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The dorms were unusually quiet.
Most of Class A had gone to bed hours ago, exhausted after the previous day's villain incident. It hadn't been the biggest battle they'd ever fought, but it had been one of those missions that lingered long after the fighting stopped.
Too many close calls. Too many civilians crying with relief. Too many moments where things could have gone differently.
Izuku Midoriya lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.
He'd tried everything.
Turning over.
Closing his eyes.
Counting backwards.
Even putting one of his old hero documentaries on quietly in the background.
Nothing helped.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw flashes of the mission.
A collapsing wall.
A child screaming.
The split second where One For All had almost been too slow.
"...Come on," he muttered to himself.
"Just sleep..."
His room offered only silence in return.
After another ten minutes of pretending, he sighed, threw off the blanket, and slipped on a hoodie before quietly leaving his room.
Maybe some fresh air would help.
The rooftop door clicked softly behind him.
A cool breeze drifted across U.A., carrying the scent of summer grass and distant rain. The city lights shimmered on the horizon, while above them the stars struggled against the glow below.
Izuku rested his forearms on the safety rail.
It really was peaceful.
He took a slow breath.
Then another.
"...Midoriya?"
He turned so quickly he nearly lost his balance.
Ochaco stood by the rooftop door, wearing oversized pajamas beneath an equally oversized cardigan. Her hair was a little messy, and she looked just as surprised to see him.
"Oh! Uraraka!"
She smiled sheepishly.
"I didn't know anyone else would be awake."
"I could say the same thing."
For a second they simply looked at each other.
Then they both laughed.
Quietly.
Trying not to wake anyone.
Ochaco rubbed the back of her neck.
"...Couldn't sleep?"
Izuku gave a small nod.
"Yeah."
"You too?"
"...Yeah."
Neither of them asked why.
They didn't have to.
Instead, Ochaco wandered over until she was standing beside him at the railing, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
The silence settled again.
This one was comfortable.
Below them, the campus pathways were empty.
Somewhere in the distance, an owl called into the night.
Ochaco rested her chin in her hands.
"It's weird."
"Hm?"
"I thought becoming a pro hero would make nights like this easier."
Izuku looked at her.
"It hasn't."
"No."
She gave a tiny smile.
"I still replay everything afterwards."
"...Me too."
Another quiet moment passed.
Izuku let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"I keep thinking..."
He hesitated.
"...What if I'd been just a second slower?"
Ochaco didn't answer immediately.
She looked out across the city lights instead.
"I keep thinking about the little girl."
"The one with the rabbit backpack?"
"Yeah."
"I keep wondering if she's sleeping okay tonight."
Izuku smiled faintly.
"I bet she is."
"You think?"
"You carried her almost the whole way to the evacuation point."
Ochaco laughed softly.
"She wouldn't let go."
"She looked pretty comfortable."
"She fell asleep on my shoulder."
Izuku blinked.
"She did?"
Ochaco nodded.
"I didn't want to wake her."
For the first time since the mission, the knot in Izuku's chest loosened just a little.
He hadn't known that.
He'd been so focused on everything else that he'd missed one small, beautiful ending to an otherwise difficult day.
"...Thank you."
Ochaco tilted her head.
"For what?"
"For telling me."
She smiled.
"I figured you needed one good thing to remember before you tried sleeping again."
Izuku looked down at his hands.
"...I think you're right."
The breeze picked up again, carrying away some of the heaviness that had followed them onto the roof.
Neither of them noticed that almost half an hour had already passed.
Neither of them made any move to leave.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
The silence wasn't empty.
It was the kind shared between people who didn't feel the need to fill every second with conversation.
Below them, the campus lights glowed softly. Somewhere in the distance, a train rolled through the city, its sound carrying across the night before fading away again.
Ochaco folded her arms on the railing.
"...Can I ask you something?"
Izuku nodded.
"Of course."
She hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
"...Do you ever feel guilty for being tired?"
He looked at her in surprise.
"...Yeah."
His answer came so quickly that it
almost startled them both.
"All the time."
Ochaco let out a slow breath.
"I thought it was just me."
Izuku shook his head.
"No."
"I'll get home after patrol and think..."
He laughed quietly, though there wasn't much humor in it. "...'People are still out there. Heroes are still working. Someone else probably needs help.'"
He looked down at his hands.
"So if I rest..."
His voice became almost a whisper.
"...it feels like I'm letting someone down."
Ochaco stared at him.
Because he'd just put words to something she'd never been able to explain herself.
"...I know."
She looked back out over the city.
"When I call my parents after a rough day..."
She smiled faintly.
"They always tell me to get some sleep."
A small laugh escaped her.
"And every single time I think..."
"'How can I sleep when somebody else might need saving?'"
Izuku nodded.
"...Exactly."
The breeze ruffled their hair.
For a few moments, neither of them said anything.
Then Ochaco spoke again.
"You know what my mum asked me last week?"
"What?"
"'When was the last time you did something just because it made you happy?'"
Izuku blinked.
"...What did you say?"
She laughed, a little embarrassed.
"I couldn't answer."
"...Me neither."
They shared a rueful smile.
Heroes.
Always thinking about everyone else.
Rarely themselves.
Ochaco nudged him gently with her shoulder.
"You know..."
"You always notice when everyone else is struggling."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck.
"I try."
"You don't just try."
She smiled warmly.
"You always know when someone needs encouragement."
"When someone needs help carrying something."
"When someone looks upset."
"You notice."
Izuku felt his cheeks warm.
"I guess..."
"But..."
She tilted her head.
"...You're not very good at letting people notice you."
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Because she wasn't wrong.
He thought back to all the times he'd brushed off pain.
The times he'd smiled and insisted he was fine.
The times he'd told everyone not to
worry.
"...I don't want to be a burden."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Ochaco's expression softened.
She turned fully toward him.
"Midoriya."
He looked at her.
"When have you ever been a burden to me?"
"..."
He searched for an answer.
Couldn't find one.
She smiled gently.
"You've listened to me cry."
"You've celebrated my victories."
"You've picked me up when I've doubted myself."
"You've believed in me."
Her voice was quiet.
"So..."
She shrugged.
"...Why won't you let me do the same for you?"
Izuku felt something tighten in his throat.
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't some grand revelation.
It was simply… something he'd never really considered.
He'd always believed caring for other people was natural.
Necessary.
But accepting that same care?
That had always felt... different.
Almost selfish.
Ochaco seemed to read the conflict on his face.
She smiled that familiar, reassuring smile he'd seen so many times before.
"You know..."
"If our positions were reversed..."
"You'd be telling me it's okay to lean on someone."
Izuku laughed quietly.
"...Yeah."
"You'd probably make a whole speech."
"...Probably."
She giggled.
"I think it would've been a very good speech."
He rubbed the back of his neck again, embarrassed.
"...I'd have overexplained."
"You always do."
"And somehow..."
She looked at him with a warmth that made his heart skip.
"...it always makes me feel better."
For the first time that night...
The weight pressing against Izuku's chest didn't disappear.
But it didn't feel quite so heavy anymore.
Not because the mission had changed.
Not because tomorrow would be easier.
But because he wasn't carrying it alone.
Neither of them realized how much time had passed.
The conversation drifted naturally after that.
From heroes...
...to U.A.
From U.A....
...to memories.
"...Do you remember our first day?"
Ochaco asked with a laugh.
Izuku smiled immediately.
"The entrance exam?"
"Mhm."
"You floated me before I hit the ground."
"You looked so panicked."
"I was panicked."
She giggled.
"I know."
"You were muttering so much I couldn't understand half of it."
"I was apologizing."
"You were apologizing for almost running into me."
"...That sounds like me."
"It really does."
They laughed together.
The sound echoed softly across the empty rooftop.
For a while they simply reminisced.
The Sports Festival.
Training camp.
Dorm life.
Study sessions.
Christmas parties.
Countless little moments that had somehow become some of their happiest memories.
"So much has happened..." Ochaco murmured.
Izuku nodded.
"It doesn't feel like it's been that long."
"No."
"...But it also feels like forever."
The breeze carried a comfortable silence between them again.
Ochaco rested her chin on her folded arms.
"...Can I tell you something a little embarrassing?"
"You never have to ask."
She smiled at that.
"When things get really difficult..."
"...I always think about U.A."
Izuku tilted his head.
"You do?"
"Mhm."
"Not because it was easy."
She shook her head.
"It definitely wasn't."
"But..."
She looked out over the sleeping campus.
"...It's where I met the people who became home."
Izuku followed her gaze.
The dorm building stood quietly below them.
Dark windows. Peaceful. Everyone asleep.
"...Yeah."
He smiled softly.
"I know what you mean."
Another minute passed.
Then Ochaco glanced sideways at him.
"So..."
"Hm?"
"...Did coming up here help?"
Izuku thought about it honestly.
"When I first came up..."
"I couldn't stop replaying today."
"And now?"
He looked at the horizon.
"...Now I'm remembering everything else."
The little girl asleep on Ochaco's shoulder.
The civilians they'd saved.
The friends waiting back at the dorms.
The laughter they'd just shared.
The mission hadn't become less frightening.
But somehow… it no longer felt like the only thing that existed.
Ochaco smiled.
"I'm glad."
She looked east.
"...Hey."
Izuku followed her eyes.
The sky had begun to change.
The deep navy blue was slowly giving way to soft shades of purple.
Then pink.
Then streaks of warm orange.
"...It's sunrise."
"I didn't even notice."
"Neither did I."
Together they watched the first rays of sunlight spill across the city.
Buildings caught the light one by one.
Windows sparkled.
The campus slowly woke beneath them.
It was beautiful.
"...Worth staying awake for?" Ochaco asked quietly.
Izuku smiled.
"...Definitely."
She hugged her cardigan a little tighter.
"...Can I admit something else?"
He nodded.
"I don't think..."
She laughed nervously.
"...I don't think I actually came up here to watch the sunrise."
He looked at her.
"...No?"
She shook her head.
"I think..."
A small, shy smile appeared.
"...I was hoping someone else might be awake too."
Izuku felt his heart skip.
"...Really?"
"Mhm."
"I didn't know who."
She looked down, suddenly fascinated by the sleeves of her cardigan.
"...But I'm really glad it was you."
For a moment...
Izuku forgot how to speak.
Not because it was a confession.
Not because anything had suddenly changed.
But because those simple words carried so much warmth.
He smiled.
"...I'm really glad it was you too."
Ochaco looked up.
Their eyes met.
Neither of them looked away.
The sun climbed a little higher, bathing the rooftop in soft golden light.
For the first time since the mission...
Neither of them felt tired anymore.
The rooftop slowly warmed beneath the morning sun.
Birdsong replaced the quiet hum of the night.
Somewhere below, the dorms were beginning to wake.
A light flickered on.
Then another.
Soon someone would notice they were missing.
Neither of them moved.
Ochaco let out a contented sigh.
"I should probably go and get changed."
Izuku nodded.
"...Yeah."
Neither of them made any effort to leave.
A minute passed.
Then another.
Ochaco laughed softly.
"We're really bad at saying goodbye."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck.
"...I guess we are."
She turned to face him fully.
"...Can I ask you one last thing?"
"Anything."
"What do you do..."
She searched for the right words.
"...When your brain won't stop?"
Izuku thought about it.
"I usually write."
"Your notebooks?"
He nodded.
"If I can get everything out of my head and onto paper..."
"...it's a little quieter."
Ochaco smiled.
"I like that."
"What about you?"
She looked out across the campus again.
"I usually call my parents."
A small smile tugged at her lips.
"They don't always have the answers."
"They don't need to."
"They just..."
She shrugged.
"...make everything feel a little less heavy."
Izuku nodded slowly.
"I know that feeling."
Another silence settled between them.
This one felt different.
Not uncertain. Comfortable. Safe.
Ochaco broke it first.
"...Can I tell you something that sounds a little silly?"
"You've never said anything silly."
She laughed.
"I definitely have."
"I still disagree."
Her cheeks turned pink.
"...Okay, well..."
She took a slow breath.
"I think..."
"When I couldn't sleep tonight..."
"I wasn't actually looking for sleep."
Izuku tilted his head.
"...No?"
She shook hers.
"I think I just..."
A nervous laugh escaped her.
"...didn't want to feel alone."
The words landed gently between them.
Izuku understood immediately.
Because he'd felt exactly the same.
"I don't think..."
He spoke quietly.
"...I wanted to be alone either."
Ochaco's smile softened.
"I'm glad."
"So am I."
She looked down at her hands.
"...You know..."
"I always feel a little calmer after talking to you."
Izuku blinked.
"You do?"
"Mhm."
"You have this habit..."
She smiled to herself.
"...of making problems feel possible."
"Not smaller."
"Not easier."
"Just..."
"...possible."
He felt warmth spread across his face.
"I've never thought of it like that."
"I have."
She met his eyes.
"For a long time."
His heart beat just a little faster.
Not because of what she'd said.
Because of the way she'd said it.
With complete honesty.
No hesitation.
No embarrassment.
Just the truth.
A door slid open somewhere below.
Voices drifted across the courtyard.
Morning had officially arrived.
Ochaco sighed dramatically.
"I guess reality's calling."
Izuku chuckled.
"...Looks like it."
She took a step toward the rooftop door.
Then stopped.
Turned back.
Walked right up to him.
"So..." "...thank you."
He smiled.
"You already thanked me."
"I know."
She looked at him warmly.
"I'm doing it again."
Before he could ask why...
She wrapped her arms around him.
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't impulsive.
It was simply… a hug. Warm. Comforting. Grateful.
Izuku froze for exactly half a second before carefully hugging her back.
He could feel the tension she'd been carrying finally beginning to melt away.
Truthfully...
He felt some of his own disappear too.
After a few quiet moments, they stepped apart.
Ochaco smiled, her cheeks faintly pink.
"I think..."
"...I might actually be able to sleep now."
Izuku laughed.
"...Me too."
She started toward the door again.
This time she made it halfway before glancing back over her shoulder.
"...Hey, Midoriya?"
"Hm?"
"If either of us can't sleep again..."
She smiled.
"...The rooftop?"
He didn't even have to think about it.
"...The rooftop."
She nodded once.
"Deal."
The door closed softly behind her.
Izuku stood there for another minute, watching the sunlight spill across U.A.
He'd come up to the roof hoping to escape his thoughts.
Instead… He'd found someone willing to share them.
And somehow… That had made all the difference.
Six months later.
Izuku stared at the message on his phone.
The patrol had been long.
Not dangerous.
Not particularly eventful.
Just... heavy.
One of those days where every rescue seemed to arrive a second too late.
Where every thank you somehow felt overshadowed by wondering if he could have done more.
He unlocked his phone.
Opened the conversation that had somehow become his most frequently used.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he smiled.
‘Roof?’
He hit send.
The reply came less than thirty seconds later.
‘Be there in five.’
Izuku laughed softly.
"...Of course."
The rooftop hadn't changed.
The same safety rail.
The same gentle breeze.
The same view of U.A. stretching out beneath the evening sky.
Only now...
it belonged to both of them.
Not officially.
Not because anyone had decided it.
It had simply become their place.
The door opened behind him.
"Hi."
Izuku turned.
Ochaco stepped onto the rooftop carrying two steaming paper cups.
"I brought tea."
He smiled.
"You read my mind."
"I usually do."
She handed him one of the cups before leaning against the railing beside him.
Neither asked why the other was there.
They never did anymore.
Sometimes they talked for hours.
Sometimes they barely spoke at all.
Tonight… Silence felt right.
The city shimmered below them.
Above, the first stars began to appear.
Ochaco took a sip of her tea.
"Tough day?"
Izuku nodded.
"Mhm."
"You?"
"A little."
Another sip.
Then another.
The conversation wandered wherever it pleased.
A funny story from patrol.
A recommendation for a new café.
A rumor that Kaminari had somehow managed to short-circuit the microwave.
Again.
By the time they stopped laughing...
The heaviness they'd both arrived with had quietly faded into the background.
Ochaco smiled into her cup.
"I still think about that first night."
"The one we couldn't sleep?"
"Mhm."
Izuku nodded.
"So do I."
She looked up at the stars.
"It was strange."
"What was?"
"I spent hours trying to fall asleep."
"And in the end..."
She glanced at him.
"...what I actually needed was a conversation."
Izuku smiled.
"I know exactly what you mean."
The breeze brushed gently across the
rooftop.
It carried the scent of rain.
Of summer.
Of another ordinary evening.
Ochaco yawned.
A proper one this time.
She laughed.
"That's a good sign."
"I think so."
She set her empty cup beside her.
Without really thinking… she leaned sideways until her shoulder rested against his.
Neither of them commented on it.
After a while… her breathing slowed.
Steadied.
Izuku looked down.
Ochaco was asleep.
A small smile rested on her face.
The kind she only wore when she felt completely safe.
Carefully… so carefully she didn't stir...
he shifted just enough to make her more comfortable.
Her head came to rest against his shoulder.
He smiled to himself.
Six months ago… they'd come to the rooftop because neither of them could sleep.
Tonight… she'd fallen asleep before the stars had even filled the sky.
Izuku looked out across the city lights.
The mission still hadn't been perfect.
Tomorrow would probably bring new worries.
New rescues.
New mistakes to learn from.
But somehow… they didn't seem quite so impossible anymore.
Not when he knew there was someone waiting at the end of the day.
Someone who understood.
Someone who didn't need explanations.
His phone buzzed quietly.
He glanced at the screen.
A message from Iida.
Has anyone seen Uraraka? We were about to start the movie.
Izuku looked down at the sleeping girl on his shoulder.
He smiled.
Then typed a reply.
‘She's okay. She just finally managed to get some sleep.’
He put his phone away.
The movie could wait.
This moment couldn't.
He rested his head gently against hers.
For the first time in a long while...
Izuku realized he no longer dreaded the nights he couldn't sleep.
Because now… he knew he would never have to spend them alone.