Chapter Text
Was it too much to wear cologne? His mom bought some for him a year or so ago, but he hadn’t bothered to use it once. Why would he? It wasn’t as though Izuku had ever been on a date to speak of before now!
Not that this is a date! The thought was a shout in his head, his fingers fumbling in the midst of doing up his tie. No, no, it definitely wasn’t a date! It was entirely professional. Well, maybe not entirely considering she had asked him as his friend but still!
The agency Uraraka had been interning for was having a gala and inviting some newer agencies in order to give them the chance to mingle with the other big names. She was fitting in so well at the agency, they even invited her to join in the fun! The Pro-Hero she worked under though recommended she have someone to accompany her to avoid any insistent interactions from other guests. Izuku was blown away when she relayed the situation to their group of friends and then looked him in the eye to ask if he would mind being her plus one. See? Not her date—her plus one.
Yeah, totally different context, he thought as he pulled the wider end of his tie through. Not a date.
He stared at his reflection, a frown tugging at his lips while he looked over his poor workmanship on the tie. Everyday, he told himself he would watch a video on how to properly tie these damn things. And everyday he did exactly not that. Uraraka probably wouldn’t mind though, and even if she did, he knew she would tell him so.
His green eyes fell back to the sink’s countertop. The cologne was pushed off into the corner, close to the wall. Izuku was pretty sure he could see dust gathered on its surface, highlighting the fact that the bottle was hardly touched. He still couldn’t decide if it was worth using, even in this circumstance.
On the one hand, he knew this wasn’t a date but doing something like wearing cologne might imply to Uraraka that he might have thought it was. But on the other hand, he was gonna be wearing a nice suit in a public setting, and there was supposed to be dancing at this gala. He had already put on deodorant but maybe having something like that on in addition would be helpful—his sweat glands are way too active for his own good after all.
Izuku grabbed one of his hand towels before reaching out with his other hand to pick up the bottle. He should at least clean the dust off and maybe check how strong the scent was. That could help him determine whether or not to wear any tonight. He ran the towel over it while musing that he couldn’t imagine his mom buying him anything that would make him stand out too much.
He set the towel off to the side and then opened the top, holding it up to his nose and giving a delicate sniff. It definitely wasn't overwhelming, that was for sure. It was woody but it settled into something soft like—he pulled himself back, his eyes flicking up while he tried to decide on what the familiarity reminded him of—maybe a cup of tea?
Uraraka wouldn’t mind that too terribly, he was sure. He nodded to himself as he gave a hum, placing just a touch on each of his wrists and then some on one side of his neck. That would probably be fine right? Yeah, he didn’t wanna be drowning in the stuff. It would send the complete wrong impression. He didn’t want to scare her off after all.
The bottle was returned to its corner once he had finished the quick spritz to each spot. His eyes landed on his reflection in the mirror again. He didn’t look...terrible, at least.
The hair was still untamable, but even if he had borrowed Kirishima’s hair gel or something, he had a feeling Uraraka would just reach over and ruffle it back to its usual chaos. The suit was...not in his preferred style if he was honest. It wasn’t like the pinstriped suit he wore at I-Island or even his green suit. No, he was recommended this standard black number from Iida.
It had only felt appropriate to ask him and Todoroki what was right to wear to such an affair. It would be his first professional attendance in their future careers, and, in contrast to that, both of those two had come from Pro-Hero lineage. They were bound to know better. He wondered if his dark green suit would be alright. Todoroki answered first, “Green’s your costume color. That should be fine.”
Iida took a deep through the nose before he set a hand on the other’s shoulder. “Todoroki-kun, I deeply admire you on many levels, but you are entirely wrong.”
Yes, it turned out he was infinitely more knowledgeable about the matter. A colored suit for this sort of affair would leave him looking like a cocky new upstart, trying too hard to be noticed. It was precisely why Iida insisted on a simple black. Which was why it had been a surprise when he brought over the pink tie that was now poorly done up about Izuku’s neck. Iida had gotten it for him in order to make sure he matched with their mutual friend as her date. He was grateful in accepting the tie, but he still took the time to correct the other’s choice of words.
Izuku couldn’t help thinking how odd it looked on him, but—he tilted his head as he continued to take himself in—maybe it was really just that suits looked weird when missing their jacket. He gave a firm nod before exiting his bathroom. That had to be it.
Do I have everything? he wondered as he approached the desk chair where his suit jacket hung from the back. Izuku hesitated in putting it on with his fingers settled atop the material, but his eyes were glazed over, staring at but not quite seeing one of the many All Might figures that adorned his room. Shower, check. Deodorant was a necessity—big check. Cologne, reluctant check. And he was basically dressed at this point, minus the jacket he was seconds away from putting on.
He could hear Iida’s voice in his head as he slipped the jacket off of the chair. “Midoriya-kun, this jacket is a similar style to our school uniform.” He hummed while pulling the jacket on each arm. Once it had settled into place, his fingers ran down the lapels to smooth them out while his fingers moved in correspondence to the continuing thought, “So as you know, that means you button the top, but leave the second unbuttoned. If you are to sit at any point, you’re to have both unbuttoned.”
“We don’t usually follow that in school, but it will be expected of you at such a black tie affair.” Once Izuku finished doing up the top button, he reached down to pull gently on the end of the jacket to smooth it out. “And I highly recommend following it since you will be Uraraka-kun’s—guest.”
Yes. Her guest.
There would be a lot of people there who would be looking at Uraraka as an upcoming Pro-Hero with her agency. He would have to be sure that between the two of them she would be the one who stood out—but it wasn't as though that idea would be difficult. Izuku tended to be low profile anyway, and he would always be more than eager to hype up Uraraka. She had a hard time doing it for herself, but he could so easily detail how vividly she shone!
That aside, Izuku really ought to get back to his mental checklist. With the jacket, the suit was done, so he could mark that off now. What else did he need? Oh, his phone and wallet still had to be transferred to his pockets. He walked around the room to fetch them from their corresponding spots.
When he picked up his phone, there was message from Todoroki that he and Iida were going to be downstairs waiting for him. Apparently the latter of his friends wanted to give him a once over before Uraraka arrived to ensure he was adequately prepared. He sent back a quick message of understanding and told them he would be down momentarily.
Izuku slipped the phone back into his pocket before glancing up to the bed’s headboard. That black box was the last thing on his list. It wasn’t something he really had to get for the evening out. But when he had been out with the guys to prepare he spotted it and couldn’t help thinking how much it suited her. It hadn’t been costly or anything, so he didn’t think—or maybe he just hoped—that she wouldn’t mind him gifting it for her. There was no hesitation in picking it up before he made his leave from the dorm room.
His heart was palpitating heavily in the elevator despite there being no one and nothing to spur such a reaction from him. Maybe it was just the impending dread—excitement? Or maybe it was both. He was definitely excited but also downright terrified. So many things could go wrong. It would be so easy for him to mess things up. In fact, he tended to more often than not. He should probably be expecting that more than anything.
Izuku could barely hear the ding of the elevator doors when they slid open. The thunderous roar pulsing through him served as cotton for his ears and muted the world around him as he made his way toward the front entrance. He got a few whoops and hollers from the others that were residing on the first floor. But even they sounded distant and far away compared to his erratic heartbeat, so the voices only succeeded in making him raise his shoulders in an attempt to shield his overheating face.
Iida and Todoroki had been discussing something when he approached them a few paces away from the front doors. Iida’s hands had been emphatically gesturing over something or another—the norm for him—but they froze when his red eyes landed on the approaching Izuku.
He could tell from the way Iida’s lips moved that he called his name. Todoroki stepped aside, turning halfway to look him over while Iida closed the distance between them in a couple quick strides. His friend resembled his mother with the way he fussed over Izuku’s appearance, fixing the lapels on his jacket and then reaching down to check the buttons on the sleeve.
It was impossible to understand Iida’s frenzied murmuring as he looked him over but Todoroki’s deep and mellow voice pierced through the furious pulsing when he wondered, “How are you feeling?”
“Like…” Mental images raced through Izuku's head. A storm passing over a house, rattling windows and all the power suddenly vanishing into darkness. The view of lava boiling and bubbling in an active volcano. Then finally Uraraka turning to face him, only to cringe—he needed to sit down. “Like I’m gonna throw up.”
“Yeah. You look like it.”
Great…
His stomach churned uncomfortably and a mild sound of discomfort escaped his lips. Iida was scolding the youngest among them for his choice of words, but honestly the bluntness of it didn’t bother Izuku. It was just how Todoroki was, and on some level he did appreciate knowing just how much his nerves were showing to others. It shouldn’t have been too surprising, he could feel his legs shaking beneath him.
“Does the suit look fine? Should I have done something to my hair after all? Do I smell alright? I put deodorant and just a hint of cologne on ‘cause I really don’t want Uraraka-san to be stuck next to me all night if I just smell like—”
“Midoriya-kun! You look and smell perfectly alright!” The class rep’s voice was booming when he shouted the reassurance. Maybe that should have made Izuku jittery for fear of their other classmates overhearing, but it managed to pry a sigh of relief from him while his chest rose and fell. “I’m sure Uraraka-kun is just as nervous as you are. This is her first professional event too after all.”
She probably was. But he had a feeling they didn’t compare at all. No, he couldn’t imagine Uraraka feeling like the result of an abrupt monsoon season like he was. But Izuku had to try to rebuild and brace himself before the impending tsunami they would be walking into.
“Deku-kun!”
Izuku counted himself lucky that when he turned around, he didn’t crumple right then and there. She was wearing her pink dress from the affair back at I-Island. He had been amazed that it was so intact considering all of the damage from that mess, only minor fraying on the hem that she seemed to have fixed since then. But he could see the patches that covered her black tights as well, making it clear plenty had transpired during that night.
While it wasn’t the first time he saw her in that dress, now—seeing it paired with a smile that made the room shine just a little bit brighter—it forced his rumbling heartbeat to fall into a deafening silence. Her cheeks had a bit more color than normal but her smile waned after a moment when she asked, “Hey, you okay? Look like you’re gonna hurl.”
“He might.” Thanks, Todoroki-kun.
“Do you wanna sit down for a sec?” Uraraka raised her hands in concern, almost like she might reach toward him to assist but froze mid-motion. Izuku forced himself into movement, shaking his head as he insisted that he was just nervous. She breathed out a combination of a laugh and sigh. “Yeah, me too! But hey, you look nice. Gotta say, the pink looks great on you!”
“Uh—thanks.” He couldn’t help rotating the box he was holding in his fingers, twisting it aimlessly over and over when he continued, “I, you look pink—not pink! Nice! You look nice too! Well, more than nice, really, but...”
He trailed to a stop when his fingers fumbled the box, dropping it between them. In the instant he took to swear, Uraraka had already reached down to grab it. “What’s this?”
“Ah, well! It, it’s for you! It’s just…” She straightened back up, wondering if it was alright for her to open, and he nodded. He could spot the delicate white hair piece when she pulled the lid off in the same hand that was holding her clutch. “I, I saw it when we were out shopping, and I remembered how you had that flower hair clip that went missing after I-Island and...well, to be honest, I don’t know if it’s the same flower. But it made me think of that so I, I got it for you… But you don’t have to wear it if—”
The box being shoved roughly back into his hands sent his words careening to a stop. She tugged the flower clip out with no hesitation before settling it among her brown locks, as she insisted that of course she would wear it. “How does it look?”
Words—he was just using all too many of them seconds ago, but now it was like they all poofed away with his mouth agape but only his stuttered breathing escaping him. Thankfully, Iida was still beside him and placed a hand on his back, replying in his stead, “I believe that means breathtaking, Uraraka-kun.”
Her free hand reached up to touch her cheek, ducking it down to that side as she squeaked out an excited thank you. She looked as though she had more to say when her clutch pinged and knocked her out of the idea. She pulled out her phone before shouting, “Ah! We’re gonna be late for the train! I took too long getting ready! C’mon, Deku-kun!”
Uraraka’s arm wrapped about his and she was tugging him to the door, shouting goodbye to their other friends in doing so. She didn’t tear away from him even after they had made it outside. “Thanks again—for coming with me. You won’t regret it!”
Regret it? That was an odd thing to say. “I don’t think I could regret going on a date with you, Uraraka-san.”
At that, they suddenly separated, his friend unlatching from him instantly as she looked him over with wide eyes. “Are we calling this a date?!”
Wait, did he just say date? “I—” He did, didn’t he?
...fuck. Iida got to him.