stood in front of her a moment later. “Hi.”

Ochako couldn't help but let out a little giggle. For someone who was supposed to be so scary and for someone she was warned not to ever piss off, she really was just too cute. “Hi Katsumi.”

She watched Katsumi’s small grin turn into a wide smile as the blonde interlaced their pinkies as they stood there together. “I..I just..kind of wanted to see you.”

Ochako cooed at the taller girl, making her visibly blush. “S..Shut the fuck up, ‘Raka.”

She freely teased Katsumi. “You're so cute when you blush, and I wanted to see you too.”

That wasn't even a lie. She had been thinking about the blonde quite a bit over the last couple days. There was a lot of guilt, so much guilt for dragging Katsumi along and not returning her feelings, but she also just thought about the older girl.

How was her life growing up? What were her parents like? What did she want to do after she graduated? Did she like dresses and skirts? Her brain played through so many different scenarios because all she really had to go on were rumors and her own bias. She wanted to know more.

But, she really needed to tell Katsumi the truth about everything. It was obvious that Katsumi was truly really sweet and Ochako didn't want to hurt her any more than she already was when she told the truth.

She opened her mouth to speak but Katsumi spoke first. “C..Can I have your number!?”

It was spoken in a loud rush and Katsumi seemed to be embarrassed by how loud she was. “I..I mean, could I have your number? Ya know, if you don't mind.”

Just say no. So you're not ready for that and tell her the truth. Just do it! “Sure!” Oh, hell.

It wasn't that big of a deal! They probably wouldn't even text that much. Ochako wasn't a big texter, and Katsumi seemed to be the same way.

They had sent fifty-two messages between the two of them before she even went to bed that night.

Then the next morning she woke up to a simple good morning text that made her tummy feel really weird. “Morning Raka.”

It was something so simple, but it left a weird feeling in her stomach that she didn't understand.

They texted during boring lectures, lunch, and after their respective practices. This went on for days, until she was finally caught.

It was Friday, the day before her second date with Katsumi, when she and her friends were supposed to be studying in the library, but she was too busy texting Katsumi under the table. “Ochako, did you get number seven? Ochako? Are you texting someone? You hardly ever text during study sessions.”

Ochako felt her face explode with heat from the light scolding she received from Momo and from being the center of attention now. “I..I..umm..yes?”

Why? Why was she always so easy to fluster and embarrass? She was a big girl, she could text someone if she wanted.

Mina snickered to her right. “Probably her new secret girlfriend.”

Ochako turned with wide eyes, and went to squeak out a response but she remembered they were in the library so she ended up whisper shouting. “I..I told you she's not my girlfriend! She's..just a friend.”

She was so busy trying to hold her phone away from Mina that she didn't realize Tooru was looking from the opposite side of her. Tooru had always been sneaky. “Oooh her name's Katsumi.”

Ochako huffed and shoved her phone in her pocket. “Quit looking at my messages, Tooru.”

Mina giggled, “Katsumi, huh? I wonder if we could find her on any socials?”

Ochako actually snorted at that. “Good luck.”

Tsu shook her head from across the table. “You two just stop. Ochako is very clearly uncomfortable, and it isn't our business unless she wants to tell us.”

Ochako smiled slightly in thanks and the two energetic girls did have the decency to look a little ashamed. “M’sorry Chaks.” “Yeah, me too.”

She sighed a little in relief, hopefully that would keep them off her back for a little bit. She loved her friends, she did, but they could be too much sometimes. “It's okay, let's just keep studying.”

When Ochako woke up the next morning and went through her routine, making sure to respond to Katsumi's good morning text, she made sure to pick out a nicer outfit. Nothing too crazy because she really did need to talk to Katsumi and tell her everything but she still wanted to look pretty. Just a simple pair of jeans and a nice pink blouse.

It was another amazing date. This time it was a nice walk around the park and they ate some treats from a nearby vendor. Mochi for her and savory dango for Katsumi.

Ochako learned more about Katsumi as they walked. She learned that Katsumi loved to cook and eat, but didn't really like sweets. She learned the blonde really didn't like track but did it to stay in shape, she liked drawing and cooking in her free time more.

She also learned more about Katsumi's parents. Mainly about the girl's mom. There weren't really any details but she did learn that they really didn't talk anymore and that it was apparently better that way, and that Katsumi got in on a full scholarship and was making money doing modeling gigs from connections she had made when her mom used to make her model.

It was a lovely date through and through though, and again at the end when Katsumi asked her if they could go out again, she meant to tell Katsumi everything, but again, she replied with an emphatic “Sure!”

This time there was a light flutter in her chest when Ochako accepted the date. It felt like eagerness. It felt like anticipation. It felt like excitement.

And that scared the absolute hell out of her.

And seeing Katsumi's bright and eager smile after she accepted scared her even more.

Chapter Text

Saturdays became Ochako and Katsumi's date days. Ochako and Katsumi would go on nice simple dates for a couple hours every Saturday. Sometimes Katsumi would surprise her and do something fancy that she couldn't really afford, but Katsumi took care of it every time even when she protested.

Ochako continued to learn more things about Katsumi as well. She learned that her parents, mainly her mom, wasn't just neglectful but actually abused her growing up. She learned that one of the main reasons Katsumi lashed out at Izuku and others growing up was because she didn't understand why she was the way she was. She didn't understand why felt like a girl. She also learned that Katsumi severely regretted all of that, the way she acted out of fear and mistreatment.

She learned sweet things too. Ochako learned that Katsumi loved romance manga, novels, and movies. Katsumi also really loves soft things like plushies. Ochako found it very cute.

Ochako had also learned that Katsumi didn't own a single piece of feminine clothing even though she really really wanted to. Ochako was working on fixing that part.

The more dates they went on, the more they talked, the more they texted, the more they snuck around during the week to see each other.

The more time they spent together, the more Ochako started to wonder if the reason she got tripped up every time she went to tell Katsumi about the bet was because she really had developed feelings for the blonde.

Just catching the blonde's eyes in the few classes they shared was enough for her to blush and duck her head to hide her smile. Don't even get her started on when Katsumi would walk down the hallway and she would catch her hand just long enough to intertwine their pinkies before the blonde walked off. It sent shivers down her spine every time.

She still needed to talk to Katsumi though, she needed to tell her because if this continued to head the way it felt like, she didn't want their actual relationship to be built on lies.

Ochako was just so scared that Katsumi would hate her, and at this point, that made her stomach just roll just thinking about it. She was a big girl, she could admit it. She had a really big crush on Katsumi now. She didn't want the blonde to walk out of her life.

She needed to tell Katsumi though and just hope for the best. It was just terrifying and she always chickened out. Katsumi would touch the small of her back or brush noses with her and she'd be so afraid of losing what she had that she'd clam up and just soak in the moment while she could.

Ochako was currently getting ready for her date with Katsumi. This would be their seventh date. She couldn't believe it had been almost two months since their first date. She smiled to herself as she buttoned up pants.

They were going to the mall today. Ochako didn't get a lot of hours at work between classes, studying, and practice, but she had saved up enough to take Katsumi to a couple places in the mall and spoil her. It was a surprise, and she was ready to finally be the one spoiling Katsumi.

She was humming to herself as she finished her makeup when she heard Mina come out of their conjoined bathroom from taking a shower. “Oooh you going on another date with this Katsumi girl?”

Ochako was so focused on her eyeliner and her thoughts were on hoping to get to see Katsumi's pretty blush today that she answered without thinking. “Yep!”

She heard Mina take in an excited breath as she realized her mistake. Her friends had been “politely” hounding her about information about Katsumi and if they were in a relationship. She had denied everything, well, up until now.

She wasn't ashamed of dating Katsumi, it would have just been a lot to explain and her and Katsumi were afraid it would lead people back to finding out she was trans. Her friends knew she was happy and all giggly when she texted Katsumi, and that was a dead give away she had a crush. She was afraid if they found out she was with “Bakugou” that they would eventually find out that he wasn't really a he, that she was a girl and that she was The Katsumi.

Ochako turned to a squealing Mina. “I knew it! I knew you were a couple! When do we get to meet her?”

She felt like walls were closing in on her. She didn't want people finding out everything and hurting Katsumi. She didn't want to lose Katsumi. “Mina, you have to promise not to tell.”

To her pink haired friend’s credit, she seemed to pick up that Ochako was being serious. “Why are you so secretive about her? You were never this secretive of Himiko.”

Himiko had been her first girlfriend and her first real love. They had been in highschool, they were highschool sweethearts, up until Himiko's parents decided to move and Himiko was out of her life in less than two weeks later.

She hadn't dated anyone since then. She had a crush on Izuku when she first met him but it didn't last long. She apparently really had a thing for blonde girls with really pretty eyes.

Ochako needed to word this very carefully so she didn't completely out Katsumi. “S..She's just not ready for people to know. Neither of us are. She's a really private person and we're just enjoying this right now.”

Mina pouted for a moment, but eventually sighed. “Alright, that's understandable. I promise I won't tell anyone, even the other girls, but please at least let us meet her soon. We're all curious on who's making you this happy. None of us have ever seen you smile this much before.”

Ochako breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Mina loved gossip, but if her friend made a promise, she always kept them. She also couldn't help but blush, she didn't realize how much her friends had noticed. She wasn't particularly hard to read, but still. “Thank you, and I promise, when we're both ready, I'll introduce you all.”

Ochako soon made her escape and made sure Mina wasn't following her, she just wanted to be sure, and met Katsumi by the front gates. They walked off campus together and when they got further away from campus and closer to the train station, she was the one to interlock their pinkies this time.

The smile and flush on Katsumi's cheeks were so worth it.

As they were walking, Katsumi looked at her. “What's the plan today? You've been all secretive.”

Ochako just smiled at her, “It's a surprise! But I will say we're going to the mall.”

Katsumi seemed to shrug and give her a very fond look. It was a look that instantly made Ochako's face feel warm and her tummy felt funny. “I'd follow you anywhere, Angel face.”

It didn't take too long and they were at the mall, standing in front of a store that she loved and that she thought Katsumi would love too. Katsumi looked over at her with a puzzled look. “Are you wanting to shop here?”

Ochako took a leap by separating their pinkies and fully holding Katsumi's hand. “I want us both to go shopping here. They have some really cute things that I think you will really love, and it's my treat. I've been saving up to spoil you.”

She could see Katsumi's face flush, but her eyes gave her away. She was afraid or nervous. “Ochako..I..I can't. What if someone sees? What if people find out?”

She squeezed the taller girl's hand. “It will be fine, I promise, and if it makes you more comfortable, if anyone asks you can just say you're shopping with me for me. It's nobody's business and I know how much you've been wanting some more feminine things.”

Katsumi looked back at the store before looking back at her. There was a war going on in her head, Ochako could just tell. The blonde eventually nodded slightly, “Okay, let's do it.”

They shopped for the next couple hours, going into different stores and over those few hours, Ochako could tell that Katsumi was starting to really have a good time. Katsumi wouldn't let her buy everything for her like she wanted, but the blonde did relent and let Ochako get her several things and spoil her a little bit.

Ochako learned that Katsumi had a mix of styles. Katsumi liked cute and soft things and anything pink like her friend Mina did but she also liked black and liked a more emo type style like Kyouka did. Both styles were very cute on her.

Katsumi ended up getting a couple of pairs of jeans, a skirt, a few shirts, and a nice fuzzy sweater. Plus Ochako was able to get her to get a couple pairs of panties and a nice bra as well.

It was all and all, a very good day, and the smile Katsumi was wearing when they were heading to the food court was worth every second and every cent she spent.

They got lunch and found a place to sit together. They sat their bags on one side of the booth and they sat on the other side together, hands immediately intertwining.

They ate and made simple conversation, but she kept noticing Katsumi look down at her lips and then look away, so she tried subtly wiping her mouth to see if there was anything on her lips or around her face but she couldn't find anything.

She finally got flustered and embarrassed and just asked outright, “I..Is there something on my face? You keep looking at my mouth.”

A deep blush crawled up Katsumi's neck. She watched as Katsumi slightly ducked her head. “I..I was just..I want to kiss you.”

Oh.

That made Ochako's tummy feel like she was going over a fast hill over and over again. Did she want Katsumi to kiss her? Did she want to kiss Katsumi?

Yeah.

Yeah, she did. “I..I would like that.”

Ochako felt herself slightly trembling as she felt Katsumi gently cup her chin with one hand, slightly tilting her head up. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes were those pretty red eyes and then she felt lips lightly brush hers, and then a second later those lips were back, pressing into hers again but a little firmer this time.

It was a lovely first kiss, but they were in public so it didn't go past there. Even if it was pretty fast, the kiss and Katsumi's fingers still lightly touching her cheek made her stomach feel all nervous but excited. She.. really liked kissing Katsumi.

Ochako opened her eyes and she met Katsumi's red ones and a shy smile. Ochako smiled too, “I like kissing you.”

Katsumi's blush deepened as her smile grew more shy. “I like kissing you too.”

“Ochako!? Bakugou??”

Chapter Text

Ochako's eyes went wide as she sat frozen. She unfortunately also watched as Katsumi's eyes flashed with pure panic.

“Ochako?? Are you on a date with Bakugou?”

Ochako knew that voice very well. It was the voice of one of her close friends. A person she was close with and a person who was in her inner circle, but a person who loved gossip and had a very bad habit of spilling secrets by accident.

Tooru.

Ochako turned to see the bright eyed girl staring at them. Shit. Shit! Tooru was looking at them with her own set of wide eyes. “A..Are you really on a date with Bakugou? What about this Katsumi girl you've been talking about? What about the be..”

“Tooru! Stop!” Ochako panicked. She couldn't have Tooru tell Katsumi about the bet. That was something the two of them needed to sit down and talk about. Ochako didn't want Katsumi to hear about it from anyone that wasn't her. It wasn't fair to Katsumi and a very selfish part of Ochako that wanted to keep the little slice of paradise she had created with Katsumi.

Ochako looked over at Katsumi who was still completely frozen and was visibly panicking.

Tooru was giving her an incredibly puzzled look. “We called off the bet. Why are you sitting here, kissing him? Is he holding something over you? Is he forcing you to date him!? I'll kill him!”

Katsumi then growled next to her, Ochako could tell the blonde was trying to cover up the pure panic she must be feeling. “Watch what you fucking say, I ain't forcing anyone into shit.” The blonde's voice then softened though as Katsumi was now speaking to her. “What does she mean about a bet? Chako, what the hell is she talking about?”

Ochako felt so numb as Katsumi's faux anger was clearly falling apart. She could hear the vulnerability slipping through. She could hear Katsumi slipping through the Katsuki Bakugou front.

Ochako turned back to look at Katsumi. “Please promise you'll listen to me?”

Katsumi slid out of the booth and put distance between them. Ochako got up and slid out too as Katsumi folded her arms. “What does that mean?” Katsumi was trying to put on that front but Ochako could see right through it.

Ochako played with her fingers as she spilled everything. “When I first came up to you months ago, in the library, and I told you I liked you, it was a bet. I lost a bet and had to go up to you and tell you I liked you, and then I was supposed to say something really mean to you to make you feel bad and knock you down from your pedestal.”

She watched pure heartbreak spread across Katsumi's face but Ochako powered on. She deserved the truth. “I meant to tell you right away but you were so sweet to me and you told me you liked me. I thought you were messing with me at first, but you were genuine. You were so kind to me and I didn't know how to tell you it was all a mistake. You opened up to me and told me things. You showed me who you really were and before I knew it, I had real feelings for you too. I kept wanting to tell you everything because I really do like you, but I was so scared that if I told you the truth, you'd rightfully hate me. Katsu..Kat.. I'm so sorry.”

Ochako's throat was so tight and she could feel the tears building in her own eyes as she watched tears start to fall down Katsumi's face too. She was so upset even if she didn't truly have a right to be, but Katsumi had every right to be. “Y..You lied to me? You don't even like me? I told you everything about me! Are you going to go tell everyone now? Was this all some kind of fucked up joke and now you're going to go tell everyone everything I told you!?”

Ochako sobbed openly, she would never do something like that. “Kat! I..I lied at first but I'm not lying now, I haven't been lying! I really do like you. And I would never tell anyone about the things you told me. I like you for you, I promise!”

Katsumi scoffed and wiped at her eyes. “Right, and I'm just supposed to believe you. You think I'm that stupid?”

Ochako took a step forward but Katsumi took a step back from her and it broke her heart. She was watching Katsumi rebuild every wall they had knocked down together over the last couple months. “B..Baby, please. It was a stupid bet I accepted when I was a little drunk before I really knew who you were. It was immature and mean and downright cruel, and I'm so so sorry.”

Ochako tried to reach for Katsumi's hand, but she yanked it away. “D..Don't fucking c..call me that.” Ochako's heart shattered again as she listened to Katsumi's voice crack in the middle of her sentence. “Just fuck off and l..leave me alone.”

Ochako quickly tried to grab the blonde's hand again. The pain she felt was suffocating, but she knew it was probably nothing compared to what Katsumi was feeling and she hated herself for it. Pain that she directly caused the girl she loved.

Ochako had come to that conclusion last night. That she was falling in love with Katsumi, and now everything was absolutely falling apart.

Katsumi let her hold her hand for the moment and Ochako held onto it like a lifeline. “Y..You have every right to hate me, but please please believe me when I say I like you. I care about y..you.” Ochako's voice dropped to a whisper as the two of them cried together. “K..Katsumi..I made a stupid, stupid mistake, but that mistake wasn't falling for you, it was hurting you. I'm truly falling in love with you.”

She watched as Katsumi's face completely crumpled. “Y..You're l..lying. Stop lying to m..me! Why would you lie about something like that!?”

Katsumi ripped her hand out of her grasp and stomped away, and Ochako let her go. What else could she do? She just broke the heart of someone so incredibly kind and so vastly misunderstood. She just crushed the second person she had ever come to love.

Ochako selfishly sobbed in the middle of the food court as she watched Katsumi's retreating form run away through the crowd they must have gathered through their shouting match.

Hours later, Ochako had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a cup of hot chocolate beside her and all of her friends surrounding her. It was ten thousand times more love and support she felt she deserved right now.

Ochako had gone over all the details with the girls. Well, everything except Katsumi’s personal life about her parents and well, her being Katsumi. She had just lied and said she had created “Katsumi” as a cover story for her feelings for “Bakugou.”

She had messaged and called Katsumi close to twenty times before Kyouka took her phone away for a little while, saying that Katsumi probably needed the time alone.

Tooru mumbled from a little bit away from where she was sitting. “I'm still extremely sorry Ochako. I didn't realize you really liked..her.”

Ochako was about to tell her to quit apologizing again, she didn't deserve apologies for breaking Katsumi's heart, but that's when she realized Tooru had said “her.”

Ochako's eyes went wide. “W..What do you mean h..her?”

Tooru seemed to uncomfortably squirm. “I heard you call her Katsumi earlier when you told her you loved her, and not Bakugou. And..I accidentally slipped up and already told the girls.”

Momo gently cleared her throat. “Ochako..Katsumi is..she's like me, isn't she?”

Ochako started to sob again. “You all can't say anything! Promise me you won't say anything! I promised I would never tell and I already broke her heart, I won't completely ruin her life too by outing her!”

She was sobbing as she leaned into Tsu. “Katsumi was nothing but kind and loving and sweet. N..Nobody understands how incredibly amazing she is. She treated me like I deserved the world and I broke her h..heart!”

Tsu held her close but Tsu had always been the bluntest of the group, the only other person coming close was Kyouka.

She felt Tsu thread a hand through her hair, petting her gently. “You made a really stupid mistake. We all did. We harshly judged someone we didn't even know and they turned out to be the exact opposite. We harmed someone who's been judged their entire lives, and from what we've heard, i’m guessing she grew up in an unloving environment. It's up to us to set this right, kero.”

There were several murmurs of agreement from the other girls. They all knew they had messed up. “If you want this to be real, go after her. Show her that you're truly sorry for what you did.”

Ochako's eyes blew wide as she sniffled, “She's never going to talk to me again! You didn't see her face, she was so broken and I did that to her. She trusted me and I basically blew her heart out of her chest.”

She heard Tsu sigh, “You did hurt her, yes, but don't you think you also owe it to her to at least try to make things right? To show her you do care about her because we can all clearly see you really do care about her. Even if she doesn't want anything to do with you, I think you owe her enough to show that you really do care for her.”

Ochako sniffled and she whispered. “I do care about her. I love her.” She took a deep breath and released it, wiping away some of her tears. “You're right. I need to at least try to show her how sorry I am. Sitting here and crying isn't going to cut it. If she doesn't want anything to do with me in the end, I'll accept that but I need her to know that I'm truly remorseful for lying and I need her to know I really do love her, even if she doesn't want anything to do with me in the end. I just need her to know.”

The next morning saw Ochako walking to Katsumi's dorm with a shopping bag full of clothes in her hand. She was beyond nervous. She wanted to see Katsumi but she was also nervous to see her. She didn't want to make the blonde any more upset than she already was, but Ochako needed to do this. She needed Katsumi to have her clothes she had left.

Ochako made it to the dorm door and knocked.

She heard shuffling on the other side and she would feel her heart rate start to pick up immediately. She was both relieved and upset that Katsumi wasn't the one that answered the door. It was Kirishima.

His usual cheery eyes seemed to immediately harden when he noticed who she was. She then watched his eyes track up and down the hall before returning to look at her. “Katsumi isn't here. What do you want?”

Ochako felt her lip start to tremble at his tone, but she knew she deserved it and that she really didn't have a right to cry, she just couldn't help it. She sniffled as she held out the bags she was holding. “These are the clothes Katsumi picked out yesterday. I still wanted her to have them. She looked so excited when she tried them on and I want her to still have them. She deserves to feel like her true self.”

She could see his eyes soften just a little as he accepted the bags from her. “I'll make sure she gets them.”

Ochako solemnly nodded as she played with the hem of her shirt. “Can you let her know that I stopped by? And that I'm really truly sorry for everything. I know I don't deserve her forgiveness but I just want her to know I mean it. I really did fall for her. I love her.”

His glare returned and he opened his mouth but ended up shutting it and once more before just sighing and nodding. “I'll let her know you stopped by, Uraraka.”

Ochako nodded and he shut the door. As she began to walk off, she heard a soft voice call from behind the door. “Eijirou, who was at the door?”

Katsumi.

Every cell in her body wanted to turn around and knock on the door and beg to see Katsumi, but Ochako forced herself to keep putting one foot in front of the other until she was turning left and going down the next hall.

It wasn't until she was down the next hall that she let herself slip down the wall and tuck her face into her knees and cry.

Chapter Text

“Eijirou, who was at the door?”

Katsumi had heard Eijirou talking to someone as she exited their shared bathroom from her shower. The little bit she got to hear made it sound like it was Ochako, and that made Katsumi’s heart ache and race at the same time.

She was beyond hurt by what Ochako had done, but she also missed her. She missed Ochako so much. It was Sunday so that meant they were supposed to be talking on the phone or on a video call with each other for most of the day, but they weren't, and they probably never would again. She already had seven missed calls and nineteen unopened messages from Ochako that she couldn't bring herself to look at.

Katsumi looked down to see shopping bags in Eijirou’s hands. The same shopping bags from the stores her and Ochako had gone to yesterday. It was Ochako who had been at the door.

Eijirou smiled softly at her. “It was Uraraka. She dropped this off and said you deserved to get to feel more like yourself. She also asked if you were here and said she was really sorry about everything. I didn't think you'd want to see her, so I told her you weren't here.”

That..was probably for the best. Katsumi was still extremely upset and angry and just hurt by what Ochako had done, but she also couldn't a hundred percent say she wouldn't have caved and agreed to talk at the very first sight of those big brown eyes again.

She had fallen in love with Ochako. Her very first love, and she had her heart broken for it. Her mother had always said she was unlovable and that she would never find someone because of who she was. Maybe the old hag was really right about everything all along.

Katsumi shook her head slightly. Thinking like that was not going to help her right now. She looked up from the bags to Eijirou. “Should I just throw them away?”

Eijirou shook his head. “I know they probably don't have the best memories now, but I still think you should keep them, or at least try them on. You've never bought anything feminine for yourself even though you've always wanted to.”

Katsumi really couldn't argue with that. She felt so free when she had tried on the clothes, and she really wanted to feel that way again. “Okay.”

She grabbed the bags and went to her room. She slipped off her clothes, she was wearing a pair of orange panties already. Underwear had been the only feminine thing she let herself wear because they were hideable and she never changed out in the open after practice.

She slipped on the jeans. They were high waisted and a lot tighter than she usually wore, but she liked them. She then grabbed the sports bra and slipped it on. It was a weird fit but it was affirming and it made her feel warm. She then grabbed the black sweater she had got. It was a pretty simple sweater that just had a small cherry blossom tree on the front.

It wasn't the most feminine outfit by any means, but it still made her heart sore. She looked feminine and that meant so much to her.

She didn't spend too much time in front of the mirror because she knew she'd start to pick herself apart if she did. She went out to the common area that she and Eijirou shared and she knew when he spotted her because he was sporting a massive grin. “You look very pretty, ‘Sumi.”

Katsumi felt her face heat up. “S..Shut up.” She had never been great at accepting praise. Izuku could attest to that. “I also have a skirt and a couple shirts to try on.”

Eijirou grinned even wider. “Oooh I want to see. Show off for me, girl.”

She rolled her eyes but she wouldn't lie that her chest was absolutely blooming with warmth. It always did when it came to Eijirou’s gentle acceptance. “Alright, give me a minute.”

Katsumi went back to her room and went to the bag that should have had her skirt in it, but what she found wasn't her skirt. It was a hoodie and it definitely wasn't hers.

She pulled it out of the bag and the scent immediately gave it away. Ochako's. It was Ochako's wrestling hoodie. It had “Uraraka” and the number “5” on the back, plus “Yuuei Wrestling Team Captain” on the front.

Katsumi sat on the edge of her bed. Was this some messed up joke? Was Ochako trying to mess with her?

It really didn't seem that way. The hoodie was haphazardly in the bag and not folded like everything else. Maybe it had fallen in the bag by accident?

However it happened. It was messing with Katsumi. Without thinking about the consequences, she brought the hoodie up to her nose and took in the scent of Ochako. It broke her heart all over again. She clutched the hoodie to her chest and felt a couple tear drops hit her hand.

Ochako had hurt her, absolutely destroyed her, but Katsumi couldn't help but miss her.

On Monday, Katsumi decided she was going to just give the hoodie back to Ochako before classes started.

She made her way to Ochako's dorm and knocked. She waited for about ten seconds before she heard footsteps. Katsumi had been expecting Ochako, that wasn't who answered the door though, it was one of her friends. The one with the pink hair, Ashido if she remembered correctly.

Katsumi handed her the hoodie. She didn't want to be here very long but now she really didn't know what to do. She didn't know how much Ashido knew. “I found this. It has Och..Uraraka’s name on it. Here.”

Ashido took the hoodie from her. “You found it?”

Katsumi just felt herself scowl. “Yeah. I fucking found it. There a problem? Tell Cheeks to keep track of her shit.”

She turned and just left but she heard a soft voice calling out to her. “Bakugou..”

Katsumi turned half way and huffed. “What?”

The pink haired girl looked down at the garment in her hands before looking back up at her. “Ochako misses you. She's really sorry. We all are. Please try talking to her sometime.”

Katsumi just turned and walked away. So Ochako's friends knew. At least some things. Her eyes then went wide. Would Ochako tell..? No. There was no way. If she was going to tell people then she would have heard rumblings by now or Eijirou would have heard something. She calmed herself down and pulled her hood down further. She didn't want to deal with anyone today.

-

Ochako sighed as she pushed her rice around in her bento. She almost skipped classes today, but she always felt guilty when she skipped classes she was paying for.

She had left early this morning but then she had gotten a message from Mina that Katsumi had dropped off her wrestling team captain hoodie. She had lost it, so that meant she must have knocked it into one of the bags she gave to Katsumi.

She still didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing that she didn't see Katsumi this morning. She missed her. She missed her so much, but she also didn't want to push Katsumi too far if she really didn't want to see her right now.

She felt Izuku lightly nudge her shoulder with his. “You want to talk about it?”

Her and Izuku were in the courtyard together for lunch today. She just couldn't deal with the noise of the cafeteria today.

Ochako went to shake her head no at first but she changed her mind and nodded. Her voice trembled, “I miss her so much.”

She had told Izuku everything the day before. He was angry with her at first, it was anger she had never seen from him, and if she didn't learn more about him and Katsumi's relationship growing up and how everything really happened and how close they secretly were now, she wouldn't have understood why he was so mad. He was angry, but he also told her that mistakes happened and that he could tell she was truly heartbroken too.

Izuku gave her another little nudge, “You're going to have to give it time. As much as she doesn't like people knowing, Kacchan is very sensitive. She gets hurt easily even if she won't ever admit it. Give her time to wrap her head around everything. She trusted you, and she probably feels like she may not be able to ever trust you again, but it's not set in stone. Trust is very important to Kacchan but Kacchan also has a very big heart.”

Ochako felt her lip start to wobble. She knew Katsumi had a big heart, she had seen it first hand, and she had been the idiot to shatter that heart.

Ochako went to respond when she spotted Katsumi out of the corner of her eye. The blonde had her hood pulled up and looked like she was trying to block out the world. She watched as Katsumi walked down the path of the courtyard with her head down until Katsumi and another girl bumped into one another.

The other girl fell to the ground on her butt as Katsumi stumbled but stayed on her feet. Ochako wanted to run over, but she knew better than to get involved right now.

She hated how she could practically feel everyone watching, probably waiting for the “beast of Yuuei” to start yelling and cursing. It made her feel sick.

Ochako watched as Katsumi silently held out a hand and the other girl eventually took it. When Katsumi helped the other girl up, Ochako was finally able to get a good look at her. She was tall, a little taller than Katsumi it seemed. She was pale but not overly so, and she had long orange hair tied up into a ponytail. The girl was pretty, and Ochako hated that she was immediately jealous when she watched the girl smile as she grabbed Katsumi's outstretched hand.

Ochako somewhat knew of the orange haired girl. She had seen her around campus a couple times but she really didn't know anything about her. “Who's she?”

Ochako did her best to try to keep the bitterness out of her voice because she didn't have a reason to be bitter, but by Izuku's pained expression, she wasn't doing a good job. “That's Itsuka Kendou, I'm pretty sure. She transferred here at the end of last semester. She helps run that new Karate dojo down the street.” Izuku hummed after a moment and continued, “It's odd, there's a lot of people around so usually Kacchan would have snapped at her and told her to watch where she's going or at the very least just walked away.”

They sat and watched as this Kendou girl smiled at Katsumi as the two of them talked. Ochako mumbled as she folded her arms. “What could they even be talking about?”

She could see Izuku roll his eyes. “Quit sulking, it's probably nothing, and even if it is something, Kacchan deserves to have other people in her life.”

Ochako could hear the aggravation seeping into his voice as he looked over at her and she deflated. Izuku was right. Katsumi wasn't her girlfriend, she had ruined that, and right now they weren't even friends. They were basically strangers again. Except they weren't even basic strangers anymore because at least when she really didn't know Katsumi, Katsumi at least liked her. Now she doesn't even know if Katsumi hates her or not, and she couldn't even be mad if Katsumi did hate her now.

Ochako whispered. “Sorry, Izuku. That was all uncalled for.”

She heard him sigh as she felt him nudge her softly. “It's okay. I know you're hurting too. Just remember what I said, give it some time.”

She was afraid of that though, she was afraid the more time she waited, the more distance that Katsumi would put in between them, but she also knew there unfortunately wasn't much else she could do right now.

Ochako bit her trembling lip to keep from crying as she watched Kendou wave at Katsumi before walking away. She then watched the smallest smile come on Katsumi's face, and Ochako realized how selfish she was being. She should be happy for just getting to see Katsumi smile right now, and she was, she just wished she could be the one making Katsumi smile again.

Chapter Text

Katsumi had somehow made a new friend. She didn't know how or why, but she had made a new friend.

She had just been trying to keep her head down and walk through the courtyard a couple days back when someone bumped into her. She knew immediately that everyone around her was waiting for her to figuratively explode, but she didn't. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction and she just wasn't in the mood to give a shit about anything.

So instead, she offered a hand and helped the orange haired woman up. Katsumi really didn't know who the other woman was but the taller girl introduced herself as Itsuka Kendou.

Kendou had to be somewhat new because she just started talking to Katsumi like she didn't know the reputation Katsumi had. “The beast of Yuuei” and whatever else people called her.

Katsumi really hadn't been in the mood to talk that day and Kendou seemed to sense it so she said she would see Katsumi later, but Katsumi didn't think much of it. People say things all the time and someone would eventually grab Kendou and tell her every made up story there was and why she should over her.

Katsumi ended up being pleasantly surprised when later that same day, as she was stretching before track practice, Kendou called out to her and waved from outside the field. Katsumi gave a surprised and confused little half wave and the orange haired girl went on her way. This was a first, well not technically. Izuku was first, then there was Eijirou, and she had thought Ochako was, or maybe she still was, it was all confusing, but the point still stood. Katsumi had made a new friend.

A friend that didn't know her as Katsumi, and a large piece of Katsumi wanted to change that. She had an odd but good feeling about Kendou and she wanted to tell her everything.

Tonight they were studying for an upcoming English test, well Kendou was coming over to study and Katsumi was just going to sketch because she didn't have English as a course anymore. Kendou had asked if she could come over and study out of the blue this morning and Katsumi had just agreed, but she was glad she did. She planned on telling Kendou everything.

An hour later, Kendou was working through her English notes at Katsumi's desk and Katsumi was giving her pointers every so often while she just sketched in her sketchbook on her bed. Well pretending to sketch anyway, she was honestly on edge and just wanted to rip the bandaid off and tell Kendou but she didn't know where to start.

She had to start somewhere though, and Katsumi hated feeling insecure. It was a feeling that always lingered and she hated it.

Fuck it. “Hey Tangerine?”

Kendou looked up at her, her eyebrows scrunched together slightly before giggling. “Tangerine?”

Katsumi smirked a little. “Yeah, s’color of your hair.”

Kendou giggled again, “I like it.”

Katsumi smiled slightly, “Good.” She paused for just a moment and then just went for it. “Can I tell you something that only a very small amount of people know?”

Kendou's look turned a bit more serious. “Of course, I won't tell a soul.”

Katsumi nodded as she took a breath and released it. “I'm a girl. I'm trans or ya know, w..whatever.”

The silence in the room only lasted a couple seconds but it felt like an eternity. It honestly made Katsumi want to vomit.

Kendou eventually smiled softly, “Thank you for telling me.”

Katsumi felt herself relax at Kendou's gentle acceptance. “My name's Katsumi.”

Over the next half hour, Katsumi spilled her guts completely. From her past and her parents to her reputation and what everyone said about her.

During her gut spillage, Kendou had come over and sat next to her on her bed, her sketchbook abandoned. After a while of just quietly sitting together, Kendou pointed to her sketchbook and asked in a soft tone, “You're really talented. Who's she?”

That had been the only thing Katsumi had left out. Ochako and that whole situation.

She just didn't know what to say because she was still very much upset with Ochako, but she really did miss her. Missed her smiles and soft giggles and silly text messages. She missed it all.

Katsumi had been working on a sketch of Ochako, to work on her feelings. It was a drawing of Ochako staring directly at her, pink cheeks full of mochi and a smile on her face. Katsumi took the sketchpad and closed it. “Ex-girlfriend. Well, we were dating and I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend, but it ended in a disaster. Just a couple days ago actually.”

Katsumi looked back down at her closed sketchbook and softly sighed. “I don't know if I should forgive her or not, but I miss her.”

-

Ochako was fresh out of the shower after wrestling practice. She was the captain so she was usually the last one out, but cheer practice had just let out as well so Mina and Tooru were walking with her. They had just rounded a corner and were about to walk down the hallway when Ochako noticed Katsumi further down the hall.

Except she wasn't completely alone.

Kendou was approaching her.

Ochako watched as Kendou quietly approached Katsumi. Kendou snuck up and lightly pulled on the ends of Katsumi’s hair.

She watched as Katsumi swiftly turned around, anger clear on her face until she must have seen Kendou. As soon as Katsumi saw Kendou, her snarl turned into a grin.

They were that close already? It had barely been a week.

Ochako felt her lip tremble as she felt Mina lightly grab her hand and give it a squeeze.

Part of Ochako hated that she couldn't be the one making Katsumi smile right now, but the other part loved getting to see her smile. This had been the first time Ochako had seen Katsumi smile since that awful morning.

She could partly make out their conversation as the two of them walked away in the opposite direction after Katsumi had shut her locker. Kendou looked extremely excited. “I talked to my parents, they're totally up for you painting a mural in the dojo. I told you they'd go for it! We get to cover that boring ass back wall and you get to show off your skills! Totally a win win.”

The last thing Ochako saw was Kendou throwing her arm around Katsumi's shoulders as they rounded the corner together.

Ochako sniffled. “She looks so happy. I'm glad she's happy but I miss her so much.”

She could see Mina turn and look at her. “You have to fight for her. If you want her back, you have to fight for her.”

Ochako threw up her arms and let them drop, “How? I don't know what to do. I'm trying to give her space but the more I distance us, I feel like the more I'm losing any chance of there being an us at all again. M..Maybe it's best that I just let her go. It's easy to see that Kendou makes her happy, and Katsumi deserves to be happy. She deserves someone who's not going to lie to her at every corner because they were stupid and did something really cruel and idiotic.”

Tooru stepped forward a little, “I don't mean to be devil's advocate, but are we even sure Kendou likes girls? They could just be friends.”

Ochako gave her a look that she knew probably looked pitiful. Tooru raised her hands in defense. “I'm just saying. I saw the look in Katsumi’s eyes that day when everything happened. That was not a look of something she's just going to move on from. She really loved you and she doesn't seem like the type to do rebounds.” Tooru then shrugged just a tiny bit. “Plus I heard rumors that say the book she carries around is a sketchbook and it's filled with drawings of you. That doesn't sound like someone who's moved on.”

Ochako knew about Katsumi's sketchbooks. She knew Katsumi was talented and loved to draw. She had seen some of her work, but she had never seen Katsumi draw her. Did Katsumi really miss her like Ochako missed her? She didn't want Katsumi to hurt, but she still wanted the feelings to be alive.

Mina hummed from the other side of her. “Hmmm. That would explain why I heard some guys from my history class calling Katsumi ‘weird and stalkerish.’ Somebody may have gotten a look at her book. She's probably venting her feelings and nobody but us is going to understand why. I shut those guys down quickly because they were being jerks.”

Ochako didn't want more rumors spreading about Katsumi and she didn't want to be the root cause of them either. She needed a way to nip these rumors in the bud, she didn't want to cause Katsumi any more problems.

As they walked towards their dorms, they were stopped by a girl who was in Ochako's biology class. She looked frantic. “Uraraka, I think you should know, I heard that Bakugou guy has a book of drawings of you. We all know he's crazy so I wanted to let you know. I could definitely see him assaulting someone.”

Ochako had to clench her fist and take a nice long breath. She knew this girl was trying to be helpful and to have her back, that part was appreciated but what she said was just downright mean and not true in any capacity.

Then she stopped. She had thought the exact same thing about Katsumi not even four months ago. Ochako had thought she was some violent bully, when in reality, Katsumi was just a sweet woman looking for someone to love her.

Ochako felt like shit all over again. How often did Katsumi have to deal with stuff like this?

Ochako took another breath and released it. “Thank you for your concern but it isn't needed. I'm not afraid of..Bakugou, and I think people treat him too harshly. Plus, take it from me, don't believe everything you hear.” She couldn't help but sigh. “You'll make a lot of mistakes and hurt a lot of people that way.”

She didn't wait for a response, she simply just left and gave an excuse to Mina and Tooru because she just wanted to be left alone.

As she walked, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She immediately pulled it out, thinking it would be Mina spamming her to make sure she's okay, but it wasn't Mina. It wasn't any of her friends.

It was an unknown number.

It was a message from an unknown number that simply said, “Fight for her before I ask her to be mine, and you lose out on the chance to really see her glow.”

Chapter Text

A fire had been lit under Ochako.

How dare that orange haired..meanie threaten her with something like this.

For days Ochako watched the way Kendou would publicly lean into or throw her arms around Katsumi’s shoulders, to then just find her eyes and smirk when she caught sight of Ochako. She was treating it like a game and it was pissing Ochako off. This wasn't some game to win, this was about Katsumi, about her and Katsumi’s possible future.

Katsumi was a prize, an absolute gift, but she wasn't an object, she wasn't something to just win over. Ochako had been trying to respect her space and give her time, but now she was going to take her shot. She was going to show Katsumi that she truly did love her.

If Katsumi told her to back off once and for all, she would, but she was going to give this her best shot she could to show Katsumi how she truly felt.

She loved Katsumi, and she wanted a chance to show the blonde that. She loved Katsumi with everything she had.

It was time to stop saying it and to truly show it.

-

Katsumi was sketching in her sketchbook again as she listened to music. (So what if it was Ochako again, who the hell asked you?)

She was humming along when Eijirou’s head popped in her doorway. “Aye Kats, somebody left you something at the door. I put it on the coffee table for you.”

That made her pause. Somebody had left something for her? What, a brick wrapped in a death threat? Eijirou had seemed super giddy though, so it couldn't be anything bad. That meant it could only be Kendou right? Or maybe Izuku, but this didn't seem like something he'd do. The only other option was…well, it just had to be Kendou.

She followed the red head out into common space and on the coffee table was a bouquet of Tiger Lilies and some kind of leather bound book.

Katsumi picked up the bouquet first and gently sniffed them. They looked and smelled so beautifully. Tiger Lilies were her favorite. She hadn't told Kendou that, but she had told..she had told Ochako.

She softly sat the flowers down and picked up the book. It was bound in soft brown leather and was stitched together with orange yarn.

Her favorite color.

Katsumi ran her hand softly down the spine. That's when she noticed her name was embroidered on the spine of the book. “Katsumi's Sketchbook.”

Sketchbook.

Someone..no..Ochako had made her a sketchbook, by hand. She was sure that it was Ochako, and she could tell it was made by hand too. The leather had been stained heavier in some areas more than others, some of the stitchings were crooked, and when she opened it, a few of the snow white pages were a little loose.

It was handmade and imperfect, and that's what made it absolutely perfect in Katsumi's eyes. It was made for her, and it was clearly made with love.

As she held the sketchbook close to her, she could see a little corner of what looked like a scrap piece of paper sticking out the back. Katsumi pulled it out and it simply said, “I tried my best on this, and I know how much you appreciate it when someone does their best on something. Signed, Cheeks. I also finally found out why you called me Cheeks. It's because you thought they were cute, not to make fun of me.”

Cheeks. She already knew but that right there proved that it was Ochako who had done this for her.

Katsumi held the book close to her, like it was her most prized possession, and honestly, it just might be.

She looked over at Eijirou who was just softly smiling at her. “Who's it from?”

She had a feeling he already knew, but she answered anyway. “It's from Ochako. S..She made it for me.”

He nodded, “I had a hunch it was.” Then she heard him fondly mumble. “She keeps this up, she might just win me over again.”

Katsumi fully turned to him. “Be honest with me, do you think Ochako really loves me? Do you think she meant everything she said? That it was all a mistake, and that she really did fall in love with me along the way? That she wanted to tell me the truth the entire time but she was afraid I wouldn't forgive her? Please tell me this whole thing wasn't a joke to her.”

Eijirou stared at the floor for a moment before looking back up to her. His eyes were laced with nothing but concern and love. “I truly believe that she does love you. I believe she messed up and freaked out and didn’t know what to do once she realized who you really were. I really do, but that doesn't mean you have to take her back or even be friendly with her if you don't want to. What she did was fucked, ‘Sumi. She purposely set out to hurt you in the beginning.”

He sighed and came over to her. Her lip was wobbly and nobody knew her better than Eijirou, well, except maybe Izuku, but that would be a close race.

Katsumi sat her sketchbook down and let Eijirou embrace her. The big bastard let her bury her head into his neck as he held her. Sometimes she wished her and Eijirou had romantic feelings for each other, because she knew he would be the best boyfriend she could ever ask for, but those cards were unfortunately never on the table. It didn't change the fact that Eijirou’s arms were her favorite place to be. Her safe space.

Outside of his arms, their dorm in general, she couldn't be who she was. She always had to hide. She had to be the freak bully or the obnoxious asshole or whatever name people were calling her at the time. She had to snarl and snap and throw punches when she really just wanted to be held and be loved. All because she couldn't just make the jump and be herself.

She was scared, alright?

Don't get her wrong, she had an attitude, she liked being left alone, and definitely had a mean streak, but she wasn't anything like how people painted her to be.

She felt Eijirou rub his hand up and down her spine just like he knew she liked. It soothed her. He spoke softly to her. “She hurt you. She purposely hurt you, so don't feel like you owe her anything, but if you do end up wanting something with her, well, I will be right beside you to support you. Just make sure you take your time. If you're not ready right now, don't feel pressured to do anything. This is about you, so you take whatever time you want and don't feel like you have to do anything you don't want to do.”

Katsumi mumbled into his neck. “I don't know what to do. I..I still love her. I want to give her another chance, but..” Her breath hitched and she paused.

Eijirou pulled away just enough to move and rest his forehead against hers. “You're scared?”

Her voice came out soft. “Yeah. I'm scared. Which is fucking stupid because I've dealt with so much worse, but this is different.”

He used his thumbs to wipe away her tears because apparently she was crying now. “This is different and you've got every single right to be scared. You just don't want to be hurt again, there's nothing wrong with that. Take your time, don't feel like you have to choose anything right now if you don't want to. She made you a beautiful gift, but that doesn't mean you owe her anything in return, and I think she knows that too. Just..take your time, Katsumi.”

She took a shuddering breath and nodded against his forehead. “Okay. I will.”

-

Ochako was grabbing things out of her locker when she heard whispers from the small group next to her. “Did you two hear? That weird Bakugou guy apparently has a whole sketchbook completely filled with drawings of the wrestling captain, Uraraka.”

“He's such a fucking freak. She better be careful.”

“I bet he fantasizes about assaulting her. She really needs to be more careful, she walks on her own a lot. Somebody really needs to check that weirdo’s dorm. I still can't believe Kirishima willingly dorms with him.”

“Someone also really needs to warn that girl with the orange hair that's been hanging around him.”

Ochako rolled her eyes as she could almost feel the group staring in her direction. She was so tired of that stupid rumor going around. People were saying so many mean and nasty things about Katsumi. Calling her a stalker and a freak and saying she probably wants to sexually assault people. It was so cruel and wrong and Ochako had finally had enough.

She had once been one of those people and she was finally going to put a stop to all of it.

She slammed her locker and stormed over to the group. “Hi, i’d really fucking appreciate it if you'd stop spreading awful rumors about my ex-boyfriend. You all have no idea what Bakugou is really like.”

It always felt weird referring to Katsumi in any masculine terms but she would never want to accidentally out Katsumi.

Some blonde woman Ochako didn't know looked completely shocked for a moment. “E..Ex-boyfriend? You dated that asshole?”

Ochako glared at her. “Yes I did, and he's not an asshole.” They did date and Ochako had planned on asking Katsumi to be her girlfriend that day that went shopping, but she never got the chance to. Her point still stood though. “Those couple months I spent with him were some of the best of my life, so quit talking about shit you do not understand. He's not a stalker and he sure as hell wouldn't assault anyone. Next time I hear that, I'm punching whoever said it right in the mouth.”

The girl next to the blonde, a tall girl with long dark green dyed hair, looked at her with a smug grin. “Why is he your ex? He beat on you or something?”

Ochako stepped forward and hit her in the jaw and the bitch fell back on her ass. Ochako shook out her hand and glared. “I told you I would do it.” She then took a step back and a breath as she tried to calm herself down. “He's my ex because I messed up, not him. He was amazing and I fucked it up. I believed stupid rumors and didn't tell the truth about a lot of things. I'm the one that hurt him, not the other way around. I..I loved him, I still do, but I have nobody to blame for messing up that relationship but myself.”

Ochako didn't know if telling people that her and Katsumi had dated was right, she didn't know if Katsumi wanted the whole thing to be a secret, but it felt right. It felt like the right thing to do. She wanted people to know that Katsumi was honestly one of the best things to happen to her life. She needed people to know that.

She finally looked back up at them and she noticed they weren't staring at her, but behind her. She turned and found Katsumi staring at her with wide eyes.

Next to Katsumi, but about five centimeters behind her was Kendou, and when Ochako and Kendou met eyes, the orange haired woman mouthed four simple words to her. “Kiss. Her. You. Idiot.”

Chapter Text

Katsumi crinkled up her nose as she felt hair tickling her face. Her wife's light giggles, the way hair swished across her face, and the weight she felt of her wife straddling her hips told her it was time to get up for the day.

That didn't mean she was going to get up willingly.

Katsumi blindly swatted at her wife's hair as she kept her eyes shut, hearing little shrieks and giggles as her wife presumedly dodged her light swats. “Katsumiii. Come onnnn. It's a special day and I want to start it off with a special breakfast.”

Katsumi purposely shut her eyes even tighter and took a dramatic and deep inhale. “Is that why I smell burnt toast or am I having a stroke?”

She grinned as she felt a smack to her shoulder and a playful huff. “I tried to make you breakfast in bed, but I may have or may not have burnt the toast..and eggs…and rice. That's why we gotta get dressed so we can go out to get breakfast. I'm starvinggg.”

Katsumi couldn't help but let out a little giggle herself. “Maybe you shouldn't have burnt the food if you're starvingggg, darling.” She was purposely being dramatic, and she knew her wife loved it.

She could feel her wife lightly grind against her through the comforter. Katsumi smirked as she blindly reached for her wife's hips and found them within seconds as her wife purposely whined above her. “Come onnnn ‘Sumi. We'll put on our cute matching dresses, we'll get breakfast, go see a movie, and enjoy our special day before we come back home and I rip that adorable dress and sexy panties off of you. That way I can play with your pretty kitty until you're screaming my name at the top of your lungs.”

Katsumi lightly bit her lip as she felt herself flush. “Sounds like a pretty g..good day, but what d..day is it again?” She was having a real difficult time keeping her eyes closed and keeping up her bratty mood.

She felt her wife shift and moments later there were soft lips brushing hers just momentarily before there was a soft voice whispering in her ear. “It's seven years to the day that I kissed you in the hallway.”

-seven years ago

Katsumi stood completely still as she had just watched Ochako knock a girl on her ass and then tell the entire hallway that she had been the one to mess up their relationship and that she missed her. Ochako was taking responsibility for the pain she caused her and Katsumi could tell she meant every word.

Ochako eventually turned around and they locked eyes. She watched Ochako look over at Kendou for a moment and then the shorter girl was approaching her.

Katsumi didn't move. She physically couldn't. She just watched as Ochako approached until she was right in front of her. Ochako whispered to her. “Katsumi..can..can I kiss you?”

Katsumi felt shell shocked and she really didn't know what to do. She whispered back. “W..What?”

Ochako looked beyond determined. “Can I kiss you? Will you give me a second chance to show you I meant every single word I said? Will you give me the chance to show you just how much I really love you? Please. Just give me one more chance, please. I love you Kat.”

Katsumi wanted to say yes. She wanted to say yes more than anything. She really did love Ochako, but she was so scared of getting her heart broken again.

Plus there was Kendou to think about. Katsumi couldn't tell if the orange haired girl liked her or was just flirting with her, either way she really didn't want to hurt Kendou.

What did she really want though? Did she want to take the safe option and try a possible new relationship or did she risk getting hurt again and give Ochako another chance?

Katsumi looked over at Kendou who just smiled softly at her and gave her a little nod.

She looked back at Ochako and stared deep into those chocolate brown eyes she had fallen in love with. She could see the fear, the anxiousness, the regret, but also the pure love behind them.

Katsumi stepped forward and grabbed Ochako's hand and whispered to her. “Kiss me, Ochako. Kiss me like you never want to let me go again.”

-present day

Katsumi finally opened her eyes to see her wife's beautiful brown eyes staring back at her. She smiled, “I love you, Ochako.”

Ochako leaned down and kissed her again. “I love you too, ‘Sumi.”

Katsumi finally gave in with a grin on her face. “Alright, I'm getting up. Go throw away whatever monstrosity is in the kitchen and we'll go get breakfast.”

Ochako threw her hands up and cheered like a giddy school girl. “Yay! I'm so getting a stack of blueberry pancakes and like fifteen hash browns.”

Katsumi giggled as Ochako kissed her one more time before jumping off and high tailing it to the kitchen. She reached over for her phone and was met with a couple messages. One from Eijirou telling her and Ochako to have a good day and that he'd stop by tomorrow with Izuku for their monthly couples game night. Then one from Kendou, basically saying the same thing. That her and Monoma would be over tomorrow for game night.

She replied to both of them before walking over to the bathroom. She showered and brushed her teeth before stepping out to look in the floor length mirror that she had personally requested.

Katsumi traced over her breasts and the shape of her body. It had taken almost five years after leaving school, surgeries, and weekly injections of estrogen, but she finally had the body she had wanted all her life. She smiled as she traced over her body with her fingers.

That's when she felt two arms wrap around her stomach and felt Ochako press her face into her naked back. “You're so beautiful. I love you.” Was whispered behind her and several kisses were then placed along her spine.

She smiled but she also felt herself shiver. “I love you too, baby. I thought you were hungry. Y..You keep this up and we're going right back to b..bed.”

An arm and hand traveled down her stomach and over her folds, two fingers hovering dangerously close to her already throbbing clit. Ochako whispered from behind her. “Maybe I've decided I want dessert before I get breakfast.”

Katsumi took a rapid intake of breath when a finger pushed into her folds. “O..Ochako!”

Katsumi had made a decision seven years ago that she wanted to give Ochako a second chance and she had not once regretted that decision. Ochako was her lover, her friend, her wife, and the woman she wanted to spend eternity with.

An hour later, the two of them were finally leaving the house when Katsumi had finally regained the ability to use her legs.

They did end up wearing their matching black dresses, and Katsumi had her black purse thrown over her shoulder, with a very worn and very well loved leather sketchbook with orange stitching tucked safely inside.

Katsumi pulled Ochako close to her as they walked towards the car together. She leaned down and kissed Ochako on the temple. “I love you.”

Ochako beamed a smile back up at her. “I love you too, Katsumi.”