Snippets of Comfort

Groceries

I decided to make a seperate story for the fun and cute bonuses that could have been in Seeking Comfort, to not stray away from the original idea. The title is merely a play on words, but I hope you all enjoy the stories anyway.

Uraraka Ochaco was not one to play games when it came to her coupons and weekly deals at the supermarket. She had never been one to scoff at the luxury of buying a dozen eggs at half off, nor did she care if the clothes she bought were on the sale rack. The only thing Ochaco really cared about was to keep her monthly budget and save up every penny she could muster. A great hero didn't waste her money, was what she told herself. The brunette was actually really good at not buying things she didn't need, so she was usually fine for the duration of the month.

The local supermarkets all knew her as the sweet girl who would stop by almost daily to check for discounts and sales. They would often see her buying groceries later on in the evening when some items were marked down from their original prices either due to damage or being closer to expiring. When the shop clerks asked why she didn't come during the afternoon following school, the aspiring hero would smile brightly and tell them that letting completely edible food go to waste was a crime.

As such, Ochaco came to be known in a few stores and some of the particularly friendly clerks would put some things aside for her that she could choose from. Often times the gravity user would receive bread and rolls from the bakery completely free of charge, which she would gratefully accept. Even if the bread was a little on the dry side, Ochaco never complained, she was getting food for free and she also contributed to the war against food waste, so in her book it was a win.

The day she was shopping for ingredients for the birthday cake she was baking Midoriya, she was on the top of her coupon game. She had a 20% off coupon for one store and she knew that another store sold good quality eggs for a cheaper price.

"Okay, I need milk for the batter. vanilla essence, cream cheese, butter and icing sugar for the frosting... Maybe I should grab some sprinkles? Wait, I don't think sprinkles go well with buttercream frosting, so what about fruit? Yeah, maybe I should find some strawberries... Hmm..." She was looking at the list in her hand and muttering to herself, a habit she had no doubt picked up from being around Midoriya all the time.

Ochaco frowned and adjusted the basket hanging off her elbow. Ideally, she would have gotten a cart and bought groceries for herself as well, but she had some leftovers in her fridge that needed to be eaten before they went bad, so that would be a waste.

"Oh, it's you." A sourly tone brought her out of her thoughts and Ochaco looked up to see her archenemy standing behind a cart loaded with items. It was a coupon-mom. A mother of two demon children that shopped using coupons as if her life depended on it. It probably did with her terrible offspring that would always scream in the stores and throw tantrums until they got the sweets they wanted.

This lady in particular was her biggest rival when it came to sales and they would always bump into each other since they used the same apps with weekly deals. She had long black hair that was held back with a clip, and she would be a very beautiful woman if it wasn't for her constant scowl and snide comments.

"I see you didn't bring your demonic minions today." Ochaco's aura darkened as the demon mom sniffed in disdain. Ochaco was generally an easygoing and polite person, but this lady was so awful that only Dark-Ochaco could handle her.

"My angels are at home, playing peacefully. And you're still wearing those ratchet clothes from the dumpster." Demon-mom, as Ochaco mentally referred to her, turned on her heel as if she couldn't bear to breathe the same air as Ochaco and promptly pushed her cart away.

"You mean spawn of satan." The aspiring hero muttered under her breath as she went in the opposite direction to grab butter and cream cheese.

Demon-mom sans children wasn't a big deal, she reminded herself. There had been instances were the two of them had tagged along their mother, and Ochaco had never before had a stronger urge to strangle someone or something. She clearly remembered her first encounter with the two hellions. She had been minding her own business, picking up groceries when she noticed a crying girl who was calling for her mother. Ochaco, having a soft spot for lost children, immediately tried to help the lost girl.

To the brunette's horror, it had been a ploy to grab the last value box of a certain candy that Ochaco had been eyeing. While she had been busy helping the girl, her brother had snuck up behind them and picked up the box without a sound. Ochaco only realized their evil plan when she went to the checkout without any candy and saw the lost girl, another little boy and their mother all smirking at her. From then on it had been one fight after the other.

Shaking her head, the brunette decided not to let the woman and her terrible children get under her skin and just focus on the task at hand. Picking up the rest of the items on her shopping list, Ochaco headed for the cash register while strolling down the candy aisle. Her eyes caught on a familiar looking box and she had to take a minute to realize that she wasn't seeing things. The value box from Quality Street that had been stolen right under her nose was sitting on a shelf, surrounded by other candy boxes.

She took one step closer, then another one and before she knew it she was standing right in front of the box. It was her absolute favorite candy and if she bought it, it would last her a few weeks. Being a hero in training meant that she had to stay in great shape and sometimes even change her diet. Eating tons of candy wasn't beneficial for anyone who wasn't Sato, and Ochaco therefore had to limit her intake drastically.

That aside, it was too good an offer to pass up and she reached out with trembling fingers and grasped the tin box. The cool metal felt great against her fingertips and a shiver ran down her spine, when she thought of cracking the lid open and eating her favorite pieces with the white filling.

'Focus Ochaco! You have to focus!' She mentally berated herself for losing track and gingerly placed the box into her shopping basket.

Ochaco had barely turned around when an inhuman screech stopped her in her tracks. She looked over her shoulder and felt a dangerous aura surround her. Demon-mom was standing where the aisle began and looked positively murderous with eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring. Ochaco felt the urge to flee for one second only, but shook the feeling away and replaced it with a triumphant smile over her shoulder.

The gravity user turned on her heel and all but sprinted in the direction of the checkout line. She faintly heard the profanities thrown at her from way behind her, but she was busy balancing the basket in front of her and running. Right in front of her was an open cash register and Ochaco dashed towards it with all her might. Just before she reached it, she slowed to a stop and looked back toward where Demon-mom was still trying to follow her and control her overfilled cart at the same time. The cashier was already done ringing up Ochaco's purchase when her archenemy reached her, huffing and puffing.

With great satisfaction Ochaco paid and picked up the bag from the counter. She turned around once more and gave the woman behind the smuggest look she could muster. With that, Ochaco picked up her purchase and swiftly exited the store, humming the most cheerful tune she could think of.