[ochako x ftm shouto]

ochako gets really bad cramps and mood swings during her period.

she appreciates tenya’s attempt to understand her situation, but he doesn’t know anything outside of textbooks. though deku knows enough, he’s too embarrassed to speak.

but, shouto knows.

maybe it’s because he has a sister that he’s used to it, but she’s not sure.

he’s so nonchalant about it, and so blunt that it makes her a little embarrassed to be so obvious.

once, he pulled a pad out of the pocket of his jacket and handed it to her in front of deku and tenya.

and there has been a couple of times where she stood up and he’s wrapping his own hoodie around her waist or whispering that she’s okay when she’s awkwardly looking around at who to ask.

for a guy who’s usually oblivious to little things, he’s kind of perceptive over this.

like right now.

her cramps have gotten particularly bad, but she can’t find her heating pad. the pain kilers she was taking wore off awhile ago, leaving her fidgeting and uncomfortable.

but then he slid his arm around her shoulders, his hand hot against her arm as a hint.

she leaned against his side, face red as she carefully shifted closer, letting his arm curl around her waist.

they’re not even dating, or talking to each other.

shouto’s in a heated conversation with denki about fruit gummies and she’s laughing with mina over class today.

and if mina realizes that his hand is underneath the blanket on top of her, she doesn’t point it out, thankfully.

his hand is warm, and it feels good against her the ache in her lower stomach when his fingers curl just below the pudge stucking over her leggings.

he rubbed his thumb on her skin, gently and probably subconsciously, and she let out a small breath of relief as she leaned back against shouto’s side.

honestly, she could probably fall asleep right here with his hand on her stomach and his body pressed against hers.

“ah, o-ochako, tenya and i went out and got you these. you said you were craving them...”

“said is a very nice way to put crying in the fetal position.” tenya commented. “also, shouto insisted we go.”

“i wish my friends went and bought me food.” mina sulked. “denki!”

“no!”

she huffed, and shouto looked over in her direction.

“you like strawberry and melon... right?” he asked, and ochako nodded. “sweets in general?”

“mhm.”

“good.”

tenya handed her the bag, and she thanked them as deku eyed the way they were sitting, his hand on his chin.

soon, his face heated, and quickly he bolted away, most likely having discovered why they were so close.

“i think he’s not feeling well.” shouto told her when denki and mina got into their own conversation “how are you feeling?”

“just a little hotter, please.” she whispered.

he nodded, and she moaned quietly, her head falling into her shoulder.

“this is how i die...” she said as her hand reached into the bag, pulling out a take out box. “eating my weight’s worth in sugar.”

“you should probably eat that in moderation.” tenya said from beside them.

“you should probably mind your own business.” she retorted and he rose an eyebrow. “love you. thanks for the cake.”

“uh-huh...” he nodded. “dinner is soon. don’t spoil your appetite, and be sure to take this blanket back into your room to avoid making a mess of the living area.”

“i will.” shouto told him, and ochako took a bite of the cream filled sponge.

“i’ve never seen a girl look so happy in my life.”

“you just don’t know how much it hurt doing training earlier.” she told shouto. “so being here, eating cake, doing nothing, i’m... over the moon.”

when curfew came, shouto looked down at her. “you’ll be alright?”

her face flushed, and she scratched the back of her neck.

“a-actually, i can’t find my uh... heating pad. do you mind... maybe...”

turns out he doesn’t, and she’s glad she doesn’t have to fight to have him stay.

he laid down behind her, curled his left arm around her waist and pressed his heated palm over the blanket.

she melted into him, and she blinked at the wall, a single question biting at the back her of head.

“do you... know about this kind of stuff because of your sister?”

it’s a little strange to imagine he would hold his family so close, slip his hands a little under the waistband of their pants and pull them to his body like this.

“my sister taught me.” he told her. “i didn’t know anything about it because my mom wasn’t around to show me.”

“so you... held your sister like this?” she guessed.

something’s twisting in her stomach, whether it’s disappointment for the thought she’s been entertaining in her head, discomfort over the topic of him and his sister, or her damn cramps, she’s not entirely sure.

“not exactly.” he defended himself. “it’s one thing to hold someone’s stomach, and another entirely to curl up with them the way we are.”

she nodded, feeling silly for even considering something so obscure.

“why do you ask?”

“i just wanted to know how you seem to know.”

“isn’t it common knowledge? all boys know that girls go through this.” he reasoned.

“well, yeah, but it’s different. deku and tenya, they know what people say about it. maybe deku can tell the difference between a panty liner, a maxi pad, and a tampon, but...”

“but what?”

“it’s like you know exactly what i’m thinking before i do.” she confessed. “i stand up, and you’re telling me i’m clean. if i think i lost my tampon in my bag, you have a pad in your hand.”

through the silence, she can hear him swallowing.

“it’s like you know how it feels.”

“can i tell you something, ochako?” he asked and she tried to turn around, but he kept her on her side.

“of course. we’re basically best friends, aren’t we?”

he let out a shaky breath. “yeah, we are, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. not izuku, not tenya, not anyone.”

she nodded, feeling his body shift behind her.

“i won’t, i promise. whatever it is,
you can trust me.” she means it.

if he won’t even tell deku, who knows just about everything about him, it must be something ridiculously important to him.

“i know because i have felt it.”

“unless you have a uterus,” she started, and he sighed, “i don’t see hos...”

ochako paused when a reasonable explantion suddenly popped into her head.

but surely that wasn’t the case, right? he doesn’t look any different from other guys.

he’s just... pretty.

“i... do see...”

“do you want me to leave?” his voice broke, and she held his hand, careful not to make him float.

“no.” she rubbed his knuckles gently. “hey, it’s okay. i want you to stay. i don’t care—i mean, i do care. i’m so glad you could open up to me, but it doesn’t matter if you’re...”

“you can say it.” shouto said, and she turned around carefully to face him.

he’s not crying, but he looks terrified of being rejected.

“it doesn’t matter to me if you’re trans.” she looked him in his eyes. “you’re still shouto, and i still like you.”

“you... you what?”

fuck.

it’s the mood swings, and the fact his hand is basically a heating pad that feels really, really good that make her tongue hard to hold.

“you just think i’m pretty.” shouto dismissed. “all the girls say that. i’m the pretty boy.”

she frowned at the defeated look on his face.

it kind of feels like an insult that he would assume she’s shallow enough to only like him for his looks.

“you’re also a really good friend.”

“tenya and izuku had to force me into friendship.” he reminded, and she rolled her eyes. “even then, i’m still not good at this.”

“you’re thoughtful; you’ve been thinking of me since i started my period and have done nothing but try to make me feel better.” she insisted.

he shrugged.

“you’re smart, the top of the class even, and don’t get me started on how strong you are because i won’t stop.” she added.

she set a hand on his cheek and brushed away the wetness underneath his right eye.

“i can trust you. if something’s wrong, i know you’ll be there. we aren’t the closest friends, yet you still go out of your way for me.”

“that’s just because i trust you too.” he admitted.

“your secrets will always be safe with me.” she assured him. “they’ll die with us if that’s what you want. and if you ever decide to come out to the public, i’ll be right there by your side, cheering you on.”

“it’s just us,” he said, “and i want it to be for awhile.”

“now, i don’t know a lot about being trans,” she confessed, “but i’m here for you. i can’t heat your stomach or buy you food, but i can listen and support you.”

a rosy blush dusted over her cheeks when he thanked her, and she pushed the strands of white hair out of his face.

“can we talk about you liking me for a second?” he asked. “as a friend, or as in you’d date me?”

she looked around briefly before meeting his awaiting gaze.

after saying all that so honestly, so easily, she couldn’t deny it even if she tries.

“i definitely want to date you.”

“even now that you know the truth?”

she nodded. “as far as i’m concerned, shouto, your truth is that you’re a boy who likes soba too much and is on his way to being a great hero. this is who you are.”

he pulled her into a hug, and she wrapped her arm around him as well.

her chest fluttered, and she kissed his shoulder.

“you’d date me even if i-i don’t have a d—”

ochako shook her head lightly before pulling away from their hug.

“shouto, i don’t mind that. so why don’t you just try asking me out?” she suggested, a red tint on her cheeks.

he nodded, running a hand through his own hair before meeting her eyes, a deep breath filling his lungs.

“ochako, would you like to go on a date?” he asked, lip curling hopefully. “this friday after class, maybe?”

“i’d love to,” she smiled at him, “because i like you. your body

“isn’t the only reason why i like you. you’re more than that.”

“it’s the quirk.” he joked, his hand heating.

she nodded, and they fell back on to the bed, face to face with their heads on her pillow.

“i’m only going to date you for the free heating pad.” she held his hand.

“that’s fair. i would.”

as long as she has known shouto, he has always been this serious kid in class with not a lot to say. in fact, she could count on her hand how many times she has seen him smile or laugh.

but now, it’s like he can’t stop smiling, or laughing, or joking.

it’s as if he had his breath held in his throat, but now he can breathe free.

“are you still hurting?” he wondered, and she shook her head, letting him take his left hand out of hers to curl around her waist. “can we go to sleep?”

she just pressed her head against his chest.

carefully, their legs intertwined, and a hot blush of embarrassment flooded her face after she lifted her leg.

“i... need to use the bathroom first, then i’ll be okay. stay warm.” she sighed.

“i’ll be here.” shouto mumbled. “and i’ll keep your spot warm. go ahead.”

when she comes back after changing her pad, he welcomed her back with open arms before draping the blanket over their shoulders.

“i might float you in your sleep...” she warned.

he yawned. “that’s fine... i’m feeling pretty high anyways.”

“you talk to denki too much.”

after that, their conversation slowed to a stop, and she listened to shouto’s breathing as she pushed her forehead against his collarbones.

though she knew she should be sleeping right now, she had a lot a questions to ask him about himself, about the few things she does know.

but she also knew it wasn’t her place to pry into his personal life, and it wouldn’t be fair to make him talk about things that might be sensitive to him.

not that he even can right now.

she’s pretty sure he’s already fast asleep in the comfort of her embrace and blankets.

“i have so much to research.” she mumbled to herself. “for the longest time, i thought binders were just folders for notebooks.”

she missed the way shouto breathed a little heavier through his nose.

she hoped shouto didn’t have one on. weren’t they bad to sleep in or something?

as tired as she is, she can’t remember the specifics of how binders work.

he’s taken care of himself so far, hasn’t he? it’s fine.

a sigh left her lips, and she couldn’t stop herself from pressing a chaste kiss against his collarbones before nuzzling closer to him.

after, her eyes shut slowly, and she let herself relax while drifting off, still wrapped in his arms.

(and as it turns out, he hadn’t slept with a binder on, just a sports bra, and he knew about the kiss because before he left, he kissed her cheek and muttered a, ‘payback.’)