Yo, heroes! Welcome my new story for IzuOcha Week 2018; Green Tea Tales: My Anniversary Academia! This here is a special fic that is not only going to commemorate the special pair on their dedicated week, but also to celebrate 1 year of Green Tea Tales! I have been debating on whether I should keep it in Green Tea Tales itself or have it as a separate thing, but I decided to keep it here with the other tales. IzuOcha week started with this last year, and it will continue on here this year. Today we are going to kick things off with the first theme of the week: Stars/Dreams. I decided to go with the star theme because of Ochako and her space motif. I also did a bit of research regarding a certain star-based subject that helped solidify my choice for this. I had quite a bit of fun making this story, and I hope the lot of you will enjoy it as well! With that said, enjoy part 1 and I will see you in the end!
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.
Green Tea Tales: My Anniversary Academia
Chapter 1: Breakfast in the Stars
The rain was gentle. That was the first thing that Ochako Uraraka noticed as she woke up from her peaceful slumber. Normally such a thing wouldn't be enough to wake her, and by all accounts, she should still be asleep, especially since it took her a bit to actually get to bed the night before. Today, however, was different, and the moment she snapped out of her slumber-induced daze, the brightest of smiles started to worm its way on her face, persisting as she took off her blanket and stretched her arms high.
Can't believe it's finally here! Today is gonna be so much fun for us! So glad that Deku and I spent the last few days planning everything out! And the others came up with such good ideas too! It's going to be a great day for sure! The bubbly brunette thought, elation practically radiating off of her as she felt her bones pop. Letting off a satisfied sigh, she dropped her arms and reached over to her table and grabbed her phone. The moment she turned it on to check the date and time, her bright smile seemed to have gotten even brighter, her pink cheeks growing darker, and a wave of unbridled joy welled up within her.
"I can't believe it's our first anniversary today…! Deku and I have been together for a whole year now! Oh, this is so exciting! I don't I've ever been this happy in a long time! Is this what Mom and Dad feel when they had their first anniversary as a couple? Oh I bet theirs was super romantic! I hope ours end up the same! I wonder if Deku's parents did something special for their first, too? I guess I could ask her when we see her today. Would that be rude? I get the feeling she'd be happy to tell us about it, though. She does have that kind of air around her..."
Ochako knew she was rambling to herself at this point, a habit that she picked up from a certain someone over time, but she didn't care at the moment. She was simply too happy to be celebrating her one year anniversary with her best friend/boyfriend, Izuku Midoriya. Out of all the possibilities that she had imagined once she got into UA, having a steady relationship with a strong, reliable and selfless (not to mention reckless and endearingly nerdy) young man was not one of them, but she wouldn't complain at all. Sure, dating had its fair share of challenges, but they were challenges that she had accepted readily once Izuku asked if they could be together. They made it work, and today was the day they could celebrate an entire year of a healthy and successful relationship. Not many high school students could say that they were able to pull off something like that, especially those who are studying to be full-time heroes.
Then again, she and Izuku were far from normal, and that suited her...suited them, just fine.
*knock knock*
"Ochako? It's Tsuyu. Are you awake? It's almost time for you to leave, isn't it?" A pleasantly familiar voice spoke up from behind Ochako's door, snapping her out of her external thoughts to turn to the voice's direction.
"I'm awake! Just give me a second to get ready!" Ochako responded before pocketing her phone and giving her clothes a once over. She was still in her typical sleepwear of a black tank-top and a pair of short shorts, though they were a dark green instead of her usual pink ones. Giggling a little at her slight wardrobe change and silently glad that she took a shower before going to bed, she went to her dresser to grab the clothes she set aside for today; A light pink blouse, dark red skirt, warm black leggings and a grey sweater with the word 'Hero' written in English on the front. After getting dressed and making herself presentable, the girl trotted over to her door and opened it to see her froggy friend standing behind it with a small smile in lue of her usual stoicism.
"You're in high spirits today, Ochako. I take it you're excited for today?" Tsuyu croaked questionably, stepping away from the door slightly to allow her friend to pass.
"You bet I am! We've got a whole day planned out for us and I am so ready to enjoy it! And I know he is, too!" Ochako said cheerfully as she walked towards the stairs with Tsuyu in tow, giggling as she spoke up once more. "You should've seen how he looked when we sat down in the lobby to work today out! He was being so serious the whole time! I know I shouldn't laugh, we worked hard on planning our anniversary together, but the faces he make are just too much, sometimes!"
"Can't argue with that. Izuku can make some interesting faces. I still remember the time he won that impersonation contest Kaminari and Sero set up a few months back. I know he looks up to All Might a lot, but I never expected him to be able to mimic him so well," Tsuyu mused out loud, her statement causing another set of laughter to escape Ochako as the pair made their way downstairs and towards the lounge.
"Wow. Sounds like someone's got up on the right side of the bed today. I know it's your anniversary with Midoriya, but I don't think that would normally cause a case of the giggles as bad as yours, Uraraka," An amused voice spoke up from the couches nearby, causing the mentioned girl to turn her head to see Jiro lounging about and greeting her and Tsuyu with a lazy wave and a grin to match.
"I am excited for today, Jiro, but that's not why I'm laughing! Tsu just brought up the impression contest and how Deku won it and I still can't get over how he makes his face so much like our teacher!" Ochako explained, a hand over her lips in a weak attempt to stifle her laughter as she walked over to the same couch and sat beside the violet-haired musician.
"Ah. Right. Jamming-Whey's little contest. I'm still shocked that he and Sero managed to get the ok from Iida to do it, let alone Midoriya of all people winning it," Jiro said with a slight laugh of her own before looking at the brunette curiously. "Speaking of lover boy, what plans do you two have today? He looked more wound up than usual today when he and Iida went out this morning, so it must be something exciting."
"Ribbit. So Izuku and Tenya went out on their run in this weather after all? That's a one way ticket to getting sick, right there. Good thing I brewed this up just in case," Tsuyu chimed in as she joined the pair with three cups full of what looked like hot chocolate in her hands, complete with whipped cream and even some marshmallows to make them look quite delectable in the girls' opinions.
"Oh wow, Tsu! This looks delicious! This will definitely warm them up when they get back!" Ochako said as she stared down at the steaming mug before her, accepting it and taking a quick sip before continuing. "But yeah, Deku and Iida do their runs whenever they can, even in harsh weather. Something about building up their resistances against the elements or something silly like that. Todoroki and I join in too, sometimes, but those two are on a whole other level when it comes to their runs."
"Well, at least the rain is light, today. Even if it is a little shouldn't ruin any of the plans you two made, will it?" Jiro asked after taking a drink of her own chocolate.
"Not really. Most of what we have in store is set indoors. And the rain will be gone by the time any of the outdoor fun starts. We're all good," Ochako assured with a grin and thumbs up before her cheeks started to take a darker tinge. "Besides, if the weather stays like this, then we're gonna have to take Deku's umbrella to where we need to go. Since mine broke in the last storm that we had, I'm going to have to stay close to him so that I can stay dry, and there's no way I am saying no to snuggling up with my boyfriend all day on our anniversary."
"Taking every chance you get to get close to your man. Man, you really have changed since you first started going out with Midoriya, huh?" The earphone hero teased, getting a croaky laugh from Tsuyu and a mock-pout from Ochako before the two continued with their drinks. As they ate and shared a bit of small talk, the front door suddenly opened. Curious, the pair turned to the entrance, and all of them, Ochako especially, brightened when they saw who had arrived.
"Wow! It smells good here! Did someone make hot chocolate? I wonder if there's any left."
"Hopefully, Midoriya! Let us hurry ourselves inside and get some if there is any left. You and Uraraka have a busy day ahead of you, so you will need all the energy you can get in order to properly enjoy it!"
"That's the plan, Iida! Thanks!"
"Welcome back, Izuku. Tenya. There's some hot chocolate left on the stove for you two. I made sure to make enough for you two once I saw you left, so feel free to get some before it gets cold," Tsuyu greeted the two tracksuit-clade boys as she waved at them, getting nods of gratitude in response before they heeded to her request. As they made their way to the kitchen, however, one of them paused as soon as they reached the girls' table, looking at the lone brunette of the group with a mix of nervousness and excitement.
"Hey, Uraraka! Good morning! You ready for today?" Izuku asked, looking a little bashful as he spoke.
"Of course! I can't wait! As soon as you get some food in ya and change, we'll head out! I'm already done, so I'm gonna wait here with Jiro and Tsu! Get some that hot chocolate in ya before you leave, though. It's super yummy!" Ochako answered, getting an enthusiastic nod in response before watching her boyfriend go fill his stomach, her grin never leaving her face as he departed.
"...You two are adorable, you know that? You're acting more like husband and wife than simply boyfriend and girlfriend with each passing day," Jiro said with a smirk after taking a drink of chocolate, her words catching Ochako off guard and nearly spilling her drink before Tsuy placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Relax, Ochako. She was joking. How about you take a little rest before Izuku shows up? You have a little time before you leave for your first stop, right?" The frog girl questioned in hopes of lifting her friend's spirit up.
"That's right. We're starting off strong with a trip to a cafe for breakfast before hanging out at the new planetarium that's opened up! Astrology's always interested me and when Deku suggested that we go there to begin our day, there was no way I could say no!" Ochako said, her embarrassment going away quickly as soon as her date was brought up.
"Planetarium, eh? That's pretty cool! Does it have a place to find your astrological sign in space or something? I'd really like to see something like that!" Jiro chimed in with a smirk before suddenly frowning in thought. "Wait a second… Astrological signs... I wonder…"
"Kyoka? Is something wrong?" Tsuyu asked as soon as she saw Jiro bring out her phone.
"Just want to check something really quick. Uraraka, your birthday is on December twenty-seventh, right? With Midoriya's on July fifteenth?" Jiro questioned Ochako, who looked back at her with a lost expression.
"Yeah, that's right. But what does that have to do with anything?" The brunette pondered.
"Quite a bit if this astrological compatibility thing i found is right," Jiro answered with a grin before showing her phone to the others. "Ok, so Uraraka, your sign is Capricorn, while Midoriya is Cancer. According to this website, your signs are super compatible with each other. Considering how close you two are even before you started dating, it makes a lot of sense. You could say that it was fate that you two would be together like you are now, huh?"
"What?!" Ochako exclaimed before taking Jiro's phone, reading over it with wide eyes while Tsuyu leaned on her shoulder to get a view of it herself.
"Ribbit…'When Cancer and Capricorn make a love match, it's a celestial pairing of great tenacity and determination. Capricorn, the Sea Goat, is focused on logic, on being down-to-earth and real; Cancer brings a charge of emotional intensity to the relationship. Both hold one another to high standards tempered by an abiding mutual respect. In a Capricorn mate, Cancer finds dedication, and in return Capricorn comes to love Cancer's persistence. These two Signs from opposite sides of the Zodiac can come together to create a very successful and secure connection.'" The frog girl read out loud, looking just as surprised as Ochako as she did before letting off an impressed croak. "Oh wow. This describes your relationship almost perfectly, Ochako. It's like you two were destined for each other or something."
"I know, right! If Ashido or Hagakure were here, they'd be gushing about how Ochako and Izuku were fated to be together or something like that. Funny how life works like this, huh?" Jiro said, a joking grin aimed at Ochako as she slowly snapped out of her shell-shocked state.
"Huh? Oh, um. Yeah. This is… really something, isn't it?" Ochako said, a small but blissful smile and warm blush on her face as she handed Jiro back her phone. "Well, I'm gonna rest here until Deku shows up. Got a busy day after all. You guys don't mind, do you?"
"No worries. Take it easy for a bit, ok? Just remember to stay warm when you're out. Snuggle up with Midoriya if it gets too cold, kay?" The musician said teasingly, causing Ochako to blush up a little more and laugh good naturedly before setting her cup on the table before her and laid on the couch.
As the gravity hero rested her eyes and allowed herself to relax, her small smile from earlier grew wider and brighter as she recalled the words on the website Jiro showed her. She knew a lot about astrological signs and the zodiac, but certain subjects based on that, such as horoscopes and compatibility, didn't really intrest her too much. They were enjoyable to read, sure, but she wasn't really one to believe in a set fate or the future being determined by the stars. She believed in forging one's own path and choosing one's own future. However, the fact that even the stars say that she and Izuku were highly compatible with each other made her feel like she was floating even without her quirk. It was like her day was already made even before it officially started, but she had to calm herself. Sure, it was nice to know that their zodiac signs were compatible, but the stars were not the ones who decided that they should be together. They made that decision themselves. And it was a decision that, while it had its ups and downs, was something that neither of them regret for even a moment.
Still… Maybe I should rearrange the stars Deku and I put up into our signs? I know we were the ones who decided to be a couple in the end, but it's still kinda cool that even the stars say that we're compatible… Would that be too much? Ochako thought as she recalled the star stickers she and Izuku set up a few weeks ago in her room. With a soft hum, she buried herself deeper into the couch, the noise of her classmates lulling her into a light sleep. She had trouble getting to bed the night before due to her excitement and despite feeling refreshed when she woke up, having a bit of extra time to rest might do her a bit of good. She didn't want to get too tired on her and Izuku's special day.
"Uraraka. Wake up. It's time for us to go."
"Hmm… Deku?" Ochako muttered, opening her eyes and letting out a small yawn as she saw Izuku before her, dressed in a greyish-blue long-sleeved button up shirt under a forest-green vest and a pair of dark blue pants. "Hey. Glad you're here. I wasn't out for too long, was I?"
"You weren't, Just a few minutes according to Jiro and Asu-I mean Tsuyu," Izuku explained with a sheepish expression. "Sorry I took too long, though. Had a bit of trouble finding the black vest I was going to wear today, so I gave up and grabbed the green one. Hope this looks ok."
"It's fine, Deku. I managed to get some rest, so at least I won't be too tired today. And you good. Green's always been your color, after all," Ochako assured, giving her boyfriend a sweet smile as she picked herself off the couch. "Let's get going to the cafe before breakfast is over. I remember that they have the fluffiest pancakes and I've been dying to have them again. You still have your umbrella?"
Izuku nodded in response to her question, holding the requested item in his hand as he used his other one to hold hers. Cheeks growing darker but smiles growing brighter, the couple made their way towards the front door, pausing to put on their respective red boots, and bid their classmates farewell before departing. The pair were silent as they made their way to their destination, simply content with holding hands and being close under the umbrella. It actually wasn't as cold as Ochako had expected, probably why Izuku had opted to wear a vest instead of a jacket, but she still scooched closer to her boyfriend regardless. She felt her cheeks warm up at her own actions, but she was happy to have done it, and if the pleased, yet bashful look on Izuku's red face was anything to go by, it was more than welcome. After a few minutes of walking and a quick train ride later, they had finally made it to their destination; a quaint little cafe not dissimilar to the one they had went to on their first date. The main difference to this one compared to the other was the lack of outdoor seating, which suited the pair fine. With a shared smile between them, the pair entered the establishment, only to pause when they were greeted by the sight of multiple stars stuck to the walls and ceiling and even little planets hanging in the air.
"What the…? What's going on here? This places wasn't like this the last time we were here," Izuku muttered as he took in the surroundings.
"Maybe it's to promote the planetarium? It's nearby, after all, and it's been garnering a lot of attention lately," Ochako shrugged, looking very unsure as she answered.
"That is correct, miss! The owner of the cafe is a good friend of the planetarium's manager, and figured that having this place be a space cafe would be a good way to show her support! It was actually pretty fun setting everything up! And I love the new outfits we get to wear for it!" A bubbly voice spoke up, causing the pair to look ahead to see a cute girl a little younger than them with long black hair tied in a ponytail, a pair of cat ears twitching atop her head, and dressed in a black waitress outfit that was covered in little white stars, much to Ochako's surprise and delight.
"Oh my! That looks super cute! I can't believe you guys are wearing something like that! You're so lucky! And I love what the owner's done with the place! We're actually going to the planetarium after grabbing a bite here, so it's super cool that we get a chance to have breakfast in the stars like this!" Ochako said cheerfully, getting laughs from both the waitress and Izuku in response to her unbridled enthusiasm.
"Heehee. Thanks. It's nice to hear customers appreciating our hard work! Let me show you two to a booth so you can decide on what you want to order. The name's Koneko Yuuki, by the way. I'm the owner's daughter and just started here. I hope we can get along," The young girl said with a bow before ushering the two hero students towards a booth by the window.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Yuuki. I'm Izuku Midoriya, and this is my partner, Ochako Uraraka. I like what you and your co-workers done with the place as well. It must've taken a while to set everything up," Izuku said as he and Ochako sat down.
"It did, but it's worth it. So many people love what we've done, and making our customers happy is our top priority here," Koneko said as she placed a pair of menus onto the table. "By the way...if you don't mind me asking, are you two on a date or something? I know it's kinda rude of me to ask, but you two seem pretty close. Closer than most pairs that I've seen come here, if you don't mind me saying."
"We understand. People say that a lot about us," Ochako assured, giving Izuku a quick glance and a smile before continuing. "But to answer your question, yes, we're together. We're actually celebrating our first anniversary, and this place is our first stop. It was my boyfriend's idea to stop here, and from the looks of things here, he's definitely made the right choice!"
"I-It was nothing, Ochako. I just wanted us to have breakfast at a nice place before heading to the planetarium. I wasn't expecting to come into the cafe looking like this, but I'm not complaining. Especially since it made you so happy. That's really all that matters to me, in the end," Izuku confessed, looking nervous the whole time as he spoke. His words touched both his girlfriend and the waitress. While Ochako responded with a warm smile and clapping her hand with his under the table, Koneko let loose an excited squeal instead before looking at the pair in elation.
"Oh my gosh, that is so touching! I can't believe you two chose our little cafe as a spot for your first anniversary! Thank you so much!" The young woman exclaimed, her chipper attitude bringing out heartful laughs from the couple.
"Thank you for having us. I'm sure that the food here will be just as good as the service," Ochako said with a wink, causing the waitress to beam back in pride before bowing once more and leaving to get the pair some water.
"She seems nice. Perky, too. Got really excited when we told her we've been together for so long, though," Izuku said as he took off his vest and hung it on his seat, prompting Ochako to do the same with her hoodie.
"Well, to be fair, it's not often that a couple our age has been together for a year. High school relationships don't really last, from what I've heard, but we made it work. We already had good chemistry even before we got together, so that's a bit of a leg up compared to most high-school sweethearts, I guess. It also helped that the stars were also on our side as well when it came to our relationship," Ochako said, fighting back a giggle when Izuku stared at her in confusion.
"The stars? What do you mean by that?" He asked, prompting Ochako to ask to borrow his phone in order to show what she meant.
"It's something that Jiro showed me this morning before we left. There's a website that shows how compatible two people are with each other by comparing their zodiac signs. She put ours together, yours is Cancer and mine is Capricorn, by the way, and showed me the results. We are literally a match made in the stars according to this," Ochako said, shifting through the phone to find the website in question before returning it to its owner.
She grinned as Izuku looked at her with a quirked eyebrow, gesturing him to read his phone. The grin grew wider and brighter as she watched him go through the site, enjoying the look of surprise that was slowly forming on his face. She knew he wasn't the biggest believer of a predetermined fate, but she couldn't help but wonder about his thoughts regarding their compatible signs. It was a pleasant surprise to her, at least, and she was hoping that it would be a similar experience to him as well.
Judging from the breathless laugh and shimmering eyes, it seemed that he was more touched by the revelation that she was.
"Wow… So then… Does this basically mean that we were destined to be together? Y-You know how I feel about predestined events and stuff like that, but…"
"I think it's cool that the stars say that we were meant to be close, but I like to think it was our decision in the end to get together, Izuku," Ochako interrupted, her tone serious and using Izuku's first name in order to get his undivided attention. "I do think it's probably fate that we ended up meeting each other on the day of UA's entrance exam, but everything after was done by our choice. Becoming friends, partnering up in the sports festival, helping each other out in the provisional license exam, even becoming a couple. Each and every major moment in our lives was consciously made by us. Not by fate. The stars didn't decide that I should fall in love with you. You did by just being you. And that would've happened even if our signs say we weren't compatible. We choose our own future, and I chose to be by your side no matter what. We're partners, after all. Have been for a year now, and will be for years to come."
Her face was darker than normal after making her little speech, but she felt good after saying what was on her mind. It was something that she was sure that she had said before, something that he most likely said to her as well at some point, but it didn't matter. She would repeat it as often as humanly possible to get the point across. She loved the adorable goof of a hero that was before her, and whether the stars deemed them the perfect couple or not did not matter to her. She was the one who eventually figured out her true feelings for him, he was the one who confessed those very same feelings to her after so long, and they were the ones who decided to give the idea of being together a chance, promising each other to do their best to make it work. And they have for exactly one year now. It was very difficult, yes, but it was also very much worth it, and if she was honest to herself, she was more than willing to go through all that again, and much more, in order to stay by her hero's side.
So lost in her thoughts and moment of self reflection, she wasn't even aware that Izuku had leaned over the table to her until she felt a familiar pair of lips pressing against her's. Her eyes went wide in shock before realizing that Izuku was kissing her, but after a few seconds to collect herself, she managed to collect herself enough to kiss him back. It was rare for the timid boy to initiate their moments of intimacy, so she quickly learned to relish them whenever they happen. The kiss didn't last very long, much to her hidden disappointment, but the look of utter joy that was shining in his eyes was more than enough to make up for it.
"Ochako… Thanks. Really. It was...nice to hear you say something like that. And I just...want you to know that...I feel the same way. And I look forward to spending the future together with you by my side as well," Izuku said softly, reaching for her hand under the table once more and giving it a gentle squeeze, causing Ochako to blush a little deeper and her smile to grow even wider as she returned the gesture.
"Happy to hear that, Deku… Happy to hear that," She said just as kindly, leaning over to give him a quick peck on the lips before grabbing the cafe menu. "So… Let's get ourselves some breakfast. We have a busy day ahead of us and we need all the energy we can get. I'm thinking we should get the Zodiac combo and split it between us. It's big enough for the two of us to eat and it'll save money as well. That ok with you?"
"I'm fine with it. Miss Yuuki recommended it to us as well before we left, and honestly, I got a little curious about what was in it before you showed me our signs," Izuku said, his flushed face and boyish smile causing Ochako to internally coo at how adorable he was being.
Oh my gosh, he's just too cute for his own good! I swear, he could probably subdue villains without lifting a finger if he just acted like this to them! She thought, a giggle escaping her lips as their waitress returned with the water she promised and asking if they were ready to order. With a glance at each other and a nod, the two placed their order and proceeded to have a pleasant chat with each other until their meal arrived. There was no rush, though. It was still early enough and the planetarium was not open yet. All they had to do was pass the time until then, and that was something they were more than ok with.
Their anniversary date just begun, after all, and there was much more fun to be have until the very end.
Author's Note:
And that, my fellow heroes concludes Day 1 of IzuOcha week. I hope it was a pleasant enough read for you. As said here, this is only the beginning, and much more fun is definitely going to be made here until the very end. It will be a very fluffy story, but there will be some other moments here and there to keep it fresh. My Anniversary Academia is a 7 part story, after all. More to come for everyone tomorrow, so look forward to the Photography theme! I took some liberties with that one, but it should still be a fun read for you all! And with that, thank you all so much for reading. I hope you all have a wonderful day and I will see you tomorrow!
Until then, farewell. And remember: Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!