"You," her mom spat, an abundance of venom seeping out of just one word.
Katsuki, realizing that this was not an ideal situation for him, stayed silent. True to fashion, he didn't back down or look away from her, but he also didn't put on a condescending or aggressive air either.
"You- You!" her mom spluttered, fuming and at a loss for words. His presence had clearly surprised her and she was trying to put her thoughts together as quickly as possible.
"Mom, wait! I'm sorry I didn't call you," Ochako tried to deescalate the situation, "I was going to but-"
Katsuki silenced her, his hand rubbing at her back, eyes still not leaving her mother.
"What are you doing here with my daughter?" she asked him, not giving him a chance to answer before turning to her and asking the same, "What is he doing here, Ochako?"
"Mom I-"
"I thought you cared about her! I let you in my house! Your mother and I supported you, even after New Years, and then you went and-" she cut herself off with a huff, arranging her thoughts once more.
"You left her. You left her alone, out there just crying! Never said another word to her for months! And I picked up the pieces!" she pointed at him, her voice as harsh as Ochako had ever heard it.
"Do you know what it's like to see your daughter so upset she hardly eats? Do you know how long it took for her to even just-" she had to stop again and Ochako could see she was about to cry.
Tears sprang to her own eyes. She was right. Her mother had watched over her. Had forced her to eat when she was so heartbroken, she didn't even want to breathe. She had worried incessantly when she'd decided to move out and take a job so far away and she found time to come visit almost every weekend.
She'd been so happy for her when she'd heard Nate was coming back. It had probably seemed like a sign of her healing, her taking a job with him.
She should've known her mother would want to see her first thing after getting back. And now she had surprised both her mother and Katsuki with a confrontation neither they nor she was ready for.
"Mama…" she choked out, pulling away from Katsuki to go to her mother, taking her hand.
"Ochako," her mother finally turned to her, voice going gentle as she put a hand to her cheek, "why are you letting him do this to you again?"
Ochako couldn't find the words to reply as she stared into her mother's eyes, seeing the heartbreak there.
But Katsuki was there, at her side again. She hadn't seen him move but he combed his fingers through her ponytail, calming her, before addressing her mother.
"I do care about her. I love her," he told her firmly, his hand finding its place at her waist once more, "I've already told her but I might as well tell you: I shouldn't have hurt her. I can't take back what I did but I can guarantee I won't hurt her again. And, just so you know, she gave me a hard time about it too. She didn't take me back just like that or nothin."
"That must be nice for you to get her back when she was finally coming around," she snapped at him, not at all persuaded, "You weren't there when she seemed like she was wasting away. You didn't see her face when, even after two months passed, she had to realize all over again that you weren't going to show back up to fix everything when you went back to work."
Ochako blushed at this, hanging her head. She had thought she'd hidden her disappointment well when her mother had visited then. She hadn't told Katsuki about that or any of the rawest details of those three months. Things were still so new between them. That pain was still so recent that she didn't want to have to face it again right now.
Katsuki's hand tightened around her.
"Mom, please," she begged.
"Ochako, you don't understand. He has a lot to answer for! You deserve better than a hot-head who will drop you and leave you for no good reason," her mother scolded.
She turned back to address him, "Your mother thought Ochako was good for you. She asked me to trust you with my baby girl and I did because I could tell she cared about you and I thought you might be better than the person you seemed to be. But you proved me wrong, you proved your mother wrong."
Ochako didn't know how Katsuki wasn't getting angry- or at least annoyed- by her mother's tirade. She was being harsh with him.
"Maybe," Katsuki answered, his expression serious, "but I'm trying to make it up to her. I'm not leaving now. Even if you want me to. I will if she does. But only if she does. You don't have to believe me or trust me. She does. Nothing I say is gonna prove anything to you so I'll just prove it by staying and making her happy."
She could see her mother about to come back with something else but she didn't allow her to get it out before saying, "Mama, he's been with me for the past week. He came back every day after work when he could've been relaxing at his apartment. I'm sorry I made you worry like that but… I love Katsuki. You know I do… And you know he loves me too, you saw it with your own eyes. Please just trust that I know what I'm doing."
Her mother's eyes softened toward her, her eyebrows turning up in an expression of utter affection and worry for her only child.
"Baby girl, I don't ever want to see you hurting like that again," she said, reading the determination in Ochako's eyes.
She sighed, pulling her into a hug, "I trust you. But I will murder him if he even makes you cry a single tear." She leveled a glare at him, "Your mom will help. Don't think I'm joking."
Ochako's eyebrows raised at that and she looked back at Katsuki who, to his credit, only looked mildly disgruntled by this information, "Yeah, I know. She's tried a thousand times already for last time."
Her mom just gave a one shoulder shrug as if to say, "Seems fair."
"So you'll give him another chance?" she practically pleaded, searching her mother's eyes for approval.
"Do I even have a choice?" her mother threw back, shaking her head, bemused, "You're an adult now, sweetie. I can't stop you from whatever choice you make, even if I don't agree with it."
That wasn't exactly the kind of support she'd been hoping for from her mother but she knew she'd have to make do with the fact that she wasn't trying to stab him at least.
"Come on, I started making lunch for you. Maybe while we're eating you can tell me how this," she motioned between Ochako and Katsuki, "came about."
She turned to go back inside, pulling Ochako along with her and Ochako took Katsuki's hand in turn, pulling him along too.
Katsuki did not look comfortable with the situation at hand, especially when he'd been forced to sit at the table with them while Ochako recounted what happened between them when she'd been in town to guard Nate. Well she told her the PG version…
Her mom's eyes kept snapping over to assess him every so often, especially when she was being told about his explanation of why he'd left her and how he'd convinced her to give him another chance.
Ochako could see her mother coming to understand her daughter a little bit better as her brow became less furrowed, she was a generally understanding person after all. She had gotten her intense dislike for not being on good terms with people from her.
Things got a little bit more complicated when she had to tell her mother about her decision to not only take a job offer from Mt. Lady while she'd been gone, but also move back to the city.
She watched as her mom chewed at her lip considering what she was being told. This information didn't change much how far she would be living from her parents- it brought them a bit closer actually- but it probably bothered her a bit that she was making such a rash decision.
Dread coiled in her stomach at the thought of having to inform her mother of her next rash decision, knowing she absolutely could not keep that information from her. She was the type to drop in any time she could. She would visit her so there was no keeping her in the dark.
"S-so..." she started off ever so gracefully, and her mom already got a suspicious look in her eye. She knew her too damn well, "about moving…"
"Spit it out, Ochako," her mother cut straight to the point and she saw a new hint of respect come to Katsuki's face at that. Of course he would appreciate that she didn't let her get awkward and talk in circles.
So Ochako just went for it, getting it all out in one breath, like ripping off a bandaid.
"So my landlord won't let me out of the lease until she finds someone else for this place and I can't afford two apartments so I'm gonna be living with Katsuki until this place is leased again."
The look on her mother's face was dumbstruck. Then it slowly melted into incredulity.
"Ochako," she told her in a matter-of-fact tone, "you can't just move in with him. You just started dating."
"Mom, you just said I was old enough to make my own decisions even if you didn't like them!" Ochako complained, not shocked by her mother's response but still knowing she had to disagree.
"Yes but, baby girl, this is a big step," her mom explained as though she were still a child, "You can move back in with us until your apartment is leased."
"Mom! That's still at least an hour away! Katsuki lives right there! Why wouldn't I just take up this opportunity to-"
"Ochako, you don't even know if this is going to last and you're going to put the entirety of your future, your career, and your home in his hands?"
Ochako struggled to argue with her on this. It was an extreme leap of faith. She'd agreed to come back and work with him, live with him, be in a relationship with him. If it didn't work out, she would be a little bit screwed. Sure, she'd still have her job but there was no way she could still work around him. Her life would practically fall to pieces.
She looked across the table at the man she loved, the man she'd been so excited to move in with just an hour ago. He stared back at her, his eyes soft and warm, his face open and accepting. He could see her indecision and her fear. But just looking at him, seeing the way he loved her whole-heartedly, knowing he'd give anything for her and falling into that love despite being terrified of it, her doubts drifted away. She could do this much, take this chance.
She turned back to her mother, her heart determined anew.
"He would do that much and more for me, Mom. I want to stay with him. I trust him. I know you don't completely understand it, even after I explained it to you but I do and this is what I want so please."
Her mother sighed, shaking her head, "I really can't do anything to stop you from these things. I understand how you're feeling about him right now. It's a very intense feeling. And I know you two went through a lot so it's probably even more intense for you. I just don't want you to lose sight of what else you have in your life, sweetie. There's more than just a guy."
Ochako swallowed thickly and nodded her head, "I know, Mama."
Her mother considered for a moment, picking at her nails.
"Ok. Fine. Do it. But here's what I need you to do for me to feel even remotely comfortable with this…"
Ochako sat with Katsuki and her mother for another half hour as she listened and agreed to her mother's list of demands. They weren't too outrageous. She wanted to still be able to visit her daughter (which Ochako thought was a given). She wanted her to visit with her friends more often. She wanted a few more things that Ochako found a little inconvenient but agreed to anyway. But the most concerning for her was that she wanted them to get Mitsuki's approval as well.
Her mother departed her apartment not long after their discussion with a teary goodbye and one final warning to keep her wits about her. Then, she was gone, leaving them alone.
"Well… I'm sorry about all that," Ochako said uncomfortably, "She was upset. It could've probably been a lot worse."
Katsuki just smiled and pulled her to him, running his hands up and down her back.
"It's fine. Things went fine," he assured her, then a more serious expression crossed his face, "You never told me how things went for you in the past three months. Your mom said…"
Her jaw tightened and she looked away, trying to conceal how tender she still was about that time. It had only been just a few days ago after all…
"I didn't really want you to know. I wish she hadn't said any of that," she admitted.
"You thought I'd call you after the suspension was up," he checked with her, making sure he'd gotten that information right.
She still refused to look at him, "I hoped you might. I was dumb. So what?"
Katsuki ran a hand through her hair once more, sighing.
"I wanted to. I thought about it. I didn't know how nice you would be toward me if I ever showed my face to you again so not being sure about it and just running myself ragged every day kept me from trying. Like I told you before, when you showed up and you were… well you were pretty pissed still but then you made it pretty clear that you weren't that pissed, it got a lot harder."
Ochako buried her face into his chest, wanting to just move past this conversation. The wound was still too new to rehash this all.
He must've seen how uncomfortable she was with it and let the subject drop.
They were silent for a few minutes, letting thoughts swirl through each other's heads, then suddenly Katsuki tensed and drew back, a look of dismay on his face.
"Right, so… about my mom…"
1 DAY LATER
"Ochako-chan! Oh my god, I'm so happy my dumbass of a son came back to his senses," Mitsuki sobbed, running out to greet her before they'd even gotten to the door.
"Are you fucking serious, you old hag?" he snapped at her as she scooped Ochako up into her arms, only turning to her son for a hug after she'd held onto her for a few seconds.
But Katsuki, predictably, pushed her away, a scowl marring his features.
"Can you try not to be an embarrassment for five minutes?" he asked, contempt obvious on his face.
Mitsuki ignored him and just began leading Ochako inside, arm around her shoulders.
"I'm so glad you're here, sweetie," she said, giving her arm a light squeeze, "Dinner is almost ready!"
Katsuki had called his mom soon after they'd discussed her yesterday. He'd taken the time to explain how things had been a little tense with her after he'd left Ochako at graduation. When he'd come back from Ground Beta, he'd just pulled his parents away, not explaining anything and his mom, while knowing something had been wrong, hadn't found out exactly what until Ochako's mom had gotten ahold of her and informed her.
She had been outraged to say the least. She'd ranted and raved at him, giving him nothing but attitude for days on end. But when she realized he was set on his decision, she'd given up and just gone back to acting the same way she always did but still got testy if anything even remotely related to the subject was brought up.
He also had not taken the time to inform his parents of recent events. Though, granted, he was less likely to do such a thing.
So when Katsuki had called Mitsuki yesterday and vaguely explained that he and Ochako wanted to come to dinner together, he'd had to hold the phone away from his ear as she'd shrieked all kinds of things Ochako couldn't quite make out.
Sitting at the dinner table now with Katsuki's parents, they would have to take this opportunity to ask permission to live together. All of these hoops they were having to jump through felt so exhausting and having to tell yet another person about this decision who may or may not approve made Ochako anxious.
"Ma," Katsuki began, addressing his mother first, knowing that was where their difficulty would lie.
"Ochako is taking a job with Mt. Lady and moving back in town," he said, getting the easy explanation out of the way.
"Oh great! Will you be working together again?" she asked hopefully.
Ochako nodded and Mistuki's ruby eyes shone brightly with excitement.
"Wait," he stopped her, "There's more so chill out."
She sat back, looking like she was trying to temper her emotions.
"Ochako's landlord isn't letting her out of her lease until someone else takes her apartment so… I offered to let her live with me..."
"WHAT?!" both of Katsuki's parents blurted out.
"Katsuki," his father began, "I don't-"
"Ochako-chan!" Mitsuki turned to her with serious concern in her eyes, "Does your mother know about this? Did you tell her?"
"Yes, Mom," Katsuki sighed, rolling his eyes, "we told her first."
"YOU TOLD HER FIRST?!" she rampaged at him, "INSTEAD OF YOUR OWN MOTHER?!"
"SHE WAS JUST THERE! SO WE TOLD HER!" he bellowed back.
Ochako swapped commiserative glances with Masaru, Katsuki's father.
"Ah…." she cut in, trying to take control of the situation, "Well, the thing is…"
Katsuki and his mother calmed themselves enough to look over at her, listening as she spoke.
"My mom didn't really like the idea," she explained, poking at the pads on her fingertips while still looking between Mitsuki and Masaru, "so she said we needed to clear it with you as well before we went ahead with the idea."
Mitsuki sat back, her rage dissipating, replaced by contemplation.
"I'm not sure if you're ready for that yet, son," his father spoke up, "that's a big step in a relationship and you haven't been together very long."
Ochako's nerves were beginning to feel rattled. She hadn't been sure how Mitsuki would react to the news but she'd never expected any pushback from Katsuki's father.
"It would only be until the other apartment is leased," she backpedaled, "It may not be long at all!"
Both of Katsuki's parents looked deep in thought, worry creasing their brows.
They looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them, and Ochako saw that there was a great amount of mutual respect and understanding between them. They knew each other inside and out and were coming to a unanimous decision right before her eyes.
For some reason, she felt compelled to reach into Katsuki's lap to squeeze his hand under the table and he returned the gesture, gazing over at her with affection.
"Katsuki!" his mom called, snapping their attention back to her, "Are you sure about this? You're not going to change your mind again? Because if you do and you mess this up again, so help me, boy-"
"I know, old woman!" he snapped, then his eyes softened slightly, "I'm sure. I'm not gonna change my mind."
Mitsuki's attention turned to her then, "And you too, Ochako-chan?"
Ochako gave a small smile and nodded, "I'm sure. I won't change my mind. I love Katsuki."
His hand gripped hers under the table as Mitsuki beamed at her. She'd heard what she wanted. And Ochako could see that Masaru was pleased as well.
"Then fine. Live together, stay together, get married, have a million babies. I don't care!" Mitsuki grinned widely.
Ochako felt her face get extremely hot and she pulled her hand from Katsuki's to cover it with both. Get married? Have babies?!
"Mom! What the fuck?!" Katsuki barked.
"What?" she asked, sounding overly innocent.
1 WEEK LATER
Ochako slowly ground her hips against Katsuki's as she sat astride him, driving him deeper into her core.
Katsuki let out a desperate keening cry, struggling against the shackles holding his hands above his head, attached to the headboard (newly delivered to his apartment yesterday).
She loved when he sounded so pathetic.
"Is that what you wanted?" she inquired, gradually lifting herself off of him inch by torturous inch.
His eyes were an inferno of passion as he stared at her, easing herself at such an agonizing pace up and down his cock.
"Nnnnngh, -chako, please," he gasped, sweat glistening on every inch of his body.
"That's not what you wanted?" she asked as though she were oblivious.
"Faster- please," he rasped out, letting out another desperate groan as she slid back down to seat him deep inside of her again.
She leaned forward, gliding her tongue up his torso to capture that sweet, burning perspiration in her mouth and he shuddered.
"Fuck, Ochako," he panted as her tongue connected with with his nipple, licking at it broadly before taking it in her mouth and sucking gently.
She felt him throb inside of her, clearly enjoying her attention.
"You want it faster?" she asked, moving her hips back up again.
"Yes," he hissed out, pulling at his restraints again. She wondered how wild he would behave if she freed him right now. He'd probably bend her over and fuck her into oblivion.
That was tempting…
But she enjoyed the way his cheeks were reddened and the pleading way he looked up at her as she sat on top of him. She revelled in the power that coursed through her veins.
"Yes what?" she asked him authoritatively.
"Yes please," he growled irritation flashing in his eyes.
She raised an eyebrow, stopping altogether and he whined in agony, dropping his head back onto the pillow. He knew that was the wrong tone of voice.
"Yes. Please," he said more calmly, trying to hold himself together.
"Good boy," she purred and rewarded him with more movement, rolling her hips a little bit faster.
Sitting up again, her body slick with her own sweat and his, she began kneading one of her breasts. Rolling its nipple between her thumb and forefinger, she moaned seductively, watching him the whole time.
Katsuki's eyes burned into her hungrily, knowing he couldn't touch but testing the shackles again, just to express his desires.
"Katsuki," she moaned and felt him throb inside of her again.
She moved faster against him still, starting to ride him in earnest now and deriving a great deal of pleasure from hearing him gasp, his breathing become more labored.
Soon she had to abandon her breast to lay her hands on his chest for balance as she began practically bouncing on top of him, the clapping of their flesh against each other getting louder along with Ochako's moans of pleasure.
"Yes- fuck, Ochako- fuck me," he panted, writhing as best he could beneath her without throwing off her rhythm.
She felt her pleasure mounting, that wave within her building, still slamming down on him, burying him completely to the hilt.
Her cries grew more desperate and higher pitched, each one escaping her lips as she plunged him into her over and over.
"Fuckfuckfuckfuck," he roared, his muscles tensing and back arching, restraints groaning as he pulled against them again, his orgasm overtaking him.
Feeling his cock jerking inside of her as his release came, Ochako rode him harder, bringing herself to the precipice and then crashing over it as his hips jerked up, hitting her most sensitive spot perfectly.
"Katsuki!" she screamed as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, making her whole body shake and digging her nails into his chest.
"Fuck, yeah, pink-cheeks, cum for me," he growled low, watching her with reverence, his breathing just barely beginning to slow.
Ochako collapsed against him, her energy spent and her hunger that she'd felt ever since watching him emerge from the shower in nothing but a towel, sated. Living together really might be a problem after all if she was going to jump him every time he bathed.
It didn't feel like so much of an issue now though as she finally reached up to release him from his bonds and feeling his massive arms come to wrap around her body.
He nuzzled her hair gently and kissed her temple.
"The headboard was a good choice," he noted, moving his palms in slow circles at her back.
"I told you, I know what I'm doing," she whispered as she closed her eyes to drift off to sleep comforted in his arms.
1 MONTH LATER
"My landlord just called," Ochako said, coming back through the Mt. Office door clutching her phone. Katsuki was there, getting a drink as he waited for her to return.
He looked at her now with curiosity and she had to look away, a small amount of despair pulling at her heart, making it ache.
"She said that she was able to find someone. I'm out of my lease…"
Heartache gripped her as she squeezed her eyes closed, trying- and failing- to keep her sorrow from her face.
Footsteps approached and she felt Katsuki's large, gloved hand at her cheek, willing her to turn her face back to his.
He regarded her with uncertainty, waiting for her to speak on this first.
She couldn't stop her chin from wobbling as she pressed her lips together, begging herself to keep it together.
"I don't-"
"Then stay, floaty," he soothed, running the fingers of his other hand through her ponytail.
She gazed up at him, desperate hope in her eyes, "Am I- Am I allowed to do that?"
A crease formed between his brows as he looked down at her, "Yeah. Why wouldn't you? It's my place- our place. Stay as long as you want. There's no reason not to."
"But we told our parents…"
"Okay, and we're grown ass adults, Ochako. We don't need their permission to keep being happy. What are they gonna do? Rent you another apartment? I don't think so."
Relief flooded her and she pulled him closer to meet his lips with hers.
"Thank you," she breathed as she pulled back.
"Stop thanking me. I want you to stay too, obviously. It's pretty convenient not having to travel across town for a piece of ass," he grinned.
Ochako glared at him, "You're gross."
He shrugged, unoffended as he held the door open for her to exit, then followed her out into the sunlight.
1 YEAR LATER
Ochako stepped inside the empty office space and grinned.
"This is perfect! Don't you think?" she said, turning to Katsuki coming through the door behind her.
"It looks fine," he replied, giving the space a once over.
That had been his response to the space before this and the one before that as well.
"Do you even care what our agency looks like?" she questioned, turning a pouting face on him.
"I care if it's infested with rats, I guess," came his response, shrugging.
"Wow, such high standards," she grumbled sarcastically.
"All this shit is boring anyway," he huffed, moving further in to look out one of the windows, "And we gotta do twice as much paperwork cuz it's both of us."
Ochako snorted in amusement, "As if I'm not the one doing it all..."
Katsuki uncharacteristically had nothing to say back to that as he gazed out over the city. It was a decent view for an office so small.
"So…." she pressed, walking over to join him by the window, "Do you think this is the one?"
He met her eyes, his own crimson ones looking overly uncaring for such a big decision as choosing the first location for their agency. They'd probably be working out of this office for the next few years at least, after all.
"Do you?"
Ochako swept her gaze around the office space again. There were only two offices separate from the rest of the larger space. The rest of it was only enough to fit a handful of desks. It was nowhere near Hawks' or Mt. Lady's agencies' sizes and they wouldn't get locker rooms or anything like that for now. But they got their own bathrooms in it at least, instead of sharing with the rest of the floor.
"I like it," she smiled excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet in front of him.
He gave her a look like he thought she was ridiculous and adorable, then turned his attention back to the cityscape outside the window.
"Then let's get it," he suggested, "Start the paperwork."
She grinned at him, digging in her purse for her phone to call the realtor. Pulling it out, she scrolled through her contacts, finding the number and putting the phone up to her ear.
"Prolly be easier if we were married or somethin though," he muttered under his breath.
Ochako frowned, unsure of what exactly she'd just heard over the ringing of the phone on the other end of the line.
"What was that?" she asked, pulling the phone away from her ear.
Katsuki didn't answer, just kept staring out the window as he tapped out a rhythm on the sill.
Hanging up the phone, Ochako's eyes went from his fingers to his face, still purposefully averted from her.
Her heart picked up speed.
"Did you just…"
He shrugged.
Her breaths became shallow, wishing she'd heard him better the first time as she stepped closer.
His rhythm faltered slightly but he held his position, eyes still fixed on the buildings in the distance.
"Katsuki?" she placed her hand over his, heart pounding as she looked up into his face.
His fingers interlaced with hers and he gripped her hand, finally bringing his eyes back to meet hers.
Her breath caught in her throat and something in her chest squeezed tight. He looked terrified. As scared as the night he'd come to beg her forgiveness such a long time ago.
"You-" breathing became a struggle as her eyes misted over, "You want to- marry me?"
Katsuki gripped her hand tighter looking like he might be sick.
"Do you?"
Ochako let out a small huff of laughter, a single tear escaping her lashes and tracking down her cheek.
"I- I..."- why were words failing her now?!- "Yes, Katsuki! Of course I do!"
He abruptly pulled her to him, his lips crashing against hers.
He kissed her and held her to him as though she were the most precious treasure on earth and she melted into him, clutching his shirt as she circled her arms around his thick body as best she could.
She felt so thankful in that moment. The struggles they'd been through, the hurt they'd felt. It hadn't been for nothing. It had been for this, to be here now. To know there was nowhere else they'd rather be.
"Good," he said, pulling back, and a mischievous grin spread over his face, "Now take off your clothes so I can bang my new fiancé in our new agency office."
Ochako couldn't pull her shirt over her head fast enough.
3 MONTHS AFTER THAT
"Are you sure you want to be here?" Ochako asked the soon-to-graduate third-years sitting in front of her desk. Katsuki stood nearby, his arms crossed, leaning on the window sill.
"It's your third year and you're at the top of your class. We just started our agency. I'm sure you had lots of other offers for your work study..." she said humbly.
"Yes! Of course!" Chitose squealed, "Everyone is talking about the Zero-Grav agency! Some of the youngest heroes to ever establish their own agency? Yes! I want to work for you! I want to learn from you!"
"You too, Ito-kun?" she asked, turning to the gruff boy sitting at Chitose's left.
"I never said any of that. I don't think you're all that special," he grumbled, his expression sour.
"Hikaru!" Chitose scolded him but he held his scowl.
"No one asked you to be here, kid," Katsuki snapped, "You guys we're the ones who came to us."
"She asked me to," Ito shot back, "I could be at Endeavor's agency, working with Deku!"
"Then go there!" Katsuki practically yelled, his lips pulling back in a snarl.
"Well, actually," Ochako cut in, trying to calm everyone down, "We work with Deku a lot. He's our friend and we see him often so-"
"So you can hook me up to work with him?" Ito asked haughtily.
Katsuki looked like he was about to throw the kid out the window.
"Hika-chan, you were the one who said you thought Ground Zero was so cool," Chitose corrected him gently.
Ito ducked his head, a blush blooming across his cheeks, "Chitose…"
"Ora ora, what's this now?" Katsuki taunted with a grin, "You think I'm cool? What's the matter, shiny-boy? Too afraid to admit it to my face?"
Ito's hands were in fists, shaking on the chair's armrests.
"Katsuki!" Ochako scolded him as well. Did a mouthy kid really get under his skin this much? Ironic that he didn't see their similarities…
"We'd be happy to have both of you and I will have words with my husband on how to behave like an adult before you come back on Monday," she assured them with a smile.
Katsuki put his hands out, palms up as if to say, "What did I do?"
Chitose smiled brightly and thanked them as the two stood up, Ito still silent, his face unseeable.
Ochako left Katsuki in the office to brood as she walked them to the door.
"Thanks for giving us a chance, Chitose-chan," she told her with a bow.
The pretty brunette smiled sweetly, "I really do look up to you, senpai. And I never got to tell you, I'm really happy you worked things out with Bakugo-senpai. You looked so sad when you told me you were dating Deku. Obviously, I think Deku is awesome and amazing but it didn't seem like you wanted that. I know we haven't gotten to talk much but I hope that can change when we come to work here for the next few months."
Ochako beamed at her kohai, appreciating her honesty and kindness, "Of course, I'd like that too! Make sure to rest up. Things are gonna get pretty intense come Monday."
Chitose nodded and Ito followed her out the door, tossing a glance back behind Ochako's shoulder, where she knew Katsuki was waiting at her office door, then he went through and the door clicked shut.
She turned, leveling a glare at Katsuki, "You could be nicer. You know he's just like you, right? That's the first thing I thought when I saw him on the first day of third year. 'He's like another hot-head I know.'"
"That brat is nothing like me," he said with a scowl.
"Okay, whatever you say, explodey-boy," she replied, walking into his arms, circling her own around his waist.
Katsuki had nothing to say to that and just let her pull him close.
ANOTHER 2 YEARS LATER
"So I booked this spot… on this show…" Ochako brought up one night as they were getting undressed for bed.
Katsuki's eyes slid to her and regarded her with reserved distrust.
"Mmk," he said, waiting for her to go on as he pulled his shirt over his head.
"It'll only take a little bit and it's for a good cause…." she said haltingly, buttoning up the front of her pajamas.
She still liked to wear her little pajama sets and nightgowns. Katsuki was more of the type who slept in his boxers.
Katsuki's eyes narrowed at 'for a good cause', "What the fuck did you do?"
Shock spread over her features like she was offended he already didn't trust her. She put a hand to her chest and everything.
"Why do you have to think it's something you wouldn't like?" she snapped.
His eyes narrowed to slits then, very much suspicious now, "Well? What is it then?"
She hesitated, pulling her lips into her mouth and looking away uncomfortably.
He just stared her down, waiting on her answer.
Finally she let out a large burst of air, as if she'd been holding her breath the whole time. That was probably close to being the case.
"Fine, I booked us on a game show with a few other heroes to raise money for children in need. And we're probably gonna have to meet at least one. Child I mean."
"You did fucking WHAT?!" Katsuki practically screeched.
Ochako winced and grimaced slightly, expecting his response to be something like that.
"It's for a good cause!" she repeated, like that would persuade him.
"I don't give a fuck what it is. I'm not doing that shit, floaty. You know I'm not," he spat, looking like he meant it.
"We don't have a choice!" she argued, "I already told them we're coming!"
"Well they're gonna have to be disappointed, cuz I'm not gonna fucking go," he growled irritably.
Ochako felt a glimmer of anger spark inside of her at his comment. She knew that she probably should've asked him first but she'd also known he would not have said yes, much like how he was saying it now. She had to corner him with it for him to do it.
"It's not that bad," she tried to reason with him, "We'll just have to be there for a few hours and play a trivia game or something. Please."
He glared at her, jaw set. His mind was made up.
"Mina and Kirishima are gonna go!" she tried again.
"Then go with them!" he retorted.
Now she was getting really upset. She'd thought he would take some persuading but his sense of responsibility would win out in the end. She had been mistaken.
"Why are you being such an ass?!" she bit out.
"I said I'm not doing it, Ochako," he replied more calmly but still clearly displeased, "You should've asked me first."
Ochako set her mouth in a pout, stomping her way to her side of the bed and getting under the covers with a huff. She turned her back to his side of the bed, scooching as far to the edge as she could. Was she being childish? Yes. Should she have asked him first? Yes. But she just really wanted to do this. She liked to help people in any way she could and this had the added benefit of getting their names out there even more. She'd thought he would at least see how much she wanted them to do it.
Katsuki let out a frustrated sigh of his own as she felt his weight on the other side of the mattress.
"You can't just force me into shit like this, babe," he said, the anger slowly ebbing from his voice.
She didn't answer, her emotions still feeling raw, knowing she'd just snap at him again if she said anything right now.
"Floaty…" he murmured, calming, comforting.
She tried to stay angry, she still wanted to do this, she didn't want to disappoint anybody. Could she even call them to cancel now? But her anger was melting away, much like it was in his voice.
Now she was left just feeling hurt and dejected.
She turned to him, keeping the pout on her lips.
"You suck," she told him, more sadness in her words than rage.
He moved closer to her, reaching out to put a hand to her waist, stroking her side softly.
"I know," answered, not seeming too upset about it.
He pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her sweetly on the forehead.
Was he doing this to assuage her disappointment? Why was it working so well? Dammit, for someone so adept at pissing people off, he seemed to know really well how to calm her down.
She snuggled up to him, laying her forehead to his chest as he began running deft, caressing fingers through her hair.
They lay this way for a few minutes, basking in each other's presence and warmth. Then Ochako looked up into his eyes again, her own looking wide and sad. Her doe eyes, as Katsuki called them.
She felt more than heard his breath catch as she was still pressed close to him.
"Katsuki," she pleaded, her eyes fixed on his, pinning him down, "Do this for me... and I'll let you do it."
She heard him swallow thickly as he kept his eyes glued to hers, starting to look a little like cornered prey.
"Do what?" he breathed. It sounded like he already got the drift, though.
She reached up, pulling his hand from her hair and dragged it down, down, down her back until it landed on the large swell of her ass.
Still looking into his eyes, she saw a fire blaze to life and the realization that her trap was sprung.
"God fucking dammit," he whispered, looking like he couldn't decide on if he was pissed that he'd been played so well, or excited about the treat he was about to receive.
"Fine," he growled, gripping her ass firmly and shoving her hips into his as he ground his already hard lengthl into her.
Ochako sighed with desire then squeaked when he abruptly flipped her onto her stomach, settling himself above her after digging in the side table drawer a second and coming out with lube.
"Oh… This will be worth it," he grinned before ripping her pajama bottoms off with fervor.
3 YEARS LATER
"Okay sweetie, your next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can, just bearing down," the OB said from between Ochako's legs as she lay back against a bevy of pillows, knees bent toward her chest, "Can you do that for me?"
As sweat beaded on her brow, she nodded, trying to concentrate on not hurling her guts up. She was numb from her waist down and could hardly feel anything save for unsettlingly uncomfortable pressure in her lower abdomen. But something in her stomach roiled and made her feel like she might lean over and puke whatever minimal contents were left in it as she awaited her final moments before bringing her and Katsuki's first (and, due to their dedication to their hero work, their only) addition to their family into the world.
They had agreed only one year ago to try to have a baby. She would always remember the light of excitement that came into his eyes when she finally threw the last of her birth control pills away.
She hadn't been able to tell if he was more excited about the fun he would get to have trying to make the baby or the prospect of her wanting to have his baby. But it had only taken three short months for those two pink lines to show up on her pregnancy test.
She'd screamed and danced and jumped into his arms, kissing him passionately.
He'd pouted for a little while that the every day (sometimes multiple times per day, when she was feeling frisky) sex was now over.
But he had come around to accept it finally when she'd placed his hand on her abdomen, still flat, but now growing a life inside and said, "You're gonna be a daddy, Katsuki."
Something changed in those crimson eyes forever when he came to that realization and he'd made long, sensual, romantic love to her again that night in celebration.
A large, warm hand petted her hair and Katsuki planted a simple, sweet kiss atop her head.
"You got this," he murmured into her hair.
She nodded again, still trying not to hurl.
A pressure mounted in her abdomen she heard the nurse say, "Okay! Here we go!"
Katsuki returned to her right leg, being one of two people holding them. The other person being a nurse at her left.
"Take a deep breath in!"
Ochako filled her lungs to capacity.
"Now push!"
She beared down with all of her might.
"Pushpushpushpushpush!" the doctor coaxed.
Ochako pushed and pushed, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut, letting a savage growl emanate from behind her teeth.
"Good! Good! You can relax now, Ochako-chan," the doctor instructed.
She relaxed and tilted her head back.
"You're doing amazing! The baby is already crowning! This won't take long! You're so strong, momma!" the nurse told her.
"Holy. Shit," she heard Katsuki's rough voice grit out.
Ochako's gaze went to him but his eyes were on her nether regions, presumably the top of the baby's head. His face was white as a sheet.
She heard the doctor clear her throat, looking at one of the other nurses assisting her and flicking her eyes over toward him.
The nurse moved next to him, although she didn't do more than that.
Another contraction began.
"Okay, again!" the doctor ordered, "Deep breath in!"
Ochako did as she was bid, pushing all over again.
After that push, she looked up at him but he was still staring mouth agape.
Another round of pushing and the doctor told her excitedly, "The head is out! You're doing great! That was the hard part, one more push and you'll be done!"
Katsuki was still hanging in there but was more of a statue than a support figure right now.
"Okay! Last push! Give me all you got! Pushpushpush!"
Ochako pushed again for the last time, giving the last of her strength and energy to it.
"Fuckfuckfuck," Katsuki wheezed out, though Ochako could hardly pay attention to him.
"Perfect!" The doctor cried, "She's out! It's a beautiful baby girl!"
Katsuki fell to his knees, face-down on the bed.
The doctor nodded to the nurse who moved to Ochako's side, taking his place.
"Well… I guess we'll just… cut the cord ourselves…" the doctor sighed and made a quick snip, handing the baby away to be weighed and measured.
"Are you kidding? Did- did he just…" Ochako began to ask.
"It happens at least once a day," the doctor told her, unworried, "he'll come around in a few minutes."
"But… we're heroes. He's seen all kinds of horrible things," she reasoned.
"This isn't quite the same," she told her calmly as she pushed around at her abdomen some more for reasons she was sure she didn't want to know about, "The excitement and high emotions paired with the shock of seeing someone giving birth for the first time can be overwhelming for some partners. We can lay him down somewhere if you'd like."
Ochako shook her head with a distinct lack of sympathy, "Leave him."
When Katsuki jolted awake 10 minutes later, the doctor and nurses had left the room and she held their daughter, Setsuki, to her breast, nursing her for the first time.
"What-"
She silenced him with a glare.
"You passed out! You loser!" she accused at a low volume.
A flush came to his cheeks and he ducked his head in shame.
Her heart melted, though, as his eyes went to the little round face with a shock of blonde hair at her breast, peeking out from its pink swaddle, and softened with undeniable love.
"A girl, eh?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Setsuki," he wondered at her, pushing up from the ground.
He made his way around the bed to stand at her side and Ochako extricated the infant from her breast, Setsuki beginning a little whine of distress.
"Here, Daddy," she offered, lifting her for him to take.
Katsuki took the infant in his arms, supporting her just like they'd been taught and she settled again, wrestling a tiny fist from her swaddle to suck on.
He smiled, "Hi, chubby-cheeks."
Ochako's chest warmed and her heart felt full. That smile he only reserved for her. The one that made her heart stir all those years ago on the stair of that shrine. The one that left her breathless even now.
Not just for her anymore. But for their daughter. For the newest love of his life.
And her eyes filled with tears at knowing what an incredible man he was.
She could definitely bear sharing that smile with one more girl…
**BONUS** (I hope yall wanted to see what that kiss between Nate and Deku looked like cuz I know I did! And you also get a fun peek into the dynamic between the two.)
Midoriya Izuku
Izuku sighed and stretched his limbs as he awoke in a large, plush bed, surrounded by white sheets.
As he slowly drifted back to his senses, he recalled the night before and felt a tiny smile curl at his lips, his heart squeezing lightly.
Nate had invited him to come to the penthouse again for dinner but had offered to have it just be them. He assured him that he wasn't trying any "funny business", he just wanted some more one on one time, to get to know each other better.
Izuku had liked texting with him ever since Ochako had somewhat forced his number on Nate. They corresponded almost every night and most days too.
It had started out with Nate just saying "hi" and asking him how work was going not long after he'd first given him his number. Izuku's stomach had done flip-flops when he'd responded, his hands shaking as he typed.
Then, Nate had texted him again right before their dinner that night, saying they might be late because there was some kind of obnoxious delay and they'd talked a little bit more, asking him what else he did for fun besides work.
Their dinner had been exciting and fun, Izuku feeling almost hyper as he chatted with the beautiful man next to him, almost completely forgetting about Ochako and Kacchan at the table sometimes.
He'd been practically spiraling into despair about possibly never seeing him again when Nate invited him to dinner the next night as well.
And then there was last night… After Ochako had left, he'd cooked dinner for them, then they'd sat on the couch to watch a movie. To say Izuku had felt sick with nerves was an understatement as they sat apart, but not at opposite ends of the couch to watch a hero movie and he'd wrung his hands together until they were practically raw.
At some point, Nate must've noticed because he calmly, nonchalantly reached one of his soft warm hands over to lay atop his. Izuku had stilled at that, his heart practically stopping and then racing a mile a minute when he looked over to see Nate's clear blue eyes crinkled as he smiled at him.
He'd moved closer, his hip hitting Izuku's and he'd thought his whole body was on fire with the contact. He hadn't done anything more than that and his hand stayed laying atop Izuku's own rougher, scarred ones for the rest of the movie.
Why- How was he so nice? How did he seem like he understood the right thing to say and do without being told? How was his presence so frenzying, yet so soothing at the same time?
It occurred to him that Nate, being Ochako's friend and confidant, probably knew a lot about their former relationship. Probably even knew about their disastrous attempts at sexual encounters and how awkward he'd been. The thought embarrassed him and he wondered if that bothered the prince at all.
Izuku rolled himself out of bed and dressed, knowing Ochako, and probably Kacchan hot on her heels, would be coming back soon.
He'd stayed in a separate room last night, despite the closeness they'd shared over the movie. He was fearful and shy about moving quickly in any respect as far as a relationship was concerned. Was that what they were doing here? Was that what was happening between them? He didn't even know. He knew he'd liked Nate since the first time their eyes had met and that dimpled smile had shot his heart through. And it seemed like Nate liked him too but there had been no real words on what his intent was with him and Izuku didn't like being stuck in limbo like this.
A knock came at his door as he was buttoning up his shirt and he answered it to find Nate, his hair loose and out of its usual gelled state. Izuku thought his heart might've jumped to his throat seeing that gorgeous face with that raven hair hanging across it. He suspected that the man might be gelling it back to keep from possibly giving people heart attacks looking like this.
"Hi," Nate said, smiling brightly, as he often did. That smile was a balm to his soul.
"H-hi," Izuku muttered awkwardly, his cheeks heating.
"I think Uravity might be back soon," he said, confirming Izuku's own suspicions.
The green-haired boy nodded.
Nate pushed a little bit further inside, making Izuku step back to make room for him.
"I hope you had fun last night- ah- Is it okay if I call you Izuku instead of Deku? I know I call Uravity by her hero name but that just seemed like the respectful thing to do but I was hoping… with you…"
It was the first time he'd sounded unsure and Izuku was quick to waylay any concerns.
"Yes!" he asserted a little too loudly at first and shrunk back slightly, embarrassed, "Sorry... I mean, yes. That's fine."
The smile on Nate's face grow wider and he stepped a little closer, "Okay… Izuku… I hope you enjoyed last night."
Izuku nodded excitedly, his face heating further.
He stepped closer still and Izuku tried to take another back, unsure if he wanted to come further into the room, but Nate caught his hand and kept him in place, the smile on his face fading away as his sapphire eyes became more serious.
"I hope… this doesn't scare you away," Nate intoned slowly, cautiously, "I wanted to do this last night but I thought you might freeze up or push me away… Now I just…"
He didn't finish his thought before he closed the distance between them, brushing his lips lightly against Izuku's before pulling back again.
Izuku thought his heart might be trying to beat its way out of his ribcage and he was trying to remember how to breathe. The kiss had been so soft, gentle, cautious, like Nate knew he was skittish about these things.
"No…" he squeaked out, "No, I'm okay."
It was Izuku now who moved forward, still anxious and unsure but wanting to show he wasn't running away. He kissed Nate more firmly, eliciting a surprised gasp from the man, who quickly responded in kind and gingerly, slowly pulled Izuku a little bit closer.
They jumped apart, both of their faces flushing when they heard the ding of the elevator.
They stared at each other in silence as they heard two sets of footsteps emerge from the elevator, one light and lithe, the other heavy and tromping.
"You'll come again tonight?" Nate whispered quickly as he saw the urge to dart reach Izuku's emerald eyes.
Izuku nodded, unable to get enough air in to speak before he covered his burning face as best he could with one hand and flew out the door, passing Ochako and Kacchan by with hardly so much as a "goodbye" and catching the elevator before it left.
He let out a massive burst of air as the doors closed and wiped shaky fingers across his brow.
This was… this was something intense and completely new. And Izuku loved it and was completely terrified at the same time.
But he knew he would come back here again tonight. And probably the next night as well.
He could hardly wait.
A/N: And, with that, this baby is practically complete! PLEASE HOLD for the epilogue, coming probably ~tomorrow? I hope you loved this chapter because my heart was SO FULL writing it. I can't even right now.