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

Chapter 5

Ochako walked into her classroom on Monday at 8:25 am, dark purple rings under her eyes. She had finally gotten to sleep just past one in the morning after tossing and turning since ten.

Deku had kissed her. On the mouth. It had been so sudden but so gentle and kind, his lips soft and his breath warm. He'd smelled like freshly laundered towels.

Any time she thought back on it, her heart would start thundering again and she could feel her face go hot.

Why had he done that? She didn't know because right after pulling back from her, he had seemed to panic and said, "Oh god, I'm so sorry, Ochako-chan. I shouldn't have done that."

She hadn't even gotten over her shock before he'd ushered her to the elevator and sent her back down to the common room, telling her sorry again.

It had been so confusing and she wasn't sure if he had been sorry he'd surprised her or if he'd regretted it the moment he'd kissed her. She'd laid awake last night, going in circles in her mind as though she were pulling petals from a daisy and saying "he loves me, he loves me not".

Before she'd laid down, she'd had to greet Mina and bribe her with dresses so she wouldn't say anything to anyone about the stupid look on her face that had betrayed the whole story without her having to say a word. Then, she'd gone down to dinner long after she figured everyone else had been done and had to reheat a plate for herself.

Wow, one kiss and this is my life now, she had thought, bent over a plate of fried fish and rice.

Today she was regretting her seating choice as she walked down the side aisle to her desk. Everyone was already seated and no one missed the bags under her eyes, even as she put on a genial smile.

When she chanced a peek at Deku, he was looking at her with a little concern. As she sat, he turned partway in his seat and asked, "Are you doing okay? Did you get enough sleep?"

Ugh, don't look at me! Ochako thought as she nodded her head fiercely, trying to hide her slowly pinking cheeks from him.

His look told her that he didn't completely believe her but he turned back as Aizawa-sensei entered to begin class.

It wasn't until English class, Present Mic discussing their current reading assignment, that Ochako heard a rhythmic tapping sound from the seat next to her. She gave a deep sigh, already knowing she wasn't going to like what she was about to see. 

Even if he weren't doing anything he'd still piss me off, she admitted to herself.

She turned her head and found Bakugo turned away from her for once, his head resting in his left hand, upper arm laid across his desk. From the back of him, she could just barely see earbuds poking out of his ears.

So he was listening to music.... Ever since their music show in first year at the UA Cultural Festival, he'd sometimes taken to rapping drum patterns that interested him with pencils or whatever he could find. Today, he was tapping on his notebook so the sound was muted, but it was surely an irritant for anyone else around him.

Ochako massaged her temple, almost not wanting to bother with him since his attention was finally elsewhere but— dammit— she was class rep! She couldn't just let him disturb the other students around him.

She pulled out an eraser from her pencil case and chucked it at him with less delicacy than she maybe should've. It bounced off of the back of his head and he jerked.

Ochako felt a little thrill that she'd elicited a response from him for once. Usually, nothing she did would surprise him and he'd just give her a look like she was cute for trying.