airquietworks

[airquietworks]

Phantoms Grasp, Humans Love (IzuOcha fanfic) (Oneshot)

Summary: "This facade of a life you are building will crumble beneath your feet."

Deku has become the world's greatest hero, but is haunted by his past. He upholds the peace of the present, but fears losing his grip on it.

When he is forced to confront the ghosts of yesterday, his guiding light, Ochako Uraraka, is there to help. But can he really keep her safe from his demons, and the villains to come?

The glare of the sun came down hard atop Deku’s head, the world hazy under its intense rays.

He found it a struggle to observe the surrounding cityscape through the bustling crowds, with the brightness obscuring the top of his vision. His mind constantly whirred, seeking any shadowy corners that villains could be skulking in. His danger sense was not going off, but he knew better than to rely solely on it.

Always watching. That was his duty as the world’s greatest hero.

“You’re spacing out again, Deku.”

The hero blinked as he felt a calloused hand tug at his own. He looked to his side, his vision filled with warm brown eyes and rosy cheeks. Ochako Uraraka, his lover and partner, pouted at him from beneath her green cap.

“Sorry about that!”

He let his senses retreat inward, focusing them intently on the wonderful woman before him. Today, he was supposed to be just Izuku, taking the love of his life on a date downtown. After several weeks working without much rest, they had promised one another a day to enjoy a little of the peace they had helped bring. They had rebuilt the world with their friends in the years after All For One’s defeat; they deserved to enjoy it.

On this day, he was supposed to just be human.

He squeezed her hand assuredly as they continued walking through the busy sidewalk, toward a secluded cafe they had scouted out. He kept his head down under a black hoodie, disguising his identity best he could, though the rumblings around him proved it was not that effective.

“It’s tough not to think about everyone around us, right?”

Her words brought his attention back to her. He winced, realizing his mind was drifting again, even with her firm grip.

“Old habits die hard.” He sighed, closing his eyes, letting the world fall away, focusing on her hand gently guiding him. “I can’t remember the last time we could do something like this.”

There’s was a love born from fire and struggle; under the covers, where they could find comfort in one another after carrying the burden of the world. It was a magical thing, even if their relationship grew from the blood-stained ground. A peaceful life seemed almost oppositional to them.

“It has been a while,” she agreed solemnly, squeezing his hand again. “But we deserve this, Deku. We need this. For us. And to be the heroes we’re meant to be tomorrow.”

She had grown a knack for reminding him of his humanity, ever since a rainy night where his friends forced him not to forsake it. Every time he became lost in the dark, she was his guiding light.

“You’re right. Let’s go.” He summoned as much enthusiasm as he could. She deserved that.

They fell into an easygoing banter, intent on keeping themselves distracted with levity. It was nice, just being able to enjoy her company, without the world sinking itself upon his weary shoulders. He finally felt his mind adrift in a sea of bliss, occupied only by where the owner of his heart would take them next.

“Somebody stop him!”

Deku’s danger sense flared, and his body moved without him thinking.

In a flash, he was 30 feet high in the air, his eyes pinpointing what his ears had heard. A figure in dark garb, their face obscured under a green gap, was racing up the sidewalk across the street, holding what appears to be stolen goods. They shoved at everyone that crossed their path, the civilians instantly collapsing upon contact.

One For All surged through him. He kicked his leg back to propel himself forward, landing directly in front of the figure. He grabbed onto their shoulders and chopped their neck. The person instantly fell, incapacitated by the precise blow.

The entire sequence took about 10 seconds. A crowd started to form but gave him a wide berth. They pulled out phone cameras, staring intently.

The hero took a deep breath and put on a big smile.

“Everything is all right, folks. Keep clear and carry on. We’ll have this all settled quickly!”

Deku waved to the crowd, answered by a few cheers and a smattering of applause. He stepped past the incapacitated villain toward the trail of bodies they had left in their wake.

Uravity was already on the job, picking up a fallen middle-aged man and carefully examining him. His eyes were closed, but his face was locked in a strange grimace as if pained in unconsciousness.

“Vital signs fine. Breathing a little heavy. No visible injures,” Uravity rattled off her examination as she carefully laid the man on the ground. She shook him, which prompted the man’s eyes to crack open.

“No...I’m sorry...please don’t fail me, teacher…” the man grumbled. His eyes were darting around, unfocused, not understanding the world in front of him.

Deku approached, pulling at his chin in thought. The man was clearly afflicted with some kind of incapacitating Quirk, but the symptoms were unique.

“Sir, it’s all right,” Uravity replied, patting his shoulder. “You’re safe now. There’s nothing-”

“Oh gods, why is that clown there?!”

Izuku felt his danger sense go off again. He turned, but not in time to avoid the assailant grabbing onto his exposed arm. Green eyes stared up through a curtain of unkempt black hair, intense and unfocused.

“You’re not gonna get me, All For One. You’re not the boss of me anymore, bastard! I’ll make you wish for death!”

Izuku felt his vision become hazy, the world suddenly going out of focus. He shook his head, trying to keep his bearings. He could feel himself losing consciousness. He kneeled, but channelled his Quirk, using it to overpower his failing balance.

“Deku!” The cry sounded distorted. Through his daze, he could see Uravity knock his assailant to the ground, efficiently ending the threat. Her soft hands were on him then, clutching his face. He could not see her properly.

“Relax, Deku. Breathe. I’m here.”

He called on the vestiges to intervene, as they had for him in the past when under mental attack. But he found he could not conjure them in his mind. They were but shadowy outlines, ghosts lost to him.

You can’t relax. You can’t stop. You can’t afford to.

Izuku was not sure where the voice came from. It was too rough to be Ochako. Nonetheless, he tried to heed the advice. He kept himself tense, resisting the urge to close his eyes.

You will never escape me. Just submit.

The voice was an icy claw running down his spine. But he refused to listen to it. Even as the rest of his body grew numb, he channelled his Quirk into his outstretched hand. He casually flicked his wrist and let the air surge above him, shoving him to the ground.

He pounded his head into the hard sidewalk, snapping his mind out of its haziness. He grasped onto Ochako’s hand, breathing quickly as everything around him became clear.

His beloved’s face was prominent now, filled with worried lines that he hated to see on her. He squeezed her hand, trying to bring some modicum of assurance.

“Deku! Are you-”

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” he murmured with far less strength than he wanted. He shook his head, staving off the last bit of unconsciousness. “Whatever that Quirk was, I was able to stop it from taking full effect.”

Uravity stared down at her charge, the prone assailant knocked out on the ground, her free hand on the back of his neck for good measure. “We need to get you checked out.”

“It’s okay, I’m-” Izuku was about to say “fine,” but the word died on his tongue under the eyes of her fierce glare. He swallowed it, nodding, knowing her judgement was probably better than his when it came to his wellbeing.

Emergency responders and heroes arrived to handle the scene. The assailant did not have his Quirk on the registry and was out of sorts, giving nonsensical responses to questions. Fortunately, none of the victims seems anything more than shaken, Izuku included. Several victims, and the villain, were taken for medical treatment and observation, but after a quick examination, he and Ochako were free to return to their supposed day off.

The two found themselves walking again, hand-in-hand, trapped in uneasy silence. The stress of the situation held onto them, as if unseen hands were holding them back. Izuku let his eyes dart around again, searching for any threats. This time, Ochako did not comment on it.

“Can I get you two a table?”

The waitress’s chipper tone shocked Izuku’s senses. He did not even realize they had entered the cafe, distracted as he was. The clash between the cozy, welcoming atmosphere and the sense of foreboding gripping him left him speechless.

Fortunately, Ochako was much quicker on the uptake.

“Yup, just the two of us!” she replied with a smile. Izuku marvelled at her ability to bounce back so quickly.

The pair took their seats, like any of the other lovebirds there. Finally, after all the chaos their lives were prone to, they were alone together.

It gave Izuku nowhere to hide.

“Are you feeling okay? You still seem pretty out of it,” Ochako said, reaching across the table to run a hand on his arm. Izuku breathed a sigh, enjoying the contact.

His eyes darted out the window. No danger in sight. The world was at peace. But he found it hard to rest easy.

Part of him wanted to keep silent. To push his fears aside and insist they lose themselves in what was supposed to be an ordinary day. But under her scrutinizing eyes, he summoned the courage to speak honestly.

“I feel fine. It’s nothing to do with whatever Quirk I got hit with.” He breathed deeply to release the tension in his throat. “I’m upset there was an attack like that. All those people hurt. And it was on our day off, and I wasn’t supposed to get involved in anything, but I couldn’t help it. But I feel like I should have done more. Like I wasn’t ready enough, and I know you’re probably disappointed, and I hate that and-”

Ochako shifted her hand to press a finger to his lips, stopping him in his tracks. “You’re spiralling. Pace yourself a bit! It’s okay. We have time,” she suggested, relinquishing her hold on her lips.

“Right…sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize,” Ochako said with a smile. “I’m feeling pretty mixed up about it too. But it’s okay to need time to process these things, you know? It’s human. ”

“Human. Right.” It was hard to feel that way sometimes. But Ochako was always there to remind himself that he could be a normal, regular person when he needed to be.

“And I may be disappointed,” she admitted. “But I am not disappointed in you. I can’t blame you for helping people. It’s something I love about you, even if I wish you’d take it easier sometimes.”

“Ochako…” Izuku felt his cheeks flush in his smittenness. He had grown a lot more accustomed to his feelings for her, but he was a little emotionally drained to stay composed at her honeyed words. “Thank you.”

“Keep going. What else you got on your mind?”

A lot of dangling thoughts, twisting into one another, far too many to cope with easily. But staring into her shining eyes, he seized onto the idea his heart led him toward.

“Well, right now,” Izuku leaned closer over the table, delighting in the surprise at his partner’s face. “I’m thinking about how much I love you, And wondering what I did to deserve you.”

‘Deku, come on, people are going to stare,” she protested, pushing against his chest. He delighted in the blush that consumed her whole face. But he relented, backing off. They giggled together, chasing away the sour mood with shared mirth.

Izuku glanced idly toward the cafe window on instinct, scanning for danger again. He saw All for One, the villain’s marred face grinning wide under the sunlight.

In a breath, Deku was out the door. He did not think. He pounced, rushing forward. His body already knew what it had to do.

But his arms met nothing but air. All For One was gone in the instant it took him to move. Deku scanned the area desperately, danger sense throbbing painfully.

You’re going to have to do a bit better than that.

Izuku twisted his head to see All For One standing atop an apartment building, his sinister voice echoing inside his brain. He rushed forward again, figuring the villain must be using a telepathy Quirk.

But when he arrived atop the mid-rise, All For One was nowhere to be found. Izuku scanned around again, his heart racing. It was clear he had failed to truly end the villain. He would not fail again.

“Deku!” Ochako’s voice called from behind him. He turned towards her, terror rampaging through his insides.

All For One was there, right behind her. She had not noticed as she floated up to meet him. He could see the sinister hand extending toward her, one that would surely end her life.

Looks like you won’t be able to save her from me, either. You’ve gotten worse since I’ve been away. What a pity.

Deku roughly tackled her to the ground, evading the villain’s grasp. He got up and turned, lunging forward to strike with everything he had.

But somehow, his punch went right through All For One. Shocked, Deku reeled up to attack again, but not before his foe’s blow struck true.

The hero fell to the ground, knocked off balance by the brutally hard hit. He grimaced but kept moving, not letting a little pain get to him.

“Get out of here, Uravity! Call for help, he’s-”

“Who?! Deku, what’s wrong?!”

Deku stood up, his vision blurring. That hit had done more damage than he realized. He could see the outline of All For One, standing there, letting out a fearsome aura. But his face had become hard to visualize.

“All For One, he’s back! You have to-”

“I’m not going anywhere! But I can’t see him!”

Deku blinked. All For One was gone again. His eyes scanned the horizon, but the man had vanished without a trace. He remained on edge, sure that his nemesis would lash out again.

The moment’s respite gave him time to process. They had defeated All For One, wrestling Shigaraki from his control. The villain had perished in a climactic struggle. He had made sure of it.

Something was off. His danger sense had stopped triggering. This was not All For One’s usual modus operandi. Where was the destruction? Or the lackeys he tended to use?

We shall meet again soon, Midoriya. Let’s wait until we can find a spot somewhere more...intimate.

Deku twisted his head around, desperately searching again as the voice echoed in his head. He could sense Uravity doing the same by his side, following his lead. But there was no one to be seen.

“He’s gone,” Deku admitted. He let his breath catch up to him. He thought hard, trying to put the pieces together. “Or...or maybe he wasn’t there, to begin with.”

“Deku? What happened? You just ran off without saying anything. Where did you see him?”

Izuku chanced a glance at her again. She stood there, her face scratched and a little bloodied from where he had slammed her to the ground. He grimaced at the sight, unable to bear the thought that he had inadvertently hurt her.

He could feel unconsciousness taking hold of his overworked mind. Uravity caught him as he fell, her strong arms taking a firm hold.

Izuku struggled to fight against the darkness falling over his eyes. He could not rest. He had to fight.

“Can’t...can’t stop now. We need to...figure this out”

“I’ll take care of it, Deku,” she assured him. Her smile stood out just as he closed his eyes. “You can trust me. Just get your rest.”

He did not have a choice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Izuku awoke, enveloped by softness in the dark gloom of the night.

He groggily glanced around, quickly recognizing the familiar space of his shared bedroom. He looked over to his side, where Ochako lay curled up, her face peaceful in slumber, but with a few bandages on her face.

He rolled himself out of bed, his head throbbing in pain. He could hardly think straight. What had happened? Why was he here? How long had he been out?

The hero took care to tip-toe out of the room, not wanting to disturb his partner. He carefully navigated through their apartment and entered the main living area, making a beeline for their small kitchen.

The world began to twist at an angle. Izuku struggled to navigate, but he used his hands to pull himself toward the sink. He turned on the tap and quickly splashed himself with the cold water.

The wet slap served to snap him into wakefulness. He blinked the fog of his head away to see All For One relaxing on his couch.

Izuku immediately tensed and rubbed at his eyes, confirming the vision. All For One just casually smiled at him.

“Hello there, Midoriya. I must say, you have a lovely home.”

The voice made Izuku’s skin crawl. It grated on him so much worse now, as if his ears could hear it. He felt paralyzed, his body refusing to move as it should to strike the man down.

Izuku took a breath and shook his head.

“You’re not real. You can’t be. You’re dead.” The realization hit him as the words left his mouth, his subconsciousness bringing the truth forward.

“Oh? Are you really sure about that? You should know by now that I have a knack for defying death.”

“You’re a hallucination. Something to do with that person’s Quirk today. It’s powerful, but this can’t be real.” Izuku stared defiantly at the shadowy figure. He tensed his gaze, trying hard to will the vision away. “You were never there in the first place.”

“Come now, Izuku. Where’s your imagination? You take after All Might in the worst of ways.” Izuku felt his vision go foggy again. He tried to shake it off, but the image of All For One blurred. “I’m real enough.”

Izuku closed his eyes, hoping that might help. He had to figure out how to get beyond this Quirk attack. There could be others suffering even worse than him.

“So long as you live, Midoriya, so shall I.” Even with his eyes closed, Izuku could sense his enemy’s movements, All For One walking towards their balcony. “I will always exist in the shadows of your mind. My legacy is spread across the lost souls of the world, like the man you met today. One of them will eventually destroy this peace you have so carefully cultivated.”

“You’re wrong!” Izuku felt his head throb under the stress, but he took a step forward, deciding to stare at the vision head-on. “We defeated you. We’ll protect the peace. You are dead and gone.”

“Yet you are so afraid I am lurking in every corner. Because you know, someday, something will be there. And you won’t be good enough to stop it.” All For One stepped out onto the balcony, reaching a frayed hand out toward the city. “This facade of a life you’re building will crumble beneath your feet.”

“You...won’t...” The protest felt weak at Izuku’s lips. He struggled to find his voice against his deepest fears. “It won’t happen.”

“In the darkest corners of your heart, you know it will. How long do you plan to keep up this charade with your lover? Can you really protect her from what’s coming for you? I’m sure you remember how it worked out for Nana. I wonder how much your future children will resent you.”

“Shut up!”

Izuku surged forward, wanting desperately to punch the ghost away. But the vision of All For One leapt out of his range, floating toward the cityscape below.

“Try to hit me all you like. You cannot escape the truth. I’ll haunt you till the end of your days.”

Adrenaline pumping through him, Izuku chased after the vision. His mind struggled to find a solution under the hallucinatory duress. All he knew was that he could not afford to stop until this was over.

The vision landed in a neighbourhood park, and Izuku ran at it again. He struggled to think through how to end this torment, his mind muddled. He hoped he could free himself if he could just see his fist connect.

But All For One deftly dodged every movement before striking back. Even though he wasn’t there, Izuku could feel the hit to his cheek, knocking him to the ground.

“So slow. So weak. It’s amazing how much you’ve degraded in just a few short years.”

“I...am strong enough.” Izuku rose to his feet, staring defiantly at his foe. “I will protect this world. We’ll keep the peace. Haunt me all you want, but you will never win.”

“But you can’t win. Not the way you are now.”

The world fizzled out for a moment, and the vision changed. All For One’s face fell away. Two familiar, green eyes stared at him from beneath a mask. Dark tendrils emerged from the image, extending from a frayed, green costume.

“You’re too weak now. They will suffer for it. You’re not good enough.”

The masked figure was terrifying, looking far more villain than hero. He could see himself, as he lived in his darkest moments. He trembled as he stared into the eyes of a beast.

“Why am I seeing...me?”

“If you want to protect this world, you know you can’t live this way. Deep down, you know it’s impossible.” The figure approached him, black whips twisting in the air. “You have to get stronger. You must always keep fighting.”

“No...” Izuku shook his head, hoping this hallucination might be easier to banish. “No, this is wrong. She showed me I don’t have to be like you.”

His mind flashed to a rainy day when his friends had rescued him from himself. When Ochako had shouted her heart out - and the depths of his heart sang out in return.

“But you’re older now. You know what happened to Nana. You know All Might never lived like you.” He was face to face with his shadow now, the metallic sheen of the mask reflecting the street lights, a bright spot in a haggard visage. “It was a pleasant dream. But it’s time to wake up.”

Izuku could not react as he felt the figure’s fist connecting into his gut. He crumbled to the ground, coughing blood, the blow hitting much harder than the last hallucination. He could hardly think against the pain and the echoing terror of his own mind.

“You can’t be with her. She deserves better than a man who must always chase shadows.”

The words ripped through him, the dark parts of his soul threatening to overpower everything else. These were fears he had talked about with her, but they still lurked within him, always threatening the life he so desperately wanted.

Still, Izuku rose again defiantly. “She’s...she’s strong enough. She makes me stronger. Better.”

The masked figure tilted its head down, green irises disappearing completely. “Then prove it.”

Suddenly, the hallucination was on top of him, striking out with more force and speed than Izuku could handle. He could not comprehend how it was happening, how a hallucination could feel so real, could hit this hard. But against the onslaught, he did not have the time to figure it out.

The image lashed out with Blackwhip, tying Izuku’s arms before kicking into his side. The ground battered his face as he rolled into it. He panted, channelling One For All into his body again, but found an unyielding weight pushing down on him.

“Admit it!” his doppelganger shouted, shoving his face into the dirt. “You have to give up on this. On living with her. All For One is right. You are too weak.”

Izuku shook under the strain. He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks as he tried to push back, to no avail. Real or imagined, the ghosts from his past were right. There would be no peace for him.

“No matter how far you run, your past will catch up to you eventually. She deserves better than that.”

“She deserves better than that,” Izuku echoed, losing control of his thoughts. The world was lost to his eyes. He could no longer tell where he began and ended.

“You must devote yourself to the world. You cannot afford to rest. You are more than human - you are a pillar.”

“I...I…”

Izuku felt the pressure push hard at the back of his neck again. “Admit it!”

“I need to...to...”

”There you are!”

Izuku’s eyes widened at Ochako’s voice. He managed to push back against his hallucinatory foe; in his mind’s eye, he shoved the figure off as he stood up. But the figure was not subdued, standing up with him.

“Ochako, run! I don’t know if I can control this!”

“It’s a Quirk, Deku. None of what you’re seeing is real. I’m sorry I wasn’t awake to explain. I’m not sure why it’s still happening to you. But it’s fine, it won’t last,” she reassured him gently, extending a hand out toward him. “You can relax."

“He can’t relax!”

The doppelganger extended Blackwhip out to wrap around her hand, tossing her toward the street. Ochako cried out in pain as she fell, Izuku shouting right with her.

But she immediately sprung back up, struggling against the binding but managing to break it.

“Izuku, you have to calm down!” she cried. Black whips lashed out again, but Ochako was ready this time, dodging with practiced skill. “What are you seeing?”

Izuku tried to punch at his shadow, but the figure kept dodging, far more agile than his exhausted self. All the while, the hallucination multi-tasked, keeping Ochako on the run with Blackwhip. Part of him knew the whips were coming from himself, but he found it impossible to control them.

“It’s me! The old me! I can’t stop him!”

“Leave, Uraraka. I don’t want to hurt you,” his shadow answered in kind. “This is for the best. It’s safer for everyone.”

“I thought you’d have realized by now!” she shouted between breaths as she ran while trying to get closer to him. “That I’ll always be there to save you!”

“You can’t save him from this. No matter how hard you try, something will always come between you. His calling is too great.”

More black whips emerged just as she got within arm’s reach, forming a wall between them. The whips grabbed onto her arms, pulling her to the ground, subduing her.

“I will save you!” she shouted defiantly, fighting against the whips hold. “Even if it’s from All For One. Even if it’s from yourself. Whatever comes, we can face it together. We will face it together.”

She pulled hard on the tendrils that entrapped her arms. Izuku could feel it as she used the connection to yank his shambling body closer to her.

“You’ll never know peace as long as you’re together.” The voice changed. He could hear All For One again. The terror echoed through his ears, in his mind, in his throat. “I’ll always be there, in the shadows. Watching. Waiting. Haunting him.”

“We’ll work through it together. We’ll win” The whips were loosening. She stood up, even as her arms shook under the strain, staring straight through him. “We will find peace, and we’ll enjoy however much we can. You deserve that, Izuku.”

“I…” Izuku gulped. Her approaching face started to overpower the others. He could not see the rest of the world. But he could see her.” I’m sorry. I can’t fight this. I’m not strong enough.”

“It’s okay. I’m here to lighten your load.” Ochako grabbed onto him, pulling him into an embrace. Her warmth overtook him. “Just close your eyes. Just be Izuku. You can trust me. You have to relax to end this.”

He saw her clearly. The bruises on her arms. The dirt and blood on her face, a bandage on her cheek dangling after the encounter. She was so beautiful - and he had marred her.

Izuku could feel his Quirk straining, but he pushed down on it. He would not lose control again. He had to be strong enough for that. For her.

Your lover. Your world. Someday, your children. I will rip it all away from you.

He trembled in her embrace, biting his lip painfully to keep himself from losing control. Just as she asked, he relaxed his muscles, focusing on the pulse in her neck.

“I can’t do this.” He whispered into the dark, closing his eyes. The voices faded. It was just them.

“Then we’ll do this. Together. Whatever comes next.”

She shone as bright as the sun against the snow. The horrors of the world seemed so distant when he was in her grasp.

But he knew they would come.

“You deserve better than this. You don’t have to stay. You can run away.”

Ochako did not say anything at first. But she held him closer, bringing her lips up to this ear.

“You’re what I want, Izuku.” He could hear the tears in her voice. “You chase my shadows away. And I’ll chase yours.”

Izuku sobbed into her, closing his arms around her.

The ghosts of the past might never loosen their hold on him. But he could live with that, as long as he could continue to embrace his future.

--------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note: Written for the IzuOcha Discord server writing contest. Prompt: Ghosts. Word Count Limit: 5,000

Loosely inspired by a great episode of another superhero show. I'm curious how many people know/remember it. ;)

I hope you enjoyed this Halloween-flavoured fic. I was eager to write something based on the latest manga chapters. It was enjoyable to explore how Deku's dark side might impact him in the future.

Please leave a like and a reblog if you liked it! ^_^

#my hero academia #manga spoilers #fanfiction #shipping #midoriya izuku #ochako uraraka #izuocha #manga #uraraka ochako #Romance #Horror #The prompt demanded angst and I gave them angst

[airquietworks]

Deltarune will not be Undertale, and that is okay

Like many of you, I am screaming and dancing with joy at the release date of Deltarune Chapter 2. The hype train is full-steam ahead and I don’t want to dissuade that. Deltarune is a fantastic game and getting the continuation is fantastic news. But as we hype ourselves up for two solid days until its release, and play it, I do think it is good to keep in mind: no matter what, Deltarune will not be what Undertale was. For many, Undertale is something special. Personally, it is my favourite game of all time. I could gush for hours about every aspect of it, but for me, the biggest thing was its meta-narrative. Its writing understood the potential of the medium of gaming in a way I had never experienced. It’s always going to hold a special place in my heart. It is difficult for any game, no matter how great, to meet that kind of expectation. Undertale has such an energetic fandom, for good or ill. It is a game that left a mark on the medium’s history. Deltarune did not meet Undertale for me, despite all the connections between the two, but it was a great game in its own right. The mechanics built on Undertale in so many positive ways. But as an incomplete story, just starting to get into its own metanarrative, it could not be what Undertale was. But Deltarune had no expectations when it launched. It came out of nowhere, and the public had no idea it was even being developed. We had no idea of the future of the game after we finished playing it, but all flipped out about its promise given the ending. It was a great game that stood on its own merits, but I think the way it was released saved it a lot of scorn. If we had known for years we were getting a “spiritual successor to Undertale,” or even “famed Undertale creator Tobyfox’s next game,” the fandom mindset may have been a lot different, and the expectations way higher. But now we have a different release style, with years of eagerly waiting and following the game’s development. The hype levels are at the max, and the internet will experience a deluge of Undertale/Deltarune related content. We all have a release time, and many of us will play it right away (thank you for a Friday night release, Tobyfox). With that comes a lot more expectations, especially given the ending of Chapter 1 is laden with Undertale references and threads. But we need to rein in those expectations. There is a strong chance the game will not impact you as Undertale did. It has different characters, a different story, and is telling a fundamentally different metanarrative. You are also not the same person you were when you played Undertale. How we are in a given moment can have a huge impact on our perception of the media we consume. Undertale may have helped you in a way that Deltarune will not have the same chance to I say all this because Deltarune deserves to be played, considered, and enjoyed on its own merits. I would hate to see the game get unfair hate or negativity because people do not consider it as good or as impactful as Undertale, or perhaps contradict some aspect of Undertale. Certainly, it invites comparisons to Undertale because of all of the links. It is not unfair to compare the two or speak to that in a review, given how much the style builds on Undertale. But it should not necessarily dominate such discussion. I’ve seen it play out time and time again as properties age and fandoms age. People become sour about a piece of media, even if it’s still fantastic because it wasn’t what it used to be. Because it changed. Rarely, with an acknowledgement that the person viewing it has changed too. I’ve seen unpleasant negativity spawn from this in fandom, and it’s not something I care for. Deltarune can still be a great game and experience even if it does not live up to what Undertale is in your mind. Remember that. Enjoy Deltarune, and do not set up a bar so high it can never hope to reach it.

#undertale #deltarune #deltarune chapter 2 #video games #don't get me wrong i am still insanely hype for this game #I may have danced around my room

[airquietworks]

Ochako is best. Best.

BEST!

I will not hear otherwise. 

THIS WEEKS CHAPTER OF “OCHAKO IS THE BEST CHARACTER IN THIS MANGA FIGHT ME” BY HORIKOSHI WAS A DOZY WASN’T IT?

let’s break down a few of the key moments in here briefly so i can curl up in a corner and cry about our girl alright?

Ochako standing up on the damn roof in the middle of a fucking rain storm to protect her boy, fuck yeah. She’s not getting off that perch or letting go of that megaphone until everyone is on the same page. She’s not leaving today without Deku coming back home.

A quick reminder of Ochako’s rather harrowing last encounter with Himiko, where she got a glimpse behind the monster to see the person hurting underneath all that blood. When she says she wants everyone to smile, she means it. Everyone.

Deku: *looking at Ochako in awe and disbelief at her kindness and crying*

me: dude, same!

Seriously though, if Iida grabbing his hand proved that these people, his friends, are capable of keeping pace with him in this final fight against the one true bad guy, then this…this unwavering display of loyalty and love (however you chose to interpret that love, that’s the only word for it) shows that not only are they willing, they are going to stand by his side no matter what, and no matter who stands in the way.

She’s been catching him as he fell for a while now, hasn’t she? The first person to show him any kind of unprompted kindness. The first person to go over to him and ask to be his friend. The first person to immediately and earnestly believe in his dream.

The first person to get to her feet and demand that he be brought back home, the first to step up to an angry mob and plead with all of her heart and soul that he be allowed to rest.

So, finally, after months of tireless fighting, Izuku Midoriya finally allows himself to fall to his knees and let go.

He now knows, without a shred of a doubt, that there are people, and one person in particular, who will rush to him to pick him back up again.

Worst.

SJ Heroine.

My.

Ass. 

#My Hero academia #ochako uraraka #manga #manga spoilers #spoilers #what is she best at? #yes

[airquietworks]

A Clash of Icebound Hearts (IzuOcha) (Oneshot)

Summary: “The version of him she needed had emerged again. Not a friend. Not a lover. A rival.” 

Ochako knows she is a long way from being a hero that could match Deku. But when she is unable to save him from a severe injury, she questions whether she is worthy of a place at his side. She must find a way to prove her strength, to both herself and to him. Even if that means risking their relationship.

Keep reading

#izuocha #my hero academia #my hero academia spoilers #manga spoilers #fanfiction #oneshot #izuku midoriya #ochako Uraraka #angst #shipping #self reblog #romance

[airquietworks]

A Clash of Icebound Hearts (IzuOcha) (Oneshot)

Summary: “The version of him she needed had emerged again. Not a friend. Not a lover. A rival.” 

Ochako knows she is a long way from being a hero that could match Deku. But when she is unable to save him from a severe injury, she questions whether she is worthy of a place at his side. She must find a way to prove her strength, to both herself and to him. Even if that means risking their relationship.

________________________________________

Uravity struggled to breathe as she pushed through the wind and snow, sheer terror seizing her desperately heaving lungs. 

Nonetheless, she ran with everything she had. The elements fought against her, the cold biting into her flesh and the twisting white obscuring her vision. She refused to let it slow her. A life was on the line - one far more precious to her than any other. 

The Paranormal Liberation Front’s attack on the city charged the air, filling it with shouts, screams and thundering explosions. People called out in need, far more than she could hope to rescue - though she had already helped plenty. She carried on as the crying battered her ears. She had to trust her friends would get the job done.

“He can’t...be...that far…” she muttered to herself between breaths. Civilians and heroes alike ran in the opposite direction, but she paid them no heed. 

The discordant sounds of combat were easy to follow. The crowds began to thin, as they ran away from the forces of nature at the heart of it all. 

Gritting her teeth, she pushed her legs even faster, forced to forgo weightlessness or else get bounced around in the wind. She turned a corner, barreling headfirst into the fray.

Uravity had little time to react to the scene before her. The major intersection was completely wrecked. Broken screens and windows dotted the buildings, the glass scattered onto the streets below. The ground had become uneven, broken into chunks as if crushed underneath the weight of titans. 

But none of that got her attention for long. Deku - the target of her rescue - floated in the air, twisting and turning away from sharp, deadly tendrils shooting out from Shigaraki. The villain to end all hung menacingly from on high, a devil laying waste to the land below. 

One hit could be her hero’s end - but she knew that would never cause him to flee. She could not see any of the other heroes who must have engaged, but she was not surprised he was the last one standing. Even if he was not supposed to be here at all.

The gravity hero leapt into the air, triggering her Quirk on herself, sending out ropes from her left gauntlet to anchor to a leaning lamp post. She floated closer to the encounter, readying herself to act quickly as necessary.  

Deku surged upward, intent on closing the gap between him and his foe. But he did not immediately react to three massive hunks of concrete hurtling toward him from different directions, drawn in by some unseen force. Uravity did not think - she pushed herself off the post, rocketing towards the fight. She sent more ropes out, desperate to reach him.

He managed to smash through two, but the third crashed into his left side before she could secure him. She cried out as the ropes coiled around his descending body and she quickly pulled them in. She barely managed to get him out as a surge of darkened tendrils penetrated the air where Deku had been mere moments ago.

Uravity triggered her Quirk on her charge as soon as she had him in her arms. Without a word, she whacked the nearly unconscious man in the back of the neck, sending him the rest of the way to sleep. This was a rescue mission - and he would bolt from her if he found the opportunity. She could not afford that.

In her next breath, she let herself plummet, barely dodging out of the way of another attack from the villains’ master. She tapped a button on her belt, sending out a distress beacon to her location. When she carefully hit the ground, she sprinted with everything she had, knowing two lives were on the line.

A burst of energy in the air signaled the arrival of back up - precisely who, she did not risk checking. Lungs burning, she pushed herself through the howling wind towards relative safety.

She squeezed Deku towards her, shifting his limp body to get him hanging on her back. Full of adrenaline, her pulse pounded in her ears. She kept her mind focused as much as she could on putting one foot in front of the other  - and not on the near-death experience they had barely escaped.

They had to live - and fight another day.

_________________________________________________

Ochako’s brows furrowed as she watched the steady rise and fall of Izuku’s chest. With nothing else in the hospital room to listen to but the sound of his breathing, it became monotonous. She used to find calm in hearing peaceful breath. Now, it acted as a reminder of how little things had changed. 

Once again, she found herself looking over the prone form of Izuku in a hospital bed. Bandages covered his skin, particularly around his left arm which had taken the brunt of the impact. He had suffered worse injuries, but it still did her heart no good seeing him like this, out cold for over a day now.

Same as it ever was. 

I could not be there in time to help him.

The thought rang around in her mind, over and over again. If she had arrived mere seconds sooner, he might have avoided any injury - and kept fighting. For all the effort she had put into training - specifically to save heroes - she was unable to save Izuku from getting hurt like this. Worse still, if she had even been one second later, there might not even be a body here for her to mope over. They were no strangers to brushes with death - but something about his life being in her hands made everything far more terrifying than it used to be.

It did not help that he leapt into the fray and bit off more than he could chew - again. It was not surprising, but as the danger of their lives increased, so too did her frustration with it. He had torn away from their class’s group - assigned to backline rescue as third-year students - without a second thought. She could never fully understand his reckless zeal, as much as she admired it.

Deku is a hero who would always charge in, alone if need be, to save people. Even if it meant leaving those who could not keep up with him behind.

Even if it meant leaving her behind. 

Ochako groaned, putting a hand over her beating heart. She shook her head to drag her thoughts out of a spiral. She refused to be ruled by her haywire emotions - a difficult war, which added to her frustration.

Things had changed. They were together now. Despite her better judgement, she had let herself fall into that heavenly tempest when he had invited her in. Awkward dates, relaxed companionship, their first shy kisses - it was magic. Her unchained heart breathed a new sense of life and bliss into her.

Now, that heart hammered around inside, violently lashing out over his safety - and her failure. 

I could not be there in time to help him. 

She balled her fists into her jeans. If he only would just stay still and do what he was supposed to, for once. If he did not rush headlong into wherever the fire burnt the hardest. If he would do the rational thing. If he would not run off, turning her back on her, every single time, leaving her to chase after his shadow.

But he would not be him then. The greatest hero on Earth. Her mind warred against her heart over how much she could reasonably fault him for it.

The seconds ticked on. Despite all her effort, nothing had changed. 

I’m not good enough to help him. 

Then she would have to find a way to get good enough.  

The sound of movement broke the uneasy peace in the room. Ochako gasped as Izuku began to stir, his eyes finally opening. His gaze moved slowly, surveying his condition; he visibly relaxed after a moment, a hospital bed all too familiar to him. 

“Good to see you awake, Deku.” She scooched her chair closer. He gave her a gentle smile, one she could not find it in her to return.

“You saved me,” he said. “Thank you for that. And every other time. I owe you so much.”

“Don’t mention it,” she replied quickly. The line made her squirm in her chair. She appreciated it, but the sentiment strangely hurt. It felt wrong with him injured like this - because of both their mistakes.

But as the smile ran away from his face, guilt coursed through her. She should push her feelings aside here; he had just woken up, after all. She reached out to grasp his loose left hand, squeezing it carefully to avoid triggering her Quirk. He responded in kind, but his weak grip did not return a sense of comfort.

“What happened?”

She let out a sigh, dreading the question. She disentangled herself from his hand, leaning back into her chair. 

Ochako did her best to recount the day’s events - her rescue effort, the professional backup arriving to re-engage with a worn-down Shigaraki and the villains fleeing when the battle started to turn, content with the damage done. Low casualties, but plenty of destruction and injuries. The world sinking deeper into a pit of fear, hero society alive but getting ever closer to the brink.

His demeanor shifted as the story went on. His eyes became downcast, his fingers tensing into his bedsheets. He turned his head away from her, staring out into the snowy landscape outside. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I couldn’t stop him. I was not strong enough. But I will be next time.”

Her heart sank into her stomach, even though she completely expected that response. He would always be eager to leap back into the fight right away, even as he had just barely begun to recover from his injuries  

When the time came, he would do it alone. Whatever the reason, he would not likely ask for help in this battle. Help usually to be thrust onto him - but she could not consistently offer it when it counted.

This was a battle between two nigh-unstoppable beings. She lacked the strength to earn a “we” from him. He would leave her behind, again.

The thought tasted so bitter on her tongue. “How are you going to do that, Deku?” His head swung back toward her, his eyebrows quirked above his head. “Come again?” “How are you going to survive against him?” She clenched her fists. They vibrated intensely, as she imagined his prone form hanging in the air, without her close enough to save him. “Ochako, are you okay?” She blinked and cursed herself when realized a couple of stray tears had escaped her attempts to shackle them. “I’m fine.” He stretched a hand out but could not hope to reach her. “You’re-” “What are you going to do from here?” The boy withdrew his hand as if she had struck him. It pained her to see it - but she ignored that pain within the storm of her other emotions. “There may not be anyone else who can stop him now.” His fierce green eyes answered her impassioned stare.  “It’s going to be hard. I know my life will be on the line. But I’ll do whatever I have to.” It was the only answer he would ever give. She would never factor into that equation. In this, Uravity could never be his partner. She could never be his equal. She rubbed at her eyes as a few more tears escaped. She had to get a hold of herself. She could not afford to waste time. Ochako took a deep, steadying breath and rose. She had work to do. “I know you will. Because you’re you.” She grabbed a coat hanging around the back of her chair, turning her back on him. “I promised myself I’d always be there to save you. But you’re making that difficult. I guess I’ll have to push myself harder, too.” She headed towards the exit. There were many long days of training ahead of her if she wanted to make herself stronger. The bed creaked behind her - far too much for how much he should be moving. “Ochako, wait, please!” She stopped in place but did not turn around. “I can’t wait.” She took another step. “I know the person I’m chasing won’t wait for me.” The threshold was upon her. She paused one more time, glancing backwards. His hands shook, while his eyes stretched wide open. The pained expression seared itself into her mind. She hated herself for putting that there. “Rest up. Don’t push yourself too hard.” She ripped her glance away from him. She had to escape. “I know you can do it.” For the first time since they had met, she was the one leaving him behind. ______________________________________________ 

The rising sun offered little warmth against the chill of the morning. Ochako kept herself suspended in midair. She stretched, moving through a variety of attacking forms, testing both her strength and endurance. On another day, the glorious orange hues of the early morning, reflecting off the untouched snow below, might have inspired awe in her. But floating 50 feet above the ground - right over the roof of her student dorm - she could not spare the loss of focus for even a second. Her gut churned. She punched. The bile kept bubbling in her throat. She kicked. She refused to be felled by her queasiness. Her life revolved around this now. She pushed her body to the brink each day, from dawn to dusk, training. She had never been a slouch, but she had a better understanding now of how much further she had to go to achieve her goals. The rays of the sun above could not reach her, nor could the chill flowing across her skin. She would deal with worse soon. This was nothing. The loud beeping of her phone from the rooftop signaled the end of her drill. She carefully descended towards it, turning her Quirk on-and-off to guide her descent and practice her fine-control skills. With exactly 15 minutes to get to her first class, she grabbed her bag and leapt right off the roof, bounding towards the main school building. It had taken some thought to develop the system, but it had worked perfectly so far. She rose before anyone else in her dorm to get hard training in. She avoided the morning rush in the common rooms, taking a direct and solitary route to the classroom. The best way to start the day without any hassle. Her feet touched the ground in front of the school, and she took off in a sprint towards her class. The timing was always a little tight - she needed to ensure she made it with time to spare, but as little of it as possible. That would leave the smallest amount of opportunity for any chatter or distractions. But her spirits inevitably came crashing down as she found herself at the Class 3-A door. The wood imposed more than it had ever before, looming large over her head. With a tired sigh, she kept her head down and opened the doorway. She felt the eyes of her classmates drawn to her. It was not unusual for entrants to garner attention, but the intensity of their stares penetrated far deeper into her than they normally would. 

Ochako carefully stepped forward. She lifted her head just enough, putting on a small smile. She had to keep up appearances. She repeated a mantra in her head - I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine - as she headed toward her desk near the back. She kept her eyes forward, pointedly avoiding eye contact with anyone.  

Despite her best efforts, she felt Izuku’s gaze on her, a flash of green in her peripheral vision. Her heart beat faster - threatening to break through the chains she had surrounded it with again - as she neared the front row of desks where he sat, waiting for her, every day. For a week now, she had done everything in her power to avoid him. To avoid addressing these feelings burning at her core, that none of her training completely shook off. To prevent a confrontation with him about her anger, her misery, her love. To instead focus on working for the greater good of the world - and him. To push past any of the distractions that might prevent her from getting as strong as she needed to be. “Hey, Ochako, how is it-” “Hello, Midoriya. Fine.” The cold reception did the trick to freeze him in place, allowing her to pass him by. The icy walls between them had to stay up, for now. She could not know what might happen if she let them fall, with her heart and mind at war with each other. Soon. She would deal with it soon. She just needed a bit more time. Her heart refused to end things with him completely, not when it had tasted the sweet nectar of romantic bliss. She just had to find a way to rebalance things - when she could get a better hold of her heart again. Ochako reached her desk and busied herself with getting ready for class. She felt the stares of her friends on her. But with perfect timing - she had ensured it - Aizawa came into the room and got the attention off her. She scribbled furiously in her notebook as her instructor droned on. She let her mind fall into the day's lessons on heroics, a headspace she felt safe in. But despite her best efforts, her eyes wandered toward the messy green hair of the man she loved. She could not see his face, but his hand moved at a rapid pace, dutiful as ever in his studies. She frowned and followed suit. Soon. She would figure things out soon.  Just as soon as she was good enough to walk by his side again.  _____________________________________________ The cool water was mercy as she chugged it down her throat. Ochako drank eagerly, her sweat-stained body demanding nourishment. She felt aches all over after a difficult sparring session, but she got a strange enjoyment out of them. They were proof of her ability to push herself, something she would continue to do. By her side, she heard her Izuku drinking along with her, his hurried breath matching hers. “You’re...getting a lot harder… to pin,” Ochako said. The extra aches were a testament to that. His technical fighting skills had improved so much in the span of the mere weeks since they began training together.  

He smiled gently at her. “That was a heck of a move, though. Where did you learn it?”

“Something I’ve been working on my own.” She stretched her arms upward, unable to contain the pride in her voice. “Got to keep things fresh if I’m going to keep up with you, right?” “I could say the same to you.” He glanced back toward the training ring, a small corner in the U.A. gym complex for hand-to-hand, generally Quirkless, sparring. 

It was a place they liked to frequent - and a place where Ochako reigned supreme, thanks to her Gunhead Martial Arts knowledge. Nobody in their class had been able to take her on successfully without a Quirk. “You’re getting loads better though! You had me on the ropes.” “Still got a long way to go. But thank you again - senpai.” Ochako felt heat pool into her cheeks at the title. She cringed, leaping up off her seat. ”I told you not to call me that! Gosh, that still sounds so weird.” She shook her head, trying to shake it off her. “You’ve taught me way more than I’ve taught you!

“I beg to differ. You’ve helped me so much, Ochako.”

 He stood up and held a hand out to her. She gladly took it, as they walked together toward the exit. Their sweat mingled between their grasps, but the sensation was not unpleasant. It felt right, somehow.  

“You’ve helped me way more, Deku.” 

“Agree to disagree.”

“We can settle it in the ring next time!”

“Well, that hardly seems fair.”

They laughed together, lifting each other’s spirits. A precious moment of peace in a time of darkness. 

On impulse, she grabbed onto him and reached up, planting a kiss on his freckled cheek. A thrill surged through her as he blushed and huffed, the hue far too adorable on his boyish face.   He affixed her with a questioning look. He opened and closed his mouth, unable to find the words. Her kisses tended to do that to him, to her endless delight. “Wha…?” “Payback for earlier,” she said. “Had to embarrass you too.” Izuku blinked at that, before rejoining her in mirth.  Being with him was a respite - one she was glad to no longer deny herself. Walking side-by-side, she knew that they would be all right. _____________________________________________

Ochako groaned as her phone’s alarm clock blared at a far-too-early hour. Nonetheless, she grabbed onto it with her oversized sleeping mitten, turning it off and forcing herself to get out of the bed. The remnants of the dream - an echo of far more pleasant days - added to her sour mood as she got herself changed. She did not want to think about him and her together, but her sleeping mind often forced that on her. It added to the misery of it all, but she would not let it break her concentration or impede her daily training.  

She grimaced as she peeked out of her window. The wind blew the flakes of snow in a vicious spin. Not a promising start to the day. The weekend had arrived, which meant her scheduled run that would eat up a lot of the morning. Even with the weather against her, she would not be dissuaded. She would endure whatever the world threw at her and push through anyway. That was what it meant to be a hero, after all. She dressed into her athletic gear and exited the back door of the dorm building. The unrelenting white greeted her with a cold embrace that sent goosebumps across her exposed face. The wind attacked her, making it difficult to see far. Gritting her teeth, she stepped onto the snow-laden path, stretching a bit before starting up a jog, warming her body up as best she could. The difficulty made itself immediately apparent. The slippery ground required extra force in her steps to avoid falling. Even if she knew the path like the back of her hand, it was difficult carrying on. But she would do it. For him. For her. For the future. “Hey, Ochako! Could I join you for this one?” Izuku’s voice sent a jolt down her spine. She swung her head behind her; there he was, a short distance away with an eager grin, wearing the same athletics uniform. The air howled again, pushing against her. She frowned at him and kept running. This was not the time to entertain thoughts of rekindling their stalled relationship. She had training to do. She had to focus on that. This was a test; her will against her aching heart. But Izuku could not be so easily shaken off. He sped up to her, nearly getting to her side on the path. The wind and snow continued to beat down on them, ripping through the space between. “Look, I was hoping we could talk after this!” Izuku shouted, voice penetrating through the wind. “I want to give a proper apology. And I want...I want to talk about us. I’ll accept whatever you have to say. But I just want to sort things out.” It hurt her ears for his voice to ring so desperately. To hear the pain she had caused. A part of her roared in anguish, demanding she relent. She bit her lip and pushed down those feelings. She was not ready for this. She could not do this right now. Ochako angled her head to the side, hoping her words could carry loudly enough. Her breathing came hard now, but she kept up her pace, determined to keep ahead of him. 

“I don’t really want to talk right now!” With that, she kicked into another gear. Izuku had kept a respectable distance in recent days, able to take a hint. But this time, he refused to relent. He matched her increased speed, using a bend to close the distance. It was a race now. Her, Izuku and the raging winter between them. She had to keep ahead or risk her resolve crumbling. If she had to outpace him to achieve that, she would.   “You keep running!” Izuku shouted again, voice breaking through the crisp air. “But we have to deal with this at some point!” “This is a bad time!” She raised her voice, not disguising her ire as she began to sprint. She hoped he would not trigger his Quirk for this, but he hardly needed to, his natural physique allowing him to keep closing the distance. She drew into the fire burning within her - the passionate determination she had to improve. She fueled herself with it, pushing to her limit. She could not even feel the cold anymore. “Ochako, please!” She refused to heed him. “This is what I have to do!”

“Just tell me what you want from me, and I’ll do it!” His footsteps became more rapid as she tried to widen their gap, staying a few strides ahead of him.

“I know you can’t do it, so I have to do this!” She did not look back. She could not afford to. 

“What are you talking-”

He let out a wordless yelp, followed by a loud thud. She slowed her run until she could stop to turn. His face sunk into the ground, their race upending him. 

“Deku!” She ran over to him, his wellbeing taking precedence over maintaining their separation. She kneeled and put a hand on his shoulder, readying herself to carry him if need be.

“I’m alright,” he said as he sat up, shaking the snow from his hair. His face had a small gash, but nothing too concerning. Still, he winced as he stretched. She knew if he did have a more serious ailment, he would ignore it.

“You should go inside and get it looked at, just in case,” she chided as she grabbed onto his hand. He grasped onto it, the calloused appendage slipping into hers. Rough, but still pleasant to touch. “I’ll go in a bit. Thanks, Ochako.” For a brief shining moment, they stood together, their hands intertwined. It was natural. Warm. Right. They forgot their divide, as their care for one another overpowered it. But it vanished as quickly as it came. Izuku tried to hold on, but Ochako forced a break in the physical connection. She retreated into herself. “Izuku, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But I... I just can’t, right now.” “Then when? I just want to fix this. Please. Don’t keep shutting me out.” “It’s not...it’s not something I want to do.” She shifted on her feet, turning her back towards him. She could not bear to face him right now. “But I’m still hurt. And I’m still figuring stuff out. I’m just not sure about where we go from here.” “Not sure…” he repeated, voice sinking. She took a couple of steps, intent on sprinting away. But her heart rebelled, keeping her in place. She grimaced and clutched at her chest, trying to retain some semblance of control. She could not do this. She could not fall into his arms. She had to be strong.

“Ochako, we should really talk about this more.” There was a harsh edge in the words. A bitterness she could not stand. “I don’t understand. And I can’t understand unless we-”

She cut him off before he reeled her in.

“We will. Eventually. I just...need more time. I think some time is good for both of us right now.” 

With that, she ran away, keeping her eyes glued to the landscape. This time, he did not chase after her.

The wind roared, and the snow kept bombarding her. She eagerly plunged into it, focusing on the awful sensation it left atop her skin, relishing in the bitter cold. 

________________________________________________________

No matter how she tried, she could not capture sleep. 

Ochako tossed and turned in bed, haunted by her encounter with Izuku from that morning. In wakefulness, she drove herself to the point of distraction. But it was harder to escape him between the realms of sleep and waking, his face plaguing her, muddying her mind. With a groan, she pushed herself upright. She stared out into the dark room. Memories of the time they spent together here began to surface in her mind, making the space foreboding. She quickly forced herself out of bed, hurriedly getting herself dressed. If respite was unreachable, she would just train until she could. Natural sleep eluded her; she would work herself until she could force it to take hold. She grabbed her workout bag and left the room, tiptoeing through the dorms, mindful not to stir her classmates. The nighttime halls were tricky to navigate, but she had enough late escapes over the years to maneuver by memory. The chill outside brushed her skin intensely, with snow falling gently over the fields. Ochako acted quickly as the cold sunk its teeth into her again. She raced towards her destination, wanting to find even a modicum of warmth. The scenery had its appeal - with the snow glistening under the lights of the school - but the chill made it difficult to find any joy in the sight. The U.A. gym facility loomed large as she arrived. She fumbled through her pockets to pull out a keycard, a perk of being a third year in the hero course. In these harsh times, the school would not deny them the training space, regardless of the hour. 

To Ochako’s surprise, light flooded the facility, indicating she was not as alone as she expected to be at this late hour. She glanced over the rows upon rows of equipment as she entered to find her late-night compatriot.

The head of green hair - underneath a shifting, massive dumbbell - shocked her into stillness. 

There Deku was, glistening with sweat as he pumped the bar up and down quickly, assuredly without his quirk. She dared to approach - if he had noticed her, he did not bother indicating as such. His arms moved deftly, the heavy weight doing little to impede his well-muscled limbs.

Evidently, restlessness had taken hold of him, as well.

Ochako opted against disturbing him. She had to work herself to sleep - nothing more. If he kept his distance - allowed her to maintain the icebound spell between them - she could carry on fine. She got herself into a weight machine well away from him and got to work. 

Izuku eventually paused his own ministrations, setting his bar back against the rack, breathing deeply. He looked up at her, maintaining a stoic aura. He did nothing to outwardly acknowledge her presence, but she knew he was too observant to miss it. Still, that suited her just fine. 

The two continued their workouts without a word. Calming tranquility took hold of the space. Not enough to bridge their divide, but enough for a ceasefire in their cold war. 

The space filled with the sounds of their breathing and the metallic slams of whatever weight system they tackled. Their paces stayed out-of-sync, but they both worked toward their respective goals in peace.  

But before Ochako became completely cognizant of it, they both pushed themselves more than needed to. They went beyond their original aims of finding rest. 

Izuku ran quickly on the treadmill, breathing deeply. He attacked an exercise machine next, adding enough weight to reach what she knew was close to his Quirkless maximum before attacking the device in earnest.

For her part, Ochako added a few extra discs when he took to the bench press, pushing against her own limits. Like Izuku, she refused to use her Quirk to make things easier on herself. 

The tension in the room escalated with their intensity. What began as a sleepless night soon became another unspoken contest. In this space, they had always pushed one another, driving each other to go beyond. Tonight, it would be no different. 

But silence had replaced relentless encouragement. Their warm love was replaced by an icy unease. Friendliness had left their competition. Even as the allure of sleep began to gnaw at the corners of her mind, she did not heed it. The prospect of leaving before Izuku did - proving herself unable to keep up with him - had become unfathomable.

Their bodies could not keep up the pace forever. With synchronicity, they each took a water break, grabbing a drink from fountains on opposite sides of the facility. Merely a few seconds apart, they both sat down on a weight bench, suddenly face-to-face at some distance.

Ochako pointedly acted aloof, looking away from him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him doing the same, idly scanning his shoes.

They were a completely hopeless pair. 

Ochako could not stop the small chuckle and smirk that came from the thought. It proved infectious, as Izuku let out his own peal of laughter across from her. 

They dared to look at one another, finally acknowledging each other. Her hero’s eyes had a fierceness, but also a spark she had come to love. They spoke of challenge and unyielding determination. She did her best to meet it head-on. To stand up to his expectations.

With the slightest incline of her head, she motioned towards her left. The direction of the sparring ring. A silent challenge. An opportunity to test her mettle. To quickly end the contest the night had brought.

He nodded in reply. 

The two walked wordlessly in unison towards the ring. They both loved the place, the home of their many bouts. But as Ochako entered and squared up in her usual position against her far superior foe, the energy was different. It mattered in a way it had not before. She knew when push came to shove, he always pushed back harder.  

The two of them paused, eyeing one another. Izuku stood powerfully, the fire still roaring in his eyes. In these moments, she found him to be at his most enthralling. When he looked ready to tear through any wall in front of him. 

Tension-filled sweat gathered along her forehead. She took a steadying breath as the seconds eked on. The tempting flames that had lured them in burned between them. A part of her saw the ridiculousness of this. But she realized this is exactly what she needed - a chance to fight him. To prove herself a worthy adversary - and a worthy companion. 

A test she needed to pass. 

“Don’t hold back, Deku!” 

He nodded. “Same to you.”

“Of course!”

Deku opted to make the first move, as he often did. He launched himself into head-on assault, leading with an overwhelming burst of speed and strength.  

But Uravity was ready, predicting such a tactic. She easily blocked his flurry of punches and sidestepped the few knees he attempted to send her. She nearly grabbed hold of him to enter a grapple. but he dodged out of the way, using his agility to gain a bit of distance.

She did not relent. The moment he disengaged, she got right on top of him again, grabbing onto both of his arms. He struggled as she brought him in close and slammed his body into the ground, quickly gaining the upper hand. Even as he directed a few elbows into her core, she pushed on. Try as he might, she still had better technical hand-to-hand skills. 

Uravity twisted his body, pinning him with her weight, a hand to the back of his neck.

She had won. But the hollow victory failed to satisfy her.

Where was the action to match his intense gaze? Where was the tactical genius she had seen overcome much greater odds than this? Where was Deku, the unstoppable force? This had been far too easy - like any run-of-the-mill sparring session. 

It was not good enough. She could not be sure she was good enough with this. 

“That can’t be all you got.” She released him, standing up and stepping away. “You’re holding back on me.” 

Deku scrambled to stand back up. He grimaced, frowning at her, his eyes pleading. They no longer had the same intensity. That would not do. She bore her own gaze into him, challenging him, demanding his fire match her own. 

“Ochako,” he began slowly, looking away, unable to match her intensity. “I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

“Not now,” she replied, stomping a foot down onto the mat. “I appreciate the sentiment, but we can talk later. Let’s finish this first.”

Deku huffed, but relented, getting into a ready stance. He balled his fists, his hands starting to shake. The fire returned to his eyes. The version of him she needed had emerged again. Not a friend. Not a lover. A rival. 

“You ready?”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Yes.” 

She made the first strike this time. Defense was not his strongest suit, but he pressed as hard as he could to block her onslaught. He leaned into her efforts to grapple him, challenging her on her terms, desperate to find a way through. They found their hands intertwined, pushing against one another, each struggling to find an advantage. 

For a brief moment, they stood face-to-face. Ochako looked into his eyes more closely than she had in weeks. She saw his fury, but there was more than that there. Wetness surrounded his eyes, his emotions pouring out from them. 

“I hate this,” he whispered. “I hate fighting you like this.”

She groaned and shoved harder at him, but he remained unmoving. 

“It’s not about whether it’s enjoyable,” she said, unable to contain the venom in her words. “It’s about doing what you have to do to save people. That’s how I see this. This is what I must do. That’s what it means to be a hero, isn’t it?”

“But we don’t have to do this!” 

Izuku suddenly released the grapple, ducking under her oncoming hands. In the second she tipped off-balance, he tackled her core, driving her onto the ground.

“I don’t want to fight you! I just want to be with you!” He shouted it out as he struggled to find a pin against her. Despite his best efforts, she shoved him off, forcing him to hop back onto his feet.

“What are you-”

“But you won’t let me in, the same you always used to do! I hate it!” 

He sprung at her as she stood back up, launching a series of punches toward her midsection. She managed to block most of them, but her reactions were not quick enough, and a couple of them struck true.

She shook as she found herself unable to contain his attack - or his words. “I just need time!”

“I can’t wait forever!” Another punch landed on her shoulder. She flinched as it seared in pain.

With a quick sweep of his feet, she fell backwards. As he brought her down to earth, he caught her arms, using his sudden leverage to twist her around. The two tumbled down together, him on top of her - and her arms caught behind her back.

Deku had won.

But for their racing breaths, the facility was quiet again. His words hung in the air, storming above them. 

“I just…” he gulped. “Just tell me already. Tell me how you really feel about me. Don’t leave me on the edge.”

Deku left her there. She kept her face to the mat as he exited the ring. Uravity could not describe the emotion that coursed through as she lay there and pondered his words.

After all the effort she mustered to protect him from the extent of her feelings - he wanted to break through, right now? All the time she spent carefully containing them, locking them up to focus - all for his sake. All to save his life when his ridiculous, awesome, incredible, stupid zeal put him in harm’s way.

She just needed time. Space. A way to figure out how to do this. A way to prove to them both that she could keep up with him. 

Yet here he was, demanding she break it all down for him. Let out the torrent, the anguish, the guilt, the envy. 

Screw it.

If that is what he wanted, she would give it to him - and bury him under it. He would see her feelings. She would hide nothing - and get the battle she needed.

Without fanfare, she stood up, took a breath, and followed him out of the ring. 

Uravity took a moment to regard him as he stood, still watching her. He looked completely worn out, his hair disheveled and his eyes red. More tears threatened to spill out of them. But there something resembling pity hid in that stare - which she would not stand.  

Her vision got hazy as she stomped toward him, drawing into the bubbling fury within her. Deku meant everything to her - and that includes her envy, her fear and her insecurities. She could draw from that, just as much as she could draw on her love. 

This was what she needed. She had to believe that.

“You want to know how I feel? Would you really understand?”

Uravity did not let him reply as she surged forward, slapping his face. She stretched her fingers out, tapping him with her Quirk and sending him hurtling towards the entranceway. Without missing a beat, she caught up to his floating form, grabbing onto his arm and roughly pulling him outside.

“Ochako! What are you doing?!” He fumbled in her iron grip, twisting and turning but unable to escape.

She pulled them out into the white abyss. The wind howled around her ears, the snow blowing roughly. The cold hit her again, but she hardly felt it. 

Uravity threw him roughly towards the ground, releasing her Quirk. He sprung up as soon as she released him from the hold, instinctively putting his hands in front of him, expecting another assault.

The exact reaction she wanted.

“Fight me, Deku. No holding back. No holds barred. With your Quirk. Come at me with everything you got.” She got herself into a ready position, her hands going in front of her, keeping her gaze focused on him. If she wanted to stand any chance, she had to predict exactly where he would be in advance.

“Ochako, what the heck are you doing?!”

“This is what you asked for!” She stomped her foot into the ground. “You want to know how I feel? Well, here it is Deku! I feel like I need to fight you!”

The situation was absurd. Wild. A madness. But the churning in her belly demanded she followed through. She let her impulse take control. She could test her power this way. 

He flinched under her verbal onslaught. “That’s...you…”

“I need to prove myself!” She refused to stop, even as his face crumbled.  “I need to prove that I’m strong enough to stand by your side! So, let’s do it! Let’s fight for real!”

“Ochako, that’s not true. You don’t need to prove-”

“Do not lie to me Deku!”

The denial died on his tongue. He looked at her, hands shaking. He shivered, whether due to the chill or something else.

“Bakugo. Todoroki. I need you to fight me like you fought them.” She let her hands drop to her sides. She looked across his exposed arms, marred with the scars of past battles.  

“Ochako, that’s not really...this is a different situation-” 

“I need to know if I can fight you like they can.” She closed her eyes. The memories of all the times he had run off without her played in her mind - all the times she could not hope to chase him. “I see now. This might be the only way. The only way you will really trust me to stand with you.” 

She got back into a ready position. 

“I don’t need to prove myself? Then treat me like I’m someone worth giving your all to.”

Deku’s eyes widened. His body still shook. She watched another tear leak down his face, trailing down his freckled cheek into the ice below. She was sure she had let out a few of her own. It did not matter.

Her idol closed his eyes. Her rival opened them, filling those green irises with the burning intensity she needed. 

Deku nodded and moved his hands in front of him.

“First to give up or be pinned. Hold nothing back. For real this time.”

“I won’t,” Deku replied. “I do respect you, Uravity.”

“Good. Prove it. Come at-”

She had to duck from his oncoming blow. The wind swept around her hair, blowing with an intensity that nearly knocked her off her feet.

She twisted around quickly. Deku had flown 10 feet behind her, his arm outstretched. The superpowered charge carried him quite a distance, so fast that she could barely track it. Still, it thrilled her that she dodged him at his top speed, even if only once.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that!”

Deku turned back towards her, readying himself to burst forward again. His mouth formed a hard line, his eyes imploring her.

“Uravity, I don’t know if this means anything to you right now. But I’ve always felt you were one of the best.” 

He leapt out of her sight again. She did not react immediately, predicting he would take his time for his second attack. She could not see him well - his speed made him a blur and the snow made that even worse - but she heard him in the air. She just had to be patient.

“That hardly matters when I am comparing myself against the best.” 

She shifted the side as he directed a punch towards her stomach. In the split second of his vulnerability, she grabbed hold of his outstretched arm. She delighted in his little gasp of surprise as she triggered her Quirk. She twisted him overhead, slamming him towards the ground and releasing him with all his weight back. 

The green hero crashed hard, gasping at the impact. Before she could go for the pin, he had already started moving, rolling with the blow and returning to his flyby pattern. 

It was a start - but not good enough to keep him down.

“Look how strong you are!” He cried out from the darkness, keeping out of her vision. “You’re reading my moves like a pro, even at these speeds. You’re incredible, Uravity! You are worthy!”

“Not yet I’m not!”

A blast of air buffeted her - courtesy of a finger snap from him - far more difficult to track than his physical form. She barely stood her ground, digging her heels into the snow to keep herself from flying away. She had more preparation for the second burst of air, though she had to fall to her knees to keep herself in place.

But it left her vulnerable to his black whip. The tendrils wrapped around her arms, shoving her, making her topple over face-first into the ground. Breathing hard, she forced her body to roll forward, pulling hard and breaking the whips even as her body protested hard against the maneuver. But it stopped the fight from ending, as Deku pounced on the spot she was in a split second ago. 

Uravity rolled back onto her feet by the time he was ready to attack again. He stood still for just a moment before squatting down to leap away again. 

But this time, she did not allow him to. She pushed herself to her knees and triggered her Quirk, blasting upwards with all the strength she had built over the years. She could not hope to match his speed, but she had just enough quickness to grab onto his foot as he leapt, activating her Quirk again and ruining his trajectory. 

His forward momentum carried them both skyward, but Uravity did not stop there, yanking him back down. She could not see his face as she went into a power move - mustering all her strength to whirl him around mid-air, using his momentum against him in a disorienting spin.

“If I am really worthy…” she grit her teeth as she spun, pushing down the bile rising in her throat. “Then why don’t you act like I am?! Why do you always leave me behind?!”

She released him and deactivated her quirk, his weight and momentum hurting him towards the ground. She caught a glimpse of his expression, his eyes wide open in shock.  But the spin did not manage to disorient him enough. He cancelled the plunge with his own float powers, quickly countering his descent by flicking his fingers toward the ground, sending out an airblast.

“I’m sorry, Uravity! It just...it happens!” he cried out.

“Then I need to make sure I’m strong enough to keep up!”

She released her Quirk, letting herself fall to the Earth. She oriented herself to rocket towards him, intent on driving him into the dirt with her own two hands if she had to.

Deku twisted himself in the air to meet her. Rather than avoid the collision, he went on the offensive. As they clashed, he drove a fist into her gut. Uravity gasped as the blow knocked the breath out of her, pain surging in her stomach. 

But the bulk of her desperate move still landed, and she drove both of them into the Earth. Deku took the brunt of the blow, bouncing with the hard impact. Their bodies tumbled together, rolling into the snow. The substance got trapped underneath her clothing, melting into her bare skin underneath and sending shivers through her. Fresh scrapes and bruises throbbed; she did her best to ignore them. 

Uravity disentangled herself from him as quickly as possible, scrambling to stand back up. She could not get to her feet before puking, the blow to her stomach landing hard enough to force it. 

She wiped her mouth quickly and surged to her feet. breathing hard to control her queasiness. The world spun, but she got her fists in front of her, ready to deflect his next attack. 

Her foe did not strike immediately. He rose to his feet, breathing as deeply as she did. The snow falling overhead had subsided, but the wind still raged. White covered his green hair, while melted traces of ice fell across his skin. Fresh scrapes and forming bruises dotted his skin as well. The illusion of a mighty rival had vanished; he just looked terrible. A strange mixture of horror and satisfaction ran through her, knowing she made him that way.

“Don’t you see yet, Uravity?” His words were strained, interrupted by a heaving breath. “You’re already strong enough to stand by me.”

Uravity shook her head. She would not let his honeyed words deceive her anymore.

“I’m nearly at the end of my rope here, Deku.” She looked down at her right hand, seeing the bloody cuts marring it, the flow slowed by the night’s chill. “You’re the strongest hero in the world. You and I both know who has more endurance here. I have to do a lot better.” 

Deku groaned, putting a hand to his face and shaking his head. 

“I can barely stand.” He let out an awkward chuckle, filled with bitterness instead of mirth. “It’s funny. I am so far away from being what you think of me. Yet here you are thinking you’re unworthy.”

“You’re not,” she said flatly, taking a step forward. “You’re the most incredible hero I’ve ever met and I’m...I’m just Ochako. The gravity girl, not powerful enough to be there when it really matters.”

“You’re wrong!” 

The furious denial made her jump slightly, his voice escalating quickly. She gasped at the passion in his eyes, bearing into her, burning everything else away.

“You’re one of the most spectacular, strong, and powerful heroes I’ve ever met!” he shouted, his hands flying with every word. “You’re the best person I know!” he put his hand over his heart, curling his fingers there. “And I would never have gotten this far if not for you! I would be dead ten times over!”

She brought her hands to her ears. She felt the words burrowing into her, abating the angry pulse of her heart. She loved him so much.  But she could not leave this place without finishing this. Without knowing who would win.

She met his stare head-on, hard as he was to look at. “I’m not good enough for that to be true!” 

“Yes, you are! You are the one who is far too good for me!”

Uravity blinked, legitimately caught off guard by the preposterousness of the statement.

“What? You’re the most amazing person I know. How could you think that?”

“Because you’ve been ignoring me for weeks! Because you’re you and I’m just me! Because you are the most wonderful person in the-”

”I still want to be with you!” she shouted back. “Now stop complimenting me already and hit me!”

No longer willing to let their absurd, distracting conversation continue, she charged him with all the strength she could still muster. 

To her frustration, Deku merely dodged, ducking out of her attacks far too easily. She felt her speed slowing, even as she tried to draw upon whatever adrenaline she had left in her system.

“I don’t want to hit you anymore! I don’t want to fight you!” He cried out as he blocked her punches. He dodged backwards as she attempted to sweep his feet. His agility just made her more frustrated.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” She felt her whole body quivering from a mixture of the biting cold and the fire burning at her inside. “This is what I have to do.”

She let her mind conjure up that haunting vision again. Deku, hanging in the air. A tendril puncturing him, spilling his blood out onto the concrete below. Her, reaching out, not fast enough to save him this time.

With a breath, she demanded her body keep pushing. To go beyond.

“I love you too much to not do this!”

She sank herself to the ground and launched herself with her Quirk again, hurtling toward him in a self-destructive attack. Deku did not leap away in time and she managed to wrap her arms around his hips, sending them both back in the ground again. 

Uravity desperately attempted to grab hold of his arms and find the pin, but he shoved back hard, grabbing onto her hands. She stared down at him, his expression a mask of strain as he pushed back against her, trying to get back up.

“And I love you too much to want to hurt you anymore!”

“Little late for that!” 

He finally gave her what she wanted. He launched his head forward, butting heads with her. Her forehead stung as she reeled backwards. It allowed his push to work and he flung her off, using enough force to send her tumbling in the dirt a few feet away.

Every bounce off the ice dug into her, the pain stacking up. She tried to do another quick roll to stand back up but found her body thoroughly unwilling to move in that way. When she finally came to a stop, she forced herself to slowly get her feet back under her, her limbs screaming in protest every step of the way. Her legs trembled when she finally stood again - but she managed it. 

For his part, Deku also stood up, but his stance looked shaky. They were both out of breath, their arms hanging loosely at their sides. They both stood on their last legs.

“Ochako. Can we-”

“No, Deku. We’re finishing this. I need this. I need to know what will happen.”

He let out a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry. I guess this is the only way.”

Deku brought his shaking hands up in front of him again.

“If this is what you need, I won’t deny you anymore.”

Uravity breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time in their fight, she felt her lips curling upwards. 

“Thank you, Deku. I’ll live with whatever happens.” Her sore arms ached as she put them up in front of her. “Good luck.”

“Same to you.”

They sized each other up one last time. Even with him in terrible shape, at that moment, Deku looked every bit the hero she knew him to be.

This was the way it had to be. They would sharpen each other to be even better. It had to be an equal partnership - and Uravity could never be content unless she could force that to be the case again.

With a final, harmonious roar, they charged at one another. It echoed into the night, unmitigated by the wind. Uravity braced herself for the blow to come, risking everything into one final strike.

They collided in the middle. She saw every freckle on his features. She sent her first hurtling toward his face. In her peripheral vision, his fist appeared just before it smacked against her cheek. 

The scarred fist met her...and she felt no pain. 

The two of them panted in unison. She looked up to see her own fist sinking into the skin of his cheek. His head tilted slightly, but he otherwise stood upright, barely budged from the blow. 

Their final strikes had done nothing. They had no energy left to summon any more strength for the blows to make an impact.

Izuku and Ochako collapsed onto the ground side by side, completely spent. They crashed into the dirt face up, laying next to one another. The ground cooled their overheated skin.  

The tension between them disappeared with the rest of their energy. Ochako did her utmost to stave off the urge to sleep, knowing how dangerous that could be. They should get out of the cold snow - but she found it impossible to move any of her limbs.

The sun crested the horizon, bathing them in the morning’s soft light. They had competed so long - hours on end - that they had reached the dawn. Any chance at sleep was thoroughly squandered.

They did the only thing they could: they laughed together.

Ochako could not help the sounds emanating from her, as the absurdity of everything crashed into her at once. Her partner fared little better, the manic mirth wracking through him with equal measure. The air filled with it, building up more and more, fueling itself in perpetuity. 

“We’re hopeless,” Izuku managed to squeak out.

“They’re gonna kill us,” Ochako said, strangely not feeling any fear at the prospect.

“We finished.”

“At least we can get scolded together.” 

They reached out for each other's hands, squeezing gently. Ochako breathed a sigh of relief at the sensation. She had missed the simple gesture. They had no energy left to continue their battle for now. They both needed comfort - there had no reason not to seize it.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I didn’t understand you.” Izuku’s voice took a serious edge. She heard him getting choked up. “I promise - I do need you, Ochako. To face him - and to get there. I want to stay by your side.”

Oh. Ochako let out a shuddering breath at the firm affirmation. Her eyes misted at the idea. That he would keep her by his side - and that he needed her there.

“I’m sorry too. I didn’t make it easy.” She idly curled her free hand into the snow, enjoying the cool sensation against her aching palm. “I was just so lost. I wasn’t sure if I could handle being with you and working to be with you when it really mattered. But I should have been more open about it.”

Izuku did not respond right away. The silent seconds stretched long. Was her apology not enough? 

“Do you...do you think you can handle it now?” He sounded so vulnerable. So afraid of her answer. “Being with me?”

That gnawing guilt ate at her again. She could not be certain of her answer to that question. Her beating heart was hard to control in the best of circumstances. The risks were great. 

But as she looked over at him - terribly injured by her hand, willing to go so far for her sake - she knew how she had to answer.

With great difficulty, she stood up, making herself weightless to make that a bit easier. Her muscles ached terribly, but she bore it best she could. 

When she stood, she leaned down and reached a hand out toward him. She put on her best, sunniest expression for him, which was easier than she thought it would be. 

“I don’t know if I can handle it, to be honest. But I know this is what I want to do. I’ll take that risk for you - wherever that might lead. You’re worth it!” 

He practically glowed, making her heart flutter. The power he held over her could be difficult sometimes. But she took some solace knowing she held a similar sway over him. 

He grasped onto her hand, letting her lift him up.

They quickly ran into the merciful warmth of the training facility. The insanity of their battle finally caught up with them. They shivered together and moved towards the building’s heated vents. They had both fortunately brought a change of clothes and hurriedly got out of their now soaked garb. 

They recovered on their favourite bench, beside the ring where it all began. They each rubbed at their arms and legs to get the feeling back into their numb limbs. The process made them ache, but she took solace in the presence. Being with him, without any walls in their way, went a long way toward heating her core. 

“That really was brutal,” Izuku muttered as he rubbed his arms with his hands. “I can’t believe my senpai thought she couldn’t keep up with me.”

“Deku!” she exclaimed, unable to control the flush in her face. She pouted as he laughed at her expense, but she joined him quickly. It felt good being able to joke with him again. 

“I do mean it though. You kicked my butt out there. There’s no doubt in my mind about your worth as a hero.”

Ochako smiled at him. but shook her head. “That was a draw at best. Who knows how that would have gone if we were in top form? But I appreciate the compliment from the future number one.”

He blushed at the pronouncement, which she delighted in. “Thanks. But I don’t want you to keep thinking that way about your own ability. How am I going to convince you?” He put his hand to his chin, thinking over the question. 

“By fighting me. Again.”

“What?!” He sprang up in response as if expecting another attack. 

“I’m not saying right away.” She gave him a challenging smirk. She held her hand out for him, asking him for an agreement. “But in a little while. I need to get a lot stronger first. Then we’re going to have a real fight. No holds barred and in nicer weather. Deal?”

Izuku stroked his chin again, his eyes concentrating for a moment. “I still want to help you train again. We can work together. Like we used to do.”

“I suppose I can agree to that,” she said, trying to sound businesslike, but unable to contain the excitement at the proposition.

With a wide grin, Izuku grabbed onto her hand, shaking it. “Deal.”

The two walked out of the facility together, hand-in-hand, tied together by their new pact and reforged bond. For the first time in her life, Ochako had confidence she would be able to stay at his side, through whatever trials emerged. 

Together, they walked outside into the dawn, ready to face the darkness to come. 

______________________________________________

AN: Written for the IzuOcha Discord Winter Writing Contest. Prompt: Bitter Cold. This also definitely has nothing to do with my mixed feelings about Ochako’s place in the manga recently.  Thank you to the organizers for putting this on and inspiring me to write something new after a lengthy hiatus. I hope you enjoyed! Please like and reblog if you did! =) 

#izuocha #my hero academia #my hero academia spoilers #manga spoilers #fanfiction #oneshot #Izuku Midoriya #ochako uraraka #angst #shipping #I just like exploring them through combat okay #romance #boko no hero academia

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Lost at the Summit (IzuOcha) (Part 1)

Summary: Ochako and Izuku have just announced their retirement and are ready for their final days as professional heroes. But as Izuku soaks up the spotlight, Ochako finds her retirement largely ignored. She questions whether she truly did enough as a hero. But with some help from unexpected places, Izuku reminds her that her rescues left their mark. 

————————- Part 2, Part 3 Chapter 1: Ghost

 “Are you ready for this?”

It was a question that should not have made her falter. Ochako had steeled herself for this moment for weeks. Planning, anticipating, rehearsing for every question that could come. She spent countless hours agonizing over this culmination of everything she was and ever had been. “Nope. Still not.” How could she possibly be ready for the end? For the first death knell? To fall from the stars back to Earth? To leave everything she had worked so hard for? How could she be ready for the death of Uravity? How could she be prepared to watch her own hero fall?

Keep reading

#IzuOcha #fanfiction #myheroacademia #izuku midoriya #ochako urakara #shipping #romance #fluff #angst #IzuOcha Temple 3rd Anniversary Big Bang #Izuku and Ochako are old dorks in love #self reblog

[airquietworks]

Lost at the Summit (IzuOcha) (Part 3)

Part 1, Part 2

Chapter 3: Story One week later, Ochako found herself alone in a cold bed, groggily awakening on what was supposed to be a lazy Sunday.

Izuku was conspicuously absent, the sheets with barely a trace of warmth from his body's departure. She frowned slightly at that - she liked the rare chance for lazy cuddles in the morning - but didn't think much of it. He must have been preparing breakfast or perhaps dealing with a phone call - which he should not take on a day off, but oft did anyway.

She let herself slide into her bedsheets, struggling to resist the urge to fall back asleep again.

The days were so busy now, conspiring to keep her and her husband apart. A couple of news outlets finally asked her for interviews about retirement, and though she dutifully squeezed them in, they did not get much traction. People were still too preoccupied with Deku's retirement, what that meant for the hero charts, and other news of the day as the world shifted around the fall of the world's greatest.

Ochako had buried herself in her work, intent to live her last days as a hero best she could. She tried her best to ignore people's ignorance of her, focusing on saving lives and helping people. But the days dragged and part of her could not let go of her bitterness. All of a sudden, retirement could not come soon enough.

She decided to start her morning as he usually did - reaching out and grabbing her phone from her bedside table. She idly swiped her fingers across it, checking the news of the day, always with an eye out for anything she should be aware of as a pro.

A glance through her emails yielded something unusual. Her inbox was flooded with messages with similar titles: "thank you," "Thanks, Uravity!" "You rock." It wasn't that uncommon to get an appreciation message from someone she rescued, but the sheer number of them was peculiar.

She opened one.

"Hi! I just wanted to let you know you're my favourite hero, and I absolutely love you. You kick so much butt! I remember seeing you leap into a burning office tower one time and save 20 people. It was so awesome!

I'm so sad you're retiring! =( But I'll keep cheering you on while I still can!"

Ochako grinned at that, her mood lifted by the message of appreciation, even if it was simple. She got them from time to time, but they never failed to make her feel good.

But it was strange. These messages were rarer in her aging years and she could not recall doing anything that would garner this kind of outpouring.

She went through a few more of the emails, all with variations of people sharing their appreciation for her, whether or not she had personally rescued them. Eyebrows furrowing at the strange situation, she checked through her social feeds to see what exactly was going on.

On social media, her mentions were flooded into the thousands, far more than usual. A word caught her attention, causing her eyes to widen.

"#WeLoveUravity" was trending.

It was not a massive trend, but there were still thousands of similar, heartfelt messages - shorter, but no less impactful. Pictures and stories of her throughout the years were being shared. A few noteworthy commentators were even discussing how little coverage she was getting since she made her retirement announcement two weeks ago, and the inherent sexism at play with that.

Ochako fell back into her pillow, trying to make sense of it all. Her heart beat faster, a nervous, excited energy taking hold of her as she watched everything unfold.

The world - at least, a part of it - was finally telling her story.

And Izuku probably had something to do with it. There was no other explanation she could think of.

More than a little perturbed at the idea her husband had somehow manipulated the masses, she got up, not bothering to change, and made a beeline for the kitchen to confront him about it and-

Thank him? Scold him? She was not sure. She loved the words being shared about her, even if it was probably just a passing trend that would fade quickly. But she did not want that to come because Izuku somehow campaigned on her behalf. They supported each other, relied on one another, but only to a point. She wanted her legacy to stand by itself - even if it came up short - instead of sitting on Izuku's broad shoulders.

But as she walked through the kitchen and living area, he was nowhere to be seen. The only traces of him were a few dishes in the sink, a plate of eggs on their dining table and an envelope next to it.

Pouting, she trudged forward towards the message. She opened it up and pulled the paper out, growing frustrated by the surprising morning.

"Dear Uravity,

I wasn't too sure about writing this message. But I saw what was going on and I figured I had to.

You probably don't remember me, and I don't blame you. We met about ten years ago, with a villain raid in the city. I was a new pro hero, fresh out of school. I was overzealous and got myself into a bad situation. I saw my life flash before my eyes as a monstrous villain towered over me. I was sure I was dead, but you knocked her away with one punch and got me to safety.

I'll never forget the care and comfort you showed me, your bright smile somehow making me feel like everything was going to be okay, even in such a calamity. I was about ready to quit right then, but you encouraged me, told me to keep on pushing forward. You were the brightest spot in one of the worst days of my life.

I just wanted to let you know how much that meant to me. I wouldn't be a hero today without you. I've been following you since then, and I'm amazed at what you've been able to accomplish. I was heartbroken when I found out you were retiring, but I understand. You deserve a comfortable life and a happy retirement.

I don't know how to end this, so I guess - thank you. You are my hero.

P.S. I'm not much of an artist, but a lot of people are doing it, so I hope you like the picture.

Sincerely,

Clearway"

The memory was foggy in her mind - she had dealt with a lot of villain-led attacks, and could only vaguely recall this one. But she was touched nonetheless.

She turned over to the next page and gasped at a glorious sketch of her standing atop a roof, still young, posing heroically, looking down on the city below. She was smiling, her short hair billowing slightly in the wind, her confidence radiating in the simple lines.

In her early morning stupor, the image pierced through her heart. It struck her hard to read how much it mattered to someone that she had saved them - a hero, no less. That someone would still remember that, even a decade later.

She took a seat, anchoring herself, trying to find a steady place to keep herself from floating away.

Ochako eagerly consumed the breakfast left for her - perfectly warm, the likely product of Izuku's meticulous planning and knowledge of her sleep cycles - smiling at the simple, sweet gesture.

But as she ate, her mind spun in circles at everything that had greeted her this morning. She ran through the words over and over, a mix of pride, joy, and anxiety swirling around, uncertainty at the centre of it all. Her heart sang with gratitude for the love people were showing her, but her brain refused to stop questioning it.

There were people out there who remembered her, cared about what she had done - she could not deny that. But she always knew that to be true. That ultimately did not mean her legacy carried that much weight in a world filled with heroes who did the same. It did not mean she had helped enough people to make a mark. It did not mean her story would be told beyond the day. It did not mean she could stand on the summit.

But she had to admit their words were making accepting that a lot easier.

The familiar sounds of the front door opening perked her ears up. She got up quickly, moving towards it, eager to tell her partner what was happening and confront him if he had something to do with it.

Izuku wasted little time before marching through the room with a wide grin on his face, wearing a blue hoodie, with an oversized yellow backpack. He nodded towards her despite the confusion she was sure was showing on her face. He walked over to the table, depositing the bag.

"Good morning. Sorry I left early; I had an errand I needed to run," he said sincerely, stepping forward and inclining his head towards her. She put a finger to his lips, stopping his attempt at their usual good-morning kiss.

"Good morning," she managed, though with a sharp edge to her tone. "Do you know what's going on?"

His smile stretched wide again as he disengaged from her finger, gesturing slightly towards the bag. "I do. I went on an early mail run when I saw it. The post office only left a few in our mailbox; there were too many to carry otherwise."

"A few…?" she trailed off as he opened the bag to reveal it was overflowing with envelopes, not unlike the one left for her on the table. She went slack-jawed at the sight, quickly reaching out to get a better glimpse of just how many letters they received. There had to be over 100, all seemingly written out, stacked neatly, but clearly crammed within the bag's tight confines.

So many people had sent her a personalized message. She ran her fingers along the envelopes, confirming that they were really there in front of her.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" he said, awe in his voice as he watched her, gauging her reaction. "So many people wanted to let you know what you meant to them."

Ochako turned her head to face him, feeling her eyes getting a little misty. She narrowed her gaze, gauging him carefully. "But how? I don't get it. Did you do something?"

His eyebrows shot up, and he suddenly looked a little nervous, his green eyes looking away. "I...may have made a post on a popular forum. But I promise I didn't say much, and I kept anonymous!"

He got a little flustered, his hands moving with his explanation.

"I was just so frustrated and upset at how sad you were about everything. I wanted to do something - I wasn't sure what. But I just wanted to vent and maybe show you a thread of people who did appreciate you. I just said there wasn't a lot of coverage about you retiring and how sad that was. I guess it got some traction, and people started posting more and somebody I didn't know said they should do fanart, and before I knew what was happening, it went viral."

He took a breath after his rant, gesturing to the letters. "And I don't know how, but somewhere along the way, someone thought it would be nice to do handwritten messages, too. My post may have started it, but I promise I didn't do anything else beyond that. This was because so many people do appreciate what you've done - because you are one of the best."

He stepped forward to grasp both her hands in his, holding them softly, brushing his thumbs over top. "I know that better than anyone."

Her heart stuck in her throat, Ochako struggled to come up with a response. She could feel a smile stretch across her face as she stared up at him, and she was helpless to stop it. The knowledge that somehow, all these people had sincerely wanted to do something for her...a part of her still could not believe it.

"I just...I just don't get it," she murmured. "I haven't done anything to deserve this."

"You've been leaving an impact on people your entire life. You do deserve this - and more."

On instinct, she hugged Izuku, conveying the appreciation that words could not. He embraced her in turn, the two of them holding one another for a moment, basking in the warmth.

His lips pressed a kiss into her hair. "Want to start going through them?" he suggested.

"I think I'd like that." Maybe then, she could banish the doubts, still clawing at the edges of her thoughts.

The two of them moved over to the couch, pressing up against each other, making up for the earlier loss of morning cuddles. Together, they started to read through some of the letters, each one sincere and heartfelt. Izuku took it upon himself to read many of them aloud, giving voice to the sentiments of the people she had saved, helping them ring more powerfully in her ears. They also admired the art together - they had a wide variety of quality, but she appreciated each one, and she resolved to collect them carefully as a keepsake.

A couple of hours passed and they barely put a dent in the messages. They carefully sorted them out, removing the hundreds in the oversized bag, placing them aside for later.

The miraculous letters slowly eroded her defences. The world had left its eyes on her, and she was far more beloved than she would have imagined. Perhaps history would be kind to her, after all.

Still, that irritating, nagging part of her mind knew it might yet be a flash in the pan. Viral trends did not necessarily leave much of a lasting mark. She felt so wonderful about the love of her fans, but how far that ultimately extended was hard to know exactly. Did it really compare to what other heroes were able to do?

Just as they stood up and agreed to take a break, Izuku grabbed her hand again, beaming at her.

"So...I was wondering if you'd be up to take a trip with me."

"Oh? What for?"

He looked strangely giddy, his feet rocking back and forth, a toothy grin plastered across his face.

"Well...I didn't plan for all this. But I did plan for something else. A surprise."

Her spirits buoyed by the lovely morning, she found his giddiness infectious, and she eagerly pumped a fist up to share in his enthusiasm. "Alright, sure! Where are we going?"

Izuku trembled with his excitement. "U.A. High School."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Together, they walked to the place where it all began, Izuku keeping infuriatingly cryptic about his plans. The city streets seemed so much more wondrous now after their morning together, the cloudless day painting it in vibrant light, the busy people she had protected for 35 years going about their lives peacefully; a peace she had protected.

They moved covertly, dressed in baggy, unremarkable clothing, with hoods up to disguise their faces as they made their way to the front gates of the school. It was just as imposing as it was back then, built upon the shoulders of the country's greatest heroes. She had belonged here, but after so many years away, the hallowed grounds had regained their intimidating stature. A part of her wondered about herself in relation to this anyone care that this was the school that had produced her? Would her name be listed amongst its greats?

She tried to clear her head, shaking it thoroughly. It would do her no good to get mired in such thoughts.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" He looked just as in awe of it as she was, even though he visited far more often than she did for guest appearances. "I really miss living here."

"Those were tough times. But a lot of good memories," she said, reminiscing about those wondrous early days.

"The best," he agreed as they arrived at the front gate, closed with a mighty metallic door. Security was still just as tight as ever.

"So...will you tell me now why exactly you wanted to bring us here?" Ochako pleaded, pouting at her husband, desperate to know what surprise had made him so delighted.

"Well, if they're not late, they should be...ah, there they are!"

He gestured towards the corner opposite to where they had arrived. A middle-aged woman with long, red hair and a kind smile walked toward them, carrying a small girl in her arms. The girl was positively adorable, with short hair like the older woman's, rosy cheeks and a bright smile as she looked around at the school, squirming excitedly.

Ochako looked intently at them and then back at Izuku, posing the question with her eyes. The pair of them looked vaguely familiar, and the girl was certainly cute, but she was pretty sure she had never met either of these people.

"Mommy, mommy, who are they! Are they the surprise?!" the girl squealed, pointing at the two heroes as they approached.

"Yes, that's right," the mother replied, her own excitement ringing clearly in her voice. She turned her head to regard Ochako, looking intently at her. "It's so nice to see you both. Thank you so much for this. I didn't imagine this would ever happen."

"Thank you so much for agreeing to my request," Izuku replied with a grin. "Well, Ochako, do you recognize her?"

Ochako regarded the pair again, putting on a gentle smile, but struggling to put names to the faces. The girl stared back at her with wide eyes, tilting her head slightly, studying her.

"Mommy...is that...?"

"Yes, that's right," the woman said with a laugh, kneeling down to let the girl out of her arms, the child practically vibrating with excitement. "That's Uravity."

It was like a volcanic eruption. The young girl - who could not have been older than five based on her size - squealed with delight, jumping slightly in the air, her hair flying about as she hurried over to the named hero.

Ochako chuckled at the sheer delight before her, kneeling down to meet her apparent fan. It was always fun to interact with the little ones. It did her heart good to see somehow, she could still inspire children.

"Hello there," she greeted the girl, pulling her hood down to show more of her face. The girl glomped her knee, staring up at her with wide, chocolate-coloured eyes, beaming ever-so-sweetly. "It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

The girl giggled suddenly, squeezing at the fabric of her jeans.

"Yours!" she cried out, laughing as if that was the greatest wonder in the world. "Ochako!"

The hero felt as if her heart might burst from the shock and joy that coursed through it. She felt her eyes go wide, her gaze flashing up towards the girl's mother, who had a smile stretching across her entire face.

The realization came through her mind. She looked back to the girl at her knees, beaming up at her. Her memories flashed backwards, 35 years ago, reaching deep into the rubble, pulling a red-haired girl out, consoling her, hoping she could put a smile back on that face.

Haruka Akemi.

The elder Ochako snapped back to the present, looking down at the girl, who suddenly looked so much like the one in her memories. She gulped, struggling to contain the welling emotion of meeting her namesake. "Well, that's a lovely name for a lovely girl."

The girl blushed, her cheeks getting rosier, but the smile never vanished from her face, little dimples popping up in it.

"Wow!" the girl exclaimed. "I love that we have the same name. You're my favourite hero."

Ochako's heart squeezed at the sheer cuteness, her breath coming out in a little gasp, garnering laughter from the other adults present.

"Thank you very much," she responded, glancing back towards Akemi. "Hey, would it be alright if I held you?"

"Yeah!" The girl cheered, suddenly trying to scramble up into her hero's lap.

Said hero looked up to Akemi for permission, who provided a quick, affirming nod.

Ochako lifted the girl up, grinning as she yelled in delight, her arms reaching up towards the sky. She hardly weighed anything, even without activating her quirk.

"Yaa!" the girl cheered, giggling as Ochako lifted her up and down a few times. Ochako laughed with her, the child's mirth infectious, her heart soaring at the sheer joy of the moment.

But suddenly, she felt a strange tugging at her neckline. Curious, she looked down to see her clothes pulling away from her body slightly toward the girl she was holding.

"Watch your Quirk now, dear," Akemi said. Ochako looked up to see the woman moving ever so slightly towards the pair, without moving her feet, pulled by some unseen force.

"Oh, sorry!" the girl cried out, slightly panicked, the smile running away from her face. She took a deep breath, calming herself down.

Ochako noticed her clothes fall back to normal, the force gone.

"Is that...her Quirk?" Izuku said slowly, putting his hand on his wrinkled chin. She noticed his eyes lighting up, as it often did when an exciting new Quirk appeared before him.

"It is. We're not entirely sure about it since she got it last month, but we suspect,, based on my Quirk, she is increasing her gravitational force to pull things in." Akemi frowned, walking up to stroke at her daughter's hair. The girl had suddenly lost all her excitement, the colour drained from her face.

"Wow, that's quite a power," Izuku chimed in, studying the girl intently.

"It is. But we're a little worried about the risks if it gets too powerful. So we're playing it safe until she's a little bit older."

"I want to be a hero like you…" the young Ochako said suddenly, looking away from everyone. She was suddenly on the verge of tears. "But I don't know if I can with this."

"Ochako…" the girl's mother replied, her eyes widening, apparently startled by the sad comment.

Without thinking, Uravity took action.

"Hey. You know, when I was a little girl, people were worried about what I could do with my Quirk, too," she said, causing her younger counterpart to pull her head up.

"Really?"

"Yeah! People were always saying I needed to be careful or I might really hurt someone." She could remember once sending her father a little too high into the air, leading to him getting a sprained ankle. "So I had to watch out for a little while. But eventually, I got a little older and had enough control to really work with it."

The girl sniffled slightly. "Could I do that?"

"I know you can do it. Just listen to your mom and keep working hard. Reach as high as you can. If you can stay positive and work at it, I'm sure you could be a hero, if that's what you want to do."

The girl's face lit up brighter than the sun, bringing a matching smile onto her namesake. "I do! I will!"

Ochako held up a fist, letting it slowly approach the girl. "Then I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do as the next hero named Ochako!"

The girl slowly mimicked her hero, bringing her tiny fist into her counterpart's one. She held it there for a moment, before bringing it back in, beaming all the while. The torch was passed.

The hero handed the girl back to her mother, spirits buoyed, heart warmed to have helped make such wonder in a child so small.

"I wanted to thank you for everything you did back then," Akemi said, her smile as beautiful as her daughter's. "What you said to me...I never really got to thank you properly, but it was what I needed to hear. I don't know if I could have gotten through everything without it. I never stopped looking up to you after that. I even run a fan site - I was just a little nervous about trying to meet you in person again."

Ochako beamed at the woman, her eyes getting wet as the words left their mark. What she did back then did matter. It was not for nothing. She had made a difference, even if it seemed so small looking back.

"Aww, you didn't have to be afraid. I would have been happy to meet you at any time." She looked towards the small girl who bore her name. "Thank you for this. For her. I'm just...I'm honoured."

"There wasn't anyone more inspiring we could think of to name her after. And neither of us would be here today without you." The girl in question gave a toothy grin and thumbs up at her idol. "And she's loved you ever since she found out about it."

Ochako took a breath, struggling to maintain some composure. Seeing the happy family that her work had helped create made her feel more pride than just about anything, besides her own family.

"Mommy, why is she crying?"

The hero touched her cheek. Oh. She was. She supposed it could not be helped.

"I'm just...very happy," the hero replied, making sure to show it in her smile.

It was difficult to describe the overwhelming, surging emotions within her. Here was solid proof of her mark on the world, something impossible to fathom before this moment. Surrounded by such love, she felt eager to give some of it back out.

"Would it be alright if I gave you two a hug?"

The blush returned to Akemi's face. She buried it in her daughter's hair, but she opened up her free right arm. Her daughter reached out eagerly, tiny arms stretching forward.

Ochako stepped forward and embraced the two of them, hugging them close, though taking care not to crush her namesake. Akemi let out a little gasp, seemingly struck by being embraced by her hero, while the younger Ochako latched around her neck.

The hero felt warmed to the very core of her being, holding a small part of a much greater legacy. She had made a difference, and she was holding it. Right now, these two people were the world to her.

"Thank you," the hero whispered her heart into Akemi's ear.

"Thank you for saving me," was all the woman could manage in reply.

After a couple of autographs and a promise to keep in touch, the couplings waved farewell to one another.

The hero promised herself, right then and there, she would watch the girl grow.

"I can't believe you found her after all these years."

"It took a little doing, but it was worth it." Izuku's answering grin was just as wonderful as it was on the day they first met.

She took the time to hug him from the side, digging her head into his chest. "You're incredible, you know that?"

"I couldn't be without you," he whispered into her hair. "You set a pretty good example."

"Oh, hush." She disentangled herself from him, face aflame, touched beyond words but getting a little embarrassed at the avalanche of compliments the day had brought. "So, shall we head back home?"

"Well...I had one more thing in mind." He walked over to the towering gate, pulling a card out from his pocket and flashing it at a scanner at the side of the door.

Ochako jumped slightly as the doors slowly opened, revealing the campus and school beyond. She stared wide-eyed at the familiar pathway, where she had begun her real journey to becoming a hero.

"How did you…?"

"Retiring comes with some perks. Called in a favour or two," Izuku said, tucking the card back in and adjusting his yellow backpack slightly. "Come on, let's go!"

With a surprising amount of exuberance, Izuku forged ahead, laughing as they returned to the grounds of their youth. Ochako followed him, joining in, eager to see just what more he had in store.

Staring at the school ahead now, it did not seem quite so imposing. The familiar path, lined with the busts of heroes, was significant, but she could walk it just as well as she did when she first came here.

This was a place bathed in legacy, but she was a part of that, just as much as the incredible heroes who had come before her. After meeting her young namesake, she did not doubt that now. Whether or not the world recognized it, she had made a difference, and there was plenty of living proof.

She realized how lost she had gotten. What was important to her was helping people - and heroes - in pain, people who needed you. She had done that thousands of times. That mattered. It was enough.

"I wanted to be here for this," Izuku suddenly called out, snapping her from her thoughts. He surged forward quickly, a few steps ahead of her. "The place where we-EEEEEEEEEE!"

Ochako reacted on instinct, sprinting ahead and tapping her hand onto the backpack of her descending husband. She did not see exactly how he had managed to trip, but even he would suffer from a faceplant into the hard ground.

Her reflexes were still quick enough, though he came pretty close to tasting brick. He stopped awkwardly in the air, body hanging horizontally without its gravity.

A rush of nostalgia hit Ochako with full force. Her mind went back more than 40 years, when she reached out to save the boy who would come to save the country - and her. She had acted on instinct back then too, not wanting to let people get hurt when she could make a difference, even if preventing a fall was trivial.

Silence hung in the air between them, the realization hitting them both at the same time.

She started snickering at him. Uproarious laughter followed quickly.

"I...can...not..believe!" Ochako paused between words, struggling to breathe, keeling over slightly. "That you would fall here again!"

After forty years of heroics, standing at the pinnacle, the world's greatest hero was still felled by his own two feet. Some things never changed.

"I swear...I swear I didn't mean to!" he responded, legs kicking in the air slightly as the laughter wracked through him. She noticed a blush starting to come to his cheeks, a little embarrassment peeking through the mirth. "Gosh, I planned to be more...together this time. I couldn't say a word to you when we..."

His face scrunched up suddenly. Just as she prepared to release him, he turned in mid-air, reaching his hand out to pause her.

"Wait! Uh, can you just hold me here for a bit?" he asked, reaching around himself to take his backpack off his shoulders.

Confused but curious, she nodded, staring intently at her partner as she tried to make out what he was up to.

With a shaky hand, he pulled out a small envelope from the bag, reaching out to hand it to her, still hanging awkwardly in midair.

"One...one last letter," he muttered, tripping over the words as he had with his feet. His nerves were evident, but she could not understand what he had to be nervous about. "From your biggest fan of all."

She had a hard time processing the image before her. Izuku, reaching up, letter in hand, hanging awkwardly, his gravity stolen by her hands. Blushing like a schoolboy, a nervous little grin on his face. She did as he asked, taking the envelope and regarding it carefully, curious as to its contents.

Izuku took a deep breath as she opened it up. "I just wanted to bring you here to remind you. About the very first time you saved me...and I guess the latest time, too."

He held up his yellow backpack, a toothy grin coming upon his face. "I even tried to look the part best I could!"

"Izuku…" she was astonished at just how far he had gone to make her feel better. She felt a surge of affection toward him, even before she read whatever was in this letter.

It was strange, thinking of this place as the first time she had saved someone. It had hardly seemed like anything at the time. Little did she know how that simple gesture would intertwine their destinies forevermore.

He finally flipped himself back upright, well accustomed to moving without gravity. She quickly tapped her fingers together, releasing him. He was suddenly right in front of her, eagerly gauging her reactions.

"Well...whenever you want to," Izuku said, inclining his head ever-so-slightly towards the message she held in her hand.

The envelope contained two pieces of paper, folded carefully together. She opened up the pages, her eyes met with his untidy scrawl. It could be difficult to read - he had developed his handwriting more for speed than legibility - but she had long since grown accustomed to it.

"To the world's greatest hero,

Hello! My name is Izuku Midoriya, and I have been a fan of yours since I was 16 - about 40 years. I might actually be your oldest fan!"

She let out a chuckle at that, Izuku joining in. I was always struck by just how determined you were - and how brightly you smiled. Even when you faced setbacks, you kept maintaining this incredible aura. It must have been hard on you. I wanted to help you, but I also knew it was something a hero had to do; reassure others even in the darkest of moments.

Being back here, Ochako could remember her first Sports Festival, and how brutal that setback had been. It was tough putting on a brave face. She put on a false smile too often back then, but it was a skill that could come in handy.

I've watched you every step of the way, and it was incredible seeing how fast you grew. How strong, how kind, how heroic you were. It drove me to want to be better. I know I would not have been the hero I am today without you.

You may not realize it, but I owe so much to you. At that entrance exam at U.A., there is no chance I would have made it without you. You saved me that day, and you've had a knack for doing that ever since.

She smiled at the memory of their exam together, even if it was fraught. From day one, they had managed to pull each other out of the fire often.

When I've fallen, you've lifted me up. When I doubted whether I could do it, you gave me a name that always meant I could. I've watched you blossom into an absolutely incredible professional. You inspire and help so many people. You are ridiculously kickass.

She snorted at that one.

My favourite moment of yours was your fight against the Renegades. The way you alternated your Quirk so smoothly and took out so many of them at once is - well, you know the rest.

"Nerd," she teased, garnering another chuckle from him.

You are the world to me. Everything we've built together, accomplished together - I'll make sure no one ever forgets it. You helped me tell my story - you helped make sure my story even exists. I will make sure they know yours.

I've left something to remind you of just how far you've come. The world may not recognize it, but I know we stand at the summit together. And I never would have made it here without you.

Thank you for always saving me!

Your number one fan, Izuku Midoriya

"Izuku...I…" her throat clogged up, rendering her speechless. Standing here, she could fully remember the incredible story she had helped create. How could she have doubted she had not left her mark, when the truth stood there before her, his eyes bright, standing at the top of the world, her right by his side?

Her story would be told. Their story. Together, in everything. She could see it now.

"Hang on. You should see the fan art first." Izuku looked sideways, blushing, adjusting himself away ever so slightly. "...Maybe even the first one?"

Startled, Ochako turned the page over, gasping at the sketch of herself. It was a little worn, clearly done with a basic pencil on an aged piece of paper. But it was surprisingly detailed around her face - far more than some of his older sketches. The descriptions highlighted her various costume features and abilities. She noticed a few crossed words like "cute" and "incredible," the page bearing the first signs of his love for her.

"It's the first sketch I ever drew of you. I usually cycle through these pretty fast, updating things. But I wanted to keep that one, even back then. When I first drew it, I realized I went too far and put it away. But I never wanted to get rid of it. Eventually, I realized it might make a nice retirement gift."

She reflected on the old sketch of herself - young, naive, courageous, simple. She drew a hand across the worn page, a gateway to the past, thinking upon how the image of her had changed, how much more she had done since then.

"Thank you, Izuku. It means so much to me." She stared up at him, his green irises shining down at her, the same passionate flame still there within them, even if they were now surrounded by more wrinkled flesh. "And thank you for saving me. Now, and always."

He grabbed onto her shoulders; she could feel the strength still so present in his arms despite how worn they had become. They beamed at one another, as best friends, partners, and everything to one another.

"This is where our journey together began," he stated simply. "Where our story began. And this is where the rest of our lives will, too."

She placed a hand over the top of his, holding it to her, staring fiercely back at him. "We got some adventures left in us after all, right?"

"The best is yet to come."

She acted then, grabbing onto the neck of his sweater and pulling him in for a deep kiss, her heart igniting at the contact, as surely as always.

They pulled away, the passion of the fleeting moment staining both their cheeks, suddenly sheepish about such a brazen public display of affection. Fortunately, nobody was around to witness it.

Ochako carefully put the letter and drawing back in the envelope and tucked it away in a pocket, turning back to the path where she had begun her journey, leading toward the gate out to the rest of the world.

She held out her hand for him, and he took it, intertwining their scarred flesh together.

They walked out towards the sunlight, the rest of their story left to tell.

----------------------------------------------------

AN:  Written for the IzuOcha Temple Discord Server Big Bang Event. Prompt: "Thank you for always saving me!" Thank you very much to Mal for editing this and for Xylveon for the incredible artwork provided for the fic. You can also find it at https://twitter.com/Xylveon700/status/1294469669361840129. Please show Xylveon some appreciation! Thank you to the organizers for putting this on, it was truly wonderful to be part of.  Please leave a like and/or reblog if you enjoyed it ! ^_^

#IzuOcha #my hero academia #fanfiction #Midoriya Izuku #Ochako Uraraka #shipping #IzuOcha Temple 3rd Anniversary Big Bang #Angst #fluff #romance #this is really dang fluffy

[airquietworks]

Lost at the Summit (IzuOcha) (Part 2)

Part 1, Part 3

Chapter Two: Memory

One life.

She wanted to save at least one life today.

"You should probably take a break," a voice in her helmet said.

No. She could not. Not when every precious second could make the difference between life or death. Not when she could still move and tear through the rubble in search of a still-breathing body.

The community centre's collapse - courtesy of a rampaging villain - was catastrophic. It happened too fast and too sudden for heroes to respond. What had started as a rescue mission had quickly devolved into corpse retrieval.

Uravity lifted another piece of the collapsed structure out of the way, moving deeper into the rubble.

It was her first week as a full-blown professional, officially under Ryukyu's agency. It was exhilarating to reach this point. Her dreams were finally coming true, and she eagerly awaited her first big payday to start saving for her parents. The work had been light to start, but she was content with that, knowing her time would come soon enough.

But things escalated far faster than anticipated. Already, they were counting on her. She had seen grim scenes in her high school days, but this was something else entirely.

It frustrated her to no end - to be unable to help these poor, lost souls. To lack the power to have saved their lives.

She dug through, even as her hands started to bleed. She breathed hard, refusing to stop. The shouts of her fellow rescuers had long since faded as she got deeper in, parting the rubble in her wake.

She could not give up. He never would.

As she walked through a collapsed hallway, shifting broken pieces of the building with every step, she heard it - a breath.

Uravity turned around, eyes scanning, desperately searching for the first sign of life she had heard from the ruins today. Nothing was apparent but more rubble, but she did not falter. She kept her senses sharp, desperately seeking out a life she could save.

She heard the breath again and saw where it came from this time - a steel locker peeking out from beneath a massive pile of rubble, collapsed on, but only somewhat crushed. With desperation, Uravity got to work, lifting debris out of the way, tapping as much of it as she could, floating herself up in the air to grab onto more and ensure it would not fall when she pulled the locker out.

"Hello! Is anyone in there? We're here to rescue you!" she called out unevenly, her exhaustion leaking into her voice.

She heard a soft gasp from the locker, the life signalling again. Her heart renewed, she pushed herself back towards the ground, scrutinizing the locker as the rubble floated around her.

The locker had collapsed like a pop can, the door nearly breaking along an opening on the left side. From it, she could see a head of red hair, though the metal obscured the rest of the person.

"I'm a hero, and I'm going to try and get you out of there. Can you tell me if you're injured?" she asked, her training coming to the fore, allowing her to regain some of her composure. She had to be strong for this terrified person.

"...Not hurt," a soft murmur responded.

Uravity let out a sigh of relief, before taking another breath to steel herself. She put a smile on her face, shifting her tone to be as reassuring as she could.

"I'm glad. I'm going to try opening this broken door. Do you think you can shift away from it? As much as you can. Tell me right away if something is wrong."

The person whimpered. "Okay."

"Don't worry. We're going to get you out of there. You'll be alright." She tapped a button on the side of her helmet, sending an electronic beacon for her location. She touched her ear to communicate. "Found someone here. Getting them out. Requesting backup." She could not know how long it might take considering how deep she had gone in solo, but she could keep busy in the meanwhile.

Uravity grabbed onto a broken part of the door; it was rough to hold, but she hardly minded. She tugged, testing its weight, surprised by its give. She pulled hard, careful not to trigger her quirk. The mangled door resisted her, but she would not be stopped; it gave way to her strength.

A small girl sat curled up, her face buried into her knees, wearing a bright-red athletic shirt. She gasped again when the door popped open, her body shaking in fear.

Uravity felt a powerful surge of relief at finding this girl. So many lives were lost - so many people she was powerless to do anything to help. Here, at least, was someone she could help.

"Hello there!" She said it as brightly as she could manage, radiating as much warmth as she could for the girl enshrouded in cold and shadow. "I'm Uravity, and I'm here to rescue you! What's your name?"

The girl did not look up, still quivering, but she whispered a response. "Haruka Akemi."

"That's a lovely name. Now, do you think you can move? We should get you out of there."

"...You can't," the girl murmured in reply.

Uravity blinked. "Come again?"

"You can't. Save me. I'm cursed," the girl said, letting out a guttural sob that broke Uravity's heart. "My dad tried to save me. He couldn't. Now he's gone."

Uravity frowned, knowing it would be difficult to console her, given the almost assured death of her father.

She suddenly felt bile rising in her throat, instinctively covering her mouth, her Quirk straining from overuse. She had been going hard all day. She could not hold this that much longer.

She took a deep breath, summoning the last bit of her strength and courage to push on.

"Hey. Look at me."

Mercifully, the simple instruction garnered a reaction, as the small girl peeked her brown eyes over her knees, staring at the hero.

Uravity could not be sure of what she looked like, but she did her best to exude calm. She knew she could not be breezy anymore.

"I know it's hard right now. Sometimes, it feels like it's impossible to keep going. Like the people we care about are too far away," Uravity reached her hand out, swallowing hard as she felt another surge of queasiness. "But we have to. For ourselves and for the people we love. Because the people we care for are cheering us on, no matter how far away they might seem. We have to try and help them if we can. And I know wherever your father is, he would not want you to give up. He would want you to keep going."

She edged her hand closer as an offering.

"So let's keep walking together. I promise we'll get you all the help you need. Let's get you safe, and I'll be right there with you."

Uravity could not see all of Akemi's expression, but her eyes widened, looking glossy beneath the veil of her tears. Her small hand reached out, shaking, but eventually found purchase against Uravity's own.

"Thank you," the hero said with a grin, gently tugging at the soft hand in her grasp. To her surprise, the girl did not budge in the slightest. Another, slightly harder tug did not yield a better result.

"Can't move," Akemi whispered, burying her face into her lap again. "My Quirk. I'm too heavy."

A Quirk that makes her heavier? Uravity thought, eyebrows furrowing at the implications, but she had no time to waste. Despite how hard she had already strained her ability - and the queasiness she was struggling to keep at bay - she wrapped her fingers around the girl's hand, activating her Quirk and pulling the girl forward.

This time, she found success, quickly yoinking her charge out of the locker. Before Akemi could react, Uravity surged forward to grab hold of her, holding her tightly, before jumping backwards out of the way of the rubble.

She sprinted away from the floating debris, gently depositing the shocked girl on the ground. She released her Quirk, letting the rubble crash downwards, while she fell onto her knees and panted in relief.

"You...I...how…?"

Uravity's head flew forward to look at Akemi, concerned she may have been a little rough with the rescue maneuver. The girl's face was uncovered now, her cute features marred by shock and tear-stained eyes.

Summoning one more toothy smile, Uravity flashed her a thumbs up, showing the source of her Quirk on the appendage.

"I can make anything lighter than air," she explained. "No trouble at all. Thank you for being so brave through that!"

Akemi's eyes shined brightly, but more tears rolled down them, her lips trembling as the weight of everything fell upon her. Uravity leapt into action once more, embracing the child and holding her, finding it necessary to trigger her Quirk again to move the girl.

"Anytime I get upset, I...I...don't budge…"

"Shh, it's okay; it's not your fault. I'm here."

"Everything's so...so..." the girl sobbed into Uravity's arms, safe and sound.

"You're going to be alright, in time. I promise. I'll make sure of it."

Uravity felt a tear of her own fall, so happy to have saved a life - and wanting to make sure it stayed that way.

Help arrived before long. Uravity had to stay with Akemi to take her to to the medical tent as the only person who could lift her. Not even the strength Quirks seemed to work on the girl, who appeared to increase the force of gravity on herself. Fortunately, Akemi was miraculously uninjured, her locker shelter protecting her, steady under the weight of the Quirk.

Eventually, Ochako found herself sitting next to her in the infirmary, thoroughly spent for the day. They stayed on the ground as Akemi's Quirk made a bed impossible, though they hoped that might stop once they coaxed her to sleep. The girl leaned on the hero, sighing, her eyes getting droopier.

"Will I really be okay?" the girl asked, the terror of everything still weighing her down. They had not found her father's body yet, but unravelling the subsequent trauma was not something Ochako was really in a position to do. She had no control over where this child ended up.

"You will be. But it won't be easy." Ochako smiled down at her, gently stroking the top of her head. "You may have some bad days ahead, and that's okay. You'll have plenty of people watching out for you. Just keep moving forward. Never give up - that's the most important thing."

"I'm just a burden, though," the girl murmured, closing her eyes to the world. "My Quirk keeps getting in the way. I just wish it would stop."

"Your Quirk is a gift. You gotta figure out how to use it." Ochako idly looked at her free left hand and the prominent pads at her fingertips. "My Quirk used to cause trouble for me, too. You've just got to work at it, as hard as you can. You'll learn to control it."

The little girl was quiet for a moment. But eventually, she let out a response: "...thank you. I'll try it."

"That's all anyone can ask for."

"Uravity...hero…" Akemi whispered, her voice growing fainter.

"Yes, I suppose I am," Ochako whispered back. "I still wish I could do more."

"Mmm..." the girl mumbled as sleep overtook her. "...The greatest."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ochako's eyes flew open as she sprung upward, breathing hard as the remnants of the vivid dream clutched at her mind. She could feel sweat at her forehead, the intensity of the visions affecting her in reality.

The dream started to recede, like waves retreating from the shore. She struggled to chase them, wanting to hold onto the fleeting visions.

She remembered her encounter with Akemi back when she had started out as a hero. She struggled to piece together her memory with how hazy it had appeared in her dream, where the background could go fuzzy, and her thoughts were muddled. Why had her mind summoned that memory - and why was it affecting her so?

Ochako breathed deeply, trying to steady her racing heart. She looked around their dark room, her eyes falling upon Izuku in their shared bed. He was still fast asleep, his weathered face at peace beneath the covers. A loose arm stretched at his right side as if reaching toward her, wanting to pull her in.

As always, she smiled at the sight. She carefully edged out of bed, hoping not to disturb him and his rare chance to get a full night's sleep. She knew she did not have long - neither of them slept well anymore without the other there - but she desperately needed water and a chance to clear her mind.

She put on a robe and quickly journeyed to the washroom in their spacious home, a luxury they had long since been able to afford.

The water she splashed onto her face from the sink was bracing, a cold slap releasing her fully from her dream. She panted as she let herself feel the water against her skin, clearing her mind of all other things for just a moment.

The reflection in her mirror looked tired, worn bags under her eyes sagging much more than in her heyday. Time ravaged her image. She poked at her rosy cheeks, the odd wrinkle starting to creep through them. She smiled at herself, finding in that a trace of the hero she once was, though no one would ever mistake her for being in her prime. That Ochako had come and gone, for whatever she was worth.

The aging hero did her utmost to keep her steps light as she walked out onto the terrace in front of their home, peering out into the night sky, the stars sadly blocked by the nearby city's light pollution. She sighed, sitting down, her legs hanging over the edge towards the ground. At the moment, her heart yearned for the stars only the country could provide, something she was looking forward to exploring come retirement.

Her mind began to replay what she could remember from her dreams and her faded memory. It had been so long since she had thought about Haruka Akemi, the first person she had ever saved as a professional. She could remember staying with the girl for a little while, sharing more heartfelt words the next day before authorities whisked the girl away to stay with distant relatives after the death of her father. It was a sad situation, and Ochako had wondered at the time whether she had done enough. But a hero's life left little time to dwell on such things.

It was just another part of her story that had faded into nothingness.

She frowned, idly staring down at her weathered hands. Why had her dreams conjured that memory? And why was it bothering her this much?

Deep in her heart, she knew the answer.

"Need someone…" a wide yawn punctuated the sentence. "To talk to?"

Ochako jumped slightly at the entrance of her husband, who stepped forward and sat down next to her. She internally cursed herself for losing track of time; she had fully intended to be back in bed before he missed her.

"Sorry about that. Just had a weird dream," Ochako said, brushing it off. "It's late, and we have work tomorrow. We should-"

"Talk to me about it," Izuku interrupted her, quickly grabbing hold of her hand to keep her in place. "It's okay. I want to know if something is bothering you."

He gave her a gentle smile that made her walls immediately crumble; it was a talent he had picked up over time.

She groaned, closing her eyes; she knew she could still end the conversation, but it would do her little good. Besides, they had precious few chances in recent weeks to talk, given all his media appearances. Even though they slept together most nights, they had little time together otherwise. She often found herself missing her best friend and confidant.

Ochako told him about the dream and how it disturbed her. About how strange it was to think back on something that happened so long ago. About how it reminded her of her powerlessness, but also her determination. About how the memory was so muddied in her mind.

"That's a lot to take in," Izuku replied, stroking at his chin in thought. "Well, have you had anything else that's been making you feel weird lately? Something else that's been bothering you in reality that might be linked to that memory?"

She frowned at that, biting her lip, tempted to end the conversation there. She had an answer, but it was uncomfortable, and she was unsure how much she was up to share tonight.

But once glance at his kind eyes was enough to move her; she knew she could not hide those feelings from him. With a deep breath, she released the question that tormented her, day after day.

"Was I a good enough hero?"

Her question hung in the air for a long moment, a poisonous, sinister little thing. It was a question that would not be judged not by their eyes, but history's. With her best days behind her, she had little control over what the world saw of her.

"Of course you were. Why would you ever doubt that?"

She expected such an answer from him. Even if she could not agree, the words were still honey to her ears; a part of her longed to submit to them, to find peace in the praise her partner could provide.

But she could not bring herself to.

"Because I can't control what the world sees in me. I never cared to." She opened her eyes to look at him, a deep frown now marring his face. The wrinkles beginning to appear across him made such unhappiness even more unpleasant.

"Ochako...if this is about the press conference, I wouldn't worry. They were ridiculous, but that doesn't mean much."

"It's about more than that, Izuku," she said, standing up, suddenly restless. "There really hasn't been any reaction to my retirement out there. I never did it for the glory - but it makes me wonder whether I left much of a difference at all. Maybe I achieved less than I realized. Maybe I helped less people than I hoped for. My limits weren't boundless - and maybe I wasn't good enough to make that much of a mark. Perhaps my story won't get told."

She stared up at the starless sky, with only faint glimmers of light able to make an imprint on the sea of inky darkness. If she squinted hard, she could just make out the north star, still able to shine through despite it all.

"Ochako…"

"I spent my whole career trying to do the best I could. You inspired me towards that. But the truth is, it wasn't enough to make much of a dent. I didn't help enough people for that. I knew everyone in our class would someday be eclipsed by your shadow. But you shone far brighter than any of us could have imagined."

She turned back towards him, the hero standing alone atop the summit. His face looked pained now, the creases in it prominent, but his mouth remained firmly sealed.

"It's not your fault, not really. I'm proud of everything you accomplished, and I'm happy you're getting celebrated. You deserve it. I guess I just hoped people would care that I'm retiring, too. More than I realized."

Before she could react, he stood up and grasped her hand in his, squeezing softly, his palm warm. She snapped her head upward to look into his eyes. They were burning, filled with a familiar intensity.

"You shouldn't sell what you've been able to accomplish short," Izuku said, voice steady and comforting, without a trace of doubt. "You've saved so many people, Ochako - including me, more times than I can count. All of that matters. You are one of the greatest heroes the world's ever known. Of course people are upset about you retiring."

She gave him a gentle smile, her heart-stirring at his kindness. Even now, his unabashed praise and awe at her made her feel warm inside.

But she already knew he held her in high regard. He lived with her, watched her rise like no one else. He could not exactly give an unbiased perspective - nor could his perspective control who wrote their story.

On an impulse, she reached over to kiss his wrinkled cheek, delighting in the blush that stretched across his face afterward. Even now, they could still catch one another off-guard like that.

"Thanks, Izuku. I appreciate it. But it's not going to change what happens out there. What they think of me." She turned her head over to the front door and the world beyond it, filled with eyes that judged them both. "All I can really do is move on and live with it."

She stood up and stretched, letting out a yawn as her own exhaustion caught up with her. "Thank you for listening. I feel better, but I think I'm ready to go back to bed now. Coming?"

Izuku did not move right away, his eyes drawn to the horizon where she had motioned earlier. "In a minute. You go on ahead, I'll be in before you know it."

She raised an eyebrow, but decided not to question it for the moment, the quiet allure of bed a little too strong to resist. "Alright, well let me know if you need anything. Don't take too long. Good night."

"Good night!"

As she turned away, she wondered if she had offended him somehow with her self-doubt. With even more to ruminate over, she ventured to bed and the likely uneasy sleep that would follow. ----------------------- AN: Written for the IzuOcha Discord Server Big Bang Event. Prompt: "Thank you for always saving me!"

Thank you very much to Mal for editing this and to Xylveon for the incredible artwork provided for the fic. You can find it at https://twitter.com/Xylveon700/status/1294469669361840129. Please leave a like and/or reblog if you enjoyed it! ^_^

#IzuOcha #My Hero Academia #fanfiction #shipping #midoriya Izuku #Ochako Uraraka #IzuOcha Temple 3rd Anniversary Big Bang #Angst #Oldchako #I Promise things get fluffier from here

[airquietworks]

Lost at the Summit (IzuOcha) (Part 1)

Summary: Ochako and Izuku have just announced their retirement and are ready for their final days as professional heroes. But as Izuku soaks up the spotlight, Ochako finds her retirement largely ignored. She questions whether she truly did enough as a hero. But with some help from unexpected places, Izuku reminds her that her rescues left their mark. 

------------------------- Part 2, Part 3 Chapter 1: Ghost

 “Are you ready for this?”

It was a question that should not have made her falter. Ochako had steeled herself for this moment for weeks. Planning, anticipating, rehearsing for every question that could come. She spent countless hours agonizing over this culmination of everything she was and ever had been. “Nope. Still not.” How could she possibly be ready for the end? For the first death knell? To fall from the stars back to Earth? To leave everything she had worked so hard for? How could she be ready for the death of Uravity? How could she be prepared to watch her own hero fall?

"Are you ready for this?"

It was a question that should not have made her falter. Ochako had steeled herself for this moment for weeks. Planning, anticipating, rehearsing for every question that could come. She spent countless hours agonizing over this culmination of everything she was and ever had been.

"Nope. Still not."

How could she possibly be ready for the end? For the first death knell? To fall from the stars back to Earth? To leave everything she had worked so hard for?

How could she be ready for the death of Uravity? How could she be prepared to watch her own hero fall?

"Me neither," the hero in question, still bearing the name she gave him, replied with a sheepish smile. "But I guess there's nothing more we can do about it. Just have to take the plunge."

He had changed so much over the years, and yet his smile remained the same. At 57, Izuku still looked incredible, his physique holding up impeccably well, despite the odd wrinkle on his face, slightly greying hair, and the many scars across his body beneath that costume. Age was creeping up on him, but he was still Deku, however much he was wearing down.

He was holding up a lot better than she was.

"Guess so," Ochako replied. She breathed out a deep sigh and reached out to grasp his hand. It was weathered, but as always, felt right to hold. "Together then?"

"Together to face the world." He squeezed her hand in reply and put on his trademark heroic smile.

"And everything else," Uravity said with a beaming grin as the two stepped forward, partners through it all.

The rapid clicking of camera shutters as they took the stage with a wave was as bracing as ever. They were far more robust than usual today, the reporters eager to capture the rare joint press conference between the iconic husband-and-wife duo. It was only the second time they had done this; the last one had been 35 years ago when they had announced they were starting their hero agency. That attracted less than half the eyes peering at them now.

They each took one of the prepared seats at the table, emblazoned with their agency's star-filled logo. Aides had everything prepared in advance for them: microphones, water, and a wide berth. Absolutely professional.

"Thank you all for coming," Deku began, his smile unfaltering. "It's wonderful to see you all."

"We're truly grateful for your coverage," Uravity said, meeting the eyes of many of the reporters in the room. "We could not do what we do without you."

Charm the press as much as possible before unleashing the storm. That was the plan.

"It truly is a wonderful time for our world." Izuku picked it up, launching into the buildup to their proper announcement. "We have a time of unparalleled peace. I am proud to be part of an incredible generation of heroes that have helped bring crime to a standstill. I am also supportive of the efforts of our governments to address villainy at the root, and slowly move back from relying on professional heroes."

The next generation might be the last, they both knew. They were okay with that. The cycle of violence needed to stop eventually. They had pushed where they could to help bring about real, societal change.

"It is because of the current state of the world that we feel comfortable doing this," Izuku continued, his face suddenly becoming far stonier.

This was it - her cue. With a deep breath, she uttered the words that would change the world forever.

"We're retiring."

The room shuddered with the energy of the statement. "No!" Someone cried, completely losing composure. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd followed swiftly by the whirring of more camera shutters.

"Now, we know it may be alarming," Deku said with a little more force, his tone shifting to exude calm. "And it won't be right away - we haven't settled on an exact date, but we figure it will be roughly six months. We've given it a lot of thought, and we feel the time is right. We aren't getting any younger, and it's time to leave things to the next generation."

"We've both been able to achieve everything we set out to do when we started." Ochako did her utmost to maintain her composure, but it was difficult as she reflected on everything: fighting villains, saving lives, overcoming it all by Deku's side. The memories of all the battles they fought together flashed rapidly through her mind, culminating at this moment.

She momentarily glanced sidelong at her husband, who was wearing a small smile but doing nothing to hide the tears at the edges of his eyes.

"I'm proud of the legacy we've left behind and all the people we've been able to help," she continued, swallowing back her own tears. "I think we can both comfortably say we can move on without regrets."

She stretched her arms out, leaning slightly back in her chair in an exaggerated motion.

"And finally, get a much-deserved tropical vacation."

That got the desired chuckle out of the room. Throwing out humour to put the media in a good mood; always a good tactic.

"We'll take some questions," Izuku said, causing the room to erupt with pushy reporters desperate to get quotes for their puff pieces.

He pointed to the front row at an older reporter with a thick, white mustache and glasses. "Rupert McGuire, National Hero News. Deku, you've been the number-one hero for so long now - you just surpassed All Might's record two months ago. When he retired, it left a massive void and led to a rise in villainy in our country. How concerned are you that your retirement might do the same?"

"Not at all," Deku replied with ease, maintaining a calm facade. It was always mesmerizing to watch him bat off difficult questions; he had gotten a lot better at it over the years, as he learned to push past his anxieties. "I imagine there might be a villain or two that sees this as an opportunity, but our society is protected by hundreds of incredible heroes, with more bright ones coming. Our country is in very capable hands."

Deku quickly pointed to another reporter, a middle-aged woman in the middle of the crowd.

"Hi, Sakura Ito, Japan Today. Deku, what would you say to the millions of people that look up to you, who are going to be hurt by your retirement?"

"I know it is a tough thing to face. I remember how bad it felt to see All Might get forced into retirement all those years ago." Deku's smile faltered for a moment, the wrinkles under his eyes growing more pronounced at the mention of his fallen idol.

Ochako acted quickly, reaching her hand out to squeeze his over the table. It seemed to snap him back to attention, and his eyes met hers, a grateful smile blossoming again on his face.

"I appreciate everybody who has supported me and cheered me on over these years. But all things must come to an end eventually. You can hang on to your memories of me, but make sure you're getting out there to be the best person you can be. And please, cheer on other heroes, too! I know there are quite a few underappreciated pros out there who could use a few more fans."

Ochako heard approving murmurs in the crowd, a few journalists scribbling into notepads or typing into laptops about the quotes. A telltale sign of a comment well-delivered.

"Hi, a question for Uravity!" A younger woman reporter near the back shouted out when Deku called on her, her short, dark hair frazzled and her glasses eschew. She looked nervous - and forgot to name herself or her station- but Ochako found it oddly endearing. She felt nostalgic for her own younger days, fighting through nerves in her first days as a pro.

"You've said before your husband has been your hero since you were in high school. How do you feel seeing him retire?"

She reeled slightly at the question, the first unexpected one of the bunch. It was a little odd - posing a question to her about him. It also was not something she had given much thought to, so mired in her own retirement and the immediate logistics of it all.

She chanced a glance over at him. He looked at her with a slight grimace, clearly unhappy to have had a question slip through their meticulous preparations.

But Ochako could always improvise in an unexpected situation.

"It's a little hard to think about him retiring. It hasn't completely sunk in yet, to be honest." She smiled gently out to the audience, radiating calm. "I suppose I will miss seeing him out there, doing all the incredible feats of heroism that I always knew he could."

Ochako drew her gaze back to her partner again, whose green eyes were focused intently on her, full of reverence. "But I fell in love with the man behind the costume, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with him, too."

She could practically hear the squeals of fans in the distance at that line, alongside the rapid typing. It was pretty good for something off the cuff, but it was true, too. They had given their lives towards helping the world and their families; now, they could give a little bit more time for themselves.

"I know I'm going to miss Uravity a lot," Deku said suddenly, forcing Ochako to snap back to look at him, his eyes suddenly staring at her with burning energy. "She's been such an incredible hero for so long; it's hard to imagine a world without her helping to lift it. I'm definitely sad she's retiring. But it'll be nice to get away and be together."

She beamed at him, placing a hand over her chest. Leave it to him to surprise her with something so heartfelt, even in a setting such as this. She knew it was going to be tough hearing more of that from people upset about her retirement, but she'd have to get through it.

But questions for her did not come after that. Nearly all of them were for Deku, the press far more interested in the loss of Japan's number-one hero.

"Deku, what is going to happen to your agency?" It was their agency.

"Question for Deku, where are you going to be going on your vacation?" It was their vacation.

"Deku, how have your kids reacted to this?" They were their children.

"Deku, what advice would you give to the aspiring heroes of today?" She could have given that advice, too.

"Uravity, how would you describe your husband's emotions as you've talked about retirement?" Why was she getting asked about him again?

She became bored eventually, sighing and leaning on her hand, not that the crowd before them took any notice. They had expected more questions for Deku, of course, but she did not think it would be this pronounced. By the time they got to the end, she realized the only questions she got had been to get her to talk about him, even if in the context of her feelings. She had never been a hero who cared much for the spotlight, but she had some pride as a professional who had consistently remained in the top-20, often breaking into the top-10 as well.

But it could not be helped. It was hard to shine standing next to a supernova, after all. She always knew that.

"That's all the time we have for today," Deku announced suddenly, snapping her from her melancholy. "But we'll see you around in the months to come. Thank you!"

The two got up in unison, bowing respectfully to their audience before walking backstage, conscious of more whirring camera shudders. They kept up appearances best they could until they were safely away from the prying eyes.

"Well, I guess that went alright," Izuku muttered as they made their way to the back exit of the building, a ride back home awaiting them outside. He glanced towards her as they walked, his lips curling downwards. "How are you feeling?

"I'm just glad it's over with." She groaned, remembering their staring eyes, rarely on her, but still expecting her to uphold a heroic image. "Though I hardly had to do much compared to you. I was starting to feel like I got Toru's invisibility.

He chuckled slightly at that. "I'm sorry about how that turned out. But you did really well when they did ask you a question! And at least we can be a bit more controlled with media appearances from here on out."

"Don't remind me that we'll have to do more of this," she said, giving him a playful bump with her shoulder. "I want at least a 48-hour grace period."

"We can check with our agents. It could be a little hard, though. It may not be possible to escape, with how everyone is going to react."

They stepped outside into the bright day, another swarm of cameras sounding in the distance, though the reporters were held back by a security line.

As they walked towards the sleek, dark vehicle that would carry them away, Izuku stepped in front of her. Under the bright sun, Ochako wondered if the cameras could see her walking in his shadow.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

People bathed the city streets in Ochako's favourite shade of green, her husband's face plastered everywhere she looked.

She smiled as she waited in an alley, looking out over a fairly empty sidewalk. Across from her, she could see a simple convenience store with multiple posters hanging in its windows, Deku's green costume prominent, striking a heroic pose for the camera. Such images spread like wildfire throughout the city - both because people wanted to show their appreciation and stores wanted to cash in.

It did her heart good to witness. Deku had no lack of admiration or respect, but she was glad to see the world truly did love him, just like she did. Even as he ascended to number one, there was always a small part of himself nagging, doubting, wondering if he could truly match All Might and inspire people as he did. The near-mourning the city was in over his impending retirement would hopefully disavow him of those lingering fears.

She felt a low buzz in her helmet, indicating it was time to get into action. She stepped forward, projecting loudly.

"Stand aside, everyone; clear the way! Please, stand away from the street; a runaway vehicle is coming this way!" she shouted, stepping onto the very edge of the barren sidewalk.

The few pedestrians in the area responded, moving away from the road, but stopping to gawk at the heroic work about to take place, a few phones coming out of pockets.

"Don't worry; everything is going to be okay!" she shouted, flashing a thumbs-up.

She glanced toward a corner in her heads-up display on her visor, where a low timer was ticking down.

Their estimated time of arrival was five seconds.

A dark van sped through the streets, approaching her, making its way to the end of the city through side roads in an erratic pattern. It carried three bank robbers, fresh off a heist.

Three.

The van blared its horn to get people out of the way. The vehicle was not losing any speed, ready to run anyone down if necessary.

One.

She stepped forward to tag the runaway vehicle with her Quirk, timing it precisely so she could step back and forth very casually, without any substantive risk other than sore fingertips. With her Quirk triggered, the van lost traction on the road, its occupants screaming as it floated upwards, losing speed as the air dragged onto it.

Uravity shot wires out of her two gauntlets, which automatically wrapped their way around the sky-bound vehicle. With a quick jerk, she ended its forward momentum, yanking the van back towards the earth.

She carefully guided the vehicle back towards her, pulling until it was just above the ground. She peeked into the window to see a driver wearing a dark mask shaking, and someone else on the passenger side passed out from the rough jerk of her maneuver.

"Surrender peacefully, and I won't send you flying again," Uravity shouted forcefully, body tense, ready to move if the perpetrators attempted to flee.

"I give, I give!" a deep voice sounded from the driver, hands going up on instinct. The car's wheels kept spinning fruitlessly, stuck in mid-air.

Uravity quickly tapped a button at the side of her ear, communicating with mission control. "Vehicle stopped. Need some support and medical; one of them might have a concussion."

"Police on their way. Nicely done as always, Uravity."

Backup arrived before long, quickly helping her apprehend the villains and secure the stolen goods.

By the time she finished, the area had already cleared, nobody around to cheer her on and appreciate the flawless takedown. That is the way it went sometimes. With so many heroes doing incredible feats every day, the little stuff could get lost beneath the cracks. Every hero she knew had gone through that at some point or another.

Still, the streets felt a little lonely as she walked around and continued her patrol, keeping an eye out, awaiting any word of someone in need. She went largely unnoticed as she made her way around, the very occasional greeting doing little to counter the strange sense of isolation.

These were the last days of Uravity, but that had changed nothing about the world.

"...Deku once again amazed us today by taking down another destructive villain at the north side of the city."

A small crowd had gathered outside an electronics store where televisions in the window were playing the news, framed by more Deku posters. It had become a widespread tactic; even non-electronics stores might stick televisions in their displays, airing whatever snippets of Deku coverage they could to attract people to glance at their wares.

She stopped to watch as her husband stared down a burly, oversized villain. The foe punched downwards, breaking the concrete, tearing off a large chunk of it with his bare hands and throwing it at the statuesque Deku.

The camera could not track what happened next; Deku vanished, there was a blur, and the villain was face down in the ground, completely incapacitated. Deku stood victorious above him.

"He's so cool!" A small child in the crowd next to her shouted, jumping up and down.

"It's a real shame he's retiring so soon. What are we going to do without him?" A senior said from the back, shaking his head, frowning.

"He was the best hero there ever was. Even greater than All Might, I think."

"He's gonna go down in history!"

"I'm just glad no one was hurt," Deku's voice said suddenly, his face centred in the frame, a pleasant smile etched upon it. "It was a good group effort to keep the damage contained."

"Any words for your adoring fans upset about your retirement?" a reporter's voice asked.

"I've been touched by all the well-wishers lately," Deku replied calmly, scratching at his head. "But, I promise you'll all be in good hands!"

"Well, there you have it. The world's greatest hero still saving lives in his final days. Truly, we are watching the end of a legend. Back to you."

Uravity walked away as the crowd cheered, eating it up. She smiled wistfully, her own heart soaring at seeing her hero do so well and be so beloved.

Yes, soon they would reach the end of his legend. The name she had helped give him would be retired and move to the pages of the history books while they lived out their days in peace, hopefully. They would tell his story, and she was thankful for it. He deserved it.

She continued to walk, a ghost in the streets as people's attention focused on their descending idol.

Nobody would care much as she ended her hero days. That was fine. She had done everything she wanted to as a hero. She could be content. Her story would stay with her family and friends. She could be okay with that.

Couldn't she?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AN: Written for the IzuOcha Discord Server Big Bang Event. Prompt: "Thank you for always saving me!" Thank you very much to Mal for editing this and for Xylveon for the incredible artwork provided for the fic. You can find it at https://twitter.com/Xylveon700/status/1294469669361840129,  Please leave a like and/or reblog if you enjoyed it ! ^_^

#izuocha #my hero academia #fanfiction #shipping #midoriya izuku #ochako uraraka #IzuOcha Temple 3rd Anniversary Big Bang #Angst #fluff #romance #It's about Oldchako you can't take that pun away from me #hope you like <3

[airquietworks]

Moving In, Moving On, Moving Up

Summary: For Izuku Midoriya, moving in together with Ochako seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.

But advancing to the next phase of his life - and saying farewell to everything that came before - was far more heart wrenching and confusing than he imagined.

Thankfully, he has just the right person to give him a lift.

Keep reading

#my hero academia #IzuOcha #fanfiction #one-shot #Izuku Midoriya #Ochako Uraraka #Romance #Shipping #Angst #introspection #character study #fluff #so much fluff #enough fluff to reach the heavens #manga spoilers #self reblog

[airquietworks]

Moving In, Moving On, Moving Up

Summary: For Izuku Midoriya, moving in together with Ochako seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.

But advancing to the next phase of his life - and saying farewell to everything that came before - was far more heart wrenching and confusing than he imagined.

Thankfully, he has just the right person to give him a lift.

_________________________________________________________

Izuku Midoriya had faced many challenges in his life. He competed at an extraordinarily difficult school, fought deadly villains, and even survived the many humiliations of dating.

But as he stared between the piles of boxes in the back of the truck and the massive, gray, 20-storey apartment building behind him, he knew nothing had prepared him for this.

Moving day, under a scorching summer sun. Quite possibly one of the greatest foes he had ever faced.

“This is really, really…” the energetic voice of his partner in life, love and heroics sounded from behind him. “Really a lot.”

Despite the daunting task, he couldn’t help but smile at Ochako Uraraka’s surly expression. It was strangely adorable, her rosy cheeks puffing out in a small pout.

“It didn’t look like it would be so bad when we were loading this up,” Izuku observed, before staring back up at the place that would be their home. “But now…”

“This is what we get for wanting a view,” she grumbled, stepping forward to grab onto a box. She scrunched her face up before donning a mask of determination, her eyes burning with sudden intensity. “Alright, let’s do it!”

Izuku grinned, her psyched-up energy infectious. “Right!”

With that, the two began the arduous journey of bringing each of their belongings into their apartment at the top floor of the building. Between their two Quirks, they thought better than to spend on movers. It was not the most glamorous home out there, but though they had started earning some money from internships, they wanted to keep things modest.

After a non-eventful elevator ride for their first run, they found themselves in front of their apartment, blocked by a plain, wooden door. Izuku stepped forward, wrestling the key from his pocket while holding a pair of boxes in one arm.

“We’re really here, huh?” Ochako said as he twisted the key, unlocking the door. “Our first day in our new home.”

“Hard to believe it,” he replied, his hand freezing on the door handle. They had already scoped the place out long before this, but stepping into it now seemed far more monumental.

This was his home now. Not his mother’s apartment. Not U.A High School. Those tearful goodbyes were behind him now. This is where he would try to become a real, professional hero.

He suddenly felt a warm hand over his frozen one.

“Together then,” Ochako suggested brightly, spurring him forward.

Izuku nodded, smiling back, snapped from his thoughts. He always appreciated her little pushes when he needed them. “Together.”

They twisted the handle and crossed the threshold to their new lives side-by-side.

Despite some anxiety, Izuku still felt blessed to be moving in with the love of his life. After everything they had endured, he knew it was right to take this step. The thought of getting to be with her was what had given him the strength to make those farewells in the first place.

Besides being on the top floor, their new apartment was humble. A small, open kitchen area overlooked their shared living space, which led out onto a large balcony. A side hall extended out into a basic washroom and two bedrooms. For now, it was an open and empty space, plain as could be. But that would quickly change throughout the day, as the heroes made their mark.

They both stepped forward at the same time, bumping their boxes into one another. Izuku laughed nervously, Ochako joining him after an awkward beat.

“After you,” he suggested, shifting out of the way.

She gave him a smile and a nod before taking a step, the sound ringing around the empty space. “Thanks. Going to be tricky moving stuff in this tight space.”“Yeah. It’s a little small.” Izuku let the word hang in the air. His mind whirred and he suddenly became nervous, wondering if the honest descriptor might offend. “But small is good! It’s cozy. Intimate, even. I love intimate!”

He realized the implications of the phrasing as soon as the rambling words left his mouth. He blushed and sputtered, trying to find something to say to regain his composure. He saw Ochako paused at his words, her cheeks also getting a bit pinker, as she turned to him with raised eyebrows.“Can we just forget I said that?” Izuku pleaded, smashing his face onto the top of his boxes. They were very close, but innuendo usually still tripped them up.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” she responded with a bit too much energy, sprinting forward to deposit her boxes in their future bedroom.

With a relieved sigh, Izuku walked forward, shaking his head, trying to calm his frayed nerves. What exactly was his malfunction? Why was he so tense?

Eager to distract himself and calm down, he stared grimly at the boxes in his hands and put all of his focus towards the task of moving.

It was not a simple process. Although he had super strength and she could make things weightless, the sheer volume of items and furniture to bring in was time-consuming. They frequently bumped awkwardly into one another or other people passing by. The summer heat did not help, and they quickly built up a sweat.

Stopping only for a hearty lunch of parent-made bento boxes (which they both shed a few tears over), they worked throughout the entirety of the day to get their belongings inside. They finally got started on unpacking in the early evening, slowly filling the empty rooms with pieces of themselves.

Izuku found himself pulling out a box of framed photographs in their shared bedroom. He was eager to place them somewhere before anything else; they were such a comfort to him as his school days became more difficult, and he felt he needed them now. The world might be hurtling ever forward, but he could take some solace in the preserved moments of the past.

He pulled out one picture featuring their whole class, gathered outside their dorm, beaming towards the camera, their faces filled with joy. It was a lot sillier than the formal class photograph they had taken earlier that day. This was a keepsake for all of them to remember each other by. He smiled down at the photo, fondly recalling the laughter-filled days living at those dorms, where he found the friendship he sorely missed growing up.

Placing it on a bedside table, he pulled out a completely different image of him and Ochako, pressed together with their faces glowing, dressed up in fancy outfits, wearing identical blushes. U.A. had mixed things up with a formal event in their third year. It was a fun evening, even if he was a bit clumsy when it came to dancing and ended up stepping on Ochako’s feet. Mina had forced them to take a photo together, and though it had felt awkward at the time, he had come to treasure it.

He still wondered how he had been so fortunate to find his relationship with Ochako. After mutual confession in their third year, their romance had been a breathtaking, chaotic whirlwind. Despite all the hardships they had to endure, they had lived to get to the other side of it, hand-in-hand.

The next photo he pulled out surprised him. He did not remember putting it in a frame, but it was certainly a treasured image. All Might, haggard as ever, beaming towards the camera. Embracing him, dressed up in cap and gown, as he held up his diploma proudly in his scarred hands. Tears flowed freely from both their eyes, the happiness of reaching that point overwhelming them, transforming them into blubbering messes.

It had been the last time he had seen his hero, mentor and father figure in person. They had talked it out, hugged and enjoyed their last hours together. Then All Might pushed Izuku out into the world to face it alone.

“You okay, Izuku? Oh, I love that photo!” The picture’s photographer came up behind him, resting her head over his shoulder. “I don’t remember seeing this in your room before.”

Izuku blinked, suddenly realizing his eyes were watering. He let out a breathy chuckle, rubbing a hand across his leaking eyelids. “Mom must have snuck it in.”“Aww, that’s sweet,” Ochako cooed, giving him a quick squeeze from the side before stepping back. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m okay,” Izuku sniffled, shaking his head to dispel the strange feeling of loss rolling around inside him. “Got a lot to unpack.”He noticed Ochako frown for a moment before she stepped away, turning her back to him. “Well, alright, if you say so. I’m going to go grab a drink. It’s way too hot. Let me know if you need a hand with anything in here.”

Izuku felt a sudden surge of affection towards his partner giving him some space. He was normally happy to be open with her, but he could not even process his feelings for himself.

He looked around their room, still empty except for the furniture. Eventually, the walls would be plastered with decoration. But for the first time, he knew his bedroom would not feature the visage of All Might at every corner.

Izuku pulled at his chin, pondering the situation. When he thought about it, it was the first time All Might would not be watching over him - not as a symbol, not as a hero, and not as a mentor.

Now, Deku walked alone, ready to begin carving out his own path as a professional.

He sighed, feeling the overbearing heat Ochako mentioned. Suddenly needing to cool down, he trudged out of the room, leaving the memories stowed away.

Izuku returned to their living area. He noticed Ochako was leaning back against the counter in the kitchen, her eyebrows furrowed, looking deep in contemplation as she idly ran her thumb along her phone’s screen.

Figuring it alright to leave her to her own devices, he headed out toward the balcony, eager to get some fresh air and time to collect his thoughts.

He took a deep breath as he walked outside, immediately leaning against the railing, feeling relieved as the breeze brushed across his forehead. The sight of Tokyo down below had been a big draw for them when they chose to live here. He appreciated the sights of the urban sprawl beneath him, with its bustling streets and impressive buildings. But the sweltering rays of the sun made the city of his destiny far hazier than he had pictured. After everything, he was finally here. A hero turning pro. Out in the world in Japan’s largest city, the centre of the action. The day was bright. The future should be even brighter.

But as he considered all the people below, that anxious, nagging part of his mind chimed in again. Millions were down there, counting on heroes like him. He would have to help them, working harder than he ever had before. This was it. No more time, no more tests, no more room for mistakes. No All Might over his shoulder, his mentor now ready to let him fly under his own strength. Now, he had to try and be the Symbol of Peace on his own. This was the real world. Everything here counted.

The moment engulfed his entire being, his mind getting lost in storming clouds, making it hard to keep calm. He stood on the edge of the world and his destiny. He knew he would need to plunge forward, but taking that step seemed all the more daunting.

“Oh, there you are,” a warm voice said from behind him. “Admiring the view?”

In a heartbeat, the spell ended, and Izuku found himself back in the present moment. He was merely a man standing on a balcony, with company approaching.

He did his best to push his melancholy aside and remain unphased by the intrusion. He knew he needed to just enjoy the present and not get too lost in spiralling thoughts.

“Yeah, definitely. The best part of the place,” Izuku replied quickly, eyes still staring forward as Ochako slid up next to him. He glanced at her, suddenly feeling smitten as he watched how the wind played with the bangs of her hair.

“It is really nice. But it’s still too hot,” she complained, wiping sweat from her brow. “I didn’t think this is what people meant by housewarming.”

Izuku could not help but guffaw at the lame gag which came so suddenly, and she soon joined him. He felt relief, pushing himself fully into the mirth, trying to let it blow the clouds in his mind away. “Well,” he began after a moment. “What did that article about our class say last week? That we were the ‘hottest new heroes around?’”

“We’re a couple of trailblazers, after all,” she replied with a grin, facing him.

“What’s the word they used for you? ‘Hot-blooded?’”

“Well, they called you a ‘blazing meteor.’”

Izuku paused, face scrunching in thought. “Okay, I think I’m out of puns.”

“I wish the writers had been,” Ochako muttered with a laugh, shaking her head and turning back to the gorgeous skyline.

The conversation fell away for a moment and content silence came upon them. Izuku watched her movements, curious, fascinated to see her thinking. She always could find a way to surprise him, and it made her one of his favourite people to study.

“What’s been bothering you today, Izuku?”

The tone in her voice was gentle, but he felt the energy between them shift, the easygoing mirth dissipating as quickly as it came. He groaned, realizing how silly it was to think he could hide anything from her.

“That noticeable, huh?”

“Well, you’ve always worn your heart on your sleeve. It’s not hard to tell.” He sighed, peering out over the edge of the railing to the streets directly below. “I guess it’s just weird, being here, you know? After all that time, all that work, to finally be moving and going pro, it’s just … a lot to take in.”

“I know what you mean,” Ochako nodded. She leaned her cheek into her hand, staring out. “This is really it. Things certainly didn’t happen the way I imagined them.”

“Me too,” Izuku muttered, looking towards the clear sky and picturing his idol. “All Might was always a solitary pillar of hope. I wanted to be just like him. Now, I’ll have to prove I can be.”

Ochako went quiet at that. She buried herself further into her arm, putting more of her weight over the railing. She murmured something unintelligible in her sleeve before poking her head back out.

“Are you…are you worried?”

Izuku frowned at that, his heart rattling in his chest in answer. He nodded. “I want to do everything I can to live up to him. I guess a part of me is still wondering if I can do it. Wondering how well I’ll do now that I won’t be seeing him often.”

From the side of his vision, he saw her head rise, her focus now intently on him.

“Do you want to know what I think?”

It was a simple enough question to answer. “Always.”

“That you’re going to do great tomorrow, Deku, and every day after that. Because you’re you. You’ve got this.”

“Ochako…” he felt his cheeks flush at the unabashed praise. They were never shy about giving that to one another, but he still felt bashful when he was on the receiving end.

“It’s okay that you’re feeling a little nervous now.” She stood up straighter, facing him head-on, a beautiful fire igniting in her eyes. “But I know the second you’re out there and someone needs your help, you’ll act without thinking. That’s just who you are. That’s Deku. Whatever you’re up against, I know you’ll win in the end.”

“I…thank you,” he whispered, his eyes starting to water again under her verbal onslaught. He wished he could convey his appreciation better, somehow.

“You know why I wanted to change that name for you, right?”

Izuku froze at the sudden question. It had been such a meaningful point in his life, but they had not talked much about her inadvertently giving him his hero name. It had helped create a powerful bond between them, that did not require words.

His mind flew back to them as school kids; naive, innocent, full of belief. So much had changed since then, yet Deku remained.

“I gave you that name because I thought you needed it. Because you couldn’t see yourself clearly. You couldn’t see how bright you shone, even back then.”Ochako stroked his cheek, holding him in her palm. He leaned in, his skin tingling at the contact, a pleasant chill making his way down his spine. He watched as her hand wandered down, over his shoulder, his chest and then right over his beating heart. “I’ll be there to remind you of that. Every day we’re here together. Every day of my life, if I have to. That you’re Deku. That you are the world’s greatest hero.” Her smile up at him was positively radiant. “And that you can do it.”

Izuku’s body moved on instinct, hugging her to him as he cried, trying to convey his appreciation with actions after she had taken his breath away. She chuckled beneath him, but melted within the embrace, sighing happily.

He realized despite all the fears that came with great change, he would make it through. Even if he no longer had All Might, his other teachers or the rest of their class with him on a daily basis.

Because he still had a guiding star, brighter than any other in the sky. He would grow and learn from her, as he had since the day they met.

The future was a scary thing. But knowing his hero would be there for him made it seem far less intimidating.

“And, you know, if you wanted to…to be more like All Might, I get it. Maybe we could try and keep some distance out there.”

Izuku’s eyes flew open at her words, his mind utterly befuddled by the shifting rack of the conversation. “What?”

“Well, we don’t have to tell people we’re a couple or we’re living together. We’re not working at the same agencies, either. We could make sure to hide our relationship if it would make you more comfortable. If you still wanted to stand more on your own like All Might, we could-”

“Ochako.” He stopped her by disengaging, holding her at arm’s length, looking at her downcast gaze. He saw now how his anxieties had spurred some of her own, her old nerves about their relationship coming to the forefront. But she pushed them aside to try and help him. It was so sweet and kind, but he hoped she could be more open with him in time.

“We’ve talked about this. I’m not having second thoughts about moving in together or being by your side.” He stared deeply into her eyes, imploring her to heed him. “My dream to help people, to be a pillar of hope, to become the world’s greatest hero - I want to do all of that with you. I never would have made it this far without your help. And I don’t know how far I’ll make it from this point without you.”

“Izuku…” she gulped, her mouth trembling, her eyes shining brilliantly beneath the setting sun.

“We’re going to help the world. Bring smiles to people’s faces, right?” It was a dream they shared and had discussed so often, it had become deeply ingrained in their memory.

“Rescue people,” Ochako continued, getting back into the spirit of it. “Including reckless heroes who need saving.”

Izuku chuckled, scratching at the back of his head at the pointed statement. “We have to inspire the next generation, too.”

“And make lots of money so our parents never have to worry again!” Ochako exclaimed, bouncing on her feet, never losing sight of her original motivation for heroics.

“And we’re going to do it….” Izuku continued, extending his fist toward her.

“Together!” she finished the pronouncement, bumping his fist into his with a flourish. They were friends, lovers, and most importantly, partners. They were Deku and Uravity, an unstoppable, unbreakable duo. They could both lapse in remembering that sometimes, but always found kind ways to remind one another.

“Now, I guess we should get back to unpacking,” Izuku suggested, before wiping the moisture from his brow. The intensity of the conversation, though fairly brief, was enough for him to work up an even heavier sweat. “I wish it hadn’t been quite so warm today.”

“I’d just rather cool down after all that,” Ochako grumbled, sticking her head out over the balcony again to absorb more of the breeze. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the cool brush of the wind. They flew open suddenly, a wide smile lighting up her face, instantly capturing Izuku’s attention. “I have an idea.”

“Oh?” he perked up an eyebrow, listening intently. Her bursts of inspiration were always fascinating.

Without a word, she gently tapped herself in a practiced motion, before leaping over the edge of the balcony with ease thanks to her newfound weightlessness.

“Ochako?!” he cried out.

She responded with loud laughter, grasping to the railing from the other side and sticking the rest of her body outward, her hair blowing haplessly around her. “That’s way better! Come on Deku!”

She extended a hand out to him, her padded fingertips calling to him. A gateway to freedom and escape.

“I don’t know…” Izuku muttered, his eyes reflexively darting across the horizon - only lingering a moment to appreciate how brightly she shone. “What if someone sees us?”

“We’re on the top floor,” Ochako noted, staring up at the open path to the sky. “We’ll get high enough to avoid that. Come on, it’ll be fine. Just for a little while?”

It was difficult to resist her beckoning grin. He was reminded of how often she had pulled him forward, helping him break out of his social shell as one of his first true friends.

“Alright, you win.” Izuku grabbed her hand, letting her trigger her Quirk, delighting in the exuberance of her victorious cry. She pulled him over the ledge and kicked their weightless selves off, letting the rush of the wind surround them.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as the air brushed over his warm skin, instantly soothing it. The skyline below was even more beautiful as they began to rise higher, giving a better view of the sun starting to crest the horizon, bathing the cityscape in a pleasant orange glow.

“This is so much better.” Ochako giggled as she lifted the two of them towards the roof, giddy as the wind started to blow them about. As the breeze picked up, Izuku motioned for her to release him from weightlessness, triggering his own float Quirk to better stabilize them. His power was usually more draining than hers, but he wanted to be cautious and keep better control in the air.

But Ochako used it to her advantage, grabbing onto him tightly to anchor her weightless body, unabashed in pressing herself into him. She let out a shuddered breath, pushing her head onto his shoulder. Izuku responded in kind, holding her close, letting his eyes fall closed, content to float aimlessly. It felt wonderful to hold her.

Times like this were too rare. For just a moment, their worries about the world below faded away, and it was just them. Not Deku and Uravity. Izuku and Ochako. Two people in love.

Suddenly, he could feel her fingertips shove something deeply into his left ear, disrupting the tranquil moment. He opened his eyes quickly, startled by the intrusion. Her gaze was mirthful, a devious little grin plastered on her face. He noticed a long, white cord sticking between them, one end leading up into her right ear, the remainder plunging into the pocket of her jeans.

Then the music started.

The song was bubbly and up-tempo, some top pop number he had heard out on the streets patrolling a few times. Izuku blinked rapidly, his analytical mind short-circuiting as he struggled to put the pieces together.

“Dance with me?” Ochako asked, beaming up at him from beneath her eyelashes. She was irresistible.

He gulped, his heart beating fast, a powerful warmth overtaking his cheeks. In complete awe, he could only manage a question: “You planned this?”

“I thought it would be nice to do something memorable for the first night at our new home. Getting away from the heat was just an upside.” She spun herself around in the air in a show of flair, keeping within his arm’s reach. “And I realized we had never had much fun together in the sky like this.”

That was true enough. Floating was for travelling to scenes faster or getting an advantage over villains, not playtime. They had honed their Quirks to serve society; anything else was secondary.

But as the sun finally crested the horizon, bathing Ochako in a glorious, almost ethereal glow, Izuku realized he wanted this as much as she did.

Surprising his partner, he grabbed onto her hands, swinging her in close, enjoying the little squeak she let out at the movement.

“I’d love to,” he replied sincerely, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Thank you. This was a great idea.”

She twisted herself around, pressing her back against his chest, pushing them towards the building.

“I’m glad. I really didn’t know how well my plan would work,” she whispered honestly in his ear, voice faint amidst the wind. “Just remember to watch your step this time.”

Izuku chuckled, smiling from ear-to-ear. “At least it won’t hurt if I step on your feet up here.”

“You better not anyway!”

The two moved together in the darkening sky, their bodies flowing with the freedom of flight. They improvised their dance, lacking any cohesion, but so long as they could be close to one another, neither of them cared. Their worries seemed so far away now, the weight on their hearts lifted.

As night fell and they became bathed in the star’s light, they came even closer, locking themselves in an embrace. They twirled slowly together, the music getting replaced by each other’s breaths and heartbeats. Izuku was sure the starlit city was beautiful, but he had eyes only for her.

On top of the world, the heavens shining down on them, Izuku and Ochako found peace.

They both knew: when they returned to the earth, they would overcome, so long as they were together.

——————————————————————–

AN: Written for the IzuOcha Temple Discord Server Summer Writing Contest. Prompt: Keep Your Cool. Thank you to the organizers for putting this on and motivating me to write.

This one went through quite a lot of changes; it was 6,800 words at one point before an overhaul. I may have more to add to this later.

Sorry it has been a while since my last fic! Writing blocks abound these days.

But I hope you enjoyed this one! ^_^ Please leave a like and/or reblog if you did!

#my hero academia #IzuOcha #fanfiction #one-shot #Izuku Midoriya #Ochako Uraraka #romance #shipping #angst #introspection #character study #fluff #so much fluff #enough fluff to reach the heavens #manga spoilers

[airquietworks]

Farewell to a Rose (Steven Universe Oneshot)

Summary: Post-“I Am My Monster.” As Steven prepares to leave home and journey the country, he carefully plans his farewells. He knows it will be difficult, but he feels ready. But there is one goodbye that he especially fears. A goodbye that holds a special, dread-filled place in his heart. “Hi, Mom. We should talk.” 

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The door emblazoned with the Crystal Gems' signature star had never looked so terrifying.

The temple's door was menacing, towering above him, its ancient symbols foreboding. With the gems away, he knew what lay beyond would be lifeless. The only thing he would find would be painful reminders.

Once upon a time, Steven Universe would have done anything to go through those doors and uncover the temple's secrets. It held a powerful, siren-like mystique, reflective of his perspective on the Crystal Gems themselves. He wanted to enter their rooms, enter their world and be part of it.

It was strange, looking back, when he now felt a desperate urge to run far, far away. Soon, he would. But he had to take care of his affairs first.

A familiar, calloused hand squeezed his.

"You sure you're ready for this?"

He glanced sidelong towards his companion, his friend, his better half, his soulmate - words that had been tried but always seemed so inadequate for the depth of their bond. Connie's eyes bore intently into him, gauging him with concern. It was not an uncommon glance from her these past few months. He had made a reluctant peace with the need for it.

"I talked it over with my therapist. She thinks it should be okay."

"You keep saying that. But do you think it's okay, right now? You don't have to go through with this."

A part of him, growing more and more distressed by the moment, wanted to heed those words. To walk away with Connie and go do something fun. To just run, retreat and forget about this absurd idea.

To be content with what peace he had once found in the knowledge that he was not her. Of course, fleeing is exactly the kind of thing she would do.

"I have to do this." He stared forward, resolute, concentrating hard on making the door seem less frightening. "For me."

Connie squeezed his hand again, before letting go. She managed a small smile, but it did not quite reach her eyes. "Alright. Just keep in mind you can leave there at any time. And I'll be right here waiting when it's over."

He beamed back at her, feeling a powerful surge of affection rise through him, eternally grateful about the strange twists of fate that had brought her into his universe - and her insistence on staying there through it all. He reached out and grabbed her hand, leaning over to plant a quick peck on her cheek.

"Thanks, Connie," he said, voice steady, using his lightened heart to let go and plunge forward into Rose's room.

"...Don't mention it," he heard Connie reply lowly before the door to the outside world slammed shut behind him.

The bright, white and pink cloudscape of his mother's magical space never failed to take his breath away. At first glance, there was always something strangely calming about the endless expanse. It was not a forced sort of emotion, as he felt when Blue Diamond hit him with happy-filled clouds. It was a more natural reaction, like the sensation of coming home, into a space that belonged to you.

But as with all the things his mother left behind, there was more going on beneath the surface.

Steven took a deep breath. In. Out. He clasped his hands in front of him, finding some semblance of his centre to brace himself for the storm that would come.

He closed his eyes. Without a word, he summoned her.

The sound of the wooshing movement of the clouds was far too fast. A poof rang loudly in his ears, heralding the birth of the being from his mind's eye. The beginning of a difficult farewell.

Steven opened his eyes again to see the face he had been dreading. There she was, still tall and mighty as ever, but with a serene grace that could put people at ease. Her long, pink curls, her flowy, white dress, and her wide, calming smile combined to create what he still found to be an unparalleled picture of beauty.

He gulped, squinting his eyes. She was still hard to look at, but he had come too far to turn away now.

"Hi, Mom. We should talk."

Her gentle, happy expression did not shift in the slightest. "Of course, Steven. I would love to talk."

With a sigh, Steven stepped toward the image of his mother, who mirrored his footsteps. He stopped until they were a couple of feet apart, the wondrous warmth of her eyes more easily felt. He blushed under her gaze, before sitting down cross-legged, the softness of the clouds living up to metaphor.

Rose mimicked him again, shifting her form to sit across from him. She clasped her wide, gentle-looking hands before her, motioning her head slightly, asking him to speak.

Steven took in a deep breath. It was Rose who spoke first.

"Steven, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." The smile ran away from her face and her gaze faltered away from him. A deep frown, unlike any he had ever seen on her, blossomed upon her visage. Her hands shifted, fingers tapping along the folds of her dress. "I put you through so much because of what I did. I never meant for any of that, but I'm sorry."

"I knew you would be," Steven replied simply. He dug his fingers into his jeans but did his utmost to keep his face neutral. He did not know how long he would be able to keep this going. He feared what might happen if he released all of the emotions that were desperate to burst out of him at once.

Rose darted her eyes upwards, glancing at him for a moment, before turning away to stare out in the clouds. "You did so much better than anyone could expect. You've done so much more than I ever could have dreamed of. You...you took care of them, Steven. Better than I did."

She looked towards him again, the glowing smile returning to her face once more.

"I'm so proud of you."

Steven took a shuddery breath at those words, gulping back the difficult mixture of joy and sorrow they evoked.

"You know, once, I would have done anything to hear you say that." He watched as his mother leaned back slightly, neutral again, taking in every word he said intently. "I wanted so badly to live up to everything you were. To be strong like you, kind like you, to love like you. I was always chasing your legacy."

He reached over to lift his black undershirt, displaying the pink gem she bestowed to him. He noticed her eyebrows quirk up, her head tilting slightly as she copied him, shifting her own hands to rest closer to her uncovered gem.

"You gave me everything you were. It was a lot to live up to."

"I never wanted that. I just wanted you, to be you, Steven. I knew you'd be extraordinary and special no matter what you decided. I loved everything and anything you could be."

An unfortunate, prickly mist started to form in his eyes. He took another couple of breaths, trying to rein in the haywire emotions of his inner-child, that part of him that just wanted to leap into her arms and let her endlessly whisper such sweet compliments to him. He could see her smiling gently under his watery gaze, as sure a pillar as there ever was.

But he knew she would crumble.

"It didn't matter what you wanted," Steven murmured after a while. He rubbed a sleeve across his eyes, composing himself. He unchained another part of his feelings toward her. Dangerous as those feelings could be - had proven to be - he knew it was necessary.

He affixed with her a contemptuous glare, pouring his anger into his look, mind flashing to all the times he had been attacked for being part of her legacy. He watched as her eyes widened, her hands falling to her sides. She leaned back as if pushed by an invisible force.

"Everyone saw you in me, whether you wanted it or not. I couldn't choose to be your son. I had to live with your mistakes - and fix them because you chose not too."

"Steven, I-"

"But I thought I had gotten past that. That I finally understood that I wasn't you." He rose to his feet, the buried feelings forcing him to stand. The bright lights of the rooms faded, reading his mood, as dark clouds began to roll in. "After everything I saw, I didn't want to be like you anymore."

She stood up with him as the sky above started to drizzle. Her face lost any trace of its usual calm, her eyes lighting up in alarm, her mouth forming into a grimace that seemed wholly alien on her. Her hair started to shift upward, charged by some unseen energy, her curls losing their perfection.

"I never wanted you to be like me!" Rose shouted at him, her voice rising with the storm, her eyes darting to and fro with uncertainty at the shifting clouds around them. "I wanted you to be you. I wanted you to be something different."

Steven balled his hands into fists, His fingers punctured into the skin of his palms, stinging slightly, keeping him grounded in the moment. A bolt of lightning punctured through the room, bathing everything in a flash. The roaring boom of thunder that followed startled Rose, causing her to jump slightly.

The space had unravelled faster than he anticipated. He had less time for the nostalgic image of his mother than he realized.

He took one last glance at her face. He noticed tears starting to leak at her eyes, matching his own again, mixing with the rain splashing down on both of them. It was cold. She tried to give him a shaky smile, reaching a hand out halfheartedly, as if waiting for a command to rush over and comfort him.

Steven turned his back to her, unable to face the broken image any longer.

"But I wasn't over it. And then I started making so many mistakes, just like you did."

The ground shook beneath him. He looked down to see cracks forming beneath the surface, destabilizing the foundation of the room. Steven planted his feet more firmly into the floor, intent on not losing his footing. The rain poured harder, soaking him from head to toe, embedding a chill onto his skin.

"I did what I had to to be free."

He turned around to regard her once more. There she was, tall, thinly, wearing a regal pink gown with a strange, perfectly quaffed ball of hair atop her head. Pink Diamond.

Gone was any fleeting sense of warmth he could find from the image of Rose Quartz. All he could feel was an icy disdain when he looked at the person his mother - that he - once was. The rain splashed across her cheeks but did not sully her perfectly symmetrical face. She answered his glare, staring down at him from on high.

Before he knew what was happening, Steven could feel his rage at the figure erupt within him, unmitigated by any semblance of a child's love.

"You ran away from all your problems." He took a step forward, pointing a finger at her, the ground rumbling beneath his feet once more. Pink's face suddenly lost its composure, her eyes widening with fear as she stepped away from him. She cried out as she lost her footing, stumbling backwards, but managing to stop herself by kneeling.

"You turned yourself into someone else to get away from everything, and then did it again by having me!"

"No, Steven, that's not true!" Pink tried to retort, but stopped, her voice suddenly vanishing from her lips. Her image flickered for a moment, her head momentarily becoming that of Rose Quartz again, appearing unsettlingly pudgy atop Pink's body, an image out of a funhouse mirror.

"I told myself I wasn't like you. That I was something different. I wouldn't abandon anyone like you did." His hand flew to his face, squeezing as his tears flowed freely. He maintained his glare at her between the spaces of his fingers. A half-sob shuddered through him, the lightning booming in tune with his anguish. "But I ran away from my problems, just like you did. I hurt everyone around me - my family - by not facing my problems."

Her head shifted again, becoming Pink Diamond's once more.

"I didn't...I'm not…" she did not look directly at him as her mouth mumbled along haplessly. The rain started to sully her hair, causing it to sink under the weight of all the water, slowly stretching downward toward her shoulders. "I just wanted to protect Earth. To set gems free. To protect it from my family. They were going to destroy it. You understand that, don't you?"

"Oh, I understand the problems with your family. Our family. Which I had to deal with because you didn't!" He stomped on the ground, a crack forming beneath his foot. He glanced down to see some kind of endless, dark void beneath the opened gap in the floor, but he refused to let that stop him.

"Steven-" Pink started to say, pointing at the increasingly dangerous state of the room, eyes imploring him to halt.

He persisted.

"But what right do I have to get mad at you?! I kept secrets! I told lies! I shattered someone, which was what made me doubt you in the first place! I tried to kill the same person you fought a war against! I BECAME A MONSTER!"

He could feel his gem pulse painfully, an echo of the rampaging emotions that had led him down a dark path. But he did not turn pink, did not grow any bigger. Even as the thunder, lightning and rain raged all around them, the storm clouds slowly shrinking the infinite space, he felt more in control than he was back then. He would not lose himself.

"Steven…" it was Pink's face, but Rose's motherly voice emanated from it, filled with kindness. "None of that was-"

"No! I know what it was!" He balled his fists beside him, staring down at the cracked floor, the once pink surface drained of all its colour, replaced with the storm clouds ensnaring them.

"I BECAME EVERYTHING I HATE ABOUT YOU!"

His empowered shout rippled through the air, twisting the storm clouds around them. The ground gave way beneath them, splitting apart, forcing Steven to immediately jump to a more stable spot to avoid falling into the emptiness below. He suddenly felt a rush of wind around his ears and looked up, eyes widening as he saw the air rapidly twist around them, the clouds coalescing to create a vortex, bringing him and Pink closer together.

For a split second, Steven saw her. They were barely two feet apart now. He could see her quivering, her eyes leaking as many tears as his were, her head moving about rapidly to process everything happening. She wrapped her arms around herself, fingers clenched tightly.

She was as lost as he was.

The two were thrown upwards into the air, the winds too strong. They screamed in unison, twisting and turning, unable to find any sense of direction. He lost sight of her, tossed about, moving at speeds which made everything blur together. Steven tried to orient himself, the wind making it hard to open his eyes or get a sense of anything. He concentrated hard, his body clenching as he conjured a bubble to surround himself. It did not stop the disorienting spinning, but it allowed him to breathe a little easier and clear his head.

"Losing control, losing control...find yourself Steven…" he muttered, taking racing breaths, tears still streaming down his drenched face. "Easy...find your centre...it will pass...let it out...let it go…"

His mind momentarily clear, he focused all of himself to give a command to the room, shouting it out at the top of his lungs:

"STOP! RESET!"

As quickly as it came, the vortex disappeared. The storm was gone, replaced by the familiar array of pink and white clouds. The light shining from the sky had returned, giving the space its warm glow again.

Steven found himself falling rapidly - he had somehow ended up about 40 feet above the ground. He dissipated his bubble to activate his float powers and reached the surface with control, gently stepping onto it with his left foot forward. He was back where he had started again.

He let himself collapse to the floor completely, burying his face into his palms as another sob wracked through him. He let himself feel everything - the guilt, the anger, the sorrow, twisting around his insides.

No. He could not break down, not completely. He had to hold it in a little longer. He was not finished yet.

Steven clasped his hands together, finding his breath again. For a moment, he imagined all those negative emotions flying away from him. Just for a little while.

"Steven…" he heard her voice from behind him, tentative, unsure. Not the voice of the unshakeable leader who had led a rebellion. The voice of a lost soul. "You're not like me. You're you. You saved the universe. You did more than I ever could."

Steven stood up again, wiping his face with his sleeve. He adjusted his now haphazard pink jacket, making a half-hearted attempt to smooth himself out.

He turned to gaze upon his mother. She was Rose again, though unlike any Rose he had ever seen. Her hair was a complete rat's nest, the curls haphazard, ends sticking out everywhere. Her dress had various tears, as if sliced apart by unseen blades. Her face was stricken with raw grief, scrunched, tears falling down her plump cheeks. Her hands shook, unable to calm the swell of despair overtaking her.

"You put me on a pedestal. Just like everyone else. You're wrong," Steven replied. He settled himself across from her, watching her as she cried, her beautiful voice lost to ugly weeping. "But I get it now. I understand getting trapped by other people's expectations. You became everything to them. Nobody ever really got to see this side of you, did they?"

Rose did not look up to him, but she shook her head, her hair thrashing wildly about behind her.

"I...I couldn't. The Diamonds, they never understood. They would never listen to me. And the gems...I didn't mean for it to happen but they couldn't really understand, either. Everything just spiralled out of my control and I...I didn't know what to do. But I didn't want to hurt anyone more than I already had."

She stopped herself with a fresh round of tears. It hurt Steven a lot seeing her like that. Watching her acknowledge everything brought him no joy, as he had sometimes dreamed it would. He was left with a mixture of sympathy, pity, and love, but there was no pleasure to be extracted from this.

"I'm a fraud. A failure. I'm so, so sorry Steven."

"I think you would really say that. Eventually," he whispered to himself, low enough that she could not hear, though the room might hear it anyway.

He moved forward, taking slow steps towards her. He watched her, a broken figure, collapsed into herself, shattered apart.

Steven gently put his hand atop hers, squeezing. He was amazed by how soft and real it felt, so warm, and found himself yearning for his mother's touch again. She paused in her sobs, uncovering her eyes to look at him, squinting between the tears.

"Nobody was ever a Rose to you, were they?" He let the question hang in the air, watching intently as her eyes flew wide, her mouth hanging open loosely. "I was a lot luckier than you were. I guess I have you to thank for that. You left me in good hands."

"Steven...I-"

He interrupted her with a hug, grabbing onto her tightly, breathing her in the way he always longed to when he was young. He squeezed hard, trying to convey that desperate, childhood love he still had for her, at the end of it all. The love he still could not help but have for her even as the young man he had become.

"It's going to be okay," he said, softly stroking the tangles out of her long hair. "You did so, so much good, Mom. You saved this planet. Saved gems. I know how hard it was for you. It's okay."

He lost sight of her face, staring out into the pink of her frazzled curls. He felt her strong arms wrap around him. Her face found a nook in his shoulder, sending it awash in her misery. The force of her weeping ripped through her core, and into his smaller frame.

"This is...Steven I…" she whimpered, struggling to find the words. "This is supposed to be about you."

"Old habits die hard, I guess," he murmured in reply, rubbing comforting circles into her back. like his dad often would for him.

They held each other just like that for a while, their tears soaking into one another, their sorrowful hearts fusing, beating in unison. Through all his attempts, all his efforts to get closer to his mother, Steven realized this had been the most successful.

When he realized he was not his mother, but his mother was like him.

"I'm going to be leaving soon. I don't know when I'll be back," he murmured into her hair after a while, as the worst of her sobs subsided.

"I know," she replied, holding him more tightly. "You need to chart your own path into this wonderful world. I'm so happy you're doing this. I love the idea."

"I'm not sure if I'll even enter this place again, to be honest with you." He closed his eyes, breathing in her strong floral scent, far too reminiscent of her namesake. "It's hard."

"That's okay. I understand." She disentangled herself from him, Steven quickly missing the tranquil warmth of her embrace. She held his shoulders at arms' length, regarding him properly. Her hair was still dishevelled, and her face still drenched. But her serene smile had returned, offering a surprising amount of comfort. "You have your own life to live. You should be free, without being burdened by me."

His heart panged painfully at that, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through that feeling. "There's one more thing I wanted to do before I leave. One more gift I wanted to give you. A memory I want you to keep."

"Of course. Whatever you want."

Steven sighed, releasing himself from her hold entirely. He took a seat next to her, sitting cross-legged again. She smiled over at him, scooching over to push her side against his.

He gulped, focusing for a moment. With a poof, clouds formed into a small television and VCR, a replica of the ones in his room. The familiar sight of the waves appeared on the screen, the film choppy with a homemade charm.

He did not need the physical tape to play the video. He knew it by heart.

The temple. Cut. The beach again. Cut. His dad, dancing goofily across the screen. A peal of laughter from a woman off-camera.

"What are you doing?" the disembodied voice asked.

"I remember…" Rose whispered next to him, mirth in her tone. "It was so much fun to make this."

"It looked like it," Steven replied. Despite everything that happened, the video still brought him peace - and longing. "You two sounded like you were really in love."

"We were." Rose laughed as Greg strummed on his guitar with a pair of corny shades on, pointing outwards with determination. "I'm glad you could find love too, Steven."

Connie's face appeared in his mind, and he idly wondered how she was doing, waiting for him when this was over. It was nice to know there would be a light to guide him out of this. "Yeah."

"Isn't it remarkable Steven? This world is full of so many possibilities."

It was not just the screen speaking now. The woman next to him was, too, creating a strange harmony.

"Each living thing has an entire, unique experience. The sights they see, the sounds they hear. The lives they live are so complicated. And so simple."

The video paused for a moment. Steven sighed, leaning into his mother's shoulder, enjoying the remnants of her presence. "It meant the world to hear you talk to me for the first time. I thought I would have moved on now. But I can't. I still can't help but love you when I watch this."

The tape continued. The room joined it.

"Steven, we can't both exist."

"I know. You're gone now."

"I'm going to become half of you."

He rubbed at his gem. He sniffled. "Yeah."

"And I need you to know. That every moment, you love being yourself, that's me. Loving you and loving being you."

Steven whimpered, shutting his eyes under the strain. "It's hard, but I'll try to do it."

"Because you're going to be something extraordinary. You're going to be a human being."

"Yeah. I know." He spoke lowly now, far more quietly than any human ear could hear. "I can't ignore that part of me anymore."

"Take care of them, Steven."

He let out a shuddering breath, reaching out suddenly to grab his mother's soft hands. Rose turned to him, smiling, any trace of sadness now gone from her.

"I will."

As the video continued behind him, Rose and Greg leaning down to share a lover's kiss, Steven lifted himself in time with them. He pressed his lips upon his mother's cheek, her smile fading.

Steven leaned over to whisper into her ear, wrapping his arms around her at the same time.

"I forgive you."

He had wondered whether it was pointless to forgive a dead person. It would do no good for her. But as difficult as it was - as much as a huge part of him wanted to hang onto those bitter feelings for as long as he lived - he knew it would do him no good. It would take time. It would take longer than this. But he had to let those feelings go.

He did not know how to forgive himself for walking in some of her worst footsteps. But he hoped this would help.

Steven buried himself into her shoulder again. He felt the lifeless clouds morph and shift within his arms. He oscillated between holding nothing and everything, a painful reminder of the limitations of her room.

Finally, another pair of arms wrapped around him. They were pleasant, strong, warm as a day at the beach. Familiar, yet not overly so. Not too big, not too little, just right. Squeezing him as hard as he squeezed back.

Steven let out a wail when he realized. He rushed to disentangle himself, leaning back to regard the image the room had conjured.

There he was. Himself. Pink, glowing, beaming at the other half. His gem half had grown like he had, wearing the same clothes, growing the same height. There was none of the deformity from the mental breakdown. His other half was a proper echo, a perfect, pink reflection.

"Why…" Steven whispered, utterly befuddled, unable to look away. He could feel the stinging around his eyes, tired as they were from all the crying already. "Why did the room show me you? Did I...want that?"

His other half smiled at him. The voice that came out was bizarre, a mixture of his own, his mother's, and someone else he could not recognize. It was beautiful. It rang through the entirety of the space, stretching on into the infinite.

"Thank you."

The figure stepped forward, fading in tufts of cloud, just as it would have crashed into him.

Steven was alone again, the room as pure as when he first entered it. He stood up, stretching, his limbs suddenly feeling heavy with weariness. His mind struggled to process everything that unfolded.

He placed a hand to the star on his shirt, and the gem hidden beneath the cloth. He squeezed lightly, feeling the hard texture within the fat of his belly. His halves seamlessly attached.

With a smile, he summoned the exit to the room, the door to the temple appearing before him.

"Well...goodbye, then." He turned one last time to the place that was hers. Theirs. "Thanks for everything."

Steven blinked as he re-entered his home, his eyes struggling to adjust to the difference in light. He glanced out the window and realized nightfall had come; he must have been inside the room for a few hours. The space was practically empty. But sure as she said, Connie was there, sitting on the couch, eyes staring off into nothingness, lips pressed into clasped hands.

Her eyes rolled over toward him and she was pouncing before he could react.

"Steven!"

Connie's hands were on his arms quickly. She wrapped them carefully around him, pulling him back into reality. The now. The future.

"Are you okay? How did it go? What happened?" Connie bombarded him with the questions that had built up over the hours. Steven blinked, dumbfounded, suddenly unable to find words. "Sorry, I'm probably asking too much. Take your time, we can go sit-"

"Thanks, Connie," he finally managed, giving her a grin. "It went...it went well. I got to see her and talk to her and-"

His grief overcame him once more. In a rush, a sob stole away his words and his legs gave way under the weight of it all. As the world turned dark, his eyes no longer willing to see it, he could feel Connie pull him in tightly, anchoring him in place as they fell to the floor.

"You were really brave," she whispered gently as her fingers stroked his hair. "I'm here for you."

Steven let out all of his misery, knowing now how little good it would do to hide it. He wept for the loss of a mother he never knew, those old scars aching again. He wept for the mistakes they made and how he wished they were avoided. He wept in sweet relief, for the experience was over. He wept because he knew, when this was all over, he would be able to move on.

The future was bright.

________________________________________________________________

AN: I adored the SU finale. I cried a lot. But there was one missing farewell that I couldn't help but write.

I can understand why the Crewniverse didn't want to drudge up Rose too much after spending five seasons on her. But I couldn't help but want something a bit redemptive after the events of S5. She did a lot of terrible things, but she became a better person, too. Seeing Steven stumble so much in SU Future made me think of how those experiences might reconnect them.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave a like and a reblog if you did! ^_^

#Steven universe #Steven #Rose Quartz #Pink Diamond #fanfiction #one-shot #SU finale #Steven Universe Future #connie mahaswaren #connverse #angst #hurt and comfort #I am still a wreck after the ending #su spoilers

[airquietworks]

Farewell, Steven Universe

One of the greatest shows ever made. You will be missed. Also, Connie is best.

#steven universe #Steven universe finale #SU #Connie #connie maheswaran #But seriously she is #What am I going to do with myself now #su finale

[airquietworks]

How Izuku Learned to Stop Worrying and Enjoy Being in Love (IzuOcha Oneshot)

Summary: Izuku Midoriya is struggling in his newfound romance with Uraraka. He continues to stumble when he is with her as nerves get the best of him. He wonders how he can get better at love but the answers he's searching for are closer to his heart than he thinks.

Izuku Midoriya considered himself a man of many failings.

As he idly scrawled in a small pink notebook before class, he could not help but reflect on those inadequacies. He was not always as strong as he needed to be. He still struggled in a lot of social situations. He could lose control of himself when it came to his hero obsession.

But more than any of those, he hated that he had no idea how to be a good boyfriend.

It was not for a lack of trying. He had dedicated a lot of time studying the subject, dedicating the whole pink notebook to it. Every piece of advice that far too many people had bestowed upon him was carefully recorded, from strategic romantic lines to subtle romantic movements. It was all in the vain hope he could decipher the bizarre machinations - and palpitations - of his own heart.

And much more importantly, Uraraka's.

Izuku had few troubles facing down villains with lives on the line. But facing down the greatest woman he had ever met to woo her on a semi-regular basis was proving to be far more challenging than your average ne'er-do-well.

"Heya, Deku. Whatchya working on?"

"NOTHING, NOTHING DON'T LOOK!" the boy screeched as he leapt upward to stare into the person of his affections. Uraraka hovered over his desk, eyes left blinking at his sudden outburst.

His face burned; he would sooner face Todorki's flames than this kind of heat.

"Oh, okay then. That's fine," Uraraka replied with a tight-lipped smile, completely inscrutable.

"It's just...it's something particular and really rough and kind of private I'm sorry it's not you it's me and I really want to-"

"Good morning class. To your seats," Mr. Aizawa ordered loudly as he grumpily entered their homeroom. The students quickly acquiesced, Uraraka included, as she moved to take her desk near the back of Class 3-A.

"Talk after class," she whispered as she turned her back to him.

Izuku breathed a deep sigh, resisting the temptation to leap out of the room.

Boyfriend. Girlfriend. The words still felt strange bouncing around in his head. The past few weeks had been chaotic. Having Uraraka ask him out. Having an awkward but wondrous first date. Having a first, terrifying, glorious, first kiss. Carefully exchanging their first utterances of "I love you." Riding out the highs and lows of a hormone-driven storm, as young lovers did.

Neither of them had much experience but they worked it out, mostly.

But as fall gave way to the start of winter, the fires of their newfound romance were quickly extinguished under an avalanche of schoolwork and their own nerves. Their easygoing friendship of two years was now fraught with this new element hanging ominously over everything. It seemed their every interaction somehow ended up the same - him blurting out something stupid, or something else going terribly wrong before they both retreated to safer spaces.

He did not regret dating Uraraka - something he had not realized he really, really wanted. But it made everything between them a lot more difficult to manage.

They were burning, passionate people. They cared about one another. But so often, figuring out their relationship under the scope of romantic social conventions made their interactions more glacial than they had been in a long time.

A part of him longed for the more easygoing days. Surely, they could get back to that. Love should not be this hard - or frightening.

"Midoriya?"

Izuku snapped upwards to attention at his teacher's question. He stared straight ahead at Aizawa's unimpressed grimace. He must have zoned out harder than he thought.

He could hear a few giggles buzzing around his ears.

"Sorry, what was that?" Izuku asked quickly, hoping he could wing whatever response was necessary.

Aizawa gave him a tired sigh. "Keep your head out of the clouds and pay attention."

"Right, sorry sir!"

The giggles turned into full-blown laughter at his uncharacteristic spaciness. Izuku blushed deeply, thoroughly humiliated. He relished the chance to plunge his mind into class, something troubled heart.

He leaned on keeping his thoughts preoccupied the entire day, pointedly limiting his interactions with Uraraka until class let out. It was easy enough; their third-year schoolwork was no small task and necessitated the focus.

But the end of the day did arrive and with it came Uraraka marching over to his desk. Much as it was never an unpleasant sight - her lively gait was always a pleasure to watch - he had mixed feelings about the romantic maneuvering their talks now required.

"You seem really out of it today. Something the matter?" she asked, voice light but full of sincere concern. She was always looking out for him; he wished he could pay her back for that, somehow.

Despite bracing himself for conversation, he found himself wholly unprepared for the question. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess?"

Uraraka gazed intently at him, her usual bright smile absent from her face. She did not appear too convinced by him but mercifully let it slide. "Well, I can understand that. But I was wondering…" she trailed off, her eyes suddenly falling to the ground. "Maybe...we could study together later?"

He could see the rosier complexion on her face, something his surely matched. Once, that question would have been simple. A casual night between two friends. Now, the idea carried a lot more baggage - but a lot more promise, too. The promise of the things teenagers in love did.

How could he refuse?

"Sure!" Izuku replied, a little too loudly. He took a breath to try and steady himself, even as his shirt suddenly felt like it was choking him. "You could stop by my room...maybe around seven?"

Uraraka nodded with more vibrancy than he might have expected. "Alright, sounds good! See you later!"

Izuku watched as she rushed out of the room, clearly as eager to end the awkward exchange as much as he was.

"You two make me sick," Bakugo grumbled as he walked by Izuku's desk.

Izuku scrambled on instinct, readying himself for any further barbs. Most of their class was all-too-happy to see him and Uraraka get together after years of pining, but Bakugo had made no secret of his disgust for it.

"You need to get your head out of your ass," Bakugo murmured before walking angrily out of class.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, glad nothing worse came of it. Their relationship had cooled over the years, but he could never be certain about what might set the explosive boy off.

"How uncouth," Iida said from behind him. Izuku jumped slightly, startled. How had he missed his friend approaching? "Well, forget him. The pair of you seem to be getting along alright. Though admittedly, I'm not the most knowledgeable about this kind of thing."

Izuku stood up, relieved to get back to his dorms in search of respite. "Neither am I, to be honest."

"Well, I suppose experience is the best teacher," Iida mused as the two ventured out of class together. "But you two have been practically inseparable since we first got to U.A. You've always been there for one another and I have no doubt you'll work through your current tension."

"That obvious, huh?" Izuku replied, sighing. He did not fault Iida, but he could very much do without the rest of their class tirelessly watching their relationship.

But there was something to Iida's perspective. They had been in lockstep since before they even entered the building. The many times they teamed up and drove one another - the jitters of the heart were there, but it still felt so natural. Simple. He would forever look back at those days of friendship fondly.

Surely, that was a foundation for a relationship to last. He had jotted that down in his notebook, anyway.

"Pardon me, I don't mean to pry or anything. You two just stand out. And I do care about your well-being, after all." Iida bowed his head slightly in apology, formal as always. It was good to have a constant pillar like Iida. Unlike some things, their friendship had remained a steady constant.

"Don't worry about it," Izuku replied, laughing for the first time all day.

Izuku eventually arrived back at his room, gleefully getting into a comfier T-shirt and shorts. He jumped into his bed and breathed, basking in its softness. It was good to find peace after a difficult day.

With the distraction of school gone, his thoughts turned back to Uraraka, his heart skipping as her adorable face sprang back to his mind. He idly began to tidy up his room to prepare for their study session.

He had seen his fair share of depictions of love in the media, which often made it seem like the greatest joy imaginable. Which he had felt, certainly. But now, he couldn't help but think media undersold the anxiety, the nerves and the work it all involved.

Even in the act of cleaning his room, he found himself second-guessing himself. Should he put away more of his All Might figurines? Have a scented candle to provide a better atmosphere? Was now even the right time to be thinking of romantic gestures, or would she just focus on studying, given her drive?

"Get a grip, Izuku," he mumbled to himself, pulling at his chin. He really was too tense.

He settled on a more minimalist effort, clearing off his desk of memorabilia to give plenty of room for studying. They could leave it at that. Just another session, like the plenty they had before they were dating. No need to get stressed out.

The knocking on his door at 7 p.m. sharp seemed to pulse through his entire body. He sat still for a moment, a sudden onset of nerves freezing him in place.

Maybe a little reason to get stressed out.

With a breath to re-animate himself, he rushed over to the door, opening it widely to see his Uraraka standing there, beaming brightly with a stack of books. She wore a casual pink hoodie and a pair of jeans - nothing out of the ordinary and yet, still radiant.

"Heya Deku!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide and her cheeks looking exceptionally rosy. He blinked, finding it hard to look at her - not an infrequent occurrence. But there was something different about tonight. Her face looked...shinier, somehow.

"HiUraraka," he said quickly, gesturing for her to enter. "You look beautiful!"

The words stumbled out of his mouth without him thinking, and he immediately clamped it shut afterward.

Uraraka nearly stumbled into the room after the compliment, managing to save herself from falling by roughly sliding into the extra seat at his desk. "Thanks, Deku!" she said loudly with her hands balled in her lap. "You look hot!"

The statement hung in the space, quickly expanding to smother out any other sound they could have made. Deku could hear his own pulse ringing in his ears at the proclamation. His eyes bulged outward, but he dared not look directly at her.

She broke the suddenly frosty atmosphere first. "I mean, I mean because you're in a tight shirt! Wait, no, I mean, because you're wearing a shirt and I just noticed they started the heater in the building today and I just wondered if you were feeling - is it warm in here?" Uraraka suddenly pulled at the neck of her sweater, mouth moving more rapidly than he could ever recall.

Watching her murmur like he himself might, looking so flustered - by him, of all people - and feeling tension thick in the room, Izuku could not help it. He burst out laughing. It was ridiculous. He had a much better understanding of why all of this was so often a subject of comedy.

Mercifully, Uraraka joined, laughing with him, clearly relieved. The two dared a glance at one another, eyes full of mirth.

"We're hopeless at this, huh?" Izuku dared, smiling at her.

"Yeah, definitely," Uraraka replied, grinning back, rubbing at her brow. "Who would have thought dating would be so hard?"

"Both of us before we started, I think," Izuku said honestly, shifting to take a seat next to her. He opened his own workbooks, excited to get into the meat of their evening.

"True," Uraraka said with a sigh, shaking her head. "Still, I somehow didn't think it would be this difficult."

"Sorry that this hasn't been my strong suit." He did sincerely wish he could do this better. Be suave or whatever it was. She deserved it.

"Me too," Uraraka responded, giving him a smile that somehow made it all worthwhile. "Shall we get started?"

The two got into their homework in earnest - English, math and finally heroics law. Things fell into a more casual routine, each of them falling back to the patterns they would have as friends. It was nice. Cozy. Comfortable, like crawling under the covers on a cold day.

But Izuku found himself watching Uraraka more intently tonight than he might have before they started going out. He could not help but admire when her face got scrunched up at a difficult question. Or when it morphed into a glorious smile when she gained some new understanding. Or how intense she could get when she focused in on something, so determined and driven in a way he always admired.

He noticed other things, too. Like how soft her hair looked. Her cute, pink cheeks. Her skin, which looked strangely, especially vibrant today. It shined more than usual, which was saying something.

It clicked for him suddenly. He blushed and turned his eyes to his notebook, not bold enough to ask the question directly to her face.

"Are you...wearing makeup tonight?" Izuku inquired, breaking their silence.

He heard Uraraka shift but did not dare to look over.

"Err...yeah. You noticed?"

"Yeah…" Izuku responded, feet tensing beneath his chair. "...It looks good."

There was another awkward moment of noiselessness. Izuku stared intently at his textbook, eyes listlessly reading over some obscure law like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He prayed the compliment landed safely.

"...Thanks," she responded quietly, not saying anything more. Izuku dared not glance over to her.

The two worked for a little while longer, falling back into their routine. They eventually decided on a five-minute break, using it as a reprieve to dissipate the tension stored up in their bodies.

Despite everything, they had once again fallen into a comfortable companionship - until Uraraka broke the spell by reaching out for his hand.

It was far from the first time they had held hands, but it never failed to send a pleasant shock up his arm. Her hand was callused, worn as his was from many hours of training. Yet it still always felt pleasant to his touch and he was eager to grasp it.

He glanced up at her as she squeezed her hand in his, carefully keeping her pinky separated to stop her quirk from activating. She was beaming up at him from beneath her eyelashes, eyes warm as ever. He gulped, his free hand starting to quiver as he lost himself in the wonder of the moment.

She inclined her head ever so slightly, but he did not move. He was frozen still, enraptured, unable to think of anything beyond the feeling of her hand and the light upon her face.

He tried to snap himself back to reality. He should say something. Probably. This was a good time for a romantic line. He just had to wing it.

"You're-"

"Deku, I-"

The two were in-synch enough to speak in unison. But Izuku still felt it just added to the increasingly tense moment.

"You want to go first?" Izuku suggested, forcing himself to smile best he could despite his nerves.

Uraraka's face fell under the shadows of her locks. "No...well, sure, I guess. I just...I don't know. Maybe the moment's lost if that makes sense?"

It did but it did not make Izuku happy. How had he lost a moment so quickly, when he was barely cognizant of it even starting? It was frustrating.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Izuku responded, sighing mournfully. He let go of her hand, reaching out to rub at his temple. "It was a lot easier talking when we were just friends."

He did not think much of the question. They were open enough about some of the hiccups of romance. They trusted each other to talk through it.

But the statement carried more weight than he had imagined.

"Should we...should we just go back to that?"

Izuku let his hand fall to the side and sat up straighter, shocked into alertness by the sudden question. He looked at Uraraka, who was staring away from him, biting her lip.

A chill settled over him, the teasing embers of their teenage love suddenly seeming a distant memory.

"I...um…" he stammered, throat suddenly feeling clogged. His mind whirred, trying to find a suitable answer. "Why do you ask?"

He internally chided himself on the deflection. But he had no idea how to respond. Despite all the awkwardness, the moments of romance they had shared were blissful. He had never even thought about turning away from it all, so soon after starting to experiment with it.

Or had he? Why had he even suggested being friends was easier?

"It's just... you're right. It has gotten harder," Uraraka murmured, staring forlornly over her work. "I was worried before we started going out. I was worried about what it might do to our friendship or whether it would just distract us. And I can't help but feel like it has."

Izuku's mind flashed to that morning when his head got fogged up overthinking about her. She had a point.

He could feel it. A wall of ice, slowly coming between them, each of them burning up on either side of it. Maybe they could break their way through together but that appeared an increasingly monumental task. Especially when his own speech was so artless, with all the grace of an iceberg.

He could remember the days when such barriers seemed smaller. He had to admit that a part of him wanted to go back to that.

But other memories flooded into his mind too. Walking with her, hand-in-hand, after class. Laughing with her on their first date. The scorching heat of their first kiss. Even tonight, watching her, noticing things he realized he never properly appreciated.

"I...I didn't mean anything by it," he stated carefully. As soon as the words left his mouth, it sounded lame, even to him. Why could he not say the right thing? "I still like being with you like this."

"I do too," she responded quickly, looking up at him, a deep frown etched into her face. He hated seeing that on her. "I like it too. It hasn't been bad or anything. I just worry you know?"

"I get it," Izuku replied, reaching out to clasp both her hands, nerves dissipating in a bid to hang onto what they were starting together.

But the contact was fleeting. She gave a quick squeeze but withdrew quickly, eyes glancing to the side.

"Sorry. I was probably just being silly."

"You weren't," Izuku insisted. "I know it's been hard. And I know I've been getting distracted lately. But we can keep trying to get better at this, can't we?"

Uraraka nodded in response. "We always have, right? Still driving each other to improve."

The pair shared a strained laugh at that. It was strange, framing romance like heroics when the two things appeared worlds apart. But both took passion and work ethic. That was something they each had plenty of.

But the peace they returned to was poisonous. His mind wandered into more doubt as he mulled their frosty relations. He wanted to put his all into their romance but he wondered if they really had it in them, especially given the strains they were under as heroes-in-training.

The two exchanged only the lightest of pleasantries, any lingering trace of fleeting romance thoroughly doused by their talk.

"...I think maybe I should get going back. I've been missing out on sleep, so I want to turn it in early," Uraraka said suddenly, stretching out to depart.

It was a full hour sooner than she might normally go on a study night. But Izuku could not blame her for being eager to get away from him.

"Oh, alright. See you...around?" Izuku wished he could have set a date with more confidence, but work-studies and training would keep them busy. Nights like this were fleeting. He wished he had not wasted it.

"Yeah, sure. We'll figure something out," she replied sincerely, with a smile. Without any fanfare, she walked out of the room, waving before shutting the door. "Good night!"

"Good night," Izuku responded, the light slamming of the door rudely banging against his eardrums. He waited a few seconds before letting his head fall to his desk, burying it in his notebook. He gazed into the seemingly endless expanse of white emptiness.

Haywire emotions clashed within him, keeping him locked a strange stillness. Frustration at the icy state of his first love. Anger at his own ineptitude. Anxiety over the endless uncertainties love brought with it, something no amount of effort seemed to help him figure out.

He had messed up somehow. He knew that. He had spoken unthinkingly and he was paying the price.

Izuku set his face into a hard line. His mind conjured up the images that were plaguing him more and more - the two of them, easygoing, meeting up after school, working together at the sports festival, training together in their first year. The nostalgia tasted sweet, his heart eagerly basking in the rays from the suns long set.

But those days were gone now. He had to move on if he wanted to experience what lay within love's confounding mysteries. He might not know what would happen but he would have to trust himself.

More importantly, he needed to trust her. It was Uraraka, after all. She had never let him down.

With a groan, he got out his little pink notebook. He would need to think up an apology - the perfect one. Get a plan ready and act quickly. He would rehearse it, to ensure he avoided shoving his foot in his mouth again.

"This is going to go perfectly," he murmured to himself, before submerging himself in his studies.

Despite his oft-messy exterior, Izuku could operate as efficiently as a well-oiled machine when he put his mind to it.

Today, he went into overdrive. He woke up a half-hour early to put some extra effort into his appearance, combing the messier strands of his hair and ensuring his uniform was neat.

He practiced words to her, mumbling up a storm as he went about the rest of his morning ritual.

He adjusted his green winter coat in the mirror carefully, trying to ensure he did not look weird. Uraraka may not care that much about his appearance - he doubted she would be dating him if she did - but it couldn't hurt to be as proper as possible. More than a few people had given him that advice, anyway.

Satisfied enough, Izuku ran out the door, deftly avoiding a few of his classmates to make it out. A rare snowstorm had hit the area hard last night, leaving the ground coated in a garish mixture of snow, slush and ice. It was early enough that the walkways were still covered.

It was not exactly a picturesque scene, but it would do well enough. Speed was important here. He did not want their terrible conversation from the previous night to fester. Best to face it head-on, like he would a villain.

As he expected, Uraraka was the next person to come through the doors. He knew she had pushed herself to become one of the earlier risers in her class. He had timed his own exit from the dorms accordingly.

Once again, she took his breath away. Dressed in a brown coat and an adorable pink hat and mittens, it seems strange to him how effortlessly she shone. He blinked, as stricken as the first time he laid eyes on her.

"Oh, hey Deku!" she said with her carefree bubbliness, flashing him a smile, seemingly untroubled by the events of the previous night. "Didn't think I'd see you here!"

He gulped, struggling to think with how smitten he was with her. But he had practiced more for this - to avoid his heart tying his tongue. He just had to stick to the script. He could do this.

"Yeah, I thought we could walk to class together this morning and just talk a bit." He kept his voice even-keeled and smooth, displaying little of the nerves he felt. He had to steel himself for this. She deserved that.

Her eyebrows flew upwards on her face, her lips loosening slightly as she appraised him. The expression did not last long, morphing back into another delighted smile. "Sure!"

Thrilled at the early success, Izuku made his way down the front steps. This was good. He had already cleared the first hurdle and she seemed receptive. All he had to do was repeat a few key phrases and he was sure they could put that night behind them. That she could see his commitment. Everything would go exactly as he planned it.

He felt his feet suddenly give way. Before he realized it, he was slipping on a patch of ice. He flipped upward into the air and soon found himself falling rapidly, his eyes gazing upon the overcast skies above.

Izuku prepared to meet the ground and welcomed his own destruction.

Before everything broke apart with his fall, he found himself floating in mid-air. He blinked for a moment, his mind not immediately processing what exactly had happened. He got a strange sense of vertigo as his body adjusted to its sudden weightlessness.

"You okay? We better be careful with all this ice!" Izuku inclined his head to see Uraraka, eyes focused intently on him. She still wore her beautiful smile, her suddenly ungloved hand extended, connected to his upper arm. When had that happened? She had quick reflexes.

Uraraka had saved him. Again.

His mind suddenly flashed, his heart hammering as he found himself warping back two years. He occupied two spaces, two times, at once. The pair of them together before their entrance exam. Both of them here, together, now. A strange, cute girl going out of her way to stop him from face-planting. His wonderful girlfriend preventing him from falling, rescuing him once more. Uraraka grinning at him in both places, friendly as always. Him, completely flabbergasted.

Oh. Oh. Right. It had always been this way.

She had always sent his heart flying with the greatest of ease. She had always gotten him flustered. Since they came to U.A., she had always been there for him. Had always been a friend, a companion, a saviour. At the core, nothing between them had changed.

She was one of his heroes. What had he ever been so afraid of?

In his mind's eye, he could see the wall of ice that had formed between them. That he had formed between him with his own glacial thinking. With a thought, the ice broke apart, no longer separating him from his best friend.

"Err...Deku? You alright?"

Izuku flew back into the present, his head no longer feasting on the sweet mixture of nostalgia and love. He saw Uraraka waving her bare hand before him, trying to bring him back to reality.

Without thinking, he grabbed a hold of the hand, making it fall still. He lowered it, giving her a wide grin.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Sorry about that!"

He noted a blush flooded her cheeks, but she did not react otherwise. However, her expression faltered after the moment lasted a few seconds too long.

"Hey, Deku?"

"Hmm, what is it?"

"I need my hand back if I'm going to release you."

"Oh, right!" he laughed as he let go. A voice inside nagged at him for the blunder, but in this instant, he no longer felt worried about such missteps. Suddenly, he felt surer about their bond than he could ever remember being.

She took off her other glove and carefully brought her fingers together. He oriented himself to land on his feet, taking care not to slip this time.

He had a script he could launch into right now. Prepared, rehearsed, proper. The words would not lead him astray.

But that speech would not do for him now. He let it scatter to the far reaches of his mind. His faith in his carefully prepared romantic notes went with them.

A true hero spoke directly from the heart. He could not be afraid of that anymore.

"I love you, Ochako Uraraka," he stated unabashedly, reaching out to grab one of her hands again. "And I want to stay with you."

The silence was palpable. Uraraka blinked rapidly at him, her eyebrows furrowing. "...What…?"

"Sorry, I just felt I needed to say that." Izuku kept his muscles lax and his voice even-keeled. He refused to get budged by nerves again. His feelings for Uraraka were an unshakeable pillar now; his actions would reflect that. "I messed up last night and I'm sorry about that. I couldn't wait to apologize. I don't want there to be any doubt about how I feel about you. About us."

"Oh. Oh." He felt a hard squeeze on his hand and watched as Uraraka suddenly inclined her head downward. "This is a lot to take in, Deku."

He reached his free hand out towards her, wanting to comfort her. "Sorry, Uraraka I didn't mean-"

"I wanted to say sorry, too. I felt awful about what I said last night," she said softly, her eyes flying upward to meet his. She stared forward, her irises displaying a powerful intensity. "But I guess you beat me to the punch this time."

He breathed, a pressure lifting off his chest. "Well, that's-"

Before he could react further, Uraraka pounced on him, throwing her full weight into it. He caught her easily enough, but he was left defenceless as she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips into his.

His pulse raced as he pushed back into her, drinking all of her in. Their kisses before were chaste, delicate, his insecurities often freezing him in place. This was different. They were melting in a passionate inferno, the two heroes pushing, driving each other, harmonious as they ascended to the heavens.

Uraraka pulled away first, but did not separate, keeping her forehead connected to his. Her brown eyes shined brighter than ever, like stars lighting the way in the sky.

"Wow."

"Wow," he echoed.

"Love you, Deku," she stated simply, surely. "Sorry, I wanted to get you back for surprising me, somehow."

She gave him a cheeky grin and he laughed at that.

"Not how I expected we'd next say that to each other, but I'll take it," she continued.

"I guess it had been a while." He could not remember exactly when they had last exchanged simple affirmations of love. Had it been that first date? Was he so lost in his own head that he had forgotten to repeat it?

"...Too long, I think," she replied grinning back. "We both got a little lost."

"Well, I promise I'm going to say it more often," he murmured sweetly to her, inclining his head slightly to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm done with worrying. I love you, Uraraka."

"...Were you planning this?" she questioned, her head hot under his lips.

"Not exactly. My idea kind of...went up in the air."

She giggled at that. "This is because I caught you?"

Perhaps that should be embarrassing but he nodded without hesitation. "I realized how much you've been there for me. And how things don't have to change so much between us. We're still friends."

"The best," she corrected.

"And we'll be there for each other, right?" He raised a fist towards her. "Every step of the way."

Uraraka completed the fist bump. "Same as ever."

"So should I really worry about if we're dating?" It was a rhetorical question, now. At that moment, he knew he would not be inhibited by those doubts again. Most of the time, anyway. But they would work through any hurdles together.

"Not at all," she answered anyway, for herself and for him.

She suddenly opened her hand, grabbing onto him and triggering her quirk. He went weightless once more, allowing her to more easily pull him in and share their love together once more.

Forevermore.

AN: Written for the IzuOcha Discord server writing contest. Prompt: Ice breaker.  Forgot to post this on Tumblr a couple of weeks back, so I decided to add it here. 

Thank you to the organizers. I hope you all enjoyed one of the fluffiest things I've written.

Let me know what you thought! Leave a like and a reblog if you can. They are important nourishment for us writers ^_^

#izuocha #my hero academia #fanfiction #oneshot #fluff #izuku midoriya #ochako uraraka #mha #shipping #romance #uncontrollable amounts of fluff #tooth-rotting fluff

[airquietworks]

For Want of a Star’s Light (My Hero Academia fanfiction)(Eri and Ochako)

Summary: Ochako is pushing herself to her brink to get stronger. She needed to be better if she wanted to save people. She would catch up to Deku, no matter the cost. But when Eri cries out in need, Ochako rushes in to save the day. To help defeat the girl’s demons, Ochako must confront some of her own. 

Ochako Uraraka refused to surrender. Not to her churning gut, not to her burning muscles, and not to any sense of reason.

She filled the cool tranquillity of the night with her own blazing fury, drilling the air with thrusting limbs, alternating fists pushing forward. The repetition felt endless.

It was not difficult in and of itself. The challenge was doing it while floating in mid-air, chained just above her bed with a piece of rope.

Keep reading

#my hero academia #ochako uraraka #izuku midoriya #eri #izuocha #fanfiction #one-shot #PTSD #angst #hurt/comfort #Eri deserves good things #I wrote this because of that fact #manga canon #self reblog

[airquietworks]

For Want of a Star’s Light (My Hero Academia fanfiction)(Eri and Ochako)

Summary: Ochako is pushing herself to her brink to get stronger. She needed to be better if she wanted to save people. She would catch up to Deku, no matter the cost. But when Eri cries out in need, Ochako rushes in to save the day. To help defeat the girl’s demons, Ochako must confront some of her own. 

Ochako Uraraka refused to surrender. Not to her churning gut, not to her burning muscles, and not to any sense of reason.

She filled the cool tranquillity of the night with her own blazing fury, drilling the air with thrusting limbs, alternating fists pushing forward. The repetition felt endless.

It was not difficult in and of itself. The challenge was doing it while floating in mid-air, chained just above her bed with a piece of rope.

She had worked on the self-developed drill for a few days now with various different moves. She could generally keep her head on straight and stay focused, even as her own movements sent her tumbling through the air. The difficulty was one of endurance; self-levitating put the most strain on her. Every second she kept herself under that stress added to the agony bubbling inside her belly.

The hero gulped down the bile crawling its way up her throat. She jabbed her right hand out again, muscles hot as she struck out with solid force. There could only be a couple of minutes left - she had promised herself 10. She withdrew the arm, letting her left thrust forward.

The world spun again. She was floating sidelong now, staring up at the overhead light of her room. She blinked, blinded by the brightness. But she kept her pistoning fists steady, refusing to let it affect her. She would withstand anything.

How many seconds were there now? Ochako's hazy mind struggled as she rotated to face her bed again. She had lost count of her own reps but did not let that dissuade her. Her phone would sound when it was time. It could not be much longer. She just had to keep pushing-

All at once, her puke rushed upward, the churning of her gut roaring in outrage. Her fists were stayed by her queasiness, flying to her face to stop her from barfing all over herself. She immediately deactivated her Quirk, letting herself fall with a soft thud against the bed. She struggled, cheeks puffing out with the disgusting swell of fluids, as she twisted over to her bedside barf bucket and let loose.

So ended the supposed might of Uravity: felled by the same Quirk which allowed her to soar.

Ochako groaned when it was done, fists balled as she gazed down at her stomach's contents. Her phone buzzed from the floor nearby to indicate the end of her drill, mocking her for coming just short.

She closed her eyes, momentarily letting her world go dark, wishing desperately that she could shine brighter.

An energetic knocking on her door loudly disrupted her thoughts. "You alright in there? I can hear you hurlin'!"

Mina's voice boomed despite her distance. Her floormate's projection was impressive but not strictly welcome. With a sigh, Ochako quickly untied herself from the bed, bounding over to meet her oft-impatient friend.

She hastily grabbed a tissue to wipe away at her mouth before opening the door, flashing the pink girl a closed-lipped smile. Her mind quickly switched gears to do damage-control.

"Heya, Mina! Yeah, sorry if I grossed you out a bit," Ochako said with an awkward laugh, scratching at the back of her neck. "Got a little carried away with some late-night training."

The pink girl, dressed in a casual yellow shirt and shorts for sleeping, quirked up an eyebrow at her. She leaned slightly to the left, staring past Ochako to the conspicuous bucket next to her bed.

"Geez, you really don't stop, do you? You're reminding me of Midoriya," Mina said brightly, shaking her head.

The comment might have once sent Ochako into a sputtering fit. Knowing Mina, it was a loaded statement, implicating secret pinings.

But Ochako had a better hold of those feelings these days - mostly. She felt her cheeks go flush at the comparison - and compliment - but brushed it aside otherwise. "You think? Well, I think you gotta be that determined if you wanna keep up, ya know?"

"Sure," Mina replied, her smile falling away from her eyes. "Hey, is everything okay with you?"

Ochako blinked at the sudden question. "What makes you say that?"

Mina's exuberance had completely faded now. It was always a bizarre sight. "I guess I'm just worried you're pushing it a little too hard," Mina pointed toward the bucket at her bedside. "You can relax a little. It won't do you much good if you're too tired for class."

Ochako followed Mina's finger, regretting, even more, her inability to hold that in. Mina was a lot more perceptive than she let on sometimes.

The pink hero was not necessarily wrong. Ochako could not recall a time in her life where she had pushed herself like these last few months. But she did not see any other option. It would do her no good trying to cross the chasm between herself and the best slowly - not when it got wider every day.

Not that she would let any of that uncertainty show.

"Alright, alright, I'll turn it in after I finish my English homework," Ochako replied airily with a grin. "And I'm doing fine. Just got a little carried away this time."

"Uh-huh," Mina said, leaving every trace of doubt in her tone. "Guess I'll leave you to it then; I don't want anything to do with homework."

The two shared a laugh. It was forced and offered none of the relief it should have.

Mina turned to depart but stopped midway through the motion, freezing awkwardly in place. She inclined her head backwards, giving Ochako one last smile.

"You know, if you ever need to talk about anything, we're here for you."

It was an ominous remark, but Ochako rolled with it. She grinned back sincerely, mind flashing to her classmates and friends. "I know. Thanks."

Ochako was left befuddled by the strange encounter as Mina left her alone to her thoughts. With a sigh, she moved to grab the bucket and clean it out. She frowned, knowing her dreaded homework awaited after the unseemly task.

She walked out of her room and made her way over to the dorm building's sizable shared bathroom space to wash it out. The hallways were lit lowly now, the night well upon them. Few students stayed up as late as she did, given the rigours of their daily grind.

Her mind grew muddled in a familiar fog as she made her way forward.

Of course, their rigorous schedule did not stop everyone. Deku was still up this late and out in the field. He was on night patrol for his work-study and would not be back until early morning. He had become trusted and dependable, spending more time in the field than most of their class. Just another way Deku was proving himself.

Ochako sighed mournfully, reaching the washroom and hauling the bucket up toward one of the oversized sinks. She idly turned the tap on, letting the water wash away her vomit. As she made about rinsing it, the unpleasant smell started to fade.

The remnants of her training were gross, but they were a small price to pay. She knew she had to get stronger. She had to be if she wanted to save people as well as Deku could, and save him if that proved necessary again. Her mind flashed to Nighteye, dying in her arms, herself lacking the power or speed to rescue him. She would not fail like that again.

Sadly, her Quirk was limited compared to what Deku's could do. She had to push if she had any hope of keeping up with the best and brightest of the class. That was her lot in life. She could not be as flashy, but she would make up for it. She had to. Doubt, insecurity, and fear - they were there, but she refused to lose to them.

Task completed, Ochako took a moment to grab a handful of water and splash it over her face, letting its cold snap her back to reality. It would do her little good to get too lost in her own thoughts.

She made her way back towards her room and dropped off the bucket. She idly glanced toward her bed, which called out to her with its softness. Sighing again, she instead turned to her desk, where a knapsack of homework awaited her.

But as she tried to dig into it, she found it difficult to make much headway. A fog remained settled over her mind, hanging obtrusively in the background, making it difficult to see what was right in front of her. Vague, anxious pricks kept interrupting, whether they highlighted her own inadequacies, her training or what difficulties the next day might bring.

"This bites," she grumbled, letting her head fall onto her desk. She stared into the nearly empty page, with few markings to show for a half-hour of work.

Ochako stood up and stretched. She needed to clear her head. Find something to centre herself again. She had a good spot for that kind of thing, but it involved a late-night stroll. It took some finesse to ensure she went undetected, but she was confident she could manage it.

With a focused idea in mind, she ventured outside her door into the dark, empty hallway. As expected, there wasn't anyone else wandering this late at night. Mina was the only other girl on her floor and would be sound asleep by now.

She turned to make her way down the lowly lit stairs. She ventured into the staircase, but stopped when she heard a strange sound.

She could just barely make it out. Her ears perked up at a distinct, quiet noise piercing through the peace of the night. It was distant, a sound wholly unusual to the halls of their dormitory.

Whimpering.

Ochako tensed, moving quietly in search of the source. It was unusual to see any of her classmates up and about this late. She got a sinking feeling in her gut as she moved downwards, the whimpering echoing through the stairs.

The silver hair was unmistakable, reflecting the waning light from overhead. Eri's small frame shook as she took unsteady footsteps. It was the lonely journey of a sad soul, fighting through the darkness in pursuit of…

Well, Ochako could not be sure of what. But she suspected Eri might be searching for one of her closest protectors.

She frowned as she looked at Eri, who had not yet noticed her. This would take a delicate approach. She did not want to startle the poor girl. Though they had the occasional friendly interaction, she could not count herself as trusted in the same way Deku or Togata were.

The circumstances gave the hero-in-training pause, a vice squeezing in on her. She would normally be exuberant with Eri, who seemed appreciative of it in their limited time together. But this was a little more out of her depth. The girl was clearly distressed. Their class had not gotten much training on consoling people in emergencies. Dealing with the effects of trauma in the long-term was another matter entirely. She had watched Deku manage it - and caught him reading a lot of material on the matter - but the girl already had the utmost faith in him.

The soft little sobbing of a girl in need rang through the night once more.

Ochako spurred herself into action, stepping forward. She could not let her own misgivings stop her. There was someone in need. Even if she was not the best person for the job, she could still help.

Eri was in pain. Uravity had to protect her.

She used careful footsteps in her approach. She paused at the top of the steps, waiting until Eri reached the bottom before announcing herself. She did not want to risk the girl tripping on stairs.

"Eri?" Ochako said quietly, moving a little closer to the child but keeping her distance.

Despite her efforts, she could see the shock of her presence quickly surge inside Eri. The little one let out a gasp, suddenly standing ramrod straight, head moving about rapidly to search for an unseen threat.

Eri's leaking red eyes fell upon the young hero. The girl stopped for a moment, her body shivering as she tried to sniffle back her tears. Her lip started to quiver, unable to make a sound as the disturbance froze her in place.

"Heya," Ochako said gently, leaning down to sit and move herself a little closer - but not too close. She had to take this slowly. "Do you...do you need something, Eri? Do you want someone to talk-"

"No," she hiccuped out quickly, a couple of fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. "I just...just...walking."

Ochako bit her lip at the response. It was really Deku who should be here - but he was gone for the night. Aizawa too had departed; he had some kind of mission and entrusted Class 1-A to look after her for the night when other options fell through (not an abnormal arrangement - they had even made a room for Eri at the dorms). She did not even know how to contact Togata.

She had few options. She was not prepared for this. But she did her utmost not to show any of her uncertainty. She had to be strong, a pillar for Eri to lean on,

"Well, if you like, we could walk together," Ochako suggested brightly. "Deku's out for the night, but he'll be back early in the morning."

She donned a heroic mantle, filling the words with as much warmth as she could muster. She knew the girl had become all-too-familiar with coldness in the adults who spoke to her.

"...But if anything's bothering you, I'm a pretty good listener."

Ochako flashed Eri her best smile, hoping it could cut through the thick tension surrounding them.

Eri's vivid red eyes blinked up at her, the tears stopping for a moment. But the frown on the girl's face remained, her brows furrowed as she considered Ochako.

The hero could feel her face start to waver as the seconds dragged on.

Eri did not say anything at first. Instead, she took a few slow steps up the staircase. She looked up at Ochako once again, before taking a seat on the stairs beside her.

Not the warmest reception, but Ochako would take it gladly. It was progress.

"I'm..." Eri whispered, voice barely sounding through the cool air. She sniffled before speaking again. "I…don't know what to do."

It was not a forthright admission, Ochako knew. She was not really trusted, not yet. If she wanted to change that - to help the poor girl - she would need to do more. Go beyond.

"You know, when I have trouble sleeping, I usually like to go for a walk, too," Ochako spoke with friendly nonchalance. "Maybe see the stars. I always feel comforted by them."

Ochako slyly drifted her gaze toward Eri, watching those red eyes blink at the statement.

"How...where do you see the stars?" Eri looked up at her quizzically, head tilting slightly at the question.

The hero-in-training could not prevent the smile from running away from her face. She realized the young girl may never have known the same star-lit skies that she had in her childhood.

Eri had been trapped underground for who-knows-how-long and was living in a light-polluted city otherwise. How often did she even look up at the night sky? What else had she missed out on?

Inspiration surged through Ochako, imagination flying with possibilities. She put her smile back on, extending her hand out to the little girl, pinky raised.

"If you'd like, I can show you."

Ochako observed the emotions playing out on Eri's face. The fear was still there as the girl stared at the outstretched hand, eyes darting periodically upward to gauge.

Eri reached out slowly, pausing a couple of times, her hand wavering. The girl had already proven her bravery and started opening up to the class. But at the moment, this task appeared monumental for her to overcome.

But Ochako stayed patient and was eventually rewarded. The girl placed her hand in hers. It hardly weighed anything; it was soft, fragile as that of a babe. She knew she would have to put her all into protecting it.

"...Okay," Eri muttered softly, staring upward with a neutral expression. "I want to see the stars."

Ochako beamed at her. "Then I'll take you there."

Without any extra fanfare, Ochako stood up, gently tugging the hand up the stairs in the opposite direction. It was a bit of a hike getting to the top of the building and Eri did not navigate the steps quickly, but Ochako was all too happy to take her time. In the moment, the child's tears were quelled as a narrow-minded curiosity took hold at the promise of a night sky.

One step at a time, the pair arrived at their destination. The path led to a tightly-sealed steel door. Ochako did not wait to explain, pushing it open and guiding Eri to the outside world.

"Well, here we are!" Ochako proclaimed brightly as they stepped onto the rooftop. It was flat and ordinary, flanked by the two sides of the dorms. But it was the gateway to the skyline she treasured. It was just high enough to get above the light pollution below and capture a glimpse of a few of the brighter stars. It was a far cry from the brilliant skies of her countryside home, but the pure lights never failed to inspire and calm. The stars were steady, a constant radiance she could aspire to.

For her part, Eri did not seem quite as outwardly enthused. But she still showed some positive signs; she followed Ochako's eyes into the sky, focusing intently on the bright spots above. She blinked rapidly, walking forward aimlessly as she considered them.

"Pretty…" she whispered.

Ochako was thrilled at the sight. Her mind briefly flashed to herself at Eri's age, walking happily with her hands held by her parents flanking either side. She could remember feeling incredible happiness and awe as she gazed up at the starry sky. Her parents dutifully pointed out the constellations, stoking the embers of her love of the cosmos.

The hero blinked back to the present and the small girl standing by her lonesome. A girl with a childhood so unlike hers. Trapped in the darkness beneath the ground, tortured and abused. An endless, starless night.

There was a void around Eri, empty of the loving figures every child should have. It was not something Ochako - or anyone - could truly fill. But for one night, maybe she could help the girl walk with surer steps.

"Hey, want to come over and sit with me? There's a nice spot on the edge of the roof," Ochako asked, pointing towards it. "If you're comfortable, I mean."

Eri let her gaze fall from above, eyes shifting to regard Ochako once more. "Okay."

She's really quiet. Ochako did not let the stray thought sully her cheery demeanour as she escorted the girl over to her favourite place on the roof.

They reached a dead-end, with the whole of the U.A. campus sprawled out below them and the city on the skyline. Ochako stretched out a bit before sitting down cross-legged near the edge, getting into a comfortable position. She let out a contented sigh as the fresh, cool air brushed over her skin.

Eri followed along meekly, carefully kneeling to the ground before letting her feet sprawl loosely to her side. She followed Ochako's eyes upwards, to those same entrancing stars.

"I didn't know there were so many," Eri said after a pause, her voice just barely letting out a bit of excitement.

Ochako seized on the opportunity, responding with gusto. "There are more stars than even this out there if you look in the right places. But this is pretty good." She paused, letting the information sink in. "Can you see the shapes in the stars?"

Eri glanced over at her, eyebrows quirked upwards. "Shapes?"

"Yeah! They're called constellations," Ochako explained. "They can be a little hard to spot. But can you see those four stars bunched together?"

Ochako lifted a finger skyward, leaning in closer to the girl to direct her eyes toward four brighter stars, shaped like a malformed cup.

Eri squinted, eyes scanning for a moment. "I don't...I don't think I can see it."

"Little to the left," Ochako encouraged, watching Eri's eyes intently. There was a wonder within them, but she could Eri's mouth shift into a frown as frustration started to build. "It can be hard to spot, but there's a really bright star right next to the four."

She got a strange sense of déjà vu, being on the other side of this conversation. She could remember her own father pointing these things out to her, once upon a time.

"I...I think I see it," Eri whispered, squinting hard. Her mouth curled slightly as she tried to keep her focus on it. "It's shaped kinda funny."

"Great job, Eri!" Ochako flashed her another grin, though Eri did not seem to take heed of it. "Most constellations are, but it's still fun to find them all. You can't really see the other stars tonight, but there is a handle that sticks out from the cup. It's called the North Dipper."

Ochako used her finger to paint the pattern across the sky, drawing out the stars hidden amidst the clash of nature's darkness and humans' light. Eri's gaze followed the movement, but she did not voice anything.

There was an awkward pause as Eri's eyes started to wander downward. The minutes started to pass without the girl speaking. Her body shivered as she curled up and wrapped her tiny arms around her knees.

Ochako realized she was starting to lose her. The stars did not entrance for long. She'd have to act.

"You know, there is one star you can almost always see." The words came out in a rush, far too urgent and harried for the situation. Her voice was loud and Eri reacted with a startled upswing of her head.

Ochako paused, taking a breath to calm herself. She had to tread lightly. No use getting too distressed.

She pointed to the sky again, to the one star that shined brighter than the rest. "That one is called 'Polaris.' The North Star. If you're ever lost, you can always count on it."

Her mother had told her this one. Ochako always thought of her when she gazed up at it.

"You can?" Eri said softly, inclining her head upwards. The hero smiled in reply, glad for some response.

"Mhm. If you face it, you're always looking north," Ochako recited matter-of-factly. "So you can always find your way with it. And it's one of the brightest ones in the sky, so it will almost always be there for you. It's really dependable!"

"Be there…" the girl whispered again, barely above a breath. She curled further into herself, burying her face in her knees. "Dependable. Like Deku."

Ochako resisted the urge to slam her palm into her face. Of course, the explanation would remind her of him, the hero she was clearly missing terribly. She should have seen that coming. He was the person Eri really wanted to comfort her.

Her mind scrambled. She tried to raise her voice, but the words kept dying in her throat, robbed by the spectre enshrouding the child. This stargazing ploy had been the best thing she could think of on the fly and it was not working. Every word she said seemed to make Eri further withdrawn.

She found herself lost in a bizarre rush of nostalgia.

"Heya, sweetie. Something bothering you?"

The small girl jumped slightly at the question. Ochako sat straight up in a mild panic. It felt strange to react this way, but in her terror, it was all too natural.

She did not say anything, mind whirring, trying to come up with an answer. Her daddy was not supposed to notice she was upset. She thought she had been so careful.

He sat down beside her, joining her in staring out into the night from their front porch. The stars were as beautiful as always, but they seemed almost mundane now - always changing, yet always there. The girl instead kept her eyes forward on the dirt road leading out of their home, which appeared to go nowhere in this darkness.

Ochako took a shuddering breath.

"I'm okay."

She did not say more, fearful she could not control herself if she let her tongue stray. That she might reveal her growing understanding of their family's poverty. That she would tell him she overheard her parents in great duress as they talked about budgets. That she knew they were putting on a brave face.

"Well, I'm not. And I'm sorry that I've tried to hide that from you."

The bizarre statement disarmed her, her fragile grip on her centre slipping once again. She craned her neck around quickly to regard him properly. He still looked out into the night for a moment, before turning to her, wearing a deep frown. She could not remember the last time she had seen one on him.

"We're in tough, Ochako. I'm not going to deny that." The seriousness in his tone was unlike anything she had ever heard from him. She watched him in rapture, eyes wide. "I got laid off two days ago. I don't have a job anymore, I mean."

"You-you don't?!" She squeaked the words out with more force than intended. She did not know this was something that could even happen.

Her father held up a hand to give her pause. "It won't be for long. I'll find something soon. But we're going to have to be careful with our money for a while."

His hand reached forward and he gently patted her on the head. She stared up at him as a smile blossomed on his face once more. She blinked back the tears from her eyes. When had she started crying? She furiously rubbed at them. She was supposed to stop doing that. Stop adding to their burden.

"I promise you, we'll get through this, Ochako," he said, with the happy-go-lucky surety that always comforted her.

"How can...you…" she stuttered through her gasping breaths, trying to rein herself in. But she could not stem the flow of her own misery. "You should be spending less on me, then! I'll manage, don't worry about dessert or my birthday or -"

His small laughter snapped her out of her rambling. She blinked and the grin on his face grew wider. "Look at you. Already trying to save people. You really are going to be a great hero, if you want to be."

"Daddy, I-"

"This isn't your fault, Ochako," he said firmly, wrapping an arm around her to pull her in close. His warmth collided with her night-cooled skin, sending goosebumps up her arms. "But thank you. You don't have to worry so much. We will be okay."

Try as she might, Ochako could not withstand his loving onslaught. She crumbled into him, sobbing into his chest as all the feelings she had tried to bottle up burst forth. He rocked her back and forth, lips shushing sweetly as she rode the storm out.

"I...I promise," she stammered, her sobbing throat no match for her roaring heart. "I'm going to help you. I'll make lots of money. All the money. You won't have to work at all anymore!"

He did not laugh at her proclamation. She heard him lay out a shuddering breath of his own. She tried to look up but was stopped as he pressed a kiss into her temple.

"I know you will. You can do anything you dream of."

The memory flashed vividly in her mind. A mixture of joy and sorrow in equal measure spiralled upward within her.

It was strange, finding herself here. Stuck in an awkward position trying to console a miserable little girl, much like her father did for her. It was not the same, not nearly. She and Eri were worlds apart. But perhaps she could at least follow a good example.

Ochako looked up at Polaris again. She closed her eyes and sighed. Deku's freckled face swam in her vision, bringing with it the usual off-kilter jitter of her heart. But she kept herself grounded despite that.

She paused to glance at the frightened child once again. She was completely withdrawn into herself now, consumed by something that could not be seen.

This was not a fight she had ever faced. But she would find a way to win.

"You know, I used to think my powers weren't good enough. I wondered...if I could be good enough. I haven't been able to help everyone I wanted to."

The words had the desired effect. The small girl unfurled ever so slightly, peeking an eye out towards her. Freshly tear-stained irises gazed up at her, sparkling with a subdued curiosity.

Ochako watched Eri out of the corner of her eye but acted aloof, keeping her head affixed towards the north star above.

"I'm surrounded by so many incredible heroes. They all shine so brightly. Most of them are better than me. And he…" she paused as his visage popped into her mind again. "Deku shines brighter than them all."

Ochako let a beat of silence play out. Hoping. Praying for a response.

"He's the best," Eri whispered, barely audible in the light breeze.

The hero pounced at the response.

"He's my best friend," she replied in a rush, turning around to smile at the girl again. "And…well…"

She wanted to bite her tongue. She wanted to stop. She was afraid that unchaining even a small part of the feelings rattling around in her heart would only do ill.

But if she wanted openness from Eri, she would have to be open in kind.

"And he's my…my hero." She could see him in her mind's eye, looking out to the horizon, back turned to her, outfit flowing in the wind. The words were hard to say - but they felt right.

"Me too," Eri whispered, a little louder than before. Ochako dared to glance directly into the girl's eyes. The tracks of grief still ran roughshod across her face. But the sparkle of childish wonder was back again, something that all children should have in a world of heroes.

"Every step of the way since I joined this school, he's been there for me. And stayed ahead of me. I realized I was relying on him a lot."

The entrance exam. Classes. Their first hero tests. The sports festival. The memories played through her mind like a film strip. Thrilling, joyous, chaotic moments stained with the realization of her own mediocrity.

She kept her eyes glued to the steady north star, still hanging in the sky. With her own steady hand, she reached out a little in front of her, like she might have done as a child.

"But I didn't want to stay in his shadow forever. I wanted…" she closed her hand around the light before her, blotting out its radiance. "I wanted to stand on my own two feet."

"But how…" she could hear the girl's voice welling up again, tugging at Ochako's heartstrings. "How do you do that?"

Ochako withdrew her hand first, letting the light shine again. "It's hard. I thought I might not be able to. But I realized it wasn't my classmates or my powers that were holding me back. Not really. It was me."

Ochako dared to incline her head to Eri again. The girl was no longer curled into her shell. She had shifted ever so slightly closer and was staring up at Ochako again. The tears still venturing down her face were gut-wrenching.

But Ochako could see a dash of that wonder in the girl's eyes. The wonder now directed at herself. It was hard to take in being looked at that way.

"I know I still need support from the people close to me. And we're both lucky to have that already." Ochako felt something wet fall down her cheek. She shifted a hand to catch it, the water cool against her fingertips. When did that start?

She could not mind it now. She had a child to save.

"But I know I can persevere. I know however dark the night may seem, there is always a lighter spot to find. I know I'm strong enough. I'll achieve my dreams. I don't have to doubt that.

"And so will you. You can shine bright as the stars, Eri."

A guttural cry pierced through the tranquil night. Ochako moved before Eri did, catching the child as she fell weeping into her arms.

Ochako had no siblings. She had no experience like this to speak of. But it was simple enough to squeeze the girl close, rubbing her hair gently as she came to pieces against her side. This was something heroes - and humans - just had to do.

The torrent was hard to withstand. Flickering embers of rage danced at the corners of her mind at the thought of the villains who had so broken the girl.

But Ochako had already done her part to bring the captor to justice. If she wanted to be a saviour among heroes, a part of her knew this kind of pain would be part of it. She would have to fight in battles that lasted far longer than the physical conflicts.

So be it. If she could help ease the burden of people suffering, she always would. She was Uravity, after all.

"...I saw him. He was...I was back there…"

Eri did not need to say who she saw in her nightmares. Ochako resisted the urge to curl her hands into fists.

"He can't hurt you anymore," she replied gently, containing the fire burning inside her. "I am here."

"I was in that chair again. It hurt...it hurt so much." The echoes of her nightmare were unrelenting. It rained blows down on both of them. Ochako wished this was a foe she could punch back directly.

"You'll never have to face that again. I promise."

"He said...he said…" Eri struggled to speak in the torrents of her own duress, words flooded as she sobbed.

She subsided for a moment, becoming more still, but still quivering into Ochako

"Nobody is coming to save you. They know you're a monster. That you're cursed. You are unwanted."

The words sent a chill down Ochako's spine. There was a brutal, lifeless cold to her manner of speaking - far too good an imitation of her surrogate "father."

"You can't even heal the damage you caused…" Eri did not relent. She suddenly pushed herself out of Ochako's embrace. She fell to the ground, barely held up by trembling knees and hands. "That hero has better things to do than deal with you."

Eri carefully stood herself back up. She looked so fragile, as if the wind might blow her over. Her silver hair was dull against the dark skyline.

"You may as well leave," Overhaul said, using Eri's voice.

Ochako swallowed the lump in her throat. Eri's was an abyss far deeper than any she had ever encountered.

She realized the girl had not gone out into the night looking for Deku, Aizawa or Togata. On the contrary, Eri was running away from them. From everyone.

Ochako did not know if this was a spectre she could win against. There were some shadows that even the most shining heroes could not completely dispel.

Nevertheless, she rose. She put one foot in front of the other, toward the girl that needed her help. There was no time to doubt her abilities. She was a hero. There was someone who needed saving. It was that simple.

Uravity stopped in place in front of Eri. The child appeared rooted in place, her eyes hidden by her silver hair, firmly planted toward the ground. The light of the stars could not reach her.

The hero kneeled down, meeting Eri face-to-face.

"You are wanted, Eri. And we want you to stay with us." Uravity said it with the biggest grin she could hope to manage. She wore it proudly, thinking of the expression she wanted to bring back to Eri's face.

The words were slow to draw a reaction. But Eri started to lift her head a little, face still hidden beneath her hair.

"We lead busy lives. But we'll always be there for you. Me, Deku, Aizawa, LeMillion - everyone. I promise." She boldly grabbed the small girl's hand and lifted it, giving it something firm to rest on. She squeezed it softly, sealing the promise. "You have a home now."

"But...but I…" she gazed upward again. Tears freshly sprouted around her stained eyes, but for once, Uravity was not too unhappy to see them. It was far better than the lifeless possession from before. "Everyone wants me to help Mirio...I want to help him. But I can't."

"We all want to help people, Eri. But none of us are completely ready, either." The burden of holding a happy face became a little easier as all the memories of their schooling flowed through her. "I want to save people. Save heroes. But I know I have a lot to learn before I can do it."

She held up her free hand, showing Eri her padded fingertips. "I can make things float if I touch them. But I don't have perfect control of it yet. I can't lift myself for very long. And I can't get close enough to use it all the time."

Uravity let out a chuckle at a sudden memory, startling Eri. "And my power got me into a lot of trouble when I was your age. I used to send myself floating into the ceiling. Or one time, I sent a classmate hurtling into the sky without knowing how to safely bring him back down."

Eri tilted her head curiously at her again. Uravity took a quick breath. Right. She needed to keep this on track.

"The point is...I guess every Quirk can hurt people, if that makes sense. It's in how you use it. Deku told you that, right?" Uravity asked. Eri provided an answering nod. "Nobody in our class has a perfect handle on their powers. Not even Deku. It takes time and it takes work."

The girl's lip quivered. She lifted her head to stare squarely at Uravity, the tremors starting to rock through her again.

"But I'm...I'm not like you. I'm not good."

The words stung. It was like an arrow ripping through her, aggravating old wounds. It reminded her too much of her own worst thoughts.

Uravity kept smiling. In this, she at least knew the answer.

"You are good. And you'll get even better," Uravity assured her, squeezing her hand carefully again. "I used to think that way sometimes. I still do. But we have to push through those feelings. We can't let them hold us back."

Eri was still weepy and trembling. There were scars in her that might never fully heal. A gaping void still enshrouded her.

"I want to. But I don't know how."

Uravity knew she could not do it all for the girl. But she could at least try to fill that empty space with as much light as she could.

"Then I'll help you," she stated matter-of-factly. "We all will. We're going to be there for you, every step of the way."

Uravity brought her right hand forward to grab Eri's left. She brought their hands together, shaking them more firmly.

"We'll work at it until we can get through this together. Okay?"

She was a lot less confident than she showed. She didn't really know if she had said the right things. She did not know if Eri could really trust her in that way. She had winged this out of desperation. All she had was the faint hope that she could ease Eri's burden.

A solid weight snapped herself from her thoughts. Eri buried herself more firmly in her arms, grabbing tightly with surprising strength.

Ochako nearly fell over, but reacted well enough to grab hold, letting Eri work through some of it. There was a harshness to the way she clutched. It was a little intense, but Uravity absorbed it as well as she could.

"Kind…" Eri whispered. Ochako was not sure if she was meant to hear that.

There was a pause as Eri shed more silent tears into her shirt. But eventually, she answered, more audible this time.

"...okay. Let's do it."

Ochako felt lighter than air. Relief flooded her as she basked in whatever success she had managed. She had risen to the challenge, in spite of the odds. Maybe she could do this kind of thing, even if it made her stomach twist itself into knots.

She tried to adjust her position to steady herself. Her feet met nothing.

Ochako yelped as she held on a little more tightly to the girl. Her Quirk had gone off without her realizing it. They were only a few feet above the ground now, but quickly rising.

"Err…I just need you to hold on real tight for a moment. Okay?"

Ochako tried to disguise the slight panic in her voice. But Eri seemed to catch on, disentangling slightly to see what was happening. The child turned her head down, eyes widening as she realized they were floating.

"Oh...wow," Eri murmured, looking down at the ground getting farther and farther away. "We're flying!"

"Sorry, kind of slipped with my Quirk. I'll get us-"

She stayed her tongue. She watched, awestruck as Eri's smile bloomed in front of her. It seemed so strange after how long she had seen that face etched with misery on this long night. The sun was rising for the child once again.

Her heart soared in unison with Eri's. She had to make the moment last.

"Eri...do you trust me?"

The girl turned her attention back to her hero's face. Still smiling, she did not hesitate before nodding, much to Ocahako's delight.

"Do you want to try flying a bit more?"

Her blazing red eyes widened at the question. She took a little more time to think about it. Eventually, she slowly nodded her affirmation.

"Alright, then." Ochako brought her fingers together and let them fall back to the ground with little fanfare. She wanted to be steady for this and it would be easier to keep her Quirk on only one person.

Carefully, she grabbed Eri's sides as gently as she could manage. The girl hardly weighed anything, even before she activated her Quirk. She wondered if that was her own strength growing or a cause for further concern for the girl's health.

Eri's smile fell. She suddenly seemed unsure, the downsides of this new experience popping into her mind. This would take care.

"Alright, Eri. Are you ready? I promise I'll have control of you. Just let me know when you want to come down." Ochako said it with some energy, wanting to erase any trace of doubt in the girl.

Eri took another pause. She glanced down on the ground momentarily, then back up toward the sky. "Okay. I'm ready."

Ochako took a deep breath. She set her breathing carefully to help her manage the strain. Gently, she brought her pinkies down to grasp Eri, triggering her Quirk. She carefully pushed Eri upward - enough force to give her a boost, but gentle enough to keep her within easy grabbing distance.

The girl lifted high into the air, long hair flowing upward behind her with the momentum. Her eyes opened wider than Ochako had ever seen them as the wind rushed around her. Her head stared upwards at the stars getting ever-so-closer to her floating frame.

She absorbed the star's light for a brief moment, her hair glowing with it. Ochako hung on edge, waiting to intervene in case it was too much.

But then Eri's mouth turned upwards again. Laughter came next, as the girl tested her weightlessness, spinning around in her newfound freedom from any earthly chains.

Ochako felt herself tearing up again at the majesty of it all. Eri had wormed deeply into her heart in hardly any time at all.

The girl did not know how to control herself, but that was okay. She experimented with her lack of gravity, shifting in the air, trying to propel herself ever upwards. She reached her hands out, stretching as high into the night sky as she could. She had no control, but it was enough that she was moving and enjoying it.

Just a moment of pure, unadulterated childhood.

But it could not last forever. Fatigue started to set in and Ochako could not keep Eri afloat for longer than a few minutes. With great reluctance, she broke the spell. "I'm going to have to bring you down for now. Ready?"

Eri didn't fuss, turning around to regard Ochako with her starlit smile. "Okay!"

With that, Ochako carefully tapped herself with her Quirk, lifting up off the ground. She quickly caught up to Eri, grabbing her and getting the girl's arms tightly around her neck. The two hung in the air for a brief moment, enjoying their last dose of being part of the sky.

Ochako deactivated her Quirk, sending them diving closer to the ground. But she did a quick re-activation by tapping herself to break their fall, ensuring a smooth landing.

"Alright, you can come down now," Ochako suggested, reaching to disentangle the girl from her. But much to her shock, Eri stayed clutched on, squeezing a little tighter onto her.

"Don't wanna," she murmured. She let out a yawn, but her exhaustion did not seem to extend to her tight grip.

It was a sublime moment unlike any she had ever experienced. Ochako thought her heart might burst under the weight of the affection the girl was bestowing on her. She supposed this was something heroes had to take in stride.

"Alright, let's carry you to bed, then," she stated with confidence. She bid farewell to the stars that had guided her true again, making her way back to the entrance into the building.

"Not tired…" Eri said a little lowly, shaking her head thoroughly. "Don't want it to end."

Ochako frowned at that. She could not read Eri's expression - the kid's face was buried deep enough into her shoulder - but she could imagine. it. Of course, Eri would not be eager to go back into slumber and face the possibilities of more nightmares. Forcing her into bed would lead to fussing and could undo the efforts of the last hour.

But the girl could not stay awake forever. Despite her protests, sleep would come for her - which would hopefully be peaceful this time.

"Alright," Ochako fibbed, as she carefully navigated through the stairway door with her arms full of Eri. "We can go get you a glass of water and sit in the common room together. Does that sound alright?"

Eri did not answer immediately. She pushed herself back from Ochako, adjusting herself in the hero's hold. She looked up, her red eyes gauging the hero.

"Alright," Eri eventually whispered.

Ochako carefully carried Eri down the stairs, moving slowly in hopes of lulling the girl to a natural rest. The effort seemed to work, as Eri's blinks grew longer, her energy dissipating rapidly.

They made it back to the common area, which was mercifully empty this late at night. Ochako was not sure what time it was at this point, but everyone else was almost assuredly asleep. She let out a yawn herself thinking about it; it was well past her bedtime, too. But a hero could never rest when there was work to be done.

Ochako carefully sat down on the couch and deposited Eri onto it. The girl finally detached herself from Ochako's hold, nestling into the cushions.

The hero moved to grab the promised glass of water but was stopped by a soft tug. She turned to see Eri staring up at her imploringly with half-lidded eyes. Beads of moisture were just visible in the corners of them, shedding from the scars still embedded in her heart.

"Please don't go."

The desperation in the girl's voice clawed deeply into Ochako's gut, digging painfully in a way wholly alien to the dorm's warmth. Her instincts made her surge forward, wrapping Eri back into her hold once more, wanting to help the child in a moment of vulnerability.

"I promise, really, I'm not going anywhere," she assured, as Eri clutched tightly to her. "You can rest easy now."

The girl sniffled a bit, wiping her face into Ochako's shoulder. But eventually, she relented, shifting off Ochako again with a yawn.

"Sorry," she murmured, sinking back into the couch cushions. "I...I just…"

"You have nothing to apologize for," Ochako replied with a smile, idly rubbing at Eri's hair. "Why don't you get comfortable? I'll be back in just a few seconds. I promise."

Eri raised her head as if to argue, but held her tongue. She nodded, blinking slowly.

"That's a brave girl. Nothing's gonna happen." Ochako assured her, before stepping away slowly. She watched Eri as she departed, but the child did not make any movements, exhaustion finally catching up.

The hero breathed a sigh of relief once she made it far enough, quickly scrambling around the kitchen to pour herself a glass. She let the tap run quickly, not bothering to shut it off before she brought it to her lips. She focused narrowly on the feeling of cool water running down her throat. At least, she tried. The burning at the edges of her eyes proved hard to ignore.

She let the glass fall away from her lips, taking a breath of the night air. With a trembling hand, she let the glass fall onto the counter. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nostrils, trying to stop the shaking making its way up her arms. Her throat felt clogged, making it hard to breathe.

Ochako knew she could ill afford to dally. A vulnerable girl still needed her. But that had been a lot to take in. Exposing herself to a piece of Eri's trauma had proven to be difficult, in a way wholly incomparable to facing down villains.

She grabbed another glass and poured some water for the girl, who was probably as drained and dehydrated as she was. Putting her own exhaustion aside, she stepped into the room, putting on the smile of a hero.

It proved unnecessary. Slumber had quickly befallen Eri, who was firmly embedded into the couch, placing her head on the armrest. Ochako took another breath, letting the tension in her shoulders fall as she realized her job was done. For now, the storm had subsided.

She placed the glass on a table and walked forward, taking a spot on the couch next to Eri. The girl looked so peaceful, the lines of worry dissipated from her face. She was finally getting the sleep she deserved.

Ochako yawned, taking a moment to sink into the cushions herself. She probably needed to get Eri into a real bed. Still, she was reluctant to disturb, especially given the vulnerable state the child was in. Maybe she could give it a few more minutes.

Her thoughts idly wandered and started to blur together. She wondered how much of her job would be moments like this, far more involved than anything they discussed in class. She wondered if this was something she would be capable of doing consistently. She wondered whether she had really done good enough - or as well as Deku would have.

But most of all, she wondered about the sense of warmth that started to fill her despite the difficulty of the night.

Her head felt clearer than it had in weeks. Despite all her doubts, her insecurities, her fears - she could at least be glad knowing she had helped here, if only a little. She could rest assured she had put a smile on the face of a girl in need.

She beamed down at Eri once more. She had tried to be a guiding star for the young one. But it was Eri who had unwittingly helped her illuminate her own night. It was moments like this which made being a hero worthwhile.

"Thank you, Eri."

Izuku Midoriya struggled to resist the urge to faceplant as he finally crossed the threshold to his class dorms.

His arms hung limply at his sides and his legs burned in protest at their continued use. There was a deep ache throughout much of his body, worn from hours of Quirk usage. He had been pushed to near his very limit.

He stumbled through the doorway, stumbling towards the common area. He did the utmost to keep his footsteps quiet, though he was unsure how well he managed. His sweat-drenched costume clung to his skin irritatingly. He wanted little more than to strip it off and be able to breathe.

Physical pain was something he could handle. But patrolling tonight had brought with it a more emotional bent. More crimes in the night compared to the day. Worse acts of cruelty. More people crying out for help. He had barely intervened in an attempted murder, and though it was not the first time he had encountered that, it was never something he would relish.

Izuku had seen his fair share of harsh scrapes, but this had been a lot to take in all at once. It made him wonder just how many more people were out there like Eri, desperately in need of his help.

Eri…he frowned at the name turning in his mind. The thought had nagged at him all night. She had looked so upset when he left, despite his best reassurances. He knew she still struggled with nightmares. He just hoped this night was peaceful for her.

He groaned quietly to himself. As much as he did not like to think about it, things out there were getting worse. The underworld was growing bolder now that All Might's brilliance was gone. Tonight was just more evidence of it.

The people were afraid. The world was waiting for someone to take up that mantle, to illuminate the night. The world was waiting for him. It frustrated him to no end that he was not yet ready.

He balled his fists, but his self-directed anger dissipated as quickly as it came. He was too tired. More than anything, he just wanted some respite. He could direct his frustration productively in the morning.

With determined steps, he ventured forward into the gloom of the common room.

His heart stopped.

Before him, bound together, were two of the most important people in his life. Ochako was fast asleep, laying down across the entire couch. Eri had curled up into her, head tucked underneath her elder, face glowing, unperturbed by nightmares. Ochako had an arm laying on top of the girl, though her hand critically hung loosely, her fingers not yet coming into contact with anything. It looked so natural, so right, despite them being relative strangers.

Wondrous. His heart swelled and his eyes welled up. Unbidden tears began streaming down his face.

An emotion dwelled powerfully within him that he could only describe as love. But even that word seemed inadequate, somehow, to the totality of this sight. He knew only that the scene before him made his mind explode like few – if any – things he had ever experienced in his life.

He stood still for a few seconds, letting the image etch itself into him. He thought about trying to take a photo, but he doubted the picture would turn out well in the low light. No photograph would ever do this any justice.

Besides, this was not a moment that belonged to him.

Eri shifted suddenly and Deku bit his lip, hoping he had not inadvertently made a noise to wake her. Fortunately, she remained asleep. But she shivered, adjusting to get closer to the warmth she had centred herself on.

His body moved on its own. He tiptoed past them as quickly as he could, praying he did not wake them, before rushing to Eri's room to grab the blanket she might need. He made one last stop to his own room before rushing back to the sleeping pair.

They deserved proper rest. He would do what he could to preserve it.

He approached them, starting by pulling forward an extra pair of his own costume gloves. He knew Ochako used sleeping gloves to keep herself from floating things in her slumber. His own pair would not be a perfect fit, but he hoped they would do.

Izuku bent down and carefully grabbed her loose left hand. He blushed at the contact but did not allow his nerves to get the best of him, dutifully placing the glove on her. He did the same with her other hand, which was fortunately within easy reach. They were easy enough to slip on, as they were oversized. He kept them loose, hoping they would not cause any issues.

"Mmm...Eri," Ochako whispered suddenly.

Izuku nearly tripped over himself as he took a step backwards. It took him a second to realize Ochako was just mumbling in her sleep. Taking a moment to calm his racing pulse, he retreated from the pair with care.

With Ochako's hands contained, Deku tried to put on the finishing touch. He grabbed the queen-sized blanket; it was oversized for Eri, but Yaorozu had insisted on giving her a big bed. He was thankful for it this time, as it made draping it around the pair a little easier. He did not attempt to tuck them in too tightly, hoping they would settle in with it over the course of the night.

He noticed a smile suddenly come onto Eri's face after the blanket was in place. He beamed at the sight, heart warmed in ways only the girl could manage.

He let his eyes drift back to Ochako, mouth a little open as she slept soundly. He could not know what she had done to achieve this, but he was endlessly appreciative of it. Eri must have come to trust her immensely for them to fall asleep together. As the girl's experiences expanded and she grew to trust more people, hopefully, the wounds in her soul could start to heal.

For all the evil he had witnessed on this night, this moment made it all worth it. A beacon in the dark.

Izuku exited the room, heart clinging tightly to a memory that would last him a lifetime.

AN: I wanted to bust something out for Eri this season because she deserves good things.

Thank you to Deadliest Sin Bin on the IzuOcha Discord server for editing this.

I hope you all enjoyed! Please, like and reblog if you enjoyed it; each one of them is precious to me. =)

@rex101111​ As with the last time I wrote Eri, in case this is relevant to you ;)

#my hero academia #boko no hero academia #ochako urakara #eri #izuocha #fanfiction #one-shot #PTSD #angst #eriizuocha #Eri deserves good things #I wrote this because of that fact #manga timeline

[airquietworks]

If you don’t get it, now they can interlock their fingers without Deku floating away