Sorry for the shitty summary, but here it is! My first fanfic in almost three years and my submission for Day 1 (Unstoppable/Perfect Union) of Izuocha week :D Enjoy!


There he goes again. Izuku Midoriya, her inspiration and drive personified, was once more training himself until his bones crumbled. He's been running laps around UA's track for more than an hour already and, while one might not consider that to be very long, he has been doing so at full speed, Full Cowling included. So to say that Ochako and the rest of Class 1-A were worried was an understatement.

There was one thought that hung around in everyone's mind besides their concern, and that was the question of, "Can you really blame him?"

Can anyone fault him for pushing himself to his limit after what happened? The No. 9 Pro Hero, Yoroi Musha, alongside so many other pros, has retired. Civilians would rather use self-defense and support items rather than call on a hero, risking even more casualties. The gates of UA have been vandalized with hero slander and even All Might's statues are getting defaced.

Midnight, their beloved teacher, was dead.

Hero society, as they all know it, is falling apart.

They were all still grieving, and no one is even sure if they have time for that. And anyone who knew Izuku knows that he cannot take all of this lying down.

"If he keeps this up, he's going to be back in the hospital by the end of the day, kero," Tsuyu noted, her brows knitting together in worry. Yet she made no indication to stop him because none of them knew how to make him stop.

Surprisingly enough, Bakugou was the one who responded to her. They, along with a few of their classmates, were lounging in the living room, but not one of them was relaxing. "You should know by now that, unless he's six feet under, no one can stop that damn nerd," he mumbled glumly, his frown deepening. His logic was something nobody could argue with because they all knew it was true.

That was when Ochako had enough. "If nobody will drag him back here, I will," she declared. Her tired eyes hardened in determination as she balled her hands into fists. Flashes of that pro hero looking back at the destruction of the war went through her head and she quickly grounded herself. "Even if it seems unlikely that he'll stop, I need to at least try."

If this was a normal day, Mina would be fawning all over the room and squealing in delight at the prospect of Ochako going to Izuku herself. But now, even her pink classmate couldn't say anything. Ochako was surprised that Mina was even out of her room; Momo was still sequestered in hers, no doubt still crying.

No one protested against her when she stood up and walked out of the dorm, the last thing she saw being Bakugou's eyes. They stared through her in a way she couldn't decipher but if she had to give it a shot…

It almost looked like he was wishing her luck.


When Ochako finally reached the UA track, it looked as if someone had scorched the ground with flames. The energy surrounding Izuku whenever he activated his quirk must've been responsible for that. The boy in question was still in the middle of his run and Ochako noticed that he wasn't using Full Cowling anymore.

If any other person was here, they'd probably be relieved that he wasn't using his quirk anymore. But Ochako knew that Izuku will keep pushing himself beyond his limit, even if he gets his legs ripped off. She could barely get a look at him while he ran yet she noticed his desperation in the way he moved his legs. Desperation to make everything right as if he was at fault for all that had happened.

And so, Ochako held her palm out, the pads on her fingers ready to activate her quirk. The moment Izuku ran past her, she tapped him and sent him flying. He yelped, fumbling around in the air for a few moments before his eyes landed on his friend. "Uraraka-san," he gasped. "Um…hi?"

He tried smiling to ease her concern, but even that he strained to do. Ochako, her face riddled with gloom, tried to smile back as well. "You don't have to pretend, Deku-kun," was all she said.

Izuku immediately got what she was saying and he frowned, ashamed at himself for making the others – making her – worried. When Ochako silently pressed her fingers together, he was gently lifted down. Before he could say anything, a water bottle was pressed against his hand.

"Deku-kun, you…" Ochako fumbled, struggling to find the right words to convey her feelings. "We know we can't stop you from pushing yourself even if we all have to restrain you ourselves, but we also don't want you to kill yourself in the process."

Izuku finished the bottle before he lowered his head. Tears were threatening to spill from his eyes, but all he has done ever since he woke up was grieve. If he wasn't training, he was crying; anyone could see that. "I need to make this right, Uraraka-san," was all he could bring himself to say.

Ochako laughed humorlessly, despite herself. For the first time in a while, a sincere smile appeared on her face, albeit small. "You really are unstoppable, aren't you?" she said with a fond look on her face. She looked away and sat down on the grass, gesturing for Izuku to do the same.

"I…Uraraka-san, I ca-"

"I'm not asking you to stop. None of us are," she said before he could finish. No use in hearing him say something they all knew. "All I'm asking is that you take breaks, at least. Despite what your mind thinks, you're allowed to rest. You're the strongest person I know, but you're not invincible."

Izuku sorely wishes he was if it could help him undo all of the damage the League of Villains has caused. Not just to him, but to everyone. But even he couldn't ignore the way Ochako's face trembled because of what she was asking from him.

"When Tsuyu-chan and I assisted in the cleanup, I could barely keep track of anything anymore," Ochako started. Her eyes locked onto the setting sun as she recalled the wreckage she strained herself to lift. "There were just so many screams. I was doing all I can to try and save everyone, but it never felt like enough. There were too many casualties and civilians stranded in falling buildings, and there were too few heroes left to help."

This was new to Izuku. He found out about the cleanup soon after he had awoken and he knew his two friends helped out, but he never really got the specifics of it. When he found out about Midnight and Native, he didn't want to hear anything else.

Ochako clearly had something to tell him, though. So he chose to listen.

"I was so close to collapsing, Deku-kun. There were still so many civilians left, and I was starting to wonder if I could even save them all," she muttered, her voice barely audible as she sniffled. "I was about to go back and see if anyone needed help until I saw this one hero just standing there. He wasn't helping, just…looking at all of the destruction, I guess. I heard him say that he should probably look for a new job."

Izuku was horrified, to say the least. A hero quitting, just like that? When there were people out there who still needed to be saved? He could understand why a lot of pro heroes are truly starting to come to terms with what their symbols and costumes mean and that could pressure anyone, even him. But to just give up without even trying to rebuild what had been broken? To leave when almost all is lost? It almost sounded ludicrous to him. He wasn't the type of person who could call anyone cowardly but…

"If I were you, I probably would've recognized him," Ochako said, chuckling slightly to try and lighten the mood. "Knowing you, you would've convinced him to stay, somehow."

Izuku scratched the back of his head, looking bashful. "Yeah. I would probably have a speech prepared and all." They both shared a laugh at the thought of it. It wasn't long, however, until Izuku spoke again. "It just…feels entirely foreign to me, finding out that a hero could just give up like that. To find out that not all of them are the same in their conviction, it's…"

Ochako pursed her lips and sighed. "I think all heroes have an inner drive in them to save. But with all that has been revealed recently and all that we've lost, I can't blame anyone for wanting to run away from it all. Even if we take the brunt of their loss, as well." When Izuku looked back at her with his eyes fearful, she quickly waved her hands. "That doesn't mean I'm quitting, though! But for teenagers like us, it really is a lot to take in."

She looked away briefly and tightened her grip on her knees. "We were in a war, Deku-kun; a war where people died and with no clear victor." She relaxed her hands and looked down at the pads on her fingers. "That's why I'm going to do the best that I can so that something like this will never happen again, and I know you will, too."

"Uraraka-san…" Izuku squeaked, wiping his eyes. "You're unstoppable, too, you know? And I couldn't be happier knowing that I'm not alone." He smiled – truly smiled – and curled his hand into a fist.

Ochako smiled as well and bumped her fist against his. Afterward, they both kept gazing onto the horizon. "You, Kacchan, Todoroki-kun, and everyone else. We can all pull through together, I know it!" Izuku declared before his expression softened once more. "The Symbol of Peace may be gone and All For One may be planning something – something big. But there is still hope for good to prevail, even if our society is flawed and everything is unclear right now."

"Just don't forget to look after yourself," Ochako chided slightly, nudging him with her arm. "If you're out of commission, maybe then I'll quit."

"U-Uraraka-san!" Izuku yelled, dropping his jaw. He was mortified at her statement.

"I was joking!" she said, laughing profusely at his expense. "It's flattering to know that the thought scares you, though."

Still emotional, Izuku turned to face her. "Of course it does! You're one of my first friends in UA," he stated, remembering their first day in class; it felt like ages ago. "If you quit just like that hero, I would be…very sad." He mumbled the last part as if he was also saying it to himself.

Ochako placed a hand on his shoulder to calm his nerves. "Don't worry," she reassured with a smile. "I would never think of it."

Silence settled between the both of them after that. As they sat there, observing the stillness of the atmosphere around them, the surrealness of this moment was almost weird. The campus around them mostly looked the same, but their world and perspective had changed so much in the small amount of time they spent away from their school. Their first year as UA students was barely over and here they were, coming to terms with yet another near-death experience. It really was a lot to take in, but it was easier to digest knowing that they weren't the only ones feeling this way.

"Thank you, Uraraka-san," Izuku said sincerely, turning his head to glance at her. "You help keep me grounded and I...I really appreciate that."

Ochako giggled at the irony of his words. "Guess I need some more training, then. My quirk isn't really supposed to do that," she remarked, causing him to chuckle once more. "But...you don't need to thank me, Deku-kun. If anything, I've only gotten this far thanks to you." She scratched her head before suddenly realizing the meaning of her words.

"Y-You and Tsuyu-chan and Iida-kun have inspired me so much, I mean!" she quickly clarified, waving her hands. Ochako resisted the urge to cover her face with her hands and float away, lest she embarrasses herself even more. Thankfully, Izuku seemed to understand what she was saying.

"I guess we have each other to thank, then," he said softly. "Yet hearing about your drive to save everyone, it both relieves me and scares me."

When Ochako frowned in confusion, Izuku's face flushed. "I know that it sounds hypocritical coming from me but that drive, it…" He gulped, tightening his hands into fists. "It can hurt you. I don't want that."

The way he hung his head in shame after he said that made Ochako's heart ache. Izuku's bearing the weight of the world as it is on his shoulders, and now he's blaming himself because of her.

She scooted closer and leaned her head on his shoulder. Despite her beating heart, she stayed there.

"Even if I didn't throw myself out there, I'd still be hurt, Deku-kun. Just hearing about the pain you, Bakugou, and Todoroki endured…" A couple of tears streamed down her face. "If Bakugou hadn't pushed you out of the way, you could've gotten stabbed, Izuku! It was a miracle that Todoroki managed to get you both out," she sobbed.

Izuku couldn't say anything. His lips were a thin line as he wrapped his arm around Ochako's shoulder in an attempt to console her. "The fact that you're still here, sitting next to me, I…" She covered her mouth with her hand, careful not to let all five fingers touch. "I'm so relieved."

"I'm sor-"

"No. Don't be," Ochako interrupted him, wiping her face. "You were doing the best you can and no one could ever fault you for that. But if I had been there, maybe I could've helped minimize some of the damage at least…"

"Uraraka, are you…" He gulped with trembling eyes. "Are you blaming yourself?"

"You and Bakugou could do so much more than I could in that situation," she mumbled. "If I had been impaled instead, you both could've-"

"Please, not another word, Ochako!" Izuku begged. He, too, was crying now and he didn't bother fighting his urge to hug her close. They buried their heads in each others' shoulders, no longer caring if anyone else saw them. "How could you say something like that? If that happened, I…I would never forgive myself…!"

His mind flashed back to Bakugou's bleeding body after All For One's tendrils had impaled him. The way his heart dropped and his fury soared after seeing his friend in shambles was indescribable. If Ochako had been in his place instead…

There was no doubt that the sight would haunt him and Bakugou for a very long time.

Just the thought of Ochako drenched in her own blood because of him made Izuku grip her tighter. He had already lost his mentor and his teacher. He nearly lost his childhood friend. If anything had also happened to Ochako, he-

"Heh," she chuckled amidst her weeping. "I guess we're both hopeless."

They pulled away to look at each other. Izuku fumbled with his fingers as he looked down once more. "Yeah. I guess we are." He frowned once more and, still high from the adrenaline of the moment, boldly grasped her hand in his. "But Urara- Ochako," he corrected himself. "Please promise me that you won't think like that again."

"Well, I had to get that kind of selflessness from someone," she tried joking once more. Izuku didn't laugh this time. Sighing, she gave him a sad smile. "I'll try not to blame myself so much but you know I won't be able to help myself when the moment comes, right? If you're in danger, I'm always going to try and save you."

Izuku tried to protest but Ochako's firm gaze silenced him. "I know you can't promise me the same thing because you'll also do that if our situations were reversed, so let's do this instead." She removed her hand from his and locked their pinkies together. "Let's just swear to be there for each other, no matter what."

The gesture seemed so touching, almost childish, and it made Izuku smile. He raised both of their hands and shyly returned her gaze. "You make it sound so easy."

"So simple, you mean. Things don't always have to be so complicated," she stated with a grin. "So, do you swear on it?"

Izuku nodded, grinning back. "I swear on it."

"That's that, then," she nodded, releasing his pinky to pump her fist. "You'll always have Uravity behind your back, Deku," she declared. She managed to summon a bit of her usual cheerfulness back as she sat before him.

The sight of her caused Izuku to smile so warmly that Ochako was taken aback. "Thank you," he said once more.

The way Ochako stuttered when she said it back caused them both to laugh and, just for a moment, the world seemed right again. When the sky darkened and the stars came out to greet them, they both stood up to walk back to the dorm together. As they soaked in each other's company, thinking about the next day didn't sound as dreadful as it once did. With the state of hero society as it currently was, even if the whole world were to go against them, at least they knew they had each other.


Look, guys! I mentioned 'unstoppable' twice! T-That counts for this prompt, right...?
Anyway, I really woke up today and chose to be angsty, huh. :P But hey, at least the ending turned out to be pretty wholesome. It's a bit cheesy, but I also wasn't sure as to how much more I wanted to add to it. So I just let it be.
If you have any comments or criticisms, especially if you saw any grammar/spelling/punctuation errors, please say so! I would love to improve from your feedback.
Thank you for reading! :D