...Let's see. I keep bouncing between 4 chapters for P5, 4 chapters for P4, and 1 new one that's a crossover between the two. Being me, progress is slow. I'm loath to admit that the self-imposed pressure was starting to get to me, so I'm taking a little break from Persona writing.
...
But Hero Academia is pretty cool, isn't it?!
"Uraraka-san! You said you wanted to study?"
Izuku's hand hovered in front of the door to Ochako's apartment for the second time that day. He adjusted his backpack and reaffirmed his grip on the box in his other hand before knocking again. "Uraraka-san?"
An itch at the back of his mind urged Izuku to test the doorknob, a lump in his throat forming as it turned in his hand. A wave of heat greeted him as soon as the door gave way, rushing out with the force of a truck. Izuku remained poised, stepping inside and quietly shut the door behind him ...It's really hot in here…"
"Uraraka-san…?"
The sight of someone's limp hand lent wings to his step, his backpack and box left by the door as he rushed into the apartment's living room. There lay Ochako, unconscious on the floor as the TV droned on in the background. "Uraraka-san! What happened?!"
Izuku pulled Ochako into his lap, quickly scanning her body for any signs of injury. There were none. The real alarming factor was the gleam of sweat and the disturbingly high temperature of her skin. "Did she faint 'cause of the heat…?"
He hoisted her onto the couch and grabbed the remote for the air conditioner off her coffee table, tossing it back down after switching it on. Izuku's mind quickly laid out steps on what to do next, clicking into one cohesive plan as he stood and rushed into the kitchen.
[- - -]
...
...
...
Ochako slowly opened her eyes, reaching up when acquainted herself with the chilling feeling on her forehead. A towel…?
Before she could sit up, she felt a familiar scarred hand on her shoulder, firmly but carefully push her back down. She pushed the towel up a bit, revealing none other than Deku squatting by her side with a relieved smile on his face. "Deku-kun?"
"You're awake! Don't move, you're still probably feeling woozy and...oh, right. I turned the air conditioning up a bit. Er...by the look on your face that wasn't okay."
Said expression was Ochako's grimace at having failed to endure the heat. For now, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and looked around in a daze, gingerly reaching up to keep the towel pressed to her forehead. "...Are you in my apartment?"
Izuku chuckled lightly and nodded, even though he was sure she couldn't see him. "Uh...yes. Like I said, you were passed out and...well, I had to help."
"Oh."
Ochako took a moment to put the pieces together, humming softly as she enjoyed the coolness of the towel. So Deku found her knocked out in the middle of her heat endurance training (saving money on A/C, but she wouldn't admit that), had carried her to the couch (the thought alone was embarrassing...worries about weight would have to wait), and was currently taking care of her (very intently, if the look on his face was any indication).
In her apartment.
A blush bloomed in her cheeks and, before she knew it, she felt the towel floating out of her grip. Izuku looked up at that moment and tensed, glancing between her stunned face and the happily floating little cloth. Some part of Ochako's mind held back a laugh - how cute it was that he was worried about making a ruckus just jumping to catch it. Anyway. She snapped back to reality and pressed her fingertips together, unceremoniously dropping the towel back onto her face with a wet smack. Despite the sting, she was thankful she had something covering the blush on her face as Izuku hovered over her worriedly. "Eesh, that sounded like it hurt! A-are you okay?"
She felt him shift closer and hastily waved him off, pulling the towel off her face with a grimace and handing it to him. "No, I'm fine, it's just...oh, this is so embarrassing…".
"Dropping a towel on your face?"
"No! You being - here, in my apartment?...Why did you come by, anyway?"
"Well, you did ask me if we could study together. That, and…"
Izuku scratched the back of his head and sheepishly pointed to the unfamiliar box on the table. It took Ochako only a moment to see what it was. "...Is that a cake?"
"Yeah! I mean, um...yeah. I was talking to my mom about the entrance exam. Y'know, the one where you saved me, I busted up my arm, then I was falling and then you...saved me - I'm going in circles. Anyway."
Ochako bit her lip to hold back a laugh, sorely tempted to pet Deku as he seemed to shrink further into his own explanation. "Mom really latched onto the part with the 'floaty girl', as she described you, and how nice she sounded. She insisted I buy a little thank-you gift."
Izuku, again, gestured at the cake. "I'm...short of cash, so...well, let's say that cake ingredients are somewhat cheaper than cake itself."
Ochako was nonplussed, staring intently at the very pretty cake sitting on her not-so-pretty coffee table. And then, it clicked. Izuku jumped from where he was kneeling next to her when she shot up, surprise written clear into her features. "This is for me?!"
"Wha-! I, um-...yes? Yes, the cake's for you!"
Ochako looked at the cake again, briefly puffed out her cheeks in thought, and shook her head fiercely. "There's no way I can accept this! It's just too-"
Grrrr...
A silence fell on the two as Ochako's already rosy cheeks flared into a rather bright shade of red, leaving Izuku to hold back the goofy smile threatening to break out and gesture at the cake, still stored carefully in its box. "Please accept it. I brought a cutting knife, plates, you name it."
Ochako sighed softly, subtly wrapping her arms around her stomach and glancing up at Izuku. "...You're nice."
Izuku smiled, and Ochako might have felt her heart skip a beat just at the sight. She failed to notice the light blush on his cheeks that showed just how much those words meant coming from her. "Let me cut some of this for you."
[- - -]
Tears sprang to the corners of poor Ochako's eyes as soon as she bit into the modest slice of cake Izuku had cut for her - the speed at which he had done so was evidence enough that he was no slouch around the house. Putting that aside, the cake was great. She snuck yet another sly look at Izuku as he squirmed in place. A thought occurred just then. "...Deku-kun."
"Y-yes?"
She set her plate down and pointed her fork, still laden with a bit of cake, straight at Izuku in a manner that would make Ida proud. Many morsels would have fallen in the face of such chaos, but not this one! Not today. "Why aren't you taking any?"
Izuku visibly paused, trying to find the right words. "...For some reason, it's just awkward."
"Aw, now you're just being silly. Here, bite."
Izuku paled, the reaction being swiftly followed by a blush as he tried to object. "I-uh-er-um...I don't think that's a good idea."
By now, Ochako's determination outweighed her own growing awareness of just how forward she was being. "If you don't take this right now, I'm going to feel guilty that you didn't get to enjoy this cake forever."
"...What?"
Any further comment was promptly shuttered by Ochako sticking the fork in Izuku's mouth. The winning smirk she wore was enough to keep him from arguing. "See?"
"Mmf."
"Oh! Sorry."
The fork was withdrawn, and Izuku was left to savor the cake in silence. This same silence conveniently allowed Ochako to consider just what she had done! Her hands ditched the fork and flew up to her face as her natural blush exploded once more. Izuku deftly caught the utensil between his fingers before it landed anywhere dangerous and set it down on her plate. Her fingers spread to allow her a peek at her victim as she, "...I just force-fed you cake, didn't I?"
"A bit, yes. Uh, but without the 'force' part."
And that could also be considered an indirect...
"Ohhh…"
Rather predictably, Ochako's hands covering her face led to the natural activation of her Quirk, sending the girl floating lazily towards the ceiling. "Uraraka-san! Your Quirk - oh, no. Uraraka-san!"
Let's say this would take place some nebulous time after the entrance exam and before UA turns into a dorm.
I figured if Deku could make caramel apples for Eri, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say he can look up some instructions and bake a cake too. But then Sato's the baking guy...don't think about it too much.
...As I got closer to finishing this, I started thinking the cake feeding part felt too OOC. Now, I don't know if that's my ever-present, incessant paranoia or a genuine concern, so feedback, if given, is appreciated.
In any case, I'll probably update this with more bits every now and then. For now, though! Thanks for reading.
