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Since the start of term, class 1-A noticed that Izuku was always busy. It was no secret that he had a lot to prove; his self-destructive quirk meant that Izuku had to work twice as hard as the others to stand in the same league.
If he wasn’t busy outside the dorms practising his Shoot Style, he was cramming notes or scribbling into his notebook. They often caught him muttering to himself, clicking his pen or counting something on his usually bruised fingers.
Everything was work, or training, or studying. It was a wonder he managed to squeeze his social life into his every day. He couldn’t possibly have time to think about anything else...
Ochaco couldn’t help but wonder where she fit into all of this. She couldn’t help but notice… things . Little sweet nothings that the rest of the class seemed to skip over.
It might have started one day in class. Maybe Mr Present Mic was giving a boring lecture in English. Regardless, Ochaco found her mind wandering. For no particular reason, her head turned to Izuku.
His brows furrowed in concentration, eyes squinted at the board. He squeezed his pen when he wrote; Ochaco giggled to herself, maybe this was why his handwriting was so childlike?
His lips moved - he was muttering, calculating the translation probably. His tongue dipped out to wet his lips, and Ochaco felt her heart flutter.
Izuku’s hand shot up, startling Mineta who was asleep behind him.
“Mic Sensei, is it an adjective?"
“Incorrect!”
He sank back, that concentrated brow more furrowed than ever. Ochaco turned back to her own work. Why was her heart beating so fast?
“You like him, right?” Aoyama had asked during their Final Exams.
The accusation burnt her cheeks pink. Her heart beat fast then, too, causing her hands to sweat. She slipped from the bar, Thirteen’s quirk sucking her very nearly away from victory.
From then, she couldn’t truly deny it. Of course she liked him, they had been close friends since their first day. But it wasn’t just Izuku - Iida was a present member of their group too. Her cheeks didn’t flush when she thought about him…
It was moments like now, when everything seemed content, that Ochaco let her mind wander. It was 22:55 on her digital clock, and she lay somewhere between complete rest and wide awake. Her eyes were heavy yet she stared at the ceiling, enjoying the warmth of the fleeced blankets around her.
In this space of sleepiness, it was okay for Ochaco to be true to herself. As she closed her eyes she thought of freckles and fluffy green hair. Her heart swelled as she pictured Izuku, who worked so hard to fulfil his dream. And it was such an honourable dream.
He was smaller when she met him, and quieter too. Ochaco had seen Izuku training outside the dorms almost every night, practising his form and agility as the others used their down time to relax. The girls teased when they caught Ochaco watching from the window, but half the time she couldn’t hear them.
He’s gotten so strong… Izuku’s shirt that once fell somewhat loosely around him now hugged his frame quite tightly. Really it was hard not to notice how muscular he was becoming. Though Ochaco’s eyes always seemed to wander down to the scars that covered his hands and arms.
… to be able to bare so much.
It was one of the things she loved about him. Ochaco knew his quirk had a limit, and she had watched Izuku surpass it time and time again. He couldn’t rely solely on his quirk, and in training Izuku had shown his exceptional combat skills. It almost took her breath away. He was so determined, and he could bare so much for others. And he wanted to…
Thinking about it fluttered her tummy. Ochaco squeezed her eyes shut tighter, hugging the blanket around herself.
She remembered the day they all moved into the dorms together. The girls thought it would be fun to do a room competition. Izuku was one of the first. He lit up red when his door pushed open, enough All Might merchandise to stock a gift shop.
She’d never seen him so flustered. It was endearing.
They had teased him about it. Especially Bakugo, when he found out. In fact, Ochaco had noticed that since the start of term, Bakugo teased Izuku a lot. She knew that they attended the same middle school, and assumed they were friends. She didn’t presume to understand their relationship, but she knew one thing - Izuku was never bitter about it, or spiteful.
Ochaco’s breathing started to even out as she fell asleep. Admiration was washing over her, thinking about how much Izuku truly cared for his friends.
She started thinking about the sports festival. Class 1-A had always been very supportive of each other. They all sat up high in the stalls above, looking down at the arena. Izuku was going first, and he was up against Shinso from the support class. Ochaco gripped the railing tight - Shinso’s quirk was unknown to her. Who knew what might happen?
“I wouldn’t be so worried, Uraraka,” Iida could sense her unease. “Midoriya is very perceptive. I’m sure he has a plan.”
She nodded in agreement, Iida’s words did bring some comfort. Still, her grip on the railing didn’t falter.
But what if? She couldn’t help but think. He’s worked so hard to get here, he deserves to be scouted too…
Of course, he did well. Ochaco’s own turn was approaching fast - she was up against Bakugo and this was making her own palms sweat.
Bakugo who didn’t hold back. Bakugo who spoke such violent words, whose own quirk was explosive. She rushed off to the waiting area, going over her options in her mind.
Realistically, I won’t win… This was frustrating. Ochaco had worked hard too, and had earned her spot in this final. The truth of it had her heart racing. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try!
She composed herself and drew up her plan. The success rate wasn’t too high. But she reasoned to herself - the agencies will see what I’m trying to do.
The door swung open. Iida marched into the room, fresh from his battle. She knew she looked nervous, from his reaction it was plain on her face. Still, she smiled, unfurrowing her brow. Everyone was working so hard - Ochaco would be sure to give it her all too!
“Uraraka!”
Izuku stood in the doorway. His face lined with worry, clutching his hero evaluation notebook in hand.
“Deku?” She was surprised, he had been so involved in the matches. He was worried about her?
“Huh? You don’t wanna watch the other matches?”
Izuku smiled, rubbing his face. Ochaco’s face softened at the gesture.
“You’ve helped me so much, Uraraka. That’s why, I thought maybe I could help you a little.”
He thrust his notebook out in front of him. The pages were crinkled and singed. “A plan to use your quirk against Kacchan. It’s rough - but I've come up with something.”
He didn’t even ask for anything back. Ochaco felt like she was beaming. Her heart swelled and she stood smiling to face Izuku who was offering her everything. She wanted to make him proud.
“Thanks Deku. But it’s fine.”
It was moments like these that Ochaco couldn’t really deny. Izuku was amazing; he continued to push others to do better - Ochaco remembered as the sports festival went on, the class had seen Todoroki’s flames for the first time.
It was this, and the little things. He was so patient with Kota and Eri, and so great with kids anyway. He made her feel calm in the face of danger. He watched her so attentively when she spoke. He ate his fish in the morning and trained hard at night. The way her name sounded in his voice.
It was these things, and everything else, that made Ochaco feel like she was floating. Content like this, she finally drifted to sleep.
______
It had gotten dark quickly and with that the temperature dropped. Izuku barely felt the cold as he continued to practice his Shoot Style.
Still, he was out later than usual. Izuku was having trouble sleeping. Plagued with too many thoughts and worries, he found a good evening of training was enough to exhaust him. With any luck, he would fall straight into a dreamless sleep.
Some thoughts weren’t as bad as others. Izuku would blame the cold, though his cheeks flushed as a certain brunette continued to flick into his mind.
He kicked again. His form was off. “Come on, Deku. Concentrate.” He scolded himself.
The thoughts wouldn’t waver. It was the little things that Izuku loved about her.
On the first day of UA, she was the first person he spoke to. Well, the first person to speak to him. Izuku hadn’t responded.
It wasn’t just that she was a girl. His tongue suddenly felt twice it’s normal size, and his heart beat rapidly with every word she spoke.
Ochaco had smiled at him kindly, her nose a little red from the cold. Her voice was sweet, and Izuku noticed it hitched when she got excited.
He kicked again. His form was better this time. He carried on.
Izuku had always been academic. He found that he excelled in standard classes like English or Mathematics. Having already studied the textbooks, he sometimes found himself watching Ochaco in class.
She screwed her face up when she was concentrating, squinting her eyes as if this would make the words on the board bigger. He memorised her face like this, her nose scrunched up in confusion.
When she was really concentrating, like in practical lessons, Ochaco pulled a whole different face. Izuku noticed that her face fell stern, eyes sharp and determined, and he would watch her nod along to whoever had her attention.
He sometimes wished he had her attention…
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. They were close friends, and that was enough. Izuku would never want to distract Ochaco from her dreams that she was working so hard to achieve. He understood the significance of a dream.
It wasn’t that he was worried she didn’t like him back; Izuku didn’t really know how he felt anyway. Ochaco’s dream was just so pure, so heartfelt - to distract her from it would be wrong.
And what good would it do? Izuku reasoned with himself. He wouldn’t want to put ideas in her head anyway.
He checked the time on his phone. 22:55. It was really late! He glanced back up to the dorms; most of the lights were out, he heard no voices coming through the open windows.
Resigning for the night, Izuku took small steps back up to the dorms, his head swimming back to his thoughts.
For the past couple of weeks, Mr Aizawa's lesson plans had mostly consisted of training their quirks. Izuku had been training his legs to make sure they were strong enough to withstand his Shoot Style, as he couldn't rely heavily on his arms anymore.
It was exhausting, physically and mentally. His legs shook at the end of each day, and Izuku found himself taking short breaks between practice to try and ease the aching. He grabbed his water bottle, squeezing several gulps down as his eyes scanned the room to watch his classmates progress.
He had found Ochaco with her eyes shut tight, floating in the air. Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed her fists closed.
Seeing her like this made him smile. People did underestimate her, but Izuku knew what she was capable of. She had adapted her quirk and was making quick progress.
She looked so cute with her cheeks puffed out…
He reached the steps to the dorms and climbed them two at a time. Really, what was he thinking? At a vital time like this when Villains were becoming more brazen, no less?
What would All Might think? Izuku wondered. He couldn't remember reading about All Might ever having a girlfriend…
Is that what he wanted? To have Ochaco as his girlfriend? His thoughts were moving too quickly, and Izuku suddenly felt very hot. He pulled at his shirt, letting the cold air hit his skin underneath.
He pushed the doors open to the dormitory, careful to lock them behind him. It felt much warmer inside. He kicked his shoes off and placed them neatly in the genkan, sliding his indoor slippers on and walking towards the kitchen.
Izuku poured himself a glass of cold water and made his way to the couch, falling back into the soft cushions. Now that he sat in the warmth, he felt his limbs crying out, overworked.
His body wanted to rest; Izuku knew if he closed his eyes now he would be asleep within minutes. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and lie there until midday tomorrow. Izuku knew when his alarm rang in the morning he would wake feeling exhausted.
His rational brain reasoned, I want to make All Might proud! I want to show him I'm a worthy successor!
Tomorrow would be good anyway, Izuku reminded himself. They were probably due a normal lesson, he could work his brain instead of his body.
Besides, the mornings were a good time to talk to his friends before the bell rang. He was sure Iida would be quick to catch him up on anything important he missed while training. He could count on Ochaco to fill him in on the lighter stuff.
Ochaco would probably beat him to class, too. She smelled sweet in the mornings, of hair wash and hand cream. It made Izuku feel high when he stood next to her. He didn't always speak in the morning, content to listen. Iida would say something determined, or wave his arms about seriously, and Ochaco would giggle in that giddy way Izuku associated with her.
Fuck, he was so screwed.
"Deku?"
Izuku shot up off the sofa. "Uraraka!"
Water flew from the glass, soaking Izuku's shirt through. He felt his cheeks darkening, praying she couldn't see through his shirt in the darkness.
Izuku didn't notice her eyes wandering.
Ochaco quickly blushed pink, averting her gaze. "I didn't mean to startle you, Deku."
Izuku wiped himself down, cursing himself silently. "No, it's fine!" He made his way to the kitchen quickly.
He grabbed some paper towels and started patting himself dry. "What are you doing up?"
I couldn't sleep, she thought to herself, because I couldn't stop thinking about you…
Ochaco cleared her throat. "Thirsty, just wanted a glass of water."
"Oh." Izuku breathed. "Let me."
He reached up to the cupboard, his shirt riding up slightly. Ochaco was sure her whole face was red by now. She grabbed some more paper towels and crouched down, mopping the spilled water as an excuse to look away.
Izuku filled the glass with water from the fridge, "Here."
Ochaco smiled. Her pinky finger brushed Izuku's as she grabbed the glass from him.
"Thanks Deku."
She sipped her water slowly, eyes shut tight. Izuku could feel his heart racing. He watched her quietly drinking and his mind raced with thoughts.
Her pyjamas were fleeced and warm looking, soft on her skin, Izuku thought. Her lips pouted around the glass, fogging it up with her warm breaths. Her voice was quiet and sleepy, and Izuku would give anything just to hear her say Deku one more time…
She gulped down the last few drops and her eyes opened, meeting Izuku's. He couldn't bring himself to look away this time. He was entranced by her, eyes the colour of melted chocolate.
Ochaco's breath hitched. Was she imagining it, or was Izuku looking into her eyes?
Even in this darkness, Izuku could see that her face was flushed pink. Her hair was matted at the back but looked soft, her eyes lidded in half consciousness. Izuku bet she looked beautiful when she slept.
“Mhm, Deku,”
Even in her sleepiness, Ochaco could see that Izuku had just finished training. His hair was dishevelled, green spikes poking in all directions. His shirt stuck to him in all the right places and she could see the results of all his hard work shining through. His face was flushed, cheeks red from the cold and exercise, Ochaco thought.
She yawned, “you work too hard.”
Izuku was dragged from his thoughts. "Hmh?"
Ochaco yawned again, leaving Izuku to puzzle over her words. She shuffled towards the sink, rinsing her glass clean and quickly drying it with the towels. Izuku just stood at the counter, transfixed on her movements.
She turned towards him then, and Izuku noticed her eyes were crinkled. But this was usually when she was worried about something, or scared.
"Uraraka?" He started, stepping towards her. "What's the matter?"
She shook her head, smiling suddenly and moving closer to him still. Perhaps it was her sleep induced state that drove her actions. Ochaco placed her hand on the counter, dangerously close to Izuku's. He stilled, scared she might shift away if he so much as twitched. But he wanted so desperately to touch her…
"Deku,"
Izuku's heart thumped wildly. I'm so, so screwed.
"Hmh? Are you okay?" He asked.
I miss you when you're not here, Ochaco wanted to say. When you're outside training, I search the room for you… I want to spend more time with you…
But she couldn't say that. He was working so hard, and Ochaco had seen his progress. She knew how much his hero training meant to him, she knew because she understood what it meant for herself too.
Ochaco sighed, content. "You're going to be a great hero."
She withdrew her hand; her thoughts were better left unsaid.
Izuku smiled, warmed by her words. She left him in the kitchen with a sleepy smile, promising to see him in the morning. His body felt fuzzy, the aches now just a dull pain. He felt like he was floating, his body becoming weightless as he lost himself once more in her.