Izuku Midoriya was not happy at the moment. He didn't know why he'd even believed his classmates when years of experience should have taught him that doing so was about as smart as sticking your hand in an open fire.

Still, he had believed them when they'd told them there was a pro hero convention being held just on the outskirts town where there was a large convention centre that was used for all manner of events. They'd talk about how multiple notable heroes, including All Might would be present.

Maybe he would have simply ignored him if it wasn't for the fact All Might himself was in Musutafu still, helping train the green haired, freckle faced teen to build his body for the quirk that was One For All.

So it had seemed a little more plausible then the usual lies. Still, Izuku probably should have looked into it instead of just jumping on the first bus there and texting his mom he'd be home late.

The first red flag should have been the amount of people cosplaying not as pro heroes, but as classic horror monsters that increased on the way there. Izuku had instead simply assumed there might have been a second convention going on.

It wouldn't be the first time the centre had held two or three conventions at the same time, it was big enough for it.

The second red flag should have been when he arrived and there had been no signs at the convention centre advertising a hero convention, while there were plenty talking about the horror convention where classic horror films and new indie flicks were being shown.

He'd stubbornly pressed on, not wanting to accept he'd been tricked just yet and feel like an idiot. Fortunately, the centre didn't seem to be charging admission today so he'd gotten inside without issue.

On the not so bright side, if they had been charging admission he likely wouldn't have been in the predicament he now was, as it would turn out in the end, like he should have realized, there was no hero convention.

Just an annoying prank he should have seen right through and didn't, which was how he now found himself walking slowly through the convention centre, completely lost.

He'd lost track of the entrance as he'd travelled deep into the centre. He apologized to a passing Freddy Krueger cosplayer, almost bumping into them before continuing on, looking at the ground with a frown and a frustrated sigh.

He gripped his fists tight as he continued to walk, muttering to himself. "Stupid prank… I'm not even scared of any of this."

It was true as well. He'd grown up watching not just news coverage of hero fights, but also shaky phone camera footage on Yotube that was far more terrifying to witness than what the news ever showed. Something about knowing the terrors that actually existed in the real world made the fictional world of horror far less frightening to Izuku.

Hell, he once put on the original Halloween to see what some of the original coloured films were like and to find amusement in the level of quality compared to the level of films nowadays.

His mother had found the experience far less enjoyable.

Still, while the prank may not have done it's intended purpose of scaring him, it did leave him annoyed and bummed out he'd walked all this way for nothing.

"Um… Pardon me." A slightly breathy voice said, getting Izuku to look up to see a girl around his age and height, in a long white gown and clearly wearing a black wig. A Ring cosplayer if his admittedly somewhat lacking knowledge of the genre wasn't failing him. "I hope you are alright. I do not mean to intrude on a stranger's business, but I could not help but infer from how you were wandering with the look upon your face that you may be lost."

"I…." Izuku blinked in surprise at her incredibly verbose way of speaking, caught off-guard. It didn't help that this was the first time in his life a girl had ever talked to him without it being for some kind of insult or to otherwise throw abuse at him.

"I am all by my lonesome, but I would be willing to help you explore this place if you would like? I have attended before in the past. There is not much new things here for me so I would have time to show you around." The teen offered, her neutral expression never once changing. What Izuku probably should have said was 'Thank you for the offer, but I should probably be on my way. I was tricked into coming here and I should probably go home to my mother.'

Instead, he said "Uhh…"

When he'd look back on it in future, he'd be thankful for that moment of being painfully socially awkward. That was getting ahead of himself though, at the present moment, Reiko just tilted her head.

"Is everything alright? I assure you I do not have ill intentions." She said, before pointing at a nearby set of doors with a man at the front. "They are debuting many new indie horror movies in that room, back to back. Three of them, before a quick break and then two more. I was going to attend myself. If you would like, I have a spare ticket I am not using, as I have no one who shares my interest with me so I have no issues giving it away."

She sounded almost… sad at that last part, looking away for a moment. Izuku frowned. He didn't really know her but she'd already been way nicer to him than every girl he'd met so far in his life, not including family members so it didn't sit right with him to see her sad.

"Would you like it?"

'You can't keep just making noises, you're gonna weird her out! Say something you idiot!'

"I'd… a-a-appreciate t-that!" He stuttered out with a light blush, taking the ticket she held out. '…Well, I guess this is my life now.'

"I hope you will not mind, but the seat for that ticket will be right next to my own." She said, turning to the doors she had indicated and beginning to walk towards them.

"O-Oh, t-t-that's not an issue a-at all!" He said quickly, following her. She walked with a rather distinct style, her arms out in front of her, almost as if she was imitating a zombie. It was actually kind of cute, in a way. "Y-You w-w-were nice e-enough to g-give me the t-ticket in the first p-place! I-I'm I-Izuku M-Midoriya b-b-by the way."

"Reiko Yanagi. It is a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya." She said, a ghost of a smile on her face. "I believe it will still be some time before the screenings will be under way. In the meantime, if I may ask, what kind of horror do you like?"

"…Psychological." He said after a moment. "M-Most horror doesn't r-really scare me, but a g-good psychological horror f-film can still get me some times. L-Like 'The Ring'…"

"I see you are a man of impeccable taste." Reiko said jokingly, though with the tone of her voice it sounded more like she was stating a hard fact. The two showed the man at the door their tickets and were let inside, another man leading them to their seats which happened to be in the second row, rather close to the screen. "If you do not mind me inquiring as much, I would be interested to know your quirk."

Izuku instantly flinched, looking down. "…..I d-don't have one."

'Oh no… she's gonna be mad and want her ticket back and kick me out and-'

Suddenly a hand was on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"That is unfortunate. I have heard rumors of how quirkless people are treated. I hope they are not true." She said, a hint of sympathy in her voice. "I can refrain from telling you my quirk, if I would make you more comfortable."

"O-Oh w-w-well um… a-actually I l-like f-finding out a-about people's q-quirks. It's kind of a h-hobby o-of mine. If I c-can't have my o-own, I can learn a-as much a-as possible about e-everyone else's s-so I'm always prepared." He explained, his voice quiet. He then suddenly blushed and started waving his hands. "S-Sorry, that p-probably sounds s-super weird and c-creepy-"

"I think it is interesting and smart. A good way to compensate." Reiko said, leaning back in her seat slightly. Izuku blinked, before his face turned red. A girl just called him smart! "I also am not an individual to judge what may be considered 'creepy.' My own quirk is called Poltergeist, and it allows me to telekinetically move anything within the same weight as the average human, though that is not quite exact and seems to fluctuate."

Izuku's eyes began to shine as he turned to her, briefly losing himself in excitement. "Y-You're a telekinetic?! T-That's so cool! So is m-my mom! Though she c-can only a-attract small objects towards her. S-She's really w-well practiced with it though!"

"Then you would have been a telekinetic yourself, had you been born with a quirk?" She asked, getting a nod from the boy. Once more, a very slight smile appeared on her lips. "Perhaps that is the real reason I found myself talking to you."

"M-Maybe." Izuku laughed at the joke. Then it hit him properly, his face going crimson as the lights dimmed, fortunately hiding his sudden embarrassment. He was really genuinely talking to an actual girl, a pretty dang pretty one at that who was actually being nice to him! Plus, she wasn't mean as soon as she learned he was quirkless! Did he die and go to heaven?!

"Alright everyone! The first movie is about to begin. Please enjoy "Rubber", a film about a… sentient car tire named Robert rolling through the desert and killing people."

…Izuku really had to resist the urge to burst out laughing and look disrespectful. He didn't want to seem like he was mocking but they had to know how ridiculous that summary sounded, even in a world of quirks.

He did admittedly have a bit of a silly grin on his face as the movie began to play. It quickly morphed into confusion soon after. Somehow, the film managed to be even weirder than he expected.

The only time he genuinely felt 'horrified' was when there were animals in the tire's way. Aside from that…. As someone aspiring to be a hero, he shouldn't have been suppressing laughter at a man's head blowing up but it wasn't his fault it was the most fake looking effects… ever.

His barely suppressed laughter soon disappeared so another emotion could once more take over, embarrassment. Again.

While Izuku had simply been… experiencing the bizarreness, Reiko had genuinely been cowering slightly in her seat and hiding her face every now and again, especially whenever it got gory.

During one of the later death scenes, she'd practically jumped out of her skin, suddenly leaning towards him and gripping onto his arm. His face immediately went crimson again, his eyes shrinking to surprised pinpricks.

He didn't say anything though, initially too surprised to. Once it proved to actually be helping to calm her down slightly as well after, he could hardly bring it up then. If it helped, then he had to let her hold on even if it was super embarrassing!

Besides, she was kinda warm and it was niceandohgodwhywashethinkingabouthisohgod-

He had expected her to eventually let go, yet she never did. He missed her own surprised look when she'd cottoned on herself, only to see he didn't seem to mind.

If he wasn't going to stop her… it was kinda nice…

So, to the end of 'Rubber' and for the next two movies after, Reiko held on tight to her new found friend, occasionally hiding her face into his arm during the scarier scenes of the bizarre movies being shown.

Izuku could have sworn they were trying to make people laugh with the descriptions. One movie was about elementary school teachers being assaulted by vicious monsters that were really children who ate bad chicken nuggets. Another was about a pastor who turned into a velociraptor and was convinced to fight crime by a hooker.

It was at the end of that second one when the two students had left the room with many others for the time being during the break to go get food. Reiko still didn't let him go. In fact, she was hugging even tighter now due to the movies they had been watching.

He said nothing, not wanting to ruin it. Maybe it was normal for friends to do? Were they friends? He hoped so…

They soon arrived at the food court in the convention, ordering some food. Izuku insisted on paying for them both, feeling guilty the girl had technically paid for his time here which he had to admit he was now enjoying, even if she didn't know so at the time.

Even once they were at their table and eating, the cosplaying girl didn't let go of his arm, using her telekinesis to eat her food. Izuku half expected a guard to say something but none did, which was fine with him.

"Um… Y-Yanagi?" He spoke up, getting a hum from the girl to signal she was listening. "Y-You w-were shaking a l-lot in there… a-are you okay? Y-You aren't c-cold are you? I c-can give you my c-coat if you a-are."

"…My deepest gratitude for the offer, Midoriya, but it is rather warm inside there. I am actually simply easily frightened." The verbose girl admitted, before she floated another small bite of food into her mouth and swallowed.

"O-Oh? B-But you like h-horror anyways?" Izuku asked, somewhat surprised. She nodded.

"I find it rather fascinating, and as with that tire movie, some of it can be… an experience to say the least." She said before a slight frown came onto her features. "I hope the quality of these films is not detracting from your experience here today, Midoriya."

"O-Oh, n-no! Actually, I'm f-finding it r-really fun!" He assured, trying not to look the girl in the eye. Their positioning was already embarrassing enough without also having to stare into her pretty eyes- Oh hey his brain was betraying him with the fact she was really pretty again, how fun!

"That is good. It is nice to know you are having a good experience. If I may inquire as much, how did you get into horror Midoriya?"

Izuku is quiet for a moment, getting her to look up at him confused. He sighs, finishing up his food first before addressing her. It would be better for him to get the truth out as soon as possible. "I-I a-actually am not r-really that into h-horror."

"You are not?" Reiko asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"Y-Yeah.. s-sorry I d-didn't s-say it earlier b-but it w-was r-really surprised a g-girl w-was talking to me a-and I didn't w-want to be r-rude and I… I just didn't know w-what to say." He said, before he then realized how it might sound. "T-That isn't to s-say I haven't been having f-fun though! I r-really am and I… c-can I c-call you a friend?"

"I would like that." Reiko said simply.

"I-It's nice to a-actually have a r-real friend… I d-don't r-really get to do t-things like this, m-most of my c-classmates d-don't like me." He explained with a sad frown. He normally didn't reveal this to people but he felt really guilty for deceiving her even slightly especially when she'd been nicer to him than pretty much ninety-eight percent of the people he'd met in his life. "S-Some of my c-classmates tricked me i-into thinking this was a h-hero convention cause I r-really like pro heroes… I think they e-expected me to be scared."

"…I do not like the sound of these people at all." Reiko said with a much more noticeable frown. Izuku matched it.

"It's n-not that I d-don't e-enjoy horror r-really, I j-just d-don't get scared t-too easily. P-Please d-don't be mad." He said that last part quietly, looking down nervously.

"Why would I be upset with you? You have told me the truth and explained your reasoning for your 'deception', which I would barely consider lying based on the scenario. And as you said, I have gotten to make a new friend. It has hardly been a negative experience." Reiko said, managing to make Izuku smile softly.

"T-That's good to hear."

"Well then, now that that is dealt with, I have another topic I would be interested in discussing." The telekinetic girl said. "Who is your favorite professional hero?"

"O-Oh! All Might without a doubt!" Izuku said, soon falling into a small muttering storm about how amazing the man was that to her credit, Reiko seemed to be doing her best to keep up with.

They'd also discuss their favorite horror films. Izuku had a very small pool to choose from so he'd simply gone with 'Halloween' while Reiko, rather unsurprisingly really, chose 'The Ring' as her personal favorite.

Over the course of their conversation the girl had decided to remove the black haired wig she had been wearing, revealing she had pure silver short hair with long bangs that covered one of her eyes, which she gave a very quick pat down with her hands.

Izuku found himself briefly silenced by how pretty she really looked, his eyes widening and his cheeks turning red. He thought she looked good with the black hair, but he was not prepared for how stunning she looked with her real hair.

He was quickly sucked back into the conversation though, finding it surprisingly easy to talk to her despite her odd style of communicating and the fact she was a girl which would usually be enough to render him a babbling mess.

Izuku also texted his mother to explain where he was, apologizing profusely for how long he'd taken to explain, due to how sudden it all had been.

The two friends had discussed doing something else for a minute but both had agreed they really wanted to see what the last two movies were gonna be like if the first three were as bizarre as they were.

Plus, though neither said it aloud, the excuse to continue holding the position they were in with Reiko hugging Izuku's arm like her life depended on it was also a pretty big reason why the two wanted to continue with the movies.

The first had been equally as odd as the last four. A woman enchanted a sofa to come to life and start committing crimes while two detectives tried to figure it out.

The real life pattern of Izuku rolling his eyes or sighing and groaning while smirking while Reiko hid her head in his arm, only peeking an eye out every now and again continued. Though this time, Reiko had asked if she could put her head on his shoulder so her head would be more comfortable.

Izuku had eventually managed to stammer out a yes, not wanting her to be uncomfortable, wondering if he'd already broken double digits for the amount of intense blushes he'd managed to attain since meeting Reiko only a few hours ago.

The second movie had been much… better than the rest in terms of quality. There was nothing bizarre about it at all nor did it really on any supernatural elements or such.

It was pure psychological horror, about two mentally deranged men playing sick and twisted games with a family they had taken to torment for their own personal amusement.

Izuku genuinely felt unnerved and curled up in his seat as he watched, truly freaked out and disturbed once it was over. Reiko also seemed to have been much more horrified by this film than the rest, as the two had simply sat in the hall for a good ten minutes after it was over, the telekinetic girl holding onto Izuku as tight as possible as she shuddered.

The two eventually stood up, making their way out the hall.

"That…. Was terrifying." Reiko said in a quiet, almost deadpan voice but there was a slight shudder that gave away her true feelings. "I am quite relieved I did not witness these motion pictures alone. Thank you for letting me… hold you."

"Y-Y-Yeah, n-no problem. I w-was f-freaked out by that one a-as well. That w-was the k-kind of horror t-that actually gets me." Izuku said, shivering slightly as the two walked out into the streets as it was getting quite late. In fact, midnight wasn't even an hour away. "I-I'm r-really g-glad I had a f-friend with m-me…"

The silver haired girl squeezed his arm a little tighter, as she led him towards the train station not too far from the convention. Izuku couldn't help but wonder where his new friend lived anyways, though asking felt like it would seem creepy in normal circumstances, let alone after the movie they'd just watched.

When they finally walked in though, Reiko's face suddenly showed the most emotion it had so far as worry clouded her features. She finally broke the five hour long hug they'd managed to maintain, a twinge of sadness hitting Izuku when she did so as she ran forward. "Oh no no no! This is absolutely dreadful!"

"Y-Yanagi? What's wrong?" Izuku asked, confused. His friend turned back to him, embarrassment joining the worry on her face.

"I… I was attempting to get on the very last train possible so I could savor as much of the convention as I would have been able to but… I have miscalculated the time. The last train going where I live, it left ten minutes ago."

"O-Oh, that i-isn't good." Izuku said, walking up to her with a frown. He put a hand to his chin in thought, trying to think what the girl could do when a thought hit him. He looked up to her with a blush. "…A-After w-what we just w-watched I get it if y-you really don't w-want to, I r-really d-don't want to s-sound creepy but I also d-don't want you c-cold or out in the s-streets for no r-reason if I can h-help so… I c-could take you to my a-apartment? M-My mom w-will understand… you d-don't have to b-but I just want you t-to be safe!"

Reiko looked at him for a moment, as if thinking before it seemed she finally made her decision, with a very slight blush on her own cheeks.

"Do you have cable television?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Then I shall be getting my slumber in the same bed as you."

Izuku could only splutter and blink in surprise as Reiko began walking in the opposite direction. He ran to catch up with her, before beginning to lead the way to his house. 'S-She was p-probably just making a j-joke to make things less awkward. T-That's probably it.'

Though he wouldn't be finding it out any time soon, he was both right and wrong. The girl had been making a joke to deflect her own slight embarrassment at the situation, though her joke would soon prove to be more like a premonition of what would happen fairly soon.

They decided to keep up their conversation from earlier while they walked, moving onto the topic of horror games instead of horror movies, as well as pro heroes with intentional horror motifs.

Very few rescue heroes had any which made sense, as seeing someone who looks like a horror movie monster when you're injured and unable to flee would perhaps not be the most pleasant experience, though for the few heroes out there restricted almost solely to combat it was actually fairly common.

They two were talking rather passionately about a shapeshifting hero who dressed as a clown when they'd finally arrived at the Midoriya residence, Izuku knocking on the door.

"Um… f-fair warning, my mom can be a little uh… e-emotional and I've never brought a f-friend over b-before, let a-alone a girl so…." Izuku scratched the back of his neck, nervous. Reiko nodded in understanding, slightly nervous herself. "Don't w-worry though, I a-already know she's g-gonna like you from w-what I know a-about you already!"

"Izuku, where have you-" A plump woman with long green hair, Inko Midoriya stepped out with a frown on her face. She froze however almost immediately upon spotting Reiko, before looking between her and Izuku.

"M-Mom… t-this is my n-new friend, R-Reiko Yanagi."

Inko's eyes widened and started to sparkle as her mouth trembled slightly.

"Greetings Ms. Midoriya. It is a pleasure to meet you." Reiko said politely, holding her hand out for a handshake. "I hope my presence here is not a bother."

Instead of getting the handshake she was going for, Reiko was suddenly pulled into a tight hug alongside Izuku, surprising her. "Ah! My baby finally has a friend! A pretty and polite one too!"

Reiko's cheeks turned red at the sudden praise but she returned the hug, caught off-guard while Izuku let out a small groan. "Mom!"

"Oh, I'm so happy!" The plump woman sniffled, letting go of them after a moment and wiping her eyes before putting on her most motherly smile. "O-Oh, apologies about that dear, Izuku just has never brought anyone over before."

The telekinetic teenager couldn't help but feel there was a little more to it based on Inko's earlier reaction but she chose not to say anything for the moment.

The woman led the two inside, sitting both down on the couch before she made her way over to the kitchen and poured a few glasses of water. Reiko took hers with a quiet thank you, quickly downing some of it as she was starting to feel rather thirsty anyways.

"Now, you said 'new' friend Izuku? Is Yanagi here related to why you were so late coming home today?" Inko asked, curious and raising a brow.

"Oh, your son was meant to be home sooner? I apologize for keeping him so long."

"N-No, it was o-on me!" Izuku assured, before turning to face his mom. "I w-was told a-about a hero c-convention on the edge of town, a-and I just wanted to h-have a quick look c-cause they s-said All Might would be there but it was a p-prank."

Inko let out a sad sigh, before Izuku continued on.

"It was a horror convention, which is why Yanagi is dressed like she is by the way, for horror movies." He said, making Inko grimace. His mother never had been good with horror. "A-Anyways, when I was l-leaving, I ended up bumping i-into Yanagi and s-she was really nice to me. S-She thought I was t-there for the h-horror convention and ended up o-offering me the spare ticket she had. I uh... d-didn't want to be impolite and e-ended up watching a bunch of movies with her, but I d-did tell her the truth!"

"That's good." Inko said, a small grin starting to come onto her face.

"I h-had a l-lot of fun t-though, w-watching them with her and talking during l-lunch!" Izuku said happily, before blushing bright as he realized what exactly that scenario could sound like. He didn't trust the ever widening smile on his mother's face.

Reiko did not help with her next few words. "He allowed me to hold onto him when I was frightened, and I am incredibly thankful for that as it helped me feel better."

Inko looked almost feral with her grin now.

"A-Anyways!" Izuku suddenly exclaimed, trying to get the conversation on track before his mom did something Izuku would regret. "M-Mom, t-the reason I h-had to bring Reiko over i-is because s-she missed the l-last train to her home. I c-couldn't just l-leave her after s-she'd been so n-nice to me and e-everything! C-Can she p-please s-stay here, just f-for tonight?"

"Of course! I'm not just gonna leave a fourteen-year-old lost and wandering around, especially not if she's your 'friend!'" The plump woman exclaimed. Izuku found the inflection she used for the last word suspicious. "Excuse me a moment, I'll go look for the sleeping bags."

With that, she wandered through the room and towards a closet. While she went off searching, Izuku turned to his new friend with a blush, scratching the back of his neck.

Before he could say anything though, Reiko spoke up. "Your mother seems very delightful. I find her presence soothing."

"Y-Yeah, she h-has that e-effect on a lot of p-people." Izuku chuckled nervously. "S-So, y-you'll be okay in m-my room?"

"Pardon? I was under the impression I would be sleeping in one of the sleeping bags, in here." Reiko said, Izuku quickly shaking his head.

"N-No, I c-couldn't do that to you! A-After you were so n-nice to me, b-besides, y-you're our guest! Y-You should get a bed!" Izuku assured, making Reiko frown.

"I am afraid I do not like the idea of you sleeping in a sleeping bag in your own home. It truly is no issue, I am the one imposing on you."

"Well that's nonsense, sweetheart!" Inko called as she walked back in with a frown. "You aren't imposing at all. Although, I'm afraid I have bad news. The sleeping bags must have been thrown out and we have no spare mattresses."

"Then I will simply slumber on the couch, I do not wish to cause problems." Reiko tried to settle the matter, only for both greenette's to wave their hands in a similar manner.

"N-No, you s-should be able to s-sleep in a bed! I'll s-sleep on the couch!" Izuku insisted, only for Inko to speak up.

"Izuku, your friend can have my room and you can go to your own, that should resolve the issue."

"I'm sorry Ms. Midoriya, I truly do not mean to be a bother but I am simply not comfortable with forcing either of you out of your beds." Reiko frowned, with a sigh. Inko stopped for a moment in thought, before she started grinning again.

"Well then, I suppose there is only one solution. Both of you can share my bed, and I will sleep in Izuku's room!" Inko said, hurrying off into her son's room before there could be any objections. Izuku felt his face heat up, only for the blush to worsen further when he saw Reiko stand up and walk towards his mother's room.

He quickly followed, the two stepping inside and Izuku watched the girl measure out the bed for a moment before looking up. "Will this solution be acceptable?"

He was pretty sure he'd die of embarrassment from it but he gave a quick nod while looking down, before looking over. Maybe he could set up a pillow wall-

It was too late for that, as Reiko climbed inside the bed. With a steadying breath, Izuku nervously lifted the covers on the other side and climbed in.

'Holycrapholycrapholycrapi'minbedwithaprettygirlwhoisactuallysuperniceandismyfriendandholycrapwhatonearthishappeningwhattheheckwhendidlifedecidetoosuddenlynotscrewmeoverforonce-'

"…I very much enjoyed today, Midoriya." Reiko spoke up, startling him for a moment. He nodded though, managing to put on a smile. "It was very nice meeting you."

"I had a lot of fun today too, Yanagi. M-Maybe w-we could do it again s-sometime? Or j-just hang out again in g-general?" Holy crap did he really just ask that!?

"…I'd like that."

"M-Me too. W-We should probably s-sleep now though, it's p-pretty late." Izuku said, resting his head against his pillow with a quiet sigh. "G-Goodnight, Yanagi."

"Goodnight, Midoriya."

With that, the two drifted off into the land of sleep….

Or so they tried. Izuku soon found himself twisting and turning, constantly cracking one eye open and looking around to assure himself everything was fine.

He was having two issues sleeping. The first was simply the pure nervousness of knowing he was in bed with a girl he'd only met that day. And that he was in bed with a girl in general.

The other reason that was quickly pushing the sleeping issues up was his brain kept going back to the last horror movie, a sense of paranoia kicking him and making him too freaked out to let his eyes stay closed for long.

"…Midoriya?" Reiko's quiet voice suddenly broke the silence. "Are you still awake?"

He rolled over, opening his eyes properly to see Reiko staring at him. "S-Sorry, did I k-keep you up?"

"Not at all. Are you alright?"

"….I'm s-struggling to s-sleep." He admitted with a sigh, gripping the sheetr beneath him slightly, trying not to meet the girl's eyes.

"…Me too." Reiko said, frowning. "...What is the issue for you, if I may ask?"

"…T-To be h-honest, I'm a l-little n-nervous. i've n-never had a f-friend who w-was a girl in g-general before so t-this is all a l-little odd to me. Not b-bad odd! J-just, I'm k-kinda nervous?" He admitted, fidgeting before letting out a sigh. "The b-bigger reason though i-is that t-the horror m-movie from e-earlier is still on my m-mind. W-What about you?"

"…Will you promise not to react poorly to this?" She asked nervously, surprising him.

"I promise."

"….I was waiting to cuddle with you when you were asleep." She said, making Izuku blink and blush, mouth simply hanging up in surprise.

"W-Why?" He managed to ask after a moment.

"…I cannot sleep without holding someone after watching horror movies. Pillows do not do the trick." Reiko explained, sighing. "I have a teddy bear at home I usually sleep with on nights like these but of course I do not have it now…"

"O-Oh… t-that makes sense."

"Plus… you make me feel safe anyways."

… has crashed.

"If we are friends… You put me at ease enough to ask this despite the amount of time we have known each other. May I please cuddle with you for tonight so that I can sleep?"

Izuku was about ready to be swallowed whole by the bed. Unable to think of any coherent words, he simply held his arms open in invitation. The girl had immediately rolled into him, an arm wrapping around him as his own gently settled on her waist.

Her chest pressed against him slightly.

…It took five minutes for him to pass out for the rest of the night with a blush and a really dopey smile on his face. Reiko passed out in his arms only a few moments later, clinging onto him tight.

Her usually blank face didn't stop smiling either as she nuzzled into his chest, and the two got the best night of sleep either had had in years.