Chapter Text
She felt it this time.
The buzz in her chest, the thrill in her fingers, the jittery excitement zipping up her spine. Today was going to be the day. She could feel it in her bones, in the way the breeze caught her skirt just right, the way the sun painted golden halos around the trees in the park. Everything was aligned.
Today was the day Himiko Toga finally got her hands on a pro hero.
Specifically, the hero. The one she’d been tailing for weeks.
Uravity.
She crouched low on the edge of the rooftop, sharp eyes locked on the bubbly brunette standing in the middle of the park below, laughing as she helped a group of elementary schoolers toss a frisbee around. The kids looked up at her like she was made of stardust and dreams. Toga wrinkled her nose, equal parts annoyed and enamored.
"So unfair," she muttered, slipping over the edge like a shadow.
Every step was measured. Every breath is controlled. Her training—yes, training—had finally started paying off. She’d been practicing her sneaking techniques, refining the way she moved in silence. She had even studied Uravity’s patrol schedule, watching for patterns. This wasn’t just an obsession anymore.
It was an art.
She slinked closer and crouched behind a tree just a few meters from her prize. The sun cast long shadows across the grass, and Uravity's back was perfectly exposed. Toga’s grin stretched wide as she extended a hand, fingers trembling with anticipation.
Almost… just a few more centimeters…
Snap.
Her wrist was suddenly caught.
Toga’s eyes widened in disbelief. Again? AGAIN?
A familiar voice, warm and teasing, floated down to her. “You’re getting better.”
She looked up into brown eyes full of amusement. “You almost got your hand on me that time.”
Toga pouted hard enough to sprain something. “Oh, come on! What gave me away this time?! I was totally quiet!”
Uravity giggled and tilted her head, motioning toward the fountain a few feet away. “Your reflection, silly.”
Toga whipped her head toward the water’s surface. Sure enough, there she was—crouched in all her sneaky glory, clear as day.
Her shoulders slumped. “That’s so unfair!”
“Don’t worry,” Uravity cooed, patting her head like she was a misbehaving kitten. “You’ll get it someday.”
She winked, and in a blink, she was gone, running away to continue to play with the kids.
Toga stomped her foot. “That wink was so unnecessary!!”
It hadn’t always been like this.
In fact, the first time she’d ever seen Uravity, she’d just been another face in the crowd—another bubbly hero giving a press interview. But even then, something had caught Toga’s eye. Maybe it was the smile. Perhaps it was how she didn’t look down on people, even from the stage.
It started as curiosity. Then fascination.
Then? Obsession.
But like, cute obsession.
Toga flopped onto her makeshift mattress in her hideout, surrounded by scraps of old maps, photos, and scribbled notes about Uravity’s patrol routes. She sighed dramatically and threw an arm over her eyes.
“She has to be using some kind of sixth sense,” she muttered. “Or maybe she has a quirk that just detects me being annoying.”
She groaned louder, remembering the first time she tried sneaking up on Uravity. She’d been hiding in a bush for almost two hours, completely still—until she sneezed. Loudly. Uravity hadn’t even been surprised when she turned around.
“Oh, bless you,” she’d said.
Toga had almost combusted on the spot.
There were other attempts. Like the time she tried hiding up in a tree and the branch broke, dropping her right in front of a patrolling Uravity. Or the time she tried to blend into a parade crowd by wearing a cheerleader outfit and got too distracted waving pom-poms.
Every single time, Ochako had caught her.
But she never fought back. Never attacked.
She just smiled, always saying the same thing.
“Not today, Himiko.”
Toga huffed and rolled over on her mattress. “Maybe tomorrow.”
Night had fallen by the time she tried again.
This time, she was really prepared. All black outfit. No jingling accessories. Hair tied back. She’d scouted the area three times.
Uravity was alone this time, standing near a rooftop garden, admiring the flowers in the moonlight. Her back was turned, and there were no reflective surfaces. Toga was practically invisible.
Her heart pounded with excitement. This was it.
She crept forward, one step at a time. Her hand reached out—closer… closer…
And then—
Caught. Again.
But this time, Uravity didn’t smile right away.
She held Toga’s wrist gently but firmly, her gaze more serious than before.
“You’re really improving,” she said quietly. “It’s… kind of scary.”
Toga blinked. “Huh?”
Ochako’s brows furrowed, and for a moment, she looked conflicted. “If you weren’t who you are… I’d probably be worried right now.”
Toga felt her face heat up. “W-What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re good,” Ochako said softly. “Too good to be doing this.”
Something warm bloomed in Toga’s chest. Her fingers twitched in Ochako’s grasp.
“…Then let me catch you,” she whispered.
Ochako blinked. “What?”
Toga’s grin was nervous and shaky. “Just once. Let me win. Let me catch you.”
Ochako’s lips curved into a smile—smaller this time. “Maybe one day. "
Then she let go, stepping back.
“You ever thought about doing something else?” she asked. “Something that doesn’t involve stalking me?”
Toga scowled. “No. You’re fun to stalk.”
Ochako laughed. “Maybe next time, you’ll catch me. Or maybe I’ll catch you.”
She exited the roof, running down the stairs laughing.
Toga stood there, cheeks burning.
“…What does that even mean?!” she yelled after her.
But a smile pulled at her lips.
Someday. She’d get her. Just once.
And when she did, she’d finally ask what that wink really meant.