Hot-headed (Chapter 1)

Uraraka Ochako was in love with Midoriya Izuku. She had known this since her first year at UA.

When had been the first time she'd realized? When Aoyama had confronted her about it during their test to fight against a pro hero? Maybe. But maybe she'd also kinda felt it even earlier. Maybe some when Deku had worked with her in class, training as heroes versus Bakugo and Iida's villains. Maybe even a little when he'd saved her from being crushed by a huge robot during their entrance exams.

It wasn't exactly clear when Ochako had come to know it to be true, but she knew it had been in first year and she knew her feelings had never changed since then. She had changed, of course. Physically and mentally.

It was the beginning of third year and she had filled out a bit more but also packed on a lot more muscle. Her body had once been soft and petite, and while she was still a petite girl, she had trained hard to become a hero, which had granted her a washboard stomach, nearly a six-pack peeking through. Her arms and legs were far more toned. Her face was not quite as round. She had grown a couple inches and now stood at a solid 5'4". Still not tall, but taller. Her golden brown hair had once always been in a short bob which she finally realized lended to her face seeming so round. So sometime in second year, she decided to grow it out and it now came to around her armpits when she had it down. But most days, she kept it up in a ponytail, letting a few locks still fall around her face. She'd cut her bangs a few months ago, but was now also growing them out again and they were more sideswept.

Ochako walked onto the UA campus with a suitcase stuffed to the max with clothes and a few personal belongings she'd received from her family over the short spring break. She didn't know why her mom insisted she bring all of these clothes when most days she wore her school uniform or hero suit. "You should still wear something cute when you get the chance," her mother's voice sounded in her head. She'd even insisted Ochako wear the floral printed sundress she sported today. She rolled her eyes but smiled, thinking of her doting parents.

Today was Sunday, the day before the first day of school, and move-in day for their dorms. Sure, it had only been a couple weeks since they had gone on break, but this was also the beginning of their third, and final, year as heroes in training at UA. This year would be all about prepping them to go out into the real world and be the heroes they always dreamed of. It was crunch time. And her very last chance to possibly tell Midoriya how she felt about him.

Other students were also arriving on campus, some from her class, others second years and even a handful of wide-eyed first years. She waved and exchanged greetings with Yaoyorozu, who still looked much the same with her tall frame and messy bun she wore her hair in, then with Jiro, who had also grown her hair out over the past couple years but had shaved one side for a pretty extreme but still totally Jiro look. In most normal schools, hair like that wouldn't be acceptable. But this was UA. It was a good thing to stand out and most important, to be yourself.

She expressly ignored Mineta as she walked past him, despite his friendly wave. Every girl did. He had actually managed to grow by leaps and bounds since first year, but was still a few inches shorter than even Ochako. And even if he had sprouted up to 6 foot and somehow filled out with a handsome face (which he hadn't on either count) he still would be a nasty pervert of such a sad and desperate nature that the girls all over school would feel uncomfortable around.

Ochako trekked across campus toward her new third year (she still couldn't believe it, third year) dormitories. There were cherry trees in bloom along most walkways. It was almost like living in a fairy tale, she thought. Something magical was in the air when cherry blossoms bloomed. Then, she stopped short on the path up to the dormitory building.

Midoriya - Deku, her mind supplied more readily - was standing near the entrance to the dorms with an odd look on his face. His face was drawn, tense, almost angry, looking at the ground.

Standing in front of him, a little too close to be casual, leaning toward Deku in a clearly menacing manner, was Bakugo. He had to have just said something truly horrific for Deku to have been affected this way since he'd gotten used to Bakugo's hurtful jabs a long time ago. What could he have possibly said? Why did Deku look like this? She could only see Deku's expression as he faced her and Bakugo's back was turned to her. She didn't know what Bakugo looked like, but she would bet he probably had a smug smile on that jerky face of his. Why did he always have to antagonize Deku? He seemed to have gotten over his inferiority complex about Deku a while back but he still seemed to just enjoy being mean and looking down on everyone. He didn't even have a halfway decent reason anymore. He just… liked it.

Ochako felt herself getting hot. She was not the same passive, unconfident girl she had started at UA as. She knew what she was capable of. She wasn't afraid of confrontation any longer, she'd experienced enough of it over her many encounters with the League of Villains and other classes and hero schools always trying to show her up or put her down. She had become sure of herself. She was ready to be a hero. WANTED to be a hero. And heroes didn't back down from a fight or ignore when their friends were in trouble. She was tired of Bakugo's bullying and cruel nature. It was third year. Their last year here. Things were going to be different this year. This wasn't going to go on any longer. She would make sure it wouldn't.

"What's going on here?" Ochako said with an authoritative tone, she was proud to find.

Deku started and raised his emerald eyes to her in surprise, if anything getting more tense. He'd grown so much since his first year here. He'd still looked boyish when they'd all started out together but he had worked harder than anyone and had reaped the most benefits. He'd naturally grown taller and was at or near 5'11" now. His muscles were thick and numerous. He'd always looked up to All Might, wanted to be just like him, it seemed like. And with a quirk like his, it seemed incredibly likely that he could be. He wasn't quite as layered in muscle as All Might had been in his prime, but Deku had never had the same meaty frame to start with. It seemed like if he hadn't worked toward toning himself, he would have been a wiry guy. Now he was long-limbed and muscular to the point of it being quite attractive (in her opinion, although she knew a few other girls had taken notice too. Even Eri clearly had a cute school-girl crush on him), but not over the top. He'd cropped his unruly hair closer to his head, but still let it be wild. Ochako doubted it could really be tamed.

He looked at her now, with a slight expression of shock, his jaw still clenched, looking like he wanted to say something but unable to. She knew he could also read her expression of fury. Her face was likely beet red, with how her anger had heated her all over.

"Do you want something, round-face?" Bakugo muttered and slowly turned his head toward her, his crimson eyes blazing, a fierce look about him - although, honestly, when did he not look fierce? He didn't seem to have the smirk on his face as she had assumed, but it was possible he had wiped it off when she'd interrupted his little torture session.

Ochako hesitated a second, her old unsure self rearing its head in her mind. He was her classmate, should she really confront him? He was strong and his temper was short. He had never fully focused his ire onto her. He mostly picked on Deku and the absolutely masochistic boys who liked to be around him and call themselves his friends. He wasn't above laying into girls (or fighting them for that matter, as she recalled her battle with him so long ago at the UA Sports Festival Tournament), but he had not yet truly been hurtful to her. Did she want to pick this fight and put herself on his radar like that?

She looked at Deku again, another odd expression on his face. His features were still stressed but his eyes were intensely set on her like he was trying to laser a message into her brain with just a look. A part of her warmly sighed inwardly. His heart was always on his sleeve. He would never have that poker face the teachers were always admonishing him about. She didn't like seeing him upset like this. He was worth this fight.

"Yeah, Bakugo," she replied without a single wobble in her voice, "I want to know why you're always picking on Deku."

Bakugo looked back at Deku a second then finally turned his body around to fully face her. His eyes narrowed at her. He also seemed to wear his heart mostly on his sleeve. His was just full of malice, as far as she could see. "I don't see how this is your business, pinky"

Pinky, she scoffed inwardly, always with the names.

She set her mouth in a hard line, then said, "It's Uraraka-san, to you, Bakugo. And of course it's my business what you're saying to my friends when you're bullying them."

His head tilted very slightly. This was not behavior he expected from her. "And what are you gonna do about it, pinky? Make me float? Make some more rocks fall on me?"

Ochako's blood pressure hitched a bit higher. What an asshole, she thought to herself. He couldn't have known how crushing his defeat over her had been that first year, but he had to have known it stung at least some. And he'd thrown it in her face.

"I'm not going to fight you, Bakugo. But I also won't back down from you. Deku has never wanted to be your enemy and you still treat him like the scum of the earth after all this time, even when you know he could beat you in a fight any time, any place. You're pathetic." Electricity surged through her body, the more she spoke. It felt like it was reinforcing her spine, giving her more and more confidence. Lowering her filter further and further.

Bakugo's eyes widened, a bit in shock and a lot in rage. His face flushed and he bared his teeth. She could tell this was about to get nasty.

"What the fuck did you just say, floaty?" he asked, his voice low. One could say it sounded calm if they didn't know this was how it got before all hell broke loose.

"Pulling out all the petty names because you can't refute me?" she shot back. Her adrenaline pumping and giving her a high she'd never known before. Her eyes blazed, her skin was hot. She'd never felt this confident in her life.

He took a step toward her, "YOU LITTLE-"

Deku - blessed Deku, Ochako had nearly forgotten him - reached out to place a hand on Bakugo's shoulder.

"Kacchan," he said. His face no longer tense or stressed but determined and serious.

Bakugo halted only momentarily to smack his hand away, "Don't you touch me, Deku!" He spat the name out like it left a bad taste in his mouth. It was obviously still an insult in his mind.

Ochako knew she was digging herself further, but this feeling, this power she felt standing up to Bakugo was like nothing she'd ever known before.

"No, don't Deku," she said, shooting him an 'I got you' look, "I can handle him."

"Like hell you can, pink-cheeks. Your face is so pink right now, you look like a balloon with that round little face of yours," Bakugo countered his eyes glowing like lava, continuing his approach toward her, "What, are you scared of me? Regretting opening your mouth?"

Other students, including Yaoyorozu, Jiro, and Mineta, had stopped near them to see what was going on. Most in their year hardly even noticed when Bakugo started yelling anymore. But Uraraka - the kind, sweet, shy, never-did-anything-wrong, always-tried-to-please-others Uraraka - confronting Bakugo? That was more of a show. Mineta took his phone out, seemingly to record this.

Ochako didn't feel any of the things he thought she did. She would prove it.

"I'm not scared of anything, Bakugo. What are you going to do? Attack me? Because that's all you can do to get back at me? Like I said, you're pathetic. I'm tired of having to tip-toe around you to keep you from going off. We all are. Deku is a good person! He's never wanted to fight with you! He's even gotten used to your sour attitude! What did you say to him this time? I saw his face! I can't stand how you treat people! You even treat your friends like crap! Why are you so cruel?"

He never stopped walking toward her the entire time her tirade continued, his eyes still flashing with danger, his mouth set in a sneer. As she finished, he loomed up closer and closer to her and came to a stop maybe a foot away, knowing how to intimidatingly intrude on her personal space. He was huge. Deku had grown a lot in the years they had been in school, but Bakugo had become near beastly. He had to be just over 6 feet tall now. He'd gotten two rings in his right ear at some point in 2nd year. Everyone had ooed and ahhed over them, talking about how much cooler he looked with them. Not too surprising, considering his bad boy image. Over the break he had shorn his hair down at the sides so it was extremely short and his hair on top was longer, although still a little shorter than he'd once had it. He exuded power. Even wearing casual clothes, a tank top and cargo pants. He truly was a frightening form. But Uraraka had dealt with him for so long and was too angry to back down or feel fear.

She looked up at him, not stepping back, but widening her stance to be prepared for whatever came next. He leaned closer to her, looming over her so she could see just how overpowered she really was.

"You don't know what you've just started, pinky," he growled harshly, his crimson eyes looking hungry, insatiable, devouring. Ochako's spine went cold. Reality was coming back now. What had she done? Dread filled her but she hardened her face. She couldn't let her discomfort show.

"You think I'm cruel? You can't stand me? You don't know anything yet," Bakugo bared his teeth again in something between a smile and a leer, "Thanks for finally being honest. Get ready for a world of regret."

And he flicked her on her forehead. Hard.

Ochako covered her stinging forehead immediately, tears pricking the corner of her eyes.

"Kacch-" Deku started toward them.

"Shut up, loser," Bakugo cut him off. Then, he stood back at his full height and strode away, toward the dorms.

Deku went to her and pulled her hands away from her face, "Uraraka-chan, are you ok? Do you need to go see Recovery Girl? He shouldn't have hurt you like that. I'll try to talk to him."

The few other students who had gathered dispersed, some whispering to each other about what they'd just witnessed. Yaoyorozu and Jiro had worried looks on their faces. Mineta was… looking at his phone with a grin.

Ochako didn't say anything. She stewed in her thoughts. She had wanted to stand up for herself and her friend, but now Bakugo all but said he was about to ruin her life... Had she just made a huge mistake? God but just that little flick had hurt. That high she had been feeling only moments before petered out.

A part of her felt regret and a bit of fear about what might be coming for her. Another, miniscule, near unrecognizable part of her hardened itself and thought, Fucking bring it, explodey boy.