The next day when you returned to school... things were rather hectic.
The moment your group of friends saw your bandaged hand, they began to run around in worry like a bunch of headless chicken. It did make you chuckle for a bit until Fumiko began interrogating you, "Who did this to you, [Name]-chan?! Who do I need to beat senseless?! Give me the names!!"
Okay, never mind. This was getting out of hand.
So you did the mature thing and immediately rushed to calm them down, "Girls, girls... I'm fine... I just fell down from a tree while trying to help a cat, okay? Don't worry!" They didn't seem that comforted but at least they were much calmer and civilized them before.
What you hadn't expected, was the somewhat (again, very unnoticeable) smug look that Todoroki gave you when you sat next to him during chemistry period, "I thought you said you don't fall often, [Last Name]-san."
This little-
Is he really giving you the 'I told you so' talk right now?! When did Todoroki become such a sassy savage?!
With gritted teeth, you gave him a strained smile, "It just happened twice, Todoroki-san. It's not that often." He looked back at the flask while taking the dropper from your side. Yet you caught a hint of a smirk on his face, "Sure."
He's such a little shit!
Grumbling under your breath, you took a flask of your own and began to work on your sublimation, not really wanting to deal with sassy Todoroki who looked like he would roast you.
Unbeknownst to you, the dual haired boy, despite not knowing why he felt so weird when he saw you injured, was feeling somewhat smug after having won the argument with you.
He figured that you reminded him of an angry rabbit when you were annoyed.
————
You managed to get a message from Kirishima, who told you about how good of a job he had done at the exams. While you were happy for him, you couldn't help the envy that budded in you. You were genuinely happy for his success, but you also felt annoyed at your own failure in getting points.
Meanwhile, Midoriya hadn't messaged you up till now.
While you were worried, you figured that you should give him some space.
Until, you were sitting in your room, two days after the exam, and you were greeted with a message from Midoriya.
Midoriya Izuku
Midoriya Izuku
Can I call you, [Last Name]-san?
You saw his message and immediately typed in a yes. The moment you saw that he had read the message, you received a call from him, making you sit up on your bed.
"Hello, Midoriya-san?" You greeted, but all you were met with was silence.
Until a sob entered your ears.
Midoriya was crying.
You were never the best at comforting someone. So you just stayed quiet, and let him cry his heart out. You don't know what happened, whether it was related to the exams or if it was related to his personal life, but you didn't interrupt him as he cried.
He went on for about five minutes before you heard him gasping for his breath and you finally decided to speak up in the softest tone, "Midoriya-san... Are you okay? Would you like me to come over?"
You remember walking him back home when you both had met, so you knew where his house was. Even after that, you both had met up a few times and you had went to pick him up as well. If he wanted to meet up, you would be ready to do so.
You shot up from your bed and immediately rushed to get ready when you heard him weakly mutter, "C-Can you? I-I don't want to bother you... if you're busy..."
"I'm not, Midoriya-san. I'll be at there at your place in ten minutes, can you text me your apartment number?"
You both decided to hang up the call as you got ready and he shakily texted you his apartment number. You quickly told your family you were going outside and rushed out.
Getting on a train, you ran out as fast as you could as soon as you reached his station.
Finally, you stopped at his apartment complex.
Scurrying over, you reached his apartment that he had texted you the number of and rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal a cute, little lady with the same hair color as Midoriya-san and the same round eyes.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, um... Does Midoriya Izuku-san live here?" Her eyes widened. Were you the female friend he had mentioned a whole lot?
"Are you perhaps, [Last Name]-san?" You nodded and she immediately ushered you inside, "Oh, I've heard so much about you from Izuku! He's always talking about how amazing you are!!" Taking off your shoes, you walked in and looked for Midoriya's room.
Thankfully, his room was quite noticable since it had an All Might ornament hanging at the door.
"Would you like something to drink? I'll get Izuku for you-"
You shook your head with a small smile, "No, no... It's quite fine, ma'am. I'll check up on him, no need to call him over." She smiled kindly before showing you Midoriya's room. Just like you had expected, it was the All Might one.
Walking up to the door, you knocked a bit before announcing your presence, "Midoriya-san. It's me, [Last Name]. I'm coming in." You opened the door (which thankfully wasn't locked) and were greeted with a darkened room. Midoriya was at his computer desk, watching an All Might clip of when he used Detroit Smash against a puny villain.
"Midoriya-san?"
He flinched when he heard your voice, as if he wasn't expecting you to actually come.
Closing the door, you flicked the lights on and stared at his hunched over form. He looked like he had cried a river, his nose was red and his cheeks rosy with how much he must have sobbed. His eyes were still watery, but somehow he held back his tears.
"[Last Name]-san..." He croaked out, as you walked closer to him, "Midoriya-san... Are you alright?" He lowered his head and the only sound among you two was the sound from the All Might video.
"I... didn't score a single point... in the entrance exam..." Your not sure how, but you managed to hear what he had whispered to you. Almost as if your arms moved on your own, you wrapped your injured one around his figure, and ran your free hand through his curly, green hair.
You've never been so affectionate with a guy before, but hugging was the only way you knew how to comfort someone. That's what your mother used to do.
"It's okay... You'll be okay..."
"No... You don't understand, [Last Name]-san... I failed."
"Did you get the result?" He shook his head and you leaned your head on top of his, "Then don't say that you failed. You should explain what went down so I can get a better understanding." He sniffled a bit before nodding and started talking. About how he tried to score points but he just couldn't.
In the end, all he did was save a girl from the 0-pointer.
"Midoriya-san. I don't know what happens at UA or how they grade their students, but if they're really looking for real future heroes, they will never, and I mean, never reject you. You will not fail." You proceeded to run your fingers through his hair, combing it and very lightly pulling it to mindlessly see how actually long it was.
"You said you broke your arms to save that girl, right? How can UA, the school of heroes, reject such a heroic act? Who knows, maybe one of the teachers watching the exams will be like, 'Hey, this kid may not have scored much but he's got hero's heart!' and then get you in?"
You knew you had no right to speak when you were the most pessimistic person alive. You didn't even have hope for yourself to pass, but you couldn't just let Midoriya wallow in his misery.
"Or-Or, even if you don't get in the hero course, which I doubt, you can most definitely enter the General Studies! You know, there's a ton of pro-heroes that never got into the hero course, but they moved from the General Studies to the Hero Course, so it's not impossible!" You tried to cheer him up, and seeing how his sobs decreased, perhaps you were successful?
"Do you... really think that?"
"Yes, I do. Midoriya-san, you're incredible. UA would be having a huge loss if they rejected a heroic gem like you! That's why, they won't do it!" He seemed somewhat eased, and you decided to tighten your hug so he could feel your earnestness.
You hugged for another five minutes before deciding to ease up and pull away. He would never say it but he missed the warmth.
"I-I'm so sorry for calling you all the way here, [Last Name]-san... I just... wanted some comfort, but... I didn't have anyone else to bother, and I didn't want my mother to know..." You chuckled at his shy form but you simply pat his head, "I know, don't worry too much about it, Midoriya-san. I'm happy you trust me enough to be vulnerable around me."
He gave you a soft smile back before offering you a seat on his bed, that you gladly took. Now that he had calmed down a bit, the embarrassment of the whole situation began to settle in the young male.
Did he really end up calling you, just to cry and then ask you to come over to cry in your arms this time?
Wow, he might as well just commit seppuku right now.
"Midoriya-san, how have you been lately? That explosion guy isn't bothering you, is he?" He shook his head with a small smile, "No, Kacchan hasn't done anything ever since the sludge incident."
Oh right, the sludge incident.
You remember almost having a heart attack when you watched a clip going viral on social media about a kid rushing over to save someone from a sludge villain, the kid being your good friend Midoriya.
Despite his many reassurances, you remember meeting up with him at a park to make sure he wasn't severely injured.
"Right... Tell me if he does though, I'll snitch to my big brother. He won't arrest him, like you said, but he'll make sure to give that brat a piece of his mind!" Midoriya could only watch in fascination as you talked about how your brother would keep you both safe from angry explosion guy.
And you indulged in the fascinated look in his eyes.
You really cared for Midoriya. You really did.
You never wanted to see him cry. You wanted to cherish his happiness and his joy. And if explosion dude makes this angel cry, you will destroy that bastard's bloodline. You don't care if you'll have to resort of underhanded tactics, you will make him pay.
You never thought of yourself as someone brave. But just like if someone hurted a [Favorite Animal], you were ready to beat their ass, if anyone hurted your friend, you won't hesitate.
And you made sure to let Midoriya know that too. And he truly, from the bottom of his heart, was grateful for that.
He just wished that he could one day protect you, the same way you had protected him.