Ch. 10 Moth to a Flame

Ochaco chewed her food bitterly as she peered through the binoculars in her hand. Sitting nearby, happily munching away out of his bento box, was Deku. A smug, jaunty smile popped on his lips while he ate. They were in costume, parked on the edge of the roof with masks off and feet dangling freely below them.

Uravity pointed her binoculars at the little warehouse across the street. She huffed in frustration, which caught Midoriya's attention.

"Something wrong, starchild?" She hated that. She hated his little nicknames, the way he spoke to her as if they were ordinary friends out on the town, how his voice sent warm shivers running down her spine. Ochaco shot Deku with a glare. They sat in silence as she stewed in her own thoughts.

Ochaco looked up to the night sky. They were a little outside of city limits, where trees and highways began to overtake the cluster of skyscrapers. Light pollution still obscured her view of the twinkling galaxy that always comforted her.

Not another failure… Please let her be here this time.

It had been a little over a month since their deal had been struck, and this was their third stakeout together. Their first outing had been a massive success. The two had pre-planned their approach to the next predicted "shipment" of girls to the hotel. Deku agreed to be the lookout, giving Uraraka her cue to jump in while she led a small team to clean up. Thankfully, it had gone off without a hitch. Mina, Hikari, and a small squad of police officers led by Yonezu were perfect teammates. Uraraka remembered the faces of everyone Mina and Hiraki helped to rescue. Each face may have been marked with endless fear, but the reassuring looks that Mina and Hiraki gave were enough to turn them around. Ochaco had been part of the lead strike force. She sulked around corridors and hid in shadows, waiting for unsuspecting victims to pounce on. Yonezu took their strike team close behind. It would have been a total victory in her books but there was one annoying bug in her ear the whole time.

"Starchild?" Deku asked once more, pulling her out of her reverie.

She bared her teeth at him, but didn't respond. With the awkward silence that ensues, Deku tried speaking with her again with knit brows of concern. Brows knit in concern, Deku tried speaking with her again.

"You okay? I was just saying I think this might be another bust."

While their first outing had yielded success, the following ones were very much the same as tonight: sitting in a tense, awkward silence while they watched in hope that they'd catch some activity. Uraraka wasn't ready to give up, though. She checked the time on her phone, pocketing it back in its own belt compartment.

"Maybe. I wanna keep watchin' for another hour, though. You headed out?" Deku shook his head, the shaggy curls on top sweeping through the air.

"No, if you're gonna stay, then I should stick around. Besides, I like keeping you company!" Deku looked at Ochako straight in the eye and perked up with an unstoppable grin. Ochako rolled her and handed him the binoculars so that she could eat the rest of dinner properly. She shuffled in place as best as she could, turning her back partly to Deku. That damned smile of his always found a way to warm her up. Sometimes it haunted her dreams. Ochaco shook the thought off and began chewing her food.

Deku sighed ruefully. "You're really not gonna talk to me, Princess?" Ochaco started to choke. Those damn nicknames again! There was also that wounded tone in his voice. Everything about Deku frustrated her to no end. He tried to help her out, henpecking her as she furiously waved him off. After a gulp of water, Ochaco wiped her mouth and breathed.

"Yeah, I'm really-" cough "-not gonna talk to ya. Why would I? After we find Yuang, I'm hauling you to jail. That's it." Deku continued to look down, spyglass in his lap. He didn't move, didn't make a sound. Uraraka was perplexed by the look on his face. It just did not sit right on Deku, like a poorly fitted shirt. He was helpless in his own dejected state and it burned her up.

She squashed the urge to throw her chopsticks at him. "Ugh, fine. What do you wanna talk about?"

Deku stayed quiet and just shook his head. Ochaco felt her anger peak. A few more seconds passed while she mentally berated her would-be companion. "I've never known you to shut up. Just spit it out, okay? If it'll get you to stop being such a baby."

Something new lit up Deku's face, bewildering Uraraka more. She hated to admit it, but whatever look he was giving her now felt better than the one it had replaced. He shook his a bit, averting his gaze in uncertainty. Midoriya looked back at her with a quivering smile and cleared his throat.

"Um, would you...w-would you l-like to play a game w-with me?" Ochaco was taken aback. Her eyes grew wide with skepticism. Deku swallowed hard, looking away as he continued to talk. "I-it's an easy one. You a-ask me some questions, I give you some answers. Then we switch. I figured… I figured, if we're going to be working together, we should maybe get to know one another."

"Are you serious? You wanna play games while this poor girl is out there being abused by a bunch of assholes no better'n you? Yeah, no. We're done talkin'."

"Ah c'mon, Uravity," Deku pleaded, "I'm not that bad. You could find out if you just asked questions. I promise I'll be honest." Uraraka barked out a harsh laugh. She rolled her eyes and got up, Deku in tow. Uravity brushed herself and shook her head.

"'You can't trust a crook to be honest,'" she quoted. Deku ran a hand through his fluffy hair.

"Only if you don't give me a chance to earn your trust. C'mon, Uravity. What've you got to lose? I'm already headed to jail, aren't I?" She tried to turn away from those begging green eyes. She really did, but somehow they pulled her into them and Ochaco was awash with something akin to pity. It was true; he was going away for good after this was done. Whether he made good on that promise or not. There wasn't any harm in getting more evidence to use against him when he was offering it freely. Uraraka checked her phone once more and balked at how much time they had left.

"Fine, let's play Twenty Questions."

"Ah ah," Deku retorted, wagging his finger with a sleazy grin, "Twenty-One Questions, Ms. Hero." He giggled at her eye roll and invited her to sit back down. Midoriya composed himself and laid out some ground rules.

"No asking about Quirks. I already know about yours and mine isn't interesting. We take turns asking until we've hit twenty one. Anything you want off the table, Uravity? Any extra rules?"

"I can think of a few things," she mused. Uraraka tapped a finger to her chin before answering. "Alright, so I can't talk about your Quirk? Fine. There's not much about me that isn't out there already, but I guess I'd say my family is off limits. I don't need you to know anything about them."

"OK alright," he nodded, "Anything else? No, okay. You can ask me anything." Uraraka shot out a question before she could even think. Deku's smile only grew.

"What's your real name?"

"Ah, Princess," he gave with glassy eyes lost in a dream, "You already know it." Deku winked at her and waited patiently for the next question.

"Ugh, alright, Deku," Ochaco coughed out, "Your turn." He grew a wicked smile, rubbing his hands together.

"What's your favorite thing to eat?"

Time flew by and Ochaco strangely found herself actually relaxing around Deku. When her defenses weren't up, she could appreciate his charm. Izuku was witty, jovial, and had a brightness about him that drew her in. A moth to flame. He made her laugh a few times, which caught her off-guard. It felt like they were just two friends catching up, not polar opposites on a job. More than once, Ochaco felt her face heat up at his gorgeous smile. Izuku never brought it up, which she was thankful for. She didn't learn much about him. He was open to answering anything she threw at him, but there was reluctance inside that held her back. Ochaco opted to keep things on a lighter note as they were wrapping up the night. A beeping came from Midoriya's wrist and his smile twisted a little on his lips. He clapped his knees and got up.

"Alright, Princess, time to go." Deku helped her up and gave a deep bow to her. Ochaco could only laugh at his antics. She was getting too comfortable around Midoriya, but she wasn't sure if that was altogether a bad thing. Deku rubbed the back of his neck uncharacteristically. He seemed a little flustered and uncertain of what to do next. "So...until next time?"

"Yup. Keep me posted on when we should come back here or if you find out anything new." Deku donned his mask while nodding in agreement. Just before he took off, Ochaco stopped him. "And hey, Midoriya?"

"Yeah, Sunflower?" Always with the nicknames.

"Just curious: why're you calling all the shots? If we're gonna work together, we need to take turns setting up these stakeouts." This was a tried-and-true tactic Ochaco had used before on partners in the past. Failure was usually guaranteed, but every once in a while there'd come along someone who'd get it right. Midoriya looked at her with a thoughtful lean of his head.

"You know what, I'll think about it and let you know. Promise; we'll keep this even. See ya, Ms. Hero." Well, that isn't exactly a pass, but it's not a fail either.

"G'night, you crook." With that, Uraraka took off and leapt away towards the next building. She left Deku in her wake to stare in awe of her grace and speed. She activated her boosters, flying through the clusters of trees. A minute or so later, she was pulling fronded branches that were piled over her sleek motorcycle. Built by Mei and Melissa, it was a machine unlike any other. Pale rose panels accented the glossy black body. A glass console sat in-between the handles, lit by electric blue words as she touched her fingers to it one at a time. The bike hummed to life as the same blue light bled into lines between the panels and in a ring at the wheels. She dimmed the lights, settling herself in for a long ride.

Uraraka hair whipped in the air while she sped along the highway. The cool air kissed her fingers and neck, making her hum in delight. She wanted to lose herself in the ride, but found that her brain wouldn't let her. Instead, it kept going back to Deku. It bothered her how he seemed to bounce back so quickly from her rebukes. Of course, her reaction to his melancholy perturbed worse. Deku was an enigma and she would have to understand him in order to plan ahead. Uraraka didn't really trust that a villain would give themselves up so easily and she had to prepare for it.

Just who are you? What's your angle? It was a head-scratcher for sure, but the thing that really bothered her was how happy she was around him. The anger and resentment she felt still lingered, but now it mixed with that odd sensation she had when they had danced. Ochaco bit her lip as she tried to focus on the road. The elation that bubbled up inside was something she thought she had put aside months ago. Uraraka knew she had to be careful going forward, but for now she allowed herself this brief moment of joy.


Ochaco stretched and yawned loudly as she walked into the office. The mid-afternoon sunlight glowed brightly as she sauntered in. She greeted a few interns with the wave of a free hand and continued straight to her little corner. As she reached her door, Ochaco felt Mina's shout coming before she heard it.

"Ocha! Babe, how are ya?" Mina jumped on Uraraka, wrapping her pink arms around the shoulders. Ochaco laughed, lowering her friend so that they could properly greet each other. Mina's beaming face looked a bit strained at the corners of her mouth. Uraraka paused, but didn't give it further thought.

"Hey, Ashido. You look happy today! What's going on? Did...?" Ochaco gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth, "Did it happen? Did Kirishima finally-?"

"Hahaha! What? Pffft, girl, no. That blockhead's gonna take forever to figure out what's going on. No, I got some exciting news for you! C'mon, we don't want to keep him waiting." Him? We weren't expecting any visitors today.

"M-Mina," Ochaco laughed shakily as her partner pulled her arm, "Can't I put my stuff down?"

"Fiiiiiine," Ashido whined. Ochaco unlocked the door and lost all sense of self when she stepped through. Her office was dark, the window blinds lowered and closed. Nothing had changed since she was last in to do some paperwork except for her desk. Standing in the middle of the table top was a tall vase made of green ceramic with a pink silk bow at the neck. Filling it was the largest bouquet of sunflowers she had ever seen. Really, it was the biggest collection of any flowers she'd ever laid her eyes on. Ochaco held a smile at bay. She knew who it was from. There was no need to look at the card hanging on the bow.

I shouldn't be this happy to see this, she thought to herself, But who am I kidding? I never get flowers. Never got them before...

"Oh. My. God. 'Chaco! What are those?!" Mina's shriek pulled her out of her conflicted thoughts. Uraraka's face burned up as Ashido squeezed past her. Ochaco vainly tried to stop her friend from reading the calling card. Thankfully, it was just a plain white card and not his business card.

"Ahem. 'To Sunflower: Miss you. Hope you're alright. Saw these and thought of you. Call me when you want to have another date. Love -I.' D'awwww, Ochaco..."

"Hahaha, it's really not like that, Mina," Uraraka refuted in spite of Ashido's cooing. "It's a joke, that's all. Do I really look like a pet-name-and-flowers kinda girl?"

"Oh, uh, yes, absolutely, Uraraka," Mina shot back without hesitation. Ochaco paled at the answer, rubbing her neck in confusion. Didn't take myself for a sap...

"Anyway, kudos to you," Mina said with a bright smile, replacing the card on the bouquet, "You can tell me all about Prince Charming later. Now put your stuff down and follow me!" Uraraka gave another laugh as she set her items next to the vase. She touched a solar yellow leaf, a soft look in her eyes as she felt the floral between the pads of her fingers. There was an undesirable pull there, a sort of light that drew her in and lowered her guard. With a bit of mental flexion, Ochaco pulled away from the sunflowers and followed after Mina.

Mina waved Ochaco over to her own office. Uraraka turned the corner and felt her jaw drop. Sitting across from Ashido's desk was a wiry, round-faced gentleman. His brown suit pants and crisp white shirt were impeccably pressed. A matching sports coat hung on the back of the chair where he sat. Caramel-colored wingtip shoes gleamed at the end of his pant legs. His dark hair was covered up by a short-brimmed fedora. Black, thickly-framed glasses laid on the bridge of his nose. Behind those frames were a pair of brilliant emerald eyes that had been haunting her lately. She felt fury burn inside her, but she did her best to hide it. Better to play along than alert Mina.

"Ochaco, this is Mr. Sakamoto of the Per Diem Trumpeter. He wants to interview us for his paper! Apparently, we've been getting more attention lately. Isn't that great?"

Uraraka gave Ashido a wooden smile and did her best to not look at the man sitting next to her. She could feel that familiar illuminating smile, burning hot like a spotlight that was fixed on her. Mina rubbed her hands together in excitement, leaning back in her chair with glee.

"So, Mr. Sakamoto, whaddya want to know?"

"Ah, well," he spoke with a bit of a hoarse voice, clearing it best as he could, "C-could I have some water?" Midoriya didn't have the warmth she was used to, but Ochaco figured that it was all part of the act. Mina nodded enthusiastically and squeezed past Uraraka.

"Yeah, I'll be right back! I think I know where I've got some spare bottles..."

With Ashido gone, Uraraka rounded on the gentleman sitting next to her. He grinned widely against her harsh scowl. "Mr. Sakamoto" held his hands up defensively. Ochaco shook with fury and unleashed a spiteful whisper at him.

"What are you doing here? In my office! This better be good or I swear to God, Deku!"

"I know, I know! I should have waited for you to call me, but I just… I wanted to see you, erm, sooner. Besides, how were you gonna call me? I forgot to write my number on the card," Deku explained as his face burned up. Ochaco just couldn't believe her luck. Here was a dangerous villain who had been interfering with her life, and he had the audacity to be embarrassed. "And I'm not just here for a social call. I found a lead that sounds really promising."

"Spit it out," Ochaco shot. Deku shook his head as his grin wavered.

"Soon, but first: did you like the flowers?" Ochaco almost punched him; would have too if his bright face wasn't so hopeful. She relented, unclenching her fist slowly. Uraraka did her best to not look him square in the eye.

"Deku, seriously. What's going on? Did you find Yuang?"

"You're no fun, you know," Deku pouted, "I haven't found her, but I did learn something interesting: they're onto us." He leaned in closer to her, eyes a little manic as he waited for her to react. Despite her confusion, Uraraka held her ground against his crazed expression.

"Who's 'they?' Is it like some gang or what?" Deku sat back down, tucking in some stray green curls under his hat.

"Right, right," Deku muttered, "Okay, so here's how I think this breaks down. There's this ring of smugglers: The Catchers. Don't get hung up on their name; they're the ones making the 'orders.' The Oozers - they're those guys you fought off in the subway - help bring in those people. I just don't know who's running The Catchers. Every time I've, um, talked to a Catcher they absolutely refuse to give me any names."

"But you have a hunch, don't you?" Ochaco watched his brow relax slightly. Midoriya nodded and continued speaking with a rushed breath.

"I do, but there's one person I can't confirm just yet. We've got Mori and Hosori-"

"Wait, Captain Hosori? How's she involved in this? Yeah, she's a major pain in the ass, but she ain't dirty." Deku shook his head, eyes darting around in thought.

"You're far too trusting, Uravity. Didn't we leave Yuang with Hosori? Doesn't it bother you that she's been so uncooperative with your agency lately? No, I think I'm right on the money with this."

Ochaco ran a hand through her hair, blowing out a gust of air in frustration. This was a lot to take in, and she needed to tell Mina what was going on. The thought of Ashido prompted her to turn towards the door.

"Say, you didn't do anything to Mina, did you?" Deku snapped out of his thoughts and did a double take. He looked like a lost puppy, which only served to irritate Uraraka.

"I didn't-"

"Okay! I'm back!" Mina shouted, bursting through the doorway with a few bottles of water in each hand, "Sorry that took so long. I had to go diggin' for these babies." Mina wiggled past Ochaco and passed out the drinks. Sitting with a deep sigh of satisfaction, Ashido leaned back far enough in her chair to rest her boots on the desktop.

An awkward lull fell upon the room. Ochaco sipped at her bottle, watching Mina leisurely drink. Deku kept a neutral expression and rifled through his note pad. Uraraka was impressed that he kept his cool under such pressure, though he might have only been so collected due to his own arrogance. Mina was the first to break the ice with a cheeky smile that split across her face.

"So, Mr. Sakamoto, can I ask you something?" Deku looked up, putting on a winning grin of his own. He began to dig in his coat for something as he answered.

"Of course! Go ahead, I'm just looking for a pen."

"Okay. What are your intentions with my Uraraka, Mr. Deku?" Ochaco began to choke on her water. Midoriya started to fuss over her, almost falling out of his chair as he tried to help. Mina continued to drink quietly, her golden eyes casually watching the scene unfold before her.

"U-Uravity! Are you okay?"

"D-Deku? M-Mina, are - cough! - are you sure you haven't been day drinking?" Uraraka choked out, her voice hoarse from exertion. Mina capped her bottle and smacked her lips for a moment. She regarded them with an unreadable expression.

"I'm not stupid, 'Chaco. I think I would remember the guy who toyed with you at the Gala." Mina narrowed her eyes to burn Midoriya with scorn. Ochaco waved him off and he sat down, visibly swallowing his fear down under Ashido's scathing glare. "Just what's your game, asshole? Do you know how happy my Uraraka has been recently?"

"H-ha-happy?" Ochaco began to wheeze again. Happy? She's gotta be outta her damn mind!

"I'm sorry, Pinky, but I think you've mistaken me for someone else," Midoriya replied. He pulled out his wallet and showed them his driver's license. If Ochaco didn't know better, she would have accepted the genuine item. Mina scrutinized it, taking the card out and turning it over in her hands. Ashido shook her head, placing the card into the wallet. She flung it at Deku.

"Nope, you're Deku, alright. Just look at 'Chaco. She's practically glowing 'cause of you!"

"Mina, that's actually because I was choking on some water! This isn't Deku! Do you think he'd be crazy enough to show up here?" Ashido's conviction wavered a bit. Her eyes darted between Deku and Uraraka, her brows knitting themselves further into turmoil as time continued. Just as she thought they were in the clear, Ochaco heard Deku clear his throat. They shared a look. Ochaco tried to plead with him, but she could tell his mind was made up.

"Sorry, Sunflower. She's got me dead to rights." Midoriya smiled at her sadly, removing his hat and glasses. Midoriya took out a handkerchief to wipe his face off. With the transformation complete, Deku gave the same tragic smile to Mina, who puckered her lips in thought. Uraraka felt her blood run cold. It was as if time had slowed to a painful stop, her heartbeat thrumming against her ribs.

"M-Mina, I can explain-'' Ashido held up a hand but didn't break eye contact with Deku. Her partner rocked in her chair, still leaving them in the awkward, heavy silence that stifled the air.

"I'm only going to ask again, Deku: what are your intentions with Ochaco?" Midoriya glanced over to Ochaco, giving her a reassuring smile. He sat up straighter, drawing up a bit of courage to answer Pinky.

"I dragged her into a mess that I created. I just want to do right by her. Besides, we make a pretty good team. Why break up the band when we're on a roll?"

"And there's nothing else? You're just fixing a situation with her?" Mina asked. She sounded unconvinced. Ashido lowered her boots and leaned forward in her chair to peer into Deku's face more closely. To his credit, he didn't flinch, didn't move. Ochaco felt as if she could die right then and there, sitting in Mina's office and watching her friend stare Midoriya down. Something must have clicked with Ashido, because her face lit up with a smile and she leaned back in her chair, relaxing a little. Uraraka felt the air lighten up, allowing her to finally breathe.

"Okay, Deku. I read you, loud and clear. Now get out of our office. Don't come back until you have a lead that gets us to Yuang, got it?" Deku prepared to leave, donning his disguise once more. Mina threw a baby blue medical mask at him from the drawer. He thanked her and stepped past Uraraka. Izuku stopped for a second as their gazes latched onto one another. She thought he was going to say something, the words swimming in his deep green irises. He opted to put the mask over his mouth and closed the door behind him as he left. The two heroes sat in silence, Ochaco's dread mounting in her chest and rising up to her eyes.

Mina groaned painfully, her head collapsing on her desk. Ochaco reached out to her, but stopped short. She bit her lip in guilt and waited for the coming storm.

"Ochaco, you know we're partners, right?" Mina asked, scratching her scalp roughly.

Uraraka felt her guts twist. Mina's voice was devoid of any accusation, but Ochaco knew it was buried under years of working together, trust they had built up only to be torn by her own blindness.

"Mina...I'm so sorry. I should have told you-"

"Well, as your friend and partner, let me give you some advice: you can't save him. No matter how bad you might want to, he's just too far gone. I mean, he's a wanted man! What were you thinking?"

"Mina, it's not like that-"

"Bullshit, and you know it, 'Chaco! Don't lie to me," Mina demanded. Tears started to form in both of their eyes. Ashido was now frowning in an attempt to stave off shedding any rogue droplets, which began to streak down her pink face. "Just...promise me that you're only looking for Yuang and that you'll keep me in the loop from now on. Promise me."

Uraraka closed her eyes. Mina was right. Something in her had gone astray, making her lose focus on what was important. She was disgusted with herself. This is just like when I was with Kat...

"I promise, Mina. I promise."

Mina sighed loudly and got up. She looked wounded as she bit back a shout. Ochaco flinched, feeling the ugliness of the situation burn at her face, squeezing her ribcage tightly. Ashido shook her head, storming out of the office. "I've got to get going. I'm gonna be late for a thing with Kiri. Oh, 'Sunflower?' I know he's no better than a petty thief, but you gotta watch yourself around Deku. He's a thief, alright, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Uraraka was left shaking in Mina's wake, fighting back a sob. Guilt wracked her mind as she tortured herself over her own failure to come clean. That, and Mina was right: she really thought she could pull Deku out of the dark. She had tried before with others and it always ended poorly.

I just thought that it would stick this time. Ugh! I can't believe how stupid I've been. Mina…Yuang…I won't let you down again.

Ochaco somberly walked back to her office. Her arms swung heavily at her sides as she closed the door behind her. The vase of sunflowers still stood in the middle of her desk. They mocked her in the dark of the office. With her face twisted in agony, Uraraka grabbed a hold of the porcelain and lifted it from the table top. She cocked back her arm, only to lower the vase back down. Ochaco fell to her knees, genuflecting before the sunflowers, and wept.