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Midoriya Izuku took pride in his many achievements in life. At the ripe, young age of twenty-five, he held his chin up high knowing how much of his goals were already achieved. That wasn't to say that he was done. Not even close, as for every dream met, a new one will come up to replace it, even bigger and more difficult to achieve.
His biggest dream as of the moment, and perhaps the most significant was to become the number one hero. Right from the start, he was aware of the long journey towards it, but he had grown patient as time passed by. Besides, if that meant helping other people on the way to reaching his ultimate goal, then that meant he was already a winner.
But what was the point of helping others - people he unfortunately barely knew, when he couldn't be of any help to the ones he held close to his heart?
Midoriya considered himself fortunate as he still had close ties with most of his friends from UA. It couldn't be helped when most, if not all, are in the same line of work as him. Most knew how to establish a clear line between professional and personal lives. Every other person knew how to respect that, but Midoriya... well, sometimes he couldn't help himself from meddling, as others like to call it.
He referred to it as helping, and he couldn't help himself from wanting to be of help. That's all there is to it.
Everyone knew he meant well, but just like the great All Might, he was able to immediately recognize potential when it presented itself.
It all started with Kirishima and Ashido. Everybody else simply assumed that their closeness was contributed mostly by the fact that they were close friends since middle school. Midoriya, however, saw with his keen and observant eyes a particularly distinct spark between the two of them. And so, before he could stop himself, he dropped a hint or two towards the hardening hero. Before that week ended, the two had already made their romantic relationship official to the public.
As if by coincidence, his connection with Todoroki had started to blossom, and although they were trying to take matters slow at the comforts of their privacy, Midoriya couldn't help the thought that maybe… just maybe , he had a knack in the romance department.
That was a mere hypothesis, of course, and perhaps a little gloating on his part. And since he was a goal-driven person (an extreme one), he wanted nothing more but to prove his skills and capabilities just to prove himself correct.
His last challenge was getting Yaoyorozu and Jirou together. Everyone and their mothers saw the already existing connection between the two, but he also knew where the hesitation on either side was coming from. He, of all people, would know, as he was also in a same-sex relationship. As much as he would like to claim that it was supposed to be as easy as 1-2-3, it really wasn't. One would think that the two girls would know what to do by then, being some of the most intelligent people he's met, but it looked like when it came to relationships and how to get it further, both were just absolutely clueless.
He had considered just letting them be, but seeing them basically tiptoe around each other, made him feel antsy. Todoroki had sighed at him, and after giving him the reluctant go signal, Midoriya had felt like he was on overdrive. He had never spoken to both girls at such speed before, but he had to express all of that word vomit he had been holding back. It was embarrassing at first, but hey - they got it together, and now they're also happily together.
His slumber that night was one of the most comfortable and fulfilling in a while.
And so, he had come to establish the fact that even though he wasn't the number one hero (yet), Midoriya was, at least to his belief, the ultimate matchmaker.
It hadn't even been a month since his last successful matchmaking “task”, but now he was feeling the pressure of his most difficult challenge yet: getting Kacchan to be true to himself and his feelings for once and confess to Uraraka.
“Kacchan.” He rasped, his voice coming out as a mere squeak. He was sitting by himself by the bar, and seeing Bakugou on his own might’ve been divine intervention. “Kacchan, are you happy?”
Bakugou raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”
“I-I’m asking if you’re happy.” Midoriya repeated, his tongue tripping on some of his words. “Are you happy?”
“What the fuck are you on about, Deku?” The blonde glared at him, a regular occurrence between them over the years. Midoriya grew used to it and learned not to take any offense to it anymore.
Not that he did in the past, but still.
Midoriya sighed in exasperation. His question was simple, and he figured it could easily be answered by a yes or no, especially by someone like Bakugou.
“Just answer the question Kacchan.” He urged the blonde, repeating the question for the third time. “Are you happy?”
“Of course I am, you nerd.” Bakugou finally answered, staring suspiciously at him. “Are you fucking drunk? Aren’t you still on your second beer?”
The question rang in his head, but Midoriya found the answer was resounding. He wasn’t drunk yet. Tipsy, yes, but not completely sober. He couldn’t imagine going on with the conversation he wanted to open up without a tiny amount of alcohol in his system.
“No, no, no.” As if it wasn’t enough, he shook his head, which was proven to be a bad decision as he started getting dizzy. Still, he wouldn’t let a little bit of lightheadedness stop his plans. “Are you really happy , Kacchan?”
“Dumbass, get straight to the point. Cheeks is over there waiting for her drink.” Bakugou grumbled. “Where’s Icy Hot?”
Midoriya ignored his question. Instead, he averted his gaze towards Uraraka’s direction where he thought he saw her earlier. Sure enough, she sat by herself in the opposite corner of the bar, but her attention was on them. When she saw both men looking at her, she smiled widely, waving her arms with enthusiasm.
“Cmon, Kacchan. You know exactly what I mean.” Midoriya whined. “Are you truly happy? Specifically with Ochako? Are you genuinely happy with how things are between the two of you?”
“What goes on between us is none of your damn business.”
“But… with how you act with each other, it might as well be.” Midoriya remarked. “As a friend for both of you, do you have any idea how frustrating it is for me to witness first hand the endless pining every single day? Frankly, I find it absolutely ridri.. Ridicru--”
“Ridiculous.”
“Yes!” Maybe he really was more than tipsy. “It’s ridiculous that the two of you are still only friends when I know for a fact you could be so much more?”
He heard Bakugou choke. “Do you now?”
“Duh!” He exclaimed. “Do you have any idea how painful it is for me to see you simp over Ochako? And what’s worse… she is the same for you! There’s a spark between the two of you that’s just so bright yet you fail to acknowledge it.”
“Sure.”
“If you’re satisfied and happy with that, well...” Midoriya was starting to drawl on his words even more, but he was determined to speak his mind more than ever now that he had already begun. “I’m not! Absolutely not! But since you’re special, I’ll let you in on a secret...”
“What?”
“I can help you… You know… So you’ll be your happiest when you’re finally together with her.” Midoriya urged Bakugou to come closer, not wanting to hear whatever it was he had to say. “And as one of your very good friends, seeing the two of you finally getting together romantically will make me happy. It’s a win-win situation.”
Midoriya watched Bakugou’s reaction as soon as he was done with his slurred speech. The blonde didn’t say anything immediately, but he seemed to be considering it, at least.
“What do you suggest I do, then?”
“You’ve asked the right person.” Midoriya grinned widely. “Don’t know how you didn’t know it by now, but I’m the matchmaker extraordinaire.”
As soon as he made his declaration, Bakugou choked on whatever he was drinking. Midoriya crossed his arms across his chest with an indignant huff. Sure, the blonde might find it hilarious now, but Midoriya was absolutely positive that he’ll be thanking him in the next week or two.
Everything will just depend on him now.
“Let’s start with the very basics.” Midoriya babbled. “You’re very much aware of the things she likes, right?”
“And what gave you that idea, nerd?” Bakugou hissed. “Bold of you to fucking assume.”
“It’s coz I have my eyes, Kacchan.” He quipped. “So does everyone else. You think no one can see how much closer you are to each other in the past few months?”
“What about it?” The blonde grumbled. “We’re fucking friends. What do you want us to do, fall out?”
“That’s the direct opposite of what we want.” Midoriya responded. “To be honest, I’m confused why you haven’t even made a move yet, although I’ve heard a lot of nice rumors from little birds...”
“Spending a lot of time with Pinky lately, huh?”
“Not since I got her together with Eijirou, no.” Midoriya grinned with triumph. “Don’t change the subject. I know how you and Ochako are always together after your shifts. What do you do? Take her home?”
“She doesn't need me to go home. She can handle herself well, coz she’s not fucking fr--”
“Frail. Yada, yada. I know that already. Hell, everyone knows that already.”
“You damn better.”
“Also, everyone knows how much you basically wag your tail for her like a cute little Pomeranian puppy.”
“Got a problem with that?”
“No. What I have a problem with is how you’re still, as you say, fucking friends.”
“What’s wrong about being friends?”
“Nothing. It’s perfectly fine.” Midoriya assured him. “What’s not fine is how I can see the look of longing on Ochako’s face whether or not she’s with you.”
“Heh. She really is like that, huh?”
“Yes! That’s why you should do something about it!”
“Can you imagine how much happier and more content you both will be once you become true to your shelves and to your feelings for each other? Also, it’ll save us the sight of seeing you basically undress each other at work. Like seriously, I love a good friends-to-lovers trope, but I do not need to see the slow burn on a daily basis when I know for a fact I can do something about it.”
“Maybe we’ll do just that just to annoy you even more.”
“No, no, no! Please! Just let me help you!”
“Then get on with it!” The explosive hero was already growing impatient. “Quit your babbling already!”
“Tell me what she likes.”
“I don’t know.”
“Favorite flowers?”
“Sweet peas.”
“Food?”
“Mochi.”
“Gemstone?”
“Ruby.”
“Whatever?”
“The starry sky.”
“Right. You don’t know .” Midoriya raised an eyebrow at him. For someone who claimed to not know, he sure knew a lot. “Listen, here’s what I think you should do… Set up a date and shower her with all those gifts, under the starry sky. When the moment is right… Bam! Ask her out and make it official.”
“What kind of stupid ass idea is that?” Bakugou mocked. “That sounds like some shit Shitty Hair would do.”
“That’s exactly what I suggested to him, though.” Midoriya couldn’t help himself from bragging. That was his first attempt, which also happened to be his first success story. “And look where it got him. In Mina’s loving arms.”
Bakugou made a face of disgust.
“That shit’s not my style.”
“It’s not, but girls love that shit .” The alcohol in his system was making his tongue looser and looser. He was not the one to speak of vulgar slang, but his current situation with Bakugou called for it.
“Coming from the girl expert.”
“Coming from the friend who wants nothing more than to witness his friends’ happiness.”
“I’m outta here.”
“Wait!” Midoriya shouted. “Promise me you’ll consider it.”
“We’ll see.”
*
Midoriya didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Besides the fact that he was told by his mother (bless her heart) that it was rude to do so, he just didn’t find it a part of his nature. However, it was hard not to when the hot gossip readily made its way to him on its own.
This must be what Ashido had to go through on a regular day.
He was just minding his own business that day, quietly analyzing the fight that just transpired between him and a particular villain he had been assigned to pursue for quite some time now.
Midoriya was in the middle of jotting down some very important notes when a pair of female voices reached his ears. Whenever he was in total analysis mode, as Todoroki lovingly called it, his focus was usually 101% on the task at hand. But when his brain registered that the voices belonged to Uraraka and Ashido, his ears perked up at the very least. When he heard what they were talking about, his brain just went dead.
“Sorry, I can’t come. Katsuki invited me out for dinner.”
He couldn’t stop the grin from spreading wide on his face. Did Bakugou seriously consider his suggestions? From the looks of it, he actually did, and the realization made him giddy with excitement.
Usually, Midoriya would just skip off into oblivion even after hearing some particularly good news. After all, it was just part of his social responsibilities. No big deal.
And yet, he found himself tailing Bakugou and Uraraka suspiciously like some kind of stalker.
It was to his advantage that he was a pro hero, but it was also a challenge still, given that he was following two pro heroes just like him. That would mean Midoriya had to be extra careful not to get caught by either of them. If that happened, he wasn’t sure who he’d be afraid of more…
Why was he following them, anyway? Well, other than he just wanted to make sure that everything went according to his plan, but also he never realized he had a strong need to witness firsthand how some of the couples he matched finally got it together.
That, and he didn’t have anything else to do for the night.
He almost yelped in panic when the pair suddenly turned a corner, the angle almost revealing his location. Good thing there was a conveniently placed post nearby where he could hide himself, else his cover would be blown.
They had been walking for a while now, but as time passed by, Midoriya got a good guess where they were headed off to. His suspicions were confirmed when they reached UA’s rooftop.
He had to give it to Bakugou. Although he seemed as if he wasn’t particularly interested, he did look like he spent a good amount of time and effort planning this date out. This was the perfect place for the both of them, and personally speaking, Midoriya couldn’t think of a better location for him to profess his love for her.
Midoriya watched from the slightly ajar rooftop door how the soon-to-be couple (he was claiming it… manifesting, even) sat by the edge of the room, their feet dangling comfortably as if they do it every day. Bakugou must’ve done his preparations beforehand. Where else would the bouquet of sweet peas come from?
Uraraka seemed to perk up even more at the sight of her favorite flowers, automatically getting a generous sniff of them. Even from afar, her eyes were visibly glowing and her cheeks were a little bit rosier than they usually were.
She was beautifully radiant, and it was all because of Bakugou.
They shared a quiet meal consisting of onigiri and mochi and other stuff that Midoriya couldn’t clearly see (but he was sure that all of it was prepared meticulously by Bakugou). Uraraka swayed from side to side with every bite, and being her friend for several years already, Midoriya knew what that meant exactly.
She was having the time of her life.
Soon after they finished their meals, they just watched the night sky together. It was a full moon tonight, and Midoriya had to applaud Bakugou’s timing.
He almost screamed in delight when Uraraka leaned into Bakugou, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.
As if that wasn’t enough for his heart to handle, Bakugou wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.
That was the exact moment when he knew he had produced another success story.
*
“What do you mean you’re still just friends?” Midoriya pulled on his hair as he abruptly stopped himself from walking. “Didn’t you do everything just as I told you? I thought you had the perfect night!”
“How do you know?” Bakugou asked, but unlike Midoriya, with whom he was assigned patrols this week, he did not stop his pace. Still, he spoke within earshot, but not loud enough as to invite unwanted attention. “Did you follow us or something?”
“O-of course not!” Midoriya fumbled with his words. It would be a bad idea if Bakugou found out. All his efforts of being a stealthy hero would go to waste and Midoriya did not want that. “My plan was perfect though, so I thought you did.”
He started walking again, and the blonde spoke again when Midoriya finally caught up. “Oh, trust me. I did.”
“Did she not like it?”
Midoriya was confused. His plan was perfect, and knowing Bakugou, he would have executed it to the very best of his knowledge just because that’s how he usually was.
“That’s what you think?” Bakugou grunted, but couldn’t help the arrogant smirk creeping in. “She hasn’t stopped gushing to Pinky about it.”
Oh, so it did work, at least, to some extent, but not enough to guarantee an established romantic relationship between them. If that was the case...
“Then what went wrong?” Midoriya rested a hand on his chin, thinking for himself. When an idea suddenly came up, he did not hesitate in asking. “Did you not take her home?”
“I did, you dingus.”
“Then why?” It just didn’t make any sense.
“I don’t know.” Bakugou clicked his tongue. “I just thought it wouldn’t make much sense to ask someone out when I had to carry her home coz she was in a fucking food coma.”
Midoriya froze right on the spot, staring at Bakugou (who had the audacity to appear nonchalant about the revelation) with disbelief.
Unbelievable!
They exerted all that effort and brainpower, for it to only end in failure?
No. Midoriya would not accept failure, and he sure hoped Bakugou would not, either.
“Okay. That didn’t work, and it probably won’t next time.” Midoriya said, feeling even more motivated than ever. “It’s time for Plan B.”
“Got nerdier tricks under your nerdy sleeves?” Bakugou sighed in exasperation, but since they had no choice but to spend the next couple of long hours together (unless something exciting happened during their patrol), he had no choice but to listen to Midoriya’s babble. “Let’s hear it, then.”
“I have one word for you.” Midoriya asserted. “Poetry.”
“No.”
“You haven’t even tried!”
“I said no.”
“Why not?” Midoriya groaned. Bakugou was probably his most difficult subject yet, and he was that close to just giving up. Still, he won’t. Not without a fight. “You know what, don’t bother explaining. I will just tell you how I got Momo and Kyouka together.”
“No.” Bakugou muttered under his breath. “But don’t let me stop you.”
“I suggested that Momo write a poem for Kyouka.” Midoriya said with so much pride beaming. “And Kyouka, who also approached me for advice, made the poem into a song.”
“Boring.”
“So, not only is that song a bop that’s in the billboard charts for weeks.” Midoriya nodded to himself in satisfaction. It was always a nice feeling, being reminded of his successes.“They are also a much-loved and happy couple.”
“Let me get shit straight.” Bakugou huffed. “You want me to write cheesy shit for Cheeks.”
“Yes! I think she will appreciate that.”
“I’m not writing no song for anyone.”
“It doesn’t have to be a song.” Midoriya chuckled, reminding himself of Bakugou’s taste in music and how it wasn’t the most romantic, if at all. “Maybe… You can write her a letter? Tell her the things you wanna tell her that you can’t tell her in person.”
“I already tell her fucking everything.”
“Or you can tell her the aspects of her that you like the most.”
Bakugou stayed silent, seemingly contemplating the suggestion. For him to just consider was more than enough to make Midoriya excited. He was getting closer and closer to another success story, and he couldn’t wait to finally tell Todoroki about it.
“That should be damn easy.”
Excellent.
*
The agency hallways were usually quiet at this time in the morning. It was only seven, after all.
There were two types of pro heroes who were present in the agency at this time: one, those who just finished their night shifts, tired and sleepy, hence their quietness; and two, those who came in early for their day shifts but are considerate of their tired fellow heroes as to not cause any disturbance.
Apparently, there was another type that morning that made a special appearance: three, pro heroes who just couldn’t handle whatever it was that tickled her funny bone, hence, she could not help but to laugh out loud.
Midoriya watched Uraraka with concern as she held onto her stomach. Her face was already red from laughing too much. Even when he approached her to find out what's up, she was still out of breath as she wiped the tears of joy that did escape her eyes.
"You okay?" He asked as he leaned against the wall. "You're awfully cheery for someone who just finished a particularly eventful night patrol."
"Oh, you heard about that?" Uraraka smiled at him. "You know what's even more eventful?"
"No. What?"
"This letter from Katsuki." She handed him a piece of paper that was obviously haphazardly ripped from a random notebook. "Get a load of this."
Confused, mostly with the state of the piece of paper and how it would cause Uraraka so much amusement, he began reading out loud.
"To my daily dose of my serotonin..." Midoriya read, and from that first line alone, he was sold. "T-that's adorable! Are you sure Kacchan wrote this?"
"What, is that scrawny handwriting not enough evidence for you?" Uraraka chuckled. "Continue reading. Trust me, it gets better."
He nodded and did as he was told. "I was forced by someone to write to you, and I had no fucking idea what to say, so here's a list of shit I like about you ."
"Oh my god..." She started laughing again as she listened to him read. "I seriously can't believe this guy."
He thought the same way, if only for what he claimed that he was forced to do it, when in fact, Midoriya just made a strong suggestion. "Your cheeks, your smile... The way your curvy ass moves from side to side ."
"Unbelievable." Uraraka broke in another bout of raucous laughter.
She found it funny, but Midoriya was horrified. This was not how it was done. This was nowhere near the beautifully poetic words that Yaoyorozu wrote for Jirou, and truthfully, Midoriya had no idea what Uraraka was supposed to do with this.
He had high hopes for Bakugou, and now he was feeling more stressed-out than ever.
"Your infectious laughter. Your armpits when you're all sweaty. And most of all, spicy curry ." Midoriya sighed in disappointment. "From your FRIEND, Bakugou ."
"You don't look too amused."
"I don't know what you find amusing." He handed her the piece of paper back, which she quickly accepted. "Where did the spicy curry even come from? That was so random."
"That's what you're curious about?" Uraraka asked, raising her eyebrow. "I'm curious who even made him write that."
Midoriya froze in his spot. That was probably his cue to leave, else, he might blurt out how the person she was looking for was actually in front of her at the very moment.
"You know what? I have to discuss something with Kacchan before we head out for the day. I'll ask him."
"You do that, while I'll be going home." Uraraka yawned, the tiredness from her duties finally catching up. "Tell my friend I said hello."
Well, that could only mean one thing: Plan B, just like Plan A, had effectively failed.
"Sure." He nodded, and as soon as Uraraka left the immediate premises, he rushed towards the office space he shared with Bakugou.
As expected, the explosive hero was already there, casually scrolling through his phone.
"Kacchan! What the heck?" Midoriya burst with emotion as soon as he got in the room. "You were doing so well with the serotonin and all, but you decided to end with what... spicy curry???"
Bakugou looked up from his phone, but the disinterest was still apparent on his face. "I only followed your advice."
"But that's not how it was done."
"Well, boohoo if I'm not eloquently spoken like Ponytail."
"I didn't say you had to be." Midoriya muttered under his breath as he settled on his seat. It was still early in the morning and yet, he found himself already exhausted from what has happened so far. "At this point, you might as well give her money just so she'll date you."
"Is that what Icy Hot did?" Bakugou teased.
Midoriya rolled his eyes at the question. "No, I'm obviously kidding."
"What did Icy Hot do then?"
"He just stayed true to himself." Midoriya shuffled through the reports that were already on his desk that morning. It looked like he had a lot to go through before their patrol, and he might as well start with them now. "He didn't have to do anything special."
"Why didn't you give me that fucking advice instead, then?"
Well, why didn't he? Was it because technically speaking, Midoriya had no say in how he got in a relationship with Todoroki? By that, he meant he also didn't do anything special to matchmake himself with his boyfriend. It just... happened, and mostly, it was thanks to Todoroki.
Now that Midoriya thought of it, it was basically the best piece of advice he could've given. If Uraraka was truly attracted to Bakugou, then it would be because of his innate personality, and not because of flowers and poetry and all these frills.
"Maybe I'm not as good of a matchmaker as I thought I was."
*
His realization earlier that day made him extremely upset, and Midoriya was thankful the agency had arranged for a small victory party at the local bar. He had no plans to drown himself in alcohol, but it would be nice to be surrounded by people when he wasn't feeling very good about himself.
Today, he would spend the rest of his time moping about his failure. Hopefully, by tomorrow morning, he'll be up and about and motivated more than ever to be a better version of himself.
"Did Icy Hot break up with you or something?"
Midoriya looked up from his glass of fizzy water. He didn't realize when Bakugou came and sat beside him at the bar, and truthfully, he wasn't in the mood to find out.
"Hey, Kacchan." He went back to staring at his glass. Great. The reminder of his failures was here as if to shove his disappointment further to his face. "No, he didn't. I'm just in one of my moods."
"Really? Coz it looks to me--"
"Hey, babe." A female voice suddenly quipped in, making Midoriya's ears perk. "Sorry, there was a long line at the women's stall..."
"No problem." Bakugou replied. "What do you want, Cheeks?"
Uraraka?!
When Midoriya looked up, sure enough, it was Uraraka who had referred to Bakugou as babe. As if that wasn't enough, she had her arms wrapped around Bakugou's waist, while the blonde had an arm slung onto her shoulder.
What is happening???
"Oi, quit staring at my girlfriend, nerd!" Bakugou barked. Midoriya didn't realize how he was staring at Uraraka, who had an amused smile on her face, with his mouth agape.
"G-girlfriend?!"
"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"
"But... Just this morning..."
"What can I say? Your advice worked."
Midoriya's eyes widened. "It did? How?"
"He gave me money!" Uraraka interjected. "Lots and lots of it."
"Quit messing around." Bakugou poked Uraraka's forehead.
"I'm kidding, duh." Uraraka rubbed at the slightly sore spot. "I guess whatever you told this gremlin worked, Deku. Thank you."
It... worked?
IT WORKED.
Was he a good matchmaker? According to Uraraka and Bakugou, his latest success story, he was.
"I h-have to go." Midoriya stood up, leaving his glass on the countertop. "Have to find Shouto."
He couldn't wait to tell his boyfriend about his latest achievement. Perhaps, he'd even find his next one at this party. But for now, Midoriya would relish in the fact that he did another job well done, and he was still Number One Matchmaker.
*
"Should we tell him?"
"Tell him what? That we were already dating all this time? You wanna break that nerd's heart?"
"Well, there's that... But there's also the fact that it was Shouto who got us together in the first place, so..."
Bakugou stayed silent for a while, weighing his options. Both of them watched Midoriya as he excitedly talked to Todoroki. They knew exactly what they were walking about.
He pulled Uraraka closer to himself as she sat comfortably on his lap. In return, she wrapped her arms around his neck, making sure there was little to no space left between them.
"Nah." He nuzzled her neck, which is something he liked doing for the past year of dating his girlfriend. "Let the nerd have his damn moment. Either way, he did well."
“You’re a nice friend, babe.”
“Shut up.”
Uraraka’s giggles were music to his ears.