izuku woke up in a cold sweat, panting with wide eyes as he looked around his dark room. "another nightmare," he sighed, rubbing a clammy hand on his shift before squeezing his eyes shut.

breathe.

he peeled the covers off of his body, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. he felt grounded when his feet hit the cold wooden floor beneath him. checking the time on the clock next to him, he stood up and shoved his feet into some slippers.

as the messy haired boy walked downstairs, he yawned tiredly and rubbed his eyes. he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, standing in the cool light for a second longer before closing the door.

"you're awake," a voice spoke from next to him, causing his tense shoulders to relax instantly.

"y/n," izuku breathed out, smiling when he saw the familiar figure make its way into the kitchen with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"you know i was thinking about coming to your dorm tonight. i couldn't sleep and i haven't seen you a lot recently due to the work studies we've been doing."

izuku grabbed his girlfriends hand when she reached out, squeezing the smaller and colder hand in his own. he let her drag him outside, walking quietly towards the familiar cliff they went to most often.

"how was your work study?" izuku took a seat on the blanket y/n laid out, waiting for her to sit down before pulling her into his arms.

"tiring," she whispered, letting herself relax under the cool air.

y/n shifted to look up at him, reaching a hand up to rub her thumb under his eyes. "you haven't been sleeping a lot, have you?"

"i guess not. i kept having bad dreams that have been waking me up in a panic."

y/n looked at him with a small and sympathetic smile. "you know you're always welcome in my dorm. i know you tend to sleep better that way. speaking of which, you haven't come by for the past few nights. is everything okay?"

izuku was quiet, loosening his grip on his girlfriend and turning his head away. "i didn't wanna be clingy."

y/n sat up, grabbing the green eyed boys face in her hands so he'd look at her finally. "what are you saying?"

"..."

"izuku midoriya. talk to me."

izuku closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. his heart skipped a beat when he felt familiar lips on his own, squeezing his hands in his lap.

"i love you, okay? i'm sorry i may not voice my affections as much as you do, but i don't think you're clingy at all. i want you around me all the time because... you make me feel comfortable. you've been this pillar of warmth for me since the day we met, izzy."

y/n leaned forward again, resting her forehead against his and wiping the tears away from his eyes. "you're like, my favorite person ever. wherever these concerns are coming from, i'll squash them for you. if someone's saying something to you then just remember that they're not the one in our relationship. if you're worried about anything, you should talk to me. i'll help you get through it. remember what you said to me the day my mom passed?"

izuku opened his eyes, sniffling as y/n pulled her hoodie sleeves over her hands and continued to wipe his flowing tears. he nodded, lip wobbling as a fresh wave of tears escaped from his droopy eyes.

"you don't have to go through everything alone. at the end of the day i'll always be here for you, supporting you. so lean on me if you need to," she repeated what was constantly playing through her head from a year ago, smiling at the boy warmly.

"you've been working really hard. doing this relationship, your work study, being a hero and going through school all at the same time. you're awesome izuku."

y/n finished her mini speech, letting her boyfriend surround her in a tight hug as he buried his face into her neck.

"i love you," he cried, pulling her impossibly closer. "i'm so tired and i love you."

y/n laughed, gently weaving her fingers through his hair to calm him down. "you can relax, izzy. i got you from here," she whispered, kissing his neck softly and feeling him melt in her arms.

"let's go back to the dorm, yeah? we've got tomorrow free so let's just hide out in my room for the day and recharge our batteries."

she felt izuku nod against her skin, sniffling once more before pulling himself out of the warm hold. he hastily rubbed his hands against his teary eyes, blinking continuously to get his vision clear again.

"i'm ready to sleep for an entire day."

"you and me both, baby."

authors note: i love izuku midoriya.