This spiraled way out of control from the drabble it was meant to be oops. Actually finished this on my birthday, so I guess now this is my birthday present to me?
I love aged-up super awkward Izuocha, please check out my other works too for more of these dorks ~!

EDIT: 21/9/19 - I have a much more updated and polished version of this now on AO3, so please head there to see the fully edited version. I'm Izupie over there too!

Beep Beep Beep

Ochako groaned loudly and yanked her bed quilt over her head.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

It was that alarm. Again. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, in a futile attempt to desperately to cling onto the last hazy wisps of sleep that were rapidly clearing from her mind, while the alarm from the floor below persisted.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Ochako reached out of the cocoon of duvet she'd made to snatch her pillow and slam that over her ears too. As if it wasn't bad enough that whoever lived in the room directly below hers had an obnoxiously loud alarm clock (that she swore must be set to maximum volume), but they would also leave it to beep for just long enough that she would be fully awake and unable to fall asleep again by the time they'd turned it off.

The beeping finally ceased and Ochako let out a relieved sigh that ended in a groan. Great, she was once again fully awake at- (she peeked out of the duvet at the tiny red numbers on her own alarm clock glowing in the pre-dawn darkness) -five o'clock in the morning.

Far, far too early considering she'd got caught up chatting on Discord until two a.m. again. Which gave her a horrifying grand total of three hours sleep.

Ochako lay on her back and glared at the ceiling of her apartment, cursing being such a light sleeper. She'd always been jealous of her friends at college who'd had naps between lectures or before they went on a night out, while she'd just struggled through the inevitable sleep deprivation. She smiled at the memory of Momo falling asleep at a house party once, remembering how everyone piled their coats on top of her and put a pillow under her head.

With a sigh Ochako flung back the bed quilt and swung her legs over the side of the bed, took a gulp of water from the glass on her bedside table, and rubbed her tired stinging eyes. She didn't even know who lived in the apartment below hers. She kind of wished she was friendly with any of her neighbors, because then she could have asked them about it, but she'd only very recently moved in, so she hadn't really had chance to get to know anyone yet. She could only imagine that the other residents in the vicinity were just very used to it? Or that they were all heavy sleepers and it didn't wake up anyone else but her - (most likely) - but maybe it bothered them, but no one could bring themselves to tackle the alarm owner about it...

She considered this last option carefully.

So really... She could be doing everyone else a favor by getting the early morning wake up call to stop, right?

Ochako glanced over at her own alarm clock again. Only about fifteen minutes had passed. Nobody could get ready to leave in just fifteen minutes from waking up, right? If she was quick, she might be able to go down a floor and knock on their door, just to explain that if they must get up that early (afterall, she reasoned, she didn't know what they did for a job) that if they could just turn the volume down, or not leave it to beep for so long, that would be fine.

Totally reasonable.

Ochako drew her eyebrows together and took in a quick sharp breath, gripping her hands in front of her like she was ready for a fight. Let's do it.

Not really considering her state of dress; still in her pink sleeping shorts and a grey tank top that had the words 'Shine Like The Stars' printed in glittery pink lettering on it, Ochako grabbed her keys, slipped on her comfy old sandals, and swept out of her apartment. As she was trotting down the staircase she realised she hadn't even brushed any of the tangles out of her bed-head hair, as her short bob style tended to get into a mess while she slept, so she quickly ran a hand through the front longer bangs and shook her head, to try and get it looking at least a little bit presentable and bouncy. (She didn't think she'd made much of a difference.)

Ochako made her way into the correct corridor and gripped her chin in thought, trying to imagine her own corridor above and how many rooms down she was. "One, two, three..." she muttered as she walked and passed each door. She hadn't been anywhere in the building but the entrance and her own corridor so it was eerie to see the same layout but different room numbers. Ochako rubbed her exposed arms absentmindedly as she was sure she'd made it to the correct door, wishing she'd put a jacket on.

She hesitated as the boldness that had sent her there began to fade. She was still in her pyjamas. She'd probably got epic bed-head. She was wearing sandals! Anyone could live there... This was a bad idea. Ochako continued to hesitate and looked up at the ceiling, knowing she could leave now and go back to her own room and nobody would ever know. But that wouldn't solve anything. She set her expression into a mask of determination and raised a fist to knock. But the door suddenly flung open and Ochako yelped in surprise, instinctively leaping backwards. Her sandal caught on the carpet, while her foot continued to move and it slipped off, making her other foot pitch in the opposite direction to correct her balance, and ended with her lurching forwards. Instead of the face plant to the floor that she was expecting, Ochako opened her tightly clenched eyes to see white fabric, and realised she was being held by a strong grip, pressed tightly to the solid chest of a male. She looked up in a surprised daze and she distantly wondered how eyes that green could even be real, and that they matched his messy, wavy green hair.

"Ah-!"

"Uh-!"

He had a scattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose. (It was kind of cute.)

After a brief pause Ochako realised they had both frozen, faces only inches apart, mouths open in silence to let the other speak, with her chest still pressed securely against his and- oh Gods! She wasn't even wearing a bra!

As if both coming to the same conclusion at the same time they sprang apart, Ochako blushing furiously and folding her arms over her chest, thanks to her thin pyjama tank top not leaving much to the imagination, and she winced and hissed with pain from her twisted ankle.

"S-S-Sorry about that! - I mean- not sorry that I caught you obviously, but- you know..." the mystery guy rushed out, a bright blush staining the skin under his freckles as he snapped his attention to the ceiling. He must have caught the sharp hiss she couldn't contain as she winced, because he looked back down with a concerned expression. "Oh, a-are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked softly.

He had a kind, expressive face, though there was something about his eyes that made her believe he was stronger than he seemed.

Ochako waved her hands in front of her frantically, his kindness making her blush even harder and momentarily forget why she had her arms crossed. "No, no, don't worry, just a little twisted ankle," she explained, trying to sound positive instead of just intensely flustered.

She took a moment to notice that he was wearing a closely fitting white t-shirt, with the word 'shirt' printed across his broad chest, trendy black shorts, and striking, vivid red high-top sneakers that her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to. While observing him she became intensely aware that he was doing the same to her, as she noticed his green eyes cast down at what she knew was her thin tank top, very short shorts and her favourite pair of old well-worn sandals that she wore in place of slippers.

At this point Ochako very much wanted the ground to open up beneath her.

"Th-Thanks for catching me!" she blurted out, remembering her manners. "Can't believe I tripped over like that." She tried for a casual laugh, something that didn't say that she was crazy and had been about to knock on his door in her pyjamas at five o'clock in the morning, but she felt that it came out a little on the hysterical edge. She folded her arms tighter over her chest.

Izuku's eyes deliberately flicked away from her again, sensing her embarrassment, his blush still staining the skin across his nose. "N-No problem - I shouldn't have flung open my door like that, really." He fidgeted, and she had to admire the way he hadn't immediately dismissed her or dodged away as soon as possible. "So, um, did you need me for something?"

Now that her chance to talk to him had arrived she was unsure as to whether she could go through with it or not. All of her initial bad mood and irritation had faded with him catching her when she'd fallen and being such a genuine person - not to mention he was extremely cute. But after only three hours sleep her brain was completely blank on how she could explain her presence there in any other away. The truth would probably be for the best, she thought, trying to reach for the fire that had sent her there in the first place - he was right there, so she should just tell him about his dumb alarm clock, even if he seemed totally sweet and friendly...

While she battled with her inner thoughts, he bent down and picked up her sandal (of course she still only had one shoe on, she realised, horrified) and offered it to her. But when she stepped forward to take it back, stuttering another highly embarrassed thank you, she cringed again at the shooting pain from her ankle.

He frowned in concern. "It looks like that might be nasty. I'm so sorry I made you jump..."

He was so concerned and full of misplaced guilt that he didn't seem to have considered that it was her fault for being right outside of his door at five in the morning in the first place.

"Here, let me help," he continued, "I'm a paramedic, so I can have a look and make it feel better in no time, I promise." He smiled shyly, then waved his hands in front of his face in a fluster. "O-Oh I should introduce myself before offering to take you into my apartment- not that I mean it like that- that sounds creepy. I know it's a bit weird to ask you to come inside since we don't know each other..." he rambled, rubbing the back of his neck, while the blush on his nose and cheeks darkened. He took a breath and tried again, "My name's Izuku Midoriya, I work at the UA City Hospital."

Ochako couldn't help but smile back, amused by his earnest and awkward offer. She tried to ignore the odd fluttering feeling in her chest. "I'm Ochako Uraraka, nice to meet you. I'm... not usually such a mess," she chuckled self-consciously, folding her arms tighter around her chest, "or, you know, loitering around corridors early in the morning. I actually live in the apartment above yours."

She pointed to the ceiling and Izuku followed with his eyes.

"Really? Wow, so we're like the upstairs and downstairs version of next-door neighbors. Up-door neighbors? Down-door neighbours?" He gave a little laugh and smiled.

Something warm fluttered in Ochako's chest.

"I, well, I um..." She slammed down the impulse to hide her face and pretend this whole thing wasn't happening - dying inside at her inability to think of a single explanation for her presence at his door at this time in the morning. "Anyway!" she finally chirped over-enthusiastically. "I should really get going before your neighbors come to see what all the noise is out here." She laughed a little too loudly, waving the sandal he'd given her in the air. "And they see me wearing my pyjamas and one sandal."

She was such a coward. He was too nice - she couldn't tell him about the alarm now! Maybe she could write an anonymous letter and post it under his door while he was out...

Izuku frowned. "Please, just let me put a bit of ice on it at least, so it doesn't swell. I can check you haven't really damaged it."

"No, no, don't worry, I mean, you were obviously on your way out, and I don't want to hold you up, and I'm sure I'll be fine-" She put her sandal back on as she spoke and attempted to back away, but as soon as her twisted ankle bore her weight she gasped.

Izuku shot forward as if to catch her if she fell. His fingers ghosted over the arm she'd put out to steady herself.

Seeing she was standing steadily, he let his arms fall back to his sides. "As a medical professional I'm really advising you not to try and walk on that ankle for a while." He spoke in a strong voice that left no room for argument, and his eyebrows were crinkled together in concern. His professionalism seemed to completely remove his stuttering and awkwardness. "I can't make you, but please, I really think I should take a look at it."

There was a beat of silence while Ochako bit her lip and thought about ways she could get out of putting a stranger to so much trouble, considering she had originally come to scold him, but after a moment Izuku turned around and crouched down slightly, motioning for her to get on his back. A shocked protest instantly formed on her lips as she realised he meant to give her a piggyback ride into his apartment, but it died unsaid as she considered the situation. There really was no way she could even hobble back to her apartment in this much pain. She sighed in defeat and hopped up, arms instantly winding around his neck, and cheeks burning as his hands gripped her bare thighs to stop her from falling.

Ochako had always considered herself to be a little on the chubby side for her height, but he straightened up effortlessly like she weighed nothing at all, and she could feel the solid muscles in his back and the strength in his arms. He was a lot stronger than he looked.

Her thoughts whirled, telling her that this should be really inappropriate, but knowing that he was a paramedic made it slightly more okay - because he was just doing his job, right? Of course, they were still total strangers... that alone made this situation odd. But there was something so earnest and honest about him that she trusted instantly, and she could see how he would make an excellent paramedic. Not that it lessened the racing of her heart or the fire burning in her cheeks. This was the closest she'd ever been to anyone of the opposite sex, and she was unused to the proximity of someone she was clearly attracted to. His broad back was so warm that she had to resist the temptation to lay her head down and close her eyes.

She just really, really wished she'd at least stuck a bra on before leaving her room, she lamented, pressed tight against his back.

Izuku took a few steps towards his apartment and his professional image was offset slightly the deep crimson blush on the tips of his ears, and there was a wobble in his voice that managed to break through his calm exterior as he stammered, "H-Hold on."

Then he took her inside.

Ochako wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, because she should have realised before that the apartment would be an exact replica of her own in terms of physical layout, but she was thrown aback to see the same space as hers look so drastically different. Whilst hers was very utilitarian, and contained very few personal touches, his entire apartment was a mass of super heroes; most of the walls were taken up with colourful super hero posters and prints, there were a couple of bookcases stuffed full of comic books, and a huge display cabinet stood off to one side that was filled with rows and rows of figures and collectables.

"You... really like super heroes." Ochako observed out loud.

"O-Oh- uh- yeah..."

Izuku crouched down as he reached his kitchen, so that she could climb off and sit on a wooden kitchen chair.

"Not that that's a bad thing!" she clarified, unwrapping her arms from around his neck, a little reluctantly, and taking a seat. "Super heroes are great!"

Izuku smiled gently, not meeting her eyes, while he brought over another chair to face her.

She pouted.

"You don't think girls like super heroes?" she accused.

"It's not that! It's just... I've been teased a lot about it over the years." His smile turned sad.

"No way!" Ochako fumed. "Who would tease someone about something they're obviously so passionate about? And I swear everyone is into super heroes these days. It's hot news! Me and my friend Iida always go and see the new hero releases together at the movies."

He looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Well, maybe not the newest few..." she admitted. "He still lives in my hometown and I've got less free time and less disposable cash since I finished college."

"Relatable," Izuku agreed with a soft smile, the skin crinkling at the corners of his bright green eyes.

Ochako looked away, her heart racing, and hoped her cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

He fetched a bag of peas from his freezer, then disappeared out of the kitchen for a moment and returned with a cushion from his living room (it had a Captain America shield printed on it), and placed it on the kitchen chair facing her. Very gently he lifted her twisted ankle and lowered it onto the cushion. He was careful not to jolt her injury, so his fingers were feather light on her skin, but Ochako could feel callouses on his fingers and rough ridges on one of his palms. Once her foot was resting on the cushion she sucked in a sharp breath as the frozen peas were gently laid on top, but it almost instantly soothed the throbbing.

"Sorry," he apologised.

Ochako shook her head.

"No, no! I'm sorry for all this trouble I'm causing you!"

"No trouble at all," Izuku said cheerfully.

He crouched down and became so absorbed in examining her ankle that he didn't notice her curious gaze on his hands; one of them was marked with thick stripes of puckered skin that she hadn't noticed before, and he put that hand to his chin as he mumbled something too low for her to make out, focused entirely on her ankle. She wondered what the story was about his scars... they looked like they could be from a nasty injury...

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, making her jump a little as he finished mumbling and turned to address her suddenly.

"Oh, it's a dull ache now, it's not as bad. Thank you so much. Those are some magical peas!"

Ochako tried not to cringe. 'Those are some magical peas'... Gods, she wished she knew how to flirt like a normal person.

But Izuku laughed and stood up. "Can you take paracetamol? I've got some if you want some."

She cleared her throat a little. "That would be great, thank you."

He made his way over to a kitchen cupboard and Ochako peered into it as he pulled open the door; there were baskets full of creams, ointments and medication in there, and there were even a couple of bright green first aid boxes. She considered that it wasn't unusual for a paramedic to have all sorts of medical remedies in his apartment, but it looked like he'd got a whole pharmacy stuffed into the cupboard. Maybe he was prone to injuries? Or he was just very prepared. He pulled out a box of paracetamol and a roll of bandage and then poured her a glass of water from the sink.

She gulped down the paracetamol gratefully and Izuku crouched down by her ankle again, removed the bag of frozen peas, and gently began wrapping the bandage around it, his fingers were feather light on her legs while he wrapped. (She might not be wearing a bra, she thought, but at least she'd had her legs waxed recently.)

"This is just to keep the joint supported, but it looks like we stopped it from swelling too much and if your pain is gone already it will be fine, though it might be tender for a day or two." His voice was firm and confident and Ochako melted into his reassurance as she leaned back in her chair. He really must make an excellent paramedic, and put everyone so at ease...

"I'm surprised you're not a doctor - you're really good at this."

Izuku smiled while he worked.

"Actually, I always wanted to be a paramedic. When I was younger I was always getting into accidents, usually just getting scrapes and stuff, but I was hit in a nasty car accident one day, and it shattered most of my hand and arm."

Ochako couldn't help her eyes wondering to his scars.

"The paramedic that came to me that day was the coolest guy I'd ever met. He made it bearable. I was only being brave because I thought it might impress him." His face softened. "He was my real hero, and I knew I wanted to be that for someone else. Paramedics go to these scenes where the pain is raw, and the help they provide is immediate, for the patients' health and their state of mind, you know? I wanted to be there for that... and be just like him."

Ochako saw a fiery passion in his green eyes that almost shocked her in such a gentle face, and she really wanted to tell him how amazing and admirable he was, but she felt choked up, and instead her voice stuck in her throat.

"And done," Izuku added proudly, standing up.

She tore her gaze away from him and looked down at her ankle, wiggling her toes experimentally. It really had stopped hurting so much now. And she had a good few hours before she had to go to work, so by then she should be almost back to normal. She sighed with relief.

"Ah! Work!" she yelped, bolting forward and making Izuku jump slightly. "I haven't made you late have I? You must start early to be up at this time."

"No, no, don't worry." He waved his hands. "I actually start my shift at seven, so I've got a little while yet, I just like to go for a morning jog and an early work-out."

"A five in the morning jog to your work-out..." Ochako mused. "You mean at the gym? But... the nearest twenty-four-hour gym is ages away! You jog that far? And then go for a work-out on top of that?"

Izuku smiled, and something playful tugged at its corners. "And then I jog back too."

"You're crazy!" She laughed with a wild shake of her head, struggling to even comprehend doing that much before seven a.m.

He covered his face with an arm and groaned as if wounded. "I know! I'm one of those terrible morning people – I've always got so much energy when I get up, even though my alarm is set for five every day."

"That's my version of a nightmare," she whined, knowing that she was also getting up at five every morning anyway thanks to him, then she added, "Don't tell me you jog to work too?"

"Even I'm not that crazy," he said with a grin.

Well, at least she knew why she was subjected to that alarm every morning, and how he was so toned and muscular, she thought, peeking up at him and feeling her cheeks heat up at his sweet, genuine smile.

The warm fluttery feeling came back with force.

Ochako squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head again a little to try and dispel it.

"I'm sorry for keeping you from your morning torture then," she said cheekily. "You've got enough time to still get to the gym and come back, right? I should head back upstairs anyway."

Ochako shifted herself on her chair and sat upright, moving her leg and placing her foot to the floor carefully, though she was pleasantly surprised to feel that it was much better. She stood up slowly, holding her arms out to steady herself like a gymnast, and beamed at Izuku who hovered beside her.

"See? Much better. Thank you so much."

Izuku's face bloomed a light red under his freckles and he cleared his throat loudly.

"Y-You're welcome... but are you sure you don't want some help back to your apartment? I've got time to do that much at least."

Ochako swatted her hands in his direction playfully. "Don't be silly! There's an elevator down the end of the corridor, I'll just use that instead of the stairs. It's a short walk, I'll be fine. You go get your work-out!" She punched the air.

He looked unconvinced but she tried hard to walk to his door without limping too much, to ease his concern.

When they were both in the corridor Ochako suddenly felt a little awkward about what to say. They were still relative strangers after all... Should she wish him a good day or something?

She was saved from having to say anything by Izuku nervously asking, "Um, s-so, would it be okay if I came and checked on you tomorrow? Just to check your ankle is healing well. You're in number fifteen, right? The apartment above mine?"

Ochako's blush deepened. "S-Sure. I've got a day off tomorrow, so I'm free all day, just knock any time... Except at five in the morning," she added with a laugh, knowing full well that she would be woken up by his alarm clock again then anyway.

"Great, I'll see you then, Ochako."

For some reason hearing her name in his voice made her shiver slightly.

"Yep," she squeaked, "have a- have a nice day, Izuku."

He smiled at her again as they turned in opposite directions. By the time she'd hobbled to the elevator she turned around and he was still waiting by the door to the stairs at the other end of the corridor. She waved enthusiastically and he returned it shyly before he disappeared through the door.

Maybe it had been worth getting up at five.