Izuku splashed water over his face. Using the soap bar, he scrubbed it across his shoulders and back, until the bubbles formed a lather. Dunking his entire body under the falls, he rubbed the soap away with his sponge. As he resurfaced, he gave a sigh of content. The waterfall above him cascaded over his face, washing away all the dirt and sweat.

Training had been brutal. For three hours he'd parried and thrusted and swiped, Todoroki returning each of his blows with vigor. He'd been covered with sweat and dirt by the end of it, and was now glad that classes were over.

He'd immediately returned to the dorm and fetched Geralt, and with permission from Todoroki, they'd journeyed outside the castle to the nearby river. The waterfall produced bubbles that gave him some privacy. Izuku lay back against the grassy riverbank, half-submerged. Geralt was happily paddling about, kicking water into the air.

Such privacy. Such peace.

Young Midoriya! Watch out!

"Hey."

Izuku sat straight up with a screech. Ochako was standing behind the tree just across from him, waving.

"Izuku! How's the water?"

How is she completely unaffected? I'm naked! Izuku's thoughts stumbled over one another helplessly. He watched her soft brown boots move gracefully down the hill.

Red cloak waving, she walked forward until she'd made it down to the riverbank. Geralt leaped out of the water with a joyous bark and jumped straight onto Ochako. She laughed as they rolled about, water flying everywhere and wet fur smacking the grass. Izuku watched incredulously.

After that, Ochako was most definitely dirty. Muddy paw-prints dashed the front of her vest and dotted her cloak. She finally stopped laughing, as she rubbed Geralt's stomach.

"Oh, geez. Now I need a bath."

Izuku laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry. He gets really excited to see you."

"No problem. Mind if I join you?" She said, completely innocent of the implication.

Izuku's brain fizzled out with a pop.

Oh boy. She's one hell of a keeper.

Izuku splashed water at the sword in an angry motion.

"Uh…sure." He tried to keep as much nervousness out of his voice as possible. Bathing was one thing…but with a girl? That was oddly intimate to him.

She nodded and then grinned, making a twirling motion with her finger. Izuku squeaked and snapped his eyes shut, turning about so fast he made a small tsunami splash the other side of the riverbank.

A giggle like bells floated through the air.

"Calm down, Izuku! It's just a bath, silly. Everyone takes one."

Izuku bit back his words. Not with their crush!

He heard the cloak hit the ground first (his face burned so badly it hurt) and the vest and belt next. Then he heard the swirling of the water as she entered. His body began to shake crazily.

"You can turn around. I'm covered up."

Izuku held his breath and turned around.

She was resting against the opposite riverbank, Geralt in front of her. He blocked everything from sight (to Izuku's relief and surprising disappointment) and let Ochako rub the soap along his back. "There, now, clean puppy." Ochako sang as she scrubbed Geralt.

Once Geralt shone in the light, she swam under the waterfall. When she had showered off, she returned to the riverbank and simply looked at Izuku, who looked back. Geralt lay upon the grass on his back in a patch of sunlight, the water drying from his white fur.

"How were classes? Pretty tough?"

Izuku nodded, face still red. "Uh…yeah. Todoroki teaches the students here too!"

Ochako smiled and sank into the water up to her neck. "That's cool. Two jobs at once? He's responsible." Izuku nodded. "He's always been pretty responsible…" She smiled at him and swam about.

She was but a few feet away now. Izuku began to shake and sweat uncontrollably. He understood that being naked while bathing was normal…but with her? When her back was turned and she was petting Geralt, he panicked and made a beeline for the waterfall.

Ochako looked at him in confusion, and then gave a slow chase. When she appeared again after swimming under the falls, he felt his nerves fail.

"Silly. What are you doing in here?" She asked, worry creasing her brow. Izuku shook his head crazily, trying to think of an reasonable excuse. "Just needed some time to get psyched. Homework tonight's gonna be rough."

Izuku gave her a little smile. It…didn't feel so awkward anymore. She had that gentle air to her that soothed the soul.

Ochako grinned, an adorable smile. "I bet."

"Oy! Ochako! You out here?"

Ochako squeaked and flipped about suddenly, the water's movement nearly exposing the part of her body under the surface. Izuku shrieked and clapped his hands over his eyes, falling straight into the water.

"You OK?!"

"Uh, yeah. Slipped. Be right there, Mina!"

Ochako made a shushing sigh towards Izuku, and dove into the bubbles.

He heard her surface.

"How's the water, Ocha? It's hot for the afternoon."

"Oh! Uh, yeah! Turn around and let me get out and then I'll walk with you back to the dorm."

Izuku clutched the wall of rock. Ochako had forgotten to hide one extremely important thing.

"Hey! What's that wolf doing here? Isn't he that weird new kid's?"

Izuku could almost see Ochako's face become a mask of fear.

"Uh…I…well…the guy's my best friend. So his wolf hangs around me a lot."

"Mm-hm."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

Their footsteps retreated, chattering voices dying away.

Only then did Izuku push his way through the waterfall. He stared after the retreating figures on the far hill, his face a complete mask of bliss and relief.

"…"

Geralt looked at him, almost angrily. Izuku waved his hands at the wolf. "Geralt, this may be the greatest day of my life." He mumbled, laying against the riverbank again.

"And I think I played it pretty cool, too."

Izuku took his hand and slicked down his curls. Had he looked at Geralt looking at him, he would have noticed the wolf rolling his eyes.

"Yup. The whole package."

Geralt made a point of getting up and kicking dirt at Izuku.

"Pbbpght! It's in my mouth! Stop!"

Hahahahaha! The wolf's got the right idea!

Izuku shoved more water in the sword's direction. He heard a sputter in his head, and laughed heartily. Even though he had grit in his mouth. Nothing could ruin the elation in his heart.

Geralt jumped at Izuku, barking playfully. They rolled about in the water, raucous laughter rolling through the trees. The sun set over Izuku's first day at the Academy.

The wolf-man hurried on, claws tearing through the grass as fur rippled in the wind. The quest his master gave him burned in his mind, along with his gracious promise. The grass soon gave way to rock, and the creature perched upon the edge of the cliff, looking out over the horizon. The sight would have been beautiful if the sun was not reflecting off blood-stained teeth.

The wolf-man hissed viciously, remembering his past kill. The boar had been thin, bony. Not at all satisfying. However, he thought. The castle on the horizon gleamed like a pearl in the dying light.

There's much better things to eat.