Day 3: Part 1 - The Edge
As it turned out, they weren't the usual kind of tide pools - the kind that were submerged during high tide and revealed at low tide. Bakugo said they were called "forever tide pools", because the tide never got high enough to flood them. The plateau of lava rock that the tide pools resided on was higher than sea level. But the waves crashing against it sent spraying water over the top and out across the pools, keeping them clean and clear. The rich nutrients of the rock provided the right conditions for life to burst forth and thrive, and Ochaco had never seen anything like it. Erosion had turned the rough stone smooth and shiny, creating a sleek black surface that Ochaco's sandals could barely find purchase on. But that wasn't enough to stop her excitement. Bakugo could barely keep up with her, stumbling along behind as she took off across the expanse of hardened lava.
After their short breakfast that was starting to become ritual for them, the two teenagers had set off back down the beach. Traveling in the same direction as yesterday, Ochaco found that when they had turned back the day before, they hadn't even been halfway there. The rocky outcrop was a good ways down the beach, in the niche of unclaimed land between the beach owned by The Sea Cliffs and the resort just east of them. Here, the sand was coarser - more broken seashells and dead seaweed everywhere they looked. Ochaco had no idea what to expect on the way to the tide pools, so when she first saw the dark streak of rock across the white sand, she thought it looked like a scar. Bakugo said that the lava was thousands of years old, that real estate had chipped away and excavated most of it to make room for the beach. This little "spit", as he called it, was all that was left of some monstrous volcanic eruption that predated man. If Ochaco didn't know any better, she would have thought Bakugo sounded wistful.
They climbed atop the plateau. Pools of water in varying shapes and sizes reflected the bright sun, making the surface of the lava rock shimmer like diamonds. It almost hurt to look at, but Ochaco's sunglasses were just dark enough to make it bearable. The two teenagers had barely gained their feet beneath them when Bakugo pointed out to Ochaco a seemingly normal looking rock sitting by the edge of the nearest tide pool.
"I don't get it." Ochaco cocked her head.
"Poke it," Bakugo instructed. "This is one of the few things you're allowed to touch."
What a strange thing to say, Ochaco thought. But she squatted down, held out a padded finger, and gently prodded the rock. It was squishy, the surface giving away beneath her fingertip. Too surprised to stop herself, Ochaco accidentally applied much more pressure than she intended to. A small stream of water squirted out of the rough surface, catching Ochaco square in the eye. With a yelp, Ochaco flinched back, falling flat on her butt. Above her, Bakugo burst into laughter, like he couldn't believe she had actually fallen for his prank. Wiping the salty water from her face, Ochaco frowned up at Bakugo. She found it difficult to be upset with the boy, though. He was laughing, and she had never hear him laugh before. Albeit, he was laughing at her expense, but still... he had a nice laugh.
Bakugo held his hand out to her. After helping her to her feet, he and pointed again.
"It's called an anemone. Look."
The "rock" was blooming - unfolding from within itself, overlapping its dull brown exterior with a brilliant pink. Tendrils fanned out around the edge like flower petals, and the center was a deeper mauve color. The tentacles waved fluidly, like the creature was greeting Ochaco and Bakugo as friends. Dropping to her knees, Ochaco leaned in closer to the amazing little anemone, ignoring how the coarse lava rock ground into her skin.
"Careful, Pink Cheeks," Bakugo warned. "It'll squirt you again."
Ochaco heard him, but wasn't listening. The wondrous, strange little flower was moving - ever so slowly, but clearly making its way into the clear, cool water of the tide pool. The pool itself was cluttered with more anemone that Ochaco had somehow missed before. They were all blooming, each a varying shade of blue, pink, and purple. The petals of the anemones twisted and curled under the water, animating the surface with gentle ripples. The distorted image blended all of the colors together in a way that no artist ever could.
"It's like a bouquet," Ochaco mumbled under her breath. Breaking her eyes away, she looked up at Bakugo. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Bakugo stared at her, probably wondering if she had lost her mind. He wasn't wearing his red aviators today, his expression clear for all to see. And yet, he still remained unreadable to Ochaco. Bakugo scoffed as he looked away.
"If you're into that kind of shit, I guess," he said.
Ochaco giggled as she shot to her feet once more, leaping at Bakugo. The boy jerked back, startled by her sudden proximity. She had gotten very close very quickly, but was too excited to care.
"Show me more!"
"Alright, alright! Calm your tits." Bakugo turned away from her, walking off across the plateau of tide pools. "Just remember that I have to meet my parents for lunch later on, so we can't spend all day here."
There weren't as many people out here at the edge of the resort, only a small crowd that had come to do exactly what Bakugo and Ochaco were doing. Families with small children wandered about, kids toddled across the stone, gazing into the pools with unbridled wonder and pointing excitedly. Some people were camped beside the larger pools, letting their feet dip in the water as the sun warmed their bodies. Ochaco had made the executive decision the night before to keep her own exposure to the sun at a minimum, since she had gotten more than enough the day before. But nobody dared go near the edge, where the plateau ended in a sharp drop and the waves crashed mercilessly against its face. The rocks were slippery there, and it was impossible to tell how deep it was.
The wonders of the tide pools was ceaseless - each one was completely unique, and there was always something new to discover. Starfish, crabs, anemones, tiny fish that ranged in color from crystal clear to neon and more. Ochaco could probably have sat and watched a single tide pool all day if Bakugo hadn't kept her moving. Her own excitement must have been contagious, because Ochaco had never seen Bakugo so animated about something that didn't involve fighting or training. He showed Ochaco his favorite pools - the ones with the most fish in them - and told her the names of every creature. His knowledge was impressive, and Ochaco could tell that he enjoyed showing off. It was adorable, in a snarky, demeaning sort of way. His lessons, though crass, were also entertaining. If Bakugo ever wanted to be something other than a hero, Ochaco mused, he would probably make a wonderful teacher.
"You used to be able to come here and collect mussels," Bakugo told her as they sat at the edge of a little pool. She had asked about the clusters of shells that were bunched so tightly together as they clung to the rocks, and Bakugo had launched into a story. "Come out here with your shucker and just pop them open. That was how we would eat lunch."
"You can eat them? Raw?" Ochaco peered at the little bunches of clams, finding it difficult to imagine how they could possibly be tasty.
"You're supposed to eat them raw, dumbass." Bakugo mimed splitting a mussel apart. "It's not much, but if you get about fifteen of them, it can fill you up. But then people started taking too many. So now there's a ban on collecting mussels in this area so the population can rejuvenate."
"There seems to be plenty of them to me." They seemed to occupy every nook and cranny of the lava rock.
Bakugo only quirked his lips in a half sneer as he looked around. "Compared to what it was like all those years ago, I'd say the mussels actually aren't coming back as quickly as people thought they would. There used to be oysters here too, but those are completely gone. Oh yeah, speaking of which..."
Bending over, Bakugo reached his hand into the tide pool in front of them. He fished around for a little bit, and Ochaco could watch the hunt happen on his face - eyes cast to the side, eyebrows askew as he searched, and then his features evened out. Sitting back, Bakugo held out his hand to Ochaco. If Ochaco didn't know any better, she would have thought it was another rock. But now, because of Bakugo, she did know better. Picking up the object tenderly, Ochaco examined it closely. It looked like one of the mussel shells all around them, but bigger and with a slightly different shape.
"Open it," Bakugo grunted as he wiped his wet hand on his swim trunks.
Ochaco would never admit it, but it took her longer than it should have to realize she was holding an oyster shell. It wasn't that she hadn't seen them before, just not very often. In the Kansai region where she was from, oysters were mostly served up fried. There were a couple of occasion where her parents had treated the family to nicer meals and had raw oysters, but those occasions were few and far between. A blush rose to her cheeks as she slowly opened the oyster. If there was a pearl inside this, she might just faint.
But all Ochaco felt was confusion as she stared at the little green ball that was most definitely not a pearl as it sat nestled within the oyster like it belonged there.
"It's a marble." Bakugo smirked, like he could guess what Ochaco had been thinking. "My dad and I put it there a long time ago as a practical joke to any loser who finds it."
Ochaco stared at him, then switched her gaze back to the marble, then back to Bakugo. She had had an idea that the Bakugo's had a history of coming to Hawaii, but she didn't realize how extensive that history was until now. What a childhood Bakugo must have had, to come to a place like this so often while growing up.
"Kind of surprised it's still here. Fucking thing hasn't been touched." Bakugo took the oyster shell from her hands, holding it more delicately than Ochaco would have though him capable. The boy seemed wistful as he stared at the green marble. If Ochaco had to guess, he was probably deep in a memory. Then he closed the oyster and put it back in the tide pool, hidden away from sight in a little grotto within the lava rock. "Damn marble is persistent, kind of like someone I know."
"Hey, you were the one who came to me, remember?" Ochaco said with a dry smile. Bakugo rolled his eyes at her.
"I didn't have a choice, do you remember that?" He countered. His tone was as harsh as it always was, but the virulence behind it was gone. "If you hadn't left your shit in my bag, neither of us would be in this situation."
They could have kept this going longer - more as a game instead of an argument - but Bakugo's knapsack suddenly started jingling, as if on queue. With a groan, Bakugo slipped the bag from his back and yanked it open. Pulling out his cell phone, Ochaco skewed her eyebrows.
"You get service here?" She asked.
"We have an international plan," was all Bakugo said before he answered the phone with a sharp "what". He listened for a little bit, and the small voice that Ochaco could here through the phone was unmistakably his mother. Bakugo winced, pulling the phone away from his ear. Sighing, Bakugo got to his feet.
"Stay here," he instructed. "Old hag wants to know where I am. Shouldn't take too long."
With that, Bakugo walked away from Ochaco, leaving her alone. This seemed to be a common occurrence between the two of them. This time, however, it wasn't nearly as dramatic. Ochaco took a deep breath and let herself relax next to the tide pool, feeling the sun warm her through the t-shirt she was wearing. It was much quieter out here, away from the resort and all of it's bustling occupants. As she closed her eyes, Ochaco allowed herself to be swept away by the sounds of the ocean and the breeze, a wonderful melody of white noise that could have lulled her to sleep on the spot. The sea here was not the same as it was back home, even though both of them were part of the Pacific. Here, the sea seemed wilder, and more mysterious - like an animal lurking at the edge of a forest. Opening her eyes, Ochaco looked out over the edge of the tide pools and across the water, mixed feelings of awe and caution settling on her shoulders.
Movement caught her gaze, a small distortion within her line of sight that shook her from her reverie and startled her back to herself. Peering out across the lava rock, Ochaco squinted against the bright reflections of the sun off the ocean to see what appeared to be a person clambering across the rock bed along the edge of the plateau - alone. She rose to her feet and took a couple of tentative steps forward. This person, though... they were so small.
It was a child, probably about two or three years old, if Ochaco had to guess - and they were toddling quickly and dangerously closer the edge with the steep drop and the pounding waves.
Ochaco's heart leapt painfully within her chest as fear chilled her like a winter wind. Her flip-flops caught on the rough surface of the lava rock as she began to run, stubbing her toes and making her stumble. But she didn't stop. Ochaco called out to the kid - a little boy - but the waves were too loud and the kid was distracted by collecting shells on the ground. Crashing waves became thunderous in her ears as she neared the edge, the rocks became smooth and slippery. Her pace was forced to slow down until Ochaco was testing every step for purchase. Hands held out to her side, her anxiety spiked each time she was forced to avert her gaze from the small child to watch where she was going. The boy did not divert from his path, his little legs plodding over the rocks with surprising ease. Several more seconds, and... Ochaco couldn't bear the thought. But she wasn't going to make it in time like this.
Growling, Ochaco stopped and picked up her feet. Her sandals were flying behind her before she could reconsider the idea of continuing on barefoot. Being able to grip her toes to the rock did seem to help, but the sharp edges were cutting into the sensitive pads of her feet. She was so close, perhaps only a couple meters away from the child and the sharp drop. Just a couple more long strides and-
"Hey!" The child finally turned to her, his big green eyes wide as he gazed up at her. His arms were full of an impressive menagerie of sea shells. "It's dangerous here. Come on, let's go where it's safe."
The child blinked up at her, eyes confused. He probably only understands English, Ochaco realized. Now, more than ever, Ochaco wished she had paid closer attention during Present Mic's lessons. She struggled for the words, which were hard to come through the rising panic in her heart as the child began to whimble and back away from her.
"It's okay, it's okay!" Ochaco cried softly, hoping her tone alone would comfort the boy. Heavy ocean mist was beginning to drench her clothes. Where was this boy's mother? "I'm not going to hurt you."
The sun became darker. A sonorous roar filled her ears. Whipping her head around, Ochaco paled at the wall of water that arched over her head. Everything happened too fast after that - a scream, her body moving on its own, and salt water surrounding her. The water went into her ears and up her nose and stung her eyes, and for a brief, terrifying moment, she couldn't breath.
Coughing the water from her lungs, Ochaco blinked her stinging eyes. The jagged edge of the lava rock plateau poked into her belly and knees as she sprawled across the surface, one hand desperately gripping for purchase. The other hand, and the top half of her torso, hung off the edge of the plateau. The child - wet, afraid, and screaming - dangled from the death grip Ochaco had on his arm. Huffing, and with adrenaline pumping through her veins, she wasted no time in hoisting the boy back up to the plateau. But stopped when the effort had the opposite effect, and the threat of them both going over became very real. Her quirk could have really helped, she knew that. But Ochaco didn't dare lift her other hand from the ground and lose the only anchor that she had. She was stuck, and her grip on the boy's wet arm was beginning to slip.
"Help!" The salt in her eyes and her tears made a terrible combination. "Somebody help us!"
The boys arm was slipping through her fingers. He cried out, a word that Ochaco knew meant "mother". There was nothing she could do. The waves roiled below them like a hungry mouth, swelling up into another wave that would be their last.
Another hand shot past Ochaco's face and wrapped itself around her hand and the boy's arm, squeezing tight. She felt an arm wrap itself around her chest. With a mighty pull, Ochaco and the boy were both yanked from the cliff and the hungry sea just as the ocean slammed against the cliff of the plateau once more. The boy ended up in Ochaco's arms, where he quickly wrapped his little embrace around her neck in a near choke hold. She didn't mind, though. She was too busy scrambling to get away from the slippery edge and back to dry safety. When they were as far away as her shaky legs and bleeding feet could carry her, Ochaco dropped to her knees once more. Her breaths rasped as she huffed, heart pounding in her ears. The little boy was still crying, his face pressed to her neck. Though he did have some small scrapes on his knees and elbows, he was unharmed. With wide, unbelieving eyes, Ochaco turned her head to look at their savior as he stoof stooped over with his hands on his knees.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Bakugo coughed out at her as water dripped from his hair. "You could have been killed!"
Ochaco didn't have an answer for him. Even though her hands were shaking, she tried her best to comfort the child, stroking the wet blonde hairs of his head and cooing words of reassurance to him that he probably didn't understand. In truth, she felt like crying, too. But she couldn't, not in front of him or Bakugo.
"Alex!"
Ochaco and Bakugo both looked up to the woman that was running towards them, a man and two older children close behind. She dropped down next to Ochaco, and the little boy threw his arms around her. The woman, pale with fear and shock, cradled the little boy close to her and gently rocked him back and forth. The child's weeping grew softer.
"Τhaι hσυνέβη?" The man spoke sharply as he glared at Bakugo and Ochaco. He seemed angry, but Ochaco could tell it was only because he had been afraid, too.
"He's asking what happened," Bakugo spoke to Ochaco. She looked at him - to his face pinched with surpressed anger and eyes full of concern. He wanted an answer, too, she realized. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she explained what had transpired. Her details were clipped and her story was short, but it was enough for Bakugo's face to shift from mild anger to utter disbelief. Bakugo translated her story to the father, both he and the boy's mother listening intently. The same shift happened in both of them as well, and soon they were all staring at Ochaco like she was a creature they had never seen before.
"Θεέ μου..." The mother stood, lifting the boy in her arms as she moved closer to Ochaco. "Σou ηυvμd Alex's ϐϕfε."
Ochaco had no idea what she was saying. But she didn't need to when the women dropped down beside her once more and threw her other arm around Ochaco and pulled her in close. She was shaking, Ochaco noticed.
"Εhυnχ yρώ!" She whispered into Ochaco's ear. The woman sat back. There were tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face. "Εhυnχ yρώ sσ mμϐϕ!"
"She's saying thank you," Bakugo offered. "For saving her kid's life.
Ochaco, managed to force her own smile onto her face, fighting back the tears threatening to spill over. "I'm just glad that he's okay!"
The woman nodded when Bakugo translated her words to her. Cupping Ochaco's face in her hand, she stroked the girl's cheek with her thumb as a sign of gratitude before standing once more and departing with her family, who all followed and gathered around her to see if little Alex was okay.
"This is what happens when you don't watch your damn kids," Bakugo muttered. "Am I right, Pink Cheeks?"
She didn't answer. When Bakugo turned to look at her, he was startled to find tears running down her face. "Hey, are you okay?"
Ochaco hiccuped and furiously wiped at her eyes with her palm. "Yeah," she squeaked out, her voice strained. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"
Bakugo said nothing. Ochaco, too ashamed of her tears, buried her face in her hands. Why was she crying? Heroes don't cry! She should be proud of herself, of her first official rescue. So why was she crying? Ochaco jumped when a strong arm wrapped around her wet shoulders, drawing her in to Bakugo's chest. His embrace was a little tight, but very stable, and that stability was more comforting than Ochaco expected it to be.
"You're okay, Uraraka." His voice rumbled through his chest. "You're okay."
Her throat and chest were hurting from the sobs that she was struggling to keep down.
"Deep breaths," Bakugo coached. Ochaco struggled to draw in air, but the tightness in her chest loosened when she did. "Coming down from an adrenaline rush is never easy. Believe me, I know."
For a few more moments, Ochaco and Bakugo sat there as he patiently allowed her to regain herself. When she was breathing steady once more, Bakugo pulled away from her. His face was expressionless, but his eyes harbored something akin to the same tumultuous feelings Ochaco had.
"I turned around and you were gone." Bakugo spoke quietly, like he was mostly speaking to himself. "I had no idea where the hell you went. I thought that you... that something..."
Ochaco, surprised by this confession, cocked her head and smiled at her classmate. "I'm sorry, Bakugo. I didn't mean to scare you."
Bakugo jerked and abruptly stood. Before he spun away, Ochaco could have sworn she saw his cheeks turn red. "I wasn't scared! I just didn't want to have to explain to your parents that you got kidnapped in Hawaii on my watch. So don't do anything reckless like that ever again, you got that?"
Laughter bubbled up from Ochaco's stomach, small giggles that helped ease the tension in her throat. Bakugo turned to look at her, his face not as stern as his words. With a sigh, Bakugo reach a hand out to her.
"Come on, Pink Cheeks," he said. "I think we've spent enough time at these damn tide pools."
Ochaco felt the smile fall from her face. Looking down, she grimaced at the state of her feet. Dozens of little cuts marred the soles of her feet and toes. The sea water had cleansed them, and they weren't bleeding anymore, but they were still painful.
"My feet hurt," was all she said.
"Well that's too bad," Bakugo quirked his lips. "Because I think the ocean stole your sandals."
It was true - her flip-flops were missing from where she had discarded them, probably washed away by the same waves that had threatened to take her, as well. Ochaco frowned; those had been her only pair for the whole trip...
"Why am I the one who keeps losing things?" Ochaco chuckled halfheartedly at her misfortune and gazing out over the sea. Bakugo did not respond. Looking back at him, Ochaco jumped. Bakugo was squatting down next to her, facing away and holding his hands out behind him. He had moved his knapsack to his front, dangling from his chest.
"Climb on."
Ochaco blinked once, then twice, then once more. Nope, she wasn't seeing things.
"Not gonna ask again, Uraraka!" Bakugo roared.
It was an awkward process, climbing onto Bakugo's back. But as soon as she was positioned, he hoisted her up quickly and easily, making her yelp. He wasted no time in departing the plateau of lava rock, dropping down to the sand with far more grace than Ochaco would ever give him credit for. Soon the two of them were trekking across the sand, back to The Sea Cliffs. Exhaustion settles over Ochaco like a warm blanket. Sighing, she rested her chin on his shoulder, eyelids drooping against her will.
"Thank you, Bakugo," she mumbled softly into his ear. He turned his head slightly to peer at her out of the corner of his eye.
"For what?"
"For coming to my rescue." She smiled softly and turned toward him, her lips mere atoms from his neck. "You really are a hero."
The steady rhythm of Bakugo's steps were beginning to rock Ochaco to sleep. The sun was reaching it's peak in the sky, its warmth starting to dry her wet clothes. Humming contentedly, Ochaco laid her chin into the crook of Bakugo's neck and shoulder. She almost didn't catch Bakugo's words before she drifted off. He spoke so softly and lowly, his words drifted to her like a half-remembered song.
"I think you and I both know who the true hero is."
A/N: UPDATED! I'm so sorry about the long gap, but this chapter gave me a lot of trouble. No seriously, I think I re-wrote this thing like four times. Originally, it was going to be a turtle. But I think this is much better.
As always, read, review, and enjoy!
