The Unwilling Traitor

Chapter Nineteen - Good Morning Sports Festival

He told Kirishima he would. He promised, but he didn't. He lied. That's all he ever remembers doing, even back to when he was just a little kid. He was fine on the mirage, but in time, people notice it isn't real. Things that weren't true was all he could remember.

He argued he was fine.

He wasn't.

Not since dad left. Not since everything went to shit. He's good at lying, but it's not something he's proud of. Lying leaves the taste of oil and ink in his mouth, dripping down his face. His insides dyed black for the filth he's coughing up to other people.

I'm fᴸᵞiᴵneᴺᴳ

More ink.

More oil.

More lies.

He hasn't gone to sleep tonight, even after his promise to Kirishima that he would. It's too late for that now. His chest hurts, and he's sure that the device around his heart isn't doing him any good. It's burning. It feels like his insides are melting.

Maybe it's overuse? His dad did talk to him a lot these past few days. Even though he got a plethora of information, it seemed too easy. It makes him wonder if the information he got was even true. He did some digging earlier, and found absolutely nothing on his dad. It makes him wonder. Most likely, the information he had was false, but what if it wasn't? As far as he knows, everyone thinks his dad is at work oversees. Maybe his dad is getting lonely. Maybe he's bored and wants to see him struggle for entertainment. There are lots of things to come up with, but there's only one right answer.

His clock beeped.

4:00.

'If I sleep now, I'll wake up tired.'

Izuku decided to head out to the UA track to distract himself, and got up to change into proper clothes for running.

He made his way downstairs to where the kitchen and lounge area was, but was greeted with an unfamiliar sight.

"What are you doing up this late?" Izuku inquired to the person on the couch. He was hunched over, and seemed to be lost in his own mind. "Iida?"

Iida lifted his head, shocked to see someone up this late. Well, early technically. Iida straightened his form. "I am very sorry! This is unbecoming of me, the Class President! I was merely thinking about things on my mind since I was unable to sleep! Please forgive me for being up at this hour!"

Izuku weakly smiled. "You've forgotten that I'm up as well."

Iida's eyes gleamed. "You are correct! You should head back along side me!"

"Yeah yeah, but first," Izuku made himself comfortable next to Iida, who smelled of lemon and clean loofas. Izuku didn't know why he gave off this smell, but it was something special, just for Iida. He's never met anyone like this. "Why were you up this late?"

Iida's shoulders slumped for just a moment, but caught and straightened himself back upright. "I was, well," Iida gave up. He allowed himself to melt into the couch, and didn't move to correct himself. "I just have a bad feeling."

"A bad feeling?" Izuku repeated. "Of what?"

Iida looked lost. "I don't know, but I just feel like something bad will happen, and I don't like it. Even if my gut feeling is wrong, it will still nag me, and if it's right, then that means I had that feeling for a reason, and should have done something about it."

Izuku knows that feeling all too well. He gently placed his hand atop of Iida's, and gripped hard. "It'll be ok!" He smiled cheerfully at his friend. "Because I'm here! I'll help with whatever it is, and I won't leave until it's fixed!"

Iida seemed surprised at first, but quickly sank into Izuku's grip and softened.

"You are very reassuring, Midoriya. I'm glad to have you as a friend."

Izuku just held his smile. "Likewise."

They talked for a while about trivial things. Things that were he latest on the news. The new heroes that debuted. Even their own classmates weren't free from their 4:00 am induced stress relief talk. Iida then confessed to Izuku that he was scared to go back to his room and be alone with his thoughts again.

"Then why not stay down here and sleep on the couch?" Izuku lifted his head up from the arm of the chair he moved to to be facing Iida. "I can stay too and sleep here across from you. We could talk until we fall asleep!"

Izuku expected the moral compass inside of Iida to protest, but he simply nodded his head yes, looking tired.

"Should we grab blankets from our room, or would that make too much noise and wake up the others? It's already 6:00 now, so they should be waking up soon, but I don't want to cut them short on their much needed sleep, and -"

Iida didn't say a word as Izuku continued to speak. He simply smiled and laid his head on the armrest, and listened to the thrumming that was Izuku Midoriya's voice; slowly drifting to sleep.

Izuku noticed a little later that he was having a one sided conversation, and calmly smiled to himself. Standing up, he grabbed the blanket that Hagakure accidentally left on the couch to the left, but Izuku didn't want to use it because there was one blanket, and two people.

He silently draped it over Iida, and quickly moved back to his warm chair.

He slept well for the little time he had.

But he knew all too well that 1 hour of sleep wasn't good enough, but by the looks of Iida when he awoke to his rowdy classmates was that of a person who slept for the entire night.

Izuku guessed he woke up in the middle of the night, and then came downstairs.

Izuku had no such luxury.

"What were you two doing, sleeping down here?"

Iida quickly responded that they were just talking, lost track of time, and ended up falling asleep on the couch and chair.

Izuku sat up. Yawned and stretched, and let out a yell that was the happiest one he'd done in a while.

Uraraka and Iida laughed and joined in.

It was going to be a good day today, Izuku could tell.

He sighed a happy sigh.

"Good morning Sports festival."