Ochaco settled onto the couch in the commons area with a steaming cup of green tea, the heat of the ceramic warming her frigid digits as snow fluttered down softly outside. The rest of class 1-A were in the middle of their exams currently so the quirkless teen was left to wander aimlessly around the dorms waiting for their return. She would have to make up the finals, at least the written portion, once Recovery Girl had given the full clear medically. Physically Ochaco was now healed though they were still monitoring her mentally due to the potential risk of a complete breakdown if Zero Gravity were to return suddenly. Ever since the sharp talking to in the infirmary, she'd spent the time trying to sort out how she needed to handle the grief of losing her quirk while learning to rely on those closest to her. Only a few days ago she'd finally gathered everyone to explain the situation and how she needed their support as part of the healing process. Immediately they all agreed, sans Bakugo who merely stomped off to bed complaining about how he was losing sleep over the stupid conversation. Deku was the most eager out of them all to lend his full support and instantly pulled out his notebook to help write down her ideas much to her amusement.
Deku would be an amazing hero one day and although quirkless now, potentially permanently, Uraraka would stand behind him just as he was doing for her. The thought of finally confessing to him in the snow filled sky fluttered across her mind often in the long periods of silence though she shook her head lightly. Surely there was no way the feelings would be returned; he never showed any signs of acting different than his normal awkward self whenever they were together. A frown ticked at her mouth. Or were there signs and she just mistook them? Lately he'd been hanging around more and more as she healed from her injuries…she even noticed that he was less nervous with skin touching and being a little closer than normal but surely that was concern for his friend? Touching her arm wasn't super out of the ordinary for friends, but what caught her attention the most was him trying to comfort her by putting a hand over hers. Obviously it made him flustered, though he seemed to be pushing through the nerves to provide her with support. That and there was the sudden hug when she was on the bench. He'd never done anything like that in their few months at U.A. and it honestly took her by surprise. The only thing she could think of as was a panicked reaction to seeing her broken down.
A ding from her phone drew her attention to the table so she set the mug down to reply. The wallpaper on the main screen always elicited a laugh from her especially whenever Bakugo caught her eye with his plastered on fake smile and angry eyebrows. Apparently as soon as Kaminari showed him the modified version, the electrical hero was promptly tackled as he fought to get his phone back. With a quick tap the messaging app opened up to show a new message from Deku. Warmth filled her body as she scanned over the small paragraph he had sent.
Hey Uraraka, how are you doing? I hope you aren't too bored sitting around in the dorms alone. We've finished the written portion so we have a short break before the combat portion. Did you see it's snowing out? It's supposed to snow pretty heavily later on so maybe we can all go sledding tomorrow! I haven't gone sledding since I was a kid—oh, we don't have sleds, do we? Maybe we should try to pick some up later then. I've got to go get ready now but I'll let you know as soon as we're done!
Sledding, huh? I'm just drinking some tea in the commons. Might go for a short walk around just to kill the boredom. Good luck on the practical exam! Try not to break any legs! Or arms…or fingers…please don't break anything! Ochaco hit send then leaned back into the cushions with a huff. Hopefully he didn't injure himself too badly this time around. Mr. Aizawa mentioned there was a meeting sometime tomorrow to go over the modified test schedule for her so perhaps there was time to go sledding before. With a high stretch of her arms, Ochaco decided to go for a brief walk to ward off the restlessness growing in her legs. Luckily her regular shoes had been switched to her warmer boots so she slipped them on at the doorway along with a thicker coat before pushing open the dorm doors. A frigid blast of air smacked the brunette in the face and she released a sharp breath in response.
The snow was just barely beginning to stick to the ground as she trekked down the main pathway looping around the school grounds. Grey overcast skies hung low over the city lulling it into a deep, calm hiemal slumber. As much as Ochaco enjoyed the other seasons, winter always seemed to wash a sense of peace and calmness over the teen. When she was a child, she would always drag her parents to do things in the frigid air regardless of if the weather was severe enough to blizzard. Snowmen, sledding, snowball fights. All parts of her childhood that helped to nurture and grow the love of the wintery season. Honks from above redirected her gaze as a flock of geese flew overhead on their way south to warmer temperatures. Uraraka slowed to a stop, taking the time to watch as they realigned into an arrowed formation. Their honks of communication struck something within her. Teamwork. Each bird of the flock had a crucial part in ensuring the formation stayed tightly together, leaving no member behind as they traversed south. It seemed so natural the way they supported one another and Ochaco slowly lowered her head in thought.
Recovery Girl was right; teamwork was essential in their line of work, not just for the safety of themselves but also for the countless citizens who relied on them for help. Looking down at her palm with its raised finger pads Ochaco studied them briefly before clenching them downward. If she had any hope of returning to the hero field then she needed the full support of her classmates, which they wholeheartedly agreed to. But there were still some obstacles to hurdle over before the dreams became reality once more. First off was learning to overcome the trauma she suffered during the attack. Though she couldn't fully remember everything, class 1-A would and they could explain everything in detail. Maybe it would trigger the repressed memories then unlock her quirk once more. Or…it could send her spiraling into the depths of a psychotic break that would inevitably finish her career as a hero. Sitting around moping was getting old and Ochaco needed to start taking action.
"First things first, I need to see if my quirk still exists at all." Uraraka deduced aloud while hovering her palms over one another. A few seconds ticked by before she slowly separated them with a sheepish laugh. "It might be better to try it on a rock or something first…"
Snatching up the nearest medium sized rock, Ochaco rolled it around in her palms to ready herself. It had been over a month since her quirk disappeared hence the odd sensation of holding an object with the intent of making it float. Deep breath in, hold, slow exhale. All ten finger pads touched the stone. Nothing happened after a minute so she pressed harder, focusing more intently on the image of it floating into the sky weightlessly. A sharp edge sliced into her finger as it slipped from fresh perspiration and the hunk of minerals dropped to the ground. "Ow, that really hurt…"
Uraraka watched as a thin line of blood beaded up across her raised pad. A frown adorned her face when the vital fluid slowly carved a trail down her finger. So it still hadn't returned. Not that she was fully expecting it to have magically come back, it was just that the hopes she raised fairly high had been shot down a few notches. A sigh pushed past her lips and she pressed her palms together. This was going to harder than she planned. Just as she pulled her hands apart a brief glow caught her eye and she stopped, blinking rapidly in disbelief. Pressing her palms together again slowly, Ochaco brought the appendages up to her face before slowly separating them again with wide eyes. Another flash of pink crossed her vision and the teen felt the hot stinging of tears forming. It was there, her quirk was still there! While it wasn't more than a brief, dim glow it still meant that her powers were still surviving somewhere deep inside.
"Oh my gosh…my quirk is coming back! I have to let Mr. Aizawa know and Recovery Girl then Deku—"
Pain erupted across Ochaco's temple causing the brunette to collapse to her knees in agony as the breath was knocked from her lungs in an instant. Searing heat raced through her veins, burning her up from the inside out with a fury that rivaled Todoroki's flames. Ochaco clenched the front of her jacket tighter with each painful thumping of her pounding heart. Something was wrong, very wrong. It was as if her body was rejecting the usage of Zero Gravity after dormancy for weeks. Uraraka hit the ground then tightly curled into a ball as everything around her began blurring, the frigid air around her waning to nothingness. All noise dulled to a low humming and she cracked her eyes open to blurrily see the snow falling over her. The phone in her pocket began buzzing violently though she slipped into the abyss of unconsciousness before it hit the third vibration.
"Man, that was rough! The test was a killer then throw a class battle on top of that for a final and I'm beat for the day!" Kaminari grunted as he stretched his arms high above his head, the others muttering their agreements.
"But it was nice to fight against quirks opposite of ours so we can continue to grow our own strengths. Though I wasn't prepared for Mr. Aizawa replacing Uraraka as a battle partner." Yaoyorozu sighed while shuffling towards the kitchen to start some tea, the bitter cold seeping down to her bones. "Has anyone heard from her lately? I don't think she's down here so maybe she's in her room. Or the baths, we could check there also."
"Oh, I got a text from Uraraka earlier before the battle exam. I haven't been able to read it since we had to change." Deku pulled his silenced phone out to scroll through his messages. Like usual there were a few from his mom but there was a single red exclamation under Uraraka's name. He tapped on it then quickly scanned over the words. Her words of good luck seemed to be effective as he hadn't broken anything during the exam and he gave a tiny smile at her mentioning of tea drinking. She was an avid green tea drinker and Christmas was around the corner, maybe he could scrounge up enough money to get her some decent quality stuff. "She mentioned drinking some green tea in the commons but also said she might go for a short walk."
"Who would want to go out in this wea—" Mineta jumped onto the couch only to have something crash against his head moments later, the rest of the class jolting in surprise. Green tea dripped from the stunned purple haired teen onto the floor and couch cushions, broken pieces of a mug littering the carpet. Kaminari ran to get rags as Shoji checked on him. Stunned silence filled the room as all eyes tilted to where the glass fell from.
"What in the world? Where did that come from?" Iida adjusted his glasses before looking up at the ceiling. Certainly mugs didn't levitate by themselves that high up.
"From up there? There's nothing up there to hold it so why…oh my god," Mina let out a sharp gasp while pointing at the soaked pervert. "Uraraka must've gotten her powers back! I bet she floated the mug up! Oh my god, we need to find her so I can hug the shit out of her! This is so exciting!"
"But where is she to have released the cup? I don't think it was set up to be a prank, especially one that could cause injury." Toru spun around as Mina grabbed her by the hands, the two swinging and dancing happily. Tsu got dragged into it so all three swung around happily until they started tripping over one another.
"Let me try calling her," Jiro dialed the number quickly on her phone, placing it to her ear as it rang. Everyone waited with bated breaths until she took the phone away from her ear with a shake of her head. "It rang then went to voicemail. Did she leave it in her room? I don't think she'd go without it even for a walk."
"It's possible but let's still check everywhere," Tsu suggested.
"Why don't the girls check out her room and the baths while we look around down here? That way we can cover all of the bases." Todoroki suggested, the girls nodding before taking off for upstairs. "Let's check around down here before looking outside. Maybe she went somewhere specifically or to a vending machine."
"I'm going to check outside in case she's still making her way back to the dorms." Midoriya offered before dropping his bag and bolting for the doors, panic clawing at his chest painfully. Had she floated away uncontrollably? He should check the skies as well just in case she had but what would have triggered her to float away? Unless…unless something forced her quirk to return though he wasn't sure what could've done that. The snow had started picking up heavier once they left the USJ and it was growing thicker by the hour. If she was still out there…
"Midoriya! I'll join you since we can cover more ground faster," Iida called out while jogging to a stop beside him. "I'll go back the way we came while you go left? Call me if you find her, I'm going to let the teachers know if there aren't any signs of her."
"Right!" Izuku agreed before releasing his quirk and taking off at an inhuman speed. The faster he found Uraraka the faster he could be reassured she was fine. If her quirk had suddenly reactivated it could be catastrophic for her mind and body to suddenly process everything. Just like when he acquired One for All, his body reacted violently to the sudden surge of power causing broken bones, excruciating pain, and countless other injuries. If the situation were reversed then it could have the same effect but to what extent he wasn't sure. Izuku just prayed she was safe wherever she was.
Uraraka slowly stirred awake to blearily glance at her surroundings with a heavy pounding in her head. Everything looked…grey. Something landed on her eye and the brunette raised a hand to swipe at it. A heavy shiver ran down her spine as she sat up, white powder falling from her hair onto her already white coated lap. Ochaco shook the rest of the snow from her hair with numbed fingers before wiping the rest from her clothes. It was difficult to discern where exactly she was while standing up as the heavy snow covered everything in a blanket of stark colorlessness. A vibration in her pocket dragged her attention down to coat pocket the device rested in.
"Hello?" Ochaco answered with chattering teeth. Was she really that cold?
"Uraraka! Are you alright? Are you injured at all? Do you know where you are?" Deku's frantic voice blasted through the speaker and she jerked the phone away with a wince. She hadn't heard him that frantic in a while.
"Deku I'm alright, just a little cold. I'm not sure where I am, I woke up on the ground. What's going on?" Crap. She seriously had to stop worrying him. Had she known her quirk would try to activate then she would've called Mr. Aizawa immediately, but her body didn't exactly give her time to process what was going on.
"We all got back from the finals and then a cup of green tea fell on Mineta's head from the ceiling so we figured your quirk had returned, but then we couldn't find you so now half of us are out searching for you in the snowstorm—" Izuku quickly explained before the line crackled intermittently, the storm scrambling the signal. "—out looking for you now. Do you know where you are? Are there any landmarks nearby that are familiar?"
Ochaco glanced around for any familiar buildings or anything that would identify her current location. The snow had laid a thick layer over everything around her though one building stuck out amongst the falling flakes. "The closest one is the P.E. building I think, I'm not entirely sure though with all of this snow. I'm going to head inside."
"I—" Izuku's voice cut out completely as the call dropped, the busy tone ringing loudly through the speaker. Ochaco frowned at the flashing screen of the phone before putting it away. Hopefully he'd heard where she was headed in time. A chilled wind coursed through the brunette who shivered in response. It was getting colder by the minute so she needed to get inside before it got worse.
The first handful of steps were shaky until the blood began flowing to the frigid limbs once more. She vowed that once she returned to the dorms Ochaco would only wear clothes suitable for stranded-in-cold-places scenarios since that seemed to be her luck as of late. At least nothing was broken again so that was of some solace as the teen trudged her way through the snow towards the gym. The harsh wind bit at her face with a stinging vengeance. A scarf would've been nice to grab along with gloves. Maybe she could use the hot water in the locker room to warm up but that didn't help with the somewhat soaked clothes clinging to her body. The gym doors drew close and Ochaco started jogging as another gust picked up. She just wanted to warm up and be out of the freezing cold already. Her hand finally grasped the handle and yanked hard, the gym door flinging open with little resistance and Ochaco sighed in relief as warmth brushed against her skin. The lights were still on, which helped to guide her deeper into the building.
"Should I wait for Deku or get rid of the wet clothes?" Uraraka muttered to herself as she walked into the main room of the building, glancing around at the vacant battle area. Showering sounded like heaven but a drastic change in body temperature could shock her system and do more harm than good, so she begrudgingly picked a spot along the wall and slid down it, curling her body inward to warm up a bit faster. Add onto the fact that she had no extra clothes to change into so she was stuck in sopping wet apparel until she returned to the dorms. She shimmied out of her jacket and set it beside her. A hand dug around for her phone from the pocket and pulled out the device. She unlocked the screen and hit the call button to dial Deku when the signal bars flashed at her in warning that there was very weak signal. A grimace graced her lips as she shoved it back into her pocket disappointed. Why was it every time she needed to make a call in an emergency situation there was no signal? Maybe she just needed to find a different carrier, one with stronger signal and less dead zones. Or maybe she shouldn't have chosen the cheapest deal through the cheapest carrier she could find…
A loud thunk startled her and Ochaco leaned forward to look at the door nestled in the opposite wall. Was it Deku? That seemed ridiculously fast though if he were using his quirk, he being moving super fast. She jumped to her feet and made her way over to the door, hand stretched out to open it when someone beat her to it and flung it wide open. Startled green eyes locked onto widened auburn seconds before they both went tumbling across the floor in a heap of limbs. Ochaco was pressed tightly against a warm body as they slowed to a stop, a hand pressed against the back of her head and another held her down firmly across her back. She took in a deep breath against the damp clothing touching her face before slowly lifting her head. Deku's face was lightly scrunched up in pain and Ochaco quickly sat up to move off when his eyes cracked open.
"Deku? Are you alright?"
"Uraraka…sorry, I didn't think you'd be right behind the door," He let out a sigh of relief before sitting up, supporting the weight of them both with his elbows. "Are you okay? Do you remember what happened? Ah, you're soaked! You should get out of those damp clothes soon or you'll catch a cold."
Ochaco blinked a few times before laughing. Typical Deku always more worried about others than himself. "You never worry about yourself, do you? I'll be alright Deku, but what about you? Did you hit your head on the floor or something?"
"Ah, no, I'm fine it's just from the hard landing on the floor."
They stared at one another for a minute, heat rushing to their cheeks prior to them swiftly separating from the compromising position they were in. Uraraka slapped her hands to her face in embarrassment as she realized she'd been straddling him in a rather inappropriate manner with her hands against his chest, the distance between them dangerously close. This was the most horrifying thing to ever happen and with Deku! No matter what she tried to say, there wasn't a good way to gosh, if she could just float away now would be the perfect time to do so!
"I'm so, so, sorry! I didn't mean it! I wasn't paying attention and should've moved off of you sooner! Please forgive me!" Ochaco rambled out as she tried to shrink herself smaller and smaller. There was no way she could ever look at him the same way now! It wasn't intentional in the least but somehow they ended up in that position without realizing.
"Uraraka! Look down!" Deku called out suddenly but it sounded so distant. Uraraka shook her head, too mortified to uncover her eyes. No way would she look at him again for at least the next two years at U.A.. "Move your hands from your eyes and look down! Trust me!"
"Deku, there's nothing happening…" Ochaco slid her hands down to her cheeks to find her classmate growing further away from her. Fear filled her chest as a headache began forming and she started flailing around a bit. If she fell from this height then it would be fatal and the brunette started panicking at the thought. She began spinning upside down in circles uncontrollably before she pressed her hands together instinctively. They flashed pink to deactivate her quirk so Uraraka began plummeting towards the ground as gravity took over once more. Auburn eyes squeezed shut while falling headfirst towards the ground. Nausea rolled tightly in her core so she clamped her hands over her mouth tightly, resisting the urge to vomit everywhere. A whizz of power pierced her ringing ears followed by strong arms supporting her back and under her legs. Deku made the landing as gentle as he possibly could, reducing the power in his legs to also avoid damaging the arenas floor.
"Your quirk is back, Uraraka!"
Ochaco cracked open her eyes to see a teary Deku beaming down at her. Her hands loosened briefly over her mouth before they tightened again and she practically rolled from Deku's arms to scramble towards the nearest trash can. She retched violently into the receptacle with both hands clenching the sides tightly. Even once she finished emptying the limited contents of her stomach Ochaco still felt sick with a pounding headache and rapidly beating heart. It felt like her entire body was weighed down with anchors, pulling her to the ground instantly in a heap against the metal bin.
"How do you feel?" Deku asked softly before crouching down beside her slumped form, the excitement on his face turning into concern in a flash. He expected there to be some reaction to her quirk returning but he didn't think it would make her this sick.
"Sick," The teen rasped out, letting herself fall completely to the floor. The coldness of the floor helped the heat flourishing across her face. Deku shifted around to be kneeling in front of her. "I passed out earlier when I tried to float a rock then there was an excruciating pain in my head followed by nothing. It was like my body was rejecting Zero Gravity, or rather not used to it."
"We should let Recovery Girl and Mr. Aizawa know what happened so they can help." Deku pulled out his phone to call the teachers when Uraraka reached out with a shaky hand to stop him.
"Not yet…I just want to stay like this for a while, Deku…there's no energy left in my body…"
"A-alright. At least let me find a cold towel for you," Izuku took off in search of a towel leaving Uraraka to rest on the floor. Teary eyes stared ahead at the towering peaks of the training environment. Every inch of her body was burning up, either from the cold wet clothes or the fact that her quirk was raging in battle against her body, she wasn't sure, though she hadn't felt this awful since her injury. A hand swiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks before falling limply against the hard floor. She was growing weary of the constant struggling just to live a normal life once more, not to mention worrying Deku all of the time. He'd even injured himself protecting her from the hard floor after bursting into the room.
"I don't know how much longer I can do this," Ochaco mumbled to herself before closing her eyes to lean further into the cool floor. Drops of water rolled down her forehead from soaked locks then plopped gently against the smooth concrete. The teen honestly didn't even feel the cold anymore as a searing fire had taken over the chilled body. "I just…I just want to be done…"
"Uraraka…" Deku breathed, weary auburn eyes opening to look at sympathetic emeralds ones. The pain lingering behind the facade jolted her more awake and she tried to sit up only for him to lay a steady hand against her shoulder. "You're not alone in this struggle; we're all here to support each other especially when one of us falls to our lowest point. Now that we know your quirk is attempting to return, we can focus on readjusting your body to the power. It won't be an easy journey but with all of us together, we can do it."
"Deku…I'm so tired of falling behind," Ochaco admitted breathily, the heat of her body causing her mind to go fuzzy as he gently placed the towel over her hair to help absorb some of the melted snow. He carefully shifted one beneath her head to get it off the cold, hard floor. She didn't bother moving the hair towel even as it slightly obscured his face from her view. "It's taken a toll mentally and emotionally even though physically I'm healed now, my body is rejecting my quirk. All I do is worry you and everyone else whenever something happens. It's not fair that I'm holding you back from becoming the number one hero."
Deku stared at her with perplexed eyes before slowly shaking his head with pinched brows. Was that bothering her this whole time? He placed the back of his hand against her forehead to find her body temperature steadily rising. She must've caught sick from being out in the snow for so long. "You're not holding anyone back, Uraraka, we're choosing to help you get through this because we care about you. You're starting to burn up, I should really call the teachers and let the others know we're here. The faster we can get you into the infirmary, the sooner you'll be back on your feet and back with the class to become a hero."
"You know what's funny?" Ochaco shifted her head to look at him more clearly only for the towel to completely cover half of her face. The teen felt disoriented and loose lipped from the raging heat coursing through her veins and the words she'd held onto for so long finally passed between her lips. "The whole reason I lost control of my powers is because I didn't have the courage to tell you that I'm in love with you, Deku. All of this happened just because I couldn't say those few words and now I'm quirkless. It took a while for me to realize, but the more I tried to push it down, the faster it surfaced. Funny, isn't it?"
Izuku Midoriya froze in place on the cold, hard floor. Blazing heat rushed to his face while his heart rate skyrocketed against his ribcage. He slapped his quivering hands over his mouth to stifle the inhuman screech that threatened to emerge. What did she just say?! There was no way…it was just from the fever, right? Deku's head began steaming from the intensity of the blush and he resisted the urge to go dunk his head in some cold water then run away frantically. His entire body quivered as Uraraka pulled the towel completely over her face, concealing whatever emotion she was displaying. It had to be the fever talking, they usually made people delusion and speak randomly if they were hot enough. Right? Right?!
"U-U-U-Uraraka w-w-what are you s-s-saying?" Izuku finally squeaked out with a perplexed expression that flickered rapidly between nervous and alarmed, maybe even elation? This was all happening too fast for him to process! He never expected someone to confess so openly, let alone it being Uraraka!
"It's…nothing, Deku," Uraraka finally mumbled after a minute of tense silence, the words muffled by the towel covering the entirety of her face. "Forget I said anything, my mind is a bit fuzzy and I think its messing with me. Go ahead and call the teachers, I'm going to close my eyes for a bit now."
"I-I…o-okay, I'll go call them now." Izuku took the opening and quickly stepped away to make the call the phone nearly vibrating right out of his hands from nervousness. He didn't know how to react to her words, whether or not to believe there was truth to them or if they were just feverish talk. If she truly meant the words then…then what? What was supposed to happen next? Yeah, they were friends, practically his first real friend, and they often hung out a lot but that was it. Right? Was there supposed to be more than that boundary line of friendship? Did…did he see her in that way? Sure, he liked spending time with her and she always seemed to be helping him, encouraging him to keep going…
"What do you want, Midoriya? I'm in the middle of an important meeting." Aizawa's grumpy voice crackled over the phone and Izuku startled. Apparently he'd dialed his teacher without realizing it. He glanced back at Uraraka before shuffling a little further away, a hand over the microphone.
"S-sorry, Mr. Aizawa, but it's about Uraraka…"
"What happened?" His voice turned sharp and Izuku could vaguely hear the other voices in the background fall silent.
"She…uh, that is to say…" There wasn't a good way to explain the current situation without turning red from Uraraka's words. Focus, Midoriya, focus. Put aside your feelings to make sure your classmate gets the medical attention she needs. Focus on rescue protocols right now. Rescue. Rescue your classmate, friend…and a person in need.
"I can't help if you don't spit out what's going on. Pay attention, Midoriya."
"Her quirk is trying to return…but her body is rejecting it. I don't really have a better way to describe it."
Silence filled the line and for a minute Midoriya thought the call had dropped until his teachers voice filled the line once more. He heard a door open and he realized Aizawa was on the move. "Where are you?"
"The P.E. building. Apparently her quirk tried to activate earlier, but she passed out in the snow during a walk. I just found her not too long ago and she was completely soaked but alert. It activated again though she lost control near the ceiling before falling and getting sick. She's picked up a low fever now, probably from being out in the cold for so long."
"We'll be there in five minutes." A click indicated the call had ended and the teen stared at the blank screen. The tone in Aizawa's voice was a bit disturbing, anger lacing the words though faintly noticeable. There was something his teacher knew that he didn't know about the paralytic. Later he would ask All Might, but for now he needed to send a text to the others to notify he had found their missing classmate. As soon as he had hit send, Iida's name popped up on his screen as the class rep called. He must've been watching his phone like a hawk after stopping his search.
"Midoriya, you've found Uraraka? Is she alright? What happened?" Iida demanded over the yelling voices of their relieved classmates.
"It's…a little difficult to explain right now, Iida, but she's safe for now and the teachers are on their way to the P.E. building." Izuku reassured before pulling the phone away from his ear as the volume increased. He glanced over his shoulder to see Uraraka hunched over the trash can once more, a wince flickering across his face as he heard the severity of it.
"Midoriya, put her on the phone!" Mina's voice filled the phone as an indignant Iida protested about taking other people's property without permission. Toru told him to back off, it was an urgent situation that required a woman's comfort.
"That's not really possible right now, Ashido, she's uh…currently vomiting rather violently…" The teen grimaced as the pinkette hastily called out that she was coming to save them both before Iida took control of the phone again. "Mr. Aizawa is on his way here so she'll be taken to the infirmary to be looked over."
"You owe us an explanation later, Midoriya. I'll keep things here under control so please take care of Uraraka in place of us."
"Of course."
The call ended before anyone else could grab the phone and Midoriya sighed, a scarred hand ran through his messy locks unsurely. He didn't want things to stay awkward between them though at the same time he still needed to be by her side right now. Hoping his turmoiled emotions weren't showing clearly on his face, which they probably were since he sucked at hiding his emotions, Izuku slowly walked back towards Uraraka who was now leaning against the wall with a towel to her mouth. Her skin had paled yet the crimson of her cheeks illuminated brightly. She barely glanced over at him when he sat down on the floor beside her silently. "The teachers are on their way and I've let Iida and the others know you're safe."
Uraraka nodded mutely into the towel with closed eyes. She couldn't look at him right now, not after how he'd reacted with silence to her slipped confession. A part of her had figured he wasn't into the whole dating and relationship thing although it still hurt just to get the acknowledgment. At least now…she could permanently sever that line holding them both back.
"Thanks." Ochaco mumbled quietly.
"Y-you're welcome." Deku stuttered out while looking anywhere at her as the heat ignited his skin, hands fluttering around uselessly thanks to nerves. Just the sound of her voice replayed the words over and over in his head, making it difficult to focus on anything else. Silence fell over them both as the minutes ticked on and Uraraka finally pulled the towel from her face. Blood soaked deeply into the once stark white towel, a fresh trail trickling from her nose.
"Oh. I didn't realize my nose started bleeding." Deku startled at her words then looked over, eyes locking instantly onto the decent amount of blood soiling the towel. Images of her panic attack shook him from his stupor and he jumped into action, carefully pressing the towel back against her nose while holding the back of her head still. She looked at him in delirious confusion but complied silently, eyes averting away.
"Lean your head forward while pinching the lower part of your nose to help it stop. Kaachan used to constantly give me bloody noses so I learned how to quickly stop them. Do you often get nosebleeds after getting sick?"
Ochaco shook her head no while biting the inside of her cheek. He'd already rejected her confession so why was he still here trying to help? It was better for the both of them if they stopped spending time together after this incident. Or was it the fact that she didn't want to come to terms with his response? The doors burst open yet again though this time it was Mr. Aizawa followed by Recovery Girl, All Might, and Principal Nezu. Izuku backed off to allow the teachers to examine Uraraka and All Might grabbed him by the arm, dragging him a distance away from the others.
"Are you alright, young Midoriya? What happened? Aizawa took your phone call then suddenly darted from the meeting so we followed. Is Uraraka okay? That…is that your blood or hers?" All Might rushed out while giving his successor a quick glance over. He grabbed his hand to look at the crimson staining it.
"Blood?" Izuku asked before looking down at his hand. His heart gave a jolt as he noticed the obvious stain on his skin, the crimson settling into each line of his palm. He'd only used one hand to stop the nosebleed, so had he failed to notice how much she'd bled? "This isn't my blood, it's Uraraka's from her nosebleed. I think the force of throwing up caused some blood vessels to rupture."
"You're starting to give me some serious scares, Young Midoriya. Don't worry about Miss Uraraka, we'll get her taken care of in the infirmary."
"Midoriya, I need you to tell me exactly what happened when her quirk tried to activate. The police are going to need a report as well since it pertains to the paralytic. I don't know why it's always you with her when something goes wrong, though I suppose in this case it was a blessing in disguise." Aizawa interrupted the private conversation between the two, arms crossed over his chest while Nezu popped out from within the layers of his scarf.
"Don't worry about a thing, Izuku Midoriya, Recovery Girl will take great care of your classmate. Now, since you were involved in the matter I'm going to need you to come with me to the office so we can discuss the events. All Might, would you kindly call Detective Tsukauchi back in? I would like him to hear everything as well."
"Of course, Principal Nezu. I'll get him on the phone right away. Midoriya, go with them for now but I'll give you a call later. Don't worry about Uraraka, Chiyo will take great care of her." Toshinori gave Izuku a firm clasp on his shoulder before turning away with his phone pulled out.
"Let's go." Aizawa ordered and the teen fell in line behind the teacher, hands clasped against his sides. Two medical robots straightened up with Uraraka on a stretcher, Recovery Girl ordering them to take her back to the infirmary as fast as possible. A blanket covered her quivering form and while he couldn't see her face clearly, he knew she wasn't looking in his direction. A confusing emotion flickered across his chest as she was escorted out through the doors into the brisk cold.
Why did it make him feel like their relationship would never be the same again?
Hawks soared at an easy pace through the wintery skies with sharp vision keeping an eye out over his patrol area. Scouter feathers had already been deployed throughout the area so now all he had to do was wait for one of them to pick up certain conversations. Everything had been quiet so far, something that was rare in his line of work, and even Endeavor hadn't been as busy as usual. Ever since the bust at the warehouse, he and a handful of pros alongside the police had swept through villain rings to collect the paralytics and arrest the scum behind it, yet something didn't sit right with the hero. It was almost as if the villains behind the paralytic distribution were suddenly gone. Either into hiding or just plain eliminated by the higher ups, he wasn't sure of yet but it was starting to get more difficult to trace the thread back to the ball of yarn. If things continued the way they were going then he was going to have to dig deeper into his bag of connections to find even a frayed thread of the string.
One of his feathers tingled wildly and Hawks tuned into the vibrations. Two voices, low and scratchy, back a ways down a hidden alleyway. He stopped mid-air to focus more with a finger pressed against the side of his face. The words secret cargo flashed across his mind and a grin adorned his face. These were definitely some of the men he was looking for. With a quick coordinates text to Endeavor, Hawks fell backwards towards the ground before torpedoing to save himself while putting on a show for the ladies of course, and headed back towards his tracker feather. He'd keep his distance for now and let them continue on their way towards their hideout then swoop in with some fiery muscle to finish the mission. He might even have enough time once it's done and over with to go on a date with the cutie from the diner down the street.
"Ochaco, if there's anything you need at all don't hesitate to ask us. We're here for you, sweetheart." Mama Uraraka comforted her daughter by petting her hair all the while nearly suffocating her with a head hug. Ochaco's father patted the back of her hand lovingly as he was unable to get much closer due to his wife's protective hold over their daughter. She hadn't let go of their daughter since the moment she arrived back home, barely giving Ochaco the chance to breathe.
"Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka, we want to emphasize the importance of allowing Ochaco to remain at home during the winter break. While the other students have some time to return to their families, their risk levels are much lower than your daughters. If she were to lose control of her quirk in an outdoor area then it could become fatal quickly for more than one reason." Shota Aizawa explained calmly from across the two worried parents, All Might sitting silently beside him. Uraraka herself had requested to be sent home during the break and despite the protests from some of her teachers, and her fellow classmates, Principal Nezu had declared it would be good for her to get away from an environment that could potentially continue triggering her quirk. He claimed it would give her the time to sort out her trouble thoughts in a calm environment.
"We understand the risks, but if this is what Ochaco has decided then we fully support her choice. I think it will be good for her to take some time away from the school and focus on healing more. I'm sure her friends are understanding as well." Mrs. Uraraka finally released the tight grip on her daughter to fully face the two teachers once more. "If there's anything you need us to do, we'll try our absolute best to ensure everything goes smoothly. While we may not fully understand what it's like to have quirks, or lose them, we'll give our all to support her as best we can. Thank you for all of the care you have given our daughter."
"It was our pleasure. I'd like to see Ochaco get healed up so she can continue on the path towards becoming a great hero." All Might added before bowing in response to the parents. "If I may speak to her separately for a moment while Shota goes over the guidelines for her staying home."
Ochaco glanced between the teachers before excusing herself to follow All Might to the kitchen, giving them both some privacy from the conversation. The brunette poured a cup of tea for the former pro before settling down in the seat across from him. She never expected him to want a private word with her, normally that was Deku's area, so she stared at her teacher with a bit of concern. "Is everything alright, All Might?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to step away from the formalities for a moment. How are you handling everything? I know you've physically healed, but I'm sure the trauma has affected you greatly." Toshinori asked casually while blowing gently on his steaming cup. A good cup of green tea was always great on a cold, snowy day. "I can't imagine how you've been feeling these past few weeks. The teachers and your classmates have been worried sick."
"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel anymore," Ochaco said quietly after a minute of thought mulling. The mug nearly scalded her palms yet she barely noticed. "I figured I would be excited to have my quirk return but it's been…traumatizing to say the least. I've had a panic attack, fallen unconscious at least once, injured myself multiple times…I don't know what to feel anymore except confused and stressed. No matter what I try I just can't get back to who I used to be."
"I understand that feeling completely. When my quirk finally lost its power all I could think of was what now? What do I do now that I'm no longer the Symbol of Peace? I can't save people with this weak and frail body anymore, so what has my purpose become? While recovering in the hospital I had plenty of time to think just as you have. I finally understood that there is no going back to who you used to be. That's just not how it works, so the only thing left to do is move forward and try to understand who you are now. It takes time to heal from traumatic injuries and experiences, but that's why you have your classmates, teachers, and even your family to support you through these turbulent times. The fact that your quirk is attempting to returns is a good sign. Things may not go smoothly as your body readjusts to the powerful quirk you were born with but I have no doubt you'll be back on your feet maybe by the first of the year, Ochaco."
"But…Deku…" The teen started then quickly clamped her mouth shut and looked away visibly distressed. All Might paused momentarily in taking a sip. Ah. Midoriya had mentioned something along the lines of the brunette suddenly avoiding any contact with him after they were found in the P.E. building, but things were starting to make sense now. He could tell his predecessor was suddenly really nervous and jumpy whenever her name was spoken, his face often turning bright red at the mention. When asked about the strange behavior, Midoriya quickly averted the conversation to instead opt for a different topic. He was beginning to wonder if certain words were exchanged between them. Well, at least from the end sitting opposite him. Young love was always so embarrassing and awkward in the beginning so he may as well help the two along. Maybe it would help with the healing process a bit.
"You're tired of making him worry all the time, aren't you?"
"It's…not fair to place that burden on him since he has his future set out already. I would just be getting in the way of his dream." Ochaco sighed into her cup uneasily. Ever since that day she'd been avoiding Deku like the plague. While everyone else celebrated the end of finals, she'd been isolating in her room once more to avoid remembering the blatant rejection. As soon as Recovery Girl had approved of how her injuries had healed, Ochaco immediately requested to go home over the break. It was for about two weeks, the other students given the same amount though it was partially split between the campus and their homes, yet as soon as she stepped from the school grounds her phone was shut off. It had already been nearly a week and she only knew about the teachers' visit when they called the house phone. No email, no texting or calling, no nothing from her friends. It was for the best in order to help her gather the thoughts and feelings into a more organized mess before gathering everyone together to talk. She just hoped they understood where she was coming from.
Toshinori let out a sudden laugh and Ochaco jerked her head up in surprise while staring owlishly at her teacher. He carefully set the mug down before he spilled any tea and smiled brightly, his scrawny form transforming into his hero body. That's what she was worried about? "Forgive me, Ochaco, but what you believe is hindering him only fuels him closer to becoming the number one hero in Japan. Young Midoriya wouldn't have made it this far without your full support and encouragement along the way. There were times that not even I could get to him, yet just a few words from you seemed to do the trick. You are the one who gave him his hero name and he holds that close to his heart. He's not the best at telling what he's feeling but I know he cares deeply about you and I can sense you feel certain emotions about him. Try being straightforward with him, trust me that it'll all work out in the end. I believe in you to go Plus Ultra!"
"Thank you, All Might." Ochaco beamed at her teacher as he poofed back into his smaller form. It still startled her every time he did that and her parents would surely faint from shock if they noticed. All Might gave her a sharp thumbs up before finishing his tea and setting it back on the saucer.
"All Might, we're done here." Aizawa stuck his head around the kitchen. "We've been summoned back to the school regarding new information. I'll keep in touch with you via email, Uraraka, so make sure to check it every now and then. Until then try to enjoy your break and when you're ready, let your classmates know you're doing fine. They keep pestering me for an answer."
"Yes, Mr. Aizawa."
"I see. Ochaco, please try to take what we talked about to heart and I know you'll soon figure out what you need. Feel free to contact me at any time. Take care of yourself." Toshinori thanked his student for the tea before following his partner to the door in his reverted form, her parents following close behind to see them off.
Ochaco stared after him in a stupor. He almost acted like…like he knew how she felt about Deku. Heat exploded across her face and she slapped her hands over her face in embarrassment. Even her teacher knew?! Was it really that obvious? The chair beneath her suddenly disappeared as the teen activated her quirk, spinning slowly in circles towards the ceiling. Mama Uraraka glanced into the kitchen to find her daughter floating away and flagged her husband down casually with a sigh.
"Honey, get the broom. She's floating away again."
For nights on end, Izuku Midoriya spent hours tossing and turning in his bed at home just thinking about what Uraraka had told him. On some points it seemed like the logical explanation was that she'd picked up a fever, had a bit of head trauma, and was mentally and emotionally exhausted from her quirk's return yet there was still something that bothered him about the way she said it. Because she hadn't told him beforehand it caused the series of events that led to losing Zero Gravity for just over a month. Predicting such a thing sounded impossible even for him and the extensive research he'd done regarding 'future vision' quirks, so how would she have known? How would things have been different if Uraraka had just gotten it off of her chest? The teen rolled over until he was on his back with his hands clasped behind his head. Was it because she was afraid to say anything? Sure, they were good friends and honestly he considered them best friends so it would make sense that she wouldn't want to ruin the relationship like that. But was it even about that? Was this whole debacle really about not wanting to ruin the relationship or did it go deeper than the surface?
Izuku stared at the All Might poster taped to his ceiling deep in thought. There was something missing, a reason as to why she was suddenly avoiding him. Her phone had been off since the class was made aware of her leaving campus and despite their pleading, Mr. Aizawa refused to give her address or home phone. School records were inaccessible to other students for privacy reasons though that didn't stop class 1-A from trying. The teen chewed on the inside of his cheek absentmindedly. Was Uraraka expecting a better response than what he gave? Obviously stuttering like an idiot and remaining silent wasn't the best way to respond to a sudden love confession, but it'd completely thrown him off. No girl had ever shown interest until, well, now. He loved hanging out with her and she always seemed to be supporting him no matter what…did that mean…he liked her?
He slapped a pillow over his reddened face as the words rang clearly in his head for the thousandth time. Complicated feelings like these weren't something he understood well, having never experienced them until now. His father was never home to help explain these things and his poor mother struggled enough to raising a child almost single-handedly. No friends in middle school to offer advice as he became a recluse before gaining All Might's power then entering U.A. ...where he met Uraraka on his way to faceplanting against the cobblestones. Maybe it was a coincidence they met at the front gate, the same during the entrance battle. But maybe it was something else, something like—
A ping from his phone nearly sent him straight into the ceiling in surprise and Izuku dropped his pillow to reach for the glowing object in the darkness. After a few flimsy finger slips, he latched onto the device before bringing it to his face. It was already nearing nine-thirty and unless it was an emergency from All Might, he had no idea who it could be. Virescent eyes widened as he saw the familiar name flash across his screen, a small message residing under it. He quickly opened the texting app and scanned over the short sentence with a pounding heart and trembling fingers.
'Sorry for texting so late, are you up?' Uraraka. The phone trembled in his hands as he read the words over and over. Her phone was finally on again! Wait, for a good reason or a bad one? He didn't know whether to be elated or alarmed at the sudden contact so he proceeded with caution.
'I'm still awake. How are you? We haven't heard from you for a few days.' A trembling finger hit send and Izuku nervously waited as the three typing dots bounced in synchronization before disappearing then reappearing as Uraraka tried to type her message out. She was having trouble trying to find a way to respond and he bit the end of his thumb awaiting an answer. Eventually the three dots remained solid and the response popped up shortly afterward.
'I'm sorry, I hope I didn't wake you by sending a text. Everything's fine, I guess. Mr. Aizawa and All Might visited earlier to go over the guidelines for me being home.' A frown tugged at his lips. They'd visited her at home? Maybe they weren't able to reach her since her cell was off, but surely there were other methods of communication to her household. There seemed to be a hidden meaning behind the text but for now he wouldn't dig too deep into it.
'No, no, I was already awake. I've been having trouble sleeping lately so I was up anyways, don't worry about it. How did the visit go?' Uraraka was definitely bothered by something just from the way it was worded. Prying right away into it could cause her to close off and end the conversation so he had to tread carefully.
Uraraka stared at the question for a minute. Telling him what All Might said to her was out of the question, at least until she could iron out her thoughts and emotions properly this time. But why was he having trouble sleeping? 'It was fine, they didn't stay long since they were called back to the school regarding some new information. All Might and I had a chat…why aren't you sleeping well? Is something bothering you, Deku?'
She and All Might had a chat? What did that mean? And the teachers were summoned back because of some new information? He would contact All Might in the morning about that. Ah, she was worried about his lack of sleeping now, crap. 'It's nothing, really, probably from all of the stress from the finals. I should be fine with a few days of recovery. Do you have any plans of Christmas yet?'
'I was instructed not to leave the house unattended so not really. I may go run a few errands with my parents but nothing special. What about you?'
'It'll be just me and my mom again, maybe a few of the neighbors as well but we usually have a quiet Christmas.' First she was quarantined in the infirmary then the dorms and now she couldn't leave the house unattended? So it was more like a rotating prison than having actual freedom. He felt bad for her.
'Why not join us for Christmas?' As soon as Uraraka hit send, realization settled over her and she dropped her phone on her bed before slapping her red cheeks. Did she really just ask him that? Ask him to come over for Christmas? Where he would meet her parents?! Weightlessness took over again and Ochaco began floating towards the now cushioned ceiling. It slipped! It wasn't intentionally let out, it just happened and before her brain could process what she'd just done it was too late. Her phone lit up a minute later and Ochaco lowered her hands slowly before pressing her pads together. The extra blankets piled up on the floor helped to cushion her weight as gravity returned, an idea her parents came up with after realizing her quirk intermittently activated then deactivated. It saved her more times than she could count from a rough landing.
'That sounds like a great idea! I mean, if it doesn't inconvenience your family at all because I wouldn't want to impose on them at all but we can bring some food so you don't have to worry about that part—'
He…didn't think it was a weird suggestion? Huh. Almost no hesitation in responding either yet she could still tell he was nervous just by the way the message was written out without much pause. He always had a way with rambling when he became nervous.
'—I would have to go get a housewarming gift for your parents. I'll ask mom in the morning, but I'm sure she'd be thrilled to have Christmas at your place! After your parents approve, of course.'
'Sounds like a plan. I think I'm going to head off to bed now, Deku, but I'll definitely talk with my parents in the morning. Thanks for talking with me tonight. It's helped.' Ochaco chewed on her lip while waiting on a response. All Might's words fluttered their way to the forefront of her mind and she clasped a hand over her thumping heart. Telling him directly was…she honestly didn't know if it was a good idea or not after how he reacted the first time. Fevered delusions could make him think it wasn't a solid confession, so maybe there was a chance to redeem herself. He bid her a good night and the brunette slumped against her pillows tiredly. Tomorrow was a new day and with Christmas just three days away, Ochaco needed to finalize her decision and quick.