From the Ground Up: Kacchako

Chapter 31: I need answers

Ochako_
The sun had just begun to warm Ochako's face when she rolled over and reached out for Katsuki. When her fingers only felt cool sheets she huffed and pulled her arm back.
Has he gone to work? So early..?

She was about to wake up and call his name when someone jumped onto her with considerable force. She squealed and shot up in bed- certain that it wasn't him- wide eyed and wide awake.
When she saw who had fell onto her tears began to brim her eyes. The pink-skinned and pink-haired woman smiled brightly with similar tears, Ochako lurched forward and crushed Mina in a long-needed hug.
They stayed like that for a while. Holding each other and sniffling. When they finally broke apart Ochako took in the appearance of her old friend quickly. Her hair was the same. As was her happy smile.

But her face...warmer, and she was slightly plumper. Not fat, but she wasn't the same either.
"Mina I- oh my god I don't even know what to say I-"
The pink hero cut her friend off, and reached behind her. When she faced Ochako again, there was a pink-skinned, black-haired boy sitting in her lap. He was small and wide-eyed, big red orbs staring up at Ochako. She had a feeling that her face had gone slack jawed.
"He- is he...how old?"
Mina paused for a little and giggled at Ochako's undoubtedly priceless face.
"A few months. And yes, Ochako, he is Ejiro's."
"Pfft, I never doubted"
"Sure you didn't"

They burst out laughing after a few silent seconds, and Ochako wished this moment could last forever. Wished that so much time hadn't passed. Wished beyond anything else, that she had been able to be there while her best friend had given birth to her baby boy. The small boy lifted up an arm towards Ochako, his fingers clasping for her. Before Ochako could object, Mina scooped her son up and placed him neatly into Ochako's arms.
"Meet you're Aunty,"
The small boy was warm and comfy in her arms, and fit perfectly against her. She held him steady as she gazed down at him, admiring his night black hair and light pink skin.
"You should see yourself...the look suits you."
Mina said, not unkindly. Ochako smiled warmly to herself before looking back up at her friend.
"How is he? Kirishima?"
Mina sighed.
"The same. Not the same. Still the light hearted goof, but...becoming a father changed something in him. I quite like it"
Ochako paused in thought for a while.
"I wonder what would've changed in Katsuki...if he would've changed.."

A heavy silence settled over the two as wheels clicked inside Mina's head. Ochako had told her when she'd first fallen pregnant, and discreetly left her a goodbye when she'd made herself disappear. Mina looked around and noticed that there was no signs of a baby. Her face crumbled as she shifted her gaze back to her friend.
"I'm so sorry,"
She whispered, and placed her hand on Ochako's shoulder. After the heavy blanket over them passed, Mina lightly pinched her friends cheek.
"It happens. Everyday to many women. There's nothing stopping you from trying again. Besides, my son will need a best friend in the future, or a girlfriend.."
Ochako choked and laughed, shaking her head at her shameless friend.
"Playing matchmaker already, are we?"

A new voice sounded from the doorway, and both the women looked up to face it. A smiling Kirishima stood there, look down at his old friend.
Ochako gasped and squealed, immediately jumping up. Mina took the baby from her arms so she could run across the room and into the arms of her friend. He hugged her tightly, cracking her back in doing so. She laughed up at him and stepped back, feeling so filled with joy in seeing her oldest friends. Kirishima held her at arms length and smiled supportingly.
"Don't worry, Ochako, we'll find those bastards and give them what they deserve."
She blinked.
"What?"
Katsuki rounded the corner into the bedroom and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall.
"I told them everything. Figured I'll find that criminal group faster with a little help"
She raised her brows.
"Help?"
He scoffed and lifted his chin.
"Yeah, yeah. Get over it."

Ejiro gestured towards the two women.
"They were just discussing their plans for arranged marriages with our future children."
He said, with a light tone to his voice. Mina's eyes widened.
"Were not! You liar!"
Katsuki locked eyes with Ochako, and an odd feeling passed between them. She couldn't pick out what it was, but didn't get time to anyway. Ejiro clapped his hands and announced that they were all to catch up and none of them were leaving until that happened.
And they did just that.
Ochako and Mina took turns holding the clueless looking baby boy while they all talked in the sitting room, for what seemed like ages.
Until the sun came to setting and it was time for them to go home. Mina made a stern promise to get more alone time with Ochako within the near future, while Katsuki's heartfelt goodbye to Ejiro was shoving him out the door with a hard push between the shoulders.

Once the family was gone, and the couple was once again alone, Ochako chewed on her lip while staring at Katsuki's back as he folded a pile of washing.
After a while she gave up on her lip and started chewing on her nail. She saw a muscle flicker in his back at the sound.
"If you're going to say something, do it."
All previous thoughts flooded from her head at his tone.
"What's wrong with you?"
She asked, crossing her arms and setting her hips. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and continued folding the clothes.
"You've got something to say, I can tell. Just get it over with and spare me the anticipation"
Her jaw tightened.
"If you're going to keep speaking to me like that then you can forget talking at all"
He turned to face her.
"Good. Might stop the headaches for once tonight"
"What is wrong with you?"
He closed his eyes and rubbed at his face, groaning. She stayed quiet, waiting for him to speak first. She wasn't the one picking fights, so she wasn't going to be the one fixing them. After a while he opened his eyes again.
"I saw the way you were looking at them today. Them and..."
"Their baby? Is that it? Is that what's bothering you so much? That I was looking at-"
"It pissed me off- it bothered me that we don't have that. And the way that you were looking at them today..it was like you were twisting the knife."

She swallowed. So this was it, that conversation. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and sighed.
"I'm sorry I...I didn't know that's how I looked. But I wasn't thinking about that."
"You weren't?"
"No. I was thinking about all the time I missed. Everything that I missed. And how angry I was that it was stolen from me."
He cocked a brow.
"And trying again for a baby didn't cross your mind at all today?"
She glanced away and shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Is it so wrong if it did?"
He stared at her feet for a while, thinking quietly to himself.
He pushed off from where he was leaning and came to be standing in front of her, looking down at her with a softness in his eyes.
"No. It's not. But it is crazy. You've got to see that, at least."
She avoided his gaze, sucking in a deep breath. He hooked his finger under her chin and gently turned her face back to him.
"You're not even fully healed yet. What makes you think you're ready for that kind of physical change? You'd burst at the seams"
He let out a chuckle at the end of his sentence, but she didn't return it. Only closed her eyes and sighed. He brushed a piece of hair out of her face.
"Hey, it's not impossible. But your health comes first. We'll talk about it again after you're healed, and after I catch those bastards that hurt you in the first place."
She nodded, and he leant his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent.