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Izuku climbed the last step onto the roof and saw a figure on the edge. His dull eyes widened at he caught sight of long spiky black hair pulled into a ponytail.
"Momo?" He spoke quietly as to not startle her. "What are you doing up here? Please step away from the edge." She turned with tears streaking down her face. "What would Jirou do? You are so amazing and accomplished. You are top of the class with amazing control of your quirk. Jirou would be heartbroken if you were gone. Please don't."
She seemed to take a breath. "I can't do it anymore. I hate myself. I'm weak and behind everyone. I feel disgusting." Her voice cracked.
"You are such a strong person. I wouldn't be alive without you. We all love you and Jirou thinks you are amazing. She is right. You are one of the strongest people in our class. You have so much ahead of you, please don't throw it away."
Momo seemed to calm down after a few moments, taking several deep breaths. She stepped down from the roof. "Thank you. I needed someone to tell me that. Why... why were you up here Midoriya? Are you okay?"
"Just wanted to check on you and the roof was the last place I looked." She seemed to take his word for it. "I'm perfectly fine." (He wasn't). Izuku followed her down.
The next night he climbed the same steps and saw another person. A flash of light showed bright yellow hair. "Kaminari? Hey. Please step down."
"Midoriya? Crap. I wanted to do this without anyone seeing. You should go back inside."
"Please Kaminari. Please. We all care about you."
“That doesn't matter. I- I know you care. I know all of you do. I just can't deal with it anymore. I don't wanna feel inferior. I don't want to feel like an idiot anymore. I don't want to feel like I can't do anything right. I just want to sleep. Nothing else."
“You are so smart, Denki." Izuku felt like it was okay to use his first name at this time.
"You might not excel at school but you are so clever and witty. You are one of the lost powerful people in the class. And one of the most beloved. You are Kirishima's best friend. How would he deal with you being gone? Or Shinsou? He loves you so much. Please don't do this. Why would you feel inferior? You are a such an amazing person and hero." Several more tears fell onto Denki's cheeks before he almost reluctantly stepped down. Then it seemed that all the tension just let him go.
He nearly collapsed. Izuku rushed forward and caught the boy, lifting him into his arms and carried him down the stairs. "Thank you. I really needed someone there. Thank you for being there, Midoriya."
Izuku nodded. "Of course."
“Why were you up there though? As far as I know, there aren't any alarms or anything. Are you okay?" Izuku's breath hitched. Then he silently sighed. "I just wanted to get some fresh air. I'm all good." (He wasn't.)
As weird as it may seem, it happened thrice more, one night right after the other. First it was Todoroki. After a particularly bad nightmare, he woke up with his scar burning again. "Thank you, Midoriya. Why were you up here so late, though? Is everything okay?"
"The stars were really pretty and I just wanted a better view. I'm fine." (He wasn't.)
Then it happened to be Uraraka. Her family business was really suffering the past few months. Her life insurance wouldn't make them rich but it would help them and she felt as though she was just a burden anyway. "Thank you. Why were you up here, Deku?"
"The roof is just calm, I guess. No particular reason. It's okay." (He wasn't.)
Lastly, he encountered a silent Bakugo, sitting on the edge, uncovered feet dangling off the edge.
"Fuck, Izu. I can't do it anymore. The hag-my mom. She hates me. Said if I didn't work harder that I would never amount to anything. I just... want it to stop. The guilt. The pain. The nightmares." Izuku breathed in a deep sigh, matched by Katsuki.
"'Joy can only fill you as deep as sorrow has carved you.' I suppose... if you never experience pain, joy is just another sweet flavour on your tongue. You don't deserve to feel guilty or in pain. You don't deserve the nightmares. But what can we do except keep fighting, really? It gets better. The Kacchan I know would spat at suicide and say it was dumb to throw away potential. I believe you can go on. Become the number one hero... you will be great, Kacchan."
Bakugo looked at him with a completive expression on his usually scowling face. "So sappy, nerd." He tried to make his words bite but there was only grateful fondness. "Why are you up here nerd? You doin' okay?"
Izuku nodded, not trusting many words against his childhood friend. "I'm okay. Promise." (He wasn't.)
The next night, Izuku climbed to the roof. It was eleven forty six pm. He had already written a note. He slipped off his shoes right outside the door. And took several deep breaths.
He walked to the edge of the roof and waited. Not for anything particular but just to see. Would anybody be there for him like he was for others?
…
What a stupid notion. Izuku stood up and stepped.
Shouta Aizawa had many rooftop notifications over the past few week.
The first few times it was just Tokoyami and Dark Shadow screaming into the void. Then it was Mina and Sero smoking pot. He didn't feel the need to harp on them for that. Then... it was Izuku.
That was the problem child that worried him. Izuku went up to the roof a week or two ago and sat on the roof. Not close to the edge but Aizawa was still on guard. He breathed easy again when Midoriya went back down a half an hour later. Then it was Momo.
He was about to run onto the roof when he saw the former problem child on the roof too. After what seemed like a big heart to heart, they went back inside and Shouta slept peacefully. The next night, the same thing happened with Kaminari. Then Todoroki. Then Uraraka. Then, of all people, Bakugo.
He saw them sitting on the roof and his heart was beating erratically out of his chest. He didn't want to jump in and spook them but they were still on the roof. Then Midoriya worked his therapist magic and they went downstairs like all the others.
The next night... it was later when he got the rooftop notification. Around eleven or twelve. And only one. Aizawa checked the security cameras and saw the problem child, shoeless, standing on the edge. No one else.
Let me tell you, Aizawa Shouta ran so fast to the roof, he was merely a blur.
He ripped open the door and just as Izuku was tipping over the edge, he flung out his capture scarf, tugging the kid back onto the concrete roof. He sprinted to the kid and knelt by him. Fuck. He didn't even looked startled. He looked almost betrayed.
"Why. Why. God, why didn’t you just leave me? Why didn’t you just let me? Why did you have to be a good teacher? Why? Why?!” Tears were streaming down Izuku’s face and it broke Aizawa’s heart.
“Because I care about you, M- Izuku. You are my kid. I will save you however many times. I’m here. I’m here. It’s going to be okay.”
Izuku dove into Shouta’s arms and cried. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here. I’m here.”