AN: I'm alive! I love MHA so much (Kacchan being my favorite super close/tied with Deku). This takes place after chapter 99, page 17 in the manga. Sort of a slight deviation from the plot, but it can easily fit in before the whole special moves/hero license stuff. Can be seen as bakudeku/kastudeku or bromance/childhood kinship depending on your preference. Dekubowl all around though~ Manga and season 3 spoilers! Not beta read. I do not own My Hero Academia or any of the characters in it.

"Kacchan!"

"Stay back, Deku."

Izuku woke with a scream tearing its way out of his throat.

Normally he would be worried about his mom overhearing him, but unfortunately moving into Heights Alliance brought upon bigger problems.

His classmates.

Since they'd only moved into the dorms that afternoon it hadn't occurred to him how fast things could spiral out of his control. Sure everybody had nightmares from time to time, but Izuku had always been plagued with them since he was little. Over time he'd prided himself with how often he woke up from nightmares silently, somehow consciously gaining some control over them as he grew up.

The control was fragile at best though. His prayers of keeping his mother (now classmates in this situation) from being disturbed by his nightly outbursts having been answered was mainly luck. It was already going to be challenging enough to keep his frequent crying, gasping, and recently puking a secret from his dorm neighbors, even if he did have his own bathroom. Waking up screaming as loudly as he did was something he wouldn't be able to hide until he was coherent to realize he was doing it.

Too bad for him the fates did not seem to answer his prayers tonight. On night one in the dorms even. Izuku just had all sorts of bad luck sprinkled in with his good fortune, didn't he?

Three seconds too long passed before Izuku cut himself short, absolute terror from the nightmare turning into fear that someone on his floor or surrounding one had heard him scream. Said fear didn't stop his stomach from clenching painfully though, sending him tumbling out of bed and rushing to the small bathroom attached to his room. His feet had just touched the tile floor when Mineta entered his room without warning. Tokoyami and Aoyama did the same shortly after, causing the owner of the room to freeze.

"Midoriya?" Mineta worried, sleep leaving his features in an instant. "We heard you scream. Are you alight?"

Not bothering to answer verbally, he instead flicked the light in his bathroom on while raising a hand to his mouth. He was able to lift the toilet seat just in time for him to throw up his dinner without making a mess.

His limbs shook as he gripped the toilet seat, knees having gone weak as soon as they touched the cold tile floor. He felt awful. Chances were he wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

"Midoriya," Tokoyami's voice cut through the fog in Izuku's mind. "Is there anything we can do?"

When had the feathered boy gotten so close? Were Mineta and Aoyama in his bathroom too? He hoped he hadn't woken anybody else up.

"I'll be fine, Tokoyami. You guys can go back to bed. Sorry I—"

Before he could say more another wave of nausea hit him. He was clutching the toilet bowl for dear life when the retching started, his chest tightening painfully as his body tried to expel something that wasn't there. Even so, Izuku felt a reassuring hand rest on his upper back. It slowly rubbed circles into the place between his shoulder blades comfortingly, an action that lessened the pain Izuku felt immensely.

It took about forty more seconds for the green-haired boy to calm down. He reached out a hand to grab some toilet paper in order to clean his mouth off, but his friend was faster. Dark Shadow was already holding a wad of paper to Izuku.

"Thank you," Izuku croaked. The creature's big eyes seemed concerned. The observation made Izuku feel guilty; he hadn't meant to make anyone worry.

After flushing away the paper and waste, the boys heard the door to his room open again. Izuku turned his head around just in time to see Mineta with a small cup. The grape-themed hero didn't say anything until after he'd filled the cup with water and handed it over to the unwell teen.

"I figured you'd need this after I heard you barfing. Aoyama went to get the class rep, because we were worried you might need him to contact Recovery Girl."

A blush lit up Izuku's otherwise pale face. He quickly spit out the water into the toilet, flushing it again as he struggled to get up.

"Th-that's really unnecessary guys! I appreciate the help, but I was only feeling a bit s-sick. There's no need to get Iida-kun now that this is over with." Tokoyami gave Izuku his space so he could stand back up, to which Izuku was grateful for. "I'll explain as much to him when he gets here, I guess. Sorry for waking you guys up though, really. You can go back to bed now. Oh, and thank you both for your help. That was nice of you guys."

Izuku smiled sheepishly, a hand rubbing the back of his neck out of habit. He wanted to forget this ever happened.

Tokoyami shook his head. "You're welcome, but it's the least we could do for a friend."

"Yeah!" Mineta agreed. "You had us worried there. We weren't going to leave you hanging when you always do stuff for us."

A weak chuckle escaped Izuku. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could a very worried looking Iida burst into his room. It didn't even take a second for him to squeeze himself into the small bathroom that was definitely not designed to have this any people in it at a time.

"Midoriya!" His blue-haired friend exclaimed, worry making its presence known over his usually serious way of speaking. "Aoyama has informed me you're not feeling well. Can you describe to me what happened? What are the symptoms? I can call Recovery Girl if you so desire, for she is only a short distance away and will come if something is seriously ailing you. Do you need me to get the emergency medical supplies I keep in my room?"

Izuku closed his eyes as an overwhelmed smile made its way to his face. He put his hands up placating, his head shaking back and forth in response to his overzealous friend's antics.

"There's no need to get anyone else involved, Iida-kun! I just woke up feeling a bit sick. I'm feeling better now though, so nobody has to worry. We can all go back to bed now, okay?"

That seemed to be enough to reassure the blue-haired boy.

"I trust your judgment, Midoriya; however, I will be checking up on you first thing in the morning. If you prove to feel ill I will escort you to recovery girl myself. We can't have you attending hero classes without being in top shape, or getting others sick."

"I'm sure I'll feel better after some more sleep, but sure. I'm okay with that."

The four boys made to leave the cramped bathroom at that point, intending to return to their own beds without much fanfare. Instead when Izuku's visitors opened his door to leave they were met with a crowd assembled outside it.

"G-guys?" Izuku questioned, several familiar faces that definitely didn't belong on this floor standing before him. "What're you doing here?"

Iida shared his sentiments. "My thoughts exactly. What're you doing up? Especially you girls, who are not supposed to be on the boy's side of the dorm to begin with."

"We heard Aoyama pounding on your door and shouting like someone was being murdered all the way from our side of the building." Jirou answered, sending a glare at the supposable French hero in training.

"Oi!" Said blond protested with his usual dramatics, striking a pose to show how offended he was by her statement. "I was just making sure I woke him up, mademoiselle. I wasn't trying to be overdramatic."

Nobody believed him.

"Anyway," Kaminari broke in, "we obviously wanted to be in the loop." The boys from the third and fourth floors (minus Kacchan) voiced their agreement, Uraraka, Hagakure, and Mina nodded along as well.

Izuku looked mortified. "Did I wake everyone up?"

"Aoyama woke up more than you did. I think the fifth floor is still asleep though," Kirishima offered. "Surprisingly Bakugou didn't wake up either. If he had he would have been pissed his sleep was disturbed, and then we'd have the entire building awake."

"He threw a tantrum earlier when Kirishima accidentally bothered him after he'd already turned in for the night," Shoji elaborated. "Todoroki had to come down and diffuse the situation before Kirishima's door was blown off its hinges."

Classic Kacchan, Izuku thought with a sweat-drop. Wait, Kacchan?

His vision tunneled as he remembered the nightmare he'd just had, explosions and shouts filling his ears as he stared blankly at the carpet. He felt his eyes grow far away as a feeling of utter panic filled his veins with adrenaline. Before he could listen to the concerned voices of his friends asking him if he was alright, One for All coursed through his body. A moment later all his friends saw fly through the door to the stairwell was a white blur.

"That can't be good," Ojiro stated. His classmates nodded. Uraraka and Iida glanced at each other worriedly. What was going on with their friend?

On the fourth floor, Izuku wasn't thinking clearly.

He's in danger. Kacchan's in danger. I need to find him before they take him away. They'll hurt him. I need to save him, or else they'll take his quirk and kill him. That can't happen. It can't!

Anyone who saw the teenager would be able to tell something was very wrong. The normally sweet ray of sunshine and motivation who was number four in the class for intelligence was frantically knocking on the door marked with a crudely written piece of paper that read "do not disturb the beast". If Izuku had been more there he would have recognized Todoroki's handwriting.

"You've got to be shitting me!" A gruff voice cursed from inside the room, small explosions popping all the while. "Shitty-hair, have you got a death wish or something? I'll kill you for waking me up!"

The explosive blond opened his door a second later, red eyes pinpricks of anger. When he noticed it was Izuku standing at his door instead of Kirishima, however, his mouth morphed into a snarl.

"What the hell are you doing here at this time in the morning, ya damn nerd?" Izuku didn't react, which only seemed to piss Bakugou off more. "Answer me, asshole! It's barely three in the morning. Unless there's a villain whose body I can splatter all over the ground you'd better go back to your room before I set you on fire, Deku!"

At the mention of his name, the young successor snapped out of whatever daze he was in.

Kacchan's safe, he nearly cried with relief. It was just a bad dream. We're at UA, how did I think anyone would be able to take him again?

Bakugou's eyes narrowed at the sudden change in demeanor. He hadn't missed the faraway look in his childhood friend's eyes vanish only to be replaced with a look of utmost relief. Had he been scared about something? No, what was he doing there in the first place? It wasn't like they were friends. Hell, they hated each other.

"I'll ask you again, nerd. Why did you wake me up?"

Embarrassment flooded Izuku then, causing him to back away with his hands raised in an "I come in peace gesture".

"I-it was a misunderstanding," he answered. "I'm sorry about waking you up, Kacchan. I'll head back to my room right away. Um, have a nice rest of your night, I guess? See you in the morning for class!"

That being said, Izuku quickly made his way back to the stairs. He heard a scoff from Bakugou but was otherwise allowed to leave without suffering any punishment. A miracle in itself really. He dealt with his curious classmates in record time when he told them he would really feel better if he could lie down and get some rest, so despite their concern they left him alone.

It won't happen again. Izuku promised himself, climbing into bed once more. He knew how to wake up from a nightmare undetected, which meant it was time for him to try harder. If not for him then for the sake of his classmates.

Five days passed. Every night, despite his best efforts, Izuku woke with horror gripping his body. It was like someone with a night terror inducing quirk was using it on him in order to screw with his head. He'd thrown up his dinner on four separate occasions now, and sleep was beginning to feel hopeless. More often than not he had to fight the overwhelming urge to seek out Bakugo. His mind was trying to trick him into panicking about a danger that wasn't even present, yet despite the fact that he knew better Izuku still wished there was a way he could check on his childhood friend without waking him up and incurring his wrath.

The worst part about his troubles was how his friends noticed something was up with him. He was pretty sure most if not all of his classmates noticed the way he snacked for dinner instead of eating a full meal like everyone else, but he didn't want to throw up a full meal again. Bags underneath his eyes were becoming visible as well. They weren't as pronounced as Shinsou's, yet on his light skin their abrupt appearance stood out quite a bit.

Luckily for him his friends and classmates were being thoughtful by beating around the bush until he felt comfortable enough talking to them.

This of course wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Anyone who knew Izuku knew one of his key personality traits was stubbornness, which meant someone else would need to get the ball rolling eventually.

Thank the heavens for Aizawa, right?

In all honesty it was Izuku's fault the teacher had to say something. For the first time since his training with All Might in middle school the young hero in training had felt his eyes growing heavy in class. He'd tried to keep himself awake by writing notes or doodling in the margins of his notebook, yet within minutes of feeling drowsy he felt his body getting heavier. Part of him wondered if Uraraka had anything to do with the sudden increase of gravity, his sleep-deprived mind forgetting she lessened the effects of gravity not increased it. She was also sitting desks away from him.

Either way it wasn't long before he was unconsciously crossing his arms on his desk, his head drooping until he was using said arms as a cushion. Several seconds passed and he could already feel himself passing out when a tired voice said his name.

"Midoriya, if you're so tired that you can't even stay awake in my class then feel free to sleep in Recovery Girl's office."

The green-haired teen was so startled by the loud, disappointed sound of his name being called that he would have toppled out of his chair if not for Sero's reflexes. The taping hero used his quirk to pull the chair upright before it could topple, to which Izuku shyly thanked him.

"S-sorry, Aizawa-sensei. It won't happen again!" Izuku promised, green eyes drifting towards the ground anxiously. He hoped the hero would drop it.

His teacher stared at him for a moment before finally nodding. An exasperated sigh left the man before turning back to the board and resuming the lesson, and Izuku thought that was the last of it. Sadly, Aizawa had other ideas.

Just as Izuku made to leave the classroom, Iida and Uraraka waiting for him near the doorway, their sensei's commanding presence made itself apparent.

"Midoriya," he said without much emotion, "stay here for a moment. I'd like to have a word with you."

"Oh, okay."

Waving goodbye to his friends, the timid boy hesitantly walked over to where his teacher was sitting behind his desk.

"I'm sorry for falling asleep." He apologized again. "I didn't mean to do it on purpose. It won't happen again; I promise."

The black-haired adult was silent. For a moment Izuku wondered what his teacher was waiting for, but when his large green eyes met the hero's own he simply saw a calculating look that sent anxiety creeping up his spine.

"If you're having trouble sleeping," the pro finally said, "then I would advise you to talk to someone. It can be any of your friends, or perhaps All Might. I'm sure the man would be happy to talk with you. He was in the same boat as you for a while, kid. He had people like Present Mic and I to talk to back then. Even if he was stubborn about it at first talking to his mentor and friends helped. I advise you to follow in his footsteps. Not that you really need help doing that though."

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but Aizawa waved him off.

"Just think about what I said, Midoriya. You're a problem student, but a smart one with potential. I expect you to bring only your best on Monday. Now get out of here before you're late for class. Have a nice weekend, and get some rest."

"R-right sensei. Thank you."

He hurried out of the room only to nearly run into Uraraka and Iida. The duo raised their eyebrows in turn, curiosity evident on their faces.

"Is everything okay, Deku-kun?" The girl asked, eyes shining. Beside her Iida seemed just as concerned about his wellbeing.

Warmth filled Izuku's chest. Maybe he should talk to someone like Aizawa recommended.

"Actually, can we talk after classes today? Something has been bothering me for a while, which I'm sure you've both noticed, but I think I'm finally ready to talk about it? I'd rather talk about it in my room though, if you don't mind. It's a bit too personal for us to discuss here or in the common area."

Iida agreed with a relieved smile, Uraraka nearly tearing up as she yelled a "Sure thing!" before gathering him into a hug.

When he walked into his next class, nobody bothered to ask him why his face was so red.

"So you've been having nightmares about what happened in the forest as well as the fight against All for One, have you? That's why you've been so tired and eating less at dinner. It makes sense." Iida commented at his friend's admission. The trio was currently sitting on the All Might themed bed deep in conversation. "I assume you don't want to go into the details any further, right?"

Izuku made a noise of agreement. "Yeah, I'd rather not talk about the specifics. They're pretty personal and I'm not quite there yet so..."

"Is there anything we can do to help then?" Uraraka broke in.

He shook his head slowly as if unsure. "I think it's a 'me thing' that I need to deal with. It's just... I keep waking people up with my screaming. Mineta and Tokoyami say it's not really bothering them, and Aoyama said he's still getting plenty of his beauty sleep even with an interruption or two at night, but that's not fair to them. And I haven't been able to focus as well in class or during hero training either. The hero license exams are coming up too. I need to be at my best, and these nightmares are making it difficult. Maybe I can ask Shinsou to order me to sleep. Would his quirk allow him to do that? The possibilities…"

Uraraka smiled fondly at his antics, stopping him by placing a gentle hand on one of his own. "I don't think that's a viable solution to the problem at hand, Deku. Are you sure there's nothing that might help? Even if it's just to help you sleep soundly throughout the night."

"I mean, when I was younger sleeping in my mom's bed with her always helped. I can't really do that now though. Obviously I'm too old and she isn't here and I wouldn't want to burden her anymore than I already am anyway so—"

"Midoriya," Iida stopped his rambling.

"Sorry!"

Suddenly Uraraka's face lit up, a fist meeting her other hand as she jumped off the bed in excitement. "I have an idea! Why don't we have a Class 1-A sleepover in the common area? That might make you feel better. You might be able to get some sleep at least, right? You'll be surrounded by friends that care; those nightmares won't know what hit them!"

The boy in question felt his face warm up. "I don't know, maybe? We can't just assume everyone is willing to do that."

Uraraka smirked. "I bet they will!"

Of course she was right. It only took her a matter of minutes to run down the hall into the common room and bring up the idea to those assembled there. Since it was Friday Kirishima and Mina brought up the idea for a movie night and sleepover to bond as a group. The idea was highly received by those there, all except for Bakugou, but Kirishima promised he'd work on getting him to join them and he ran off to keep his word. Hagakure went off to tell those in their rooms about the plans, and not even ten minutes later most of Class 1-A was in the common area discussing what would happen tonight.

"Bakugou said he'd join our quote-on-quote 'lame ass movie night' and 'sleepover gathering of pansies' if he got to pick the first movie and had dibs on sleeping on the couch." The red-haired hero exclaimed in triumph after chasing his friend down. "We'll probably have time to watch a few more though, especially if we start movie night at seven o'clock sharp."

"I'll be baking some goodies until then." Satou said with a smile, and the girls shrieked in delight. He was a great baker after all.

"Sparky, Sero, Mina, and I are going to run to the grocery store to buy some more snack foods. Anybody have any requests?" Jirou offered.

Yaoyorozu tilted her head at this new information, a hand raising as if she were asking a question in class.

"Is it alright if I join you all? I'd like to pitch in for some of the snacks, and I'd like to buy some tea for tonight as well."

Sero shot her a thumbs up. "Of course you can! We're going to head out in ten, so meet us at the entrance then."

"Is this going to be a pajama party of sorts?" Asui found herself asking.

"It's a sleepover, so duh!" Was Hagakure's answer.

Mina jumped up and down in excitement. "Yay! I love pajama parties!"

As his classmates eagerly (some more than others) prepared for the impromptu get together, leaving Izuku gaping next to an impressed Iida and content Uraraka.

"I told you they'd be up for it."

The three parted ways shortly after. Izuku made his way back to his room in quiet awe at what had just transpired, completely blown away by the fact this was happening. The last time he'd had a movie night or sleepover had been before he'd been deemed quirkless. It had been only Kacchan and him then too.

"I can't believe Kirishima-kun actually talked him into coming," he found himself muttering as he sat down on his bed. "Kacchan must finally be letting some people in. That's good. He needs friends, especially after all he's been through."

Memories of the past few days popped into his head, making the teenager recede into himself.

"If only I had been stronger. I could have saved him before he got kidnapped, before All Might fought All for One, then maybe…"

Unpleasant thoughts swarmed his brain like angry bees. His heart rate picked up, his eyes squeezing shut as he tried to push his failures to the back of his mind. The past was in the past. He couldn't do anything now but train harder. He wouldn't fail again. He couldn't; he had people he needed to save.

A knock at his door broke him out of his stupor.

"Come in!" He invited, wondering who it was. When the door opened he was met with attentive heterochromatic eyes. "Oh. Hello, Todoroki-kun. Do you need something?"

The dual-quirked hero in training raised an eyebrow, a soft frown gracing his face.

"Why do you assume people want something from you when they visit? Can't a friend come by to say hello to another friend without an ulterior motive?"

Izuku's cheeks burned at that. "S-sorry. I'm not wrong to presume you want to talk though, right? You've been looking like you've wanted to talk to me for most of the afternoon."

Todoroki nodded, coming to sit on the bed next to his friend once he'd moved over to make room for him.

"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable," he started, "but I've noticed you've seemed off the past several days. From the way you interacted with Uraraka and Iida I can only guess you talked to them, which pleases me greatly, yet I can't help still feeling concerned about you either way. This last-minute sleepover is because of the nightmares you've been having, correct?"

Izuku gulped. "Did someone tell you, or…?"

He shook his head, eyes staring into green as he spoke. "Some of our classmates have been mumbling about your recent change in eating and sleeping habits. Your performance in class is suffering as well, and between the intelligent guesses of our classmates coupled with Aoyama and Mineta inability to keep their mouths shut many have guessed you've been having nightmares. It's not uncommon, you know. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know that."

"I have them too from time to time. I'm sure everyone here does."

"I know," Izuku stressed. "I guess I just don't feel safe here? Well, I feel safe, but when I wake up I have to stop myself from making sure Ka—some people are actually here, alive and well. I keep remembering when Kacchan was kidnapped at the training camp. Anyone else could have been taken too, and what if All for One had taken their quirks from them? Or they could have been killed. I would have been powerless to stop any of my friends from getting hurt and that terrifies me. When I wake up I'm instantly trying to figure out if Ka—everyone is here safe and sound. It's stupid, I know. We are highly protected here on UA grounds, and yet I still find myself worked up into a panic. Sometimes my quirk even acts up unconsciously."

"That is definitely a problem. And you're not stupid either, so don't you try to get away with saying that."

Izuku dipped his head in apology. "I guess you're right. Anyway, Uraraka-kun came up with the idea for the sleepover, because maybe falling asleep with everyone around me would remind me we are all safe. I'm a bit worried about tonight though. If I fall asleep and have a nightmare anyway, then everyone will feel involved. I won't be able to avoid them either. I neither want them to see me like that, nor do I think I could tell them about what's in the nightmares if I wanted to. I'm not… I'm not ready." He finished quietly.

A warm hand found itself on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I understand, and I won't pry. Just know that I'll be at your side tonight along with Iida. I can't guarantee when things will get better, but knowing you I'm sure it will be resolved sooner rather than later. Don't doubt your own strength, Midoriya."

A laugh escaped the green-haired teen. "I'll try, Todoroki-kun. I'll try."

He was met with a smile of his own. "You always do." And more often than not, triumph.

Before Izuku knew it, everyone except Bakugou was curled up on the floor. The couches had been pushed out to increase the area so everyone could sprawl about comfortably in either a sleeping bag or pallet made up of their own blankets and pillows. They had watched three movies total (an explosive action flick courtesy of a very explosive teen, a classic animated movie of Uraraka's choice, and a superhero movie Izuku himself had hesitantly suggested), and stuffed themselves with various snacks and drinks throughout the night. It was almost an hour past midnight by the time everyone had gotten back from going to the bathroom, brushing their teeth, and so on in preparation for bed.

The sleeping arrangement was simple. Boys slept on one side of the room with Shouji and Satou being the dividing line (mostly to keep Mineta from crawling over to the girl's side) and the girls on the other. Izuku was sandwiched between Iida and Todoroki as planned, a shy Kouda taking up the space by their heads.

"I'd say this evening was a success," the class rep announced from where he sat up in his sleeping bag. "Goodnight, everyone!"

Everybody echoed back in response. "Goodnight!"

Complete silence. Or at least there would have been if some of the girls weren't giggling to each other. Kaminari and Kirishima's whispering didn't help either. Still, by the time an hour had passed nearly everyone appeared to be asleep.

Then there was Izuku.

"Midoriya," Todoroki whispered at the teen who stared unblinkingly at the ceiling above them.

"Yes?"

"What's troubling you?"

"I'm afraid to go to sleep with everybody here. What if I have a nightmare? I don't want to make a scene if I wake up, which will no doubt mean screaming and other embarrassing things." As he relayed his feelings to a silent Todoroki, he felt himself trembling. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep so badly, his body was begging for it, but something was holding him back.

What felt like an eternity later, the red and white-haired boy spoke.

"Midoriya," he said quietly and without judgment, "come here."

Head snapping to look as his friend, Izuku took in the sight of Todoroki lying on his side. One arm was holding up his blanket. He gestured to the space in front of his body with his head, eyes daring him to argue.

A dorky smile threatened to surface. Todoroki was one of the most socially inept people Izuku was friends with. The awkward teen was still trying to reach out as best as he knew how, and that meant Izuku couldn't push him away.

Slowly, as to not make any noise in case he woke somebody up, Izuku shuffled shyly into his friend's waiting embrace. He fought off a blush of embarrassment when he found himself resting his forehead on his friend's chest, hands grabbing for his shirt instinctively. When Todoroki let the blanket fall, he put his warm side's arm around his shoulder like a hot blanket. Izuku almost went limp at the sudden warmth causing a newfound drowsiness to sweep over him.

"Th-thank you," Izuku muttered. His fingers curled into Todoroki's shirt. The fire and ice user didn't seem to mind, but he did increase the heat output from his left side. Within seconds the increased temperature was lulling the sleep-deprived teen into a deep slumber.

"Goodnight, Midoriya-kun."

Once Izuku's breath evened out, Todoroki allowed himself to succumb to his own drowsiness dragging his eyelids down. He was too tired to fight it off any longer. So tired, in fact, that he didn't notice two ruby eyes burning a hole through his head from across the room.

The fight against All Might and All for One was happening again.

Izuku rushed forward amidst the rubble and smoke, villains doing whatever they could to fight off the heroes and heroes in training that decided to show up for Bakugou's rescue. One for All rushed through the teen as he made his way around the battlefield, dodging attackers left and right as he focused on his goal.

"Where's Kacchan?"

And then he saw it. A lone body, broken and bruised on the ground away from where most of the fighting was coming from. The person's spiky hair was matted with blood, clothes ripped but unmistakably Bakugou's.

"Kacchan!"

His vision blurred, and suddenly he was staring down at his childhood friend's dead body. The look on Bakugo's face was peaceful, almost like he was asleep, yet the red pool underneath his form spoke of a more permanent sleep.

"K-Kacchan? No, you can't be dead! You were supposed to be the best of the best, weren't you? Number one pro hero, even better than All Might. You promised! Y-you promised," he sobbed.

He'd failed. He'd failed he'd failed he'd failed he'd failed he'd failed.

"Please wake up," he begged. "Kacchan. Kacchan. Kacchan!"

He screamed until his throat was raw.

Todoroki was the first to wake up. It wasn't easy to stay asleep when someone was beginning to thrash in your arms after all.

"Midoriya?" He prompted softly, eyes widening at the way Izuku twitched and trembled against him. A hand moved to run through his green hair comfortingly. It seemed to work for a moment, but in the next moment a long keen ripped out of the dreaming boy. The sound of it sent his protective instincts into overdrive.

In an instant Iida, Kouda, Jirou, and Bakugou were awake.

Iida's worried eyes met Todoroki's as Kouda and Jirou looked around for what had made the sound. It didn't take them long to figure it out though, because a pitiful whimper came from the same source next. At the sound Todoroki sat up slightly, his body and blanket blocking Izuku from view as he tried to rouse him. He did so by whispering his name a few more times. There was no response.

"Try gently shaking him," Iida instructed. From the couch Bakugou watched the scene without a word.

Todoroki went to do as told, eyes falling on the scars covering Izuku's arms as the boy thrashed in his sleep.

The moment his hand gripped his shoulder, however, an anguished scream ripped itself free from the muttering boy's mouth. Todoroki froze. One for All lit up Izuku's body at the same time, startling an entire class of students that had just been rudely awakened.

"What's going on?" Kirishima and Yaoyorozu asked at the same time, a few others joining in a second later. At the sound of the scream everybody was instantly awake and on alert. Those who usually slept on the second floor were well aware of the situation, but remained silent. Uraraka was the only one to speak as he pulled herself off the floor and made her way to where Izuku was now sitting up and clutching Todoroki for dear life.

"Deku-kun?" Her voice was light and friendly as she made to kneel next to her friend, his gasps beginning to calm down as Todoroki held him tighter. Tears covered his scrunched up face as he muttered something over and over again. His voice was too quiet for her to hear though. "We're all here, Deku-kun. Everybody's safe. Please don't worry."

Without warning, the boy in question tore himself away from Todoroki's hold just as a concerned Kirishima stood up to see what was going on. Because of this the red-haired teen was the first one to rush to Izuku's aid when he ran to and began retching into the garbage can on the other side of the room.

"Midoriya!" Several exclaimed, some pulling themselves to their feet to help Kirishima. The hardening hero in training was currently rubbing Izuku's back while glancing at his classmates in obvious distress.

"Don't crowd him," Yaoyorozu said when a bunch of the students made to head over there. They looked hesitant standing by when all they could hear was Kirishima trying to reassure Izuku he was fine. "I'll get him a cup of water from the kitchen along with some paper towels. Let him have some space though, okay? He might be overwhelmed as it is."

As she went to do what she said, those not in the loop about what was going on were told the bare minimum details by a concerned Uraraka. It would have been left at nightmares if Mineta hadn't opened his stupid mouth.

"He's been like this for days," the grape-haired boy went on like it was nothing. "At least he didn't wake up screaming lord explosion murder's silly nickname this time."

Several classmates froze at that information. Mineta's confusion was evident when he noticed the shocked faces he was seeing. He was about to ask what the big deal was when an explosion cut him off, a growling Bakugou sitting up on the couch and scowling at the purple boy until he closed his mouth.

"What did you say, scumbag?"

From where Izuku was finally done emptying his stomach, mouth clean thanks to Yaoyorozu's efforts, that distant look entered his eyes once again. He felt his skin prickling with energy from his quirk as his mind tried to figure out where he was. Even when he'd done that the fog in his mind refused to lift, instead demanding him to find what it believed he had lost.

One for All danced along his body, causing his classmates to turn their attention to him once more.

"Yo, Midoriya. What's wrong?"

Ignoring Kirishima's words and a tentative Yaoyorozu's hand on his arm, he spun around to sweep unseeing green eyes across the group before him. Before anyone could catch up with his actions he was using his full cowling to spring across those on the floor and come to a hard landing on the couch Bakugou was sitting on. The angry blond barely had time to blink before shaking arms wrapped around his torso, a face he'd so often enjoyed punching being pressed into his shoulder.

"Kacchan. Kacchan. Kacchan." He muttered weakly, a sob breaking free of his mouth as the effect of his quirk finally faded. "You're okay. You're here."

"What the hell?" Bakugou attempted to shove the other boy off him, successfully getting him to move his head and upper body away even if the grip around his torso strengthened. "Where else would I be, stupid Deku? Get off of me or—"

Whatever he was going to say died in his throat; he had made the mistake of looking at Izuku's tear-covered face. It was his eyes that made the explosive hero in training sit still though. Izuku's eyes, which were usually a bright green that reminded Bakugou of emeralds, were so vacant and haunted they almost looked black.

"Please don't go," he cried openly, lips trembling despite the audience trying their best to not breathe in fear of interrupting. "D-don't leave me, Kacchan."

With that said the usually strong, selfless boy bowed his head, crushing his shaking body to his stock-still childhood best friend. Bakugou was too afraid (not that he'd ever admit that) to move or say anything until he felt Izuku go completely deadweight against him. Only then did he grab his rival, not wanting the unconscious boy to have his head slide onto Bakugou's lap while out of commission.

The silence in the room was deafening, only broken when Jirou used her earlobe to check Izuku's condition. When she did, her face went slack in astonishment.

"He fell asleep?"

Kaminari seemed unsure. "Are you positive about that? It looked more like he passed out from exhaustion to me."

Just as they were about to start an argument about the difference in heart rate and breathing between the two states, a sharp growl cut through the room like a knife. Everyone's eyes settled on Bakugou, whose angry features were much less exaggerated than everyone expected them to be considering the person resting contently against him.

"Somebody better explain to me what is going on with the damned nerd right now."

Todoroki stared at Bakugou unflinchingly. "He's been having nightmares. That's it."

"I figured that out days ago, Half-n-half bastard! I meant explain to me why the hell he's attached to me like a koala." Tell me why he looked so broken, why his eyes that usually contained a galaxy instead showed a black hole. Where the hell did my rival Deku go in that moment? Why was my voice the one he sounded so happy, so relieved to hear when all I've ever done is treat him like shit? I thought he hated me, but that was a reaction of someone who cared.

Ordering everybody back to their rooms, Iida quickly oversaw that everyone save Todoroki, Uraraka, the boys on the couch, and himself left the common area. Nobody complained at the sudden displacement. Most of them understood this was a situation that demanded privacy, which the heroes in training were happy to give.

When only the five of them were left, Todoroki told them what little he knew.

"He has not shared much with me," he started. "Nor will I breech his privacy by telling anyone who doesn't already know about the content of his nightmares what little he said they're about. I think the only thing I can say here is that he is unable to rest properly without knowing you are safe, Bakugou. At least that's what I've surmised from the few interactions with him. He was whispering your name when he woke up just now, so please take this seriously. I will not condone you treating my friend with your usual tenacity during this time of crisis. He needs to be reassured you are safe and that you won't be going anywhere, so when he wakes up try to speak with him. As hard as it is for me to say this you are probably the best person to help him get over this mental block. That needs to be overcome if he can hope to move forward. You were his friend once, right?" Todoroki fixed him with an intense stare. "I don't think he's ever stopped thinking of you as a friend, Bakugou. I know you saw the look on his face when you got taken by the villains. It was the look of a person that had someone dear to their heart ripped forcibly away from them."

Bakugou let out an annoyed huff, adjusting his position better so that his legs were hanging off of the couch and Izuku was more or less propped up against him. He tried to ignore the warmth radiating from the sleeping body by casting a glare at Todoroki.

"What are you saying? I've been a dick to him his entire life. There's no way he cares. I'm just someone the nerd looks up to, a goal he'll never reach."

Uraraka shook her head numbly, her face downcast. "That's not true, Bakugou! While he hasn't really opened up to Iida-kun and I about your past together the way he talks about you is much more than unconditional admiration. He calls you amazing, impressive, the image of what a great hero looks like. Whenever someone compares your personality or actions to that of villain he leaps to your defense in an instant. Despite your flaws and the way you treat him I can't help but believe he regards you as his greatest friend, even more so than anyone else in the room. You're important to him whether you see it or not!"

"I never asked for him to think that way, Round Face."

"You should have heard the way he screamed when he realized you were gone," a tear slipped down her cheek. "His arms were torn to shreds, his bones splintered and useless, but he didn't yell until he realized he had failed to save you! It was so hard to watch him break down like he did."

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty? It's not my fault his head is so far up his ass that—"

"Stop that right now!" Iida interrupted, eyes narrowed in anger. "You cannot control other people. No matter how much you tried to make him hate you the fact of the matter is his feelings towards you are valid whether or not you believe they should be. Honestly I cannot fathom how he became so infatuated with you in the first place, but if you truly strive to a hero then consider helping him. Sometimes even heroes need to be saved."

"He saved me once." Todoroki said. "Without him I wouldn't be who I am today."

Iida nodded. "He's saved me before too, and I am better for it."

Uraraka watched as the boys seemed to tire, their body's drooping with exhaustion. She shoved them gently in the direction of the boy's wing silently instructing them to leave her. They did as she wanted, and after she gathered her thoughts she turned her attention to Bakugou.

"I've been trying to think of a time where you actually helped someone just to help someone. Deku-kun is right when he goes on and on about how strong you are, about how you're already at pro hero level with the way you fight. On the other hand, he's too blinded to see that while your drive to win is amazing that part of being a hero is about helping others. Have you ever done something simply for the reason of doing good, Bakugou? If you can't say yes to that question then it's obvious you still have room to grow before becoming a true hero. Maybe you could start now by helping Deku-kun. If not to help him, then do it as a request from his friends. You're the only one that can save him from himself."

Breathing shakily, the girl forced herself to walk away without turning back. There wasn't anything left for her to do.

On the couch in the darkness, Bakugou gazed down at the boy he'd always viewed as below him. For the first time in his life he wondered if his aspirations for winning weren't all what made up being a hero. Maybe Deku's habit of rescuing has some merit to it too.

When Izuku woke up, he felt warm, rested, and safe. While his eyes and throat ached slightly from his actions last night he could honestly say he was feeling better than he had in a long while.

He made to move, his dry mouth demanding water, but halted his actions when he felt another body breathing against him. Was he imagining things? Cracking his eyes open, green orbs slowly trailed up the black tank top separating him and Bakugo's muscled chest. When he eventually gathered the courage to look up at the other boy's face all of the color drained from his cheeks. Two ruby eyes were staring right at him.

With a girly shriek, Izuku tumbled off of his friend and therefore the couch. Due to being tangled up in the blanket that had been covering the two he landed clumsily on his butt with a small yelp.

"K-Kacchan? I don't even remember how I got there, but I am so, so sorry! I didn't drool on you, right? I'll do your laundry if—"

"Deku," Bakugou said simply.

"Y-yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Right. S-sorry. I'll just head back up to my room then."

As he made to leave, however, a strong hand grabbed his wrist.

"Sit the hell down, nerd. We need to talk or I won't hear the end of it from those losers you call your friends. You and I are going to stay on this couch until your weak ass tells me why you haven't been giving you're A-game in class. You think I didn't realize you've been having nightmares? It's as obvious as your love of All Might."

While the explosive teen ranted Izuku gingerly sat down on the couch with about a foot of space between him and the other boy. Shame flooded him when he realized how transparent he had been behaving the past week; he'd always worn his heart on his sleeve.

"I don't really want to talk about—"

"Did I ask if you wanted to? No, I didn't."

"But—"

Bakugou's face twisted into a scowl, his lips pulling away from his teeth as he let out a furious roar. He raised a fist, causing Izuku to put his arms up to protect his face only for his shirt to be grabbed instead. With a fearful gulp, he wondered vaguely what was going to happen next.

"Deku, you will tell me what you've been dreaming about that reduced you to a screaming, vomiting, sobbing mess. You used your quirk and refused to let go of me, and the look in your eyes was damn weird. I deserve an explanation."

Letting Izuku go, Bakugou waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts. After a minute the green-haired teen took a deep breath, all fight leaving him as his shoulders slumped.

"I keep dreaming about the night you were kidnapped," he admitted with a hung head. "The rescue attempt too. It's always the same. I'm not strong enough to keep them from taking you, stealing your quirk, and hurting you. Seeing your broken body in my dreams every night is horrible, Kacchan. It reminds me that you could have been killed in the hands of those villains. Every time I wake up I feel as if you're about to be taken away from me, or that you might be dead. That's why I bothered you earlier this week in the middle of the night. I couldn't stop my own body from seeking you out, from making sure you were really okay. I'm so scared that you won't be there. It's stupid, I know. Pathetic behavior for a future hero."

"Stop talking like that, Deku. I'm going to be the number one hero someday. You need to get it into your thick skull that I can take care of myself, and that I don't need you to worry your stupid ass over me."

"I can't help it."

Bakugou growled. "Why the hell not? I don't need your help, Deku! I never have."

"I know that, Kacchan, but what if I need yours?"

The blond sucked in a sharp breath, unsure of what he wanted to say other than a long stream of expletives.

"I know you hate me," Izuku continued meekly. "You've made that clear in nearly every interaction we've had together. I was someone you viewed as weak until last year; a stepping stone in your path to victory, a bug to step on. I've known how you've felt about me for years and even after what you told me the day the sludge villain attacked I still couldn't bring myself to hate you back."

"I don't hate you."

Izuku let out a humorless laugh. "Sure you don't, Kacchan. That's why you told me to jump off the roof of our middle school. Not that I took your words to heart, because as much as they hurt I knew deep down you didn't mean them. You say a lot of mean, stupid things sometimes when your emotions get the best of you. I do the same thing. Maybe I got it from you? Either way, I never once thought for a moment you were seriously suggesting something. You're going to be a great hero someday, and a hero, even with your explosive personality, wouldn't act like that."

"Deku," Bakugou raised his voice. "I don't hate you! Shit. I know I've told that to you before, multiple times actually, but I don't hate you. At least not all of me. It's complicated, okay? There are things I need to work out too, scores we need to settle at some point, but not until you're back on your feet. For right now just tell me what I have to do to help you."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "R-really? Do you mean that?"

"Sure, whatever. Just tell me what to do. This whole helping your weak ass thing is new to me."

Rolling his eyes, the curly-haired boy shrugged. "I don't really know what would help me right now, honestly. Last night after the first nightmare I slept really well though. I guess sleeping near you helped? I didn't have to worry about waking up in a panic to find you."

"You woke up screaming even though we were only a few yards away from each other. That good night's sleep you're talking about happened after your crazy ass passed out on top of me. Are you telling me the only way for you to get over this is to sleep with me?"

"N-no! I never—"

"You got some creepy crush on me or something, Deku? I thought you had a thing for Round Face. Or maybe even Icyhot." He smirked at Izuku's mortified look. "Yeah, that's right, I saw you two cuddling it up last night. Gayest shit I've seen since Shitty-hair rolled over in his sleep and started spooning Sparky one night at training camp."

"We weren't cuddling! He was just trying to help me sleep using the heat from his left side. We're just friends, okay? I don't like him like that."

"Platonic cuddling then."

"Kacchan!"

"You had your head on his chest like a lovesick fool!"

"Why were you even awake watching me anyway, huh? Maybe your bullying me was your way of hiding your feelings for me!"

"Like hell I'd have a crush on a damn nerd whose secondary quirk has got to be crying or some emotional shit like that. You're not even that attractive."

Izuku gasped. "I am cute! There's a difference."

"Who has ever called you cute? Your mom?"

"Mina, Hagakure, Kirishima…" He began listing, only to be cut off with a bark of laughter.

"So what? I'm way out of your league either way, Deku. I'm hot as hell!"

"Todoroki's hotter."

"What the— you just said you didn't like him like that!"

"It was a joke, Kacchan. I was referring to his fire quirk, which burns hotter than your explosions."

"Yeah, the same quirk he used to get things heated under the blanket with you last night."

Izuku sputtered, face becoming pink again. "We are getting way off topic! Even if you are attractive, I am not attracted to you!"

"You just called me attractive! Ha, I knew it." He smirked, chest puffing up with pride even as the other boy groaned.

"Stop!" Izuku gripped his hair like he was ready to tear it out of his head. This was one conversation he'd never needed to have. Ever. "Anyway, if you're going to freak out about sleeping so close, then I can just go back to sleeping normally. Maybe just talking about this with you helped."

"If you're sure then go for it. Also, you're lucky I don't kill you for drooling on me last night. It was almost as gross as Mineta's internet browser history. Almost."

"I said I was sorry!"

Bakugou woke up that night to soft knocking at his door. Heaving himself out of bed, a swear on his lips when he caught sight of his alarm clock, he had to swallow his rage as soon as he opened the door to a watery-eyed Izuku.

"Get in," the blond instructed. The other teen didn't hesitate to come in, waiting for Bakugou to close his door and crawl back into bed. When Bakugou noticed Izuku was standing near the end of his bed awkwardly, tiredly eyeing the rug on the floor as if he was asking for permission to sleep on it, he sighed. "You can get on the bed, but if you tell anyone or drool on me I will blow up your entire All Might action figure collection."

Izuku quickly joined his childhood friend under the covers, small sniffles still escaping him despite having found who he was looking for. He tried to calm down by taking deep breaths. It was working, but before too much time could pass he felt a calloused hand grab one of his. Apparently he'd been too busy staring into Bakugou's eyes to notice he'd moved.

"Stop being creepy, Deku. Just… come here if you're that worried."

In an instant Izuku was surging forward, fingers curling into the black tank top his friend usually wore to bed. He placed his head right over Bakugou's chest. At hearing the sound of his steady heart beat, Izuku finally felt his muscles relax.

"Thank you."

"Shut up and go to sleep already. In the morning you're getting me breakfast for putting up with your shit."

Izuku smiled, his face hidden in the fabric of the other boy's shirt.

"Whatever you say, Kacchan. Whatever you say."