Quiet Midnights

So like most other people who support Tokotsuyu, I fell in love with the idea of them (platonically or romantically) in the episode where they tagteamed together. I love how level-headed, supportive, and clever they both are. They make a killer team either way.

I tried using "Fumikage" in this but it just... didn't seem right... so I just call him Tokoyami.

Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.

----------

															Quiet Midnights

Although Tsuyu is a particularly skilled and often-praised student, what most of her teachers don't know about are the challenges she struggles with after classes are over.

It's during the nighttime – particularly cold ones when she has to consciously fight off her natural instinct to hibernate – when her mind can't help but start over-thinking things.

She tells herself it's better this way; better to let her mind wander when she's alone at night, rather than when she's doing something important during the daytime. She'd much rather lose out on a couple hours of sleep than lose focus during a battle or training exercise. But she also knows tossing and turning all night long in her bed rather than getting proper rest will eventually hinder her performance in class.

It's only been two nights since they've all moved into the dorms, and there's still a lot of excitement in the atmosphere. Though what's troubling her tonight is that she's still thinking about what she'd said to the group that had gone to save Bakugo.

She'd already apologized last night and earned their forgiveness, but it still makes her feel wretched. She wishes she could hold her tongue, figuratively speaking, that she didn't have to say everything that came to mind. She wishes she could be more considerate of peoples' feelings. Nothing makes her want to cry more than the possibility of hurting her friends.

She knows dwelling on it won't help, but nighttime makes it difficult to do anything else. Lying in bed with nothing else to do or think about is the best time for the mind to wander off places it has no business in being.

Tsuyu's never had it this badly before. The change of environment probably isn't helping either.

So after about an hour of fruitless attempts to slow her mind, she admits defeat and sits up in her bed. Smoothing out the blankets behind her, she steps into her slippers and begins making her way out the door and down the hall.

It's a little cooler out here than she'd thought, and the nightgown and shorts she's wearing can only do so much. Her plan is to move around a bit to warm up, and hopefully find something else to think about as she takes a lap around the dorms. Getting some fresh air might do her some good, too.

She makes her way quietly to the exit and pushes her way through. A gust of cool air nearly sends her back inside with a shiver.

But there's something – someone, rather - even more interesting that compels her to stay.

Tokoyami is sitting with his back to her on the steps, wearing a dark cloak over his shoulders and the usual U.A jacket and sweatpants underneath. Even with the few lights from the building and the moon overhead, he looks more shadowed than usual. Hunched forward, he's muttering to himself, and there's a bit of a growl detectable in his tone.

Tsuyu can't stop a surprised "gero" from slipping out, which gives her away. Almost immediately, Dark Shadow bursts into her vision - ragged, larger, and louder than usual.

"Hey, hey! The hell are you doing sneaking up on me?"

Startled, she jumps back a pace and crouches down into a ready stance. The last thing she wants to do is fight, but if Dark Shadow is out of control and her only option is to restrain or subdue him for Tokoyami's sake, she'll do it.

But before anything like that can happen, Tokoyami snaps his head around to glare at the demon.

"Hey! Be quiet and get back!"

"Ch. Since when did you get so bossy? I can do whatever the hell I want!"

"Not this time." Tokoyami growls low, and his eyes narrow in fury. Even Dark Shadow seems to understand his position now and retreats, but not without a few more complaints.

Once they're alone, Tsuyu relaxes a little bit. Tokoyami heaves a sigh when his demon is manageable once again, then gives a rather guilty look to his classmate.

"Sorry, Asui. Are you okay?"

"Gero," she nods. "What about you, Tokoyami-chan?"

He heaves a sigh and turns back around, a silent invitation for her to join him if she wants.

"Dark Shadow's been a bit worked up since we moved into the dorms. Our new room doesn't get much moonlight, so he's been getting rowdy in all the darkness."

Tsuyu slowly makes her way over and squats down beside him.

"That's frustrating. Have you told Aizawa Sensei? Maybe you can have your room swapped with someone else's?"

Tokoyami just sighs and shakes his head.

"Everyone's already unpacked and set up their things. I don't want to cause that kind of trouble. It might take some time, but we'll get used to it. Coming outside in the moonlight makes him a little more docile."

"But it prevents you from sleeping," she notes.

"That's true. But after a few nights things should improve." He casts her a brief sidelong glance before looking back out across the grass. "Sorry for asking, but why are you here, Asui?"

"Call me Tsuyu-chan," she croaks. "Actually, I guess I'm a bit similar to you, Tokoyami-chan. I haven't been able to sleep much, either. My mind is being too active."

"I understand. I've had a lot on my mind recently as well."

"But you know," she says, turning to catch his eye. "I find it's usually helpful to talk about it from time to time. It's best not to keep it all in."

His mouth curves up into a bit of a smile.

"Yeah. You're absolutely right." He looks skyward to where the clouds have started to roll away from the moon, letting its light shine more freely. "For me, it's mostly been thoughts about training my weaknesses. But Dark Shadow's acting up isn't helping, and it's just been a bit difficult to settle down."

Tsuyu nods.

"I think that's fairly normal. Like you said, once you get used to the changes, things will get a little easier."

Tokoyami has always known and appreciated her honesty and her levelheadedness, but never more so than he does right now. It's almost therapeutic in a way, talking to her like this in the middle of the night. She's a great listener, she doesn't sugar-coat things, but she also doesn't let pessimism get the better of her.

The natural balance she has to her conversational skills is reassuring and relaxing to those around her. He can already feel Dark Shadow's restlessness fading, and the looming shroud around Tokoyami begins to dissipate little by little.

"Thanks, Asui. Feel free to speak your mind as well."

She doesn't move or say anything for a moment, and he starts to wonder if he'd overstepped a boundary. He's debating taking it back and apologizing, but before he can her voice comes again, a little softer this time.

"I can't stop thinking about what I said back at the hospital... to Kirishima-chan and the others..."

Tokoyami turns his head when he hears the faltering of her tone. He's shocked to find her lip quivering and eyes watering. She sniffles, hiccuping softly as she continues.

"I know I already apologized... but I just can't help feeling they didn't actually forgive me... and I hate thinking like that because it just means I don't have any faith in them..." She trails off, her voice dying away into more hiccups and ribbits mixed together. She's shivering from the cold on top of it, and overall she's the definition of miserable right now.

Tokoyami has no idea what to do. He isn't like her. He isn't that good at offering advice or trying to make others feel better. He's too worried he'll say something wrong and make it worse.

But as she continues to cry, the awful feeling in his chest eventually becomes unbearable. Even Dark Shadow scolds him from under the cloak.

"Hey, idiot! What the hell are you doing? Say something to her!"

"Quiet." Tokoyami suppresses the demon and gives his classmate his full attention. "Say... Asui-"

"You can... call me Tsuyu-chan..."

"Right... Tsuyu, then. I can't say I know how you feel, but I do think you're being too hard on yourself. None of them blame you for what you said. You only said it because you were trying to keep them safe, and they know it. Worrying about them and trying to stop them from doing something that might put them in danger... that's the sign of a good friend."

He can't be sure if he's helping or hurting her, but she begins to cry a little harder. It's heartbreaking to listen to, enough so that even Dark Shadow has been drained of his excessive nighttime energy. Tokoyami doesn't know what to do. He just grits his teeth and hopes he'd done her some good.

Eventually, Tsuyu lifts her hands up one at a time to wipe off her face, and after a moment she starts to quiet down.

"Thank you, Tokoyami-chan..."

And he's sure it's the biggest relief he's felt in his entire life, to know he'd helped her at least a little bit.

"It's like you said," he mutters. "Sometimes it's good to say things out loud. Especially if someone's willing to listen."

"Gero." She nods and wipes away the last of the tears. "I feel much better now. Sometimes it's good just to cry a bit, too."

"Sorry for saying this," he mumbles, looking down bashfully. "But I think I'd prefer it if you didn't cry, Asui."

Her sniffles turn to chuckles.

"You went back to 'Asui', huh?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Your own pace is fine."

A moment of silence passes by now that both of them have gotten things off their chests. The moon is still bright, but the breeze is still cold, and when another gust comes by Tsuyu shivers.

Tokoyami moves as casually as possible and slides closer to her, then drapes his cloak around her shoulders.

With a quiet but happy "gero" she leans against him. She's comfortable enough to close her eyes now, and rolls back out of her squat to sit cross-legged instead.

Tokoyami can feel that Dark Shadow wants to tease him and say something, but he adamantly pushes him down to keep him quiet. He feels her shiver once more, just a little bit, but it doesn't happen again. Tsuyu presses closer.

"Tokoyami-chan, you're a good listener, too..."

"I'm honored you think so."

"Gero." She yawns, comforted by the warmth he gives, and her voice begins tapering off. "You know... if there's not enough moonlight in your room... you could always get a night-light..."

Tokoyami is certain he's never smiled as much as he does now. He might've laughed – not because it's a bad idea, but just the opposite – because it's such a simple solution, one that she of all people would of course suggest.

He only manages to keep himself quiet because he can sense she's fallen asleep.

He stays there with her for a while longer, feeling calmer and better than he can remember feeling in a long time.

Eventually, he gathers her into his arms and picks her up, then heads back inside.

He carries her all the way back to her room, and only then does he remember she'd abstained from the Room King games, and no one had actually seen inside of hers yet. Blushing, he pushes his way in, keeping his eyes trained strictly on the floor out of respect for her privacy, until he manages to find the bed. He lies her down and adjusts the blankets for her, all while doing his best not to look at her room.

But before he leaves he at least looks her over one last time, glad she seems to be resting easily now.

"Thanks... Tsuyu."

And with that he turns and hurries out the door.

And he's glad the Room King competition had already been held and concluded on the first night they'd all moved into the dorms.

Because now no one else will know about the little night-light he keeps in the corner of his room, in the shape of a frog on a lily pad.

----------

A/N: Originally I just wanted to let them have a heart-to-heart and soft cuddles, but then somehow I thought of the night-light thing and it just seemed so cute so there you have it.