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Ochako fluffed her brunette hair in the laptop camera for probably the tenth time in the last two minutes. It’d taken her an entire hour to get ready. Even now, just a few minutes before the planned time, her nerves like embers prickled her skin all over, and she couldn’t get her heart to calm down.
She didn’t know why she was so nervous. It was just a Skype date. Ochako had been talking to this guy, Izuku Midoriya, for the past couple of weeks. Meeting over a dating app, they were quite interested in each other. They were able to text for hours about literally everything and nothing at the same time. They told each other about their childhoods, spoke about their days, things they shared interest in, like film and comic books. Or just random stuff that left them asking ‘Where’d that topic come from?’ but they’d be rolling on the floor laughing nonetheless.
It was when she’d suggested one day that they meet over Skype, so they could actually see each other and hear each other’s voices. They went to the same university, but classes kept them so busy that their schedules rarely lined up. Texting worked out because their hours-long conversations could be had in snippets throughout the day or late at night. Meeting up, though, proved to be a struggle.
Finally, they found a free hour that worked for the both of them. Four o’clock on a Thursday. Ochako was fidgeting in her seat at 3:58 PM, awaiting the call. After tense deliberation with her two best friends, Mina and Tsu, about her outfit, she finally decided on a white crop top with an oversized grey and white flannel, and black pants. Simple, but cute. She put on a touch of makeup and a pair of small silver hoop earrings, choosing to keep her hair down like normal.
She idly wondered if she should do something more with her hair when the Skype ringtone made her literally jump out of her seat. Scrambling back up to the chair, she shakily but quickly answered the call. Izuku’s freckled face popped up on the screen.
“Hey, Uraraka!” he greeted with a bright smile.
“Hey, Deku,” she greeted back, using his nickname he’d shared with her. It used to be an insult a childhood bully used on him, but Ochako used it more as a nickname. She thought it suited him, so optimistic sounding. Also, she thought it was cute.
Speaking of cute, Ochako could only see him through a grainy camera, but her heart fluttered at how handsome he looked. He wore a long-sleeve black shirt, his curly, green hair as fluffy and crazy as in the pictures from his profile, and his bright, emerald eyes were… covered by glasses?
Ochako snickered at the sight. “Nice bifocals.”
Izuku looked confused for a second before seemingly glancing in his self-view, and hurriedly took the glasses off his face.
“Shit- Sorry, sorry. Forgot I had those on,” he rubbed his neck, cheeks sporting a deep blush. Ochako laughed harder for a bit before calming herself down.
“It’s okay, I just didn’t know you wore glasses.”
He sighed but still had a half-smile. “I don’t normally. I just use them for reading and stuff, especially on the computer.”
Ochako nodded in understanding. “Well, it’s good to finally talk to you face-to-face. Well, not really face-to-face. More like… face-to-screen-to-screen-to-face,” she thought out loud before shrugging and turning back to the laptop. “Anyway, I’m glad I get to hear your voice finally.”
He chuckled, and the sound made Ochako’s chest warm.
“It’s good to hear your voice, too, Uraraka. Do I sound like you thought I would?”
Ochako’s nose scrunched in thought. “I mean, I don’t know? I guess. I think your voice is a little deeper than I imagined. What about me?” Her heart bubbled with curiosity at the thought he was imagining her.
“Yeah, I think you basically sound how I thought. Bright and happy,” he commented with a smile. Ochako giggled at the compliment.
“Sorry if I’m laughing too much or, like, being weird. I guess I’m just super nervous,” she admitted. Izuku cocked an eyebrow.
“Why are you so nervous?”
“Because I really like you,” she said instinctively, but snapped her mouth shut quickly after. Both of them were glowing red. Izuku smiled widely and looked down.
“I… really like you, too.”
A few seconds of awkward silence passed before Ochako found the courage to speak again.
“So,” she leaned on the desk with her chin in her hand. “How’s your day going?”
With that, they conversed and laughed about their day, what was going on with school, and other random stuff. Both of their schedules were lightening up since the end of exam season was approaching, and Ochako wondered in the back of her mind if that meant they could finally meet up in person. Maybe they’d go on a date to get coffee somewhere? It was winter, now. A walk around the park in the snow, maybe even ice skating? Her mind half-wandered with the daydreams, but Izuku mentioning he had to go brought her back down to Earth.
“It was really nice talking to you, Uraraka,” Izuku smiled, getting ready to end the call.
Ochako returned the expression, feeling disappointed he had to go, and nervous to ask the question that was on the tip of her tongue.
“Something wrong?” he asked, his eyebrows turned up with concern. She found it odd how he could read her so well already, but her heart fluttered at the thought all the same.
Fiddling with her shirt sleeve, she started to speak. “Deku, I had a really good time, too. But…” she chewed her lip anxiously.
“You don’t want to keep talking to me.” Ochako’s eyes shot open in shock. The look on Izuku’s face tore her apart. He looked crushed, but almost like he expected whatever he was suggesting. “It’s okay, I understand. I mean, I know I’m super nerdy, and awkward. I understand.”
Ochako wanted to cry that she’d done something to make him feel this way.
“No, no, no, Deku, that’s not what I was going to say!” she frantically said, trying to get him to stay on the call for just a minute longer. “You didn’t let me finish my question,” she laughed. Izuku’s eyes widened.
"Oh, uh, sorry, Uraraka. I didn’t- uh, what’s your question?”
Ochako smiled sweetly, and took a deep breath.
“I was wondering. Since both our schedules are lightening up, maybe we could… Meet up in person? Like, on a real date? Maybe, go for a walk in the park, or get coffee or something? It’s just… I really like you, and I want to get to know you better. To see you more often.” Ochako cringed at her delivery. “Sorry, was that a creepy thing to say? I meant- “
Izuku cut her off with a light laugh. “No, Uraraka, it’s fine. I want- I’d like to see you in person, too. I think that’d be a lot of fun. I don’t really care or mind what we do, as long as I’m with you.”
Ochako’s heart skipped two beats, and it might’ve skipped a third if Izuku didn’t start stuttering and fumbling over his words again.
“Sorry, uh, that, that was really cheesy. Uh, I meant, whatever we do, I’m cool with, I guess, with you.” Ochako giggled again at his flustered state, and it seemed to relax him a bit.
“Okay, cool. I’ll text you when I’m free next, okay?” Izuku nodded excitedly. “Alright, now get going. I don’t want you to be late for your plans.”
He nodded again. “Okay, yeah, I should. Nice to finally hear your voice, Uraraka. I’ll text you!” he waved goodbye. Ochako returned the wave before he hung up the call.
Slumping back into her chair with a relaxed exhale, her face grew a goofy grin. She really, really liked this guy.
Ochako walked up the steps of the building towards the apartment building Mina had texted her about earlier. It was Thursday, but Ochako didn’t have any classes the next day, so she could afford to attend a quick party in the evening. Still feeling light from the events of her video chat with Deku, she barely felt the soles of her shoes hit the stone floor as she walked up to the apartment door.
She thought it was Mina’s boyfriend, Kirishima’s place? She didn’t know. Mina was very popular, so it wasn’t unlike her to hang around lots of places. Knocking on the door, she tapped her foot happily on the floor, hearing the bass booming inside.
The door unlocked and opened. “Hi, welcome to the party- “ the man who opened the door started, but stopped as his eyes landed on the brunette. “Uraraka?”
Her eyes widened as she recognized the green, curly hair and matching eyes. It was Izuku. Izuku was standing in front of her.
“Deku.” she breathed. He looked even cuter in person. It was making her brain short circuit. “What- uh, what are you doing here?”
Izuku wasn’t in any better state. “I, um, well, I live here.” Ochako furrowed her brows.
“But, this is Kirishima’s apartment? Mina’s boyfriend?”
“Yeah, Eijiro, he’s my roommate. Well, one of them,” Izuku scratched his cheek and stared at the floor. “So, you were invited to the party, huh?”
Ochako tried to shake herself out of stupor. “Yeah! I was, Mina invited…” Ochako slowed as she was putting the puzzle pieces together. “Deku,” she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I think we might’ve been set up.”
Izuku’s face was confused, then turned to an expression of ‘Oh, I get it’. He tried to bite back his laughter, too. Turning around and opening the door further, he called into the apartment.
“Ashido!”
Almost immediately, a familiar pink-haired girl came running around a corner.
“Hey, Midori, what’s- Oh, ‘Chako! You’re here!” Her grin fell as the couple still standing in the doorway gave her disapproving looks. “Look, guys, don’t be mad, alright! You two were just taking so long to meet in person, and, wouldn’t you know it, we have mutual friends! Small world, right?” Her desperate smile was wavering fast.
“Oh, really, Mina?” Ochako asked as she crossed her arms. “We were taking too long? Well, one crucial detail you didn’t have is we actually decided today to meet in person once the semester ended. We were in the process of planning a date when you pulled this Parent Trap scenario.”
Izuku nearly doubled over in laughter at the joke, while Mina shrank into herself.
“Heh, sorry?” she held her hands up in defense. “Kinda jumped the shark on that one.”
Izuku finally turned back to Ochako, marveling for a second at her appearance in person. It was nice to see her without the camera grain.
“Say, you wanna get out of here? We can have that date earlier then planned.”
Ochako grinned happily and nodded.
“Wait, no!” Mina shrieked. “You can’t leave! I planned this also so we could tease you guys as the newest couple in the friend group! All the girls are here, Ochako!”
Izuku was already pulling on his red high tops, grabbing his wallet and keys. “Sorry, Ashido. Maybe another time? We have a date to get to.”
“Yeah, sorry, Mina! It’s apparently a long overdue one.” Ochako gave a cheeky wave goodbye as the door shut behind them. She grabbed Izuku’s hand as they ran down the hallway together, giggling breathlessly. They were in the privacy of the stairwell when she stopped to look up at him.
“Something wrong?” Izuku asked, but relaxed once he saw her beaming.
“Nothing, it’s just,” she bit her lip as she looked him up in down, still not believing he was in front of her. “You’re even cuter in person!”
Izuku barely had time to be flustered when Ochako grabbed his face and pulled him into a deep kiss. He reciprocated quickly and grabbed her waist. She was just wrapping her arms around his neck when they heard the distant screams of Mina along with some other girls from the hall.
Ochako pulled back. “Let’s go?” Izuku nodded with vigor and they joined hands once again. Racing down the stairs, out of the building, and into the city to enjoy their night together.