Archive of Our Own

Eijiro Kirishima was surrounded.

His opponents had surrounded him on the left and the right.

His eyes darted, trying to find a route of escape before…

“So, what do you think about Mina?” Ochako asked.

It was too late.

Here he was, just eating lunch peacefully, when the new lovebirds Ochako and Himiko sat on opposite sides of him. He really should have guessed that there was something up, they never willingly put that much distance between them without a good reason.

Putting a whole person between them had to spell trouble.

“Uh…she’s a good friend?” He said through his lunch. Maybe he could get through this. “She’s really cool, and a great hero?”

“Boorrrriinnnggg.” Himiko stuck her tongue out. “Talk about the safest possible answer.”

Kirishima just kept his eyes trained directly at his lunch, and absolutely refused to betray any possible information that could give his opponents an edge. He pictured it like an actual fight, and how he won fights was toughing it out.

“C’mon, Kirishima! We’re not blind.” Ochako said with a smile that seemed far more threatening to Kirishima than anything glower could have. “She also clearly thinks the world of you.”

“We’re good friends.” Kirishima repeated, trying to ignore the squirming in his stomach. It was probably just lunch, right?

When Ochako teased Izuku about Bakugo those couple of months ago, Kirishima had thought it was a one time thing. Then Ochako had tried to tease out how Bakugo felt, an action that had her dodging explosions for the next ten minutes.

Then there were those whispers he’d overheard from the two discussing Jirou and Yaoyorozu.

Then last week Kouda confessed to Shouji, and credited the two for giving him the courage to do so. It was one of the manliest things Kirishima had ever seen out of the shy, quiet boy.

It was becoming rapidly apparent that the first two in Class 2-A to strike up a proper romance had taken it upon themselves to be matchmakers for everyone else in Class 2-A. 

Now apparently Kirishima was next. He could tough it out. His armor was impregnable.

“Well, if you feel that way, then…” Ochako began.

“Who do you think we should set Mina up with then?” Himiko finished.

Kirishima choked on his lunch, and immediately cursed himself for doing so. 

Maybe his armor wasn’t so impregnable.

The two predators grinned as if they smelled blood, and Kirishima could see nothing but fangs and hunger.

He was doomed.

"So, yeah, they're still matchmaking.” Kirishima said with a sigh to the rest of the attendees of the meeting.

“I can confirm that because they keep trying to set me up with a third-year general studies.” Hanta Sero said.

“Well, that’s not bad…” Kirishima offered.

“Yeah, except I’m not gay.” Sero lamented. “It’s a shame, too. The guy's actually really nice.”

“Hey, wait a second.” Mina Ashido said as she realized something, as she glanced at the one arm Kirishima had wrapped around her shoulders. “Is that why you asked me out?”

“Well, they might have been a bit of a help…” Kirishima blushed.

The meetings-too many to be considered casual get-togethers, too disorganized and infrequent to be called a club-had started soon after the war had ended.

Members of Class 2-A had realized that certain members of their Class had suffered far worse pain and trauma than others, and worse, those same classmates had a bad tendency of, in one way or another, hiding their pain.

So Kirishima, Ashido, Tsuyu Asui and Tenya Iida had quietly gathered the members of Class 2-A who had suffered the least to meet occasionally and share anything they had noticed that might indicate that their friends might need more help than they were admitting to, and discuss a path forwards to getting them that help.

In the early days after the war, they’d met nearly weekly. But as time passed, things began to change, particularly for their four main targets.

If anything, Shoto Todoroki had come through the war more emotionally stable than he had started it. However painful his fight with Toya might have been, it had clearly allowed Shoto and his family some sort of closure that was allowing the boy to move forwards. Getting a precious few months to make his peace with Toya had also helped contribute to his peace of mind.

With Katsuki Bakugo, the concern was that his catastrophic injuries, by far the worst suffered in terms of long-lasting effects by Class 2-A, might be too overwhelming for him. But the young man had thrown himself defiantly into his rehabilitation, and while even now he was still suffering setbacks, his determined, headstrong nature and absolute belief that he would get better had led to a sense of relief amongst his peers. Especially knowing that trying to get Bakugo emotional help might be an explosive experience.

The two concerns for Izuku Midoriya was his guilt for killing Tomura Shigaraki, and the loss of his Quirk. Both of those were still very true concerns, but Izuku appeared to be dealing with his guilt in a healthy manner, accepting it but not letting it consume him, and as for the loss of his Quirk, while it was devastating that he wouldn’t be able to hold a position as hero after graduation, he seemed to be throwing himself into a backup plan, openly talking to Aizawa and All Might about pursuing teaching.

Class 2-A might have also been secretly, quietly coming up with a plan where the hero Deku could fly again, someday.

The truth was the main concern for the group had turned out to be Ochako Uraraka, who entered the War as a determined young hero, and left it as a grief-riddled wreck. Her clash with Himiko Toga had led to the two of them forming an intense connection and falling in love on the battlefield, and Toga sacrificing herself for Ochako had been devastating. Healing had been slow going, and it felt like there would always be a scar in Ochako’s heart, no matter what they did.

Then, two months ago, things took a turn for the worse, when Ochako’s connection to Himiko was revealed to all of Japan by a video taken by an unknown person with a vendetta against Ochako. 

Class 2-A held their breath and waited for the worst.

So imagine their surprise when one night Ochako, Tsuyu, Bakugo and Izuku returned to the Heights Alliance dorm after they all sneaked out with a very alive Himiko Toga in tow.

It was a miracle of Quirk metaphysics, Himiko’s blood and Quirk merging with Ochako’s own, rendering Himiko as a living, breathing, human manifestation of Ochako’s new Quirk, and her new lover. 

Mina once summed it up as “Ochako pining so hard that she warped reality.”

People were healing, moving forwards with their lives with renewed hope and excitement.

So why were they still meeting?

Well, they had noticed some…changes.

The general expectation was that a combination of Ochako’s love, being surrounded by people who were honestly trying to understand her, and the legal fact that anything Himiko did would be reflected upon Ochako would temper Himiko Uraraka née Toga's worst traits, and for the most part this had happened. She was still a deeply strange individual, but she was actually likable  and friendly if you took her at her level, she hadn’t hurt anyone outside of training, and her fixations on blood and love now seemed to revolve around Ochako, who was more than eager to handle them. 

What Class 2-A had not expected was the change in Ochako. On the surface, Ochako was still the kind, considerate soul she was before, and so much happier to boot.

No, what her classmates had realized was that Ochako Uraraka, with anything involving her new girlfriend, was a possessive little gremlin.

So they had to talk about it, right?

Just to make sure nothing bad was happening with Ochako, right?

It wasn’t, like, gossiping about their friends, right?

Sero stood up with a grin.

“Have I got a story for you guys, I was getting out of class last Friday when…”

If you asked Hanta Sero a year ago which of the League of Villains scared him the most, he would have probably answered Himiko Toga.

It’s not like the entire group wasn’t terrifying, and it wasn’t just because sharp objects were a natural predator for his Tape Quirk. It’s just that Toga struck him the most like a supernatural entity with unknown rules rather than a human being who had goals. It was like, in his observation, she was a yōkai or a cryptid, someone who was capable of showing up anywhere, anytime, and stabbing you to death if you said the wrong thing or broke the wrong rule.

He’d been wrong, of course. She’d been painfully human after all, a girl who had seen way too much trauma in her life, and broke from it. As someone who had said to All For One’s face that he was a big believer that maybe people shouldn’t have awful things happen to them, Sero wanted to walk the walk and made sure to treat Himiko Uraraka with respect and understanding, now that she was a part of Class 2-A.

Still, it was pretty funny to watch someone who struck terror into people's hearts a year ago being so clearly intimidated by the gaggle of first years that had surrounded her. They weren’t even hero course students.

“You’re so pretty, Himiko! I love how you do your hair!” A purple-haired girl said, practically hanging from Himiko’s shoulders. “You should teach me how!”

“What was it like being in the League of Villains?”

“Is it true that you fall in love easily?” One particularly hopeful first-year asked, maybe getting a little too close for comfort. Himiko was clearly squirming uncomfortably at the attention, but seemed flummoxed as to how to escape from the gaggle of eager first-years.

Sero snorted. If this were a year ago, the answer to that last question would have been yes, and also the girls probably would have been risking catastrophic blood loss for crowding Himiko. However, this was now, and pretty much all of Himiko’s love was jealously devoured by the ravenous beast known as Ochako Uraraka.

Which would explain why this was happening now, of course. Ochako had stayed behind to ask a quick question to Mr. Aizawa about an upcoming exam, and had encouraged Himiko to head for the lunchroom without her. That left a rare opening where the two weren’t practically clinging to each other, and clearly these girls had decided to shoot their shot.

Sero was honestly about to step in, really. But then someone stepped up to stand beside him, and he realized it was the ravenous beast herself.

He was pretty sure that Ochako hadn’t noticed him at all. Certainly she was paying him no mind, her attention fully on the scene before them. Sero knew that Ochako had a tendency to hide her emotions behind a smile, and sure enough she was sporting what she probably thought was a neutral smile. But the strain in her lips, the furrow in those bushy eyebrows of hers, and the possessive glint in her eyes betrayed her true feelings to those who knew what to look for.

Ochako Uraraka would brook no challenge for Himiko Uraraka’s hand.

For a moment, Sero thought that he might have to hold Ochako back, and maybe yell a warning to the girls to scatter. But instead she simply lifted her arms, and Sero realized what was coming.

The girls who were clinging to Himiko suddenly found themselves without purchase, as the target of their attention had suddenly dissolved into a swirl of pink dots. A couple who had been the most clingy ended up collapsing into a pile on the floor, issuing indignant squeaks of surprise and protest as their support had up and vanished.

At the same time, said target reappeared in Ochako’s arms, who only slightly strained as she took Himiko into a bridal carry. Sero pondered if Ochako had started working out just so she could be capable of carrying her girlfriend around easier, since she clearly enjoyed doing just that.

“My hero, rescuing me from the clutches of those villains!” Himiko wrapped her arms around Ochako’s neck, and Ochako’s expression softened, that strained smile turning into a playful tease.

“I really need to put a collar on you.” Ochako said with a laugh, though Sero kind of wondered if that wasn’t really a joke.

“Oh, is that a threat, or a promise?” Himiko asked, as Ochako walked past Sero who could only laugh, past the pile of girls who could only stare indignantly, all the while carrying Himiko in her arms. A triumphant, even smug look on her face.

Victorious against all challengers.

Hanta Sero was 100% sure neither of them had ever noticed he was there.

“I knew they had to be first years, because no one from our year or third year would dare try.” Sero finished. “Only first years would be stupid enough.”

“I can confirm, by the way.” Kirishima said. “She’s absolutely hitting the gym more often than she was. She claims it’s to help her with her martial arts.”

“A collar?” Momo Yaoyorozu said, a blush dusting her cheeks as she thought about the possibility. “She was joking, right? She had to be joking.”

“Ah…” Iida suddenly cut in. The look on his face suggested that something had clicked for him. “Uraraka may have already attempted to…ahem…’mark her territory’...”

The others leaned in.

Tenya Iida prided himself on his morning routine.

Wake up at 6 AM.

Ten minutes to shower.

Ten minutes to change.

Ten minutes to check his email and messages.

Down to the common area for breakfast by 6:30.

Everyday, even Saturdays and Sundays.

It was important to keep and maintain a schedule! 

Staying focused was important. It could only pay future dividends.

Before the War, he had almost always been the first one awake and downstairs, everyday. 

After the War, this was rarely the case. 

So Iida wasn’t particularly surprised to see someone lingering on one of the couches once he emerged from the elevators. What was surprising was who it was.

Himiko To-no, Himiko Uraraka was rarely the type to wake up early, from what he had seen. She was a creature of chaos, unwilling to adhere to any schedule, beholden to her whims and desires rather than discipline and planning. She was a disruptor in class, a rogue element in training. She reminded Iida of a particularly feisty street cat. 

Regardless, the two Urarakas tended now to spend the morning together (after spending the night together) in Ochako’s room, which no doubt was breaking one regulation or another. However, whenever Iida saw the joy on Ochako’s face when they emerged, he couldn’t bring himself to lecture them about it. 

Stepping closer, Iida started to detect that there might be something amiss with Himiko Uraraka. Her breathing was erratic, and she seemed a bit flush. She didn’t seem to be looking at anything in particular, her eyes looked glassy and unfocused.

Worse, when she turned her head, Iida spotted blood on the side of her neck, dribbling from what appeared to be a wound!

Himiko had been injured!

Iida had to move quickly to render aid!

“Himiko Uraraka!” He announced, and Himiko nearly leapt out of the couch from surprise. One hand twitched, as if searching for a knife that didn’t exist. Perhaps Iida should have been less sudden. “How bad are your injuries? Allow me to see!”

Whatever fugue state Himiko had been in seemed to have been dispelled by Iida’s presence, and the girl, still clad in her pajamas, looked bleary-eyed up at him.

“Oh, you’re the engine guy. You’re loud in the morning.” Himiko complained, as if the clear injury on her neck weren’t phasing her. She blinked in surprise when Iida pointed it out. “Injury? It’s not an inju- Oh…”

She reached up, touched some of the blood on her neck, and looked at it.

“This? Uh…” Himiko fidgeted for a moment. “Oh! A cat bit me! Ochako and I found a cat outside of the dorm, and it bit me and ran away!”

A cat bite! Those could be serious! Infections were likely!

“We should get you to the school infirmary right away!” Iida announced, and Himiko flinched away from him, reminding Iida of that cat again, who now very much did not want to go for the vet. “Himiko, if you get an infection…”

“I’m not going to that old quack!” Himiko fell back, kicking lightly at Iida. Iida caught one of her heels before it thumped against his chest. “Ochako’s coming back with the first aid kit!”

“You need a prescription of antibiotics!” Iida protested, and ducked a pillow that Himiko threw at him.

“It’s not like it matters! Ochako can just make me a new body!” She protested, and threw another pillow, which did bounce right off of Iida’s face, forcing him to let go and readjust his glasses.

That part was true. It had been a mild surprise the other day when Himiko had taken a bad spill during a training exercise, and sprained her ankle. Rather than go to the infirmary, Ochako had shown she could unsummon Himiko, and then resummon her free of injury.

Still! It was the principle of the thing!

“You shouldn’t treat your body as disposable!” Iida lectured, and Himiko was about to respond when a third voice cut through the din.

“You two will both wake up the rest of the building!” Ochako’s voice interrupted their escalating bickering. The two turned to look at her, having emerged from the kitchen, carrying the first aid kit Himiko had mentioned. Her slit-irised eyes betrayed her irritation, which for some reason seemed to be more directed at Iida? What he had done?

“Himiko was telling me about the cat! You need to take her to the infirmary! You know how infectious cat bites can be!” Iida informed Ochako. Her eyes flicked to the wound on Himiko’s neck, and a look that strangely reminded Iida of pride flickered in her eyes for a moment.

“A cat, huh?” Ochako sounded almost bemused. She strolled leisurely to the two, and Himiko’s eyes glimmered.

“A big, very cute, silly, brown-furred cat, you remember, don’t you, Ochako?” Himiko giggled, and the way the two were looking at each other made Iida feel like the biggest third wheel in the world. 

Finally, Ochako turned to Iida.

“Well, I’ll patch her right up, and if the bite gets worse, then I’ll take her to the infirmary. Does that work for you, Iida?” Ochako said, and the tone in her voice brooked no argument.

Iida found he very much wanted to get away from being the third, fourth, and fifth wheel, so he gave a numb nod.

“I’ll…start making breakfast while you patch her up.” Iida hustled to enter the kitchen, and as he passed Ochako, he thought he saw a droplet of red on the collar of Ochako’s pajama top, but it was swiftly hidden from view as she knelt to tend to the giggling Himiko.

As he entered the kitchen, Iida mused that he must have missed something, but he couldn’t place what.

In any case, he’d clearly have to keep his eyes out for a big, very cute, silly, brown-furred cat.

“Really, Class President?” Kyoka Jiro said, and just stared at the class president, who was sitting ramrod straight and looked horribly embarrassed. “A cat. And you bought that?”

“I admit I misjudged the situation! My knowledge in the romantic arts is limited at best!” Iida protested. “I’m also still unaccustomed to Uraraka’s physical changes!”

“She literally described Ochako to you!” Jiro said with a laugh.

“So that was the reason for that bandage.” Mina mused, and seemed very impressed. “Our girl is getting so far ahead I think she’s starting to lap the rest of us.”

“Uh, I ain’t biting you.” Kirishima said. “We sure this ain’t because of those other changes Ochako went through?”

“I might have some insight into that…” Toru Hagakure suddenly spoke up, and everyone looked in the vague direction of the girl who couldn’t be seen. “I was sitting in the commons room the other day when…”

One of the sole benefits of people not being able to see you, Toru Hagakure reflected, was that you could see how they acted when they didn’t think people were watching.

Which on its face sounded awful, and it could certainly be abused! A more nefarious person than Toru could probably find tons of ways of abusing it! It certainly could make finding materials for blackmail simple.

But Toru lived and studied with people who had a very bad tendency of hiding their emotions, particularly when they needed help. It was really annoying! You’d ask them how they were doing, and they’d just clam up and say that they’re okay! Then they’d go cry on top of a hill or get into an epic rivalry fight or anything other than actually talking about their problems!

So maybe it didn’t hurt to occasionally be able to get a glimpse into their inner world through the means of invisibility. 

Take today, for example. Here Toru was just sitting in the commons room of the dormitory on a fine Saturday afternoon, reading and minding her own business when all the sudden Ochako burst through the doors. They swung shut behind her, and her fellow classmate crouched into a ball in the entrance hall. Her eyes were clenched tightly shut, and she covered her ears with her hands.

See? If she knew Toru was here, she’d probably just put on a smile and say everything was fine, when it clearly wasn’t. Toru also knew that Himiko was being forced to take catch-up classes (much to the former villain’s displeasure), and that most of Ochako’s closer friends had prior obligations today! So she’d probably just suffer alone stoically, because she was that type of self-sacrificial idiot.

So, it was good that Toru was here, because someone could be there to help with whatever this was!

Toru slipped off of the couch, and started to approach Ochako. To Toru’s absolute surprise, Ochako’s eyes snapped wide open, spotting Toru’s gloves and boots before the girl could get too far.

“Don’t!” Ochako’s eyes were wild, and her voice tense. She was taking deep breaths. “Don’t come any closer!”

Toru flinched at being snapped at.

“Ochako, what’s the matter?” Toru asked, but did as she was told, not approaching the huddled-up girl. “What’s going on?”

“It’s my senses, I can hear your blood from here!” Ochako looked apologetic at snapping at Toru, and tucked herself a little tighter, her hands clenching against her ears. “It’s…too much…”

Ah. Of course. When Ochako’s Quirk underwent its fusion with Himiko’s, part of how it changed Ochako was expanding her senses into being able to detect blood. As far as Toru could figure, it was actually more of a curse than a blessing. This wasn’t the first time Ochako had been overwhelmed by having to deal with the sensory overload of being able to hear and smell the blood of a campus’ worth of students. 

But usually Himiko was here to help, and Himiko seemed to know what to do.

“I’m going to call your girlfriend, okay?” Toru started, but Ochako shook her head.

“She needs these classes.” Ochako said through gritted teeth, once again proving Toru’s point. Half her class were self-sacrificial idiots! Ochako wasn’t the only one, but she sure was one of the worst! 

So Toru took a step back to give Ochako more space, and then texted Himiko anyway. It took only thirty seconds for her phone to buzz.

Of course she had it on vibrate. She was an Invisible Girl, she’d long since learned that.

be their soon. my stupid hero probably wont teleport me out of class so I’ll sneak out 🙁 don’t tell ochako she’ll worry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ochako didn’t appear to be in any state to want to move, so all Toru could do was keep an eye on her from afar. She kept checking her phone as the minutes ticked by, hoping Himiko would hurry it up.

Ochako’s head suddenly snapped up, and her eyes focused. Her breathing, which had been shallow, rapid, and near-panicked, began to stabilize, the girl starting to take in deep breaths, as if she were trying to take in an agreeable scent. Her shaking began to stabilize, and inexplicably she seemed to be calming down.

A second later, the doors burst open, and a clearly-worried Himiko rushed in, wrapping her arms around Ochako.

“My silly Ochako, why didn't you let me know you were getting overwhelmed?” Himiko scolded, and pressed Ochako’s head against her chest, over her heart. 

“These classes are important, Himiko..” Ochako said as she leaned in, and Himiko scoffed.

“You're like a million times a billion times more important than algebra.” Himiko replied. She helped Ochako up, Ochako never letting her head lift from Himiko's chest. “Come on, we'll lie down for an hour in our room, that always makes you feel better.”

Ochako nodded mutely, and allowed herself to be guided towards the elevator. Himiko pressed the button to open the door, and before she guided Ochako into the elevator, gave Toru a thankful nod.

Toru was left to wonder as the doors closed. 

Did Himiko know how to handle Ochako’s overstimulated senses, or was the girl herself the cure?

“Wait a second,” Mina said after Hagakure had finished. “Ochako likes biting Himiko, and is calmed down by her sheer presence? Is she an Alpha, and Himiko her Omega?”

“Please don’t make fanfiction in your head about my best friends.” Tsuyu said with a groan.

“Too late, I already am!” Mina said laughing, and caught a pillow thrown by Tsuyu with her face.

“I have to admit, I am concerned about this,” Momo said, interrupting the squabbling. “Could her senses actually be stronger than Himiko’s, because of the Quirk merging?”

“It’s something I’ll bring up with Midoriya when I get a chance!” Iida declared. “I cannot say I approve of Himiko sneaking out of her class, however!”

“Yeah, but, it was for a good reason.” Kirishima said. “It’s good they got each other’s backs.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it!” Mina said. "Have I got a tale to tell myself!"

When Mina Ashido fell in love, she hoped that she could love half as deeply as Ochako clearly did. She literally warped reality to be with Himiko, denied death itself so she could be with the one she wanted most!  It was inspirational.

A far cry from the girl who got so flustered over a crush she floated away!

Which made it all the more bizarre that Ochako didn’t get anything for Himiko for their month anniversary! Anniversaries were important!

Mina clearly had to fix that! 

She couldn’t allow true love to wither on the vine! So she might have half-dragged Ochako to the best pastry shop, and may have gently suggested she buy the pomegranate tarts for Himiko.

More like cajoled, really, but this was romance we’re talking about here!

“I didn’t even know it was our month anniversary, you’re keeping track of this?” Ochako said as they exited the pastry shop, looking absolutely flabbergasted.

“How could you not know?” Mina asked, aghast.

“It’s been a busy month! Do you know how much paperwork we’ve had to fill out between the charges against Saito, and the HSPC paperwork for Himiko’s new status?” Ochako protested. “That’s on top of securing enough blood so my girlfriend can have a body, and dealing with my regular schoolwork?”

And sneaking off regularly to make out with your girlfriend. Mina thought, but wisely chose not to say. It was an open secret how lovey-dovey those two were.

“Uravity?”

The two had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn’t noticed that they had been approached by a couple. Mina turned to get a good look at them. They seemed to be a pretty unassuming couple, a man and a woman. About as old as Mina’s parents, she figured. Something seemed vaguely familiar about them, particularly the woman with her blond hair, but she couldn’t quite place where.

She glanced at Ochako, and her eyes widened slightly.

It wasn’t an emotion she was used to seeing on Ochako’s cute face. Even hatred seemed foreign to Ochako, and this went beyond that.

It was pure and utter contempt.

“What do you want?” Ochako’s response was so brimming with disgust that the couple actually flinched a little.

“We…we just wanted to apologize.” The woman fidgeted nervously as she talked. “We didn’t know that Saito would…I mean, we just gave him the address! That’s all! We didn’t do anything!”

Mina sucked in a breath as realization chilled down her spine. Unconsciously she moved herself so she could put herself a little between Ochako and who Mina now realized were Himiko’s parents.

“I don’t really care.” Ochako said coldly. “You could have told the investigators and you didn’t. Just another mistake in your long list of mistakes. If you’re looking for absolution, you’re talking to the wrong person.”

Ochako grabbed Mina’s sleeve, and the two went walking in the opposite direction. They only got a few steps before Himiko’s father called out.

“Himiko! How’s…how is she doing?”

The words caused Ochako to stop, and then turn back to look at them.

“Really? What do you think gives you any right to ask that? After everything?” 

“She’s our daughter!” Himiko’s mother protested, and Ochako scoffed. Mina grabbed Ochako’s arm, a little afraid her friend might turn things physical.

“Legally, no, she’s not anymore.” Ochako said impatiently. It was clear she wanted this conversation to be over as soon as possible. “Hoping you might be able to weasel your way back now that Himiko might not be a disgrace in your eyes? You’re thinking that a ‘respectable hero’ would be a good influence on her?”

Ochako suddenly grinned wide. Her lips separated, showing the wicked fangs that she now sported. Punctuated by her heavily slitted irises, it was the most Himiko-like face Mina had ever seen on Ochako.

“I’m afraid Himiko has been a bad influence on me instead!”

The Togas flinched back like they had been stung, and Ochako nodded, as if something she had suspected had been confirmed.

“That’s what I thought. Do not contact me, do not contact her. This is the last conversation we ever have, got that?” Ochako turned and started to walk away, without even waiting for a response. Mina raced to catch up. They walked silently for a few minutes, before Ochako spoke up.

“Don’t tell Himiko.”

“Oh, yeah, so you don’t all tell Himiko about this either!” Mina quickly added at the end of her story with a sheepish look on her face. Kirishima whistled.

“Okay, so no one likes the in-laws, got it. Doubt they’ll be invited to the wedding.” 

At the mention of the word wedding, Momo and Jiro suddenly blushed, and Mina caught sight of that, eyes like a hawk.

“Oohh, there’s a story there…”

“Yeah, we’re all gossiping!” Toru said in agreement with Mina. “Spill the beans!”

“It’s not gossiping!” Iida protested. “It’s an important meeting to make sure that our friends' emotional wellbeing is in a good place!”

“It’s totally gossiping at this point.” Tsuyu said.

Momo and Jiro looked at each other, and Jiro gave a nod.

“Well, girls, do you remember the other day when we had that girls day out?”

It had been way too long since they’d had a girl’s day out like this, Momo Yaoyorozu decided.

It wasn’t for no good reason! It was hard to say “Oh, we’re just going to go to the restaurant.” when all the restaurants were closed because half of Japan was a warzone. You couldn’t go to the mall when half the mall is under reconstruction because Gigantomachina ran through it. It was hard to go to the movies with a friend when that friend is so out of her mind with grief you’re concerned any reminder of that grief might send them spiraling.

It hadn’t helped that when they’d attempted that last one two months ago, that exact thing had happened. Momo rarely outright hated anyone, but she did have a certain level of enmity for the reporter who had so callously intruded on Ochako’s personal life with no regard for her friend’s pain.

Still, somehow, that particular incident had managed to end happier than anyone could have ever predicted. Momo wasn’t a particularly religious person, but Ochako bringing Himiko Toga (now Himiko Uraraka) back to life through what Momo believed to be sheer need was enough to make her believe in miracles, at least.

It had her thinking about what she wanted, certainly.

So here they were, the now-seven girls of Class 2-A, finally having a day out together. They’d spend the morning shopping at the now-rebuilt mall, then a good lunch, and finally a movie. No war, no rebuilding, no grief. Just a good day out together.

Well, of course, they’d almost immediately split apart when they’d hit the mall. That was just how shopping worked. Even the two lovebirds had split apart, both of them giving suspiciously vague reasons to the other as to why. 

Momo didn’t particularly have a goal in mind, honestly, but she knew that her tastes tended towards the parts of the mall that were solidly out of most of her friends' budgets. So imagine her surprise when she passed by a jewelry store, and happened to catch the telltale bob cut of auburn hair in the corner of her eye.

Now that was unusual. Ochako just generally wasn’t the type to go for jewelry. Even though Momo understood that her parents fortunes had increased after the war, with construction companies needed like never before, Ochako still trended towards thriftiness and practicality.

It was so out of Ochako’s wheelhouse that Momo couldn’t deny her curiosity. She slipped inside the store herself, and quickly spotted her friend. Ochako was bent down, her face nearly pressed against the glass of one of the display cases, and she appeared to be absolutely enraptured by what she was looking at.

“What are you looking at, Ochako?” Momo asked, and proceeded to frighten the hell out of her friend. Ochako nearly leapt away from the case like it was poisonous, and spun on her heels to face Momo, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

“Momo! Uhm, I was…” The natural blush on Ochako’s cheeks were intensifying, and she glanced back at the display case. Momo, naturally, had to take a peek for herself, and Ochako seemed to accept defeat as Momo peered into the case.

Engagement rings. The case was full of engagement rings. Expensive ones.

“I was just dreaming about the future.” Ochako said so softly, so fondly, that a thought rose unbidden in Momo’s mind. 

Oh. She’s serious.

It was a silly thought, Momo later reflected. Of course it was serious. Nothing of the past eight or so months would make sense if Ochako weren’t serious about her relationship with Himiko. But there was something about the mundanity of it all that seemed to trigger the thought in Momo. 

It wasn’t a bloody clash, a loving sacrifice, a destructive grief, or a miraculous resurrection.

It was just a girl who was looking towards a lifetime with the person she loved with eyes unclouded.

It made Momo want to see it.

It made Momo want the same.

“Did…I could…” Momo started, and gestured at the display case. She could help! She could buy a ring for Ochako! It would be a trivial cost for her, she could easily afford it!

But Ochako shook her head.

“Thanks, but no. I want to do this right.” Ochako said, looking down at the rings. Her eyes tended towards a specific ring, with a blood-red ruby set atop it. “This is too important.”

Immediately Momo knew that this wasn’t like the cost of a movie, or spotting lunch, or the many other little things that she could eventually cajole Ochako into accepting. There was no way she could get Ochako to swallow her pride, and it wouldn’t be right of Momo to try to press the issue.

Momo left the jewelry store with something squirming deep inside her. A desire, a want that had been quietly brewing for nearly two years inside her was now roiling and thrashing. She couldn’t deny it any longer.

She wanted the future, and she knew where to find it.

“Kyoka?” She’d found the girl in the least-surprising place for her, a music store. Kyoka turned to face her, and gave Momo a bright smile that sent her heart fluttering.

“Momo! What’s up?”

“Before we meet up with the others for lunch, I was wondering..” Momo took a deep, steadying breath. Compared to what Ochako had to go through to get what she wanted, a simple question was easy.

“Would you like to go get some tea with me?”

A few minutes later, with her hand in Kyoka’s, they happened to pass by a different jewelry store, and Momo was not at all surprised to see a blond with two messy buns peeking at the display cases inside.

“They got you two too?” Sero said laughing. “They weren’t even trying and they’re still playing matchmaker!”

Momo and Jiro exchanged shy smiles with each other. 

The meeting grew a little quiet, it seemed that no one else had any more significant new gossip.

“Through all these stories, there’s one thing I’m concerned about.” Iida said with a frown. “Is Uraraka perhaps being a little overwhelming?”

“You’re worried she might drive Himiko away?” Jiro asked, and Iida gave a stiff nod.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group.

“We…could pull Uraraka aside, tell her to chill out…” Kirishima suggested.

Tsuyu sighed. This had been fun when it was silly stories about her best friends, but if it was suddenly going to become meddling from a bunch of well-meaning heroes then she’d have to nip this in the bud.

“They are already way ahead of you guys.”

Tsuyu Asui was happy for her best friend!

No, really, she was! She wanted all of her friends to live the happiest lives that they could, and if what made Ochako happy was the scary knife girl, well, Tsuyu may have had an inkling deep down that there was something there right from their first encounter with Himiko Toga. 

Certainly people didn’t go to the lengths that Ochako had for people they felt nothing for.

So, if the fates decreed that those two would find their way together, who was Tsuyu to argue?

“Tsu, do you think I’m going on too strong? I think I’m going on too strong.”

Just, well, when her best friend came to her for romantic advice, Tsuyu knew that she was woefully unprepared.

“I just, when I see her, I just…want her. I want to show how much I love her. I want to show the world how much I love her! You know?”

No, Tsuyu didn’t know! She’d never really had romantic feelings for anyone! She didn’t even know if she wanted to! She found the whole thing baffling when it came to normal relationships, and this romance was anything but normal.

“But I’m worried I’m a cage for her! She prizes her freedom! I don’t want to be like her parents, pinning her down and making her something she’s not!”

When Ochako had knocked on her door one evening, Tsuyu had naturally assumed that they were going to have a fun evening studying or watching dumb internet videos or listening to music. Once it had been just the two of them, but nowadays Himiko made them a trio.

She did not expect a half-panicked Ochako suddenly bursting into her room, and flopping dramatically on Tsuyu’s bed, where she proceeded to start second-guessing every romantic action she had taken in the past two weeks since they had gotten together.

‘Gotten together’ sounded quaint considering what had actually happened.

Honestly, Tsuyu was touched that Ochako came to her first for advice, but, again, she was absolutely not prepared for this sort of conversation at all.

“What do you think, Tsu? Tsu?” 

Tsuyu froze as she suddenly realized that Ochako was staring at her, and was clearly expecting a response.

"...Kero.”

Well, that wasn’t going to do for a response.  

“Isn’t this something you should be talking with Himiko about?” Tsuyu pulled herself together and asked Ochako, who groaned and put her hands over her face.

“I know, but I’m…I don’t know. Scared? Everything’s so good right now.” Ochako said through her hands. “I haven’t been this happy in a long time, and it makes me worried I’m going to lose it somehow. Especially since…”

Tsuyu saw her left hand drift to her right side.

“Well, I think you should talk it over so things keep good. See what she thinks, what her boundaries are. Where your boundaries are too.” Tsuyu had decided to follow her belief that blunt honesty was, nine times out of ten, the way to go. “If…if she told you she wanted to leave, what would you do?”

Ochako’s face scrunched up, and it was clear the thought was painful for her.

“I’d…let her go.” She finally answered, the response agonized but honest. “I’d do what I need to to make sure she has a life and let her go.”

“Then you’re not a cage, kero.” Tsuyu reached out to touch Ochako’s shoulder. “A cage with no locks isn’t a cage. You're home. You should tell her what you told me.”

Ochako didn’t say anything, but she snuffled and nodded. Tsuyu felt, however, she had something more to add.

“Though I don’t think you have anything to worry about, kero.” Tsuyu said, and Ochako blinked at her. “I really don’t.”

Their relationship was and would always be anything but normal. That’s why it worked.

“Thanks, Tsuyu…” Ochako smiled, and crawled off of Tsuyu’s bed. “I think I’ll go have that talk with Himiko now.”

“Anytime, kero.”

An hour later, Tsuyu was starting to doze off when her phone pinged twice.

The first one was from Ochako:

We talked. It went well! She’ll tell me if it gets to be too much or do something she doesn’t like, but she said she likes, uhm, how eager I am.

The second was from Himiko:

I really, really like how eager she is. <3

Maybe Tsuyu had a better grasp on romance than she thought.

A sense of combined relief and embarrassment washed over the group.

“I should have had more faith in Uraraka.” Iida conceded. “I clearly have trust issues, I must work on them!”

“I guess considering how the relationship actually started, Ochako was already thinking about what Himiko wanted." Mina said. “That was probably an easier conversation than their first, and with less knives involved!”

“With a little bit of backup from Class 2-A’s favorite frog!” Kirishima grinned as Tsuyu, who looked perhaps a little smug.

“It’s not our business, anyways, kero.” Tsuyu said. “We started these meetings with good reasons, but now we have to trust our friends will be happy.”

At that moment the doors to Heights Alliance opened, and the group quickly quietened down and craned their heads to take a peek.

The very people they had been talking about were walking, hand in hand, towards the elevator, each sporting a box from the pastry shop Mina had brought Ochako to. Ochako was laughing at something Himiko said, and then proceeded to steal a kiss on Himiko’s cheek. Himiko blushed excitedly, and pushed the elevator button, the doors opening immediately. The two stepped inside.

None of the group noticed any of that, however, because all eyes were on Himiko’s neck.

A neck that had a brand new, pink-and-black collar wrapped around it.

The elevator doors closed.

The group was quiet for a moment, until Kirishima spoke up.

“She really is a menace, though.”

That, the entire group could agree on.