Ultra Responsibility (My Hero Academia X Spider-Man Reader)

Issue 14 - Operation Cat Fish

I slipped the door shut as quietly as I could, easing it closed with two fingers like the apartment itself might yell if I wasn't careful. Aunt May was on early shifts this week. Nursing never slept, and usually neither did she.

Perfect. I could make it to my room, collapse, and let my body reboot for a few hours.

That was the plan.

The moment the latch clicked, pain reminded me I was an idiot. My leg buckled, and I hissed through my teeth, limping forward, every step sending sharp reminders up my spine.

I barely made it halfway down the hall when the lights snapped on.

I froze.

May stepped out of the kitchen, arms crossed, eyes sharp in a way that made my stomach drop straight through the floor.

"Where have you been?"

I turned my back to her instinctively, shoulders hunched, like that would somehow hide everything. "I told you... I was staying at Peni's."

Silence.

Then, calmly, devastatingly calm, she said, "I went to see Peni last night."

My breath caught.

"You weren't there."

I swore under my breath. Stupid. Stupid. I scrambled for anything. "I—I was at a friend's place. Plans changed, I—"

She stepped closer.

"Turn around, Y/N."

I sighed, already knowing I'd lost, and faced her.

Her hand flew to her mouth.

The black eye. The swelling. The bandages Ashido had done her best with. The way I was leaning more than standing.

Her voice cracked. "What... what happened to you?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Her panic exploded all at once. "Where do you go? Who is doing this to you?" She turned toward the counter, already reaching for her phone. "That's it, I'm calling the police."

"No!" The word tore out of me too fast. My leg bounced uncontrollably as I reached out. "Please. It's nothing. Just—just drop it. Please go to work."

She spun back around, eyes blazing. "I already called in sick."

That stunned me. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I am sick," she snapped. "Sick of not knowing what my nephew is doing. Sick of you disappearing at night. Sick of you coming home looking like you've been run over and pretending everything's fine!"

Her voice broke. "How am I supposed to keep quiet? How am I supposed to keep pretending this isn't happening?"

I couldn't look at her.

I hated this. Every lie. Every excuse. I hated that I couldn't tell her the truth, that I was stacking lie on lie just to protect something that kept hurting her anyway.

My eyes burned. "I'm... I'm sorry."

She crossed the room in two steps and pulled me into a hug before I could react. I stiffened for a second, then melted, forehead pressing into her shoulder.

"I promised your father," she whispered, "and I promised Ben... that I'd look after you." Her grip tightened. "Seeing you like this is killing me."

She pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. "Whatever you're doing. Whatever trouble you're in. Stop. Please. Ask for help."