Work Text:
In the early, early hours of the morning, Momo wakes from her hellish nightmare with a start. She bolts upright and runs a hand through her tangled hair.
“It wasn’t real,” she whispers to herself. “It wasn’t.”
Momo can’t convince herself of that, though, so she slips out of bed and into the hallway. She keeps her phone on her, just in case-
Momo’s room is at the end of the hall, and as she walks to the other end for the stairs, she lightly presses a hand to each door she passes.
Slowly, she reassures herself that her classmates are still here. Her own room, Denki’s, Mezou’s, and one more.
Momo pauses outside of Kyouka’s room, listening for the light snoring that means Kyouka is in there, that means Kyouka is alive-
Momo breathes a sigh of relief when she hears a particularly loud snore. Momo rests her hand on the door for another moment, then pulls away and quietly, oh so quietly, slips into the stairwell, exiting when she reaches the ground floor.
Momo makes a beeline for the kitchen, eager to brew a calming herbal tea, but she pauses when she hears a faint crash ing noise drift in from the living room.
Momo softens her steps, then, and creeps into the common area. She’s entirely prepared to find some villain in the common area, to battle the League while her classmates sleep. Aizawa-sensei’s number is halfway dialed, just in case, but he wouldn’t- couldn’t get here in time.
It will be on Momo’s back. It will be Momo’s responsibility, as it so often is.
But the common room is empty, save for a familiar boy in the corner.
“...Izuku?” Momo cautiously ventures. She steps fully into the common room, then gasps. Izuku is lying facedown on the floor, presumably collapsed. His limbs are strewn haphazardly. She can’t even tell if he’s breathing.
Momo dashes across the floor, phone dropped in her haste. She falls next to him, her hands scrambling. She settles for shaking him. “Izuku? Izuku, wake up!”
It feels like she does this forever, an endless cycle of shaking and pleading and wishing that anybody were here to help her.
For a moment, she thinks to call Aizawa-sensei, Iida, somebody, but when she reaches for her phone it’s not there.
She debates yelling, but that would send the whole dorm rushing down and Momo isn’t ready to face the wave of panic that would surely follow.
She curses mentally and shakes Izuku even harder, nearly ready to give up and leave him for a moment in favor of calling for help.
Then he stirs slightly, and Momo moves a hand to cup his chin. “Izuku! Wake up, please .”
“Wha-?” he starts, and Momo could just cry of relief.
“Izuku! Oh my gosh, I thought you might be-“ she can’t bring herself to say what she truly thought, that he might’ve been dead, so she says, “unconscious.”
Izuku’s eyes snap open at that, and he turns to look at Momo. “You thought I was- you thought I was-” his voice is rough and gritty, and Momo sits back, giving him space.
“I was worried,” she says simply. “But you’re awake now, and you seem okay… What happened?”
Izuku inhales shakily, then admits, “I’m not sure. Last I remember, I was doing my homework. Next thing I know, you’re shaking me awake.”
“Huh.” Momo frowns. “Well, if you’ll wait here for a moment I can make us some tea and we can talk about it?”
“That sounds great,” Izuku smiles, only it’s more of a grimace. “Do you want me to help?”
“No, you stay here. Rest up,” Momo says softly. He nods, albeit reluctantly. Momo turns to leave, then thinks better of it. “Let me help you onto the couch,” she suggests.
“I can do it myself,” Izuku protests, but Momo is already hoisting him into a bridal carry.
“You just collapsed,” she says in her own defense. Izuku sighs in acknowledgement. Once she’s maneuvered him onto the couch, she says, “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” then makes her way to the kitchen.
It doesn’t take long to brew enough tea for the both of them- it’s one infused with honey, to help Izuku’s sore throat. Momo slides back into the living room and plops down next to Izuku, careful of the cups she carries.
“Do you want the lavender mug or the All Might one?” she asks, knowing the answer full well.
Sure enough, Izuku says, “The All Might one, please.”
Momo obligingly hands the mug over, and they sit in relative silence, save for their slow sips, for several moments before she speaks.
“You said you were working when you collapsed?” she prods.
“Mhm,” Izuku nods. “I was working on the essay on hero society that Aizawa-sensei assigned.”
“The one that isn’t due for another two weeks?” Momo presses.
“Yep! I like to get a head start,” Izuku exclaims. “Besides, I want to make sure it’s perfect before I turn it in!”
“How late did you stay up?” Momo has a sneaking suspicion of why Izuku collapsed.
He thinks for a moment. “Last I checked, it was about midnight. Why?”
If this weren't so serious, Momo would’ve laughed. “Izuku, working so late isn’t healthy!”
“It’s worked out fine so far,” Izuku says, as if he doesn’t see the problem with this. And maybe he doesn’t. Maybe that’s part of the problem.
Momo runs a hand through her hair and fervently says, “Izuku, you collapsed tonight. I had no idea if you were fine or not. How can that possibly be okay?”
Izuku blinks, taken aback.
Momo inhales sharply, then deflates, her burst of passion fading into something more passive. “Look, I just.. I don’t want you to get hurt. Overworking yourself like this isn’t healthy.”
“I’m fine,” Izuku insists again, but he sounds far less certain.
Momo frowns, then wraps an arm around him and leans into his side, resting her head against his. “Just… promise me you won’t stay up so late again, okay? At least not for work. Hitoshi-kun’s insomnia is a reasonable excuse. You overworking yourself is not,” she says firmly.
“Okay,” Izuku says solemnly. “I promise not to stay up late and overwork myself.”
“Don’t wake up ridiculously early to make up for it, either,” Momo adds, and she feels Izuku stiffen against her. “That’s just as bad.”
“I already get up early, though! It wouldn’t be nearly as bad!”
“Izuku,” Momo says firmly. She pulls away to look him in the eyes. “Don’t get up at ridiculous hours to do extra work, please .”
“It’s not extra, though! I’m just trying to catch up,” Izuku reasons.
Momo frowns. “Catch up to whom? You’re already at the top of the class.”
Izuku blinks. “You and Tenya are at the top, though?”
Momo sighs, amused despite herself. “No, silly. You are. You don’t need to catch up to us. If anything, we need to catch up to you.”
“You’re all so powerful already, though! You’re all so much smarter than I am.” Izuku sighs and leans into Momo. “I have so much work to do to catch up.”
Momo shakes her head against his shoulder. “Who does everyone come to for advice, Izuku? Whether it’s workout plans or quirk expertise or anything in-between, our classmates come to you . Would they do that if you weren’t smart? Would they do that if they didn’t think you could help?”
“...no?” Izuku voices hesitantly.
“That’s right. So trust me when I say that we’re the ones catching up to you,” Momo pleads.
“Really?” Izuku asks softly, disbelieving. His hands clench, betraying his anxiety.
“Really,” Momo says, her voice just as low. She feels more than sees Izuku’s resulting smile, and at some point- she’s not quite sure when- they both fall asleep to each other’s breathing.
Her back aches when she wakes up the next morning, but she doesn’t regret it.
She could never regret being there for her friend.