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It’s not that she was having second thoughts. She was simply nervous. And who wouldn’t be?
She was applying for UA, after all.
The gates towered over her, tall and imposing. Expensive, too. She scraped money together for years, just for this purpose. She didn’t have any second thoughts.
Ochako took a breath, and walks on. Two boys walked in front of her, a blonde and a greenette. The greenette had been chattering excitedly at the blonde, his hands flinging nervously through the air. The blonde merely grunted in response, when suddenly the other boy got his shoe caught on the uneven pavement and teetered forward in the middle of a sentence. Lucky for him, his friend caught him by his collar and lifted him back up on his feet smoothly.
“-but you don’t understand, Kach- Aaaa!- an! I haven’t used it before, what if I-”
His stream of words was hardly interrupted, until ‘Kachan’ slammed a hand over his mouth. “Shut it, Deku, do you want everyone to know your little secret! You won’t fucking screw up, so stop whining.”
Ochako gulped when the blonde glanced around, angry red eyes finding hers. Awkwardly, she waved a hand.
“Uh-uhm. Hey?” she said. The blonde opened his mouth, looking like he was going to yell, but ‘Deku’, who had pulled the other’s hand from off his mouth, was faster.
“Hello! I’m Midoriya Izuku, are you here for the hero course too?”
“Yep. My name is Uraraka Ochako,” Ochako said to not-Deku. Midoriya nudged his friend and gave him a meaningful look. His friend rolled his eyes and introduced himself with a grunted 'Bakugou'. Midoriya perked up at that, and Ochako had to admit that with his beaming smile and the freckles that dotted his face he was rather cute, before he went on a speech about how he and ‘Kachan’ had wanted to be heroes since they were kids and how he wants to save everyone with a smile, just like All-Might.
He slung an arm around Bakugou's shoulder as he continued on about being future hero partners, and saving people, and all kinds of good deeds. He said all this so earnestly that Ochako was honestly starting to believe he might be a puppy in a human body, before his smile turned sharper and he finished with, "And I'm going to take the Number 1 Spot. Kachan can be number two forever. I'm sure he'd like that."
Ochako was glad the bell rung then, announcing that they had to get a move on, because the look on Bakugou's face was positively murderous.
***
The blonde's full name was Bakugou Katsuki, as she found out on her first day at UA. His friend had made it too, which she was relieved to see. Present Mic had ensured her she wouldn't need to give her points away, but she'd still worried, and she still wanted to thank him for saving her.
However, it was surprising to see how he was acting. She almost didn't recognize the boy who had been smiling so brightly and kindly before, with how he was fighting with Bakugou. The argument seemed rather heated, but from what she could hear it was about the latest All-Might series. Privately, she had to agree with Bakugou that the callback to All-Might's silver age had felt rather forced, but she didn't dare to get in between the boys. Bakugou was leaning close to Midoriya now, shouting in his face. Midoriya seemed unperturbed, shouting back just as loud. There was the pop of a tiny explosion.
Someone else did dare to get between them. A boy with dark hair, glasses, and a stern expression, who went on a lecture about fighting in the classroom, making exaggerated hand gestures as he did so. Bakugou's behaviour didn't change that much, or at all, as he called the boy a four-eyed idiot to his face. Midoriya's did.
"I apologize, Iida. It's just that Kachan and I watched All-Might's series since we were kids, and feel very strongly about them." Then he shot a meaningful glance at his friend, who rolled his eyes and mumbled something. "My friend says sorry too," he added. Iida seemed a little surprised. He leaned back and adjusted his glasses.
"Your... friend?" he mumbled. Bakugou scowled at that, and Midoriya frowned a little as well.
"Of course, Four-eyes! I've known this nerd since pre-school! You got a problem with that!?" The two boys were facing Iida now, shoulder to shoulder. Iida seemed as surprised at this turn of events as their spectating classmates, and started on an apology, but before he could finish it the teacher introduced himself and scared the class so badly Ochako suspected that the coming week their behaviour would be perfect.
Midoriya also broke his finger, for which Bakugou kept insulting him all the way to Recovery Girl, according to Midoriya.
***
Ochako greeted her father with a hug when she got home from school. "Dad!" she shouted in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still working!" Her father laughed as he twirled her around, before setting her down and mussing up her hair.
"The boss gave me the day of so I could see my little girl when she came home from UA, of course! How was my future Number 1 Hero's first day, hm? Caught any crooks?" Ochako chuckled into his shoulder, before leaving his embrace and walking towards her room.
"I'll tell you and mom all about it, just let me put my stuff away first." Her father made a noise in affirmation, and headed to the kitchen. Ochako dropped her bag in her room, changed out of her school uniform and into something more comfortable, and went to join the table.
"So, tell us, how was school, dear?" her mother asked as she set a bowl of soup in front of her.
"It was good. Our homeroom teacher had us take this quirk test, and said the one who came in last would be expelled, but that turned out to be a lie to push to perform better. Oh, and this one boy brainwashed me to throw his ball since I had the highest score on the ball throw, but it was alright because I'd do it too if I'd be expelled otherwise." She paused then, shoving some soup in her mouth and noting that her parents were a little surprised, but not in a bad way.
"That was very kind of you, Ochako, not to hold it against him," her mother said, and her father grunted in affirmation. Ochako blushed a little.
"And this other boy broke his finger throwing the ball," she mumbled in one breath. Mom looked up from her food.
"Broke a finger? Would this happen to be the same boy who broke most of his limbs to save your life during the entrance exam? The one you couldn't stop talking about? You should bring him over sometime," Her mother grinned at her, a teasing tone to her voice that had Ochako blushing again, but for an entirely different reason, until her father came to her rescue.
"Oh, leave the girl alone," he chuckled. "What about his angry friend? Was he there too?"
"Yeah, Bakugou Katsuki. He can make explosions, apparently. Deku and him were in a... rather heated debate, actually, when I entered. They're really passionate about All-Might. They were shouting in each other's faces."
"Deku?" Dad asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Midoriya Izuku. That's how he introduced himself to the class, after the tests were finished." She slurped up the last bit of soup.
"A bit of a mean nickname, isn't it ?" her mother said, and Ochako shook her head.
"It's from dekiru, as in, 'you can do it', you know? Said Bakugou gave it to him."
"Hm. Still, are you sure, they're friends?"
"Well, he calls Bakugou Kachan, which is adorable, but when Kaminari - another classmate - tried that, Bakugou decked him, so," she shrugged. "I think so?"
Her parents blinked at each other before simultaneously shaking their heads. "Well, friendship comes in many forms."
***
Ochako was paired with Deku, who was wearing a green jumpsuit with a a mask that resembled a rabbit (when she complimented him he said his mother had made it for him, which was just adorable), for their first battle training. All-Might had said that this training was just for showing their quirks and abilities, so that he would have an idea of how far they were in terms of combat training, and they would have an idea of how dangerous their quirks could be. The goal of this exercise was training, not winning. They were not supposed to put their classmates in serious danger by going all out.
But Ochako was paired up with Deku, and pitted against Iida and Bakugou.
She saw Bakugou's red eyes find Deku's green ones and the wide grins on their faces made her think that, maybe, this was a bad idea. This was only reinforced by Deku's words when the training started.
"So, do you think you can take Iida?" he asked. Ochako nodded hesitantly. "Good. Kachan will probably leave him with the bomb and come for me. I'll distract him so you can get the bomb, okay?"
"What makes you so sure he'll come for you?" she asked.
"He doesn't know how to hold back when it comes to beating me," he replied, grinning. except this grin wasn't like the bright, confident smile that made her heart all fluttery. This grin was excited, a touch manic, and gave his eyes a determined fire. He looked weirdly happy at the prospect of fighting someone with explosive fists, while his quirk caused him to break his bones when he used it.
Even more weirdly, this grin still made her heart feel all fluttery.
"Do you?" she asked then. Deku's questioning eyes asked for an explanation. "Do you know how to hold back when it comes to beating him?"
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, spluttering defensively. "I mean- Yes, I'm not- I just, really, really want to... beat him?"
Ochako sighed. "Just don't get yourself killed, okay? I'll deal with Iida."
Deku pumped his fist victoriously. "Yes. And don't worry this isn't my first time fighting Kachan." Ochako eyed him weirdly.
"Are you sure you two are friends?" she asked. Deku blinked as if he didn't understand the question.
"Sure. Why?"
"Oh, no reason."
Then, All-Might's voice told them the match had started. Deku's suspicions were soon proven right as a loud 'FUCKING DEKU! I'M COMING FOR YOU!' echoed through the building. Ochako went on her way to find Iida.
***
in the aftermath, Deku and Bakugou were both carted of to Recovery Girl's office, and, surprisingly, Deku wasn't the only one with a broken arm. Bakugou didn't seem to really care though. He was angrier about his loss.
"It was so manly!" Kirishima yelled when Ochako returned to the rest of the class. "Bakugou was going to use those huge grenades of his to blow Midoriya up, but then when Midoriya said that might put you and Iida in danger he stopped and just went hand to hand with him! I didn't know they knew how to fight! Do you think they'll teach me?"
Ochako looked at the screens, which were replaying scenes of their match. Both Deku and Bakugou indeed seemed to be capable fighters. Bakugou seemed to have the upperhand, until Deku kicked one of his grenade-bracers away a little too hard and the momentum caused his arm to snap the wrong way. It made her a little queasy. That was the moment Deku told her his crazy plan and smashed through several floors of the building, giving Ochako the opportunity to get the bomb.
"Seriously though," Mina commented. "He looks and acts like an adorable puppy - I mean, his mom made his hero costume - , but Midoriya is kinda nuts, really. He's just breaking limbs left and right."
"It was good to see Bakugou cared, however. Their friendship seemed very one-sided to me at first, but it is clear to me now Bakugou cares for Midoriya in his own way," Iida added, which surprised Ochako and the others.
"What do you mean, Iida?" she asked.
"Before he ran off, he said that he had to, ahem, 'go beat some sense into stupid fucking Deku for unnecessarily breaking his stupid fucking bones'. And then, when All-Might came to escort them to Recovery Girl, he was yelling at him that he better teach Midoriya how to keep himself from breaking bones, or else- , well, I'd rather not talk that way about All-Might." Iida pushed up his glasses with the hand that wasn't aggressively chopping up the air. "But if he's willing to threaten the Symbol of Peace over Midoriya's well-being he must care about him."
The rest of the class ruminated on this, until Shinsou piped up. "Uraraka was a fucking badass too, though. She just played baseball with a giant stone pillar and chunks of rock."
Ochako ducked her head and blushed as the class started praising her tactics, and then saw Iida stammer trying to graciously receive his compliments on his strategic thinking until All-Might returned.
"Are Deku and Bakugou alright, teacher?" was the first thing she asked. All-Might nodded.
"They'll be up in no time, Young Uraraka, have no fear! And congratulations again! You did well in the exercise!"
She had to stop and remember to breathe then. She'd just been complimented by All-Might. It wasn't until All-Might announced the start of the next match started that she snapped out of it.
***
Ochako hadn't talked much to Bakugou yet. She saw him when checking up on Deku in Recovery Girl's office. Deku wasn't there, because apparently he'd gone to the toilet when he was supposed to be resting. Bakugou had said as much.
Or well, he'd said, "Your boyfriend's taking a piss," and reduced Ochako to a spluttering mess.
"He's not- I'm not- You're not-"
"I'm not what?" he asked, eyebrow raised and the hints of a smirk on his face.
"You're messing with me," she accused him. He did fully smirk then.
"Yup, got it in one, Moonface."
"That's not my name," she said sternly. Bakugou shrugged with one shoulder, not moving his bandaged arm.
"Maybe it should be. It fits you well enough."
"Ugh," she groaned in annoyance. "I can't see why Deku would be friends with you."
"I'm awesome. Who wouldn't want to be friends with me?"
"Then why are you friends with him? You seem so... different."
Bakugou frowned and he looked of to the side. Guilt flashed on his face before it disappeared behind a scowl. "Stupid fucking Deku is a great friend, because he lets me beat him up and doesn't whine about it afterwards."
She shot a pointed look at his bandaged arm. "'Lets you you beat him up'? You look pretty busted yourself to me."
"Yup," he said with a weird mix of glee and pride in his voice. "He even fights back, which only makes it better."
It was at this point Ochako was pretty sure Bakugou was either a sociopath or a masochist. She wasn't planning to say that. She was, however, planning to ask why he kept insulting Deku, when said teen reentered the office.
"I'm back, Kachan. Did Reco- Oh hey, Uraraka! Why are you here?"
Ochako didn't reply, to busy focusing on the fact that Deku was limping into the room. Why was he limping? He wasn't limping before. This happened after the match.
"What happened to you?" she asked, at the same time as Bakugou and with much less profanity. Deku shrugged and rubbed his neck with a sheepish look on his face.
"I closed the door of the restroom on my foot."
Ochako was silent. Bakugou was not.
"You stupid fucking-"