I'm glad you called [Pride Month 2023]

“I’m so glad you called,” Ochako said, her words quick and light and filling Izuku with a knowing sense of dread. “There’s this club-”

“Ochako,” Izuku whined. “Please don’t do this to me again.”

“Hear me out!” Ochako insisted. “There’s this club, and I’ve been there before, it was super cool, great vibes, even better music, and it’s specifically for queer people.”

“I know what a gay bar is, Ochako.”

“You’ve never seen a gay bar like this place, I promise. And, since I’m such a good friend, tonight I’m gonna be your wingman!”

“What? Why? No!”

“Izuku, it’s been a year,” Ochako sighed. “You’ve gotta put yourself out there at some point!”

Had it really been that long? Izuku couldn’t remember, but he was pretty sure Ochako had to be exaggerating. It wasn’t like he was pining for some old boyfriend, anyway; he just... hadn’t met anyone who piqued his interest like that. Was it such a crime to be dedicated to his work and his friends and family instead of going out every weekend to search for a date who may or may not even know who All Might was?

“Exactly,” Ochako said, when he didn’t answer right away. “So have a light dinner, get dressed up all cute, and I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

She hung up before he could answer, whether it be to argue or agree – honestly he wasn’t even sure himself which one it would have been– and for a moment he just stood there, his hand slowly dropping away from his ear. In the middle of his chilly spare bedroom, he stared at the phone in his hand, now silent, as the screen timed out and turned black.

“I just wanted to ask if I could borrow your spare heater...”

───

The music was loud and intense, the bass thumping so hard that the entire building shook with it, and Izuku felt stupidly out of place as he looked around at all the beautiful men and women on the dance floor. Ochako had already dragged him over to talk to four different guys, and while they’d all seemed nice enough, he just hadn’t... connected. Maybe some people could pick someone out of a crowd, go “that guy is hot”, and be happy to take him home for no other reason, but Izuku just seemed to lack that gene.

Ochako shoved another drink in his hand, and he sipped it obediently, grimacing at the strong taste of alcohol drowning out anything else that might have been mixed with it. He should have known it had been a bad idea to let her place the orders, she always wanted to get him tipsy as quickly as possible so he’d “loosen up a little” when she tried to shove him at cute guys.

“Anyone catching your eye?” she asked, leaning heavily into his side. “That tall one over there is handsome, with the glasses.”

Izuku shrugged, but Ochako refused to give up.

“Or the one over there with the dark hair? His shoulders look super strong, I bet his arms are nice too, don’t you think?”

He knew he should have appreciated the way she took his taste into account, always looking for things he’d noticed about people before, but something about just staring at guys in a crowd felt so weird to him, like he was just in a pet store picking out a new kitten, or something.

“Let’s go dance,” she suggested finally. “Maybe someone will come say hi!”

And so they did, except in the sweaty, sticky, mass of writhing bodies, it was not Izuku who was being greeted by random strangers. Understandably, of course, considering he was just a plain, awkward dude making no effort at all and Ochako was a gorgeous young lady in a very short skirt. She had girls all over her from the moment she stepped through the doors, even though she made a valiant effort to focus on Izuku instead – well, sometimes.

When a girl with pink hair approached them, he knew his wingman was officially gone – not that he really minded that part, even if it did leave him third-wheeling for what would likely be the rest of the night. He didn’t know what the pair was talking about, but they were leaning in close and giggling a lot, so clearly it was going well.

He followed a few steps behind when they began to worm their way out of the crowd, toward the bar where things were a tiny bit quieter, and after a minute Ochako looked back, visibly relieved to see him standing there – she’d clearly forgotten he existed for a few minutes there.

“This is Mina,” she said with a soft smile, gesturing toward the pink-haired girl who waved excitedly. “Are you ready for another drink?”

“No, I’m good,” Izuku smiled awkwardly, holding up his half-full glass. “I’m still working my way through the last one.”

The drink had gone warm in his hand as they danced, and he was ready to ditch it as soon as she was sufficiently distracted, but she didn’t need to know that.

When the giggling pair disappeared into the crowd again, this time, Izuku stayed behind. He couldn’t face the idea of standing there beside two cute, flirting girls, just awkwardly trying to look like he was having fun while they ignored him entirely. He was glad Ochako was having fun, but he was really wishing she’d just come out without him, let him stay at home with a blanket and a bowl of ice cream and a movie about old comic book heroes.

“Fuckin’ typical.”

The mutter came from beside him, and he jumped, eyes darting over to see an unimpressed expression on an otherwise flawless face. He leaned back against the bar, elbows resting on the top without a care in the world for the people reaching past him to get their drinks, and his eyes were locked on the dance floor.

“You here with Pink Cheeks?” he asked, without looking up.

“Ochako,” Izuku corrected him, though his lips twitched toward a smile. “Are you here with... Mina, was it?”

The man grunted his agreement, and Izuku nodded, looking out at where the pair was already grinding all over each other. They seemed to be having a blast, despite how Izuku thought it looked like torture, and the man’s expression seemed to imply it was equally distasteful in his mind.

“Ochako was supposed to be my wingman tonight,” Izuku smiled wryly. “I didn’t ask her to, but she insisted, went on about how it’s been too long or whatever and demanded I come out with her to meet a guy.”

The man snorted, but Izuku didn’t take offence, just glanced over at the piercing red eyes that still watched their friends intently.

“Same,” he said finally. “I don’t really... date and shit. Mina constantly drags me out here to try.”

“Two peas in a pod,” Izuku grinned, nodding his head toward a collection of bar stools off in a corner. “Do you um... want to hang out while we wait?”

“Sure.”

The blond man led the way, finding them two stools on an edge, where they could keep an eye on their friends. It felt oddly like babysitting, but at least Izuku had company, for once, as he did it.

“She’s so incompetent,” the man huffed, shaking his head slowly. “Talks such a big game about being the best wingman around, but can’t even keep her shit in her pants long enough to look at a dude.”

“At least they’re having fun,” Izuku chuckled. “What’s Mina like? When she’s not drunk in a gay bar, I mean.”

The man shrugged at first, not answering, but Izuku just waited patiently, giving him time to think.

“Massive extrovert,” he said eventually. “Always so... bright and excitable. But a perfectionist, too, underneath all the easy-going bravado.”

“She sounds like fun.”

“If you’re into that kind of thing.”

“I guess we all have our designated extroverts,” Izuku chuckled. “Someone to drag us out of the house occasionally.”

“I somehow got stuck with about four of the bastards.”

Izuku laughed brightly, and the man cracked a smile when he glanced over, watching Izuku’s glee.

“Let me get you a drink,” he said, as he rose to his feet. “What do you want?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t do shit I don’t want to do.”

Izuku smiled again, nodding faintly, and looked up at that intense ruby gaze.

“Honestly, something non-alcoholic would be great? If that’s okay?”

“You got it, nerd.”

─────

“Call meeeeee,” Mina insisted, fingers linked with Ochako’s for as long as humanly possible, even as the blond man dragged her away. “Don’t forget!”

“I’ll call you as soon as I get home,” Ochako promised, stumbling and falling into Izuku’s side heavily. “If you gave me a fake number I’m gonna- I’m gonna... Cry.”

“I didn’t!” Mina assured her, blowing kisses as the man tugged at her other arm. “Talk to you soon, babyyyy!”

“Miss you already, love bugggg!”

Izuku flashed a tiny wave with his free hand, the other one keeping Ochako vaguely upright, and the blond man nodded in return, lips twitching toward a smile. Izuku grinned back, warmth flooding his face despite the chill of the night. Part of him wanted to say something – to offer his number, or ask to hang out again – but his voice refused to obey, his brain repeatedly reminding him that he was just a friend for the night, someone to laugh about their friends with, as they watched them have fun together. It was nothing more than that, and as much as he’d had fun, it was just that. Fun. Solidarity for their experiences with their friends. Nothing more.

With a last little smile over his shoulder, Izuku led the way back to his apartment, wrangling Ochako into an elevator and up to his front door. She spent the entire time gushing about Mina, about her new cotton candy princess and whatever other weird nicknames she came up with in her drunken stupor, and Izuku, at least, could be glad that she’d met someone so special.

“Drink,” he instructed, putting a bottle of water in her hand. “Or you’ll have a nasty headache.”

She sucked on the bottle obediently, letting Izuku usher her to the spare room, and chuckling to himself when she shivered.

“I need to borrow your spare heater,” he said softly, as he helped her get into the blankets. “My Mom is coming to stay, and this room gets too cold.”

“Anything for my best friend,” she mumbled, snuggling in comfortably. “Thanks for coming out, Izuku.”

“You’re welcome,” Izuku smiled fondly, switching out the lights. “See you in the morning.”

He could hear her snoring before he even made it into his own room, finally stripping off his too-tight jeans and annoying button-up shirt, slipping into his own bed with a contented sigh.

It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, too, but his dreams were plagued by a familiar face, by smooth skin and fiery eyes and biceps the size of Izuku’s head. Ochako would never have believe him if he’d said it, but he genuinely hadn’t noticed just how attractive Mina’s friend had been. He’d had a good time just chatting, and had been delighted when the guy had brought up comic books – even more so when they’d spent an hour just talking about All Might. His dream-brain seemed to think that they were a perfect match, that they were meant to meet, but he knew that was just weird sleep-thoughts speaking, like the way he’d once flown in a spaceship made of chocolate ice-cream.

When he eventually woke up to the sunrise beyond his open curtains (damn his tired tipsy brain for forgetting to close them), feeling all groggy and dried out, he dutifully dragged himself to the spare room to check on Ochako. She was already awake, rubbing at her temples, and she groaned when she saw Izuku smiling down at her.

“I’m so sorry,” she started immediately. “I swear I had all the best intentions in the world, I was so hyped up to find you some sweet, gorgeous guy that you adored. I don’t know what happened, my brain just stopped functioning properly, and I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Izuku assured her, sitting down lightly on the end of the bed. “You and Mina seemed to really click, I’m happy I could play a small part in you getting to meet her!”

“You’re way too nice to me.”

“I call dibs on being Best Man when you two get married, though.”

“Of course! You would be anyway! But definitely, to make up for last night! I’m just... mortified. I can’t believe I let you down like that.”

“You didn’t let me down,” Izuku objected. “You had a great time and met someone special, I don’t mind waiting a little longer to find someone like that for myself!”

“But it should have been you.”

“I’m fine, I promise.”

She seemed so upset by it, so disappointed in herself, that Izuku found himself speaking without thinking about the words that were spilling out of him.

“I actually met someone, anyway. It’s nothing big, but he was very cute, and funny.”

“What?!” Ochako sat bolt upright, her headache immediately forgotten. “Who?! What’s his name?! How did you meet?! Is he hot?!”

“I didn’t... get his name,” Izuku admitted sheepishly. “I chickened out, I guess.”

“What?! Noooo! I should have been there to make you do it!”

“It’s okay! Really! I had a fun night, that’s what matters!”

“But what if that guy was the one, Izuku?! And you missed out because of me!”

“If he’s the one, we’ll meet again!”

Ochako was so distraught by the thought, her eyes all shiny with unfallen tears as she lamented the loss, and Izuku didn’t know what he could possibly say to make it better – it seemed like his attempts had only made things worse so far.

“At least tell me what he looked like,” she said finally, sighing. “I can keep an eye out for him, and we can go back to that club every night until we see him again.”

“Don’t go that far!” Izuku laughed. “I mean it, it’s okay. I mean yeah, I’m disappointed in myself, but it’s not your fault I missed out, and what are the chances that he was the one, anyway? It probably would have gone south within five minutes.”

“But what did he look like?”

Izuku smiled faintly, shaking his head, and finally looked over to meet her gaze.

“You met him, kind of,” he shrugged. “Tall, blond, bright red eyes. He was there with your Mina. We spent the night hanging out and watching over you two.”

Ochako’s eyes widened, and she shoved her hand in his face, making him flinch backward before she slapped the hell out of him. On her palm was a slightly smudged line of ink, and when he leaned back a little more to find space to focus, he saw a set of numbers written carefully on her hand.

“I can get his number!” she explained, all her disappointment gone in an instant. “I can ask Mina for you!”

Despite himself, Izuku couldn’t help but perk up a little at the suggestion – he should have known Ochako would have gotten Mina’s number. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost, after all. Even if it ended instantly, even if the guy wasn’t interested in getting in touch, at least he could say he’d tried.

Ochako snatched her handbag from the other side of the bed, rifling through it until she found her phone, and Izuku had to resist the urge to dive on her to stop it – the sun was barely up, for crying out loud! She couldn’t ask for his number so early in the morning!

“Ochako!” he began. “It can wait!”

She ignored him, which he really should have expected, but before she could finish writing the text, her phone began to ring. She blinked at it at first, confused, and Izuku found himself cursing the thing – knowing their luck, they were about to get called into work for some big emergency, hungover and exhausted.

“Hello?”

Ochako spoke into the device, pausing for a moment before a smile began to slowly spread across her face. She waited, not explaining herself despite the curious looks Izuku shot her way, then finally she held the phone out toward him without a word.

“H-Hello?” he squeaked, holding it to his ear. “Izuku speaking?”

The voice on the other end was gruff, and a little stilted, like the owner was incredibly embarrassed by the words leaving his lips, couldn’t believe he was even saying them out loud.

“Mina says I have to ask for your number, this time.”

Izuku froze, jaw dropping, and when he glanced over at Ochako again, she burst into a fit of giggles. It made a nice change from the near-tears state only a few minutes prior, he had to admit. She was so delighted, so excited on his behalf, and Izuku couldn’t help but soften a little, smiling to himself, too.

“Hi,” Izuku said softly. “I’m glad you called.”