11. Attendance Record

"Congratulations," Aizawa said into the silence following the loud thump of his books and bag hitting the desk at the front of the classroom. "Class 1-A has won best attendance for the term, as it doesn't seem like even a single one of you knows how to be sick and have graced me with your faces every day up until this point. If there was a prize for healthiest class, you'd win that too."

Breaking the following silence was the crinkle of foil, and Izuku blushed as all eyes turned to him where he was peeling open a protein bar. Aizawa sighed, but didn't reprimand him, instead saying, "I suppose we have you to thank for that Izuku."

"Yes?" Izuku replied, slightly muffled as he'd already taken a hefty mouthful, not expecting to be addressed.

"Thanks to you, no one's been sick this term!" Uraraka said cheerfully as she turned to face him, before twisting back around. "Aizawa-sensei, doesn't best attendance get a reward?"

"That's right," Aizawa grunted. "And you have to put it to a vote. It's either a day at that theme park that opened last year or a fully funded party of your choice of theme on campus. Don't bother choosing now, you have until the end of next week to choose because it'll be happening during your holiday week."

"It's definitely got to be the theme park," Kaminari said loudly, as if he hadn't just heard what Aizawa had said. "I mean, who wants a boring party in this place?"

"If anyone listens in this place it'll be a goddamn miracle," Aizawa muttered.

"Wait a minute," Kirishima's voice boomed. "We're not getting sick because of Midoriya? I mean, yeah that's cool, but what if I want that sick day so I can sleep longer? No one's going to believe I'm sick!"

"Why…" Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why would you say that out loud? Why…?"

"You know what," Ashido said loudly. "I want to say thank you, Midoriya-kun." She'd stood to stand in front of his desk, smiling down at him. "I normally get some awful flu or cold this time of the year and it makes my pores all clogged with my Quirk if I don't keep on top of it, so thank you for helping keep us all healthy!"

Izuku quickly swallowed his mouthful, making sure to tap any crumbs away from his lips with his fingertips.

"That's alright, Ashido-san! You don't have to thank me though, I would have done it anyway and not by accident if I'd have known! If you ever do feel sick, definitely let me know, if I can help you so you aren't uncomfortable that would be great!"

"Oh, Midoriya-kun," Ashido gushed. "You're so sweet." She leaned over the desk to give him a thankful hug and, next to them, a previously quiet Bakugou, accidentally blew up his desk.


12. Sick As A Dog

"Hey, where's Izuku today?" Uraraka asked Koda as their silent classmate exited the dorm room. Bakugou was leaning against a nearby wall, drumming his fingers impatiently on his crossed arms.

Koda smiled ruefully, and signed something. Uraraka's brow furrowed.

"I'm sorry, Koda. I don't know sign language."

"I do," Iida answered, pushing his glasses up. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Koda angled himself towards Iida and signed the same.

"Oh." Iida frowned. "Well, does he have everything he needs in there?"

Koda nodded quickly and empathetically, smiling timidly.

"Right then. We should come back this afternoon after classes," he addressed his companions. "Izuku appears to be unwell. Not surprising, considering the season and the fact his own ability does not affect his wellbeing."

"You what?" Bakugou turned on the door, but Iida stood in front of it steadfastly.

"Izuku is unwell. It won't do us any good to see him, and we can't afford to be absent from school ourselves. We can visit him this afternoon, it's better for all involved and he can get some rest. I believe Koda when he says Izuku is well cared for during the day."

Iida quickly adjusted his glasses and his eyes glittered ominously.

"If I have to remove you from this corridor with force, I will."

"Fuck! Fine!" Bakugou snarled and stormed away, Iida letting out the breath he'd been holding.


"So, I understand Todoroki-kun being here, but Tokoyami-kun?" Uraraka tilted her head in confusion, a crowd of them cramping up the space outside of the dorm room as Koda fumbled nervously with the keys.

Tokoyami held up a flask and simply said, "Chicken broth. Brought some from home when I heard he was sick."

"Isn't that like, cannibalism?" Bakugou muttered callously, and swore angrily, hands whipping around as Tokoyami then smacked him across the head with the flask.

"Oh, no, no, no, this isn't a good place to fight guys!" Uraraka tried to get herself between the two of them to stop the brawl that wanted to break out. "Izuku is trying to rest!"

Bakugou abruptly let go of Tokoyami's shirt, the other having already lifted his flask again in warning, twisting to face the already opened door and then shouldering his way into the room.

Bundled into his bed under a layer of what had to be a dozen blankets, Izuku was tucked up against the headboard, accepting the glass of water and tablets that Todoroki was offering him.

"Oh," Izuku's voice warbled. "To…Todo- " he sneezed and trembled. "Your hands are cold. It's nice."

Koda was fussing over the mess of tissues and used ice patches that Izuku had already made his way through, ignoring the nasal and weak protests of Izuku saying he'd clean up after himself.

"Yeah?" Todoroki asked, uncharacteristically soft, and set the glass down when Izuku was done drinking, instead moving to press his palm to Izuku's forehead, his other hand helping Izuku settle back down against the pillows in a reclined position. Todoroki perched on the edge of the bed.

"Oh…" Izuku sighed again, stuffy eyes closing as he leaned into the cold. "I know I need the blankets, but it's..."

He sniffled again, and Todoroki was alarmed when Izuku's eyes started watering all of a sudden.

"Midoriya? Is everything okay?"

Izuku hiccupped, sniffing again as if he couldn't clear his nose.

"I miss my mum. I miss home." He lifted his hand as if to scrape his wrist against his leaky nose, but Bakugou was already there, shoving a tissue in the way before Izuku got mucus everywhere.

"Fucking idiot, she's only ten minutes by train, not even that. Idiot."

"K-Kacchan," Izuku blinked blearily up at him, scrubbing at his eyes with his hand instead. "At least you're still here."

Bakugou looked fit to combust, his face steadily darkening in a blush.

"I thought…dreamt…" Izuku trailed off tiredly. "That everyone was gone. That I couldn't save them. That…they're worse now, now I can help, but I can't, it's not good enough."

"You fucking dumbass." Bakugou managed to get out in a strangled voice, and then he was dumping his bag and jacket on the floor, tearing his shoes off. "Move over, move your fucking ass."

Izuku shuffled closer towards Todoroki obediently, who let his hand settle down on Izuku's sweat slick neck, and Bakugou squeezed himself into the space on the bed between Izuku's burning back and the wall, resolutely ignoring the accusing stares of everyone in the room.

"They're just the stupid fever dreams you stupid piece of shit. Every fucking time, Deku."

Izuku trembled and a sob, a soft keening noise managed to escape from between his pressed lips, and Todoroki brushed Izuku's fringe from his eyes.

"Oh, Izuku," Uraraka sighed sadly, sitting at the foot of the bed and finding Izuku's ankle under the mountain of blankets.

"If I can't save everyone then…"

"You're no less for it," Tokoyami suddenly said introspectively, setting his flask onto the bedside locker. "Because to get to that point, you have already done your best. You don't deserve any less respect. If you feel hungry, I brought soup."

Izuku sniffled again, face still pressed firmly into Todoroki's palm, Bakugou curled almost protectively around him, and mumbled, "I – I think I'd like that."


"Sorry I'm late!" Iida called out breathlessly as he shouldered his way into the dorm, bags of medicine and good recovery food hanging off his arms. "I – "

"Sshh!" Uraraka shushed him gently, and Iida nearly dropped one of the bags onto his foot.

"W – What?"

Izuku was sleeping, a little fitfully almost, face and fingers twitching restlessly. He couldn't go far, boxed in with his face smushed into Todoroki's cold shoulder, face turned towards his neck, Bakugou wrapped around him from the other side

Todoroki was awake, head lifting in alarm away from his textbook at Iida's loud voice. Bakugou was not, his mouth parted slightly, his nose in Izuku's hair as he loudly and deeply breathed in his sleep.

"Izuku's fever broke," Uraraka said with a quiet smile. "So Todoroki is helping keep him cool."

"And…Bakugou?"

"He's there to scare off the bad dreams."

And Uraraka smiled as if it made all the sense of the world. Iida supposed it sort of did – if anyone could scare off a bad dream, it was certainly Bakugou.

Very, very carefully, he stacked the isotonic and vitamin recovery drinks into the mini-fridge tucked into the corner of the room, Koda helping him in silent comradery.


Tada!

I'll get to other stories again, I promise. lmao.