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“Aww, come on, Chako Cheeks! What do you have to lose?” Mina pinches the bridge of her nose, her brow furrowed as if Ochako’s obstinance will be her undoing.
“I don’t know—maybe our entire friendship?” Ochako groans, burying her face in her hands.
“Tsu-chan is way into you! I’m calling it.”
“You’re just saying that to get me to confess.”
“Am not! Babe, puh-lease. I am literally begging you here. Just tell her how you feel.”
“Mina!”
“I swear, Ochako,” Mina sighs. “You are a murderer of love.”
At this, Ochako splutters, staring at Mina in disbelief.
“I never said I was in love with her. I said I think I have a crush on her and then mistakenly tried to ask for your advice.”
“Suit yourself, Chako,” Mina shakes her head. “All I’m sayin’ is, ask her out before someone else does.” Canting her head, she shrugs and then folds her arms across her chest. “Saw the Prince of Darkness chatting her up last week. You’re not the only one with eyes and a taste for frog legs.”
“It’s not that simple. I don’t wanna lose her if she doesn’t feel the same.”
Hanging her head, Ochako studies her hands. Crushing on her best friend has caused her more problems than not as of late, and she hasn’t decided yet if telling Mina was the right decision. Ready or not, the pink gossip queen’s honest opinion has put her in the hot seat. Though, to be fair, she walked right into that one.
“It is that simple. You’re a badass babe with killer thighs, an adorable personality, and a big heart. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”
Mina clenches her fists and gives the air in front of her a few solid punches.
“I’m serious,” she adds. “Tell her?” Her voice softens. For as fired up as she gets, she’s not without understanding.
“After class… maybe,” Ochako sighs.
“Really?!” Mina’s squeal is several decibels higher than normal, and Ochako already regrets getting her friend’s hopes up, especially when she’s going to chicken out—probably.
As Ochako had feared, the day drags. She’s spent the better portion of the day sweaty and nauseous over the thought of confessing to Tsuyu, and that’s resulted in each minute feeling like an hour and each hour feeling like five.
When the bell finally rings, Ochako’s hands are shaking, but she catches Mina’s reassuring thumbs-up and steels her resolve. Worst case, Tsuyu rejects her. It’ll suck, and Ochako will probably take a hiatus from group activities while she licks her wounds. Ultimately, she’ll live, and she knows Tsuyu will have the decency to rip the bandaid off quickly. She’s always been blunt like that.
Still.
Ochako nearly drops her phone as she gathers her things. She knows Tsuyu will wait for her so they can walk to the dorms together. There’s no rush, but knowing that doesn’t lessen her nerves.
“Hey,” Ochako croaks. Her mouth is dry as she faces Tsuyu, her cheeks flaming. “Can I talk to you about something?”
“Of course.” Tsuyu cants her head, giving Ochako a quizzical look. “You can always talk to me.”
“Ha! Yeah,” Ochako nods a touch too enthusiastically. “I know that. I just… this is, uh… well…”
A shadow looms over the girls, and Ochako jumps, snapping to attention.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Aizawa says, truly and thoroughly looking as though he means that with the utmost sincerity.
“No!” Ochako shakes her head, waving her hands for good measure. “Not at all. Nothing. Nope. We’re good.”
“Right,” Aizawa sighs. “Something came up, and I’d like to ask you both a favor. So long as it won’t affect your schoolwork, would you be willing to visit some preschoolers and talk to them about attending U.A., training to be a hero, interning with pro heroes, or whatever else their teacher feels is appropriate?”
“We’d love to,” Ochako blurts. Tsuyu nods and the matter is settled. So much for confessing after class.
Talking to kids is more fun than Ochako expected it to be, and it’s nice to be able to share the experience with Tsuyu. Crush or no, they’re best friends. Tsuyu’s presence has always been a source of comfort for Ochako, even if it leaves her a bit flustered at times.
“Who wants to know what zero gravity feels like?” Ochako smiles, releasing the pencils she’s been floating to demonstrate her quirk. Nearly every student puts their hand up, and she picks a child at random.
“Okay, you there.” She waves a mousy boy with four eyes and two-toned hair to the front of the class. Reaching out, she offers the boy her hand, and he lays his in her palm.
Activating her quirk, Ochako feels a familiar pull in her gut, but something is off. She already feels nauseous despite barely exerting herself. Gasping, Ochako clutches her stomach, forgetting the child that’s still floating up.
“Ochako-chan?” Concern strains Tsuyu’s voice as she lassos the child, saving him from bumping into the ceiling.
“Release,” Ochako wheezes. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I—”
Ochako’s vision starts to blur. She feels faint, and her legs wobble beneath her. Embarrassment burns through her queasiness as she realizes Aizawa is going to be notified that one of his students passed out. She’ll probably never live it down.
The world tilts, and the ground rushes up to meet her. Warm arms grasp her, caging her in. She’ll have to thank Tsuyu for helping her save face later. At least, she won’t have to visit Recovery Girl for busting her nose now. That’s her last thought before her mind goes blank.
“Ochako? Can you hear me?”
A painful throbbing persists in Ochako’s head. That’s a first. Her quirk has never made her collapse before, not like this anyway.
“Ochako? Say something… please.”
Rubbing her temples, Ochako blinks the blurriness away from her vision. Her body feels heavy and wrong, and there’s a nagging in her head that’s desperate for her attention.
“What happened?” she asks. Her voice sounds strange to her ears, almost as if she’s got a frog in her throat.
“Oh dear,” the preschooler’s teacher wails, wringing her hands. “I am so sorry. We’ll get you girls sorted out. Please don’t worry. I’m sure this is only temporary.” A nervous laugh bubbles out of the frazzled woman as she looks at Ochako with a pitying expression.
“I’m fine.” Ochako bows her head. “I just need some fresh air, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Why don’t you two step outside for a moment while I make some calls.”
Nothing makes sense to Ochako, but she takes the teacher’s offer and drags herself out of the room.
“Ochako!”
“What?”
“Can you hear me?”
“Uh,” Ochako looks around, rubbing her temples when she sees she’s alone in the hallway. Great, so she really is losing it.
“I know you can hear me. Ochako, it’s Tsu.”
“Tsu?”
“Stop talking out loud. You’re going to draw attention.”
“Stop talking out loud? How else am I supposed to talk?”
Ochako’s confusion mounts. She can’t see Tsuyu, and apparently, her best friend thinks they can communicate telepathically.
“Like that, silly.”
“Tsu? You can hear my thoughts?”
“Not exactly. I can hear our thoughts.”
“But?”
“You passed out, Ochako.”
“I know that, but—”
“That boy. It’s his quirk. Come on, let’s find a mirror. I think it’ll be easier if you see this for yourself.”
After wandering in what felt like a daze, Ochako finds herself in the nearest bathroom. Gaping at the mirror, she takes in her reflection — their reflection.
The person looking back at her isn’t Ochako, not entirely. Her mind hasn’t quite accepted what she’s looking at yet, but in her gut, she’s starting to understand.
“A fusion quirk?” Ochako asks. “I thought those were rare.”
“They are, so it’s our lucky day.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
Reaching out, Ochako touches the mirror. Staring back at her is a girl with long hair. Her locks are chestnut with faint streaks of mossy green, and her round cheeks have familiar pink spots. Her pupils and dark eyelashes, however, clearly belong to Tsuyu. The tip of her tongue peeks out of her lips, and she pokes at it tentatively with a padded fingertip.
“Weird.”
“Hey,” Tsuyu protests.
“Oh, sorry!” Ochako will have to be more careful. Fused together, there’s no hiding her thoughts from Tsuyu. “So, uh, how long do you think this will last?”
“Don’t know, but this could be troublesome if it lasts longer than a day.”
“Longer than a day!” the Ochako-Tsuyu fusion in the mirror wails, clutching her head.
“Don’t yell!”
“Sorry… What if this lasts longer than a day?”
“Then, we’ll figure it out.”
“Tsu?”
“Hmm?”
“If I have to be stuck with someone, I’m glad it’s you.”
“I’m glad it’s you too, ribbit.”
When the girls arrive back at U.A., Aizawa is waiting for them, looking exponentially more tired than usual.
“Why is it always my students?” he groans, taking in the Ochako-Tsuyu fusion before him.
“Aizawa-sensei,” Tsuyu speaks for them, “are you able to erase the quirk?”
“Not likely, but let’s try it.”
Sighing, he activates his quirk. His eyes glow red, but nothing happens.
“You’re going to have to wait this one out. Principle Nezu has been briefed on your situation and is running over our options. In the meantime, I suggest you head back to the dorms and stay put. We’ll let you know if we find a way to separate you, and if anything changes, notify me at once, got it?”
Nodding, the girls head for the dorms. Fortunately, they’ve found that as long as they don’t overthink them, simple tasks like walking aren’t too difficult.
“Should we just hang out in one of our rooms, then?” Ochako muses.
“That’s probably best. We can use mine.”
The girls are barely through the dorm’s front door when they’re confronted by Kaminari.
“Do I know you?” He scratches his temple, frowning. “Sero,” he calls over his shoulder, “do we know this chick? She looks really familiar.”
Peering over a couch, Sero gives Ochako and Tsuyu a long look.
“Nah, dude. I totally get what you mean, though. She actually looks like a few people.”
“Kaminari,” Ochako giggles, giving his shoulder a gentle shove. “We’re—”
“Excuse me,” a cool voice interrupts.
“Oh, Todoroki-kun,” Tsuyu, collected and calm as ever, recovers for Ochako.
“Can I speak with you in private for a moment?” His voice is furtive, his expression skeptical. Ochako has always found him near impossible to read, and now is no exception.
Following Todoroki into the kitchen, Ochako feels herself beginning to perspire.
“Are you nervous?” Tsuyu asks.
“What? No! Why would you think that?”
“We’re sweating, Ochako.”
“I’m just sweaty… naturally.”
“Right.”
“Okay, I’m nervous! Todoroki has never asked me to talk with him alone. What does he want? What if it’s something weird? Or—”
“You’re spiraling. I promise whatever he wants won’t be weird. He’s our friend.”
“You’re right. My mind just gets carried away.”
“It’s okay. I’m just not used to sweating this much. My quirk usually prevents it.”
“Oooh, do frogs not sweat?”
“They don’t, but I’m not actually a frog. You know that, right?”
“Of course, I know that! I just meant. Ugh, I’m sorry, Tsu. Forgive me?”
“What would I do without you?” Tsuyu’s voice vibrates with laughter, and relief washes over Ochako. Chatting in their head, she’s almost forgotten that Todoroki is staring them down.
“So, what’s up, Todoroki-kun?”
“You look like a mix of Uraraka and Asui,” he states. “So, I have to ask. Are you their secret half-sibling or something?”
“What?!” Ochako chokes.
“Okay, so maybe I was wrong,” Tsuyu laughs.
“Do they know their parents had an affair, or have you kept it from them?”
“Is he serious right now?” Ochako can’t believe the words coming out of Todoroki’s mouth.
“Seems like it.”
“It’s not that. We are Ochako and Tsu. There was a fusion quirk mixup while we were visiting a preschool, ribbit.”
“That seems less likely than my theory,” Todoroki counters.
“He’s got a point,” Ochako snickers. “This whole thing is so weird.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.”
A mop of green hair, muttering to himself, enters the kitchen.
“Midoriya,” Todoroki calls out to their classmate. “This girl insists she’s Uraraka and Asui.”
“Oh! Hi, Todoroki-kun and Tsu… chako?” A deep wrinkle appears in his brow, and between one blink and the next, he’s but a hair’s breadth from the girls, eyes sparkling with wonder.
“Wait,” he breathes, “Is it really both of you?”
“Yes,” the girls respond in sync.
“Wow! How did this happen? Was it a quirk?”
“It’s a preschooler’s quirk. We were out doing a favor for Aizawa, and then… this happened.”
Deku’s eyes are the size of saucers, and one of his many notebooks materializes out of thin air.
“How does being fused feel? How long does it last? Have you tried to use your quirk? Are those combined too or just your looks? Do you decide who talks? Are you both in there, or are you some kind of personality fusion too?”
“Oh boy,” the girls groan in unison.
“Midoriya-kun, please refrain from bothering the girls.” Iida’s voice carries into the kitchen, and a moment later, he bursts into the room, his hand already mid-chopping motion. Turning to the girls, his eyebrows raise, but his expression remains neutral.
“I’m sure they have had a long and tiring day. Please refrain from grilling them at this time.”
“Oh!” Deku blushes. “I didn’t think about that. Sorry!”
“It’s okay,” Ochako smiles.
“If you’ll excuse us, though,” Tsuyu adds, “we’d like a moment to regroup.”
“Regroup?” Todoroki frowns again. “You’re already together.”
“Todoroki-kun,” Iida interjects, steel glinting off of his perfectly polished glasses. “I believe they mean they need some space.”
Without further persecution, the girls make it to Tsuyu’s room, where they collapse on the bed. The rest of the day is spent laying about or pacing, thanks to Ochako’s pent up worries. Tsuyu, for her part, remains seemingly unaffected by their bizarre predicament.
On the whole, things aren’t too bad, at least not until Ochako’s memory is jogged, and her thoughts about talking to Tsuyu after class jumble into her brain like a train with no brakes.
“Oh, right. You wanted to talk after class. What was that about?”
For the first time that day, luck is on Ochako’s side, and her brain goes blessedly blank.
“Ochako?”
“Huh?”
“What did you want to tell me?”
“Oh nothing, just that I’ve had the biggest crush on you for a while now, and it’s really ruining everything, and Mina is going to kill me if I don’t confess, but I don’t know if I’m ready, and I was supposed to tell you today, but now everything is weird, and I just—”
“You like me?”
So maybe luck had no intention of being on Ochako’s side.
“Shit.”
“I don’t know what to think.”
“Oh gods, I’m so sorry, Tsu. This isn’t how it was supposed to go at all. Oh no. Oh nooo . This is…”
“Ochako-chan likes me? She actually likes me?”
“Stop thinking out loud! You’re freaking me out!”
“Should I have told her how I feel sooner?”
“Oh no, you hate me. I’ve ruined things, haven’t I? Please, Tsu, I can’t lose you. You’re my best friend. I—”
“Could we have been dating this whole time, ribbit?”
“WHAT?” Ochako’s mind reels, unable to compute what she’s hearing.
“Oh, sorry, Ochako. I got lost in thought. Uh, I like you too. I guess we can’t really hide how we feel, huh?”
“You actually like me? You aren’t just saying that?”
“I don’t think it’s possible to lie to you right now, not that I would.”
“So…what do we do? Gods, this is so weird. I can’t think over anything I want to say to you. It all just comes out.”
“I know the feeling.”
Their head fills with giggles that spill out into the silence of Tsuyu’s room.
“Things might actually be okay,” Ochako thinks. It’s not a thought directed at Tsuyu, but she gets a response anyway.
“I think so.”
“Even if we can’t unfuse?”
“Even then.”
The rest of the evening is uneventful, and Ochako can’t be more grateful. She’s still getting used to Tsuyu being able to hear her every thought. More than once, they start blushing when they get caught thinking of each other.
“Do you think we’ll still be fused tomorrow?” Ochako asks, pulling Tsuyu’s sheets up around them as they wiggle into bed.
“Don’t know. Guess we’ll have to fall asleep and find out.”
“Guess so.”
Together, they drift off into a peaceful sleep, only interrupted by the occasional dream born from their lingering thoughts.
Ochako wakes to the sound of an alarm that isn’t hers, and it takes her a moment to remember where she is when she opens her eyes.
A warm arm is draped over her stomach, and she rolls her head to see Tsuyu snuggled into her side, her face buried in Ochako’s neck.
“We’re free,” Ochako whispers, giving Tsuyu’s shoulder a shake.
“Still sleeping, ribbit,” Tsuyu groans, not rising.
Staring at the ceiling, Ochako bemoans her crush. Of course, this is hardly the first time she’s shared a bed with one of her friends, but being this close to Tsuyu, while having to hold her at arm’s length mentally, is never easy.
Before Ochako can get worked up over the thought, the previous night’s conversation hits her head-on. She confessed! Well, sort of. Regardless, Tsuyu found out about her crush and, by some miracle, feels the same!
Tsuyu’s arm across Ochako feels ten times heavier now as the weight of that realization sinks in. There isn’t any time to panic, though. Pushing off Ochako, Tsuyu sits up, rubbing her eyes.
“Oh, we’re back to normal.” She states it as if she truly doesn’t care whether they stayed fused or not.
“Is it weird that I kinda miss it?”
“No.” Tsuyu shakes her head. “It was nice to be able to have something that was just for us.”
“Though,” she adds, tapping the corner of her mouth, “I’m grateful that we are back to normal. There’s something I’ve been wanting to do.”
Ochako hasn’t the foggiest idea what Tsuyu is thinking, and it occurs to her that yesterday was one of a kind. She doubts she’ll ever experience something that surreal again.
Then, Tsuyu kisses her.