Truth
Chapter Summary
After a long training camp, the students unwind with a game of Truth or Dare. It's the perfect lead up to share the truths you might not say otherwise.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Control your breathing," All Might told Class 2-A. "A single breath can be the deciding factor between life and death."
Ochako covered her mouth tightly as Mr. Iida passed each student blindfolded, ears straining to hear even the quietest of inhales. Bakugou stood next to her, glaring at the ground while slowly breathing through his mouth. She had watched Bakugou all day during their stealth training. Maybe it was the dream she'd had about him serenading her after the song he sang last night or maybe it was because she was trying to savor every moment before they talked later tonight. Through her observations she noticed that besides a few snide comments about stealth being the same as hiding, Bakugou seemed to be taking well to the exercises today.
"I hear you," Mr. Iida said as he passed Mineta. "Drop."
Mineta grumbled incoherently before dropping into a long set of push-ups. A few other classmates were detected but the majority of them passed and could move on to the next exercise.
"You cheated," Bakugou snapped at Ochako as soon as Mr. Iida dismissed them. "Your hands are your quirk. You can't use them to cover your mouth!"
"I have two hands," Ochako countered.
"Two important hands. You're never gonna get better if you impair yourself like that."
"Dude, chill," Sero said behind them. "It only takes a second to take your hand off your face."
"I wouldn't want to put my hand over my mouth if it doubled as a bomb," Mineta muttered.
"Since when do you offer tips, Bakugou?" Kaminari asked, turning around to grin widely at Bakugou.
"Since my grades depend on my partner doing well," Bakugou answered tightly.
"Is that the only reason?" Sero asked. "I'd keep my mouth shut unless you want Uraraka to surpass you."
"Leave it alone," Jirou scolded. Bakugou and Jirou made eye contact before Jirou faced forward. Iida looked like he wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut and followed suit with Jirou.
"At least you're invested," Ochako said quietly.
"I need to be fast if I'm gonna be number one. Sometimes that means being undetectable while I move in," Bakugou explained reluctantly. He must still be on the fence about whether or not stealth was necessary in hero work.
Learning to control the sounds you made during drops or jumps was next on the list of exercises. After that it was climbing silently through the trees.
"You can't rely on your quirk," Mr. Iida stressed at each station. "You have to be prepared for any scenario."
"All I hear is I could've been a hero when I was quirkless," Deku panted next to Ochako after finishing the obstacle course in the canopy. She laughed once then clutched at her side. Bakugou rolled his eyes from the branch of a tree he'd been practicing his climbing on while he waited for Ochako to finish her exercise
"You wouldn't have made it past the exam, idiot. Plus, it was a lot less fun kicking your ass when you didn't have a quirk," he said, dropping down from his tree without so much as a creak of a branch.
"I wouldn't want to take any of your fun away, Kacchan," Deku said, catching his breath and standing up straight.
"Try to beat my climbing time if you can, Deku," Bakugou challenged with a smirk.
"I'll beat it," Ochako said, taking up the challenge for herself. Bakugou looked down at her and raised his eyebrows. His face didn't react but his eyes brightened at her statement.
"No quirks," Bakugou reminded her.
"Right. It'd be unfair of me to beat you that badly again," Ochako said with her own smirk, remembering how she'd placed above him in stealth earlier in the year, and jumped up to the first branch she could reach.
"It was only a couple seconds and one placement!" Bakugou yelled up at her. Even with the yelling, Ochako had a feeling he wouldn't be as angry as he had been at Ground Omega if she somehow managed to beat him today. Bakugou must have had some sort of look on his face because Deku chuckled as Ochako climbed through the tree.
"Whatever you're thinking, stop," Bakugou growled. Ochako's heart almost stopped. They must have thought she couldn't hear them.
"Just noticing how fast Uraraka is like you are," Deku responded quietly. Ochako gulped and kept climbing. She couldn't get distracted.
When Ochako got to the top, she noticed Bakugou watching her while Deku gave her an excited thumbs up. After a small, swift wave to the boys, she began the climb back down which went a lot quicker than the climb up.
With a light drop, contracting her muscles to keep her balanced and quiet, Ochako looked up at them with a hopeful grin.
"Ninety seconds!" Deku cheered. "That was great!"
"What was yours?" Ochako asked Bakugou.
"Under a minute," he stated. Ochako brushed herself off and shrugged.
"I tried. I need to work on my upper body strength. That was the toughest part for me."
"We should work on that after camp. That'll help with the climbing or if you're hanging off the edge of a building."
"Speaking from experience?" Ochako asked playfully. Bakugou looked away but she could see him hiding a smile from her. Ochako was more focused on the fact that he still wanted to train after camp. That was a good sign. If Bakugou's secret was game-changing, he wouldn't have brought it up.
"It will help with other things too. Trust me."
"I do. You're just chalked full of helpful tips today."
Deku rubbed the back of his neck and backed away towards the climbing tree.
"Shut up, Deku," Bakugou snapped before turning on his heel and leaving. Ochako blinked in the realization that she'd been so lost in their conversation she had forgotten that Deku was listening. She gave a panicked wave to Deku before running to catch up with Bakugou.
"I didn't say anything," Deku called after him.
"I'm glad this is the last day. I don't know how much more I can take," Ochako said tiredly, in an attempt to switch the subject off the fact that she'd been flirting with Bakugou in front of Deku. If he wasn't suspicious before, Deku was definitely on to her now. Bakugou didn't respond to her statement so she tried again.
"So, the game should be interesting tonight," Ochako thought aloud. "I heard Yaomomo made improvements to her original version."
"I'd rather train all night than play that stupid game," Bakugou muttered angrily.
"Oh. Yeah, I guess that'd be true for you. I thought that maybe since you'd already played it wouldn't be that bad."
"Right because people spilling secrets I don't give a shit about or making complete idiots of themselves is right up my alley."
Ochako pursed her lips as Bakugou grimaced at his own behavior.
"Are you okay?" Ochako asked. Bakugou looked down at her.
"Deku's getting on my fucking nerves. Acting like he knows me."
"He does know you, Bakugou," Ochako said carefully, trying not to laugh. Bakugou glared at her but their conversation was stopped short by their teacher.
"Bakugou, Uraraka," Mr. Iida said when they approached the final exercise. "Finished at the same time?"
"More or less," Bakugou said under his breath. Ochako nudged him with her elbow.
"The next exercise will test your nonverbal communication skills," Mr. Iida continued. He pulled duct tape out of his pocket and Ochako groaned softly. "It'll be easy. All you have to do is make your way through the forest without being seen by your classmates. You cannot take off your tape and you have until sunset."
"What are the consequences if we fail?" Ochako asked. Bakugou looked offended that she'd even considered failure a possibility. Ochako shrugged defensively and Mr. Iida looked between them with a hesitant smile.
"Sprints before breakfast," Mr. Iida said.
"How do we know if we've been seen?" Ochako asked, rubbing her thigh with her knuckles at the thought of extra sprints.
"You will report anyone you see when you finish," he answered. Ochako thought it was odd that there weren't any cameras or devices to confirm their statements but there was too much already occupying her mind to dwell on it.
"Stay within the forest. Use everything you've learned today," Mr. Iida added as he put a piece of tape over Bakugou's mouth. Bakugou scrunched up his nose at the feeling and Ochako immediately understood why when Mr. Iida covered her mouth. It was thicker than most duck tape and a lot stickier. It felt like it was both trying to fall off your mouth and completely glued to it.
Upon entering the forest, Bakugou grabbed her hand and led her off the predetermined path. Ochako didn't protest. They couldn't stay on the path if they wanted to avoid sprints.
Walking through the forest was relaxing even while trying to stay hidden. The sunlight scattered over the ground and the leaves above them seemed to glitter as the wind gently swayed them.
Bakugou squeezed her hand then nodded up toward the canopy. He wanted to travel through the air. Ochako couldn't help but feel a little prideful that he was using her idea from earlier in the year.
She dropped her pinky to touch his hand and his feet lifted off the ground. Bakugou's finger twitched in acknowledgement of her figuring out his plan. Her heart skipped remembering how he often did that without thinking when they danced.
Ochako carefully pushed him up and applied her quirk to herself to join him on a branch. When she was close, he immediately reached for her hand and didn't let go after he pulled her up.
If her raised eyebrows at the gesture weren't enough, the redness in her cheeks certainly was.
He tapped her hand with his finger and gave her a firm look. Of course Bakugou was right. It was the best way to communicate since they couldn't talk. If only they knew sign language. She'd have to add it to the list of things that could come in handy during hero work. Not that Ochako minded holding Bakugou's hand. She was more concerned about accidentally or unwittingly telegraphing something to him.
Bakugou leaned over to study the sky, using the position of the sun as a compass. Once he got his bearings, he pointed to the right. He held her gaze as if he was waiting for her to submit any other suggestions before they moved. Ochako shook her head, trying her hardest to smile with her eyes. She heard Bakugou let out a low laugh in his chest before they pushed off to the next tree hand in hand.
The forest was quiet except for their breathing and the gentle rustle of the branches when they pushed off. The teachers telling her to limit the movement of the branches obviously didn't realize how little pressure they required to move. They couldn't risk slowly floating to the next tree in case their classmates stumbled across them mid-flight so they had to use the tree as a push off point. Ochako tried her best to keep the movement down to a minimum by using the trunk instead of the branches and it helped. Anyone who saw the branches shake would think it was due to a small bird or a squirrel.
Finally, Ochako could see the smoke from their campsite in the distance. She pointed at the smoke plume and Bakugou nodded. Mr. Iida hadn't lied. This had been an easy exercise.
Suddenly, Bakugou tightened his grip on Ochako's hand. His eyes locked onto hers and he pointed to his ear. She closed her eyes and focused on listening to her surroundings. There were two sounds that weren't natural. The sound of Sero's tape swishing in the distance and the sound of Todoroki's ice cracking as it spread to their left.
Ochako opened her eyes to see Bakugou hurriedly thinking of a way out of this. He looked up and pulled Ochako toward the peak of the tree. Before they could get to the top, Ochako squeezed his hand. Bakugou met her gaze and she tapped on her eye then tree to signify that if they left the cover, they'd risk being seen.
Unexpectedly, Bakugou pulled Ochako to him, hugged her tightly with one arm, grabbed a less than sturdy branch with the other, and pressed his back into the tree trunk. He hooked his feet underneath the branches below them so they wouldn't fly off. Their timing was impeccable.
Sero and Mineta swung onto the branch they'd been on seconds earlier and surveyed their surroundings. Based on the looks the two shared, they heard Todoroki coming too.
She couldn't risk moving her arms to cover her mouth so she focused on matching her breathing with Bakugou. He watched the pair below them but Ochako could tell he was focusing on breathing silently while he held both of them in place. Luckily, they hadn't been exerting a lot of energy. Her quirk, while nauseating at times, was relatively easy to use in situations like these. Even so, her and Bakugou's hearts were beating rapidly. His was likely at the possibility of failure, hers was for a much more embarrassing reason. It was somehow helpful and immensely distracting to feel the slow rise and fall of Bakugou's chest on her body. She was glad her mouth was covered otherwise she was sure she'd have said something ridiculous or looked like an idiot. Their mouths were so close that if they hadn't been taped over they'd almost be kissing.
Ochako glanced down to see Sero and Mineta gesturing wildly below them. As the sound of Todoroki's ice crept closer, Mineta grabbed onto Sero's arm and yanked repeatedly to leave. A little relief washed over her until she looked up and saw Bakugou staring at her mouth. She let out an involuntary squeak of shock and it broke Bakugou out of whatever he was thinking. His eyes snapped to hers and narrowed. He jabbed a knuckle into her side as if to say 'shut up'.
The air around them chilled. Frost covered the limbs of the tree and began to cover Bakugou's hand. His shoes became coated in ice crystals with the frost slowly moving up his pants before stopping below the knee. Bakugou's breathing stayed steady as his eyes desperately looked for the cause.
Sero and Mineta fled to the right. They obviously decided that a detour was better than being caught. It was probably the only reason that they hadn't had time to look up. Ochako relaxed slightly until she felt Bakugou's hand cup her hip firmly. She made eye contact with him and he shook his head.
A couple seconds went by before Deku floated by a couple meters below them. Todoroki skated underneath him, sending ice in all directions. He was herding people away from them.
Bakugou must have realized the same thing because his expression became smug. Deku and Todoroki's plan to not get caught hadn't worked.
Ochako involuntarily shivered in his arms, letting out a shaky exhale. Bakugou carefully let go of the branch and wrapped his other arm around her to warm her up. His feet kept them in place but they were a lot less secure.
The branch barely moved yet Todoroki and Deku's heads snapped towards it. Bakugou tightened his arms around her reflexively. His entire body tensed underneath Ochako as he scowled at them.
Todoroki sent an ice path straight for them without hesitation. Frost covered their skin and it took everything in Ochako not to start hyperventilating. Bakugou kept his eyes on Ochako as she tried to control her shivering. Deku watched their spot for several seconds. With a last tilt of his head, Deku looked down at Todoroki and gestured to move on toward the plume of smoke. Todoroki nodded, sent out more ice, then left. With a last glance back up at them, Deku followed.
Bakugou held Ochako until they could no longer hear the ice moving across the forest floor. He let her go, dusted off some ice from his clothes, then pulled her along to the next tree. Once they were covered, Bakugou released her hand and shook his own out, making a face at the cold. Ochako shrugged apologetically, holding her hand out to him pleadingly. He rolled his eyes and took it with both hands, rubbing it until he was satisfied that her fingers weren't going to fall off.
When they arrived at camp, All Might greeted them with a wave. Before he could say a word, Bakugou ripped the tape off his face to reveal a victorious grin.
"Icy-Hot, Deku, Tape-Face, Small Fry," Bakugou rambled off.
"I'm sorry?" All Might asked, holding out his hand toward them. Bakugou looked at his palm with confusion.
"Todoroki, Midoriya, Sero, Mineta," Ochako translated after removing her tape. "We saw them."
"Hm, thank you for telling me. We'll confirm on the cameras that were installed in the tape."
"I knew it," Ochako muttered, handing her tape to him. Bakugou rolled his eyes as he slammed the piece of tape into All Might's palm.
"Why even bother with us telling you then?" Bakugou asked.
"To measure honesty, young Bakugou. Though, I had no doubt you would tell us who you'd seen."
"What about Deku?" Ochako asked. "He looked up at us but we couldn't tell if he'd seen us through the trees."
"He didn't mention you two but we'll check."
She nodded with a yawn and remembered something she'd been saving for the last night.
"Oh! I'd like to cash in my extra sleep time for tomorrow morning," she told All Might.
"Same," Bakugou added immediately after her.
All Might looked between them and smiled slightly.
"I'll let Mr. Iida know. You two are on cooking duty tonight. Better get started."
"I can't believe I almost forgot about that," Bakugou said in a low tone as they walked to the cooking station to prep.
"Plus, if we did get seen, we won't have to do sprints with the others," Ochako reasoned.
"Oh, if Deku spotted us and lied about it, he's gonna regret it."
"We could've been spotted by someone else."
"Don't be a fucking pessimist," Bakugou scolded. "I would have heard them."
Dinner took approximately five seconds to cook and a millisecond to eat. While their classmates cleaned up, Bakugou and Ochako had a moment of peace before the impending game. Bakugou opted to sit alone at the campfire, poking the coals mindlessly. Eventually, Jirou joined him, talking so quietly that Ochako couldn't hear their conversation from the sleeping area. Several classmates were still eating or resting, some were chatting happily at tables or laying down on their sleeping bags. Bakugou's poking turned aggressive while Jirou fidgeted with her earphone jacks. Ochako tore her eyes away when Kaminari sat down next to Jirou, placing a kiss on her shoulder then waving in Ochako's direction. She rolled over and prayed that Kaminari wasn't telling Bakugou how he caught her staring. Ochako wrapped herself in her sleeping bag, deciding that resting for a few minutes wouldn't be so bad.
Last night's campfire played in her head the second she closed her eyes. Seeing Bakugou put himself out there and stand up for Jirou really proved how much he's grown over the past year. Not to mention that he had a wonderful singing voice. Ochako sighed at how warm it had made her feel, as if he was singing only for her.
"Clean up is done!" Kirishima announced proudly. Ochako's eyes snapped open. She sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly. With a reluctant stretch, Ochako told herself she needed to stop daydreaming. Her brain should be planning what she was going to do when they finally talked tonight.
"Finally!" Ashido said cheerfully, throwing down the towel she used to dry her hands. "Let's get this party started!"
The excited chatter increased until Kaminari's voice broke through.
"You're just jealous because I have a girlfriend and you don't!"
As if a record scratched, the entire camp fell silent and looked toward him. Jirou whacked her boyfriend with her earphone jack and apologized to Bakugou.
"Right," he drawled sarcastically and stood up. "Like I'd be jealous of Shit-For-Brains."
"Do you ever think before you speak?" Jirou asked Kaminari as Bakugou skulked away.
"Why would I do that? Ow! You don't have to flick me!" Kaminari exclaimed. "To be honest, he reacted better than expected. Ow, Jirou, stop!"
"Everything okay, Uraraka?" Yaomomo asked, making Ochako flinch. Bakugou glanced in their direction for a millisecond before continuing to walk to the bathroom.
"Yeah, totally," Ochako managed to get out. Her mind was racing. Did Bakugou not want a girlfriend? Is that what she wanted to be? She blinked a few times to stop the static of rushing words in her brain then smiled at Yaomomo. "Sorry, I'm really tired. Kind of zoned out."
"At least tomorrow is only a half day," Yaomomo said, sitting next to her.
"And we get to play your game tonight," Ochako added. While she appreciated what Yaomomo was doing for the class, she was about as excited to play the game as Bakugou was. Nerves and exhaustion had her wanting to stay in bed instead of socialize.
"I know!" Yaomomo said gleefully. "I can't wait! I've worked hard on it."
"Momo, are you ready?" Ashido asked, coming up to the girl's area. Yaomomo nodded but Ochako sighed softly. She wanted a few more moments to herself.
"Is everyone ready to play?" Yaomomo asked the class.
"I'm so ready! Someone dare me to make out with all the girls!" Mineta shouted, earning him a flick on the shoulder from Sero. From behind, Shouji slapped Mineta on the back of the head.
"I'm still eating," Satou answered with his mouth half-full. Ojiro pointed to his mouth that was currently chewing.
"That's fine," Ashido shrugged. "I'll gather the stragglers around the fire. Yaomomo, will you set it up?"
The girls headed to the fire where Yaomomo created a spin wheel that had all of their names on it, a coin that read 'truth' on one side and 'dare' on the other, and for some reason a bottle. Ochako bundled up in one of her blankets and sat next to Deku, who was reading one of his journals.
"No trivia?" Todoroki asked Yaomomo, sitting on her left. Yaomomo sighed sadly.
"It felt too complex," she admitted. "Trivia is better for small groups anyway."
"If we have to play, the least you could do is stop making it more complicated than it needs to be," Bakugou said, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice as he returned to the campfire.
"Don't listen to him!" Hagakure said as she sat next to Jirou. "This will be a blast!"
"Tch."
"He's only acting that way because last time he-" Kaminari started but Sero punched him in the arm. "Will everyone stop hitting me!?"
"Dude, shut it," Sero said. "I know you're tired but check your filter."
"We're all tired," Kirishima added blankly then flashed a smile. "But this should be fun!"
Bakugou groaned loudly as he sat down next to Ochako, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. She discreetly leaned her leg against Bakugou to let him know that she was right there with him. He cleared his throat and relaxed his arms.
Deku side-eyed them, looking directly at where their legs touched.
"Okay, so," Yaomomo started once everyone was seated at the fire. Deku put away his book, giving Ochako a questioning look. Ochako refused to answer. She didn't have to explain herself or feel bad about doing it. No one said anything when Bakugou did it the other night. So what if it was obvious? Maybe she wanted to be a little obvious so when she told Bakugou the truth it wouldn't feel like it came out of nowhere. "I'll spin the board and whoever it lands on is the person up next. I'll flip the coin and that's what they have to do. The previous person comes up with the question or dare. If you opt out of your option, you have to spin the bottle."
Mineta vibrated with excitement next to Satou and all of the class collectively agreed that Mineta was not allowed to opt out solely to spin the bottle.
"That's discrimination!" Mineta shouted.
"That's the rule or you don't play at all!" Ashido told him.
"Creep," Hagakure muttered.
"Prude!" Mineta called back.
"That's enough," Iida said firmly. The class quieted down. "This is supposed to be a fun way to celebrate the end of camp."
Ochako sighed and dropped her head into her hands.
"This could turn into a fucking fight," Bakugou said quietly. "I'd leave if I could."
"Me too," Ochako whispered, turning her head up at him to smile. Bakugou furrowed his brow.
"Dare me to leave the game if you're able then," he whispered. Ochako laughed softly and smiled.
"You better do the same," Ochako breathed and nudged him with her knee.
"Let's get started!" Yaomomo announced. Ochako straightened up and saw Kaminari grinning at her like an idiot. She hurriedly looked away but the damage was done. She'd been too obvious. Yaomomo spun the board and flipped the coin. "Kaminari, looks like you got 'Dare'."
"Piece of cake," he said smugly.
"You're not to speak out of turn for the rest of the game," Yaomomo dared.
Kaminari's jaw dropped.
"And if you do," Yaomomo continued. "You have to sleep only in your underwear."
The entire circle stared at Yaomomo. Kaminari tapped Sero's elbow then pointed to his lips. Sero ripped off a piece of his tape and stuck it over Kaminari's mouth.
"Thank goodness," Jirou said with a grin. "This is gonna be interesting." Yaomomo nodded wickedly.
"Let's do this!" Kirishima shouted. Yaomomo spun again and landed on Mineta. Kaminari removed his tape as Yaomomo flashed the 'truth' side of the coin at him.
"Rank the guys in class from least to most bangable," Kaminari rushed then pressed the tape back down.
Mineta laughed like an evil scientist and stood up proudly.
"Jokes on you! I've had this list for ages."
"Of course you have," Satou muttered.
"Sorry, Kouda but you're last. Too quiet and nice," Mineta said. Kouda shook his head and let out a soft sigh of relief. "Then with questionable order are Satou, Shouji, Tokoyami, and Ojiro."
Satou looked confused, Shouji and Tokoyami showed no signs of caring, and Ojiro shook his head, obviously thinking this was ridiculous.
"What? Ojiro should be higher," Sero argued. Kaminari nodded vigorously in agreement. "He's sweet, strong, and think about what he could do with that tail!"
"Okay," Ojiro snapped, bringing his hands up. "Let's not."
"I also take into account personality preferences, Sero," Mineta scoffed. "I'm not only about eye-candy anymore. I've grown. Oh, that reminds me. Shinsou is in our class now. I'd put him next, then Todoroki, Iida, Kaminari. Sorry Sero, you're high but not getting the number one spot. Next is Kirishima--."
Kirishima flexed his muscles and kissed his bicep. Sero shrugged. Mineta paused, sizing up Bakugou and Deku for a moment, tilting his head as if deciding who would win.
"For the first time, I don't want to be number one," Bakugou whispered to Ochako. She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh but it didn't completely squash the sounds she made.
"Bakugou then Midoriya," Mineta finished, sitting down like he'd just finished an impressive speech. Deku stared wide-eyed at Mineta, completely frozen. Ochako patted Deku's leg and his entire face went red.
"What?! Midoriya would be muttering the entire time!" Sero yelled. "Iida is a snack! You're crazy!"
"I'll do what I want, it's my list!" Mineta shouted.
"Class!" Mr. Iida called out with a knowing expression. "It's quiet time across camp."
Mineta and Sero hid their faces in shame while the class exchanged embarrassed glances.
Yaomomo quickly spun and flipped, leading to Ashido getting 'truth'. Mineta smiled sweetly and looked deep into her eyes.
"Who would you rather be in a relationship with? Sero or Kirishima?"
Ashido glared at him, took a deep breath, then turned toward Yaomomo.
"Give me the bottle," she said tightly. Ochako hesitantly looked toward Sero and Kirishima. Sero seemed relieved while Kirishima stared at the ground. Yaomomo handed Ashido the bottle, which she spun forcefully. It landed on Kouda causing him to gasp nervously.
"Only if you're okay with it," Ashido told him. She quickly glanced in the direction of the teachers, who were otherwise occupied with planning tomorrow's training. Kouda nodded and Ashido pecked him on the cheek.
"That was lame," Mineta complained. "From now on, it has to be lips only! If they don't like it they can leave."
"It's not your game, Mineta," Todoroki said bluntly. Yaomomo shrugged.
"I think that ups the stakes as long as we don't get caught. I'll allow the rule change for future spins."
Her answer shocked the class but no one argued.
"Okay, Ashido, you've got Bakugou with truth," Yaomomo said after spinning and flipping.
"Lovely. Bakugou, do you like the amazing, strong, charming, cutie pie that is Ochako Uraraka?"
Bakugou looked at Ashido like she was stupid. Ochako had to implement the breathing techniques she learned today in order to not scream. She refused to look at him no matter how much she wanted.
"Why the fuck would I ask her to be my camp buddy if I didn't like her? Idiot," Bakugou answered. Ochako's stomach fluttered.
"That's…that's not what I meant."
"Well, you said what you said," Bakugou said stiffly.
"I meant-," Ashido started but Bakugou held up his hand and addressed Yaomomo.
"Spin, Ponytail," he commanded. "Raccoon-Eyes just wasted her turn."
"Ugh!" Ashido pouted.
"Bakugou, you've got Todoroki and dare," Yaomomo told him. Todoroki closed his eyes as if it would save him. It wouldn't.
"Oh, hell yeah," Bakugou breathed, cracking his knuckles. Bakugou dared him to flash All-Might which led to Todoroki kissing Jirou, much to the dismay of Kaminari. In quick succession, Todoroki dared Iida to curse out his brother, which led to Iida kissing Kaminari, much to the dismay of Jirou and Iida. Iida asked Hagakure what the worst part of being invisible was. Hagakure asked Ojiro what the weirdest thing he'd ever done with his tail was. Ojiro dared Jirou to say 'Plus Ultra!' after every sentence.
"I didn't think this game could be worse than when we played it," Bakugou muttered to Kirishima.
"They're trying to keep it tame in front of the teachers," Kirishima whispered back. Mr. Iida and All Might were now at a separate fire by their tents but glanced in the direction of the students every few minutes. "Uraraka, is it like this with the girls?"
"Kind of? Usually we talk about the class more. Vent, gossip," Ochako said quietly.
"I'm dying of boredom," Bakugou groaned.
"Uraraka?" Yaomomo asked loudly. "Jirou asked you what your favorite moment from camp was?"
"Sorry, I didn't realize you weren't listening. Plus Ultra!" Jirou said sheepishly.
"What kind of question is that!?" Ashido asked angrily. "No one cares about that. Why didn't you ask about...you know?"
Jirou shrugged but didn't take her eyes off Ochako. Bakugou slowly moved his leg away from her and the entire class watched her eagerly.
"Um, my favorite moment from camp was--," Ochako stopped to consider. She needed to pick a safe memory. Definitely couldn't pick sleeping with him in the cave. "When Bakugou and I hiked up the mountain and found a great view of the campground. He let me take a break and it was beautiful."
A few small laughs met Ochako's ears and she relaxed.
"Bakugou let you take a break?" Sero asked in disbelief and glanced at Bakugou. "That's suspicious."
"Why don't you tape your face, Tape-Face?" Bakugou snapped.
"Alright, Ochako, let's see who you get," Yaomomo said, spinning the board. "Well, isn't that interesting. It landed on Bakugou!"
Ashido stood up and cheered. Kaminari mirrored her but didn't make a sound.
"Did you rig it? He's already gone," Todoroki asked quietly. Yaomomo hushed him.
"I would never! That's what it landed on!" Yaomomo said, astonished. She flipped the coin. "Truth."
Bakugou's fists were clenched and his eyes were locked onto Ashido. Ochako knew she had to be careful. She couldn't ask anything too risky or anything that would make him uncomfortable.
"Why do you think I'm a rose?" She asked. Ashido almost fainted.
Bakugou stared into the fire. Ochako wondered if the entire class was holding their breath.
"Everyone likes roses. People think they're dainty and fragile but they always seem to forget that roses have thorns. They're resilient, good for any situation, and they're round."
Ochako shrugged the blanket off her body. It was too warm. She should have asked a different question.
"Good answer," she said softly. "Your turn."
"Nothing to do with the fact that she's pretty?" Ashido pushed.
"Do you think roses are pretty?" Bakugou asked her, unable to mask his annoyance.
"I guess that would be up to personal interpretation," Ashido mumbled angrily and sat back down. Kaminari had his hand on his hips, glaring at Bakugou.
"You got something to say, Tape-Face 2?" Bakugou asked. Kaminari shook his head and sat down as well. "Then let's get this over with."
Bakugou got Kirishima and dared him to knock over a tree with his quirk.
"Man," Kirishima whined. "I'm exhausted. That'll take forever."
"That wasn't even a good dare! Whatever. I don't give a fuck what you do," Bakugou said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Yaomomo handed Kirishima the bottle and he spun it on the ground in front of his feet.
The class watched it slow down, inching toward Bakugou until it stopped right on the edge of Ochako. She sat like a statue as the class went into an uproar of exclamations, cheers, and arguments that it could be Bakugou. Bakugou's eyes were locked onto the bottle. Little sparks popped in his palms as his expression darkened.
"You don't have to!" Kirishima said in a panic, his eyes darting between Ochako and Bakugou. "Absolutely no pressure!"
Logically she knew that it was possible the bottle could land on her but she didn't actually expect it to happen. Kirishima was nice and good-looking. There were worst first kisses but--she didn't want to waste it on a game. Call her old-fashioned but Ochako wanted it to be with someone she trusted. The memory of her and Bakugou dancing around the fire popped into her mind. His face had been so close to hers.
"I--I need to go--go to the bathroom," Ochako said in panic and ran toward the forest.
"She went the wrong way," Ojiro stated. Leave it to class 2-A to be unable to wait until Ochako was out of earshot.
"Why'd you have to say that, Mineta? Now she's left the game because of you!" Satou accused.
"The rule change was accepted! How's that my fault?" Mineta countered. Ochako stopped at the tree line and looked back to see Ashido walk over and kiss Kirishima in her place. He blushed slightly but it didn't hide the tinge of rejection on his face. Bakugou's eyes had moved from the bottle to Ochako.
Ochako turned away and continued into the forest. She'd calm herself down then try to play off the situation as if she had felt sick or something, apologize to Kirishima, and all would be okay.
In the distance, a large log from the remnants of a fallen tree called to her. She sat on the ground against it and leaned her head against the bark. Ochako looked up to see a sky full of stars through the leaves above her. A soft breeze blew through the area and she closed her eyes.
"Kind of figured the rule of everything going to shit would be enacted by that stupid game," Bakugou said quietly. Ochako opened her eyes to see him standing with his hands in his pockets a couple meters away.
"Ha, right," Ochako replied dryly. "Well, I probably should've just kissed him. Would've made less of a scene."
"You didn't want to."
Bakugou took a cautious step forward. Ochako patted the ground next to her, signaling that he was okay to proceed. He sat next to her and leaned his leg against hers.
"No, I didn't," Ochako whispered. "I think a first kiss should be with someone you actually want to kiss. I want it to be special."
Bakugou shifted uneasily next to her.
"Girls make a big deal out of everything. I've never kissed anyone before but I'm not obsessing over it."
Bakugo sulked as Ochako rolled her eyes at him. He'd totally thought about it.
"So you'd kiss anyone if they asked?" Ochako asked.
"Fuck no. I can still be picky without worrying when it's gonna happen."
Ochako nodded in agreement then went back to looking at the stars. She turned her head back to look at Bakugou who was picking at the dirt.
"I feel bad about hurting Kirishima though. At least I didn't punch him in the face."
Bakugou's eyes snapped to hers, furious and bright in the darkness of the forest.
"Rocky tried to fucking kiss you? Oh, he's gonna die," Bakugou snarled, getting up. Ochako grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
"I think I already got him," Ochako whispered. Bakugou scrunched up his nose.
"Tch. You went too easy on him. Next time I see him, he'll need multiple sessions with Recovery Girl."
"Okay, okay, calm down. Please don't tell anyone. I don't want people to get the wrong impression of me."
"What? That you're a badass?"
Ochako bit her lip as her face reddened. She focused on some rocks on the ground, applying partial gravity to them and flicking them away.
"So did you come out here to collect me, to have our dreaded talk, or because you wanted to get away too?" Ochako asked after a couple minutes of silence.
"You're my buddy. Can't let you walk off alone," he answered. "I think the 'everything goes to shit' phase is over but I'm not taking any chances."
"So," Ochako started.
"So," he repeated, throwing a rock into the forest.
Ochako flicked another rock and an idea popped into her mind. Bakugou was smart. She could kill two birds with one stone.
"Hey, Bakugou," Ochako murmured. He looked down at her. "What if we were each other's first kiss?"
Bakugou's eyes widened before he turned away to inspect the log behind them.
"I mean, we're friends," Ochako thought aloud. "We trust each other. We'll get it out of the way."
"Out of the way? What happened to it being special?" Bakugou asked tightly.
"I--I think it will be special because it's with you," Ochako answered. "If you want to."
Bakugou left the log alone to stare at his hands for several seconds, mulling it over. Maybe he didn't want to kiss her. Ochako chuckled nervously as Bakugou analyzed her face. Abort mission.
"Okay," he finally answered. "You sure?"
Ochako nodded and Bakugou took a slow, deep breath. They faced each other and Ochako felt like she was vibrating.
"I'm nervous," she whispered then realized how he might take that. "Not because I don't trust you--"
"I know," he interrupted. Bakguou leaned his face down, hesitating right before their lips touched. Ochako closed her eyes, reminding herself that first kisses were always awkward and short. It would be over and done quickly. That wasn't the point. The point was showing Bakugou she liked him more than a friend.
Bakugou closed the distance between them, kissing her softly. He grasped her forearm like he was afraid she'd try to leave. She thought it would be a peck but Bakugou lingered. When he pulled away, Ochako touched her lips and grinned. Bakugou, however, didn't look happy.
"I want a rematch," he said firmly.
Ochako laughed nervously. "Wait, what?"
"A redo, I mean. I can do better."
"Better?"
"Can I kiss you again?" he asked seriously. Ochako's heart beat so fast that she was sure Bakugou could hear it.
"Yeah, okay," Ochako giggled. If she had been expecting anything, it certainly wouldn't have been Bakugou pulling her toward him, holding her waist with his hands, and kissing her with an intensity that she recognized from battle. Without thinking, Ochako wrapped her hands around his neck. Bakugou grinned as he continued to kiss her, carefully setting her back on the ground.
The best part was Bakugou didn't stop. Ochako was in a blissful stupor. When Bakugou moved off her lips, Ochako almost asked why until she felt his kiss on her cheek. At that moment, Ochako realized how blind and completely ridiculous she'd been to think that Bakugou's secret had been something to worry about.
"Uraraka, I-" Bakugou began but Ochako shook her head, her eyes closed. If she opened them then the dream would be over.
"Don't. Don't say anything yet."
Bakugou laid next to her, breathing heavily. Ochako felt around for his hand. He set his hand in hers, making Ochako's head light. Everything had worked out. She started laughing and crying at the same time. Tears fell through the sides of her eyes down her temples and into her hair. When she finally opened her eyes, the stars above shone as brightly as she'd ever seen them.
"Uraraka!" Deku called from camp. Ochako sat up suddenly, the amazing feeling draining out of her.
"No. Not yet," Ochako whispered. She pulled Bakugou with her, activated her quirk on the both of them, then tumbled over the log into a bush on the other side. "Release!"
Bakugou fell on top of her with a muted thud. His breath was hot on her skin and his face was flushed as he smirked at her.
"Guess you know the truth even without that game," he breathed. Ochako nuzzled her face into him to hide her awkwardness.
"Uraraka!" Iida and Jirou joined in. Voices of their classmates started to echo throughout the forest.
"Fuck, they really can't leave anything alone. It's like they sense it," Bakugou said bitterly.
"I don't want to head back yet," Ochako mumbled.
"You don't have to," Bakugou told her but his voice was wary like he didn't know if he was unintentionally lying. Ochako frowned as more voices started shouting through the forest.
"Uraraka, come back!" Kirishima shouted.
"Please!" Ashido added.
Footsteps passed their log. Ochako and Bakugou stopped breathing, watching each other with bated breath.
"They can't be too far," Ashido said in a worried tone.
"This wouldn't have happened if--," Kirishima started but Ashido shushed him.
"Let's focus on finding her okay. This isn't anyone's fault."
They kept calling for Ochako as they headed deeper into the forest. Bakugou tilted his head in the direction they went then looked back towards camp. His expression said it best. This wasn't normal.
"Uraraka!" All Might called. At that moment, Ochako knew something was wrong. This wasn't the class wanting Ochako to come play again. Bakugou stood up and held his hand out for Ochako.
"Get on," Bakugou instructed. She climbed on his back and they blasted back to camp in seconds.
"There you are!" Mr. Iida said with relief and concern. "There's a call for you at the Emergency Center."
"W-What?" Ochako stuttered. Bakugou didn't waste time. He didn't wait for her to worry or for her to ask questions. The sounds of explosions filled the air as he flew her to the Emergency Center at breakneck speeds.
They dropped outside the door and Ochako climbed off of him. She stood outside the door for several seconds.
"I'm not going anywhere," Bakugou said. Ochako nodded and clenched her fists. Whatever this was, Bakugou would be waiting for her right here. She pulled open the door to harsh lights and Eri drawing at a table.
Eri looked up and pointed down the hall where Ochako could hear Recovery Girl talking. She ran to the room, feeling like the hallway was a kilometer long.
"Here she is," Recovery Girl said as soon as she saw Ochako. "It's your father."
Ochako took the phone and put it up to her ear.
"Dad?" Ochako asked, her voice cracking. The tears she was crying weren't happy anymore.
"Hey, baby, um…something happened. Your mom is in the hospital."
Ochako knew that. Why else would her dad be calling?
"She had a stroke," he said, his voice breaking. Her dad continued talking but Ochako didn't hear anything. It was all static.
"I'll leave right now," Ochako said as soon as her father stopped talking.
"Ochako, wait-"
"I love you. Tell mom I love her."
Ochako hung up. She had to. There was no way Ochako could keep it together if she had to keep talking. The weight of what was happening was crushing. Only moments ago Ochako had felt the happiest she'd been in ages. Now her entire body felt as if it were imploding. Her knees buckled and as she sat on the floor all she could think about was that her mother was in the hospital and she wasn't there with her.
Chapter End Notes
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