Archive of Our Own

Sweat drips down Izuku’s nape. He’s breathing heavily, body on fire. His eyes reflect that fire; they're locked ahead on his target. His blue tanktop is sticking to his torso, similarly to his hair on his forehead because of his sweat. Ochako’s wearing a black tank top, which he supposes is smarter than his shirt choice. They're both in their PE shorts.

He’s losing, and Ochako is not afraid to poke fun at him for it. She’s been throwing some teasing comments the whole time. Paired with her taunting smile, he thinks she may as well just call him a loser.

Izuku huffs. “I’m just tired.” He wipes the back of his hand over his forehead. Dark green curls stick to him like a second skin and it's growing to be uncomfortable.

“Yeah, right.” She crouches, hands out in front of her in a similar way that Katsuki's are when he's ready to attack. “C’mon, Deku, you’ve fought super villains.”

“I don't hit girls,” Izuku responds. He drops into a defensive position when her smile fades. Good. He wants her to attack first .

She does, and Izuku goes to grab her right arm. One thing about Ochako, though, is her reflexes are some of the fastest in the class. Izuku can't tell if she can read an attack before they happen or if she's just that fast.

Ochako grabs his wrist (with an iron grip, might he add), twists it until he hears a faint crack, digs her heel into the ground and pivots, swinging her whole body around and her leg up—kicking the side of his face.

It’s almost embarrassing the way the curly haired boy yelps. Worse, he only falls over because she sticks her foot out to trip him once he's off-balance. He ungracefully lands on his face.

“I tried copying your shoot style. I thought it was gonna be a lot harder,” she says from above him. Izuku closes his eyes with a sigh of defeat. “You give up?”

“Mm.” They’ve been training together for over two hours by now, anyway. This is a good way to end it for the night.

She chuckles and he hears her plop down on the mat beside him. “For someone who was quirkless most of his life, I thought you’d be much better at fighting quirkless.”

“I think you forget I used to get beat up every day.”

Ochako pats his shoulder. “All the more reason to get better at fighting without One For All, Deku. Let's end here and I’ll show you some things Gunhead taught me next time.”

Izuku takes a second before pushing himself up to sit on his knees, butt to the heels of his feet. “I can fight quirkless now.”

“Doesn't seem like it.”

“You’re better at it than I am. Your quirk gives you huge advantages against heavier villains, but a lot of your skills are polished in case your quirk isn't an option. I haven't trained quirkless in a long time,” he explains.

Ochako nods. “‘Cause you finish all your fights in an instant.” He nods this time. It really isn't necessary for him anymore, though he supposes he should have been training anyway.

The duo train together at least once a week, though it’s usually with their quirks. They focus on one quirk of Izuku’s each session, but recently, Ochako’s been able to keep up with about three at a time. It’s honestly very impressive considering her quirk doesn't give her much physical boosts. But then again, she's always been an exceptional fighter.

“You lost. You have to buy me a drink,” Ochako pokes his cheek, then stands. She stretches some. Izuku watches from below, admiring her. The brunette sighs once she's satisfied. She meets his gaze and her smile softens. Their gazes linger until Ochako gets a little too shy. “Let’s go.”

The two wordlessly walk over to the bench where their sweatshirts, phones, and waterbottles are waiting. Izuku grabs a small, white towel from on top of his All Might hoodie. Ochako can’t help staring as he raises his arms to pat his face dry—at how his biceps flex and swell before her eyes. She noticed a while ago, but Izuku’s a bit more vascular than most of the boys in their class. That’s especially obvious now.

Her eyes watch as he pats down his neck then drapes the towel over his shoulder.

Thank god for tanktops , Ochako thinks, resisting the urge to bite her lip. She almost jumps out her skin when he suddenly snaps his head to look at her. “You okay?”

She blinks at him owlishly before laughing nervously, cheeks burning up. “Oh! Yeah! Never been better, haha!” Izuku tilts his head questioningly when she rushes to throw her sweater on and speeds toward the gym’s exit. He follows after quickly snatching his stuff up.

The sun's setting by the time they get outside. It's warm, but not insufferably so. Izuku likes Spring weather. It has a comfortable kind of warmth that is never too much, nor too little. 

Ochako is like Spring weather.

He looks at Ochako who’s a few paces in front of him. Her hair is pulled back into a half-up-half-down do, but her fringes came loose during the sparring. Izuku noticed that her hair is more gingery than he initially thought in recent weeks. It almost resembles the sunset itself.

She skips to a row of vending machines, looking into the little windows of each for a drink that might catch her attention. He follows wordlessly, digging in his pocket for his wallet. 

“Oh,” she stops in front of a pink machine. The light reflects on her skin; it almost neutralizes her blush. Her finger presses against the glass. “That one,” she taps the glass a few times, “I’ve never tried it before.”

“What if you don't like it?” the boy asks as he searches his wallet for teh appropriate amount of money.

“Then I’ll give it to you and steal yours,” Ochako replies quickly. He chuckles; he wouldn't mind it. Izuku's not very picky.

The curly haired boy steps up to the machine and Ochako slides back, though not enough to ensure they aren't touching. No, she's leaning against his shoulder, watching intently. 

“The strawberry one?” he asks to confirm as he inserts some coins into the machine. 

“Mhm! I see Todoroki drinking it all the time but I’ve never had it before.”

“Ah.” Izuku makes the selection and the vending machine whirls as it grabs and drops the drink. “He does like strawberry flavored things.”

“He is a strawberry,” she giggles to herself, her chin resting on Izuku's shoulder now. Two years ago, he would've tensed up and spluttered at her closeness. Nowadays, he feels weird if she isn't close to him.

“I’ll get one too. They're pretty good.” So he does, then bends to grab both drinks after they've been deposited. Ochako hops back and gratefully accepts it.

It’s in a small plastic bottle with foil as the cap. They poke holes with their thumbs and continue on their walk back to the school. She walks beside him this time, arms brushing against each other.

“Oh, wow! This is really good!” The drink is marketed as strawberry milk, but it's really more of a yogurt. Izuku hums agreeingly. Ochako practically chugs the rest down which makes Izuku chuckle. “I’ll definitely be getting that again.”

They continue walking, then dispose of the empty bottles in a trashcan along the path. As they do, Izuku catches sight of a separate pathway going into the treeline. He’s walked that way before; it's beautiful. It takes longer to get to the dorms, but the scenery is worth it.

Also… “The Sakuras are in full bloom right now,” he reminds himself aloud, eyes still locked on the trail.

“Yup! The petals will start falling soon—What are you looking at?”

Izuku grins, still not looking at her. Blindly, he reaches back and grabs the sleeve of her pink sweater that she’d thrown over herself before they left the gym. “C’mon. I wanna show you something cool.”

She lets him pull her along. “Okay…? From a scale of zero to All Might, how cool?”

“All Might.”

Her eyes light up. “Oh, then I’m excited! What is it?”

“You’re gonna see.”

“You’re not gonna tell me?”

Izuku looks back and shakes his head. “Nope. Trust me.”

“Duh. You think I’d be following you down a path into the woods at almost-dusk if I didn't?”

“Oh yeah, ‘cause I’d be stupid enough to kill you on U.A. grounds,” Izuku’s tone is dripping with sarcasm. “I’m smarter than that.”

She stops short, which makes Izuku laugh. “I hope one of those fake birds in the trees heard you say that in case I go missing.”

“Fake birds?” he asks as they continue walking.

Ochako looks at him funny. “Yeah? The birds are cameras? No way you didn't notice… Their eyes literally glow red.”

He looks up, searching the branches for a bird. Sure enough, there is one following their steps—eyes not only glowing red, but narrowing in on the two.

Ochako shakes her head at him. It doesn't surprise her when he starts rambling about the camera birds. She's used to it enough that her brain automatically tunes out most of it, picking up on the notable things.

She looks down at his hand still holding her sweater—well, the two fingers pinching it. His index and middle finger holds the fabric tightly. She smiles gently, reaches forward to pluck his fingers off. They let go; he doesn't pay much mind to it. Not until she grabs his hand with her own instead. Ochako can tell Izuku actively keeps himself from looking and his rambling falters for just a second. His fingers grip her hand firmly.

As they walk, she swings their arms.

Ochako’s always been a physically affectionate kind of person. She loves giving and receiving; it’s always been her love language. Izuku had been the opposite when they first met. The boy hated any physical touch, or even just closeness in general. He always flinched and stepped back. 

Honestly, it was a bit difficult for Ochako to regulate herself around him. Her body and mind always wanted to be touching or close to the people she loved—family, friends, etcetera. It was natural to her, and she loved Izuku. But she didn't want to make him uncomfortable, either.

But as they got closer, she noticed he sought her out instead. He’d lean closer to her, sit with their legs pressed together on the couch, their elbows touched on tables. All things he’d initiated. Then she eased her way into closeness with him.

Ochako doesn't have to worry about making him uncomfortable anymore, and she knows that all that work and initial worrying was worth it in the end, because now he trusts her. (Not to brag or anything, but Ochako noticed he doesn't do the same with nearly anyone else. He still likes his space with others; he shares it with her.)

“Over here,” he announces, effectively pulling Ochako out of her own head. 

Ochako looks at his face, then over to an opening. It’s not too big, but…

Izuku’s smile widens so much that he has to force himself from showing any teeth. Ochako’s jaw drops, eyes up on the trees. He's a tiny bit disappointed when she lets go of his hand to walk forward, but the look on her face washed away that disappointment.

Her eyes absolutely sparkled like glitter was dropped in them.

Above head are cherry blossom trees, just on the brink of their petals falling. It's so very beautiful. She wanders in like she’s trapped in some sort of trance—like the trees above are sirens calling for her to come near.

Never as much as Ochako, but his point still stands.

Ochako doesn't, apparently, because she just free falls.

Izuku’s daze pops like a bubble and his feet are already carrying him to his companion. “Uraraka! Are you okay?” he stops right above her, looking down. She’s smiling up at him. “What are you doing? You scared me—” In the next instant, his feet are swept from underneath him and he’s tumbling to the ground with a scream.

His ears are flooded with Ochako's childish laughter. The girl scrambles to her feet, slaps a hand on his chest (she floats him for a second then releases) and takes off running. “You’re it!” she shouts behind her.

He lays on the ground motionless for a solid two seconds trying to process what just happened. The competitiveness ignites in his chest, though, and Izuku’s jumping up.

Izuku knows Ochako, and Ochako would never stay in the direction she originally ran in if she had the chance to hide elsewhere. In the circle he’s confined to, she could be anywhere. His eyes flicker up. Even above him. Hide n’ seek with a hero in training is hard enough because they're trained in stealth from when they start school. Now, against a third year and that third year being Uraraka Ochako ? That's an entirely different ballpark.

Don't get Izuku wrong, it’s not impossible . He’s done this and has won many times in the past. But his wins don't outweigh his losses.

Ochako’s fast and always calculating. A lot of times, her body reacts before she can think it and she's almost always correct in her predictions. 

To beat Uravity, you have to think faster and bigger than her. But that's not just it; Ochako’s a fighter. If she's caught, she won't stay caught.

A chill turns down Izuku’s spine. Danger Sense . It only flickers, but his head whips to his left where the warning came from. He creeps forward. The chances of her staying there are very low, but maybe it’s a good starting point.

Leaves ruffle in the opposite direction and his heart drops. “Okay, Uraraka,” he calls out, “I can't find you if you don't stay still.”

Danger Sense goes off for a second time, coming from the same direction as the ruffling leaves. She’s going to move but maybe not so far.

Izuku powers up One For All, just a bit. All it does is make his eyes glow bright green. A sneak attack could work—it’s worked before. That’s probably the only thing that does work on her.

Ochako watches from behind a tree as Izuku looks side to side, trying to find any sign of her. Some of the grass blows, all going out from Izuku at the center. He powered up. She isn't stupid; in terms of speed with quirks, Ochako can't outdo him. All she can do is figure out how to outsmart him. She's watched him over the years. She’s learned how he thinks. He’s always trying to think outside the box; rarely does he do anything twice. What Ochako has also learned is that the two of them think similarly. She can go off on that.

Izuku blasts his Smoke Screen, which doesn't come to a surprise to Ochako, but she also hadn't been anticipating its usage.

Ochako floats herself but stays put, thinking kind things of him so his Danger Sense won't go off again—she knows it did at least three times.

Ochako focuses on her hearing. He’s quiet but not that—” GOTCHA !” a face all too feral appears in front of her after Izuku swings his arm and clears the smoke.

Her hand flies toward his face before she can think. Possibly the hardest slap she's ever delivered rings throughout and Izuku yelps in genuine surprise. Ochako’s eyes widen. She hides her hand behind herself (and deactivates her quirk) as if that’d somehow convince him that it wasn't her. “Deku!”

“OW!” he yells, cupping his cheek. “Uraraka!”

Ochako becomes defensive upon hearing his highly offended tone. “You surprised me! It’s not my fault!”

He grumbles something along the lines of “You always resort to slapping,” and Ochako has to force herself not to laugh at him. He rubs his cheek some more, eyes set in a deadpan.

“Sorry…?” she offers sheepishly.

Izuku sticks his tongue out at her. “Extremely painful slap aside, that was too easy. Did you want to get caught?”

“No! I’m just tired.”

Izuku laughs. Classic excuse (and lie) between them. The smoke clears around them. “Yeah, right. I’ll let it slide this once ‘cause it really was all too easy.”

Ochako rolls her eyes and shoves him back to the grassy opening. It makes him laugh harder. “Whatever,” the girl grumbles, “I don't wanna play anymore.”

“God, you are such a sore loser,” the boy teases. Ochako shoves him again in the direction of the opening. She follows closely behind him, rolling her eyes more than a few times as he teases her the whole way back in.

Izuku’s playful side isn't something many see. He may not be the most serious person in the world, but he isn't exactly goofy either. Not on purpose, anyway. He only jokes with and teases people he's really close to. Izuku’s quite funny, too. His best jokes depend on timing and conversation and sometimes they're on the darker side, but funny nevertheless. Nobody believes Ochako when she mentions it. She doesn't care who believes her, because that just means this part of him is all the more special to her and his friends.

They reach the opening and Izuku turns around, smiling without a care in the world. He walks backward.

There are actually many sides to the 9th bearer of One For All that not many people see. Parts of him that Ochako’s loved each since the day he showed them to her.

Literal physical beauty aside, he looks most beautiful like this. Happy and carefree. Expressions of calmness she didn't think she'd see again after everything that happened in their first year.

He stops in the center of the little field and looks down. “There's a bunch of flowers here. When I first found this place, all the cherry blossoms had fallen so it was, like, a sea of pink. It was so pretty. I was thinking of showing you for a while but I kept forgetting.”

“Let’s come back when the petals have fallen again, then.”

Izuku looks up at her and offers a closed-eyed smile—Ochako’s heart thuds in her chest at the sight. “Of course. Can't just show you half the show, can I?” His gaze returns to the ground and he stares for about a second. Then he sits and pats the ground beside him. Ochako sits next to him, close. He looks up and points at the trees. “Now look from here.”

Ochako obeys. The trees look so much taller now. She giggles. “I feel like a bug now.” He follows in her laughter.

As if it’s second nature, Izuku's attention turns to Ochako. He’s sure she's used to him staring at this point because she doesn't react anymore. The boy doesn't think he could ever get used to or tired of her face.

She’s accustomed to it, of course. He does it all the time. But there’s something about his look right now that makes Ochako’s cheeks warm and her heart beat faster.

Wind blows, a bit harsher than they were throughout the day. It kicks up some fallen leaves. But it also blows some of the loose petals from their branches. On instinct, the two of them close their eyes to prevent any dust or dirt flying into them.

When it dies down, Izuku opens his eyes. He’s still facing Ochako so she's the first thing he sees. She has her head ducked downward. 

“Woah, that was strong.”

Izuku hums, his index and thumb cupping her chin to turn her head to face him. “The flowers got stuck in your hair,” he says gently.

Brown eyes all too big and pretty pop open. “Did they?” Izuku pauses for a second, as if her gaze alone froze him in place. Like a secondary quirk, almost. When he says nothing, Ochako tilts her head. “Deku?”

Izuku snaps out of it and gets to flicking the petals off of her. “Sorry. Got distracted,” his voice cracks and he clears his throat awkwardly. Ochako laughs through her nose. But, again, like a weak man with no free will, his eyes get stuck on hers again. Brown eyes the color of honey under the sun, watching him intently and with complete trust. His hands slow to a stop after combing petals out of her fringes.

It’s not the first time it happens, but it makes his own heart jump. This time, she's watching. So she definitely knows when his eyes drop to her mouth, linger, then fly back up. He’s done it so many times before, whether he realized it or not. But this time Ochako is watching .

That’s something that usually would've scared him to death; her knowing . This time, he wants her to. Izuku’s praying that she knows exactly what he's thinking and what he wants. He hopes she wants it, too.

Izuku’s hyper focused on the way the tip of Ochako’s tongue sweeps over her lips. 

With one final look, her eyes tell him everything he needs to know.

Izuku, for the first fourteen years of life, had hardly considered the notion of having a crush on someone, let alone them liking him back. He never, ever dreamed of falling in love and having someone love him back.

All it took was him being a complete klutz to turn that all upside down, hadn't it?

The day of the entrance exam, when that stranger stopped him from tripping over his own feet, he hadn't expected to have fallen so deeply and madly in love with her that it makes his chest ache and his head spin in the best ways. Izuku didn't think he'd want so desperately to share his entire life with her.

Yet, here he is: deeply and madly and desperately head over heels in love with Uraraka Ochako.

The best part?

Izuku guides her forward, going off of what he hopes is natural human instinct, tilting both their heads to the right respectively. Ochako allows it. Her hands come up and rest on Izuku’s thighs, her fingers fisting the loose fabric of his shorts.

Softly and gently, Izuku kisses Ochako. He doesn't want it to be chaste. He wants it to last. He wants her lips to remember it forever, even if in two weeks, the skin would have forgotten what it felt like. Maybe he’ll just have to kiss her again and again forever so that he's sure that her body never, ever forgets. That way, he knows his body won't forget either.

Izuku doesn't want either of them to forget the warmth and tenderness.

There are no fireworks and no violins.

But, God, Izuku's sure that this is a billion times better than what the movies make first kisses out to be. His heart is thrumming so hard in his chest but it feels so good.

No one ever talks about how something so simple could feel so huge . So monumental .

They both pull back, just an inch, breathe, then kiss again. 

Of all the words she could say, and all the ones she’s sure he could, Ochako knows that nothing would ever be enough to convey the love she had for him and he has for her the way this can.

Izuku smiles against her lips and he can't control it. He’s just so fucking happy right now. Ochako smiles too. Izuku only pulls back enough to look her in the eyes; the tips of their noses touch. He’s still cupping her face—he doesn't want to ever let go.

“How long were you plannin’ that?” Ochako asks, her voice somewhere between wistful and shocked. Izuku makes an amused sound in response. “That was real bold, Deku. Didn't think you’d do something like that.”

“Me neither,” Izuku remarks.

“You like me that much, huh?”

Izuku scoffs, mindlessly brushing off the rest of the petals and fixing her hair. His eyes never leave hers. “That doesn't even touch the tip of the iceberg. I’m literally crazy about you.”

“How crazy?”

“I’d get put in a psych ward if I said,” he half-jokes. Ochako laughs lightly.

“Deku, you seriously don't know how long I’ve wanted this.”

“You coulda just asked and I woulda kissed you on the spot.”

Ochako leans into his left hand, “Not just that. I mean, this . All of this. You .”

“Me?”

“You,” the brunette repeats firmly. “I was planning on telling you a bit later. Probably closer to graduation. Out of fear, honestly.”

“You were scared of me saying no to you?”

“Mm. Yes and no. Maybe I was also scared of you saying yes.” Izuku understands that. Love and relationships are beautiful but equally terrifying. “But I realize that I don't have to be, now that we’re here. ‘Cause you’re still the you I fell in love with in the first place.”

Something warm and new blooms in Izuku’s chest. In a very Midoriya-like fashion, his eyes immediately water. Ochako doesn't look in the least perturbed by it. In fact, it makes her feel warmer inside. She’s always loved how he wears his heart on his sleeve, not fearing what others may think. Because his emotions are real and they’re him . Ochako thinks she should take a page out of his book.

Her voice is smooth. Every word comes out so soft but so sure. “I know we’ll continue to change and grow, but I know I can trust that you’ll still be my Deku.”

Izuku would like to dip his fingers in her heart and soul and see if they'd come up with the gold that stains her lips and tongue. “Always yours.” He gapes for a few seconds then scoffs, “I’m literally at a loss for words right now,” he chuckles wetly.

Ochako knows that Izuku can talk . According to him, most of his words are of no significance.

He's always been better at expressing himself through his actions, anyway.

When he kisses her for the third time, Ochako learns something new: eyes are the windows to the soul, everyone knows that. But why is it that, by just looking into someone’s eyes, she can’t tell exactly what they’re feeling? Why wasn’t she sure of how Izuku felt about her until after he kissed her? Why is that look in his eyes the same that they’ve been for as long as she can remember suddenly so obvious now ? She realizes that lips can tell more than just words. The pressure he applies, each little peck he leaves before going in for a longer kiss, it’s saying everything .

His hands leave her cheeks, sliding into her hair at the back of her head to tilt her back. The angle awakens something in Ochako that she hadn't known she had before. Her hands reach up, grabbing fistfuls of his hoodie, pulling him as close as possible. Izuku hums, the sound coming from somewhere deep in his chest.

Ochako gets bold and swipes her tongue over his swollen bottom lip. She's more than a little surprised when he makes a low humming sound—one that rumbles from deep in his chest—and his mouth is suddenly open and waiting.

Izuku lurches forward like someone had pushed him the second he feels the tip of her tongue touch his own. When he does, Ochako's right hand flies back into the grass to keep herself upright and her left to his shoulder for grip. But based on how his hand finds her lower back, she knows he wouldn't let her fall back—unless he wanted her to.

Where there was once something budding in Izuku chest—a something that made him want to cry and laugh at the same time—is now something so much more.

And it blossoms.

There's colors to it; pinks, reds, blues. Its petals fall open so quickly. His composure with it.

Izuku is sure, based on how their mouths melt  so perfectly, that they were molded to fit together. That this is where he needs to be, who he needs to be with.

Its when her fingernails dig into his shoulder where he can feel it through his sweater that Izuku realizes where they are. Its not so much that her forgot, but that there's eyes guaranteed to be on them.

Chills run down Izuku’s spine and all the hairs on his body stand on end. He stops immediately, turning his head. Ochako, confused, shakes him a bit. One of the birds is staring right at them, red eyes narrowed in. 

“Birds…” he whispers, looking away from her. It’s hard to focus on what he was saying when his lips were so pink and swollen. She wanted him back.

“Deku—”

“The birds.” There's a specific ringing of Danger Sense that scared Izuku more than any villain could, and that's Aizawa's wrath. Izuku doesn't want to risk getting caught and feeling that. He gets to patting Ochako’s shoulders, brushing off all the petals he hadn't before. “The bots here are snitches.” Izuku would know; he's gotten caught and in trouble for doing much less. 

There are no rules against dating in U.A. The teachers and staff just advise students to be careful and not do anything stupid. Making out in a secluded area on school grounds is something stupid because of what it can imply, no matter how innocent their intentions are.

Ochako scoffs lightheartedly, smoothing out the wrinkles she created on his blue hoodie, listening to his grumbles about how the birds ruined their precious moment.

The duo stand—Izuku helping her up—and brush themselves off. The walk back home is about five minutes, give or take. They walk together. Ochako doesn't go for a hand-hold; instead, she hooks her arm around his. Izuku smiles down at her.

They walk quietly together for most of the walk, up until the dorm building comes into sight. Ochako leans her head on Izuku's shoulder.

“Hey, Uraraka?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we keep this between us for now?” Izuku’s not ready for everyone to know about anything yet. “We can tell Iida and Todoroki and Tsuyu, but…”

Ochako doesn't mind anyone knowing. She isn't shy. But, she understands that Izuku has different boundaries and needs time to adjust to things unlike herself. She nods. “Yeah, of course.”

“Thank you. And, also,” he stops them in front of the building and turns them to face each other. Their hands fall away, because someone's always watching from inside. It's usually to see when people get back, but anything can be a “dead giveaway” to their classmates. “I'm gonna ask you this here but I wanna ask you again later, ‘kay?” Ochako nods, curiosity peaking. He looks down at his worn out red sneakers, like he's thinking about how to word his question. She watches his expression shift into one of a confident resolve and he meets her eyes again.

“Uraraka, I’m very serious when I say I love you. I really do. But I’m not sure if I can be… you know, everything you deserve. I won't lie, I don't fully understand why you like me like this. There's a thousand things I can say about how I’m terrified of not being enough and messing things up. But I’ve messed up a million times, and your feelings never changed, huh?” Izuku shifts his weight nervously. Ochako's listening intently. Her brown eyes are filled with a sort of fondness that he's seen before and now recognizes as love. “But I’m willing to give you absolutely everything I have if you're still up to having me as yours.”

Ochako reaches forward and pokes his chest gently. “I want you just the way you are, even if you don't think you’re enough. The way I see it, you’re more than enough. I’m scared too, Deku, trust me. But you can't get over your fears without jumpin’ ‘em, right?”

That's a slightly aggressive way of putting it, but he gets what she's saying. “Right.”

Ochako wants to kiss Izuku again. Remembering where they are and the possibility that they're being watched, she settles with a raised fist. “Let’s do this, then.”

“You talk like we’re about to fight some villains,” Izuku jokes as he bumps his fist to hers.

They stand and stare for a moment. Izuku chances a quick glance at the big windows in front, and when he’s sure no one is peeping, he steps forward, pushes Ochako’s bangs back and kisses her forehead gently. The girl is a bit startled at first, but melts at the feeling. And ever so quickly, he pecks her lips too.

“Okay, I’m good for now.”

Something in Ochako is reminded of that time, years ago, at the summer camp from hell. Their first night, the girls had a gettogether and talked about the boys and whether or not they’re boyfriend material. Ochako remembers Izuku being ruled a big ‘no’ because of his fanboy tendencies.

A small part of her a glad that’s what they thought; because that proves that they don’t know the Izuku she knows. The one who is passionate and loving and always wanting to ensure the people around him know that they are loved by him. The boy who gives his all in everything that he does. The hero that gives people strength. The Deku that’s looking at her like she holds the world in her hands.

Ochako feels like she won now that she knows she’s the person that holds Izuku’s heart and that he holds hers.

The duo head inside together, greeted enthusiastically by their ever-oblivious classmates.

Standing beside Shoto now, Izuku glances at Ochako from across the room. She’s laughing away at something one of the girls said.

He realizes that his heart has never felt so full in his life. He’s sure little Izuku would be so proud of the person he’s become. Little Izuku, whose hope and faith was dwindling, whose life was growing so dark. Izuku now who has everything he prayed for.

He looks down at his slipper-clad feet with a smile he’s trying to contain.

The best part?

Izuku gets to share all the love he has in him with Uraraka Ochako.