Chapter Text
Ochako has some loose skin on her body.
It's fine. She doesn't really think about it anymore. She was an early bloomer from a food-insecure household, so it was only natural that growing up she was always the heaviest girl in class. But then she decided she wanted to be a hero.
Deku wasn't the only one who went through a transformation to prepare for the hero course. and it was hard . She barely had the resources to be healthy to begin with, but she knew what she wanted.
So, she did it. In her mind, it was part of the job. So, she never talked about it.
And it's not like she was never jiggly to begin with. Even after losing all that weight in such a short amount of time, her cheeks and her curves decided they weren't going anywhere.
And she was a modest dresser too. No one was gonna notice if her stomach was squishy, or the stretch marks on her breasts. Ochako even made it a point to have a skin tight hero suit just to keep everything in place.
She didn't need sex appeal for her hero image, so again, other than the odd bad self-image day, she never gave it much thought. She was proud of her body. It'd been through a lot in its short life and it was only getting stronger.
So when she forgot her one-piece bathing suit and had to wear one of Mina's spare bikinis, Ochako took a breath and refused to be self-conscious about it.
No one would notice.
Her thighs were supposed to look like this. They were for crushing skulls, not to be featured on a billboard. It was fine that the entire class showed up to swim also wearing the bare minimum. They all had hero bodies and were used to how everyone else looked.
Ochako would be fine.
Except not even ten minutes after she unwrapped her towel around her middle and went to stick her feet in the water, even from across the pool she felt Bakugou's eyes glued onto her.
Maybe it was a fluke. When Ochako felt vulnerable, sometimes her mind tricked her into thinking everyone was always staring and judging everything she did. It was probably that.
She turned her attention back to the girls while the boys messed around on the other side of the large school pool. She found herself relaxing again as Mina captured all their attention retelling her disaster date with some Shiketsu boy from the week before.
At one point, Ochako kicked a small splash at her and started a small water fight. She was mid-giggle when she looked back up and froze.
No, he was definitely still looking at her. Or more specifically, her exposed torso.
Oh god, he was looking at her stomach.
Her legs shot up and in an effort to cover herself, she hastily pressed them against her chest. Ochako had an unbothered smile plastered across her face as she tried to keep the screaming in her head to a minimum.
She definitely had some rolls from the extra skin on her torso. But how many? And how hunched was she?
Her forehead bumped against her knees as she shut her eyes. Ochako couldn't imagine Bakugou-with-a-body-sculpted-and-curated-by-the-gods Katsuki even had a clue what even an average body looked like, especially a girl's.
She cringed and hugged her knees. What a humbling experience it was to be his first exposure to an odd-shaped body. He probably thought she was a freak. Even with her legs like this, her calves were squished out to probably twice their width.
A hand on her foot brought her back to the present. "'Chako-chip, are you ok?" Mina asked.
I think I gave one of the most judgmental people in class new ammo to torture me with and it happens to be an insecurity I didn't realize was this bad until now , was what she wanted to say.
Instead, Ochako smiled brightly and said, "Oh, you know, just thinking about life."
Jirou made a sympathetic noise and replied with, "Say no more, sister."
Ochako couldn't help but scan her friend's body as she floated in the pool. Not a single ounce of fat on her with natural abs that came with genetics. Honestly? Good for her.
She cast another glance towards the other end of the pool and was relieved to see Bakugou occupied with trying to drown Kaminari. The poor boy was spluttering under the water before Kirishima took pity and dragged Bakugou back towards the edge of the water. Kaminari pathetically swam towards Mina, his savior with her loud sigh and outstretched arms, while Bakugou was practically spitting death threats in Kirishima's half-nelson.
With the way Iida tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose, signs pointed to Kaminari bringing it upon himself. Ochako wondered what he could've said to set him off. Regardless, it got Bakugou's weird stare off her, so she should probably be grateful.
Mina rolled her eyes as Kaminari clung to her, gasping. "What on gods green earth did you say, you dumb, sweet boy?"
"He's insane," Kaminari coughed. "Absolutely batshit. I don't care, I'm suing. I'm emotionally damaged and I want his house."
Jirou cast him an unimpressed look. "Uh, huh. sure. Because never once have you ever deserved the ass kicking you get."
"Oh, come on," he argued. "I'm not Mineta ."
"Yeah, but you're not much better."
Mina narrowed her eyes and pushed Kaminari away, arms crossed. "So which one?"
"What?"
"Which one of us did you make a comment about, not- Mineta?"
"Bad enough for Bakugou to have to step in," Jirou mused.
Momo had glided in on a pool noodle. It never ceased to amaze Ochako how she could make doing literally anything look elegant. "I dunno, I thought he was a feminist."
Mina snorted. "Ok, but he's the " these hands are rated E for everyone " type, not an "all women are queens type."
"It wasn't even that bad," Kaminari grumbled. "It was a compliment.”
Ochako rolled her eyes, not believing him for a second. She looked back across the pool and was less surprised to see Bakugou glaring, but was confused as to why it was directed at her. Even Kirishima was casting an annoyed glare towards Kaminari.
Oh. Her stomach twisted.
She suddenly didn't want to hear what Kaminari had to say.
Mina had an eyebrow raised. "Kami, we've been through this. There's a difference between an actual compliment and just being weird."
"It wasn't weird," he whined. He straightened to attention. "And I'll prove it!"
He looked straight at Ochako and put his hands on his hips, chest puffed out. The straps from Mina's bikini felt like they were cutting into her skin. Tight.
Now she really didn't want to hear what he had to say. She laughed nervously and waved her hand. "It's fine, we don't—"
Kaminari shrugged as he said,"All I said was that I’d never seen Uraraka in a bikini before and that hugging her would be like hugging a marshmallow!"
He was met with silence. His eyes widened and he raised his hands in defense at the death glares. "But I meant it in a good way!"
Jirou promptly responded by dunking his head in the water and keeping it there.
Ochako couldn't hear much over the blood roaring in her ears. It was fine. She'd heard worse from boys growing up. She wasn't a stranger to people commenting on her body.
But it'd been a while. And it still stung.
Her nails dug into the meat of her legs as she took a breath. It had gotten uncomfortably quiet. Ochako looked up and immediately regretted it.
While Jirou was busy drowning Kaminari, the rest of the girls were watching her. Carefully. Like they were waiting for her to start crying.
For some reason, that made it worse. Because if they had laughed him off and shoved him back to the boys, then they would've confirmed there wasn't any truth to his words. That her body wasn’t noticeably different.
But they hadn't.
Not only had they all noticed, but now they had all silently confirmed to her that it was something worth protecting her feelings over. Because apparently, she should be insecure about how she looks, because if her friends were in her shoes, they would be.
Cool.
The boys carefully watching also filled her with a new wave of embarrassment. Everyone had noticed.
Ochako stood abruptly with her arms hugging her stomach. She threw them a tight smile and rolled her shoulders. "Ugh, I think that's enough pool time for me! I need some AC."
Momo looked hesitant. Distant sounds of Kaminari gasping for air filled the background. Mina reached out a hand. "Babe, no, don't—"
"I'll return your swimsuit to you tomorrow!" she responded brightly. "I'll wash it first, don't worry."
Ochako stiffly walked back to the chairs and wrestled her towel back around her midriff, where it should've been to begin with.
Should she have worn a shirt to a pool? She hadn't done that since she was, like, eleven. Would that have been weirder than what was happening right now?
All she knew was that she refused to have this faze her. Because if she was unbothered, then it was fine! The only awkward thing was Kaminari being Kaminari. Yeah.
She took another breath and spun around with a smile. Of course the entire class was now watching her. She couldn't help but notice Bakugou was the only one not staring, choosing instead to extend his glare to all of the girls on the opposite side of the pool.
Ochako tightened her grip on her towel and waved at them. "Deku, let me know when study group begins!"
His eyes widened slightly and he sunk a little into the water. "Oh, o-of course!"
Sweet, Deku. She cast them all one last strained, thousand-watt smile before turning on her heel and strolling (not fleeing) out. It wasn't until the door almost shut behind her did she hear the class reanimate descend upon Kaminari.
Ochako really wished they hadn't. Again, it only solidified to her that it was this awkward because they all saw truth in it.
She made it to the locker room before her eyes began to sting. Ochako dropped her bag and crouched down, eyes shut. She needed to dress soon before Mina came after her.
All she wanted was to be alone for a bit and really sort out what she was feeling and why. Maybe she had gotten used to being just another face in the crowd. She hadn't stuck out like this in a long time, preferring to fit into her class and peers to the point where it'd probably seem strange to anyone else.
But she used to be the poor and fat girl, so.
Blending into the crowd was a privilege she didn't have for most of her life. Perhaps she could use this feeling as a reminder that successful heroes were always under public scrutiny and that she should get used to it again.
Ugh.
Stupid. it's all stupid.
She stood and watched the exaggerated ripple the movement made on her tummy skin and huffed. Kinda rude of it to just...do that. Tsu's tongue shot out fifteen feet and Mina had horns but heaven forbid Ochako have non-quirk related flaws on her body.
But moping would get her nowhere. And it's not like her classmates were perfect or didn't have their own insecurities, but damn. Ochako hadn't had to confront hers in a long time, and a random Sunday afternoon pool party was not when she would've wanted to.
She had successfully changed back into her clothes before the locker room door slammed open and Mina skidded in with a whoosh. "He's dead. We killed him. Chargebolt is no more."
Ochako sighed. "I really wish you guys hadn't done that."
"No, it was necessary." Mina shook her head, frustrated. "He has got to learn to read a room once in a while."
Ochako raised an eyebrow, already feeling her arms crossing. "And what was there to read?"
Mina threw her hands up. "I pushed you out of your comfort zone! I didn't even think about it until we got there, and Kaminari has no filter to begin with."
"I wasn't out of my comfort zone," Ochako muttered.
Mina cocked her hip, not believing her for a second. "Girl."
"What?" Ochako snapped. "Because you would've been if you were me?"
Mina raised her head back, eyes wide. "Uhm, yes? Uraraka, you're really modest, I was surprised you didn't float yourself away the second the boys realized you had a rack hiding underneath all those compression bras you wear."
"That's not why they were staring, Mina."
"Boys would fuck a piece of chicken if they thought it felt good, Uraraka," Mina said, serious. "That was exactly why they were staring at you. You've never been so..." she made a face, "exposed? I don't know how to describe it. Again, I'm sorry it was me who got you objectified."
Ochako knew the difference between a leer and the look of someone who genuinely didn't understand why your body looked the way it did. She also knew Mina didn't, not in this instance.
She shut her locker, too tired to argue. "Mina, it's really not a big deal."
Her friend gently placed her hand on Ochako's forearm. "I just..." she bit her lip, "...I don't want you to feel like you can't wear whatever you want, you know? Because seriously, you're such a babe. I don't want what Kaminari said to make you feel like you aren't."
Ochako's eyes were fixed on the floor. "You guys wouldn't have reacted like that if you also didn't agree with him to some degree."
Mina let out an exasperated sound. "There's nothing wrong with having some meat on you! Honestly, we need more representation with female heroes. The standards set for us are way too unrealistic. We either have to be bodybuilding milfs or whatever the hell Uwabumi is. Honestly, I think you're going to be such a trailblazer in that regard."
She gave Ochako a small squeeze. "Boys are dumb. They'll all see soon."
Ochako took a step back and stared at her friend. "Mina, I honestly think that's the worst thing you've ever said to me."
Mina's face went slack. "W-what? how—"
Ochako shoved past her and exited the room quickly. They'd talk later, but right now she needed to be alone.