It wasn't that she hated him.
That assumption couldn't be any farther from the truth.
Ochako Uraraka thought of Izuku Midoriya as her friend. Her best friend, even. Her best friend whom she thought was the kindest, most amazing guy in the world, her best friend who was painfully shy and timid but also ridiculously strong and brave. Her best friend who could light up a whole room with his smile and make a person's day with his sharp wit and helpful attitude.
And best friends were supposed to be comfortable to each other. She would always be there for him, and she could tell him almost anything.
Almost, because there was one thing she couldn't tell him; lately, the boy had been the source of some…weird emotions she had been feeling as of late.
Weird in the sense that oftentimes she would find herself staring at him for long periods of time, and she starts to blush and look away the moment he stares back. Or how she's suddenly enamored by the color green. Or that one time she was out grocery shopping only for her mind to be constantly bombarded by images of Izuku Midoriya and his messy green hair the moment she stares at a piece of broccoli for far too long.
Her friends were quick to assume. That she was in love. With a boy, who also happened to be her best friend. The teasing trio of Ashido, Aoyama, and Hagakure, constantly pestering her about her relationship status. What was Izuku to Ochako, and who was Deku to Uravity? Of course, the girl was quick to deny this, vehemently, because it isn't like that at all; I swear he's just a friend, so please stop asking me about that!
But sometimes when Ochako was by herself she would wonder, what if that really was the case? That she was, indeed, in love with Izuku Midoriya?
Someone once said, that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never have loved at all.
But what if what you would risk losing is far too great?
Her friendship with Izuku,
Both of their pro hero careers,
Her goal to be a great hero, who could provide a better life for her family and the people around her.
His goal to follow in his mentor's footsteps and become the next Symbol of Peace.
None of these things she was willing to risk. She wanted Izuku to succeed; that meant pushing down these selfish and unnecessary feelings. He didn't need to be burdened by her, he already had enough problems on his plate; the least she could do was to not add anymore to it.
That is, if Deku would ever return her affections in the first place, so why was she even bothering to ask this to herself?. He deserved better than plain old Ochako, the bumbling country girl from Kansai. The moment she confesses, she'd probably just get shot down and end up flushing their relationship down the drain.
She wanted him to be happy; as much as possible she also wanted to be part of his happiness, but if she wasn't, then nevertheless, even if it hurts, she would still try her best to be happy for him.
She's a hero in training; she can probably handle a broken bone, but she's not sure if she can handle a broken heart.
Author's Note:
Well this actually hurt to write, because I understand, and am even familiar with where Uraraka is coming from, with her decision to push down her feelings for Deku. I decided to write this as some sort of thought exercise or character study, which also happened to be my first attempt at angst.
Ironically enough, I ended up writing an angst story for the Day 7 prompt: Confession, which was supposed to imply a fluffy or sweet scenario.
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