Izuku couldn't sleep.

It had been about 9:40 pm when Tsu had suggested they head back inside following her breakdown in front of the Bakugo Rescue Group. Mina had been the first to rush Tsu for a hug, admitting she had watched the whole thing from the window and then adding a hasty apology for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Tsu had dismissed it and gone straight upstairs; Izuku guessed that she had been too emotionally drained to deal with any more attention that night, and he didn't blame her.

Still, that didn't help his current situation.

Izuku flipped over to his right and chanced a peek at his phone. It was 11:22 pm, and even though he had been lying awake for over an hour, it didn't feel like he'd be falling asleep any time soon, which was stupid, because after everything that had happened, he should be exhausted.

Despite his shirt twisting uncomfortably around his torso from repeated tossing and turning and his lumpy pillow feeling rough against his cheek, the real culprit behind his temporary insomnia wasn't something he could do anything about: he'd almost gotten the entire class expelled.

Sure, if Izuku had refused to go, Kirishima and Todoroki would've still carried out the rescue. Regardless, Izuku felt responsible, especially since the rescue was kosher until he came up with that on-the-fly plan to grab Bakugo from the League.

Judging his efforts at a peaceful night's rest to be fruitless, One for All's ninth wielder pushed back his covers and got out of bed. He needed something to clear his mind and tire him out at the same time.

"A fifteen-minute jog should be good for that," he said to his P.E. clothes as he pulled them on over his pajamas. "With any luck, I'll be asleep before midnight."

Izuku tip-toed downstairs after having spent a good seventeen seconds inching his door shut and slowly releasing the latch so it didn't click loudly. Before he reached the base of the stairs, however, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something was amiss halted his steps: the common room light was on. His first thought was that no one ever stayed up this late, but what did he know about everyone else's sleep schedules? It was only the first night of dorm life.

Still, hadn't everyone turned in?

"I'm just going for a jog," he whispered to himself despite his misgivings about it now. It was after curfew, and Mr. Aizawa had made it very clear that there had better not be any more rule-breaking, especially from Izuku (so he was a trouble maker. Izuku found he didn't care all that much), and especially not the same day the entire class was almost expelled. "Someone probably just forgot to turn off the lights. There can't be anyone out there. Everything's fine," he reasoned, believing his physical voice would be enough to subdue his conflicting thoughts.

Despite his faux confidence, Izuku stopped right before the pseudo door frame that separated the boys' side hallway from the back of the common area.

A quick peek, then. I'll just take a quick peek, he thought, before almost letting out a chuckle. Or, better yet… He pulled out his phone and stood with his shoulder perpendicular to the wall just before the doorway. He held his phone out in front of him, angling it so he could see the common room's tables reflecting off the black screen. It didn't work as well as he had hoped it would, but he was still able to partially make out the first table.

Izuku tilted his phone away from him slowly, its screen revealing more empty tables. Satisfied with that part of the room, he angled his phone toward him while moving it slightly closer to the door frame, expecting the screen to yield the same results for the tables closest to the—

"Deku?"

He stifled a gasp, and then accidentally dropped his phone. He stuck his foot out in a feeble attempt to catch it and grunted when it painfully made contact. I guess not everybody went to bed…

Picking up his phone, Izuku stepped out into the main room and offered the far table's occupant a weak smile, "heh… hey Uraraka." He rubbed his arms absentmindedly before adding, "how'd you know it was me?"

Ochaco's eyes moved from him to the front windows, "Saw you coming."

Izuku followed her gaze, "I don't und— oh, I see," he said, noticing his reflection in the glass.

Ochaco's presence made Izuku forget why he was down here, because he was more interested as to why she was down here. "Is everything okay? It's… kinda late. Everyone else is in bed…"

She managed a weak smile of her own, "You're not." She kicked the chair opposite her out and shifted her eyes between it and him.

He got the hint and made his way over to her table. The closer he got, the more it was obvious how tired Ochaco was. Her eyes were strained and her breathing slightly heavy. Izuku was here because he couldn't fall asleep; Ochaco looked about two seconds from it, so why was she here?

"Hey, are you good?" he echoed his previous question while taking his seat across from her.

"Deku," she started, eyes never leaving her clasped hands, "have you ever… had something miraculous happen, and then, later, taken it for granted?"

Izuku didn't have to think very long about that before the image of All Might standing before him and saying "you, too, can become a hero" flashed in his mind, like it so often did. The second part of Ochaco's question made him think a little bit more; was he taking All Might's power for granted? Sometimes, when he was in training or combat, surrounded by his classmates—classmates who, excepting Bakugo, had never known him as Quirkless—he did feel like he'd always had this Quirk.

"I… I think sometimes, yes," he finally answered.

Ochaco twiddled her thumbs, "Growing up, I wasn't ever that interested in heroes. Sure, I had my favorites, but I didn't believe I'd ever be someone like that." She paused briefly, eyes shifting to the side. "I was also aware of my parents'… financial situation. I… well, I wouldn't say we fought… but I often argued with my dad about my future. I wanted to join the family business, but he wanted me to be my own person. I really couldn't convince him otherwise." Another pause, this time long enough to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "And… you already know this story."

"Yeah…" Izuku said, unsure of what she was getting at.

Ochaco pushed on the edge of the table enough to lean her chair back on two legs, "And then, the entrance exam happened. I was so freakishly nervous you wouldn't believe it. I mean, UA! A small-town girl like me with non-hero parents at UA? Not a chance. But there I was. And then," she leaned forward again, eyes on the table, "I almost got crushed by that big robot. Because I was stuck under some rubble. I can make anything I touch weightless, and I got stuck under some rubble." She sighed, "I'm pathetic."

"No, don't say that!" Izuku was quick to reassure her, "everyone was scared of that thing. Besides, look at how much you've grown since then! You've held your own against villains since the USJ. Even last week you have."

"Deku…"

"You almost beat Kacchan on your own during the Sports' Festival, too! He was so annoyed; he only gets that way when he knows it was close. And then an internship with Gunhead? Honestly, it's hard to think you're the same girl from the entrance exa—"

"Deku, stop," Ochaco's voice was soft, barely over a whisper, and also… garbled? Izuku had gotten so wrapped up in praising his classmate that he didn't notice she had started crying.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Did I say something—"

"No. I-It's just…" she let out a long, shaky breath. "Today… I realized…"

She closed her eyes, and more tears fell. Battling his nerves, Izuku's hand was halfway to hers (for physical comfort purposes, of course. Strictly platonic. Heroic, really, helping a troubled soul in need. Yes, that's it.) before she spoke again.

"Deku, I almost lost all of it."

Izuku froze, hand outstretched, like a character in a movie someone just paused.

Oh.

This was his fault. She's sad because of him.

"By some miracle, I survived the entrance exam," she continued, eyes still shut. "By some miracle, I passed and got into UA. By some miracle, I met you," her eyes were open now, Izuku realized, because they bored into his. "And Iida, and Tsu, and Mina, and everyone else. By some miracle, I survived every villain attack that plagued us since then. I've seen so much and done so much and become so much and…" Fresh tears fell, and Izuku fought the urge to look away. "And Deku, I almost lost it all."

Izuku had no words for this. He couldn't tell her it was going to be ok, that they didn't get expelled so no harm done. If Mr. Aizawa had been serious, then Izuku knew he was on some dangerously thin ice right now.

And that was the way it should be. Izuku had broken the rules, so he would've accepted the appropriate punishment. It irked him that his entire class almost paid the price of his (admittedly) reckless moral compass. He knew it was as much Kirishima and Todoroki's fault, since they organized it, and Yaoyorozu's, since she had the tracking device, but even so….

"I…" he started, wracking his brains for anything to say that wasn't just an apology. "I-I'm sorry, Uraraka…"

Well, so much for that.

He drew his hand back and frowned. "I just… I t-thought…"

"Deku, look," Ochaco said, wiping her eyes, "it's fine. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. It's not just you're fault. You heard Todoroki and Kirishima; they had the rescue planned before you were even conscious that day. It just got me thinking about my time here, and how I think I've taken UA for granted sometimes. One more slip-up and that might be it for us. One more student kidnapped or even targeted by villains and that might be it, too."

A minute of silence passed. Ochaco sighed and wiped her eyes again. "Sorry. It was hard for me to see Tsu like that. Emotional, I mean. She's always so strong and level-headed and put together and I didn't think anything could shake her. She was really torn up. Momo was too, but she didn't want to bring it up since she was involved."

She paused briefly to look out the window. It was pitch black outside save for the sparse lighting provided by the lamps that lined the walkways.

"Momo feels responsible for the whole thing. She knows the boys' plan hinged on her tracking device, and she's really struggling with it. She hates making snap decisions based on poor information."

Izuku sat there and thought about that. It didn't occur to him at the time, but Yaoyorozu didn't seem like the kind of person to join the rescue party. Everyone else made sense: Kirishima, who was barred from helping; Todoroki, who regretted being too slow to grab the marble; Izuku, who needed to save a friend. Yaoyorozu mentioned being there to pull the plug if things got out of hand, but Iida was there for that. He was the class rep, too, so he had the de facto authority. She could've just handed Iida the tracking device and left.

Why didn't she?

Ochaco sighed, "I know you guys talked to Tsu earlier this evening, but could you… maybe talk to Momo, too?"

If Izuku hadn't felt guilty before, he sure did now. How many other people had been going through the same emotional turmoil as Ochaco? Or Tsu? How many others were suffering over this, hidden behind the lighthearted best room competition? How many people's academic dreams were almost cut short because he couldn't control his urge to save Bakugo? His hands clenched into fists on the table.

"I-I… ok, Uraraka. I'll get the others together sometime and talk to her."

"Thanks. And Deku?" Ochaco's eyes met Izuku's, "I'm… I'm glad that you're ok. The whole time Kirishima was trying to convince you at the hospital to grab Bakugo from the League of Villains, I kept having flashbacks of you with Shigaraki at the mall last month, and how he said the next time you crossed his path he'd kill you." She rubbed her hands together idly, voice wavering. "I guess I was more than a little scared when I found out you went. A-And Shigaraki was there… and I thought… maybe he would k-kill you… a-and I couldn't be there… or s-stop him… a-a-and, if I l-lost y-you… I-I…"

This time, when Ochaco was at tears, Izuku's hand found hers.

Izuku blew out a long breath, hoping to steady his nerves. "Uraraka, I… I've been selfish," he admitted, looking away from her. "I had no idea you were feeling like this. I guess… in the moment… I didn't think about consequences. I didn't think how my actions would affect others. I was so laser-focused on saving him… I didn't think anyone else could do it but me. I knew the pros were there. I knew All Might was there. They… they just weren't enough for me. I… Asui was right. Iida was right. And Aoyama, Shoji, and everyone else. And I… I didn't want to hear it." He grit his teeth and shook his head. "I'm a terrible friend."

Suddenly, there was warm pressure on his free hand. He opened his eyes to see that Ochaco had returned his gesture of comfort.

Several minutes passed in silence, the weight of the last few days starting to take its toll on the teens.

Ochaco rubbed her thumb over the back of Izuku's hand. "You're not perfect, Deku," she said quietly, "and we don't expect you to be."

The subtle implication of forgiveness made Izuku's heart squeeze. There was an unsaid "but" tacked onto the end: something like, "but if you pull something like that again I'll ground you for a month." Thankfully, Ochaco didn't press it further.

"Thanks, Uraraka," Izuku said just as quietly and squeezed her hand. "Thanks for everything."

Ochaco hummed but didn't reply. Izuku was content with the silence, so they sat for many more minutes, the only sound their breathing or the occasional gust of wind outside.

He felt… guilty, still, but also better, lighter. Talking through everything gave him a better view of the situation. He would've felt terrible if he thought nothing was wrong while everyone else suffered in silence.

"It helps, doesn't it?" Ochaco asked suddenly, tilting her head toward the hand that covered his.

On any other night, he'd be a blushing, stuttering mess as a result of any physical contact between him and Ochaco. Against all odds, he was calm. "Yeah… yeah, it really does. Makes me feel like… I'm not alone."

Ochaco smiled, "You never were." She gave his hand one final squeeze before withdrawing, and Izuku did the same. "I should really get to bed. You should too, Deku, it's gonna be a busy day tomorrow." She got up to leave.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Goodnight Uraraka."

"'Night, Deku."

xxxxx

A NEW DAY IS HERE! A NEW DAY IS HERE! A NEW DAY IS HE—

After a couple swats, Izuku managed to shut All Might up. The last time he wanted to hear the Symbol of Peace's voice was at six in the morning, even if it was just from an alarm clock. He swung his legs off the side of his bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes. Something felt a tad bit off about his sleepwear, so he looked down at what he had on, and the memory of last night flashed through his mind. He was going to go on a jog, which meant he still had his P.E. clothes on.

He tugged lightly at the dark blue fabric and shrugged. At least I don't have to change into my P.E. clothes for my run this morning.

As he mindlessly brushed his teeth, he reflected on his late-night conversation with Uraraka. That brought with it a host of emotions, mostly guilt but also companionship. It was an odd combination.

He rinsed his toothbrush off and took a swig of water from his (very fashionable) All Might plastic cup and remembered that he had promised to chat with Yaoyorozu about her feelings on the rescue mission sometime. It would probably be best to strike while the iron was hot, as she sometimes said. He made a mental note to invite Kirishima and Todoroki to the conversation as well.

He made his way downstairs and meandered through the common room's tables before reaching the door, tossing his running shoes down. He was bending over to slip them on when a voice came suddenly from behind him.

"Morning, Deku!" Ochaco greeted him casually. The usual bright cheeriness in her voice was absent, and Izuku attributed that to the solemn tone of last night's conversation probably still on her mind. It was certainly on his.

"Good morning, Uraraka. Sleep well?" He turned around to face her, only half his right foot in a shoe.

"I did," she said, then yawned and stretched. "Could've used about eight more hours, though."

"You might've gotten a couple more if you slept in. Any reason you're up so early?"

"I would ask you the same thing," she replied before examining his clothes and shoes, "but it looks like you're going out for a run. Mind if I join you?"

Izuku didn't realize she hadn't really answered his question because he just thought he heard her ask to join him on his run. Just the two of them. Alone. No one else. Likely close together. He knew it shouldn't be a big deal, since they were in a similar position last night, but then had been an accident. Now, it was purposeful.

If he thought he'd gotten over being flustered around Ochaco since last night, he was wrong. It had been going so well this morning, too. "Y-Yeah, sure… I mean, um, no, of course not! I don't mind at all!" He whipped back around and finished pulling his shoes on.

"Yeah, ok…" Ochaco said, confused. She walked slowly to his side, looking down at his bent form. "Is everything alright? You seem jittery."

"It's just a little cold this morning is all," he lied. The shaky movements of his hands as he attempted to tie his shoes had nothing to do with the temperature.

"But we're not even outside ye—"

"Let's go!" Izuku said with too much force.