It took a week for everything to blow over.
I spent most of that time in isolation, watched by hero after hero.
When questioned I answered truthfully.
There was no point in hiding anymore.
I never saw Katsuki, or Deku, or anyone.
Only Almight and Aizawa were allowed to see me.
“(Y/N), we’ve worked out a solution. You’re to be released under our surveillance.” Aizawa said on the last day, sitting across from me.
Almight stood behind him anxiously.
“I decided you will be moved in with me.”
I raised an eyebrow at him, snorting.
“No.” That was all I said because there was no way I was going to live with him.
“I’ve been living alone since I was thirteen.”
Aizawa gave me a deadpan stare.
“Because that clearly worked out well.”
I shrank back a little and he sighed tiredly.
“I know it’s not ideal, but we don’t have a choice. It’s either this or juvie.”
“I’ll take juvie.” I mumbled, crossing my arms and staring off to the side.
If I lived with Aizawa, there’s no doubt I’d be put back in U.A.
I couldn’t go back there, not after everything I’ve done.
How am I supposed to face all of those I’ve lied to?
How am I to face Iida and everyone else I’ve hurt?
Aizawa shook his head, eyes clearly exhausted.
“The league of Villains knows your face, they could attack you at any time. The safest place for you is close to a pro-hero.”
I scoffed, old habits die hard after all.
“Right. Because a hero always protects people.”
Almight flinched and I curled into myself.
“Sorry, that was a bit mean.” I sighed, tired from all these years of pain.
“I know you’re just trying to help, but I can’t go back to U.A. Not after everything.”
Almight walked forward and placed his large hand upon my shoulder.
“You will not be judged there. You’re classmates miss you.”
Almight tried to encourage but I just shrugged him off.
“After all I did to them, how could they ever trust me again?” I asked brokenly, searching Aizawa and Almight’s faces earnestly.
They were silent for a moment.
“Trust is earned.” Aizawa said as he stood up from the chair.
“You’re a victim of a horrible man,
(Y/N). From what we’ve learned, you did everything you could to keep Stain from learning too much about them. They’ll understand, you just need to explain.” Almight said, patting my shoulder before following Aizawa to the door.
Aizawa paused before he left, looking at me one last time.
“How about this, you stay with me for the next week. No U.A. No juvie. Just you settling in. We can talk about U.A again after you’ve adjusted.”
I watched him for a moment before sighing and leaning back.
“Do I even have a choice?” I asked like a petulant child.
Aizawa smiled at me, almost a smirk.
“No.” Then he walked out and left me to the silence.
It wasn’t until I was completely moved in, my personal items from my house brought to my new room, that I finally saw him.
“Bakugo is here to see you.” Aizawa said, leaning against the doorframe of my bedroom.
I glared at him furiously. Aizawa held his hands up in surrender.
“I didn’t say anything. Almight told Midoriya and Bakugo pressured him into revealing your location.”
I rolled my eyes but made no move to leave the room.
Aizawa watched me expectantly but I ignored him.
He shut the door and I sighed, my heart clenching and a rock-forming in my gut.
‘I’m sorry, Katsuki. I just can’t face you.’
“It was never a boyfriend was it?” Katsuki asked and I whipped around to see him leaning against the door.
“Aizawa.” I growled and Katsuki scoffed, walking into the room and sitting on my bed.
“You were being an idiot. So he made the call for you.”
I stood up harshly, rage ripping through my chest.
‘You bastard! I’m not ready!’ I screeched inside my head, snarling and shaking with the urge to strangle Aizawa.
‘How could you do this to me!’
“Calm down, Aizawa wouldn’t have been able to stop me anyways.”
Katsuki looked around the room, raising his eyebrows at the messiness of it all.
I blushed, embarrassed as I started to fidget.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed, starting to clean up anxiously.
I didn’t know what to do with my hands, fear of Katsuki’s rejection eating me alive.
‘I’m going to kill Aizawa for this.’
“You haven’t been back to class.” I snorted and shook my head but said nothing.
“Why not? Kirishima won’t stop whining about you. Damn Deku is crying all the fucking time.”
I turned around and regarded Katsuki with suspicion.
“So why are you here?” For a moment Katsuki’s eyes flashed, murderous energy turning his bloodied rubies a few shades darker, but then he relaxed again, his eyes still sharp but his face neutral.
“Because…I didn’t think I’d ever see you again if I didn’t.”
I stopped then, frozen by his words.
“Katsuki…”
“You weren’t planning on coming back, were you?”
“No.” I answered truthfully because I couldn’t bring myself to lie.
I didn’t want to lie anymore.
“Why not?” He snarled and I went to sit back down in my desk chair.
“Because who wants a liar like me, someone that puts everyone in danger, back in their class? The League of Villain’s know me, and they aren’t going to be happy with my cooperation with the heroes. All I do is put people in danger!”
Katsuki huffed and stood up, pacing around the room.
“They don’t care!” He snarled and I looked away.
He stocked up to me and gripped my collar.
“I don’t care! Come back to U.A!”
I stared into Katsuki’s eyes and felt the warmth invade, once again melting against him. I shook my head and looked away.
“I can’t go back to a school of heroes, when I can never be one.” I whispered and Katsuki slowly released me, but he stayed close.
“What do you mean?” He asked, his nose almost bumping mine.
“I’m no hero Katsuki, I couldn’t stop Stain. I couldn’t even save that woman.”
Katsuki brought his hand to my cheek, rubbing his thumb across my skin gently.
“Heroes aren’t perfect (Y/N), they fail all the time.”
I looked away, remembering Almight’s defeated form when he discovered who I was.
Katsuki cupped my face, gently forcing me to look at him.
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. But what you will do next. Stay (Y/N), stay. For me. For that shitty nerd. Stay.”
I stared into his eyes, wanting desperately to say yes.
But how?
How can I just move past eleven years of hate?
Months of lies?
“How?” I finally asked, gripping his wrists.
“How do I stay? After everything?”
Katsuki leaned down, gently letting his lips dance across mine.
“By saying yes. By letting me help you.”
Our breaths mingled, and I couldn’t help but breathe shallowly.
“Katsuki, I’m scared.”
“I know, but I’m here. I’m going to protect you from now on. Even if it’s from yourself.”
Then Katsuki finally closed the distance, his lips sealing against mine.
When he pulled back, much too soon, he wrapped his arms around my body.
“I’m a hero after all.”
I snorted, burying my face against his shoulder. Katsuki brought his lips to my ear.
“I’ll save you from yourself, every time you feel like you’re drowning, I’ll pull you up.”
I let the tears gently fall from my eyes. After a lifetime of sobbing, it felt good to let them fall quietly.
“I love you.” I whispered, without really meaning to.
I wasn’t supposed to say it out loud, but it slipped out before I could stop myself.
For a moment I thought Katsuki would pull away, but he held me closer instead, burying his face against my neck, threading his fingers through my hair.
“I love you, and I won’t let you hurt yourself any longer.”
And I understood the answer to how I was supposed to keep going.
Katsuki was here, he was here to save me from someone no one else was prepared to.
He was going to save me from myself.
It took attempting to be a hero to finally understand the truth, in Katsuki’s arms, in my regrets and grief.
In my self-damnation.
Lies will never shroud it from me again.
And for the first time in eleven years, I found peace.
This was the truth of heroes.
It was my truth.