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Ochako blinked groggily as she woke up with a killer headache. She couldn’t remember the last thing she’d done, but the faint echoes of laughter and music from the night before entered her mind. The U.A. graduation party, right.
She slowly turned to the side and froze, realizing that her arm had been around something— no, someone. She quickly sat up and stared at the mysterious person beside her, though he didn’t remain mysterious for long as Ochako could recognize that spiky blonde hair from a meter away.
As she stared at him, she realized that she was topless. She quickly grabbed the blanket to cover herself, and looked under the sheets to see that she had nothing on. Had her and Bakugo…? Oh God.
Was it even possible!? Her and Bakugo rarely talked, but who knows what multiple drinks can do to alter someone’s perspective on people. As a million questions ran through her head, she needed to find out what happened between them. Maybe he remembered.
“Bakugo,” she nudged him. “Bakugo!”
His eyes snapped open, blinking at her before looking around, then noticing Ochako’s… lack of clothes.
“Round Face!?” he screamed, before rubbing his temples at the loud noise he created. “What the hell are you doing in my room!?”
“I don’t know!” she hissed, “I was hoping you’d remember anything from last night, because I don’t!”
Ochako sighed as Bakugo looked her up and down, as if trying to process what was going on. She laid back down, her head flopping on the pillow. Out of all the people she knew, it had to be Bakugo? How did this even happen? God, whose idea was it to have a party at the dorms the week before graduation?
She won’t deny that she found him attractive, and she’d admit that she’s seen his looks while she was in her hero costume. But she’d never expected this to happen.
“We need to figure out what happened,” she said, rubbing her head.
“No shit,” he mumbled as he got off the bed. Ochako blushed, looking away as he was in just his boxers.
“I’m gonna ask Shitty Hair what the fuck happened,” he grabbed the clothes she was wearing last night, which were on the floor and tossed them to her. “Taking a shot with him and Dunce Face is the last thing I remember.”
Ochako dressed herself as he changed in the bathroom. What was the last thing she remembered? She thought back, starting at when she arrived with Tsu. They had went their separate ways, Tsuyu going to greet Kyoka and Kaminari while Ochako went to Mina and the rest of the girls. She remembers taking for about an hour and then taking a few drinks. Then she went to talk to Deku about something she can’t remember.
She had planned to leave, avoiding the awkward conversation that was bound to happen but as she opened the door, he walked out of the bathroom.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m gonna go to my room and wash up,” she told him, before he nodded and waved her off.
__
As Ochako sat in her room, she dialed Mina’s number, but she didn’t answer. She was probably still asleep, or hungover. She remembers Mina drinking a lot as well. Next, she dialed Deku’s number to try and find out what happened.
“Uraraka! You’re awake, what’s up?” he greeted her, sounding a little tired.
“Deku!” she said, feeling the words about to spill out. “I need to find out what happened last night. I slept with Bakugo, and neither of us remember how we got there!”
“What!?” she heard him screech over the phone, before hearing background voices react. Had they heard what she said? “Um, I’m gonna take you off speaker.”
Ochako cringed as she heard the shuffle of Deku fumbling with his phone. Great, now more people probably knew. This was turning into a bigger mess than she’d anticipated.
“Sorry, I’m training with Todoroki and Iida.” he said before pausing. She could hear the awkward silence over the phone.
“Okay,” Deku said after a moment, his voice quiet. “You’re saying… you and Kacchan… slept in the same bed?”
Ochako sighed, hoping that Deku would just figure out what happened. He was so smart, yet so dumb.
“Yes,” she whispered before continuing, “with no clothes on.”
Ochako buried her face in her hands, groaning into the phone. She could practically hear Deku’s brain short-circuiting on the other end of the line.
“U-Uraraka, are you sure? I mean, maybe it’s not what it seems” he stammered, clearly uncomfortable with where this conversation was headed to.
“I hope it’s not what it seems,” Ochako snapped, rubbing her temples. “That’s why I’m calling you! Do you remember seeing me with Bakugo last night? Anything that might explain… this?”
There was a pause as Deku thought. “I remember you talking to me about something… Oh! You said you needed advice about… uh…” He trailed off awkwardly.
“About what?” Ochako pressed, her patience wearing thin.
“You said you needed advice about Kacchan,” Deku admitted sheepishly.
Ochako froze, her stomach flipping. “Wait, what? Why would I—”
“You said it was already graduation, and you didn’t have a boyfriend. I tried to tell you that it would be better to focus on hero work instead, but you insisted that you needed one.” Deku interrupted. “You pointed at Kacchan, then you left.””
Ochako slumped against the wall, trying to piece it all together. Why would she have wanted to talk to Bakugo? She barely interacted with him unless it was during missions or training. And even then, he was his usual grumpy, explosive self. What could have possibly driven her to seek him out?
“Deku, do you think I…?” she began, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“I don’t know, Uraraka,” Deku said gently. “But… maybe you should talk to him. He might remember something.”
Ochako groaned. “Yeah, because Bakugo is so great at heart-to-hearts.”
Before Deku could respond, there was a loud knock on her door. She flinched, nearly dropping her phone. “Hold on, someone’s here. I’ll call you back.”
She hung up before he could say anything, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. She frowned, not expecting anyone. Maybe it was Mina checking up on her, or Iida or Todoroki. She opened the door to find Kirishima standing there with a sheepish smile.
“Hey, Uraraka,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Mind if I come in?”
She blinked, surprised. “Uh, sure. What’s up?”
Kirishima stepped inside, glancing around her room before turning back to her. “I figured you’d be trying to piece together what happened last night. Bakugo’s, uh… not really in the mood to talk about it, so I thought I’d help clear things up.”
Ochako groaned, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Thank you. I assumed he wouldn’t want to talk about this.”
Kirishima chuckled nervously, sitting in the chair by her desk. “You know how he is. If he’s flustered, he gets extra grumpy. And trust me, he’s very flustered about this.”
“What happened?” Ochako asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Well,” Kirishima began, leaning forward, “you challenged him to a drinking contest.”
She groaned, burying her face in her hands. “What?? Why would I do something so stupid?”
“You were fired up,” Kirishima said with a grin. “You kept saying how you were tired of people underestimating you and that you could handle him, no problem. Bakugo being Bakugo, he took the bait.”
“Great,” Ochako muttered. “And then?”
“You both got really drunk,” Kirishima continued, his grin faltering. “Like, truth serum drunk. I tried to stop you guys, but you were both so stubborn. Eventually, you started complaining about how tired you were, and Bakugo said something like, ‘Fine, you can crash in my room if you shut up.’ So you left together.”
Ochako’s jaw dropped. “And you just let me go with him?”
Kirishima held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I tried to follow you, but Mina and Sero dragged me into a dance-off! By the time I got free, you were already gone.”
Ochako buried her head in her hands, trying to hide her flustered expression. She could piece together what happened after that.
“When I checked on you this morning, you were both knocked out cold,” he smiled before winking “Don’t worry, I told everyone you weren’t there.”
She felt her face heat up, but something about her told her Kirishima was hiding something from her. “You checked on us? Why?”
Kirishima shrugged. “I figured you’d both be hungover and confused. And, y’know, I wanted to make sure Bakugo didn’t scare you off with his yelling.”
Ochako sat up, glaring at him. “He did yell. A lot.”
Kirishima laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Look, he’s not mad at you or anything. He’s just… embarrassed. It’s not every day Bakugo wakes up next to someone he… respects.”
“Respects?”
“Yeah,” Kirishima said with a shrug. “He doesn’t say it, but he thinks you’re strong. And he’s not used to being around people who challenge him like you do.”
Ochako’s face grew hotter. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Maybe not,” Kirishima said, standing up. “But it’s something to think about. Anyway, I just wanted to clear things up so you don’t stress out too much. If you want to talk to him, give him some time to cool off. He’ll come around.”
Ochako sighed, watching as Kirishima headed for the door. “Thanks, Kirishima. You’re a good friend.”
He grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. “No problem! And hey, next time you want to challenge Bakugo to something, maybe stick to arm wrestling or something less… chaotic.”
As the door closed behind him, Ochako flopped back onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. She could barely even process what Kirishima said before another knock came at her door.
She sighed, getting up to answer. This time, Mina stood there, holding two iced coffees as she casually leaned against the doorframe, with a mischievous grin plastered across her face.
“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Mina teased, handing Ochako one of the cups. “Heard you had an eventful night.”
Ochako froze mid-sip, nearly choking. “How do you know about that!?”
Mina laughed, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. “Please, Uraraka. You think something like this stays a secret? Kirishima couldn’t keep his mouth shut if his life depended on it. He told me everything.”
Ochako groaned, slumping onto her bed. “Great. Now the whole world knows.” It hadn’t even been 24 hours since it happened, and 7 people including her and Bakugo knew.
“Relax,” she grinned at her. “And Kirishima doesn’t know the full story. You wanna know?”
She sighed, sitting down beside her. “Fine. Just tell me everything.”
Mina leaned in conspiratorially. “Okay, so you remember when you first got to the party, right? You came over to me, Jirou, and Hagakure while we were hanging out.”
“Yeah,” Ochako said slowly. “But I don’t remember what we talked about.”
“Well, Jirou was all excited because she and Kaminari had just made it official,” Mina said, her grin widening. “She announced it to the group, and we were all freaking out, congratulating her. It was super cute.”
Ochako nodded, vaguely remembering the moment. “Okay, so what does that have to do with me?”
“I’m getting to that,” Mina said, waving a hand. “After the whole ‘Jirou and Kaminari’ thing, Hagakure started asking you when you were going to get a boyfriend. Kaminari sensed that it was girl talk time and left to go talk to Kirishima. After that, well…”
Ochako groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Oh no.”
“Oh yes,” Mina said, laughing. “You tried to brush it off, saying you were too busy with hero work to think about dating, but Hagakure wasn’t buying it. She kept pressing, asking if there was anyone you liked, and I might’ve joined in, too.”
Ochako peeked out from between her fingers. “Mina!”
“What? It was all in good fun!” Mina said with a shrug. “Anyway, we kept teasing you about it, and then Jirou said something like, ‘Well, if you’re not into anyone, maybe you just have really high standards.’”
Ochako frowned. “What does that have to do with Bakugo?”
“I’m getting there!” Mina said, smirking. “So then Hagakure joked that the only person who could keep up with someone as strong and determined as you was someone like Bakugo. And, well… you kinda went off.”
Ochako’s eyes widened. “What do you mean, ‘went off’?”
“You started ranting about how people always compare you to others and how you’re tired of being underestimated,” Mina explained. “You said something like, ‘If Bakugo’s so great, then why does everyone act like I’m not on his level?’”
Ochako groaned again, flopping back onto her bed. “Why did I say that?”
“Because you’d had a couple of drinks, and you were feeling fired up,” Mina said with a laugh. “Then you got this look in your eye, and ran off to Midori, and next thing we know, you’re challenging Bakugo to a drink off.”
Ochako sat up, staring at Mina in disbelief. “I challenged him because of that?”
“Pretty much,” Mina said, grinning. “And honestly? It was kinda badass. You didn’t back down, and Bakugo actually seemed impressed. He didn’t even argue—just grabbed a bottle and said, ‘Bring it on, Round Face.’”
Ochako buried her face in her hands. “This is so embarrassing.”
“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad,” Mina said, patting her on the back. “If anything, it just proves how tough you are. You went head-to-head with Bakugo and lived to tell the tale. That’s more than most people can say.”
Mina smirked, standing up and heading for the door. “Let them think what they want. You know the truth, and so does he. And honestly? I think this whole thing might’ve made him respect you even more.”
Ochako blinked, surprised. “Respect me?” Why was everyone saying that?
“Yeah,” Mina said, her grin turning sly. “He doesn’t let just anyone challenge him like that. And the fact that he didn’t blow you off? That says a lot.”
Before Ochako could respond, Mina waved and slipped out the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts. As she sat there, Mina’s words replayed in her mind. Maybe this wasn’t the disaster she thought it was. Maybe, just maybe, it was a step toward something unexpected.
__
The next day, Ochako walked into the classroom, but the energy was off. She felt it the moment she walked in. Conversations hushed as she passed, and her classmates stole not-so-subtle glances her way. She tried to ignore it, but the knot in her stomach tightened when she caught Mina giving her a sheepish smile.
Ochako walked over to Mina’s seat, wanting to know what was happening. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
Mina winced. “Uh… about that. So, um, Hagakure might’ve overheard me talking to Kirishima this morning about, you know, the thing. And then Kaminari overheard her. And apparently Todoroki told his whole family. And, well…”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Hey, look on the bright side!” Mina whispered, trying to sound optimistic. “At least everyone thinks it’s cute!”
Ochako glared at her. “Not helping.”
Meanwhile, across the room, Bakugo was sitting at his desk, looking uncharacteristically tense. His usual scowl was in place, but his eyes darted around the room as if daring anyone to say something. No one did, but the whispers and sideways glances weren’t lost on him.
Deku, who had just arrived, noticed immediately. He hesitated for a moment before making his way over to Bakugo.
“Kacchan,” Deku said cautiously, taking the seat in front of him. “Can we talk?”
Bakugo’s glare snapped to him. “What the hell do you want, nerd?”
Deku ignored the bite in his tone. “It’s about the rumors.”
Bakugo’s jaw clenched, and he looked away. “Tch. Let them talk. I don’t give a damn.”
He tilted his head, studying him. “You don’t seem like you don’t care.”
For a moment, Bakugo didn’t respond. Then, with a sharp exhale, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Fine. What do you want me to say? That it’s pissing me off? ‘Cause it is. But not for the reason you think.”
Deku blinked. “What do you mean?”
Bakugo stared at the ceiling, his voice quieter than usual. “I’ve had feelings for her for a while, alright? Happy now?”
Deku’s eyes widened. “You… you like Uraraka?”
“Keep your damn voice down!” Bakugo hissed, shooting a glare at him. “This class is a breeding ground for gossip. One wrong word, and the whole damn school will know. Look what fucking happened Saturday night. Even extras from 1B that I’ve never talked to are congratulating me or some shit.”
Deku leaned forward, his voice low. “Why didn’t you ever say anything about it?”
Bakugo scoffed. “Why do you think, Deku? I don’t do that mushy confession crap, and I didn’t want anyone butting into my business. Besides, she probably doesn’t even like me like that. She’s always had a thing for you.”
Deku shook his head quickly. “That’s not true. I mean, we’re close, but… I don’t think she feels that way about me anymore.”
Bakugo raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious,” Deku said. “If you really like her, you should tell her. Keeping it to yourself isn’t going to help anyone. And, if she didn’t have feelings for you, Saturday night wouldn’t have happened, and she wouldn’t have came and asked me for advice about you.”
The blonde’s eyes quickly flashed with excitement before frowning, his fingers drumming against the desk. “And what if she thinks I’m a joke?”
Deku smiled gently. “I don’t think she would. Uraraka’s not like that. She’d take you seriously.”
He didn’t respond right away. He stared at the desk, his expression unreadable. Finally, he responded. “Fine, I’ll talk to her. Ask her on date. Or something.”
He blinked in surprise before grinning at him. “That’s great, Kacchan!”
“Doing this shit in reverse,” he muttered under his breath. “Aren’t I supposed to take her on a date before fucking her?”
“K-Kacchan!! You can’t say that!” Deku turned red, running away from the blonde.
__
Ochako was walking back to the dorms after class when she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Bakugo striding toward her, his usual scowl in place but his pace determined.
“Bakugo?” she said, confused. “What’s up?”
“Come with me,” he said, not waiting for a response before grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward a quieter area near the training grounds.
“Hey! What’s going on?” Ochako asked, stumbling slightly as she followed him.
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her. His expression was serious, his crimson eyes boring into hers.
“We need to talk,” he said.
Her heart skipped a beat. “O-Okay. About what?”
Bakugo took a deep breath, his fists clenching at his sides. “About the party. About… us.”
Ochako blinked, her cheeks heating up. “Us?”
He nodded, looking away for a moment before meeting her gaze again. ”Everyone knows what happened between us Saturday night, so I might as well tell you already.”
“I know what happened between us was a fluke,” he continued, “But I know there’s something between us. I like you, Round Face. Have for a while. And I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want anyone sticking their noses where they don’t belong. But after everything that happened, I figured I might as well tell you before this whole thing drives me insane. Let me take you on a date. Or whatever.”
Ochako stared at him, not being able to say anything. She saw him hesitate, his usual confidence wavering for a short moment. She could see a look in his eyes, a fear of rejection.
She’s always admired him, ever since the start of the year. She never realized until now, that maybe those feelings of admiration were something more. They maintained eye contact, none of them refusing to look away before she said something.
“Bakugo,” she said softly, “you’re a lot better at this than you think.”
His eyes widened slightly. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” she said, stepping closer, “that maybe I like you too.”
The tension in his shoulders eased, and for the first time, he looked almost… relieved.
“Good,” he said, his usual smirk returning. “’Cause if I went through all this for nothing, I’d be pissed.”
__
That night, they went to dinner and Ochako went to spend more time with Bakugo in his room. She sat cross-legged on his bed, fiddling with the hem of her pajama shirt as Bakugo paced the room. He had been grumbling for the past ten minutes, something about how Mina was probably planning a party to “celebrate” their new status.
“You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor,” Ochako teased, watching him stomp back and forth.
“Shut up,” he snapped, though there wasn’t any heat behind his words. “I don’t trust those idiots to keep their mouths shut. Someone’s gonna say somethin’ stupid, and—”
“Bakugo,” she sighed, “the whole school knows we slept together. They already probably think we’re official.”
Before he could reply, a sharp knock at the door cut him off. Both of them froze.
“Bakugo,” came Aizawa’s unmistakable deadpan voice from the other side. “Open the door.”
“What the hell is he doing here!?” she whispered, scrambling to hide under the blanket.
“How the fuck should I know!?” Bakugo hissed back, frantically looking around the room. “Just—stay quiet!”
He opened the door just enough to stick his head out. “What do you want, old man?”
Aizawa raised an eyebrow. “I’m still your teacher for one more week, so I’d watch your tone. Can I come in?”
Bakugo hesitated, glancing back at Ochako, who was now completely hidden under his blanket. “Uh… no. My room’s a mess.”
Aizawa’s eyes narrowed. “Right. So, I take it the rumors are true?”
Bakugo stiffened. “What rumors?”
“The ones about you and Uraraka,” Aizawa said flatly. “Half the faculty heard about it by lunchtime. Midnight was betting on whether it was true or not.”
Bakugo’s face turned crimson. “What the hell!? Why does the staff care!?”
“They care because they’re worried about how this reflects on you as a future pro hero,” Aizawa said, his tone calm but firm. “And as your teacher, I’m here to remind you to keep your personal life private and professional.”
“I am keeping it private!” Bakugo growled, though the blush on his face betrayed him.
“Right,” Aizawa said, glancing over Bakugo’s shoulder. His eyes landed on the suspiciously large lump under the blanket on the bed. “So, you’re keeping it private by letting Uraraka sleep in your room?”
Ochako gasped softly, peeking her head out from under the blanket. “How did you—?”
“I’m not an idiot,” Aizawa said, cutting her off. “You’re terrible at hiding— I could hear you two bickering out here. Meanwhile, you’re terrible at lying. I know for a fact your room has never been messy.”
Bakugo groaned, running a hand down his face. “Look, it’s not what it looks like, alright? She’s just—”
“—hanging out,” Ochako finished, sitting up and waving awkwardly. “We’re not doing anything inappropriate, Mr. Aizawa!”
Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t care what you’re doing, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your training or reputation. That said, Bakugo, you’re walking a fine line here.”
Bakugo crossed his arms, glaring. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Aizawa said, leveling him with a look, “that you have a temper, a loud mouth, and now a girlfriend who’s probably going to get dragged into your chaos. I’m telling you this as advice: learn to control the first two before you ruin the third.”
Ochako blinked, her face turning bright red. “G-Girlfriend!?”
Bakugo’s blush deepened, and he looked away. “Tch. Whatever.”
Aizawa sighed. “That’s all I came to say. Try not to get into trouble before graduation. Oh, and Uraraka?”
“Y-Yes?” she stammered.
“You’re a good influence on him. Don’t let him scare you off,” Aizawa said, his tone lighter now.
Ochako smiled nervously. “I’ll do my best.”
With that, Aizawa turned and walked away, leaving the two of them in stunned silence.
After a moment, Bakugo slammed the door shut and turned to Ochako, his face still red. “Great. Now the whole damn school’s gonna think we’re together or something.”
“Are we?” she asked him as he walked towards her, sitting back down on the bed.
“If you wanna,” he muttered, glaring at her.
Ochako gave a mischievous smile. “Take me on a second date first.”