A few minutes ago...

A nice hot shower helped Uraraka relax, but it wasn't enough to get rid of the gross feeling in her chest. The foul taste in her mouth lingered from throwing up sparkly rainbows.

She always wished the side effect to her quirk would weaken someday. Luckily, she's gotten stronger in many ways lately, so it doesn't bother her like it use to.

If it weren't for the performance her and Midoriya were working on, she'd be in a cranky mood. The dance moves weren't as bad as she thought they'd be. If anything, it felt liberating.

Especially having someone like him beside her the whole time. Someone she could trust.

Taking her time, she put on her pajamas, reliving all of the memories the two of them shared together. They may not have been the most romantic or smoothest moments, but they were moments nonetheless.

Her body was in auto mode as she grabbed all her stuff and walked down the hall to her room. Before opening her door, thoughts of seeing Midoriya pushed to the forefront of her mind.

He might be waiting for me.

Nausea began to stir up inside, and she entered her room. A good night sleep was what she needed right now. Besides, her bed was so comfortable and warm.

I'll see Deku tomorrow.

Before she had the chance to close her eyes, her phone went off. She hesitated for a second, but ended up checking to see what it was.

Deku: Are you awake? I'm sorry if I woke you up

Deku? Is he worried about me?

A slight giggle escaped through her lips as she contemplated for a moment and went for a simple approach.

Ochaco: It's ok, I'm awake. What's up?

She patiently waited for a reply, eyes focused on the tiny screen. Another message popped up.

Deku: Just checking to see how you're feeling. I didn't see you after practice

Maybe I should've said good night to everyone before going to bed.

She didn't want him to worry, so she had to think about how to respond for a minute.

Ochaco: Still feeling a little nauseous, but I'll feel better after a good night's rest

Deku: That's good

Ochaco: Yeah :)

After waiting a few minutes for some sort of response, Uraraka thought he might've gone to sleep. She was about to set down her phone on her nightstand, when another message popped up.

Deku: Do you really think we'll be able to do this?

Deku: The performance, I mean...

Midoriya's doubts and insecurities were practically leaking out of her phone. He's always been hard on himself, or at least, for as long as she's known him.

She had to take that weight off his shoulders.

Ochaco: Definitely!

Ochaco: We have each other to lean on, so there's nothing to worry about ;)

Deku: You're right. Thank you, I needed that

She didn't stop herself from smiling this time around. His happiness meant everything to her.

Deku: Anyway, I'll let you get some rest

Deku: Have a good night & sweet dreams :)

Ochaco: Goodnight Deku. Sweet dreams to you too :)

The more she thought about dancing with him again, the bigger her smile grew. So many feelings flowed through her as she embraced her blanket close to her heart. Everything felt so right, and yet... there was something still weighing on her. But it didn't scare her anymore.

I'm going to do it... I'm going to ask him to the Winter Dance tomorrow.

After a lot of convincing and begging, Ashido got Mr. Aizawa to let them out of class early so they could practice some more. A few students, including Bakugo, decided to focus on other things.

Uraraka and Midoriya were pretty much close to nailing the performance as it got closer to wrapping up for the night. They just had to work on the big finish.

"Okay..." Ashido said under her breath to calm her nerves, and then called out to Uraraka, "You can do this! Once Midoriya let's go of you, hold yourself in the air for about five seconds. Then release your quirk and fall into his arms!"

"B-But... I've never released my quirk on a specific object before! What if I accidentally release Deku too?!"

"Don't worry about me. I'll use Black Whip if I have to," Midoriya reassured her, "This time, I'll be the one to catch you."

A memory of how they first met played out in her head, erasing away all doubts. I've got you, was written all over Midoriya's face.

Nothing was going to get in her way this time.

They both gripped onto each other's hands and waited for their cue. Both of them floated in the air for a good while as Jirou found the right moment to start on. With a few seconds early, they took a deep breath in and out.

Once the sad music started to pick up and the male singer sang softly, they solemnly and slowly twirled into one another's arms. Uraraka began to notice whenever he held her close, all of the tension would disappear the more the two of them danced.

As the orchestra built up, she twirled away from his embrace. The tragic lyrics played out and their hands intentionally slipped away. They slowly drifted away from each other, Uraraka keeping her focus on Midoriya.

Everyone held their breath as the dancers in the air stayed in their out of reach poses for a few, long seconds.

I can do this! I just have to release my quirk on myself and only myself. No big deal. I've got this!

The next thing she knew, she released her quirk and was falling into Midoriya's arms. For a split second, he made the most unflattering, shocked expression and almost lost her composure.

Uraraka successfully kept him in the air, but all of the preparation wasn't enough. Fortunately, he caught her just in time, but just barely. Her sudden weight dropping onto him caused Midoriya to lose control of his momentum. Uraraka could feel his strong grip tightening around her, making sure she wouldn't fall.

"Hold on tight, Uraraka!" His voice cried right by her ear. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck.

In the corner of her eye, a dark green tendril of energy shot passed her and knew instantly that it was Black Whip. He must've attached it to the ceiling because they were yanked upwards like a bungee cord.

They swung and bounced around the gym while some of their friends were panicking down below. After squeezing her eyes shut for a good while, she noticed her dizziness began to subside and slowly opened them.

They were still several feet up in the air, but Midoriya regained some control.

"Release your quirk!"

Without second guessing him or hesitating, she did it. He willed Black Whip to retract and shot out another at the floor. Using it as a way to slow down their fall, they rolled down the Whip and onto the gym floor.

It felt like the entire room was swaying back and forth. Uraraka felt like she got the wind knocked out of her. She was hoping they were back on solid ground, but she couldn't get herself to do anything, much less open her eyes.

Sensing that Midoriya was hovering over her the whole time, she forced herself to face her savior.

"Uraraka, are you hurt?! This is all my fault, I should've--"

A sudden burst of laughter escaped Uraraka's lungs and Midoriya definitely wasn't expecting it. She didn't even try to get up.

"Yo-You sho-should've s-seen your f-f-face whe-when I f-fe-fell! Hahaha!"

Her chest began to ache, but she didn't care. Especially when Midoriya chuckled along with her. Everything felt so warm and fuzzy inside while watching the one she cared about have a great time.

"Hehe, I guess I was a little too focused," Midoriya responded.

After a few days of confusion and anxiety, she started to relax and open up, bit by bit.

It felt so right.

Midoriya meant everything to her, considering he was the first person she met when entering U.A. All she wanted was to be by his side, and this performance was making it happen. Once their fit of laughter died down, Midoriya helped her up.

"Uraraka," Midoriya said, still holding her hand. Their eyes locked onto each other longer than she was expecting. It almost felt like a dream.

"Since we're performing together at the Winter Dance... we should..."

Wait a minute... is he...? I don't have to...?

Her heart felt like it was about to burst, and she couldn't breathe. The anticipation was killing her. The words almost slipped out, but she held it back, letting him have the spotlight. She took a small step closer while he stood his ground and didn't move an inch.

"We should go shopping together... maybe try to match... I mean, the whole class is going the day before the Winter Dance... so..."

Disappointment hit her as hard as Bakugo's explosions. Her knees felt like they were about to buckle. For a moment, she actually thought everything they've been doing together meant something more. That maybe, just maybe... he was starting to see her true colors after all this time.

She took a step back and turned away from him.

"Uh, yeah. We should... I'm... I'm feeling a little sick from that fall... We should call it a night..."

While grabbing her backpack, she fought the urge to not cry. A bunch of her friends tried to make sure she was okay, but she kept walking and exited Gym Gamma alone. Once she stepped out into the freezing cold weather, hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She ran to her dorm room as fast as she could and never looked back.

Here's another decently long chapter. This story will for sure be longer than my previous story, The Broken Promise. I really hope you guys are enjoying this so far. I was struggling a bit with a few of the chapters, but I'm hoping it'll be better after this one.

Especially after what just happened...

More coming soon! :)