Chapter Text
“Deku! Ready to go to lunch?” Ochako beamed at the male addressed.
Izuku stumbled on his words for a moment, “S-Sorry Uraraka, I’m having lunch with Kacchan today. I’m really sorry!” He felt as if he had betrayed one of his closest friends.
“With Bakugou ?” It seemed as if Ochako was more concerned by her replacement than the fact that Izuku wouldn’t be there.
“Yeah…”
“You got a problem with it, round face?” Speak of the devil and he shall arrive.
Ochako furrowed her brows. “Just wondering who would ever have lunch with you, but then again—“ she smiled, “Deku is weird enough for it.”
“Hey!”
“—I’ll fuckin’ KILL you, you little shit!”
Ochako stuck out her tongue and waved goodbye to Izuku before bouncing off to probably find Iida, their other lunch companion. Izuku was now left to deal with an agitated Katsuki by himself. He sighed lightly and turned over to look at the other male.
“Are you ready t—“
“I’m ready when I say I’m fuckin’ ready!” Ah. There’s the outburst.
“But Kacch—“
“I said I’m fucking coming you shithead.” This partnership was getting old very quickly.
After Katsuki had calmed down, the two managed to find a corner booth in the cafeteria at the center of the academy’s campus. Izuku looked down at the food he was able to get and sighed. Today was a pork day, and while normally Izuku wouldn’t object to it, he wasn’t looking forward to the meal. He played around with it, pushing it with his chopsticks instead. Eventually, he pushed his entire tray forward and away from him.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Katsuki was in the middle of chewing as he looked up at Izuku. He swallowed. “I thought you had a plan—that’s why you asked me, didn't you?”
“I was just thinking of getting them together.” Izuku tilted his head. “I didn’t actually have any idea how. I mean, we could probably come up with something. We’ve known those two for a year and some.” Suddenly Izuku’s chin was in his hand, his gaze was focused on the table, and his eyebrows were knit together in deep concentration. “Todoroki isn’t the type to show too much emotion so I’m not one-hundred percent sure he feels the same about Yaoyorozu. He definitely does seem softer around her though. It could be just the effect of Yaoyorozu? She does give off that energy—but would that be effective on Todoroki is the question, and—“
“ALRIGHT, alright , alright, shut the fuck up before you give me a goddamn headache!” When did Izuku start muttering?
“Sorry, habit.”
“You got that right.” Katsuki scoffed and Izuku was left wondering what it meant. The blonde put down his chopsticks and crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought. Eventually, he looked up towards Izuku again. “Listen up, nerd. I don’t think it’d be difficult to get them to actually confess to each other. We need to influence them from both sides.”
“Both sides?”
“Shut up and let me finish.” Izuku nodded sharply and sealed his lips, Katsuki when he was calm was much more terrifying than when he was yelling. “First, we need to get the idea of confessin’ into their heads. I’ll take care of nerd 2.0, you deal with the half and half.” Izuku gives him another nod, albeit a little confused as to how Katsuki would end up even talking about that to Yaoyorozu, they don’t interact as much as the others. At least, that’s what it seemed like. “After that, they need to go on a date, but they won’t know it’s a date. Then they get left alone, and it happens.”
“How would one of them even ask the other on a date?”
Katsuki scratches his head. “Fuck, I’m not sure yet.”
Izuku thinks for a minute, before shouting in sudden realization. Katsuki glares at him when people from the tables around them start to look over. “Sorry, sorry!” Izuku apologizes to them and smiles at Katsuki apologetically as well. “I just had an idea. What if we ask them on a double date, but disguise it as just friends hanging out!”
“That’s not half bad, nerd.” Katsuki smirks, the plan could work. “Now who would work for the double date?”
“It should be me and you.” If looks could kill Izuku would be dead ten times over by now, and then some. “I’m just saying—! We both know the plan, so we wouldn’t have to rely on someone else to do it, and plus, it’s being disguised as a hangout. Nobody is going to think anything weird is going on!” Katsuki still didn’t look convinced, and there was a violent anger radiating off of him. Izuku’s gazed at him analytically, as if he were a puzzle waiting to be put together. He didn’t know Katsuki despised his presence this much. Sure, they had a rocky relationship in the past, but at the end of the day, Katsuki had been Izuku's Best friend at some point. They had a break, and then in their first year at the academy, they sort of patched up old wounds. They never properly talked about it, but the two tolerated each other, Izuku more so than Katsuki. However it seemed like Katsuki absolutely despised him. “Kacchan, do you really hate being around me that much?”
Katsuki froze. “Huh?”
Izuku instantly put his hand over his mouth, regretting saying the words out loud. His faced flared up in a strong shade of red from embarrassment. “S-sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Anyways, I h-have to get going.” Izuku picked up his tray and quickly left the table without even properly saying goodbye. Katsuki was left dumbfounded.
Long hours in the Yuuei library was nothing new for Momo. She often found herself studying until the librarian needed to lock up, and that wasn’t until late. Her feelings of intense inferiority to her peers despite her intelligence and a class ranking of first place caused her to continuously study. Momo was currently immersed in a book detailing the intricate history of Japan, a subject which she had found herself disliking more than the others. It was interesting and engaging to learn, but the stress of keeping her grades up was blocking her ability to enjoy the subject. Suddenly, a hand was obstructing her view of the text. She looked up to find Todoroki, and immediately was on high alert.
“H- How long have you been there, Todoroki?” Momo tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.
Todoroki retracted his hand and shrugged. He sat on the edge of the table—you would think he had better manners for someone raised in a pristine household, but no matter. “Not long. But you were so focused, you wouldn’t have seen me any time soon.” Like lightning, a look of despair crossed Todoroki’s features, it wasn’t a face Momo even thought was possible for him to make. He frantically turned towards Momo. “Am I a ghost? This is the second time you didn’t see me, Yaoyorozu.”
There was a pregnant pause, as Momo stared back at the male. She was utterly confused and sat completely still. “Pff—“ Momo lifted one of her hands to her mouth as she giggled. “Todoroki, I wasn’t aware you could make jokes.”
“I’m not joking, Yaoyorozu, this is serious.”
She giggled for a bit longer before reaching out slowly. Her hand was now placed over him and suddenly his face reverted back to normal. “I can touch you, Todoroki, so you’re not a ghost.” Momo pulled her hand away, but Todoroki could still feel the warmth lingering on his hand.
“Ah…” No words would come out of his mouth, instead he swallowed over the lump in his throat. His hand played with the collar of his uniform shirt. “I have to go finish my homework now..” Todoroki was reluctant to leave. “I’ll see you around, Yaoyorozu.”
Momo beamed. “Yeah, see you!”
As Izuku was on his way back to his dorm room, he had put on a face of deep concentration and thought. The second pair for the double date was troubling him, he couldn’t think of anyone who was in a relationship that could possibly work in this case. The only couple in their class was between Hagakure and Ojiro, but between Ojiro’s shyness and Hagakure’s ADD, they wouldn’t get anything done. A heavy sigh passed through his lips.
Upon the elevator doors opening, Izuku stepped out and turned left, only to see none other than Bakugou Katsuki at his door with a hand raised, as if he was going to knock. The two boys locked eyes with each other, neither of them changing their positions.
Katsuki was the first to move, he glanced around awkwardly before making his way towards Izuku, causing the latter to panic internally. Katsuki stopped before him, and his body went rigid. There was an inexplicable look on Katsuki’s face, like he was worried about something, or someone. It was unsettling to see him with anxious, this wasn’t a look he’d ever seen on the other before, not even back then. After a second, the blonde reached over and lightly gripped the fabric of Izuku’s uniform shirt, not looking him in the eye.
“I’ll do it.” He muttered.
“W-what?”
“I said I’ll be your fuckin’ fake double date! You shitty nerd.” The taller huffed and walked away towards the emergency staircase, presumably on his way to his room.
Izuku slowly turned towards the staircase, watching the door swing shut after Katsuki. He smiled softly uncertain about what just occurred, but happy nonetheless, “Thanks, Kacchan.” He whispered, although the other could not hear.