hey hey! i have literally not written ANYTHING in months, and i've forgotten how to!! sorry if this chapter sucks, lol - i did my best 🥰
(all xen know is mcyt and make animatics,,, there is no space for writing in my brain at the moment, RIP)

remember in last year's chapter i wrote "dang i have an idea for a halloween chapter but i can't use it until next year bc of spoilers"? yeah, this is that idea. it's here, pog!

I listened to Come Little Children on loop whilst writing this, for The Vibes

https://youtu.be/3eL6I2xS6zk

anyway i hope you're doing well, ily, enjoy the chapter <33

Discord server, if you want some cake: https://discord.gg/DSBF4dP

~

Kaminari Denki liked to consider himself a smart, sane person – well, maybe not smart when compared to his classmates, but at least he was definitely more sane than any of them! Half of them would run head-first into danger without any regards to their health, some of them would boldly antagonise Bakugou even at the risk of bodily harm, and a select few even dared to tease Aizawa of all people, fully aware that the man could snap them in half and bury them where they'd never be found.

Midoriya, unexpectedly for someone of such peaceful appearances, fell into all of those categories.

But, of all those things, nothing was more horrifying than...

"Is he really still studying?" Sero asked through a mouthful of cake as he re-entered the common room, settling down on the sofa next to Denki.

"Yep."

"Has he even moved?" He inquired, dark eyes squinting as he scrutinised the small boy.

"Nope."

Sero made a noise of disbelief in the back of his throat, before swallowing the cake. "...and how long has it been?"

Denki turned his head to raise his eyebrows in disbelief at his friend. "You think I have any grip on time, man?"

"...good point," he admitted, the fork clinking against his plate as he used it to cut another bite. "Do you think he's okay?"

"I think he's insane," Denki insisted.

For the past god-knows-how-long, Midoriya had been sitting in one of the armchairs, completely unmoving aside from occasionally turning a page or scribbling down something in a notebook. Satou and Asui had started and finished baking and decorating several large cakes, even having enough time to distribute generous slices throughout the class as students trickled in and out of the common room, and Midoriya hadn't even given any acknowledgement to the delicious slice of cake that sat tantalisingly close on the coffee table in front of him. A quick 'thank you' and a charming smile to Satou and Asui, and then he was back to frozen silence. It was almost eerie.

As for Denki, he had been sitting and watching. He'd started out staring at his phone and watching funny videos on HeroTube, but as more time passed, he grew uncomfortably aware of Midoriya's stationary state, until that was the only thing he could focus on. The boy himself hadn't even looked up once, even though Denki was sure he was burning holes into his forehead from the intensity of his stare.

The temptation to pilfer the cake and eat it in front of him lurked at the back of his mind – and perhaps he would do that to most other people in the class, but he didn't think he could steal from Midoriya without crying under the potential disappointed expression. Midoriya probably wouldn't even notice, really, but god would. Denki wasn't about to risk eternal damnation for stealing a slice of cake from the living embodiment of kindness.

Sero gave a low hum, slumping back in the corner of Denki's vision. "He's not eating that cake... Do you think he'd mind-"

Denki whipped around, gripping his friend's shoulders and emphatically widening his golden eyes. "Don't," he told him, soft but earnest.

The dark-haired boy blinked, surprised, but as his gaze slid over to Midoriya, understanding graced his features. "...fair."

And the two of them settled back down, getting comfortable to observe the only other occupant of the common room. Sero stretched down to place his empty plate on the floor, then twisted around and kicked his legs up on Denki's lap. Denki tapped his fingers on his friend's shins, absolutely fixated upon the green-haired boy.

Soft footsteps momentarily piqued his attention. His eyes flitted sideways to watch as Uraraka padded into the room, still wearing Midoriya's All Might hoodie that was too big on her. He couldn't help but wonder if Ashido's romance claim had any merit to it as he watched her peacefully cross the floor and move to stand behind the armchair. She leant down rested her chin on Midoriya's green curls, letting her hands drape over his chest.

Midoriya didn't react. It was unfair how he got all the attention from cute people when he didn't even appreciate it. Denki exhaled through his nose – he wasn't pouting, because that would be childish. He was just... frowning in a very soft manner. Yeah.

Sero shifted just enough to prod him in the side. Denki glowered at his friend's bemused expression, grabbing the other boy's ankle and threateningly dancing his fingers closer to the sole of his socked foot. His dark eyes widened in panic and he squirmed, trying and failing to pull his leg free, frantically shaking his head. He desperately raised his palms in a placating manner, and after a tense stand-off – or, sit-off, really – Denki gave a slow nod and relinquished his grip. Sero yanked both his legs back to his torso, keeping his knees firmly tucked against his chest and his feet pressed flat against the sofa cushions.

"You've been here for a while, Deku-kun," Uraraka remarked, slowly tilting her head until her chestnut hair cast across her features.

"Mm," Midoriya responded.

"Shouldn't you do something else for a bit?" She persisted, patting at his chest.

"Mm..."

Uraraka was silent for a moment, but instead of being worried or offended at his disinterest, her teeth bared in an unexpectedly smug grin. Slowly, she slid her arms free and stood up straight again, then trudged around the armchair until she was staring down at the plated cake. Denki's eyebrows rose in confusion as she glanced over at the two observers, and her smile grew wider as she stooped down to brush the round pads of her fingers over the plate. A faint pulse of pink preceded the plate gently floating upwards, taking the slice of cake on a one-way trip towards the girl's mouth.

"You touch that, you die, 'Chako-chan," Midoriya said idly.

Denki's head snapped around to gape in disbelief. Midoriya nonchalantly turned a page, twirling a pen between his scarred fingers. That was the most he'd spoken in... Hell, Denki had no clue! And it was so... so casually scary!

Did... Did he even speak? Or did Denki just hallucinate that-?

Uraraka nervously cleared her throat, hooking her thumbs on either side of the plate and giving it a gentle push, sending it lazily cascading back down until it landed silently on the coffee table. She pressed her fingertips together, sighed, and turned her back on the cake with a final sad glance. Her fingers carded through Midoriya's curls as she passed by the armchair, then she exited the room, raising one hand in a farewell wave to Denki and Sero.

"What just..." Denki trailed off, glancing sideways at his friend, who was looking equally baffled.

"I'm..." Sero unfolded his legs and hesitantly stood up, light on his feet and staring apprehensively at Midoriya. "I'm going to go..."

Denki shot up, grabbing onto the boy's shoulder with a desperate look. "Take me with you."

*

His pillow was damp. Denki wrinkled his nose in distaste, taking in a breath and closing his mouth, wiping away the rest of the drool on his cheek with a forearm. He sleepily rubbed at his eyes, blinking slowly at the clock on the desk in his dorm room.

...yeah, there was no way he could understand what that said. Those were just... squiggles. Glowing squiggles.

It was dark, and his alarm wasn't going off, so he could assume there was enough time to go back to sleep. He grabbed a fistful of his duvet and pulled it up to his chin, rolling over to avoid the wet patch on his pillow, and then closed his eyes, ready to fall back asleep.

R... Ready to... fall back asleep...

...Any moment now...

...Falling asleep...

Denki groaned softly, opening his golden eyes to glare at the wall. It was definitely taunting him. Any traces of sleepiness had quickly faded away, and he felt wide awake, even though he wanted to sleep some more – his mind wouldn't stop buzzing, his Quirk tingling under his skin with the taste of ozone on his tongue.

He sighed into the darkness, pushing back the covers and shivering at the change of temperature. It wasn't unusual to have nights like this – excessive energy at annoying times was to be expected with an electric Quirk. Denki got to his feet, jaws parting in a large yawn as he tucked his feet into his slippers, then quietly exited his dorm room.

Lights set into the floor illuminated his route towards the common room, taking the stairs to try and burn off more energy. He turned the corner, raised his head, and froze.

A lone figure stood in the middle of the common room. Denki's gaze flickered down. The unmistakable shape of a knife glinted in their grasp. He glanced lower, feeling his heart pound. On the carpet at their feet was a limp body – it was too dark to make out any features on either of them.

"I warned you," the villain murmured with a sigh, and-

Wait.

That was... Midoriya?

Denki loosened up slightly, but didn't let down his guard. He needed to assess the situation – maybe it was all a misunderstanding! – and make sure he could take the best course of action. Aizawa had mentioned a villain that could copy appearances, so Denki needed to be cautious.

He began to creep closer, lowering his stance and toeing off his slippers to better sneak over the carpet. Sticking close to the wall, Denki eased himself along, breathing shallowly and getting a mental grip on his Quirk, ready to let it loose if there was a real threat.

A cloud moved, and a shaft of moonlight cut across the common room. It illuminated a strip of the standing figure, confirming his appearance as Midoriya holding a sharp knife from the kitchen, and...

Denki reached up to clasp a hand tightly over his mouth, eyes widening in horror. He recognised the chestnut hair and the black t-shirt.

Uraraka lay still. Moonlight reflected a red pool around her head.

Abruptly, Denki remembered Midoriya's earlier words: 'You touch that, you die.'

Chills rippled across his arms. Although it had sounded eerie at the time, it was easy to dismiss as a joke – after all, everyone knew that Midoriya and Uraraka were best friends! But in the darkness, with undeniable proof before his eyes, the joke was suddenly a lot more sinister.

Denki felt ill. His legs were shaking as he tried to take a step back, only to stumble, and-

Midoriya whipped around, viridian eyes flashing toxic green under the light. The two of them stared at one another in silence. Denki felt like he was going to pass out, so overwhelmed by his classmate's crushing presence and too terrified to move a muscle: he'd seen what Midoriya's Quirk could do – there was no point in running.

Maybe he could- Yeah, he could pretend he never saw anything! He was totally oblivious! There was no crime here!

...and if he was convincing enough, maybe he would survive the night...

"O-Oh, hey, man!" Denki squeaked out, forcing himself to straighten up and offer panicked finger-guns. "Y-You scared the h-hell outta me for a sec! I-I, um- I just came down to grab a drink, don't mind me-"

He stiffly crossed the room, managing to keep his head facing towards the kitchen but unable to stop his eyes from remaining locked on to Midoriya until it hurt. His bare feet touched cold tiles, and he grabbed a clean glass, trembling with fear. Denki's hands were shaking so much that half the water spilled over the worktop as he attempted to pour it, and eventually gave up trying to fill the glass. He slapped a square of kitchen towel onto the large puddle in a half-hearted attempt to mop it up, then turned and hastened to retrace his steps, clutching the glass so tight he feared it would shatter.

Midoriya's eyes burned into him the entire time. Every step felt like a mile.

Was the common room always so big...?

Finally, the stairs were in sight. Sweat formed on his upper lip, and his palms were getting slippery. He upped his pace, abandoning his slippers where he left them – he was so close; he just needed to escape!

"No-one will ever believe you," Midoriya called after him, tone hauntingly flat in comparison to his usual warm cheer.

Only when Denki was locked in his dorm room in a sense of false security did he let himself breathe. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto his bed on top of the covers, trembling violently and questioning everything he'd ever known.

No, he supposed, no-one would believe him.

Denki didn't even believe himself.

(He didn't get much sleep, that night.)

*

"Whoa, dude, you look terrible," was what Sero greeted him with the next morning in the dorm corridor.

Denki gave an exhausted grunt, and continued reluctantly dragging his feet along the carpet like a zombie, his mind dominated with thoughts of breakfast. His friend didn't push the matter, but did step a little closer and slowed his pace to trudge along. The two of them took the elevator, and Denki slumped against Sero's side, letting the other boy hold up most of his weight and gaining a surprised huff of laughter.

Chatter already filled the common room. It all blurred into indistinct noises in Denki's sleep-deprived brain. He abruptly froze when he stepped deeper into the room, mind flashing with visions of last night's horror scene, and his golden gaze automatically snapped down to stare at the carpet. One of the armchairs had been moved, now sitting directly over any evidence of potential bloodstains.

He swallowed nervously, a fresh flush of adrenaline flashing through his exhausted body. Denki straightened up, hyper-aware of his surroundings and cautiously scanning the whole room. Most of the occupants were seated at the tables, having breakfast and socialising without a care in the world.

Sero's hand on his shoulder had him violently flinching and whipping around. "Sorry, man. You okay?"

"I-" Denki's voice broke, and he ran a hand back through his messy yellow hair as his gaze resumed scanning the area. "Y-Yeah, I'm-"

Green. Midoriya. He placed down a bowl of rice on the table in front of-

-of Uraraka-?!

She thanked him with a smile and instantly started tucking in, abandoning the casual conversation she had been previously having with Asui. There was no sign of any blood or injury- or even any indication that anything was wrong. Her smile remained unchanged, her chestnut hair was neat, and her clothes weren't rumpled. Midoriya affectionately ghosted his fingers over her shoulder-blade before sitting down himself and quickly getting just as invested in his breakfast as she was.

"What...?" Denki breathed, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "No, no... what...?!"

"Kaminari?" Sero said, staring at him worriedly in the corner of the blond's vision.

Maybe... Maybe it had just been a bad dream? He hoped it was – he didn't even want to entertain the possibility of his friends being replaced with eerie doppelgängers. There was no way not a single other person hadn't noticed something being wrong. Everyone was normal, so everything was normal. Yeah. It was all fine.

He'd probably just watched one too many true crime documentaries and had a weird lucid dream or something, and someone just happened to move the armchair over the exact spot he dreamt about, that was all.

"Sorry, man, I just had-" Denki hesitated, giving a sigh and a shrug as he shot his friend an apologetic smile- "Just had one hell of a night, you know? Bad dreams and stuff. Didn't get much sleep."

Sero's brow creased in a minute frown of concern, then he nodded and returned the grin, patting the other boy's back and guiding him towards the kitchen. "I get it! Let's get some breakfast, dude."

Everything was normal. Denki let the tension slip from his form as he rolled his shoulders and shook his head at his over-active imagination. It was absurd to think that Midoriya would be capable of doing a murder on his own friend, and it was even more absurd to think that a villain had managed to take his classmate's place without alerting anyone. Everything was-

Midoriya paused as the duo drew closer to the table. Denki felt his heart still as the sharp viridian eyes followed his every movement, frighteningly predatory. He tripped over his own feet, stumbling a few paces until he could regain his balance, and-

Midoriya's lips slowly curved into a smirk.

Denki fell into Sero, who caught him with a yelp of surprise. Golden eyes, wide with terror, flashed back over to look at the impostor, but- but-

No, what?! Everything was normal! Midoriya was still happily chowing down, and Uraraka slyly stole some food from his bowl, gaining a pitiful whine and sad puppy eyes.

How-

"Who moved this armchair?" Iida's voice boomed, gaining everyone's attention with ease. "It's dangerous to change the format of the room without letting everyone know! Someone could have-" He started to push the armchair, only to come to a halt and frown at the carpet. "There's a stain. It's terribly irresponsible to stain the carpet and try to hide the evidence without even attempting to clean it up!"

Denki's wide eyes snapped back over to Midoriya. He continued to eat passively.

"I noticed it was moved when I came down this morning," Yaoyorozu responded thoughtfully.

"It was probably moved last night, kero," Asui added, blinking over at Midoriya. "You were last to bed, right, Izuku-chan?"

Midoriya opened his mouth as if to protest, then sheepishly shrank in his seat and nodded. Under the expectantly looks of the rest of his classmates, he narrowed his eyes and lightly elbowed Uraraka, causing her to let out an indignant squawk through a mouthful of food and nudge him back. They stared at each other for a few moments, slight changes in body language and expression implying they were having a whole silent conversation, then Uraraka heaved a great sigh and sat back in her chair.

"It's my fault, Tenya-kun," she admitted, guiltily averting her brown eyes. "I, um... I came down late last night because I wanted to steal Deku-kun's slice of cake, but... He was already there and waiting."

"I still don't know why you thought you could trick me, 'Chako-chan," Midoriya interjected with a bemused smile, all warm and endearing.

She huffed, but couldn't hide her own amusement. "We messed around a bit, and I ended up dropping some jam on the carpet. We were going to clean it up this morning, and we were hoping no-one would notice if we moved the armchair... Sorry, Tenya-kun."

"Sorry, Tenya-kun," Midoriya added, briefly bowing his head. "We'll fix it after breakfast, we promise!"

Denki blinked. He blinked again. Memories of the night before rewrote to fit the new story he'd been presented with. The puddle of red hadn't nearly been smooth or flat enough to be blood, and it didn't reflect as much as moonlight as liquid would have. In Midoriya's hand was a knife from the kitchen, yes, but it was clearly something used to cut a cake, and the blade wasn't even stained with crimson. Uraraka had been breathing faintly, clearly still alive.

But... that meant... Midoriya had tricked-

Denki's palm connected with his forehead with an audible slap. Heads turned to stare at him quizzically, but his glare was centred on the duo who had the audacity to look smug.

"Are you kidding me, Midoriya?!"

~

happy halloween, cuties <3 stay safe!!