The safe house was too quiet. It had been a long time since Ochako had been alone, too used to having two other people moving around her, making noise, sharing space. It felt wrong to be alone, wrong to hide. She felt like a coward.
She shouldn't have been the only one to to get away. They had all agree from the start that Deku was the one that they needed to protect. He was the one that was quirkless, he was the one that had to harder than any of them. Deku could get so nervous sometimes, even if he always tried his best, even if he was willing to do anything if it meant protecting them. Deku was the one that should have been protected, not her.
Instead he was hurt, laid up in the hospital under police watch while she sat around being safe. It made her sick just thinking about it. How long before the police moved him? How long would she have to try and save him?
And then there was Katsuki... Katsuki who'd gotten caught to save her. If she closed her eyes she could still picture his face, serious but for once lacking the anger they had gotten used to. "Someone has to look after stupid Deku and my power is better for breaking out of places than yours. Trust me, they won't have me long."
She had trusted him. And he'd trusted her and she'd broken that trust by letting Deku get hurt and captured trying to save her. She felt stupid and useless. It should have been her. Or she shouldn't have left him alone. Now she was alone and she thought the silence might drive her crazy.
She heard a sound from the window and she froze for a moment too long. She felt useless, her thoughts sluggish as she wallowed in her own failures. Katsuki would have attacked first and let her and Deku ask questions later. Deku would have already had a plan of action and been springing into motion. And here she was, frozen in place like an idiot. Katsuki would have her head if he ever saw her like this.
She forced herself to turn toward the window, making herself float while she was at it. Whoever was breaking in wouldn't see her before she would see them. She would not fall apart. Her boys needed her. She could be sad later.
Ochako waited, practically holding her breath as she watched the window. The breath left her all at once as the person finally pulled themselves inside.
"Katsuki!" His name was pulled out of her and he lifted his head immediately, searching the ceiling for her. He looked... bad. There were bags under his eyes and bruises all over him. He had a split lip and her fingers twitched to check for all the injuries that she couldn't see.
"Angel," he breathed her name with relief and awe. His shoulders relaxed at the sight of her, his lips twitched upward into something too tired to be called a smile, and he reached out to her. The movement seemed beseeching, not commanding as she was used to. Her heart ached at the change and felt her own broken pieces straining toward him. She dropped back to the ground and found herself wrapped up in his arms instantly. It felt good to feel him against her, to feel his warmth, the way he held her too tight, even the slight tremble in his arms as if he felt too much to hold it all in. She inhaled the scent of him, smoke and sweat, and found herself relaxing in his arms. It was good not to be alone anymore, even if she still felt the emptiness where Deku should be.
"I missed you," she told him.
"I know, Angel," he whispered into her hair. "I missed you, too."
She closed her eyes, bit her lip, as she added, "Deku..." She couldn't make herself say it, could bring herself to admit that she had failed and let their Deku get hurt, captured.
"It's okay," Katsuki said. Those two words told her everything. Katsuki wasn't stupid, if he hadn't know before, it would be all too easy to figure out from the way she said Deku's name alone. Though the fact that he hadn't comr running had probably been the real tip off. He pulled back slightly, cupping her face in his hand and kissing her gently. She tasted blood, but she melted into it all the same. His lips were dry and cracked, but it was him. That was all that mattered. When he pulled away he pressed his forehead to hers. "We talked about this, remember? Deku had a plan."
She did remember, but it wasn't a good plan. It didn't involve him escaping. If she remembered as well as she thought she did, the plan hinged on him pretending that they'd been holding Deku against his will. He was quirkless and they weren't, he couldn't fight them. It made him seem powerless and daft. She didn't like it. Yeah, it was better than jail, but... she still didn't like it. Ochako wasn't even sure that Deku would go along with it, despite having thought up the plan himself. He wouldn't like having to lie, not about that, not about them. He wouldn't want to deny her and Katsuki.
"We'll get him back," Katsuki promised. "I'm just glad that you're okay."
She pulled away from him, staring into his eyes as she eyes, "How can you say that? I failed you. You wanted me to protect him and I..." Tears finally came to her eyes and she pressed them tightly closed, hoping they would dry quickly.
"Hey." He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You were supposed to protect each other. As much as you needed to protect him, he needed to protect you. Deku's strong, he can take a little pain. And he's..." Katsuki broke off for a moment, letting out a small chuckle. "Deku's stronger than either of us. We have quirks to rely on, all he's got is that damn brain of his and he still manages to keep up with us. He could probably think rings around the police. All we got to do is be around to help when he makes his move."
Ochako smiled. He was right. Thinking anything else was a disservice to all three of them. Katsuki was always good at pulling her out of a funk. She was so good at being strong when there was a problem in front of her, something to push or punch or float out of the way. But she knew that she was more limited than either Deku or Katsuki when it came to improvising. She could cheer them up, was often the glue that held them together, was even sometimes their driving force, but she didn't think like they did.
She forced levity into her voice as she said, "Wow, Katsuki! I didn't realize you loved Deku so much."
Katsuki's face became red immediately and turned away from her. "Sh-shut up! Don't go telling Deku stupid shit like that, you got it?"
She giggled, making him yelled louder. It was almost magical how easily just being near Katsuki or Deku could make her feel better. She took his hands in her own. "We'll bring him home, right, Katsuki?"
He squeezed her hands. "Yeah, we will."
The certainty in his voice soothed her further. No more moping. As long as she had her boys, she could do anything. They'd get Deku back. She was sure of it.
