|| She's Perfect || BNHA x OP! Reader ||

55.4 - The Strongest Thing, O. U.

I couldn't sleep.

Again.

It had become something of a routine lately—me, wandering the dorm halls at ungodly hours, hoping the silence would settle my thoughts. It never really did.

I found myself in the common room, hugging my knees on the couch in the dark. The moonlight spilled through the windows, silver and quiet, but my mind was anything but.

I didn't know when it started—these feelings—but I knew who they were about.

Ochaco Uraraka.

And that scared the hell out of me.

Because it wasn't some fleeting crush or half-hearted interest. It was deeper. Like gravity pulling me in every time she laughed, every time she reached out without asking, every time she made me believe we were all still allowed to feel something good even in the middle of a warzone.

And the truth?

I didn't want to fight it anymore.

The sound of soft footsteps made me turn.

"[F/N]?" her voice was sleep-soft, warm and confused. "[N/N], what're you doing?"

I smiled faintly. "Couldn't sleep."

"Me neither," she said, rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. She looked at me for a moment, then crossed the room and sat down beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It was.

"Is it weird I feel more tired now that things are... kind of okay?" she asked.

"No," I said. "It's like all the weight we've been carrying finally hit at once."

She nodded, thoughtful. "I thought I'd feel relieved. But instead I just feel... heavy."

I looked over at her, illuminated by the glow of the window. Her face was calm, but I could see the exhaustion beneath it. Not just physical—emotional. Like she'd been holding too much inside for too long.

I knew that feeling.

"I've been thinking about you," I said before I could stop myself.

She blinked. "About me?"

I nodded, heart hammering now that I'd actually said it.

"I mean... I've been thinking about us. What you said before. About how you liked me. About how you were scared to let yourself feel it because being a hero meant putting other people first."

Her expression softened, and she looked down at her hands.

"I remember," she said quietly.

"I didn't say anything back then. I wasn't ready. I thought... if I focused on training, on the mission, on everything else, maybe I wouldn't have to make that choice."

Ochaco nodded, still silent.

"But that night, during the attack at camp—I realized something."

She finally looked at me.

"I've always admired you," I said. "For your bravery. Your heart. Your determination. You say you wanted to become a hero for money to help your parents, but you've never hesitated to risk your life for complete strangers. You're kind even when it's inconvenient. You lift people up—literally and emotionally."

She laughed softly at that, and I smiled.

"I don't think I ever said this out loud because I was scared," I admitted. "But I'm not scared anymore."

I turned to her fully now, heart in my throat.

"I like you, Ochaco. And not just as a friend- just.. Scratch that. I think I love you?"

She stared at me, wide-eyed.

"I don't know when it started. Maybe it was the day you cheered me up after I messed up during training. Or maybe it was when you held my hand during that first rescue drill when we were both shaking. But I've felt it for a while now. And I'm tired of pretending I don't."

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. I panicked for half a second—but then she leaned forward and placed her hand gently over mine.

"You mean that?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I love you too," she said, voice just above a whisper. "I've... liked you for so long it hurts sometimes."

My heart nearly stopped.

"I didn't want to say anything after you didn't respond," she added. "I thought maybe you didn't feel the same. Or that I'd made things awkward."

"You didn't," I said quickly. "I was the awkward one. I just didn't know how to handle something good in the middle of everything falling apart."

She smiled—soft and a little sad.

"I get that," she said. "Every time I thought about you, I felt selfish. Like wanting you meant I wasn't taking being a hero seriously enough."

"But that's not true," I said. "We're still people. We're allowed to want something for ourselves."

Ochaco nodded. "I think... I needed to hear that."

A beat passed.

Then she reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, her fingers brushing my cheek.

"You make me feel like I can float even when I'm not using my quirk," she whispered.

I let out a choked laugh, smiling through sudden tears. "That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard you say."

She laughed too, teary-eyed.

"Yeah," she said. "But it's true."

We leaned in at the same time.

The kiss was soft.

Gentle.

Like a secret finally shared.

When we pulled apart, I rubbed my nose against hers, our breaths mingling.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," she admitted.

"Me too."

Her fingers tangled with mine, and we sat like that for a long while, letting the silence hold us.

Eventually she spoke again, quieter this time.

"I know things won't always be easy. Being heroes... it's dangerous. And complicated. But I think loving someone shouldn't feel like a liability. It should feel like something worth protecting."

I nodded. "It does."

She leaned her head on my shoulder, and I rested mine against hers.

Outside, the first hints of dawn crept into the sky, painting soft color over the last of the stars.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn't feel like I was falling apart.

I felt like I was floating.

Because Ochaco was beside me.

And that was enough.