Despite Izuku's anxious rambling, and vague unhinged way about things, he was smart. Really smart. Fourth in the class, right behind Katsuki, Tenya and Momo. Fourth to first, respectively.

Tutoring came naturally to him. If anyone asked, he’d smile, nod, and then immediately spend the next ten minutes internally redesigning his entire lesson plan from scratch.

So when you approached him yesterday asking for a late-night study session for the upcoming exam, he’d lit up almost instantly.

"Oh, sure! I could totally whip you into shape," he’d said, with a grin that all but broadcasted 'I am honored to be included in your academic crisis.'

That night, you arrived at his dorm room. He welcomed you in with an eager wave, papers already spread across his desk in organized chaos. The study session unfolded in easy, comfortable conversation - Izuku rambling through explanations, apologizing, rambling again, somehow connecting the dots in a way that made everything clearer by the end.

When he finally leaned back and said, "I think you’re totally ready!" he looked so genuinely proud it almost felt like you’d already passed the exam.

Morning came quietly. You’d both fallen asleep in his room out of convenience, and leaving at the same time was simply par for the course. Same hallway, same direction, quiet footsteps side-by-side as you made your way toward the elevator. The ride down was quiet for the early morning.

Then the elevator doors opened.

And there they were - the class gathered in the common room. Books open, breakfast plates scattered around, the familiar mixture of nerves and caffeine hanging in the air.

Midoriya stepped out first.