Chapter Text
Rīdā could barely see where they were going in the darkness of the dormitory halls, but they weren't about to risk being caught because they wanted to turn a light on. So, they continued to stumble through the darkness till they got down to the dorm kitchen, where there was already someone awake…
They were about to turn around and head back to their room, hoping at the very least it wasn't Iida or Aizawa doing nightly rounds, about to bust them, when they heard the unique groan of Izuku. Why it was unique, they didn't know, but they were able to identify him just by that noise.
They knew he wouldn't get them in trouble, so they turned back towards the kitchen and met him at the entryway.
"Oh-! Rīdā! You scared me, haha!" Izuku yelped, then whispered.
"Sorry…" Rīdā muttered, before yawning.
"Uh, what are you doing down here so late?" He asked, moving so they could both settle at the kitchen island.
"I could ask you the same thing, right?" Rīdā asked, a light yet tired smile on their face.
"Yeah, I guess so…" Izuku replied, before the two fell into comfortable silence.
Rīdā traced an invisible pattern onto the counter, then sighed and laid their head down.
"Mister Aizawa is gonna kill me if I fall asleep in class again…" They muttered, the words slipping out far too easily in their exhausted state.
"Maybe he will… but what's got you so tired anyway? You always look like you're about to pass out. Honestly, it reminds me of Aizawa-Sensei, in a way… which is kind of funny." Izuku laughed, before giving them a soft glance.
"I don't know, really… I just haven't been able to get good sleep recently. Maybe it's because we just moved into the dorms. Or… I think I might just be on edge," Rīdā admitted, "I mean, it wasn't even a full month ago that… the Camp…"
Rīdā's hand clenched under the island counter, and they sat up, before sighing, "You know. You were there. You even went to save Bakugo. At least you did something about it."
Izuku was silent, before turning to them fully, "You shouldn't be mad at yourself for not going with. What we did was against… well, the law, really, but I know that if there wasn't so much at stake, you would've gone too. I know that." He told them.
"You strong, Rīdā. And I'm sure Kacchan doesn't hold any grudges against those who didn't come to save him. He's… got his own stuff going on right now." Izuku added, looking down, thinking of something in specific.
"I just feel like everyone's moved on too fast. Do they not remember that we were attacked? At a place that was supposed to be safe for us? The same thing happened during our first week here, at the USJ! I just… this isn't why I came here, Midoriya… I don't want to be constantly on guard because of villains… not right now, at least." Rīdā explained, feeling the emotions well-up inside them.
"I promise, none of us have forgotten. Not the peers I've spoken to, at least." Izuku said, "I'm sure if you explained what is going to Mister Aizawa, he might give you a day off training, or set up a meeting with a counselor for you. He did it for Kacchan, so I'm sure he wouldn't deny you some time off."
Rīdā let out another weary breath before looking up at Izuku.
"Thanks, Midoriya. I appreciate this… Could you come with me when I ask him?" They asked, wringing their hands under the counter.
"Of course! We're not just classmates, Rīdā. We're friends. We help each other. Now, we should probably both get back to our rooms before someone finds us here… Do you wanna walk back together?" He asked, standing and extending his hand.
Rīdā smiled and nodded, standing as well.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate that. Thanks, Izuku."