As the sun began its descent all across the isles of Japan, the Great Forest of Yuuei began to still as creatures big and small sought shelter from the evening. Silence spread through the trees and underbrush as a tranquil calm began to settle over the forest.

Snap

"Ow," Ochako winced in pain as she lost her balance and slammed into the side of a tree. As she fell, her makeshift bandages caught on nearby brambles and rough bark, only to be torn open and exposing the open wounds underneath to the elements. Looking down, she saw fresh blood welling up to stain what was left of the bandages that she had wrapped over her black leather armor.

"Ocha!" Izuku called out, spinning around to hurry back to his companion's side. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Ochako pressed a leather glove against the tree to push herself upright before she brushed off her tan tunic. "Stupid branch had to break on me and make me lose my balance."

"Right, it was the branch's fault," Izuku said lightly as he offered her a gloved hand.

Ochako's eyes narrowed at her companion as she swatted away at his hand. "It's been years since I figured out how to walk on two legs!"

"I remember," Izuku said sheepishly. "You were stumbling around like a toddler."

It's been less than a week since Ochako had moved in with Izuku and Inko, and she still was getting used to her new form. For the third time that day, Izuku watched as she seemingly tripped over air and crashed into the middle of the grassy field.

"Do you need help, Ochako?" Izuku asked, offering her a hand.

"No - maybe -" Ochako let out a resigned sigh.. "-yes. Pushing herself to a kneeling position, she tucked her brown hair back behind the matching brown horns that curled around her ears. Reaching out, she took Izuku's offered hand and used his leverage to pull herself upright.

Izuku couldn't help but feel bad as he saw Ochako's pout. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," Ochako said softly. "It's just - it's so much harder walking on two legs than four!"

"Don't worry, you'll figure it out!" Izuku encouraged her.

Ochako's pout melted away as she stared into Izuku's green eyes, feeling the sheer overwhelming belief in her. "Thanks, Izuku."

"At least I figured it out eventually," Ochako stuck her tongue out at him. "Unlike you."

"That branch was a lot tougher than I thought!" Izuku said defensively, recalling an incident from earlier that week.

"Uh-huh," Ochako said skeptically as she ghosted her fingers over her bandages. About a third of her cuts were now exposed, but the majority were still bound, and she really didn't want to try dealing with them here in the middle of the forest. Gritting her teeth she tried to take an unsteady step. A sharp pain ran up her leg which caused her to hiss, her true heritage coming through. Feeling her face heating up she turned toward her companion. "I think I'll need your help after all. Those damned hellhounds got me good."

Izuku smiled warmly at her. "Of course!" Without a moment's hesitation he was at her side, gently guiding her arm over his shoulder. "We need to hurry, it's going to get dark soon."

"I don't think we're going to make it back to town in time," Ochako grimaced. "I'm slowing you down too much."

"I wasn't talking about the town," Izuku said softly. "There's a clearing by the river. If we can get there we'll make camp and tend to our wounds properly."

"Speaking of. How are you holding up?" Ochako asked, looking over at Izuku's right arm.

"It's okay," Izuku assured her. "I've been burned before."

Ochako rolled her eyes. "I can't believe how casual you are about that."

"I'm more worried about you," Izuku whispered.

"Of course you are. Which leaves me free to worry about you," Ochako said lightly.

"We're both hopeless, aren't we?" Izuku asked.

"Yep!" Ochako replied. "And that's why we're a great team!"

"I'll be back later Mom!" Twelve-year-old Izuku called out as he ran out of the cottage.

"Okay, have fun with your friend!" Inko called out the window after her son.

"I will!" Izuku said as he waved behind him.

Adjusting his bag, Izuku took off for the forest. He slowed down as he made his way inside, following the path that he had carved out himself until he made his way into a massive clearing. Seeing that his friend hadn't arrived yet, he sat down on a stump of a fallen tree and rummaged through his bag, pulling out a book to read.

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, Izuku heard the familiar sound of his friend padding through the forest, gracelessly crashing into trees and through the underbrush as she raced to join him. Turning, Izuku watched as the young dragon burst through the trees.

Her appearance stood in stark contrast to her movements. Her white-furred head sported a brown nose, flat mouth, and large expressive eyes, with a pair of brown horns that curled around her ears. The white fur continued down her torso and forelimbs until they gave way to scaled hindquarters. Black scales ran along her hind legs, themselves peppered with white spots that reminded Izuku of stars in the night sky, before ending in a white-furred tail. Two small wings sat folded on her back, promising flight someday, when she was older and they were fully grown, but for now, they simply served as decoration.

As the dragon spotted Izuku with its deep brown eyes, her face seemed to light up as she bounded over to Izuku and stuck out her massive tongue, licking the side of his face as she greeted him.

"You're excited today," Izuku remarked as he pressed his face into the side of the dragon's face and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Ready to go on an adventure?"

The dragon bobbed its head up and down as its mouth parted slightly, in a gesture Izuku could only assume was a smile. Often he wished the creature could speak to him - he had heard tales that older dragons were capable of human speech - but the dragon in front of him was expressive enough that he had worked out how to understand it through her body language.

"Great!" Izuku stood up and pulled out a makeshift torch. "Let's explore that cave we found yesterday!"

Shouldering his bag, he watched as the dragon bound off and raced to keep up with her as he watched her crash through the underbrush, carving a path for him to follow. Before he knew it they had reached the foot of a nearby mountain, and a large entrance to a cave - large enough for them to enter side-by-side.

Pulling off his bag, Izuku found his flint and steel and proceeded to light the torch, holding it in front of him. "Ready to go?"

His companion let out an excited sound, something Izuku had discovered was her approximation to "yes." Smiling at her, he looked at the cave and took a step inside.

The cave turned out to be fairly small, and the only interesting feature was a small array of greenish-blue stalactites that they found in the one open chamber, but Izuku and his companion didn't care. They spent all day running back and forth in the cave, pretending they were exploring a vast underground cavern and searching for ancient treasure.

"Yeah," Izuku smiled at her. "We really are."

The pair continued onward as the shadows began to stretch longer. As the light continued to fade Izuku tried his best to hurry them along, growing more concerned every time he felt Ochako leaning on him further. She was putting on a brave face, but they both knew she was slowing down and needed rest sooner rather than later.

"Are you okay Ochako?"

"Mhm!" Ochako said, her voice louder than normal. "Just a little bit further to camp, right?"

"If it's too hard to walk I could carry you, you know," Izuku said softly.

"No," Ochako shook her head fervently. "I'm okay! I promise! I just… want to get to that clearing."

"If it gets too bad tell me, okay?"

"You'll know if it gets bad," Ochako muttered.

Izuku bobbed his head in understanding. He hadn't seen it yet, and he hoped he never would, but Ochako had explained to him that if she is ever close to death, she would revert to her natural form. She entrusted him with that information in the hopes that he wouldn't worry about her as long as she looked human, but it somehow made things worse.

They pushed on in tense silence until they suddenly heard the sound they'd both been yearning for. Ochako first, and then Izuku perked up at the sound of the river up ahead.

"We must be getting close!" Ochako said with renewed vigor. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" Izuku agreed.

The two sped up, walking as fast as they could despite Ochako's injuries. Unfortunately for them, in their hurry Izuku missed a treacherous patch of vines on the ground. Placing his foot on the vines, he felt his foot suddenly sink as thick ropes of plant wrapped around his foot, trapping it, and without warning he felt himself falling forward as gravity asserted its dominance. Acting on instinct, Izuku quickly twisted around and wrapped himself around his companion, using himself as a buffer between her in the ground.

"Ow," Ochako winced as she slammed into the ground. Opening her eyes, she gasped when she saw where she was. Freeing her hands, she pushed herself upright and off of Izuku's chest. "Izuku!"

"A-are you okay Ochako?"

"Am I okay? What about you?!" Ochako asked.

Izuku looked up at her sheepishly. "I'm used to it, remember?"

Seven-year-old Izuku Midoriya was venturing into the woods near his home. His dad had passed away recently, leaving him and his mom all alone. While his mom promised him that everything would be okay, the sadness around his house was stifling. Mom was often crying and he didn't understand why. Eventually, it got to be too much and he just needed to get away!

He had spent a lot of time in the woods with his dad, and they were full of happy memories - memories he hoped would chase away the sadness. But unfortunately for Izuku, his dad wasn't with him. Without his guidance, Izuku quickly found himself lost in the woods. Remembering his dad's words, he came to a stop, knowing it was better to be lost in one place than to get further lost.

He quickly regretted his decision when he felt eyes on him.

He wasn't alone.

"Hey, who's out there?" Izuku called as he heard another twig snap. "T-this isn't funny!"

Hearing something crash into a tree, Izuku yelped in surprise. Looking around on the forest floor, he found a thick branch. Picking it up, Izuku held it in front of him like a makeshift sword. "You'd better show yourself!"

That's when he heard the inhuman roar. Well, he supposed it was supposed to be a roar. It sounded like a cute squeak more than anything. Turning to face the noise, Izuku tried to look brave. He had to find a way out of here! He had to get home to Mom! He wouldn't leave her all alone like Dad did!

He was all she had left.

His resolve broke as he heard underbrush getting trampled. Something was moving toward him - and fast. That was when he saw the shadow in the forest. A large pale form rushing at him.

Yelping, Izuku dropped the branch as he turned to run, only to trip over the very pile of branches he pulled the stick from. He managed to twist around as he crashed to the ground, so at least he'd see the creature before he was eaten.

The dragon ran up to him and stopped, both of its front paws planted firmly on his chest. Izuku screwed his eyes shut as he silently apologized to his mom while silently praying for a swift death.

But it never came.

Looking up, he saw the brown eyes and brown nostrils of the creature as it examined him intently. After what felt like an eternity the creature opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and Izuku yelped as a thick slimy tongue darted out, licking his face.

"I used to knock you over a lot, didn't I?" Ochako smiled playfully at him before she eased herself off of him. Scrambling around, she found a thick tree branch nearby and used that to push herself to her feet. "Are you stuck?"

"Not for long," Izuku said as he drew a dagger. Hacking away at the vines, he quickly untangled his foot before he joined his companion in standing. "It can't be far, let's go!"

Continuing much more cautiously, the pair crossed the last two hundred yards. Sighing in relief, they relaxed as the forest gave way to a clearing at the edge of the river bank. Examining the site, it was obvious the spot has seen regular use, with several logs rolled in place to act as makeshift benches for a stone firepit that someone had dug into the ground. It was the perfect place for the two of them to relax and recover.

As Ochako eased herself down onto a log, Izuku dug through his pack to find fresh bandages and healing ointment for the both of them. Returning to his companion, he tore off the ragged remains of her bandages.

"It looks like nothing got into the wounds, at least," Izuku said as he examined them.

"That's good," Ochako said softly, hissing as Izuku began to apply ointment. "What I wouldn't give for some healing magic right about now."

"We'll see a healer tomorrow," Izuku assured her. "You just need to hold out until then."

"I know," Ochako smiled at him as he worked, the light touch of his fingers assuring her he was trying his best to make her comfortable. "I'll survive until then, I'm just- frustrated by my own limitations."

"Isn't that why we're out here though?" Izuku asked. "To try and get better?"

"Mhm," Ochako agreed softly. She let a comfortable silence fall over them as Izuku worked. The cool balm of the ointment quickly took effect as it dulled the pain and clotted her blood before he had even finished applying it. Once he was done with that, Izuku wrapped her wounds in fresh bandages.

Once he was done, Ochako held out her hands. "Now it's your turn."

"Okay," Izuku agreed as he handed over the jar of ointment and the bandages.

Sitting down next to Ochako, he unwrapped the hasty bandages on his right arm and winced as he heard her hiss at the charred flesh of his arm. "Izuku!"

"I know," Izuku said sheepishly. "Hopefully the healer can help me as well?"

Ochako let out a guttural growl. However, despite her irritation Izuku felt her gentle hands quickly and skillfully apply ointment all along his arm before she tightly bound it in bandages.

Their wounds taken care of, the pair looked at each other, seeking reassurance that they were both okay, they survived the battle and can finally relax. Once they both soothed their fears, they silently smiled at each other as they stood up. They had to hurry if they wanted to set up camp before the last rays of evening light were extinguished.

After dinner, the pair settled back down next to the dying campfire, both simply content to spend time with each other.

"Looks like the clouds are breaking," Ochako said as she looked skyward at the stars. "I guess we got lucky."

"Yeah, It would have made getting back to town a lot harder."

However, the weather was the last thing on Izuku's mind. As he stared at the woman in front of him, he felt a dozen different emotions stirring in him. Perhaps it was because of the danger they faced today. The battle against the necromancer and her forces was fierce and brutal, and they would both bear new scars from it.

But if Izuku was willing to admit the truth, the seeds of love had been planted long ago.

Despite his limbs feeling heavy, Izuku still made his way to the forest.

It had been about a week since he last saw his dragon companion, and he was beginning to fear the worst. That she had moved on, finally growing tired of him. Or…. some worse fate befell her.

He couldn't- didn't want to dwell on those thoughts. Instead, he would continue his silent vigil, returning to the clearing daily, in the hopes that one day his dragon companion would return to him.

Settling in on his stump, he pulled out the book he was reading. While he silently prayed that his reading be interrupted, he expected to finish the book today, much to his disappointment.

He had gotten maybe fifty pages in when he heard a strange crashing in the underbrush. He perked up because it was in the right direction, but something about it was… off. It wasn't the typical crashing he had come to expect, but more like a human stumbling through the woods.

Standing up cautiously, he watched with bated breath the spot where his dragon friend used to come out of the forest. And someone did come out - but it wasn't a dragon. Rather it was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. She had a soft round face with rosy cheeks, her brown hair held back by two strange clips behind her ears. But her eyes - there was something familiar about those brown eyes, even if he couldn't place it.

"Izuku!" The girl called out, her eyes lighting up in wonder. "You waited for me!"

"I…'m sorry, do I know you?" Izuku asked, unsure about why the woman was acting so familiar toward him.

"It's me, Ochako!" The girl said, rushing forward excitedly.

"Ochako…?" Izuku asked hesitantly. "I would remember if I knew someone by that name! Especially someone as- as cute as you!"

The woman stopped her charge mere feet away from Izuku, the warmth in her cheeks spreading as she folded her hands behind her back. "I see. I get it now!" She giggled before she lightly danced forward. Leaning up to Izuku's face, she stuck her tongue out and licked his cheek. "Now do you recognize me?"

Izuku's eyes went wide. "H-how?!"

"My magic finally came in!" Ochako exclaimed. "It took me so long to master shapeshifting and learning how to speak, but now I can spend even more time with you!"

Izuku stared in awe at the girl in front of him. She was his companion for so long, and now that she was growing even stronger… she wanted nothing more than to spend even more time with him?

He felt his heart speed up, and he didn't know why.

"Ocha..." Izuku stared at his partner, the light of the campfire reflecting off of her brown eyes.

"Hmm?" Ochako's gaze shifted down, her attention now on him instead of the sky.

"I..." Izuku clenched his fist.

She deserves to know. But why is this so hard?!

Letting out the breath he was holding, Izuku turned his gaze skyward, staring at the full moon as it shined overhead. "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"

Izuku was unable to see the flash of disappointment on Ochako's face as she slid ever so closer to him. "It is, it makes me feel like I can die happy."

A smile tugged at Ochako's lips as she heard a surprised gasp from Izuku. "You didn't think I knew that one, huh?"

"No," Izuku said, his voice barely a whisper amongst the night of the forest.

Ochako turned her head to examine Izuku. She thought her interest in him was obvious. But even after all of these years, some of the finer points of humanity still escaped her. Why wasn't he willing to tell her directly? Was she doing something wrong? Or was it something else?

She felt like she was standing on a dangerous precipice - one wrong move and she would fall to her doom.

But she trusted the man in front of her to catch her - he always did.

Ochako gathered her courage and took the leap of faith.

"That's not what you really meant to say, was it?" Ochako whispered.

"Ocha-" Izuku gasped as he looked at her, green eyes meeting brown.

"Izuku, please, tell me what you really wanted to say."

Ochako's gaze was so bright, her eyes so vibrant, Izuku found himself forced to turn away. "I want to, but I'm scared…"

"I… scare you?" Ochako asked hesitantly.

"No, you would never scare me," Izuku said. "But these feelings- you look like a normal woman, but I know what you are. That you're actually a dragon, and that you'll live hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. How- why would you ever choose to stay with someone as short-lived as me."

"I thought it was obvious that that didn't matter to me," Ochako said sadly.

"There's a difference between us adventuring together and… that," Izuku said, still afraid of the words. "It- it scares me."

"It scares me too," Ochako admitted. "But it also excites me. You want to know why?" She reached out and touched Izuku's cheek. He allowed her gentle touch to guide him until he was once again looking at her. "Because I've found the best human in the world. And the two of us can face anything as long as we're together. So Izuku, please…"

Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat, looking into those vibrant brown eyes. "Ochako I- I love you. I've loved you for a very long time."

Ochako's warm smile felt like it lit up the entire campsite as she looked at him. "Izuku, I'm in love with you too. Have been for long enough that you're finally testing my patience," She giggled.

Izuku looked taken aback, but only for a moment. "S-sorry."

"Don't be," Ochako said as she started leaning forward. "You wouldn't be you otherwise."

Izuku found his eyes drawn to her lips, so soft and enticing. He's spent far too long wondering how they felt- how they tasted. Lifting his uninjured left hand, he carefully slid it up along her neck, pushing hair aside as it came to rest in the space between her horn and head. It fit perfectly - like he was always meant to hold Ochako like this - as their lips found each other.

Izuku had never kissed anyone before, but he knew Ochako was trusting him to guide her through it. Their first kiss was awkward, their lips crashing together with enough force that they felt their teeth click. Pulling back rapidly, Ochako felt her face heating up.

"Sorry," She apologized.

"Don't be," Izuku whispered as he looked at her in awe. "It was perfect."

Ochako smiled before they closed their eyes again, their lips once again finding each other. This time it was gentle, barely a whisper as their lips touched before pulling away, only to find each other with confidence as they began kissing in earnest. Ochako's lips were soft and warm, the sensation was addicting as the two of them slowly worked out a rhythm. Ochako's arms wrapped around Izuku's stomach as she adjusted herself to be more comfortable.

They eventually were forced to pull apart, both taking a moment to catch their breath. Recovering first, Ochako slid one of her hands over Izuku's chest, placing it above his heart as she looked him in the eye. "I knew that's how humans showed affection but I didn't realize how much I would enjoy it."

"Y-yeah?" Izuku asked.

"Mhm!" Ochako leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on Izuku's cheek. "I think I like it better than licking your face, even."

Izuku let out a strangled squeak. "I-I thought you weren't doing that anymore?"

"I considered it," Ochako admitted. "Since dragon mouths aren't exactly built for kissing. But I think I like the way humans do it better."

"I-I think I do too," Izuku said nervously.

Ochako giggled before she adjusted herself again, leaning comfortably against Izuku's side, her head resting on his shoulder. It was a gesture she had done hundreds of times before, for dozens of different reasons, but this time it felt different. More intimate. Without any words Izuku lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, holding her tightly.

Soon night would come and they would fall asleep. And then tomorrow they will resume their journey to town. But for now, the pair was content to sit there and enjoy each other's warmth while gazing at the night sky.

"The moon really is beautiful tonight," Ochako said.

Izuku looked down at the petite form nestled against him. "Yeah, it is."

AN: First off, I wish to offer a special thanks to Aiole_Sauce (AioleS on twitter) for allowing me to use her design for Dragon!Ochako. The design has been living rent-free in my head and I'm glad I finally found a story to use it!

As for the call and response Izuku and Ochako used to confess - this is actually based off of a mistranslation of a poem, where two people confess indirectly using the phrases "The moon is beautiful" and "I would die for you / I can die happy." While it isn't a confession that would ever be used in real life, I thought it was cute and it's been sitting in the back of my mind as something Izuku would do, rather than say how he really feels. And of course, Ochako isn't having any of that!