Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, or any of the characters.

Hello! So this is my first Kacchako multi-chap I'll be writing and I really hope it turns out well. Without giving too much away (and just so we are all on the same page), this story will be both in Ochako and Bakugou's POV, but they'll each have a chapter to themselves; Ochako will be odd numbered chapters while Bakugou is even. Hopefully that makes sense.

Anyways, let me know what you think. Feedback is great and I really do appreciate when you all take the time to read and review. Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 1
Breathe

She couldn't stand it anymore. The way her dress fell to the floor, brushing against the dirt and grime that lined the halls, or how the fabric itched and scratched the skin on her arms. It was always too tight; the corset back always pulled tight as it could possibly be, clenching to her chest, holding back her breasts and cutting off most of the oxygen to her body.

"It's too tight," Ochako would complain, her eyes watering while her cheeks flushed with pink. The maids would always ignore her, returning to their usual activities and chores, leaving the princess to struggle and squirm in her stupid, long and stiff dress.

Most days she would sit outside in the garden, inspecting the many different flowers and trees that inhabited the backyard - that's what she would call it, but it was much bigger than a simple 'yard', it was a jungle that surrounded the interior walls of their castle.

"Princess Ochako," a man greeted her with sincere teal eyes. "The king has summoned you."

She could only offer a sad smile before letting the servant go back to his duties. Ochako stood from her usual bench, kicking her dress out of the way before she slid her white heels back on over tiny, slender feet. They would always begin to squeeze her toes, make her arch ache by the time the sun sat in the middle of the sky, but without any complaints, Ochako began to make her way back to the large, glass doors and through the empty halls.

Decorations lined everything, photographs in large frames held their ancestors brown eyes, each old and defined face staring at her as she casually walked through the hall. The click of her heels echoed through the lonesome hall, reminding her just how much space this castle that she called home actually had.

"Father," she greeted as she began to close the heavy doors behind her. Upon entering, she gave a small curtsy and stood to find her papa's eyes. Her father's study always smelled of old books and smoke - it was a bad habit, and her mother always nagged that he stop at some point in time.. He sat at his desk, his eyes finding her as she stood in front of him - posture straight and a soft smile resting on her round face.

"Ochako, my sweet heart." Her smiled brightened as her hands linked behind her back. It always felt good having time with her father, especially when it was just the two of them. "I see you got my message."

"Of course." Ochako answered sweetly before wandering to the window. The town that sat below them among the rolling hills was always beautiful in its own way. Although the king received many complaints of taxes being too high as of lately, her father was working on something to get everything figured out. After all, all the responsibility had been dumped in his lap almost out of the blue. "Papa?"

"Yes, dear?"

Her light eyes still wandered over the valley, trying to search farther than the horizon, but to no avail. The sunset at this time of night was always prettiest. "You're not working too hard, are you?"

Her father's chuckle filled the study, bouncing off the walls and reminding Ochako just how big this building was once more that day. His laugh wasn't encouraging, but it was neither concerning either. "Of course not, my princess."

She didn't like the way his tone sounded, nor the way he looked over the frames of his glasses before his eyes dropped back down to the paper that he was looking over. She wouldn't ask anymore, instead she took a seat in one of the wooden chairs by the window and waited for the real reason as to why he summoned her.

"Your birthday is coming up." Ochako hummed her agreement before straightening up in the chair. She was interested in what he had to say now. "And you're turning eighteen."

"Yes, papa."

This time, he placed his quill down on the desk and removed his reading glasses from his face. His cheekbones were strong, his jawline pointed and very descriptive along with his broad shoulders and tall stature. He silently made his way around the oak desk until he was looking out the very same window she had just been looking out of. The low sigh he released made her heart stir while her stomach somersaulted in silence.

"As you know, it's the responsibility of the first born to be married off to a prince from another kingdom."

Not this talk again, she mused on the inside, rolling her eyes internally while she bit down on her tongue. The faint taste of copper filled her mouth before she let the muscle loose and focused on what her father had to say. She knew just where this was going, and it was just another thing that fueled her hatred of being a princess. "I'm your only child…" she muttered underneath her breath.

"Prince Midoriya," he started, his eyes flashing from the window and towards her. She found a hardened look in his familiar eyes before he exhaled. "He's a fine young lad, and it would do our kingdom good to offer your hand in marriage. While we have already gone over the details with the king and queen of his land, it's been agreed upon that you'll be to marry him on the day after your birthday."

A sour taste now filled her mouth, her heart hammering against her chest as she grasped the wooden arm rests in her hands. She began to squeeze as hard as she possibly could before the wood groaned under her grip. "No," she muttered under her breath. Her father's eyebrow raised in question before he took a seat next to her. "N-no." She spat out, this time with venom and anger fueling her tone.

"I'm sorry my sweet Ochako, but you don't have a choice in this matter. I know how much this kingdom means to you, and I know that you will fulfill your duty as the princess of this land."

Ochako was out of her seat and holding back tears that stung and pricked at the backs of her eyes. Her hands balled in fists as she kicked her stupid dress away from her feet. She was now standing in front of her father, her arms shaking as she searched for the words that she wanted to say.

"I love both you and mama, but this is my life and I am not agreeing to this." It hurt her to say this to her papa, the man she truly loved and always looked up to, but this was a matter of her happiness, and if she had a say in it, she wouldn't give her hand to a total stranger. "Please, let me be free," she pleaded with a softer tone.

His eyes never changed once, but the way his jaw began to shift told her that he didn't approve of her outburst. "Ochako, we have gone over this many, many, many times and-"

"I'm not doing it," she spoke quietly before she turned on her heel and began towards the door. She knew deep down in her heart that her father would never raise his voice, never lay a hand on her, or ever threaten to ruin her life - but his proposal was what weighed down on her shoulders and made her feel more pain in her life than she had in all those seventeen years of life.

The moment her hand reached for the handle on the door, her father's voice stopped her where she stood.

"You don't have a choice, Ochako. It's already been decided."

With those final words, she pulled at the door with all her might and fled through the halls. Her fast past carried her through the corridors, passed the maids who called out to her with concern. Ochako's feet carried her up the stairs, through more winding halls and finally to her room. Her small hand tore the door open, leaving it to open wide and smack against the bricks that made up the building.

She could feel the tears now as they began to stream down her cheeks, her anger and built up frustrations flushing throughout her body as she slammed the door shut tight behind her. Her hands were shaking while her breaths came out uneven, the backs of her hands wiped at the teams that continued to stream wildly.

"It's not fair!" Her shouts filled her dark room. Although the candles had yet to be lit, she knew were all her belongings were in her room. Without a second thought, her hands began to fumble with the corset back, cursing the dress that she hated entirely too much and she just wanted to breathe.

Uraraka worked hard, hard enough until she felt the first clip undo, and along with it, the strings began to loosen and her breasts finally unstuck from her chest and her ribs began to ache. She breathed in deeply, feeling relief flood through her as she made quick work of the pretty dress that she hated so much.

The moment the fabric began to pool at her feet, she kicked it away, far away from her. "I'm not marrying that prince. Try and guilt me all you'd like, but I will absolutely not give my heart and life away and live a life of unhappiness."

With extreme caution, Ochaka lit the candles around her room with the matches that the maids always used. She only lit two, and from there, her reflection became clear in the mirror that stood in front of her. She stood in her undergarments, her cheeks completed flushed red while red trails marked her face from the hot tears. Her brown eyes were surrounded with thick blood veins and the puffiness only made her eyes look smaller than they actually were.

"I have a choice." She told herself with a fierce tone. Ochako's heart beat heavily in her chest, reminding her just how real and alive she actually was and that this was the life she wasn't meant to live. With that, her feet carried her against the cool tiles and to her wardrobe; brown orbs scanned the dresses that hung neatly but she looked anywhere but there. A bittersweet pang struck her body, reminding her that this would be the last time she would see this sickening closet.

Drawer after drawer, her eyes scanned for the soft red fabric that she enjoyed wearing whenever she could. Almost immediately upon finding it, she pulled the loose dress on over her head, letting it fall to her feet. Ochako inhaled deeply, loving how this dress was never itchy, and she was actually free to move and twist in this flowing, straight dress. There was no need for a corset back, as it was only casual clothing.

Although her shoulders were almost entirely revealed while the sleeves were long, it didn't take Ochako long to find her dark colored cloak - it was flung over her body, hiding her petite frame while the hood hid her gorgeous eyes. Without another moment to think - she was afraid that she would go back on her decision - she began to pack essential belongings.

"Brush, tooth brush, spare clothing-" her muttered words filled her lonely room, hardly echoing off those empty walls that she had grown to hate. Everything in this castle of theirs never seemed to make her happy. From the moment that she was a little girl, she always imagined that being a princess would be fun, and that she would do whatever she liked - Ochako had only been living in a fairytale.

With her bag over her shoulders and hidden under her thick cloak, she pulled the hood back and began to make her way through familiar empty walls. The eyes of her framed ancestors watched as she walked at a quick pace, making her way towards the large doors that she would walk through for the last time in her life. Ochako felt guilt, regret, and sadness well up in her chest as she finally reached the main room on the lowest floor. The torches on the walls flickered, notifying Ochako that someone was near.

"Ochako," the voice rang out in a beautiful tone. "Where are you going?"

Her hands balled immediately, her fingernails biting into her palms as she turned to find the voice. It was her mother who was sitting in one of the wooden chairs at the entrance. Her large eyes mirrored Ochako's, while her choppy hair fell out of its braid; unlike her mother's hair, Ochako's waterfalled down to her mid back.

"Mama-" Ochako choked out. "I'm going to see the horses."

A soft smile pressed to her mother's lips, only saddening her further. "My sweet child. This late at night?"

Ochako pressed forward, the clicks of her boots echoing throughout the large room. She knew that her mother would catch on - if she hadn't already - that Ochako would not be returning. This was the last person she wanted to see before she left for good, but at least it would allow her to say goodbye.

"I always knew this wasn't the life for you," her mother spoke softly. Her body stood from the seat and came to stand in front of her daughter. Her mother's hands were soft but cold as she reached forward to caress Ochako's cheek. It reminded her of when she was little, the feeling of her mama's soft hands on her skin.

"I'm sorry," Uraraka spoke with utter sincerity. "I'm not cut out to be a princess. I want to see the world, I want to escape from this nightmare, I want-"

"To be free." Her mother finished for her. A pained expressed flashed through her mama's eyes, reminding her just how much pain Ochako herself felt at this point in time. She mirrored her mother, knew that this was the life that her mother would've chosen if she hadn't fallen in love with her papa. It was different for Ochako though - she was to be given away to a man she had only met as a child.

Lips pressed to Ochako's forehead, light and sweet before the cool air replaced the press of warmth. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Ochako only ever wanted to help her parents in this kingdom, but the last thing she would ever do is give her life away and live somewhere unfamiliar. The idea made her shiver.

She nodded, her eyes welling with tears once more before her mother began to open the doors. Her slender arms pushed them open, large and wide, and the cool night breeze began to flood in through the open space. It brushed her cloak up, flowing freely in the night air as she began to walk forward. Ochako turned immediately, her feet carrying her to the stables as she rushed through the dark confines of the inner walls.

The moment she arrived, her hands reached for one of the lanterns that lit up the stables, causing a few of their horses to stir at her arrival.

"Hush-" she soothed in her usual low and calming voice. "It's okay." Her boots clicked, the smell of hay and horses filling the air as she finally came to the stable of her own.

"Uravity-?" Ochako called to the mare behind the wooden gate. Brown eyes like her own came to life as she stood to greet her. This was goodbye for the two of them, for Ochako couldn't bring her on this adventure and promise that she would live a good life still. "Take care of mama and papa for me and make sure to behave."

Those familiar eyes looked back at her, almost like she could understand every word that Uraraka had just said. If she stayed too long, her journey would be cut and she would get caught by the next round of guards currently making their way to the outer walls. As if she hadn't thought about escaping before, she was now making her move and leaving this castle behind forever.

Small hands came to grasp the face of Uravity softly, her lips coming in contact with her large, soft nose until she pulled away. "Be good-" she reminded, "and stay out of trouble." It was like she was telling herself the same thing - be good and stay out of trouble.

With her final goodbyes made, she closed the stables behind her and began to walk through the yard that was the final stretch to get through the main gate. Green hedges and grass lined the walkway, making it a straight shot to the closed gate, but Uraraka knew another way around - a small crawl space that she had come in and out of for years whenever she felt like wandering outside the walls.

Ochako removed her bag from her back as she drew closer to her hidden escape. She moved the bushes around, finding that it was still there and still very much open. Without a second thought, she began to stuff her bag through, soon after she crawled behind it - taking cobwebs to her face - but once she felt her bag pop through to the other side, she soon felt the refreshing winds hit her face and a smile painted itself among her lips.

Once Ochako finished crawling through the tight space and she had dusted the dirt from her clothing and her face free of cobwebs, she threw her bag on over her shoulders and began her journey.

The rolling hills welcomed her, the autumn night sky that stretched out over the horizon twinkled with stars while a sliver of the pale moon hung in the sky. Her feet began to carry her far away, the wind rushing through her brown tresses as she ran as fast as she could.

Like a bird out of its cage, she was finally free.