"You trust me, right?"

All coherent thoughts flew out the window with a single question.

Me?

The person she had in mind…was me?

Me?

"Please don't freak out!" She said, grabbing my arm. "You don't have to! I just wondered if that would be something you were okay with since you haven't had your first kiss too and—"

It was too late. I was freaking out. I wasn't good with stuff like this. I wasn't good with girls and kissing and—is that what she was feeling too? Is that why she suggested it? I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm my frantic heart knowing I likely looked like a flustered mess to her.

"Are you sure…you would want to have your first kiss…with me?" I murmured.

Her grip on my arm tightened.

"You'll always be special to me, Izuku," she said. "I know I would never regret it, if it was with you."

Never in my life did I think someone would say that to me. That I would be special enough to someone to be trusted with something like that. Something so delicate and personal. Honestly I didn't think anyone would ever want to kiss me.

"Then…okay. I'll do it," I said.

Her breath hitched and for a moment I think I forgot how to breathe.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," I said.

The corners of her lips twitched into a smile. "I don't either."

"So you won't make fun of me when I completely screw it up?"

"Don't worry so much. It's just me," she said.

She was right. This is the person I've trusted with all my secrets and fears. She knows about One for All, she knows about my past, and that's not pushed her away. I can do this.

"Okay," I whispered.

I reached for her face, cupping her cheeks in the palms of my hands. Her cheeks were warm and incredibly soft. It felt so intimate to hold her like this. This was special to her, something she wants to experience. She's trusting me with her first and I'm going to try and make it the best for her.

Ochako held my gaze as I leaned closer to her. Our noses nearly touched.

She smiled at me and I closed the gap between us.

My feather-like touch slowly melted with the warmth of her lips. It took a few moments to get the pressure right. But that's okay. Kissing is a skill that comes from practice and we were trusting each other to share and learn. Her hands moved up to my chest and I nearly shivered with the intimate touch. My heart raced under her palm. I'd never imagined something like this would feel so good. My entire body felt ablaze and all I wanted was to burn.

I pressed more against her, wanting more of her softness.

Her hand clutched at the fabric of my shirt. For a moment I stopped thinking about my fears and nervousness. All I could think about was her lips against mine and her hands on my chest, holding me against her.

I moved slowly, savoring and caressing her lips and she responded with her own eagerness, learning quickly what felt good and how to move. Our lips met again and again until I felt like my heart was going to explode from the warmth.

Reluctantly, I eased back slowly, pulling back just enough to see her face.

She was breathless and flushed, her entire cheeks were an adorable shake of pink. And her eyes that were still lowered were somehow more captivating than ever. She was absolutely stunning.

And I wanted nothing more than to kiss her again.

"I can see the appeal now," she said after a moment causing us to both laugh, easing some of the tension in the air that lingered for several moments after we broke apart.

"Yeah," I said, my voice gruff and hoarse. "That was something."

I stared at her, unable to look away as she got her breath under control.

"I need to go back soon," she said with a small sigh. I knew more than anything how she wished she could stay. I stood up to help her get back to her wheelchair, standing her on her and enjoying the way she felt in my arms before returning her to her chair.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "It was the best day ever."

I wondered if our kiss had anything to do with it. I hoped that it did.

We spoke a little on the way back, but I knew she was starting to get tired. By the time I checked her back in, she was asleep. I wheeled her to her room and she barely stirred when I placed her on her bed and tucked her under the covers.

I stared at her peaceful face and couldn't resist leaning forward to press a kiss against her forehead. I needed to go back to my dorm but I didn't want to leave her so I lingered for a few more moments. Watching her chest rise and fall in her sleep. Watching the way her face would crinkle and hands would twitch every now and then.

Eventually I made it back to my dorm at UA. I laid awake on my bed thinking about today and how stupid I was for being jealous and how nice it felt to spend time with Ochako. And kissing her had been…more than nice. I didn't really think that memory would leave my thoughts for a long time.

She'd captivated me since we met. Her companionship was everything to me but now I knew that I wanted more than that. I wanted to be with her. I wanted those looks, those lips, that smile. Everything. I wanted to keep making memories and sharing firsts together.

She was more than a best friend. She was everything.

I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Todoroki and Iida.

I have my answer. I'm in love with Ochako.

Like an idiot, I sent that message late at night and first thing in the morning my door was being pounded.

"Midoriya, I demand that you open this door this instant!" Iida shouted.

I groaned before realizing what he wanted to talk about.

"Hang on!" I shouted before opening the door.

Todoroki and Iida all but ran in while I closed the door with a yawn. Both were still in their sleepwear. They hadn't even bothered changing before coming to see me.

"Isn't it a little early for a confrontation?" I asked.

Todoroki shook his head. "You texted us at nearly midnight, I've been waiting all night to hear about this"

I gaped at him. "All night?"

He shrugged. "Momo wanted to know too."

"And why was Momo with you at midnight?" Iida asked.

"Oh, I guess we're dating," he said.

I paled. "You guess?"

"Midoriya, you're dodging your explanation," Todoroki said.

I stood up, fully awake now. "Oh, no. You brought yourself into this one. How do you not know if you're dating someone?"

"She said she likes me," Todoroki said.

Iida leaned forward. "And you said—?"

"I told her that I liked her too," he said.

I leaned forward with my arms stretching out. "And then—?"

Todoroki looked confused. "What do you mean? That's it."

Iida and I dead panned.

"You're supposed to ask her out or kiss her or something so you know where you stand!" I shouted.

He flushed, his cheeks turning nearly the shade of his red hair. "Well, I've never kissed anyone before so—"

It was my turn to be embarrassed. Yesterday with Ochako under the stars came to mind and I placed my hand to my lips.

I froze as I felt Todoroki and Iida's eyes trained on me like vultures.

"Spill. Now."

It was going to be a long morning.

I sighed, before launching into what happened the previous day, trying to ignore their intense stares and strong desire to interrupt me. When I got around to the evening when we sat at the tree, I flushed.

"She was talking about how she's never kissed anyone before and wanting to experience things and wanted to have her first with someone she trusted and—" I paused, waving my hands at the pair. "Could you guys stop staring at me like that? It's hard enough to talk about it right now."

They didn't move in the slightest.

"And then you said—?" Iida asked.

"Well, I said a lot of things because I'm an idiot and I talk a lot when I'm nervous—"

"We know," Todoroki said.

"I thought she may have had someone in mind that she wanted to kiss. Like Kacchan or Mirio," I said, looking down at the ground, my feelings still swirling up with bad emotions thinking about it.

"She did talk to Bakugo in quite a friendly manner. It seems they've reconciled since she talked to him at the sports festival," Iida said.

"He visited her in the hospital after the stuff with the League. He told her he was trying to do better to be a hero," I said.

The pair gaped.

"Wow, that's…actually impressive for him," Iida said.

"Does he like her?" Todoroki asked.

"No! No, I don't think it's like that. I think he respects her," I said.

"Or do you just not want him to like her?" Todoroki asked with a smirk.

"Hey! Who's side are you on?" I demanded.

"Wait, You said you were also questioning Mirio? Why did you suspect him?" Iida asked.

"Well, during the concert at the school festival, she went with him and Eri and he had them both lifted so they could see the concert," I said.

"That's very considerate," Iida said.

"Right, so then afterwards I helped him get Eri down because he didn't have a free hand and then when he grabbed Ochako, he was about to comment how light she was and she doesn't like when people do that so I gave him the look and instead of light he said cute," I said.

"He did not!" Todoroki gaped.

"That's rather bold," said Iida.

I sighed. "I feel like I'm in a soap opera right now. But she turned bright red and had a hard time speaking to him afterwards and—"

"And you did not like that," Todoroki said.

"Yes, but wouldn't anyone be flustered if someone called them cute after holding them close to you for a while?" Iida asked.

Hope swirled through me. I definitely would be embarrassed.

"But he is rather handsome," Todoroki said.

And then my hopes were shot down. He was handsome, wasn't he?

Did she think he was?

Did she think I was? Hadn't she told me I was?

"We're getting off topic," Iida said. "So you were jealous—don't give me that look, Midoriya. You were jealous, and then—"

"Well…then she asked if I trusted her."

They gasped.

I glared. "I'm going to skip over me being an idiot, but I did say I trusted her. She told me that I was special to her and would never regret it if I was her first kiss. So I agreed."

"And then—?"

I snapped. "Go read a romance novel if you're so curious! Then I took her back to the hospital and she fell asleep and I came back and regrettably texted you both, end of story."

"Midoriya, that's really wholesome. Sharing your first kiss with your best friend then finding out you're in love with her," Iida said with a smile.

"This is so embarrassing!" I said covering my hand over my face.

"I still want to know about the kiss," Todoroki said.

"Go kiss Momo and find out!" I snapped.

He was stunned for a moment before reaching an odd look on his face before shrugging. "Okay."

He left the door leaving me and Iida gaping.

"Did he really just do that?"

"Yes, yes he did."

"So, now that you know about your feelings for Uraraka…what are you going to do?" Iida asked.

"…nothing. She didn't ask me out or anything. We're still just friends and I doubt we'll ever kiss again," I said. Ignoring how much that sentence stung.

"And you're okay with that?" He asked.

"Not really," I said. "But with school and her illness I don't know if it's really a good time to try and date her. If she even wants that."

Iida pushed up his glasses. "This is just my opinion but, given her circumstances…shouldn't you not be wasting time?"

Time. Ochako had mentioned time as well.

"Even if she doesn't like me like that?" I asked.

"Well if she asked you to kiss her that means she's thought about kissing you before and was okay with the idea. I don't think it would be too much of an assumption to say that she has at least some romantic attraction to you."

I sat there in silence. She's thought of kissing me before? And then there was her flushed face once we pulled away. We did kiss for quite a while.

I can see the appeal now.

She liked it. She liked kissing me. Me.

I felt on top of the world.

"Okay so I should…talk to her about it?" I asked.

"That would be wise," Iida said.

I nodded. Iida actually gave some sound advice. It had been a heavy load of information for both Todoroki and myself. I wondered if Iida was hiding anything.

I turned toward my friend. "So, any sudden progress in your love life?"

"…No."

I smirked. "Spill."

I went to see Ochako later that weekend. My steps were lighter and I felt an extra sense of excitement at seeing her again. I had a pep in my step as I neared the facility. She'd had more energy lately, a little more strength in her movements. I know she'd said she missed a week of chemo which normally makes her tired and weak, so I wanted to catch her while she was still feeling her best for this conversation.

Iida was right. I shouldn't be wasting time and especially if she had romantic feelings for me too…I wanted to be the first person to share every experience with her that she wants.

I made it to her room and opened the door to see her resting on her couch by the window, staring off into the parking lot. I opened it so quietly she hadn't noticed my entry. I crept in as discreetly as I could manage.

"Hey there," I said.

She jumped, nearly floating out of her seat with a high-pitched eep!

I laughed and she smiled floating down but I noticed something was off. Her smile didn't quite meet her eyes as she greeted me. "Hey, Izuku."

My mind raced to figure out what was troubling her. She seemed physically okay otherwise she'd be in bed. Was it me? She'd looked peaceful before I came into the room.

I paled. Did she regret the kiss?

Didn't she say that wouldn't happen? But maybe she didn't realize until afterwards…

"Are you having second thoughts about our kiss?" I asked nervously.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, no. That was great…I'm sorry. Um…Izuku, I need to talk to you about something."

As curious as I was about what she wanted to talk about, I was worried if I didn't tell her right then, then I would lose confidence and not be able to tell her.

"Actually, I do too. Is it okay if I talk about mine first?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound rude.

She took a breath and her exhale was shaky. Maybe she wasn't feeling well after all. "Well, mine is kind of important—if I don't say it right now then I don't know if I'll have the strength to later—"

Was she trying to talk to me about the same thing? Was she wanting to confess to me?

"I think we might be trying to say the same thing," I said, reaching for her hand.

She shook her head. "I really doubt that—"

Maybe she was nervous. Ochako flusters easily and so do I so it only makes sense that she doesn't think that I would be trying to confess too. She didn't even register that I was holding her hand right now.

"Izuku, this is really important."

I snapped out of my thoughts. She looked to be near tears.

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, Ochako. I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

If she wanted to be the one to speak first then that was fine by me. I just wish she didn't look so sad.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you this as soon as I knew but…I just didn't know how to tell you—"

I knew exactly what she meant. If it weren't for Iida I probably wouldn't have even had the nerve to come up here and talk to her about it. It was so sweet that she wanted to be the one to tell me first.

"Izuku…my treatments have stopped working," she said, the first drops of tears starting to roll down her face.

I reached up with my free hand to wipe them away. "So, you're going to start a new one, right?" So she was going to have another setback, a little longer until she was cured. I would help her through that. Try to encourage her more and keep her distracted while she waits and undergoes her new treatment.

She shook her head, more tears falling freely. "There's nothing more they can do."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm dying, Izuku."

AN: I feel pretty mean leaving off here. For anyone concerned, this will have a happy ending. It just may have a lot of difficult times in between.