As Deku shot upwards on his harness— this time not in a panic-driven frenzy— Ochako took stock of her situation, and couldn't quite believe the past twenty-four hours had occurred. A lot had happened in the week since she'd moved in, but when it came to excitement this took the cake.

She'd been standing at the window so long she began to feel the ache in her joints, and as he'd said, it was getting quite late considering she'd also been on an early patrol today. Ochako's eyes were beginning to droop, but she still had a couple of things she wanted to accomplish before going to bed. Doing her best to shake both the tension in her limbs and lethargy in her mind, Ochako raised her arms above her head even as a yawn forced its way out, pandiculating for a good ten seconds or so.

Some of her life returning, Ochako crept towards her chair, though that proved challenging in and of itself since the sun was no longer out it was getting hard to see inside her apartment. She hadn't gotten around to installing her lightbulbs either, and she realized it was coming back to haunt her. I should probably do something about that, she thought to herself. Thankfully there was no real furniture to bump into other than the Kitchenette's island countertop— that was a good thing, right?

Ochako knew that shitty days at work were par for the course at this point, so she knew that wasn't what caught her in a tizzy. Finally stumbling towards her chair, Ochako plonked herself down and stretched her legs forward, sighing as the soreness from standing still for so long dissipated slightly.

No, the "tizzy" was because of him. The very same mystery blogger she'd heard both flattering and unflattering things about back at the agency, but had never paid much attention to. The window washer who came back to apologize for almost accidentally peeping on her. The nice guy who'd be coming back tomorrow because she said he should.

The guy with the most amazing green eyes she'd ever seen. She'd gotten a better look at him today, more than just a fleeting glimpse before he shot off into the sky, at least. He seemed to be a bit taller than her, though it was hard to tell, what with him hovering in a harness and all. She'd learned from Hero work that a person's appearance spoke more than they did sometimes, yet she couldn't get much out of his outfit considering he wore just a pair of dark green worker's overalls like she'd seen lots of them wear. Underneath those was what appeared to be a simple white shirt, with something written on it- exactly what, she couldn't tell. The yellow utility belt did stick out like a sore thumb though, since he had some equipment tied to it.

His hair matched his eyes, tufts escaping from his helmet all around his face, giving her the feeling it was crazy to deal with. He had freckles, and blushed easily. He was…cute. Thinking such a thing about someone she'd just met (and who was a friend now) shot heat into her cheeks, but it was true.

Deku. That wasn't his actual name, of course. But it was what he was known by, and the name she'd heard at the agency and had read online about. So, imagine her surprise when she found that not only did he not like the name, but he also had bad memories associated with it!? But Ochako meant what she'd told him. She had always liked the name.

It was in the midst of mountains of paperwork at the Agency when she'd first heard it. Some of the sidekicks were all hunched around a computer nearby in a frenzy about something . 'What on earth are they yammering on about?' She'd thought to herself at the time, dropping the paperwork to try and get a better listen. 'Deku? What, like the Tree in that old game? Are they playing on duty?' Ochako had been incensed that they'd do something so frivolous during work hours, and had gone over to give them a piece of her mind. But as she'd approached, she picked up more of their conversation.

They'd explained that he was one of those bloggers, who liked to cover Pros and their activities, nothing unheard of in this day and age. Certainly, nothing that could have caused an uproar amongst several Pros, so what—

He's investigating and calling out corrupt and lazy Heroes? That's— that's amazing.

There were so many only in this for fame or money, and even some who used their status for personal gain. Hero society was far from perfect, but anyone attempting to call attention to that met with scorn and ridicule. It was hard to take criticism about the society you were a part of— and strove so hard to protect. But this "Deku" seemed to be sticking with it.

Normally, Ochako wouldn't give one of these two-bit, dime-a-dozen, fame-seeking influencer-type personalities her time of day. However, what she just heard had piqued her interest. So after she was done with her paperwork for the day (not before, unlike some sidekicks who would arrive at the office tomorrow to receive a dressing-down from their assigned Pros), she spent some more time at the office doing some research on "Deku". It wasn't like there was anything waiting for her in her room anyway.

And so, what began as one afternoon's worth of cursory researching, became a sort of ritual for her. She'd gone and made an account on his website and added his posts to her news feed and everything. At first, she'd mainly stuck to the articles where he'd tear into a Pro not living up to his standard— or as he put it, the standards society deserved which weren't being met— on the section of his website aptly named "False Heroes". Ochako thoroughly enjoyed seeing these fakers be neutered in the eyes of Hero society with the compelling evidence and arguments he brought forward. But as time went on, she found herself checking more and more of the site, especially his coverage of the most recent incidents. His photography was stunning, to be frank. One day she'd seen the date the site was created on and was floored. He had been at it for some time and just… kept at it. To repeatedly call out the faults in their society, he must be deeply passionate about Heroes- and willing to do whatever it took to get those messages out there.

Deku. That was when Ochako realized that it must mean—

You can do it! Plus, it was kinda cute too (not that he needed to know that part). The way his eyes lit up when she'd said that… there was more to that story, and she was fixin' to ask about it, but then he'd just had to go. It was supremely disappointing; she enjoyed 'talking' to him. A lot more than she expected to, even.

"Izuku Midoriya." As Ochako sat there, mulling over his name and simply trying to get a feel for it, she wished she'd gotten her desk chair out of storage. This one was awful and didn't even have any wheels on it, so she couldn't even rotate! Try as she might, giddily shifting left and right in her seat, she couldn't put a spin on this thing at all!

She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something off about Deku, and she wanted to figure it out. . Obviously Deku wasn't your typical window washer, but Ochako knew it had to be more than that.

"Midoriya. Midoriya. Miiiidoooooriiiiyaaaaaaa." She tried it out some more, it was a good name. But Deku felt right, for some reason. They'd only just met (and what a meeting it was!) yet something about him had just… clicked with her. He seemed like a good person, and while she enjoyed spending time with Tsuyu, Mina, and the others (Ochako wouldn't have moved out here otherwise), she could always use some more friends.

Maybe that was selfish too, but Ochako wanted more of those. Friends. He wasn't directly related to her work either, so all the better.

She loved being a hero. Really, she did, and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Saving and protecting, using her Quirk- her own unique power- to fight. Putting smiles on faces. But Deku's posts always had this effect on her… and reminded her of the things that the civilians didn't see. Scummy politics, the constant pressure to be not just good, but better, fighting not just villains but even heroes to climb the Billboard charts. And as much as she hated to admit it, Deku's criticisms applied to her, too. Her parents' future was stable because she'd seen to it personally. And now that the money was there, it made her wonder: was it as she'd always feared? Was she only in it for the money? It was for her parents, yes, but it was money all the same, and now that that goal had been reached… what came next?

She had all the money she had wanted, but she'd give it all away for an ounce of meaning.

But these feelings were of no help to anyone, let alone herself, so she'd bury them and put them away, like always.

Now, Deku, though. He was someone curious. Those green eyes of his held something inside of them, something she couldn't understand just yet. But she wanted to. He was her friend, after all.

As she ruminated over a way to try and understand him better, a thought struck, like an epiphany. Ochako twisted around in her seat (it may have taken a few attempts- god, she needed her office chair ASAP) to face the island countertop where her laptop was, opening and booting it up. Maybe it was time to do some more in-depth research about Deku, the (in?)famous Hero blogger, and see just what else she could find before turning in for the night. Despite being a regular on the site, she'd never ventured far outside of her favorite little corners. Ochako could see that he didn't have an 'About Me' section as many bloggers did, which was disappointing. But no matter, she'd just have to dig deeper, she was a Pro Hero! All that training had to be good for something, right?

Ochako spent the next hour or two scanning through his most recent entries (the ones she'd missed out on account of being busy with work), and was once again astonished at the details he captured about each incident; from the exact start and end times, to where it took place, to what Hero agencies were involved and what Heroes from said agencies ( with corresponding hyperlinks to a dedicated page about each Pro Hero; he'd done the same with the villains too!), and the pictures! Almost every incident had several high-quality pictures attached and for some of them, videos too! This was incredible— they all read like real Hero post-battle reports! How did Deku not think he was great at his job?!

Taking a look at the status on each post, Ochako could see that they received a constant influx of traffic. Not all of the comments she scrolled through were flattering, but there were more good ones than bad, for sure.

The next thing to catch her eye was an option to Direct Message Deku himself, as well as an option to register on his website if you were a Pro Hero officially recognized with the Hero Public Safety Commission— she'd already done that, however, she did see a new section for visiting international Heroes instead registered with the World Hero Association. And she hadn't even gotten to the False Heroes section yet! Deku would single out particular Heroes or Hero Agencies that he felt weren't living up to "society's standards" Often, there'd be updates where Deku would state that his work had resulted in massive changes at an Agency-wide level, and on the rare occasion, an arrest! The amount of care Deku had put into this website… It was incredible, truly. She could see how much of a hard worker and how detail-oriented he was.

Clicking back to the Direct Message section, she decided to be sneaky and leave him a message, but under a different name so he wouldn't know it was her until he opened it. Satisfied with both the tease and her research for the day, Uraraka pandiculated once more as she decided to crawl back to her sleeping bag for the night.

Only one thing still weighed on her... Now that she'd 'spoken' to him, Ochako noticed something off in the sections of the website where he gave his own opinions. The voice he used, there was this sort of…. Distance? It was as if he wasn't all that interested in what he was talking about but still pushed through to provide all the information he wanted to. However, when it came to the takedowns, it felt like a different person entirely authored them. Just what could cause such a change in his demeanor? Ochako had gone into the blog hoping to gain some more insight into who Deku was, and she had. But she also walked away with a lot of new questions.

But that was okay, because that just gave her things to talk about next time, and the time after that.

Feeling some kind of motivation building up in her, Ochako looked forward to their next meeting, as she lay there in her sleeping bag and closed her eyes, calling it a day.

However, before sleep could take her, she realized one thing: her Sign Language skills could use some work, especially if she wanted to make a better impression with it than today… Maybe she should brush up before bed.

The Third Time Through The Looking Glass

Favorite color?

Green. Yours?

Pink! Favorite thing to eat? Mine has to be Mochi.

Katsudon for sure. You know, there's a neat Mochi place nearby actually. I've only been there once on my way back from a shift but I liked it.

Katsudon is yum! And the Mochi place—

WHOOSH.

Whatever he would've interpreted out of Ochako's signing had been lost, as a gust of wind slammed Izuku and sent him twirling about on his rope line, swinging to-and-fro past the windowpane he dangled in front of like he was on a pendulum. Thankfully he was still secured in his harness so there was no real cause for alarm, as this happened from time to time and he was used to it by now. All part of the perils of being a window washer. As he tried to right himself, Izuku caught glimpses of both the park opposite the building and of a blurry Uraraka standing up in concern. Izuku counted the seconds on his next go 'round and reached both arms out, slamming both hands against the glass the next time he whirled to face it. The rest of his body followed suit, and he rested his head against the glass and closed his eyes, taking a second to get his bearings.

Boy, was it windy today.

All this excitement had him jumbled up, right when their conversation had gotten going too! Thinking back to last night, he never would've imagined he'd make a fool of himself so quickly but alas.

Last night, Izuku had been looking forward to his third… "meeting" with Uraraka far more than he expected, so much so that last night he'd even managed to go to sleep without disturbing Mr. Kamijou! He was excited, undoubtedly, but...

During his slow journey back to his apartment, Izuku had been lost in thought. Despite the bustling crowd passing him in either direction on the street, an eerie silence had befallen him, further isolating him from the world.

He'd had a lot to think about.

And as he did, he was surprised to find tears creeping shamelessly down his face, yet he had no desire to wipe them away. He didn't know if he was happy or afraid.

"I always thought it was a cool nickname! You know, like 'Dekiru,' it gave me a 'You can do it!' vibe."

Defenseless Izuku. Deku. Useless. That's what they'd always told him. He couldn't remember when or why he'd finally stopped trying to fight it, but he did. He also couldn't remember when he started believing it. Was it when he gave up on his dream? Izuku Midoriya was Deku- had been ever since Kacchan first called him that, and especially after what happened when he graduated from middle school. Being "Deku" was all he was good for.

And after that awful experience, graduating high school with no idea what path to take or even a desire to find one…when he became furious at seeing so many so-called 'Heroes' make a mockery of the word by craving fame and glory when he just wanted to get these thoughts out of his head, when he saw the kinds of heroes kids his age were becoming, he turned to the internet and told everyone exactly what he thought of these "Heroes," and did it as himself. As "Deku," the only identity that he'd ever been good enough to earn.

But with a simple conversation, Uraraka had shaken the very foundation of that identity.

"You've already seen my house, so we're friends, right?"

Friends. That word alone brought tears to his eyes. How many people could he call a friend? He couldn't even use all five fingers on his hand in counting them. Most recently there was… Mineta, but there was still a lot he hadn't told him so how close were they?

Next was Kacchan; Izuku still couldn't believe that Kacchan of all people had tracked him down after high school because he wanted to set things right. He'd even apologized! But after so much time, Izuku didn't care about apologies; he just wanted his friend back, and now things between them were quite good! They'd even meet up now and then! He still bellowed louder than an elephant and set loose enough expletives to make a sailor blush, but that was just how Kacchan was, and he wouldn't want that to change. He was glad that UA had been good to one of them at least.

Then, of course, was his mother. He owed her so much even still. To this day he remembered how she'd held him on the evening of the entrance exam and never said a word in judgment as he cried his dreams out. Moving out had been tough on both of them, and he loved her to bits, but moving back in after high school didn't feel right. So Izuku had found a place of his own. Not to say that they weren't in constant contact, or that he didn't visit often, because of course he did, she was his mom after all!

And now, there was Ochako Uraraka. It wasn't lost on him that she was now his first friend-who-is-also-a-girl, and she was a Pro Hero, of all things. The universe must be playing some kind of trick. . It baffled him. Someone like her wanted to be his friend? And what was with asking him to come back the next day? Not that he was complaining, it was just… Why would someone like her want to spend time with someone like him? They'd only just met, but Izuku was already hoping they got along well and stayed friends. One single conversation with her had been so refreshing and relaxing, there was immediately a connection between them, and he felt it. What she saw in him that was worth being friends with he had no idea, but she didn't seem like the type to make friends out of pity, so there was hope that she might stick around! He certainly wanted her to.

He'd been optimistic, but as a man knocked into his shoulders and prompted Izuku to glance in his direction, he saw that the man had antlers. A clear sign of a Quirk. Just like that, Izuku's gaze fell back to the pavement. No, he knew it would cause her to leave, just like all the others. She didn't- know the truth yet— and he desperately wanted to avoid Uraraka finding out— but he knew that it was inevitable.

Izuku Midoriya was Quirkless, and that's what made him so utterly useless.

Izuku Midoriya was Quirkless, and because of it, his only dream would never come true— that was something he'd learned the hard way.

Izuku Midoriya was Quirkless, and no one had ever let him forget it.

…

Night had fallen fully by the time Izuku finally returned home, and he should've just crashed for the night and left all the heavy thinking to tomorrow. Of course, that wasn't at all what he did and instead stayed up far too late- doing some more research about her. Clacking away at the shiny mechanical keyboard on his desk, Izuku logged onto his website, .jp, and surfed his way onto the 'Worthy Heroes' section... of which Uravity was a member, of course. Izuku surreptitiously ignored the notifications signaling that he had several unread messages, from fans and verified Heroes alike. No point, they were probably just more negative messages insulting him and calling him a stain on society. Granted, that was being optimistic. There were ones who'd picked up on the meaning behind Deku and mocked him horrendously for it— it had taken several hundred messages for Izuku to finally summon up the courage to set up a filter that made sure he wasn't notified of any messages containing the word Deku.

Izuku had stopped reading fan mail a long time ago.

The irony of him using his blog as a source of info was not lost on him, and made him chuckle. At least someone was getting some use out of it, even if it was just himself. While he hadn't updated Uravity's page in some time, as she hadn't been involved in any major incidents lately and thus he hadn't seen a reason to, it still had all the basic details: where she went to school, her current agency, and so on. The events of the past twenty-four hours had motivated him to add more details about her as he got them, though. Which reminded him, he'd gone and told her that he was a fan! Oh god, was he really still such a nerd‽ Okay, yes, Izuku thought she was a pretty cool Hero, and during his initial research into her he hadn't seen anything to warrant a teardown entry for her on the exposé side of his website, but did he seriously have to say fan?

She may be a good Hero, but that didn't make Heroes good in his eyes, right? He may have found himself wavering suddenly, but this wasn't the time to revisit old wounds just because a girl was kind to him didn't mean that years of tormenting had never happened. It didn't suddenly make what some Pros did okay. Not by the standards he wanted society to have.

Izuku wasn't supposed to care about Heroes anymore. This was just work, right? That was how he got through each miserable day.

Right?

The first thing that had to go was her picture, the current one was not nearly flattering enough, she wasn't even smiling! At that thought, Izuku frowned. Scrolling through more photos he could find of her, Izuku realized he couldn't find a single photo where she was smiling, which was baffling.

She forgave him for peeping so easily and was so bubbly, where was that smile he'd seen? The one bright enough to rival the sun? Maybe she didn't like her picture taken? Come to think of it, could it be connected to the state of her apartment at all? This made no sense.

Another thing that crossed his mind to do was look up a video of a past interview she'd done, so he could know what she sounded like. But he didn't. Izuku couldn't explain it, but as the cursor hovered over the play button, seconds away from learning just what Uraraka sounded like, he stopped. It felt… wrong somehow? An invasion of privacy when they'd only just met and had only communicated via sign language so far.

Sighing in defeat and realizing he'd get nowhere like this, he settled on a photo of her, fresh out of battle, for her new profile picture. Very badass. And with that, he'd launched onto his bed to just rest his eyes for a bit…

And he almost woke up late for his shift.

After having to scramble to get ready so that he wouldn't be late to his new shift (but more importantly, his new routine rendezvous with Uraraka), Izuku found himself absentmindedly washing his way through his assigned areas until once again all that was left was Uraraka's section.

To Izuku's surprise, it seemed like Uraraka had been waiting patiently for him, this time fully relaxed— and Izuku could see she'd set up all her curtains since yesterday. Good for her (and his sanity)! She'd thoughtfully left them drawn on one, an opening for her to sign through. This pane was the very same one where he had first… encountered her. This time, she sat in a pink office chair, with armrests and wheels on it. Much better than just standing around, he thought.

Thinking back to when Izuku had first seen her as she stumbled through the front door just two days ago, there were already a couple of differences in her appearance. Clad in a comfortable-looking pink jumper and blue denim shorts, Uraraka sat cross-legged in her nice office chair. Her luscious hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail, but the long bangs framing her face on either side were still present. While Izuku couldn't tell for sure on account of the glass between them, she didn't look to be wearing any large amount of makeup, (which she didn't need anyway in his opinion). He was too freaked out and in an apologetic frenzy to notice that yesterday, but there was a difference in how she presented herself compared to the first time he saw her in her costume. She was far more relaxed and emotive, for one.

She was smiling again, not the exact one he remembered, but a smile nonetheless. A stark contrast to all the pictures he'd seen.

She didn't notice his descent since she was thoroughly engrossed in her phone, its screen reflecting numerous bright lights onto her face, indicating she was playing some sort of game. It occurred to Izuku once again that she was just really pretty.

Shaking his head to keep from falling into some kind of stupor, Izuku reached out and tapped on the glass, trying to get her attention. Their eyes met, and there it was.

That same, blinding smile, welcomed him once more. The smile that enveloped him, and left him shook from its warmth, more than most hugs he'd been on the receiving end of. The one that was already seared into his brain. The one that made him want to smile.

There weren't a lot of things that could accomplish that these days.

Perhaps, in another language, Ochako Uraraka meant sunlight that shined down from above, because as Izuku basked in her smile, he couldn't help but think it was heavenly.

His instincts gave him conflicting responses; shy away from its brightness, or keep looking at it. Both seemed equally terrifying; so he offered a meager one in return and waved.

He thought this whole thing would be awkward; they still hardly knew each other and were communicating through a window via Sign Language of all things. But it wasn't. It was like they'd never stopped their conversation from yesterday, and Ochako started by just asking about the simple things.

He wondered again what she sounded like.

This is where the wind found them when it decided to knock him about. As he backed his helmet off of the glass, he could see that Uraraka had stood up in concern, beginning to sign something.

Deku? Are you alright? Her face practically pressed against the glass, a worried look in her eyes.

Pushing off the glass, Izuku righted himself in his harness and made sure he still had everything attached to his utility belt. That done, he replied, Yeah, I'm okay! That happens more than you'd think. The wind can get crazy sometimes. Izuku couldn't help but chuckle as his hands moved— he'd forgotten how freaky it could look if you weren't used to it.

Uraraka's shoulders slumped in relief. Good to hear! You had me worried for a second. Shall we continue with the questions? This has been more fun than I expected! After signing, Uraraka made her way back to her desk and spun around a bit as she waited for Izuku to follow.

It has, he signed back, settling once more into his harness and kicking off the glass now and then absentmindedly as he continued, I was pretty nervous coming over here this morning, all of this is kinda crazy. But… I like talking to you, it's nice.

The red from the waning Sun must've been reflecting off of Uraraka's face because it almost seemed like she was blushing. I like talking to you too, making new friends is a lot of fun! God, I sound like I'm back in high school, but it's true. Izuku couldn't help but nod in agreement— despite having not made any lasting friendships himself in high school, for reasons he couldn't blame anyone for. But Uraraka clasped her hands excitedly before beginning to sign again, continuing their game of questions.

It was Uraraka that began. Your sign language looks a lot smoother than before; did you start practicing as well?

Widening his eyes in surprise, Izuku could feel another blush rising on his cheeks as he raised his hands to respond. I— Yeah actually I did. I wanted to make things easier for you, so you wouldn't have as many problems understanding what I was saying as before. Did you practice too?

Uraraka nodded enthusiastically, smiling brightly. I did! For the same reasons, really: I wanted to brush up since I haven't used it in a while. One of my classmates at Shiketsu was deaf, and I wanted to learn. So, this ended up working out for both of us then, that's great!

Her eyebrows shot up as if she'd remembered something. Now, I meant to ask earlier when you first came, but how's life as your alter ego, as the Deku who can do it, and who does all that great reporting on Hero activity?

There she went again, saying that he could do anything. That "Deku" could do it. He could feel his heart squeeze in joy. She had no idea just what effect those words had on him.

But would she still be saying them if she knew what he was?

Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku told her about his work, though he wasn't sure what much there was to say. It's going alright. Between the blog and the YouTube channel, somehow I'm still making enough money to get by, which is all I could really ask for. I didn't get too much done yesterday other than updating your profile and uploading some more incident photos from earlier in the week. It's been kinda quiet recently, so I haven't had a chance to do any more exposés on Heroes that have been slacking off, either.

I see, I see… Perking up all of a sudden, what appeared to be a coy smile made its way onto Uraraka's face as she signed, Gotten any good fan mail recently?

I uh… haven't checked in on those in a couple days actually, I keep forgetting. It's only ever hate mail anyway. I've gotten enough of that. Rubbing his neck nervously, Izuku hoped to steer the conversation away from the more depressing aspects of his work life.

What he'd signed seemed to have triggered something in Uraraka, because at first, her shoulders slumped dejectedly— but then before her eyes grew about three sizes and she signed back with great gusto. WHO ON EARTH WOULD SEND YOU HATE MAIL, YOUR BLOGS ARE GREAT!

Blushing at the praise, he hurriedly signed back, hoping to placate her anger. Thank you. I have to assume some of it is from Heroes I've called out using anonymous accounts to fling stuff back at me. Some are just trolls, and some dislike the very idea of me critiquing Heroes at all. Izuku's face darkened notably as he signed more. But maybe if Heroes actually acted the way they were supposed to, I wouldn't need to call them out.

Right… Her simple response came.

He'd made things weird, hadn't he?

Snapping himself out of that mindset before he could even get there, Izuku checked his watch, seeing that there was still time before he had to leave to catch the train home. Izuku was blushing up a storm, anyway.. Again. So, what were one or two more questions, just to change the subject? Uhhh... right. It's your turn, I think, ask away!

So! What's your Quirk like? I figured it has to be an emitter or transformation type since I don't see any extra appendages growing out of you!

Uraraka's joke would've been appreciated, had Izuku not nearly gone into another panic attack. What the heck was he supposed to do now? This is exactly what he didn't want to have to answer.

My Quirk? he signed at her, trying to buy himself some time.

Yeah!

And that's all she signed. There goes that strategy.

As he raised his hands to sign what could be the words that ended his new friendship with Uraraka, Izuku could feel his heart thump with dread all the way in his ears. This was a scene that he was all too familiar with, and it still terrified him every time.

How many people had gone away after he revealed that he was Quirkless? How many times had he hidden the truth only to be found out anyway? How many more times was Izuku going to lose someone?

'It was good talking to you while it lasted, Uraraka,' Izuku said to himself, hands trembling with fear as he signed the end of another friendship. The thing about my Quirk is… I don't have one.

A wave of confusion rolled onto Uraraka's face as she processed what he'd said. One sharp intake of breath, and raised eyebrows, and Izuku could tell that she'd figured it out. Closing his eyes momentarily to try and keep that beautiful image of her smile intact, Izuku took a deep breath, then opened them back up to look right at Uraraka. He waited for the inevitable rejection to come crashing down now, any second…

Oh, I've never met anyone Quirkless before! I know from school it's only 20% of the world's population, but you'd think it would've happened at some point, right?

He waited for her to keep going, to start calling him worthless like all the others had before her.

He kept waiting.

But Uraraka just sat, looking at him with a warm smile and eyes full of kindness.

Forgetting for a moment that she couldn't hear him, Izuku's mouth opened and closed in succession like a fish out of water. "I… you… But Quirkless?" he said, in utter shock and confusion.

Uraraka tilted her head to the side, and signed at him. Can't hear you, remember, what'd ya say?

Izuku Midoriya was completely flummoxed, stunned, and utterly bamboozled by one Ochako Uraraka. I said I was Quirkless. You don't… care?

Izuku made sure to sign slowly this time, putting emphasis on 'Quirkless.' She must not have understood properly the first time, yeah, that must be it.

A steely look flashed in her eyes, and her jaw tightened, almost like the very idea of being bothered by it upset her. But that wasn't the case… right?

Shaking her head, Uraraka signed back, Why would I? Being Quirkless doesn't make you any less cool in my eyes.

You think I'm cool? Even though I'm Quirkless? Izuku was grateful for the signing- he was slack-jawed in disbelief.

Of course, dummy. It's not a Quirk that lets you make such a great blog about Heroes, or take pictures, or come back to apologize for something that wasn't even really your fault to begin with. That's all you, Deku.

Izuku said nothing at first. He was too busy trying to wrap his head around her words. Because, for the second time in as many days, Ochako Uraraka had reduced him to tears with her words. Their first-sighting fiasco was something... he wasn't to blame for?

Being Quirkless... wasn't a bad thing?

He wasn't… a mistake?

Izuku didn't have the words to express just how much what Uraraka had said meant to him. So he just said, Thank you.

…

It had been another eventful day, and as loathe Izuku was to leave, he was about to finish up Uraraka's last windowpane. So, he broached something that had been on his mind. So… before you came home yesterday, I had already cleaned a good bit of your windows. Seeing as there weren't any blinds, I couldn't help but look inside, and… what is going on with your apartment?

Uraraka seemed caught off guard, signing back indignantly., What do you mean, what's going on with my apartment? It's just fine!

Really? Izuku raised an eyebrow It looks like a squatter lives here. Although, you did put up some curtains, which makes sense after… you know. He trailed off, the mere mention of the incident bringing back the embarrassment he'd felt.

I'll have you know, I just moved in! So there! Izuku wasn't sure how it was possible to sign haughtily, but boy Uraraka accomplished it. Was it wrong that he thought it was really cute? Wait, what was he thinking, it had to be! He couldn't think of a friend like that!

However, he wasn't buying what she was trying to sell. Really, and did you just move in yesterday, or has it been longer, hmm?

Uraraka had been in the middle of signing something else when she suddenly froze, caught like a deer in headlights. Izuku could see her right eyelid twitch, and he wondered why she looked like she'd been cornered.

The following hand gestures were timid and sheepish, as if she'd grown shy. I may have been moved in longer...

Now, Uravity. Izuku wasn't sure where this energy was coming from, but it was like he was a different person all of a sudden. Just what effect was this girl having on him? A Pro-Hero such as yourself should be more honest. What kind of example are you setting for the public if you can't even be truthful about when you first moved into your new apartment?

Momentarily sinking back into her chair, Uraraka rolled her eyes at him and resignedly signed back, Okay! Okay! I give! I've been moved-in for a week.

To say the shock on Izuku's face was palpable would be a gross understatement, as his eyes nearly shot out of his head. She… had been moved in for… a week‽ Shifting in his harness to get a look behind her, Izuku saw that the apartment was still the same as it had been yesterday. The only difference was in the blinds. Had things been in this sorry state for that long?

Uraraka… Why? You don't even have a fridge, he signed slowly.

Well, I do have one, it's just still in storage. I haven't gotten around to moving the few things I kept from my old apartment over, Uraraka gestured, pouting all the while.

How are you surviving without a fridge or any appliances?

Mostly takeout, or food from the Agency. I'll get around to bringing stuff over, I promise! I just… Didn't see any reason to rush. Lowering her hands, Uraraka tapered off before elaborating, as if hesitant. She didn't seem to want to talk about it much, but Izuku could feel that something was off. The sudden slouch to her shoulders, the missing shine in her eyes… and the vanishing smile that he wanted to keep seeing. But, what could he do? He hardly knew her.

Squaring his shoulders, Izuku tried to think of something. Maybe if he… if he smiled and said—

He slumped right back down into his harness, limbs limp and head lowered. If he smiled? Who did Izuku think he was? Him? How was he going to help her when he couldn't even help himself? Only true Heroes could save people with a smile.

And he was no Hero.

He couldn't presume to be able to help Uraraka. It was presumptuous to even assume that she needed help, and if she did, what was he going to do about it? Wipe her tears away with his squeegee? Yeah, right. Even as he convinced himself there was nothing he could do, Izuku chuckled sardonically at his predicament.

He'd lost his nerve at the last second. Again.

He was useless. Again.

Right as he moved to click the button on his harness and run away again, he heard a knock on the glass, Uraraka trying to get his attention. Suddenly, he was looking her right in the eyes. Those chocolate pools carried an intensity in them that he hadn't seen yet; while she must've been lost in thought before, Izuku got the feeling she knew what to say now. He was glad one of them did, at least.

Raising her arms once more, she began her story. So, the reason why I moved at all; it's a funny story, kinda… You see, my last place was pretty cheap. Just a single-bedroom apartment with barely enough space for my mattress. But I didn't need much. She stopped momentarily, rubbing the pad on her thumb as if choosing her 'words' carefully, but her eyes clouded up, like she was somewhere far away all of a sudden. It never really felt like home. Just a place for me to rest my head between shifts. I was new in town and didn't have the slightest idea of what to do with myself. My friends helped when they could of course, but they couldn't be there all the time, they've got their own lives. They didn't know much about my apartment either. I'd always come up with an excuse to not have anyone over because…

As Uraraka faltered and looked down, like she was about to freeze up again, Izuku tapped once on the glass, not thinking. Her gaze snapped back to his, and she looked confused. He probably looked the same. He didn't know why he did that. She just…

She just...looked like she wanted help.

And Izuku knew what she was about to say. Of course, he did; it was what he'd felt, too. As she looked right at him and waited, Izuku brought up his own trembling hands and said what he just knew she was going to. Because you didn't want anyone to see what was in your head, it was all over your apartment, too.

Her eyes cleared up in an instant. Her hands trembled just like his but she continued anyway. How did you know?

Izuku simply shrugged and signed, I'm the same. Never let my mother over, she'd just flood the place with tears anyway.

They both stayed their hands for some time, just staring and taking in what they'd learned about each other.

Eventually, Uraraka stirred and started up again. I didn't plan to move out until… my parents sorta-kinda showed up one day unannounced and saw the state everything was in. I couldn't use the old excuse of not having enough money, because they'd seen the last Hero Billboard Chart's after-show where they talk about Heroes below the top ten, and so they were able to work out how much I made. My mother swore they'd take out a mortgage on their house to buy me a new place if I didn't do it myself.

And my dad? Uraraka seemed to be holding back tears of her own now, but still, she pushed on. My dad was crying, and that's probably what made me stop being stubborn long enough to see it from their perspective. Their only daughter was a successful Pro-Hero but wouldn't even look after herself.

All I ever wanted was for them to be happy, but instead, I made my dad cry. So, the next chance I got, I went and found a place in the middle of the city. It's good for Hero work; being closer to my Agency and all, and it was really expensive. Anything you could want in an apartment, it's got it.

My parents gave me a couple of months to get everything sorted before they'd visit again, so that's how long I've got to fix this place up, yet it's been a week and I still haven't done anything.

Izuku had been listening the entire time, and his heart ached for her. What happened to get her to this point? He knew that time was growing short for them, so they didn't have time today, but he swore that he would find out. He almost saw Uraraka in tears, and now he knew he never wanted that to happen. For now, he settled on the present. Why haven't you started?

I guess… I've not been committing to this place because I'm afraid. Afraid of what it would mean if I do commit and I'm still not happy. Visibly gulping now, Uraraka picked up steam and sped up her signing. Because if it isn't my living situation that's been the cause of my rut, then it's other things and I just don't know how to deal with all of that. I'm a Pro Hero if I can't sort myself out how am I going to do anything else, and that's when I'm not—

Uraraka slammed her head back into her chair and spun around a couple of times, seemingly yelling. Not exactly what Izuku was expecting, but hey, if it helped. Right as she'd stopped, it felt like she was just getting to the heart of the matter, and then… didn't. After slowing to a stop and lowering her screaming, she faced him again, red in the face, and signed, Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I don't know why I'm unloading all of this on you. We were supposed to just talk and have fun, we've been friends for no more than a day and I've just treated you like my personal counselor-

Izuku tapped the glass again, trying to calm her. Despite everything, he found himself chuckling and shaking his head. We've been friends for no more than a day, and this conversation is longer and more substantive than any I've had with anyone in a long time, Uraraka. It's okay. I don't mind. It's like you said, we're friends, right? Friends are there for each other. Izuku paused, considering what else she'd said. I don't really know how all of this happened, I never expected to actually make a friend washing windows. Especially after yesterday, but even though I was slightly terrified, I was also really looking forward to talking to you again. I don't have a lot of friends. So I don't mind.

Izuku was pretty sure that he was blushing up a storm saying all of that. Saying he liked being her friend?! What, was he five years old?

But Uraraka just smiled that same smile he'd seen the day before. He was glad she could still smile like that, it was infectious, causing him to put on a meager smile of his own. Thank you, Deku. Thank you for listening, and for being my friend. I think I needed to get it out. Suddenly looking sheepish, Uraraka stood up, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. W-well it's getting kind of late and I need to get started on dinner, she signed in a hurry, seeming keen to move on.

Right, that must've taken a lot out of her.

He supposed it was his turn to be disappointed that their conversation was coming to an end. Yeah, that's okay, I should get going too!

Will... you be here tomorrow? Uraraka signed hesitantly.

Izuku shook his head. No, sorry, I'm not scheduled for a shift tomorrow or the day after.

This time, even Izuku could see the disappointment. But, I'll be here the day after that. And the day after that too. Is that okay?

Uraraka's face erupted in what appeared to him as a silent scream of joy— which of course caused his blush to come back in full force— and she smiled that blinding smile once again.

If Izuku could somehow keep managing to make her smile, that was something, right? He could be of use to her?

That's perfect. See you then, Deku. Bye for now!

He supposed he'd just have to wait and see. But for once, he was happy to do so.

"What. The. Fuck. Ochako."

What the hell was she thinking, letting so much out like that on poor Deku?! She must be crazy!

This was not what she expected would happen when she'd asked him to come back. She just wanted to talk, not unload her life story! (Thankfully she'd caught herself before managing to spill anything else).

But... Ochako couldn't say that it wasn't worth it. She felt lighter than she had ever since her parents first 'convinced' her to buy a new place.

Deku didn't judge her for being a Pro-Hero and a Pro-mess. Deku didn't care that they'd just met and hardly knew each other. Deku didn't even try and tell her what to do; he just listened.

When was the last time someone had done that for her?

And then, she'd returned the favor by unknowingly asking the one question she shouldn't have asked. In this Quirk-saturated society, she'd always thought asking people about their Quirks was part of normal conversation.

But Deku was Quirkless.

She'd never met anyone Quirkless before, though she'd heard all sorts of stories. How they were the remnant of a bygone era, an abnormality that should be ignored or corrected. Ochako never really bought into that but—

Deku was like any other person she'd ever met. Better than a lot of them, even.

God, how had she never realized just how privileged she was? How privileged they all were? Quirks were everything in this day and age. And as much as it made her sick to admit, the 20% or so of the population that were Quirkless were often treated as second-class humans.

Was that why Deku was this way— why he seemed so nervous, anxious on a hair-trigger? Was this what he was hinting at when he said that he didn't have a lot of friends? Why did he have that strange look in his eyes that she still couldn't understand?

What was the point of a society that couldn't see the value in Izuku Midoriya?

Uraraka was livid, tears streamed down her face for her friend, but what could she do? How was she supposed to help him, and others like him?

Ochako Uraraka may be a Pro-Hero, but right now, she was the one who felt powerless.