Hot-Headed (Now also a podfic on spotify!)

Chapter 4

On Saturday, Ochako left early in the morning to visit her parents. She hadn't seen them since she'd left at the beginning of the school year and while she loved her home at UA with all of her friends, she still got that little bit of home-sickness for her parents when she went too long without seeing them.

So off she went. She had a good hour or so on the train, so she busied herself with trying to refine her quirk. It had taken her a while, but over the years she had begun to figure out how to incrementally reduce the weight of objects so they wouldn't always just float off. It had become useful mostly in combat situations, to throw her opponents off balance and allow her to control them. She'd been happily surprised to find it work out so well on Deku and Bakugo the night before.

Ochako rubbed at her neck, remembering the way Bakugo's hand had rested there. Obviously he'd left no bruises, his touch had been feather-light, a whisper of a threat. Even her wrist had been left with no markings. He'd wanted to control her but, thankfully, he'd been smart enough not to hurt her.

She shook her head. It wouldn't do to dwell on that. He'd gotten the best of her there— he probably knew that— but she couldn't let that knock her off her stride. It was exactly what he wanted and she wouldn't allow him to win.

She went back to work, lightening a newspaper to hover just above the seat next to her, then a few coins just enough to make them easy to flick across the train car (no one was sharing it with her today).

When the train reached the station, she grabbed her bag with a couple changes of clothes in it (she was staying the night) and exited the car.

There were only a few people milling about. She guessed it wasn't a busy day for travel.

From ahead of her, she saw a woman with long brown hair like her own waving her arms above her head.

"Ochako-chan!" her mom called, a big grin plastered on her face.

"Mama!" Ochako beamed and ran into her mother's arms, "where's Papa?"

Her mom released her from her embrace, "Oh he got called to a job site and won't be home until after dark. He'll be happy to see you made it home safely, though."

Ochako knew her parents had been more busy since she'd been featured at the Sports Festival two years ago and when her name had already become more prominent in the hero world. She'd originally wanted to become a hero to pay for her parents to take it easy but she'd realized somewhere along the way that they were doing something they loved. Maybe it was hard work and maybe there were tough days but they wouldn't have it any other way and they only wanted the same for her.

"That's okay, at least he'll be home for dinner," she said, not feeling the least bit disappointed.

Her mom led her to her car where Ochako threw her bag in the back seat, then jumped in the passenger side.

"Well since your father isn't here, now we have time for girl talk," her mom said, a fiendish gleam in her eye as she buckled herself in.

Ochako rolled her eyes but inside she was bouncing. Her mom knew all of her secrets. She had always been like her best friend and she'd shared every doubt she'd ever had or crush who had broken her heart. She had known about her feelings for Deku since the moment Ochako had known it herself. She was always itching for more news on her daughter's love life.

"Sooo.... How is Midoriya-kun?" she asked, her eyebrows inching up with interest as she pulled out of her space and started the drive home.

"You are like a scavenger, mom. Always noodling for any scraps of drama," Ochako laughed.