7 years ago
The end-of-the-year dance U.A. threw for the students was an event Ochako normally looked forward to. It was an opportunity for everybody to relax, get dressed up, and have some fun together after a long year of hard work. This year she would be skipping it. The girls went as a group for the previous years, but for their last school dance they all had dates beside her.
Ochako would go if she wasn't the only girl from her class without a date. Mina was going with Kirishima, Tsu with Tokoyami, Momo and Jirou were going with some cute boys from Shiketsu High School—and so on.
She wasn't usually one to compare herself but being dateless (with no potential candidates) had her feeling inferior to the other girls. Ochako was happy they had dates, particularly that Mina was going with Kirishima. Those two had been crushing on each other forever. This was a big step, and Ochako was rooting for them.
Instead of going to the dance, Izuku and Shouto offered for the three of them to get away for the weekend at Shouto's beach house. The idea was to get some rest and recuperation before they started work as pro heroes after graduation.
Things between them were back to how they used to be; any awkwardness once felt left in their first year. As sweet of an offer as it was, she didn't want to deprive them of any precious high school memories because she was being insecure.
As she packed her duffle bag for her weekend trip to visit her parents, she remembered the conversation she had with Unknown last night about the dance.
9:10 PM [Unknown_User]: y arent u going?
9:12 PM [GravityGirlXO]: its embarrassing _
9:13 PM [Unknown_User]: if u dont wanna tell me i understand but just know theres never any judgement between us
Sometimes Ochako thought she told him too much. That the boy Unknown couldn't possibly care about her problems. But then he would go and say something like that, and it reminded her that he was special. What they had was special.
9:20 PM [GravityGirlXO]: im the only girl in my class without a date…
9:20 PM [GravityGirlXO]: nobody asked me to the dance
9:21 PM [GravityGirlXO]: omg i see how dumb that sounds having finally said it to somebody T_T
Ochako hated that she was avoiding her last school dance for a reason she was sure to find irrelevant a few years down the road. Still, she couldn't help how she felt at the moment. She could ignore being single under normal circumstances but being surrounded by couples while she was alone would make her feel too much like an outcast.
9:22 PM [Unknown_User]: its not dumb if thats how u feel
9:22 PM [Unknown_User]: and the only reason you werent asked to the dance is becuz everybody was 2 chicken shit to ask
She highly doubted that.
9:26 PM [GravityGirlXO]: how do you know?
9:27 PM [Unknown_User]: just a lucky guess
Ochako had a hard time believing that she didn't get asked to the dance because people were too afraid to ask her out. Unknown was just being his normal, kind, supportive self. All the boys at school treated her like a little sister. It was something she used to find endearing. It's not so endearing anymore.
9:35 PM [Unknown_User]: listen GG, u don't have to go if u don't want to, but it would be a shame for u to miss out on those memories
9:35 PM [Unknown_User]: and it wouldn't be the same for ur friends without u there
9:36 PM [GravityGirlXO]: its okay, i dont have a dress to wear anyways
Ochako scrimped and saved for months before in order to have enough to buy a dress for the other dances. This time, she didn't bother, knowing she wasn't going to attend ahead of time. The state of her bank account was the only positive to not going.
With a glance at the clock, she quickly scanned her room to ensure she didn't forget anything. If she was going to make her train, she needed to have left five minutes ago.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Her dorm door was being assaulted with a heavy-handed fist. She felt it was Mina stopping by one last time to try to convince her to go to the dance. Her friend was having a hard time accepting Ochako was skipping it. She loved Mina more than life itself, but the girl could be pushy when she wanted something her way.
She was surprised to find no glimpse of pink as she opened the door. Instead, Sero and Kaminari greeted her with big smiles, dressed in their best party outfits. Behind them, Bakugou leaned against the wall with both hands in his pockets, a bag hanging off one wrist.
Bakugou's red button-down and black slacks were less formal than the other two, but he still managed to surpass them. Ochako thought it was thanks to his natural dominance. All eyes were on him when he was in a room despite who else occupied the space.
"Where do you think you're going lil lady? We've got a dance to go to!" Kaminari insisted.
"I'm not going, guys. I'm heading home for the weekend," she responded hesitantly while clutching her duffle bag closer, hoping they'd catch the hint that she was on her way out.
Her gaze bounced between the three boys. Bakugou's penetrating eyes narrowed on her bag. After years of being friends, she no longer faltered under his intense scrutiny, knowing he was only in deep thought. Not receiving the response they'd been anticipating, Sero and Kaminari began to sulk.
"But I came to ask you to the dance!" Kaminari whined.
"No way, dude! If she's going to the dance with anybody, it's going to be me ," Sero said with a teasing push to his friend's shoulder.
"She's going with all three of us, you fucksticks," Bakugou barked, successfully suppressing any further protesting from them.
Ochako didn't miss how he phrased it as a fact, not a question like she had already agreed to go with them.
"Bakugou, seriously—" she started to oppose, but he cut her off by tossing the bag he held at her.
The destination of the flying object: her face. Quick reflexes allowed her to catch it, but her confusion regarding the situation had her accidentally activating her quirk on the bag. Sero latched onto it before it floated to the ceiling.
Having the bag back in her possession, Ochako released her quirk with a muffled thank you. Bemused honey-brown eyes latched onto fierce ruby ones. All three of them were here to take her to the dance? Together? Bakugou included?
She didn't question their friendship, but she'd yet to see him partake in a sweet gesture like this. Even if he did toss a bag at her face. She'd remember to be annoyed at him for that once the confusion wore off.
"Pinky said you didn't have anything to wear. Lucky for you the old hag wanted to bum some free advertisement for this new design at the dance. So, if any of those extras ask, tell 'em where ya got it, kay?"
In her distress, Mina must have told the boys Ochako wasn't going to the dance, subsequently adding that she didn't have a dress to wear. Ochako peered into the bag. From what she could see, it carried a pink satin dress with white lace detailing. Her fingers dipped into the bag to trace the material in awe. Pretty.
"How do you know my size?" she asked Bakugou, which earned her a tch .
"I know all. Now, go! We don't have all damn night, Cheeks."
Present day
"Mina, what are we doing here?"
The pair made their way up the escalators toward the mall's food court. It was packed with the weekend crowd. Ochako's mouth watered at the aroma wafting from the Cinnabon they passed. If today turned out to be a letdown, and she fully expected it would be, at least she'd be returning home with a gooey cinnamon roll the size of her head.
"Picking up guys?" Mina sounded unsure of her answer.
When Ochako agreed to consider dating again, she was unprepared for her best friend's enthusiasm. Mina designated herself Ochako's wingwoman even though she had less dating experience than Ochako did. The woman had no idea how to pick up guys, as she phrased it. The last time Mina dated was as a teenager, which is how they ended up at the mall in the first place. Ochako wouldn't be falling for this trap a second time.
"I don't think the mall is the best place to be doing this. The guys here old enough to be dating me are either already with their significant other or shopping for their significant other."
"Not true! If we are going to find you a nice guy who also dresses snazzy, then this is the place to be. Stop being difficult and go pretend to shop in that department store while looking cute. Go, go!"
Mina shoved Ochako towards the department store in front of them. With a prayer for patience, Ochako made her way inside the store. What she wouldn't give to be at an outdoor mall where she could float away to her freedom. They seriously needed to find Mina a hobby.
Ochako scowled as she made her way through the racks of clothes, nauseated by the outrageous prices. Thoughts of how she was wasting her time kept her company as she wandered around the store. A bookstore right outside the entrance grabbed her attention. If she was quick, she could slip out and be back before Mina realized she was gone.
Immediately finding the manga section in the bookstore, Ochako knew she had made the right choice by sneaking off. On display was an extremely rare replica of the mask of the main characters from her favorite series. "Ekkk! So cool!" she squeaked.
Her excitement was a little too loud for bookstore standards and earned her a stern shhh from the store's owner. A deep baritone pulled her back to reality. "Right? Super rare item. They only made a hundred of these."
Standing beside her was a tall man with a kind smile. His dark shaggy hair matched his eyes, eyes that were studying the replica she was fangirling over. Her gaze didn't need to linger long to tell he was in great shape. She brushed off the attraction, far more interested in the item on display.
"The detail is insane," Ochako replied, barely contained excitement evident.
The man took notice and laughed as he asked, "It's safe to say you're a fan?"
"That's putting it lightly," she scoffed, "I've seen the whole series five times through."
This was really saying something because the series had a few hundred episodes by the time it was done being animated. The man whistled at her admission and told her, "That's commitment. I never thought I'd meet a bigger fan than myself. This series was my childhood."
Ochako studied him closer. He was cute and obviously had good taste in entertainment. Perhaps she owed Mina an apology for giving her so much grief over her mall strategy. Before Ochako could initiate further conversation with the man, Mina emerged around a bookshelf wearing her ornery face, telling Ochako trouble was coming.
"I should have known I'd find you here nerding out! Have you already abandoned the mission?" Mina scolded.
Nope, she was most definitely not getting an apology from Ochako.
"Mission?" the man asked.
Ochako couldn't fault him for being nosy because it was such an odd statement. She'd be curious herself if she was in his place. The man's question brought Mina's awareness to his presence. Ochako didn't like the implications behind the calculating expression on Mina's face one bit.
"Are you single?" Mina blurted out.
"Mina!"
The man drew out his response, clearly uncomfortable with the question. "Yes, I'm single."
"Do you have a job?" Mina demanded next.
"Oh my god, Mina!"
Ochako hadn't felt this embarrassed since high school. She could only imagine how awkward he felt. Shocked he hadn't booked it out of there yet, Ochako mouthed sorry at the man. "Yeah, I have a job. Am I being filmed for some game show or something?" he answered.
After a moment's thought, Mina nodded her head in approval. "Would you like to take my friend here out on a date?"
If the ground were to suddenly open up to swallow Ochako whole, she would gladly jump in. She could feel her face burning up in mortification. Even so, she found herself curious about the man's answer.
His eyebrows shot up to his hairline, which couldn't be a good indicator. He spoke to Ochako when he said, "Your friend's offer is really tempting, but I just got out of a long-term relationship, and I'm not ready to date."
She hadn't realized she was hoping he'd say yes until he said no.
"If you're interested," he quickly offered, "I'd like to be friends. It's rare to find somebody who is still such a hardcore fan of this series as I am. All the hype is over the newer series."
It felt like he was being sincere. Ochako figured she could never have enough friends, so she conceded. They exchanged phone numbers. Walking away, she glanced at the new contact in her phone that read Yo Shindou.
"Ochako, please don't be mad at me! I'm sorry, I won't do it again! My heart can't take it when we fight," Mina begged as they entered Kirishima's apartment, where the squad was hanging out together now that everybody was off shift for the night.
"You embarrassed me, Mina. I'm going to be pink for days," Ochako grumbled and touched her cheeks, feeling the heat from how badly she was blushing.
Denki and Sero sat at the bar devouring an extra large pizza while Bakugou and Kirishima lounged on the couch with a six-pack of beer. All eyes were on the girls when it became unmistakable that they were in the middle of an argument.
Mina plopped down in the armchair next to the couch with a pout, her fiancé eyeing her with worry. It was unusual for her and Ochako to be fighting. "I make poor decisions when I'm in crisis mode. You know this!"
Ochako's indignation wanted to point out that her relationship status was not considered a crisis. Still, if she was honest, she stopped being genuinely mad at Mina for her audacity on the train ride home. Although Ochako disagreed with Mina's approach, she realized Mina was only trying to protect Ochako in her own bizarre way.
Mina was concerned Ochako would be lonely when she moved out. And she wasn't wrong. Ochako was going to be lonely without Mina. She was a handful, but she was Ochako's handful.
"This is true," Sero commented from the bar. "We all remember the month after graduation when she signed the lease on the very first apartment she saw and ended up with 6 roommates."
Mina was eager to branch out on her own after graduation, and in her eagerness, she ended up signing the lease on a shady apartment that turned out to be a housing scam. 7 people, including Mina, signed the lease and paid the first month's rent on a 1 bedroom apartment. It was how Mina moved into Ochako's slightly larger 2 bedroom apartment, and they'd been roommates ever since.
"And when she dyed her hair green the following year when her parents moved to the states. She looked like a pack of Hubba Bubba gum," Denki added with a laugh.
Ochako thought Mina could pull off any look, but their friend group (Kirishima included) and the public didn't love Pinky's new style. She immediately dyed her hair back to her natural pink. Reminiscing on all of Mina's crazy antics had Ochako chuckling to herself. She sat on the couch's armrest next to the seat Bakugou occupied.
"Or that time when—" Sero started to say when Mina snapped at them that she wasn't asking for examples, threatening to bring up all the stupid things they've done over the years, in which there were also many.
Bakugou's muscled shoulder bumped Ochako's leg to get her attention. He wore an expression that silently asked if she was alright. He rarely voiced his concern but always checked in on his friends. He softened somewhat over the years, no longer having his unpredictable, aggressive behavior. Now, if he got violent with somebody, it was for a well-deserved reason.
Ochako told him she was okay with a wink, and he relaxed into the couch. "What in the hell did chaos incarnate do now?" he asked her around a swig of his beer.
"She asked a random guy at the mall to take me on a date, for me with me right there, as if I'm some pathetic loser who can't get her own dates," Ochako conveyed, silencing all chatter in the room.
Everybody besides Kirishima glared at Mina, who ran a tired hand down his face before telling her to run for it. Mina quirked a brow in confusion at the warning before Bakugou launched himself across the couch and snatched her ankles in a death grip, flipping her body upside down as he stood, dangling her like a doll.
Okaaay . She expected everybody to be on her side, but she didn't think Bakugou would have such a reaction. To Mina's credit, she wasn't bothered by his manhandling. Male or female, Bakugou didn't hold back when they pissed him off. He was fair like that.
"Before you all get the tar and feathers, hear me out," an upside-down Mina defended herself. "They're perfect for each other! He's as big of a nerd for that dang show as she is, so you know they probably have other things in common. Plus, the man was tall, fit, and beautiful. He checked all the marks."
"Should I feel threatened right now?" Kirishima teased.
"They looked cute together," Mina continued, ignoring Kirishima's quip, "I got excited, and although I may have been overzealous, I don't think I overstepped my bounds as her best friend."
"Your best friend says otherwise," Ochako deadpanned.
Bakugou deposited Mina on Kirishima's lap. She landed with a thud and a grunt from the redhead. Bakugou snatched his drink and chugged the rest of it, taking his frustrations out on the bottle. It piqued Ochako's interest that he seemed angrier than usual, but she dismissed it as annoyance towards their mutual friend.
Denki took Bakugou's seat and placed a comforting hand on Ochako's knee. "Don't tell us the man was stupid enough to turn you down?" he asked, sensing there was more to Ochako's frustration.
Her and Denki's relationship was different than her friendship with the other guys, or even Izuku, who remained one of her best friends to this day. They became close overnight and have been close ever since. While they worked at the same hero agency, they didn't get to see each other as often as they used to when he started dating Jirou a few months back.
Ochako was aware of Denki's massive crush on Jirou in high school, not that he was secretive about it. When Ochako ran into Jirou at a hero gala, she decided to play matchmaker for her friends. They never would have worked out before; Denki had some major growing up to do before Jirou would have ever contemplated dating him. Now they were perfect for each other.
"He's not looking for a relationship. He said he just wanted to be friends. So basically, he turned me down. This whole thing has me second-guessing if I'm ready to start dating again. Today wasn't exactly an ego booster for me."
She was no longer that insecure girl from high school who was upset that nobody asked her to the school dance. Ochako celebrated the strong woman she'd grown into, but rejection wasn't easy for anybody to swallow, no matter how kindly Shindou had done so.
"Don't let that damn fool diminish your worth," Bakugou muttered.
Ochako smiled at him and the harsh lines of the anger twisting his face softened.
"Bakugou's right, babe! We know plenty of great guys to set you up with. We'll find you the right one," Denki declared.
"That is not what I fucking said!" Bakugou thundered, causing Denki to shrink back into the couch. All these years later and nobody liked being the cause of Dynamight's ire.
A look passed between Kirishima and Bakugou that Ochako missed. She was too busy considering Denki's blind date proposition. She concluded that she would never find somebody if she didn't put herself out there and admitted, "I guess that's better than scouring the mall for men to turn me down."
Sero asked Mina what the heck the two of them were doing at the mall to begin with. She spat back that it was a perfectly fine place to pick up guys and begged everybody to get off her back about it before snuggling into Kirishima's side to be left alone.
"Technically, the guy turned Mina down since you didn't ask in the first place," Sero reminded Ochako.
Bakugou grumbled another obscenity about the guy under his breath. How he acted brought back to mind how he handled the Sen cheating incident. He was quick to anger, so she didn't pay it any mind. They may argue, but he'd be as protective of Mina if she wasn't already dating his best friend.
Denki beamed at Ochako and said, "It's settled then! I know the perfect guy to set you up with. When are you free next?"
Ochako smiled back at him and then frowned, remembering something very important. She never got her cinnamon roll.
A/N: Things are going to get kind of rough before they get better for them, but I promise to balance out the angst with fluff. Thank you for reading! :)