The Backstory of Luna Takami

Graduation

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
They had told us the hero graduation vows this week.
The Ceremony was in ten hours.
I rolled over in bed and tried not to cry.
I would be lying to absolutely everyone in the auditorium if I took those vows.
Including Shoto.
I let myself cry; I really didn't want to lie to Shoto. We have been dating for a few years now, and always made it work, but this? This was going to be it. A hero can't marry a drop out.
Though, they did say that if you don't take the vows, you still get your diploma. I shook my head and laid on my stomach, curling my wings in close. I can't lie to Shoto.

I sighed and sat up, I wasn't going to be getting any sleep, that was obvious. After grabbing a sweater, I walked out to my balcony and went flying, the sun was just started to peak over the hills, so I had time before it started to blind me. I flew as high as I possibly could, I flew up until it was hard for me to breathe. And then I fell. The wind rushing past my ears was so loud, but the feeling of it going past me and the adrenaline I was getting was everything to me. I pulled up just in time to not hit any trees, and I flew in a few circles, allowing my wings to stretch out fully.
After a few minutes I sighed and decided to go talk to Shoto, who was probably going to be awake soon anyways. Luckily, he was on the top balcony so it wouldn't be hard to land at all.
As soon as I landed, Shoto stepped out with a smile, like he was expecting me.
"Hello, my love, are you ready for today?"
"... No." I pursed my lips and looked at the floor.
"No? What's wrong?" Shoto took a step forward, we had both grown a bit in height, but it really wasn't much at all. We still had the same proportions; he was taller and more built, and I was a tad shorter and a lor more agile.
"Shoto I- I can't take those vows. I'm not a hero."
"I know that. Did you tell Mr. Aizawa?"
"No, because I didn't want to let you down and-"
"You could never let me down." Shoto gently put his hand on my cheek and made me look at him, he let his hair grow out, it was in a braid today.
"I don't agree with those vows, and I don't have those morals, Shoto."
"That's alright-"

"No, it's not. Shoto, I have to vow to never murder, and not only can I not promise that because of when I lose control, but I wasn't raised with that kind of moral code."
"We can make it work, I just can't lose you, Luna." I pulled his hand away and sighed.
"Shoto..." I laced my fingers with his and bit my bottom lip.

"You being a hero or not won't change the way I feel about you."
"I know."

Mr. Aizawa was usually pretty lax, but he wasn't happy with me telling him very last minute that I wouldn't be taking the vows.
"I'll go into the documents and remove your name, you can pack up then, I'll go grab your diploma. And just like everyone else all your stuff has to be gone by midnight tomorrow." He stood up and reached into the file cabinet, refiled through it for a minute, and then grabbed out a large enveloped and handed it to me.

"Alright... I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, we get a few people every year that can't take them."

"Really?"
"Yes, being a hero is a lot of pressure. But, Luna, I'm very proud of you for making it through all my training, even though you and I both knew you wouldn't be a hero at the end of it."

Packing in an empty an dorms building was strange, but I didn't mind it since I had music. They let me use a little cart to put all my belongings on, which was very convenient. I packed everything into a few boxes and a backpack, I was sad to leave, I had a lot of good memories in this dorm room. And I had a sick feeling in my stomach that it was only about to get worse from here on out.

"Takami, hey!" Bakugo and Rin walked into the dorm room before everyone else, I had decided to wait for them to say goodbye and help them move out.
"Hey guys, how was it?"
"Good. Why the fuck weren't you there?" Bakugo demanded as Rin messed with their shirt sleeves.
"I couldn't take those vows, I'm sure you know that."
"You wouldn't want someone who can't keep the vows to take them, would you?" Shoto walked over to sit next to me on the couch.
"No, of course not." Bakugo cracked a smile and leaned down, "so, I guess you can't keep working with your brother then."
"Nope."
"Brother?" Shoto looked confused, and Rin had left to help sort out who's food was who's.
"Yeah, Hawks is my brother."

"Oh-"
"They look alike."
"No we don't." Shoto and I spoke in unison.

Back at my grandma's house I had all the boxes in the kitchen, but she was still in the hospital. She had been for the past two months. I sighed and started going through the boxes, I had a box full of clothing that I was leaving to take up to my room, it was the memento's I was more concerned with. Most of the items in the box was either from dates with Shoto, double dates with Bakugo and Rin, or hanging out with Rin. There were some other ones from chaotic times spent with Denki and movie nights with Kirishima. I shifted my weight as I read the box of love notes Shoto had ever given me.
He would usually leave them in my dorm room, slide them under the door, or into my bag. I thought it was adorable. Some of them came with random pictures or small items, or songs to play. I had no idea where I was going to put all of this. After a few minutes of debating how it would all fit into my room, I got a phone call.
It was the hospital.
"Yes?"
"Your grandmother is getting worse; we need you to come here."
"I'll be right over!"
I quickly hung up, scrambled off the floor and ran out the door.
I couldn't lose her too.

As soon as I showed up the nurses brought me to her room, I had been here enough for them all to recognize me.
My grandma was smiling when I walked in, she looked peaceful.
"Hello dear." She was speaking in English.
"Hey grandma, how are you feeling?" I tried to keep my voice from wavering as I tried to speak in English with her.
"I think it's time for me to go, child. Did you take those stupid vows?"
"No, I didn't. But do you have to leave?"

"Don't be greedy, I've been waiting for you to grow up to leave you."
"But I don't want you to leave." I sobbed and started speaking Japanese again.
"Oh child, have I taught you nothing? Everything has it's time. You are to inherit everything I own." She spoke in Japanese with me, still smiling.
"You taught me so much grandma, I love you."
"I love you too, my grandson."
The sound of the flat line filled the room.
I grabbed my grandma's hand and sobbed.

Shoto was at my house after she passed, and he mourned with me.
The next morning I woke up in my bed, and Shoto wasn't there. I looked around before getting up and heading downstairs, the boxes were still in the kitchen, but Shoto was making breakfast for me.
"Good morning my love"
"Good morning." I sat down at the counter with a sigh and rested my head on the cold surface.
"Do you want any pancakes?"
"No." Shoto put a few pancakes on a plate and turned to put them on the counter for him to eat.
"Do you want me to get you a glass of juice?"
"Sure."
"Apple or orange?"
"Did you go grocery shopping?"
"Yes." Shoto gave me a smile and pulled out both of the bottles from the fridge.
"Was I out that long?"
"It's noon." Shoto grabbed two glasses, and I gestured to the apple juice.
After a few minutes of silence only filled with the sounds of Shoto eating and both of us drinking juice I had enough.
"Shoto."
"Yes?"
"I uh, I think I need a break." Shoto stopped eating and looked at me.
"A break from us?"
"Y- yes." Shoto did his best to keep a straight face, but his eyes looked sadder than anything I have ever seen.
"Will you... Come back to me?" Shoto asked it so quietly that I wasn't sure how to respond.
"I hope so, I just need time to figure out what's going on, I own everything my grandmother did and-" I took a deep breath "I don't process things like this well."
"Don't we usually process it together?" I knew Shoto wanted to give me what I asked for, but that didn't mean he wasn't hurting at all.
"Yes, we do, but that's the thing. I need to figure out who I am outside of you and outside of being a hero and outside of.... What my father wanted me to be."
"Okay, just promise you'll keep in touch, okay?"
"Of course I will." I gave Shoto a sad and tired smile, and he returned it.

After the pancakes were finished, he left.