Heightened Fear

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"Sweetie? Come on, it's time to wake up," a warm voice cooed, just quiet enough to not be bothersome but loud enough to rouse him from his sleep. 

He wanted to open his eyes and see the person attached to that voice but the sheets were so comfortable it was like a trap keeping him in place. He found himself sinking further under the warm covers, the feeling of soft sheets surrounding him lulling him back to sleep. 

"You're going to be late. You don't want to miss the second day of school," she insisted, a gentle hand brushing against his face. 

"Five more minutes," he said, voice a raspy whisper. 

She brushed loose strands of hair away from his face. "You said that five minutes ago," she said, voice shaky with laughter. He liked that sound- it was comforting, familiar somehow. 

Had he said that? He couldn't remember. His memories felt more like a dream than something real to grasp onto. The more he tried to think the more sleepy he began to feel. Was this even real life anymore, or had he dreamed she'd come to talk to him?

"If you don't wake up soon you won't get to see me."

Pressing his face into the cool pillow, he mumbled, "What?"

She shook his shoulder a little more firmly. "Izuku, come on. Open your eyes. Don't you want to see me?" She asked, sounding more worried than before, like she was trying to hide her urgency and failing. He didn't like that, he wanted her to go back to laughing.

Trying to reason with the voice, he said, "But I don't know you."

"Yes, you do. Open your eyes Izuku, yes you do."

The fog was hard to think through but he managed to squeeze his eyes open, peering out to find the owner of the voice. It took him a moment to adjust, the edges of his vision blurry with sleep.

When the vague shapes around him began to solidify his heart sped up. 

Green eyes connected with green.

---

He woke up in a cold sweat.

---

Going into an airport was kind of like entering another dimension.

Nothing felt especially real.

The people blurring by in business coats and brightly colored shoes. Quirks popping up at random times. The myriad of voices yelling at them to go to "Terminal C" or "hold for delay." It's like Izuku had landed in Oz but instead of munchkins, it was sleep-deprived travelers, and instead of a good witch, he had Shouta.

He found himself slowing down as they walked past the checkpoint, trying to read all the neon signs and see down different corridors.

There was a man there arguing with what looked to be a sort of translucent rhino? Maybe a quirk? Izuku stopped misstep, watching the scene with rude curiosity. Maybe the rhino was like an extension of the man himself, kind of like Tokoyami's demon bird. But then why would they be arguing?

He wanted to step closer, just enough to hear what the man was saying, but before he'd even gotten two steps a cool hand tugged him back.

Izuku looked up, startled.

"You have to stay next to us at all times," Todoroki said, sounding much more like a hero student than ever before.

He wanted to protest but they were already moving again, this time with Todoroki's hand wrapped around his forearm gently but firmly. It caught him by surprise, he'd never seen his friend so.... sure of himself.

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