It was midnight.
Bakugo and Iida had fallen asleep on the chairs outside the infirmary. Inside, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki stayed by Midoriya's bedside, watching over him.
His face was flushed, his breathing uneven.
"This is strange… his temperature still isn't going down," Yaoyorozu said, checking the thermometer again. "Recovery Girl said the medicine would work, but…"
The reading held steady at 38°C.
"There's not much we can do except trust her," Todoroki replied quietly.
Even so, his gaze lingered on Midoriya.
He looked small under the blanket, his expression soft despite the fever.
Hours passed.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with Yaoyorozu. She leaned against the bed and drifted off to sleep.
Todoroki, who had been fighting drowsiness, opened his eyes again.
The room was quiet.
…Now would be a bad time to lose focus.
He looked at Midoriya.
Up close, his features seemed even softer than usual, his expression unguarded in sleep.
Todoroki hesitated.
Then leaned forward slightly—
"Half-and-half. What are you doing?"
The low voice cut through the silence.
Bakugo stood at the doorway, eyes sharp even through his fatigue.
Todoroki straightened immediately. "Nothing."
Bakugo held his stare for a moment longer before stepping inside.
"Good. Keep it that way."
The warning didn't need to be repeated.
Another few hours passed.
Even Todoroki and Bakugo couldn't stay awake any longer. One by one, they drifted off.
Outside the window, a pair of silver eyes flickered briefly in the darkness.
"Protect the master…"
Morning came.
Todoroki woke first, his mind still heavy with sleep.
Something felt… off.
He turned toward the bed—
—and froze.
A small figure lay curled under the blanket.
Green hair rose and fell gently with each breath. The blanket shifted slightly as the child stirred.
"…Midoriya?"
Behind him, Yaoyorozu woke as well. She blinked, then stared.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, almost instinctively, Yaoyorozu reached for her phone.
A quick photo.
Sent.
Group Chat
Yaoyorozu Momo: Midoriya turned into a child. (Image attached)
Minoru Mineta: What?! Who is that?! Is that his kid?!
Kyoka Jiro: Mineta, think for a second. Momo, what's going on?
Yaoyorozu Momo: I don't know. I'm… not sure what to do.
Tenya Iida added All Might to the chat.
Denki Kaminari: Wait, Iida, you're awake? And why is All Might here?
Tenya Iida: I've been up for a while. I'm buying breakfast for those in the infirmary. All Might contacted me earlier. It's related to the medicine's side effects.
All Might: The medicine caused a temporary regression effect due to prior Quirk interference. Midoriya has physically reverted to a younger age. This will last approximately three days. During this time, his memories will also match that age. He may be more withdrawn than usual. Please take care of him.
All Might left the chat.
Denki Kaminari: On my way to school. I've never seen Midoriya as a kid. I need pictures.
Kyoka Jiro: Same.
Minoru Mineta: Same.
Eijiro Kirishima: Where's Bakugo? Something this big happens and he's quiet?
Tsuyu Asui: Stay on topic, ribbit. Same.
Denki Kaminari: He's probably still asleep.
Katsuki Bakugo: …What?
Bakugo lowered his phone and stepped into the infirmary.
He stopped when he saw the bed.
The boy lying there looked no older than four.
Small. Quiet.
It took him a moment to process it.
That's… Deku?
Iida returned shortly after, carrying breakfast. He took one look inside and stopped cold.
"…I see."
He adjusted his glasses, but even that couldn't hide his confusion.
A soft sound broke the stillness.
"…Mm…"
The child on the bed stirred.
Midoriya blinked slowly, eyes unfocused at first.
He looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Then at the four people around him.
Strangers.
His fingers tightened slightly around the blanket.