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“Hellooo, Earth to Ochako.”
Ochako blinked, eyes snapping to the hand being waved in her face. “Huh?” she said articulately.
“I was asking if you had any plans for the next step in Operation Flashburn.” Izuku indicated his notebook, where a page and a half was filled with scrawled notes.
“Oh, um, not really?” Ochako grinned, trying to keep her eyes on her friend’s face and not on the waitress bringing food out to a table across the room. “They’re almost together, right? So just a little nudge should do the trick.”
“They’ve managed to miss the last half dozen little nudges.” Izuku pointed out flatly.
“Hmm.” Ochako nodded, eyes tracking the waitress. The girl couldn’t be any older than they were, her cheeks painted with bright pink rouge and deep green hair hanging easily to her waist.
“You could talk to her, you know.” Izuku said, startling Ochako from her thoughts.
“What?”
“The girl, Tsuyu. You could wave her over and talk to her.” Izuku said, smiling like he did whenever she asked him to help mastermind a plot. She wasn’t sure she liked being on the receiving end of that smile.
“It’s way too busy for that.” Ochako waved his suggestion away. “Besides, what would I say?”
Izuku shrugged. “Something gay, probably.”
“Deku!” Ochako yelped, and he laughed.
“What? It’s true.” he teased. “Every time there’s a cute girl around our age, you get all blushy and tongue tied. There was even that one time you tried to hide behind Todoroki’s horse.”
“Not every time.” she whined, kicking him under the table.
“But pretty much.”
Ochako groaned, and slumped down to hide her face in her arms. “I swear by all the gods I’m sticking you to the ceiling tonight.” she muttered into the table.
“I’m gonna go tell her you think she’s cute.”
“You wouldn’t.” Ochako gasped, sitting bolt upright. But Izuku was already out of his seat and winding his way between tables to the cute waitress. She glanced over at Shouto and Tenya to see if either of them could help, and found them embroiled in an animated discussion which boded well for Operation Flashburn but less well for her heart.
“I think you’re pretty cute too, kero.”
Ochako jumped in her seat, knees banging against the underside of the table as she twisted to look up at the waitress. “Oh, um, thank you?” she ventured. She was wearing her travelling clothes and hadn’t had a proper bath in ages, there was no way-
“It’s your eyes. They’re a pretty colour, kero.” she looked away, scratching at her jaw with one strangely shaped finger as she continued to let out quiet ribbits.
“Oh.” Ochako looked down at the table, feeling her cheeks heat. Gods, her entire face must be pink by now.
“Oi, Asui!” the bartender yelled, making the waitress startle. “Quit flirting and bring these drinks out to table twelve!”
“Yes sir!” she called back, voice pitching up with fake cheer. “Sorry, I have to-”
“It’s alright.” Ochako managed a small smile. “I think I’m going to retire anyways, it’s been a long day.”
“Sweet dreams.” the waitress called after her, and Ochako hurried up to the small room their group had rented for the night. Flinging her travelling clothes aside to sit in a heap on top of her gear, she flopped down on one of the beds and buried her face in a pillow.
They were on a mission, a capital Q Quest which they were already delaying looking for Shouto’s brother. There was no time for them to hang around here just so she could get to know the cute waitress, but gods she wanted to. She wanted to stay here even for just a week, to let that girl show her the city, to maybe hold her hand. She wanted it as badly as she’d wanted her apprenticeship to the potioneer, but she couldn’t have it. Not until the Great Evil had been defeated.
Maybe they could stop here on their way home, and she could convince the boys to stay a while? There was a job board, and the money Tenya and Shouto had brought with was running low, which would get Tenya on her side. And there were also sure to be romantic places to ensure the success of Operation Flashburn, which may be enough to sway Izuku if their friends still weren’t together by then. Until then, though, she would just have to hope.