Kirishima balled up his sleeve and cleared the window glass for what seemed like the twentieth time that afternoon.

"Guh," the teen exploded, "Why the heck does it keep foggin' up?!"

Bakugo scoffed from the couch, catching a glare from Kirishima.

"Probably 'cuz all you damn freaks are a buncha nosy mouth-breathers."

"Way rude, Bakubro," Kirishima retorted, turning back to the window, "We just wanna make sure they're both okay."

Overhearing from the kitchenette, Ochaco's brow furrowed.

"Kirishima, what do you see?"

Squinting a bit, Kirishima gave his pitiful report.

"Not much to see, Uraraka," he sulked, "'Looks like they're talkin', and – hey, wait!"

The room hushed. All eyes darted to Kirishima.

"'Wait', what?!" Mineta questioned impatiently.

"Hm," Kirishima shrugged, "Never mind. Todoroki just sneezed, 's'all."

A collective moan roared across 1A. Uraraka threw her palms to her face.

"What are they doing out there? Having a tea party?!"

Asui's webbed hands rubbed Ochaco's back.

"It's okay, Ochaco," Tsuyu comforted, "They've gotta come in sooner or later."

"B-but it's been a while – especially for Todoroki. Th-they're gonna get sick!"

Just then, a heroic voice cried, "Not on my watch."

Turning at the token, Ochaco found the source to be none other than –

"Tenya Iida has the situation in hand!"

Brimmed with confidence, Iida jetted to the kitchen stove: so quickly, one might've suspected his quirk had been activated. His expression took on a dignified look as he studied Sato: anxiously stirring a steaming vat and watching the Co-Class Representative.

"Sato," Iida stated – so abruptly, it made Sato jump, "Do you have a status update on the chicken noodle soup?"

"Uhh," Sato replied, scratching his head, "Fresh outta chicken. Oh! But I did find some soba and ramen broth. Not quite soup, but it should do the trick!"

"Excellent resourcefulness," Iida saluted.

Before Sato even got to thank him, the mature teen dashed to the living room. There, he found Mina and Hagakure laying out several pillows and blankets on the coffee table. Iida lightly tapped Mina's shoulder from behind.

"Ladies-"

"Gah!" Mina screeched, smacking Iida with a pillow.

"Like," Hagakure added, "Don't scare us like that, Tenya!"

"S-sorry, sorry!" Iida waited for the color in his cheeks to dissipate before continuing, "How goes it here?"

"Fiiiine," both teens replied girlishly.

Iida nodded, adjusting his glasses.

"Were you able to find a heated blanket?"

"No," Mina replied, "But Kaminari did!"

"Yeah," Hagakure chimed in, "He's plugging it in now."

Iida grinned, "Great! That's—"

"WOAH!"

The group turned at the fuss: noticing Kaminari by the nearest electric outlet - blanket and extension cord clasped together. He coughed up a puff of smoke as he chuckled.

"I-I'm okay," he hacked, "Needed a good charge-up, anyway!"

The girls giggled lightly, while Iida could only facepalm his forehead.

Laughing at the commotion himself, Kirishima almost missed the view from the window. Again, he scrubbed the condensation away: this time, successful in his efforts. His close vigil had paid off. There, through fractals of ice along the windowpane, Kirishima could make out his two classmates: with Izuku Midoriya draping his coat over Shoto Todoroki's back.

"Guys!" Kirishima hollered, "Come look! They're movin'!"

Ochaco and Iida sprinted the fastest. Desperately, Uraraka used her own sleeve to clean at the window herself.

Though she could now see for herself, Uraraka turned to Kirishima.

"What's happening?!"

"Well," Kirishima recounted the view, "Midoriya gave Todoroki his coat."

Mina and Hagakure squealed, clasping each other's hands.

"Aaaah, so cuuuuute!"

Asui rolled her eyes.

"Oh brother."

"Girls," Iida reproached, "Please! Go on, Kirishima."

"Well," Kirishima added, "'Looks like Midoriya's heading inside."

"With Todoroki?" Ojiro questioned.

Kirishima looked to the window again. His eyes drew up with concern.

"He's practically carrying Todoroki."

The 1A classmates murmured. The common room that was once filled with laughter and holiday spirit had been replaced with nervous energy. Iida glowered as he adjusted his glasses.

"It's true," the class leader added, "Midoriya has him hoisted over his shoulders."

Climbing up to the top of the windowsill, Mineta peaked for himself.

"Hmm…'Looks like a red-and-white sack of potatoes."

Asui, Jiro, and Sero exploded at the purple menace.

"Mineta – not now!"

Ignoring Mineta's comment, Tokoyami approached the windowsill – with Dark Shadow knocking the metal-diapered fiend to the ground.

"Yah-oof!" Mineta cried as he fell.

Dark Shadow failed to muffle a snicker, with Tokoyami smirking coyly.

Kirishima, not paying much attention to Mineta's dramatics, continued to deliver his recap.

"'Looks they're making their way inside Heights Alliance."

Iida nodded, his stance firm.

"Alright, gang," the Co-Class Representative commanded, "Get ready."

"Oui," Aoyama remarked, brandishing a sparkly pink blanket, "Zis eez zee perfect blanket, no?"

Iida averted his stare and rubbed his temples.

He replied tiredly, "No…"

There were more stairs than Midoriya remembered. Though, that could just be the additional weight of a nearly-grown human he was carrying. Bricks were in their legs: each step felt like a mile to the dragging boys. Sweat poured over Todoroki's brow. He heaved with each step of his struggle, despite his classmate's physical aid.

By the third flight, Izuku, too, was more than over it.

"Tell me," Midoriya huffed, mainly to himself, "If U.A. is such a prestigious high school… Why, in the world, would they not invest in an elevator?!"

In the last few harrowing steps, Midoriya could feel the streams of sweat fading into smaller droplets. Their pace had slowed until they stopped in front of the common room door. While not completely limp, there was a heaviness to Todoroki's stature. Without help, Midoriya was sure Todoroki would not have made it past the first flight. Still supporting most of his weight, Midoriya allowed Todoroki a moment to collect himself. Soft coughs escaped Todoroki's lips into a quivering fist.

"Th…thanks," he rasped.

"Try not to talk," Midoriya cringed. The rasp of Todoroki's throat made his own hurt.

It was the longest doorknob turn in history. Through the door, audible mumbles whistled out.

"-Gotta be them- "

"- 'They here? -"

The light in the room made Todoroki squint. Having been in the snow for so long, his vision needed some adjusting. Even Midoriya began to blink rapidly when he entered. The first one he could make out through the door was Uraraka.

"You're both here!" she exalted, hugging Midoriya – and, by extension, Todoroki.

"'S good to see you, too," Midoriya blushed.

"Alright, alright," Iida pushed through, "We'll have plenty of time for that later."

"Iida," Midoriya grinned softly.

"Midoriya," Tenya remarked, shaking snow from his friend's mossy hair, "'You alright?"

"Don't worry about me," the freckled teen insisted, gesturing to Todoroki, "He needs to get warm. Now."

Without hesitation, Iida took a half-conscious Todoroki in his arms, bridal style. It was strange, initially: feeling a crisp, coolness on Todoroki's right side. On his left, however, it felt more… damp than it did hot. All the while, the boy shivered and shook. This sight, of course, saddened Iida. But his priority now was not to ponder. It was to help.

His expression softened as he took in the pallor of Todoroki's clammy skin. Iida didn't need a thermometer to know Todoroki was feverish. A deep redness glowed throughout his pale face and neck, with slivers of frost still biting at his right cheek. His chapped, bluish lips murmured something along the lines of, 'Sorry'? Iida was guessing, again.

Heading into Todoroki's dormitory, Tenya laid the young man down in his shikibuton. As he did, he spoke in a tone that was so soft, it hardly sounded like Iida at all.

"You'll be alright," he hushed, "Get changed into something dry. We'll bring you back to the common room for some soup and warm blankets soon. Okay?"

Todoroki's half-lidded stare seemed lost, but he nodded feebly to signal his understanding. Iida, too, nodded back as he left the room. Delicately, he shut Todoroki's door. His sigh was deep as he leaned against it.

'This is going to be a long night,' Iida thought.

The class leader made his way back into the common area slowly. There, on the couch, he found a bevy of 1A students crowding Izuku.

"'Ere, mon ami," Aoyama exclaimed, dawning Midoriya with his pink blanket, "You must be – 'ow you say, 'fweezing', no? Zis will 'elp."

Clutching the blanket, Midoriya thanked his classmate with a bow. As soon as Iida made his way to the couch, Midoriya looked up with desperate eyes.

"How's he doing?"

Against his better judgement, Midoriya let out a few chesty coughs.

Iida squinted.

"I told him to change into something dry. And I suggest you do the same, Midoriya."

Midoriya quirked an eyebrow.

"Well," Iida continued, crossing his arms, "You were out there, too, y'know. Don't want you catching a cold before Christmas, do we?"

"But, Iida, I, h…hh'hhaaAh'schoo!"

He shot a scarred hand to his mouth, cheeks going pink. His eyes widened as Hagakure, Mina, and even Ochaco began to giggle.

"Hm," Iida hummed, "My point exactly. Go change."

Noticing Mother Hen-ya Iida's unfaltering paternal look, Midoriya sighed, "Okay," and flitted off to his room.

Nodding affirmatively, Iida jolted at the sound of a condescending scoff. Of course, it belonged to Bakugo.

"And what," Iida hissed, "Is so humorous to you?"

"Psh," Bakugo hissed back as he sauntered to the main door, "You losers are way over your damn heads."

"Wait!" Iida cried, his glasses sliding down his nose, "Where do you think you're going?"

"You're not my dad, ya goddamn prison warden!"

And with a slam, Bakugo had left the common room.

Iida huffed once more, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Kids. No respect."

The class representative turned to the kitchen table.

"Kirishima," Iida called, "Can you check on Todoroki and bring him to the common room? I'm sure he could use some hot soup right about now."

"On it!" the Red Riot saluted, dashing to the dormitories.

"Hagakure—"

"Right behind ya!"

"Ahh!" Iida shrieked; his pitch slightly higher than he'd care for it to go.

Laughing again, Mina and Hagakure stood right behind a surprised Iida. Clearing his throat, he continued his thought.

"Could you girls please set up a makeshift bed for Todoroki on the couch? It would be best to keep an eye on him tonight—"

"Ooh," Mina cooed, "While he sleeps?!"

"I'm sure he's just the cutest sleeper ever!" Hagakure swooned, collapsing into the pillows.

As the two girls giggled about their dreamy classmate, Asui joined Iida's side.

"At least you don't share a dorm hall with 'em."

Down the hall, Midoriya could hear the commotion coming from his classmates. Eager to get back to them – and check on Todoroki – the green-haired teen quickly changed into his warmest emerald pajamas. A wrap at the door alerted him to company. He turned to find cool Kirishima leaning in the doorway... looking a little more frazzled than cool as he usually did.

"H-hey dude," a red-headed teen rambled, sweat dotting the sides of his head, "Sooo, some advice would be great here. Uuuuuh, okay. So, Iida wanted me to grab Todoroki, right? A-and I wanted make sure it was safe to just… y'know, walk in."

"Kirishima," Midoriya dismissed lightly, leading him out through the hall, "What's going on?"

"Wwwell," Kirishima replied, rubbing the back of his neck, "Just, er, asking for advice… When I walked in his room… The dude was, like- "

"'Like' what?"

Kirishima swallowed hard.

"Like…on fire?"

Midoriya's heart fell into his stomach.

"What?!"

Midoriya grabbed Kirishima's arm, sprinting the rest of the way to Todoroki's room. Forgetting doorknobs existed, Midoriya kicked in Todoroki's door to find exactly what Kirishima had described.

Ribbons of blood orange, gold, and copper red flickered in their pupils. The flames danced from Todoroki's left side: encompassing his bare pectoral muscle, against a singed, navy pajama shirt. The left side of his face, too, sweltered from the heat. Buckets of sweat driblets seeped through his hair and down his neck. This revealed his pained expression: with a crinkled brow hardening his downturned eyes while his teeth gritted. To say Todoroki was uncomfortable would've been an understatement.

As Todoroki's face deepened in its reddened shade, Midoriya and Kirishima could feel the color draining from their own sallow cheeks. Their panicked cries shook Heights Alliance. Collective screams overtook them.

"Aaaaaaah!"

Kirishima shook Midoriya's collar as the green-haired boy hyperventilated.

"Duuuude!" the red-head exclaimed, "What the heck is goin' on?"

Midoriya shouted back, eyes tearing, "I don't know!"

"Wh-why's he on fire? I-is this a thing that just… happens to him sometimes?!"

"I don't know!"

"W-well, how do we fix 'im?!"

"I don't knooooow!"

Again, the two wailed – holding in each other in the manliest of ways. Coming from behind them, Iida found the two in their embrace. He scratched his head.

"What in the world…"

Using flexed arms, Iida severed the grip of his classmates, pushing through Todoroki's doorway.

"What's with the commotion?", he whispered harshly, "I'm sure Todoroki's trying to get some rest, and your racket is—"

Iida stopped in place when he finally saw it. His jaw went slack as girlish yelps poured out of him.

"R'aaaaaaah!"

It was like a car accident. It was clearly bad, but Iida couldn't bring himself to look away.

"Wh-what-? When di-? How di-?!"

"K-Kirishima found him like this," Midoriya cut in.

"Yeah," Kirishima added, "Do we, like… get a fire extinguisher or somethin'?"

Iida stuttered, perspiration peppering his forehead.

"I, er… W-we should, uh…"

'Oh, fantastic, Tenya,' he thought to himself, 'After a whole day of making pointless decisions, you clam up now when there's an actual emergency?!'

Hopeless eyes of Midoriya and Kirishima stared back at him.

"W-we," Iida claimed, his voice cracking, "We should—"

"Move."

The three students jolted. A new voice had entered their conversation. Clearing Todoroki's doorway, the boys allowed the long, ebony-haired man to enter. Midoriya's eyes shot up.

"Mr. Aizawa?!"

"In the flesh," their professor replied dryly. Though he hardly ever was, Shota Aizawa did not seem especially in the mood to carry a conversation. Still, Kirishima tried.

"We thought the teachers were gone for Christmas break!"

"Yes," the tired-looking teacher stated, "And let the students destroy the high school without interruption? Candid idea."

Sarcasm laced his tongue. Iida, still wobbly, addressed his teacher.

"Mr. Aizawa… How did—"

"How did I know you were in this mess?"

The class representative bowed his head. Aizawa gestured to the door.

"Luckily, one of you had enough sense to come find an adult."

Turning with the teacher's movement, the boys spotted—

"Bakugo?!"

The burly teen snarled, "'Told you nerds you were over your damn heads."

"Yes," Aizawa replied as Bakugo left for the common area, "Katsuki came to inform me of the situation not too long ago."

The teacher's lightly scarred eyes met Iida's spectacles.

"Though usually," Aizawa continued, "It's up to the Class Representative to do that."

Gulping, Iida nodded.

"A lapse in judgement, Mr. Aizawa," the class leader blushed, "It won't happen again."

"It better not," Aizawa chided.

"h'H'r'ishhuh!"

A weak sneeze pulled the group from their interaction. Slowly, Aizawa approached Todoroki's bedside. Like his students had, he studied the flames encompassing the teen. He reached out to the boy's sweltering forehead. Steam was visibly rising from it. Without much regard, however, Aizawa pushed back Todoroki's soaked bangs and clasped a palm to his forehead.

"Mhmm," Todoroki moaned, his stiff neck barely able to crane away from the uncomfortable touch.

Lucky for him, Aizawa quickly pulled his scorched hand from atop the young hero's head. Though, in his typical fashion, Aizawa's reaction was minimal, if not completely absent. He peeked over his shoulder.

"Alright," the teacher insisted, "Somebody start talking."

Kirishima, Midoriya, and Iida shared flustered glances. The freckled boy nearly jumped out of his skin as Aizawa called his name.

"Midoriya."

Trembling, the green-haired boy walked toward his sensei's side. The tired teacher continued, staring into the flames as he spoke.

"Bakugo mentioned your name specifically. What do you know?"

Midoriya swallowed hard. What he wouldn't give for a glass of water right now.

"Uh," the young hero began, "Okay…"