name
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Deep breaths and hands on shaking knees were something Ochaco should have gotten used to by now, yet after days of relentless training, she found herself completely drained in ways foreign to her and her body. Those days had turned into weeks and those weeks into months, but still, she found an original way to make herself sore and bruise every inch of skin she possessed. Every other day, she found herself in the same position; hunched over with her hands on her knees, desperately wheezing to find something that resembled air.
"We should've stopped hours ago," Katsuki said, his voice strong yet tired, leaving his lips like molasses, slow and deliberate. The girl rolled her big, brown eyes over to him and opened her mouth to speak, but the words that came out were no more than a series of coughs followed by a strong gasp. She averted her gaze from him to the grass below them. "You're not suited to train like this," he followed up, moving from his bent position to standing and developing a frown on his face. "We're done for the week."
Quickly, Ochaco cut her gaze back to him nearly screamed, "No!" She furrowed her brow and a small frown formed on her face, one of the few Katsuki's ever seen. All too quickly, she righted herself, saying, "I'm never going to get anywhere if we keep quitting, Kacchan. I can't stop now." Just as easily as she rose, she feel back, falling flat into the grass. The boy cocked an eyebrow but remained silent, his point proven without a single word needed to be said. The two locked eyes for a moment, silence echoing between them. It was a rare moment found on campus, complete silence save for your own heavy breathing, and they savored it together, Katsuki's brilliant vermillion eyes bleeding into Ochaco's warmer, chocolate ones.
Dropping to his knees, he brushed a few strands of hair out of her flushed, round face. He stared at her, hunched over and breathing heavily, but never breaking their eye contact. "You can't keep doing this," he said in a voice rarely heard. It was soft, empathetic, laced with concern and slightly imbued with what could be interpreted as adoration. "You're going to hurt yourself." It was this moment where the girl broke eye contact, closing her eyes softly. She shook her head defiantly, and then rested her forehead against his, a gesture she did often after training with him. She reached her fingers out, toying with his hand, feeling every scrape and scratch he collected during his battles. When she concentrated, she could feel how hot his hands were compared to anyone else's, something she chalked up to his quirk being released through his palm. It only took a minute for her to lose control of her body, unable to stay awake for any longer. She collided into him, collapsing into his lap.
•
She awoke to find herself in a bright, white room that smelled of bleach and felt too sterile to be her own. Bleary eyed and confused, she looked over to her left, only to find a window and a machine with what seemed to be a million different tubes leading out of it and leading into her, pumping her full of clear fluid. Dazed, she turned to her right, and found Katsuki, his head resting on his arms, seemingly asleep. "K-Kacchan..?" she asked, her voice hoarse and low, trying to see if he was really with her.
"Hm?" It was only a small hum, but it was confirmation that he was there, that he probably has always been there.
"Where are we?"
"Nurses office," he said sleepily, turning his head to look at her. It was only then she noticed the dark circles under his eyes, his tan complexion sallow and lost underneath the bright fluorescent lights. "You're hypoglycemic," he added with a sniff.
"Wha—"
"Low blood sugar. It's your quirk, probably. That's why you get so nauseas after using it for a while." He set his head back down, staring at her, a thick air of silence taking over them. "You're exhausted, too."
"I'm not," she said, sitting up in the bed, crinkling the sheets underneath her. "I'm just tir—"
"No, I'm just tired. You're exhausted. Fatigued. You're severely dehydrated. You need a break," he said sternly, narrowing his eyes at her. Gently, but deliberately, he put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down on the bed.
"I can't afford a break, Kacchan," she said, moving his hand off of her shoulder. She winced as she tired to push herself off of the bed, settling for lifting herself up in a sitting position.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Why are you?!" she snapped back, gritting her teeth. "You're here just for recognition," she spat, her wide eyes glassy and strong, "like the world doesn't already see you. You already have so many heroes offering you positions...partnerships! Everybody knows that you practically the perfect hero already." She looked at him with a softer, more serene expressions. With downcast eyes she finished, "You didn't even know my name until we fought. I can't afford to keep being...nameless."
Katsuki pauses for a second, letting silence overtake them. His crimson eyes drifted over to her small form, seeming smaller being underneath the blankets in the nurse's office. Her pink lips trembled slightly, her defenses both high and low at the same time. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I know your name now." She rolled her large eyes over to him, with a small amount of contempt, but said nothing. "You proved that your name was worth knowing. If you can make me remember you...you can do it with anyone." Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder, furrowing his brows. "You're not nameless, you never were."