Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"SURPRISE!"
Kaminari walked through the door and all his friends were already there. "I can't believe it!" he covered his mouth in joy. "How did you do it? I didn't suspect a thing," he chuckled, turning to Kyoka, who smiled sweetly and motioned for him to come in.

"Come here!" said the birthday boy, hugging all his old friends.

"Finally, you're 20, too!" Kirishima said, hugging him.
"I'm old now, you say?" he teased, then continued greeting everyone else. "Iida! I bet you organized almost everything!" he teased, but his friend replied seriously. "More or less, Kyoka, Momo, and Kirishima did it all!"

"You haven't changed a bit!" he laughed heartily.
"Why would I?" Iida replied, making the whole room erupt with laughter.

"It's nice to be here with everyone else" Izuko whispered to Ochako.
"Yes" she replied happily "I was really happy to come!" She sipped her drink from the paper cup.

"Hey lovebirds!"
The two turned: "Kyoka, thank you so much for the invitation" Izuku said on behalf of them both.

"Thank you for coming!" She hugged her friends "By the way, you're always welcome anytime. We should go out together, the four of us" She blushed slightly and lowered her gaze.

Ochako replied, stroking her shoulder "Of course, as soon as classes start we'll have more excuses to spend more time together"

"Who else knows?" Izuku asked.
"Only you, for now" she replied nervously, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "I know I can trust our friends, but... you know how things go" She gave Uraraka a knowing look "The fewer people who know, the better"

Midoriya and Uraraka smiled sweetly at her "Don't worry" they reassured her in a low voice.

"Jiro! Let's turn on some music!" Kirishima shouted at her.
"I'm coming!" she shouted back, then turned to the two in front of her "Excuse me" she smiled at them and then joined the others at the speakers. They had already dimmed the lights and turned on the LEDs, and now the living room was awash with shades of burgundy and purple, and the music was beginning to shake the walls.

The neighbors certainly hated having two heroes partying on Saturday nights, but they'd never had the courage to tell them. "They save us every day and keep the streets safe" the old lady downstairs always said. How did they know? Jiro had eavesdropped thanks to his quirk.

Izuku turned to Ochako "Do you want me to bring you more drinks?"
"No, thanks. I don't want to drink tonight" she said, finishing her orange juice.

"We're celebrating Kaminari's 20th birthday; nothing happens if you drink a glass of beer! You don't even have to drive!"
Ochako giggled "That's true, but I don't feel like it tonight" she smiled sweetly.

"I'm going to say hello to the boys!" he said before kissing her on the forehead, then walked away and rejoined his old friends.

"O-o-o-ocha-cha-cha-ko!" Mina said with a toothy grin, followed by Momo and Tsuyu.
"I missed you so much!" she jumped onto the two girls' laps, who returned the hug.

"How beautiful you are!" said Mina "So it's official, what they're saying is true!"
"Mina!" Momo scolded her "That's not polite!"
"They came together and didn't separate for a second before now" the frog girl pointed out.

"Tsuyu! Don't get involved! Forgive them, Ochako!" Momo apologized formally.

Uravity, however, gave them a sincere smile: "It's not a problem, or rather... I know heroes from different agencies aren't supposed to have relationships with each other, but we were lucky enough to have the media and the press on our side. Let's just say they made an exception just for us" she explained calmly.

"Sure, it's nice to see you two" Yaoyoruzu commented.
"Momo, are you trying to figure out how to do it too?" Uraraka teased, making her friend blush.

"It's Shoto! I know, I'm sure of it!" Mina interrupted.
"Absolutely not, there's no one in my life!" she replied firmly.

Momo's embarrassment was palpable and it was Tsuyu who changed the subject: "Uraraka" she called her attention "So, you signed up for the program?"

"Yes" she replied quickly "I applied, I'll find out next week if I've been accepted" she sighed excitedly.
"So, you'll be staying in the dorm?" Momo asked.

"I don't know yet" Uraraka replied sincerely "To apply for the dorm, they have to accept me first. I'm definitely not going to rent a house specifically. If they don't accept me, I'll continue doing the pro hero full-time."
"Of course, that's understandable," Tsuyu replied.

"Momo, you applied too!" Ochako asked "I just remembered now."
"Exactly, but I'm going to the private school. I already know I've been accepted and I'll be staying in the university housing" Yaoyoruzu specified.

Mina wanted to ask her why she hadn't rented a house directly, since she could afford it, but she kept her mouth shut. She'd realized her limits.

The girls saw Shoto and Bakugo chatting away in the distance, which was strange, considering they were the taciturn pair and there had never been any love lost between them. They'd certainly learned to tolerate each other, but seeing them chatting together at a party seemed like a mirage.

"Sorry, girls, I haven't said hello to everyone yet" Mina said, moving away from the group to join Sero, Hagakure and Ojiro.

"Mineta?" Ochacko asked.
"He didn't come" Tsuyu replied, "and thank goodness" she added.

Momo would normally have scolded her for the inelegance of that statement, but she kept quiet, because she thought so too.

"Private school, uh" Ochako muttered but her friends heard her.
"What?" they asked.

"Oh, sorry, I thought out loud!" she felt herself flush with embarrassment "Momo, you did great, congratulations! You deserve it!" Ochako explained.

"stop it!" she replied humbly "I'm sure if you had applied, you would have gotten in without a problem" Yaoyoruzu truly meant it but Ochako only felt a deep sense of shame. They never would have taken her, not with those grades.

"Girls!" Kaminari interrupted "The party's in the center of the room, on the dance floor" He began dancing next to them and, for some strange reason, he had a tie tied around his forehead.
"Denki, how did you do it..." Ochako asked him.

"Uraraka! I don't know!" he replied, moving his hips from side to side.

"Are you drunk already?" Tsuyu asked.
"Absolutely!" replied the dancing Pikachu.
"But it's only 9 PM!" Momo interrupted, scandalised.
"It's my birthday party" he justified himself, rotating his arms concentrically.
"Touché" Momo replied smiling. He deserved it, being drunk at 9 p.m.

"Now, if you don't come dance..." Denki started speaking but didn't know how to finish the sentence "If you don't come dance, no cake for you!" He made everyone laugh and Tsuyu followed him to the center of the room dancing. A dance that consisted of hopping on one foot and then the other while flailing their arms.

Ridiculous? A little.
Funny? Very funny.

They finally let all the guests loose, and they too began to move. Some had followed them to the center of the room -like Mina and Kirishima- while others had preferred to stay where they were.

"There you are" Izuku whispered hugging Ochako from behind, who caressed his arms.
They danced, or rather, swayed in place, embracing each other as the music began to blast and their friends let loose.

"Maybe a beer..." Ochako muttered making Deku laugh "I'll get you one!" he smiled at her.
"No, don't worry, I'll do it" she caressed his cheek and then went into the kitchen.

As soon as she entered she saw Bakugo come out with a full glass. She noticed him immediately but he left before she even had time to look at her, let alone say a word. In the kitchen, there was everything: snacks, sandwiches, hot dogs, all kinds of drinks, endless alcohol...

She grabbed a full glass of beer and nibbled on some pizza and fries.

"Uraraka!" It was Kirishima and he hugged her tightly, nearly spilling her beer on the floor.
"Eijiro!" She returned the hug.

"I heard you're staying around here! Aren't you going home to your parents?"
"Damn, how quickly gossip flies" the girl replied.
Kirishima burst out laughing: "Did you just say 'damn'?!"
Uraraka laughed along with him: "Sorry, I talked to the girls about this not even twenty minutes ago and you already know!" even though she felt a pang in her stomach. She didn't know if they'd take her.

"Continuing my studies isn't for me, now I'm going to dedicate myself 100% to my career as a pro hero!" He struck a pose flexing his arm muscles.
Ochako giggled and finished her glass, which she refilled immediately. Maybe if she'd been a little tipsy, her mood would have lifted.

The kitchen was much quieter; the music was more muted, though you could still hear everything. It was a great place to catch your breath.

Kirishima refueled filling a paper plate with junk food and carrying three glasses of spirits in one hand "Beer pong later, you up for it?"
"No, thanks!" she smiled and watched him leave.

Ochako enjoyed that moment of "peace" for a moment; the music was still loud but no longer deafening. If she hadn't known for certain that Present Mic wasn't there, she would have sworn it was his fault.
"Hey, there you are."

Soon the quiet was disturbed again by Momo's arrival. "Do you need a break too?" she asked. Yaoyoruzu's forehead was slightly pearly, as if she'd been running for miles instead of dancing "Now there's beer pong, are you coming?"

More beer pong...

"No, thanks" she giggled. Their obsession with that drinking game was incredible. Ochako was more the kind of girl who drinks in secret and then shows up pretending not to be drunk.

Laughing and joking, she'd had a few drinks during that break and her head was starting to feel funny. "Then come dance!"

Momo grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the living room. She was a completely different person when she was drunk but she loved her regardless.

Uraraka must have lost count of the beers she'd drunk because she started dancing like crazy on the dining room table, cheered on by half the people present.

Soon, Mina and Momo joined her, while the others marked the time by clapping.
Of course, there were some, the more shy or indifferent, who stood aside drinking, eating, talking...

Someone had even put on their jackets and left; from the back of their heads, it could have been anyone. Ochako couldn't tell Koda from Aoyama or Bakugo anymore; she just felt the visceral urge to laugh and lost her balance. She also accidentally made a few glasses floating, making Kaminari and Kirishima squeal.

Around 2:00 AM, Ochako began to feel tired, and at 2:30 AM, she decided to leave. She said goodbye to everyone who had remained, grabbed her jacket and left with Deku.

"I actually wanted to leave at half past midnight" he confided.
"I can't believe it!" She giggled again, under the influence of alcohol.
"I swear" the boy laughed "How have you been?"

"Great, I haven't had this much fun in ages" she accidentally bumped his shoulder, swerving.
"You haven't drunk that much in ages!" he teased her.

"Deku!" she scolded him sobbing "Thanks for having me" she said in front of the front door.
"Don't worry" Deku kissed her on the temple.

Ochako took off her heels in front of the front door so as not to wake her mother-in-law. Once inside, she dropped the little black dress she was wearing on the floor, which she had sworn would be a problem for her future self.
Deku picked it up and hung it up on a hanger.

The alarm clock started ringing, and Ochako let out a pained groan; she'd been having trouble falling asleep. She was lying there with her eyes closed, but she felt like she'd been on a roller coaster the whole time.

"Honey... you have to wake up. You have to call your parents too!"
"What? Why?" the girl asked, confused.

"Because last night you forgot to text them that you were back. They got worried and texted me" he explained, turning off the alarm while caressing her with his free arm.

"Can I have breakfast first?" She rubbed her eyes to wake up.
"Sure, I think my mom already took care of that, too"

Ochako then took a cold shower and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a matching gray sweatshirt. She went into the kitchen and thanked her for her hospitality and the breakfast.

"Here dear, I hope you like eggs!"
"Yes, ma'am, thank you so much"
"There's no need to be so formal, you're always welcome" her mother-in-law replied.
Ochako ate it all in a flash and, after a coffee to recover, locked herself in Izuku's room to call her parents.

"Hello, Mom?"
"Ochako! I was worried! Why didn't you text us last night?"

"Sorry, you're right. But, Mom, I'm a pro hero and it's not the first time I've been late!"
"I know darling, but you'll always be my little girl! I'll put you through to your dad..."

"Okay..." Ochako replied, sighing. She loved them but sometimes she just wanted them to understand she was a grown woman AND a pro hero.
"Honey, how are you?"
"I'm fine, Dad."
"Did you find out if they admitted you?"
"No, Dad. I'll find out during the week."

"But what do you need it for? If you're already a pro hero..."
Ochako stiffened but wanted to make him understand: "It's still a qualification, they'll pay me more in the future" and she needed the money. "Besides..." she lowered her voice further to make sure Izuku couldn't hear her "if anything were to happen to me, or to my quirk, they'd guarantee me reintegration into society and a job..." and that wasn't a given at all. After Deku lost his quirk, she realized she, too, would risk losing her source of income.

"The important thing is that you're happy, darling. We're always proud of you" her father told her, his heart brimming with joy.
"Okay, goodbye!"
"Bye!"

She heard a knock: "Come in"
It was Izuku: "Are you okay?"
"Yes, my parents say hello" she smiled.

"Do you know what I found out last night thanks to Shoto? Momo told him..." Izuku said as he began searching for clothes in the closet "Kacchan is coming with you to "university"! I thought he'd go to private school with me, Shoto, Iida, and Momo, given his grade point average, internships, and placements..."

Ochako was shocked; she'd taken it for granted too. What did someone like Bakugo have to do with a public school? Why should he mix with people like her?

He was way above her, Aoyama, and Kyoka. Not that they were incompetent, but academically speaking, and also their hero rankings, it put them in opposite worlds. The news had upset her more than it should have been, and she didn't even understand why she felt "upset." After all, it just meant going to this class with one more friend. Maybe she was just afraid she wouldn't be taken... or maybe not?

Chapter Text

“Thank you again.” Ochako bowed in front of her mother-in-law. “I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

“Oh, stop it, dear.” Midoriya’s mom pulled her into a warm hug. “Come visit more often!”

They said their goodbyes, and Ochako and Deku headed toward the station.

“I adore your mom, and thank you for walking me to the station!” she said.

Izuku blushed slightly and took her hand. “Next Friday, are you coming to my place or should I come to yours?”

“It’s the same for me.” Ochako felt that tight knot in her stomach again, and Deku noticed.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Ochako decided to tell him the truth. “Not really. I’m scared they won’t accept me…”

“Hey, you need to relax. Of course they’ll accept you, your résumé is amazing!” Deku tried to reassure her, but it didn’t work.

“Midoriya, don’t lie just to make me feel better,” she scolded him, while a few people around them turned to see if they were really them. “You know perfectly well I barely passed high school, I don’t have extra credits…” She took a deep breath to avoid losing control in public. Their public image was becoming heavy, and their lives less and less private.

It was a beautiful late summer day. People were enjoying the break outside, and seagulls occasionally crossed the sky.

The murmur of voices was constant, especially as they got closer to the station, which welcomed and sent off tourists. Seeing so many people holding ice cream felt almost refreshing.

“I’m just really worried,” Ochako tried to explain in a low voice. “I already have my pro hero career, but I don’t earn much. I just graduated, I never expected anything different,” she added. “For me, getting into and passing this ‘course’, this ‘university’ or… whatever you want to call it…” She gestured vaguely with her hand, and Izuku took the chance to grab her duffel bag and carry it for her, still listening carefully. “…it would change my life. It would mean a bigger salary. I mean… it only lasts one year, two if I change my mind and specialize in something, but it would mean that in a year I’ll have almost double the salary I have now!” she lit up for half a second. “And if one day I want to start a project, I’ll have more opportunities and authority.”

A project to help children, so no one would have to live like Toga had. She thought about it every day, even if she never said it out loud.

“I get it.” Izuku gently stroked her back. And he really did understand. He understood how much she was carrying, but he felt like there was nothing he could do to help.

“Let’s talk about next Friday, please,” Ochako said suddenly, convinced he couldn’t understand, because he couldn’t. He no longer had a quirk after the battle against All for One. He had enrolled in a real university to become a teacher at U.A., and she was sure they would accept him. He had saved the world, how could they not?

It was already strange enough they hadn’t told him yet. Maybe they were going to announce something like that nationally.

Ochako lifted her gaze while lost in her thoughts. The sunlight was too strong and bothered her. She hadn’t brought her sunglasses, she had forgotten them, so she went back to looking at her feet as she walked.

But the steady sound of her sandals on the pavement distracted her again.

Izuku couldn’t understand the discomfort of financial struggle either, but she was too proud to throw that reality in his face. She had never hidden it, but she had never wanted to humiliate herself by fully letting him into that part of her world.

“So, where do you want to celebrate?” he asked.

“I can come to your place. My parents will definitely be home next week,” she said casually.

“My mom too, for that matter,” Izuku replied, not understanding what she meant. “We could eat at that place you like near the amusement park and spend the rest of the evening there. You’d stay over at my place, of course.”

Ochako smiled, but the realization that they had already reached the station killed the moment, and she forced herself to be more direct.

“It’s our third anniversary…” she muttered.

“I know.” He kissed her temple as they walked, tourists already passing them, a clear sign they had arrived.

“I just mean we haven’t been alone in a while.” The words slipped out. “And it’s also our third anniversary,” she repeated, in case he hadn’t gotten the message.

Deku finally understood and reassured her. “Don’t worry, we’ll have a nice evening. You’re right, I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit distracted lately.” He scratched his head absentmindedly and handed her the bag back. “With the university stuff, interviews, extra courses… I kind of lost track of that side of things. I’m sorry.” He moved to hug her, but Uraraka stepped back.

“What do you mean?” she realized something. “You’ve already started studying the programs? Midoriya, do you already know you got in?”

Deku felt the ground disappear beneath his feet. “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you because I knew you were anxious about your acceptance…”

But she cut him off. “How long have you known?” she asked sharply.

“Since the day of the interview,” he answered honestly. “They made it pretty clear they were going to accept me. I should get the official confirmation this week.”

Ochako let out a breath. “That’s my train, I might miss it.”

Deku gave her a quick kiss before she could slip away. Ochako endured it, then got on the train to go back home to her parents.

The trip was relatively short, but silent, even though it was quite crowded. Maybe it was just her isolating herself from everything around her.

She took a bus from the station to get home, and made a point of ignoring her phone the entire time. Her mind was somewhere else. She didn’t get lost only because her body knew where to take her.

“I’m home,” she said, taking off her shoes, but no one answered.

Even though it was Sunday, her parents were at work, and she felt a sharp wave of guilt.

It was the only week off her agency had given her, and she had spent it at Deku’s place. After finding out he had lied about his acceptance, she would have preferred to spend it with her family.

And she missed, a little, the feeling of being wanted.

After a week at her boyfriend’s house, she had fooled herself into thinking they would be together. Alone.

Instead, she had been with him and his mother, and when they weren’t with her, they were with their old friends.

At least she could say she had a great time at Kaminari’s party.

She finally checked her phone and saw they had sent the photos in the group chat.

She looked terrible in all of them, and surely no one would post them on social media, but they were really nice.

Especially the ones where Kaminari and Kirishima were acting like idiots.

She was sure Denki would have wanted to post them, but for image reasons even he had to give up.

Since the defeat of All for One, no major villains had appeared.

In the same way, no pro hero of All Might’s caliber had emerged.

As a result, the press and media had become much harsher toward pro heroes, focusing on their appearance and private lives.

Where once pro heroes had more responsibility and more freedom, now they had less of both.

The game had become harder, more competitive.

And if you were a woman, it was a whole different league.

A much worse one than the men’s.

Ochako had realized it the day she ended up on a magazine cover and was forced to read the online comments about her body.

But that day, she couldn’t even bring herself to care.

Her personal life weighed on her far more than some random guy’s comment behind a screen.

Chapter Text

Friday came quickly, Ochako and Deku had texted each other at midnight, as tradition dictated, to wish each other a happy anniversary.

The classic “I love you, happy anniversary my love” Very cheesy, very romantic, but some traditions are hard to let go of, especially when both people are so affectionate and in love.

Ochako’s anger had faded within two days, not telling her he had been accepted into the course had been a low blow but she had managed to understand why he had done it.

And even if it hadn’t faded, she would have had to find a way to let it go anyway, because they had already planned and organized everything for the night of their anniversary. She would go to his place on Friday afternoon and stay until Saturday afternoon. On Sunday she would have to go back home because she had a work shift.

It felt strange to describe being a pro hero as being “on shift.” She had patrol duty for half a day and a civilian rescue simulation for the other half.

Unless she got accepted into the course. That would change everything. She would work part time and be relocated to the city where the faculty was, where she would find almost all of her friends.

But the results hadn’t come out yet. At least not for her faculty.

Momo, Shoto, and Izuku, along with Iida, had already received official confirmation. She, Aoyama, and Kyoka nothing. No one had told them anything yet. Not even Bakugo, or at least that’s what she thought.

He wasn’t the type to reach out often, but he had changed. A lot. He wasn’t the angry kid they used to know anymore. He had even become friends with Deku.

They had all gone through trauma, therapy, growth… but Bakugo had changed more than anyone else.

Lately, though, he had closed himself off again. He had never been overly friendly with Deku, but this silence was unusual even for him. He had never been the life of the party, sure, but it wasn’t like him not to greet her.

And then she thought back to Kaminari’s party. He hadn’t greeted her when they crossed paths in the kitchen, nor had he said goodbye to anyone when he left. And she was sure he had seen her. There was no way he hadn’t.

She remembered a handsome guy who knew how to have fun, who made sure everyone put their phones away, and even his obsession with becoming number one had softened.

He was probably just waiting for his moment. Waiting for Deku to get back on track so he could challenge him.

But no one knew if Deku would ever be able to return to being a hero… so why wait? Why not carve his own path and start climbing toward number one already?

Why was Ochako thinking about Bakugo so much?

She never saw him. He lived in the same city as Deku, but somehow they never managed to meet. Kaminari’s party could have been the perfect excuse, but neither of them had taken it. They had both avoided each other.

“Ochako, sweetheart, remember to bring a cardigan. I don’t want you to get cold in the evening.”

Her mother’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Yes, thanks.”

Uraraka was in her room, her gym-style duffel bag resting on the bed as she packed. Makeup, creams, hygiene products, underwear, a pair of pants, a t-shirt, the cardigan, and the dress she would wear that evening.

She had chosen a romantic dress, with a flared skirt and a more fitted top. It was pastel green with a white floral pattern. She really hoped Midoriya would like it.

She closed the bag and instinctively tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Then she picked out what she would wear for the trip: light jeans, a t-shirt with a generic print, and a pink cap “so she wouldn’t be recognized.”

One of the downsides of being a known pro hero was having to constantly take care of your appearance, especially when you didn’t feel like it. The moment a female hero forgot concealer and showed dark circles, headlines would immediately point out how tired she looked and how “out of place” she seemed.

If the hero was older, they would accuse her of being pregnant and hiding it. It had already happened more than once that some hero had to release statements just to deny rumors about her private life.

And if Izuku had been a different kind of guy, Ochako knew she would have ended up just like them.

But she was starting to like this system less and less.

Ochako went downstairs with the heavy bag slung over her shoulder. She used her quirk to let it float in front of the door and went to say goodbye to her parents.

“Bye, Mom.” She gave her a kiss.

“Behave yourself,” her mother replied.

Her dad stood up from his chair. “Try inviting Midoriya here more often! You’re always the one going to his place!”

They hugged.

“You’re right, Dad. But our friends are there, and there’s not much to do here,” she justified herself.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re grown up. If you’re happy, then I’m happy too.” He sat back down and nodded before picking up his newspaper again.

She said goodbye one last time, grabbed her bag, made it stop floating so she wouldn’t attract attention, adjusted her lip balm, and stepped outside.

The air was still warm, and there were plenty of people around. Ochako was starting to appreciate autumn because the cold encouraged people to stay home, giving her more freedom to go out unnoticed.

When she got off the train, she immediately spotted Izuku. He was wearing a cap too and gave her a small nod.

They exchanged a quick hug so as not to draw attention and immediately started walking toward his house.

“You need to change, right?” Deku asked.

Ochako nodded.

“I booked that place you like,” he said with a smile, placing a hand on her back now that there were fewer people around.

“Could you slow down? I’m getting out of breath,” she teased.

He chuckled. “Yeah, sure. You’re right.”

They didn’t stop, didn’t focus on anything around them. They just wanted to get home, shower, go to dinner, and hope not to be recognized.

They weren’t that famous, but enough to get bothered sometimes.

It had happened during Uravity’s last birthday. A couple of fans had surrounded Izuku asking for photos, autographs, video messages… enough to ruin her day.

At least for their anniversary, they wanted some peace.

They got ready quickly and used the darkness to pass as just another couple, walking hand in hand with their heads slightly lowered.

“They make your favorite ramen here,” Deku said as soon as they sat down.

She gave him a radiant smile. She was so happy to be there. She couldn’t wait to spend an evening as a normal person… or rather, as a girlfriend.

She had been fantasizing about that night for two months and wanted everything to be perfect. They had even managed to get a relatively secluded table.

They ordered ramen. Ochako’s was slightly spicy, but Deku insisted on tasting it anyway, immediately regretting it.

“I love this place,” she said after finishing the last sip of broth.

“Me too!” Deku agreed. “It’s intimate, informal… perfect for a night like this!”

Ochako took something out of her small white bag.

“This is your gift! Happy anniversary!”

It was a military-style dog tag with his information on it. He had once told her he had wanted one his entire childhood, so she had decided to make that wish come true.

“Thank you so much! It’s beautiful!” he said, eyes filling with tears, putting it on immediately and hiding it under his light blue polo.

“This is yours!” He handed her a small bag with a box inside.

It was a bracelet with a little horse charm. Uraraka put it on right away, but her smile was visibly forced.

“Everything okay? Is something wrong?”

“No… don’t worry. It’s beautiful,” she reassured him, but her tone didn’t convince him at all.

“Love, tell me the truth. Please.” He took her hand across the table, but they were interrupted by a waiter bringing their desserts.

As soon as he left, they resumed.

“It’s just that… it’s the exact same gift you gave Eri. I thought you would give me something more… ours, since it’s our third anniversary.”

Deku realized what he had done and apologized, but to avoid further awkwardness, they started eating dessert.

Thankfully, there were mochi, Ochako’s absolute favorite food.

But her phone suddenly rang. By contract, she always had to keep the ringer on, just in case.

It was Kyoka. Luckily.

“Hello?”

“Ochaco! So, did you see?”

“See what?” she asked, suddenly worried.

“The results came out this afternoon… don’t tell me you didn’t check? I’ve been waiting for your message all day!”

“No! What… what do they say?”

“Relax, we all passed!”

Ochako let out a scream of joy, turning every head in the restaurant. “I can’t believe it!”

Deku, meanwhile, was panicking because he hadn’t understood anything.

“How come you didn’t know right away? Where are you? Remember we have to bring the documents to the agency by Monday and transfer districts!”

“At Deku’s!” she replied. “I didn’t check my phone while traveling, then I was in a hurry…” Her heart felt like it was about to burst.

“Got it. Have fun! See you next month in class then! Bye!”

They hung up, and Ochako couldn’t contain her excitement.

Deku, on the other hand, was just confused and worried.

“I got in!” she said, her voice breaking. “I got in, oh my god, I got in!” she repeated, wiping her cheeks. “On Monday I have to handle all the paperwork…”

She started listing everything she had to do, but Deku threw himself at her, knocking the table over just to hug her.

They had to pay for the damage.

And Deku probably cried more than she did.

They took a short walk in a park, talking only about what they would both have to do for that damn course. It had been the center of their lives for three months, even before finishing high school, and it would stay that way for a long time.

They went back home, still smiling, happy they had both reached the same goal at the same time.

Ochako spent quite a while in the bathroom. She had brought a small portable straightener to fix her hair. Instead of removing her makeup, she touched it up.

As pajamas, she chose a pink lace shirt that reached just below her hips.

She looked at herself in the mirror over and over, turning around to check every detail. Everything seemed perfect.

Deku was already under the covers in the dark, his phone lighting up his face.

Ochako approached him, climbed onto the bed, and kissed him slowly, gently. She moved down to his neck and—

“Ochako…”

“Tell me,” she murmured softly, moving closer again to continue kissing him.

“I’m sleepy. I want to go to sleep now. Sorry, but…”

“Deku, it’s only midnight,” she said, sitting back on her knees.

“I know, I’m sorry. I had my internship all week, I’m exhausted. Even today I came straight from work to the station to pick you up.”

He looked drained. Ochako gave up.

“Okay.” She forced a tight smile and went to the bathroom to actually get ready for bed.

A modest pajama, so she could face her future mother-in-law in the morning without issues. She removed her makeup, applied hair oil, and braided it loosely.

She washed her hands, then looked at herself in the mirror.

And suddenly, those comments about her body felt real.

Suddenly, she could see everything others had pointed out before.

And from Ochako’s perspective, even Izuku was starting to see them too.

Chapter Text

September arrived quickly, carrying with it a crisp breeze and new beginnings.

Schools all started around the same time. Some continued their path, others began a new one.
Some started new jobs, others started families.

Ochako and Kyoka had agreed to meet the day before and explore the campus together.

Ochako was waiting for her on a bench not far from the dormitory. They had done their research beforehand and had even saved the campus map on their phones so they wouldn’t get lost during the first few days.

Beside her sat a rather large, very old suitcase, visibly worn by time with dents and stains, though fortunately it almost looked like an intentional pattern.

“Ochako?”

The girl looked up. “Tsuyu? What are you doing here?”
Uraraka jumped to her feet and hugged her friend.

“Hey, it’s been since Kaminari’s party that we last saw each other! Actually, Aoyama dropped out, so I got his spot.”

“I didn’t know you applied.”

She loosened her grip but kept touching her arms affectionately, and the frog girl returned the gesture.

“I hadn’t told anyone. I had a high fever during the entrance exam and I knew I’d done badly. They only called me for an interview after Aoyama withdrew. He was the one who recommended me.”

She gestured for her to sit back down and joined her on the bench.

“That was really kind!”
“Very. I didn’t expect it,” Asui confirmed.

“Do you know why he gave it up?”
“An internship in France,” her friend replied.

Ochako let out a surprised “oh,” but she was genuinely happy for him “I’m waiting for Kyoka, by the way. Maybe we’ll be roommates or at least have rooms close to each other.”

“I heard that those of us who graduated from UA will get single rooms. Let’s just say our resumes paved the way for us this far.”

Ochako could hardly believe it.
“Single rooms? Are you serious? That’s incredible.”

“Is Kyoka staying in the dorms too?” Tsuyu asked.
“No, she got a place with Kaminari. She’s just walking me to the dorm, then we’ll tour the campus. Of course you’re staying with us all day! What about you?”

“Yeah, I applied for the dorm too. I actually just finished settling in. My room is 606.”

Ochako suddenly had a thought and checked her phone.
“Mine is 608! We’re so close!”

They hugged again and took a few pictures while they waited.

“Tsuyu?”
“Kyoka!”
They both stood up.

“She’ll be with us all year.”
“No way, that’s amazing!”
Kyoka hugged Tsuyu, and then the girls helped Ochako settle into her new room.

Normally parents helped with making the bed and setting up the room for the first time, but Ochako’s parents couldn’t leave work.

Her friends didn’t ask questions and helped her instead. They had so much fun and didn’t make her feel lonely at all. In fact, they didn’t let her think about it even for a second.

“So, you moved in with Denki,” Tsuyu said out of nowhere.
“Ochako! You told her!” Jiro scolded her.
“Sorry!” Uraraka blushed instantly. “I thought she already knew…”

“I did already know, ribbit.”
The two of them stared at her.

“How did you find out?”
“At his birthday party. He looks at you like you’re candy.”

Ochako melted into a smile, and Jiro’s irritation faded. She was right. It was obvious from a mile away.

The three girls sat on Ochako’s freshly made bed, and she offered them some snacks she had brought.

“How are you planning to hide it?”
Jiro sighed.
“Since Tsuyu figured it out immediately, and I assume everyone else did too… I don’t know,” she admitted. “He works mornings and some night shifts. I work when I don’t have classes and I don’t do nights.” She scratched the back of her head
“The plan is to leave at different times in the morning, him half an hour before me, and come back at different times. No going out together, no official dates, except around events.”

Ochako chimed in “So people think they’re ‘work dinners,’ got it.”
“Exactly!”
“That sounds awful, though,” Tsuyu said.

Ochako shot her a look, but she was right. It was unpleasant, and inconvenient too “At least you live together,” Uraraka said, trying to comfort her.

“You two have single rooms. You know what that means.” Kyoka winked at Ochako, who immediately looked away.

“Trouble in paradise, ribbit?”
Ochako tried to laugh it off, but they didn’t buy it. They knew her too well. Especially Tsuyu.

“Let’s just say having a single room doesn’t help. His university is on the other side of the city, and the idea doesn’t seem to appeal to him,” she said vaguely.
“Are you serious?” Tsuyu asked bluntly.

Ochako shook her head.
Jiro seemed to understand her better.

“But why?”
“I don’t know…” She looked at them and saw genuine concern in their eyes, so she decided to open up “In August, about a week after Denki’s party, we celebrated our anniversary…”

“Yeah, I remember. You told me on the phone.”
Tsuyu asked, “How long have you been together?”
“Three years.”

Her friends sighed. Ochako could have sworn she heard Jiro mutter “shit.”

“…we went to dinner, everything was fine… but the gift was really bad. He gave me the exact same bracelet he gave Eri. I think he even bought them together. I refuse to believe he got it afterward!”

The others had the feeling there was more, so they let her continue.

Ochako felt the weight of the silence and rushed to fill it “And not to mention that that same night we didn’t…” She started blushing “…you know.”

“No, we don’t know,” they both said, even though they absolutely did.

“We didn’t have sex!” she whispered irritably. “It had been a while, and it was ‘our chance,’ you know what I mean.” She smoothed the bedsheet with her hand, as if trying to push away the negative emotions.

“I get why that upset you,” Jiro said, lying back against the wall. “It’s normal.”

“Sure, but what matters is the thought,” Tsuyu added. “If he ‘made up for it,’ I don’t see the problem.” She gestured with her hand “It’s not an issue to have different libidos, but the context matters.”

Silence.

“He didn’t…?” Jiro sat up again, turning toward her.
“Well, he came over about ten days ago,” Ochako shrugged.
“And?” Tsuyu pressed.
“We stopped before…” she muttered, disappointed Her mind drifted back to that evening two weeks earlier.

They had gone out and returned later than usual. Her parents were already asleep, and they had kissed for a long time in bed.

Ochako clearly remembered Deku’s kisses trailing down her neck, moving to her chest, then lower to her stomach. He skipped her inner thighs at first, then pulled off her pajamas and her underwear along with them.

He kissed her between her legs and then licked her gently.

Because that was Deku, Sweet and Caring.

He would look up to make sure she liked it, and he had seen Ochako sigh softly with a faint smile on her lips. He only stopped when she told him to But they didn’t go further. Or rather, after Ochako returned the favor, they still didn’t go further.

Tsuyu was about to say something, but Jiro’s phone rang, interrupting them. She read something on the screen and stood up “It’s getting late. We should get going.”

Ochako checked the time. It really was late. It was already lunchtime, and they hadn’t seen anything yet.
If they didn’t hurry that afternoon, they’d definitely get lost the next morning.

“So what’s the plan? Grab a sandwich while running?” Ochako asked, picking up her hoodie. She didn’t plan to wear it, but since the wind was picking up, she brought it just in case.

“No, we’ll meet the others, eat at the cafeteria, and tour with them,” Kyoka said casually, walking ahead confidently with Tsuyu following.

The others?

Ochako wanted to ask, but this new beginning inspired her. A new beginning. A new… something.
It wasn’t New Year’s. She didn’t want to turn her life upside down with a resolution she wouldn’t keep.
But she did want to change something. She wanted to pretend to be confident.
Even though she was dying to know who Jiro meant. “Others” implied more than one person.

“Guys!”

Jiro waved her arm in the air. Ochako was right behind her, so she stepped aside to see who they were meeting.

She saw Denki, Kirishima, and Bakugo.

None of them made sense in that situation. Denki and Kirishima weren’t going to study there, and she was sure Bakugo would rather dig in a mine than force himself into that kind of social environment.

“Kaminari came to pick up Jiro. I brought Bakugo to check out the campus,” Kirishima explained, greeting the girls.

“Of course…” Ochako thought.

Bakugo stood off to the side. He gave a nod to the girls, maybe even a quiet “hey.”

Ochako instinctively moved away from him and stuck close to Tsuyu.

But from that distance, she observed him more carefully.
He had always been a handsome boy, but now he had become a handsome man. Broad shoulders, muscular build, thick neck, a seductive smirk, a confident and piercing gaze…

And that gaze was directed right at her.

“Shit, did he notice I was staring?”
Ochako quickly turned away and instinctively covered her face with her hand.

“Everything okay?” Tsuyu asked.
“Yeah, it’s just the sun. I forgot my sunglasses,” she justified herself, under Bakugo’s satisfied gaze.

The September air hinted at the arrival of autumn, but summer hadn’t quite let go yet.
The temperatures were still warm, the sun bright in the sky, and that lively, festive atmosphere still lingered among people.
Autumn was only knocking, with colder winds and shorter days.

Denki moved closer to Kyoka, standing beside her carefully without touching her.
“Did you see much this morning?” he asked kindly.
“Basically nothing.”

Jiro looked slightly disappointed, though there was a sparkle in her eyes. Gossiping with her friends had been fun, and she couldn’t deny it.

“What about you?”
“I just got here,” Denki admitted.

“Bakugo and I didn’t do anything this morning either. We got here shortly before Kaminari,” Kirishima added.

“Did you help him set up his room?” Tsuyu asked curiously.
“No, we have a place together,” Eijiro replied, wrapping an arm around Katsuki’s shoulders “We’re roommates. Can you believe it?!”

He was grinning from ear to ear. Katsuki stiffened but didn’t push him away, staying right there.

“I can’t even imagine how many parties we’ll throw!”

Denki bounced toward them like a kangaroo, making Jiro laugh.
“We’ll bring the whole building down!”
“We’re not bringing anything down, extras!” Bakugo growled.

“Why does he always have to growl like a dog when he talks?”

“Katsuki, I don’t believe you won’t throw at least one party!” Denki teased.
“And I’m sure it’ll help you meet some girls!” He nudged his arm.

“He prefers civilians, not pro heroes,” Kirishima added, pretending to cover his mouth.
Bakugo feigned offense, and the three boys burst into laughter.

“What can I say? They’re easier to impress.”
“How?” Kaminari asked.
“They don’t expect you to use your quirk in bed.”

‘How do you even use literal explosions…?’

The girls turned away and pretended not to hear, though they couldn’t help noticing that other girls nearby were slowly turning to look at Bakugo.

He had grown to about six feet tall, and as already established, he was attractive.
He could have been a model, like many pro heroes, but he believed he had to become number one through his hero work.

He didn’t care about popularity rankings or media opinions.
Still, if he weren’t that good-looking, he probably couldn’t afford to be that dismissive.

“I think it’s finally time to go,” Tsuyu said, breaking the moment, and Ochako was silently grateful.

“I’ll have classes in rooms II, III, A, and C,” Ochako said, letting them know what she needed to see.

“I have the auditorium, room E, and also III and C,” Kyoka replied.

Tsuyu checked her phone “I have the same as Jiro.”

The girls looked up, waiting for Bakugo to speak “A, III, room E, and II,” he said.

He had deliberately changed the order so no one would realize he would spend three quarters of his time with Uraraka.

Chapter Text

The first day of classes had gone very well, Ochako had been with Jiro and Tsuyu the whole time and, when they weren’t together, she could count on Bakugo’s oppressive gaze.

They hadn’t spoken a word during the classes they shared, he had made sure to sit a couple of rows behind her and she could feel his stare drilling a hole into her skull.

Between one class and another she had left a few messages to Deku, sure he would reply during the first possible break.

Classes were going great, she was having fun with her friends, but she still didn’t know what to expect from assignments and group projects: but that would be a problem for future Ochako since they wouldn’t have any work until mid-semester. She could relax without any problems for the first two months of classes, before the December exams.

“Sweetie, coffee break?” Tsuyu asked her around 11 in the morning.
“Absolutely yes”

Kyoka had stepped away for a moment to chat with an old acquaintance she had met that morning, they would meet again at the end of classes to have lunch together since in the afternoon they all had their agency shift.

“I feel like you’ve been a bit strange lately, are you sure everything’s okay?” Asui asked her.

“Yes” she blatantly lied “Everything’s fine” she sipped her ginseng while looking around discreetly.
They wouldn’t be interrupted since there were only pro heroes or aspiring heroes in that place.

“If you don’t want to tell me the truth, ribbit, I understand. Just know that I know when you lie and that if you need to talk I’ll be there” she reassured her while taking her change from the machine “If it’s about Deku, I’ll allow myself to say, as a friend, that you should talk to him” she didn’t add anything else so as not to seem intrusive.

Ochako smiled at her “You’re right, he can’t know what I don’t tell him” she admitted, taking her phone but he still hadn’t seen any of her messages. She didn’t worry too much because maybe he just had classes very close together.

Kyoka joined them and grabbed a tea very quickly, the next class was about to start and they didn’t want to be late since it would end at one and at two thirty in the afternoon they had to be at the agency.

Ochako had done everything to take notes but she didn’t seem suited for that subject, they had several courses including some exams in medicine, philosophy, law and others more technical on the study and evolution of quirks.

In November they would have to hand in assignments, both individual and group, in December they would have other non-deferrable exams “either you pass them or you fail and have to wait until September of the following year to retake them paying twice the fees”; other mid-semester exams in April and final exams in June, extendable at most to the following September.

Ochako had felt a bit of pressure from the deadlines but she relaxed immediately, it was only the first day and she still had two months of softness ahead of her. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything.
But she didn’t know it yet.

Tsuyu sneezed “That’s a bad sign” she commented to herself.
“Don’t exaggerate!” Ochako replied.
“I never exaggerate, ribbit”

Once the last class was over they went to the cafeteria and ate something quickly.
“What do you have now?” Kyoka asked right before eating half a sandwich in one bite.

“I’m on patrol” Tsuyu replied, sipping a lemonade.

“Why didn’t Bakugo come to the cafeteria?”

Silence.
What did Bakugo have to do with being on patrol?

“I mean… I’m on patrol too” Ochako corrected herself.

“I think Bakugo prefers eating at home, from what I understood he lives a few meters from the campus” Jiro replied, most likely Denki had told her.

Jiro then checked the time again “shit, I have to run” and ran off. They all started at the same time but she was the only one who had the office on the other side of the city, so Asui and Ochako were left alone “not that it was a problem.”

“Do you already know which area you have? Maybe we’ll run into each other” Ochako asked her.
“North district, but first they want me at the office to give me the stops”

“Ah I see, no I’m staying in the area and I don’t have many specifics. I already know which streets I have to check” she said distractedly thinking that maybe she should start running too, she had left her suit in the agency locker room and if she wanted to change she had to hurry “Do you mind if I run?”

Tsuyu understood and reassured her, so Ochako ran off and reached the agency just in time.

She changed quickly and before locking her locker she checked her phone one last time. Obviously she had told Deku she had arrived and that she was about to start but he still hadn’t replied, nor even seen the messages.

By now it was two thirty in the afternoon and her last message was the good morning sent at seven.
She shrugged, she couldn’t do much more.

But maybe Tsuyu was right, maybe she should talk to him. She didn’t want that after three years they would start taking certain things for granted, because that wasn’t what she wanted. Maybe she did it too or had done it, but she was willing to commit for him because she believed in it and had her values.

She closed the locker and did her job.
Very quiet shift, nothing had happened. She was happier because she wouldn’t have trouble filling out the report, bureaucracy remained the most annoying part. Paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork in which she had to meticulously describe every single thing that happened.

A patrol with nothing to report meant having to sign a pre-made form.
Ochako, about to go back to sign those two sheets of paper, was already letting a satisfied grin slip.

“If one day I die, it will be suffocated by a form” she muttered to herself “Cause of death: bureaucracy” she answered herself.

Until she saw Bakugo at the end of the street.
She shouldn’t have been able to reach him because the end of the street wasn’t part of her assigned patrol area, but her body led her toward him.

“Dynamight!” she greeted him respectfully.
Katsuki approached cautiously looking around, probably he too was supposed to go the opposite way.

“Uravity” he said respectfully.
“How serious you are” she teased him with a smile but he remained impassive, killing her enthusiasm.

“Everything alright?” she asked to compose herself.

“Nothing to report. You? Do you have a report to file?”
“All clear. Nothing to report” they had learned a script and signed a contract. If they had been caught going off script they would have been scolded badly.

“My area is quiet, I’m about to head back”
“Same” Ochako said looking around, embarrassment was devouring her. She would have sworn that the Katsuki she had known was different. Strict but not to the point of making her uncomfortable.

Bakugo sighed as if he was about to say something, in fact Uraraka had turned toward him expecting him to speak but in the end he said nothing. As if he had changed his mind.

“Tsk. Heading back”
“Received. Same” she replied, turning around.

Ochako filled out the pre-printed form, put her clothes back on and checked her phone again.
Midoriya had finally replied and she called him on the way back to the dorm.

“Hello? How are you?”
“I’m good, you?”
“I’m fine, thank you love” Deku replied “how was patrol?”

“Normal, thankfully. Nothing to report” she adjusted the strap of her bag “Your classes?”
“Great, I love this place! You?”

“All good” she lied “Listen, Izuku… I wanted to talk to you about something…” she began.
“Tell me everything”

“Listen, I’ll be honest. For a while I’ve felt like you don’t want to make love with me. In the past months… it practically hasn’t happened and it hurt me that we skipped our anniversary” shame was eating her from the inside but she had already said everything, she might as well continue “I didn’t want to tell you because I want it to come naturally from you, telling me” she added, feeling tears reach her eyes.

“You’re right, I’m sorry” Deku admitted immediately “I promise I’ll pay more attention. I love you, I’ll hang up now. Bye!”
“…bye!” she said goodbye as well.

By now she had reached her room and heated up some instant ramen.
She ate it in silence, practically in the dark, illuminated only by the microwave light and the moonlight filtering through the window.

She packed her bag for the next day, she was exhausted and was starting to doubt her own strength. She was no longer sure she could make it to the end of the year but she looked at the framed photo of her parents and found strength. She was doing it for them.

She took a quick shower and got under the covers wearing only a tank top and her panties.
She hadn’t drawn the curtains because she found the moonlight extremely romantic, which had probably inspired her too.

She slightly moved her panties aside and began to touch her clitoris, she could feel herself getting wet and started to move her hips to help herself. She moaned softly and began to think about everything that aroused her, she thought back to Izuku and the times they had made love. To his member, long and thick that tightened at the tip, but that she liked when she lay on her side.

A finger slipped inside and she began to touch herself gently and then started thrusting it more forcefully, until she came. Her breath broke between her lips but somehow it still wasn’t enough.

She was missing something and that something was a man.

Chapter Text

The first month went by quickly, Ochako ran from one side of the campus to the other for classes then ran to the gym and then to work. Like that, every single day.

She managed to see Deku on weekends, mainly at his place because the dorms were checked.

The checks were sporadic, not constant, but she didn’t want to risk losing the housing benefit for something that wasn’t worth it.

Things with him were “fine”, they were like always.

He was sweet, they were good together but he was taking her for granted. He thought of her, treated her well, everything was too… perfect with him. But he didn’t seek her out, she was starting to think he didn’t want her.

Ochako could touch herself until the end of her days but it didn’t replace him. He had never been particularly proactive or passionate, at the beginning she was fine with it but he had changed. She was fine with doing it “little”, but not nothing.

Was she a bad person if she hoped he had someone else instead?

She still hadn’t managed to spend a Friday or Saturday evening with her friends and this was making her feel bad. They saw each other every day but it wasn’t the same, during lessons they didn’t talk to listen to the professor and lunch break lasted less than twenty minutes.

She was getting tired of complaining about Deku, nor did she particularly want to tell them that he didn’t want her and how much she missed the touch of a man. They only talked about notes, concepts, how bad the vending machine coffee was… they talked about sex, about female problems among themselves. The confidence was there and in the end they were natural things, things they all did. Even Tsuyu, the least personally involved, was still comfortable.

But it weighed on Ochako, she envied Jiro because she lived with Denki and sometimes she wondered how often they made love. Every night? Unlikely, with work it was impossible. Three times a week? At least, it couldn’t be otherwise.

And suddenly she realized that she and Deku waited a couple of weeks between one time and the next.

What if she was the problem?

Maybe it was her fault for thinking only about that, yet she was really feeling bad. A twenty-year-old, in the prime of her years and physical shape, had to have desire.

But what if she had too much of it? They had opportunities, there wasn’t always a need to wait two weeks, so why didn’t he want her?

Why did he make excuses? He had fewer commitments than her, who still worked part-time as a pro hero, how could he be more tired?

And what if she had put pressure on him somehow? She would die from guilt.

A water bottle fell from a desk and she turned around abruptly, she hadn’t followed a single word of what the professor had said. She looked at her notebook and she had written, more or less, only five words. Three of which were “I have to study more”, so technically useless.

At this rate she would have more trouble passing the midterms but she still had time to recover, she would have to study twice as much as the others but it was still doable.

In that course Kyoka and Tsuyu weren’t there, so she searched for Bakugo with her eyes. They had spoken a couple of times, they had almost all classes together but he seemed to evaporate in her presence. Even when they were on patrol they looked at each other from afar and then looked at their own area, which made sense since they were there to make sure nothing was out of place and not to have tea with biscuits.

He always sat behind her or diagonally, as if he was keeping her under control while taking away her ability to control him. Ochako bit her lower lip in frustration and at the end of the lesson she went out into the courtyard.

Autumn had now fully arrived, the trees were dyed red and were starting to lose their leaves, the crisp air had become cold and even on nice days there were puddles on the ground.

Ochako wrapped her coat tighter and adjusted her scarf so she wouldn’t get cold.

Incredibly it was her day off and she didn’t know how to spend it, since her friends and her boyfriend were all busy.

So she decided to enjoy a coffee break, without useless rushing, to enjoy the moment.

“A chocolate donut to go, please!” she said kindly to the clerk, she had been eating badly and barely for a month and a half to save money. Even if it was junk it was more substantial than everything she had eaten lately. She felt clumsy with the bag with notebooks and books on her shoulder and the coat but she didn’t care to enjoy her donut.

A couple of girls walked past her and looked at her, two beautiful girls who had taken off their jackets as soon as they entered, showing two slim and lean bodies.

Ochako touched her stomach over her coat, went outside and threw the donut in the bin next to the entrance. The sky became cloudy and she heard thunder in the distance. With a heavy and nervous step she headed toward the dorm thinking about how sorry she was for not eating that donut and about the money she had wasted to buy it.

She felt her lower lip tremble and her vision blur, she didn’t want to end up again on some magazine where they commented on her body. But Ochako was hungry and needed some gratification.

“What did that donut ever do to you?”

Ochako turned around and saw Katsuki.

“What?” she muttered, holding back a sob as much as possible.

“I saw you throw a donut in the bin and it looked whole” he was wearing only a black short-sleeved shirt and had his backpack on his shoulder, how he wasn’t freezing seemed incredible to her but then she remembered it might have something to do with his quirk or his madness.

“Did you follow me to give me a lecture on food waste?” she asked thinking she had cornered him, without even being sure of the point she wanted to make.

“Actually I’m on the way, I parked nearby. If I had wanted to follow you you wouldn’t have noticed, trust me” normally he would have mocked her but he saw her too shaken and bit his tongue.

He took a step to pass her but Uraraka instinctively followed him “Are you going home for the weekend?” she asked and he nodded, as if he was ashamed to say he was going back to his parents.

“You haven’t gone back yet?” he asked to show interest.

“No, I’ll go back directly at Christmas” working part-time meant earning less but train tickets always cost the same.

“Studying like crazy then” Katsuki said dragging his feet.

“You can count on it” she hadn’t opened a book yet and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t even start that day. Yet she knew how stupid it was not to take advantage of free days “How’s work?”

“Normal” but then he corrected himself “Boring”

Uraraka turned toward him, she wanted to know more.

“With part-time they almost always send you on patrol alone, with night shifts you already have more chances to take down some villain or… to do something. Anything, literally”

“I confirm” she said curling into herself to feel less cold.

“Anyway I’ve arrived, this is my car” he pointed to a Porsche.

“Of course he drives a Porsche…”

“Why don’t you ever talk to me during class?” she asked boldly.

“Because I go to class to learn, not to socialize, round face” he said opening it to leave his backpack on the back seats.

“And why not during lunch break or coffee break then?” she probably wanted to hurt herself.

“Because have you ever asked me anything?” he challenged her with a satisfied half smile.

“What nerve”

He got in, started the engine and without too many formalities and with a roar of the engine he disappeared.

She made her way toward her dorm with a nervous air, Bakugo had annoyed her and she couldn’t explain how he had gotten so under her skin.

She shut herself in her room, with the usual discount noodles.

She heard knocking and decided to open “Tsuyu!”

“Do you mind if I stay here for a couple of hours, ribbit?”

“Of course not, make yourself at home” she welcomed her “sorry for the mess”

The room was half empty but still inexplicably messy.

“Did you want to tell me something?” Ochako asked sitting on the bed to leave her the desk chair.

“First of all, do you eat anything besides this stuff?” she inspected the instant ramen package and then threw it in the bin.

“There are many flavors, I never get tired!” she laughed, maybe at herself “Besides, I’m still alive!”

“For now” Tsuyu teased her “Are you doing the project in a group or alone?”

“I was thinking alone” she said before filling her mouth with a big bite “You?” she asked with her mouth half full.

“I have some classmates from the computer science context. I think Kyoka prefers to do it alone too”

Ochako answered by nodding while looking at the bottom of the container. She threw everything in the bin and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Are you coming to class on Monday?”

“No, ribbit, tomorrow I’m going home and I’ll skip Monday. I’ll be there directly on Tuesday”

Ochako felt bad, maybe she should have called her parents but she wasn’t in the right mood to lie to them.

“Is it hard? The project, I mean” Ochako tried not to think about her own problems.

“Yes and no, ribbit” Tsuyu adjusted her hair while speaking “I started consulting sources today, it’s not difficult in itself but it’s long”

“Sure, I understand” the next day then she would better go to the library “I’ll make you some tea” she gave her a sincere smile. She heated the water in the kettle and took two cups and the tea bags, handed her one and Tsuyu joined her on the bed.

“Did you talk to Midoriya?” her friend asked before blowing on the tea, it was hot.

“Yes” Ochako replied looking away “he agreed with me and apologized”

Tsuyu was waiting for a follow-up that didn’t come “And that’s it?”

“And that’s it. I told him what I think, I felt incredibly humiliated and he did nothing concrete to change the situation”

“Humiliated?”

Only then Uraraka realized that Asui couldn’t know, because she hadn’t told her anything.

She quickly finished the tea and decided to tell her the truth “You’re the only one I’m telling this to…” she put the cup on the desk and then sat facing her “…Izuku and I don’t… we haven’t been alone for a long time. Before it was something that happened from time to time, now having sex has become the exception” she felt like dying inside, she felt like laughing but also lighter.

“That’s not a small thing” she also put away her cup “So he just apologized? Are you sure he understood?”

“If he apologized and agreed with me, I take it for granted that he did. Why would he agree with me if he didn’t understand how I feel?”

“I understand, but did he understand that it’s an emotional factor and not just physical? And that the physical aspect, even if less important, is still relevant and not negligible?” Tsuyu stood up, Uraraka had opened Pandora’s box five minutes before curfew “I don’t think it’s something that can be solved in five minutes, anyway it’s getting late now, if you want we can talk about it next week” they hugged to say goodbye and Tsuyu went back to her room.

Ochako put the cups away and sent a very long message to Deku.

“Anyway, love, this thing that you no longer show attraction toward me, you need to fix it.

I blamed myself, I felt guilty for repeating the same things to you so many times, but today I realize that my emotions come from concrete actions: it’s natural that I feel this way.

The fact that you don’t show desire from a physical point of view, as if it were normal for you not to make me feel desired — your girlfriend —, that you don’t tell me anything about what you might think (and by now I’m convinced that you don’t even think certain things anymore), that after five weeks you don’t touch me and don’t even look at me once with a captivating look… after five weeks I had hoped you would cling to any excuse to stay warm with me. I deluded myself into spending a romantic week with you; as the days passed I deluded myself that it could remain a romantic weekend while thinking back to the words you told me the night of the anniversary: that you would want me.

But that wasn’t the case.

So I can’t trust your words anymore. I don’t want you to misunderstand me: I trust you and I love you, but when you talk to me about this topic I can no longer believe you. You always tell me I’m right, but nothing ever changes, neither in the short nor in the long term.

I don’t want you to think that the physical aspect is more important to me or that it’s the only important one, I hope you’ve gotten to know me well enough to know that’s not the case.

But you can’t expect me to stay silent when an aspect that is still important, less than others but we’re not talking about “pizza and figs”, completely disappears from the relationship.

I’m not comparing you to me, because I know I will always be more affectionate and physical than you. I’m comparing you to the Midoriya who sought me out and who won me over: the one who told me things that now embarrass you, who wasn’t afraid to undress in the cold or in the heat, who stayed up all night and who would have gotten angry with himself if he had fallen asleep without first kissing my neck.

It’s ugly to say, but I know that if I don’t take the initiative, nothing comes from you. If I let go, you settle. I find myself chasing you and hearing standard phrases, as if there’s always something stopping you from asking me things first. I appreciate that you take my consent and my opinion into account above everything, but your tongue won’t fall out if every now and then you’re the one to ask me something first or if — heaven forbid — you’re the one to take initiative sometimes.

I understand that the money for flowers may seem like a useless expense, but since everything else is missing, even just a rose bought at the last minute for the anniversary you could have given it to me, or a quickly written note. Not because a gift itself is necessary, but because it would mean that you care about showing it to me. If you can’t or don’t want to hit one side, at least hit the other.

If there’s something stopping you from talking to me, or if you really find me that repulsive, I ask you please to explain it to me. If instead you intend to answer me as you always do, then maybe it’s better not to answer at all. But don’t expect me to keep chasing you like I have so far: I’ve been very patient. If by doing things the nice way I ended up shooting myself in the foot, then from today I will simply behave like you.

I love you but I will take note of your decisions, I’m tired. I no longer intend to chase you. You’ve put a responsibility on me that is too big to be handled alone and I’m tired.

From now on this aspect will depend entirely on you.

I’m passing you the baton.

P.S.

If someone read this message maybe they wouldn’t understand what I “want” from you, but I take it for granted that you know: I’ve been asking for clear and open communication for a long time. We see each other little, we’ve seen each other little throughout September and October.

I don’t want to force things that can’t happen because of circumstances, you can also leave me a message every now and then to tell me what you feel.

I know it’s a long and structured message, but I ask you, especially considering your maturity, to focus on the heart of the matter and not on those sentences that may seem like accusations: they really don’t want to be.”

She reread the message three times.

By the fourth she already hated it.

Chapter Text

It was already Monday and Ochako was alone in class, Tsuyu was at her home and that day Kyoka didn’t have courses in common with her, it was also hard to run into her around campus. It would have been quicker to see her the next day in class with Tsuyu.

She arrived in class, she had incredibly organized a month and a half of notes even if they weren’t perfect. She was slightly early and could finally sit a bit further forward than usual.
She put everything she needed on the desk, notebook, pencil case, water bottle… and while waiting she distracted herself by looking at her phone.

She mindlessly scrolled through the photos that appeared in front of her, wondering why pro hero women’s bodies had to be commodified.

And what if her frustration was the problem? If she hadn’t been sexually repressed maybe she wouldn’t have thought the same thing in front of those shots…

Her body over the years had changed, it was that of a woman and no longer that of a teenager but it had nothing to do with weight.

She had shown up to class wearing a pair of black leather shorts, tights, a belt, ankle boots and a black sweater. She had placed her dark brown coat on the back of her chair along with her scarf and adjusted her mascara before the class could fill up.

Just before the lesson, when the desks were starting to run out, she saw Bakugo enter. She couldn’t help but follow him with her gaze, only that he left on her desk, right in front of her eyes, a croissant. It wasn’t a donut but maybe he hadn’t found one in the cafeteria.

She turned her whole torso to look at him but immediately turned back when she realized he was sitting right behind her. She couldn’t justify her accelerated heartbeat, she should have thanked him but that small earthquake inside her had prevented her.

Uraraka immediately straightened her back and combed her hair with her fingers as best as she could, she still had the small mirror she had used to fix her mascara and so she decided to put on lipstick as well. She carefully cleaned the edges of her mouth and then put everything away, she knew Bakugo had a smirk on his face almost as if she had eyes on the back of her head.

The professor entered and everyone stood up as a form of respect, to sit at his first gesture.
Ochako had taken notes perfectly, she had never managed to follow a lesson so well since the beginning of the semester.

What did Bakugo have to do with it?

Uraraka felt as if he could make her explode if she didn’t focus.
However, the problem remained that she was missing the notes from the lessons in which she had daydreamed looking out the window.

“Katsuki?” she turned during the five-minute break.
“Round face?” the boy rested his elbows on the desk and leaned toward her.

“The notes from September 26, October 3 and 4” she said with fake confidence.
“Huh, what?” he asked without understanding.

“Do you have them?”
“Obviously. Why don’t you?” he teased her.

Ochako couldn’t really explain that she had slept and drooled on the page “The lessons weren’t very clear” she justified herself, hoping they weren’t actually the easiest ones so far.

“And what am I supposed to do about it?” he mocked her
“Can I take pictures of them?” she snapped back.
“How do you say it?”
“Are you making fun of me?” Ochako replied in the same tone.

“I don’t think that’s the magic formula” he couldn’t help laughing at his own jokes, as if they were funny.
“Please” she gave him a fake dazzling smile while fluttering her eyelashes gracefully

“No, I’m not giving them to you” he was holding back an absurd laugh.
“Fuck you” she whispered while the professor was coming back in

Bakugo would have wanted to give her the notebook but the professor had already entered and above all had started explaining at lightning speed. He internally called himself an idiot for not taking advantage of it immediately, also because she seemed to have taken him seriously. His manners hadn’t changed much but his intentions had been completely overturned.

At the end of the lesson he saw her run away with a classmate and he hadn’t had time to stop her to let her take pictures of those stupid pages.

He always saw her distracted in class, sitting behind her he could understand when she was really trying and when instead she was thinking about her own things. Also from where he sat he could easily see when she used her phone, he was still too far to peek at her screen.

He left skipping the last lesson of the day, the one he didn’t have in common with Uraraka, to go to the gym with Kirishima.

“Aren’t you on patrol tonight?”
“I’d say no since I’m here with you” he threw a towel at Eijiro while they approached the machines.

“Normal” physical activity was still considered extremely important even though their bodies could be pushed to limits that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine.

“What did you do today?” Eijiro asked him
“Anatomy” he answered curtly lifting the barbell.

“With some girl?” the redhead chuckled.
“Jealous?” he replied laughing like crazy.

“What an asshole!” Kirishima was laughing with him though, it had been funny “By the way, I have the night shift tonight”
“And? Do you want me to play the housewife and have breakfast ready for you tomorrow morning?”

“You’re so stupid” Eijiro chuckled “If you want to bring someone home, feel free to do it”
“I would anyway and you know it” Bakugo mocked him.

Kirishima had just finished his set and waited for his friend to finish too to talk about something serious “Anyway thanks for letting me stay at your place” Bakugo straightened up to hear better “and for giving me a discount on the rent. I know I owe you much more” Eijiro finished.

“Stop it, the only reason you pay me is because I couldn’t stand you anymore and I had to give in. I didn’t want you to pay me on principle” he moved to another barbell to do squats “if you ever need to stop…” he stroked the bar before positioning himself under it “…just ask me. No embarrassment, not between you and me” and he started the set.

Kirishima gave him a smile full of affection “You’re a friend” he took his gym bag and greeted him to go take a shower.

Bakugo instead finished his workout and went straight to the agency to start patrol, he would shower directly at home in the evening before going to sleep.

Ochako had just finished her shift and went to take a shower, she hated communal bathrooms but by now she had gotten used to them and, almost always having the same schedule, she had also established a routine with the other girls on the floor.

She went to the basement and did the laundry, she preferred to do it on Sunday to start the week with clean clothes but the day before all the washing machines had been full and it had been impossible.

She had left her phone in the room and when she picked it up to check it she saw that Bakugo had written to her, she immediately checked and they were photos of all the notes. He had also sent her things she hadn’t asked for and she sent him a message to thank him.

“Hello?”
“Mom?”

“Ochako! How nice, it’s been a couple of days since you called, is everything okay?”
“Yes, sorry. But I texted you! I’ve had a lot to do”

“Of course, I can imagine. Don’t worry, sweetheart” the warmth of her mother’s voice brought tears to her eyes but she held back “Are you okay, sweetheart?” A mom always knows when something is wrong.

“Everything’s fine” she sniffed quietly “I’m just tired, I just got back from my shift and I haven’t eaten yet”
“Ochako, eat something warm”

The girl also said goodbye to her dad, as much as she suffered from the nostalgia, hearing them always comforted her. She was crying, it’s true, but she felt much better.

Knowing that the next day she would see her friends in class comforted her, a feeling that didn’t last long because, at the sight of her friends, Bakugo had started sitting very far from her again. Maybe even further than before.

Chapter Text

Bakugo sat far away from her again, as if he'd never existed the day before. As if he'd never given her that delicious croissant, as if he'd never teased her.

The moment she'd begun to recognize him, he'd become a shadow of his former self. He'd never been particularly popular, but he had that certain something that drew people to him, that’s how he become friends with Eijiro and thus earned his reputation as a womanizer. Maybe it was his bloodshot eyes, his body, his face, his confidence...

Ochako realized her head was turned, owlishly, toward him. She composed herself and began to follow the lesson.

The groups for the project had already been formed, but she and Jiro had preferred to do it alone. Because working in a group meant: one person working, two disappearing, and one showing up the day before saying, "Guys, can we do this in PowerPoint?"

It was mid-October, and they had a couple of weeks to write: they had to write a long report on the evolution of the legal recognition of quirks. A historical-legal thesis, the furthest thing from Uraraka's interests. But she had taken it well; she imagined herself already busy in the library; she believed that romanticizing studying could make her more productive. If they didn't pass, they could resubmit it in December, but along with another exam.

"How did it go at your parents'?" Ochako asked Tsuyu during their coffee break.
"Very good, I was happy to see my whole family again."
Jiro smiled at her and then bent over to pick up the change.

The two girls, however, surrounded Jiro to cover her. "What's the matter with you?"
"You have a hickey" Ochako whispered.

Kyoka instinctively put her hand to her neck, but then she started laughing. "I swear, I know it doesn't look like it, but I burned myself with the straightener this morning!" she giggled.
"The most romantic straightener I've ever seen" Tsuyu commented.

Ochako lent her her scarf. "It's better if you cover it up anyway, I don't want any paparazzi to see it."
"Thank you" she said sincerely. "But what a drag, I really just burned myself with the straightener." They headed back to class. "Tell me if it seems normal to you that I can't get a bruise during a fight without having to justify myself in front of everyone" she said, pissed, and she was absolutely right.

Tsuyu intervened: "I refuse to put on makeup before leaving the house. If I create fewer expectations, I can feel more at ease."

"We should all do it" Ochako replied, fully made up. "Except either we all do it, all of us, or nothing will change. I'd take my makeup off right now, but I'd just go down in the rankings, and that's it." The harsh truth.

"We have to do something to change this system," Jiro said, sitting in the desk opposite Ochako, while Tsuyu sat down in the one next to her.

At that moment, Uraraka saw Bakugo reenter the classroom. Time slowed down and they looked into each other's eyes in slow motion. She couldn't deny it. She'd seen him look at her.

That look sent a long shiver down her spine as time resumed its normal course and Bakugo walked past her to take his seat. Ignored by his two old acquaintances, who seemed so accustomed to his indifference that he, too, became invisible to them.

"Ribbit, what can we do to change this system?"

Ochako looked down and saw her thighs splayed across the chair. "I don't know," she felt anger rising. "But I'm not okay with this situation anymore."

"I think it's all the fault of the first heroines," Jiro denounced. "Exactly, to attract the public's attention, they over-sexualized themselves, and today we're paying the consequences of their actions!"

"Kyoka, but they were forced to, they didn't have the same opportunities as us." You're not considering the sociocultural context! You can't compare what a single person did 100 years ago to what you do today," Asui corrected her. "It's the fault of modern media and the narrative imposed on us!"

"But if the phenomenon doesn't die out, it means there are still too many people in favor," Ochako intervened. "If there weren't men obsessed with our physical appearance, we'd be taken more seriously," she tapped the desk, "and even our uniforms would change."

"To be so radicalized, this phenomenon must have entered the lives and beliefs of many women, too," Jiro replied kindly, understanding that the anger was directed at the system, not at her. "Who knows how many women at home, watching TV, judge our bodies in front of their families?"

"You're right," the others agreed quickly, resuming their lesson.

They each finished their classes separately, and that evening Tsuyu hosted them in her room.

"I hate these useless patrols. I think they're deliberately giving us too many quiet spots." Jiro lay down on Asui's bed. "If I hadn't seen an old man this afternoon, I would have thought they were fake buildings with painted doors."
"The old man could have been an extra!" Ochako teased, making them all laugh.

They lay down on the bed, hugging each other. "Tsuyu, your bed is bigger than mine!"

"Your kitchenette is bigger than mine, we're even, ribbit."

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired," Ochako said out of nowhere.
"Do you want to go to sleep? Was your patrol so exciting and violent?" Kyoka asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, I'm tired of all this stress." She rubbed her eyes, and the others stood up to get a better look at her, thinking she had some juicy gossip to share. "How do you guys manage to study while working shifts? It's a miracle I can manage my notes between classes and as soon as I get home from work. If Denki does your laundry, then I'll come live with you."

"Unfortunately, Denki doesn't do the laundry. He experiments with colors, and after dyeing my white skirt blue, he's no longer allowed to touch my clothes," Jiro pointed out.

"I spend a lot of time cooking and less time working the laundry." I have a simple wardrobe and spend many hours at the pool... ribbit-

Ochako let out a disconsolate sigh, feeling like a burden because of how she'd been behaving with her friends lately.

"It's normal what you feel," they reassured her. "You're not alone, we're all in the same situation!"

‘Not in the same boat, though, same problems, but you're on a cruise and I'm on a fishing boat’

"I know. I'm sorry I feel like I'm just complaining to you guys lately. You don't deserve it."

"If you don't complain to us, what good are we?"

"Jiro's right, we want to support you. And, honestly, ribbit." Tsuyu met her gaze. "You don't look like you've told us everything." She looked at her as if suspicious, and Ochaco swallowed it. "Besides, you haven't confided much. You're much less heavy-handed than you think."

Ochako felt the tension ease on her shoulders, but for a moment she'd feared he might expose her... but expose what, exactly? Tsuyu couldn't know about her feelings, the repression, the frustration, the guilt... guilt for what? She felt bad precisely because she didn't do anything.

Oh, right, she felt guilty because she wasn't studying, right? Or because she was starting to get excited thinking about other guys besides Midoriya?

No, it wasn't possible. Tsuyu couldn't have known it, or even guessed it. Besides, it wasn't true. She thought to reassure herself, to pat herself on the shoulder.

"Thank you so much," she reached up to hug them, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth. She felt like she was being interrogated, but she had nothing to confess, just the shame that only comes from someone who has something to confess.

She stayed with them until curfew and said goodbye, reminding Jiro to text her when she got home.

Uraraka returned to her room, which wasn't difficult since she only had to walk down the hall.

"Hello?"
"Hey," Deku replied in a weak voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, you? Did I wake you by any chance?"

"Yes, but don't worry. How are you?" he repeated, forgetting he'd already asked.

"I'm fine. I wanted to know if we're seeing each other next week. We're in the same city, but we need to make an appointment...”

"Of course, when do you have your day off?"

"I should have it on Saturday," she checked her calendar. "Do you want to see my dorm?" she asked nonchalantly, needing an excuse to get him there, but then she opened up. "Midoriya, I want to make love to you. I can't wait any longer."

Izuku felt guilty, and it was clear from his tone: "I know, you told me, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I got distracted, I don't know what's going on in my head. We can take advantage of this when..."
"Midoriya, Saturday. In my dorm," she said confidently.

"But I don't want to organize them first, it ruins the romance," he almost seemed annoyed.
"You should have thought about that before, before I had to ask you to make love to your girlfriend!" She didn't feel like crying, just screaming. "I don't care if you find it unromantic, because I honestly don't see anything romantic about this whole situation you've created!" She held back somehow.

"What if they catch us?"
"And me, Midoriya? And me? And how am I feeling?"

Izuku realized not only that he had handled a situation poorly, but also that he had caused significant damage. He apologized again, sincerely, but Ochako bid him goodnight and hung up.

She threw the phone on the bed and ran her hands through her hair, slumping against the door.

It really couldn't be like that; married women with kids say things like that. Not two twenty-year-olds with a dorm room that was always available and monitored, but they were still pro-heroes who had prevented the end of the world. They could have even foiled the surveillance.

She went to bed with her headphones in to calm herself but she couldn't sleep.
She only managed to do so at 4:25 a.m., and only after masturbating. She did it almost every night now, not for pleasure but to try to fill something emotionally. She tried to provide herself with a pleasant emotion that would replace the disappointment and frustration she felt.

Chapter Text

The alarm went off, interrupting Ochako’s short and restless sleep.
She took a cold shower to wake herself up and, before getting dressed, looked at herself in the mirror.

She caressed her chest, wondering if a man would find it attractive, traced the contours of her waist and hips with her fingertips, wondering if they should be slimmer; her stomach, she turned around and studied her butt and thighs. Wondering if maybe she was the problem.

She put on the loosest clothes she could find, grabbed a beanie and rushed to class.

On Saturdays she only had seminars, not actual lectures, but she still had to attend because they were supplementary. That day was yet another one on first aid, as if she didn’t already know something about it. It was open to everyone and no one said anything if pro heroes got distracted, in fact, it made it easier for the staff to carry out demonstrations.

“I’m here” Deku texted her and she slipped out before it even ended.

She saw him in the distance and reached him, they exchanged a shy kiss and soon Ochako wanted to drag him away from there: they were the only ones and she felt under pressure.

“Will you show me the campus?” he asked, taking her by the arm, precisely because no one was around he felt relaxed enough to let himself go.

Ochako’s heart was in her throat, she felt like she was walking on the deck of a ship to be thrown overboard. She was happy to see him but the idea that she would have to sneak him into her dorm without being caught BY ANYONE was driving her crazy. She was risking a lot and maybe that day she wasn’t even in the right mood, but when would she have another chance?

“So, this is the courtyard” they looked around “over there instead is the main building, where I have classes, I take six courses and the classrooms are divided between the two sections you see…” she pointed with her pinky to the structure they didn’t approach “on this side instead…” she pulled him along “… there’s the famous cafeteria!”

“The one you go to with Jiro and Tsuyu?” he asked, stroking her back.
“Exactly!” she gave him a half smile “The dorms instead…”

“Isn’t there anything else you want to show me first?”
Ochako froze, she didn’t understand what he was referring to.

Izuku saw her confused and gave her a small push “yeah, what do you usually do? You must go somewhere?” but he got no answer “maybe you have breakfast with your friends, walk somewhere specific, where do you study?”

There were places to study outdoors but they were deserted, it was too cold and the rain was becoming more and more frequent.

Ochako knew she wasn’t enjoying the experience but the realization hit her.

“Shoto and I have our place to eat soba” he said smiling while looking around “then we go study in the library with Momo. I spend much less time with Iida but we always try to stay together in class, now we were thinking of doing the next April project together” he said lightly “I’m already preparing this one with Shoto, he’s very quiet, especially in the library” he chuckled “but I feel good, actually really good!”

Ochako smiled at him.

“In the evening we hang out either at my place or Tsuyu’s before curfew” she said emotionless.

“Has Denki thrown any parties yet?”
“Not that I know of, I don’t think so. I know he works nights sometimes and between that and Jiro’s classes, I think they’ll throw one close to the Christmas holidays” Ochako thought to herself.

“Ahhh right I get it” Izuku said with his usual sweet smile “how’s your midterm project going?”

The question devastated her “I finished organizing my notes, all of them” she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes “now I just have to start writing and consult the sources the professor gave us” she sighed and saw a little cloud of breath leave her mouth.

He was doing great.
She was happy for him but deep down she wished she could experience the same thing.

Deku saw her distracted and gave her soft kisses, almost playfully to make her smile and it worked.
“So you wanted to show me the dorm?” he asked in a playful tone

“Y-yes” she muttered and guided him mechanically.
She didn’t feel like it that day, maybe because her period was about to come, but she let him sneak into her room anyway.

Maybe, if he played his cards well, her desire would increase.

“This is my room, here on the right is the bed, on the left the kitchenette, at the back on the left the desk and right in front of you the window. Tour over!” she giggled

“You forgot to point out the wardrobe and the dresser on the right!” he added to the joke “who knows what you’re hiding in there, since you’ve got clothes on the floor!” he teased her

“I wonder that too!” she joked “definitely not books and notebooks because they’re all on the desk” she pointed at them and then locked the door.

Deku hung his jacket on the hook on the door and tucked his scarf and hat with it, while he put his gloves in the jacket pocket.

Uraraka instead placed everything on the desk chair and picked up the two items she had left on the floor, a hoodie she needed to wash and sweatpants she used for things that didn’t require real pants, like walking around the dorm to do laundry and going to the communal bathroom to shower.

Izuku lay down and Ochako next to him with the laptop, incredibly brand new because she had bought it with a student discount.

They started a movie, the first they found, and after not long Midoriya had started caressing her chest.

There are couples where this isn’t necessarily sexual but Deku wasn’t the kind of guy who would allow himself to touch a woman like that just to show affection. He distinguished erotic touch from affectionate touch, while for Ochako there would be nothing wrong with being touched like that just to show affection. It had the upside that she could clearly understand when he wanted her and when he didn’t.

She lifted her shirt herself and they started kissing, his hand slipped under her bra and she helped him undress. They moved the laptop and Midoriya got on top of her, he was sweet and slow but she didn’t like it.

How could she explain to him that she felt “bad”?

That having had to ask him didn’t make her feel truly wanted?

She gave in anyway but only because she couldn’t bear going without for two whole months, she said yes just to try to satisfy a repressed need.

Midoriya didn’t notice and he was enjoying it, Ochako couldn’t say she didn’t like it at all but she went through the act with a mechanical motion.

When they finished, Midoriya filled her with kisses and affection, held her close and fell asleep with his face tucked into the crook of her neck.

Ochako stroked his hair while staring at the ceiling, she moistened her lips wondering how she could satisfy her own desire now that sex didn’t seem to be enough anymore. What could they add to solve that problem?

What was the root issue: attraction, monotony, laziness?
When Uraraka thought about intimacy, what did she want?

To feel desired.

Chapter Text

It was the 15th of November, it looked like deep winter, the rains were becoming more and more frequent and the cold seeped through clothes and froze the bones.
Ochako loved that time of year; paparazzi were less inclined to linger around and heavy clothes disguised pro heroes better, often making them look like civilians.

“They’ve published the essay results” they texted in the group chat.

Ochako jumped on the spot, she was putting on her costume for her shift, that day she had to present a mediation simulation with a villain. Lighter than a direct confrontation, much more mental work compared to patrol.

She found the document published by the professor and searched for her student ID number.

‘Insufficient’

She felt her legs give way, she sat down for a moment on the bench and saw her entire career crumble.
“Uraraka!” she heard someone call
“I’m coming” she said in a faint voice

She sat behind an oval table, in front of her were her colleagues and her superiors. It was routine for the younger ones who lacked experience, put face to face with the big names, obviously, since they had been sent into the field since high school.

She was pale and the words came out of her mouth on their own, the brain-to-tongue connection had been cut off and she was reciting from memory instead of getting into character.

Uraraka had always been gifted in this aspect as a pro hero, it came almost naturally to her, and despite the poor performance, they all applauded her.
A small comfort that didn’t hold up when compared to the blow of the exam.

Her shift had obviously ended earlier, normally she would have stayed at reception with her colleagues but she changed to go back to her lodging.

She was so upset she didn’t even feel the cold hitting her; her hands were in her pockets, she walked quickly and in her haste she almost seemed to be hopping in place. She pulled out her phone irritably and checked it.

Both Tsuyu and Jiro had passed and with decent grades. Of course, as friends they had shared their student ID numbers and she knew that they knew she was the only one in the group who hadn’t passed.

She would have liked to check Bakugo’s grade too but she took for granted that he had passed with the highest score, and in fact only three people in the whole class had gotten top marks. He had to be among those three.

She bumped into someone and apologized without even turning around.

“Round face, do you think you’re a snowplow?”
“Bakugo I’m not in the mood to joke” she replied without turning, she had recognized the voice.

“Did your balloon fly away?” he tried to tease her but she started walking again at the same pace as before, getting farther and farther from him “OI! Is that any way to act?” he blurted out.

She stopped in the middle of the street “Is that any way to act?”

Bakugo hadn’t expected an answer, certainly not one like that and not really from her.

“Look, I’m not just a round face, I have other things to think about besides you!” she snapped at him.

“You?” he pointed at her “you think about me?” then pointed at himself with an amused smirk.

She flushed, she hadn’t meant that even if she really thought it.

‘Do I really think that?’

She waved her hand in front of him “No, you know what I meant!”

“Do you always think about me or only when you’re alone?” he lifted his chin arrogantly

“Stop it” she snapped

“At night, maybe?” he teased her but it wasn’t the day for it because she turned again and resumed heading toward the dorm.

“Cheeks, what’s wrong with you?” he had followed her up to the entrance of the building but promised himself not to cross that imaginary boundary he had set.

“What’s wrong is that I screwed everything up!” she waved her arms theatrically and the first thing Katsuki thought of was Deku.

Had they broken up?

“He gave me an insufficient because I didn’t study anything! Because I’m stupid!” she specified the reason for her mood “and the chances that I pass it in December TOGETHER with another exam, which is even harder” she stressed the aside with a bitter tone “are zero! I screwed up three months of my life and I’ve also halved my salary” she turned to lean against the door handle “and for what?” she slightly turned her head to look at him from the side “for what?” she turned fully toward him again.

She sighed heavily and let out a pained sound as she tried to hold back her tears “I might as well just go back home now” she blinked to push the tears back “I’ll pack my things and go home. I’ll go back to working where I was before full-time, I’ll still be a pro hero and my life won’t change. In the end I’m doing all this just to achieve greatness…” she waved her arm as if drawing a rainbow in the air “…but sometimes there are ordinary heroes too and you have to accept being one of them”

She let out one last sigh and let her arms fall heavily at her sides.

Katsuki, of all the possibilities he could have imagined, would have never expected a monologue like that.

Ochako moved to go inside but Bakugo had already reached her and grabbed her hand “Don’t go back home, you’re not stupid for not passing but you would be stupid if you gave up right now”

Uraraka’s gaze moved from his hand over hers to Bakugo’s eyes, who continued “It’s not up to me to remind you of the great things you’ve faced in the past but…” Ochako stared at the scar under his eye, a reminder of something huge he had done “…it is up to me to tell you that you deserve and you can achieve greatness”

his gaze softened and Ochako felt much warmer, as if someone had put a heater under her coat

“If you want to give up everything and go back home, do it. I won’t stop you. But I would lose respect for you” he told her in a firm, cutting tone “but if you want to do the right thing, stay and meet me tomorrow in the study room. I’ll tutor you and you’ll pass both exams in December” he removed his hand from hers and turned his back, walking away as a light rain began to fall.

Chapter Text

Ochako stayed there watching Bakugo’s back as he walked away from her; she only went into her room once she was sure she had seen him disappear into the distance.

Bakugo didn’t know what she would choose, whether to actually try with him or to give up everything and go back home. He had never doubted her abilities, but he couldn’t ignore her fragility in that moment; it didn’t take a genius to understand she had a lot on her plate.

He would only find out what she had decided in class, whether he would see her or not. He had wanted to text her to tell her when and where to meet, but he waited to see her in the classroom; he neither wanted nor could afford to lose that aura of mystery.

He had sat down well in advance before the lesson started, and as the desks gradually filled up, he felt anxiety rising.

He saw Jiro and Tsuyu and gave them a long, lingering look; they were alone, without Ochako.
The fear that she had given up became real and heavy on his chest, turning into certainty when the professor started explaining and the desk where she usually sat was empty. Only occupied by Tsuyu’s bag.

After five minutes, though, he saw her sneak in, and Asui moved her bag; she had asked her to save her seat because she was late. Not a promising start; first day of serious studying and you show up this late?

At least she hadn’t given up.

He saw her turn around and stick her tongue out at him. Bakugo raised an amused eyebrow and let her get away with it. ‘I like it’ he thought.
He texted her saying that after classes, before work, they would meet behind the building and then study again after their shift.

Ochako realized she would have to sacrifice the little time she managed to spend with her friends outside of class, but she couldn’t tell Bakugo how much that bothered her; he wouldn’t take it seriously nor would he offer to help her anymore.

The meeting spot was a bit strange, but she agreed anyway. She had to trust him and it couldn’t get worse than this.

During lunch break, they crossed paths by the vending machine and exchanged a knowing look, far too intense, without saying a single word.
That look awakened something in her… she wasn’t entirely sure what, and she told herself it might be “motivation,” the thing she had been lacking for a long time.

“Girls, I’m going,” Ochako said, slinging her shoulder bag over her back.
“Where? Did they move your shift earlier?”

“No…” she immediately regretted telling the truth; they had given her the perfect excuse, and she had ruined everything.

“Are you okay? You didn’t even tell me why you were late,” Tsuyu asked suspiciously.

“I just have my period, I’d rather spend the day in bed,” she replied. It would have been more believable to blame work, but she had already said something stupid, no point dwelling on it now.

They hadn’t talked about the essay; Ochako assumed they knew and didn’t want to rub it in, but she also knew they would have wanted to ask her a lot of questions.

The girl walked around the building and found herself alone in the middle of nowhere. There was literally nothing except a path and a railing. There was a fairly large grassy field and a few buildings in the distance, an urban landscape with a relatively abundant touch of green. But otherwise, it was deserted, not a soul in sight.

He wouldn’t want to kill me, right?

There was no one, just silence and zero witnesses. Maybe he really does want to get rid of me.

Ochako felt a breath on her neck. “That was fast. Were you eager to see me?”

She turned around suddenly and tried to slap him, but he caught her wrist in time. “You tried,” he teased.

“You scared me,” she scolded him. “God, I hate you!” she snapped.
But he replied, “You like trying,” making her blush.

Ochako changed the subject. “What are we doing here?”
“Here? Nothing. It was just a meeting point. There’s a study room in the secondary building that’s always empty.”

“So secret? Are you embarrassed to be seen around with me?” she teased as they started walking. She followed him because she didn’t know where to go.

“Why? Did you tell your friends you’d be alone with me?” he glanced back, searching for Uraraka’s gaze.

She wanted to answer sharply like he always did, but nothing came to mind. He had caught her.

Bakugo was right; it was a very large room full of books, yet completely empty. “No one knows this place exists. It’s perfect for studying,” he explained.

“So this is where you hide,” she replied, looking around to take in the surroundings. “I was wondering where you disappeared to. You’re never anywhere because you hide in here,” she finished, placing her bag on the table and her coat on a chair.

“So it’s true, you do think about me!” he got her again.

“Idiot!” she mimicked him. “I recognize you, and it gets weird if I don’t run into you even once in three months on campus.” She took her lunchbox out of her bag, chewing as she pulled out everything she needed: laptop, notebook, pen, book recommended by the professor.

“Where do we start?” she asked, finishing her last bite before putting the lunchbox away.

“Here.” He handed her a sheet full of notes; he had written down what she needed to do each day, how many pages to study for both subjects until December.

“Katsuki, I…” she was impressed, looking into his eyes. “Thank you!” she gave him a sincere smile, but he looked away.

“Today you need to start writing the outline. We’ll meet three times a week so I can check your progress. I’m not going to do the work for you; I’ll study what I need to study, and you’ll study what you need to study. If you have questions, you can ask them only if they’re not stupid,” he said, opening a manual of more than two thousand pages.

“How am I supposed to know if they’re stupid?” she muttered.
“If you have to ask me, they are,” he teased absentmindedly.

Ochako was stunned but eternally grateful, and she started studying from her book, noting down pages and titles in her notebook. When she felt confident enough, she created the official outline on her laptop.

Katsuki was reading something, resting his chin on his hand while spinning a pencil with the other.

“Bakugo…”

He slightly raised his gaze, and those bloodshot eyes studied Uraraka’s expression.

“I wrote the outline, would you check it?” she gestured to turn the laptop toward him, and he nodded. He took it, made a tiny correction, but otherwise approved everything.

Ochako couldn’t help but break into a bright smile, and Bakugo watched it carefully from the corner of his eye.

“Can I keep going and get ahead?” she asked for permission.
“No,” he said aggressively, then bit his tongue. “We both have shifts starting at the same time. If we don’t want to be late, we need to stop now. Let’s meet here tonight. I’ll bring dinner.”

Ochako stared at him in shock.

“You literally ate garbage. I’ll bring dinner, end of story,” he said, pointing at her bag with the lunchbox. He grabbed his things in half a second, and she rushed to match his pace. He waited for her and walked her to the exit.

“See you later!” Ochako said cheerfully. He left without answering, but she was still happy and didn’t take it personally.

She came back in the evening, and since she hadn’t had to cook or eat, she took the opportunity to shower and put on clean clothes. Ochako hadn’t had time to do her usual midweek laundry because she didn’t want to be late, but she took a moment to do her makeup more carefully than usual.

“You’re late, round face,” Bakugo growled, but he lost the urge to be aggressive when he saw her walk in looking so beautiful.

“You’re right, sorry, I couldn’t skip the shower,” she replied absentmindedly as she got settled.

“Here, I made you some meat with rice,” he handed her portion, and she thanked him with tears in her eyes.

Uraraka savored every bite as if it were her last, under Bakugo’s puzzled gaze. He was so confused that he even spared her his usual snarky comments and let her eat in peace while he got ready to study.

“Tonight you keep going and write the introduction,” he instructed as she wiped her mouth.

As Ochako turned on her laptop, Bakugo placed a thermos with hot tea on the table. He didn’t explicitly say it was for her too, but he gave her a clear nod that if she wanted, she could finish it.

They studied in silence but in perfect harmony. He was focused, underlining the book with a pencil, while she typed, flipping through pages. Ochako was incredibly calm and smiling; she hadn’t felt that lightness since the very first day of classes.

Bakugo didn’t show it, but he checked on her from the corner of his eye at regular intervals, making sure she wasn’t distracted and that she was okay. The words she had said to him the day before had stuck with him.

“Are we staying here all night?” Ochako asked, catching him off guard.

“Hm?” he focused on her. “No, you can’t exhaust yourself. You need to sleep to stay focused, and if something happens during a patrol, you can’t justify losing by saying you didn’t sleep because you were studying,” he corrected her.

It was half past midnight, and he decided to send her home. He figured he could finish studying at home.

They said goodbye at the exit, but Ochako surprised him again. “Same time tomorrow?”

He had said a couple of times a week, yet it seemed to be turning into something almost daily. “Yeah,” he muttered nonchalantly.

He waved goodbye and followed her from a distance to make sure everything was safe.

A campus inhabited only by aspiring and pro heroes was as safe as a nuclear bunker, but even UA had been targeted by attacks before; it didn’t take him long.

Bakugo got home, and Kirishima was still awake. “You’re late tonight!” Eijiro caught him immediately. “Did you study some girl’s anatomy?” he teased, but Bakugo pulled out an anatomy manual from his bag.

Eijiro went off on him. “Loser!”

“What are you still doing up?” the blond pressed.

“We stopped a robbery.”
“A robbery? I was on patrol, why didn’t they call me?” he got irritated.

“It was far from your area, it didn’t make much sense to call you,” he admitted. “Plus, they always try to leave alone those who are studying. Obviously, in case of an apocalypse you’d be the first to be called,” he clarified, “but a robbery at a kiosk really didn’t need your intervention. You would’ve been wasted,” he fed his ego.

Bakugo still wasn’t satisfied with the flattery. “Tsk.”

“Are you going to keep studying in your room?”

Bakugo nodded, and Eijiro studied the back of his head. “Are you okay?”

Katsuki gave him a look and asked why.

“You look… weird.”

“I’m perfectly fine,” he said, slamming his bedroom door.

Chapter Text

Ochako woke up in a great mood; she was still extremely behind with her studies, had no time for herself and was still broke.

But she had slept well and getting up on the right foot could turn the day around in an unexpected way.
For the first time in weeks, she had the feeling she knew exactly what to do.

“Good morning!” Ochako arrived on time and had even brought coffee,vending machine coffee, but still, for her friends.

“You’re in a good mood today!”
“Yes, I absolutely am!” they sat in their usual seats.

“Are you joining us at lunch?”
“No,” she said bluntly, and her friends looked at her sideways. “As you well know, I got a beautiful ‘fail’ on my essay- she smiled shamelessly “I want to take some time to work on it, and lunch and dinner are the only moments when I can actually study,” she explained calmly, no longer feeling ashamed. “Also, if I don’t pass the other exam in December too, I risk not being able to continue, and I can’t afford that,” she admitted.

Her friends understood the situation and gave her a metaphorical pat on the back.

Ochako caught sight of Bakugo walking in, and he saw her glowing, not like the other times. She looked like someone who had finally put the pieces back together.

He expected to see her that afternoon and that evening, even though he did everything he could to text her as little as possible. In fact, their chat was practically empty.

The coffee break remained just for her friends; whether it was coffee or a cigarette, their mid-morning gossip couldn’t be removed from their tradition. Also because the professors allowed five, at most ten, minutes of break halfway through class to catch their breath.

That day the conversation revolved around pro hero unions…

“So no more terrible omelet with us?” Jiro asked with a proud smile.

“No more terrible omelet, I think I’ll have a terrible sandwich on my own,” she smiled at them.

“I think I’ll go back to my room to grab my phone charger, I’ll come with you,” Tsuyu told her.

Tragedy.

“I’ll go alone, sorry,” now she had to justify herself. “I have errands to run before heading to work, so I’m in a rush. Bye, see you tomorrow at break!” she waved.

“Do you think she’s acting weird?” Tsuyu asked.
“No more than usual,” Jiro replied.

Bakugo followed her with a determined pace; no one would suspect anything seeing them leave together just once at the end of class.

“So you didn’t even tell your friends the truth today, how curious,” Katsuki said, circling around Uraraka.

“How did you justify yourself with Eijiro last night?” caught.

“He had the night shift, he didn’t even notice I came late” he lied.

Somehow, that secrecy excited Ochako. Not that there was anything to hide, but it made it feel like a game. Just between the two of them and instinctively she bit her lip absentmindedly.

Bakugo saw it and couldn’t help but look away, wondering what dirty thought had made her do that small gesture. It boosted his ego, though, knowing she had those thoughts in his presence.

He absentmindedly opened the study room door for her and Ochako passed under his arm, studying the details of his scar, his jawline and his neck. Often, when she saw him, she realized he was objectively a handsome man. She shook her head to compose herself and regain focus.

“What did I tell you to do today?” Bakugo asked, handing her lunch. “Sushi and steamed vegetables,” he muttered, giving her her portion.

Ochako’s heart melted. “Thank you so much,” she wanted to jump into his arms but held back, then took the sheet where he had written her tasks.

“Outline the body of the essay and expand the draft!” she recited proudly. It was strange how much easier it was to start compared to just a few days earlier.

“Good. Do that,” he replied, devouring his meal.

Ochako ate hers gracefully. “You’re really good at cooking!”
“You already told me.”

She looked at him.

“Yeah, back in high school. You told me I was good with knives,” he looked at her too. “I know.”

Classic Bakugo.

They studied together for that hour, but then he had to leave slightly earlier, to go complain to his boss for not letting him beat up the robber the day before.

“I’m here for a reason and you send me to patrol the other side of the city?”

“Katsuki Bakugo, have you learned nothing from my teachings?” Best Jeanist replied.

“Yes, sir,” he calmed down. “But I was denied the chance to be a hero.”
“That’s not true and you know it,” he moved to his office with his usual elegant theatricality. “You showed yourself, you made citizens feel safe and you didn’t get yourself hurt unnecessarily.”

“But I’m not doing anything!” he insisted, leaning aggressively on the desk.

“I just listed three things you did! Don’t lose your composure!” he looked at him sternly. “You are our ace, we don’t want to burn you out. You’ve already suffered enough when you were too young,” he stepped closer. “You’ve done things even the greatest among us wouldn’t have managed. That’s exactly why we want to preserve you as long as possible,” he turned his back to sit at the desk. “Now tell me, would a daytime robbery that even your friend, Eijiro Kirishima, was too strong for have satisfied you? Is that what gives you purpose?”

“No, sir,” he lowered his head slightly.

“Anything else?”

“No, sir.”

“Remember you can always consult me,” he stood up out of respect. “You’re dismissed.”

Bakugo walked to the door but heard his boss one last time: “For anything, Katsuki. Remember, you’re not just a hero, you’re a person too.”

He closed the door behind him. Ochako stayed outside, along with everything else.

“Sorry I’m late,” Bakugo said as he entered the study room, which was always empty so the table was always the same. But it was empty even then; he looked around and realized he was alone. “Where did she go now?”

“Here I am, sorry I’m late!” she arrived in a hurry, Bakugo followed her with his eyes. “I brought dinner tonight!” she handed him a lunch box with legume meatballs and peas.

“Thanks,” he muttered, eating them. They tasted awful.
But he pretended to like them.

Uraraka didn’t see the enthusiasm she expected, so she sat beside him and started studying, observing him from the corner of her eye.

“Everything okay?”
“Is something wrong?” Bakugo replied.

“I just wanted to know how your day went,” she clarified.
“Focus,” was all he said.

‘Why are you like this?’

At midnight, Uraraka felt she was done: she thanked him for his kindness and said goodbye, but he stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

“Tell me,” his warm voice was a natural tranquilizer.
“I’ll walk you,” Katsuki stood up on autopilot.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m afraid I’ve already disturbed you too much.”

‘No, that’s not it.’

“In theory we shouldn’t stay here after nine, but no one seems to remember to check this place. I’d say it’s time for me too,” he grabbed his things and led her to the exit.

“Will you be at the December party?” he asked to fill the silence.
“What are you talking about?”

“They throw parties every day, basically,” he said, stepping in front of her to stop her from leaving, “but every year, in December and July, they throw… memorable parties,” he chuckled, drawing out the word, licking his lips as if he had already been to one before.

“I’m not really a party person,” she admitted.

“But you came to ‘Pikachu-can’t-handle-his-liquor’s’ mega party.”

That meant he had seen her and ignored her on purpose.

She looked at him almost mischievously, and it was enough to provoke him.
“Let’s do this: if your essay goes well and you get at least a passing grade on the other exam, you can come.”

“Wow, what a privilege. I can go to a party open to all students,” she teased him.

“Fine, then you WILL come. Forced. Obligated. Even if I have to come get you myself. Deal?” he put his hands in his pockets.

“Deal,” she chuckled, she would have earned it. “Goodnight.”
“Round face,” he replied, giving her a strange look.

Chapter Text

On the same day, Ochako had to submit the essay, sending it by email to the professor, and take the famous end-of-semester filter exam.
An anatomy exam with multiple-choice questions and open-ended ones.

She was anxious out of her mind; they would take the exam in the hallways to make room for all the students, whose number reached around 200, and the results would take about ten days to be published.
It had lasted three hours, with forty questions. It had been exhausting and, even if it hadn’t been explicitly stated, it also served to thin out the large number of students.

Once she got out, Ochako felt drained. She had showered the night before but felt the need to wash again. The sweat bothered her, even though it was mid-December; it wasn’t really warm enough to make her sweat like that, but the tension had definitely been the cause.

“How do you think it went?” Bakugo had caught up to her but immediately started walking as if he were in a hurry, forcing her to follow him without knowing he was just trying to shake off her friends.
“I don’t know, it was pretty hard,” and she was right. “How do you think you did?” she lifted her chin toward him.
“Good,” short and concise.

He walked beside her without saying anything as they headed toward the center of the campus. They still had some seminars to attend, so they couldn’t go home right away and would have to wait until the following week.
Saturday night mega party, and then Sunday everyone would go home.

“So if I passed the exams, I have to come to this party next Saturday?” Ochako said, looking ahead, wondering how it would go. Not just the exam, but also the possible party. How should she dress? What would they do?

“Ochako! Kacchan!”
Bakugo froze.

“Kacchan!” Deku greeted him after hugging Uraraka. “It’s been a while since we last saw each other, we absolutely have to catch up! A basketball game?” he suggested.
He hadn’t changed one bit.
Bakugo nodded with a forced smile, unusual considering they had become, almost, best friends after the war.
“I’m happy to see you together, how was the exam?” Bakugo’s legs trembled; what if Ochako told him about their ‘secret’ lessons? It would change everything.

Bakugo almost felt guilty even though he had nothing to feel guilty about; he had kept an eye on one of his best friend’s girlfriend because he couldn’t. He had done the right thing, but his tone and the tightness around his throat said otherwise. Normally he might have felt guilty for saying something inappropriate, like he did with other girls, but he had behaved. More or less.

“All good. By the end of next week we should have the results,” the blond answered.
Ochako looked up at him, trying to decipher his increasingly enigmatic expression.
They had studied for an endless number of hours over the past month, and she could confidently say she recognized certain signals and micro-expressions. But that day he was impenetrable.

Deku, with his contagious cheerfulness, was trying to lift both their spirits, but they were truly exhausted. They just wanted to go home. But home, not the cold and bare dorm room.
Ochako let out a deep sigh and stroked Midoriya’s arm. “Shall we go? I’m starting to feel tired, I’d like to sleep for a couple of hours.”
“Of course.”

That night she would stay over at his place to “make up” for the times they hadn’t seen each other because Ochako had to study and had preferred staying with Bakugo instead of him.
What? A slip of the tongue, must have been the wind…

They said goodbye to their friend and made their way over. Izuku’s mother wasn’t home, so he had to take care of her completely on his own.
He prepared a hot tea while she changed into a tracksuit to be more comfortable at home.
They sat at the table together and had a snack like two kids; returning to those small, simple routines were the moments they loved most.

“So! Tell me everything, love!” Midoriya was bursting with enthusiasm.

Ochako didn’t know how to start. She knew he would help her despite his exams and personal commitments, and precisely for that reason she couldn’t tell him that it had been Bakugo helping her. The wound would be minimal, it made sense that they would study together since they had the same exam, but she had preferred to keep it to herself. For now.

“I told you, it lasted three hours and the results should come out next week,” she sipped the hot drink, which comforted her. “You?” she asked, nibbling on some cookies.

“I’m good, I handed in the last assignment and I can’t wait for the results! I’m very confident!” he smiled widely.
She envied his lightheartedness.

They heard the doorbell and Ochako turned her head sharply. Deku seemed almost happy and ran to open the door.

“You’re welcome, come in,” she heard him say.

“Momo! Shoto!” she stood up.
“I invited them thinking it would make you happy, Momo told me you haven’t really had the chance to talk much lately.”

“So it was planned?” she thought out loud and punished herself by biting her tongue.
“Of course, tea all together!” he said, letting them in.

He could have at least told her, considering she had just removed her makeup and put on a tracksuit. Momo, in fact, was as beautiful and put-together as always, with that elegance and sophistication that had set her apart since high school.

“Please! Tell me everything, I’m dying of curiosity! Midoriya wasn’t very objective, I want to know more and also how you found it!” she said with a perfect fake smile.

They stayed the whole afternoon, until just before dinner, until Midoriya’s mother returned home.
She and her “mother-in-law” got along well and had a good relationship; after three years, they had seen each other so many times that it was inevitable to form a bond.

They all had dinner together like a family and went to bed early, since it was only Monday and they had classes until the end of the week.

“Ochako,” Deku whispered in her ear; by now it wasn’t a problem for his mother that they slept together.

She turned, still half-asleep, toward him, and he continued, “shall we… fiki fiki?”

“What?” she sat up, fully awake.

“You and me,” he looked at her affectionately and caressed her cheek, “do you want to…?” he gestured with his head.

Ochako looked inside herself. She would have wanted to, actually, but… not like this. Something felt “off,” but she couldn’t understand what.
She shook her head, gave him a kiss, then lay back down on her back.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, worried.
“Yes, why?”

“You had asked me to… well, you know. And I’m trying,” he admitted.
“I appreciate it, really,” she was sincere. “But Midoriya, we’re whispering because we don’t want your mom to hear us and you ask me to make love? And ‘fiki fiki’? Where did you even hear that!” she laughed genuinely. “Also you can’t ask me while I’m wearing my sleep gloves!”

“I love your sleep gloves,” Izuku smiled.
“I know, I do too, but they kill the romance.”

Deku kept talking without letting her sleep. “Because you had asked me to do it more often…”

It was true, but that wasn’t the point. She tried to interrupt him, but he kept talking over her. “Even though I’m glad you said no because I wouldn’t be able to with my mom downstairs who could hear us.”

“So you only asked me to humor me?” she propped herself up slightly on her elbows.
“N-no…” he stammered. “I want to—”

“But you only suggested it because I begged you, we wouldn’t have done it anyway!” she raised her voice slightly, anger taking over.

Midoriya was too conflicted to respond.

“Anyway,” Ochako added one last clarification, “I said no because last time I only did it so I wouldn’t have to wait two months. But given your constant lack of interest, I’d rather go without for six years than give you my body and still be unsatisfied,” she said, waving her finger in the air. “Goodnight!”

The next morning she went back to class with the usual sulky expression everyone had grown used to.
It wasn’t Bakugo who gave her joy or made her happy; somehow, he and her friends brought her something she felt was missing in her life.

She saw him in the distance in the hallway and felt that he was avoiding her. She couldn’t even use the excuse of having to, or wanting to, study with him anymore because the “real” classes would resume in January and it wouldn’t make sense to study together before February.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to stay on the sidelines like that for two months. She couldn’t stand feeling like she was being put second anymore. She wouldn’t allow it again, but taking that stance was hard to apply in reality.

Chapter Text

Of course the private university that Midoriya, Momo, Shoto and Iida attended also threw a memorable party right before the holidays. The tone of those parties was very different, since the private university, having more funds, could organize something far more polished and above all “official”.

Ochako and her classmates, on the other hand, pooled their money together to rent a villa not too far outside the city, about a thirty-minute drive at worst.

Midoriya had insisted on contributing and “sneaking into” their party, but Ochako insisted and convinced him to enjoy his own. She also told him she might not attend, but she knew perfectly well that she wanted to go.

She had made a promise and she would keep it: her presence would depend on the results of her exams.

Nine working days had passed by now, and on the last morning of classes the professors still hadn’t said anything. Rumors said they had never been this late; they usually let students breathe for at least two days before the holidays, but that year they had been delayed due to technical issues with the student office.

Ochako nervously looked at the analog clock hanging on the classroom wall. She was in a much smaller class since she had chosen a different seminar than her friends, who had clearly made a better choice considering how bored Uraraka was. The ticking of the clock and the anxiety of having wasted over three months of her life, along with four paychecks, kept her alert compared to the others who were shamelessly sleeping.

“Any news?” she wrote in the group chat
J: “No”
T: “ribbit”

“What does ribbit even mean right now?” She tapped her nails nervously against the fabric of her bag.

“They have to say something by 5 PM,” Jiro clarified.

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Monday is a holiday and the break officially starts” typing… “it’s the last working day. Either they publish them or they publish them”

As some form of comfort, they had been given the time of her execution.
What time was it? 11:44.
“Fuck,” she thought, rocking nervously on her chair.

She checked her phone again: 11:45, Ochako realized that when you’re nervous time doesn’t pass any faster.

“I’ll drive tonight to take you,” Jiro wrote, but Ochako still hadn’t decided whether she would go, even though, just in case, when her mother had visited she had asked her to bring a couple of outfits.

The party had been moved to Friday because the villa had already been rented by someone else for Saturday, probably other students who had simply organized themselves earlier.

Another fifteen minutes passed: noon sharp.
The seminar was over, she signed to mark her attendance and Ochako… didn’t know what to do. She had nothing to do.

She didn’t have to study, she didn’t have to worry about anything, the laundry was done, lunch was already prepared and just needed to be reheated, she had already taken time off…
She was free.
A refreshing feeling, almost unnatural after all that time.

So she decided to get ahead and went back to her room to finish packing. She didn’t close the suitcase completely, she left it open in case she needed to take something but most of it was already done. She had left out makeup, hygiene products, the pajamas she would use that night and a change of underwear.

The clothes her mother had brought were still in the bag she had used to carry them so they could stay there.

But she didn’t know if she would try them on for that night. She hadn’t decided yet, she repeated to herself.

What time was it? 12:30.
“Fuck”

She checked her phone, the site, but nothing, silence from both professors.

She was tempted to ask Bakugo but held back, she didn’t know what to ask him and he wouldn’t have any way to speed things up anyway.
Actually, he could. Considering his temperament, he would threaten the dean to make the professors hurry up. Knowing him, he would hack the system to give himself top marks. Not that he didn’t deserve them, but his patience had a reputation that preceded him.

What time was it? 12:45.
“I’ll die at this rate”

She decided to heat up lunch and then went for a walk.
It had rained during the night, the cold and the puddles still showed it and the wind picked up often, sometimes quite strongly. Ochako’s hair got messy and she wrapped her scarf around herself and, when she felt her nose freezing, she went back to her room without knowing where to go or what to do while waiting.

Jiro and Tsuyu had already started sending messages about how to organize and dress for that evening but Ochako didn’t even read them.

The feeling of being a disappointment started to come back and the voices telling her she wasn’t enough resurfaced from the depths of her heart.

Her phone started ringing and it was Jiro, she couldn’t ignore her like that.
“Hello?”
“Come to my place to get ready, I sent you the address”

She had never seen the house she had taken with Denki, since the party had been at his place.

“Jiro, I…”
“They’ve published the results!”

“When?” she felt like fainting and rushed to sit on the bed, afraid she might pass out from a drop in pressure.
“A couple of hours ago, they just put them in the wrong section of the site. You have to go to ‘courses’, not ‘grades’. The girl who sits in front of me just texted me,” she said calmly.

“And you trust her?”
“She’s the one with the color-coded notes, she’s a reliable source!”

Ochako hung up on her before she could say anything else.

She had passed both.

She couldn’t believe it, she had been so desperate that she thought she had made a mistake, she had prepared herself for so long to accept failure and now she didn’t know how to react to good news.

She felt the urge to call Bakugo but didn’t. She chose not to. She had a better idea.

“Excuse me!” said Uraraka as she walked in
“There you are! Finally!” the girls welcomed her.

“Ochako!” Kaminari greeted her too
“Hey, we haven’t seen each other since the party. Everything good?”

“Great. You?” she asked politely with her usual contagious smile
“Really good!”
“You’re a ray of sunshine! You can tell the holidays are starting!” he said kindly “Make yourself at home” he gestured.

Denki left them their privacy and went to his room while the girls took over the whole living room.

The house was small but very cozy, it had the feeling of hosting a young couple.
Everything was functional yet it still conveyed peace and warmth: “You have a beautiful house, compliments!”
“Thanks!” she replied kindly while braiding Tsuyu’s hair

“So? What did you bring?” Asui asked.
“Everything!” she showed everything, did her makeup with them and chose a bold full glam in mauve tones and Tsuyu helped her straighten her hair, the straight hair gave her a more sensual look compared to the curls that made her look like an angel.

Jiro wore a pair of tight pants full of glitter and sequins in purple tones, with a sleeveless black top and a black leather jacket decorated with studs.

Tsuyu didn’t abandon her signature colour; she chose a spaghetti strap dress with lace details with a white t-shirt underneath.

Ochako showed a standout piece; a short elegant dress in satin fabric, in a burgundy/plum color with a glossy finish that reflected the light.
The top part had a halter cut, with a soft slightly draped neckline that fell fluidly on the chest. The waist was very well defined, creating a fitted silhouette above and flared below and the short skirt was flared. As much as the description might sound vulgar, on her it was feminine and modern.

When her friends saw her, they opened their mouths, they didn’t remember ever seeing her like that.

“An old dress of my mother’s,” she said happily at having shocked them positively. She couldn’t hide her satisfaction “Are we on time?” she asked pretending nothing.

“With that dress, you’ll want to arrive late to make a proper entrance,” Tsuyu replied directly “if someone faints tonight it won’t be because of the alcohol” she added after seeing the back of the dress.

Bakugo had driven alone with his Porsche, he had brought Kirishima with him who definitely hadn’t said no to a villa party. Also, he had accumulated several night shifts in the past months so they let him breathe that night.

The blonde had wondered all day where that round-cheeked girl had gone, he had looked up her student ID and had immediately seen her grades and yet she hadn’t texted him, hadn’t called him nor tried to find him. He didn’t even know if he would see her that night but he didn’t care, he would get drunk like people do in these situations and some girl would throw herself at his feet.

“Bakubro!”
“What?”

“Are you mad?” Eijiro asked “it should have taken 25 minutes and it only took 15. It’s illegal to go this fast even on German highways!” his breathing was irregular and he ran his hands through his hair so many times out of fear that he messed it up.

“Sorry,” Bakugo muttered, he hadn’t even noticed the stupid nickname.

“Are you okay? You look like someone who stuck his face in a hornet’s nest.”
Bakugo was maneuvering to park and stopped in the middle of the lot to look at him: “What the hell does that mean?”

“Would you be happy to stick your face into a hornet’s nest?”
“No?”
“Exactly!” Kirishima said “what’s wrong with you?” he knew him very well.

“I’m fine” he parked
“Katsuki…”
“I said I’m fine!”

But Kirishima didn’t let him breathe: “Does it have to do with the girl you studied anatomy with?” he guessed.

“Don’t you dare…” he pointed at him and bit the inside of his cheek “Don’t. Say. A. Word.”

Kirishima let out a smile, he had just confirmed that he had indeed studied anatomy with a girl and that his mood was the problem: "Got it!" he said in a calm tone.

They made their way inside and got comfortable, a couple of drinks loosened him up and his mood improved quickly. At first Kirishima kept a very close eye on him but he started to relax enough to consider leaving him alone if the opportunity came up. After all Kirishima didn’t know anyone besides him: “I was joking!”

“What?” Bakugo asked

“I don’t only know you” he waved his arm “Kyoka! Asui! Uraraka!”

She came?

He was still annoyed she hadn’t spoken to him all day but then he saw her…

She moved in slow motion, she was a beautiful woman, confident, sensual and even her gaze was… different.

He felt drawn to her like a pirate to a siren’s song.
He followed her with his eyes until the three heads approached them, when the other two got close enough to read his expression he composed himself.

He kept studying the structure of her dress, looking for a zipper or buttons to take it off. Forgetting for a moment that he could easily go from under the skirt…

‘What the hell is wrong with you?’
He sighed deeply and greeted all three.

“Finally you look at us! We thought you didn’t recognize us anymore,” Tsuyu teased him.
“I didn’t have the chance. It’s good to see you again,” he replied, surprisingly polite.

Someone in the distance shouted “beer pong” and Kyoka immediately said “I LOVE BEER PONG!” and ran toward a group of guys, followed by Tsuyu.
Ochako stayed still for a moment, then greeted the two boys and went after her friends.
Bakugo watched her walk away, studying every curve from behind.

“She seems to have changed a lot, don’t you think?” Kirishima asked.
“Oh yeah?” Bakugo said before finishing his drink in one go.

“Hey man, take it easy. We’ve been here for a while and you’re going hard!”
“Isn’t that why we’re here?” he provoked, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt.

Bakugo moved away slightly to let himself go into the party, watching two guys playing a drinking game.

Ochako instead chased after her friends, she didn’t feel particularly comfortable. There were many people and she barely knew anyone, it wasn’t like the more intimate, though still wild, party at Denki’s. Even finding the bathroom felt like a mission.

She started to feel hungry, she had picked at something at Kyoka’s but couldn’t say she had eaten, so she looked for a kitchen but found it crowded with a noisy group.

As if by miracle she found a dining room with a table full of snacks, basically heaven.
Her earring fell under the table and she bent down to pick it up, while she was hidden under it she heard the door open and close and a male voice clearly said: “Fuck! These idiots!”

She slowly stood up and recognized her dear friend, Katsuki Bakugo.
Bakugo saw her stand up: “Were you hiding to scare me? Are we in kindergarten?”

“Why are you so tense?” she asked curiously

“Some people don’t know how to behave and one almost threw up on me,” he said controlling himself “I would’ve killed him.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Uraraka commented quietly “and you? Can you control yourself?” she asked “you look like you’ve drunk quite a bit” she studied him carefully from head to toe.

“Maybe,” he gave in slightly, stepping closer “and you look like someone who’s hungry for something other than chips and sandwiches” he let slip, immediately regretting it. He was still too sober to blame it on alcohol. But he had already lost his inhibitions.

“Hungry for what?” she asked with a knowing smile
“Do you need me to tell you or would you rather see?” he was playing with fire and had gotten very close, maybe too close to her.

He gently took one of her hands and placed it on his abs without letting go of her wrist.

They slowly moved closer without saying a word, their breathing grew heavy and Ochako’s chest rose and fell rapidly. The muffled music filtered through the walls, just background to that moment: “come with me, I’ll take you home,” Bakugo whispered, he had already crossed a line and had no intention of stopping. Ochako quickly nodded, letting out a small squeak.

She rose slightly on her tiptoes and Bakugo leaned down toward her. They looked at each other one last time, Bakugo’s red pupils were like those of a feral beast and that only made her pulse race; they closed their eyes and their lips were a breath away, they could already feel each other even if they were only barely touching.

“BAKUBRO, YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS!” Kirishima burst into the room and Ochako hid under the table out of embarrassment, Bakugo puffed his chest and used his shoulders to block the view.

Kirishima kept mumbling something, grabbed food quickly and left the room the same way he had entered.

“Sorry,” Ochako said, standing up and running out of the room, not showing herself again for the rest of the night.

Kyoka, Asui and Uraraka didn’t stay too late but still stayed out for hours.
Ochako sat in the back, visibly shaken but, given the time, they assumed it was just tiredness.

“If you need to throw up, roll down the window and aim outside! Not on my seats!”
The other girls looked the same so Kyoka decided to host them “You left your things at my place,” she justified.

Denki kindly offered to sleep on the couch and the three girls slept together.

Ochako had a really hard time falling asleep, her head was spinning and she felt nauseous. She had drunk much more than usual but in the end she had had a lot of fun. That moment with Bakugo had been a dream, obviously. Even if… it had felt very real, maybe too real. Maybe it had actually happened.

Her stomach twisted and she realized she hadn’t dreamed it, nothing had happened but the fact that it had ALMOST happened was enough to make her feel a huge weight on her. It wasn’t like studying together, where nothing really happened and the secrecy was just a game. This was one of those things where even just the “almost” carried the same weight, if not more, than an actual kiss.

And the worst part was that she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back.

Chapter Text

Ochako returned home the next day, she couldn't wait to hug her parents again. Her manners were controlled, her voice steady and her gaze calm, beneath it she hid a stormy sea.

In her head she kept replaying that moment with Bakugo on a loop, going over the contours of his face, the shape his expression took when he looked at her, the softness of his eyes, his breath brushing against her lips.

If Kirishima hadn't walked in, what would have happened? If they had kissed? What would it have meant?
What did that moment mean to him?
How would he have acted?

But what was she supposed to do?

Whenever she thought about it, she could feel under her hand the warmth of his body and the shape of his chest. Instinctively she grabbed her wrist with her other hand in the same way he had done that night and let herself float up toward the ceiling of her room.

Her mother walked in and found her upside down like a bat: "Everything okay, sweetheart?"

"Yes, mom," she replied distractedly "I'm training my resistance to nausea when I use my quirk" a problem she had already learned to handle very well.

Lying was starting to come naturally to her and she felt a little disgusted with herself for it.

"I just wanted to tell you that Midoriya is here, he brought some wine," her mother continued "That was sweet of him, we're waiting for you downstairs" she closed the door and Ochako let herself fall heavily onto the bed.

"What would my mother say about Bakugo? She would never approve of him like she does Midoriya..." she thought before taking it back. She didn't want to think of Bakugo as a potential future boyfriend because there would never be anything between them.

She left her den and greeted him coldly, but that kind of coldness you show in front of your parents when you're with your boyfriend. She put his bag in her room, he would only stay on the 23rd and 24th of December. On the morning of the 25th he would go back home to be with his family.

Her father and mother loved him like a son and seeing them all together was a heart-melting picture.

Ochako, deep down, was troubled. It was guilt, shame, remorse, regret... yet she couldn't deny that half of those feelings were also directed toward Bakugo. She would have wanted to kiss him for real. And then? She thought she could have died there, allow herself a small mistake and then go back to her usual life.

All couples had their problems, their little bumps and their good phases and less good ones. With Deku she was just going through a rough patch, but that didn't mean it was a bad relationship, right?

She loved him, she wanted to love him and she chose to love him every day.
Because love is a choice, you choose to take care of someone, to see them and truly look at them, it's a choice to commit to listening to someone and doing things for them.

She didn't regret her choice... she repeated to herself. Maybe to convince herself, maybe to give meaning to everything she was doing or to avoid the feeling that she had missed out on something.

"Thank you, ma'am. Everything is delicious!" Izuku said at the table, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"You're too kind," she replied politely.

"So," his father-in-law addressed him "what are your plans now?"
"To graduate and teach, hopefully at UA!" he said with a bright smile "I may not be number one but I can pass All Might's legacy on to the next number one!" he was proud of his beliefs and the past seemed not to have affected him at all. There were scars all over his body, even on his face, but to him they were reminders that it had been worth it, that it was what he wanted to do.

Ochako blinked slowly as she looked at him, at that sweet and gentle beauty. Even without a quirk he didn't give the impression of being fragile, yet he still conveyed a sense of protection, not like All Might, but maybe she was letting her knowledge and awareness influence her.

"Ochako, sweetheart! We're so happy about your exams! We knew you were so anxious..." her parents said, trying to involve her in the conversation, she had been quiet until then.

"Yes, I was very anxious. Luckily everything went well!" she forced a smile.
"Do you already know when you'll have to go back?"
"First half of January," she replied, putting a big bite in her mouth.

"Ochako," Midoriya called her "have you heard from Kyoka?"
"No, why?"

"For New Year's! She and Kaminari were thinking of throwing a party, we could stay with them"
"Yeah, we could" 'never alone anyway...'

"Those kids are brave," her mother said
"It's true," her husband replied

"It takes courage to secretly carry on a relationship like that, they must really love each other considering the risk they're taking. The press would tear them apart if they found out" she set her fork down "They must truly believe it's worth it and, to be honest, I hope it is"

Ochako bit down hard on the last bite left and stood up to wash the dishes, her gaze absent.

Chapter Text

Ochako was at Midoriya's house, much closer to Kyoka's than her own, and she was getting ready for the party.

They were all going to eat pizza together, and then there would be board games for the non-drinkers, drinking games for those who drank a little more, music of course, and more food.

"Drinking games for those who don't know how to lose with dignity," Kyoka added, looking at Denki.
"Hey! I lose with enthusiasm!" he defended himself.

They had invited everyone, even if only a small portion could actually attend.

"Mineta?"
"I didn't invite him on purpose. I also forced Denki not to tell him anything," Kyoka replied calmly to Momo's question, who smiled in satisfaction.

Jiro and Denki were still welcoming the various guests. It would be a very small gathering, but they focused more on quality than quantity.

"Guys! Iida and I are going to pick up the pizzas!" Kaminari shouted from the front door as he grabbed the keys.

The others said goodbye, and the two of them left for their incredibly important mission: pizza.

Iida nodded stiffly. "Punctuality is fundamental in operations of this kind."
"We're going to pick up margheritas, not save the world," Denki sighed.

"Here we are, sorry for the delay!" Midoriya said as he walked in, followed by Ochako.
"Come in, Denki and Iida just left. You can already sit down if you want," Kyoka smiled at them.
The couple took a moment to greet everyone, then joined the group.

They sat down at the table, leaving the two head seats for the hosts.
To Jiro's right were, in order, Asui, Momo, Shoto, and Iida; to her left were Ochako, Midoriya, and then two empty seats, so the girls could stay close together and the boys would be free to catch up.

They mainly talked about work and Deku's life, how his path would evolve and what his dream would be, both in the best and worst scenarios. With his purity, he managed to inspire the others. It came naturally to him, and everyone agreed that teaching would be the best outcome for him.

"We're back!" Kaminari shouted as he burst in. "Sit down so we can eat while it's hot!"

They served the pizzas, and only then did Midoriya notice the two empty seats to his left separating him from Kaminari. He didn't have time to ask who they were for, because it was time to eat and etiquette allowed them not to wait for latecomers if the food was hot.

"Enjoy your meal!" they all shouted cheerfully.
"It's so nice to eat together with you all one last time!" Kaminari said.

"Denki, that makes it sound like we're about to die and this is our last supper!" Jiro corrected him, and everyone laughed. "Let's hope it's not the last!" they teased him.
"Come on, you know what I meant!" he said, stuffing an entire slice into his mouth.

The doorbell rang.
"That must be our latecomers!" Kaminari said, going to open it. "Here we are!"
"Come sit down!"

It was Eijiro and Katsuki.
While the redhead made his entrance and greeted everyone loudly, Bakugo kept his hands in his pockets and stayed "hidden" behind his friend, looking only at him to avoid looking at anyone else.

"I BROUGHT CHAOS!" Eijiro shouted.
"And I brought a headache," Bakugo muttered, though no one heard him.

Uraraka tightened her grip on the hem of her dress and glanced toward Kyoka.

Kirishima sat next to Denki and across from Iida. Only one seat remained for Bakugo right in front of Todoroki, between Kirishima and Midoriya.

Deku was over the moon. He was sitting between his best friend and his girlfriend.
Ochako, however, focused on her pizza and didn't lift her gaze, and Bakugo did everything he could to avoid looking in her direction.

Bakugo was rarely pleasant at gatherings like this, but at least on New Year's Eve he wasn't yelling insults and curses.

"Can you believe Bakugo seems calm?" Denki said to Kirishima.
"Wait until I finish eating, you fried nerd."

They ate together, joking and reminiscing. The atmosphere was cheerful, and so were the spirits. Everyone was dressed for the occasion, and there wasn't a moment of pause. when the food ran out, they started drinking; when the alcohol ran out, they sang; when their voices gave out, they danced; and those who got tired sat down and relaxed with someone.

Bakugo got up to show off his karaoke skills and adjusted the collar of his shirt. That detail made Uraraka notice the chain resting against his skin, the rings he was wearing, and a different watch. When he put his hands in his pockets, she also noticed his belt. She would have sworn the total black look was entirely Prada, and she licked her lips absentmindedly as she watched him.

He looked like someone who wanted to seem like he hadn't put much effort into getting ready, like it was an effortless look, when in reality, it had taken time and care.
"He just threw on expensive stuff at random..."

Midoriya wore a gray vest matching his pants and a green tie, while Ochako had chosen a long silver-toned dress.

It was difficult, if not impossible, to be alone with someone. The apartment wasn't very large, but it didn't feel suffocating.

"Guys!" Kaminari called their attention, wearing his tie around his forehead, a now iconic trait. "TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN..."

Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.

Kaminari grabbed Kyoka and kissed her in front of everyone without shame, proudly. You could tell he loved her by the way he held her back with one hand and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb.

Midoriya cupped Ochako's face, and before she could understand what was happening, he kissed her softly too.
Out of the corner of her eye, she looked for Bakugo and clearly saw him turn away, downing whatever was in his glass.

Shoto gave Yaoyorozu a half-hug while looking in the opposite direction, it was already a lot for him.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" everyone shouted, except Ochako.

Her breathing grew uneven, her head started spinning, her vision blurred and her legs began to tremble.
She slipped out of the room and took refuge in the bathroom. Sitting on a stool, she splashed cool water on her neck. When she recovered, she looked at herself in the mirror, her mascara had slightly run and her lipstick was gone, eaten along with the pizza.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened.
It was Tsuyu.

"I saw you run in here suddenly and got worried."
Ochako sighed in relief. "I'm better," she said weakly.
"What happened?" Tsuyu asked, sitting beside her and placing a hand on her back.
"Nothing," Ochako said, staring into space. "Nothing happened." At least now she was telling the truth. "Really," she insisted, trying to convince herself.

They heard footsteps just outside the door, but everything went quiet again after a few seconds.

"You look like someone who just lost a game she didn't know she was playing," Tsuyu pointed out. Ochako opened her mouth to respond, but Asui spoke over her.
"I don't know what you're going through. I can't imagine how many things you have on your plate, but remember I'll always help you." She hugged her tightly.

Maybe she could tell her.

Or maybe she would judge her.

Ochako sighed, and two tears rolled down her cheeks. Asui didn't pretend not to notice and wiped them away.

"Is it because you haven't sorted things out with Midoriya?"

Ochako shook her head.

"Is it about the exams?"

She shook her head again.

Tsuyu ran out of ideas and waited a moment to see if Ochako wanted to tell the truth. At least she had made it clear something was bothering her.

"Nothing happened..." Ochako began. "...I'm just scared. Doubts. Insecurities. I just wish someone would tell me what to do." She wiped her cheeks one last time. "Someone who isn't Denki," she added with a tired smile.

Asui gently held her shoulders. "Everything will work out. And if it doesn't, we'll find a way to face it," she reassured her.

Uraraka hugged her, then let her fix her makeup. When they left the bathroom, things had improve. no one had worried, assuming they just wanted some time alone.

Ochako searched for Katsuki with her eyes and eventually asked Iida where he was.
"He left almost immediately after midnight," he replied. "Kirishima stayed, though."

"An emergency?" she asked, pretending to be uninterested.
"It didn't seem like it. No one called him or at least I didn't notice."
"Curious," she commented, trying not to draw attention.

How much longer would she be able to pretend?

Chapter Text

New year.
New semester.
New courses.

Ochako didn’t have a single class in common with her friends anymore, not even one, but in exchange, she had all of them, every single one, with Bakugo.
During the first week, they mostly ignored each other, living independently without forcing anything: neither closeness nor distance.

They sat wherever they found a seat, without resorting to those little games of “I’ll sit far away on purpose.” The first available desk was fine; the chances of ending up next to each other were minimal anyway, if not zero.
Sometimes they followed each other with their eyes, but the moment they realized they had been caught, they quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

They could feel each other’s presence even from afar; whether they were on opposite sides of the classroom, the campus, or the city. There was an almost magnetic force pulling them together. They crossed paths far more often than in the previous semester, yet they kept walking on their own, without getting lost in too many formalities.

By mid-January, after a lecture, Ochako decided she was tired. Tired of waiting for Bakugo to greet her, to approach her, or to face the situation. Because, in that very moment, Uraraka was truly convinced there was something to face.

After class, she followed him with determined steps to pull him aside and talk. He had noticed her immediately and stopped in the middle of the path, looking at her. Ochako changed her mind instantly and walked past him. He knew perfectly well she was going the wrong way, so he grabbed her shoulder and dragged her with him to a more secluded spot.

“You think you’re subtle, round face?” His tone was firm, confident. She was anything but.
She inhaled and gathered her courage. “We haven’t talked yet.”

“We’re talking now,” he shot back. Did he stay up at night thinking of comebacks?
“But we haven’t talked about what happened,” she blurted out.

“And what exactly happened, let’s hear it.” He leaned one hand against the wall, trapping her between it and his body.
“Nothing…” she muttered.
“So what do you want to talk about?” he challenged her.
“About what almost happened,” she emphasized the “almost.”
“And what is it that almost…” he mimicked her perfectly, “…happened?” He tilted his head slightly to the right.

Incredibly, it started snowing lightly at that exact moment.

“We…” Ochako looked away, but Bakugo gently took her chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing her to look at him. “We?” he repeated.

“We almost kissed,” she swallowed.
“We almost kissed,” he repeated again, making her nervous. “Are you sure?” he asked mockingly.
Ochako flushed, her cheeks turning red. She felt her chest heat up and looked up at him with an unreadable expression.

“Silence means consent,” Bakugo pressed further.

“Damn him.” Why was he like this?
But Ochako’s throat was tight, the words stuck there. There was no escape.

“So, what time tomorrow?” The boy straightened up and put his hands in his pockets.
“What…” she thought she had only thought it, but she had actually said it out loud.
“In the study room, obviously.” He made a face. “What were you thinking?”
“Nothing,” she sighed. He was completely insane.

But she hadn’t proven to be any less insane than him.

“I start work at three in the afternoon,” she replied flatly.
“I start at four, and classes end at one.” He stretched his legs. “Should I bring lunch or are you going to offer me more radioactive meatballs?”
“I knew you didn’t like them! Damn you!” she widened her eyes, making him laugh genuinely.

They had spent countless hours together, even back in high school, but she had never seen him laugh like that. Laugh at others? A constant, a certainty. But like this? Sincerely? First time.

“See you tomorrow, cheeks.” He turned his back on her and disappeared.

The thin snowflakes melted on her cheeks, the wind messed up her hair, and her breath formed a small cloud in front of her face.
Ochako was confused. None of what had just happened made any sense.

She had been given the chance to fix things, to explain there had been a misunderstanding and that it would be better to keep things as they were: with them not speaking.
She had even had the chance to leave him alone; everything could have resolved itself simply by letting him live his life. She didn’t even need to pull him aside.

But no, Ochako had been driven by pride, and maybe desire too, and she had sought him out. She had let herself be taken somewhere secluded where no one could see them, and she had let him win.
He had pretended nothing happened, and she followed his lead. He had casually suggested they go back to studying together, and she had practically handed him her entire weekly schedule.

He wasn’t the one dragging her. She was the one who kept following him.

The night before, though, Bakugo had been inspired…

“Did you set the kitchen on fire?” Bakugo had just come home after an entirely normal afternoon of studying at the library. He was stressed. He missed women like he needed air, but the last one he had seen dated back to just before the start of the school year, in September. He only had one in his head, and any other seemed like a cheap copy.

“Not yet,” Kirishima replied. “I know it’s not your gourmet kitchen, but this is what I made, and this is what there is to eat,” he teased him.
Bakugo washed his hands and sat down at the table to eat with his roommate.

“You know Uraraka and Izuku don’t have sex,” Eijiro said out of nowhere.
Bakugo slowly turned and stared at him blankly. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Seriously, Kyoka told Denki, and he told me,” he said cheerfully, enjoying the gossip while picking at the dinner he had cooked.

“You sure about that?” Bakugo dropped his utensils into the plate. “So snake-ear told Pikachu that the nerd and round face don’t have sex?”
“One hundred percent sure! Honestly, they seem so pure and angelic, I’ve never pictured them having sex,” he took a bite and swallowed before continuing. “I always thought they’d both die virgins,” he chuckled. “I wonder why.”

Bakugo was still shocked, but almost… pleased.

He was dying to know why, but he didn’t ask further questions. It wasn’t his ultimate goal. He cleared the table, washed the dishes, and put on his pajamas after taking a hot shower.

Before going to sleep, though, he felt a strange sensation in his stomach. He had bullied his best friend for years because he envied him. He had always felt behind compared to him. It took years of suffering to look inside himself and understand the reason for that deep hatred, and just as many years to turn that hatred into respect and then into friendship.
As a hero, he felt incomplete because Midoriya had again lost his quirk, and he no longer felt the drive to become number one if he couldn’t compete against him.

How had he allowed himself to fall in love with his girlfriend?
How had he allowed himself to make a move on her?

He felt disgusted with himself for trying to kiss her, but he couldn’t suppress his feelings for her.
Ochako was the first thing he thought about when he woke up, the last before falling asleep; he always sat behind her so he could look at her whenever he wanted. She was the only woman capable of turning him on and making him come without even touching him.

But he owed so much to Midoriya…

The guilt forced him to spend two hours in the bathroom vomiting. All the disgust he felt for himself came out physically.
But it was the same reaction he had when he saw them kiss; on New Year’s, he couldn’t stand it for even half a second. The moment he saw them share a kiss, sweet and sincere, he left before he could blow everything up.

His breathing was heavy, and he could feel sweat running down his temples.
He held his stomach with one hand while clutching the toilet with the other, thinking about how he could say goodbye to Uraraka.
He had decided he would sacrifice the only woman for his best friend.

He contradicted himself the very next morning when he realized she was the one following him.
Temptation got the better of his morals, but he repeated the same routine for a couple of nights.

Chapter Text

Ochako woke up in a bad mood; she had slept very little. The quality of her sleep had been excellent, but the quantity had been lacking: she had spent almost the entire night replaying Bakugo’s words and his attitude in her mind. She couldn’t understand how he could, and how he actually managed to, act like nothing had happened.

As she half-heartedly had breakfast, she wondered whether his indifference was toward her or toward Deku; not that she felt in a position to judge him from some pedestal.
Still, she believed that the answer to this dilemma would radically change things.

She tried not to get dressed in the dark, but not too flashy either. She looked for clothes in the wardrobe, then threw them on the floor as if she had forgotten how to dress overnight.
In the end, she chose thermal leggings, a long-sleeved shirt, also thermal, and covered them with dark-wash jeans and the black sweater she had already worn. She grabbed her scarf, gloves, hat, and finished with her coat.

She had already packed her bag the night before, she slung it over her shoulder and gathered her courage. A long day awaited her.

Bakugo had woken up feeling like shit, he was tired and his stomach was still bothering him.

He went into the kitchen, thinking he couldn’t stay on an empty stomach, and saw Kirishima stirring something orange in a glass: “Here,” Eijiro said with a concerned look. “I heard you throwing up last night.” He crossed his arms and looked at him, trying to assess his condition.

Bakugo nodded in thanks and sat down, drinking in silence under his friend’s watchful gaze. “Take a picture, it lasts longer,” the blond commented.
“At this rate, yeah, you’re wearing yourself out fast,” he replied seriously. “I don’t think a woman is worth feeling this bad.”

A stab to the heart.

“Food poisoning, you cooked last night.”
“Bakugo, I’m perfectly fine. I ate the same things you did!”
“Then it means you only poisoned mine.”
“Right now, I wish I had.” He turned his back and washed the dishes.

“Thanks, shitty hair,” Bakugo told him.
“No problem, shitty friend!” he shot back.

Katsuki saw the pile of clean clothes and grabbed a pair of gray pants, a cream-colored polo, and a burgundy hoodie. He took his old backpack and slung it over his shoulder over his coat.

Kirishima’s magic concoction was working. He had no idea what it was, but it worked so well that he was almost tempted to get some takeout.

Ochako sat in the central area of the classroom, close enough to hear and see well but far enough not to be noticed by the professor, just in case he asked students questions.
She saw Bakugo walk in, his eyes looked worn out but his back was straight and his chest pushed forward as usual. He sat right behind her and Ochako felt butterflies in her stomach.

Katsuki took a pen and traced along the outline of the girl’s neck. She turned around and muttered, “Stop it! People can see us!” The tip was cold and she felt a faint tickling sensation.
“Let them look.”

“Do you know how fast gossip spreads?” she scolded him.
“Singing frog and snake-face aren’t here,” he commented distractedly, playing with the pen and the girl’s hair.
“They’re not, but we’re not alone in the classroom.”
“If it bothers you, tell me… or do you like it too much to do that?” he teased, licking his lips.

Ochako got goosebumps but managed to resist.

Bakugo obeyed and when Uraraka composed herself again, he studied the back of her neck and that small portion of skin peeking out from her sweater.

Bakugo had always been the model student, hardworking as well as naturally intelligent, but by now he had started attending lectures only to explain them better to Uraraka.

They did something they had never done before; they went to the study room together.
They kept up appearances, they didn’t seem particularly close. They simply walked three steps apart in the same direction.

“How did you organize the work?” Ochako asked as she sat in her usual spot.
Bakugo replied by handing her the lunch box along with the sheet where he had organized everything.
“Thanks,” she said shyly and he simply nodded.

He had made spaghetti with sautéed vegetables and meat, it was slightly spicy because of the curry but Ochako loved it and Bakugo hid his satisfaction.

Usually, during the previous semester, they studied together in silence. At most Ochako would ask for clarification from time to time, but this time they immediately started talking.
They exchanged opinions about the professor, the subject, some classmates…

“You’re distracting me,” he told her with a pleased tone. “If you want to leave, you can.” The girl raised her gaze. “Studying together helps me more than it helps you,” she challenged him and he stayed there with her.
“Do you have a pencil?” Bakugo asked, finally ready to study seriously.

Uraraka handed it to him and in that simple gesture their fingers brushed, they didn’t pull their hands away and lightly caressed each other for a moment.
Ochako studied his scars and observed how deep they were, wondering how painful they had been and whether the pain lingered over time.

They slowly pulled away and Bakugo studied the features of her face, trying to decipher her thoughts.
He had never been ashamed of his wounds nor had he ever cared about them.

The little time they had left was filled with the sound of pages turning until they had to rush to get ready for work.
Usually, once outside, Bakugo would take the long way around to distance himself from her, but that day they walked part of the way together.
The three steps of distance became just a few centimeters and they started chatting casually about how boring patrols were.

“Hey!” they heard a familiar voice and Bakugo immediately moved away from Uraraka with a jump.

It was Kyoka.

She smiled politely. “So you managed to make the grumpy one talk, I see,” she said, turning to Uraraka. “I heard him speak only once at that party before New Year’s!” she teased him.

That damn party.

“We ran into each other on the way to work, our agencies are next to each other,” she explained calmly, finally telling the truth.
“You’re right. I never really thought about it, Kaminari and Kirishima explained it to me too but I always forget about it.”
Ochako replied neutrally, “Exactly, he and I refer to the main branches while others go to the smaller offices.”

Bakugo ditched them before they could even say goodbye, he turned away gritting his teeth and walked off on his own.
“What a temper,” Jiro said, walking closer to Uraraka.
“He hasn’t changed one bit,” Ochako commented, lying.

“I need to see Best Jeanist.”
“You can’t…” his secretary tried to argue back but by then Dynamight had already walked into his office without any formalities, without knocking or being announced.
“I need to beat some asses,” he said nervously, interrupting the pro hero who was typing something on his computer.

Best Jeanist stopped and calmly placed his work on the table, interlacing his fingers. “Bakugo, my child, what is going on?”

But he didn’t answer.

“Katsuki…” the pro hero slowly stood up.

He clenched his fists until it hurt. “I disgust myself,” he finally replied. “Let me beat someone up.”

Chapter Text

They both had the day off; it was Friday, and it was pouring with rain.
During class, Ochako stared out the window most of the time, mesmerized by the wind rustling the tree branches. Bakugo patted her on the back of the head to refocus her attention.

They sat further back than usual, in a corner, at the last and second-to-last desks, respectively.

Uraraka had been late because her alarm hadn't gone off, and Bakugo had pretended to be late too, when in reality he'd followed her to make sure he didn't lose his seat behind her.

When the professor announced a break midway through class, Ochako finally sat down, leaning back against the back of her chair. Katsuki took advantage of this, leaning toward her and caressing her neck with his fingertips. "What's wrong with you today?" he asked softly; when he whispered, it almost sounded solicitous.

"I don't know," she sighed, looking straight ahead. She let her head fall back slightly, and Bakugo instinctively tangled his hand in her hair, scratching it.
They lasted only a few seconds because he saw Tsuyu and Jiro enter their classroom. Bakugo jumped up and left as well.

When they passed each other, they exchanged a greeting for a nod, and the girls joined their friend at her desk.

"Ochako! You're pale!" Tsuyu said.
"Indeed, did the explosive lunatic say something to you?" Kyoka doubled down. "Did he sit behind you to torment you?"

Uraraka let out an amused smile. "No, no..." she reassured them in a manner of speaking. "I was late, and there was only the seat in front of his available. He even left me alone." She stretched slightly.

"But it looked like he was lying on his desk as if to talk to you," Tsuyu noted.

Ochako felt herself go pale. "Really? I didn't notice." She pretended not to notice and looked out the window. "Maybe he wanted to ask me something about class," she tried to justify it.

"Bakugo asking something?" Mr. 'I have God syndrome and I blow up anyone who disagrees’?” Kyoka burst into a loud laugh, spreading the others.
"You're right," Ochako told her, wiping away her tears in amusement.
"She was probably about to raise her hand to explain to the teacher what he'd done wrong." Tsuyu added to the heat, and they burst into deadly laughter. Luckily, they were alone in the classroom.

"Anyway, Ochako, you're weird." Asui didn't let go. "You usually hang out with us during break."

"You're right," Uraraka sighed, sliding onto her seat. She covered her face with her hands, her lower lip trembling. "I've gained weight," she admitted.
Bakugo cooked her delicious, balanced, and nutritious food, and with only patrols and refresher courses, she couldn't process all that.
"I'm ashamed," she said aloud, looking at her knees; that day she had worn a tracksuit two sizes too big to hide.

Her friends sighed in concern. "It's not a problem..."
"Yes, it is!" she interrupted them, snapping her body. "If I don't lose weight before this summer, I'll end up in the media pillory again! I can't have a boyfriend and be fat!" she blurted out in panic. "I won't be taken seriously, and I'll get fired." She ran her hands through her hair desperately. Bakugo would just be another problem.

"We'll join that campaign, then," Asui said, drawing her friends' attention.
"What?"
"A campaign to reestablish the old media-pro-hero relationship," she explained. "It's not our fault that our forerunners objectified themselves to gain consensus." She waved her hand to emphasize her words. "I was doing some research before joining, to make sure it wasn't a scam or a backlash, but it seems legitimate to me."

A glimmer of hope lit up in Ochako's eyes. Meanwhile, the professor had returned, and they were forced to say goodbye.

Bakugo returned to his seat, leaving a carton of coffee on Uraraka's desk. "It's ginseng," he told her. "Anyway, you haven't gained weight. When you were making your own food, you were visibly losing weight, and don't think I didn't realize you were skipping meals!" he warned her. "Since you've been eating what I do, you're eating real food. Things that are good for you. Your body is responding well," he said dryly.

It was difficult to explain to him, however, that she wasn't skipping meals because of her weight, but because the ingredients were expensive. Fish in particular.

The class ended, but as a precaution, they made their way to the study hall independently to avoid the risk of being caught again. Just moments before, Bakugo had almost been caught caressing her, an innocent gesture but far too out of the ordinary on his part. They would have thought it was some shapeshifting villain trying to kidnap her.

They sat in silence, with only the sound of the rain hitting the windows in the background. It was already bordering on impossible that anyone would catch them in that place, but rainy days were the safest because no one would walk that distance across campus, in the rain, just to get to a study hall. There were plenty of others, both in the main building and in the dorms.

"Uraraka," Bakugo interrupted, immediately regretting calling her. "Do you really think that?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

"Because the lives of female heroes are different from yours." She put down her pen and crossed her arms. "We can't just exist, we have to be 'performative.'" She mimed the quotation marks with her fingers as she looked at him almost defiantly. "An extra kilo and you end up in the eye of the storm, a boyfriend..." she regretted mentioning it, but he needed a reality check too. "...a relationship can cost you your career because if you behave irresponsibly in your private life, they'll assume you're incapable as a hero." Just then, Midoriya sent her a few messages, but she turned her phone away so as not to see the screen.

Bakugo was astonished, but she doubled down: "Anyway, I didn't skip meals because of my weight, obviously it had an impact, but I skipped meals because... food costs money. So..." she looked him in the eyes. She wasn't angry with him, obviously, but she couldn't stay calm talking about those things.

"I manage to keep a house, study, and work..." he said, not to judge her but because he was genuinely confused.
"I earn much less than you, especially with part-time work," she explained.

"How is that possible?" He opened his arms.
"Patrols make a pittance, and they rarely give students anything else to do." She shook her head automatically. "And don't think I don't know about the beating the other day." She looked him straight in the eye. "I know they pay you more if you take action."

Bakugo was shocked; he had always been uninterested in others, yet it took so little to discover so much.

Uraraka tried to be gentle, she approached him and caressed the scar on his cheek and then the ones on his arm. "If I were to get them myself..." she sighed. "...they'd cut my salary in half because I wouldn't be beautiful anymore." She raised her gaze to meet his. "And if I became ugly, they wouldn't be able to sell my image anymore," she whispered. Their faces were dangerously close, and Bakugo took advantage of this to lean even closer. Their breathing matched, they didn't have the courage to look at each other for fear they might go further, but it was also true that neither of them seemed to want to let go.

Midoriya called her, and she answered so he wouldn't be suspicious... why? What was he supposed to be suspicious of?

When Bakugo heard his voice on the other end of the phone, his jaw tensed. Ochako stood up and answered from the corner of the room to let her friend study.

"Hello?"
"Hey! Are you okay?" Midoriya asked.
"Yes, everything's fine," she said monotonously.
"It's been a while since we talked on the phone, and it's been a while since we've seen each other." Despite this, his tone was still cheerful.

He was right, but she didn't want to see him at all, not to mention the fact that seeing him would mean taking up Bakugo's time... a completely wrong statement from every perspective. Even just thinking something like that drove her crazy, and the guilt weighed heavily on her chest.
"I'll tell you as soon as I can," Ochako replied. "With classes, studying, and work..."

"We can meet up when you have the day off!" He thought he’d found a solution.

"No!" she said firmly. "I need the day off to study," she said firmly. It was a huge load of bullshit, but at least she'd managed to sound convincing.

Midoriya on the other end of the phone was hurt but didn't want to let him know, much less make it worse: "Of course, I understand. I miss you, I love you!"

"Me too," she whispered. So as not to be heard by Bakugo.

She sat down at the table again and they studied seriously and in silence until ten o'clock that evening without having eaten dinner. Bakugo hadn't thought they'd be late and hadn't brought anything with him.

"I'm sorry," he said out of nowhere.

Uraraka, who was putting her things away to leave, suddenly looked up.

"About what you're going through."

She gave him a shy smile.
Bakugo didn't want to solve her problems; he wanted to be by her side, but he didn't know how. He'd never bothered to take on this kind of responsibility.

He took her wrist and held it to his chest, looking into her eyes as she could feel his pulse with the palm of her hand.

Without saying anything, Bakugo gathered his things and left. He turned to look at her one last moment before opening the door and walking through.

Chapter Text

Ochako felt her adrenaline skyrocket; maybe it was the last look he had given her, some repressed or primal instinct, or simply the fact that she could no longer stand sitting there at the mercy of others.

She ran after him but, damn him for being taller, with longer legs and probably more hormones too, he was much faster than her. She didn’t even have time to open her umbrella, and in no time at all her hair and clothes were completely soaked.

Bakugo heard fast footsteps catching up to him in the distance, and when he recognized the round-faced runt, he shoved her under the only covered walkway on campus.
“She’s completely crazy!”

No one could have seen them, curfew had already started for those living in the dorms, only one streetlamp was on, and the downpour reduced, if not erased, long-distance visibility.

“Are you completely stupid?!” he snapped, grabbing her without too much force; she was drenched. “I’ll help you climb in through the window, idiot!” he let slip through clenched teeth.
“No!” she burst out.
She shook her head slightly, taking a step back. “You’re out of your mind.” It was no longer a question.

“Go home!” he ordered, circling her, trying to steer her toward the road like a sheepdog.
“Not a chance!” she followed him with both her gaze and her body.
“Why?! What do you want?!” he shouted, though the rain muffled his voice.

“I want you to stop deciding for me,” she shot back, hitting his chest as water dripped from her hair and the edges of her coat and bag.

Bakugo clenched his jaw and stiffened, his muscles tightening from head to toe. He tried to compose himself before speaking, before he could even accidentally use his quirk. “I’m not deciding,” he enunciated. “I’m just trying to keep you from doing something stupid.”

“Then why are you here?” she fired back in a split second, panting as if she had run for miles.
“Because you followed me,” he replied calmly, almost like a different person.

Ochako froze on the spot. Her nerves snapped, and she couldn’t respond. She stood still, staring at him, trying to break through the emotional barrier he had put between them.

“No. You’re the one who never stops when you should,” she managed to say, cracking something open in his chest.

“Don’t start,” he said through gritted teeth. Was he trying to help her or himself? The line was too thin to tell…

“Then say it!” she challenged him, hitting his chest again. “Tell me nothing is happening!” she shouted, her heart in her throat as the dim streetlight illuminated her from afar.

Bakugo clenched his fists, his breathing growing heavier, while Ochako’s pressure became more insistent. “Tell me!” she yelled. “Look me in the eyes and say it!” She kicked at the ground like a child.

Bakugo stared at her intensely, taking in everything: her furrowed brows, her narrowed pupils, her slightly parted lips, the rise and fall of her shoulders. He moved closer slowly. Uraraka took half a step back, then let him reach her and touch her.

Bakugo took her hands and placed them on his chest, brushing the backs of them with his thumbs. He pulled her closer, leaning dangerously near her lips, barely brushing them. “You don’t want me to say it.”

“Tell me what you want,” Ochako murmured, her voice soft, as the rain seemed to calm.

Bakugo gave a slight shake of his head, grazing her cheek with his fingertips. “Stop looking at me like that.” His red irises locked onto the gaze that drove him crazy.
“I can’t,” she whispered, looking up at him.

“Then that’s a problem,” Bakugo sighed.
“So are you,” Uraraka replied, rising slightly onto her toes.

Katsuki cupped her cheeks in his hands, his gaze bouncing between her eyes and her lips, drawing closer and closer.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, but she answered with a sigh that meant anything but “stop.”

Ochako closed her eyes and so did Bakugo.

Katsuki clenched his teeth and rested his forehead against hers.
“I can’t do this…” he thought.
He pressed his thumbs to her lips and gently pulled her back by a few millimeters.

Ochako opened her eyes again. The rain had stopped. “Why?” Her breath was uneven, her tone almost desperate.

“Because there’s no going back after,” he said, looking at her with eyes full of sadness as he ached inside.

Chapter Text

Uraraka returned to her room with the face of someone condemned to death.
She knew what she wanted but she knew she would never be able to have it. Maybe it was time to accept reality and come to terms with her own destiny, but above all with herself.

She couldn't even take a shower because they were closed after a certain hour and so she was forced to use the hairdryer in her room, bent over herself because of the lack of space.
She used a brush to keep her hair straight and prevent the humidity from curling it.

What was she thinking while carrying out those small and simple actions? Nothing. Only how tired she was and how much she wanted to sleep.

While she was warming her body with the hairdryer so as not to get sick, she used the kettle to prepare water for a chamomile. It would have been a long night and the fact of being alone didn't help, the chamomile was the only thing that could somehow keep her lucid or mentally stable.

She had warmed herself from head to toe with the hairdryer and she almost felt hot, she changed her underwear and sipped the hot drink even before putting on her pajamas.

She fought against herself for many hours until she managed to fall asleep, cradled by the first lights of dawn.

Waking up was traumatic but she allowed herself to postpone the alarm by an hour since on Saturday she no longer had classes nor seminars nor other "bullshit". She had to pull herself together though because in the afternoon she would have had a patrol and she had to be lucid, the fact that nothing had happened yet did not mean that it would continue to be like that.

Moreover, Bakugo himself once told her that she couldn't justify having been defeated just because she was sleepy that day.

She got up with difficulty and put on a tracksuit just so as not to go downstairs in pajamas. As she left the room though she met Tsuyu who was just coming back from breakfast.

Uraraka didn't pretend to be fine but intercepted her before anyone could literally ask her anything: "I know what I look like", promising start, "Something happened but I'm not in the mood to talk about it now. I'm going to take a shower, eat and come up with something to recover before starting my shift. I know you want to ask me a thousand questions but, Tsuyu, please, wait until Monday" she begged without even catching her breath.

Asui was shocked, worried, annoyed and a long list of negative emotions. Her turmoil was not only visible but also palpable, but how can you help a person who doesn't want to be helped?

Ochako did everything she had said she would do and after breakfast she could say she felt "better".

In that moment she only had Bakugo in her head, she realized she had made too many mistakes one after another and that her body had acted even before her mind.

She put her hands in her hair and if she could she would have torn them all out from frustration, she had been stupid.

She was putting her whole life at risk and for what?
She had a boyfriend who, if he could, would have given her the moon, a job, an excellent reputation, amazing friends and even her university career was starting to take off.

Bakugo would have taken everything from her: the perfect boyfriend that everyone wants, the job, the reputation, the friends would surely have more than rightly sided with Midoriya.
Not to mention the fact that her reputation could have condemned even her family's construction company... the only way out would have been to go work abroad.

Maybe in the West she would have found a more permissive country.
Saying goodbye to everyone wouldn't have been easy but at least she could have rebuilt a life far from problems and above all far from Bakugo Katsuki.

Having woken up late and having done all those things it was already time to head out to go to work. She bought a sandwich on the street and she had also been lucky enough to be on patrol under the rain. It was in those moments that she would have wanted to have a quirk that could shape the elements at her will.

She finished her shift with drenched hair and was forced to leave her costume in a laundry specialized for pro hero gear.
Coming out of the laundry though she distinctly recognized Bakugo's profile, only he had that scar on that side of his face.
He recognized her immediately out of the corner of his eye, turned three quarters and then kept walking ignoring her.

"Oh no..."
"Katsuki!" she shouted forgetting that it was late afternoon and someone could have heard her.
He didn't turn and kept walking with the same pace as before.

"Are you seriously ignoring me?" Ochako was shocked, she would have wanted to kill him. Forget the passion and the strong and present sexual tension.

"Go home" he told her without even turning and she started following him.
"Who do you think you are?" she answered annoyed.
"The only one smart enough to tell you to go home, we're in the street. Don't do stupid shit" he said sarcastically.

"You are no one to tell me what I have or don't have to do nor can you talk down to me deciding, only now" she reiterated "what is stupid and what is not" the girl replied reaching him with a determined step.

"And instead yes, I can since it's the second time you run and shout under the rain to chase me" he had his hands in his pockets and didn't seem willing to mark her with a glance.

"Stop running away!" she shouted at him, she was very nervous and about to explode.

Bakugo clenched his jaw: "I'm not running away!"

"Looks exactly like it to me" she answered almost arrogantly, thinking she had crushed him with that sentence "Yesterday you were there and now you run, you flee, you retreat" that had hurt a bit more.

"It's better this way" he replied starting to get seriously irritated.

"For who?" she challenged him, the game was becoming dangerous "Better for me? Or for you?" she stopped and stopped chasing him but metaphorically stabbed him in the back: "Or for Midoriya?" she looked at his back with a defiant air.

Bakugo had fallen for it completely and in fact he had stopped and finally turned towards her: "Stay in your place!" he snapped touching a sensitive nerve.

But Uraraka continued her attack strategy without defending herself: "I can't bring him into it? He's already in it!" she shrugged sarcastically "He's always been there! Is that the problem?" she articulated the last question as if she expected a specific answer.

"The problem is you!" he approached her jabbing his index finger on her chest pushing her slightly backwards.

"No, the problem is you!" she widened her eyes shocked by his contradictoriness "Because you pretend nothing is happening!" she threw it in his face.

They took a moment of silence, full of tension and anger while they caught their breath panting heavily.

"I don't run away when things become real!" Uraraka had not learned to stay quiet.

Bakugo grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer bringing her very near: "You don't know what you're doing" he hissed nervously praying to multiple deities of multiple religions to give him the strength to resist.

"Then you tell me, explain it to me, since you explain life to me from above your position" she raised her chin towards him managing to feel his nose brushing hers.

"You are sending everything to hell"
"Then stop me" she shot back immediately "Don't tell me to go home, don't call me stupid" she looked at him with death in her eyes "Tell me that it's nothing, that there's nothing" the tone of her voice hid a veil of desperation, she was afraid he might actually tell her.

There was another moment of silence, Bakugo widened his eyes and his breathing became faster and heavier: "I can't" he said monotonously.

"Then stop forcing me to say it" she felt tears starting to rise but pushed them back blinking quickly "Not when you yourself can't do it" the desperate veil was starting to surface.

"Stop it" Bakugo finally replied with a choked voice.
"No!" she threw herself at him
"Uraraka, stop" he begged desperately.
"No!" she hit him weakly on the chest

And Bakugo finally grabbed her cheeks and kissed her passionately, he held her tight as if he feared she could run away and she clung to him as if she risked slipping away.
He lifted her up hiding her in the alley next to them to continue kissing her despite the rain, while she stroked his hair, his chest and his shoulders, clinging to his back to feel him even closer than that.

Two corners further down they reached the entrance door of Bakugo's house and started kissing passionately, to the point that even Ochako pushed him against the elevator wall.
They had already started undressing before Bakugo could even put the keys in the lock and, once inside, they let their coats and those superfluous accessories fall in front of the entrance.

Bakugo pushed her against the table with his hips and she sat on it throwing her neck back.
He was kissing her passionately, behind the ears, on the mouth, on the neck and just above the collarbones.

"Stop me, now" he told her between one kiss and another while lifting her shirt "Uraraka, tell me to stop" he said sighing, he kissed her belly while holding her bra cups with both hands.

She didn't answer him, she moaned overwhelmed by passion.
"Ochaco" he resumed growling, undressing her slowly "Order me to stop and I will" he said with a tone mixed between anger and arousal, he lifted his gaze towards her while he was sliding off her panties "But stop me now because after I won't be able to anymore" he panted desperately.

"don't stop" she sighed and he didn't need anything else anymore.

He started licking her like a feral beast, making her moan loudly. He tasted depths even she didn't know while the excitement of both kept rising.
He grabbed her by the buttocks with vigor and brought her to the bedroom, threw her onto the bed and let himself fall on top of her without stopping kissing her.

He kissed her neck, then her breasts, he teased one nipple with his teeth and the other he pulled gently holding it between thumb and index while she panted and sighed soft "yes".

He went down kissing her belly while he stroked her legs, he slid a finger inside her: "Fuck" he sighed "you're so wet" and he slid a second finger "I'm so hard" he panted, unable to control himself.

Bakugo took off his shirt showing his sculpted physique, he unbuckled his belt which he used to lash her thigh before throwing it on the ground. He took off his pants together with his boxers, revealing an aggressive erection. He wasn't really small; he was big, imposing, aggressive, slightly turned to the left. Somehow, even his member perfectly reflected his personality.

Ochako impatiently caressed her breast, exciting him even more.
She looked at him with those eyes that conveyed a mix between animal excitement and true love.

"I want you, fuck" he growled in her ear bringing his virility closer to her body.
"Me too" Ochako moaned.

Bakugo entered delicately inside her panting loudly, feeling her body adapt to his.
Uraraka moaned writhing in pleasure, she gripped the sheets and bit her lip in the grip of spasms.

Bakugo grabbed her hips and lifted them, holding them himself while she remained supported only on her shoulders and head; he made her his, fucking her as he had dreamed a long time ago. His thrusts were rough and constant while they both moaned loudly.

He let her hips fall making them hit the soft mattress and turned her putting her on all fours. When he entered inside her, Ochako gasped his name and at every thrust she moaned on the verge of screaming. Bakugo placed one hand on her neck and with the other he pulled her hair while he made her his with vigor.

The thrusts became faster, stronger, the headboard had started hitting against the wall, the mattress creaking shamelessly; he moved his hand from her neck to her clit: "Come, come for me" he urged her but with a possessive and self-assured tone. He knew she was climaxing because, as he could hear her, the whole neighborhood could hear her.
Ochako came in a blatant way, while the liquid ran down her legs.

When Bakugo felt her moan while she was coming, he exploded inside her too panting with a deep voice.

Uraraka let herself fall onto the mattress and he lay down on her, kissing her shoulders tenderly.
He caressed her hair that had curled and shortly after he also started playing with it.

The girl was breathing deeply and so the blond asked her: "Did I hurt you?"
She chuckled: "Did it seem like it hurt me?"

He laughed heartily: "You seemed very into it, actually. I think you like sex a bit… animalistic!" he teased her
"You think!" she lifted herself slightly supporting her head with the palm of her hand.

"BAKUBR—!" Kirishima flung the door open suddenly and Bakugo threw the sheet over Ochako's head, who let out a squeak.

"Fuck sorry guys!" he covered his eyes with one hand while with the other he searched for the door handle, which slipped a couple of times before he managed to grab it. He closed the door and the two of them remained paralyzed under the sheets.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck—"
"Shit shit shit shit shit—"

They had started whispering.
Bakugo jumped out of the bed and put on his boxers and pants, he left the room without a shirt and saw Eijiro in the kitchen.

"Sorry bro, if I had known I wouldn't have come back at all" he put his palms together to apologize.

Katsuki looked at the living room and pointed at it: "And all these clothes on the ground, then? Didn't you notice them?"

"I thought I had left them this morning"

He would have wanted to smash his face in.
But at least he didn't seem to have recognized her nor did he seem to suspect anything.

Bakugo picked up the clothes they had scattered and turned to bring them back to her but Kirishima intercepted him: "Anyway, nice one bro!" he gave him a light punch on the shoulder "Is it always the mysterious girl? If now you've started actually seeing each other, I can throw something in a pan and she can stay here!" he smiled at him.

"No. It's not happening" Bakugo said bluntly.

"Ooohhh I get it" Eijiro had a lightbulb turned on in his head "You're just... cik cik boom boom" he winked.

Bakugo rolled his eyes and then retreated into his room.
Ochako was still waiting for him hidden under the sheets and got dressed as quickly as possible.

"What do we do?" she said in panic.

The only solution was to lock shitty hair in the bathroom and let her out, but he didn't want to throw her out of the house, not like that and not after having had -incredible- sex.

"You have to get me out of here!"
Problem solved on its own.

Katsuki put his plan into action and Kirishima did not resist. Bakugo and Uraraka exchanged one last heartbreaking kiss and then she ran toward the dormitory.

"You're the best!" Eijiro came out of the bathroom after receiving permission but Bakugo didn't give him attention. Instead, he sat almost desperately in the kitchen.

"Everything okay, Katsuki?"
The blond rubbed his face and ran his hands through his hair: "No"
"Your day doesn't seem to have gone that badly though"

No, indeed.

"I fucked up"

Kirishima burst out laughing: "You got laid! You're the playboy of the group!"

"Eijiro!" he had called him by name, he was deadly serious "I fucked Uraraka"

Kirishima went pale, he had the face of someone who had just seen a man die in front of his eyes: "No, you didn't" he was in the denial phase.

"Eijiro..."

"Fuck!" he turned giving him his back, pacing around "FUCK! You're an idiot!"

He deserved all of it.

Kirishima leaned on the table: "What the fuck did you do!"

"I'm an idiot. You're right, even a broken clock is right twice a day"
"Is this the time to joke?" Eijiro scolding him, he was at the end of his rope.

"Tell me what I have to do because I'm desperate" he admitted for the first time.

Chapter Text

Uraraka had returned to her lodging and had gone on living normally; that devastated her.

She felt guilty not only for the betrayal but first and foremost for being happy.
She felt like she could touch the sky with a finger and if she went back she would do it again infinitely. There was no scenario in which she wouldn’t do it again or at least wouldn’t want to.

She traced with her fingers the contours of the lips with which she had kissed him and, while changing to put on her pajamas, she retraced in front of the mirror the kisses he had left all over her body. She looked at her back in the mirror as well to see what he had seen, glad that he had liked it.

At the same time as that feeling of ecstasy, however, remorse and the sin of her actions also lived within her.
She had no excuses nor justifications, she had had more than enough chances to remove herself from that situation and had ended up seeking him out with her own hand.

She rubbed her eyes, maybe it was just a dream…
3, 2, 1… no, it wasn’t a dream; when she woke up the following morning what had been done was still real.

Bakugo had not had an equally peaceful night, Kirishima had chewed him out and incredibly Bakugo had taken it.
They had also argued, the two of them, and even though he had denied it, Bakugo had been afraid of losing his friend.

Fortunately, that morning, things seemed to have settled on their own between the boys.
“Good morning” they said to each other coldly.

“What do you think you’re going to do?” Eijiro asked him while having breakfast.
“I don’t know” Bakugo admitted, dejected.

“Why did you do it? Of all the women in the world…” he slammed a defeated fist on the table.
“Because I love her” he admitted out loud with the look of someone who had just seen a ghost.

Kirishima did not expect that answer and remained dumbfounded for a while: “Since when?” he asked, shocked.

“I’m not sure, it’s not the kind of thing I mark on the calendar. You know how it is!” Bakugo was going back to himself “I realized she existed at the festival but then wanting to become number one, surpass Deku and survive the war pushed her into the background. When I allowed myself my first breath after graduation, I realized I had always loved her” he admitted “But even there Deku beat me, he managed to go to war and win her over” he sighed, hurt “I was left behind again” he shook his head “I didn’t want to hurt him, I swear I tried to resist, to do the right thing…” he sighed again shrugging and waving his arm in the air “You have to believe me!” he pleaded.

Kirishima pressed his lips together and nodded: “I believe you” he said softly “But how do you intend to go on? Do you want to end it? Do you want to confess? We can’t pretend Midoriya doesn’t exist in this equation…”

“I know. I know” he sat down as well “but you can’t ask me to give up Uraraka” Katsuki shook his head, defeated “I wouldn’t be able to.”

“And if she chose him?”.
The question devastated him: “I’d accept it” he looked him in the eyes “I definitely don’t intend to tell him.”

“And if she wanted to tell him?” he raised the stakes.
“I’d accept it. I’d pay the consequences of my actions, have I ever backed down?” he felt offended by his presumption.

“Are you aware that you would never become number one? That it would be a miracle if you even managed to stay in the rankings!” he was cornering him, Kirishima didn’t want to hurt him but only help him. It was just impossible to help a person in his position.

Bakugo nodded and raised his gaze biting his lower lip.

Kirishima sketched a smile: “What can I do to help you?”.
Bakugo weakly shook his head: “I don’t know” he looked at him weakly in the eyes “What would you do, if you were me?”

“I’d end it with her” he said out loud, aware it was out of the question “But since it’s not possible, or at least not anymore, I’d try to limit the damage”.

“And how?” Katsuki immediately intervened, desperate for advice.

“By hoping that what happened happened only once…” he showed him the palms of his hands as if to say ‘you don’t need to tell me more’ and then continued “I’d avoid it happening a second time” he shrugged “I’d talk to her and give her an ultimatum: either the two of us or the two of you. Three is too many, especially if one of the three thinks there are only two!” he chuckled nervously “I don’t think you like being the spare wheel either.”

Bakugo had never thought about it.
He couldn’t get Midoriya out of his head and the guilt toward him.

“I think you should talk, first of all” Eijiro concluded, who really didn’t want to make decisions on his own.
Bakugo nodded and ate some dried fruit to distract himself from the situation.

Meanwhile, Ochako had tried to keep her mind busy by doing the things she should have done; house chores, studying, errands… but her mind kept replaying in a loop what had happened the night before and she could still feel Bakugo’s fingers playing with her hair, his breath on her neck and the kisses on her shoulders.

She didn’t realize it but she had smiled the whole time and hadn’t done absolutely anything she was supposed to do.

It was Sunday and she could afford a slower pace, also considering the anything-but-slow pace of the previous day.

Her distraction, however, was interrupted by a phone call from Midoriya.
Ochako went pale and felt her insides open up, she felt a weight on her chest and her throat closed.
She answered him without saying anything.

“Hello! Love? Ochako, can you hear me?”
“Yes” she said in a faint voice.

“But are you okay?” you could hear the concern.
“I’m fine. You?”

“Not really, you’ve been strange lately and I’m starting to worry. Should I come? I don’t care about skipping classes tomorrow to take care of you!”

“Of course” she thought desperately, she was trying to find flaws in him to feel less bad with herself but obviously it was impossible.

“No no, I’m fine. I just ate too much” she made up the first excuse.
“You’re strange, Ochako” he replied, it was clear what he meant.

Uraraka bit her lip and sighed, frustrated: “I’m sorry…” she said in a faint voice. She didn’t want to say it, it slipped out.
“For what?” he asked, confused.

“For having been not very… present lately” she tried to salvage what could be salvaged “I promise I’ll try harder.”
“Don’t worry” she heard Izuku sigh “as soon as we see each other everything will pass.”

Ochako swallowed with difficulty and nodded: “Yes” her voice was faint and she was holding back tears.
She said goodbye to him and finally allowed herself to cry.

But she wasn’t crying because she had betrayed him, but because she couldn’t regret it the way she “should have.”

She went to work as if nothing had happened and, returning “home”, retraced the route of the previous day to reach Bakugo’s house.
She had moved automatically, her mind told her not to go but her body took her there anyway.

She rang the intercom, called him but he didn’t answer. Instinct told her to go around the building and she saw an open gate and a staircase that led her to the lower floor.
It was an underground floor with the tenants’ cellars, there were apartment numbers on the doors and she heard a muffled sound in the distance.

As she got closer she recognized the sound of drums and turning the corner she saw Bakugo playing. She leaned against the wall to watch him calmly, Uraraka had a soft, far too in-love look, and she studied his every movement, both the control he had not to break the drum skin and the small drops of sweat that jumped from his body.

Bakugo’s body was tense but his movements controlled, you could see he was playing something he knew well and that gave him peace.
His movements were firm and confident and from how he tightened and relaxed his jaw it was evident that he was letting himself go and that he liked it.

When he saw her out of the corner of his eye he stopped abruptly, dropping a drumstick: “Ochaco…”

“Sorry for…” she pointed at the drums “the interruption. You were playing really well and I liked it” she smiled at him sweetly.

“I have to talk to you” he said quickly getting up “I’m sorry, but I told Kirishima” he confessed “and I’m also sorry for…” he sighed.

“Don’t worry. I also wanted to tell Tsuyu but I wanted to talk to you first” she lowered her gaze “Are you sorry for what happened?”

“Yes and no” he replied “I tried to hold back as much as possible and I should have. But I will never regret it” he confessed.

They both looked down, not knowing what to say or how to unlock the situation.

“What do you want to do?” Bakugo asked her.

Uraraka would have wanted to ask him what he wanted to do but she realized she had to choose, she couldn’t reproach him for running away if she was the first to run from her own responsibilities.

What would she have wanted? To have a magic wand and solve the situation, to live in a castle in a enchanted land together with Bakugo and wear beautiful clothes not conventionally accepted.

“I don’t know” she admitted.
“What would you want?” he asked, hoping she would tell him what he wanted to hear.

Between them there was as much embarrassment as desire to kiss each other again.
The line that separated having to say goodbye and running away together was so thin that they couldn’t understand where they were.

She smiled at him, fearing however that he wouldn’t return her feelings. It wasn’t the moment for a heartbreaking love confession, not in a cold cellar while he was playing the drums when she was still officially in a relationship with someone else.

She bit her lower lip and raised her gaze, she looked him in the eyes searching for help.
She ran her hands through her hair, combing it back: “I have to ask you something, Katsuki…”

He immediately perked up.

“Can I transfer to your agency?”

He tilted his head to the side.

“I want to be part of a social movement against beauty standards and much more…” she took a pause before continuing “your agency guarantees more rights and freedom compared to mine. But, given what there is between us, it’s right and proper that I ask your permission.” It was the truth, but also an excuse to be able to stay closer to him.
She hadn’t thought about it at that moment but deep down she knew that relationships between pro heroes were always discouraged but slightly more manageable if under the same agency.

“I deduce then that you haven’t regretted what happened” he replied, but she kept looking at him waiting for an answer to her question “It’s fine, it’s not a problem for me.”

“I’m sorry, for interrupting you. I wanted to see you… I shouldn’t have” she whispered and he dismissed her with a shrug.

“This way it’s only worse” Bakugo said when Uraraka was leaving, she stopped to listen to him but didn’t turn around and didn’t reply.

They hadn’t solved anything but they knew that that stalemate was only a luxury they could afford just for that day.
They said goodbye and took advantage of their solitude to reflect.

Now they had to choose.

Chapter Text

"Are you ready?"
"Yes" Ochako replied.

She and Tsuyu had agreed with the teachers to skip all the lessons that Monday, they would receive the material to study via email.
Ochako was calmer, she had decided what to do with her life.

But Tsuyu interrupted her train of thought: "You seem calmer today"
"Yes, I've decided to change agency. I've already sent the documentation and luckily the process was simple and quick. I went this morning at seven, I'll just have to sign tomorrow"

"That's why I had seen you so close to Bakugo lately, you had asked him for information" Asui seemed to have been enlightened and was starting to connect the dots.

"Exactly" Uraraka lied.

They showed up at the union and joined by signing several papers.
They would become not only the voices but above all the faces of change.

They would no longer allow the media, the press nor the public to decide or judge them as individuals. They were aware that they would still have to maintain a certain decorum even in private, but finally they would raise their voices against a system that wanted to impose itself on their bodies as well as on their choices.
Certain currents of thought, in the long run, could become dangerous.

It wasn't just about pro heroes, but about women.
If they didn't intervene, they would lay their hands on them too, who however didn't have the same tools to defend themselves or fight back.

Asui and Uraraka had a confident look, chests puffed out, a lot of fear but also a lot of desire to overturn everything.
They hugged each other aware that soon it would be their turn.

"We took a big step today" Ochako smiled, she felt like she had moved a mountain.
"You're right, ribbit!" Tsuyu jumped with excitement
"As soon as we graduate we'll have to undertake very heavy missions, to increase credibility and... many things" she sighed realizing that they would carry on the campaign until the end of their lives. But it was worth it.

Ochako, however, had adrenaline through the roof because she had decided to truly face Bakugo, not like the day before.
They would make things clear, they would resolve the situation together and their lives would go on as scripted, choosing the most convenient outcome for both.

She moistened her lips automatically and took Tsuyu's hand to give herself strength. They walked together to the lodging and realized they would have time to attend the last class of the morning.

"Shall we go?"
"But we already have the material, let's go have breakfast together instead!"

They weren't skipping, they had informed the teachers well in advance and they had given the okay and had put them in the conditions to be able to carry forward a very important project related to their careers.

They allowed themselves for once a small indulgence and had a coffee chatting cheerfully about this and that, what a bit of lightheartedness could do.

Bakugo hadn't seen the round-faced runt in class and that thing drove him furious, he took for granted that she was avoiding him. He couldn't know that Tsuyu had also skipped because they had different courses.

He looked out the window tapping nervously with the pen but he had a brain programmed to be maximally functional and he had still managed to follow the lesson, despite having his head full of thoughts and his mood altered.

He took for granted that he would see her again directly the next day, so after lessons he went straight to their study classroom.

Opening the backpack he saw the lunch he had cooked for her and for a moment he thought he had only imagined that there could really be something between them.
He flipped the table over in anger and threw the backpack against the wall but immediately after he heard the door close.

Uraraka saw the overturned table and then looked Bakugo in the eyes trying to grasp the connection between the two things.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her nervously.
"I wanted to talk to you" she said it as if it were obvious.

Bakugo put the table back in place and sat three-quarters on the edge: "Enlighten me then" he provoked her.
He had gone back to being the usual asshole, that facade only served to defend his feelings because he believed it was really over.

And she believed it too.

"We can't go on like this" she said decisively, believing it was enough to end it.

"Like this how?" he provoked her.

She gasped, shocked, how could he make fun of her? They could no longer pretend that nothing had happened.

"This, Bakugo!" she said with a tone mixed between anger and sadness, she pointed at something invisible between them, unable to describe it. Maybe she was talking about what they felt but she didn't have the ability to magically make it visible.

"Make up your mind before ruining me too, besides yourself" he turned his back to her for a moment to compose himself and Ochako lost it.

"Bastard!" she shouted feeling mocked and nothing else.

"Is that all your repertoire?" he mocked her turning back toward her again "Tell me you don't want me and then go to him if you want to do things properly. I'm not the right one for you" he yelled waving his arm "Now get out!"
Bakugo could feel that he had broken his own heart but his mind was convincing itself he was doing the right thing.

He wanted Ochaco all to himself but he couldn't be that selfish, he was trying to push her away to do the right thing.

But it was so hard to say goodbye to her.

She, however, wanted to stay there arguing with him because, despite everything, her place was where he was too.

She remained still looking at him, hoping that her mouth would speak in her place.
Bakugo lost patience and also self-control: "If you stay... I can't manage to do the right thing" he admitted letting a bit of humanity show.

That embarrassment, that fake argument was the umpteenth proof that they couldn't resist each other but above all that neither of them really wanted to end it.

"Uraraka, tell me you don't want me and go away. Let's end it here, you came here for this or not?" he shook his head resigned, in a moment of clarity, trying to fill the silence.

"I can't" she hissed closing her eyes and turning the other way as if to hide from him.

"Please, I beg you, tell me you want him and go to him!" he pleaded approaching her, he slightly tilted his head to one side and tried to read her aura.

Ochako looked at him and in his eyes she saw the reflection of her feelings, she threw herself at his neck kissing him and running her hand through his hair; Bakugo returned the kiss embracing her vigorously until pushing her against the bookshelf.

He lowered her pants just enough to make room for his hand and shortly after he picked her up slamming her against the shelf. Uraraka wrapped her legs around his waist and held herself the whole time to his strong shoulders, even though she had used her quirk to be lighter for him.

He made her his, thrusting gently while she moaned looking at him in the eyes with the same gaze as before. He leaned closer to her kissing her neck while he felt her pant in his ear.

Bakugo slid his hands along her arms until reaching her wrists, he gripped them bringing them above her head while he kept thrusting into her.

She couldn't belong to anyone else but him.
"Katsuki..." she moaned in the grip of pleasure, still dressed but with their pants lowered just enough.

As passionate as sex between them was, on that occasion there was a much more emotional undertone than the previous time, it was a cathartic experience in which the orgasm was not only the peak of pleasure but also the attainment of a certain awareness.

Their faces were just a few millimeters apart, they kissed desperately while breathing each other's air.

He came inside her and part of the result of that act dripped to the floor, drying quickly, leaving a stain on the ground.

Uraraka had always known what she would have wanted to do. If that day she had sought Bakugo to do what she was supposed to do, that act but above all those emotions convinced her to do what she wanted.
She accepted her feelings and decided to take all the risks that could have ruined her life.

While Ochako had made a choice, she had chosen herself; Bakugo had made another choice. For him it was a goodbye, because he had put her above himself.

Chapter Text

Ochako had not slept and had cried all night, as soon as she woke up she took a shower and put on makeup, she made herself exceptionally beautiful to give herself a boost.

In class Bakugo had sat far away, not behind her as she was used to, but she was so focused on what would happen that afternoon that she didn't notice.

She didn't follow half a word of the professor because she was too busy repeating in her mind the speech she had prepared and in those few moments when she wasn't reviewing the speech she thought about possible scenarios that could arise.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and met Izuku at a local cafe, outside the campus.

As soon as Midoriya saw her he hugged her and moved to kiss her but she dodged him, he felt hurt but didn't force her. They sat facing each other and Ochako kept her gaze low, guilty, she ordered an Americano coffee stammering and Izuku took a tea with a slice of cake.

"Midoriya..." she said, panting, interrupted by the waitress who had brought the orders.
"We need to talk," she said bluntly.

Deku was worried and his gaze darkened.

"I don't think I want to continue," she said, shrugging her shoulders and hunching over.

Midoriya inhaled loudly, he would have wanted to tell her not to do it, that he would try harder, that they would make it together but he stayed silent. He felt like he had done something wrong, like he had stretched the rope too long and that not all trains pass a second time. He felt like he had lost the chance to fix their relationship and he gave up, against his nature.

In his head he believed that they would meet again in a not too distant future, maybe they just needed to grow for a while on their own before coming back stronger than before.

A break. Midoriya, to not give up, defined it as "a temporary break" in his head.
If it was just a break, they would get back together and he wouldn't give up.

He had thought all those things in silence, with that typical look he had when he planned things in his head while Uraraka studied his expression.

"I owe you an apology," Midoriya told her but Uraraka interrupted him: "No!" she raised her voice but then composed herself: "I'm the one who owes you an apology. Forgive me. I've been immature," she moistened her lips to chase away the tension.

She would have wanted to spill everything, confess to having sinned out of lust but she couldn't. She felt her throat close and swallowed the truth, washing it down with the coffee.

Ochako reached her hands across the small table and took Midoriya's, keeping their pinkies lifted: "I'm sorry," she repeated with an extremely sincere tone.

She paid for everything herself and left, she gathered herself by pressing her hands under her armpits to warm them.
January was coming to an end but the cold was still the intense one of winter.

She went straight to work, in the same agency as Bakugo which had also become hers.
She wouldn't actually work that day but she would attend an interview with Best Jeanist.

"Uraraka Ochako..." said the pro hero reading her file "Do you have a letter of references?"
"Here!" she said handing him a sheet.

"You are an excellent candidate, you've had a stable career but above all you were in class 1A of UA," he muttered "What pushed you to change agency on Sunday afternoon?" she had resigned the day before.

"Your values and protection of pro heroes, sir," she answered bluntly "I no longer recognized myself in my old agency, not now that I have decided to participate in the 'Heroes for the women' movement."

"You know that here we give fundamental importance to appearance and public image, right?" he questioned her sternly "Aren't you afraid that the movement you decided to join will clash with our values?"

"No, sir," she answered firmly "I agree with all your values and at the same time believe that the mere appearance of women is something they should manage on their own," she looked him straight in the eyes "Under your agency, sir, I will be a model heroine and my public image will be impeccable! But I want to take action to abolish stereotypes about women and heroines and I refuse to commodify my body and my person!" she said confidently, making him smile under the costume.

"You're capable, Uraraka," he said aligning the files on his desk "You'll follow an orientation seminar this first week, then we'll do physical evaluations but consider yourself hired," he raised his gaze "Ask at the front desk for the contract," he dismissed her.

Uraraka left there with a radiant smile and her chest puffed out, the breakup with Deku was still an open wound but she couldn't deny having moved on with her life. She had taken risks and overcome them, she had embarked on a new work path more promising and profitable for her.

"Hello, mom! You don't know what I have to tell you!" she updated her on her whole career and her parents told her how proud they were of her.

"And Midoriya? He must be happy too!" her mother said on the other end of the phone "Hello, darling? Everything okay?"

"Mom, about Midoriya... we broke up," she opened Pandora's box.
"I'm sorry, how did it happen?" typical questions of a worried mother.

"It's a long story, in two weekends I was thinking of coming home and telling you the details. I only made this decision because..." she didn't feel like telling them the truth yet "...I thought it was the right one."

"The important thing is that you are happy, darling," her parents told her and then they said goodbye.

Uraraka had already arrived at the lodging and changed bags to go study with Bakugo. She knew he was still working, it was normal that she had finished earlier and so she decided to wait for him in the study room.

She had gotten ahead with the program and after two or three hours she saw him enter. She gave him a sincere smile, she didn't expect to immediately start a relationship but at least to continue to 'get to know him'.

When Bakugo saw her he turned pale and his arms dropped: "What are you doing here?"
That question hurt Ochako: "To study?" she was hesitant too after his reaction.

"No, Uraraka!" he said waving his palm in front, keeping the distance between them "you and I are over! For real! It's wrong, all this is wrong!" he said in one breath.

"Bakugo!" she stood up "What..."

"Uraraka!" he raised his voice "Go away! Go home!"

"Don't tell me that now you regret everything!" she interrupted him.

"It was wrong! We were wrong! This is a mistake! It's not worth ruining three lives for this!" he shouted, yelling, becoming fierce again like he was in high school.

Ochako burst into tears, grabbed her things in the worst way and left. She was stuck with him because they had hired her in his same workplace and she knew it would be far from the first time he would ignore her. She ran to her room and for the first time did something unexpected.

She stopped getting herself into trouble on her own and knocked on Tsuyu's door, in tears, with swollen eyes and a red face.
"Come in," her friend told her worried.

She told her everything, the tension between them, the desire, the studying, the betrayal, the love... the breakup with Deku and the job.

She cried on her shoulder, ready to be judged but instead Tsuyu stroked her hair, tucked her under the covers and slept hugging her.

Chapter Text

"I messed up, I'm an idiot, I ruined everything. No one would do what I did, but what am I even saying! No one would even think what I did," she cried "Tsuyu, please, help me! Tell me what to do!" she begged her.

Her friend hugged her and held her close, stroking her hair: "Everything will be fine," she lied shamelessly but in that moment she understood that she needed to be comforted right then and that the moment for the truth would come in due time.

"But I thought I loved him, Tsuyu!" she mumbled, sniffling.
"Who?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Bakugo! I thought I really loved him..." she sighed in pain because she truly believed it. No one had ever made her feel butterflies in her stomach like he did, or that sense of well-being when he had caressed the back of her neck in class and also when they had shared the bed together. She had never had the audacity to dress in a revealing way but with him she had even made love in a library where anyone could have walked in.

He always challenged her to be the best version of herself, he was the engine of her motivation.

Now that she was left alone she was beating herself up; the part that disgusted her the most about herself? Having thought, even just for half a second, that if she could go back she would have stayed with Midoriya.

But in her heart she wanted Bakugo, only Bakugo. There was only him in her thoughts.

"And Midoriya?" Asui asked her, she could no longer run from her questions.

"I loved him, sincerely. But maybe we weren't meant to last," she admitted "I care about him," it was the truth "but I don't love him like before, maybe we outgrew our roles."

Asui stroked her hair and they fell asleep hugging each other. The frog girl's alarm went off and they got up slowly: "Ochako, be brave. You have to go to class! You can't let yourself be seen as weak!" she convinced her and Ochako went to class looking beautiful.

She wore black jeans and jacket and a cream-colored shirt, she felt the cold slightly but at least she would stay dressed 'nicely' and fairly formal for the whole day, even for the seminar in the afternoon.

She had put on makeup as usual but that day she also wore red lipstick because her femininity and dignity could never again depend on a man.

She hoped he had seen her enter but she didn't give him the satisfaction of looking for him with her eyes, she sat in the very front row and took notes, badly but she took them anyway.

Leaving the classroom late in the morning she was forced to eat something out, she missed Katsuki's lunches quite a lot but she had to get used to doing without them again.

At work, however, it was inevitable to run into each other, they passed by one another but Ochako looked straight ahead. Also because if she had looked him in the eyes she probably would have spat in his face like llamas do, so she had done well to ignore him with elegance.

Uraraka thought about her seminar and Bakugo was sent to beat up some local delinquent, not a random choice.
Best Jeanist knew his chicken well, better than he thought.

They met again at the end of the seminar, Bakugo was returning from patrol and she, however, gave in and looked at him.

He was dirty with dust and had a few scratches on his face, once she confirmed he was fine and still had all twenty fingers attached to his body she looked ahead again.

She felt Katsuki's cold gaze on her neck but she didn't let it affect her and went on her way. She had already gotten so much from life, she could endure a few dirty looks.
She felt a grip in her throat, if she had tried to speak she never would have managed but she was confident that those feelings of pain would disappear in a short time.

Bakugo went home, he was nervous and Kirishima twisted the knife in the wound: "So? How did it go with Ochako?"

"The thing with the round-face is settled," he said slamming things around himself "I did the right thing and now it's Midoriya who owes me something," he said annoyed.

"As far as I know you slept with his girlfriend," he corrected him, Katsuki glared at him but Eijiro was no longer afraid of him.
If he had to, he faced him directly without beating around the bush.

"So you broke it off? How did it go?" he asked while getting ready for night patrol.

"We fucked and I dumped her," Bakugo turned to him "it ended before it even started."

Eijiro's arms dropped: "You can't have seriously said that," he looked him in the eyes to scold him.

"Listen, they are the perfect couple! I'm not right for her, I can't be like him..." at the thought of Midoriya with her he felt nauseous "...not to mention everything I owe to Deku!" he made a gesture with his arm as if to end the conversation and sat down to take off his shoes.

"Didn't you think that maybe she could feel something for you?" he said taking the duffel bag

"Why?" Katsuki raised his gaze "Did she tell you something?"

"Bakugo, it doesn't seem to me that your interest has disappeared," he teased him "Anyway no, no one told me anything," he shrugged "I can investigate, if you want," he winked at him.

"No, I wouldn't want anyone to suspect anything," he put the shoes in the rack "better to keep a low profile," he took off his hoodie and considered the idea of taking a shower, he smelled.

"As you wish," Eijiro moved to leave but was interrupted one last time by Bakugo: "When does the moment come when you tell me I did the right thing?" he sized him up.

"Who says I think you did the right thing?" he told him before immediately closing the door behind him.

Katsuki remained still in the middle of the room, there didn't seem to be any way out since everything he did was wrong.

Chapter Text

Uraraka had gone back to eating canned tuna, crappy food and instant ramen.
She was frustrated, she wasted time doing useless things and felt like everything was falling apart.

She couldn't see her friends for more than five minutes, she had ruined her love life and, between one medical visit and another and an interview and a seminar, she had started working seriously for a week.

Ah right, her job...
She met Bakugo almost every day and they ignored each other professionally.

The activism program, however, was going great and the movement was starting to be talked about, it had only been a month since she had started being part of it too and public opinion was beginning to form.

Ochako's days had all become the same; wake up, shower, breakfast, class, lunch, study, work, dinner, study, laundry and to sleep.
wake up, shower, breakfast, class, lunch, study, work, dinner, study, laundry and to sleep.
wake up, shower, breakfast, class, lunch, study, work, dinner, study, laundry and to sleep.
Every single day.

She was starting to lose her mental stability but at least she had managed to pass, albeit with the minimum, a midterm exam. She could have taken two exams, like her friends, but she only took one.
Given her personal life it had seemed like an incredible achievement.

To avoid meeting, literally, anyone she had gone back home for a weekend.
Her father had tried to pretend nothing was wrong but a veil of disappointment showed in his eyes, they were all sacrificing so much in exchange for so little. The others were already at four exams and she had taken, in total, only three. The others were getting top marks, she had been mediocre in the first two and then barely sufficient in the last one.

Her mother hadn't been able to hold back, it didn't even seem like she had tried, and she bombarded her with questions about Midoriya, how, when, why...
She had simply explained that it wasn't working anymore between them and that she had made that decision, she had omitted the part where she had fallen in love with his best friend, that they had kissed and everything that happens after you kiss.

Her parents were devastated but they loved her and didn't stop supporting her for a single second.
But in that moment Ochako stopped believing in herself, she was letting herself be carried by the current and she would have to end up somewhere.

"Shall we study together today?" Jiro asked her during a coffee break.
"No girls, sorry," she sipped a cappuccino "I have to study for the exam you've already taken, I prefer to stay alone," she was forcing herself to tell the truth and not be ashamed, unfortunately the suicide rate due to academic pressure among university students was rising and she believed she could set an example for everyone.

Tsuyu was the only one who knew and she sized up Bakugo every time she ran into him in the hallway but neither of them allowed themselves to say anything.
Even Bakugo spared his cutting comments.

"How is the movement going?" Jiro tried to make conversation, she felt there was something because Tsuyu and Ochako were strange but she understood it didn't concern her because the routine had remained the same.

"It's going forward, we've been handing out flyers for quite some time and as soon as we have the chance we'll raise our voice," Ochako said throwing the cup into the trash.

"It's a project we'll carry to the grave, we're marked for life but we believe in what we do," Asui added.

The two didn't hold it against Kyoka for not joining, it wasn't easy and it took a lot of courage. The risks, even personal ones, were many and, if everything went well, they would even risk suffering attacks.
Moreover everything was still in its early stages, anyone had time to join.

Ochako caught a glimpse of Bakugo entering the classroom out of the corner of her eye and pretended nothing. She felt a shiver down her spine and had goosebumps all over her body, they hadn't spoken since he had ended things with her and Uraraka had never set foot again in that classroom that had become 'their place'.

She felt like turning green whenever she spotted him around, whether in class or at work.
She was grateful to him, to be honest, for never causing any problem right at the workplace. He could have humiliated her or had her moved immediately or even mediated a transfer.

The professor called everyone back in and sitting at her seat she saw him in the distance and had the feeling that he was looking at her too.
But she convinced herself it was just an illusion, just like she dreamed of his voice while sleeping, heard him calling her in the street and his hands touching her when she was alone.

During the lunch break she organized the study schedule and notes on the computer; she had tried to emulate on her own that sweet thought of Katsuki.

She went straight to work still with the shoulder bag she used during classes and put it in the locker.

"Uravity!" an intern reached her, he looked at her from below upwards. He had heard so much about her and looked at her with admiration and Ochako recognized herself in him, he was a mirror in which she saw her image from a few years before.

"I was asked by Best Jeanist to inform you that today's patrol will be in pairs!" Ochako widened her eyes but kept listening as he flipped through his notebook "Recently there have been several reports and for safety reasons the pairs will be alternated..." he kept flipping through the pages "Today you are with... Dynamight!"

"No" they heard a deep voice behind them.
Of course it was Bakugo.

Ochako stayed silent and looked him straight in the eyes with a defiant expression.

"Is there a problem?" Best Jeanist appeared out of nowhere "We are very busy in this period, if there are problems make sure they are real and above all serious," he glared at everyone, even the poor and innocent intern.

"No sir, I'm already ready," Uraraka tried to stand out.

"No problem," Bakugo smirked, challenging her with his gaze "If Uravity is ready then we can go," he adjusted the tanks on his wrists.

They went out and remained silent looking in opposite directions, they had been told the route and were following it.

The kid had said that then they would alternate the pairs, so already from the next day she would be paired with someone else.

"You're not checking the rooftops," Bakugo suddenly spoke to her.
"I'm already doing it," Uraraka replied curtly.

"Without raising your head? Cover your side better," he belittled her.
"If you have something to tell me, just say it," she looked slightly toward him.

"I'm working, I can't chat like I'm at a bar," he tried to cover his ass.
"Me too," she pouted "but you interrupt me"

"Stop it, cheeks!"
"Don't shout!" she scolded him.

"If there's a need to shout, I shout," he said brushing off the tension with a shrug
"Then I'm the one who has to fix your mess," she said turning the other way.

Bakugo was about to reply but was interrupted by a boom: "Stay back!" he told her instinctively.
"Not a chance!" she replied growling.

They went toward the source of the noise and saw a van in front of a bank and people running in every direction.

Uravity immediately used the earpiece to report the possibility of injured civilians and/or hostages.

"I'll smash everything and go in!" Dynamight growled making her feel weirdly aroused.
"You're not seriously going to go in through the front door! It's too risky!" Uravity snapped at him.

"I'd hit them from behind!"
"The civilians, idiot! You have to think about the civilians! Earth calling Dynamight!" she waved her hands in front of him.
"I'll go in from the back!" and so Bakugo disappeared.

Uravity made the van float and landed it on the roof of the bank, then made herself float and entered from a second-floor window, where the managers' offices were. She was fairly sure they were heading toward the vault or were robbing the people present and the teller drawers.
She crept and peeking from behind a column reported how many civilians were present and the number of robbers.

"I see 15 civilians, maybe more. At the moment I count 5 robbers, armed," she whispered into the earpiece.

"You counted wrong, doll..."
She turned and saw a masked man in front of her, evidently his quirk was "gun" because he had guns instead of hands.

She faced him in hand-to-hand combat and thanks to her quirk and her experience she was able to slam him around knocking him out, however revealing her position to the other robbers.

They pointed their guns at her, five of them, and she was forced to go down the stairs slowly toward them.

"I don't think so!" a growl was heard and it was Explosion Murder God Dynamight, he blew two robbers into the air and Uravity dropped down to the lower floor to gather the civilians on the other side of the room.

"Ochako, stop them!" Bakugo shouted.
"No, let them escape!" she shouted while treating a civilian injured during Dynamight's attack.
"No, we can't!" he snapped.

"Trust me!" she turned sharply and begged him with her eyes.

He listened to her and ran toward her to help with the civilians: "Why!" he asked her in a normal tone as soon as he was close enough.
They heard sirens and looked out the window.

"Their only escape route is floating on the roof," she looked him in the eyes winking "and while you were busy blowing up the back of the building, I was busy alerting headquarters," she concluded while the blue lights of the police cars illuminated their faces. They were already outside ready to arrest them.

Bakugo licked his lips and then pressed them together: "You did well," he admitted sighing, he turned toward her and, without her being able to see him, looked at her the way only a man in love could.

"He really looks smitten with her!" said the injured hostage.
"HEY EXTRA! IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME SAY IT TO MY FACE!" he yelled "I'LL SEND YOU ON A VACATION TO THE MOON, COME HERE!"

Uravity and Dynamight went out making sure the civilians were taken to the hospital for check-ups and in a very short time they were surrounded by local TV crews and journalists.
They pushed and filled them with questions, Bakugo was proud enough to shout and they started asking questions individually.

"Teamwork was fundamental, how can this chemistry be unlocked with your colleagues?" a journalist asked from the back.

Bakugo clenched his fists and jaw, Uraraka took control of the situation: "We are professionals. We know what to do, our main objective was to put the civilians in safety and only afterwards focus on the robbers. Fortunately they are all fine, we are at the service of the community!" Uravity said confidently.
Bakugo admired her, she had grown a lot.

Soon they were left alone and exchanged one last remark: "We'll spend the evening filling out forms and signing documents," Uravity muttered.
"If they're already registered it will take us half the time because we'll already have their data," Dynamight pointed out.

They got a ride from a patrol car and lost several hours with the paperwork, since they had also had to register the kidnapped civilians.

'Money, money, money...' Uraraka thought.
She left the station at nine thirty in the evening and once in her room she went straight to sleep skipping dinner.

Bakugo, on the other hand, had Kirishima pick him up: "I need a beer!" he said with a bright smile. A bit of real action had lifted his spirits, not to mention the effect seeing Uraraka jumping around and beating up delinquents had on him... No, he had to forget her!

They reached the pub and sat at the counter, they downed a couple of beers until they felt a hug from behind.
"What are you guys doing here?"

It was pikachu.

Bakugo snorted, he just wanted to tell him to fuck off but Kirishima got dragged along and Bakugo was forced to follow them.

The music was very loud and to understand each other they had to shout in each other's ears.
They reached his table and saw Kyoka, Momo, Shoto and... Midoriya. Alone.

Wait, two couples and Midoriya alone? With Kyoka present? Uraraka had to be there too, for sure, Bakugo looked around but she wasn't there.

It was strange.
But he didn't ask himself further questions.

Sitting down, Bakugo found himself between Eijiro and Denki and right in front of Deku.

Of course they asked him about the bank robbery and when he mentioned Uraraka Izuku's gaze lit up.
"Ochako was there too! How is she? Did they hurt her?" he asked worried and everyone, except Eijiro and Katsuki, gave him a pitiful look.

"Midoriya, exactly, why didn't you go pick her up at the station?" Kirishima asked him referring to Uraraka.
"You don't know?" Denki asked but Jiro kicked him under the table.

"What are we supposed to know?" Bakugo asked, exposing himself under Kirishima's worried gaze.

"We're not together anymore," Deku blurted out with watery eyes and a choked voice "She left me," he looked his friend in the eyes "Sorry Kacchan, for not telling you earlier. I didn't want to seem weak in your eyes but..." he sniffed and let it go also because of the loud music.

Bakugo was shocked, his eyes were wide and he couldn't hide it. He squeezed the glass so hard it cracked: "You're not together anymore?" was all he managed to say.

Shoto had a disappointed look and Momo a sorry one, Denki and Kyoka stayed silent because they were more impartial respectively with Deku and Uraraka.

Kirishima didn't take his eyes off Bakugo, fearing he might literally explode: "Since when? You're not together anymore, I mean," Eijiro asked to avoid Katsuki embarrassing himself.

"A month, maybe a little more?" Midoriya replied.

Bakugo connected the dots.
A month.
The same day.
The same fucking day.

And he realized he had made a huge mistake.

Chapter Text

Bakugo remained silent for the rest of the evening while Denki and Eijiro carried the weight of keeping the night going.

Midoriya wasn't in the right mood to make the others smile, Shoto wasn't capable of it, and Kyoka and Momo's feminine instinct had suggested they keep to themselves.

When Kirishima and Bakugo left the place, it was the middle of the night and freezing cold, on top of the strong wind.

"Did you know?" Kirishima asked him.
But Bakugo kept walking without answering.

"Katsuki!" his friend called out.
"Shut up!" the blond snapped. "The same day, the same fucking day... I'm an idiot!" he kicked a parked bicycle, breaking it.
Someone turned to look, but Eijiro gestured that everything was fine.

"She left Midoriya for you and you left her for him," Kirishima chased after him, steadily increasing his pace. He wasn't mocking him, only trying to make him see what he saw long ago.

Bakugo felt a tear run down his cheek to his chin.

As soon as Uraraka got home, she fell asleep immediately; she was exhausted, but during the night she woke up because of hunger.
She knew that if she ate something she wouldn't fall back asleep, so she just made herself some tea, holding the cup with both hands to warm them, and looked out the window while sipping it.

She thought back to that day, to the excitement, the adrenaline, to Bakugo's "you did well."
The more she repeated it to herself, the more she felt that strange sensation in her stomach, beyond the hunger.
But love wasn't enough; they needed something more, and apparently they couldn't provide it.

Uraraka resigned herself and repeated to herself for the umpteenth time that she would have to forget him and leave him alone; after all, there were only three and a half months left until the end of the course.

Kirishima went upstairs, but Bakugo went down to the basement to play the drums.
It was the middle of the night; he would wake up the whole neighborhood, but he didn't care, he needed to let it out too much.

He played, but he kept thinking about her, her looks, the first time they made love, how soft her hair was... he threw the drumsticks violently and partially burned them with his quirk. "FUCK! You're an idiot!" he shouted, but the neighbors were used to it.
"I'm an idiot," he whimpered, running his hands through his hair. "I lost everything."

His best friend, the woman he loved.

Sleeping was out of the question, too many thoughts running wildly in his mind kept him awake. The agency headquarters had a gym available, so he went there to train instead; he lifted weights, swam, and even meditated.

Because Bakugo was the kind of person who knew how to meditate, but only did it behind closed doors.
He took a cold shower in the locker room and went back home just to organize what to bring to class.

"No, I did the right thing," he thought, trying to convince himself. "It was the right thing! I can't steal my best friend's (ex)girlfriend of three years, that's out of the question no matter what. It's in the bro code, don't touch a bro's ex. I did the right thing."

He nodded as if he were actually talking to someone. "Besides, I wouldn't be perfect for Uraraka; obviously she'd be perfect for me, but not the other way around. I'm doing it for her too, not just for Midoriya." But an intrusive thought reminded him that there was also himself, not just the others; that this was his life, not theirs.

In class he didn't sit directly behind Ochako, but not far away like he had until the day before either. He didn't know how to approach her, he knew he had ruined everything, and his pride stopped him from asking her to talk. Talk? About what? Five minutes would be enough to convince her to take a step back... he shook his head, pushing away the image of her turning her back to him with nothing on. He already had enough problems; he could do without an erection in class.

Usually he would notice her noticing him, just a passive glance to make sure he stayed away from her, but that day Uraraka changed the script and it was she who sat behind him.
She caught him off guard. Bakugo mistook it for a power move, but she only wanted to make him understand she had moved on, that she intended to simply coexist with him for the next months and leave him in his own mess.

They met again at work and were both called by Best Jeanist. "Sit down, please," he pointed at the chairs in front of his desk, and the two obeyed.
"You both did well yesterday. Congratulations," he said professionally. "Uravity..."
"Yes!"

"Excellent work with the journalists," he said distractedly, arranging his desk. "I see that the activity you're dedicating yourself to is also helping you maintain control in front of cameras. I'm very satisfied," he raised his gaze and looked at both of them. "However, we have a problem."

Uravity and Dynamight sighed, waiting for the bad news.

"We have identified a terrorist cell. It started causing trouble a few months ago. We had assigned the case to Red Riot, whom you both know well, when we still believed it was just a group of out-of-control kids. It turned out to be a much wider and more dangerous web," he explained in detail. "We're not talking about troubled kids lacking family support; we're talking about a group trying to make a name for itself through these attacks. We have reason to believe they have reached this city and are planning to strike," he concluded, combing his hair.

"Are they connected to yesterday's robbers?" Uravity asked.
"We have no reason to suspect it, but we still can't prove anything," he replied seriously.

"What is this group trying to promote?" Bakugo asked.

"Political motives. The details are still top secret." It was foolish not to tell everything to those being assigned the task, and in fact he added, "Unfortunately, the details have not yet been disclosed to me," he showed his palms. "However, if I had to make a hypothesis," he paused briefly, "I believe they want to overthrow the government."

There was a moment of silence.
This wasn't just about civilians and helping other pro heroes from different agencies; this was about national security.

"We're still relatively calm," Best Jeanist added. "But we want to eliminate the problem at the root, suppress the cell before it can spread like wildfire," he slammed a fist on the table. "If you have no questions, you may go," he dismissed them.

Uravity and Dynamight felt the adrenaline rise, and at least for that moment they forgot about hating each other.
And about wanting to kiss each other.

Chapter Text

Pro heroes had advantages and also disadvantages regarding their academic path: if they were called to show up at a crime scene, they had to go at any hour of the day or night.
Obviously the rector and the professors were informed and facilitated the work of the student/pro heroes as much as possible.

Uraraka and Bakugo were always on alert and began to monitor even their own colleagues; the looks they exchanged were no longer stolen or filled with disdain but of understanding, to confirm that everything was in order.
Of course, they hadn't spoken to each other since the meeting with Best Jeanist and had promised themselves to do so only and exclusively if they were forced to.

The period was delicate, acts of vandalism were increasing and they also implemented an intercom in their costumes, an earpiece with a microphone that they were forced to wear to facilitate communication.
Some journalists were taking advantage of the situation to blame the movement Uraraka had joined, claiming that they themselves were the terrorists. They were clickbait headlines, meant to make news, but it damaged her reputation and she had to quickly find a way to silence the rumors.

Bakugo watched her from afar, he never got distracted from his mission but couldn't resist the temptation; whenever he could, he studied the back of her neck and looked at her. He had noticed she had started losing weight again and that bothered him a lot. He liked her, he didn't care if with a few pounds less or on the chubbier side, but he knew she was losing weight for the wrong reasons and that was what drove him crazy.

Those little games of glances and silences lasted another month, making Bakugo realize that she had moved on and that maybe he should do the same.
But Bakugo didn't have the courage to accept it and focused only on the fact that he could see her almost every day.

Bakugo shook off the negative thoughts with a shrug and went to work calmly, as calm as someone like him could be.

"Dynamight!" a student who was there for an internship burst into the locker room, Bakugo was in fact shirtless with only his pants on.

"The attack!" he said out of breath "Now!"

Bakugo widened his eyes and got dressed at lightning speed: "Where?" he growled.
"Shopping mall..." he replied but was interrupted.

"Uravity?" Bakugo asked while putting on his knee pads
"She's already on site"

No need to add anything else and he ran toward the scene; a civilian might imagine that in those moments they thought of a thousand things, strategies, fears... and instead his mind was empty. Not a single thought, he was focused only on getting there, the rest he would evaluate on the spot.

He saw the chaos from afar, he didn't expect a group of young people to have organized themselves so well. They had already set a perimeter and Dynamight entered the scene.

He saw a corridor delimited by cars and rubble that was being used to bring civilians to safety, only one person could make things float but he couldn't see her.

"Bakugo? BAKUGO!" he heard behind him.
"Shitty hair!" it was Kirishima, of course.
"This way!"

He followed him: "What happened?" they hid behind a police van.

Red Riot explained quickly: "They blew up a shop on the first floor, in the open area of the mall! There are injured but we don't think there are any dead!" he panted, looking behind the van "We think there are 12 of them" he looked into the distance.

Dynamight looked with him to study the dynamics, not that he was afraid but he couldn't risk other lives. Last time, during the bank robbery, he had come close and he had been lucky that Uraraka hadn't spilled that it was him who injured that civilian.

"What's happening?!" they said looking at their feet, it felt like an earthquake "Oh God..."

It was one of the terrorists, his quirk wasn't easy to understand but they saw that he could shape the asphalt at will. He was unlucky because he was fighting the only pro hero capable of staying in the air and attacking him from above.

While the terrorist was distracted looking at Uravity up high, Dynamight took advantage to engage him in close combat. When two other terrorists ran toward them, Red Riot stepped in and blocked them.

Meanwhile a helicopter from a national television station was filming and commenting everything; they had carried out other attacks in opposite parts of the city to dilute the influx of heroes at each crime scene.

Uraraka saw three children in tears trying to hide behind a fountain in the open area of the mall and, without thinking twice, ran toward them. At worst, she could make them float into the news helicopter.

"Uravity, NO!" Bakugo shouted at her "Come back!" they were fighting against 4 men and they believed there were 12 in total, it wasn't prudent to approach alone without cover fire at the site of the first explosion.

But she couldn't leave those children behind: "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she stood over them to shield them with her own body.

They were fine, just scared. One had pain in a leg but Uraraka, having seen far worse cases, let it go "Now I'll get you out of here" she said out of breath, looking in every direction.

She couldn't take them out through the main entrance/exit because the clash Bakugo was leading was right there and the initial corridor had been knocked down because it was obstructing the police, she had to find another plan.

In the background there were explosions of all kinds, both from Dynamight, from the attackers in that place, and their diversions in the distance.

She thought about going around from the back but it was too dangerous, the risk that there were far more than double the attackers was real.

So she did something crazy: "We're going out through the main exit!" she told them.

They held hands and, once they crossed the threshold, she floated together with them to shield them from the debris flying around. She had been forced to fly with them to make sure they wouldn't fall and wouldn't get hit by debris, moreover it was also the only way to ensure they landed near the ambulance, outside the perimeter of the scene.

"Uravity! Stop it!" it was Bakugo speaking to her through the intercom.
"The kids are safe now" she said, spinning on herself mid-air.

"Don't be reckless!" he scolded her.
"Listen to who's talking, last time I saved you!"
"Brat!" he replied with a smirk on his face, but they were too far to see each other.

Uraraka landed behind the attacker who was fighting Dynamight, but he scolded her: "MOVE!"

But she didn't have time, they heard an explosion and were all pushed by the shockwave. The terrorists didn't hesitate to hit their own allies and Uraraka, who was closer to the epicenter, was thrown farther away and also lost from sight.

"Uravity!" Bakugo called her but she didn't answer the intercom "Uraraka?" he pressed the earpiece with his hand, his voice trembling "OCHAKO!" his voice broke with tears.

He turned and detonated his quirk from a terrorist's temple; pro heroes were discouraged from permanently eliminating certain categories of villains. Like, the kid who steals at the supermarket absolutely couldn't be killed, the terrorist was better captured alive but if something happened during the fight against a very high-risk subject... it could be forgiven.

Red Riot had witnessed the scene and felt his legs give way but kept fighting. He had seen his friend's body fly too far to even hope she would come back, he could only pray that an ambulance was taking her to the hospital.

Journalists from the helicopter kept providing information as the missions progressed and as newer information was obtained.
It seemed there were 5 attackers left.

Bakugo was breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot, and he launched himself straight toward the five remaining at the end of the street. A frontal attack was the worst choice at that moment but he wasn't thinking anymore. He threw himself at three of them but the others charged at them.

One, however, started floating over a manhole but seemed scared and, instead of participating, kept moving away.
His companion looked at him in disbelief and, while he was distracted looking upward, a vase hit him in the face and knocked him out.

Bakugo, Kirishima and the three remaining attackers froze, trying to understand what was happening, since they were left alone in the middle of nowhere.

One tried to attack Dynamight, who responded by actively defending himself but they were physically separated by a sheet of glass.

"That's not how it's done!" they heard a female voice.
Uravity gently touched the man's shoulder, sending him flying into the air, and the other two attackers were taken down.

"Why didn't you answer me!?" Bakugo shouted.
She showed him some crumbs: "This is what's left of my intercom" she was panting and seemed to grow paler by the second.
Bakugo lowered his gaze and saw a piece of metal sticking out from the side of her thigh, he lunged at her and caught her just in time.

In no time they were surrounded by photographers and journalists, all trying to capture the perfect shot: Dynamight holding an unconscious Uravity. The first headlines were already starting to fly, hinting at the friendship between Deku and Dynamight and the relationship between Deku and Uravity, because months later the press still didn't know about their breakup.

Bakugo exploded out of anger, Uraraka was unconscious in his arms, she was pale, injured and bleeding, and around him there were only people interested in capturing the best shot.
Red Riot covered them with his back and signaled him to leave, that he would handle it.

Ambulances kept moving and Bakugo got on the first one; thanks to first aid Uraraka regained consciousness and he didn't take his eyes off her for even a second.
The procedure to remove the piece of metal was quick and minimally invasive and she was already on her feet, limping but standing on her own legs, that same evening.

"Why are we at your house?" Uraraka asked "we agreed you would take me to my dorm, this..." she pointed at the door "was not planned! Besides, I'm perfectly capable of going back on my own!"

"Sure, I don't doubt it" he replied sarcastically "But for now I want to keep an eye on you" he muttered, bringing her inside

"I heard you" she replied "And anyway!.."
"Quiet, on the table" Bakugo replied sharply.

"Wha...?" Ochaco blushed.
"You heard me" he looked her straight in the eyes "Get on the kitchen table" he repeated.

Ochako immediately felt hot.

Bakugo in the meantime got settled, left the keys in the tray, took off his jacket and remained only in his black tank top. When he turned and saw her still standing there, stunned, he took off her jacket from the entrance and supported her to the kitchen.

"I'm not getting on it!" she flushed.
"Do you ever shut your damn hole?" he picked her up and laid her on the table as gently as possible.

He disappeared for a second and came back with everything needed to change her bandage; Uraraka immediately relaxed and took off her pants to be treated: "Thank you" she whispered and Bakugo replied with a nod.
He tore the paper wrapping of the bandage with his teeth and disinfected it before wrapping it.

"Hey, I covered for you at headquarters. I forged your signature but make sure it's the last time..." Kirishima entered the house exhausted.

He saw Ochako in her underwear on the table and Bakugo standing right behind her, they exchanged a look and then: "I got it. I'm leaving" he took the keys from the tray and closed the door behind him.

Ochako wished she could open a crater in the ground and throw herself into it: "What if he starts thinking that..." she looked at him and raised her eyebrows.
Katsuki was still treating her: "Let him think whatever he wants" he said nonchalantly but focused on not messing up.

"And where will he go sleep now?" Uraraka had understood he left them alone.
"Maybe at Kaminari's" he said tearing a piece of tape with his teeth to keep the bandage in place.

"What do you mean 'maybe'? Don't you care?" she was shocked.
"No" he replied calmly, gathering the trash to throw it away.

"Anyway..." Bakugo said returning to her "You made one stupid mistake after another today" he scolded her with his gaze.

"I did the right thing!" she shot back, awkwardly trying to put her pants back on by herself.

"I'll say yes just to make you shut up" he challenged her "But out of everything you could have done, you did the most dangerous thing" he walked around the table to size her up.

Uraraka turned her head to follow him with her eyes: "At least I took the risk!"

Normally Bakugo would have pointed out that he was the one who took risks and that she had a different role.
But he stayed silent. In fact, he turned away so he wouldn't have to look at her because in reality they weren't talking about that day's attack. But about the two of them.

Ochako, annoyed, clicked her tongue as if to hold back more lectures and got off the table hopping on her good leg.
"Stay still!" Bakugo tried to grab her but she hopped around the table "I'm going back home now!" she said.

"You're not going anywhere, you're a crippled rabbit, stay still!" he chased her running in circles around the table.
"No!" was all the girl said.

Bakugo picked her up and dropped her onto his bed: "I'll sleep on the couch instead" he pinned her wrists "But tonight you're not moving from here, even if I have to blow you up, round face" he said in a far too dark tone and Uraraka gave in.

The blond disappeared for an hour and then came back with a hot plate: "Eat, you need it"

"Thank you" she told him immediately "But you don't have to take care of me! Best Jeanist will sign me a permit and I can go back to my parents' house tomorrow morning"

"No. I'll handle it" he left her alone in the room and she ate wondering what he wanted from her.

He came back after a while to take away the dirty plate and came back one last time to bring her a heavy blanket, since there was only a sheet on the bed.
He was about to leave but Uraraka called him: "Bakugo!"

He immediately ran back thinking she felt unwell.
"You can stay here" it wasn't clear if it was a request or if she was giving him permission.

Just in case, he didn't make her repeat it and lay down on the edge, far from her, with his back turned.
His pajamas consisted of black sweatpants and that's it, that's it! He lent her a sweatshirt and a pair of gray sweatpants.

Ochako studied his scars and scratches, his body was full of them but she had only had one and a half chances to notice. Instinctively she reached out to trace their edges but brushed against him; he turned slightly and undressed her with his eyes. She was messy, odd, battered but to him she was still beautiful.

"Sorry" Ochaco whispered "I didn't mean to" she was referring to touching him.

He slowly moved closer to her and Uraraka did the same, they lay back to back and somehow fell asleep.

During the night their bodies, unconsciously, searched for each other and intertwined.
Uraraka woke up with Bakugo's bicep as a pillow while he was wrapping her in an embrace. She didn't move so as not to wake him, she didn't want to risk losing that position.

Bakugo, however, had a Swiss watch embedded in his brain, he had been awake since six in the morning and wouldn't let her slip away for anything in the world.

They realized they were both awake and Ochaco lay on her back while Bakugo stayed on his side, he caressed her cheek and then stroked her lips with his thumbs.
She looked at him sweetly while he memorized every curve of her smile.

"Why do you sleep with your hands tucked into your sweatshirt sleeves?" he asked.
"Do you know how many times I made the mattress float before realizing I just needed to sleep with gloves?"

Bakugo burst into loud laughter, very genuine.

"Can we stay like this? I don't want to go back to how we were yesterday morning" he told her, returning to the soft moment.

Ochako took his chin with two fingers and brought it to her face, finally they kissed and let out a deep sigh.

"What time is it?" Ochaco whispered
"Noon" he replied calmly.

She panicked: "You missed all your classes because of me!" she sat up suddenly but he made her lie down again "You're still weak, stay put. Besides, after yesterday, it doesn't matter if I skip a day"
She calmed down and lay back again.

"I'm still mad at you" she said, covering herself up to her chin.

"For what?" he was confused.
"Because you left me" she looked him in the eyes but he looked away.

"I thought I did the right thing, if I had known before that..." he sighed but didn't finish the sentence, he didn't want to say bad things even if the situation was objectively bad.

She nodded, every time they talked about it out loud they sounded like bad people. But if only they could hear what she felt, they would change their minds. Not that the guilt was gone already, she would have pulled out all her hair, one by one, just to get rid of it.

And Bakugo had also spent several nights hugging the toilet because he had somatized all the stress.

"How did it go?" Bakugo asked her.
"I had chosen you" she looked him in the eyes but then turned, giving him her back "I thought we would start going out, getting to know each other and then..." she shrugged "...we would see, you know"

"Does he know?" he was troubled.

"No, I didn't have the courage to tell him... about us" she turned back toward him "Part of me thinks he deserves to know, the other doesn't want to hurt him" she started playing with the sheet "But if we keep looking at each other like this in public..." she sighed in exasperation "He's gonna know, eventually" she dropped her hands on her chest "Would you tell him?" she asked.

Bakugo answered honestly: "I'd rather carry the world on my neck than tell him"
He caressed her forehead and then her hair absentmindedly, it came naturally to him to pamper her.

Uraraka wet her lips: "But what do you want!" she finally asked.
He didn't give her time to catch her breath before answering: "You, only you" he grabbed her hair more firmly "It's always been only you"

"But at the beginning of the first semester you talked about how you impress civilians with your quirk in bed!" she provoked him.
"I can show you how, if it helps you get over your jealousy" he caressed her stomach down to the waistband of her sweatpants.

She caressed his chest, giggling; he thought she was getting turned on but instead found himself floating around the room: "DAMN IT, CHEEKS! PUT ME DOWN!" he said. He tried to jump using the ceiling as a springboard but did a flip in the air and hit his back against the ceiling.

Uraraka suddenly dropped him onto the mattress, bursting out laughing.

How beautiful was she when she laughed?

Chapter Text

Ochako and Bakugo hugged for a while longer but sooner or later they would have had to eat something. Moreover, Bakugo could skip a few classes but he could never avoid reporting to Best Jeanist, who surely knew that Kirishima had covered for him because nothing escaped that man.

They ate what they could and then he walked her back to the dormitory.
He didn’t touch her in public, not even to help her.
She hopped on her good leg and he stayed beside her so she could grab onto him if she fell, which in the end didn’t happen.

Everyone on campus looked at them sideways, they expected recognition and instead got only sly looks.
Bakugo would have wanted to smash everyone’s faces in but one glare from Uraraka was enough to make him drop the idea.

In front of the dorm entrance they ran into Kyoka and Asui, who treated them the same way.

Jiro left without even greeting them and Tsuyu offered to walk her to her room, as long as they weren’t seen together. Katsuki was obviously forced to turn back but he finally had the chance to snap at all the passersby.

“Tsuyu, what’s going on?”
They closed themselves in Ochaco’s room and the frog girl waved a newspaper.

The headline read “Dynamight and Uravity, what happened to Deku?” And then the subtitle “the most talked-about ménage à trois among pro heroes!”

Ochako’s leg gave out and she collapsed onto the bed: “How could this happen?” she asked, looking at her.
Tsuyu didn’t know how to answer, she just urged her to read the article.

Apparently, Dynamight’s reaction to Uravity’s presumed death had made the journalist suspect something. If she had really died, no one would have batted an eye.

Uraraka ran her hands through her hair, on the verge of actually tearing it out.
“Ochako…” her friend snapped her out of it “…you have to try to fix this. They’re saying you want to use the movement as ‘cover’ for your actions.”

She would have wanted to slap her, how could she think about the movement when her life was falling apart?

“Help me,” was all she managed to say.
“And how?” Asui knelt in front of her, Ochako was too shaken to notice how hurt her friend was seeing her like that.

Ochako sighed painfully but in her heart she had put Midoriya first; she wanted to fix things with him before dealing with public statements.

She still had to go to the agency to sign some papers, she decided to go just before Bakugo’s shift started so she could talk to him.

“Have you heard?” Uraraka saw him just outside Best Jeanist’s office, he nodded.

Uraraka bit her lip: “We need to talk to Midoriya.”

“You’re right.” Bakugo scratched his head “I texted him asking how he was but he read it without replying, I’ll call him after my shift.” He sighed “I’d like to call him and see him after my shift but I already know it’ll be impossible. I’ll try by tomorrow to, well—” he glanced toward their boss’s office “I already got chewed out and now it’s your turn,” he concluded.

“Outstanding,” she replied, walking into the pro hero’s office.

“You wanted to see me?” Ochaco was finally using crutches.
“Uravity! Sit down!”

What a warm welcome.
She obeyed.

She sat in front of him, the room seemed to tighten and grow darker.

“I won’t pretend I didn’t read what they wrote,” he began, making Uraraka swallow nervously “I hope they’re just rumors, right? Right,” he answered himself “As you well know, we prefer relationships between pro heroes to be within the same agency to avoid conflicts of interest and to manage the situation if something becomes critical, like in this case.” He leaned his elbows on the desk.

Ochako felt a knot in her throat and sweat running down her temples.

“You’re not in trouble, and neither is your boyfriend.”
‘Thank goodness… wait, what?’

“You’re two valuable assets and two excellent heroes. Uravity, I also believe you are an excellent person.” He raised his gaze and locked it with hers “We will give you all the time you need to heal, use this time to sort out your private matters. We’ll contain the situation and when you’re ready you’ll be free to say whatever you want to the public.” He pretended to look for something in a drawer so as not to make her too uncomfortable “Of course, if all parties involved presented a united front it would be beneficial for everyone, if you understand me.” He looked at her slyly, that man had understood what was going on long before she had. As if he had a crystal ball.

He dismissed her and as she left she caught sight of Bakugo, they exchanged a glance and then went their separate ways.

When they were recognized on the street they kept receiving dirty looks but tried to ignore them so as not to fuel rumors.

A pebble rolling down a mountain can become an avalanche, looking at a journalist the wrong way could easily become a news scandal.

When Bakugo returned home from work he saw a figure outside his house, hooded and ready to fight him.

“Are you crazy! You scared the hell out of me, you’re lucky I saw the crutches in time or I would’ve fought you!” Bakugo scolded Ochako “You’re right, sorry, but I didn’t feel like staying alone tonight.”

Bakugo sighed, he wasn’t the super affectionate type but what could he say? ‘Go back home limping’?

He said nothing and let her in, he already knew she hadn’t eaten and cooked for three people.

Kirishima came back and when he saw Uraraka again he burst out: “Please, I can’t sleep at Kaminari’s again. Do you know how crazy Kyoka gets if she doesn’t have sex? She was almost taking it out on me and I can’t keep making up excuses!”

“Get in here, shitty hair! I made food for you too!” Bakugo shouted.
“Oh, if you ask me so nicely, gladly!” he teased him while entering. He greeted Ochako politely: “How are you? Better?”

“Yes, my leg just hurts a bit but I’m much better. Luckily it was less serious than it looked.” She instinctively touched the wound, Bakugo would have to help her treat it again that night.

“Just to break the ice and because I know I’m not embarrassing anyone…” Kirishima said while Bakugo put the food on the table “…what are you two now?”

Silence.

“We all read the newspapers today, I’ve got you both here in front of me. It’s worth asking.” He took a big bite but Bakugo grabbed him by the throat before he could even eat it.

“Katsuki, leave him alone.” Ochako moved her arm to get his attention “He’s covering for us, he has every right to ask whatever he wants!” she defended him.

“Please, Uraraka, stay living with us forever. I need someone to protect me from this explosive maniac,” the redhead laughed, teasing his friend.

“Bakugo and I…” Ochako looked at him, thought back to Best Jeanist’s words ‘your boyfriend’ which had made her heart soar, she felt like she was walking on a cloud with him.

But it was still too soon.

“…we’re getting to know each other,” she concluded, disappointing them both.

“You’ve known each other since freshman year,” Eijiro pointed out.

“Yes,” she confirmed ‘no shit’ she would have liked to add “But given his character, I need more time and it’s only fair I give him time too. Not to mention what’s happened in our private lives.” Ochako blinked hard to make him understand he had forgotten a small detail that had been present for three years: Midoriya.

Kirishima nodded, much more satisfied, but Bakugo looked her up and down. She wouldn’t be able to run away anyway, he’d tie her to the bed and…

And what? Force her to say they were together?

No, it was still too soon.

He chased away the intrusive thoughts by shaking his head and started eating too.

That scene seemed unbelievable, three friends calmly having dinner, laughing and joking.
Given the events of the past months, it seemed impossible to Ochako.

After dinner, Eijiro cleaned the house and Bakugo took care of Ochaco. They were in the bedroom and he had cleaned and disinfected her wound and changed the bandage: “Done,” he said, throwing away the trash.

“Thank you,” Ochako replied, putting her sweatpants back on very carefully.

Bakugo threw something onto the bed: “Here.”
Uraraka picked it up and they were pink gloves with little kittens on them.
“For sleeping,” he added, looking at her from the side.
Ochako felt her heart dancing the macarena in her chest.

They went to bed, they had neither the desire nor the strength to chat or do anything else.

After an hour, when they were still in REM sleep, they heard the intercom ring. All three woke up but only Katsuki and Eijiro got out of bed.

Ochako could hear voices but stayed in bed waiting for someone to update her.
Soon after, Kirishima came in carrying Ochako’s crutches: “I think you’ll want to come out here,” he muttered, helping her get ready.

“I don’t think that’s your room, Eijiro!” it was Midoriya “Because I bet if I go in there it’ll be all clean and tidy, while if I go into the other one there’ll be your stuff and your mess!” he pointed at the doors while his voice was choked with tears

“Oh!” he laughed nervously, turning around “You even bought her gloves to sleep here! I know they’re new because I’ve never seen her with those! Is it because I never let you keep gloves and slippers at my place?” he pressed his finger against his chest.

“I don’t understand…” Ochako muttered, searching for Bakugo’s gaze, he had his arms crossed and returned the look from the corner of his eye, head lowered, tapping his foot nervously.

Eijiro was in a corner, in the same position as Bakugo except he hadn’t lowered his head.

“I came here to find out if it was true…” he stopped to roughly wipe his eyes “…you live here!”

“No!” she said, shocked “No, Midoriya… wait—” Ochaco tried to get up from the kitchen table and instinctively Katsuki tried to help her.

“Kacchan, don’t touch her!” Midoriya shouted “don’t touch her,” he repeated, crying heavily.
“Does he touch you?” he blindsided them all “Is he more active when you make love, does he do those things I don’t want to do and tell you those things that embarrass me? HUH?” he shouted, hitting his chest again.

“I think I’ll leave you alone, I’m going to sleep. I have an early alarm,” Kirishima said, turning around and going to his room. The others heard the key turn and went back to their business.

“Deku…” Bakugo tried to intervene but Izuku interrupted him: “Kacchan, don’t call me that. Don’t you dare!” he stepped back and then dropped onto the couch under their stricken gaze.

After letting him tire himself out and giving him some chamomile, he calmed down enough.

“Are you together?” he asked bluntly, looking at his feet.
“No,” Ochaco said timidly.

“But there’s something between you?” he looked up but only at Bakugo “After getting hurt, normally she would have come to me anyway. But she came here instead!” he insisted.

Bakugo bit his lip and looked at Uraraka, they had to telepathically decide whether to kill him with the truth or be assholes and lie.

“How long has this been going on?” he looked at Ochaco, who held his gaze, pressed her lips together but Izuku shouted: “How long!”

“We kissed…” Ochako began and paused to think more precisely “…in January,” she answered. She didn’t want to deliver the final blow, she decided not to lie anymore and to finally tell him the truth. It was the least she could do.

“How many times?”

Bakugo looked up as if to say ‘what kind of question is that?’
Ochako was confused too but Izuku wouldn’t let it go: “I asked you, how many times did you kiss?”

“On two separate occasions,” she finally admitted.

“How many. Times. Did. You. Kiss.” he stressed each word “On two occasions but how many times, two kisses total? Three? A hundred, maybe?” he jumped in place.

He repeated himself because until that moment it had been enough to make them talk, but it didn’t work.
They couldn’t count all the kisses they had shared over each other’s bodies.

“No, you two… you really…?” he raised his arm weakly as if to grab something in the air but then let himself fall back.

“Kacchan…” Bakugo looked at him with remorse in his eyes “You! Had sex with my girlfriend.” he blinked weakly to chase away the image of them together.

Katsuki glanced at Ochako and then covered his face with his hands, shame was eating him alive and he could feel the nausea rising at that exact moment. He inhaled loudly and scratched his nose violently to ease the tension.

“Tell me you didn’t like it!” Midoriya knelt in front of her “Ochako, tell me you didn’t like it.” The scene was heartbreaking and she broke down crying too.

Shame, remorse, but if she went back she would do it all again. She felt terrible, but those peak moments, that heavy but beautiful feeling in her chest when she was with Bakugo, no one could take them away from her or give them back.

Midoriya stood up, stopping crying, he licked his lips tasting the salt of his tears.
“Be honest, do you love each other? Do you love him more than you loved me?”

The two being questioned weakly raised their eyes, Bakugo’s guilty look was self-explanatory and Ochako nodded faintly through her tears.

“Then I wish you the best.” He turned away irritated, his movements were quick and sharp.
Bakugo stood up as if to walk him to the door but heard him clearly say “I’ll do it myself, I know where the exit is.” Anger took over and there was no more trace of sadness or shame in his voice.

Bakugo followed him anyway and finally said: “I know you’ll never forgive me, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

Izuku looked him in the eyes, said nothing, and left.