Chapter Text
In Izuku's first year at U.A, when the student dorms were introduced, the class was encouraged to organise a house keeping roster to split up the chores.
After a meeting lead by the class president and vice president, they came to a decision that two students would be enough to take care of dinner each night. Breakfast, everyone can individually take care of their own, but dinner would be prepared for everyone.
Aizawa very much liked the idea, and took deciding who partners with who into his own hands.
Izuku was very surprised to see he was partnered with Momo - and judging by her face when she read the roster, she was too. But they made it work. Not right off the bat, but they did.
Momo was very good in the kitchen, and Izuku, who never cared for the kitchen and always had things taken care of by his mother, felt useless. Even though he knew some basics, he felt outshined by Momo. They started with small communication, little 'what shall we cook tonight' followed by short kept answers and nods. On their 5th time cooking together, Momo said to Izuku, "Midoriya... Do you want me to teach you how to cook?"
Izuku almost cried.
"Yes please.."
They formed the most unlikely friendship. They even had inside jokes. Momo loved laughing, although she didn't do it often, when she got in the mood she giggled at everything.
Izuku didn't consider himself a funny person, but looking at the amount of times he made Momo laugh, you'd think he was. Many times they got into fits of laughter and someone would walk in and give them weird looks or asked them what was so funny.
They stayed that way all throughout the rest of the year. They didn't know everything about each other, but they meshed together well enough.
So naturally, they were sad when they saw that they weren't partnered in their 2nd year.
"That's such a shame." Momo said, giving Izuku a sad look.
"Aw it is.." he said. "If I cut myself I'll have to go all the way to the first aid cupboard to get a plaster."
"Little shit," Momo said. "Only using me for my quirk."
"That's what a hero does."
Momo shoved Izuku slightly and he laughed. She leaned into the roster and placed her finger at her name. "Ooh," she said, "seems me and Sato will be cooking dinner."
"Oh that's great!" Izuku said. "You two both know alot about food! It's perfect."
"Mr Cementoss really put thought into this one."
Izuku ran his eyes from Momo's finger in search for his name, an audible "huh" escaping his mouth when he read the name next to his. "Or not." He said and Momo looked.
"Ooh, Aoyama!" She said and mockingly patted Izuku's shoulder. "He's good at cooking. He can guide you the way I did, since you're so incapable."
"Wow, thanks Yaoyorozu, that's great."
"Oh I will miss your sass." Momo laughed but Izuku didn't chuckle with her like he usually did. She looked at him. "Why do you look so pale? What's wrong with Aoyama?"
"Nothing!" Izuku said quickly. And there wasn't. Nothing was wrong with Aoyama. Sure, he left a message written in cheese outside of Izuku's dorm in the middle of the night and unprovokedly hand fed him cheese, but it was all cleared up. He was his friend now.
"I'm just surprised. And kinda jealous."
"Jealous?"
Izuku pointed at the roster in front of them "Iida and Uraraka are partnered."
And at that, Momo laughed, and Izuku laughing too.
Izuku's stomache rumbled for the 5th time.
"Can you shut the fuck up?" Bakugo spat.
"I'm hungry Kacchan," Izuku said, turning away. "Leave me alone."
The two were walking back from a meeting with All Might. He had been out of Japan for the second half of the break so verbal meetings with the two boys ceased. He took the first chance he could get to check up on Izuku (and Bakugo) despite it being the first week of school.
"Didn't you have a big lunch today?" Bakugo asked.
"I did. I don't know why I'm so hungry.."
The two continued their small talk, the sky getting darker and darker. It was nice. Having normal conversations with Bakugo. Semi normal anyway, but it was nice.
It was an excruciating process filled with tears and pained feelings, but they two had managed to mend their relationship. All Might and Aizawa helped, and it was hard and bumpy but they were actual friends now.
"I wonder what's for dinner.." Izuku said while looking up at the sky.
"Argh fuck." Bakugo said, face palming himself. "What time is it?"
Izuku shrugged. "I don't know."
"Bastard." He snarled and Izuku rolled his eyes. "I'm rostered for tonight."
"Oh sweet." Izuku immediately smiled. "What's for dinner?"
"Fuck if I know. Soy sauce didn't tell me shit." Bakugo started looking through his phone, mumbling incoherent but angry sounding things.
Izuku just turned away from Bakugos disgruntled self, remembering how mouth watering Sero's dishes were last year when he was partnered with Hagakure. He was so hungry he felt like he was gonna pass out. His stomache was clawing for something to digest as were his taste buds. He heard a growl again and Bakugo didn't even tell him to shuttup. Instead he mumbled a "fuckin hell" and speed walked ahead.
Izuku ran to catch up to him and they arrived back the dorms, the last of the afternoon sun seeping through the windows. They were hit the smell of something cooking and Izuku almost cried from happiness.
"Oh my god do you smell that Kacchan," Izuku said, not even turning to see if Kacchan answered him. He wandered into the common area where people were roaming around like usual.
"That smells amazing." He said as he sat on the couch. "I'm so hungry."
"Really?" Uraraka said, already out of her uniform and sitting in casuals. "You had a big lunch though. And it's not even 7."
"I know."
"THERE YOU ARE!" Seros loud voice caught their attention. He stood by the kitchen's enterance, standing tall and broad, pointing a wooden spoon at Bakugo who stood on the other side of the room.
Bakugo just stared at him with a bored look.
"Haul ass Katsuki." Sero said and Uraraka stiffled a laugh.
At that Bakugo frowned at him. "The fuck you call me." Bakugo snarled.
"This way minha amiga." Sero gestured with the wooden spoon and made his way back into the kitchen.
After he finished eating Izuku couldn't move. He almost fell asleep at the table, his body satisfied with the feed he got.
After a cup of water and sitting still for 20 minutes he was okay. The way the roster worked was that the pair who cleans after dinner is the pair that cooks the next night and so on and so on. Izuku was cooking tomorrow, so he was to clean tonight. When he went back to the dinner table to clear it he found it empty, the only thing left to do was to wipe it down.
When he entered the kitchen, Aoyama was already starting the dishes.
"Midoriya!" He said in a sing song voice.
"Sorry Aoyama," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head. "I was settling my stomache. I didn't know you already started."
"That's fine," Aoyama said. "Better than getting a stomache ache - I saw that you ate 3 bowls."
Izuku flushed slightly, wondering how monster like he looked devouring three bowls. "I'll go wipe the table.." he said and walked around Aoyama and grabbed a rag. As he did the dishes Izuku just moved around Aoyama, emptying left over food into containers to refrigerate them and passing him the pans to wash. He wiped down the counters and emptied the trash, all while unintentionally listening to Aoyama who was humming.
The voices of their classmates from outside floated into the kitchen, joining as background noise to Aoyama's humming and Izuku liked it. He didn't realise it, but he liked it.
Cleaning with Aoyama was nice.
"Midoriya," Aoyama called to him, "help me put these away," he gestured to the stuff he washed, "and then I'll mop the kitchen floor and you vacuum the dining area?"
Midoriya smiled and nodded, grabbing two t-towels. He passed one to Aoyama, receiving a small "merci" and they began putting the stuff away. Two pots and a pan was used by Bakugo and Sero. Izuku wasn't surprised - the dinner they made was huge. Looked like Cementoss used his brain when partnering them too, as he did for Sato and Momo. Sero was known to cook well, and Bakugo was pretty good too. A weird combination, those two, but also perfect: Sero had fun with his cooking, whereas Bakugo was a perfectionist, but they both made great dishes. They meshed together well.
Thinking about this made Izuku have a thought.
"Aoyama?"
"Yes?" Aoyama looked over his shoulder as he closed a cupboard.
"What should we cook tomorrow tonight?"
Aoyama rested a finger on his cheek, tilting his head and shifting his weight to one leg so his hip was slightly out, as he always did.
He didn't answer Izuku directly though. Instead he pointed a finger at him.
"You know what's funny?" He said. "Is that I was wondering whether or not I had to tiptoe around you because of my lack of knowledge of your capabilities,"
Izuku blinked.
"But," Aoyama said, dramatically swinging the t-towel over his shoulder. "Thanks to Yaomomo, I know you're capable. So we can cook whatever the fuck we want."
Izuku raised his eye brows in surprise and laughed. "I've never heard you swear before Aoyama."
"First time for everything." Aoyama continued, chuckling along with Izuku's giggles. "Like cooking with me. You'll never have an experience like this again. You're lucky you have me for the year!"
Izuku continued laughing, but then remember what he just said. "Wait, what did Momo say about me?"
"All good things, all good things." Aoyama patted his shoulder. "Don't worry."
Izuku didn't believe him.
After a good lengthy conversation and a scan of the fridges and pantry's contents, Aoyama and Izuku settled on a choice.
Aoyama knew alot about food in terms of how to prepare it. Momo did too, that's why Izuku naturally followed and listened, being so used Momo taking lead with these things.
But of course it wasn't exactly the same, because it was Aoyama. And Aoyama was in a category that of itself. He was just.. Aoyama. He had his own way of doing stuff. He hummed alot, and moved alot. He did things in a flashy way that entertained Izuku and put on a smile on his face. Momo did things in an orderly fashion, whereas Aoyama was always swaying around and dancing and laughing and making little comments that made Izuku laugh and flush.
Not that Izuku and Momo didn't have fun, but usually Izuku was the one who made Momo laugh, but this time Izuku was the one laughing.
"You really like cooking don't you?" Izuku asked towards the end of the food being ready.
"I suppose." Aoyama said, "it's cooking. You're making food - for this." And he patted Izuku's stomache. It caught him heavily off guard but he just giggled at it, soon laughing.
"It's a nice pass time." Aoyama continued. "Do you like cooking Midoriya?"
"I guess. I'm not good at it like Sero and Kacchan though.."
"I didn't ask if you were good at it. I asked if you like it."
Izuku blinked. "I do."
"Magnificent." Aoyama clapped. "That means we can have fun, otherwise it'd be a boring year."
Izuku smiled at him.
He liked cooking with Aoyama.
It definitely wasn't gonna be a boring year