Cinderella

Ochako was used to finding herself in strange situations by now, but the stark contrast between going from a princess to… this was drastic enough to make her pause.

No longer in a gown, or even the soft nightslip she had stripped down to, Ochako was now on the floor in wet, stained rags. Her dress was tattered beyond anything appropriate for public use and her feet felt cramped and pinched from the ill-fitting shoes. At least the bucket of sudsy water to her right and the scrubbing brush in her hand explained the wet splotches along her sleeves and hem because the other crusty, disgusting marks looked days old.

She scrunched her nose at the smell and plopped the cleaning tool in the water, wiping her hands on the few patches of fabric that was dry and passably clean enough for her to touch. Ochako was no stranger to cleaning and she had her share of hand-me-downs growing up, but this was on a different level.

A cacophony of giggles alerted her of the girls before they entered the room. But even if they weren't to have made a noise, it would've been impossible to miss them. Dressed in ruffles of lime green, magenta, and orange, the two looked like a pair of walking loofas.

"Oh, Anastasia, look! The little orphan thinks she can ignore her chores just because no one's watching." The one with a large green bow atop her head sneered as she surveyed the partially cleaned floor of the kitchen. Her features twisted surprisingly cruel against how sweet she previously looked.

"Unbelievable! After everything our family has done for you!" The other girl with bangs kicked the bucket hard enough to make the water slosh against the sides and splash Ochako in the face, making her gasp in disbelief.

The pair paid no attention to her, instead shrieking about how their precious stockings now had tiny, nearly unnoticeable, specks of wet spots on them.

"Look what you've done!" Anastasia shoved her leg dramatically into Ochako's sputtering face, ignoring the fact that she was the one to have caused her own suffering. "Drizella!" She screeched in the direction of her sister.

"Now she has to go find a whole new outfit for the prince's ball tonight!"

As much as Ochako wanted to yell at the girls for their awful treatment, she became intrigued by the mention of a ball. The prince's ball. Having done this more times than she would've liked, she was certain that had to be where Bakugo was.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Drizella demanded with a haughty cross of her arms.

Ochako stood to her feet, refusing to shrink under their gaze as she made her declaration. "I want to go too!" Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, ready to fight them off if need be. She was never one to settle things with physical violence, but she was real tired of constantly being separated from Bakugo.

Unfortunately for her, the girls were easily able to avoid an actual altercation. They first sidetracked her with their loud cackles, finding it hilarious that she would suggest such a thing as joining them at the ball.

"As if!"

"Oh, Drizella, could you imagine?" The amusement in her voice alerted Ochako to the severity of her mistake in alluding to joining them so blatantly.

"The Prince choosing an orphan for his wife? Impossible!"

At the slightest mention of a wedding, Ochako's heart flip flopped in her chest. It turned out, she hadn't quite recovered from the last story because there she was, once again imagining herself next to Bakugo at one. Not just any one, theirs.

"Just for that, you're spending the night here in the kitchen. Just in case!" Before Ochako could figure out what they meant by that, they slammed the door shut and followed it with a deafening click.

Realizing too late what had happened, Ochako ran to the door and jiggled the doorknob with a quickening breath to find that it was locked securely. The only thing that made it worse was the fading giggles, indicating that the pair of sisters were turning a blind eye to any pleas that may come from the other side.

If only she hadn't gotten distracted by the idea of Bakugo getting married!

She really shouldn't have cared, it wasn't like any of this was real. It didn't have any real consequences, except for whatever she revealed and there was no way she was going to give any of that up if she had a say in it.

No matter how hard these stories were making it.

Ochako surveyed the space around her to see if there was anything that could pry the door open. A kitchen was bound to have some ladles and other lever-like tools, or so she hoped. She found them easily, arming herself with a whole container full of them, but quickly learned it wouldn't make difference how many she had. The door wasn't budging.

After a particularly frustrating bout where she jammed a wooden spoon in the slot between the door and the frame just to crack it into splinters that pricked her palms as she tried to pull it out to make room for another one, Ochako growled in frustration and slumped over against the wall.

As she lowered herself to the floor, she noticed a protrusion along the opposite wall, peeking out from behind the refrigerator. It looked like the hinges of a second, back door. She peered closer curiously, trying to run her fingers along the ridges to confirm what she was seeing.

The awful owners of this house blocked off the exit to ensure the workers would stay trapped inside.

Well, they didn't account for Ochako's tenacity and strength because with her muscles trained for such weights, she dragged the appliance out of its spot without much difficulty. It was strange not having her quirk activate to aid her mission, but she had trained without it for such situations.

Not exactly to go see Bakugo, but that was a pretty good motivator, it turned out.

And though this one was locked as well, it also had a rectangular window large enough for her body to fit through. Clouded over with layers of grime and even a few cracks, it took only a couple of tries for Ochakoto get her towel-cushioned elbow through. She did her best to punch out and break off the sharpest shards poking out from the sides of the frame, but didn't spend too much time on it for fear of being caught in her escape.

While her face emerged unscathed, her arms and hands did not. Thin lines of blood beaded across her skin and made her wince as she crawled onto the soft dirt of what looked like a gated garden.

It looked beautiful in the earliest inklings of moonlight. With the clusters of pale flowers swaying in the evening wind surrounded by wall-climbing greenery and thin trees drooping their heart-shaped leaves down in thick curtains, Ochako could see why they would want it hidden away within thick black bars. But it just came as another obstacle to her.

Then there was also the problem of her attire. What kind of castle, surely guarded by a team whose sole purpose was to protect the royal family, would let someone that looks like her in?

In the haze of her growing frustration came a gentle voice piercing through.

What's wrong, my child?

Ochako sat up with a gasp, looking around wildly to try and locate the voice. There was no apparent person it belonged to, but it surprisingly didn't set off any alarms. It was too kind, full of warmth and love, like a familiar embrace.

A tree planted farther out waved its branches invitingly, making the petals of its earliest blossoms flutter to the ground in a wide skirt. Ochako approached it slowly, strangely drawn to its quiet, unassuming presence.

Tell me your wish

The voice comforted her again, louder now.

Thinking back, Ochako wondered if she could've wished for the whole story thing to be over, if the magical tree had such a power. But in that moment, with the thought of Bakugo possibly having to marry someone as awful as one of those girls who locked her in, she only had one plea.

"I want to go to the ball."

As soon at the words left her mouth, the flower petals began to swirl around her. A flurry of pink and white overtook her vision, whipping past her fast enough to create a wind that threaded itself through her hair, under her arms, and filled her with a fullness that could only be described as hope.

When the petals settled back on the ground, Ochako was no longer wearing the rags of multi-colored patches, but a pale-pink dress that sat off her shoulders and gathered tightly at her waist to flow down in a waterfall of tulle decorated with a smattering of almost invisible butterflies and flowers. Her hair was pulled back with a white headband encrusted with silvery jewels, the same as the ones on her sparkling shoes.

There was also a carriage prepared with four gleaming white horses, whinnying and shaking their manes, ready to traverse the distance connecting them to the castle.

You have until midnight.

Ochako caressed the peeling trunk of the tree, murmuring a heartfelt "thank you" to it before holding up the skirt to hurry into the carriage.

Which was a good move because when she arrived at the castle steps, she was the only one. Sounds of music and laughter drifted from the balconies overhead, further confirming that the ball had begun some time ago. Cursing the beautiful, and impractical, footwear, Ochako took the steps up to the entrance, waving away the help of the gentlemen at the top in favor of slipping in as inconspicuously as possible.

But all that went out the window when she saw him.

Maybe it was the fact that this was the longest they had gone without one another since starting this whole ordeal. Or maybe it was the way he looked so like himself with the deep set scowl and aura of annoyance so strong it was practically visible despite the unfamiliar formal wear. Whatever it was, she was so relieved to have finally made it that she yelled loud enough to call undivided attention to herself.

"Bakugo!" She laughed and ran towards him, briefly catching the look of surprise on his face before throwing her arms around him.

She imagined she had something similar on hers when she felt him tighten his hold around her in reciprocation.

"Sorry I'm late." Ochako said softly as he pulled away. Or, he started to, but then grabbed her by the shoulders before they separated completely.

"Wha-what the fuck is this?"

"Hmm?" She looked down at his murderous glare and realized then that the magic of the tree didn't erase the cuts along her arms. They no longer hurt, but had scabbed over and marked her skin in angry red lines. "Oh, I had a bit of trouble getting here. It's really not a big deal."

Bakugo's jaw tensed sharply. "I… I didn't know." He was clearly sorry, though for what, she didn't know. "I thought you weren't coming because of…"

What would've possibly kept her from doing everything she could to meet him?

"I'm, uh, sorry. About what happened on the bed." He mumbled out, not meeting her widening eyes at the memory. Did… Did he think it was his fault? "You were just looking for the stupid fucking pea and I made it awkward."

He made it awkward? Oh god, he honestly thought he made her run away when he moaned breathily in her ear. He didn't know it wasn't just his imagination, that she actually grinded into him.

"I-" What was she supposed to say to that? She knew the noble choice would be to tell the truth, but was she brave enough to do that?

The look of shame on his face absolutely broke her heart. Anyone who was anyone knew how hard apologies were for him and she just got one unprompted. It wouldn't be right to just leave him hanging like that.

"It's ok, really. You don't have to feel bad. Let's just, uh, pretend like it never happened?" Please.

"God, I fucking wish." He said quietly under his breath, clearly not meaning to let her hear. And she wouldn't have if they weren't so close, chest to chest, his hands still wrapped around her forearms. "Ok." Clearing his throat, he agreed to her proposition.

Ochako nodded with a furious blush, not trusting her voice to work at the knowledge that he wouldn't really be forgetting it, but replaying it in his mind instead. Over and over.

"Damn. If I had known I could've been fighting out there this whole time, I would've left fucking hours ago." Bakugo grumbled, almost pouting.

"It would've been a pretty boring fight. It was just glass." Ochako clarified with a grin.

"Still better than this shit."

"That's because you're supposed to be dancing!" She tugged on his hand to bring him over to the open floor, for once being glad that her quirk didn't work in this world.

"I'm don't dance. Who do you take me for, cheeks?"

"Well, I don't wanna dance with anyone else!" She insisted before correcting herself at the funny look his face took on. "I mean, I don't know anyone here, so it's gotta be you. Sorry!"

"You're not sorry!"

"Nope!"

She was definitely not sorry for guiding his hands to her hips and linking hers behind his neck. If he were really all that opposed to it, he would've thrown her across the room without a second thought, not pulling her closer when she stepped back to make him feel more comfortable.

It wasn't likely she'd get a chance like this again and all she wanted was a couple minutes of swaying to the beat together, a small piece of happiness to hold onto once all of this ended. She didn't expect for him to adjust their bodies so that she'd drape her right hand over his left and start moving them across the floor in a series of smooth steps.

"I don't know how to do any of this stuff." She admitted breathlessly as he sent her twirling.

"Then why'd you drag me here?" He challenged her without stopping, spinning her again to hold her from behind, her head leaning against his shoulder.

Because I wanted to dance with you.

Ochako didn't answer, wanting to prolong their time together by feigning innocence. If she didn't have to be the one to end it, by god she wasn't going to. She didn't say anything as she turned back to face him, gulping when he reached around to hold her steady by the small of her back.

Melting into his touch, she tried to commit this experience to memory. The way she fit against him, the swell of the music as it reached the last notes, his smell tickling her nose. How she could feel his eyes on her even though she wasn't looking at him.

She couldn't. Not if she wanted to keep her feelings a secret.

But why was his face getting so close to her? Couldn't he see that she was purposefully using every ounce of her willpower not to kiss him?

The polite applause came as a blessing and a curse, popping the blissful bubble that surrounded the pair as they graced the dancefloor, cleared for the prince and his lady.

"Alright, party's over!" Bakugo yelled and stepped away to maintain his usual personal space, finally giving Ochako a chance to take a full breath. "Everybody go home!"

"But sir, you must choose a bride!" A short, round man with a meticulously curled moustache stepped out from the crowd.

"I already told you I'm not doing that!"

"It is your duty! To continue the royal lineage and produce a successor to the throne!"

"Fuck that! I don't give a shit about any of that!"

Sharp gasps broke out in the room along with scandalized remarks, jilted by the promise of one of their daughters, or perhaps themselves, having the opportunity to appeal to the prince's favor. They waved their arms wildly and rushed forward in an attempt to change his mind.

"Arggghhhh… Fine!" Bakugo pointed at Ochako with a redness that dipped below his shirt. "I pick her, then!"

The whole room fell silent at his declaration, or that's what it felt like for Ochako. All she could hear was the ringing of Bakugo's words, choosing her as his bride. As the future mother of his little royal children.

"But she's a kitchen wench!" The redheaded sister from earlier screeched, angry enough to turn as purple as her feathered fan.

"The fuck did you say?"

"Bakugo…" Ochako stopped him from landing the punch he had wound up, drawing attention to the change overtaking her.

A faint clock tower was alerting the town of the 12th hour, and with every ring of the bell, Ochako was turning back into the dirtied orphan she started as. It wasn't noticeable at first, her hairband being replaced by a strategically tied strip of cloth and her necklace vanishing, but once her dress began to transform, it was clear that the woman the prince chose was not of appropriate class.

"Shit." Bakugo frowned. Not at Ochako's change, she knew he didn't care about that, but at the explosive protests of the crowd. They would not, could not, accept his decision. "Let's get outta here."

Ochako yelped as Bakugo pulled her through the angry mob in the midst of her transformation. The fluffy nature was helpful for parting the sea of people, but by the time they escaped the ballroom and began their descent down the stairs, it became a worn apron.

"Don't, uh, let this get to your head. I was just playing along with the story. Like-uh-like you did. Got it?" Bakugo said gruffly, still pulling her along by the hand despite the fact that there was no longer anyone to weave through.

"O-ok." Disappointment lodged itself squarely in her chest, squishing her heart and lungs in a double-whammy.

"I mean it! I'm not looking to m-marry you!" His voice cracked, catching on the 'm' word. And instead of his words discouraging her, it did the opposite. She felt oddly happy, making her wonder if something more was going on that her brain hadn't quite processed yet.

"A-and if you think I'm gonna have a buncha round-faced brats with you, you can forget that right now! Don't know who put that idea in your head, but they can fuck off!"

Then it clicked.

This wasn't anger or even annoyance. He was embarrassed. Like he was caught doing something he should've have… Like he was the one who had dared to imagine these squishy, round babies that had the best qualities of both of them.

"I can see you thinking! I said to forget it, damn it!" He demanded through a blush that didn't match the furrow of his eyebrows.

If he had spent time thinking about their future kids, then maybe her crush on him wasn't so hopeless after all. Even if it was only happening because of the stories, his feelings and thoughts were real. Right?

Giving herself the permission to indulge the dream, Ochako giggled as she wiggled her feet out of her pinching shoes, leaving them behind on the steps so she could run freely alongside the blushing blonde.

"Ok, Bakugo! Whatever you say!"

And as they ran into the growing light, their bodies becoming lighter with every step, Ochako wished, for the first time, that she could take a little piece of this story with her. The little seed of hope that Bakugo might just feel something for her too.