Katsuki didn't receive a text from her until it was dark.
Uraraka : Sorry! A lot happened when I got home but I didn't forget. Thanks for a fun day even if it was a little weird. I'll see you next week at the airport! Sleep well.
Katsuki Bakugou: You too
Katsuki was in his bed, replaying their last conversation over and over in his head, analyzing it to the point of insanity.
He was caught up over two facts: one, that he apparently smelled so good that it distracted Uraraka and two, that he had something in his corner. She had had so much power in their friendship without her knowledge. Now, the field was a slightly more level in his opinion. Uraraka deserved to deal with a little inconvenience if he had to deal with all these stupid-ass feelings. Plus, if he was connected to something good in her mind maybe that would incept the idea that they could be more than friends.
Bakugou rolled his eyes at his own thoughts.
"Don't be an idiot," he told himself. "If she was going to feel anything she'd have already started feeling it."
Bakugou's phone buzzed.
Raccoon-Eyes : Thought you might want this.
Ashido had sent a photo to him. Katsuki opened it hesitantly and wasn't shocked to see the bus photo.
He was surprised to see that while she was sleeping, Uraraka had managed to intertwine her fingers into his using the arm that had been wrapped around his own. Katsuki hadn't noticed when he'd woken up to a bunch of phones in his face. He'd gone into full fight mode.
Katsuki couldn't deny her actions, even if they had been subconscious.
Chapter End Notes
Thank you all to reading so far! I love reading your comments and seeing that people are enjoying the story as much as I love writing it.
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Unwanted Attention
Chapter Summary
The vacationing duo have a full schedule during the preview day at the expo. Ochako meets an older student from U.A. who is seemingly the opposite of those she's friends with and he is persistent in getting to know her.
Chapter Notes
Hey everyone! Hope you're all having an amazing week :) Just wanted to give you all a heads up that there will be a new original character introduced in this chapter. Don't worry! He's not sticking around for anything other than the I-Island portion of this story. If you HATE original characters that have more than a few line of dialogue I'm sorry! I couldn't think of another way to get an idea across that will come to light in later chapters. For those individuals, I'd be happy to provide a TLDR summary at the bottom. Just comment to let me know!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
After a rather hectic morning of her dad coddling her and Bakugou having a screaming match at the airport with his mother, the calm plane ride to I-Island was all that Ochako needed to get in vacation mode. Bakugou watched action movies while Ochako snoozed next to him for the majority of the four hour flight. Luckily, I-Island was relatively close to Japan this year instead of half-way across the world. Ochako woke up a little bit before they were scheduled to land. She caught the last fight of whatever movie Bakugou was watching but didn't understand what was going on.
Ochako tapped Bakugou's shoulder once the movie ended.
Bakugou took his earbuds out.
"What do you want to do first for the preview?" Ochako asked quietly. She didn't want to disturb the peaceful silence of the plane.
"Let's get the new gadgets out of the way. I don't want to be there when the rest of the world gets to the island."
Ochako nodded enthusiastically.
"Then we've got the rest of the weekend to do whatever we want!"
"That'll take most of the afternoon."
"We can do the obstacle course after so you can set the record for the expo!"
Bakugou grinned.
"Perfect. Not even Icy-Hot will beat me this year."
Ochako nodded with determination.
"I want to try too! I want to get in the top ten!
Bakugou eyed her.
"You can make top 5 easy. You're fast."
Ochako grinned at him. She couldn't believe he didn't get territorial about her competing against him. He'd actually encouraged her.
"Thanks! I'll do my best!"
Bakugou smirked and looked out the window.
"Passengers, we'll be descending soon. Please fasten your seatbelts," a voice said over the intercom.
"You know what I love? Hotel beds! The sheets are so crisp, the comforters are comfy, and the pillows are fluffy," Ochako said, trying to start the conversation back up again.
"There it is," Bakugou said, ignoring her comment and still staring out the window.
He leaned back so Ochako could see. I-Island was stunning from this high up.
"I can't believe we're getting a real vacation," Ochako sighed happily, leaning back into her seat.
"I'm expecting a villain attack."
"That's sad," Ochako frowned.
"That's my life. We haven't had a real vacation since we started U.A. Everything always goes to shit."
"Not this time! This trip won't turn out bad."
Bakugou didn't look convinced.
The plane landed and Ochako and Bakugou grabbed their carry-ons, found their many checked bags, and headed to the hotel.
"Checking in for Bakugou," he said to the counter clerk when they arrived.
"Alright, let me see," the clerk said with a smile. "I-Island welcomes you, Mr. Bakugou. Congratulations on winning the Second Years' U.A. Sports Festival! You and your plus one are in room 204."
"Wait, together? I requested two rooms," Bakugou said angrily, his voice rising. Ochako closed her eyes in preparation for an outburst.
"I'm sorry but we're fully booked. We couldn't complete that request and traditionally the Sports Festival winners are only allotted one room."
"This is bullshit!" Bakugou shouted. Ochako couldn't stand by and do nothing. She moved herself in between Bakugou and the clerk.
"If another room opens up, will you please contact me at this number?" Ochako grabbed a pen and wrote her cell number on the back of a business card on the desk. The clerk grabbed it, handed Ochako their keycards, and nodded. "I appreciate it! Have a great day!"
"You too, miss!"
"C'mon," Ochako muttered to Bakugou who reluctantly followed her, his hands and teeth still clenched in rage. "I'll check with Yaomomo, you check with Deku. Worst case scenario we get a cot. It's not the end of the world."
"I even fucking called," Bakugou muttered as they headed up to their room.
"I know. You've been wronged. It'll be okay," Ochako said, trying not to smile as she pulled out her phone and texted Yaomomo. It was only a bad situation because they were unprepared mentally. She's slept over with lots of friends before. "I don't know about you but I kind of like sleepovers."
Bakugou wordlessly took out his phone too and began texting. As soon as they were in their room, Ochako fell onto the singular queen sized bed and sighed. She looked around quickly to find a bathroom in the left corner at the back and an entertainment center in front of the bed complete with a T.V, microwave, and mini-fridge.
"Deku's room is full," Bakugou growled as he threw his phone on the desk near the door.
"So is Yaomomo's," Ochako said after receiving a text from her. She'd been vague about the situation so as to not stir controversy. Knowing Bakugou, he'd done the same.
Bakugou picked up the hotel phone and dialed for customer service.
"Don't scream at them," Ochako groaned as she rolled off the bed and began unpacking her suitcase.
"Don't tell me what to do," Bakugou said through gritted teeth. "Hey! We need a cot in 204.--Good."
He hung up, grabbed his hero suit case, and headed to the bathroom .
"What a start to the vacation, huh?" Ochako joked so that he could hear it. She heard a hollow laugh come from the bathroom. "You've shared a room with a friend before haven't you?"
"Yeah. Not with a girl," Bakugou grumbled.
Ochako rolled her eyes at his response.
"You've seen me in a sports bra and shorts, tight hero clothes, and you've seen me throw up multiple times. I'm not embarrassed to be around you. Are you around me?"
"No," Bakugou admitted after a few seconds of silence.
"What's there to worry about?"
"That's rich coming from you," Bakugou barked.
"I'm serious," Ochako glanced up at him as he walked out of the bathroom in his hero suit. "We're going to be sleeping in different beds. We'll change in the bathroom. No big deal. Just means we don't have to cut any of the bad movies short," Ochako smiled at him.
Bakugou huffed and shoved his suitcase and other bags in the closet.
"Unpack later. Let's go," Bakugou said roughly.
"I'm almost done. If you're so impatient go wait in the lobby," Ochako countered.
Bakugou threw his other clothes in his backpack angrily, slung it over his shoulder, and slammed the door as he left the room.
Ochako took a deep breath, smelling the remnants of him in the room.
"I'm gonna eat way too much sugar on this trip," Ochako sighed.
She finished unpacking, grabbed her bag, and headed down to the lobby where she hoped Bakugou would be waiting for her.
Thankfully, he was sitting in one of the chairs. His fingernails were digging into the arms as Deku, Iida, and Todoroki chatted around him.
"Hey, Uraraka!" Deku waved at her as she exited the elevator.
"Hey, Deku," Ochako waved back. "Are you joining us?"
Bakugou looked at her with rageful eyes.
"No, I've got to go see Melissa. The showcase is at 1pm. I hope to see you all there! She worked really hard and I'm sure some extra cheers from the audience will help with investors."
"We'll be there," Ochako assured him. "Bakugou? Want to head out? I'm super hungry."
Bakugou stood up immediately.
"Todoroki and I are heading to the obstacle courses and game area. Maybe we'll see you there!" Iida said excitedly.
"Maybe! See you later," Ochako said before Bakugou could explode at him for trying to compete.
Ochako hurried out of the lobby followed by Bakugou.
"Are you actually hungry or were you just getting us out of there?" Bakugou asked sincerely.
"Both," Ochako grinned.
"Food first, then new support shit," Bakugou decided. Ochako happily agreed.
They took a floating mechanical bubble to the food court that was the size of a small city.
Ochako couldn't get enough of the view and Bakugou seemed to survey the island like he was on patrol.
Ochako and Bakugou found some interesting Mexican food as it appeased Bakugou's need for spice and Ochako's desire to try something new. After that they took another bubble to Deku and Melissa's showcase, which was across the island.
"I'm a little surprised Deku asked you to come to the showcase," Ochako said after a few moments of silence.
"He asked me to participate. Something about having different quirks to make the gauntlets look good."
"Oh, that makes more sense. Aren't we running a little late if you're in it?" Ochako said, starting to get anxious.
"I'm not needed until the end. You don't think I'd go otherwise?" Bakugou asked her with a glint in his eye.
"You're not exactly one to show up just to be supportive. You also show up to show off. Which is fine! I think it's great how confident you are."
"Someone's gotta be the best. It might as well be me."
"Definitely," Ochako sighed in relief. She didn't want him to take that the wrong way. Heck, if Ochako could show off more she would.
When they got to the showcase auditorium, the seats were already packed.
"Meet me outside when it's done."
"Alright! Show those gauntlets what you can do."
" Tch ," was all he replied but she caught him smirking as he headed backstage.
Ochako found one of the last seats and watched the stage in anticipation.
"Hey, you're Ochako Uraraka!" A guy said from behind her. Ochako turned around.
"Uh, yeah-how do you-?" She started but then she saw that he was wearing a U.A t-shirt.
"Tai Domen," he said, as he extended a hand to her. She took it hesitantly. He did look familiar. He had big brown eyes, short brown hair, and a crooked nose. Domen was obviously tall even when sitting down and had a bulky, strong physique. "Saw you at the Sports Festival. Man, have you got some moves. I'm on the ground most of the time so seeing you fly around was super cool."
"You won the Third Years' Sports Festival," Ochako remembered. She hadn't seen most of that festival day since she had been so sore and beaten up but she had made it to the final matches. Domen had an emitter type quirk that allowed him to control any type of earth, including unrefined metal. He'd been a powerhouse during the final matches, ending each of his own in less than two minutes.
Domen grinned.
"I did! You saw my matches?" He asked excitedly.
"Yep. They were very fast. Good job!"
"The less time spent in a fight the better in my opinion. Why drag it out?" Domen smiled widely.
"Ladies and gentleman, thank you for all coming today!" Melissa said as she walked out on stage followed by a spotlight. Domen sat back in his seat as the auditorium went dark. "As a recent graduate of I-Island Academy, I have been hard at work developing new and unique technology in order to improve our ever-changing world. I'll be showing just a few of my most prized inventions today but I'll be available afterward for questions and close up evaluation. If you like what you see today, tell your friends, colleagues, and anyone you see!" Melissa laughed. "I'll be here at 1 o'clock every day showing off new items and answering all your questions. Without any further ado, let's get started!"
The crowd clapped excitedly and she even heard a shout of excitement that she recognized as Iida.
Melissa talked for a while about some new software she had developed and some fancy gadgets that used it. It was half an hour before Melissa motioned to stage right and Deku walked out in his hero suit with a big smile, waving at the crowd. The cheers and applause increased ten-fold to what they had been for the rest of the presentation.
"We love you, Deku!"
"You're amazing!"
"I can't believe Deku is here!"
Ochako grinned. She knew Deku was gaining popularity since he was constantly seen with All-Might but she hadn't fully realized how far it had reached.
"My good friend, Deku, will be demonstrating my new and improved Full Gauntlet! It can withstand the full powered punch of All-Might ten times."
The crowd oohed.
"While not All-Might himself, Deku is pretty strong," Melissa continued. As she spoke, pillars rose from the stage and Deku darted around punching through them with ease. He smiled widely and flexed the arm with the gauntlet. "The Full Gauntlet protects the body using my patented shock absorption technology and a reinforced metal alloy that is practically unbreakable under normal circumstances. It can also turn back into a bracelet as quickly as you can press the button."
Deku pressed the blue button on his wrist and the gauntlet retracted instantly.
"If that isn't enough, the gauntlet molds itself to anybody wearing it so don't worry if your arms look a little different than his."
A younger girl walked out and transformed her hand into a large mallet then pressed the button to activate the gauntlet. It wrapped around the mallet-hand with ease.
The crowd applauded.
"Woo! It's Impact!" One person from the crowd yelled. The girl waved with her other hand.
"In my gauntlet series, I'm also proud to present my adaptive version, the Restyle Gauntlet."
Bakugou walked out from stage left. He was met with cheers as well.
"Is that Dynamight?"
"Wow! Didn't expect to see him here!"
"Yay! Dynamight! You're so cool!"
Bakugou's face was stoic as he showed off the Restyle Gauntlet.
"This gauntlet can act just like the Full Gauntlet but comes with an attachment you can discreetly place in your hair or in a mask that connects, in simple terms, to your thoughts."
Bakugou's Restyle Gauntlet suddenly grew spikes, then spread up to his entire arm, then back down to its regular shape.
"That's not the only thing that's adaptive," Melissa continued. Bakugou held out his hand and let off an explosion to the ceiling. He turned to the crowd and showed that the gauntlet was still covering his palm. "The material can allow for all types of quirks to activate through it and can deal with all types of wear and tear. You can also use the attachment to turn off this feature."
Bakugou then held his palm out to the crowd but instead of being met with an explosion, the crowd saw smoke coming from the gauntlet as the explosion was contained.
The crowd cheered and applauded. Ochako heard more whoops coming from Iida.
"That's everything for today folks! The last bit of the presentation is our question and answer portion so if you'd like to stay for that, we'll go until 2 o'clock. For those that have no further inquiries, thank you again for coming. Please give one last cheer of appreciation for our heroes!"
The audience cheered and clapped for them.
"I'm gonna ask Deku for his autograph!" A little boy said in front of Ochako. His mother nodded sweetly.
"Let's not bother him right now. If we see him around the island, you can ask nicely."
The little boy nodded with determination and Ochako watched him leave as the majority of the crowd got up and headed toward the exits.
Ochako waited for most of the crowd to disperse as she had to wait for Bakugou anyway. When she finally got up, Domen jumped over the seats to stand in front of her.
"I'd love to hear your thoughts on the presentation," he said excitedly.
"Um-what about your friends?" Ochako motioned to the group that he was sitting with that were leaving the auditorium .
"I'll meet up with them later. I've been wanting to meet you for a while," Domen smiled and it was contagious. Ochako couldn't help but smile back.
"Meet me?"
"To talk about those moves you did. I'm all-," Domen threw some punches and then did a heavy clap with his arms outstretched. "I could use your advice on how to be more nimble."
Ochako glanced beside him. He was blocking her from exiting.
"Oh! Sorry! You'd think I'd be more aware of myself," he laughed. "Walk with me outside?"
"Uh, okay," Ochako muttered.
"So, your advice?" Domen pushed.
"Um, lots of practice," Ochako answered honestly. She hadn't done it before the Sports Festival but her movements had improved so much after training with Bakugou. "Also, dancing."
"Yeah? I've been thinking about taking one of those dance classes on Sundays. You go?"
"Um, yeah." Ochako gave him a confused look.
"Which one?" Domen questioned when they were outside the auditorium.
Ochako stopped and crossed her arms.
"Why?"
"I'd like to dance in a class where I know someone."
"We don't know each other," Ochako said awkwardly.
"Well, I figure if we dance together then we'd get to know each other," Domen smiled down at her.
"Ah," Ochako blushed. She needed to tell him she already had a dance partner. "Um, well you see-,"
A tall, lanky ginger boy shouted down the path.
"Domen, let's go! I'm starved!"
"Sorry!" Domen shouted at his friend. He started walking backwards away from Ochako. "Will I see you at the reception?"
"I'll be there if that's what you mean," Ochako said sheepishly.
"Guess I'll have to find you," Domen winked and then ran off to his friend. Ochako stood there feeling very out of place.
"Was he flirting with me?" Ochako wondered to herself. She was not great at recognizing signals but she couldn't think of any other reason why Domen would wink at a stranger.
Ochako forced the thought out of her mind when Bakugou left the auditorium wearing normal clothes.
"You did so great!" Ochako shouted as she waved him over.
"It was nothing," Bakugou said straight-faced. "Let's hurry otherwise the idiots will want to join us."
"Need to be alone?" Ochako asked.
Bakugou glanced down at her.
"Deku walked on stage and got more applause than the rest of the presentation combined."
Ochako knew what this was really about. He was jealous.
"If only I was Shouji. I would've grown all the hands to clap so loud when you walked on stage."
Bakugou glared at her.
"I'm sorry. Thought a joke would help. Just because Deku got more applause doesn't discount how much you got, you know that right?"
"Who needs recognition from those extras anyway," Bakugou growled. Ochako pursed her lips.
"Is there anything I can say or do you just want to be angry for a little bit?"
Bakugou let out a small laugh.
"Angry for a bit."
"Alright," Ochako chuckled.
They went through all the showcases, skipping most of the in-person presentations because Bakugou didn't want to sit down. The pair moved through the exhibits quickly. Ochako was the one who seemed excited at the new items. Bakugou looked at them all but none of it sparked anything for him.
"Do you want to leave? You don't seem all that interested in the support items."
"Tch, just because I'm not jumping up and down like you are doesn't mean I'm not getting anything from this. I'm thinking."
"Analyzing how it'd be used in a fight more like," Ochako teased.
"Yeah," Bakugou admitted. "That's what they're made for."
"Anyway, I think this is the last exhibit hall. Games next?"
A fierce expression spread across Bakugou's face.
"Hell yeah!"
They barely looked at the rest of the support items as they both wanted to hurry on to the game area. Ochako had enough time to play a few games and then she would have to go back to the hotel to get ready for the formal reception.
Villain Attack was up first and Bakugou was pumped.
"Fuck those shitty ass robots. Look at the time," Bakugou said, pointing to the scoreboard. "Half-and-Half got 12 seconds. I'm gonna get 10!"
"Oh, I think you can get at least 9," Ochako grinned.
"Damn straight!"
Bakugou ran over to the host and she let him into the arena.
"Destroy all the robots, hero! Three, two, one!" The host announced and Bakugou blasted off with a huge explosion. He jumped everywhere, barely staying in any spot for even a second. After finishing off the very last robot, Bakugou wiped his brow, grinning like he was on top of the world.
"Wow! Katsuki Bakugou soaring to first place with a new record! 8 seconds!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and Ochako ran over to him, giving him a high five.
"Hear those cheers?" Ochako asked him quietly.
Bakugou nodded and grinned down at her.
"Your turn. Looks like Four-Eyes is in fifth place with 16 seconds. Kick that score's ass!" Bakugou yelled.
"I'm gonna kick it!" Ochako shouted and pumped her fist in the air. "I'm next!"
She ran over to the host, said her name, and prepared herself to go as fast as possible.
"Destroy all the robots, hero! Three, two, one!" The host said and Ochako touched her thigh, pushing off with all her strength. She flew to the first robot, touched it, then pushed off it to the next one. There were only five robots on the fake mountain and Ochako performed perfect trajectories to each of them. After she touched all of them, she released her quirk and all of the robots crashed to the ground with a thunderous cacophony of crunching metal. Ochako had a little bit of a fall but managed to tumble as she landed to avoid injury.
"Amazing! Ochako Uraraka snags the fourth place spot with a time of 14 seconds."
Ochako's eyes went wide. She looked down and saw Bakugou smirk proudly at her.
She used her quirk and pushed off the mountain straight for him.
"Bakugou! I did it!" She screamed as he caught her and spun her around to ease her out of the momentum. "Release! I beat Iida!"
"I told you you'd get top 5."
"We'll see how long it lasts but it sure feels good now!" Ochako beamed at him.
"Let's go smash some more records," Bakugou said with a wild look in his eye.
"Yeah!" Ochako agreed.
They ran to the nearest game called Target Destruction. There was a large arena that had tons of targets scattered about of all different sizes.
"Alrighty, you two," the host said to them as they ran up to the counter. "You have 30 seconds to destroy the targets. You can use either the shooter on the counter or your own quirk. Don't destroy the mechanics, only aim for the targets. People with the most targets destroyed end up on the leaderboard."
Ochako looked up and saw that Iida was in 10th place with 30, Todoroki was in 8th with 34. Yaomomo was first with 102.
"Bet she created a bunch of mini cannons or something," Bakugou glared at the scoreboard.
"AP Shot maybe?" Ochako suggested. She picked up the shooter and aimed.
"Read my mind."
"Ready, set, go!" The host called out.
Bakugou let off a small, yet powerful AP Shot and dragged the beam in every direction to destroy all the targets. He wasn't leaving any for Ochako. She'd have to retry again later if they came back.
"Time!" The host announced. "Congratulations, young man! You're in second place with 92!"
Bakugou bared his teeth and dropped his hands from their AP Shot position.
"I'm going again!" Bakugou shouted.
"Miss, you didn't get a chance-," the host started but Ochako shook her head.
"I'm good! Let him go again. You can do it, Bakugou!"
Bakugou nodded, his expression fierce.
"Let me set up the targets again," the host said shakily as he pressed a button underneath the counter. Tons of targets popped out from different areas of the arena. "Ready, set, go!"
Bakugou went again, focusing incredibly hard on the game. After 30 seconds, the host called it and Bakugou looked up at the scoreboard.
"HA! Take that Ponytail!" Bakugou shouted so loud that people turned to look at him as they moved around the game area.
"Wow! Incredible! A score of 104. You are a talent, young man," the host smiled at him but Bakugou was already moving on.
"Thanks!" Ochako said to the host and ran after Bakugou. "You think we have time for more or should we go back to the hotel?"
"How long is it going to take you to get ready?"
"Um," Ochako blushed. "A while. I have to shower, do my hair and makeup. You can stay here and set records, if you want! I don't mind."
Bakugou considered it for a moment.
"You sure?"
"You don't need as much time as me to get ready. Go have fun! I can make it back on my own."
"Alright. Thanks," Bakugou muttered and went over to the next game named Battle Royale Laser Tag. She really wanted to play but she'd have to come back later.
Ochako forced herself to head back to the hotel to get ready. As she was entering the bubble station, she ran into Tai Domen again.
"Are you following me?" Domen joked.
"I'm actually leaving," Ochako said.
"Ah, right. Got to go get dolled up for the reception," Domen laughed but stopped when Ochako didn't seem to find it funny. "Sorry, um, well which hotel are you staying at? I can walk you-"
"No, thank you. I'm already going with someone."
Domen's face fell.
"Whoever they are, they're lucky! Save me a dance, alright?" Domen waved as Ochako hurried past him.
Ochako climbed into a bubble alone. He was so forward. It made her incredibly uncomfortable which is why Ochako believed she was starting to feel anxious about him as a person. She'd never met anyone that forceful when it came to 'getting to know someone'. Ochako had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"You're being paranoid," Ochako said to herself in the bubble. "You just don't like the attention, that's all. He's not a villain or anything. He's a student at U.A.!"
Ochako held her tongue at the thought. She hoped this feeling would dissipate or she would be in for a very awkward night of trying to have fun with Bakugou and her friends, handle reporters, and avoid Tai Domen.
"This vacation is off to a great start," Ochako muttered sarcastically.
The getting ready process went by quickly as Ochako drowned out her thoughts with loud music. It wasn't until Bakugou entered the hotel room as she was doing her makeup in the bathroom that she was pulled back to reality.
"How many records did you set?" Ochako asked loudly, turning off the music.
"Almost all of them. I'll set the ones on the games I didn't get to later."
"Good job!" Ochako smiled as she carefully maneuvered around her eyes. She was going for a darker look than she normally liked to match her outfit.
"You done? I need to take a shower."
"Uh, let me just finish this and it's all yours," Ochako responded. She put on her mascara, gathered her supplies, and hurried out to the bedroom.
Bakugou was sitting on the bed with his outfit bag in his hand. He looked at her confused.
"You look completely different."
"That's the point. Gotta up my game," Ochako said with a smile but it wasn't real. She was doing all she could to not seem out of place next to Bakugou.
Bakugou furrowed his brow before standing up and heading to the shower.
"Don't change yourself too much for the old lady's sake. You're fine as you are," he said before closing the bathroom door.
Ochako felt her cheeks get warm. Bakugou didn't dole out those kind of compliments very often. Ochako smiled slightly before moving on to fix the rest of her face in front of the mirror above the desk near the door. She guessed it was a perk from her new status as 'best friend'.
After finishing her makeup, she moved onto the hair which had been approved by Mitsuki. She'd sent her tutorials on how to do it but Ochako couldn't seem to get the updo right.
Ochako shouted in frustration after working on it for a little bit. She couldn't see the back of her head to get the twist in the right position.
Bakugou cracked open the bathroom door so Ochako could only see a red eye and wet hair.
"It's nothing!" Ochako said, not hiding her irritation well.
Bakugou clicked his tongue and closed the door.
Ochako tried for another few minutes before Bakugou came out in just pants, his hair still dripping.
"What is it?" Bakugou said, mimicking Ochako's irritated tone. He looked down at the paper Mitsuki had printed out of her hair tutorial. "Of course she'd choose that one."
"What? You know it?" Ochako said, completely shocked.
"The hag had me help with her hair for some events. She distrusts hair stylists."
Ochako laughed.
"Why?" She asked.
Bakugou shrugged.
"I can figure it out," Ochako said firmly and looked back down at the tutorial with her signature determined expression.
"Don't know why she chose one of the hardest to do on your own but you don't have to do it."
"Mitsuki will kill me."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Bakugou growled before he went back into the bathroom.
Ochako looked back in the mirror, then down at the tutorial.
"I can do this," Ochako repeated.
Bakugou finished getting ready and Ochako still hadn't figured out how to do the hairstyle on her own.
"I want to curse so badly!" Ochako said as she gritted her teeth and tried again.
"Do it. It's painful to watch you do that so terribly. I could use a laugh," Bakugou teased.
Ochako looked at him lying on the bed in his formal attire without a care in the world.
"Will you help me...please?" Ochako pouted. She didn't want to admit defeat but the reception was going to start soon.
"Where's the fun in that?" Bakugou said with a smirk.
"I don't want to be late."
He sighed and got off the bed.
"Sit on the bed," Bakugou instructed. Ochako grabbed the tutorial and her supplies, roughly handing them to him as she sat cross legged on the bed. Bakugou laughed.
"I'm surprised you didn't ask for help earlier."
"Surprised you didn't offer."
"Didn't think you'd appreciate it," Bakugou said quietly. Ochako realized he was right.
"I appreciate your help now."
"Don't let it go to your head. I only agreed because if we're late I'll have to deal with the hag when I get home."
"Uh-huh, bestie," Ochako teased.
"Tch," Bakugou responded.
She could feel his fingers twisting her hair in different ways, braiding it, and pinning it up with the hair pins. He was surprisingly careful and gentle, Ochako noticed. She realized he had probably gotten scolded a lot when he did his mother's hair when he was younger.
"Thank you," Ochako said. "You're pretty good. No pain at all."
Bakugou didn't respond to her compliment.
"It's done," he said after several minutes. Ochako got up and looked in the mirror.
It was perfect.
"Wow, Bakugou. How are you so good at everything?"
"I got in trouble every time I wasn't good at something," Bakugou grumbled. "You're done, right? Let's go."
"Wait! I almost forgot!" Ochako rushed over to her suitcase and pulled out a crescent moon hair pin. "My mom gave this to me to wear."
"It's not approved by the hag," Bakugou said, extending out his hand as if asking for the pin.
Ochako sighed sadly and gave it to him. He immediately placed it in her hair near the top of the updo. Ochako looked at him, feeling exhilarated.
"I'm such a rebel," Ochako smirked. Bakugou laughed in response.
"You've got guts. Let's kill this event," Bakugou said as he opened the door for her.
They walked down to the lobby and found a few of their schoolmates waiting around.
Both Deku and Iida stared at Ochako for a little longer than she thought was normal.
"Hey guys," Ochako said, losing all the confidence she'd had in the hotel room.
"You look amazing, Ochako," Tsu said with a smile. Yaomomo agreed enthusiastically.
Iida gulped and looked away. Deku was still staring at her.
"Why don't you take a fucking picture, Deku?" Bakugou snarled. Deku snapped out of it and blushed.
"You look nice, Uraraka! Different than I thought you would," Deku said nervously.
"You thought I wouldn't look nice?" Ochako said, hurt.
"No! That's not what I meant!" Deku's eyes went wide with anxiety.
"You're wearing a lot of makeup," Todoroki commented.
"Where did you get that dress?" Yaomomo asked in awe. Ochako took a deep breath. They were overwhelming her.
"Uh, Bakugou's mom made it for me."
"Really?" Yaomomo looked shocked. "That was very nice of her! Her dresses cost so much. You're so lucky!
Ochako shifted uneasily, fidgeting with her skirt.
"We're just waiting for Hagakure. She couldn't figure out what to wear or what to put in her hair to stand out."
Bakugou clicked his tongue angrily. The group ignored him. By the time Hagakure joined them, Bakugou was on the edge of losing it.
"We should've just left without them," he whispered to her.
"Let's head out, shall we?" Iida said with a grin. The group headed out of the hotel. Ochako noticed Yaomomo weave her arm through Todoroki. They were cute. Todoroki didn't seem phased by it. She wondered if they were actually dating yet or if they were still in limbo.
Iida, Tsu, and Hagakure chatted about what they might expect at the reception while the rest of the group walked silently behind them.
"Deku! Bakugou! Glad I caught you!" Melissa shouted as they neared the entrance to the I-Island Tower. Everyone stared at Melissa. She looked stunning and her hair was shining in the light of the setting sun. "The showcase was a hit today! We've already got a few investors interested. I owe you both so much. Thank you!"
"You don't owe us anything. We're happy to help," Deku smiled at her and took her hand.
"I was conned into helping," Bakugou muttered.
"Am I the only one without a date!?" Hagakure asked shrilly upon seeing Deku and Melissa link up.
"We can take turns with Iida, ribbit," Tsu offered. Hagakure crossed her arms and made a pouty sound.
"Uraraka!" A familiar voice came from behind them.
"Fantastic," Ochako said sarcastically. Bakugou looked down at her with muted confusion.
"Wow, it's Tai Domen! You were amazing at the Sports Festival!" Deku gushed. "That last move in the final. What'd you call it?"
"Rock Tomb! That's a fun one. Very similar to what Uraraka did in her fight with you," Domen said to Bakugou.
Bakugou glared at Domen with a fire in his eyes that Ochako hadn't seen before. Domen chuckled.
"If only you and I were in the same year. We'd have quite the battle, I think," Domen said with a hint of challenge in his voice.
"We don't need to be in the same year to do that, Rocky," Bakugou threatened.
"Bakugou, show some respect!" Iida scolded.
"Why don't we head into the reception? It's already started. I can't wait to try the hor d'oeuvres this year. I hope they have stuffed mushrooms!" Melissa said, obviously trying to ease the tension.
"Yes, let's head inside," Domen agreed, still eyeing Bakugou with an intense expression.
Bakugou stared him down as the group went inside.
"You want to tell me what the fuck is up with you and that asshole?" Bakugou asked.
"Not really," Ochako said firmly.
Bakugou didn't question it.
Chapter End Notes
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