Her desperately gasping lungs and the heat pooling at her forehead could do little to quell the fire roaring deep in her belly.

Ochako's gaze was fixed on her two feet in front of her, continually pushing against the leg press, straining to lift all the weight loaded onto the device. She had to push her left leg a little harder than her right, the muscles there unbalanced by weeks of limited use. But she kept lifting her legs upwards, heedless of the straining protest of her limbs.

"Eleven…" she muttered under her breath, her legs practically screaming at this point, as she let them fly back down along the machine. She grit her teeth and lifted once more, faltering once but managing to complete the last repetition. "Twelve."

She did her best to gently disengage her legs from the machine, pushing them off and working to catch her breath. She tried to press down on her left foot, but the leg shook under even a minimal amount of pressure. She frowned, knowing she would have to call it in for that day, unable to do her usual fourth set.

Ochako sighed, letting her vision move up to the bright lights on the ceiling of the U.A. training gym. They were a familiar comfort as she worked to get a hold of her breathing. The low thrum of the air conditioning and the distant sounds of metal clangs were peaceful to her now, in their own way.

A buzz sounded from her nearby phone, disrupting the tranquillity of the moment. Ochako scrunched her forehead and instinctively reached out for it, glad she had the forethought to keep it next to her this time. With a few tired swipes of her thumbs, she read the message she had been expecting — and dreading.

"We're ready here. You coming? :D"

Mina's text was less bothersome than usual but still caused Ochako to take a bracing breath. She still wondered how Mina had gotten her to agree with this. Shaking her head, she tapped her fingers quickly on her phone screen to reply.

"Be there in a half hour."

Her workout was cut short with Deku being busy with some kind of super-secret training with All Might. Without her familiar sparring buddy, Ochako resigned herself to hitting the showers early and walking into her scheduled torment.

But she would need her legs for that, which were still a little shaky. She grabbed a water bottle near her and took a healthy chug, letting the water's coolness course through her system.

This was her breaking point.

Ochako collapsed onto the crumbling tile of the arena, legs giving out, quirk no longer able to lift her. She puked, spilling her guts out, unable to rein in the reflex. This position was all too familiar, and she pounded her fist into the ground at that fact. She tried desperately to find another second wind, using her arms to lift her up. Deku, her parents and all her friends were out there rooting for her. She had to find a way to keep fighting.

"You're done."

She looked up to see Bakugo there, staring coldly down at her. Other than a large mark on his cheek from where she had successfully landed a fist — but had been blown away the instant before she could have tapped him with her thumb and sent him flying — he looked little worse for wear.

Ochako desperately wanted to prove him wrong. To stand up and kick his butt out of the ring. But her legs refused to budge. Her stomach churned and tugged in a way that told her she would be heaving out the remnants of her stomach if she tried to use her Quirk again.

It was frustrating. She knew — or at least told herself she did — that she could win if she was closer to 100 percent. But her fight with Deku had taken too much out of her. She was not as agile as she needed to be to keep out of reach of Bakugo's explosions.

"You never stood a chance," Bakugo stated, nothing but disdain in his voice. "It would have been better if you lost last round."

It made her blood boil. She shook as she sent a defiant glare his way. As unconsciousness started to creep across her mind, she managed one last sentence.

"I will...surpass you."

Ochako's eyes flew open as the aggravating scene played in her mind once again. It had haunted her dreams, both day and night, for weeks. Every bedridden moment had thus infuriated her, eager as she was to throw herself back into training to start making up for that humiliating defeat.

Unfortunately, her injuries forced her to pace herself. She stood up, grimacing at the pain that shot through her legs. But they managed to hold her weight. Her arms dangled loosely at her sides, worn from an early section of her workout. With little energy to go on, Ochako shambled over to the facility's locker rooms.

As she walked through the quiet facility, Ochako found her mind turning once more to the Summer Sports Festival and her failure to reach the top. Todoroki had gone on to defeat Bakugo in the finals, but that had done little to assuage her grief when she heard about it afterwards.

Despite the pain and the tears shed over the loss, Ochako chose to use it as motivation. She redoubled herself into her hero training, working her arms with dumbbells Deku had snuck in for her while she was bedridden. As soon as she could walk steadily again, she had gotten back into the swing of hero classes and working out at the gym.

It had taken a lot of time to work down that frustration. Her victory over Deku had still gotten her a fair bit of notoriety. But she wanted to prove she could do more. To open up even more doors. She used her defeat as fuel to rededicate herself to training.

Deku was much the same and was often enough lifting weights right alongside her. Fortunately, the romantic edge to their relationship had only made training slightly more awkward. Sparring had even gone smoothly, once the opening jitters were out of the way. Her heart panged a little at missing him today — both for training and beyond. But she was somewhat reassured by the meeting she would have with him tomorrow.

There was not a lot of certainty to her life these days beyond her drive to train and get better. She was happy — ecstatic, even — to be with Deku. But he was a big part of that uncertainty, the two of them struggling to navigate the first steps of their new relationship together. Nevertheless, she found herself regularly seeking his company.

Ochako closed her eyes for a moment as she stood on the threshold to the locker rooms. The dull throbbing of her muscles cried out for the relief of a hot shower and a soft bed. It hurt, but it was a good, satisfying kind of hurt.

As she had learned, love had not quelled her thirst for self-improvement.

That was perhaps one fear she need not worry about. But there were new terrors that had taken its place.

After a shower and a quick change of clothes, Ochako walked slowly back towards the U.A. dorms. She was in no particular rush. She stretched the distance, taking time to appreciate the pleasant warmth of the midsummer evening.

Ochako tried to use the glorious hues of the summertime sunset to find a measure of peace. Her lungs relished in the fresh air, delighting in the brief reprieve from more strenuous activities. It would be nice if she could just sit out here for a while.

But she knew she had no choice but to keep walking toward her doom.

As she finally arrived into the dorms and entered the class 3-A building, she found herself ambushed by hands. She could not keep track of how many as they grabbed hold of her tightly, preventing any hope she had of escape. Before she knew what was happening, she was getting yanked along deeper into the facility.

"Took you long enough!" Mina exclaimed, unable to contain the enthusiasm bursting in her voice. "Come on, we're all waiting for you!

Ochako groaned, wanting to protest, but let herself get pulled along limply. She looked up and realized the other hands dragging her along helplessly belonged to Tooru — who was waving her free arm rather excitedly — and Tsuyu, who sent a little apologetic smile her way.

They passed by a few of their male classmates along the way, their quick gait raising more than a few eyebrows and earning a passing scolding from Iida. But soon enough — too soon for Ochako's liking — they found their way to her room. She was pulled in unceremoniously by her friends for the "fun" to begin.

The image before her was perhaps less horrific than Ochako might have originally imagined. Momo and Kyoka were rifling through her dresser, a few of her outfits placed on her nearby desk for consideration. There were also more extravagant clothing choices in the pile that definitely did not come from her wardrobe.

Her eyes were next drawn towards the teetering piles of girly fashion magazines strewn about her bed. Tooru hands quickly disengaged from Ochako to start rifling through them. The invisible girl held a couple of choices up in her hands, the magazines appearing to float quickly from side to side. Ochako imagined Tooru was probably grinning widely at the prospect of subjecting her to the contents within.

Finally, she saw plenty of snacks gathered around her small table, from Pocky to sponge cakes to chocolate. Ochako's eyes were immediately glued to the snack food she tended to spurn for budgetary reasons, and her stomach growled at the prospect of digging in.

Mina perceptively grabbed a box of Pocky and shoved it in Ochako's hands, before pushing towards Momo and the clothing piled up on her desk.

"You can eat while we work on your outfit," Mina suggested with a beaming grin. "Let Operation: Date Preparation commence!"

With that, Ochako quickly tried to scarf down a couple of Pocky sticks while Momo pulled her in front of a full-length mirror — undoubtedly brought in from Momo's room — and started holding outfits in front of Ochako's chest.

"You don't really have a lot of clothes," Momo observed, holding up a white blouse from Ochako's wardrobe. "Do you have anything else in another suitcase somewhere?"

"Spoken like a rich kid," Tsuyu teased from Ochako's bed, sending a blush running into Momo's cheeks.

"I'm just asking, that's all!" Momo protested.

Ochako cracked a smile, but shook her head at Momo's question while chewing on her Pocky. The theatrics of this was too much for her personal taste, but she knew her friends were coming from the right place. In fairness, she had no idea how she was supposed to approach her first-ever date.

Just the thought of it made Ochako's cheeks a little rosy as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her reddening face did not go unnoticed.

"Well, we'll find something nice for you to wear for tomorrow," Mina stated matter-of-factly, creeping up behind Ochako and holding a tiny little red shirt that was definitely not something she'd ever have in her own wardrobe. "Something that will make Midoriya's jaw drop."

"I am not wearing something like that!" Ochako exclaimed between bites, shaking her head and reaching a hand out to push the shirt away. Mina responded by yanking it out of her grasp, like a matador battling with a raging bull.

"I just want something...something simple," Ochako continued after swallowing her mouthful of Pocky. She eyed the white blouse that had been discarded into what she guessed was a "no" pile and pulled it back in front of her. "What's wrong with this?"

"Well, it's kind of something you'd usually wear, isn't it?" Tsuyu observed, putting an elongated finger to her cheek. "Isn't this supposed to be something special, ribbit?"

"It's your first date! Live a little!" Tooru piped in, piling on the peer pressure.

"I would suggest trying to wear something a little different. It's a good idea, from what I've read anyway," Momo noted, giving a gentle smile as she pulled the blouse out of Ochako's suddenly weak grip. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try to get you in anything you're not comfortable with," she assured, sending a threatening glance Mina's way.

"This stuff is way too complicated," Kyoka muttered, leaning against the desk while idly flipping through one of Tooru's magazines, eyes wandering around the room.

"You're telling me," Ochako said, frowning as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had never been particularly self-conscious about her appearance — she had much bigger problems to worry about than that. But the world of dating brought with it a whole host of unexpected little pressures she was struggling to come to grips with.

Being involved with Deku romantically had been mostly wonderful. Their interactions usually started a little on-edge with the romantic dimension added onto their relationship. But it would normally not last long, and they would fall back into the easygoing camaraderie they both treasured. Only now, Ochako could actually act on her occasional urges to touch and lean against him. It had been a lot of fun seeing him react and be so flustered as she gently poked at the first steps into a physical side to their relationship.

The emotional side of things had also been slow and tentative. They were already close confidants, but there was plenty neither was forthcoming to share with the other. Ochako had tried to be a little bit more open about her frustrations, venting frequently about her loss against Bakugo. It had felt better than she would have thought. Deku was a wonderful listener.

Despite the progress, the two had put off the date to allow for her leg to heal. When that excuse was out of the way, Ochako had found herself suddenly scrambling to ready herself for a promised day out. The nerves had gotten the best of her, and before she knew it, Mina had roped her into a girls' night to prepare, which Ochako had very quickly regretted agreeing to.

"Come on, this should be fun!" Mina retorted. "You're going to be going on a date with your lover! Isn't that exciting?"

Ochako felt her cheeks heat up at Deku being referred to as her "lover."

"Not really…" she replied, touching a hand to a pinkish cheek. "I'm just...is that how I should feel about this?"

"That's up to you," Tsuyu stated in her usual monotone, sitting by the snack table with a bag of chips in hand. "None of us would even know what that's like, except for Tooru."

"Well, I know I was excited!" Tooru exclaimed, the sleeves of her pink shirt pumping upwards. "I practically couldn't sleep the night before my first date!"

"Yeah, but you've been planning your first date since you were seven," Kyoka noted dryly, wearing a smile while rolling her eyes. "Not all of us are into this kind of thing."

"Well, Ochako has to be at least a little into this, considering she said yes to Midoriya," Momo observed while holding a yellow sundress over Ochako's chest. "This could work, couldn't it? Want to try it on?"

"Sure, I guess," Ochako said, hesitantly taking ahold of the dress she imagined was more expensive than anything in her wardrobe. "I guess I'm glad to be going on a date with him. But I'm more nervous than anything else. Am I supposed to act any differently? And all this preparation...do I really need this?"

"Yes!" Mina and Tooru shouted in unison, causing Ochako to jump slightly in place.

"People do tend to get a little dressed up on dates, after all," Momo added, nodding in agreement with their group's hyperactive pair. "But it doesn't have to be stressful. We're here to help, as girlfriends do!"

"Tell 'ya what. How about you say why you wanted to go on this date with him?" Mina suggested. Ochako noticed how all the girls leaned forward a little at the question, even Kyoka.

Ochako bit her lip at being suddenly put on the spot. "Well, I just...we had just confessed to each other and I just felt really...happy in the moment. And when he tried to ask me out, he was so nervous and stuttering and it was just really...really cute."

"Awww…" Tooru sighed, flopping her back down onto the bed while clutching a pillow.

"And it was actually pretty easy to say yes," Ochako recalled, a smile blooming onto her face as she remembered. "It was just...a really good moment."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Mina shouted, clapping her hands together. The pink girl popped in front of Ochako and grabbed her shoulders. "That's why you're doing this! Just hold on to that feeling and have fun with it!"

"If you're glad about going out with Midoriya, then getting ready should be happy too, shouldn't it?" Tsuyu added, affixing Ochako with a rare smile.

Ochako eyed herself in the mirror, appreciating the wide smile on her face. A happy moment. Right. That's why she had said she'd put herself through this romance in the first place, wasn't it? To pursue her own form of selfish happiness for a change.

Mina winked in the mirror from behind her, as if reading her thoughts. The pink girl leaned in again, placing her head right next to Ochako's right ear.

"It'll be great," Mina said, her voice surprisingly soft, but her smile no less exuberant. Ochako got a little tingle down her spine from the proximity of Mina's voice. "I promise."

Ochako scanned the room and the grinning faces of all her friends. As grating as their peer pressure could be sometimes, she was happy they were there for her as she prepared for this uneasy foray into romance.

The pursuit of happiness was one best walked with friends by your side, after all.

Was her heart supposed to be ready to start running out of her chest?

Ochako asked herself a variation of that question for the third time in five minutes as she awaited her... .boyfriend (her thoughts still paused to dwell on it every time she considered Deku that way).

The simple yellow sundress she and her friends had agreed on suddenly felt tight on her skin as she sweat under the hot summer sun and her own nerves. The anticipation of an imminent date brought all of her anxieties to the forefront.

What if this goes wrong? Is this a good idea? How am I supposed to act? Was this the right outfit? What should I say first?

The advice of her friends got lost within the questions spiralling out of control in her mind. She looked up at the windows of the U.A. dorm building. She idly wondered if her friends were there, watching from above as she awaited her first date.

She quickly stomped the question out of her mind. Of course they were.

Ochako idly pulled out her cell phone and looked at the clock yet again. 11:01 a.m. She blinked at the display. She frowned at the numbers, idly tapping her foot as she considered them. She had never seen Deku be late for anything before. She did not really mind if he was late now — not yet anyway — but she could not help but wonder what his tardiness might mean.

As if on cue, she heard the quick patter of footsteps as Deku burst from the entrance door to the dorms. He was sprinting with his quirk, causing him to rush past her at first. It took him a moment to realize before he suddenly stopped himself and turned to run back towards her. His quirk-enhanced speed sent a strong gust flying Ochako's way, causing her to close her eyes and dig her feet in a little in reflex.

"Sorry! I...I lost track of the time and I'm sorry!" Deku blurted out in a panic between panting breaths, bent over slightly to grab his knees. Ochako opened her eyes to consider her date. He wasn't wearing anything flashy — a simple black shirt with shorts and his trademark red shoes. His green hair and freckled face were just the same as ever, too. The average, every day, plain-looking Deku.

She tried to think like that to keep herself calm, but her racing pulse and dry throat betrayed her. Love did funny things.

"It's alright, Deku!" she replied brightly after letting him catch his breath for a moment. "You were hardly late at all. But did something keep you?"

"Well I...um...well...you know…" his stare was wide upon her, and his mouth went slack between his multiple false starts at answering. She regarded him with a smile, which sent a heavy flush to his face, much to her delight. Her friends had assured her he would probably be more of a nervous wreck than she would be during this. She was counting on it to help keep her grounded and remind herself they were taking these first steps together, each as clueless as the other.

"Know what?" Ochako asked, leaning in just a little closer. She had to admit, it was fun getting Deku to react like this, now that she was actually looking for it.

"Just...getting ready!" Deku managed with a little too much volume, before reaching out suddenly and holding his hand in front of her. "Would you like to take my hand?!"

Ochako stared down at the offered, scarred appendage. She slowly glanced up to see Deku, sweating profusely, mouth stuck in a hard line. She looked back down to see his hand start to shake in place.

Try as she might, she could not help it. She burst out laughing.

"Sorry, it's just….you're so serious!" Ochako said between chuckles, trying to assuage his evident distress. "You're too cute, Deku! Did Iida suggest that?"

Deku averted his eyes at the question, reeling in his hand and putting it back to his side. "...Maybe."

"So…" Ochako replied, shaking her head. "I take it you were dragged into some preparation too?"

Izuku sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well...kind of. It was mostly just a lot of arguing. Not a lot of guys in class actually have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. How'd it go for you?"

"A little better, I think," Ochako said with sincerity. "They actually helped me out a lot."

"That's good." He smiled at her, but it ran quickly from his face as he looked at her again. He put his eyes downward and scratched at his blushing, freckled cheek. "Um...you look really nice, Ochako."

The compliment was simple. But she still found herself sucking in a breath, rendered speechless. The heat on her brow felt just a little bit more intense.

"Ochako?" His soothing voice penetrated the silence as she tried to gather herself.

"Oh...um….thanks, Deku," Ochako replied. She took a deep breath and tried to collect herself.

What should she say here? She should try to respond in kind, right? That's what Tooru's magazines said, anyway.

"You look...good too…?" It was true, but Ochako's voice had no certainty in it. It almost came out like a question. Fortunately, the remark nonetheless sent Deku sputtering.

"I don't...well...thank you," Deku replied simply, eyes glued to the ground, his mouth furrowed inward as if to prevent himself from saying something more.

An awkward silence struck between them, neither of the two willing to look at the other. Ochako frowned as she tried to think of what she should say next. A part of her desperately wanted interacting with him to be as easy as when they were just friends.

She idly roamed her eyes forward to his right hand, offered to her earlier. She seized upon an impulse, wanting to push things forward.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, after all.

When her hand met his, the touch was electric. Far too much so. Deku jumped slightly as if he was shocked, eyes bulging comically as he realized her sudden proximity.

"Well...I would be happy to take your hand!" Ochako gave him the best smile she could muster, trying to mask her nerves. In spite of his flushed cheeks, Deku gave her a shaky smile in kind.

"Thanks. But...um...Ochako?"

"Hm?"

"I'm kind of floating."

"Floating?"

Ochako's eyes widened in alarm as she realized Deku's feet were no longer touching the ground.

"Oh, shoot, sorry!" Ochako said, immediately letting go of her hold on his hand to touch her fingertips together.

Deku plopped back down on the ground, maintaining his balance. Ochako smiled sheepishly at him, letting her hands fall slackly down to her sides. She wanted to crawl under a rock. How had she messed up something so simple?

But she found the steel within herself and reached out again, slowly and more carefully. Deku actually met her halfway, intertwining his fingers with hers. The slower speed allowed her to better appreciate the feeling of his scarred flesh on her fingertips. His hand was coarse, uneven, and calloused, not unlike her own. But his hand was gentle and pleasant to clasp nonetheless.

"Third time's the charm, right?" Ochako suggested. Her spirits were lifted slightly by his humoured snort and his accompanying smile. His face had not gotten any less red, but at least he was no longer shaking.

"Right," Deku agreed. "Who knew holding someone's hand could be this difficult?"

"Not us," Ochako replied in good humour while shaking her head. "But...I guess we'll figure things out."

"Together." There was a surety in his voice, a familiar one that stabilized her own resolve.

"Shall we go, then?" Ochako suggested, stepping forward and pulling his arm along.

"Lead the way."

The trek to their designated cafe, where they agreed to have a light dinner, was fairly uneventful. They filled the space between them with idle chatter, each trying to give a degree of normalcy to the situation. It was not as difficult as Ochako had imagined it would be.

But a degree of romantic tension remained. Their hands remained clasped, to the point where it had gotten a little awkward walking through a crowd to get to their destination. But whenever they broke apart, they tried to join their hands once again. It had become a strange, unspoken physical connection between them, one neither of them was willing to break.

The cafe was a little crowded, but not enough for things to be cumbersome. As they took their seats, hands finally disengaging, Ochako busied herself with the menu in front of her. She looked a little mournfully at the pricier options, wishing she could splurge but settling for something more in line with her budget. The two had been here enough times with friends to at least know there were options for two broke high school students.

With orders made and drinks served (they both settled for water), there was nothing left to distract themselves except occasional sips from their respective glasses. The silence between them started to stretch, but despite that, Ochako did not feel uncomfortable. It was similar to any other day out with Deku. There were just fewer people they knew around them. People that she knew of, anyway.

"So...uh...how has your internship been going lately?" Deku asked suddenly, trying to spur conversation between them. His delivery was a little awkward, but Ochako did not mind.

"Pretty well, actually," she replied cheerily, smiling as the memories surfaced within her. "Ryukyu and I busted a jewelry store robbery while on patrol yesterday."

"That's great!" Deku spoke with such a genuine enthusiasm, one that naturally burst out of him whenever the conversation turned to heroics. It was one of his more endearing qualities. "I didn't see anything about it online though. Did Ryukyu not use her quirk then?"

"Just enough for a claw. It's a little weird to look at, but effective."

"I bet."

There was a beat of silence as Ochako started to fidget a bit in her seat. She wanted to say something more, but she was worried about how Deku might take.

But today was a day of firsts. If she could have enough courage to hold Izuku's hand, she could summon the gumption to get the good news off her chest.

"She offered me a job. For after I graduate." Ochako's eyes rolled down to the table, and she tried to control the smile widening on her face. Thinking about it still made her giddy, but she figured she should try to control it around Deku. He might still be sore over his lost opportunities, after all.

"THAT'S AMAZING!" Deku shouted, face beaming. His volume drew a few eyeballs in their direction, prompting him to fly a hand to his mouth. He waited until the attention was off them before continuing. "I'm so happy! You earned it! What kind of deal did she offer?"

Ochako was a little caught off guard by his unbridled enthusiasm, but she rolled with it. His delight was infectious, and she was glad to release her own joy at the news.

"More than I expected. Five million yen annual salary to start off," Ochako said. She rested her head in her hand, her head heavy at the prospect of it all. "And she thinks I can get a sponsorship deal within a few months to add to that."

"Holy…" Deku's eyes widened at the figure, his mouth going a little slack. "That's way above average for something just out of high school. That's incredible!"

"She said she wanted to make sure to put a good offer so no other agency would steal me away," Ochako recalled. It was still hard for her to believe — that she would actually be fought over by hero agencies. It was not something she would have dared to dream of even a few months ago.

"What did your parents think?"

Ochako sighed wistfully as the quick phone conversation came to mind. "They wouldn't stop crying about it. Or saying how proud they were of me. It was nice."

"Your hard work is paying off," Deku observed, his voice softening. "So...did you accept it?"

"Well, I was really tempted, but I'm going to wait and weigh my options. Maybe something better comes along," Ochako said. She looked up and sent a confident smile Deku's way, raising a fist upward in front of her. "I've got to make sure I get the best deal and make the most money possible. I'm not going to commit to anything until I'm sure I have it!"

"Wow, Uraraka. That's...that's really cool." Awe rang through every decibel of his voice. The wonder with which he looked at her was peculiar, but touching. She wondered if that was what she looked like sometimes when she was watching him in action.

"So...how have things been with your training?" Ochako did not specify, but she hoped he would divulge a little about what he was working on with All Might. The duo had gotten rid of a lot of the pretense of their one-on-one training over the years, but there was still a mystique about what exactly the two's training entailed.

"It's going well!" He spoke with a smile on his face, but he did not sound quite as enthusiastic as he did when speaking about her career. "It's gotten pretty tough lately. But it's all starting to come together. Although perhaps it is taking longer than I wanted…"

His eyes went out of focus. He was once again looking at something beyond her. She put a smile on her face but was not sure how to feel about the secrecy.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're way too smart not to."

"Oh!" Deku said a little loudly, startled out of his distant thoughts. "Uh, sorry about zoning out. And...thanks."

"Don't worry about it," she assured him. She was tempted to reach a hand out to emphasize her point, but decided it might be a little forward. Or maybe it wasn't, but she would rather not take that chance.

A brief lull in their conversation allowed a line from the distant drone of a nearby television set within the cafe to capture their attention.

"In hero news, we have an exclusive for you today. We've acquired footage of Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods kissing after a mission. Hero enthusiasts have long speculated about their relationship, and now we are happy to be able to confirm it! Let's roll that footage now."

Ochako watched bemusedly as Deku clambered out of his seat to stand and get a better view of the news report. She still followed him though, quite curious about it herself.

Lo and behold, the hero world's most famous couple were indeed caught in the act. The shot was pretty distant and fuzzy, but the two were unmistakable and definitely executing a mouth-to-mouth in an alleyway. It looked a little strange to see Kamui Woods with the bottom half of his mask off and the extended passion was kind of embarassing to look at.

"I knew it!" Deku exclaimed, raising a fist in front of him in excitement. No bit of hero news escaped his attention — even romantic news, apparently. But his smile quickly faded and he pinched at his chin in thought.

"I wonder what's going to happen to them now. They're probably going to have a lot of attention on them for a few weeks."

Ochako frowned a little at the thought. There were very few publicly known hero couples out there. Most known romantic partners of heroes tended to be people outside the profession. She imagined it was hard enough having one person in a relationship dealing with the strains of heroics, let alone two.

As a result, speculation on the "Mt. Woods" pairing had garnered a lot of media attention. Even she had caught wind of it, despite not really following hero gossip. It would be a top story for at least a few days.

Ochako glanced sidelong at Deku, who seemed to be lost in thought. He was mumbling, but it was low enough that she could not make out what he was saying. As if by automation, he turned to clamber back into his seat. She followed his lead.

"It must be really hard to be in a position like that…" Deku stated with more volume, eyes locked downward, gazing into nothingness. "Not being able to just be with the person you like without the paparazzi going after you."

"Yeah, for sure." Their profession had its drawbacks. Villainy was restless, and so too was heroism. It was hard to find privacy if you reached the top. The world would constantly scrutinize them.

Though they walked it together, their fledgling love was an uncertain road. Those were the storm clouds on the distant horizon.

They both understood that.

"...You know, before we...talked. After the fight, I mean. All Might came over to talk with me first."

Ochako looked up at him quickly, snapping out of thoughts. That was not something he had mentioned before.

"About what?"

"Well, a lot of things. How I fought, how I lost, and…" Deku finally looked up at her again, eyes bright and mouth suddenly turning upward. "And about how to handle what you told me."

"Oh…" she responded sheepishly. How else could she react? There was no way his mentor could have been happy about how she won that fight. "What did he say?"

"Well, I guess he was quiet for a while. And he asked me how I felt about you. I said...well…" his cheeks immediately reddened and he stopped his tongue. Ochako smiled at the adorable reaction. "I was honest with him."

"And how did he react?"

Deku straightened his posture and puffed his chest out a bit, evidently trying to mimic his idol.

"If you feel that way, then tell her," Deku dropped his voice an octave, managing a surprisingly passable impersonation of his hero. "Don't worry about what anyone else has to say. Don't worry about what might happen tomorrow. You're young. You should live."

Ochako did not have time to respond before Deku was suddenly reaching across the table to grab her outstretched hand, squeezing it.

"I don't want to worry too much about the future right now." He spoke with his heroic conviction, his blazing eyes sending her heart into a hammering pace. "I just want to live. With you."

Her heart started running fast as a freight train. Ochako gulped and tried to stomp down hard on her flightier reactions. She felt torn between urges to either jump for joy or crawl underneath a bed to hide her blushing face.

But she wanted to control her feelings — in a positive manner. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and squeezed his hand back.

"I want to stay with you too, Deku." She tried to match his conviction, flashing him with a sunny smile. "Whatever may come. I'm ready to face it."

Their ferocity for themselves and each other momentarily cast aside their nerves. The sweet sincerity of the moment, of their determination to continue on this winding path into the unknown, warmed Ochako to her core.

But the moment could not last forever.

"Um…I mean live with you. Like we are now. Not necessarily in a domestic sense. Probably a little early for that." Deku slowly retracted his hand as he spoke, quickly burying his face into his palm as he tried to address a meaning not taken.

"Oh, right! I didn't take it that way, don't worry!" Ochako tried to reassure him through her own fire raging across her face. She scratched the back of her head and hoped they could both learn how to make romantic proclamations without wanting to cower in fear.

Fortunately, the arrival of their orders helped break the tension and made for an easy pivot into small talk.

They silently agreed to try and settle back into a more easy-going conversation. They chatted about homework, training regimens, the latest antics of Class 3-A, and even some shared mirth about their respective date preparation sessions. It was like any other conversation she might have had with Deku before their mutual pinings made it all so much more complicated. But she was relieved to still be able to talk with him like this — even on something as nebulous as a first date.

With their bellies full, they walked out into the busy streets, bathed under the light of an orange sky. They did not hold hands this time, quietly electing for a reprieve from that particular gesture. But their spirits remained high as they walked side-by-side back towards the dorms.

"This has been a wonderful time, Deku." She spoke honestly, hovering close enough to him to be audible over the bustle of the street. "I'm glad we did this."

"Yeah!" He nodded with vigour, an open-mouthed smile upon his face. "There's one more thing I wanted to do, though. We'll have to wait until it's dark. Is that okay with you?"

Ochako blinked at the question. They had not discussed anything beyond going out to grab a bite. The idea that Deku had something else planned, something that could only be done under the cover of darkness, was intimidating.

But their shared meal had made her spirits soar. And she wanted to see what the next leap of faith might have in store for her.

"Sure!" Ochako replied, not missing a beat. "I haven't got anything planned, so why not?"

"Great!" Deku replied, his smile growing a little wider. "I can't wait to show you."

"Show me…?" Ochako asked, but Deku shook his head at the question.

"Just wait. You'll see."

Curiosity piqued, Ochako tried to start guessing what he was up to. But Deku was unshakable in his secrecy, quickly causing her to run out of steam.

When the two finally arrived at the U.A. dorms, Ochako was surprised when Deku gestured them off the beaten path. She quietly followed behind as he took them along the grassy landscape, around the side of the facility.

"This should be decently out of the way," Deku stated as he looked up one of the towering corners of the main building. Ochako followed his gaze, looking up at the endless windows stretched above them.

"I did get permission to set something up. We could take the stairs but…" Deku turned his gaze back to her as he pointed towards the sky. "It's a little high up."

"On the roof?" Ochako guessed. Deku answered with an eager nod.

"I think I can probably leap up there with some care, but it'd be a lot easier with the help of your quirk. Mind giving us a lift?

Ochako glanced up again, the dorm building's height a little imposing from this far below. She looked back down to Deku, his eager smile unwavering on his face.

She boldly reached out and grabbed his hand, grinning back at him. "Not at all."

With that, Deku channelled his quirk into his legs and leapt up high, pulling Ochako along with him. The initial rush of air around her ears startled her, and she instinctively clung to his arm, not wanting to end up falling below him. But the speed slowed quickly and left them hanging gently in the air, the grass and trees below them blending together as they soared into the sky.

When they reached the peak of their arc, well above the dorm facility itself, Ochako shifted her gaze in front of them. The central, flat part of the roof — the only place they could logically land — did not appear to have anything on it from this height. But she trusted whatever Deku was planning would be more visible once they got their feet atop it.

She finally chanced a glance toward him. His eyes were intently focused on sticking their landing, surprisingly unphased by how tightly she clung to his arm. The wind danced the hair across his forehead, and his focused expression was captivating.

Be still, my beating heart, she thought to herself as she loosened her hold around his arm slightly.

The two landed smoothly, Ochako disengaging her quirk a little above the roof to ensure they both stood on their feet. She quickly let go of his arm, glancing sidelong to see his reddened cheeks, as if he just realizing she had been holding onto him tightly.

"So...what have you got planned?" Ochako asked again, keeping her attention focused on him. She watched Deku shake his head a bit as if shaking off unruly thoughts. He turned to smile at her before pointing over to the edge of the roof, near the back of the building.

It was a little hard to make out, but Ochako could tell what it was. Small, cylindrical, and directed upward toward the darkening sky, the telescope looked puny atop the massive rooftop. There was a thick-looking book beneath it, undoubtedly filled with information on astronomy.

"I remember you mentioning something about going out to see the stars with your parents last summer…" Deku murmured, scratching at his head. "You seemed really excited about it. I just figured we could maybe try to watch some stars here."

His voice wavered as his explanation went on, as if fearing his idea was not going to work out.

Ochako did not have much experience, but she knew this was certainly a weird choice for a date. Most people would stick with something like a movie or an amusement park — the wholesome activities media tended to associate with dating. Night sky viewing on an empty rooftop was certainly a unique, and rather nerdy, choice.

But she loved it.

One of the things she disliked most about moving into the city was how hard it was to see the stars under all the light pollution. She tried to find places that might give her a fleeting glimpse of the night skies she treasured at her rural home, but it was no use. She had enough on her schedule without trying to squeeze time in for astronomical whims.

But now Deku was serving it up for her on a platter. She was eager to dig in.

Without letting Deku ramble on, Ochako grabbed his hand again and pulled him over to the telescope.

"Let's see what we can find!" Ochako shouted, unleashing her enthusiasm in a show of unbridled passion.

Ochako immediately plunged her face toward the eyehole of the telescope, fiddling with its alignment to see what she could see. With dusk still hanging around, the sky was not quite dark enough for stars. But there were a few bright spots starting to appear in the sky. A crescent moon was also in view, and Ochako peeked around the telescope to try to adjust it toward that direction.

She could hear Deku move around the other side, leaning down to pick up the book on the ground.

"It's too bad we can't see much with the city lights, but we can at least see a few bright spots," Deku said encouragingly as he flipped through the pages of the book. "I heard that Venus is going to be really bright tonight. Let me just see where it's supposed to be…"

Ochako focused in on the moon, admiring the beauty of it up close, the shadow clearly visible with the help of the telescope.

"That's so cool…" Ochako sighed breathily, letting herself get loose into the wonder of it all. "You should come check out the moon, Deku!"

"Oh, sure," he replied quickly, shuffling the book under his arm and stepping forward to take a peek. He accidentally grazed her hand as she let him have some room. The fleeting touch was pleasant, but Ochako determinedly did not allow it to phase her.

"Thank you for this, by the way. It was really thoughtful."

"Oh…you're welcome," Deku replied, suddenly thrusting his eye into the telescope with a little more vigour. "I wasn't too sure, but I'm glad you like it."

"It's been too long since I just looked up at the stars like this." There were only a couple of bright spots in the sky, but they were enough to put a smile on her face. "I've always felt…peaceful, watching the stars with someone I care about. You know what I mean?"

"I can't say I've really done much stargazing." He pulled his head away to look at her, flashing her a smile. "But I think I get it."

The two took turns glimpsing up at the night sky, slowly pushing their telescope to look at every corner they could. There were only a few bright spots to see, such as Venus and Sirius. But they were still able to enjoy each other's company, flipping through pages in the astronomy book, making excuses for fleeting contact and teasing plans to watch a real starry night sky together in the countryside some day.

Ochako was idly fiddling with the telescope's calibration when she saw it, flashing across the sky. A streak of light flashed across her vision, brighter than she would have expected through the lens of the telescope.

"Woah!" she naturally exclaimed, pulling Deku's attention.

"What is it?"

"Shooting star!" Ochako replied excitedly, her hands pointing to the sky as she looked back up at her date.

"Oh, really? That's awesome! I'm sorry I missed it." He directed his naked eyes toward the night sky, hoping another star might fall. "How big was it? Was it only one?"

"Pretty small. Just the one." A warm feeling overcame her as she thought about it. "Still cool, though. I've never seen one in the city before."

"That's pretty lucky," Deku noted, taking his eyes off of the sky to give her a knowing look. "So, are you going to make a wish?"

Ochako almost balked at the idea. She had not made a wish on a shooting star since she was a little girl. The magic of the idea was lost when her child wishes for her parents' financial well-being were never granted.

But tonight felt different. Tonight felt like maybe there was a little more magic than usual in the air, silly as it sounded in her head.

"Maybe..." Ochako's soft voice was non-committal. She took a step away from the telescope, trying to focus on the question Deku posed. "I'm not even sure what I would wish for."

"Me neither," Deku responded while stroking at his chin. "I mean, you already gave me the only thing I would have wished for lately. There's always world peace, but that's not going to—"

"What was that?" Ochako asked, blinking and straining to make sure she was hearing him correctly. She was his only wish?

Deku stopped his rambling, his eyes widening and face flushing as he realized what he accidentally let out.

"Uh…well, I didn't mean it like that! Well, I did mean it, but not in a weird way. Is that weird?"

He looked pleadingly toward her, lips trembling in search of a lifeline.

Ochako let out a giggle at his awkward fumbling through what could have been a good romantic line. Deku would never be able to maintain much in the way of suaveness, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's fine. A part of me had wished for this for a long time too, after all," Ochako said honestly, waving a hand at him reassuringly.

Deku breathed a sigh of relief, smiling in thanks at her. She smiled back as familiar, warm butterflies flew about in her gut.

He really had helped her fulfill so many of her hopes and dreams. She still had a long way to go to accomplish her goals of becoming a pro and helping her parents, but Deku had undoubtedly helped set her on the right course for that. Her self-doubts were slowly fading as she trained every day and built upon the resolve she found facing off against him.

There was not much she could realistically wish for, because she knew it was not enough to wish. You had to take reaching your dreams — and your happiness — into your own hands.

There were a lot of things she wished for. But there was one thing in front of her she could grasp now.

"I think I know what I'd like to wish for, actually." She approached him with a mirthful tone, sliding up before he realized what was happening.

His throat bobbed as she rose up to meet him face-to-face. She could count the freckles on his cheeks again. But she was much more drawn to his widened eyes, mysterious new embers buried deep within those green depths.

"What would…that be?"

For just a moment, she was sure she was amongst the stars.

AN: And that is a wrap!

Thank you to everyone who read, edited and supported this story! It means so much to me that this got the kind of attention it did and it helped spur me on for my largest fiction writing project in years. You all rock. ^_^

Apologies that this took so long to get out there. Real life and writer's blocks got in the way. But I hope it was worth the rate.

Special thanks to the amazing kate7h, who completed an incredible commissioned comic of the climactic finish to Deku and Ochako's fight. Please, check it out here: post/178346038567/of-hearts-and-heroics-heres-a-work-turned

As for what's next, I cannot make any guarantees, but I have a few ideas floating around. I hope it will not be long before you hear from me again and you will join me for my next endeavour.

Please, leave a kudos and a comment if you enjoyed this story!

Until next time, I bid you farewell. =)