Category: Hurt and Comfort

Characters: Ochako Uraraka, Fumikage Tokoyami

Requested By: generic-goblin (Tumblr)

Ochako hummed happily to herself as she watched the cup of instant ramen slowly spin in the microwave. Her brown eyes focused on the bubbling water slipping out of the lid to roll in steaming droplets down the patterned plastic side. Her mouth watered as her mind danced with visions of soft noodles, hearty vegetables, and tender meat. She'd scored some high-scale ramen at a supermarket sale, so Ochako vibrated with excitement, simply dying to taste the fancy noodles from which she was typically barred. She watched the seconds tick down with mounting excitement. Before the microwave even had a chance to beep with the finished countdown, she popped the machine open.

"Oh my Goooooood," she exhaled exultantly as the aroma of cooked ramen wafted up her nose. Her eyelashes fluttered with ecstasy just smelling it, so naturally, her tastebuds tingled in rapt anticipation. Using a dishtowel to transport the hot cup, she scurried over to her small table and set the cup down. Wielding her chopsticks in one hand, she slowly peeled the lid back and watched with dilated pupils as hot steam billowed from within. The noodles looked simply perfect bobbing in the light brown broth, and a thick slice of chicken surrounded by green onions, spinach, and carrots practically screamed at her to be eaten. Laughing almost maniacally with exaltation, she plucked the meat from the broth, which dripped deliciously from its off-white surface. Ochako blew on it briefly before slipping it into her mouth. With a delighted, muffled squeal, she melted against the floor, having achieved nirvana with just one bite.

"Soooo gooooood," she groaned blissfully. The ramen was seasoned to perfection, and the healthy blend of vegetables only added to the delectable taste. She flopped back up and began digging into the ramen with gusto, savoring each swathe of noodles with airy giggles before inhaling some more. She was so enraptured with her meal that she didn't notice that her phone was ringing until she almost missed the call.

"Hello? Hello?" she cried into the phone as she hurriedly picked it up, her voice slightly distorted from the noodles still shoved into her mouth. She quickly swallowed, beaming when her mother voiced greeting on the other end of the line. "Oh, hi, Mom! What's up?" she asked and pushed the ramen aside to hold conversation properly. They made pleasant small talk, but there was a particular strain in her mother's voice that had Ochako's nerves buzzing suspiciously. When her mother abruptly sighed, Ochako inquired, "Mom? Is everything all right?" Silence hummed in the other end of the line for several seconds.

"I don't know, 'Chako," her mother finally admitted in a small voice. Unnerved, Ochako tucked her legs under herself and narrowed her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Your father… His company lost a really, really big building deal." Ochako gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth in shock. Her mother's voice shook tremulously as she struggled not to cry, but Ochako could practically hear the fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "He's been working so hard to score this contract for three months… But the investors went with someone else. It's already so difficult finding projects in the winter," her mother lamented woefully. "This was our only shot. I don't know what we're going to do, Ochako. The bills are mounting up, and I just… I just…" Her mother trailed off into bitter sobs.

"Mom, it'll be okay," Ochako offered weakly. She wanted to help her mother, but the fear crept up, spilling a dreadful cold feeling through every inch of her body. "You know… It always is," she continued lamely. Ochako struggled to offer encouragement to the weeping woman, but every forced reassurance fell pitifully short. After about five minutes of weak consoling, her mother quietly thanked Ochako for listening and assured her not to worry about her parents' financial struggles. By this time, her body had gone painfully numb. Ochako couldn't even feel her limb moving as she slowly lowered her cell phone to the table. She stared down at the half-finished bowl of ramen, and her belly twisted with nausea.

Guilt swept through her like a tidal wave. Sure, she'd gotten the ramen on sale, but she'd still splurged and spent an extra dollar or two on the package. How could she be so selfish when her parents were literally struggling to make ends meet? Shameful tears burned in the corners of her eyes; as they slipped down her cheeks, they felt like lava, searing marks into her skin. She pushed the cup away, no longer able to bear the thought of finishing it. She had no right.

Ochako pressed her face into her palms as sobs gripped her body. "Oh, Mama… Oh, Papa… I'm so sorry!" she cried petulantly. In her anguish, she didn't think to quiet her crying, and instead wailed openly. Mina's room was down the hall, and the bubbly pink girl frequently spent her evenings in the first-floor common area, so by all rights, Ochako thought no one would hear her sobbing.

That's why the light, timid knock at her dorm room door nearly startled her out of her skin.

"Uraraka?" The wood muffled the voice, making it difficult for her to hear who exactly it was, but it sounded like one of the boys. "Uraraka, are you… okay? I heard… I heard you crying." Ochako shakily stood up and swiped at her face, trying to conceal the evidence of her misery.

"I-I'm coming!" she cried, stumbling over herself to get to the door. In her clumsiness, she banged her shin against the corner of the table. She swallowed a pained squeal and stood there for a second to let the burning pain subside. "J-just a second!" she called, her voice now several octaves higher, as she slowly limped to the door. She tossed her hair from her face as she opened it, forcing a bright, fake grin on her face. "Oh, hey, Tokoyami!" she cheerfully greeted the feathered boy standing at her door.

Fumikage inspected her critically.

"Uh… Are you okay?" Fumikage asked suspiciously. Ochako's cheesy grin didn't falter as she leaned casually against the door frame, mentally cursing as her shin flared with pain once more.

"I-I, of course, why wouldn't I be okay?" she asked with a nervous chuckle. Fumikage's red eyes looked her up and down, drinking in her very disheveled appearance.

"Uh-huh…" he droned disbelievingly. "Well, I was just at Shoji's room," he explained while pointing over his shoulder, "and when I was heading to the stairs, I heard you crying… pretty loud…"

"Are you sure it's not Mina? She's been soooooo stressed about the upcoming winter finals."

"Mina's downstairs."

"Ummm, someone's television could be on…"

"Please stop lying to me, Uraraka. I'd rather you just tell me that you don't want to talk about it." Ochako's plastic smile fell from her face immediately to crash at her feet like porcelain, making her nerves prickle up her legs. Fumikage's eyes had taken on an irritatedly concerned aura, and it felt like those ruby irises bored straight into her soul. Ochako's bottom lip wobbled as she stared at him culpably.

I do want to talk about it, she realized sadly. With a troubled sigh, she stepped aside and tiredly gestured for Fumikage to enter. He hesitated a second, jerking as he debated stepping over the threshold, before stiffly walking into the room. Ochako swung the door closed and then walked over to her bed, where she slumped onto it like a bag of lard.

Fumikage leaned against the wall opposite her and crossed his arms, capturing her in an intense but not judgemental gaze. "So, what happened?" Ochako played with her fingers for a minute before answering.

"My parents are having money problems…" she admitted in a tiny voice. "My dad works in construction, and he just lost a huge contract that would've floated them through the winter. It's hard to get work during the winter season because the cold makes construction work difficult… They were really relying on this contract, and now, my mom isn't sure they'll be able to make their bills." Her lips trembled as she slid her teary gaze to the now lukewarm cup of gourmet ramen on her table. "And here I am… splurging my allowance on stupid gourmet ramen while my parents are struggling," she moped with a sob and buried her face into her hands. "I'm so selfish and greedy!" she wailed.

"Uraraka!" Fumikage cried, and she could hear him stumble forward by the sounds of his unsteady footsteps over the wood floor. Ochako peered through her fingers to find him standing in front of her, hands fluttering around her form but too nervous to actually touch her. Eventually, he grabbed her wrists to gently lower her hands from her face and rest them in her lap. Muted, Ochako allowed the boy to manipulate her body like a puppet, finding a strange comfort in his guiding movements. Fumikage exhaled deeply and sank onto the bed beside her, pressing himself slightly against her in a soothing fashion. "Uraraka… You aren't selfish or greedy."

The girl cast another remorseful glance at the cup ramen on the table. Before she could voice opposition, Fumikage gently grabbed her chin and turned her face back to him. A blush crept into her cheeks as his fingers slowly fell from her face in a gentle caress. "You're not. Your parents' troubles aren't your fault, and so you don't need to punish yourself with guilt over some ramen." Hearing it out loud solidified how absurd her feelings were, making her snivel. She shifted nervously and looked down at her lap.

"You're right… How silly of me…"

"It's not silly," he objected with a kind smile. When Ochako looked up at him, he turned nervous and twiddled his fingers. "I-I mean, it's not uncommon to feel bad and shoulder the burdens of your parents…" he explained quickly. "But I'm sure they don't want you to do that. I'm sure they'd much rather you be smiling and enjoying yourself," he said with another look into her face. Ochako blinked, surprised by the wisdom of his advice, and then smiled warmly.

"Yeah… You're right. Thank you," Ochako said. She genuinely felt a lot better, and she rose from the bed to stretch her arms over her head. "I feel loooooads better!" she crowed. Tokoyami jumped at her sudden outburst, but then chuckled and stood up beside her.

"I'm relieved."

"You're so kind for coming to check on me, Tokoyami," Ochako beamed, clasping her hands behind her back and smiling radiantly at him. Fumikage flushed and nervously shifted his feet with shy mumbles. When he mentioned something about excusing himself, Ochako grabbed the hem of his shirt. "No, no! Please stay. If you're not doing anything else, of course," she asked with a flutter of her eyelashes. If his face wasn't covered in dark black feathers, she was sure his face would be beet-red. "I've got another packet of that gourmet ramen. We can share it."

"What? No, Ochako, I couldn't-" he began to stammer, but in that moment, Dark Shadow sprang out of him with a delighted squeal.

"Ramen! Ramen!" the shadowy spirit demanded insistently. Ochako giggled and patted the bird-like spirit's head, then proceeded to prepare two more packets of the ramen for them. Fumikage flapped anxiously around her as she filled the two noodle cups with water.

"O-Ochako, you spent money on that… I simply couldn't!" he protested. Ochako ignored him as she popped the first one into the microwave.

"Nonsense," she said while starting the timer. She looked over her shoulder at him with a sweet smile. "You helped me deal with my bad news. Besides, a meal is always better when you have someone to share with!" Fumikage blinked at her, then resigned himself to the situation with an amused smile.

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks." Ochako hummed happily, and together, they watched the ramen cup spin slowly around the microwave- but they were too absorbed in trading smiles to count down the seconds.