Light

"No. Stop it!" The boy's words were meaningless to the man pinning him to the floor with his heel. Fire and ruin surrounded them as sirens and crumbling buildings sounded in the distance. The man clad in a black tux and industrial mask was the one behind the mayhem unfolding. Midoriya begin to cry as he watched All for One retract his fingers that pierced the body of the hero laying in his own blood.

"All Might! please save us!" The boy cried, reaching out. But the hero couldn't hear his pleas. His eyes were lifeless as his body laid cold. Above him, the villain chuckled lightly as if this was all an amusing joke. He then turned his heel as he faced his new target. Midoriya looked to where his gaze fell and went cold. Iida was carrying Uraraka in his arms trying to escape the vicinity. Iida's faced displayed grave panic and horror as he desperately tried to move. All For One extended his hand and his fingers turned into blades as they raced forth and pierced the young boy's body from the back. He yelled out in pain as blood spurted from his mouth. All For One dragged him closer, pulling his fingers back and threw Iida to the side like a broken toy. Uraraka fell out of his arms and landed in front of Midoriya with a heavy thud. All For One stepped off of his back and slowly approached the young girl. Deku was screaming, begging with his own life.

"NOOOOO! Please just take me! She doesn't deserve this! Please take me and not her!"

He threw his palms down, showing the man he was ready to receive punishment. All For One said nothing as he fabricated a giant fist made of iron and rock. He raised his arm high, ready to swing down when everything went silent. The world around them seemed to stop as Uraraka opened her eyes and looked at the boy with broken hope.

"Deku. Please save me."

Midoriya abruptly awoke, his breathing rapid and his heart racing. He was soaked in sweat as he sat up and grabbed his head. Not again. He looked over to see if he disturbed the sleeping girl next to him. Thankfully, she was still fast asleep, snoring quietly on her side. His shirt fixed to his skin, plastered in sweat. The bags under his eyes sank a little lower as he moved his feet to the bedroom floor and sat hunched over. For the past couple of nights, he has been plagued with nightmares. A man in black visits and destroys everything around him. These nightmares were now affecting his real life as he went through the days anxious and drowsy.

Cold water splashed against his face as he tried to wash off the sweat and subdue his anxiety. He turned off the water and stared at himself in the mirror. His sanity was slowly slipping every night he woke up. Even surrounded by the All Might memorabilia in his dorm room, the young teen did not feel safe going back to sleep. He looked back at his girlfriend. She was still sleeping, it took quite a bit to wake her up. Seeing this he quietly left his room. He found himself in the kitchen, which all the students at the 2-A dorms shared. He knew he'd find the space empty, it was the middle of the night as usual, everyone else was in a deep sleep. He grabbed hard boiled eggs from the refrigerator and sat in the common area. The couches were positioned for people to socialize and talk but now, he had no one to converse and vent to. He sat in silence. Replaying his dream again and again. He was helpless in the face of real power, he couldn't move or make any rational decisions. But this wasn't a dream, it was reality. One day he would need to step up and be the pillar of the hero society and fight against the greatest evil. But that's what scared him. He once was eager and ready to take on the title, but after seeing the brute strength displayed at the Kamino Ward disaster, that hope now turned to dreading fear that consumed him. His head hung down as his anxiety crept back up. He kept picturing himself, under the crushing heel of All for One, powerless to stop him from killing his friends. Midoriya shook his head to free himself of these thoughts and sat back and stared at the ceiling. All of the people he cherished could one day be in mortal danger unless he became the greatest hero. He meditated on that thought. The people he loved.

Her.

The girl who first extended her hand to be friends, who accepted him for who he was and not his powers. The same girl who rescued him and pleaded with teachers to let him into UA. He always thought of her as his best friend but when he asked her out he knew there was something deeper down for her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to fight side by side with her because she was easy to get along and work with. He loved everything about her. Then he remembered his dream. He couldn't rescue her. Even in his dream when she reached out and begged to be saved, he couldn't reach her hand. He closed his eyes.

No. No! I will protect her. She will never be in harm's way while I'm with her.

But his thoughts started to slip. Despair, self loathing, hatred, worry. These feelings became entangled with them as he began to spiral into darkness. A black abyss waited at the bottom as he doubted and fought himself over and over.

I'm nowhere near All Might, I cant even control my quirk entrusted by him and people have suffered because of it. I'm not a hero, I ca-

Each passing thought dragged him deeper and deeper into this pit of madness and he was neck deep in it. Tears started to pool and his heart was ready to implode. He was frightened.

Please. Someone save me from this. Save me.

His mind fought and clawed to escape the darkness, reaching out hoping to grab ahold of something, but in the end he lost.

It's all my fault. It's all my fault. I'll never be ready to fight. I'll always be a coward who can't rescue people with a smile, I-

"Deku."

Soft arms wrapped around his neck and a forehead pressed against his shoulder.

Light.

Her voice was quiet and sad. He didn't have to ask who it was. He already knew.

"Ochako-" He reached up to wipe his tears away. She grabbed his hands before they could reach.

"I knew something was wrong," she spoke from behind him. The room was deathly still and she kept her voice low, "It was the nightmares again, wasn't it?."

"..."

Light enveloped him and pulled him from the black abyss.

Midoriya didn't know what words to say without choking up and breaking down.

"Please, Deku. I want to help you."

Please. The word rang out as the vision of her begging to be saved flashed before his eyes. He couldn't contain the emotions anymore. Silent tears started running down his cheeks.

"Tell me what's happening." She begged him once more.
"It's…" He didn't know how to convey his worry and feelings.

"...It's been so hard." He said quietly,

"I have watched you, Iida, and All Might die every night for the past couple of days. I… I'm afraid of losing you guys and I know they're just dreams but they're so real and happen every night." He started to choke up and quickly turned around and fell into her embrace. He cried and cried into her chest as she wrapped her arms around his head and held him close.

The strongest hero she knew, the boy she looked up to for inspiration, needed her comfort. She stood there quietly holding him as he let out words in between sobs.

"I can't keep doing this Ochako, I can't go back to sleep and watch the people I love die while I'm powerless." He was pushing the sentences out at this point. The words were muffled against her clothes which he pressed into to hide his tears from her. His throat was trying to keep up, but emotions flooded their way forward. He sat trying to catch his breath when he felt her shift her position. She put her lips next to his ear and whispered in the most gentle voice.

"You've been so strong."

His entire body froze. He looked up at the girl holding him as his eyes met hers.

"But none of us are going leave you. I'm right here and alive Deku. I always will if you're with me." The tears pooling in her eyes refused to release. She had to be the pillar to hold him up in a time like this. She had to reliable for him or else she wouldn't be able to stand by his side. It didn't matter though. Midoriya after hearing this, grabbed her shoulder and yanked her close and fell into her. He cried as she held him and stroked the back of his head. It was the middle of the night but no feelings of tiredness or weariness came to her. She only yearned to comfort the boy in her arms right now. He continued to hold onto her until he let out all of his built up emotions. And she wasn't leaving until he did.

A few moments passed and they ended up laying on the couch. Midoriya laid on top of Uraraka still buried in the nape of her neck. With her arms wrapped around his back, she stared up at the ceiling until she felt him moving. He pressed a hand next to her head pushed himself up so he was hovering over her.

"Thank you Ochako, I mean it." He sniffed saying. He bent down and kissed her forehead, "I feel I was going to go crazy if I wasn't able to let it all out right now."

She shook her head at him and smiled.

"Nuh-uh. I'm glad I was here. You were really worrying me with how tired and nervous you looked through the week." She said, blushing from the praise and affection she received.

He looked into her eyes and found himself dumbstruck for a second. She was beautiful. She was so beautiful it hurt but, it made him happy.

How lucky to fall in love with someone like her.

She was light. Drowning in his own darkness of his thoughts, she was the light he could chase and grab ahold of. His light that would rescue him even when he found himself lost in despair. He put a hand to her cheek and kissed her again. He held his lips with hers for as long as he could, showing how much he adored and loved her. He pulled back and spoke,

"I think I'm ready to go back to bed. If you're there, I don't think the nightmares will happen any time soon."

"Actually before we go back to sleep, I have an idea!" She smiled and rolled out from under him. She took his hand in her own and made her way to the entrance of the dorm.

He found himself outside in the night. The moon illuminated the path she led him on while he wildly guessed to where her destination was. She stopped suddenly in front of the dorm building and turned towards him. She grabbed his other hand and stepped closer, gazing up for a second.

"I want to show you something." She said looking back at him. He swore there was some mischievous intent behind her statement but he didn't care. He trusted her without a doubt in the world.

"Okay but where are we g-"

"Close your eyes." She said, cutting him off with smile.

"Okay." He gently closed his eyes and waited. She drew close to him and put her hands to his chest, standing on her tippy toes to reach.

As her lips gently pressed against his, euphoria erupted within him. All of the darkness that clouded his thoughts instantly evaporated. He felt he was floating whenever she kissed him. She was just that—

Wait.

He looked down. He was in fact floating. She giggled as she saw the surprise in his eyes.

All of her fingers pressed against his chest as they elevated off of the ground and floated into the sky. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, hiding the nervous look in his eyes.

"It's okay, I won't let you fall." She whispered between them. Her attempt to ease his nerves worked because his body relaxed as they went higher and higher.

Suddenly, they came to a stop and she released him, both staying in their positions in the air. As he struggled and flipped, Uraraka crossed her legs and sat as if she was relaxing at home.

"Deku, stop freaking out and focus on balancing your body in the air. Try tightening your core."

He did as he was told and miraculously he stopped tumbling around in place. He looked over at Uraraka and tried to copy her position. He crossed his legs as he wobbled trying to hold himself right side up.

"Do I look like a guru now?" He asked. No answer. He looked over for a response but her eyes were affixed on something else in the distance. He looked out to find it and gasped. The skyline was stretched far out in front of them but the lights were bountiful and bright. Even from this distance, he could see the colors and lights dance for them. The city seemed so quiet from their spot. There was a feeling of tranquility, being away from the noise and the busy energy that came from the city. They both floated in silence, taking in the sight and the absence of noise. It was so peaceful. He couldn't help but feel bliss and joy from sharing this moment with the girl he cherished. He reached over and grabbed her hand. She looked at him but his eyes were still on the horizon. But this time he was smiling. She noticed the look in his eye changed, instead of dread, she saw delight. She turned and looked back at the city. Warmth spread through her chest as she mentally pictured that smile. A smile that would one day tell the people they were safe from danger. A smile that would put hopes back into the people's hearts. Then an idea came to her mind.

"Hey Deku?"

"Hm?"

"I want you to stop worrying." She said turning to face him.

"Hahaha I think now I'll be fine."

"Like I said earlier, you don't have to worry, you know why?"

"Because you'll never leave my side?" He asked.

"No uhhh... it's because…" she looked down and then exploded.

"IT'S BECAUSE I AM HERE!"

Midoriya spat. He started to cough and choke he was laughing too hard. Tumbling and spinning mid air, his stomach begin to hurt from his giggling. Uraraka seeing this lost her senses and doubled over laughing, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She knew this would lighten his mood but did not expect this outcome. Their laughters filled the space between them as they whirled around and swam in the darkness of the night sky. The moon light and countless stars were the only backdrop to this scene unfolding. Just two teens madly in love with one another, laughing to their heart's content in the night.

-End-