Chapter 1: First Attempt – The Classic Stammering Mess
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Izuku Midoriya had planned this moment meticulously. In theory, it was simple - just a quiet conversation after a study session, a casual confession, nothing dramatic. He had rehearsed it in his head countless times, picturing the way he would ease into it naturally, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ochako would smile, maybe laugh a little, and respond in the same soft, honest way she always did. Simple. Easy. Heartfelt.
Except, now that the moment was actually here, Izuku was realizing that nothing about it felt simple.
The library was quieter than usual, with most students already gone for the evening. The faint hum of fluorescent lights filled the space, an almost oppressive silence hanging over them as Ochako closed her notebook with a satisfied sigh. They had spent the past two hours reviewing hero law together, and now, with her leaning back in her chair, stretching her arms above her head, she looked perfectly content. There was something calming about studying with her - the way she asked thoughtful questions, the way she lit up when she grasped a tricky concept, the way she always looked over at Izuku for reassurance, even though she was more than capable of handling things on her own.
He should say something. Now. This was the perfect time.
Izuku cleared his throat, a little too loudly, making Ochako blink at him in surprise. His pulse thrummed unevenly as he opened his mouth, trying to force the words out, but his brain was suddenly blank - completely, utterly devoid of anything resembling human speech.
"U-uh," he started brilliantly, already regretting everything. "So, uh, Uraraka… I… I was thinking - um, not that I haven’t thought before! I mean, I think a lot, you know that, I - uh- well, that’s not important, anyway-"
Ochako cocked her head, eyes curious and patient, letting him stumble through whatever this was. That was the worst part. She wasn’t brushing him off or looking exasperated - she was listening. Waiting. She always listened so intently, like everything he said mattered. That made it infinitely worse.
He pressed his palms against the edge of the table, squeezing the wood beneath his fingers like it might anchor him to reality. "I just… I mean, I really, really admire you. Y-you’re amazing, and-"
Ochako’s cheeks tinted pink, but the expression she wore was one of genuine delight, not embarrassment. "Oh, wow, thanks, Deku! I admire you too!"
It wasn’t the response he was aiming for—he hadn’t meant admiration, he had meant something else, something deeper - but now he was nodding too quickly, his stomach twisting itself into impossible knots. He had lost control of the conversation entirely, spiraling into panic at the realization that she thought this was just another friendly compliment.
"Right! Yeah! You too! I mean, obviously! And- um-" He was grasping at straws, words slipping through his fingers like water, nothing coming out the way he wanted. He could feel his ears burning, his thoughts unraveling into incoherent fragments. He needed to salvage this somehow, but his mouth was moving faster than his brain. "It’s just - like, you’re so strong, and kind, and-and your Quirk is incredible! Not that that’s all that matters, obviously, but it’s just really impressive, you know? And, uh, you have really great- uh- gravity-related instincts! And- you always know exactly when to- uh-uh- float!"
Ochako giggled at that, and Izuku wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.
"I’m glad you think my floating skills are up to standard," she said playfully, resting her chin on her hand. "That’s good to hear!"
Izuku’s entire existence was collapsing inward.
He gave up. Completely. There was no recovering from this level of disaster. He could barely think straight with the warmth of her laughter wrapping around him, bright and infectious, and suddenly, confessing felt like an insurmountable task. Maybe another time. Maybe when his brain was functioning properly. Maybe when he wasn’t speaking in absolute nonsense.
Ochako glanced at the time and stretched again, gathering her books with easy familiarity. "I should probably head back to the dorms. Thanks for helping me study, Deku!"
Izuku nodded, still unable to form real words, watching helplessly as she left with that same cheerful wave she always gave him.
As soon as she was gone, Izuku let out a strangled groan, burying his face in his arms on the table. Utter failure. Absolute humiliation. If All Might could see him now, he’d probably be laughing.
Next time. He would do better next time.
Chapter 2: Second Attempt – Almost Confession Under Fire
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The air was thick with smoke, acrid and stinging as it curled in dense spirals around the wreckage. Izuku could barely see beyond the chaos - flames licking hungrily at collapsed structures, the distant sounds of civilians shouting for help. The mission had unraveled fast, turning from a simple villain pursuit into a full-scale disaster zone. Now, their focus was on evacuating the injured while battling the fires that threatened to consume the city block entirely.
Ochako was a blur of motion beside him, her focus razor-sharp as she activated her Quirk, sending massive chunks of debris floating skyward with effortless precision. She barely paused between movements, hands skimming over broken slabs of concrete, making them weightless before shifting her attention elsewhere. Her efficiency was staggering, her determination unwavering, and watching her work with such intensity made something tighten in Izuku’s chest.
He needed to help. He needed to move.
His legs carried him forward before he could think, ignoring the dull ache in his muscles as he reached for an injured civilian trapped beneath a crumbling overhang. His fingers barely grazed the edge of the structure before Ochako appeared beside him, urgency written all over her face. “I’ll lift it, Deku - you pull them out!” she instructed, her voice clear despite the roar of destruction around them.
He nodded quickly, bracing himself as she touched the concrete. The shift was instantaneous - the weight lifting, gravity bending to her will. Izuku wasted no time, gripping the trapped civilian and pulling them free just as the remaining structure groaned under its own instability.
They barely had time to register what was happening before a sharp, deafening crack split through the air. Above them, a weakened beam gave way, collapsing toward them in a spray of sparks and fractured metal. Instinct overrode thought. Izuku reacted before the danger could fully register, grabbing Ochako by the wrist and pulling her away with enough force to send them both stumbling into the rubble-strewn alley behind them.
They landed hard, dust kicking up around them. Izuku’s breath came fast and uneven, his pulse hammering beneath his skin. Ochako shifted against him, coughing slightly before pushing herself upright, brushing soot from her sleeve. The moment hung between them - charged, unspoken. The overwhelming relief of their escape, the closeness, the way his hand was still curled around her wrist.
“Izuku…” Ochako’s voice was softer than before, tinged with something unreadable.
Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the way the disaster around them had narrowed his focus to just her. Maybe it was the realization - stark and undeniable - that he would always, always move to protect her before anything else. Whatever it was, something inside him cracked open, and before he could stop himself, the words tumbled out.
“I'm in lo-”
The explosion tore through the street before he could finish. A villain’s Quirk, unleashed in violent force, sent shockwaves through the air, shaking the ground beneath them. The moment shattered instantly. Izuku pulled Ochako close on instinct, shielding her from the worst of the impact as debris rained down, rattling against the alley walls.
By the time the dust settled, the words had vanished completely.
Ochako let out a breath, glancing toward the destruction with renewed focus. “We need to get moving,” she said, urgency replacing whatever had flickered in her expression before.
Izuku swallowed, nodded, forced himself to stand. There was no time for hesitation. No time to dwell.
And yet, even as they rushed back into the fray, his heart still thundered with the ghost of the confession he hadn’t managed to speak.
Chapter 3: Third Attempt – The Hand-Holding Fiasco
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The plan was simple - subtle, effortless, completely natural. At least, that was what Izuku had convinced himself as he walked with their group toward the café downtown. He wasn’t going to overthink it. He wasn’t going to let nerves unravel him. He was just going to reach for Ochako’s hand during the casual walk and let the gesture speak for itself.
No pressure. No dramatic confessions. Just a quiet, meaningful touch.
Except, as always, reality had other plans.
The streets were lively with afternoon chatter, the sun casting warm golden streaks across the pavement. Mina was leading the group with exaggerated enthusiasm, bouncing on her heels as she rattled off ideas for their snack orders. Kyouka, walking beside her, was offering dry commentary in response, while Denki and Hanta were locked in a heated debate about whether mochi or taiyaki was the superior dessert choice. Amidst it all, Ochako walked at Izuku’s side, her hands swinging lightly at her sides, completely oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside his head.
This was the moment. The perfect opening. No one was paying attention to them, the conversation drifting elsewhere, and all he had to do was reach out.
His fingers twitched at his side, trying to summon the courage necessary to bridge the gap. Slowly, so painfully slowly, he inched his hand toward hers, the distance closing - just a little further - just a few centimeters-
And then, at the worst possible second, Ochako turned to glance at him, her eyes bright and curious, catching him right in the act.
He panicked. She panicked.
Her Quirk activated.
Izuku barely had time to register the sudden absence of gravity before his feet left the ground entirely. The world tilted in a dizzying rush as he flailed upward, weightless, limbs kicking uselessly in open air. Beside him, Ochako yelped as she, too, lost contact with the pavement, her own startled reaction sending both of them floating higher and higher.
"Oh no no no no- Deku!" she squeaked, grabbing his forearm in alarm, which did nothing to help their predicament.
Izuku could do absolutely nothing either. His arms flailed, his legs kicked, and his mind spiraled into incoherent panic because this was not how this was supposed to go. He was supposed to hold her hand, not go hurtling toward the stratosphere like a malfunctioning balloon.
Below them, their group collectively groaned.
"Oh my gosh, you two," Mina snorted, hands on her hips. "Could you be any more obvious?"
Denki was wheezing with laughter, practically bent over, while Hanta was already raising his phone, clearly intent on capturing the moment.
"Kyouka - save them before I lose all respect for them," Mina called.
Kyouka sighed, barely looking up as she extended her earphone jacks outward with casual precision. The cord wrapped around Izuku's ankle in an instant, pulling him down just enough to keep them from drifting beyond reach. She secured the other to Ochako's, anchoring them in place like they were some kind of absurd floating display.
"I swear this is the dumbest thing I’ve had to fix today," she muttered.
Ochako groaned, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks before deactivating her Quirk, sending both of them plummeting back to solid ground. Izuku barely managed to catch himself, stumbling awkwardly before finally standing upright, his face burning as he avoided everyone’s knowing looks.
Ochako was just as flustered, her expression caught somewhere between horrified and apologetic.
"S-sorry!" she squeaked. "I got- I mean, you were- and I- uh-!"
Izuku waved his hands frantically, desperate to clear the misunderstanding. "N-no! I was just- I mean, it’s fine! It’s totally fine! It’s-!"
Mina sighed dramatically, cutting them both off with a shake of her head. "Honestly, you two are hopeless."
Izuku could only cover his face in silent agony as the group moved on, the incident already immortalized in their collective memory.
So much for subtle.
Chapter 4: Fourth Attempt – The Letter That Wasn’t Sent
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The letter sat on his desk, untouched.
Izuku had written it with careful deliberation, each word crafted, erased, rewritten, agonized over. The pages bore the evidence of his indecision - creased corners where he had gripped too tightly, faint smudges where he had hesitated too long. He had gone through at least three drafts before settling on this one, and even now, looking at the neat folds of the envelope, a familiar apprehension tugged at his chest.
It was supposed to be simple. Writing his feelings down had seemed like the perfect solution - less nerve-wracking than speaking them aloud, more controlled than stumbling through another failed confession. He could lay everything out plainly, give Ochako the words he could never quite say, let her read them without interruption, without his usual flustered mess of apologies. In theory, it was ideal.
Except now, with the letter sealed and ready, a crushing doubt sank deep into his stomach.
Would it be too much? Too sudden? Too embarrassing?
He thought about Ochako reading it. He imagined her reaction - would she smile? Laugh? Would she be surprised? Would she be uncomfortable?
The idea of her not knowing how to respond made his chest tighten painfully.
Izuku ran a hand through his hair, gripping the strands at his temples as frustration coiled through him. He was overthinking this - he knew he was - but the uncertainty refused to loosen its grip. He had spent years facing villain attacks, standing against overwhelming odds, pushing himself past limits he hadn’t known existed. And yet, this-this simple act of confessing - felt infinitely more terrifying than any battle he’d ever fought.
Across the room, his window was open just enough to let in the evening breeze, rustling the edges of stray notebook pages on his desk. He looked at the letter again, the neat black ink of Ochako’s name on the front, his fingers twitching at his sides.
He could give it to her tomorrow.
He could tuck it into her bag during training, let her find it later.
Or- he could wait. Maybe another day. Maybe when the timing felt right.
His heart pounded.
And then, before he could hesitate further, he grabbed the letter, shoved it into the back of his desk drawer, and slammed it shut.
Out of sight. Out of mind.
The words stayed locked away, unread.
Chapter 5: Fifth Attempt – The Training Spar Disaster
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Sparring against Ochako should have been straightforward. Izuku had fought alongside her countless times, had memorized the rhythm of her movements, had seen firsthand how she adapted, how she thought through battles with an intuitive sharpness that few could match. He respected her ability, admired the way she held her ground, and had prepared himself for today’s training session with the expectation that it would be controlled, methodical - a friendly match between two teammates.
And yet, somehow, this was proving to be far more difficult than he’d anticipated.
They had been circling each other in the arena for several minutes, both focused, both waiting for an opening. The rest of the class watched from the sidelines, their presence adding an extra layer of pressure that Izuku could feel pressing against his ribs. His heart beat a little faster than normal, his thoughts a little more scattered than they should have been. He had trained with stronger opponents before, had endured grueling sessions against vastly more experienced fighters, but none of them had made his pulse stutter the way Ochako did.
She darted forward suddenly, closing the distance before he could fully react, her movements crisp, her stance sharp. He blocked her first attack - a swift jab aimed at his side - and tried to counter with a strike of his own, but she was faster, twisting away before his fist could connect.
"Not bad, Deku!" she teased, breathless but steady, eyes bright with focus.
Her encouragement should have helped, should have anchored him, but it didn’t. Instead, it sent his thoughts spiraling somewhere completely off-track - because the way she said his name, so effortlessly, so fondly, made him feel ridiculous.
Focus. He needed to focus.
He forced himself to reset, shifting into a more aggressive stance, pushing forward with renewed intent. If he could just close in, if he could match her speed and get the upper hand for even a moment, he could-
Ochako dodged, spun, and countered perfectly.
Izuku barely registered the shift before she hooked her foot behind his ankle and swept him clean off his feet. The world tilted violently as he lost his balance, his body pitching backward, and before he could brace for impact-
Her hand pressed against his chest.
Gravity vanished.
Izuku shot upward with alarming speed, the ground falling away beneath him as Ochako’s Quirk activated, sending him into open air. His limbs flailed instinctively, his breath catching in his throat as he floated - weightless, suspended - utterly defenseless.
From below, there was laughter.
"Yo, no way did Midoriya just get wrecked this hard," Hanta wheezed, practically doubling over.
Mina was cackling, her hands covering her mouth as she watched Izuku drift higher and higher.
Kyouka sighed heavily, already raising an earphone jack to prevent him from ascending into the rafters.
And Ochako - Ochako was staring up at him with wide eyes, looking just as horrified as he felt.
"Oh no," she whispered. "I-I didn’t mean to-!"
Izuku groaned, covering his face with both hands. He had lost. Spectacularly. And the worst part? He hadn’t even really been trying.
Ochako deactivated her Quirk just as Kyouka tugged him down, sending him back to solid ground with a rough landing. His feet hit the mat unsteadily, his balance still shot, and the moment he looked up, the sheer guilt on Ochako’s face was enough to make his stomach flip.
"S-sorry, Deku!" she stammered, her hands gripping the hem of her sleeves. "I wasn’t trying to launch you, I just- I didn’t think-!"
He waved his hands frantically, forcing out something - anything - to keep her from worrying. "No, no- it’s fine! You -uh- you did great! Really!"
She bit her lip, still looking unconvinced, but before she could say anything else, Mina clapped her hands together.
"So. We all saw how Midoriya just forgot how to fight the second Uraraka got within five feet of him, right?" she mused.
Izuku died internally.
The teasing was relentless. The match was over. His dignity was in ruins. But somehow, even through all of that, there was still something absurdly warm about the way Ochako looked at him—soft, affectionate, a little embarrassed, but undeniably fond.
Maybe he’d lost today.
But somehow, that felt okay.
Chapter Text
Ochako had noticed.
How could she not?
Five separate attempts - each one more flustered, more chaotic, more painfully Deku than the last. The awkward compliments, the failed hand-holding, the skyward launch during training. And the almost-confession - the words that had nearly slipped out in the heat of battle, lost to an explosion, swallowed before they could fully take form.
She had noticed it all. And, honestly? She was done waiting.
The realization had crept in slowly, little by little, until it settled so firmly in her chest that there was no more room for uncertainty. She liked him. She wanted to be around him, to hear his rambling thoughts, to watch the way he brightened when talking about quirks or hero work, to see the absolute earnestness in everything he did. And, clearly, he felt the same way. The only problem was, he was never going to say it properly - not unless someone forced him to.
So Ochako decided she’d just have to fix that.
She waited until after class, catching him just before he could disappear into his usual post-training analysis spiral. His notebook was already half-open in his hands when she walked up, her determination steady, her heart hammering a little harder than she was willing to admit.
“Deku.”
He looked up instantly, blinking in surprise. “O-oh! Hey, Uraraka - what’s up?”
She didn’t hesitate. Not this time.
“You like me, right?” she said, matter-of-fact, no frills, no overcomplication. “Because I really like you too.”
Silence.
Izuku short-circuited.
His entire brain visibly shut down as he stared at her, mouth slightly open, completely frozen in place.
“Uh-uh- uh,” he managed, which was possibly the worst string of sounds he could’ve produced in response.
Ochako grinned.
There was something ridiculously satisfying about watching the exact moment his brain broke.
“I- uh-I- you-you do?” he finally spluttered, his notebook slipping from his hands, forgotten entirely.
She nodded, feeling her face heat, but refusing to look away. “Yeah. I do.”
Izuku looked like he’d just been hit with one of his own moves.
For half a second, she worried he might just explode from sheer emotional overload, but then - slowly, hesitantly - his expression cracked open, flooding with something so pure, so bright, that Ochako swore she felt it in her ribs.
“You- really?” His voice was small, filled with disbelief, with an almost childlike wonder, like he couldn’t quite let himself believe it.
She laughed, shaking her head before reaching out and grabbing his hand - firm, solid, grounding.
“Yes, really.”
His fingers curled around hers instinctively, and for the first time, he didn’t flinch away.
It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t complicated.
It was simple. It was them.
And this time, there was nothing stopping them from saying exactly what needed to be said.
Notes:
If you have a romantic or platonic pairing you want me to do next just comment it :)