[A/N: Transitional Chapter
WARNING: Possibly triggering topics]

"H-Hey."
Izuku stammered.

Ochako clenched her jaw.
She wanted to yell at him.
She wanted to tell him to get lost, that he had no right to show his face after what he'd said to her.

"You–"

"Midoriya! You came!"
Asui exclaimed, leaving Ochako's side temporarily to greet her friend.

"Y-Yeah, of course. What are friends for?"
Izuku bit his lip.
Wasn't he the one who told Ochako that she might as well be a stranger?

Who was he kidding? No matter how sorry he was, what gave him the right to show his face?

He started to fidget uncomfortably in his stance.

"How are you feeling?"
Tenya approached Ochako's bedside, whilst Izuku kept a reasonable distance.

"I'm fine now,"
She directed he gaze towards Shoto, who'd contently stood at the doorway,
"long time no see, Todoroki."
She gave a faint smile.

"Mn."
Shoto barely spared her gesture a glance.

She let out an awkward snicker from being blatantly ignored.

"...Hey, uh...Where are Kaminari and Sero?"

Izuku tried to break the tension.

Asui blinked.
"They left a little while ago when they saw Uraraka was okay, why?"

"It's just...They told me that they were gonna be here, so they had to cancel our plans because they came here."

Asui nodded, studying Izuku for the first time since he walked in.
His feet and the cuffs of his jeans were still visibly muddy in the slightest, but the hospital spared him a pair of slippers that made all the more of a difference.

"Are you okay, Midoriya?"
She inquired, index finger to chin.

Izuku shifted in his stance.

"I-I'm fine, just tripped outside."
He stammered.

Just how attention-hungry would it be if he admitted to running from the outskirts of the city?

He wasn't the priority at the moment.

"Er...How are you feeling, Uraraka?"
Izuku tried to change the subject.

"I already told you."
She said, practically scowling at Izuku.

What was with him?
After treating her like absolute garbage, he has the absolute gall to act all nervous now?
What happened to the 'attitude' that he developed after being with Katsuki for all these years?

Shoto caught her energy.
"Uh...Asui, could I ask you something? Outside, please."
He leaned off of the doorway, freeing up a passage for her.

She cocked her head slightly, but didn't think anything of his sudden request and started out of the room.

"Hey-"
Tenya began question Shoto tugging at his arm, before begrudgingly following the two out of the door and shutting it behind him.

Silence.

Izuku and Ochako were left alone for the first time since Izuku's outburst, an awkward, thick tension setting in the room.

The cobalt-haired man gulped.

"Listen, I-"

"Save it."

Izuku flinched, accepting that whatever came next was what he deserved.

Ochako sighed.
"I don't understand you anymore. Why you act the way you do, what motivates you to make life-changing decisions, anything.
For a while now, actually, I've been wondering how and why you do the things you do.
Heck, after you started dating Bakugo, I resorted to cutting of all things because I had no idea what I was doing wrong."

She laughed cynically, voice hoarse and exhausted.
"...I had no idea why you'd choose him of all people.
Was I that terrible of an option?"
She made a spectacle of staring at her bandaged wrists.
"But whatever.
What took the cake, though, was after Bakugo was pronounced dead, you continued to worship his memory like he was some sort of national treasure.
I didn't expect you to ever get over such a loss, but the way you handled your relationships was pathetic.
Iida, Todoroki, Asui, Mina, Kirishima, everyone including myself--were pushed out of your life.
And for what?
So you don't have to see reminders of your loss? Or because you pity yourself that much?
And after everyone stuck around long enough for you to get over it, you have the audacity to basically spit in my face? After I have done everything in my power to keep you happy and in good company?
Worse yet, you cut me down to size and now you're nervously twiddling your thumbs like you're the victim? Don't make me laugh!"
She huffed, sinking back into the warmth of the pillows.

"...Y-You-"

"What? What am I exactly, Midoriya? Spit it out!"

"...You're...Being a hypocrite."

"Excuse me?"
Ochako scoffed.

Izuku took a deep breath.

"You're out here bashing me for my two-year-long pity party, but you've been pitying yourself since I confessed to Kacchan.
I can't feel bad for you because I, a person, made my own goddamn choice to love who I please!
It really isn't my responsibility when you get shot down, especially concerning feelings I wasn't even aware of!
Nobody's asking you to understand why and how I love Kacchan, just as nobody's asking you to understand how the hell I feel as of now.
Yes, I was an absolute piece of shit to you, and everyone else who made an effort to reach out after Kacchan went missing.
Yes, I feel fucking sick to my stomach knowing that I pushed you to do something as horrible as self-harm, but what could I have done?
I didn't know that's where your headspace was.
I couldn't have known.
You can't blame me for not being forward with your feelings, leaving you heartbroken as a result.
I do want to listen to you. I want to hear your side, feelings and qualms about everything under the earth.
But pretending to enjoy my company, when, in reality, you hated how I treated you is the opposite of being forward!
And yeah, I'm practically shaking with nerves because I regret handling our friendship the way I did.
I wanted space--but you weren't willing to give it to me, so I figured the easiest way for you to let me breathe was to make you hate me...Just as much as I hated myself for wanting you to leave. Because...You were kind. You were considerate.
But it was...Stifling."

He approached the hospital bed, making sure Ochako's chestnut-brown eyes met his own.

"And that, Ochako Uraraka,"
He sat at the edge of the bed,
"Was my honest feelings."

Izuku smiled.
"What happens to our friendship is up to you now."

The average Joe would've thought that Izuku was acting cheeky in that moment, but Ochako knew better.

He was definitely flying at the seat of his pants.

His hands were shaking ever so slightly--even his smile was limited to the skin of his lip that he bit down on in anticipation.

He was nervous...About her response.

It must've been burning at the back of his thoughts as soon as he'd started to speak.

What Ochako's reaction would be--what impact would it have on their friendship?
Did she even consider them to be friends?

Ochako didn't want to hurt him, but she was tired of being hurt herself.
Izuku didn't want to shove her away, but she wasn't letting him breathe.

Breathe.

She just needed to breathe.

Pale lips parted to respond, but the brunette found herself at a loss for words.

She was sure she'd be content with telling him to screw off since the second he walked in, but he managed to raise a fair argument...

Ochako wasn't one to give third and fourth chances, but had she really given him a chance before? Did she ever really ask what he thought?
What he needed?

Before Izuku had quite registered it, sparkling, transparent droplets fell to the white sheets like opening clouds.

"U-Uraraka?"
He exclaimed, adjusting his posture suddenly.

"I-I'm s-sorry..."
Ochako's lip trembled at her words, as she used her bandaged arm to wipe at her tears.

Izuku couldn't help himself--in a spur-of-the-moment decision, he found himself wrapping his arms around her smaller frame and hugging her tenderly.

...Mainly because he didn't want her to see him cry.

"I'm sorry, too. So, very sorry."
His voice was gentle, but overflowing with an emotion that was indescribably genuine for both of them.

Ochako still didn't fully forgive him; not yet, at least.
But it was a start.