Operation Izuocha (Izuku x Ochaco Fic)

Chapter 8: Hopeless

As Ochaco and Izuku approached the half hour mark before curfew they figured it'd be a good time to wrap up and go home. After the rocky start, their evening had been filled with laughter and fun. When they weren't a couple of flustered balls of goop, they got along quite well.

"It's getting late. I'll ask the waiter for our bills, so we can leave," said Ochaco.

"How' bout you let me get this one," Izuku said, recalling the instructions his mom gave him, had he ever managed to get to this point. He still remembered the day she found out.

Flashback

A few months ago, Izuku and his mother were having dinner.

"You know Izuku, you're getting older now, don't you think its about time you had a girlfriend?" asked Inko.

"Huh?!? Well... I don't know..." Izuku said, getting shy, "I never really gave it any thought before, guess I could never really be bothered with that stuff."

Izuku felt uncomfortable talking about this with his mom, it definitely wasn't something they did often. Although, the topic did automatically make his mind shift to Ochaco. He'd had feelings for her for a while now, but he didn't think there was any way they would ever be reciprocated. Still, the concept of them being a couple always seemed to make him feel giddy.

"Is that so?" she said, reading him like an open book, "nobody you've got your eye on?"

It was apparent in her tone that she knew more than she was letting on.

"What?! NO! NOBODY AT ALL! I already told you, I can't be bothered!" he said, face turning pink.

"Could it be that girl who came over once to study with you and Iida? Oh, she was so sweet-"

"No! Mom you-"

"What was her name again? Ura-"

"I told you we-!"

"Uraraka?"

"MOM!"

Izuku's face looked like a tomato by this point; he hadn't told his mom about his feelings for this very reason. He really couldn't handle the teasing. What's even worse is that, knowing his mom, she wouldn't be finished until she interrogated him on ever little detail.

"Oh, I'm just messing with you honey, I already knew," said Inko.

"What...you did?! How?"

"I saw that you'd written her name all over one of your notebooks while I was cleaning your room," she admitted.

"Seriously?!" he said covering his face with his arms and leaning over onto the table, even more embarrassed than before.

Inko laughed, not helping the situation. Then got up to take their empty plates to the sink.

"Oh honey. You're hopeless," she said.

Izuku picked up his head and looked at his mom in defeat.

"I know."

End Flashback

Izuku had made sure to give their waiter a generous tip before leaving. He felt like, in a small way, he owed it to the guy for getting to be in his first relationship.

"The food sure was good tonight, huh?" said Ochaco, as they stepped out of the restaurant, "thanks again for paying."

"No problem," replied Izuku.

They were now on their way back to the dorms, it was about a ten-minute walk from the restaurant. Izuku was getting nervous as he thought about the manner in which a typical first date ended.

"S-so Uraraka-" he started, trying to make conversation without sounding nervous.

"Ochaco"

"Huh?"

"You can call me Ochaco now... if you'd like," she said, with a light blush.

"Huh, what?! Umm, ok!" he said, rather frantic.

"So, um...Ochaco," he managed, mouth dryer than sandpaper, "you decided who you're going to write about for your history of heroes paper?"

Izuku wondered how long it would be before he could call her that without feeling self-conscious.

"Nahh.. not yet..." she said, voice trailing off.

He wondered what had her so distracted.

Right now, all Ochaco could focus on was the breeze she would feel every time their hands swayed past each other as they walked. It was so close, if she reached out just a few inches they'd be touching. She wanted to hold his hand more than anything but... she was nervous.

Izuku suddenly noticed what was holding Ochaco's attention. If he was being honest with himself, he'd thought about it too. They were a couple now; he'd asked her to be his girlfriend himself. They should be holding hands but... he was nervous.

Both teens tilted their heads away from the other, reaching out until the tips of their hands were touching. The contact made Izuku blush. Slowly, they linked their pinkies, continued till both palms were overlapped, and closed their grasps so that one hand was safely inside the other.

"..."

Neither of them could speak. Instead, they swam in the warmth of a silence, the beauty of the dark, empty path; illuminated only be a few street lamps.

Why is my heart beating so fast? thought Izuku, she touched my hand before, right?

His hand...is so warm, Ochaco noticed to herself, and I can feel the scars left from the battles he's fought.

"Ochaco?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really happy to be here with you," whispered Izuku, hiding behind his hair.

"Me too."

After what felt like an eternity of silence, they arrived back at Heights Allice with five minutes to spare. Each teen hesitantly released the other's hand. Izuku held the door for Ochaco as they both walked inside. The common area was dead, not a single person was left. There was no light other than what the moon provided, streaming in from the windows.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," said Ochaco.

Izuku felt himself getting increasingly anxious. This was it. He knew what was coming, he'd bet anything she did too. This was the part of the night he'd been dreading.

"Yah...same." He replied, palms starting to sweat.

There was a pause

"So..."

"So..."

Ochaco felt like she should give him an opening in case he was unsure of what she wanted. She fluttered her eyes shut and began leaning towards Izuku.

He thought about how beautiful she looked, standing there in the moonlight; when all the sudden, he noticed she was beginning to close her eyes. Oh no, he thought as his heart rate increased causing his face to go red.

She leaned closer.

Wait, I'm not ready yet. What if I'm bad? What if I mess things up?

Their faces were just inches apart.

I CAN'T KISS HER!

"Well goodnight!" blurted Izuku, before racing off to the staircase, leaving Ochaco there alone.

She was shocked. Did that just happen? Does he not want to kiss me? She thought, heart sinking.

Ugh, I'm so stupid! Izuku thought as he ran up the stairs, I can't believe I just ran away like that! When he reached his room, Izuku collapsed on the bed.

"She must hate me," he said to himself.

He despised how nervous and awkward he was when it came to this stuff. It's no wonder he hadn't had his first kiss yet. Nevertheless, he cared about Ochaco. He just hoped that he hadn't messed things up too bad.