Chapter Text
Tsuyu could feel her face burning beet red. Her expression must’ve been priceless; somewhere between glee and shame. Quickly, she turned to face away from Ochako, completely flustered.
“Ribbit,” she croaked. “I… I dunno if I can say, at least not yet.” A pregnant pause, then suddenly, she felt her friend pull her into a comforting hug. No sound in existence could've penetrated the all-too-perfect silence of that moment. Not the chirp of a cricket, nor the distant hum of a car engine. The two girls sat there for a moment in each other’s arms as Tusyu collected herself. She looked-out onto the sleepy neighborhood and caught a few glimpses of lit windows darkening. People were beginning to head off to bed now. Ochako loosened her grip on her friend.
“Hey, it’s okay, Tsu-chan,” the girl said, again in that empathetic tone. “I was only being curious. You don’t have to say who it is if you don’t want to.”
Hearing this made Tsuyu blush even harder, though Ochako couldn’t see it. She definitely felt silly.
“Th-thanks, ribbit.” Tsuyu turned back around, but her eyes were still looking away from her friend. “So, do you think I should tell them that I- I… you know… like them?”
Ochako furrowed her brow, looking as if she was carefully considering the question.
“Well,” she began, “not everybody reacts the same way to a love confession. I can’t pretend this is how it'll be with everyone, but if somebody had feelings for me, I’d rather they be honest with me about it than try to hide it.”
Tsuyu could feel a lump beginning to form in her throat. She fought back against it and forced a smile, though she could still feel the redness in face. She stifled a ribbit-y giggle.
“That’s what I was afraid you were going to say. I’m not too sure if I’d be able to do that, b-but… just maybe I’ll try, ribbit. Maybe.”
Ochako beamed at her friend.
“Hey, Tsu-chan. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. On top of being a U.A. student, you’re a super sister and a super friend. I know that you can do it so long as your heart tells you you can.”
Tsuyu looked-up into Ochako’s eyes. She felt the redness in her face begin to subside. A different kind of warmth filled her now, one of a familiar sense of comfort
“Oh hey, I almost forgot, ribbit. I brought you something else.”
The two girls stepped back into the small apartment, closing the balcony door behind them. Tsuyu stepped over to the spot she had left her shopping bag from the combini.
“More food?” Ochako asked. “Tsu-chan, you REALLY didn’t have to.”
“Well, we can’t go to bed without having some sort of desert first, ribbit” she replied excitedly. Reaching into the bag, Tsuyu pulled-out the box of green and pink mochi cakes.
Ochako’s face lit up as if she was Sirius, glowing brighter than any star in the night sky
“MOCHI!” she yelped. “Oh Tsu-chan it’s been ages since I’ve had it! It’s like my number one favourite treat!
“I know,” Tsuyu said, grinning. “I remember you telling Mina and Toru and I at lunch that you liked traditional sweets.”
The two girls sat back down at the table and shared the mochi while drinking some more of the iced green tea. It was sweet and airy, with a delicious red-bean filling. By the look on her face, Ochako seemed to be in heaven, savouring every last bite of the little pink rice cake. Tsuyu couldn’t help but smile back. She could tell that she had made an already fun night even better.
“Hey Tsu-chan, I just realized… the mochi,” Ochako remarked, as she reached towards the little box to grab another piece. “Pink and green, like our hero costumes. What a strange coincidence.”
Tsuyu, who was in the middle of sipping her drink, looked down at her crossed legs, trying hard to not blush again. Funnily enough, it hadn’t really even occurred to her that she had done that.
“Ribbit. Yeah, that is strange.”
Once the girls had finished eating, they cleaned-off the table, put the leftover iced tea back into the fridge and rinsed their cups in the sink. Upon returning to the living area, Tsuyu helped Ochako push the table off towards the wall. They each took turns using the washroom, with one brushing their teeth while the other changed into their nightwear. Tsuyu couldn’t help but notice how cute her friend looked in her PJs; long cotton pants with a starry design and a black sleeveless top. Ochako used her quirk to drag the futon out from the corner of the room. After smoothing-out the creases in it with her hands, she removed a light pink duvet and some pillows from the wall closet, levitating them over and onto to the mattress.
“There,” she said, crossing her arms and grinning goofily in mock accomplishment, “the bedding is ready! Sorry again about not having a spare futon. I hope you don’t mind having to share it with me.”
Tsuyu was pretty sure she didn’t mind.
“As long as you don’t kick in your sleep like Satsuki does, I’m sure I’ll be fine, ribbit” she joked.
Ochako picked-up a pair of pink oven mitt looking things from floor and slipped them on over her hands. Tsuyu looked at this, puzzled for a second.
“Oh,” said Ochako, laughing a little. “These keep me from levitating the futon… or myself in my sleep.”
“Ah, that makes sense, ribbit.”
“Yeah. Around the time my quirk started to develop, I would sometimes spend entire nights floating above my bed, asleep. I always woke up the next morning feeling sick. Not fun.”
She hit the light switch on the wall beside her with her now covered hand and slowly crawled underneath the duvet. Tsuyu followed her lead, like she had done on the balcony. She pulled the sheet over her and lay on her back, turning her head to the left to look at Ochako. The futon was just barely big enough to fit both on them, so for necessity’s sake, they were both lying as close the center of the mattress as possible. Tsuyu felt Ochako’s bare foot against her leg and her heart skipped a beat. She was glad the lights were off, because her face was undoubtedly about to turn beet-red again.
“Ribbit,” she gulped.
“Oops, sorry Tsu-chan,” whispered a giggly Ochako. She retracted her foot inwards. “Hehe, you know, I don’t think I can remember the last time I had a slumber party. It must’ve been like… waaaaay back in elementary school.”
“I-I… I don’t think I’ve ever even been to one before, ribbit” responded Tsuyu, also in a whisper, trying her best not to sound flustered.
“You really didn’t have a lot of friends when you were younger, huh Tsu-chan?” Ochako’s tone was apologetic again.
“Y-yeah,” she replied. “I mean, I never had too bad a time playing on my own. I didn’t mind it so much back then, ribbit."
“I bet it still wasn’t that easy. I mean, there must’ve been times where you got lonely.”
“Not really, ribbit. A-actually I don’t… I don’t think I ever understood what I was missing, until…” Tsuyu’s voice trailed off.
“Until?”
Tsuyu felt Ochako turn her head to face her. The searing heat in her face flared.
“Well, until I… I met you.” The words came-out easier than expected. “Ribbit.”
“Tsu-chan.” Her friend sounded a little taken aback. Not in bad way, mind you, but still surprised by the honesty of her admission. “Do you… actually mean that?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Once again, there was a moment of silence, like before when the two girls were sitting under the stars. But this time, the nervous tension that Tsuyu had felt in the air wasn’t present. Instead, the warmth she felt as she had looked into Ochako’s eyes out on that balcony filled her again.
“Ochako-chan, I… can I tell you something? Its about, well… you know, what we discussed outside, ribbit?”
Ochako turned onto her side and reached over to find Tsuyu’s hand, which was resting on her stomach. She slipped her mitten off and wrapped her small fingers around Tsu’s big ones.
“You know you can.”
Tsuyu took a deep breath, turning onto her side so that the two of them aligned face to face, body to body. She needed to get this out without tearing-up, without making a scene. Without saying the wrong thing. As Ochako had told her: “if somebody had feelings for me, I’d rather they be honest with me about it than try to hide it.” Another lump began to form in the back of her throat.
“Ochako… the person I like. I-it’s… she’s…” She was stuttering. “The person I like is you.”
Immediately, Tsuyu shut her eyes, as if to brace herself. She even pursed her lips together to prevent any more words from leaving her. She pulled her legs up towards her chest, guarding herself from the fatal blow about to come. Her toes curled and she tightened her grip around her friend’s hand. It felt as if her soul was itching to leave her body. Slowly, tears began to roll down her froggy cheeks. She felt Ochako’s fingers loosen a bit. Was she going to let go of her now? Was she going to pull away in disgust? Tsuyu’s breathing intensified. In what seemed like an instant, another small hand had joined the one already there. She felt it drawing her in. Ochako had slipped off her other mitten. Then…
*smooch*
Something soft, something warm. A brief but familiar sensation. On her forehead. Had Ochako just...?
“Hey, Tsu-chan.” Her voice sounded shaky. Twinged with an unmistakable uncertainty, but even still, gentle and full of kindness. “Please, don’t cry.”
Tsuyu felt something move-up close to her face, to her mouth.
*smooch*
Again. But this time, the sensation lasted little longer. When it finally stopped, she felt it linger once more, but not on her forehead. This time, on her lips. Tsuyu allowed her eyes to open once more. They were stinging from the tears.
“R-ribbit.” She had allowed a tiny sound to escape. “O-ochako-chan?”
“Please, don’t cry, Tsu-chan. Please. I don’t want you to cry. I don’t want you to feel bad.”
“B-but I –” Tsuyu began.
“I like you too. A lot. In the… well I like you in the… in the same way.” Her tone was once again calm. Understanding.
Tsuyu’s mouth quivered. She sniffled, feeling the tears begin anew.
“W-what about Mi-mi-midoriya?” She managed to get it out. “I thought you two were… th-that you two had a… a thing.”
Ochako’s tone turned reluctant.
“I mean I… I do like Deku. I do. He is cute, a-and charming but… well, he’s also- ummm... He's always thinking about everybody's well-being. Like he's got the weight of world on his shoulders. That's a thought process that's leagues ahead of mine. Leagues ahead of a lot of our class. Not you, though…” There was a pause. In that instant, the only sounds they could hear were Tsuyu’s faint sobs and Ochako’s heavy breathing. “What I mean to say,” Ochako said, firmly this time, with a greater sense of certainty, “is that YOU get me, Tsu-chan. You get me in a way that Deku doesn’t. That he probably can’t.” She pulled herself as close to Tsuyu as she could. She felt the girl's warmth, her anxiety and her sadness envelope her, and planted another kiss on her lips.
*smooch*
This time, she waited for what seemed like an eternity before pulling her face away again. Tsuyu’s tears began to subside. Her breathing began to slow. Regulate. Her voice, now a hoarse whisper, sounded-out once more.
“S-sorry, Ochako-chan. I’m… I’m so, so sorry.”
She felt a small hand slip out from between her fingers and move up, towards her face. Ochako traced her palm down Tsuyu’s tear-stricken cheek, wiping away some of the dampness. Tsuyu began to move her legs downwards, taking her out of the fetal position she had assumed. She allowed her toes to graze her friend’s leg as they returned to the foot of the mattress.
“No need to say sorry, Tsu-chan. Besides, it was my fault you got so upset, after all...”
Despite how heavy she felt, how tired all that crying had made her, Tsuyu couldn’t help but laugh a little at that.
“O-okay,” she said. The matter-of-fact tone of voice she was known for had returned. “You KNOW that’s not true, ribbit”
The girls both broke-out into a small giggle-fit. They pulled each other close and hugged one another tightly.
“You know, Tsu-chan,” Ochako said, “for somebody so smart, you sure are terrible at hiding a crush. I mean, the mochi being pink AND green? A little obvious, don’t you think?”
“Hey,” Tsuyu's voice was still a tad hoarse. “To be fair, you’re my first crush ever. And besides…” She cuddled-up closer to Ochako, burying her face into her neck. “It actually didn’t even occur to me when I bought it, ribbit.”
And after that, there was nothing more left to say. The two emotionally exhausted girls, comfortable in each other’s arms, drifted-off into a restful sleep. All was quiet once again.
[The End]