Work Text:
Izuku has never been fond of storms, for reasons he can’t quite place, but if anything, moving to Yuuei has only worsened that fear.
The building shifts and groans in the rain, and Izuku can never tell the difference between a classmate moving around and a fallen tree knocking against the dorm.
Logically, he knows the difference between a tree and a classmate, but he can’t think straight in this absolute torrent of rain. It’s never been this bad before; most storms at Yuuei are more of a rainy day, but this is near flooding level.
Izuku can’t help the way he shivers and quakes at each bolt of lightning and blast of thunder. If only he could go to his friends for comfort, but it’s the middle of the night. They’re surely asleep, and Izuku doesn’t want to disturb them even if they aren’t.
A good night’s rest means a good day’s work , Kayama-sensei once said. It rings especially true now that Izuku is wide awake in the early (late?) hours of the morning. School is going to be a nightmare the next day.
Past midnight and Izuku’s still awake with the storm. He’s been able to bear it for a while- since eleven, when the storm had awoken him- but the next bolt of lightning startles him so that he falls out of bed, and he hits the floor with a thump that makes him wince. Hopefully it didn’t wake anyone up, or else he hopes that they ignore it.
He should’ve known not to hope for that. Not when his class has faced villain after villain, not when they’re too keyed up to sleep, really sleep, not when they’re all far too kind to abandon him to his fears.
The next time Izuku looks up from his pillow, it isn't thunder that compels him to do so, but a soft knocking at his door.
“Who… who’s there?” he calls, voice shaky.
“It’s Ochako,” she calls through the door. “Are you alright? The light tenor combined with the rough cadence of her words is enough to rouse Izuku. He pulls himself from his bed and makes his way to the door, opening it a crack.
“I’m alright,” he whispers. He doesn’t think Ochako believes him, though. And honestly? He wouldn’t believe himself.
She squints doubtfully. “Are you sure? I heard something fall.”
“It was a book,” Izuku excuses weakly.
“Sure,” Ochako says. “Still, can I come in?”
He bites his lip but nods, and he pulls the door open so that she can come in. Then a bolt of lightning strikes, and he can’t help the way he shudders.
When he turns back to Ochako, poised to reassure her, she’s staring at him with something like realization.
“You’re afraid of storms, aren’t you.” She doesn’t phrase it like a question, and Izuku can’t do anything but nod.
He doesn’t know why, but the way she scoops him into a hug surprises him. It’s nothing but pleasant, though, and Izuku feels a bit of the tension drain from his shoulders.
Ochako holds him tight for a long moment, then let’s go with a frown. “You could have told me. You know that I’ll always make time for you, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” Izuku mumbles, scuffing his heel along the floor. “But it’s the middle of the night and I didn’t want to wake you and-“
“You woke me anyways,” Ochako points out, not unkindly. “If I’m going to be up either way I’d at least rather you choose to wake me up.” Izuku looks down, and slight panic tinges her next words. “It’s alright, of course! I’m sorry if I was too forward.”
Izuku shakes his head. “No, you’re right, I should’ve woken you-OH!” He jumps when another clap of lightning precedes the loud boom of thunder.
Ochako purses her lips sympathetically. “I know what’ll help you!” she declares enthusiastically. “A sleepover party!”
“A sleepover party?” Izuku repeats quizzically. “I’m all for sleeping over, but I don’t know if I’d call us a party…”
Ochako grins, and he catches onto her plan. “Ochako, no. You cannot wake everyone up. I’d die!” he protests, but she waves him off.
“Are you really so against it?” she asks. “If you really don’t want me to, I'll leave them be, but they won’t be mad if I wake them. Especially if it’s for you,” she adds, noticing Izuku’s reticence.
“I… could you?” he asks, voice small.
“Of course,” Ochako grins, and grabs him by the forearm. “You’re coming with me, though! I’m not going to leave you alone,” she explains at Izuku’s questioning look. He nods, and she tugs him into the hallway.
Fifteen minutes later, the entirety of Class 1-A is gathered in the common room, piled up in any spot they can find.
Eijirou, Katsuki, and Mina are entwined on the couch while Izuku, Mezou, and Hitoshi are curled up on the coffee table. It’s comfortable, almost surprisingly so, and Izuku feels all the better for cuddling with Mezou.
No one had put up a fuss about the sleepover (or not much of one, anyways), and they all moved downstairs with ease.
Still, the relative silence save for the occasional whisper and clap of thunder keeps Izuku wide awake.
Mezou, wonder that he is, notices. “Izuku?” he whispers through a mouth formed near Izuku’s ear. (Yet another plus to Mezou’s hugs; they’re warm and make it easy to talk quietly.) “Are you alright?”
Izuku nods, but his reluctance makes it clear that he isn’t. “I’m fi-fine.” Another clap of thunder hits, and Izuku flinches back. Shit.
“You’re not,” Hitoshi refutes softly, then turns away from Izuku to raise his voice. “Hey, everyone! What if we make this into a real sleepover?”
“It’s one in the morning!” Izuku protests.
Eijirou lifts his head from Mina’s shoulder. “Maybe so, but we’re all awake already, right?”
“And I’m always down to hang out!” Tooru interjects from the opposite corner. “We can play truth or dare or something, right?”
“Hell yeah!” Hanta cries, and that’s all it takes for everyone to start moving around.
Everyone settles into a circle, Izuku squished between Shouto and Tenya. He’s pleasantly surprised that the latter went along with this, considering his usual strict attitude, but when he thinks about it it makes sense. Tenya has always been willing to do anything for the people he cares about, and tonight seems to be no exception.
They’re all surprisingly awake for the late (early?) hour, and thankfully, the storm seems to be slowing down.
Mashiraou is the one to break the rain-filled silence with a, “So. What’re we gonna play?”
“Would you rather?” Ochako suggests.
“Truth or dare!” Mina exclaims.
“Apples to Apples?” Denki suggests, then pauses. “Wait, we’d need a really big deck of cards to play that.”
Kyouka laughs. “At least three decks worth. How about charades?”
“No fair, you and Mezou would hear the prompt words!” Tooru cries accusingly.
Kyouka shrugs. “Write them down? I’ll make sure Mezou keeps his eyes to himself,” she smirks, playfully elbowing Mezou.
“Yes, I’m the one you need to watch out for,” Mezou returns lightly. Kyouka chuckles.
Izuku pipes up, “I think Charades sounds fun, if you all agree…?”
“Sounds fun to me!” Ochako chimes in, and various noises of agreement fill the room.
Kyouka goes first, and she goes pale when Momo hands over her assignment. Then, an eerie grin splits her face, and she places her hand over her face.
Izuku catches on first, a strangled laugh escaping from him. Mezou gives him a sideways glance. He turns back to Kyouka and has his own moment of realization, and soon he’s chuckling too.
Everyone else realizes soon after, and Denki is the one to call out, “You’re Shigaraki, aren’t you?”
“How’d you guess?” Kyouka snarks lightheartedly, lifting her hand from her face. “Anyways, it’s your turn now!”
Denki grins, and Kyouka passes him a paper, and then the game continues from there.
The cheerful, boisterous air of the common room keeps Izuku from noticing the storm that rages on outside, and he falls asleep to the laughter of his friends.
Where are they? Shouta frowns. Class 1-A knows to be on time for his class or face the consequences, and yet they’re all late today. Kami , he hopes they’re alright.
Theoretically they’re fine, as neither the dorm nor the school alarms went off, but USJ was supposed to be safe. The training camp was supposed to be safe.
And the absence of alarms doesn’t mean something didn’t happen inside the dorms.
Shouta leaps out of the window and pulls himself along with his capture weapon, reaching the dorms in less than a minute. The kitchen window is open, a fact he notes with distaste. He is slightly grateful, however, because that means he can swing in with ease.
Shouta ducks into the common room, capture weapon at the ready.
He stops in his tracks when he finds his the kids asleep, piled on top of each other in a swirling mass of pillows and blankets.
Shouta wants to be annoyed- why throw a sleepover on a school night?- but he can’t help but be glad. Class 1-A is here, safe and sound, and Shouta gets some extra time to sleep.
He pulls out his own sleeping bag and falls asleep where he stands.
Shouta will scold them later, but for now, all there is to do is rest.