~ IzuOcha, Pre-wars, Izuku admiring the brightest star of them all ~
Izuku loved the night sky. Sometimes he would wander out to the dorm gardens and just sit and stare at the stars and the moon.
One night the boy's head was filled with too many thoughts, about One For All, All Might, and the lingering feeling that he wasn't learning enough, *fast enough.*
It had been happening a bit too often lately, and it affected his classes and training.
But that was the thing. TRAINING was grinding him to the bone lately.
It was like he finally reached his limit.
He had been working non-stop. He felt like he needed to. He *was* the future number one after all, he had to hurry up and learn *everything* he could.
These thoughts bleached Izuku's mind, and his eyes were blurred with tiredness and a need for comfort.
It was late. He was tired but his mind just wouldn't let him sleep.
Staring at the ceiling in a darkness that seemed to ever so slowly close in on him, Izuku sighed and finally came to an idea.
~
The night was peaceful, a comforting thing for the troubled boy. A night run was an option, but the stars were just too pretty tonight, and if Mr. Aizawa caught him running about the UA Dorms at 11 o'clock at night he would need quite the excuse.
The alluring beauty of the countless lights forced Izuku to stop and sit on one of the wooden benches. And there, the boy found himself just sitting and staring at the outstretched black ocean above him, overly powdered with shimmering stars that resembled spilt glitter.
Some of them seemed to try and combat the moon for its elusive roll as the brightest thing in the blackest void.
With their combined effort, the moon and the stars humbly bathed the landscape in a milky glow, and it gave the boy such quiet comfort.
Every thought and worry seemed to wither away as he stared at the brightest darkness that Mother Nature could offer.
A trembling sigh would escape the boy's lips, as the distant hoot of a owl echoed across the campus, triggering a small shiver to travel along Izuku's spine.
If only I could-*
"Deku?"
A voice sounded from the Izuku's left, causing him to whip his head to the side with a shriek, accompanied by a leap almost high enough for him to be able to join the stars themselves.
His startled yet embarrassed eyes revealed to him a familiar girl walking quietly under the street lights, the warm, yellow spotlight catching in her brunette hair, washing it to a warm gold.
The boy's eyes blinked in startled relief.
"U-Uraraka..!?"
"Sorry for scaring you."
Izuku was quick to shake his head, frantic and animated, "N-No, you're perfectly fine. I just.. didn't expect anyone else to be out here..."
She cocked her head slightly, her questioning eyes glowing like jewels.
"Why are you out here so late?" Izuku's voice puffed as he tried to calm himself down. It almost sounded like he'd decided to go for a night run after all.
"I could be asking you the same question."
The girl stopped and stood a step or two away from the wooden seat where Izuku sat up straight, his hands sat politely yet shakily in his lap.
Ochako smiled as she looked at Izuku, who was struggling to hold back the blush that was rising to his cheeks.
If only the stars and the street lights combined weren't so unusually bright, maybe he wouldn't of had to worry about something so obvious and *embarrassing* being seen by his friend.
With a quick movement of his hand Izuku scratched his neck, avoiding eye contact with the girl,
"Well… If I'm being honest, i'm just trying to clear my head. And, weirdly enough the stars seem to do that for me."
Ochaco drew her eyes from Izuku up to the stars, which were silently shimmering, never seeming to cease their bright, luminous aura.
"Yeah, they are quite peaceful."
Izuku stared at the brunette. It could of just been his tired eyes, but the green haired boy was certain he saw some stars float down and stray from their place in the sky and land softly in Ochako's hair, to then fall on her cheeks, and settle into her eyes.
They sat there, glowing luminescent on her like fairy lights, and her eyes glistened like a pool of diamonds.
"So, what about you? Why are you out here…?"
Izuku asked, watching as Ochako walked over and sat next to him on the seat, causing the boy to tense up once again.
The stars didn't seem to disappear or waver off of her, they sticked on to her like she was a fragment of the night sky itself.
"Same as you. I love how quiet it is out here. Almost seems to mute my thoughts just for a little bit."
Izuku seemed to relax a touch, hearing Ochako's soft voice clash with nothing but the quiet chirping of crickets and rustle of leaves against the wind made his mind that little bit calmer.
Izuku dragged his gaze to the stars, taking in their dazzle once again.
"Yeah, it's quite nice."
He hoped, in the future, he could shine and glow in his own way. In his own "Deku" way.
He also hoped all of his classmates could shine alongside him. He wished that from the bottom of his heart.
~ End ~