The Aftermath of Heroics- Continuing Deku x Uraraka

Ochaco sank against the bedside frame and leaned against Deku. She was almost too tired to feel awkward.

He'd refused to sit on the bed with her, which was fair, all things considered. He had promised no "funny business," but Ochaco thought he underestimated just how much she wanted to sit near him.

Only ten minutes into the Mask of Zorro, she'd already slid off her mattress and plopped down next to him. And now, as she leaned against him, she felt his body turn rigid like a board. In a funny way, it was cute. If there was anybody she could trust, it was Deku.

She extended the bag of popcorn to him. He took a small handful and munched on it quietly, his eyes staring into the tv screen. His attention seemed to be more on avoiding her gaze than on watching the film.

So, Ochaco made a point to stare at him. To examine his features, from his freckles to his soft jawline. He didn't look like a traditional hero. Not like Zorro, with his chiseled chin and slicked hair- when his mask was off, of course.

But there was something else to Deku, something that made him look so wonderfully heroic and handsome at the same time.

Ochaco leaned into his shoulder, resting her head against him. She wished he would hold her close, but she wouldn't dare ask him to. No, that was too much, too fast. She was pretty sure he liked her. Actually, she was a hundred percent sure. But the last thing she wanted to do was scare him off.

And more importantly, she didn't want to scare herself off.

But this? With her head on his shoulder, feeling his rising breaths beside her? She couldn't ask for more. She wished that the night would never end. This was the thought in her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

#

Ochaco woke to the sound of knocking on the door. She jerked from her sleep, and fell out of her bed, blanket tumbling around her.

Oh no! I fell asleep! Is Deku-

Deku was gone. It was morning, light streaming in through the window. But… when had he left? And… How had she gotten into bed?

She was still in her clothes from the night before. Had Deku… tucked her in?

The knocking came again. "Uraraka!" sounded Ashido's voice. "Are you awake?"

"Y-yeah!" said Ochaco. "What's up?" She hustled over to her dresser and pulled out a change of clothes to get ready for the school-day.

"We're going for a run," said Ashido. "Do you want to come with us?"

"A run?" said Ochaco, her brain racing. "Don't we have class?"

"It's Sunday, and tomorrow's the provisional exam," said Ashido, her voice going up and down a little, in a way that said, "I'm humoring you because you're my friend."

Oh. That was right. Ochaco had been so caught up in Deku that she'd forgotten. How could she have forgotten? This was only the day before the most important moment in her hero career so far.

She chided herself, but took out her tracksuit and changed into it. It was Deku. Why shouldn't she have focused on him? He was… amazing. But him being amazing didn't make her amazing. Ochaco couldn't lose focus on what was important.

She opened the door to Ashido, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet, already dressed for the run.

"Took you long enough!" Ashido grinned. Then her black-and-orange eyes narrowed. "You look really, really tired, Uraraka. And your hair is really dirty. What were you up to yesterday? Nobody saw you come in."

Ochaco could hear the implied extra words in her head. Nobody saw Deku come in, either.

She went red, and tried to cover it by rubbing her eyes. "I had a strange evening. But it's nothing crazy." Quick. What was a good lie? "I was playing baseball in town."

"Oh?" said Ashido, grinning. "I love baseball! You should've invited me!"

Ochaco scratched her head. "Sorry. I'll remember next time. But I'm able to run now. I can shower afterward."

"Sounds good!" Ashido exclaimed, bouncing down the hall. They took the elevator down, where the others waited. Everyone was there, including Deku.

The green-haired, green-eyed boy crouched in a corner, stretching alongside Iida. He was completely clean, his hair fresh and flowing around his eyes. His muscles rippled beneath his t-shirt and shorts, his legs sinuous and strong. He had a few scratches and cuts, but that only added to his aura.

Ochaco was about to go over to him and Iida, but froze. Should she? Normally, she'd walk right up to Deku. But his eyes- he was intent and focused on prep for the run. This was training time for him. She couldn't interrupt that.

And I need to focus on my training too.

She went off with Ashido and Tsu, talking quietly with them. But every few moments, she couldn't help but glance over Deku's way. And every time she did, he was as focused as ever.

When the run began, the pack quickly thinned and spread out: those who could run with superhuman speed took the front, and those who couldn't found themselves at varying degrees in the back. Deku, Bakugo, and Iida, of course practically raced one another, zipping ahead, followed by Tsu, Todoroki, and Kirishima.

Ashido, though, remained behind, falling back to keep up with Ochaco.

"So," she said, almost under her breath. "Baseball?"

Ochaco tried to sound more out-of-breath than she actually was. "Yeah."

"Are you sure you weren't out with… a certain someone?"

Ochaco felt her cheeks redden. Off to the side, she noticed Mineta. His ears perked at the question. He was definitely listening.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Ochaco, trying to hide her jitters in the exertion of running.

"Come on," said Ashido. "You can tell me."

Ochaco shook her head. "There's nothing."

"Alright, alright," said Ashido. "But you haven't gotten me off your case yet." And with that, she took off, quickly catching up toward the front of the pack.

#

That night, Ochaco took a seat in the girls' wing common area. She'd prepped for tomorrow as best she could, with her Uravity outfit ready to go and snacks packed in her backpack for the trip. Now all she could do is wait and try to relax.

The thought had crossed her mind to pay Deku a visit, but she figured he would be preparing just the same, and she didn't want to interrupt him. More than that, she wanted to try to keep her focus on tomorrow. Everything hinged on this exam.

Ashido, Tsu, and the other girls had settled for the evening as well, taking seats on the sofa beside and across from Ochaco. They all seemed as anxious as her, no doubt waiting for the craziness that would commence tomorrow.

"Hey, I have an idea to take off the nerves!" announced Ashido.

"Oh?" said Yaoyorozu. "What's that?"

A sly, sadistic smirk settled across Ashido's face. "Let's play Truth or Dare."

Ochaco swallowed. "I think I should turn in for the night."

"Why are you leaving?" said Hagakure, bouncing in her night pajamas. "This will be so fun! Oh, oh! I can go first! Ask me Truth or Dare!"

"I really think I should-" said Ochaco.

"Pleeeaaaase!" begged Ashido, clapping her hands together. "Please please please please please!"

Ochaco pursed her lips. Against her better judgment, she agreed with a nod and sank deeper into the couch cushion. Something told her this was going to go very, very badly.

"Okay!" announced Ashido, delighted. "Okay, Hagakure. You go first. Truth or dare?"

"Truth!" Ashido announced, ruffling the carpet beneath her invisible feet.

"Hm… what's a good one?" said Ashido, putting her finger against her jaw.

"Who's the first boy you ever kissed?" said Tsu.

"Oh, that's great!" said Ashido. "Yes. First kiss."

"Hm… Nobody!" Hagakure announced.

Yes. That made perfect sense. They were only in high school far too early to be… Oh… Yeah…

"Okay! Who's next?" asked Ashido.

"This sounds like fun," said Yaoyorozu. "I do believe I'll give it a shot."

"Great! Truth or dare?"

"Hm…" said Yaoyorozu, thoughtful. She considered for a second, putting her cheek in her hand. "I do believe I'll go with dare."

"Then I dare you to go into the elevator and scream, 'I love chocolate more than life!'" said Ashido.

"How scandalous!" said Yaoyorozu, cupping her hand to her mouth. But between her fingers, there crept a small smile. "Fine, then. I'll do it."

Ochaco watched with bated breath as Yaoyorozu crept over the elevator in her slippers, pressed the button and waited it to come. Her body shook with nerves, but regardless, she stepped inside and screamed, "I absolutely love chocolate! A lot! More than I could ever say! More than being alive! More than-"

The elevator door closed.

"Oh no!" Ochaco exclaimed jumping to her feet.

A few moments later, Yaoyorozu reappeared, stepping out through the doorway, face as red as an apple.

"There were boys downstairs," she said sheepishly, setting down on her seat and curling up her legs. "They heard every word."

Ochaco wasn't sure whether to laugh, or to sympathize. Both? She couldn't be sure. She sank into her chair and smiled to herself. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"And what about you, Ochaco?" said Ashido with a devilish smile. "Truth or dare?"

Scratch that. Terrible idea. Utterly terrible idea.

"Neither," said Ochaco, shaking her head. "I don't want to do either."

"Why are you refusing?" said Ashido. "Are you afraid of what we'll ask you to say?"

"No!" Ochaco half-barked. "I just don't feel like doing it."

"It feels like you're hiding something," said Hagakure exuberantly. "I love secrets. What is it?!"

Ochaco sighed and sank into her seat. There was no way out of this, it seemed. "Fine, I give in. I choose dare."

This way, at least, they couldn't make her confess anything.

"I dare you to go kiss Midoriya!" Ashido exclaimed.

Heat rose up in Ochaco's cheeks like a fever. "Wh-what?!"

The devilish grin returned to Ashido's face. "You heard me. Go kiss him."

"What? No!" Ochaco said. "No!"

"That does seem to be a little much," said Yaoyorozu. Tsu nodded in agreement, to Ochaco's relief. At least the others were on her side.

"But you want to, don't you?" said Ashido. "I see the way you look at him. It's obvious."

"What? No it isn't! I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Ochaco protested.

Literally everyone raised an eyebrow at her. Even Hagakure, who was invisible, seemed to give Ochaco an incredulous look.

Ochaco swallowed, a potential reality dawning on her. "Why are you guys staring at me like that?"

"Girl," said Ashido. "Do you think we're blind?"

"It's obvious," said Hagakure.

"Yep, ribbit," said Tsu. "Obvious."

"Quite," said Yaoyorozu before taking a sip from a teacup.

Ochaco felt her face heat up. Hotter than when she'd fought Bakugo. By a long shot. This was horrible. This was… mortifying!

"I need to go," she said, standing.

"No, don't go!" said Ashido, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. "It's okay! We're not going to make fun of you! It's… cute! It really is!"

Ochaco forced herself to stay, just barely. But she wanted to be anywhere else.

"It's okay that you like Midoriya, really," said Yaoyorozu. "Quite frankly, he's an admirable individual. Someone worthy of high praise."

Yes, I like him, Ochaco said in her head. But it's more than that. So much… more than that.

But she couldn't say that out loud. They'd figured out her crush on him, but they hadn't seemed to figure out she and Deku had been… what had they been doing? Dating? No. They hadn't defined that. They hadn't defined anything.

And now Ochaco was all worked up again, right before the exam. She didn't need this.

She felt a pressure on her eyes, tears beginning to well. She rubbed her eyes. She would not cry. She would not cry.

"I should go to bed," she said.

"Really, it's okay!" said Ashido.

"No, it's not," said Ochaco, and she left. She went into her room and closed the door behind her. Once inside, she sank behind the doorframe. Through the thin wall, she heard the others talking.

"Do you think we pushed her too far?" said Ashido.

"Probably," said Hagakure. "We should apologize."

"We should give her space," said Tsu. "We can apologize later."

Ochaco bit back tears, forcing herself to retain her composure. She stood and marched to her balcony door. She could just slip out and fly over to Deku's room. He would be able to help her feel alright.

She put her finger against the door handle and stopped. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Not after all this. She couldn't distract Deku from his preparation. More than that, Ochaco couldn't distract herself anymore than she already had. She needed more focus, not less.

Slowly and tentatively, she forced herself to sit on the bed, and she began to go over battle strategies. But the longer she went, the harder it was to not cry. Until she finally broke, and she fell asleep soaked in her tears.

#

The morning alarm hit Ochaco like an icepick. Cold and merciless. She rolled out of bed and gingerly readied herself, her hair stuck to her face from crying the night before. She felt a little foolish for how hard she'd cried, but more than that, she felt frustrated: even now, her thoughts were on Deku.

It wasn't long before she was prepared. Ochaco boarded the bus with the others and Aizawa, and took off for their licensing exam. When it came time to sit, she chose to take the seat next to Iida. And when Deku boarded the bus, she avoided eye contact with him. Same with Ashido and the other girls.

"Uraraka?" said Iida in his usual, straightforward voice. "Are you well? You look tired and sick."

"I'm just-" Ochaco began, but she bit back her response and forced herself to smile. "It's just nerves, I guess. I can't believe we're doing this!"

Iida grinned that straightforward grin of his- but it wasn't anything like Deku's smile. "I believe we are strong enough to succeed, Uraraka! Let's give it our best!"

"Yes," said Ochaco, forcing herself to focus on his camaraderie. "Let's!"

#

"Uraraka!" Ochaco shouted, joining a throng of excited voices. She couldn't believe it. Her name was right there, on the winners board. She had her provisional license. All that work, and all that effort, and blood, and sweat. She was one step closer to achieving her dream.

And just like that, the provisional certification exam was over. It had passed, and so had she.

Ochaco glanced over at Deku. He looked like he was about to cry. Which was par for the course for him. But an unfamiliar pain welled in her chest. Something felt… off.

Yes, off.

She'd had to close her heart during the exam. Take her eyes off him. Turn away from him. In order to succeed, Ochaco'd had to cut off her feelings for Deku.

And it had worked. But now…

The very thought of it left a bittersweet tinge in all this excitement. That, and Camie. The strange naked girl. Was… was Ochaco jealous? No. Deku would never cheat on her like that. He was too good, too pure.

Which made Ochaco all the more uneasy. What did this mean for her? What did this mean for him? She'd been forced to sever herself from Deku to succeed. And… And… She didn't want to think about what that could mean next.

These thoughts dominated Ochaco's mind, even as they boarded the bus and went back to U.A. It was impossible to ignore, even with the victory of the provisional certification emblazoned on her heart. She couldn't let go of whatever needed to happen next.

What did need to happen next? She couldn't lose focus on her goals. And she knew the only reason she'd passed the exam was because she'd finally detached from Deku. If she'd clung to his hip like she'd wanted, she would have failed for certain.

So where did that leave them? What did Deku expect now?

These worries and concerns followed Uraraka into the night. She couldn't shake them. She couldn't ignore them, even as she lay in bed. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the terror of the unknown holding a firm grip on her conscience.

Finally, she threw off the covers, pulled on her tank top and track pants, and made her way to the balcony. She needed to settle this, one way or another.

Ochaco settled herself down onto the grass, walked around to the building's other side, and counted the balconies. Finding the right one, she jumped up to Deku's room, and knocked on the glass door.

She heard Deku fall out of his bed as he scrambled to the door. He pulled aside the curtains and opened the door, peeking out wide-eyed at Ochaco.

"What's up, Ochaco?" he whispered. He wasn't wearing a shirt. His muscles glistened in the moonlight, as strong yet gentle as ever.

Not what I need to be thinking about, Uraraka swallowed. Then, she gazed off to the side, unable to look Deku in the eyes. "Can we talk?"

Deku nodded. "One sec."

And a moment later, he'd pulled on a t-shirt and was ready to go. Together, they descended to the grass. His strong arms made Ochaco feel sick- like she didn't deserve their embrace. And when they landed, she intentionally stepped away.

"Ochaco?" said Deku, raising an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

"I, uh, well," mumbled Ochaco. "Let's walk a bit."

"Oh, um, sure."

They left the dorm grounds and found themselves walking amid the trees of the school grounds, stepping in and out of moonlight and shadow. As they went, Ochaco tried to put together the words she needed to say, to organize the thoughts and emotions rampaging through her heart.

And with every step, she realized just how hard this was going to be. Even if she didn't exactly know what this was.

Finally, they came to a stop beneath the shade of a Japanese oak, with faint streams of moonlight cresting on Deku's gorgeous locks of hair.

It was time. Ochaco couldn't put it off any longer.

"I think I made a mistake," she said, watching Deku closely. His face was stoic and concerned. "And I'm not entirely sure how to fix it."

"What's the problem?" said Deku, his stoic face turning to one of concentration. "Is there any way I can help?"

"I…" said Ochaco, sticking out her chin and biting back tears. She could not cry. She needed to be strong, dammit. "It's just that, well, Deku, you are so amazing. And I… I think it's obvious just how amazing you are. Too amazing. And I…" Ochaco clenched her jaw. The words came like shattered glass. "And I can't distract you from being a hero. And I can't be distracted from being a hero. And it's.. And it's not fair, dammit!

"I really, really like you! You are all I think about, day and night. I just want to hold you, and feel your skin against mine, and to feel your breath on mine. I want to be around you, and to support you and lift you. But… but…" She couldn't hold it back. The tears came, like a waterfall. "I can't let how I feel about you get in the way of my work or your work. We both need to become heroes, and I, and I …"

She began to sob, her body trembling. She couldn't even see Deku through the tears. "I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm so sorry."

Then Deku hugged her.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her in close. Ochaco let herself fall into his embrace, burying his face in his neck. His warmth was intoxicating, his strength so reassuring. She gripped his shirt with her hands, squeezing with her arms, emptying her tears into his t-shirt collar.

Finally, Deku spoke.

"It's okay," he said, his voice soft. "Whatever you choose to do or be, it's okay."

And that only made Ochaco cry even more.

"I like you so, so much," she said.

"I know," said Deku. "I know."

"What should I do?"

Deku paused for a long moment, running his fingers up and down Ochaco's back. "I don't know. I've never done this before."

Ochaco laughed hoarsely. "I guess I haven't either." She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. She was so caught up in that wondrous green. She couldn't say goodbye to that. "I… I can't let this get in the way of our work, Deku."

Deku nodded, thoughtful. "I admit, I'd been thinking about this another way."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well," said Deku, going red. "I don't think I could actually become a hero without you."

Ochaco's heart skipped a beat. Wait, does he mean that?

He waved his hands back and forth very quickly. "A-a-and, I don't mean that to make you think you have to like, well, you know, date me. No. Either as a friend, or as something more, or as whatever if it is you want to be, I know you make me a better hero."

He put a finger to his chin. "But I guess that's entirely selfish of me. I've been thinking so much about how you make me a better hero, that I haven't thought about you at all. I'm sorry, Ochaco. I should have thought of you first. Whatever it is you want or need us to be, I'm ready for us to be it. Even if that's friends, or… or..." the last words came out as barely a mumble, "or less than that."

Ochaco stared blankly at him, the gears turning in her head. And then, she began to laugh.

"Ochaco?" said Deku, his eyes wide. "Are you okay?"

Ochaco continued to laugh and laugh, until finally, she came to a natural stop, doubling over. "I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just… it's funny to hear you call yourself selfish." She stood up straight and looked Deku in the eye. "You are easily the most selfless person I have ever met."

"Oh," said Deku, scratching his head and looking off to the side. "Thank you." A long silence hung between them, before Deku finally broke it, in his own adorable, humble way. "So, Ochaco, are you going to be okay?"

Ochaco bit her lip and rocked on her heels. "I… still don't know."

"That's okay," said Deku. "It's like I said. Whatever you want us to be-"

Ochaco put a finger to his lips. "I heard you the first time, silly."

"Oh, okay," he mumbled past her finger.

Then, after a long thought, Ochaco said, "I think I was looking at this problem wrong."

"Oh? How so?"

"Sometimes, I forget just how amazing you are, Deku."

"But you just said earlier-"

"I know what I said. You are amazing. Too amazing. So amazing that I can barely understand it. The problem isn't that I distract you from being a hero, or even that you distract me from being a hero. Without you, I never would have made it this far. I just… need to be able to talk with you, to make boundaries and schedules, so that we do the things we need to do, before we do the things we want to."

Deku nodded, but didn't say anything, letting Ochaco think on what she was going to say next.

When she was ready, Ochaco said, "I think I know what I want us to be. But I know it will be hard."

Deku swallowed, but nodded solemnly. "Whatever it is you need, Ochaco. I will accept whatever you say."

Ochaco couldn't help but chuckle a little. "You are so silly, Deku." She looked up into his gorgeous green eyes, those intent, kind hearted eyes. Yes. This would work. "I want us to begin dating. Officially. For real. No secrets, no sneaking around the others. You. And me. Boyfriend. And Girlfriend. Deal?"

Deku's jaw dropped, and Ochaco grinned.

[Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry I have a release schedule that makes GRRM look prolific. The day job(s) take priority. But I do love Deku and Uraraka as a couple, so I was happy to come back to them. I know a few readers were disappointed that I took the time to write those three Recovery Girl chapters, and I understand the criticism. In the future, I may separate it into its own fic altogether. We'll see what happens.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please please please favorite, follow, and leave a review. You guys don't know how much the reviews mean to me. I read every one. And I have every intention of continuing this fic. So drop in what you think. Thank you!]