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“Alright, so how long are we going to stand here staring at a stranger?”
Izuku hushed him, slapping a hand over Shouto’s face.
“I wanted to make sure he wasn’t seeing anyone.”
Shouto made a face, “How long have you been spying on this guy?”
“I just saw him yesterday.”
Shouto rolled his eyes and sighed.
“Just ask him out.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I don’t have the charisma you have. All you had to do was look at Camie and say ‘do ya wanna’ and she was swooning over you,” Izuku hissed.
His friend smirked, “It’s not charisma Izuku. It’s called being confident.”
“I have plenty of confidence!”
“Is that why we’re hiding in the history section, holding the books we pulled out to spy on him through the bookcases? That’s some weird confidence-
Izuku glared at him.
The guy they were staring at had a small pile of books beside him with a notebook and a few pens. He had been listening to music while studying. Yesterday, Izuku walked by him, with his nose in a book about quantum mechanics, ready to check it out. When he left the check out desk he had dropped the giant book onto the ground almost hitting his foot.
Izuku bent over, picked up the book when he saw the purple haired young guy. He was studying marine biology books with headphones on. Their eyes had met for a split second.
He had dark purple eyes.
He gave Izuku a smirk and a small wave causing him to turn bright red in embarrassment.
He might have squealed….
He might have blacked out after that. He couldn't remember with his brain short circuiting like it did.
“You want me to say something to him?”
“No!”
Shouto scratched his head.
“Izuku, we’re twenty years old. Why are we watching someone like this? Isn’t it a felony or something?”
“I have to be sure he’s not seeing anyone! I don’t want to make the same mistake like when I went out with Nejire. I didn’t know she was dating that girl, Himiko.”
“So no part of you thought it was weird that for the whole ten month span you weren’t allowed to sleep over, keep anything at her house and she refused to come to your house during the night unless ‘she had the night off’ when she worked during the day?”
“I usually love your bluntness but right now it’s irritating.”
Shouto smirked.
“Love you too buddy. Just go say hi to him!”
“No, no! You know what- I have a plan.”
“What’s your plan?” Shouto asked with a bored look on his face.
“I’m going to hang in the library with my own headphones on and study. He’s been coming here about the same time between the last two days.”
“We live in apartments on a college campus. No shit sherlock.”
Izuku’s smile dropped, “Why are we friends?”
“No one can stand your muttering and your cheeriness. No one can stand me because I speak my mind and my resting bitch face makes them uncomfortable.”
Izuku snorted softly. He pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing.
“You could actually study and casually glance at him.”
“I…. Yea. I mean…. I’m passing all my classes anyways. I can just work on that thesis for the end of the year.”
“That’s the biggest, annoying thing about you,” Shouto said with a sigh as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I’ll take this week to observe before I make a move.”
“I look forward to that notebook of ramblings.”
“H-hey! S-shut up!”
Izuku glared at him and put the book back.
Day 1
Izuku peeked into the library. It looked like the purple haired guy hadn’t showed up yet. He chewed the inside of his cheek before going inside. He took a seat at the table facing the one his crush would be sitting at. He placed his bag down before heading over the section of the library he needed his books from and sat down.
His plan was going great….. Until he got so into studying that he completely ignored the guy when he came in ten minutes later with his stuff. The purple haired guy saw Izuku, remembering him from when dropped that physics book on the ground. The green haired guy was so into his studies he never looked up for him to wave at him.
Izuku’s crush worked there for two hours before Izuku remembered why he was there in the first place. Izuku looked up in time to see the purple haired guy leaving the library with all his things. Izuku proceeded to bang his forehead against the table top.
Idiot!
X
“So…. How did it go?” Shouto asked, looking up from his manga.
“I studied so hard I ignored him.”
Shouto snorted, watching his friend lay in the middle of his living room, face down on the carpet.
“Fuckin’ shit nerd. Why didn’t ya just ask the guy out?!” Katsuki said walking into the living room with a cup of hot coffee.
“He’s trying to avoid another Nejire incident.”
“Well, that bitch was a hoe. I don’t see why you’re still agonizing over it.”
The blonde started sipping his coffee.
“I just felt so bad I broke up a couple when Himiko was so nice.”
“That wasn’t your fault dumbass. She was a skank who wanted to have and eat her cake. Get the fuck over it already.”
Izuku turned his head on the carpet.
“I’m not like you two. I can’t just ask someone out. I’ve been with two people my whole life. I can’t imagine anyone would want to deal with me.”
“If Ochako can stand my fucking ass for three years now, you have a chance at being happy with another nerd. Quit throwing a fuckin’ pity party for yourself. It’s annoying and I’ve only been here twenty minutes.”
Shouto snickered.
“Same here. You met Camie and how expressive she is. She even told me at one point I had the personality of a brick but she loves me anyways. I’ve only been with Camie.”
Katsuki choked on his coffee, “W-what? You’ve only been with that blonde bitch? That’s it?!”
“She’s not a bitch and yes.”
Shouto picked back up his book with a smile on his face.
“She gets my sense of humor.”
The blonde gave him a weird look with an eyebrow cocked up.
“I can try again tomorrow!” Izuku said loudly, “I can do better tomorrow!”
“Maybe find a book that’s less riveting.”
“That’s impossible for a fuckin’ nerd like him. He would look at a fucking children’s book and find the meaning of life in it.”
Shouto snorted while Izuku groaned loudly.
Day 2
Ok, don’t focus so hard!
Izuku cracked his fingers as he went towards the college library. He was sure this time things would go well this time! He walked into the library to see there was a reading group going on. Professor Yamada was reading with some of the students while they took notes.
Oh shit, I forgot he did that…..
His eyes landed on his crush sitting against the wall with his stuff around him. He was busy listening to his music and scratching things down in his notebook. Izuku sat against the wall about thirty feet away from him. He did his best to watch the guy but he seemed so focused on working he didn’t text anyone.
Izuku could see him tap the screen of his phone once in a while but that was it.
He sighed softly. He was hoping he would do something worthwhile but the guy seemed to just study the whole time whenever he looked. Izuku frowned.
Good thing I’m not going to school for stake outs or cop work. I would never make it.
He snapped his book shut. For once in his life, he couldn’t concentrate on his own stuff.
Maybe I should just ask…. Maybe Kacchan was right for once…. Well, sometimes he’s right more often.
He tapped his chin.
What should I say? Where do people go on dates? I haven’t been with anyone in over a year and we didn’t really go out in public. What doesn’t sound too childish to go to? Pizza at the park? Maybe a movie? Is that too juvenile?
As he continued his internal dilemma, his crush finished his work and left the library. Izuku didn’t figure it out until forty two minutes after the guy left.
X
“You’re a dumbass Deku, jesus christ.”
Shouto only snickered.
Day 3
Izuku arrived about twenty minutes after the guy should’ve been there. He really needed to get his name at some point. He looked around but didn’t see him anywhere. He pouted slightly but sat down and worked on his thesis. He was ten minutes in when a paper coffee cup appeared in front of his face.
He jumped, almost fell back in his chair but he caught himself. He was shocked to see Ochako standing there. She gave him a big smile and sat down across from him.
“Hey. I didn’t know you came here to study until Kat told me.”
Izuku watched as she started pulling out her books on art history. He still couldn’t believe someone as beautiful as Ochako would want someone like Katsuki…. That was until he watched them spar when they went to the gym together and she knocked his ass out with one hit.
Shouto had stood up and cheered loudly for her when he hit the mat.
Good times.
“Well…..” Izuku started to say but he trailed off.
“Ah…. So who is it?” she asked.
“Who is what?”
“Your crush. Where is he?”
Izuku pouted slightly.
“He’s not here.”
“That sucks.”
She sipped her coffee slowly watching for him a moment.
“What does he look like?”
“Purple hair, dark purple eyes…. They remind me of a thunderstorm….”
Ochako looked thoughtful for a second before she smiled.
“Wow. What about his ass?”
“Ochako!” he hissed, his face heating up, “I haven’t looked!”
She grinned, “You know what…. I think you should ask him out. Kat is right this time- you're making a big deal out of nothing. He said you should stop being a dumbass.”
Izuku dropped his head on the table.
“Ugggghhhh.”
Day 4
“This is fuckin’ terrible,” Katsuki said, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Why are dragging the nerd to our art class?”
Ochako smiled, “Because! I want to show him something!”
“I’m literally right behind you guys,” Izuku said with a groan.
Katsuki pulled out his left hand and gave him the middle finger. Ochako pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the art classroom door. They walked inside to see a blonde guy painting. He looked up to see the three friends walk in.
“Hey Ochako! You wanna check out my painting?”
“Oh my god! Is it the one where some of us modeled?”
He nodded. Ochako rushed to his side leaving Izuku and Katsuki standing there.
“I hate that fuckin’ guy.”
“Who is he?”
“Neito Monoma. He uses Ochako for a lot of his references. He makes comics and has her pose all the time. He uses her and that purple haired freak.”
“Huh?”
Just like that, Izuku’s crush came out of the back room carrying a ceramic sculpture of a whale shark. The thing was three feet long at least and unpainted. He grabbed the blonde’s arm, digging his fingers in.
“The fuck ass wipe?!”
Ochako and Neito looked up to see Katsuki backing away from Izuku whose face turned an unhealthy shade of red. Izuku high tailed out of the art classroom and skipped the rest of his classes. Izuku laid on his couch watching sad, romance movies curled up under a blanket.
Who would’ve thought my crush would be in Ochako and Kacchan’s class! That means they know his name!
Day 5
“Hey.”
Izuku’s eyes snapped open to Shouto crouching beside his bed, poking his cheek. He screamed, scrambling to get away from him.
“Fuck! Why do you do that?!” Izuku shouted, trying to untangle his legs from the sheets.
“I missed you yesterday. Normally we go to chemistry and human anatomy together then get a milkshake but you didn’t show up. You didn’t text me either so that’s why I made it my mission to see if you were fine. Ochako said you had a minor panic attack and ran out.”
Izuku groaned and just rolled off the bed onto the floor.
“I don’t want to go back to the library. I made myself look stupid.”
“Ah, well it couldn’t be that bad. You’ve done dumber things.”
“You’re really a great friend, Shouto.”
“I try.”
Izuku looked up to see Shouto peeking down at him from the mattress.
“Why couldn’t I be good looking like you or Kacchan? I look like a toddler!”
“Izuku, you work out three times a week, you have muscles and you’re smart. Super villain, take over the world smart. Having a cute, freckled face isn’t a bad thing.”
“Ughhhh!”
“Let’s go to the library together.”
“Do I have to?”
“Today is your free day and I don’t have a class until six tonight. After that, I’m spending the night with Camie. She finally finished her modeling sessions and has two weeks off.”
“Finnne.”
“I’ll watch him and see if he looks at you. How does that sound?”
X
Izuku hid behind Shouto like it was going to do something with him being at least an inch taller. The two of them walked past Izuku’s crush, Shouto eyeballing the guy making it obvious. Izuku sat down with his back towards the purple haired guy and Shouto sat facing the guy.
Only five minutes in, Izuku was sweating nervously. He continued to wipe his hands against his pants. He couldn't think about anything else.
Shit….
Izuku saw his phone vibrate and Shouto’s name popped up on the screen. He picked up the phone and looked at the message.
He’s looking at you.
OH SHIT OH SHIT
His phone went off again.
Are you going to pass out?
Izuku shook his head slowly and started flipping through pages of his book. He needed to read but he glanced at Shouto seeing the clear amusement on his face. He was enjoying this way too much.
That asshole.
His phone went off again.
He’s a marine biologist major. He looks tired.
Izuku stared at his friend with a questioning glance.
He’s looking at you again, tilting his head.
Oh shit.
He’s getting up-
He’s looking at you!
Izuku’s heart was racing.
“Um, hey.”
Izuku stiffened up before turning his head to the side. The deep voice in fact was his crush- the first time he heard the guy talk. The guy rubbed the back of his neck looking away.
“H-h-hi.”
“Sorry, I was wondering if you had a pen I could borrow? My pen ran out of ink.”
“Yea!”
Izuku reached into his bag and pulled out a rainbow of colors for him to pick one. The guy picked out the green color, close to Izuku’s hair color.
“Oh, green is my favorite color. Thanks.”
Shouto held a book over his face, his body shaking while trying to hold back his laughter. Izuku moved his mouth open and close but couldn’t say anything.
“I also… wanted to make sure you were ok. My posing partner and her asshole were fussing over your sudden disappearance. Are you feeling better?”
“Yea- stomach bug. It just hit me but ya know…. I felt better after taking a dump.”
The guy’s eyes widened and Shouto dropped the book on the table before smacking his face down on it. His shoulders were shaking so hard the table was moving.
I want to crawl into a hole and die.
“Oh well um… glad you’re feeling better. I’ll return the pen later… If that’s ok?”
Izuku nodded numbly, “O-ok, cool.”
“I’m Hitoshi,” he said, holding out a hand.
Izuku shook his hand, “Izuku. N–nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. Thanks for the pen. Talk to you later.”
“Y-yea.”
Hitoshi packed up his stuff and left the library rather quickly. Shouto raised his head, wiping tears from his flushed face.
“You asshole!” Izuku hissed.
That’s all it took for Shouto to burst out into hysterical laughter that got them kicked out for the rest of the day.
Day 6
Izuku finished his classes, ignoring the library. He couldn’t face Hitoshi after that embarrassing display of stupidity yesterday. He was wondering when God was going to just kill him to end his misery. He was forever going to be the guy who said he shit in a toilet to the hottest guy Izuku had ever met. Of all the word vomit he could spout, it had to be that.
Katsuki had come over last night and the moment he opened the door for his blonde friend, the guy lost his shit and laughed for ten minutes straight before he could calm down. He actually puked a little from laughing so hard. The only person who was sympathetic was Ochako who managed to not laugh when facing him…. Though she did smile a lot.
Much to his luck, God wasn’t done with embarrassing him. Ochako caught him when he was heading for his apartment to hide away in shame.
“Come on! Neito needs someone to pose who has muscles.”
“What-
“He has a muscular villain he wants to draw. He needs someone as reference.”
“But-
“No buts!”
X
Neito placed his hands on his hips.
“Thanks for doing this. I plan to treat Ochako to a cheesecake from her favorite bakery.”
“No problem.”
Izuku looked nervously at Ochako who sat down at a desk behind Neito.
“Just flex a little and move around. Can…. can you take off your shirt?”
His face started burning red but he did as he was asked.
“Holy shit! How in the hell?!” Neito hissed, eyeing his body.
Ochako snorted as she continued sketching.
“Can you come in here more often? I’ll bribe you with whatever you want! How can you hide a ripped body like that?” the blonde asked, looking amazed, “Bakugou doesn’t even look that good!”
“I-I don’t know.”
Neito started sketching quickly. He asked Izuku to pose a few times. After a little while, he managed to relax and the guy managed to talk Izuku out of his pants so he was in his boxer flexing when the art room door opened up. Izuku didn’t even hear the door open up but he heard something hit the floor. He turned around to see Hitoshi had spit water on himself and dropped his water bottle on the floor in shock.
OH MY GOD
Izuku took off for the drying room for the ceramic items the art students made and tried hiding. It worked well for about five minutes until the door opened up and Ochako called out to him.
“I just wanna die in here- please.”
Ochako laughed.
“Why are you embarrassed? Hitoshi’s nose looked like it was bleeding from seeing you! His face turned so red I thought he would black out! He still has your pen! Go talk to him!”
“Did you do this on purpose?”
“No- not this time. I swear, Neito said Hitoshi would be late and I thought he would be a lot later than this. I am sorry. I also didn’t expect him to ask you to nearly get naked.”
“Do you get naked for him?”
Ochako laughed weakly as she blushed.
“I have. Kat usually hangs around when I do that. I’ve done it for the whole class before.”
“Oh.”
She grinned, “My curves kind of make it challenging and Kat has done a few with me too. Neito really did need someone with excellent muscle definition. That’s why I dragged you here. I swear.”
“I believe you…. Don’t worry.”
She looked relieved.
“Come on out. Your clothes are out here.”
Izuku came out behind Ochako. It looked like Neito finished up the final touches on his drawings.
“Hey! I ordered pizza! You wanna hang around and eat?”
Izuku nodded shyly. He normally hung out with Shouto but while Camie was off work, he spent all his free time with her. Why not? Neito seemed alright after all and if Ochako could stand naked in front of him then hang out with him, he would be fine.
After pizza, Ochako waved to him and he took by himself to head home when he saw Hitoshi sitting under a tree. It was easy to tell it was him from his wild violet colored hair. Well, he already admitted to having a stomach bug (even though he didn't) that caused him to have the shits and he practically saw him naked….
Not like there’s much more I could embarrass myself with. Well…. What the hell, right?
Izuku jogged his way over to him. Hitoshi looked up from his book to see the buff green haired guy. He coughed uncomfortably and looked away.
“He-hey!” Izuku said with a smile, “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine…. I’m sorry…. I don’t have your pen with me.”
“No, I’m not here for that.”
Hitoshi laughed weakly, “Oh…. Sorry for gawking at you earlier.”
“Well, after completely embarrassing myself multiple times in the worst ways…. You wanna go out tomorrow?”
X
X
“YEA! FINALLY!”
Izuku, Ochako, Katsuki, Shouto and Camie clinked their glasses of beer together.
“All it took was getting down to your panties huh?” Katsuki teased.
Izuku groaned, "Don't remind me!"
“I think it’s super cool though! The worst of it is over!” Camie said, “Now you can show him all the cute sides of you! He got to hear about you taking a dump and then he got to see that bod! My girl here was a little braggy- maybe you should do a shoot with me some time!”
Izuku shook his furiously, “I’m all good!”
The five of them ate and drank before splitting up and heading home.
He threw himself on his bed with a grin.
I can’t believe he said yes!
Day 7
Izuku stood under the tree they met at yesterday and waited. The purple haired man of his dreams showed up a few minutes later, in all black. He felt himself swooning all over again.
“I’m ready to go. So where are we going?” Hitoshi said with a grin.
“Actually… I wanted you to tell me where you wanted to go. All I know is you can create things out of clay and you’re studying marine biology.”
“I love the ocean at night.”
“You know…. I don’t think I’ve ever been there at night.”
“I have a car.”
Izuku grinned, “I feel bad I asked you out and now you’re driving.”
He laughed, “It’s alright! I like the ocean but not because I’m studying the things in it.”
They sat in silence while driving for some time until Hitoshi cleared his throat.
“I have a question.”
“Sure! Go ahead!”
“How long were you spying on me through the bookcases before sitting at the tables?”
Izuku choked on his spit.
“W-what?”
“Well…. Your friend with the white and red hair- he knows sign language and so do I. He told me when you weren’t looking that you liked me. I noticed you hiding that way. Have you been stalking me?”
That little shit head-
“No…. I saw you the day before that. I dropped my book….”
“Oh yea!”
He started laughing.
I guess there was more to be embarrassed about. Fuckin’ Shouto!
At least things started to become less awkward. Hitoshi was certainly amazed by how smart Izuku was. He had thought all those books were something he was using to stalk and spy on him.
“I was almost offended!”
“Well, Ochako talked about how she had this super smart friend that was shy with the body of a Greek god and I had no idea she was talking about you. She wasn’t lying though!”
Izuku fanned his face, laughing awkwardly.
“Thanks- I swear I wasn’t trying to show off!”
“Neito has me strip down to my underwear too. He complained that my boxers were too loose and I had to start buying tighter ones.”
“Oh.”
“Does it make you feel less embarrassed? I know that had to be shocking and all….”
“Well, it kind of does. Though I may commit murder later…”
Hitoshi laughed loudly.
“Naw, he’s cool! The fact he did that for you was proof enough- he cares about his friends.”
Izuku smiled, “Yea, but he’s kind of a dick about it.”
“Nothing wrong with that. The most blunt and honest people are usually the best.”
Soon the ocean came into view. Hitoshi pulled over onto the side until he hit rock making the car rock back and forth until they hit concrete. He drove for a while until he found a place to park. They got out and Izuku followed suit when his crush took off his socks and shoes.
“We can go in the water but not too far because there’s a lot of jellyfish around this time.”
“Alrighty!”
They walked along the water, sinking into the wet sand. There was seaweed washing up on shore and the water was very cool to the touch. The sun was setting, streaking the sky in orange and red with a little blue showing still.
“I bet you come here and relax, don't you?” Izuku asked, glancing at him.
He smirked and nodded, “We come here for dives too. Maybe if you want, we can go scuba diving…. You’ll need lessons first though. I don’t want you to die on me.”
“That sounds fun. I like a challenge.”
Hitoshi reached over and took his hand, “I can teach you some of it if you want.”
“I think that sounds nice.”
Once the sun was completely down, Hitoshi had Izuku sit on the hood of the car. Crabs started popping up out of the sand heading for the water.
“Oh my god! That’s so cool! They look so cute like that!”
“Some of them can pinch really hard, so you have to be careful. The most poisonous crab is a colorful mosaic crab. The shell contains saxitoxin. If you eat at all, it’ll kill you. Coconut crabs can eat coconuts but they kill birds and eat them too. It’ll eat dead coconut crabs too.”
“Holy shit that’s scary!”
“It can be. They attack people too.”
“I’ll need a picture and keep it in my wallet so I know never to fight one. It’ll haunt my dreams now!”
He laughed loudly getting closer to Izuku.
They watched the crabs move around and listened to the ocean waves lapping onto the shore.
“Can I ask why you want to study quantum mechanics?”
Izuku smiled brightly, “Because it’s hard. I grew up figuring out stuff quicker than most kids. It made things more difficult for my mom. When I enrolled in college, I actually had difficulty. I felt like a normal person. I still do very well but I like it. It always has me questioning things. I’m always thinking and muttering to myself.”
Hitoshi smiled, “I heard it. I guess you don’t realize when you do it?”
Izuku flushed, “N-no….”
“I think it’s cute. You concentrate so hard…. Your tongue even sticks out.”
“Oh god!”
He slapped his hands on his face to hide his embarrassment.
“Well, I guess it’s late…. You want to…. Study in the library together next time?”
Izuku lowered his hands with his smile big, “I would love that!”