Thread by @HazelRoses1

Happy Birthday, @nootnoot345!🎉
#kacchako
Rated M
CW: fuckboy Katsuki, cheating, MCD

Katsuki watched her from a distance throughout their first year at U.A. When he'd stood across the Sports Festival platform with a tiny girl staring at him like she stood a chance, he'd laughed.

https://twitter.com/KacchakoPrompts/status/1625861709310091265

Stupid little bitch with a pathetic quirk thought she could beat his explosions? What a load of shit. Until she'd almost crushed him under five tons of rubble /he/ created.

Katsuki still beat her, but she didn't seem so weak anymore. As they grew, he watched her lift more, kick more ass, and lead missions with a level head. His heart started doing stupid things. It sped up when she smiled at him.

His palms grew sweaty any time she looked at him with those bright cinnamon-colored eyes, whether she was scolding him or praising him. Ochako didn't scare easily, no matter how big he puffed his feathers at her, trying to pretend he was more of a badass than he was.

As his symptoms worsened with each passing year, Katsuki confided in Eijirou to find out why he never got tired of being around Ochako. Why his gaze lingered on her whenever she left his presence, and more importantly,+

+why his dick responding in interesting ways when he'd watched her fights.

"Dude, you like her!" Eijirou laughed, clapping him on the back. "You should tell her!"

"I don't fucking like her!" Katsuki lied through his teeth.

He shouldn't have bothered.

It was obvious to everyone but Katsuki that he was head over heels for Ochako, but Katsuki knew she had a thing for the shitty nerd. Hell, /everyone/ did, and it fucking burned him up inside.

Deku once was weak, pathetic quirkless scum, but he gained power and became a pupil of his idol. He and Katsuki even mended their fractured relationship into something less toxic. Once they were seniors at U.A., Deku managed to notice Ochako's affections toward him.

Katsuki understood he didn't deserve Ochako. She /should/ be with someone like Deku, even if it left a raging hole in his heart. He and Ochako had become somewhat friends at this point, and because he didn't want her to leave his life,+

+he feigned nonchalance when they announced they were together at their senior dinner by arriving hand in hand. They were friends, nothing more, and Katsuki should be happy for her.

Instead, shards of glass ripped through his chest when Deku kissed her cheek, causing a pretty blush to bloom on her face. Katsuki tried dating to take his mind off his longing, but no one could complete the void his desire for Ochako left.

Katsuki understood he broke hearts along the way, but he didn't dwell on it. He entered his adult life fucking around with whoever he chose. Nameless faces, one-night stands. He didn't give a shit about any of them, +

+and his actions put a strain on his relationship with Ochako. Still, sex was the only thing that made him feel something other than unending emptiness.

When Ochako and Deku split, a spark of life gave color to his gray world. Katsuki refused to let another person take her.

Even though he still thought she deserved better, the love burning in his chest for her outweighed that painful thought. Katsuki would try; he'd do anything for her.

Katsuki made her dinner and homemade mochi ice cream.

He slaved in the kitchen for hours to make everything perfect. Yet Ochako sat across the chabudai table, picking at her meal.

"Katsuki," she began, glancing up at him. "This is delicious, but what is all this about?"

"Wanted to do somethin' nice for you obviously," Katsuki said instead of what he meant.

The true reason sat heavily on the back of his tongue, but he'd coached himself in the mirror long enough to know exactly what he wanted to say.

"But why?" Ochako pressed. "I haven't seen you in six months. You ignored my calls and texts. You even pretended like you didn't see me after taking down the smoke villain a month ago."

Katsuki swallowed an unchewed piece of teriyaki chicken. "I'm trying to make up for it."

Ochako tilted her head to the side, placing her chopsticks down. "You think a dinner is going to suffice as an apology?"

Katsuki didn't know what to say to that. The answer was no, he needed to give her a true apology because she was right.

He'd avoided her the past few months in hopes that it would quell the loneliness eating him alive. It wasn't fair to her. Katsuki sighed and placed his chopsticks down. He crawled over to her side of the table.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I was an ass."

"There's a reason for it this time. I—" Katsuki swallowed, his heart pounding against his ribcage. "Want you. I always wanted you, Cheeks."

Ochako studied his face as he shifted closer. She was beautiful, her long hair pulled into a bun with flower ornaments garnishing it.

Their mouths were centimeters apart, her eyes closing halfway the closer he got. When they kissed, peace washed over Katsuki, the knot in his chest loosening for the first time in years. He blinked his eyes open in confusion when he felt a hand pushing him back.

He was confused by the anger etched on her face.

"I won't be another one of your conquests, Katsuki," she said, giving him a dark look. "Deku and I break up, and suddenly you want to be nice again? I'm not an idiot."

"You /are/ an idiot!" Katsuki snapped before he could stop himself. "I've been in love with you since we were fucking teenagers! You're not a goddamn conquest!"

Ochako shoved him away and jumped to her feet.

Katsuki followed suit, his rage fizzling out when he saw tears streaming down her face.

"Don't you dare," she warned. "Don't you /fucking/ dare, Katsuki Bakugou! Our friendship has been mostly you being a dick to me and everyone else. How am I supposed to believe you love me?!"

"Because I'm telling you that I do!" he yelled back. "I get I'm shit at emotions or whatever, but I'm trying to fix that!"

Ochako crossed her arms over her chest. "How's Camie?"

Ice crystallized in his veins. Camie had been the one person able to coax him back into her bed.

Over the past few months, they'd become fuck buddies. Camie would refer to him as her boyfriend, and at first, Katsuki shut that shit down, but after a while, he stopped caring. He wanted to use her to feel, not date her. If that meant he had to tolerate that title, fine.

Katsuki never saw her as a girlfriend, though, just a hole to keep his dick wet. Still, he understood what the optics looked like.

"I don't give a shit about her," Katsuki said honestly.

"Then why are you dating her?!" Ochako demanded. "How do you not see how bad that is?!"

Katsuki pulled out his phone and maintained eye contact while he called Camie. She answered on the second ring.

"Oh, hi, babe! I—"

"We're done, Camie," he interrupted. "I love someone else, so this situation has to end. I never was your boyfriend, and you know it."

Katsuki didn't give her a chance to get a word in before hanging up.

"There, it's over."

Ochako's mouth fell open. "Are you serious?! You're a selfish asshole who doesn't care about anyone else's feelings and needs except your own!"

"I'll never be with someone as cruel as you!"

Ochako whirled on her heels toward the door. Fuck, he was losing her! Failure spiraled in his chest as she stomped toward the door. Katsuki chased after her, grabbing her wrist just as she got to it and spun her around.

That was a stupid move because she could float him and there would be nothing he could do about it. Instead, Ochako stared him down with the darkest expression he'd ever seen.

"Let me go, Katsuki."

The commanding nature of her voice told him he would get one chance to say something that would make her pause. If he fucked it up and she walked out the door, Katsuki knew she'd walk out of his life.

He dropped to his knees. "Ochako, I'm sorry. Look, I'm not good at this."

"I've been lonely as fuck for years, and watching you be with Deku fucking broke me. I tried to take my mind off not being able to have you by fucking around. I... hurt a lot of people."

Katsuki's voice hitched as tears pooled in his eyes.

He didn't want to cry in front of her, but he needed to. He had to show her vulnerability and the realness of how he felt. Ochako deserved that much.

"I didn't know how to be without you," Katsuki said quietly. "Also didn't think I deserved someone like you."

"I'm a piece of shit."

Ochako remained quiet, so Katsuki looked up at her, and the tears slid down his face.

"I'm sorry," Katsuki continued. "I'm gonna be a better person, Cheeks. I fucking promise. Just gimme a chance to prove it."

Ochako's expression softened.

Katsuki released her wrist, and Ochako kneeled in front of him. She cupped his face, using her thumbs to brush his tears away.

"This is the first time I've seen you like this," Ochako murmured. "You have been a terrible person, Katsuki."

"How am I supposed to date you when you cheated on my best friend? You tossed a lot of hearts to the side."

"I'm sorry," was all Katsuki could say.

He had dated Mina right when Ochako and Deku had gotten together.

Mina had made the first move, showing up to his room later that night with an offer he hadn't wanted to refuse. Mina had been gorgeous spread out on his bed that night.

They'd become a whirlwind romance, and Katsuki had given the relationship a shot, but he never felt for her what he did for Ochako. He went through the motions of being a boyfriend when he should have broken it off. Mina fell in love. Katsuki didn't.

So, on a drunken night at a pro heroes bar, he didn't stop some nobody pro hero from sucking his dick in the V.I.P section. Of course, someone snapped a picture, and it got back to Mina. The tabloids had eaten him alive for that one.

Katsuki knew he deserved it for devastating Mina like that. Then, he'd ghosted her because he hadn't known what to say to her.

Ochako stood and held a hand out. Katsuki took it, got to his feet, and wiped his face as she placed a hand on his chest.

He covered her smaller hand with his.

"You need to change because you want to, not because you hope I'll give you a chance," Ochako said then withdrew her hand.

She turned around once more. "Bye, Katsuki."

The door opened and closed with a resounding click.

Link to the top!

https://twitter.com/HazelRoses1/status/1627860838702026754?s=20

[Ochako💫]

Ochako leaned into Mina’s side, a bowl of candy-coated popcorn between them on their worn leather couch. She couldn’t focus on whatever reality show Mina played with so much on her mind.

It had been two weeks since her disastrous dinner with Musutafu’s resident fuck boy. She couldn’t believe what a monster he’d turned into. It broke her heart to see him so uncaring of others. He wasn’t always like that.

Sure, he wasn’t the sweetest man on the planet, but he showed he cared through his actions. Katsuki would meal prep for Eijirou or tutor Denki. He’d demand to spare with Izuku any chance he got. He’d said it was to kick his ass,+

+but Ochako knew Katsuki valued Izuku as an opponent and wanted to strengthen himself using someone who could match him.

Ochako snuggled against Mina’s chest and wrapped an arm around her waist, her mind replaying his confession.

She pictured Katsuki sobbing on his knees, begging her to give him a chance. He’d said he loved her.

At that moment, her heart stopped beating.

Those words were never supposed to come out of his mouth. Ever. Now that they had, Ochako didn’t know how to process that.

She did the right thing by pushing him away, ​though. Katsuki needed to work on himself and probably apologize to many people for the crap he’d pulled. Her heart also had some tenderness from her recent breakup with Izuku.

While their decision to separate had been mutual, Ochako still missed waking up next to him. Being Japan’s number-one hero was a dream she couldn’t get in the way of. To be honest, Izuku wouldn’t let her if she tried.

“What are ya thinkin’ about, Chako Cheeks?”

Mina’s soothing voice broke her out of her emotional fog. “Just that whole situation again.”

“I can’t believe he confessed,” Mina said as she raked her fingers through Ochako’s auburn hair.

“Never thought he’d grow the balls.”

Ochako blinked and sat up. Mina gave her a knowing look, turning to face her and sitting cross-legged. Ochako shifted her legs underneath her bottom, fully prepared to argue about her friend’s comment.

“You really didn’t know Katsuki has been head over heels for you since we were kids?” Mina asked, tilting her head to the side.

"But you guys dated!” Ochako pointed out, “and he didn’t try to date me the entire time I’ve known him!"

"He’s never once tried to hit on me or shown interest!”

Mina linked her fingers with Ochako’s. Her hands were as warm as her heart. Mina smiled at her and then turned her hand over to trace the lines in her palm.

“That asshole doesn’t know how to express himself,” Mina continued with a sigh. “I was never what he wanted. Which sucked because I thought at the time he was what I wanted."

"I was still upset about finding out Eijirou was gay and dating Hitoshi. Don’t get me wrong; I loved him at the time, but I realize now it wasn’t pure love. It was convenience.”

“That doesn’t excuse him cheating on you,” Ochako said.

Mina nodded.

“No, it doesn’t. Listen, he’s an asshole, but he would have /never/ dropped his pride like that for anyone else. He told you he didn’t think he deserved you. Believe him. Katsuki normally thinks he deserves everything.”

“So what do I do?” Ochako asked, chewing on her bottom lip.

“That’s up to you, hun,” Mina coaxed. “I forgave him, and now that I’m with Tetsu, I pushed that situation to the back of my mind. It doesn’t do me any good to hang onto hurt from that situation. Plus.”

Mina leaned over to the table to grab her glass of wine.

“He called me a few days ago.”

“He did?!”

“He apologized for cheating on me,” Mina said after sipping her drink. “Said I didn’t deserve what he did, and he should have said so a long time ago.”

Katsuki apologized? Why, after all this time? Ochako felt her guard coming up. What if he was just doing it, hoping to get a chance with her? She wouldn’t be easily swayed, although that was a good start.

“And look at this.”

Ochako blinked and looked down at Mina’s phone. She didn’t use social media. Well, not personally. She had a PR representative handle posting for her, but this post was from yesterday.

“He…” Ochako began. She locked eyes with Mina.

“He apologized on social media? That took guts.”

“Wait until you see this."

Top of the thread! QRT/RTs/likes are greatly appreciated! 💗

https://twitter.com/HazelRoses1/status/1627860838702026754?s=20

Mina took the phone and scrolled on it, then turned it back to Ochako. Camie had taken a picture of him and put a giant red circle with an X across it.

She had some very colorful things to say, which she wasn’t wrong about, but in the comments, Katsuki had responded.

/You’re right. I shouldn’t have treated you how I did. I would say sorry in person if you let me./

“She refused, of course, but still, he’s putting his pride aside,” Mina concluded. “That, to me, means he has something to lose.”

“I’m not that something,” Ochako huffed. “Why are you taking his side, anyway?”
Mina shrugged.

“Like I said, I can’t hold onto that hurt, and I know that’s all Katsuki was, too. He handled not having his feelings for you reciprocated by trying to fuck his feelings away, the stupid jackass.”

Ochako returned to Katsuki’s profile and read the most recent posts.

Lunch with Deku. Therapy session―he was seeing a therapist?!―and information on a fundraiser his agency was hosting to fund families displaced by battles between heroes and villains. She couldn’t stop the smile that broke over her face.

She was proud of him and knew how hard change must be for him. Ochako hated that she’d been the catalyst for him to take a look in the mirror, but he’d done it. That was something.

“How do you feel about him, Ochako?” Mina prodded.

Oh, how did she feel?

As a teenager, she’d fallen for Izuku first, but after her and Katsuki’s fight, she paid more attention to him, studying his battle tactics and listening when he’d yell at others for their mistakes during training.

After Ochako’s work-study with Gunhead, Ochako sparred with different classmates to practice her hand-to-hand combat. Katsuki had stormed in one time when she’d been fighting Eijirou to declare it was his turn. Ochako loved sparring with Katsuki because he didn’t go easy on her.

She appreciated that he’d always treated her like an equal opponent. Sparring turned into group hangouts. Group hangouts evolved into walking with her to class. Ochako found his grumpy personality endearing, but he eventually dropped it once he’d grown comfortable around her.

Ochako loved his laugh most of all. It was ugly, and he snorted if he laughed too hard, but it always made her giggle. They’d had long talks throughout high school, growing closer than she ever thought possible. He fell asleep across her lap too many times to count.

Senior year she realized she’d fallen for him, too. Ochako didn’t think Katsuki would ever go for a girl like her. She wasn’t outgoing like Mina or a great leader like Momo. So, when Izuku had sputtered his feelings and asked her to date him, Ochako had said yes.

Izuku was the safer option.

Her feelings developing further for Izuku never made the ones for Katsuki fade. Even now, her heart burned from just the thought of him. Katsuki was no good for her. At least he wasn’t before, but what if he could change?

“That face says it all.”

Mina stood up and picked up the half-eaten bowl of popcorn. “If you wanna give him a shot, you have my blessing; just be careful. If he hurts you, I will melt his pretty face.”

Ochako chuckled and grabbed the couch cushion to hold it to her chest.

“I know you will.”
💔💔💔💔💔

[Ochako]

From a distance, Ochako saw Katsuki grow more with each passing week. She watched his interviews with inflammatory media personnel. Even when they’d try to rile him up, he’d give them some snarky response and a grin,+

+much better than his usual outbursts and storming out of the facility. The flame she’d extinguished for Katsuki flickered brighter whenever she heard something good about him. Izuku had returned from his mission to North America, so they had lunch together.

“Something has changed, Kacchan,” Izuku said in between bites of his salmon. He’d given her that intense look Ochako knew well, the knowing look. “I think I know what it is.”

How Izuku knew was beyond her, but Ochako just coughed and sipped her tea.

That alone was enough to put a grin on Izuku’s face. Izuku’s analytical abilities sometimes got on her nerves.

It was a crisp Friday night with snowflakes melting against the window of her favorite tea shop.

She’d opted to get out of her apartment and get her whirling mind off Katsuki. She focused on the steam filtering from her cup, her hands enjoying its warmth as she kept them secured around it. Mina had given her blessing, and Ochako believed Katsuki was changing.

Did that mean she should give him a chance? Did she want to be Katsuki’s girlfriend?

The giddy smile crossed her lips before she could stop it. Ochako knew the place Katsuki held in her heart had never gone away.

She’d ignored it because of his terrible behavior, but it remembered the Katsuki she fell in love with. Familiar blonde hair and a boyish smirk entered her mind, captivating red eyes staring at her like she was the only person in the world.

Ochako couldn’t forget he stood a head taller than her with muscles that matched anatomical drawing books. Katsuki Bakugou was a gorgeous man; his personality plummeted his attractiveness. It seemed that was changing.

A ding of the front door caught her attention.

Ochako’s gaze flickered over nonchalantly, but her eyes widened when Katsuki and Eijirou walked in.

“Listen, I’m telling you they have the best coffee,” Eijirou gushed, throwing an arm around Katsuki’s shoulders.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” Katsuki grumbled as they approached the counter.

The barista, a young man wearing a shirt with Red Riot’s gear on the front, lit up.

“Red Riot, oh my god, hi!” he squeaked. “I’m a big fan!”

Eijirou chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “Hey, thanks! That means a lot. I told Dynamight here that your shop has the best coffee. Can we have a―”

“Large black coffee with five ice cubes?” the barista blurted out, then turned an adorable shade of red.

“S-sorry! In your interview with Heroes Today, I remember you saying that you put five ice cubes in your coffee, so you can drink it faster!”

“No ice for me,” Katsuki said. “Hey, want Red Riot’s autograph?”

“/YES!/” he screeched so loudly that his co-workers snickered.

Eijirou laughed, too. “Man, I feel so special today! Alright, let’s do a bit of signing and then coffee! Gotta get back to patrol.”

Eijirou signed a few autographs. Ochako couldn’t help but notice that most folks were paying attention to Red Riot and not to Dynamight.

Katsuki did break the public’s trust with how he used to interact with the public, so he had to work to build that relationship back. After their orders were put in, Ochako watched a little girl no older than five walk in with her parent, see Katsuki and Eijirou,+

+then sprint toward them. She didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around Katsuki’s leg.

“Dynamight, hi!” she said, looking up at him with a beautiful smile. “Mama, it’s Dynamight, look!”

“Soya, wait!” her mom exclaimed, running over to them. “Sorry, Dynamight. She’s just excited.”

Soya was an adorable little girl with curly lavender hair and bright golden eyes. She wore Dynamight-themed sneakers and a matching jacket. Something about kids wearing hero merchandise made Ochako and her UA friends feel accomplished.

Katsuki was no different; however, he usually didn’t do well when a stranger initiated physical contact without his consent, child or not. Katsuki looked down at the little girl before bending over and scooping her up. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Are you my biggest fan or something?” he asked her.

“Yeah!” she answered with an enthusiastic nod. “I know all your moves! And look!”

Soya held her hand out, and little pops of blue fire that sounded like fireworks burst from her hand. “I have an explosion quirk, too!”

“That’s fucking badass,” Katsuki commented. “What are you gonna do with that quirk when you’re bigger?”

“I’m gonna be a hero, just like you,” Soya said.

Ochako’s heart melted at the smile the little one’s comment brought onto Katsuki’s face.

It was the cutest thing she’d ever seen. Katsuki never had a knack for interacting with kids, but that seemed to have changed, too.

“Mama, take our picture!” Soya ordered.

“Want me in the picture, too?” Eijirou asked.

Soya looked Eijirou up and down. “No thanks, Red Riot.”

Ochako snorted as Eijirou stepped back, deflated. Soya’s mom snapped pictures and thanked Katsuki for entertaining her daughter. Katsuki also paid for their drinks and snacks, then he and Eijirou picked up their coffees and headed toward the door.

She’d sat in a corner, so they hadn’t noticed her yet, but Ochako decided she’d text Katsuki later.

“Oh, hey, Ochako!”

A record scratched in her mind when Katsuki glanced at her as Eijirou jogged over. Ochako and Katsuki stared at each other, coffees in hand.

When Katsuki walked over, Ochako’s heartbeat tripled. He stopped a foot from her booth, light pink dusting his cheeks underneath his mask.

“Hey,” he said.

Top of my Kacchako Rejection thread! Remember the tags, friends. This has MCD, and this will hurt. There is no happy ending. This is for my angst goblins.

New CW: gore

https://twitter.com/HazelRoses1/status/1627860838702026754?s=20

Ochako swallowed the thickness in her throat. “Um, hi.”

Eijirou glanced between the two of them and looked at his watch. “Look at that. Tetsu is calling me. Unless something comes up, I’ll see you at our patrol location in thirty. Bye!”

He pecked Ochako on the cheek and strode to the door. Katsuki and Ochako watched it close behind him. This was not the sequence of events Ochako had planned in her mind.

“You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want,” Katsuki said after clearing his throat. “See ya around.”

He turned to leave, and Ochako’s body moved without thinking. She grabbed his wrist, just as he’d done to her.

“Wait,” she whispered.

Once she realized what she’d done, she snatched her hand back, feeling her face burn. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to grab you like that!”

“It's no big deal.”

His voice was softer than Ochako had ever heard it before. It relaxed the intricate muscles crunching her eyebrows together and released the vice grip anxiety had around her lungs. Ochako finished the final sip of her tea and stood up.

“Maybe I can walk with you back to your patrol location?” Ochako asked once she got to her feet.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “I was gonna use my quirk back.”

“I’m pretty good with flying myself these days,” Ochako pointed out.

He grinned. “Yeah, I know.”

Ochako and Katsuki stepped out into the night, the cool breeze filtering around them as if to say it missed them. She placed her hands in her pockets and tightened her jacket around her.

Their footsteps crunched on the light frost teasing the concrete as they settled for the back way. Ochako didn’t know where they were patrolling tonight, but she’d seen this alleyway enough times to know Katsuki was avoiding the crowds.

She appreciated that because she didn’t need the media speculating anything… yet.

“So,” Ochako began when the silence grew too heavy. “I see you’ve made a lot of changes to better yourself. That’s really awesome.”

“Yeah, I needed to. Been a dick for too long.”

Ochako stared at the ground as they walked. “I have a question that’s gonna sound very selfish, but I have to ask it.”

“No, I didn’t change for you,” Katsuki interrupted. “Well, maybe at first, but I wouldn’t have succeeded that way. I’m not a fucking failure."

"At least I don’t wanna be anymore.”

How he could read her mind never ceased to amaze her, but she didn’t like those words.

“You’re not a failure!” Ochako argued. “You’re human, that’s all. We’re not perfect.”

Katsuki stopped walking, prompting Ochako to turn and face him.

She saw him clenching his fists and a muscle in his jaw ticking.

“I am a fucking failure!” he shouted before putting his head down. “I’m sorry. M’not yelling at you. Just… still pretty pissed at myself for acting this way for so long. It’s fucking embarrassing.”

Ochako sighed and walked over to him. He watched her approach, the anger on his face receding. She slowly reached for his hand, which he let her take into her smaller ones.

“Katsuki.” She tilted her chin back and gave him her warmest smile. “I’m so proud of you.”

His eyes widened as if it were the first time someone had ever said that to him. So many emotions filtered over his face afterward. Katsuki’s gaze was so powerful it looked through her.

The vulnerability dancing over her skin from just a stare brought the complex feelings she had battled against for the better of ten years to the surface. As their hands linked together, the seconds passing by slowed.

Their eyes met, and Ochako found the chill against her face melted as her heart pumped harder. Rubies. She’d always seen them as glittering pools she could get lost in forever and have no regrets. They’d always left her enraptured, smitten, and longing to be close to him again.

“I...” Ochako breathed, realizing she was moving closer and standing on her tiptoes.

Katsuki cupped her jaw. “You?”

What would happen if she took this leap with a man whose temper matched his quirk?

Would these changes eventually fall to the wayside, and he’d return to his terrible ways? Ochako didn’t know the future, but when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a heated kiss, she knew she’d risk it. Ochako loved him.

She loved Katsuki with every fiber of her being. Over the years, he’d caused so much pain, but Ochako forgave him. She had the moment he’d fallen to his knees and given her a heartfelt apology.

Katsuki held her face in his hands tenderly, as if he would break her, until she pulled back to walk him up against the closest brick wall. He tilted his head to the side, biting his lip. It was incredibly sexy, threatening to turn her into a puddle.

“So, you forgive me?” he asked as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

He pulled her close, their bodies pressing together. Ochako buried her face in his chest. He radiated heat despite the chilly weather, lulling her further into comfort.

She inhaled his scent, loving that specific aroma that was him.

“I forgive you.”

“Can I kiss you again?” he asked. “Please?”

Ochako thought her heart might burst. She giggled and kissed him again as an answer.

This time, they kissed like lovers reunited after a long journey away. Ochako fisted his shirt as his tongue slipped past her teeth, the bitter taste of coffee greeting her, but she loved it.

She pressed herself closer to him, a feat nearly impossible, earning a soft groan from him that made her want to do something impulsive and maybe reckless. Too bad he was on patrol.

“Damn, Ochako,” he said between kisses. “We gotta stop. I’m―/fuck/… I’m getting too worked up.”

She knew what that was code for and felt the same, but Katsuki was right. They should take things slow and get to know each other again. Just as she pulled back, a massive explosion sounded nearby. It was so powerful that the ground shook, and the sky lit with angry flames.

Ochako’s mouth dropped open when one of the fifty store buildings nearby collapsed. Katsuki blasted into the air while Ochako threw her jacket off to have access to her grappling hook and used her quirk on herself to fly faster.

She was experienced enough in mass casualties to know this would become one. Her pro hero instincts took over as they raced to the scene.

“What the fuck was that?!” Katsuki yelled once that landed on the street clouded with dust, debris, and screams.

“Me!”

Ochako and Katsuki whirled around to see a man standing atop a massive pile of rubble. Underneath his left boot was a severed leg. He kicked it like it were nothing and jumped down, holding his arms up in dramatic fashion.

Ochako noticed what looked like crystals coming out of his arms. The emerald stones glittered under the remaining streetlights. He wore a pink halter top, black pants, and matching boots, an attire not suited for the weather.

The sinister grin plastered on his features as he brushed curly red hair out of his face made Ochako's skin crawl. She fell into her fighting stance next to Katsuki just as Red Riot came over Katsuki’s headset.

“Katsuki, there are /four/ suspects that caused the building collapse! I know you’re probably already here!” he shouted. The sounds of an altercation followed before he could continue speaking. “The one with the crystal quirk is the leader named Rikido!"

"I’m taking down two of them with Dark Shadow right now! If you see the leader, /stay away from him, Katsuki!/ His quirk―”

Crystal rocketed toward them and spread out into a web. They barely dodged it, Ochako wincing from the scratch to her thigh.

She glanced at Katsuki and saw his headset gone, blood trickling down his face.

“You heard Red Riot,” Ochako said. “We need to get out of here.”

“Tch, like I’m gonna let this asshole keep fucking around,” Katsuki shot back before blasting toward their opponent.

“Katsuki, wait!” Ochako called after him, but it went unheard underneath the quaking power of his explosions.

“Oh, my, you want to play even though your friend said not to? Naughty, naughty!”

Damn it, she couldn’t let him fight this guy by himself!

Ochako knew Katsuki was an incredible hero, but the shrillness of Red Riot’s voice left her on edge. Something wasn’t right. What was with this guy’s quirk to scare him so badly? Ochako sprinted around the area, touching massive concrete slabs, cars, and buses.

She and Katsuki had fought side by side many times. He provided the frontal assault while she supported him until he gave her an opening to help him fight hand-to-hand.

Their opponent cackled maniacally as he dodged Katsuki’s explosions and used his crystals to turn into items to attack with. A giant sword, a hammer, even giant hands capable of grabbing.

Rikido nicked Katsuki three more times, leaving bleeding wounds on his left arm, neck, and abdomen.

“Is that all you got, fucker?!” Katsuki yelled.

Ochako paused, noticing that Katsuki seemed to be slowing down. She ran to an area with shattered glass littering it.

No, she didn’t run. She walked. No matter how hard she tried to get her legs to move, it was like walking through glue.

“Something’s wrong, Katsuki!”

Even her tongue seemed thick and heavy, her words slow and challenging to get out. Ochako took one more step and collapsed.

Panic settled in when she realized she couldn’t move her body. She still could see Katsuki’s battle with this villain, but he’d stopped moving. He stood in one spot as their assailant skipped over to them.

“Feeling it?” Rikido asked, his voice dangerous.

“Good thing Red Riot couldn’t tell ya my quirk secret.” Crystals wrapped around Katsuki’s neck and waist, making him gasp for air. “It’s the oil coating my crystals that get people! Makes ‘em unable to move anymore!"

"Ever heard those horror stories about people being in surgery, awake but unable to move, so they feel everything? That’s how my quirk works!”

Ochako tried to yell, move, or do anything, but her body failed.

She could only watch on in horror as a thick pillar pushed from Rikido's abdomen.

“I’ve always hated you most,” Rikido said, the playfulness in his voice gone. “You’re everything that’s wrong with the hero society. Cocky, selfish."

"You're a bastard, only in it to stroke your fragile ego, not to save lives. So..”

The crystal restraints secured around Katsuki’s neck lifted him off the ground. “I’m gonna do the world a favor and wipe out scum like you.”

Ochako /screamed/, but only in her head.

It was the loudest, most broken cry as Rikido shoved the pillar through Katsuki’s stomach. She wailed internally when another sharply pointed crystal skewered Katsuki through his throat. Blood splattered everywhere.

Her stomach lurched when she saw his intestines steaming on the ground below him.

“Take a good look, Uravity,” Rikido said, turning Katsuki to face her. “This is what happens to fake heroes. Stain had been right, but everyone shunned him for it."

"Don’t become like Dynamight, or you’ll be just another pile of guts and shit rotting on a public street.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, although the muscles in her face couldn’t move. At that moment, she wished Rikido had someone else in his hands. Anyone but Katsuki.

Please let someone help them. She begged and pleaded with fate to do /something,/ but no one came. It was just them, the rubble, and the corpses smashed underneath it.

Ochako watched him cough up blood, gurgling as the life drained from him.

He stared at her, his eyes more unfocused with each horrid second. Ochako fought with all her might to break free of the paralytic effects of Rikido’s quirk to no avail. Her body lay on the cold ground, useless. Where the hell was their backup?!

There should have been someone chasing Rikido if he was the leader! Ochako watched Katsuki’s mouth move, and it would have been hard to tell the words struggling from his lips had she not seen them before.

/I love you…/

Rikido ripped the crystal weapons from Katsuki’s battered body and let him crumple to the ground. He walked away without another word, his silhouette disappearing down another street as Ochako lay there staring at the love of her life.

His blood had stopped creeping across the ground, telling her the cold hard truth just as much as his unblinking eyes did. Every memory she’d ever had with him flashed through her mind.

Their laughs, the nights he’d help her meal prep, the midnight talks when they couldn’t sleep. Ochako pictured how his eyebrows furrowed when thinking and how he tapped the top of a can before cracking one open like some odd ritual.

The heat of his hands still rang true on her body as the bitter reality settled in.

Ochako couldn’t see any longer from the tears filling her eyes. Her soul ached with an emptiness she couldn’t fathom, absolute hysteria washing over her from staring at his mangled body.

She prayed to any god that would listen to avert her eyes so she didn’t have to stare at the gaping holes ripped through him or his broken spine shoved through the opening in the back of his neck, but none of them answered.

Rikido had set out to teach her a lesson she’d never forget.

A lesson she may never survive.

[END]