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It was an uneventful Sunday evening. The usual background noise that came with dorm life could be heard through one ear and soft music was playing through the earphone that izuku had put in his other ear. It was peaceful.
He heard Kaminari Apologize as he slightly bumped into his back as he was passing by him, clumsily trying to get to the sink. He, Mina, and Aoyama had volunteered to help him make a big dinner for everyone, as it was tradition to do every Sunday evening at the 1A dorms. it was the only way the trio managed to escape Iida's clutches while he was desperately trying to get them to study geometry. Yeah, izuku couldn’t blame them.
Izuku had come back that afternoon from his monthly visit back home with an armfull of fresh ingredients his mother had given him. And had been wholly content at the idea of cooking their weekly dinner.
It wasn’t the only dinner a week that they shared at the dorms, but it was the one no one ever wanted to miss. They had It early enough so everyone could have a chance to go to bed early and be ready for the week to come. It was a chance to come together and unwind, talk about how they spent their weekend, make plans for the upcoming week.
For those who had a bit of a harder time with living away from their families, and those whose home was too far to visit during the weekend, it made It easier. It gave them a feeling of family. however odd their little family was, it was comforting. Even amongst those who weren’t the closest, there was a strong and unwavering sense of solidarity and support. This had been built during one perilous situation after the next, and had found itself being absolutely indispensable to every single member of the class as some point or other.
“Hey Mido, am I doing this right?” Mina called from behind him. Pulling him from the stove and his hummed rendition of whatever 2000’s song he had been listening to. When he was relaxed his mouth truly never wanted to stop, whether it be mumbling or humming whatever ever song he was listening to. No one minded though.
“Yes! You’re doing perfect Mina.” And the girl was grinning ear to ear. Instantly kaminari's head turned to him, a silent request for praise. “You too kami! You’re doing great. Never seen cleaner mushrooms.” He smiled fondly. Kaminari turned back around with a faint blush and a satisfied expression.
“what about ~moi~?!” Aoyama said striking a pose. Izuku chuckled and was quick to give them praise too.
It was no secret amongst the dorm mates that Midoriya was a plentiful source of comfort and reassurance. He’d noticed too, how everyone tended to go to him , for help and guidance but also just for praise, encouraging words and a smile. You’d have to be blind to miss the way they all gravitated to him, orbited around him like the sun. He never denied them. He couldn’t be happier with the unofficial role he’d been given.
He had been gently guiding his friends around the kitchen. He wasn’t the best cook the dorms, but He was used to it, learning at a young age to help his mother. When a two-toned mop of hair made it’s silent way past the kitchen door.
He made his way to the curly haired greenette to bend forward until his forehead connected with his nape, and one of his hands came up to slightly grab the green boy’s shirt.
Izuku simply hummed and continued his task. He knew todoroki had to go home this weekend. So he gave the silent support he knew the other boy needed. And if the others decide to leave Midoriya to todoroki for a while, well no one needed to say it out loud.
Todoroki, who hadn’t ever been granted physical contact by anyone really, seemed to need it the most. And once he’d been made to understand that it was OK, and that he could come to receive it just about whenever he needed it, he’d come to Midoriya mostly but had little qualms with coming to just about anyone in the dekusquad. For a hug from uraraka, a hand on the back from Iida, a head pat from asui or even a napping shinsou using him as a pillow on the common room couch.
Later when dinner was just about done, and people started getting seated at the massive table after it had been set. the multiple tables in the common room had been pushed together to make one massive table barely a week after moving in. Izuku grabbed an apple and Started cutting it in slices.
As he passed by tokoyami to get to his seat between shinsou and yaoyorozu, he set down the small plate of apple slices near him. And the reaction was instantaneous, dark shadow squealed and came out to reach out for the apples that were clearly for her.
Dark shadow didn’t need to eat really but she liked to feel included, and with her favourite food no less.
Dinner went on as it usually did, with jirou falling out of her chair on yaoyorozu’s other side from laughing at kaminari, with ojiro enlisting someone else to spar with him this week, with izuku’s own quirk theories, todoroki's nonsensical ones, and Bakugou leaving first to go to bed. After that, Iida, yaoyorozu, jirou and shoji did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while some others doing some last minute homework in companionable silence. Until they all slowly trickle out and to their rooms.
As some of the very last ones left, izuku picks up a soundly asleep uraraka, as he often did in the evenings, who had fallen asleep, cheek pressed in an English essay due Tuesday in her seat at the dinner table beside asui. He Starts padding over carefully over to the stairs while asui grabs both her and uraraka's school supplies and following after him while rubbing her eyes.
After gently setting her on her bed, he turns to asui and delicately takes uraraka’s things from the half asleep frog featured girl and setting them on her desk before covering uraraka with her thick blanket.
After having gently nudged asui along to her own room, he comes back downstairs and sits in front of his own school things. He knows he won’t be falling asleep anytime soon if he tries to go to bed. He’ll probably have better luck at falling asleep on the couch of the dim common room after studying till he drops. So that’s what he does.
He wakes up, groaning. He looks at the phone only to see that it’s almost 5am and he slept under 3 hours. He knows he didn’t have a nightmare, so he wonders what could have woken him up. When he hears rustling at the threshold of the common room he startles and rolls right off the couch only to groan again.
“Midoriya?” comes quietly from just out of sight. How his teacher knew it was him form the sound of him hitting the floor alone, he’ll never know.
“Yes sensei” he says after getting up to walk over to aizawa. He can see him leaning heavily on the wall, one foot entirely off the ground. So he approaches and holds up his hands to have hold of his teacher's arm to support him but waits for permission. Aizawa moves his arm a little closer to izuku and that’s all the response he needs to help his teacher over to the couch.
Once he’s seated there’s a moment of silence. It’s comfortable. Izuku stands , and waits.
“it’s just a sprained ankle problem child.” He says quietly, as if loathe to disturb the stillness of the near empty common room.
“..and?” it’s not accusatory or expectant. Just prompting.
“..and a few scratches” he concludes.
“Alright” he says, almost inaudible to the older man. He turns to fetch the med kit in the downstairs bathroom. A few months ago his teacher might have told him not to worry , that he was fine and to go to bed. But izuku, who tended to be awake at odd hours because of insomnia or Nightmares, ran into him enough times while he was coming back from patrol to convince him to lead by example. That if he wanted his students to know it was OK, even as a hero, to ask for help, and to lean on others, he should show them.
And so they settled into a routine, on nights when the Hero came back injured and the boy had taken refuge in the common room, izuku would make sure his teacher got patched up and his teacher would make sure he fell back asleep.
When he came back he cleaned the 3 to 4 scratches on his teachers arms and ribs. He put everything away, basking in their comfortable silence. He went to the kitchen to make tea and reheat the portion of stew and rice he had set aside for his teacher. He tended to do this now. A while back he had gotten bold and set a hot meal in front of his teacher, not asking if he had wanted it. His teacher had raised an eyebrow at him, but eventually just thanked him and ate.
“You know you don’t have to do this" the man said as izuku placed the bowl and mug on the coffee table. But he thanked him and took the mug anyway.
“I know sensei" and he did, his teacher didn’t expect him to do anything for him. It wasn’t the first time his teacher said this out loud just to make sure, and it most probably won’t be the last.
Izuku laid down on the couch, head near his teacher but not touching him and legs dangling over the arm rest. No more words were exchanged. Some night his teacher would listen to him talk about his nightmare, about what was keeping him awake. He had asked izuku enough times during the beginning of their routine if he wanted to talk about it that the questions needn’t be asked anymore. The offer was always there. Whether his teacher was injured or not he’d always stay with izuku until he fell asleep.
Today izuku didn’t feel like talking, so he shut his eyes and enjoyed the safe feeling that came with his teacher’s presence.
When his teacher finished eating he put his bowl down on the coffee table and leaned back, letting out a little satisfied sigh. He leaned over and grabbed a blanket and draped it on izuku and the room became silent once more. Izuku fell asleep to a hand in his hair idly touching his curls and the sound of steady breathing from his teacher.
It was an uneventful Monday morning.