#since stress is making actual big writing hard -- let's do something small and lighthearted instead for a bit!

[fire-branded]

Time for something small and fun and easy to do! With that nickname/pet name meme going around, Like this post for my muse to give your muse a cute or silly nickname!

If you're a multimuse blog, please specify which muse(s) you'd like one for!

[dc41896]

Mixed Signals

Pairing: college!Chris EvansxBlack Reader

Summary🪄: One text from your boyfriend nearly wrecks your night

⚠️: Slight suggestive content, mentions of virginity, a very awkward yet hilarious (at least I hope it comes across as that) moment, fluff!

Stomach turning and heart racing, it’s hard to focus on the math problems in front of you with what’s spiraling in your head.

Ever since “My roommate’s out of town, you know what that means😉” flashed across your screen, you’ve been slightly confused and on edge. And your friend’s response after you sent her the screenshot didn’t make you feel any better.

“Not trying to pry, but have you guys....you know... yet?,” she asked over lunch in the courtyard.

“No..why you think that’s what he means?”

“I mean I’m not sure, but I know when my boyfriend sends the winky face it typically means we’re not getting any work done,” she grins to herself before taking a sip of her soda.

You, on the other hand, had lost your appetite and hadn’t found it since.

In your five months of dating you and Chris never really brought up going to that level of your relationship, and you thought he honestly didn’t care. He never pressured you or made any advances that made you feel uncomfortable; instead he just let things flow, which you appreciated. There was a part of you though, that wondered if things would always stay this way and he’d always be so patient.

Apparently you were quickly being shown how they wouldn’t.

Not that you didn’t want to go there. Clearly you weren’t blind to how attractive your boyfriend was with his piercing blue eyes that made you swoon at every glance, and muscular arms and legs making you embarrassingly stumble over your words those times he’d greet you at the door in only his boxers. Paired with his overall personality that kept you entertained from his dorky antics yet intrigued from his intellectual views, you were completely smitten already by the man across from you.

But if you were ready for the next step, you weren’t quite sure yet.

Plus even if you were you wouldn’t even know where to start! You knew what went where, obviously, but what about the other stuff that went with it? And what if you weren’t any good at it? You knew guys talked (even though they claim not to gossip but we all know), and you didn’t want to be that girl getting destroyed in the group chat. Oh God what if something was wrong with you down there?!

“Y/N?...Babe!”

“Huh? Yea?”

“I asked what’d you get for 25? My answer isn’t matching up with what’s in the book.”

“Oh uh I haven’t gotten there yet, I’m still on 12,” you answer now trying to catch up.

“You okay?”

“Yea, why?”

“Well for starters, you’ve been clicking your pen nonstop for a while,” Chris chuckles as you slowly lower your pen. “And you’ve been kinda spacey since you got here. Anything you want to talk about?”

“YES! A LOT ACTUALLY!,” you wanted to scream, but instead you simply shrugged.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little stressed I guess.”

“Why don’t we take a break then?,” he suggests closing his textbook. Watching him stand from his desk with a short stretch and yawn, your skin feels as if it’s been set ablaze wondering what would happen next.

“Is this him making a move?,” you thought as he plopped down on the bed next to you with a loud sigh. Holding his arms out with a childlike smile, a nervous laugh escapes your lips setting your textbook off to the side before wrapping your arms around his middle cuddling close to his body.

“So I’ve uh been thinking...”

And here come the nervous sweats. Please don’t let me stink.

“Mhmm?”

“Maybe we could try some new things?,” he answers, fingertips trailing up and down your spine.

“N-New?,” you swallow. From how hard your heart is pounding against your chest, you’re surprised Chris hasn’t said anything and that you haven’t gone into cardiac arrest.

Then again the night’s still young.

“Yea, but there’s no pressure. If you don’t want to it’s fine.”

“Not that I’m upset or anything, but where’s this coming from?,” you ask. Your hands moving to rest on his pecs helping you sit up.

“Just to change things up you know? What we usually do is fun, but I’ve started wanting different.”

Great, now you’re boring. Wait, are you gonna be boring in bed too? You honestly weren’t that flexible. Maybe you could sneak to the bathroom and stretch?

“Oh, um okay.”

“Hey it’s like I said though, if you don’t want to it’s completely fine,” he reassures sitting up himself and taking your hands in his. His warm thumbs running soothingly along the bumps of your knuckles before bringing them to his lips.

You were still scared, but deep down you felt that you could trust him with all of you, and you wouldn’t want your first time to be with anyone else.

“No, I-I want to,” you smile.

“Great! We can-,”

He can’t finish his sentence before your lips are hurriedly pressed to his and your hands gently frame the sides of his neck letting your thumbs graze along his jawlines.

So far so good Y/N, just don’t think about it.

You’d made out plenty of times before, but compared to you two now, you realized those in the past were more so innocent and playful with your breaks for small chuckles and fingers tracing facial features. Seemingly feeding off your energy, kisses now were hungrier and soon you were straddling his lap feeling something press against your thigh as his fingers dug into your hips.

Okay now that we’re here, do I take my clothes off first or his? Or do I take turns with both? Should I wait on him? Does it really matter?

His mouth moves lower to your neck attacking right above your pulse point, and in turn making it race faster as a hidden moan rolls off your tongue startling your own self.

Hold on, did I even shave my legs? Dangit, I said I would do it tonight when I got back.

You lean back to remove your graphic tee, but Chris holds your hands in place stopping you from moving any further.

“Baby you sure about this?,” he asks slightly out of breath with red and partially swollen lips. “It’s your first time and I don’t want you rushing into anything when you’re not ready.”

“Yea...I think so at least. Plus you were talking about doing something different-,”

“I was talking about going somewhere different for our date night. Supendi’s is nice, but there’s this new arcade for adults that I thought would be fun.”

“But..but you texted saying how your roommate wasn’t home. And the winky face.”

“Yea meaning that when we get done with our work, we can watch the big tv in the living room rather than being stuck in here holding my phone screen.”

“Ohhh...”

You could’ve sworn your heart stopped right there as the blood drained from your face and apparently stopped in your throat from the lodged sensation you get.

Reminder: call your parents when you get the chance to ask if they dropped you on your head as a child, explaining why you’re so dumb now.

“You thought I was saying-?,”

“Yep, I did,” you sigh moving towards the opposite side of the bed pressed against the white as milk wall. Arms wrapped around yourself as you sink further into the mattress, your embarrassment also makes you feel uncomfortably vulnerable and desperately wanting to return to your room so you could cry in the corner of your shower.

“I’m such an idiot.”

“No you’re not,” he states leaning down to kiss your temple before hugging you close, “It’s my fault you thought that. I should’ve been more clear, I’m sorry.”

“If I wasn’t sure, I should’ve just asked rather than assumed though. That would’ve saved a lot of embarrassment and stress.”

A lighthearted chuckle vibrates his chest and forehead rests against your temple distracting you long enough to bring some level of comfort.

“Don’t think I stopped because I don’t want to, believe me I really do. Like I said though, I want you to be sure you’re ready.”

You only nod, giving him a small smile while you bask in the sensation of his cool nose bumping and rubbing against your cheek.

“And you’re not bored, since we haven’t had sex yet?,” you timidly ask finally meeting his eyes.

“Of course not. I’m never bored when I’m with you, and never will be.”

How was he so perfect? Where did this guy come from Build a Boyfriend? Your lips find his, still a bit red from your earlier session, melting away any self doubt or overthinking that remained in your brain successfully bringing the quiet it so desperately needed.

“Thanks for being so patient with me.”

Taglist: @fumbling-fanfics @honeychicana @honeydulcewrites @lady-olive-oil @themyscxiras @melinda-january @lovelymari4 @maxcullen @literaturefeen @damnitaa @curlyhairclub @plokyu23 @fullofmelaninsarcasmandepression @nunubug99 @felicity-x0 @ellixthea @jojolu @jnk-812 @brwn-sgr @captainsamwlsn @wildfirecracker @nina-sj @iammyownlover @chaneajoyyy @scoop93535 @secretmysteriousperson

If anybody wants to be tagged, has asked to be tagged but don’t see your name, only want to be tagged for certain people I write for (can be found in masterlist), or no longer wish to be tagged, just let me know🤓!

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 3 - Practice Begins (Part 5)

This chapter took a lifetime lol

List of translations here

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Students who were earnestly tackling long-distance ran at least six-hundred kilometers in a month. When it was time for the final stretch, it was common for some to run more than a thousand kilometers a month. Kakeru did long training runs, aiming for that level. He wished the residents of Chikusei-sou success, but that didn’t mean he intended to match his own training to the level of a newly-formed team.

“Kakeru, you ran a little too much.”

Kiyose, who was checking the training diaries, told him that after the main training. It was when everyone was working on leisurely cooling down while changing clothes and stretching on the grass of the field.

For the first two weeks, everyone struggled to make it through the regimen, in dire straits with muscle pain, blood blisters and awful foot blisters. However, the members had potential from the beginning. Now, it seemed that their bodies were adjusting little by little: running was becoming a bit more fun, and they had managed to assimilate the regimen written on the training table.

Inwardly, Kakeru was surprised at the high adaptability of the residents, but it was ultimately just beginner’s training. He was pursuing running on a whole different level. Unless someone stopped him, he tended to run for as long and as far as he liked.

“Even at your age, your body isn’t fully matured yet, so you can’t push yourself too hard. What will you do if you overwork your body now and injure it?”

Lately, Kakeru’s body felt very light. He felt that the more he ran, the stronger he got, and the more his speed improved. That was why in actuality, Kiyose’s warning didn’t hit home for him. Even so, he obediently answered, “Yes.”

“On the other hand, Prince is running too little.”

In Prince’s training diary, the word “treadmill” was written once every two days instead of “evening jog”.

“I thought that honesty was one of your best points but…this is actually just ‘I skipped jogging and read manga’, right?”

Even if Kiyose invited Prince to jog with him in the evening, Prince had built a barricade out of manga and stubbornly refused to open the door to his room.

Pursued by Kiyose, Prince desperately explained himself. “That’s true, but I really do read manga while using the treadmill. Lately, I feel like I’ve been gaining some muscle on my legs.”

“Let me see.”

Kiyose touched Prince’s calves to confirm. Seeing that, Yuki warned him, “Haiji, you should really stop that leg-touching habit of yours soon.”

Kiyose got up with a “hmm”.

“It’s true that you’ve made some progress in morning jogging and main practice. But working out on a treadmill while reading manga isn’t a good idea; it’ll ruin your form and it won’t help you develop the sensation of running on a road. I hope that you’ll join the evening jogs every day as well.”

Before Kiyose’s quiet, forceful power, Prince had no choice but to swear, “I will join.” As for Kakeru, he was relieved: he wanted Prince to run outside as much as possible. The treadmill was installed in his room, which was already bearing a lot of weight, and every time Prince trained there, Kakeru’s ceiling creaked like it was going to burst open.

“Unlike our honest Prince, there’s a king who is submitting a diary that’s filled with lies and embellishments.”

At Kiyose’s words, everyone looked at King and laughed. “You found out?” King asked, picking at the dirt with the toe of his shoe like he was embarrassed. “It’s because I can’t run at all and my times aren’t getting any better. I thought that was bad, so I showed off a little in my report.”

“It’s still only two weeks since you started training. Results won’t show that quickly,” Kiyose told King gently. “To become the quiz king, you need to steadily build up your knowledge and skills to hit the buzzer fast, right? It’s the same with track; cheap tricks won’t work. The physical strength and skills are acquired through daily training. Then, the courage to look at your true ability straight on is what will save you in the end in the actual event. I know that you’ve been training seriously, so you can just write down the truth.”

King nodded. “I’ll do that.”

“There’s no particular problems with anyone else so far. But, Nico-chan-senpai.”

“Yeah?” Nico-chan, called by Kiyose, stopped fixing his shoelaces and looked up.

“You haven’t been eating a lot lately.”

“That’s not true.”

“Don’t lie. Who do you think is making your food?”

It was Kiyose. Nothing could be hidden from the master of Chikusei-sou, who not only made the training plans but also the residents’ food.

Nico-chan explained himself while scratching his cheek. “Look, I’m stocky, you know? I need to lose some weight.”

“There’s no need for that,” Kiyose cut him off flatly. “You work your body during training, so you’ll lose weight even if you continue to eat the way you have until now. An unreasonable diet can cause your body to break down, so please eat a balanced and proper diet.”

“Got it. But if I can’t tighten up my body well in training, then I’ll go on a diet.”

“I’ve calculated that you should be able to tighten up over the summer for sure,” Kiyose conceded. “If it looks like it’s not working out, then we’ll think about it then. Don’t do anything reckless on your own.”

 “Is it advantageous to be lighter?” Shindou, who was listening to the conversation, asked, tilting his head. “Won’t you have less energy if you lose weight?”

The theorist Yuki answered his question.

“Of course, unreasonable diets are banned. You’ll get anemia, and if you have that, it’ll be dangerous for your heart since that’ll put a burden on it. But fundamentally, you should tighten up your body—whittle away the extra fat and improve your cardiopulmonary functions. Even racing cars have their bodies as light as possible to make their engines more powerful. It’s the same as that.”

“I see.” Shindou withdrew in understanding.

“It’s just as Yuki said.” Kiyose looked over everyone. “Just like racing cars, where the body’s balance is confirmed and the engine’s performance is enhanced through repeatedly doing test drives, a runner also builds up their body by running every day. The backlash will be big if you seek a sudden change, so I want you all to be careful.”

Icing your muscles immediately if they seem to be staying hot after training, even just a little bit. Never missing stretches and massages. Taking supplements for iron and other nutrients which people tend to lack.

After teaching them the various ways of preventing injuries and maintaining their health, Kiyose said, “Now, you’re all dismissed.”

On the way back to Chikusei-sou, Kakeru ended up running next to Nico-chan by chance. Nico-chan was worried about his weight and currently abstaining from smoking, and he didn’t seem to be able to relieve his stress well. He looked somewhat somber.

At times like these, one should provide a fun and lighthearted topic of conversation. However, Kakeru tried thinking of all sorts of things, but couldn’t come up with anything.

“Kakeru, what’s for dinner today?”

In the end, Nico-chan was the one who started talking. I really am no good at anything other than running. Kakeru was dejected indeed.

“It’s probably curry. Haiji-san asked me to go to the shopping district to buy curry powder before the main practice.”

Something flickered at the back of Kakeru’s mind. That’s right, the shopping district. Didn’t Musa invite me to go and see his evening jog? Maybe it could be a diversion for Nico-chan.

“Nico-chan-senpai, would you like to run with me tonight?”

“Why are you talking like you’re picking me up all of a sudden?”

Yuki, who was a bit ahead of them, turned back. “Where are you taking me, darling?” he teasingly cut into the conversation with an expressionless face, as though he was wearing an iron mask.

“The shopping district,” Kakeru answered seriously. The three of them were the members who jogged on their own. It was perfect, so they decided to take a look at the “interesting thing” happening to the group jogging together.

As expected, dinner was curry. Kiyose’s personality of not cutting corners was demonstrated in his cooking as well. Before the main training, he boiled the onions until they were soft and tender, and adjusted the taste by uniquely blending the several commercially available curry powders that Kakeru bought.

But no one noticed the depth of the flavor of the curry sauce; everyone seemed more joyful at the fact that the curry contained a lot of boneless pork ribs. Even the colorfully arranged salads were devoured in an instant without a single chance to be visually appreciated.

“It wasn’t worth making this.” Kiyose, with an expression that was halfway between resentment and sadness, put the empty plates in the sink. 

Nico-chan, who seemed to have decided to eat properly, said, “I’ll just have a little more.” He stood before the rice cooker. “More than taste or anything else, just let these guys eat meat.”

The kitchen didn’t fit a table for everyone to eat at. When the dining table was filled, the people who came to eat later would get out a small tea table and sit in the hallway in front of the kitchen.

Shindou and Musa arrived when Kakeru was still eating his curry. The dining table was completely filled, and though the twins were nearing dessert, they didn’t attempt to clear their seats. They were currently in a fierce argument over whether to cover strawberries in condensed milk or milk and sugar.

Kakeru, who was mindful of hierarchical relationships no matter what, held his spoon in his mouth and picked up his curry-filled plate, about to give up his seat at the table. Shindou hurriedly stopped him. “It’s fine, Kakeru.”

“Senpai-kouhai relationships do not matter in Aotake,” Musa said. “That is why it is so comfortable, right?”

“Yes.”

Kakeru sat back down at the table and ate the rest of his curry. For him, who had spent his three years of high school in his track and field club’s dorm, the fact that the upperclassmen ate in the hallway and the underclassmen ate at the table was unbelievable.

From his experience, as an underclassman he had to attend to his seniors’ personal needs, such as washing their shoes and doing their laundry. And of course his turn for the bath was near the end. That was the extent of it, and he didn’t really mind it as long as he could devote himself to practice without his seniors getting jealous of him.

Conversely, when he became an upperclassman, Kakeru didn’t want to let his underclassmen wash his shoes; they were important objects that were required for running. How his former senpai could so easily leave their shoes in someone else’s hands, he had no idea. His teammates in the same grade as him gossiped about him behind his back, saying things like “He’s messing up the order of things” and “Don’t try to look cool”. Kakeru ignored it all. No one could catch up to his speed, and if he could run without reservations when he became an upperclassman, then he was satisfied with just that. He thought he would let them say whatever they wanted.

Within the club, Kakeru had come to be kept at a distance, treated as an aloof and solitary existence. To put it another way, he was somewhat isolated.

But in Chikusei-sou, it was easy to breathe. Nobody cared about the difference between the years of their birth. They said what they wanted to say to each other. Even now, Nico-chan had just put an end to the twins’ fight. It was done forcefully by throwing both condensed milk and milk and sugar into the two’s strawberry bowls.

“You’re awful, Nico-chan-senpai! I wanted to eat it with milk and sugar!”

“I put it in for you, didn’t I.”

“I definitely prefer condensed milk.”

“I said I put it in, didn’t I.”

Leaving the exchange between the twins—who were far from reaching an agreement—and Nico-chan aside, Kakeru helped Kiyose in cleaning up. They stood next to each other at the sink, washing the dishes.

“Haiji-san, what time do you run near the shopping district?”

“Around eight. Why?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Musa, who had come to put his plate away, winked at Kakeru.

Kakeru, Nico-chan, and Yuki went to the children’s playground at the entrance to the shopping district. Running in circles between the sandbox, swings, and slide was monotonous, but there was no other way to keep an eye on the shopping district while jogging.

They ran around thirty laps beneath the dim outside lights in the park, and just when they were feeling pretty dizzy, Kiyose and the others from Chikusei-sou appeared. They turned the corner and entered the large shopping district that led to the station. Their running abilities varied, so the procession was long and stretched out, but Prince somehow managed to keep up.

“They’re here.”

“Let’s try following them secretly.”

Kakeru and the others left the park and entered the shopping district.

There were many private shops lining both sides of the narrow street: the bakery, which had its shutters down after finishing a day’s work; the fish dealer, shouting loudly to sell the last of their wares before closing time; the snack bar, where customers were starting to come in for the night.

Lamps that imitated paper-covered lanterns cast an orange light over the street. People walking home from the station and shoppers aiming for limited-time sales crowded the shopping district.

“No matter how you look at it, Prince is too slow,” Yuki grumbled. “It’ll be hard to run without passing him.”

Kakeru and the others hid behind the passersby and slipped past Prince. When King’s back became visible, they also managed to pass him without being noticed.

“It’s Haiji.” Yuki indicated forward with his chin. Kiyose was running towards them.

“Why’s he coming back?”

“It’s too soon for him to have turned back from the station.”

The three tried to slip past by looking down, but Kiyose didn’t fail to notice them.

“Why are you guys sneaking around?” Kiyose turned and ran next to Kakeru and the others, who were running towards the station, to accompany them.

“What are you doing, Haiji-san?” Kakeru asked.

“I came to see how the guys running in the back are doing,” Kiyose answered.

His management abilities were flawless as usual. Kakeru wondered just how far he was running to keep an eye on everyone. He was a bit worried; his legs weren’t even fully recovered yet, apparently.

Meanwhile, Kiyose was carrying on the conversation with Yuki.

“Kakeru said something interesting was happening with you guys, so we came to see.”

“Oh, you mean that?”

Kiyose pointed straight ahead, where Shindou and Musa were running side by side.

“What are they doing?”

It was understandable that Nico-chan was puzzled. Shindou and Musa were wearing white T-shirts, but there were words written on their backs in jet black permanent marker. Kakeru strained his eyes and read the words on the two’s backs as they were running through the middle of the shopping district.

We’re aiming for the Hakone Ekiden!!

Supporters wanted for Kansei University Track and Field Club

“…That’s some proper lettering,” Yuki commented.

“Apparently, Shindou did it by hand,” Kiyose explained matter-of-factly, his breathing not even disturbed. “I told him to stop since it’s embarrassing, but he insisted that we needed it to raise funds. He actually made enough for everyone, supposedly.”

I’m definitely not wearing it, Kakeru thought. Shindou was always quiet and calm, with an air of aloofness like he wasn’t connected to this earthly world, but he seemed to be quite practical.

“That’s surprising. To think that Shindou-san would collect money so actively.”

“Through running, you can see unexpected sides of people,” Kiyose said with a smile. “Shindou, Musa,” he called out to the two running ahead.

“It seems that these three want to cooperate with your business activities.”

We never said that, we never said that! Kakeru and the others shook their heads in unison. Musa raised his hand a little towards Kakeru, who joined them.

“I will give you one of Shindou-san’s handmade T-shirts as well, Kakeru. Also, please take a look at that person.”

There was a bicycle weaving through the crowd of people in the shopping district. The person riding it was a girl around the same age as them. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was peddling her bike with all her might, her eyes fixed on something. Even from a distance, it was clear that her profile, which could be seen occasionally, was refined and beautiful.

“That’s the daughter of the owner of Yaokatsu,” Kiyose said.

“How do you know her?” Kakeru, who was preoccupied with the girl’s profile, moved his gaze to Kiyose running next to him.

“I’ve been coming here to buy food to cook for everyone at Aotake for a long time now, so I’ve seen her around.”

“Then have you ever chatted with her?”

“Just stuff like ‘these daikon have very nice leaves’ and ‘here’s your two-hundred yen change,’” Kiyose laughed from the corner of his mouth. “Are you curious about her, Kakeru?”

“No, not really.”

He returned his gaze forward. The bike was still heading for the station, popping in and out of the crowd.

“We’ve become a bit famous thanks to this.” Shindou pulled at the hem of his T-shirt. “Every day, we form a line and run like this, and the shopkeepers who recognize Haiji-san call out to us. ‘You’re a student staying in that shabby apartment, aren’t you? Looks like you’re starting something interesting,’ they say.”

“The landlord is a regular at the go parlor here,” Kiyose said. “Apparently, he’s going around spreading word that the ‘residents of Aotake are aiming for the Hakone Ekiden’.”

It was probably a strategy to get the locals involved in the plan so they wouldn’t be able to say “I quit” so easily. Kakeru was impressed with Kiyose and the landlord’s abilities to steadily remove the obstacles in their way. Since he was the first to announce his participation, it seemed that Shindou also intended to take the initiative in doing publicity. The carefree and easygoing residents were rapidly getting carried along by the flow towards the Hakone Ekiden. Will it be okay? Kakeru felt uneasy. However, it was nice and heartening that the people outside of Chikusei-sou showed interest in Kakeru and the others aiming for the Hakone Ekiden.

“She has been showing up when we are jogging recently,” Musa lightly pointed at the daughter of Yaokatsu who was riding her bike. “Her goal is…”

Drawn in, Kakeru, Nico-chan and Yuki’s gazes looked further ahead of the bike. The person who was running there was…

“The twins!?” Kakeru shouted in shock.

“Which one!?” Nico-chan also moaned. Musa shrugged.

“Well, I don’t know.”

“It doesn’t matter, they’re identical,” Yuki coolly pointed out.

I’m sensing love in the air, Kakeru thought. Jouta and Jouji, running next to each other, didn’t seem like they noticed at all. He would have to advise them to take a proper bath as soon as possible.

For now, it seemed certain that the residents of Chikusei-sou, who worked hard to jog every morning and evening, were becoming familiar to the people of the shopping district.

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[kumeko]

somnum exterreri

A/N: written for BNHA Halloween Big Bang

Summary: Midoriya’s eyes shot open. He had another one of those dreams. Those nightmares.

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Midoriya’s eyes shot open. He had another one of those dreams. Those nightmares. His pulse raced as he lay in the dark, the familiar ceiling now strange and new. Clenching his sheets, he slowly sat up. Clinically, he assessed himself. Pulse erratic. Breathing quick. Mouth dry. A shiver ran through his spine, and he was drenched in a cold sweat. It had been a nightmare, nothing more, nothing less. Just a some nameless fear that lurked in the dark, whispering of blood and death.

 Bitter. His mouth was filled with a metallic and bitter taste. The red letters on his alarm reminded him of something, of a dripping noise that echoed in his ears. In his nightmare, something terrible had happened. A faceless voice whispered, Remember.

 Remember what? Midoriya didn’t know. Only, that he had to. He absolutely had to. Yet already the ordeal was fading from his mind. Only the faintest trace of his nightmare remained, blurred people yelling wordlessly. His heart now calm, he focused on his alarm clock.

 7:30.

 7:31.

 Midoriya snapped out of his daze and tumbled out of the bed. Shit, he was going to be late.

 -x-

 “Another nightmare?” Uraraka bit her lip, worried. She crossed her arms and shivered from the cool, September weather. “You’ve been having a lot of those lately.”

 “Maybe I should take you to the nurse?” Iida offered, adjusting his glasses. “She might be able to help.”

 Thought it seemed impossible, Iida somehow looked even more serious than usual. Flustered by the attention, he waved off their concern with a lighthearted smile. “It’s fine—I’m probably just stressed. We’ve been through a lot lately, after all.”

 “That’s true.” Uraraka sighed as they walked to school. The fall colours did little to brighten the mood. “There’ve been so many attacks.”

  Crunch. Crunch. Each step left a sharp crack in its wake, the sound of bones breaking. Midoriya looked down to make sure he was really just stepping on dried leaves. All that greeted him was a carpet of orange and red. “I just haven’t been resting enough.”

 Iida frowned, unconvinced. “You sure? As class president, I shouldn’t say this, but maybe you should just stay home today?”

 “Huh?” Midoriya gaped at Iida, amazed to even hear those words from his friend. Touched, he bumped his shoulder to Iida’s. Or at least, to Iida’s arm—had he grown taller? “Thanks but I’m fine. Really.”

 “If you say so.” Iida adjusted his glasses and tightened his tie. “But if you look sick, I’m taking you to the nurse.”

 Midoriya swallowed, remembering her dry, puckering lips. Shivering, he quickly shook his head. “It’s fine, I don’t need that. Besides, if anyone should go to the nurse, it’s Mineta.”

 “Mineta?” Uraraka stared at him blankly. She cocked her head, scrunching her face as she considered it. “Why does he need to see her?”

 “He’s sick, right?” How could they have forgotten yesterday’s class? Midoriya looked back and forth between his friends, receiving a puzzled stare in response. “Don’t you remember Aizawa-sensei telling us?”

 “Midoriya,” Uraraka asked slowly, clasping his hands.  He didn’t even have time to get flustered, her next question stopped him cold. “What are you talking about?”

 -x-

 “Mineta’s sick,” Aizawa announced in class, somehow standing straight despite his sleeping bag. It was a modern miracle. Even science couldn’t explain it. “That’s all.”

 With that, he promptly fell to the floor and inched his way out of the classroom before the next teacher could start class. There was a moment of silence and then the classroom buzzed with the news. Ignoring them, Midoriya stared absentmindedly at the chalkboard.

 Aizawa just announced that now. Today.

 How had he known that? Déjà-vu, perhaps. None of this felt new, as though he’d seen this scene already, acted it out a thousand times before. There was a metallic taste in his mouth again, a memory that was just knocking on the edges of his conscious.

 “Wow, you were right!” Iida whispered, snapping Midoriya out if it. “Did Mineta tell you?”

 “No…” Midoriya frowned. The memory was gone now, out of reach. “I just…remembered it.”

 “Remembered it?” Before Iida could question him any further, the next teacher was already inside, starting class.

 -x-

 “History repeats itself,” the teacher said, scrawling elegant cursive on the chalkboard. “People say that a lot, but it is actually true.”

 Despite it being late September, there was still a trace of summer heat in the weather. The sun beat down into the classroom and he was glad he hadn’t yet changed into his winter uniform. As the teacher spoke, he quickly took notes, carefully transcribing everything into his notebook.

 Aside from the incident with Mineta, the rest of the day had run smoothly. Nothing else felt out of place or familiar and he could chalk up Mineta’s illness as a lucky guess. Or maybe Mineta had said something to him while he had raced out of the dorm. Yeah, that had to be it.

 “Take Napelon and Hilter, for example.” The teacher paused, before making three bullet points on the board. “They come from different time periods and different circumstances. Yet they suffered three similar problems. The first, an inability to delegate their work.”

 Midoriya watched, rapt in attention, as the teacher filled in the first bullet point.

 “The second, they started a war on too many fronts.”

 Quickly, Midoriya copied down that second bullet.

 “And the third…”

 As his teacher paused, Midoriya’s hand continued to write, filling out the third bullet before his teacher could say anything.

 “Fighting Russia in the winter.”

 Word for word, it matched what Midoriya had already written. What he continued to write. His hand didn’t stop there and before the class was halfway over, he had already copied down the entire lesson.

 -x-

 Even as he ate dinner, all Midoriya could taste was iron. It had lingered in his mouth since his last class, as he filled page after page with notes before the class even started. He was dreaming again. That had to be it, the only explanation possible. Quickly, he pinched his cheeks and winced in pain.

 Ok, not a dream then. He was seeing the future and somehow that was reality. Maybe it was a quirk? Maybe he was never quirkless and his ability future sight. Sure, it hadn’t really manifested before now, but if he were seeing the future in his dreams, maybe he had just forgotten them. Most people forgot their dreams, after all. And now his powers were getting too strong and soon he’d be able to remember his dreams and change the future!

 Yeah, that had to be it!

 Ecstatic, Midoriya crawled into bed, barely able to sleep. All Might would flip when he found out. Maybe he could use it to help prevent attacks and crime. Save people before they even needed to be saved. There were so many applications to this ability. Instead of counting sheep, he counted ideas and before long he fell asleep.

 When he woke up the next morning, breathless and afraid, that last hope was torn from him.

 -x-

 “Today, we’re going to do a little survival game.” All Might posed excitedly in front of the school’s forest, his eagerness rolling off him in waves. “A test of skill, of teamwork, of wit.”

 Finally another class with All Might. It had been a while since he had taught them last and Midoriya buzzed with elation. A survival game might even mean they could face off against their teacher—he could show how much he had improved. All Might winked at him and Midoriya had to fight the grin off his face.

 How long had it been since he had last seen All Might? Not since…Midoriya frowned, tapping his thigh as he tried to remember. Not since what? An image popped in his mind of a frail All Might, of a fight in ruined city, rubble strewn across the streets. A room of adults, all dressed in black, all soberly huddling together. Across the room, a photo sat, the light reflecting off it. Each step across the room felt too loud, too muffled. The bitter taste was in his mouth again and he was taller now. His hand reached out to touch the photo.

 “We’re on the same team!” Uraraka tugged on his arm happily, jolting him out of the memory before he could see the picture. “We’re gonna win this time.”

 “Of course we will.” Iida puffed up chest proudly. “This requires teamwork and we have that in spades.”

 “Definitely.” Midoriya gave a shaky smile as he tried to focus. This wasn’t the time to daydream. “We just have to be the last team standing, right?”

 “Yep!” Uraraka balled her hands into fists, punching the air. “We give the ol’ one-two to any other team we see and we avoid our teacher and we’re the winner!”

 “That last part might be hard.” Iida rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m not sure how we can escape All Might’s detection.”

 “Well, we don’t have to avoid his detection so much as let others get caught first,” Midoriya pointed out. Every game had its rules and once they were known, the rest was easy to figure out. “So if someone else causes more of a commotion—”

 “All Might will go after them first!” Iida nodded sagely. “I see, I see.”

 “I guess it’s a good thing Mineta’s not here.” Uraraka grinned. “There’s only one team of four then.”

 “Everyone ready? I’ll give you ten minutes to hide.” Beaming, All Might covered his eyes and started to count. He bounced lightly on his feet as he did, sending small tremors through the earth.

 Would Midoriya ever get that powerful? It was hard to imagine. His body could barely handle the quirk now. Maybe one day he’d end up like All Might, pure muscle and strength. One last glance at All Might and he quickly chased after Iida and Uraraka as the teams dispersed.

 -x-

 “That was a close one.” Uraraka panted as she flopped on the ground.

 They had just narrowly evaded capture as Sero, Kaminari, and Sato drew the attention of All Might. Sero had tried to lay a trap for their team, stretching tape between trees and using Kaminari’s lightning to shock them into submission. Fortunately, Iida was too fast for that and Uraraka had managed to float Sato into the ambush instead. Within moments of Kaminari’s attack, they had heard the overbearing footsteps of All Might and quickly fled, leaving Sero’s team as they tried to untangle Sato before their teacher caught up.

 “A super close one,” Midoriya agreed, taking a deep breath. In the distance, they could hear Kaminari scream.

 “That sounds…horrifying.” Iida stared in the direction they ran from, disturbed. “That’s All Might, right?”

 “He really gets into character,” Midoriya answered weakly. He shivered as he remembered his practical exam.  “When he faced Bakugo and me, he really liked the idea of playing the villain.”

 “Bakugo?” Uraraka looked at him, surprise etched on her features. “You don’t call him Kacchan anymore?”

 “Huh? Didn’t I say Kacchan?” Bewildered at Uraraka’s shake, Midoriya frowned. A harsh taste filled his mouth and he clutched his head. Sharp stings, like ice picks hammering into his head, erased any thoughts he had.

 “You ok?” Iida wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Concerned, he helped Midoriya down to the ground. “Need a break?”

 “You’ve been getting a lot more headaches lately.” Uraraka crouched next to him, peering into his eyes. “Maybe we should take you to the nurse; with the nightmares and everything, it might be serious.”

 “No.” His voice strained, Midoriya shook his head. “I’m…I’m fine.”

 “You’re not!” Annoyed, Iida gripped Midoriya’s shoulder tightly. “You’re not fine at all.”

 “I’m—” Before Midoriya could reply, everything was stained crimson. Iida’s neck had a jagged line drawn across it, Uraraka’s eyes were black voids, and Midoriya could feel something wet dripping out of his ears. When he touched it, his fingers were smudged red. Suddenly, everything came in through a filter. His friends’ voices were muffled, their touch distant.

 He blacked out for a second. The sight around him blurred into black and the only thing visible was Asui. She stood in front of him, her eyes on a distant target. Slowly, her face twisted in fear and she tripped on the ground as she ran. For a moment, she lay still, before clutching her foot and soundlessly screaming.

 “Midoriya?”

 It was like hearing underwater. Unable to tear his eyes off Asui, Midoriya reached out for Iida.

 “Midoriya!”

 Firm hands shook him and Asui disappeared, leaving Uraraka in her place. Next to her, Iida was pulling out his water. “Uraraka?”

 “Midoriya!” Relieved, she sank down, her hands still on his shoulders. “You’re definitely not ok.”

 Iida handed Midoriya the bottle. “Drink this. We’ll take you to the nurse after.”

 Nurse. Midoriya stared at the bottle, at the water that lay stagnant inside. “No, not yet.”

 “But Midoriya, you—”

 He cut off Iida. “After, we have to save Asui first. She’s going to twist her ankle.”

 “How do you know that?” Uraraka stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head. “No, we’ll deal with that later. Do you know where she might be?”

 “I’m not sure.” Frazzled, he racked his brains. Where would she hide? Where would her team hide? Kirishima liked to fight in the open, Tokoyami in the dark, and Asui? She loved the water. Was there a location in these woods that matched all three conditions? His fingers twitched as he thought. There was still a sour note in his mouth.

 “It’s ok, we’ve got this.” Uraraka grabbed his hands reassuringly, stilling his motions. Her grip was tight, grounding. “We’ll split up and look.”

 “We’ll find her, don’t worry.” Iida got up. “I’ll head east.”

 “I’ll go west.” Uraraka gripped his hands tightly before releasing them. “All Might was in the south, so if anything happens there, he’ll know. You head north. With the three of us, we’ve got everywhere covered.”

 “Yeah.” He stood up slowly. “Yeah, you’re right.”

 Hesitation gone, the trio split up and raced through the forest. The leaves crunched beneath his feet and he remembered that morning days ago, when Mineta had just fallen sick. It had sounded like bones breaking then. He hoped that wouldn’t be the case now. Ahead of him, the trees thinned as they reached the edge of the forest. A flash of red, Kirishima. A black shadow, Tokoyami.

 And a quiet ribbit. Asui.

 He burst out of the forest, surprising the trio. They were in a field, on a vantage point overlooking a lake. Asui stood close to the edge, studying the lake. She jumped back when she heard him.

 “Midoriya?” Kirishima gawked at him before raising his fists eagerly. “The manly way of settling this, eh? You’re braver than I thought.”

 Tokoyami’s shadow was already rising from the forest as their classmate hid himself in the dark. It gained strength from each tree in its path, until it was like a blanket covering their exit. “You can’t escape this way.”

 “I’m not here to fight!” Midoriya raised his hands in surrender, still facing Asui. She was standing. There was still time. “Just to help.”

 “Help?” Asui raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting from Midoriya to forest and then back at him. “What’s your plan this time? Where are your teammates?”

 “No plan. No teammates.” Words, words, what words could he use to explain this to her? To make her believe? He was a master of words and they all failed him now. “You’re in danger.”

 “Danger?” Tokoyami snorted as he looked behind him. There was a crashing sound heading their way. “All Might? You were leading him to us?”

 “No!” Midoriya shook his head.  There was no time. He could see that black world again, see Asui’s expression as she fell. There was no time, something told him. “You can escape, I’ll get caught.”

 Kirishima dropped his fists, confused. “Huh? What sort of fight is that?”

 “It’s not a fight!” Shouting, he turned to Asui. “Just be careful, you’re going to get hurt.”

 “Ok?” Asui nodded hesitantly. “Sure? Midoriya, are you ok?”

 “I’m fine, I’m more than fine.” The crashing sound was getting louder.  He remembered her hands clutching her legs. “Just go.”

 “Sure.” Bemused, she stepped forward only for the ground to crumble beneath her. Before Midoriya could react, she was gone.

 -x-

 “It’s ok, Midoriya.” Uraraka squeezed his hands comfortingly as they sat in the cafeteria. “She just broke a leg.”

 Midoriya felt cold, like he was in an ice-bath. “She broke a leg.”

 “She’s not badly hurt,” Iida added, setting a bowl of soup in front of him. “You look pale. Recovery Girl’s busy with Asui so eat this for now.”

 “She broke a leg,” Midoriya repeated, ignoring the bowl in front of him.

 “It could have been worse.” Uraraka tried to smile but her expression remained grim. “If you hadn’t shouted for All Might, she might have broken more things. Though he’s really strong—I can’t believe his jumps weakened the cliff. From that distance.”

 “She was only supposed to twist her ankle!” Midoriya whispered hysterically. “Her ankle! Not her leg!”

 “Calm down!” Iida gripped Midoriya’s arm, his voice stern. “Take a deep breath and calm down.”

 “Iida.” Finally looking at his two friends, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And then another. Inhale. Exhale. Calming down, he reached out for the bowl of soup. It seared a path down his throat even as it heated him up. “Thanks.”

 “No problem.” Uraraka slumped onto the table, exhausted. “How did you know, though?”

 “I don’t know.” Midoriya stopped between mouthfuls. A dream. Was it a dream? A nightmare? It had all started that night and now he wasn’t sure what reality was anymore. “I had a dream.”

 “A dream?” Iida frowned. “The nightmares you’ve been having lately?”

 “Yeah,” Midoriya confirmed, stirring his bowl slowly. “I can’t remember exactly what happens in them, but this, all of this…I think it was in it.”

 “You’re seeing the future?” Uraraka racked her brains before shaking her head. “But your quirk is strength! Can a quirk have two different things like that?”

 “I don’t think so. I can’t even think of a quirk like that.” Midoriya smiled wryly. “But the dreams are coming true. If I just remembered more, quicker, then maybe none of this would have happened.”

 “It’s not your fault.” Ida’s face crinkled in concern. “You didn’t cause any of this.”

 “…I guess.” Midoriya took a spoonful of the soup. It tasted sour.

 Hesitantly, Uraraka asked, “Was there more to your dream?” When he looked at her, she clarified. “Maybe we can stop other things from happening.”

 “Other things?” Even now, the dream was still more shadow than light. The details were faded, like an old photograph. “There might be.”

 “Good, then we’ll help you.” Iida squared his shoulders, with a potential solution he felt more confident. “You try to remember as much as possible and we’ll help you understand what it means. And then stop it.”

 The more he spoke about it, the less real it all felt. “I might be imagining things.”

 “I don’t think so. You were right about Asui, about Mineta, about a lot of little things. We’ll figure it out together.” Uraraka refused his rejection, scotching closer so they could plan together.

 Before he could object, Iida pulled out a pad of paper to record on. “You were right before, that I shouldn’t have bottle things in and tried to deal with it on my own. So don’t bottle things up now.”

 “Thanks.” Deku glanced at one, then the other, before taking a sip of his soup in embarrassment. This time, the soup tasted much sweeter.

 -x-

 “I sent Kirishima with Bakugo, so he’s not alone.” Uraraka reported her actions when they regrouped again after school. For the past two days, they worked on the basis of his ambiguous memory. Bakugou shouldn’t walk home alone. Jiro shouldn’t be near a sound system. For some reason, Shoji shouldn’t use a stapler.

 The more they tried to pry his dreams, the fuzzier it became. Each morning, he woke to his heart pounding and rolled over, trying to write things down before he forgot them. The list made no sense, the danger unknown, but Iida and Uraraka took it like a gospel and quickly executed strategies to prevent it.

 To prevent what? His head hurt the harder he tried to remember it. Even now, as they walked to the dorms together, something felt wrong. Did Iida always wear glasses? Wasn’t Uraraka’s hair supposed to be longer? Even his own height didn’t feel right, like he was supposed to be taller, bigger.

 Sometimes, he glimpsed their future selves, older and battle worn. Blood streamed down their arms as they reached out to him. They whispered a warning, their eyes desperate.

 Wake up, Midoriya. Wake up.

 “We’ve got this, Midoriya.” Uraraka grinned at him and the mirage faded.

 -x-

 “I need you to listen carefully.” For once, Aizawa was out of his sleeping bag, standing in front of them in the suit and tie the other teachers wore in class. The rarity of this event was overshadowed by his words. “Mineta’s dead.”

 Midoriya swallowed, his mouth dry. Too late, he vividly recalled his dream. Mineta’s head, drenched red. Bruises like black flowers bloomed across his chest. His legs twisted in an angle no human could bear. Had it really been just a dream? Had he witnessed something and forgotten it?

 Did he do something?

 “What do you mean he’s dead?” Ashido finally asked, the first one to regain her voice. Trembling, she cracked a weak smile. “I mean, sure, we’ve wanted to kill him for a lot of things, but dead?”

 “He’s dead,” Aizawa repeated plainly. As though it was a settled matter, as though it was a fact.

 “Dead?” Kaminari echoed, his eyes wide. “He’s actually dead?”

 “Yes.” And there was something kind about Aizawa’s expression, something gentle about the way he watched them.  Even his voice was soft and Midoriya finally comprehended what he was hearing. “We found his body this morning.”

 Midoriya’s eyes snapped to Mineta’s empty desk, a sight he had grown accustomed to seeing for the past two weeks. Not sick, then. Was he ever sick? Or had Mineta been dead for a while now, waiting for them to find him?

 “What do you mean found?” Todoroki picked up on his teacher’s language. “How did he die?”

 “We don’t know that yet, but we found his body in the training grounds.” Aizawa frowned, as though debating how much he should tell them. In the end, he closed the classroom door behind him. “I shouldn’t be telling you anything more, but you have the right to know.”

 Whatever else Aizawa said, Midoriya didn’t hear. Swimming between dreams and reality, he finally gave in and collapsed.

 -x-

 Wake up Midoriya.

 The words repeated in his mind, an endless loop. If only he could. Mineta would be alive, Asui out of the hospital, and who knew what more was in store? Even his nightmare, the fragments he could recall, were useless to him now.

 Recovery Girl softly patted him on the head. “Awake now? It was a great shock, I know.”

 “Yeah.” Midoriya stared at his hands, at the black and blue bruises that formed on his skin. “How did I get hurt?”

 “Hurt?” Recovery Girl repeated, perplexed. “You passed out in class, you weren’t hurt.”

 “What?” Midoriya gestured at his palm but the bruises were gone now, the pulpy flesh now smooth. Turning his hand over, he saw nothing there either.

 “It’s stress, honey.” She patted his head again before gesturing at the door. “Your friends will be here to pick you up soon. I know it’s hard, but don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

 Remembering class, he clenched the blanket tightly. “About Mineta.”

 “Yes, about him and Hagakure.” When he snapped his attention to her, she covered her mouth. “Oh, you hadn’t heard yet. She went missing this morning.”

 “Both of them?” His nightmares, had they said anything about this? No and yes, the fragments only became clear after the crisis. Instinctively, he knew they wouldn’t find Hagakure alive either.

 “I know it’s hard, but you have to relax.” Kindly, she held his hands and smiled up at him. “Trust us, we’ll handle this.”

 He wished he could nod, but Recovery Girl’s glasses were broken, reflecting a different nightmare in each crack, and he knew this was far from over.

 -x-

 The dorm was dark when he returned. The emergency exit sign glowed a warning red. Midoriya stepped inside hesitantly, not sure if he was awake or not. Each step was sluggish, as though he were fighting the current, a great weight strapped to his legs.

 In the end, no one picked him up. Hours passed, the sun set, and his bedside had remained empty. Even Recovery Girl had disappeared at some point, leaving only the cold white light shining down on him. The computer had flickered, the screen turning black with green letters before returning to normal. Thoroughly creeped out, Midoriya had slipped out and headed back to the dorms by himself.

 Maybe that was a mistake. Despite the heightened security, he hadn’t seen a single teacher on his walk back. Moreover, now, there didn’t seem to be even a single student in the dorm. The lobby was empty. At this time, Kaminari and Kirishima were usually playing a game, roping in whatever students were awake to join them.

 Though, Mineta’s death must have put an end to that.

 “Hello?” Midoriya called as he flicked on a light. The room was bathed in a soft light. Empty. The shadows grew longer the more he stared at them. It gave the couch a very beat appearance, almost torn up, but when he touched it, the couch was fine.

 An optical illusion. He had read about those when he was younger. That’s all it was, a trick on the eyes.

 Making his way to the elevator, he pressed the up button. The dial changed floors slowly, making it down to the second before stopping entirely. A beat passed, then another, and the doors slowly slid open.  Most of the elevator was still on the floor above, with only a small gap visible to Midoriya. A hand flopped out of it, broken, and Midoriya stepped back.

 Before he could scream, the light flickered and the hand was gone.  The elevator doors closed and he sprinted to the stairs.

 He was just sick. Or tired. Breathing fast, he ran up the stairs as though chased. Something dripped in the distance and he tried not think of what it was. The second floor. He just had to make it there. Yanking it open, he slammed it behind him and took a deep breath.

 The hallway was dark, with a small pool of moonlight at the end. The lights flickered on and off, like strobe lights. Maybe the power was having issues. Multiple times. Improbable, sure, but possible. Midoriya slowly edged his way to his room, his heart pounding like a rabbit’s.

 “Midoriya?”

 He jumped before recognizing the voice. “Iida?”

 “Midoriya?” Iida repeated, his voice reedy thin. A door opened ahead of Midoriya and he could make out a figure slipping out. The light flickered, revealing a much taller Iida, his glasses gone.

 It went dark again and Midoriya laughed nervously. “You didn’t pick me up.”

 “Midoriya?” Iida repeated once more and the hair on Midoriya’s back rose.

  Something wasn’t right. The light flashed on long enough for him to see Iida slouch over.  As it turned off, he crashed onto the ground.  Quickly, Midoriya ran to his friend. His foot splashed in something before he crouched next to Iida. “Hey, are you ok?”

 Gingerly, he shook Iida’s shoulder. The light blinked on as Iida’s head rolled off his shoulders, landing on the ground with a splash. Midoriya stared, breathing shallow. His hands were red. His shoes were red. Around him, a puddle of blood.

 Screaming, he fell backwards.

 “Midoriya?” The light remained on but Midoriya was too scared to turn around. Even for Uraraka. “Is that you?”

 “Uraraka?” He froze. Behind him, he could hear footsteps. One. Two. Three. Breathing fast, he slowly turned around. There she stood behind him, her hair long and hiding her face. She looked down at him. “Is that you?”

 “Midoriya, you need to wake up.” A wind blew, revealing her face. She had no eyes. “You have to remember. You have to wake up.”

 Unable to even scream, he crawled backwards until he hit a wall. As she lurched toward him, her arm fell off. He couldn’t tear his eyes away, even as she grinned up at him, a mouth full of broken teeth like tombstones.

 This wasn’t real. None of this was real, he was in that nightmare again. That had to be it. His room was at the end of the hallway. He just had to make it there. That one thought sustained him and Midoriya took off. Uraraka shambled on behind him and he could still hear a drip, drip, drip.

 None of it was real. His doorknob turned easily and he bolted in. Slamming the door behind him, he slid to the ground sobbing. It was fine, it was fine. He’d wake up in the morning and it would all be gone.

 That’s it, he just had to sleep. If he slept, he’d wake up. Blinding by his tears, he lunged toward his bed. It was ok. It was all going to be ok.

 “Oh Midoriya,” a sinister voice muttered behind him, a cold blade pressing against Midoriya’s neck. “Did you really think it was that easy?”

 Before he could reply, the knife drew across his neck.

 “No, this is one nightmare you can’t escape from.”

 Eyes wide, Midoriya fell forward onto his bed. His hand clawed at his neck, feeling the blood there. He was going to die, he was going to die.

 “Why?” he croaked, unable to even see who did this to him.

 “You don’t remember?” the voice laughed, deep and haughty. “Maybe next time then.”

 Wake up Midoriya, Urarka and Iida urged, and for a moment, he remembered. Remembered a rescue gone wrong, remembered an enemy unexpected. A quirk—there had been a quirk, something to do with nightmares and—

 The thought slipped from him and he fell into darkness once more.

 -x-

 Midoriya’s eyes shot open. He had another one of those dreams. Those nightmares.

 But it was only a dream. Nothing to fear.