The next morning, Ochako was a bundle of nerves. It had been nearly impossible for her to properly tie her tie earlier with shaky hands. How could she possibly face Katsuki after yesterday? He took her out and got her a small gift. It had wholly been a date, and she had been oblivious to the entire thing!

However, despite all that, the bracelet still adorned her left wrist. It didn't feel like a heavy weight dragging her down. It made her happy. It gave her reassurance.

Was it possible she and Katsuki were going at their own pace their own way to work things out?

When she rounded the corner on her way to homeroom, she instantly spotted Katsuki amongst the other students. She had seen him enough from the back of the classroom to recognize him. "Bakugo," she called out without thinking.

He stopped, looking over his right shoulder. He didn't bother to say a word.

Ochako caught up, standing in front of him with some space between them. Okay, she could do this. "Good morning."

"Why are you nervous?" he asked without hesitation.

She kept her voice from being high and squeaky. "Who said anything about being nervous?"

"Your body language," he deadpanned.

It clearly was pointless to lie to him. "It's about yesterday!" she blurted.

Crimson eyes glanced around, seeing who was paying attention to them. They had onlookers. "We already talked about yesterday's spar," he said in a loud enough voice for others to overhear.

Ochako blanked out for a second. "What?"

"I knew you'd put up a good fight, that's why I picked you," Katsuki continued without missing a beat.

Things clicked in place for her. She knew what he was doing. "You can count on me. You know, if you need a sparring partner."

He smirked. "Good." With that, he walked away.

She bit her tongue. She wanted to continue talking, but now wasn't the time. She'd have to wait until after class.


How Ochako was able to pass Katsuki a note in between classes flawlessly was beyond her. She asked him to meet her once lunch started.

Katsuki found a secluded hallway for them. Nobody should bother them given the time of day.

"You wanted to talk?" he prompted.

She eagerly nodded. "I wanted to thank you for yesterday."

It didn't get past Katsuki that she still wore the bracelet this morning. He wondered if anybody had asked her about it.

"No problem," he said, not wanting to make it a big deal.

"I had a lot of fun. And I really like my bracelet."

A small grin curved his lips. "Good."

Her body moving on its own accord, Ochako closed the gap between them and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his right cheek.

Why did his heart have such a big reaction to a simple act? She hadn't even kissed him on the lips. He spoke without thinking. "You missed."

Her face turned red. "Wh–what?" she squeaked.

His ears burned. Why the fuck did his brain and mouth decide that was the time to work in tandem? Did he have a chance of playing it off?

Before Katsuki could react, Ochako was already in motion. Back on her tiptoes, she gripped his shirt with both hands, pinkies out. She brought herself up to press their lips together and clamped her eyes shut at the last second. She missed how wide his eyes opened upon contact. He remained still as a statue, absorbing the moment that was over too quickly. Releasing his shirt, she broke all contact and stood flat on her feet. All she could do was stare at him, her chin raised due to their height difference.

"No way you're outdoing me, Cheeks," he growled. His hands gently cupped her face, and he sank his lips into hers.

Her eyelids fluttered shut, butterflies zooming around her stomach. She felt incredibly lightheaded. All she could do was follow his lead when he angled his head and deepened the kiss. He had such a rough, fierce nature about him, but yet he handled her with such care and gentleness.

When he finally pulled his head back, they didn't break eye contact. His right thumb brushed against her skin. "Now that's how you do it," he said in a tender tone.

"Do it again," she said without hesitation.

He grinned. "Bold of you to say, Cheeks."

She wet her lips. "Please?"

As much as he wanted to appease her, he couldn't. "We're in public," he reminded her, slowly dropping his arms down to his sides.

She had the nerve to pout. "Why not now?"

He fought back the urge to wipe the look off her face himself. "Because I don't need you all riled up during class burning holes in the back of my head."

She puffed her cheeks out in dismay. "It's not my fault you're up front, Bakugo."

"Then get on my level, Uraraka. Change your name or something."

Her brain blew a fuse. "Are you offering yours?"

For once, Katsuki had been caught off guard. His mind went blank as her words echoed around his head. He hadn't meant it as an offer, per se. However, he refused to be bested by her. "Ochako Bakugo, not bad," he said to roll with the subject, chest rumbling.

She shivered, goosebumps rising along her skin. She had never thought about that name for herself.

He smirked. "You can think about that during class."

She had zero chance of being focused during the remaining classes for today.

"And maybe later," he compromised without warning.

"Later?" she asked, perking up.

"Maybe," he repeated.

Her lips curved into a small smile. "Maybe."

Was it like a promise between the two of them? Maybe.


A/N: Finally, some fluff~