The exhaustion had finally caught up with Izuku.

Between extra training with All Might and the stress of constant exams, his body had begun to betray him: shaky hands during note taking, eyes too tired to focus on his sensei's lectures. He hadn’t meant to push himself that hard, but being the successor of One For All meant he couldn’t afford to fall behind. And yet, he did. He stumbled. And when he did, she caught him.

She was always one of the first to offer up her notes when his eyes drooped too low to stay focused. The one who noticed when his hands trembled or when his mumbling got a little too loud. And for someone who’d analyzed quirks and heroes since childhood, it shocked him how long it took to analyze his own feelings.

It all finally hit him though during a rare moment of peace, the two of them sat together in U.A.'s courtyard during a passing period. She sat tucked against his side, her eyes scanning the pages of this morning's lessons while his pencil scribbled across his notebook. He paused for a moment though, pencil hovering midair while he looked down at her. He liked the way she took care of him without making him feel weak. He liked the familiarity that came so naturally with their friendship.

With a soft sigh, he rests his head atop of hers, eyes lazily watching her read.