Chapter Text
“Thank you,” Midoriya said to the security guard as they opened the gates for him. He began walking down the path in front of the Villain Reformation Center he was currently living at, and took a left in the direction of the metro.
He put in earbuds to listen to music and looked up at the wide blue sky.
After telling Tsukauchi everything he knew about the League and its operations, they’d decided to send Midoriya to a reputable Villain Reformation Center that was designed especially for teens. The warden was a reformed villain, and all of the staff treated the kids fairly and equally.
Midoriya had been under very tight restrictions for the first couple months or so, which was completely understandable. But Midoriya cooperated fully with the staff. The only time he broke the rules was when he stopped a fight between two other hot-headed teens. Slowly but surely, he earned their trust and soon he was allowed a limited number of visits outside the center per week. When he left, he was required to wear a tracking device.
It started out with two visits per week, which he used to see his mother in the hospital and Uraraka, of course. He wasn’t allowed to go into UA, so he’d meet her at coffee shops or malls, and they just spent time together.
But then Aizawa had asked to see him. He’d asked for his analysis skills, and to give advice to his students on how to improve their quirks. Midoriya had complied, of course, and stayed to watch on the Class 1-A’s hero classes.
Because of that, he was now allowed more visits outside the center to deliver notes to Aizawa. Class 1-A had been wary of Midoriya at first, but they were slowly warming up to him.
That’s where he was headed now, to UA to drop off notes, which were all in his yellow backpack. It was different from when he’d dropped off notes for Shigaraki. With the League, he’d known that the notes were going to be used to hurt the people they were on. But with Aizawa, he knew the notes were being used to improve the abilities of his students, who would then go on to save lives.
Midoriya smiled, knowing that his actions were no longer hurting people and helping them instead.
The closer he got to the metro, the more people were around. Midoriya was conscious of all the looks people sent him. Most glanced at him nervously, still remembering the villain he used to be. Knowing people still feared him didn’t feel very good. A few vaguely noted him, having grown used to his frequent trips to the metro.
But sometimes people glared at him angrily, as if all the problems in their life were his fault. Those looks felt like painful pricks on his skin, but he was glad to have them. They reminded him of who he used to be, and to never go back to it.
The metro ride to UA was pleasantly short, and soon he was walking up to UA’s blue gates. He’d been given an ID card so the security system didn’t freak out when walked onto the school grounds.
A couple students who were lingering near the front gates eyed him warily as he passed. The first time he’d come in by himself the students had attacked him, thinking he was a villain invading UA. You can imagine the confusion on their faces when their teachers explained to them that Midoriya was allowed to be there…
He usually went to 1-A’s homeroom to drop off the notes, but the school day had ended, and Aizawa had told him to come by the dorms to drop them off. So, he walked over to 1-A’s dorms, trying to ignore all of the suspicious glances the other students kept sending him.
He walked up to the door and decided to knock, even though he knew the door was unlocked.
Someone shouted, “come in!”
He tentatively turned the handle and opened the door.
“Hey, it’s Midoriya. I’m here to drop off the notes for Mr. Aizawa,” he said, not wanting to startle anyone by being there.
“Of course!” Iida shouted from the left.
Midoriya looked in his direction as he closed the door behind him. Iida and Sato were in the kitchen, checking the cupboards for any food supplies they might need to buy from the store. Kaminari was also in the kitchen, pouring himself a bowl of chips.
“Yo! What’s up, Midobro?” he called. Kaminari was by far the friendliest to Midoriya out of all of 1-A, not counting Uraraka.
Midoriya smiled in his direction. He was busy formulating an answer in his head, so he didn’t hear the quiet pitter-pattering of feet coming in his direction.
“I’m just-” Midoriya started, before being jerked to the side from the force of someone slamming into him. He tensed, ready to defend himself.
It took him a second to realize it was actually three someones, Mina, Toru and Uraraka, and that they were hugging him, not attacking him. He had to remind himself to relax, not being used to this type of comfort.
“Oh, Midoriya! We’re so sorry!” Mina cried.
“Um… about what?” he asked awkwardly, panicking more than a little inside his head at how three girls were hugging him.
“Ochako told us about how miserable your life has been!” Toru said, “we’re sorry for being scared of you before!”
Scared was an understatement. Toru had accidentally thrown her mug full of hot coffee at him out of fear, only remembering him as the villain who’d attacked them at the USJ and summer camp.
“It’s okay,” Midoriya said, growing slightly more comfortable in the midst of their hug.
He felt Uraraka’s arms tighten around him, and he could tell that she was thinking, it’s not okay.
He gave them a wobbly smile, and after what felt like forever they released the hug. Out of the corner of his eye, Midoriya spotted Mineta eyeing him enviously.
“Oh c’mon,” Kaminari said while chewing a mouthful of chips, “why can’t you girls hug me like that?”
Jiro walked into the kitchen, “because you chew and talk at the same time. It’s gross.”
“What!? That’s no fair!” Kaminari exclaimed, but he shut up when Jiro raised her earphone jacks threateningly.
Midoriya smiled as he turned to face Uraraka.
“I’m glad to see you again,” she said, beaming and taking a hold of his hand.
He nodded, smiling wide. “Yeah, you too.”
Mina was in the background practically bouncing on her feet in excitement. That was, until a tired voice said, “Midoriya.”
He was forced to turn away from Uraraka to face Aizawa.
“Have you come here to socialize or to bring me your notes?” he asked, sounding like he was trying very hard not to yawn.
“Notes, right, sorry,” Midoriya spluttered, slinging his yellow backpack off his shoulder.
He sent Uraraka an apologetic look, but she smiled and shook her head at him.
“Here you go,” he said, handing the papers over to Aizawa.
He looked through them for a moment, and Midoriya stood there patiently. He’d have plenty of time to spend with Uraraka after this, seeing as the reformation center had extended the time he was allowed out.
“You don’t have anything on Bakugo,” Aizawa looked at Midoriya pointedly, “even though I specifically asked for notes on him.”
Midoriya shrugged and didn’t make eye contact. “I must’ve forgotten.”
“Again?” Aizawa quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Sorry,” Midoriya said not very apologetically.
I sure as hell am not helping that jerk become a hero, he thought angrily.
Uraraka and Aizawa didn’t miss the flash of hate that came across his face, even though it was only for a split second.
Aizawa sighed and decided that this was not the place and time for that conversation.
“Fine then. Just bring it next time,” he said, walking away.
Midoriya was finally able to turn back towards Uraraka. He took her hand and smiled at her.
“Now that that’s over, wanna go for a walk?” he asked.
That’s what they normally did. They would go and walk around the UA campus to get some fresh air and out of the dorms. They would talk and laugh, ignoring all of the strange looks people gave them. One time, they’d snuck up to the UA building’s roof and gone stargazing again (where they may or may not have kissed for the first time).
But Uraraka ruffled her hair nervously. “Actually, I had a different idea.”
He tilted his head and looked at her inquiringly.
“It’s movie night tonight, and I already asked Iida if it’d be okay for you to join us-”
She was interrupted by Mina, who came happily bouncing over to them. “And you two could sit next to each other and cuddle!! Share an armchair, you know!?”
She coughed something that sounded strangely like, “maybe do a little more than cuddle.”
Both Midoriya and Uraraka shook their heads frantically at her and blushed, not quite ready for public displays of affection.
“Oh come on!” Mina exclaimed. “You can at least stay to watch the movie, right?”
Uraraka looked at Midoriya hopefully, and he stared at the ground.
“Are you sure that’s alright?” he asked quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know that… that some people still aren’t comfortable with me around. I just don’t wanna ruin anyone else’s night.”
Uraraka smiled at him. He was always so considerate of others.
“Oh it’s fine,” Mina said and she grabbed their hands and began pulling them over to the couches. “If anyone protests, I’ll make sure they never speak a word again.”
After that, Midoriya and Uraraka didn’t really have a choice as Mina made them sit at the end of the shorter couch. More members of 1-A wandered into the room and chose seats. A few, like Koda and Aoyama, glanced at him nervously. Bakugo walked into the room, saw Midoriya, and walked out. Not even Kirishima could convince him to come back.
No one said anything about the former villain, especially after Iida said, “Midoriya! I’m glad you’ll be joining us tonight!”
Midoriya smiled at him. “Thanks.”
The group began to watch The Greatest Showman, and Midoriya sang every word of every song along with multiple other members of 1-A. “Rewrite the Stars” reminded Midoriya of him and Uraraka, how he’d been so adamant on staying apart. But they’d done it. They’d rewritten the stars, a hero and villain, singing together on the couch.
Things got a little wild when everyone started belting “FROM NOW OOOOOON” at the top of their lungs. They were so loud that students from 1-B texted them to shut up.
During the quieter parts of the movie, Uraraka would rest her head on his shoulder, and he’d wrap his arm around her. Her warmth and touch made him feel safe in a way he hadn’t felt for over a year.
Midoriya looked around at 1-A and saw people he cared about. They were people he’d end up developing deep and meaningful friendships with.
Then he looked down at Uraraka, who was dozing off as her head started falling off his shoulder to rest on his chest.
He didn’t know what the future held, or what roads they’d end up traveling on.
But he did know that, with Uraraka, he was home.