Chapter Text
“So... when are you going to ask Midoriya to the dance?” Mina’s voice chimed with mischief. She propped herself up on her elbows and grinned wolfishly as Ochako whipped her head up with a startled squeak.
Momo frowned. “Mina, don’t say provocative things while I’m painting nails.” She gave an apologetic look to Ochako. “I’m nearly done with this hand, don’t move.”
Toru’s pyjamas wiggled in excitement, making the silk bed sheets swish as she moved. “Wah, don’t ruin the fun Yaomomo! You’ve got to have some idea how about you’re going to ask him, right Ochako?”
Ochako knew there would be a bright blush blooming onto her cheeks as she struggled to contain her embarrassment, trying desperately to think of a way to change the topic. She was conscious of Momo still painting her nails carefully; she knew she couldn’t bury her face into her hands to avoid her friend’s enthusiastic questioning, so instead she bowed her head down and let her bangs hide her flustered expression.
“I-I-I don’t-” she stammered, unable to voice the lies and denial she would usually be ready with. The words stuck in her throat – she couldn’t keep lying to herself and her friends.
“Don’t embarrass Ochako on purpose,” Tsuyu chastised, and Ochako looked up at her friend gratefully.
Mina and Toru made disappointed sounds in unison.
“She’ll tell us about her crush on Midoriya when she’s ready, ribbit,” Tsuyu added playfully.
“No! Tsu! Not you too!” Ochako wailed.
She smiled sweetly in response and put a long finger to her chin.
Despite her reticence to lie, Ochako would much rather just avoid the topic altogether and keep the lid tight on her feelings like always. She bit her lip and kept her eyes glued to the bed below her, wishing she could stop the butterflies flapping around her chest at the mention of crushes and Deku and dances.
“Tsuyu’s surprising betrayal... an emotional blow for the gravity hero Uravity,” Jirou held up an earphone jack as if it was a microphone and leaned over, pushing it towards Ochako. “How will she respond?”
Mina and Toru both made ‘ooh’ sounds while Tsuyu tilted her head with a soft, apologetic ‘ribbit’.
“I... Um...” Ochako mumbled, realising the lid on her feelings was well and truly shattered; she did want to go to the dance with Deku. She liked him. And she didn’t want to lie about it to her friends anymore. But as for her asking him... There’s no way she could do that. She wasn’t sure she had that kind of courage when it came to her fragile heart, and he was so busy with his training; he probably wasn’t even going to go to the dance anyway...
Sensing her genuine distress Momo squeezed her hands encouragingly and gave her a bright smile. “There, I’m finished.” She blew gently on Ochako’s fingernails, but the pale pink had already dried. “Very pretty,” she added, while Ochako gave her a shaky smile in return.
They always piled onto Momo’s huge bed for their weekly catch-up; relaxing in their pyjamas while they ate far too many unhealthy snacks, painted each other’s nails, gave each other advice about school (or boys) and chatted about their week together. Ochako thought it was one of the best things about living in a dorm, and it was easily one of her highlights of each week.
Usually they all very tactfully avoided talking about her painfully obvious crush on Deku, but occasionally Mina would let something slip that would send her into a flustered frenzy and often ended up with her floating somewhere on the ceiling. At least Momo holding onto her hands this time had prevented her from accidentally activating her quirk by slamming her palms to her cheeks like she usually did.
It was poor timing that the dance had been announced yesterday, so Ochako had known in advance that it was going to be the hot topic of that night’s catch-up, but she was disappointed in herself for not thinking ahead and coming up with ways to deflect the questioning that she should have expected...
She wished she wasn’t so bad at discussing her feelings, especially regarding Deku, but she just couldn’t help the racing of her heart and the furious blush that sprang to her cheeks every time they brought him up. She sighed slightly, then looked up at the ceiling. These were her very best friends, and they already knew about her feelings really, she just had to own them, and be more open about them. If the others could giggle about the boys and who was cute or who they had crushes on, then why couldn’t she? There was nothing she’d like more than going to the dance with Deku. She could trust her friends with her precious feelings, couldn’t she?
While she’d been thinking Mina had started chatting animatedly to Toru, Momo was nearly finished painting Jirou’s nails black, and Tsuyu was watching her carefully.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable Ochako,” Tsuyu croaked, reaching out and gently holding her hands in her large ones. After a small pause Ochako shook her head at her friend’s apologetic expression. She knew that Tsuyu always spoke honestly and was never one for keeping things bottled up - if it was on her mind she would come out and say it in one way or another.
She deeply admired and respected that.
“No, no, it’s my fault for always running away from how I feel,” she confessed with a sigh. “I think… I should have been honest with you all from the beginning about my feelings for Deku. I should have been honest with myself too. But I thought they’d interfere with hero work so I kind of locked them away, and I thought denying them to everyone would make it truer somehow...” She shook her head. “But I do... I… really like him.”
Ochako squeaked in surprise as she suddenly felt arms wrap around her middle and looked down to see pink fluffy sleeves hugging her from behind.
“T-Toru!?”
“Your confession at last!” Toru wailed over dramatically.
“Wh- No- I…”
Mina gasped loudly and launched herself into the hug too. “No way! Really? A confession!?”
“Th-That was a private conversation,” Ochako managed to choke out, blushing furiously.
Mina joined Toru in the excited noises she was making, alternating between words like ‘finally’ and ‘our baby’ and ‘growing up’. Ochako was too stunned to react.
Momo turned away from Jirou’s finished nails and put a hand to her mouth. “I’m so happy for you, Ochako.”
Jirou blew on her nails and flashed her a warm smile. “Wow, good for you.”
Ochako’s head spun with how quickly the situation had ran away from her, not expecting anyone to have overheard her confession to Tsuyu. But it was true that having everyone know meant that she somehow felt lighter and braver.
Tsuyu patted Mina and Toru’s shoulders lightly. “Time to give Ochako some space, ribbit, you don’t want to crush her before she even makes it to the dance.”
Jirou’s earphone jacks snaked around Ochako’s torso and flicked Mina and Toru lightly on their noses, making them both yelp in surprise and let go of the tight hug they’d been giving her.
“We’re all proud of Ochako, but you don’t have to suffocate her over it. Give her some space.”
The two girls sat back and rubbed their noses.
“We were showing our support,” Mina protested, sticking a tongue out.
“Thank you everyone,” Ochako’s voice wobbled, “I feel a bit silly, getting this much attention because of a crush...”
Tsuyu gave Ochako a wide, froggy smile that always made everything seem better. “Your feelings are never silly Ochako, we’ve all known about them for a long time, but it’s so nice to see you voice them. We will always be here for you, ribbit.”
Ochako felt tears stinging her eyes. She’d always just been concerned that having a crush and liking someone was just her being selfish, especially when she struggled not to focus on it during her hero work. But maybe it became such a fixation because she was trying so hard to subconsciously push those warm fluttery feelings down. Her friends were so supportive she kind of wished she’d spoken to them about a long time ago.
Ochako rubbed her eyes on the back of her hand. “Was I really that obvious?” she asked with a little laugh.
“Only because we know you so well.”
“For ages!”
“Painfully.”
Their various reactions really made her laugh, nearly rolling on the bed as the others joined in and they started a fit of giggles that they couldn’t seem to recover from.
Eventually Ochako took a deep calming breath and she felt a pang of sadness cut through the cheer. “But, even with all my... feelings for Deku, I still can’t ask him to the dance.”
“Oh?” Momo was the first to respond, her eyebrows pulling down sadly. “Why not?”
“W-Well, I’m a girl,” Ochako stated, as if that should be the only explanation she would need, but when she was met with blank looks and confusion, she waved her hands with a touch of panic. “A girl can’t ask the boy to the dance, right?”
“Are you kidding?”
“Oh dear, ribbit.”
“So old fashioned...”
“What? What?” Ochako flapped her hands by her face more rapidly.
Tsuyu raised another finger to her chin and poked her tongue lazily out of the corner of her mouth. “There’s no rule saying only one gender can ask the other to a dance.”
“But-”
Momo nodded solemnly. “I agree. This is the modern age, and while some traditions are worth keeping, I think that one can happily fade into obscurity.”
Ochako considered this carefully. Could she ask him? Could she? A shiver went down her spine at the sudden realisation that there was nothing stopping her but herself. She’d been raised to work hard and be practical, so she’d never really had much experience about things like this - she’d never been to any dances at her old school and hadn’t put any thought into the idea that the times had moved on from the typical ‘boy asks girl’. She still wasn’t sure she possessed the courage to put her heart on the line and ask Deku to go the dance with her... but then... it wasn’t like she was asking for his hand in marriage or anything. She buried her face in her hands at the unexpected mental image of getting married to Deku, willing herself not to dwell on that train of thought before she ended up on the ceiling again.
“Here, I’ll show you,” Mina suddenly enthused, making the bed dip as she leaped up and bounced across to grab her phone from the bedside table. She dropped down to sit cross legged on the soft mattress and tapped something into her phone while the group watched her with curiosity.
After a moment she grinned at Momo and clapped her palms together. “Could you create me a rock Yaomomo? Please?”
“A rock?” Momo echoed, while Mina nodded vigorously. Her eyebrows scrunched in suspicion, but she held out a hand and a few sparkles accompanied a shiny black pebble emerging out of her palm.
“Mm...” Mina hummed while she appraised the pebble, then shook her head. “It’s too perfect. It needs to be more, you know… rocky.”
Ochako giggled at Momo’s outraged gasp, while Toru fell about laughing, and Jiro leaned over Tsuyu to also inspect what had been created.
“She’s right you know. Flawless.” Jiro smirked.
“Well I really like it, ribbit,” Tsuyu commented with a tilt of her head. She smiled widely when Momo placed it into her grateful hands.
“I’m glad someone appreciates what I create,” Momo huffed, trying not to break into a smile at the enthusiastic yells of ‘we love you Momo!’ and ‘Yaomomo you’re the greatest!’ between laughter from all sides.
“Ok, ok,” she soothed, “how about this?” She held out her hand and sparkles glittered out of her palm again as a larger rock emerged, dark grey and jaggedly asymmetrical.
“Perfect!” Mina gasped, as Momo handed it over.
Mina held it up by her face with one hand and held up her phone high with the other, then turned and gave the rock a kiss as a camera shutter sound clicked through the silent room.
Ochako watched with anticipation, wondering what on earth her eccentric friend was up to, as Mina brought the phone back into her lap and her fingers whizzed over its surface. Finally she flipped it around to show the group that had clustered together on the bed in curiosity; the picture had a filter of sparkles decorating the image of her close-up kissing the rock, and she’d crudely drawn on a red tie around it and red spiky hair on top of it. A caption had been typed across the bottom reading ‘This could be you if you come to the dance with me??? ;)’
There were various shrieks of excitement as Mina grinned and her thumb tapped ‘send’.
Her friends were so bold, Ochako thought in admiration, feeling inspired by Mina’s actions and the twittering of enthusiasm coming from the others as they waited for Kirishima’s reply.
The phone chimed nearly straight away. Mina picked it up and snorted at what she read. “He said yes! But I won’t tell you what else he said,” she added cheekily.
Ochako wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Those two were so great together.
“So,” Mina continued, a smug tone creeping into her voice, “guess I’m the first one to have their dance partner sorted out, huh?”
“Actually...” Momo fidgeted. “I kind of already got asked yesterday after school ended.”
Mina slammed her hands on the mattress. “No way! No way! I was beaten to being first by the class vice president, how typical.”
“Oh, congratulations,” Ochako said excitedly.
“Congratulations! Ribbit.”
“Congrats!”
“I can’t believe Todoroki asked you that quickly! No fair!”
“Todoroki was so fast,” Jirou agreed.
Momo looked away slightly and shook her head. “It wasn’t Todoroki actually.”
Gasps came from everyone except Tsuyu, who nodded with confidence.
“Then...” Ochako began with a surprised blink. “Who did ask you?”
“Yousetsu Awase from 1-B,” Momo announced, blushing softly.
“The headband guy?” Ochako burst out in her enthusiasm, remembering the story Momo had told them of how he had saved her at the Training Camp and carried her to safety even though she was slowing him down. He seemed a little hot-headed and brash, but he’d obviously earned her respect and affection. She smiled, glad for her friend.
“Aww,” Toru cooed, wiggling, “you two will look so cute together.”
Momo blushed harder and placed a hand to her cheek.
“Now I’m excited to see who’s going to ask who!” Toru continued, punching her arm into the air.
Ochako felt encouraged by all the positivity, and she had to admit she was feeling pumped about it all too. It may just be a school dance, but this was UA and nobody did things by halves here - it was going to be a great occasion, and a chance for feelings to come to light and be realised. It was her chance to spend an evening with Deku and dance with him... If she could just rely on her own courage to ask him. Especially before anyone else got in there first.
She took another deep breath and looked around at her friends. Feeling boldness pumping through her veins like something warm and thick.
I can do this.
“I... I’m going to ask Deku to go to the dance with me,” Ochako stated firmly, smiling at the cheers, “and here’s how I’m going to do it....”