"..."

The first thing Ochako saw was white. Clouding her vision, all around her. For a moment, she thought that she was in that nightmare again, and she already started to move frantically, as if she was pulling at restraints.

  But she wasn't tied up, and this was reality, and her foggy vision melted away. She blinked a couple of times, letting a blurry blob of blue and yellow focus and take the shape of some flowers. On a bedside table. Next to a window, overlooking the city.

  Wait, a bedside table? A frown formed on her face as she looked around, deciphering the objects around her. In just a few moments, she concluded that she was hospitalized.

  There was a monitor next to her, displaying a green one that steadily went up and down. An IV was attached to her arm. There was a cabinet with some equipment on the far side of the room. Laying on the bed next to her was a head of green hair... wait.

  Ochako's mouth hung open as she looked at Midoriya, sleeping soundly with his head resting in his left arm. He was snoring a little bit. His right arm was in a sling, so she assumed his shoulder was bandaged up. A piece of green hair covered his eyes, obscuring Ochako's view of his face.

  She wasn't having it.

  Slowly she reached out, and lifted the strand of hair out of the way. There he is, she thought with a smile. His surprisingly long lashes brushed against the top of his cheek as his eyelids twitched, probably dreaming of something involving battles. His cheek was smushed against his arm, almost hiding his freckles. He had this peaceful expression on his face, as if he was finally have a real rest after a long time.

  It had been a long time. Since the whole nightmare started. (Not the time to be making puns, Ochako.) Midoriya had been there the whole way, he even made her a card package when he didn't know what was fully going on. He just knew that he wanted to make her feel better, and any higher power knows that Ochako needed it. Needed him.

  I think I'll always need him, she thought as her hands brushed through his hair. She was eternally grateful for her teachers saving their asses back there, but Midoriya had held her close when she needed it most. He protected her like he said he would. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

  She stayed like that for a while, carding her fingers through his green fluff, before he started to groan. Her hand froze as his eyes blinked open, unfocused and trying to make out her probably blurry figure. She smiled and waited patiently for him to gather himself. When he did, his eyes shot open and he sat up quickly. A little too quickly, maybe, indicated by his grimace, but he seemed to completely ignore it as all of his attention went to Ochako.

  "Uraraka!" He exclaimed. His smile reached both eyes and he almost looked like he was about to cry.

  Ochako gave a little wave. "Hi."

  "Oh, thank god." Midoriya was choked up as he spoke. He brought his chair closer to the head of the bed. "You were passed out for a day."

  "A whole day, huh?" Ochako laughed. "You can't stand being away from me for a whole day?"

  "I really can't."

  "Oh." Ochako realized that maybe this wasn't the time to joke. She watched as Midoriya's eyes trailed to her stomach, where bandages were wrapped under her hospital dress. A look of guilt and stress crossed his face.

  "Uraraka I'm..." He breathed in deep. "I'm so sorry."

  "About what? This?" Ochako pointed at her wound. "Midoriya, you weren't the one who stabbed me."

  "But I could have prevented it," he pointed out. "I was supposed to prevent something like that, happening to you..."

  "Midoriya." Ochako took his hand. "I'm here. I'm okay. You did well. You really did." She guided his hand up to her cheek so she could lean into the touch of his palm. "See? I'm real."

  Midoriya gazed at her like she hung the moon. His thumb rubbed against her cheek, and his expression softened to that of relief and... something else.

  "Yes, you're real." He leaned in. "I'm so glad that you're real."

  Ochako's eyes widened as he lifted his head up and planted a kiss on her forehead. Her face heated as his lips brushed against her skin while he spoke.

  "You're safe. You're okay."

  Almost as if he was reassuring himself. A smile broke through her shocked expression, and she raised both her hands up to cup his cheeks. She brought him down to eye level, and now it was her turn to stare at him like he painted the sunrise. Under the scrutiny of her gaze, he started to blush, but maintained eye contact.

  "Yes, Midoriya. I'm safe," she smiled. "You dork."

  He blinked. The blinked again. And then a stupid grin spread across his face. Ochako raised a brow. "What's that look for?"

  "You've started to call me Midoriya."

  Ochako's breath hitched. "Oh... oh yeah," she sniffed. "I guess it sort of stuck. I hope you don't mind-"

  "Call me Izuku," Midoriya said plainly.

  "What?"

  "Please." His voice was just a whisper. Ochako swore she saw his eyes dart down for a spit second. "I want to hear you say it."

  Ochako was silent. Then she placed her forehead against his and said, "You're a dork, Izuku."

  And then his lips were on hers. And Ochako closed her eyes as his hand cupped her cheek once more. And it was nothing like how the books said it was be, no. It wasn't fireworks or big revelations. It felt like he had kissed her many times before, it felt natural.

  They pulled apart from the tender kiss and breathed in each other's air. Foreheads still pressed together, Ochako managed to tear her eyes away from his mouth only to find him still staring at hers.

  She snorted. He did too. And they fell into each other; laughing, hugging, not a care in the world. Unaware of the whistling wind outside. Unaware of the figure growing closer... and closer...

  Boom.

——————————————

  The floor shook unbelievably fast, and Ochako yelped as she gripped onto Midoriya. He ignored the sudden pain in his shoulder, hugging back just as tightly.

  Debris flew through the walls, and small, pebble-like chunks of the building hit Midoriya's back as the wall crumbled. There were screams in the hallway, and Midoriya looked over his shoulder to glare at the door, daring anyone and anything from outside to pass the threshold.

  Ochako's grip loosened and she past Midoriya. "What was that-?"

  Familiar dark smoke entered the room before the door was ripped off of its hinges. Both teenagers flinched at the silhouette standing outside, shrouded by the flowing vapor. Both nurses and patients started to cough, some already thumped onto the floor.

  Rage, fear, and disbelief all rose in Midoriya as he stood from his seat. Ochako grabbed at his hand, silently pleading him to not push himself, but he wasn't going to sit by and watch the one he hated take the one he loved.

  Nightmare stepped into the room, a wave of smoke following. With each step the ground seemed to shake, and Midoriya froze in place as the new disposition the villain took on.

  He wasn't playing anymore. His eyes screamed "tired of this shit" as power practically radiated off of him. He lifted an arm, and pointed directly in between Ochako's eyes.

  "You're coming with me."

  Midoriya's power flared at that. He didn't even say anything as he lunged for an attack, rage filling like a reservoir in his stomach. But pain meds are a bitch, and Nightmare was not in the mood, so he easily side stepped. He spun in the blink of an eye and kicked his heel into Midoriya's shoulder.

  Midoriya cried out, but he wasn't going to let some measly wound slow him down. He retaliated with another punch, which Nightmare easily dodged again, but this time he was the one who whirled around to kick the side of the villain's head.

  Nightmare didn't have time to react and Midoriya's foot hit him square in the temple. Nightmare stumbled back with a grunt, then a noise akin to a snarl ripped from his throat as he threw a punch Midoriya's way.

  The hero barely dodged it, but Nightmare just kept going. He wouldn't stop his onslaught, and a swing so fast and so powerful came Midoriya's way that he was bracing himself for a broken nose, but there was a crash sound.

  Nightmare suddenly halted before falling to the floor, with shards of pottery sticking in his hair. Blue and yellow flower petals scattered across the floor, surrounding a worn-out-looking Ochako. She was holding pieces of the remaining pot in her shaking hand, her other palm placed on her stomach. She swayed from the exertion but Midoriya was quick to balance her before she fell.

  "Why haven't you escaped already?" Midoriya scolded, checking over her.

  "Not like I had an opening to escape," she grimaced. "Had an opening to attack, though."

  "Ha. Okay," Midoriya hugged her waist and helped her to the door. "We better leave before he wakes up again-"

  A shadow looming in the doorway cut him off. Heaving breaths came from it and the two teens backed away as it forced itself through the hole, breaking part of the already damaged wall off.

  Midoriya had been wondering how Nightmare broke through the hospital wall by himself. This was how; a big, super muscular villain wearing a gas mask.

  "Give the girl to me," Nightmare said from behind them, and Midoriya turned to see him stumbling to his feet. "And I might let you live."

  "Never happening," Midoriya said, unbothered to hide his rage.

  Though, he couldn't figure out how to fight two villains while holding Ochako. It wasn't like he could not lay her down on the floor, smack dab in the middle of the fight. It didn't help that she was slumped in his arms either... oh no. No, no, no.

  Midoriya's knees hit the ground and the black smoke in his lungs finally took its course, and Nightmare's quirk made his eyes droopy. Ochako fell to the ground beside him as he dropped onto his elbows.

  He felt like he could vomit at the sight of the villain, with a grin, picked up Ochako without a second thought. And all Midoriya could do was watch helplessly, keeping up a futile attempt to stay away when black was already started to take over his vision.

  "Give her back" was the last thing he croaked before his head hit the floor.

———————————

  "Kill him," Nightmare instructed Goliath. And Goliath was winding up an arm to do so when a voice shouted down the hallway.

  "Young Midoriya and Uraraka!"

  "No fun," Nightmare sighed. "Leave him be, we can go now."

  Goliath shrugged, grabbed Nightmare, and jumped out of the huge hole in the side of the hospital, disappearing with Ochako Uraraka.

———————————

I started this story as a freshman. Now I'm a senior applying to art colleges. How time flies.

Speaking of art, how would y'all like to see some updates character profiles? :D

Oh yeah, sorry about piecing your hearts back together with this chapter and then instantly tearing them apart again. Hope you enjoyed! Love y'all!!

-xoxo, Quixo 💗