Jay

The night started out pretty routine, it was a saturday evening in early june and no school meant all might could finally get some hero work done. Which he had been admittedly missing since he started teaching. Connecting with his friend in the police department detective tsukauchi he learned of an illegal wrestling ring going on in musutafu, so he wouldn't have to travel far either. With that in mind, and the weekend to regain his stamina for teaching he set out to address tsukauchi provided. 

The sun was just about finished setting, the sky over the city had lost its dreamy sunset orange in favor of a bruised sort of purple. All Might arrived at the venue, surprisingly overt for such a supposedly underground establishment. He approached the stairs he could see led down to a door, the two statues by the entrance he could swear were following his movements. Two stone figures resembling the clay golem statues from a public park a few blocks away. Assuming they were a continuation of the public art, all might ignore them and the feeling that they were looking at him as he descended towards the door. He could hear the music bumping from outside. ‘No guard at the door?’ he thought. Certainly out of place for an event such as this. 

Ready to shed his small form as soon as he burst through the door he grasped the cold metal handle and pushed it open. 

And stopped dead in his tracks. This couldn't have been the address. Sure there was wrestling going on here. It said so right on the banner. But this was…reading the banner he could see it was…an annual lesbian oil wrestling event….? Hosted by the musutafu society for lgbtq rights and advocacy? Clearly there was a mix up with the addresses. Right? He was so stunned he almost couldn't move. 

“Um, excuse me. I'm trying to watch the fight” a tinny voice startles all might coming from behind him

“Excuse me young ladies, what kind of establishment am I at right now?”

“Girl.” 

They push past him and walk over to the bar. 

Now he was completely sure he was in the wrong place. His friend never mentioned anything about lesbian oil wrestling and surely a charity event would have all the necessary permits to host such a thing.

“Lost?” This time he doesn't jump, he turns to face the young woman walking up to him. “Are you in the right place, old timer? I'm not usually one to judge but you look like you don't know where you are”

He takes in her appearance. A beautiful young woman certainly, but something draws his eye to her arm…it's the arm of a doll. Delicate porcelain with a ball joint on the elbow and the wrist, glistening with the oil he could see her whole body was covered in. a champion belt hung off her waist and it didn't take a detective to figure out she was one of the wrestlers. 

“I am a bit lost actually” he chuckled in response. “I was actually looking for a different wrestling event but seem to have gotten turned around”

“Ah” she sighed understandingly. “I made the same mistake last year. I know exactly the place you mean, though I wouldn't guess you were that kind of guy just by looking. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Im y/n.”

“Im toshinori” he said, “I don't mean to be rude but, your arm…., is it-”

“Real? Yes and no. thats my quirk you see” y/n replied leading him out of the event, I can make humanoid objects come to life, kind of like a puppet. I lost my arm a few years ago so it's a handy quirk for sure” she waves her hand a little in case he didn't get the joke. 

“It helps with event security too, you might have seen these on the way in” the clay figures outside as if on cue turn and wave as the two walk into the street. 

They walk for a bit, reaching a part of the city that definitely suits the event description much better than the quaint basement bar of the lesbian wrestling night. Every alley like a black hole, every stray dog like a ravenous wolf. This was the kind of place he was meant to find. 

“y/n was it? I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?” she asked

“I'm not going to this event to spectate. I'm actually a hero.”

“I see. Well I appreciate you telling me but i wouldnt have had a problem anyway. Im not the kind to judge but i have to admit ill feel safer with this one closed down. A lot of things change hands when I'm taking you. None I can think of make our city safer.”

They arrive at the underground wrestling ring. All might turn back to look at y/n, “as much help as youve been, i cant allow a civilian to get caught up in this. The best thing you can do for me now is return to your own event and call the police to my location.”

“Oh…i will then. But”

“Yes?”

“Be safe, you're a good guy toshi”

She reaches out for a fist bump before starting to walk out of the alley

“Dont you worry about me y/n, everything will be fine. Now that i am here”

With that reminder of the community he protects in his heart. He breaks down the door. 

he looked at you as if you'd asked whether the sky had always been blue. "no."

you blinked. "no?" you didn’t know what you expected to hear but it certainly wasn’t this. osamu had always been a good looking guy. as long as you remember he dated before you, he's also the perfect guy every girl wants, what does he mean he's never loved someone?

"no," he repeated simply. "like... no serious relationships?" you ask again. "had relationships." he says taking another bite of the sandwich but his eyes didn’t move from yours.

"but you were never in love with them?"

he shrugged. "didn't feel like this."

you stared at him. "wait."

osamu finally put down what remained of his food and gave you his full attention. "yer’ acting like i said something impossible."

"you're telling me that out of everyone you've met, dated, liked whatever i'm the only person you've ever actually been in love with?"

the confusion on his face deepened. "yeah."

"no, see, that's insane."

"why?"

"because people don't usually only fall in love once."

"says who?"

"says..." you gestured vaguely at the world around you. "everyone." he snorted. "sounds made up."

"samu." you turn your body to face his, the sun setting beside you two, glowing a yellow light on his face.

"hm?"

"how old are you?"

"thirty one." he shrugs, you know how old he is.

"you expect me to believe that at thirty one years old, you've only loved one person?"

his eyes stayed fixed on you, steady and unbothered in a way that almost frustrated you. "what?" he asked after a moment. "am i not the only person you've ever loved?"

you let out a short breath through your nose.

"of course not."

the answer came easily enough. too easily. you’ve lived a long life too. you have met many people, had many relationships, fell in love too. that's just how it is.

osamu went quiet.

"oh."

it was such a small response that you almost missed it. he nodded once to himself before turning his attention back toward the horizon. the sun had begun sinking lower, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink that reflected against the water below.

"oh, come on," you said immediately. you shifted closer, reaching for his arm. "samu-"

he caught your hand before you could touch him, not rough but firm enough to stop you. "no," he said, still looking ahead. "it's fine."

"yer an adult" he said with a small shrug, trying for casual and missing by a mile. "would've been weird if i was actually the first."

"that's not what i meant."

"didn't say ya meant anythin'."

you stared at his profile. the slight tension in his jaw. the way he suddenly found the sunset far more interesting than you.

"samu."

"i'm fine."

you studied him for another moment before nudging your shoulder against his.

"for the record," you said softly, "none of them mattered enough for me to remember them the way i remember you."

"that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"it's true."

he looked back towards you again.

"hey" you murmured, almost embarrassed by the sincerity in his expression. "we're not teenagers anymore."

osamu reached over, his fingers brushing against yours before intertwining them together. his thumb rubbed absentmindedly over your knuckles. a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"yeah," he said softly. "i'm thirty one now and i have only loved you."

- On one particular rainy day, when Shouta was meant to try to walk outdoors for the first time without assistance, you were surprised to see him standing in your office.

- “It’s raining.” He had said with a sad little smile. “I didn’t want to be in my room.” He explained softly, as if hearing the question you have yet to utter. 

- You were a professional so you really shouldn’t be falling in love with your patient. but it had been a long time since you’ve been around someone who easily made you laugh. Eons since you’ve had long conversations about everything and nothing. It felt great to be seen, to be heard. 

- You learned that Shouta was a cat lover, like you. He also loved to drink coffee. Though, he prefers his bitter unlike you who prefers sweeter coffee. Shouta had also spoken about his students. The love and pride he had for them made his eyes grow soft. He cared so much about his students that you, guiltily, fantasized about marrying Shouta. He would make a great dad, you thought.

- Shouta dropping into your office, often unannounced, continued until his last day at the hospital.

- Even when he was discharged, he would stop by just to see how you were doing. Asking if you had your lunch break yet or if you were interested for a short stroll along the hospital’s garden. It had taken him almost two weeks after being discharged that he started courting you. 

- You were hesitant at first, even though your heart yearned for him. Shouta’s job was dangerous. He was a teacher, yes, however, there were many villains targeting him and his students. Which meant that they would target you as well.

- When Shouta and his students were attacked at the training camp, you almost broke off your engagement, scared for your life, scared for his, and scared of the life that had yet to live. But when you saw how went through hell and back to protect you, to protect his students, to protect himself, you agreed to stay. But only on the agreement that if a life threatening situation arose and Shouta could avoid it, then he must protect himself first. 

- You were blessed with a daughter not less than a year into your marriage. 

- Your daughter was an exact replica of Shouta; wavy black hair, rich black eyes that reminded you of the coffee Shouta liked to drink. When the sun hit her eyes at the right angle tiny specks of red shone like expensive rubies. 

- Naturally, you’ve assumed that she would have a quirk that was related to her vision since she took so much after her father.

- what you never imagined, however, was that her quirk would be extremely dangerous and the target of many villains who were hungry for power like hers.

- Your daughter’s quirk to turn people into stone whenever someone made direct eye contact with her.  They would be immobile for five minutes. When she grew older, and stronger, it lasted up to fifteen minutes.

- It first happened with Shouta, a total freak accident. One second you could hear your husband playing with your daughter,  their laughter crystal clear, and the next, you heard a loud thud and the sound of your daughter crying.

- You rushed to the living room and were horrified to find your husband had turned to stone from head to toe. Normally, people would fear such a quirk from their children, but not you. you collected your crying daughter into your arms, running a soothing hand up and down her tiny frame to calm her down from crying. The other hand was busy dialing Recovery Girl on your smart phone.

- Shouta awoke with a start, seeming to have no recollection of what happened to him. Yet when you explained what had happened, Shouta beamed with pride before biting his lower lip in worry.

- It was All Might who suggested for your daughter to visit the numerous support companies to draft protective eye gear for your daughter, something that will allow her to use her eyes without harming herself or others.

- Your daughter, at the tender age of four, wore sunglasses for a month. It made her fussy; crying and throwing away the dark shades. She was only allowed to remove them when showering or when going to bed. Thankfully, the quirk didn’t work against herself when she would stare at her reflection.

- After a whole month had passed, her protective eyegear was delivered through the mail. They looked like ordinary prescription glasses and, had you been unaware of their purpose, you would’ve believed that they were exactly that.

- fortunately, your daughter accepted the protective gear much more than she had with the glasses. “It’s not dark and scary anymore!” she exclaimed with a bright smile. You can see Shouta try not to get so emotional over your daughter.

- Years into the future, and through countless training, you’ve discovered that your daughter could only use her quick on five people, at once or randomly. If she used it in a short amount of time, she would suffer a severe migraine. If she used it on more than five people, she would pass out. If she somehow managed to use it on more than 10 people, she could go into a coma. 

- it wasn’t easy raising a teenager who had to sacrifice so much for the safety of others, to abandon what is socially acceptable in favor of being safe. To turn down sleepovers and road trips in fear of another accident occurring. Terrified that someone might snatch her glasses or knock them off. Some teenagers could be cruel.

She twitched, dispelling their voices; fists clenched. Her shoulder was still killing her from a previous fight, knees still weak. ‘Still’, as if she was getting any younger. As if the pain would ever lessen. As if there was space on her skin to bear more scars.

“God, can you guys shut the fuck up? Get out of my head!"

“What’s your name?” Charlotte’s soft voice rang out over the villains, gathering their attention on her. Some recognized her and slowly started backing away, leaving a more accessible circle of degenerates around the younger hero, still resisting despite her fear.

“T-Tsukuri… Patch-Up Hero, Tsukuri…”

Tsukuri’s terrified eyes darted over to a fallen hero nearby holding his leg in pain and barely breathing beneath the foot of a villain; a warning. A silent cry for help in between the whispers.

“Hey, isn’t she that one American hero?” “What, All Might’s bitch?”

Click, clack. Click, clack. No hero costume this time; just her teaching outfit; office blazer, shirt and skirt, the one outfit she promised herself she wouldn’t drench in blood.

“Your name, sweetheart.”

One of the prisoners stepped up, crackling fireworks in between his fingers as he grabbed onto Minori’s arm, tugging her upwards with a sneer.

Some of the escapees attempted to defy the overpowering presence by tightening the grip on their weapons. Soothing Hero: Painkiller. “Don’t be scared. Eyes on me, okay?”

“Hanazawa Minori… My name is Minori!”

“Haha, you that one old hag? What are you now, like, 60? That fraud All Might got what was coming for him, and so will every fucking hero. We were gonna start with her, but both of you will do just nicely. Won’t they, boys? We’ve gotten real pent up in there!”

Charlotte stopped dead in her tracks. The gears inside her body shifted; everything dialed back. Heartbeat slowed. Breathing slowed. She’d learned it was much better to instill some calm before the storm. Give her grating bones a break. Ease her throbbing muscles.

Let it rest.

“Let it prep, Lottie, or you’ll break. All that pain, the adrenaline? The sensation you’ve lost in your extremities? Your body stitching itself together? You won’t be able to take it. Just promise me you’ll use Second Skin if you have to fight again.”

I’m not that frail, Dave. Could everyone stop fucking acting like I’m falling apart? Like I’m unstable?

“Me too. I’m real pent up. So why don’t y’all do yourselves a favor and come quietly?”

Just about 50 up front. Account for at least 10 to 20 concealing themselves with their Quirks. Some got caught in the rubble at the entrance, most dead. The rest would’ve gotten out by now if they could. Account for maybe another 40 inside, fighting any staff that’s left.

“Come quietly? I’ll come as loudly as I fucking please!”

Small to medium sized prison. Security system was easily overpowered. Only 2 novice heroes at the scene in... twenty minutes? This country is stretched thin.

The country he fought to protect to the last ember of One for All. For decades. This is what’s left of it?

The ache in her bones burned stronger. That subtle tremble she always suppressed.

Breathe. Talk.

“You got three seconds before I forget I’m a hero.”

Her voice was chillingly calm; eyes focused. Something creaked and crackled inside her. Begging.

One.

Let me out.

“You don’t really think-”

That terrified expression on Minori’s face satiated the hatred inside Charlotte; it grew fangs and tore into her heart, splattering her empathy and forgiveness against the walls of her ribcage as it devoured her whole.

“We ain’t scared of-”

Two.

It was laughably easy to grapple herself onto their leader, maneuver behind and twist his arm back so painfully that his scream deafened his closest allies, hooking her heel against his Achilles’ tendon. He helplessly fired a firecracker against her arm, desperate enough to do a little damage; to burn through her sleeve and sear her flesh. If not for the putrid scent, Painkiller wouldn’t have even realized she’d gotten hit.

“I-I thought you said three seconds!”

She could just use her Quirk on them. Or she could make them earn the pain. He’ll probably walk again, if he gets medical attention quick enough. Her heel dug in, piercing through to the other side. She didn’t even have to put any effort into throwing him as he fell to his knees and whimpered at her feet. Harmless as a puppy.

It wasn’t quite murderous intent, but the closest to it she allowed herself to reach.

“I lied.”

“You boys are so emotional.”

Before she launched at them, she clacked her shoes together, black heels expanding upwards around her calves, turning into her favorite Go-Go Boots.

There was certainly a love-hate relationship with this version of herself. That cocky, egotistic part of her that All Might would despise. That taunting superiority in her voice.

Maybe they were enemies, in another life.

“Can’t handle a little pain?”

Charlotte could never quite get used to the crunch of bones and wails of agony. In a bizarre way, it kept her going, comforting the anxiety of faltering to her emotions.

Dodge, right, left. A jab, a kick. Drop down. Block some guy’s elbow knives with the blades on her boots.

Be safe. Be smart. Be careful.

Spin, roll. Grapple closer. Crunch, groan, thud. Use the roller blades to twirl. Ah – machete.

Her spine could still bend painfully fast backwards, avoiding the blade before she propped herself up on her arms against the concrete and pushed as hard as she could, launching herself at the massive villain about to pick up a piece of concrete and throw it at the incapacitated heroes.

"Nice to meet you, Minori. I'm Charlotte. Friends call me Lottie."

And always be ready to be none of those things, if it means saving someone’s life.

Hook your legs around his throat. Use the grapple wire. Twist it around. Now pull. Pull.

PULL! HARDER!

He couldn’t quite get her or the wire off his neck before he passed out from struggling so aggressively, leaving a cloud of dust in the wake of his collapse. Using the environment to her advantage, Charlotte skated over to Minori and the other hero, taking their hands in hers and their pain along with it.

Jesus, they completely shattered this guy’s foot.

They both breathed a bit easier, giving her a weak look of appreciation.

“Can you both move and get to safety? I’ll make a path.”

Fueled by renewed determination, Tsukuri used her Quirk to create and wrap bandages around his injury, aided by Painkiller in getting him to his feet – much easier, now that he couldn’t feel that excruciating pain. He noticed how the pressure Charlotte put on her foot was ever so slightly less than it had been before. Instinctively, he got a deep sense of what kind of hero she was.

Move, useless legs, MOVE! Push yourself HARDER! Push them out the way-

“Thank you. We’ll get out of your wa-” “Watch it-!”

Charlotte’s elbow met an attacker from behind, dislocating their jaw to prevent a grab; but before she could react, another one had shot a bullet through her thigh -

- and another one through her chest, puncturing a lung. Standing still as a statue before the ones she’d saved. Head bowed down. Blood dripping.

The dust settled, bringing the fight to a halt; villains held their breath just as much as the heroes.

A splutter of blood erupted from her lips, painting the concrete beneath her. A hand hovered over the upper bullet hole. The distant voice of a kid she couldn’t even recall the face of hammered nails into her head.

“I-Is she…”

“H… ha ha ha…”

Why don’t you try taking your own pain away, loser?

She tried to fill her lungs, hearing the wheeze echo in her chest. Gurgling, too.

Oh man, Dave’s so gonna kill me.

“Dead…?”

“Ha ha ha, ha HA HA HA…”

“Wait, s-she’s raising her head…” “What?!” “Is she laughing?”

Satisfied, she threw it to the side and spat another mouthful of blood, back straightening. Aching shoulders rolled, searing legs stretched; stiff neck cracked with a loud pop.

When all else fails, always be ready to be brave.

It was a good thing she’d kept her nails long; useful for digging into the muscle of her thigh and fishing out the bullet - but she was no rookie. Painkiller looked the villains dead in the eye with a wide, twisted grin on her face, dipping her fingers into the fire before fearlessly enduring the extraction through the disgusting quenching sound echoing against the silence of the battlefield.

Was this the part where she gave them a grandiose speech about how the strongest heroes always smile?

“Sorry, you thinking that would hurt cracked me right up. Now, where were we?”

“Quick, get her while she’s wounded!”

Electricity screeched her way as it whipped at her feet, sending electric shocks throughout her body. Her eyes widened before brightening in the light with a deranged sense of motivation. Trembling arms reached for the neon-colored whips, grabbing onto them through grit teeth. Grinning.

With a groan, Charlotte tugged, pulling the Quirk user and herself forward simultaneously; she’d kicked him into the dirt mid-air, knocking him unconscious before his brain could catch up.

“Cute, but you’ll have to try harder. I’m the type of girl who plays a little hard to get.”

For a split second, she turned her head, making sure that the younger heroes took the opening she created for them to escape. A blade launched itself at her again; this time, her hand reached out to grab it, gaze so intense it felt like it could burn a hole through its wielder’s skull.

“Guys, come on. How many times do I have to tell you? These pathetic attempts-”

Another blade buried itself into the back of her shoulder. She reached to pull both blades in tandem, swinging them opposite of each-other, “AREN'T GONNA WORK ON ME!”

Guard up. Leap. Strangle. Kick. Punch. Duck.

The prisoners bumped into each-other in a panicked frenzy to use their Quirks; every time she dodged, shoved or twirled, they hit one another like dominoes. Nowhere near the speed of her prime, the older hero was still fast enough on her roller blades to do laps around disarmed groups and tie them together with her grapple before cutting it off; plenty wire left for the rest.

Dodge, right, left. Jab, kick, drop. Push yourself up. Tank the hit. Stack the pain.

Again, again, again.

After she was done with the large group outside, Painkiller had swept the inside of the prison, rescuing anyone trapped, evacuating hostages and battling any remaining enemies.

By the time that reinforcements had arrived, the scene consisted of approximately a hundred defeated inmates, all immobilized, the majority of which were surprisingly quiet and compliant. Despite their injuries, none of them or the surviving prison staff and first-responding heroes seemed to be in any obvious distress.

Toshinori’s legs dug into the ground as he bolted forward, meeting Charlotte’s blood-splattered figure tying up one last villain who almost hissed out a hateful comment as they spotted All Might; her deadly glare met theirs in time, making them swallow it back instead.

“Charlotte!”

God, how could she possibly smile so lovingly at him through all that pain?

“You didn’t have to come, Toshi. You worry too much, it’s bad for your health.”

Tsukauchi hovered close enough to hear her account of the events, but not enough to intrude. He recognized that distinct sincerity in All Might’s voice as he responded, that intimacy so tender it made anyone around them feel like they weren't supposed to be there.

“Of course I came.”

She was covered in injuries, from burn marks to cuts to blooming bruises and- gunshots?! Painkiller took a step closer to him, wincing the tiniest bit as she held onto herself.

“I, uh, got a punctured lung. My body tried pushing the bullet out and sealing the hole but-”

Toshinori was by her side before he could even process it, much too familiar to the adrenaline crash every time she finished a fight.

“The guy who shot me-” she shivered from head to toe, glancing to the steadily filling pool of blood in her palm, “I think he had- some, um, kind of...poison, Quirk. It’s preventing me. From. Healing pro...per...ly. I’m pro'lly- gonna... need a-”

Fuck, my knees.

She bit down into her tongue at the burning sensation, stumbling over her own feet; the pang in her lung hit her like a truck, multiplied by the ridiculous amount of pain she'd gathered. Soothing warmth met her gaping gunshot wound as a large, gentle hand pressed against it, catching her against his chest when her legs gave out. He never quite looked at anything the way he looked at her; like she was a dream.

Like he'd live for her.

“Everyone here…? God, you took so much. Let me have it, Lottie. Please. You’re being stubborn.”

As if. I caused it, I should be able to hold it. And I’d rather be torn apart, limb from limb, before I ever hurt you.

She glanced up at him with a rebellious grin, staining his white shirt with her crimson. Ever since she learned how to contain it, she’d never give him her pain again. Charlotte barely got the words out before she grew faint, feeling the safety and comfort of being scooped up in his arms. He always made sure to hold her in the least painful way possible. Muscle memory.

“The best... heroes... are always stubborn, All - Might.”

She'd already passed out as he carried her to the car, refusing to let go until she moment she went into surgery. He'd been glued to her bedside afterwards, listening to the idle beeps and air pumps as he timidly brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"You don't have to keep acting tough. You've always been the coolest."

He held her hands for hours, not so much for her comfort, but for his own; to deal with the guilt and helplessness that had torn right through his chest and mercilessly gripped onto his heart.

To stop seeing Nighteye every time he looked at her.

There he was, crying again. Pathetic. Useless. And alone.

"Stop bullying an old man and wake up for me, Lottie. I never got to give it back. Please let me give it back... Melissa, I promised her I would..."

"Now, now, we don't condone violence" Cementoss stepped in.

She still hadn't gotten very good at containing her eye rolls.

"I'll see you all in class" Charlotte pointed with a sharp look, students scurrying away. “She totally did! I told you guys!” Mina’s voice echoed in the hallway. “She is SO cool!”

"Can I be honest? I fucking-” Toshinori coughed to cover his slip-up (thankfully the students were already gone), “hate that guy. I’ve heard about his disgusting behavior..." he mumbled under his breath, scooting his chair closer to Charlotte.

"Oh, me too. That's why I stabbed him."

He coughed for real this time. "YOU DID?"

"Yeah. My sister had a field day covering that one up. I was proud of it, but she insisted. International relations, yadda yada."

All Might knew better than to ask about her sister around so many people. He also knew that she wouldn’t have hurt him unprovoked.

I’m sorry, he wanted to say. I’m sorry that happened. I’m sorry the world treats you like this, no matter how hard I tried to make it better. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.

“I wish I could’ve seen it” came out instead, coupled with a cheeky raise in the corner of his lips.

“Oh, it was fun. I kicked his royal guard’s ass before they got the order to step down” she whispered, giggling into her coffee. “No Quirk.”

Aizawa, somehow always around to accidentally eavesdrop on their conversations, raised his eyebrows with a small shrug as he graded Year 2’s tests. “Not bad.”

The former duo glanced at him, prompting him to realize he said that out loud. “The- papers” he muttered, moving the more-red-than-white sheets away from their view. They both glanced at each-other, barely suppressing their amusement.

Midnight set her bag down next to Charlotte, hands running through her raven hair. “Fighting in heels is so chic, isn't it? Was it a dress or pants?”

“Dress.”

“Flowy?”

“Tight.”

They both inched closer to each-other, Charlotte resting her head against Midnight’s arm.

“Ohhh! You are cool.” “Stop it, Nemuri! I blush easily.”

“Can you all stop flirting? I'm trying to work.” Aizawa’s aggravated, dead-pan voice silenced the entire room, flustering the Symbol of Peace. He really needed to interact with her outside of the school more.

Painkiller got to her feet to wash her empty mug, but not before walking past Eraser Head with a coy smile. “Then focus.”

-

Chit-chat echoed from the hall, filling a young woman with anxiety as she unpacked boxes in her dorm room, door wide open. Why’d she leave it open, again? To seem friendly? It’s fine, I’m sure they’ll just ignore you. Or maybe say something. Should I say something? As thoughts flurried inside her head, she saw two male figures, one so tall she felt herself gulp when she looked up, blond, dashing and kind of dorky, while his shorter friend had chestnut brown hair and a “cool nerd” air coming off of him. Well, shit. Now their eyes met. She put on her best smile and waved, apparently catching them by surprise. “Oh, hi!” Both of them almost bumped into each-other, met with the blinding dazzle of the prettiest girl (Gran Torino laughed in his head, ‘Toshinori… how many girls have you even talked to before?’) and her very girly room; she was stylish, visibly wearing make-up, dressed in a cute skirt and tight top. The exchange student was visibly worse at hiding his blush than his American counterpart, both of them nervously standing in the hallway. They attempted to greet her, embarrassing themselves in the process. “H-Hi!” “HI!” “Hi!” “Hi.” Wow. Talk about awkward. They paused, hoping she would still greet them in return. The female student let out a laugh, putting down the handful of plushies in her arms and holding onto the door with a tilt of her head. “Hi?” The boys glanced at each-other urgently before the blond shook his head, too unsure of his English to speak up. David cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets to hopefully appear nonchalant.  “We- uh, we just moved into the boys’ dorms together.” Oh my god. Am I making friends? Be friendly! Friendlier! The friendliest! She clasped her hands happily, a little mechanic in her nervousness. “Aw, that’s so nice!” “Well, not, like, together, we just, like, sleep in the same room- different beds, though!” “D-Different beds!” his significantly taller friend nodded enthusiastically. Why did it matter that they had different beds again? “Well, I just moved in too! I’m Charlotte. Friends call me… L-Lottie!” Or at least they would, if I had any friends. Urged from behind by the blond, the nerd stepped closer, nearing her doorway. “I’m Dave! This is Toshi” he pointed to the giant, who gave her a welcoming grin. “He’s an exchange student from Japan.” He greeted her in the most American English he could muster, feeling his heart race inside his chest. “Nice to meet you, Lottie!” Overwhelmed almost to the point of tears, Charlotte bit her lip, returning Toshi’s warmth with her own wide smile. “Pleasure’s all mine!” A stiff cough from behind interrupted them, earning disapproving stares from other female students across the hall. “Oh, um, you guys know this is the girls’ dorm, right?” They both turned beet red, with David mouthing ‘dude, I told you we got lost’ to his friend. “This is the last time I believe you know the way to the library, Toshi…” “...HAHAHAHA!” David began dragging his friend away, thoroughly embarrassed.  “We'll, um, see you around, Lottie!” “See you, Lottie!” They almost tripped again as they looked back at her; Charlotte's features melted into an expression of pure delight, flushed and glowing with newfound hope. “You might!” Please see me.

“All Might? Are you okay?”

Toshinori straightened, hoisting himself up from the couch in the teacher's lounge. Deku recognized the trademark reassurance in his mentor's smile, but he hadn't seen it laced with quite as much nostalgia before.

“Young Midoriya! I was just… reminiscing.”

Izuku said nothing despite the red color seeping into his ears. 

He's definitely thinking about Painkiller-sensei!!!

Incredibly stiff, his student did his best to give him an awkward pat on the arm. What for, Toshinori wondered but didn't ask; with a soundless chuckle, he placed a hand on Izuku’s back and led him outside for their training, distinctly more distracted for its duration than usual. 

-

“Charlotte? Did you want to stop by the make-up store together on our way back?” Midnight circled over to Painkiller later that day. The older woman almost dropped her paperwork, pretending to be lost in thought by the printer in the teacher's room.

“I, um, actually have a… thing, today. Tonight. So, I can't. Maybe this weekend?”

Nearby, Present Mic immediately made eye contact with Midnight, wordlessly communicating. Somehow on cue, Toshinori entered the room, startled as Mic immediately glued himself to his side.

“All Might! Still coming out for drinks with us?”

Toshi's shoulders sagged apologetically, raising his hands. “Ah, I'm sorry, Yamada-kun. I am otherwise, uh, occupied later. Perhaps next time?”

Their little chitchats had garnered the quiet attention of every teacher in the room, simultaneously pausing what they were doing to listen carefully.

“Ohhh. You have a thing, do you?” Midnight teased, leaning over the printer. Charlotte gulped, making way too many copies of the handouts for her next class.

“M-mhm.”

Present Mic leaned in closer to Toshi, doing his best to lower his still audible-to-the-entire-office voice. “Good luck. We're rooting for you.” With a grin, Yamada let him go, leaving a confused and slightly disheveled Toshi to fix his collar. Rooting for him…?

“Ro-ma-n-ce” Mic mouthed mischievously, watching the color gather in the older teacher's face. “W-what-” “Ro-ma-n-ce~” 

Oh, God. How'd they know?!

His eyes widened, shooting a glance towards the very corner of the room, right by the coffee machine, where an ominous figure was groggily waiting for his mug to fill.

Aizawa?

Who could hear the entire conversation, but genuinely couldn't care less. He hadn't told a soul - it was none of his business. 

That's not like him, though…

“For two Number Ones, they're both super dense!” Present Mic yelled, prompting Aizawa to glare at him as a sign to keep it down, swirling his drink. His words surprised the rest of the teachers, gathered around the same table at the bar. “They've probably never had a chance to experience this before. Because they were Number One.”

“Working the graveyard shift, sensei?”

A relatively cold hand on his shoulder paused his focus, turning in his chair with a dragged-out groan that made her breath hitch, not to mention the gruff, low register in which he said her name. “Charlotte… Forgive me.”

As he faced her, Painkiller felt like they were both in their 20s again with the ridiculous amount of butterflies in her stomach; his slightly-disheveled hair, his half-lidded cobalt eyes, loosened tie and rolled up sleeves of the better-fitting dress shirts he’d started wearing did a number on her, suddenly feeling a particular lack of oxygen in her lungs.

What the hell is wrong with you? You’re a grown woman. It’s been how many? Thirty? Forty years? Get a grip!

Blaming the exhaustion, she placed the papers atop her designated workspace (strategically suggested by Midnight) to his immediate right, “Only if you have dinner with me tomorrow.”

That seemed to slightly jolt the both of them, taken aback by the words that left her mouth.

“An offer I’d be a fool to refuse” he glanced up at her with a tired smile, supporting his hollowed cheek against his knuckles. The muscles in his back flexed, straightening with a stretch before laying back in his chair, those endlessly long legs spread, stretching the black fabric of his suit pants. One hand rested on his thigh, opposite forearm propped against the edge of his desk. He glanced over at her papers before she literally watched his eyes trail up to her face from beneath the prominent shadow. For once, he didn’t look away even after being caught staring. Most likely, he hadn’t even realized he was doing it.

His tone was caring. Gentle. And just a little husky. “You should rest. It’s late.”

Charlotte’s teeth sank into the inside of her bottom lip. The back of her thigh hit her desk; she placed a hand atop her file, red nails slowly dragging over it. Her blinks were drunkenly slow as she imagined reaching out to yank his tie, sliding a knee between his legs and relishing in the way his face flushed; maybe she’d just straddle him, twist his tie around her hand and pull as she felt him grow bigger under her. He’d look so good covered in her lipstick, every inch of that sharp face, all over his neck... She’d stain the collar of his shirt too, just to make sure he’d think about her every time he got dressed (or undressed). She’d edge All Might until he cried, until he begged to sit her on his desk and take her, knocking everything over around them. Would she let it slip in the heat of the moment? How mad she was at him, for so many years? Would she tell him how much she’d missed him, how much she’d thought about him, about this, how many times she disgracefully imagined him, for how long?

Would he finally admit the same?

Ohhh. He transformed into his muscle form when he got excited, didn’t he?

Her fantasies subsided as he awkwardly cleared his throat, evidently flustered. “Lottie? Y-You’re looking at me like you want to eat me alive! Did I forget something? I-I know your birthday is in March-”

Her smirks always had him trembling in place, leaning over to get a better look at his expression; he shamefully noticed the buttons she’d undone on her shirt, despising himself with every fiber of his being. It took a gargantuan measure of restraint within Painkiller to not obey the instinct in her fingers, settling on just ghosting them over the very tip of his tie.

Holy shit. Just breathe! Just calm down. Don’t do it. Don’t-

“Then don’t look so inviting.”

POOF!

She backed away with a satisfied, cheeky smile, covering her giggles with one hand as he shot up from his chair. “There it is.”

“MY GOODNESS, YOU SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS! I WENT AND TRANSFORMED AGAIN, DIDN’T I? I’M INCAPABLE OF NOT EMBARRASSING MYSELF IN FRONT OF YOU! I-I ENJOY YOUR TEASING, BUT IT M-MAKES ME EXTREMELY NERVOUS, SO I END UP ACTING LIKE AN OAF EVERY SINGLE TIME! IT D-DOESN’T HELP THAT I- S-SHOULD PROBABLY STOP TALKING RIGHT ABOUT NOW!”

Smallmight returned, throwing himself back down, bloody spurt gushing out of his mouth. Her face softened with concern, sliding over to his desk and grabbing a napkin.

“Careful, big guy. I’m sorry if I took it too far.”

It was quite remarkable how a 50-something year old, seven foot tall former (Number One) pro-hero could blush so easily, obediently letting her wipe the blood away from his lips, frozen in place.

Oh my god, she still called him that. Please. It’s getting so incredibly hard not to- be-

He hastily took the napkin from her with a nod of gratitude, turning back towards his notebook.

“N-Not at all” he stuttered, trying his best to occupy his hands with the myriad of stationary and paperwork on his desk.

As far as you want.

“Don’t stay up too late, alright?”

“Of course-”

“I want you rested for tomorrow.”

He had to aim the blood he spat out away from either of their papers, listening to her laugh as she rubbed his back. Gaze averted, his hands formed a thumbs up, listening for that alluring sound as she left the office. Out of his sight, the other former Number One leaned against the back of the door, matching the intensity of his blush and feeling her legs grow weak. Charlotte had to nervously fix her glasses and adjust her high heels before she could convince her body to move again, fidgeting the entire way back to her room. A date, she announced her younger self excitedly, noticing her bright red face in her reflection against the window. We’re really going on a date.

As soon as she was gone, Toshinori fumbled with his tie and pulled it right off, unbuttoning more of his shirt. He planted his head on his desk, wheezing in waiting for his temperature (among other things) to go down.

“That was close. Jesus… I need to get more sleep.”

He relished in the calm and quiet within the teachers’ room for a moment before he heard something shuffling, entire body tensing up. “Wh-” “Next time, please perform any extracurricular activities within your dorm quarters.”

. . . . . .

I COMPLETELY FORGOT HE WAS HERE!!!!!!!!!!

Toshinori immediately bowed so far down in front of a sleeping-bagged Eraser Head that he got noticeably dizzy and nauseous, wishing he still had One For All just so could bury his head straight into the concrete.

“A-A-Aizawa-kun-! I-I- M-my deepest apologies, I wasn’t- we weren’t- I- Of course, I-I underst-” With a slide, the door closed, leaving All Might alone with his many, many thoughts, one of which included the way his old friend would double over laughing to tears at him.

Wait a minute.

Did- d-did he agree to take her out tomorrow?

THEY WERE GOING ON A DATE??!?!?!?!?!???!?!

He ran so fast through the campus that people couldn’t even get a good glimpse of what had just dashed past them, checking every room he suspected she could be in. He called her name over and over again, feeling a familiar dread and helplessness creep up within.

“Lottie?!”

Toshinori made it to the other side of the dorms, rushing to the girls’ building as her cries grew louder. He reached her room, slamming the door open as he panted.

“Lottie! Are you-”

“Toshi! She’s...” David watched Charlotte’s body twist atop the ground in pain, desperately grabbing onto her ribs. Hair stuck to her forehead, drenched in sweat, doing her best to suppress her wails. He shook his head towards Toshi, feeling nauseous at his own uselessness. 

“I-I don’t know what to do! She said not to-”

“Don’t... touch me, Toshi…!”

Despite her warning in between groans, he collapsed onto his knees, throwing his backpack to the side and reaching straight for her, large, warm hands finding her shoulders. Toshinori was so confused; there wasn’t anything visibly wrong with her, no open wounds, no bleeding, and Dave hadn’t taken her to the nurse’s office…?

A sudden pang of pain struck inside of him. Watching the heartache on her features, he immediately realized why she’d gone out of her way to not touch either him or David since becoming friends a few months ago. 

It was her Quirk. They knew she could take pain away with a touch, but it had taken them until that moment to realize that the pain had to go somewhere. So... every time she used it, she suffered? Like this? Not only that, but she'd borne it in front of everyone, by choice, this entire time? With a big smile on her face… Every time, without fail, without even a whimper. She carried that agony, along with the horror of accidentally touching someone and letting it slip out of her grip.

“How come you’re always smiling, Toshi? Even when you’re scared, even when you get hurt?” “Those who keep smiling are the strongest. That’s what Master taught me.” “I wish I could’ve met her. She sounds super cool.” “She is.” Charlotte didn’t correct him.

Toshinori felt like such an idiot. What a strong hero, Painkiller. He’d remember that moment for the rest of his life, the titanic strength he came to understand she possessed. Even when he'd become the Number One Hero, he'd always feel like he didn't deserve it. Not when she was sacrificing more than any other hero, more than anyone would ever know. 

His immediate instinct was to comfort her, tightening the gentle squeeze he had on her arms and pulling her further against his thighs, beaming the largest smile he could muster down at her.

“Ha! Worried about hurting me?”

He grit his teeth to endure the increasing pain as subtly as he could, micro-movement that didn’t escape her. Charlotte’s suffering seemed to lessen, finally able to breathe in properly. Her eyes softened, hand reaching to weakly grasp onto his shirt.

“I saw you flinch, big guy… Let go…”

What resolve resided inside her, to carry this pain in silence and never ask for help. To never expect recognition. To reject pity and concern.

"My school in Japan has a motto" his smile remained unwavering, that shade of blue she came to look for in everything embracing her in its brilliance. He felt her starting to relax and glanced at a frustrated Dave with a reassuring nod. "Plus Ultra." Charlotte's knuckles regained their color as she stopped clutching both of their clothes in pain, letting out a small sigh of relief. 

A dull pain settled in between Toshinori's ribs, feeling it throb under his skin. "Yeah?" Her eyes were coming to a close, missing the silent hiss All Might let out as he adjusted his grip on her, pulling her closer and taking her hand in his. "Go beyond. Surpass your limits." "Mhm..." Dave knelt down next to them, reaching to hold onto her other hand, wincing despite the grin he shot All Might. "Sounds like our Lottie." "It is. It's you, Charlotte." And he'd think of her, every time he'd say it, time and time again. First, his Master. Then, his partner. They were the ones that showed him what it really meant.

“Plus… Ultra… huh…”

Oh, what a pleasant feeling. She could barely even remember what it was like, to be free of pain. 

─

“So you can give pain, too?” David’s voice addressed the elephant in the room after a long period of silence, much to Toshinori’s dismay.

“You don’t have to talk about it-” “I can.”

Charlotte swirled her canned strawberry daiquiri, pulling the American flag-patterned blanket over her shoulders more. She avoided both their gazes, looking down onto the lively late-night campus from Toshi’s dorm room balcony through the guardrail.

“And you… you feel it. Every time you take someone else’s?”

Obviously distraught, she twiddled her feet together. The boys had put together a pillow-sofa for them to chill on after she woke up, trying their best to make her as comfortable as possible; David had suggested they could people-watch from the balcony so she could get some air, and Toshi had even ran down to buy her favorite drink.

“You’re upsetting her, Dave.” Toshinori’s surprisingly firm voice rang out, irking David.

“Dude, we’re friends. We should know these things about each-other! Honestly, I’m kinda mad she kept it from us! Aren’t you?”

He didn’t reply, but he wished he would’ve, after hearing David.

“It almost feels like you don’t trust us.”

Charlotte’s emotions flared up, straightening herself with anger.

“That’s not fair! Of course I trust you!” “Then why not tell us?”

She was taken aback that it was Toshi who asked, making it all the harder to respond. Her voice broke as she felt the tears begin to spill, reaching up to wipe them like a child.

“Because I didn’t want to scare you off! You’re the first friends I’ve managed to make! Like… ever!”

“Mom, Charlotte’s screaming… Also, I broke my arm.” “WHAT?!”

Little Charlotte’s sobs were inconsolable, kicking and screaming against the nurses at the hospital. Medication seemed to have no effect. “Ma’am, there’s nothing wrong with your younger daughter… your older daughter’s arm is indeed broken, but she is showing no signs of pain. Is it possible either of their Quirks is manifesting?” Charlotte’s mother clasped her hands over her mouth, breaking into tears. “Oh my god, it can’t be…”

Seated stiffly in the nurse’s office, Cynthia Solace felt her entire world crumble around her. “So your Quirk is the ability to numb a small amount of pain, correct? And you use this in your career as a… dentist?” “Yes, that’s right...” “But you do not feel this pain. The needle that comes out of your pointer finger injects a small amount of anesthetic that your body produces. It is limited to only a few milligrams of mildly potent anesthetic per day. Correct?” “Yes...” “Your husband’s Quirk is…” “Survivability. He can go a few days without eating, drinking or sleeping, and his body is more resistant to injury as well as the elements.” “And he is… a fisherman…?”  “Yes.” “Oh, past history… it says here that he was a firefighter before sustaining a considerable injury. The medical report states he made a full recovery, and would have been apt to return to his-” “No.” The nurse blinked in surprise. “Oh, I didn’t mean to-” “My husband almost died for the sake of ungrateful strangers.” “My apologies. Well, if I may… you should probably keep your daughter from coming into physical contact with anyone, lest she takes their pain. It also seems that she feels pain more intensely than most.”

“Charlotte! How many times do I need to tell you?!” “B-but… the little kid was crying so much when they fell off their bike, and I could help!” Cynthia looked down at her with tears in her eyes. She cried a lot, throughout the majority of their childhood. “You can't help! Look at you! Day in and day out, in bed, in pain! You need to stop playing outside with other kids.” “But, mom!” “You won't listen to me, sweetpea… I can't keep seeing you like this…”

“Hey!”  “Oh no, it's her! Run!” Middle school Charlotte didn't know why the kids had started avoiding her, but she could take a pretty good guess. “Have you heard her scream? She touched that highschooler who got burnt last week. It was so scary!” “Her mom chewed me out for just talking to her one time, so I stay away from her...” “I heard she bumped into a teacher after, and they yelped as if they got burnt too!” “Yikes, her Quirk is so messed up. You think she'll turn into a villain?” “Definitely! What kind of hero scares and hurts people?”

Her friends listened to her story in between tears, watching her hiccup and fidget. “I-I’m sorry” she choked out, burying her face in between her knees. Her mother’s admonishing voice echoed in her head; all Charlotte did was prove her right, in the end.

“You don’t need to apologize” David let out a small sigh, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry I was a jackass.”

Her first reaction was to tense up, scared to pass more pain onto him, but her fear subsided as she realized their skin wasn’t touching. She mumbled, tearstained face buried into All Might’s blanket. “I hurt you. And I scared you. Just like they said…”

“We chose to help” Toshinori moved closer, placing his own arm around her. God, she could never express how safe she felt around them. How loved. She clutched the blanket tighter, noting the comforting scent of Toshi’s cologne, the one she gave him as a birthday gift. “It’s what friends do.”

She’d grown so attached to them; dependent. Charlotte had never leant against anyone for help before. She’d never felt accepted. It was a kind of bliss she didn’t know she’d ever be privy to.

But what will happen to us when we become heroes?

“Oh! What an incredible question. Is this one for every female-presenting hero you interview, or just me?”

“Miss Solace-” “Yes, I do hope they’re afraid of me. That is one of the only ways women get heard, isn’t it? Is that what you wanted me to say?”

As Painkiller tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and calmly picked up her notes, the interviewer panicked, attempting to get a rise out of America’s currently ranked Number Three hero. “Have you been in contact with All Might? He has a new sidekick now, Sir Nighteye. Is it true that you’re still in love with him?”

Charlotte stopped to stare at the interviewer for a split second. Although her gaze appeared cold and distant, something ached inside her chest. Whether it was the sheer heartbreak at all of her hard work and sacrifice being overlooked because of a man, that man having been her best friend, or the constant of having her painful parting with him exhumed and dissected by strangers for their amusement, she wasn’t sure.

Without a word, she walked off, thanking the staff in a surprisingly genuine manner as she left the studio.

“That one’s gonna be fun to damage control” her agent, Angel, joined her side, appreciating the apologetic look on her boss’ face. 

“Sorry… Couldn’t hold it in. It’s every interview, over and over-” “You shouldn’t have to.”

A small sigh left the exhausted hero, finally allowing herself to relax as they got into the car, wincing ever so slightly. “That’s why we’re here. So those who come after us don’t.” …

The TV was blaring in the Might Tower café, late enough in Japan that only Sir Nighteye and Toshinori himself were still present. As always, it was set to an American news channel, keeping him updated on how things were going overseas. It also offered him a strange sense of comfort, homesick for a place that held so many memories. 

"...tensions continue to rise as the Number Three hero, Painkiller", Toshinori perked up, immediately diverting his attention to the flatscreen, "once again garners negative attention in one of her recent interviews when questioned about her scandalous relationship with All Might, Japan's Number One Hero and champion of the American spirit." "Oh, no…” 

The mention of All Might's former partner even spiked Nighteye's interest, who paused the furious typing on his laptop to take a graceful sip of coffee, glancing over at the TV above the frames of his glasses.

Toshinori was, to put it mildly, eternally conflicted about how things ended with Charlotte, let alone the immense feelings he still harbored for her, the things he wished he'd found the courage to say out loud. He kept up with her achievements even now, quietly rooting for her from the bottom of his heart, unable to get used to the bittersweet taste it left in his mouth.

He was, however, painfully aware of just how detrimental his presence in her life had been for her career. It hasn't been easy to cut contact for so long, especially considering the embarrassing amount of times he dreamt of Charlotte, catching himself reminiscing their days together much too often; but he'd reassured himself that it was for the best. He'd never forgive himself for standing in her way.

She was a brilliant hero; the very best. The world deserved to know her. She deserved the world.

Despite the trouble she kept getting into for speaking her mind, Toshinori admired her for it - hell, he was even a bit jealous. Even with all his honesty, he still had to curate his image to the picture-perfect, natural-born hero, forbidden from having a life of his own outside the one he devoted to the people. He couldn't be an individual – he had to be a character, an icon. A symbol. He had to be inspiring, infallible and universally digestible. Merchandise, shows, interviews, photoshoots; most times these days, “All Might” felt more like a product than a person.

“Is it true that you're still in love with him?”

That look on her face broke his heart; or maybe it was the thought of another world where they got a happy ending, for once. A world where his mere existence hadn’t hindered her so. Despite her physical absence, All Might bowed deeply, balling his hands into fists.

"Lottie... I've caused you so much trouble once again. Forgive me..."

Nighteye quietly watched Charlotte’s image on the TV, carefully observing every movement, every aspect of her. There were few things about All Might even he didn’t know, and the majority of them revolved around America’s former Big Three. It irked Mirai that he couldn’t gauge just how much of the rumors about them were true, but his admiration and love for Toshinori were far too great to prod. The Symbol of Peace carried more hurt and regret within him than most people would ever know, and Nighteye would respect his hero philosophy until the day he’d die.

“I like her,” he concluded with a tap of his pen against the corner of his laptop, straightening himself in his chair and returning to work. “A pity we haven’t met. I’m sure she had quite a few stories about you that never made the papers.”

That seemed to cheer All Might right up as he unceremoniously wiped the corner of his eyes. “HAHAHA! My career would be over.” His eyes glazed over the recording of Painkiller getting into her car, widening considerably as he noticed the subtle (yet so distinct, to him) manner in which she held her phone; ring and middle finger spread out, forming a V.

“For Victory, you know? And also, your cute bunny ears!”

It was their way of saying everything's okay, a lifetime ago.

With a loud thump, Toshinori took a seat next to Sir Nighteye, with quite the nostalgic look in his eyes. “How foolish of me to forget just how strong she is. ‘Spitfire’, Dave called her once.” He glanced at his phone for a moment, heavily considering something in the back of his mind. Maybe, just maybe…

“Do you think she would? Forgive you.” I hate seeing you like this. Just talk to her, like you talk to Professor Shield.

All Might let out a sigh, shaking his head as if to convince himself of how bad an idea that would be. He turned his phone over and focused on his sidekick, offering him a reassuring smile. “She’s got more important things to think about.”

When he finally made it back to his room, Toshinori found himself staring at the framed picture of the three of them. He wasn't sure how much time passed before he realized he'd picked up one of him and Charlotte; his favorite, back from their Christmas trip to NYC, not too long before he'd gone back to Japan.

“It would be… difficult. You know how ruthless the media already is-” “But not impossible!” “Lottie, this is unfair. To you. I… I have to go back. I’m so sorry.” “What’s unfair is acting like I get a choice despite you already deciding for me! I don’t care where you are, how hard it is! I guess… there’s things even you are too afraid of, huh?”

“You’re such an idiot, Toshinori” All Might told himself in the mirror, hero costume and muscles and all.

His body relaxed, throwing the suit off as if he didn’t deserve to wear it, sitting on the side of his bed with his head in his hands. The picture lay by his side, a couple of drops against its glass.

What a beautiful picture painted itself before him; even with all the good he'd done in his life, he somehow still didn't feel worthy of witnessing it, watching his old friend run to catch up. She waved so happily, at him, of all people, with the sweetest smile on her face. Something else had been burning inside his heart for the last four decades, other than One for All. This time, it was something a little more selfish. Something just for him. "Hello, Charlotte!" Oh, shit. He turned into his muscle form out of excitement again. Really need to stop doing that every time I see her. "Aw, that's not what you call me! There's nobody around." Good god, that infectious smile and that teasing twinkle in her eyes. Number One Hero, my boot. He couldn't even find the courage to tell her how beautiful she is, even after all this time. "H-Hello, Lottie." That dulcet sound of her giggle, like the wind chimes he remembered from his childhood, filled his ears as she approached, her boots clacking against the pavement. "What a nostalgic sound" he found himself speaking his thoughts out loud, mentally punching himself immediately after. "My heels?" Your everything. My... everything. "M-mhm."

She laughed again, the wind blowing through the river of roses atop her head. Charlotte's hands held out two paper cups in a cardboard holder, the scent of coffee reaching his nostrils. "Sometimes it’s hard to believe we were students once. We've grown old, huh?"

Her words tugged at his heart in the most bittersweet way. “That, we have.”

“I’m glad.”

Toshinori’s eyes widened. He accepted the coffee, heating up as her arm snaked around his. They slowly started walking to school, much alike they used to, a long time ago.

“I’m glad we got to grow old. I’m glad you got to grow old. You deserved it most of all.”

The words he wanted to say died in his throat, but he felt that familiar burn as it tightened, listening to her soothing voice. “That’s not a privilege a lot of heroes have.”

As always, she was right. Toshi concluded affectionately that she never failed to get his own head out of his ass, no matter their ages. His eyes filled with tears as he thought of Nana; with a poof, he was back to his true form, looking down at Charlotte. She turned her attention from their path back to him; that concern painted all over her features reminded him exactly why he’d chosen to stay away for so long. How he’d found the strength to.

He obliged as she motioned him to bend down to her level, caught by surprise as her cold hands reached to wipe away his tears.

“When you left the US… oh, you should’ve seen me! I was inconsolable. I started arguing with Dave every chance I got… Horrified that every time I saw your name somewhere, it would be the thing I dreaded to hear the most.”

Despite her playing it off as humor, he sensed the smallest tremble in her voice. He hated worrying her more than anything else in the world. So, he did what he did best; straightened himself up and put on a smile. “Every time I asked him how you were, he said you were busy, or you wouldn’t talk to him. Eventually, I stopped asking. I figured you wanted to leave the past behind.”

“Oh. So he actually did what I told him, for once!”

They both shared a chuckle, their eyes slowly but surely finding each-other again amidst the falling leaves.

“After a while, he started bringing you up again. As if to suggest I should talk to you.” Especially after having Melissa. All Might still hadn’t figured out that it had been David’s nudge towards suggesting he could start a family of his own, too ─ it was a thought Toshinori didn’t have the luxury of even considering. At least, so far; and it was probably too late. A blessing had graced him nonetheless ─ he’d found a son in Izuku, who had found a father in him. Undeserving though he may be, he sworn to himself he would fight until his dying breath to raise that boy to the best of his abilities.

“And?”

Marriage, however, had been something burnt out of his deck of cards since forever; probably since receiving One For All. Even back then, when they’d come so close to saying it out loud, both him and Painkiller had understood that romance wasn’t something heroes could easily sustain, especially not as both of their fame grew exponentially, especially when their paths led them to different corners of the world.

It just wasn’t meant to be, he’d told himself so many times he’d lost count, despite that embarrassingly strong desire to see her, to hear her again, to feel her, haunting him on every darkened night. When he moved back to Japan, it was such a reflex to want to turn to her every time he saw a cute dog, or a pretty skirt she’d like, or some kind of coffee shop they should go to; her absence had him crying in the shower within the first week.

Sir Nighteye was the only one who knew he’d called her name out in his feverish half-conscious state after his fight with All For One. And he, too, had told Toshinori to settle down; to hang up the mantle as the Symbol of Peace and just give her a call, for God’s sake.

Nighteye... “I was a coward. I am a coward. I thought you were still mad at me. Rightfully so.” His eyes darted away in shame. “You’re certainly not the only one.”

Further enough behind them that they were both too distracted to notice, Izuku felt steam coming out of his ears; nobody would believe him, and it felt like he shouldn’t be there, but seeing this side of All Might was something he just couldn’t miss. With the risk of invading their privacy (well, it was a public path through the park leading to UA, so he wasn’t doing anything illegal), he stayed put, feeling his mentor’s nervousness as his own.

The seriousness hanging heavily on the Symbol’s shoulders dissipated as Painkiller nudged him with a grin, and All Might felt that very familiar urge to close the distance between them surface again, seemingly having grown almost as strong as his Quirk over time.

“Have you seen your puppy eyes? Who could stay mad at you?”

His face flushed, subconsciously thanking the cold weather for providing a plausible excuse for the color in his cheeks.

“T-That’s-!” “Besides, you’re the bravest man I know.”

A shiver coursed through him, feeling his entire frame bulk up. Really, All Might, again…?

He let out an awkward laugh before downing his coffee, choking on it halfway through and transforming back once more. Regaining his composure, he bit down into his tongue and found himself reaching out, picking a burnt-orange leaf out of her pink hair. Was it his imagination, or did her face started matching its shade?

“Well, I’ve always tried to be at least half as brave as you. Sounds like I’m doing a good job.”

Charlotte timidly took the leaf Toshinori offered her, unknowingly causing his knees to almost buckle with the way her doe eyes stared up at him.

“Still such a terrible flirt” she mumbled, accepting his offer to wrap her arm around his once more as they continued their walk towards UA. He laughed, bringing a hand up to cover his obvious blush.

“Can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Maybe his inevitably Quirkless future didn't have to be so empty.

"What are you doing here, shitty Deku? Hiding like a dumbass." "KACCHAN!!!!" Urgently, Izuku pointed to their two teachers, arms linked. As they followed after them from a safe distance, they noticed them step further away from each-other with an awkward laugh, the main school building approaching on the horizon. "Huh."

They spoke in unison, both slightly embarrassed by their reactions. Her gaze darted upwards, meeting such an electrifying blue that it caused her skin to react, lacing her body in goosebumps. She'd never seen Toshinori like that; his hair wasn't styled, the usual bunny-ear strands now framing his face, one arm raised to hold onto the door frame (thankfully tall enough that his entire seven feet-something self could easily fit). His body radiated warmth, the towel around his neck and drops of water running deliciously down his exposed chest indicating that he'd also just come out of the shower.

The arm that had instinctively wrapped around her waist and pulled her close froze in place, much alike the entirety of the exchange student. Toshi could feel all the nerve endings in his body firing off, making sure he would commit the sensation of every inch of her flush against him to memory, not to mention how mesmerized he was by her image. The pretty glitter she always wore on her eyelids had spread to her cheeks, the slightly smeared eyeliner and her long, dark lashes sharpened her eyes; she was almost glowing in the distant hallway light, lining every single shape of her, the weight of her toweled chest against him… the scent of her alone was intoxicating. She smelled so good, like vanilla, like, a fruit tart, or something, like a sweet summer day, like flowers-

‘What are you dozing off for? Focus, Toshinori!’ Gran Torino's voice echoed in his head to no avail. He'd barely talked to girls before, let alone been so close to one, and, despite his strong appearance, he was absolutely freaking out. What's worse, he really couldn't find another word for the look in her eyes other than hungry, which tightened the knot around his lungs, fingers so close to giving into the overwhelming instinct of sinking into her softness-

“You can let go of me now, big guy.”

Her words shocked him into action, pulling his hand off her so fast you'd think she was made of molten lava. Well, that was something he didn't know he very much enjoyed being called. Horrified that she could hear his erratic heartbeat, he brought a hand to his chest and pretended to be itchy, putting some space in between them with a goofy laugh.

“LOTTIE! WH-WHA-WHAT A COINCIDENCE, HUH? YOU GAVE ME SUCH A FR-!”

All Might's voice died in his throat, a shiver rippling through him from head to toe. Oh, is that what it felt like to feel someone touch your lips? Although it was just her finger, Toshinori was frighteningly close to crumbling to his knees.

“Shhh, it's late. Couldn't sleep?”

“I, uh, um-” He was still a guy, after all, under that exaggerated performance of an innocent, natural born hero. Charlotte wasn’t entire sure if that put her off or egged her on further. She’d never really felt attraction before, but she’d also had trouble getting close to people for most of her life. Honestly, her Quirk made it hard to be in close proximity, suffocating her with anxiety of accidentally transmitting the steadily growing pain she experienced; All Might was the first person who’d ever reassured her that she couldn’t hurt him, that even if she’d accidentally use her Quirk, he’d simply smile and show her he’s okay, as many times as necessary until she believed him. Slowly but surely, she’d gotten so used to coming into contact with him, through gentle, friendly pats and reassuring squeezes, catching or lifting each-other up, brushing against one another more often than not; now that she thought about it, they’d gotten oddly comfortable being in close proximity, especially in battle. It had somehow never occurred before just how ripped he really was; his gentle giant personality did a great job at distracting everyone from his physically intimidating presence.

For the very first time, she felt a strange sensation climbing up her body, suddenly aware of her exposed curves and overwhelmingly ashamed of the way her eyes traced the hard angles of his body down to the band of his sweatpants.

Oh my god, SAY something!

With the most nonchalant curve of her lips that she could muster, Charlotte stepped back and attempted to pull the towel a little higher, missing the way Toshi’s eyes followed the motion of her hands as if under hypnosis. “Are you always this articulate?”

Finally feeling like he could think again, All Might shot her a grin. “Hercules!” She’d been quizzing him on the movies the three of them had started marathoning to help with his English.

“Good. You’re learning.”

His stomach growled loudly enough to dispel any remaining tension between them, prompting her to giggle before her own hunger gurgled in response; she pursed her lips in embarrassment, but that big, goofy smile on his face never failed to reassure her. Wordlessly, they both turned towards the appliances within the kitchen, All Might scouring through the fridge as she prepared some plates.

“Wait, what are we watching next?” “Star Wars. The… third one. It was Dave’s-” “-turn, I know… Ugh! I love him, but those movies are so boringgg...”

Love him…?

“We can skip mine. Let’s watch Mean Girls after!” “Aww, we don’t have t-… wait, Toshi, you didn’t just add another Captain America movie to the list again, right? Haven’t we seen all of them like, twice?”

Obviously, Toshinori held nothing but love in his heart for both David and Charlotte, but he’d started to notice there might be different… wavelengths to ‘love.’

“… Lottie! Look!’

He managed to distract her by placing a triangle-shaped package on the table, pushing it towards her as an offering. “Onigiri.”

Love...

Her hands moved around, seemingly putting something together before she turned around to place her own offering on the table, motioning with her fingers as if it sparkled. “Ta-da! Check this out – PB&J!”

The lights were still off, save for the stove top cover they’d turned on.

“Pee, Bee and Jay?…”

Well, it didn’t really matter, right? They all loved each-other dearly. They were the bestest of friends, and Cali Heroes’ Big Three. Nothing could get in between them. Even when they’d had their disagreements, they couldn’t stay angry at each-other. He couldn’t imagine anyone but the two of them walking with him towards becoming the Symbol of Peace. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” Except she’d cut it into a heart and added sprinkles on top, which was so like her, Toshi couldn’t hold a deep laugh from rumbling out of his chest.

Whatever had happened before them earlier had just been a coincidence, right? Some weird signals in their brains, or something. A misinterpretation of social cues.

“Ah! That’s too cute to eat! It reminds me of you, Lottie.” “Isn’t it? It- o-oh!”

Those damn puppy dog eyes he always stared at her with, especially after saying things like that…! What are you thinking, you dork…?

The need to do something, anything, led her to fan out her fingers and then turn her hand, idly inspecting her manicure. It was in desperate need of a refresh.“Yours, like, tuna mayo onigiri, right?” “Ohhh, you’re very knowledgeable! I’m impressed!” “We have them here too, y’know…” “Yep! I actually bought ten from the cafeteria today.”

Well, both her and Toshi were under the impression that whatever had happened between them earlier was well behind them as they both giggled, continuing to converse about the training they’d both done that day and what homework they had for next week, at least right until she’d hopped onto the counter to bite into the onigiri. Charlotte’s shiny, long hair cascaded over her freckled shoulders, towel loosening around her chest, her th-th-tighs, were- so- uh, holy, thick- w-wait, she was crossing her legs-?!

“Toshi?”

Approaching, unfamiliar voices down the hall startled both of them before he could respond.

“Weren’t classes so ass today? I’m glad we went out for drinks after.” “Tell me about it. Hey, wanna stop by the kitchen for a sec? I think I left my Monster in there, and I gotta run straight to the train station in a couple hours.” “Ah, I’ll wait out here.” “Alright, gimmie just a sec.”

It was the exact same split second that Toshi and Lottie’s eyes locked onto each-other, then immediately to the energy drink on the counter right next to her.

“Man, it’s dark. Where’s the lights in here again?” “Who cares, dude? Didn’t you say it was on top of the fridge?” “Oh, you’re right.”

As always, Toshinori’s body moved without a second thought, easily reaching over to the stove to turn the light out, leaping over the table and catching the can she threw soundlessly, placing it atop the fridge before he backed away into the dark again and returned to the other end of the kitchen. Soundlessly, he leaned over Lottie, his massive figure blocking any potential sight of her from strangers, bulking arms placed firmly on either side of her thighs atop the marble counter.

The air between them had grown considerably hotter, or maybe he was so close that she could feel his breath as he hunched near her level (he was, like, unironically, two whole feet taller). He certainly noticed the tickle of her soft hair against his skin and the dizzying sensation of her breath against his chest, his lack of experience just as detrimental as it was making it all the more exhilarating.

No verbal exchange was needed; they both held their breath as someone stepped into the kitchen, fiddled around to reach the top of the fridge, went “Aha! Got it!” then turned around and left. They stayed quiet, listening to the two pairs of steps gradually dying out across the hallway before they could exhale with relief.

Distraction gone, like moth to a flame, their eyes returned to each-other. It was an unspoken challenge of finding the courage to break the silence between them, one that neither was too eager to take. For whatever reason, Charlotte’s brain was picking the most inappropriate time to remind her how many times she’d climbed All Might like a tree to practice moves together; fuck, like, half of their moves consisted of them having their hands all over each-other, throwing or spinning her, sliding under him on her skates, between his legs, doing flashy cartwheels onto his shoulders…

Okay. Maybe it wasn’t that insane that the entire world thought they were dating.

Please just kill me.

The same realization seemed to have hit Toshinori, who was turning so red she was worried she might have to take him to the nurse’s office. For once, her poor circulation was actually useful, placing a cold hand against his forehead. Apparently, neither of them were expecting the vulnerable, shaky sigh he let out, and both of them were feeling way too many new things at once.

“Thanks” he finally found the strength within him to speak, albeit his voice no more above a shy whisper. She nodded, matching his volume. “Mm. Thank you. For, um, hiding me.” “Always.”

Her eyes were so gorgeous.

“I’ll always hide you. Whenever you need me.” Holy crap, All Might, it’s time to stop making your voice sound like that. And those one-liners? Jesus, if Dave heard about it, he’d never let him live it down…

“I think we should, um-“ “Yeah-“ “Head to-“ “Bed?” “Bed.”

A few moments passed without either of them moving, still. Even decades later, Charlotte vividly recalled the way his half-lidded eyes looked at her that night, like they were begging. Long nails slowly traced over the fibers of his towel, settling on each end with a light pull.

As dark as it was in the room, Toshi was not willing to risk his best friend noticing the absolute disaster she was directly causing below his waistband, so his large hands found hers, shaking as he (regrettably) pulled them back. Painkiller felt a very twisted sense of desire to keep making him look like that. Like he was about to cry under her touch.

“I’ll, um, w-walk you to your, uh, dorm.” “Yes, please.”

His soul was just about to jump out of his body.

They managed to share an incredibly awkward, silent walk (of shame?) to the girls’ dorms, a tall, dashing 20 year old All Might struggling not to breathe too deeply and sound like an absolute creep as they said their goodbyes.

“O-Oyas-“

Shit, that’s Japanese, you idiot-

A considerable number of steps above him, Charlotte steadied herself against his sculpted shoulders to place a kiss on his cheek.

“Oyasumi, Toshi.”

And she was gone, leaving him to stare at the night sky while questioning a lot of things.

An ominous sentiment gnawed at his heart as he tried to sleep, only quelled by remembering how sweet her dainty hands felt in his.

He couldn’t fall for anyone. As much as Toshinori craved that closeness and had all that love to give, All Might didn’t have that luxury, not until he’d defeat All for One. And he could never ask of anyone to wait for him, assuming it didn’t kill him in the process. Best case.

He couldn’t afford risking her or Dave. Truthfully, he was already being selfish, having gotten so close. He couldn’t lose someone again. Not them. It would be the only thing that could ever break his spirit.

On her hands and knees, Painkiller sobbed incoherently; he noticed her hands, still holding someone else's peeking out from under the rubble. They weren't moving.

He knelt down next to her, hesitating for a moment before his palm found her back, rubbing it slowly in an attempt to comfort her.

"Paink- Charlotte…"

She couldn't face him. She couldn't face All Might, of all people, the man who could save everyone. For some reason, he felt her pull away as she cried, her body curling into itself. He didn't know what to say, what to do to help. But he knew damned well he'd try his hardest.

"Charlotte… We can't always save-"

"BUT YOU CAN!"

Her anguish lashed out at him as she raised her head, face drowned in tears.

"YOU can! You ALWAYS can! But I-"

Her voice broke, squeezing the lifeless hands into hers. Shaking, she faced back towards the ground, and Toshi watched her tears gather into a dark patch atop the dusty concrete.

"You save lives, yet all I can do is watch them go."

"Don't you think that's unfair?"

"Wh- yes, I do! I'm basically useless!"

"Don't you think that's unfair to the people that you've helped? The comfort you've offered them? The relief only you can give them? How many people's pain have you taken since becoming a hero? Tens? Hundreds? What about before that? Don't you always rush head first to take someone's pain, even if it means you feel it instead?'

Her eyes widened, large tears still rolling off her cheeks as he dared to inch closer.

"But you're… the Symbol of Peace. What am I?" Toshinori saw himself in her, screaming and kicking when he'd felt more helpless than ever, when he'd felt the worst despair, pulled away by Gran Torino and forced to watch his master die for them. For him.

"Nobody can save everyone, yet we still try."

Her lips pursed, letting out a trembling sigh as she glanced at him.

Even All Might had someone he couldn't save…?

"When you hold their hand and soothe them with a smile, even as they know they're about to pass. What do they feel, thanks to you?"

Charlotte's eyes painfully shut, bringing one of her hands up to cover her face as her sobs worsened. All Might- no, Toshinori reached out to gently take her hand and pull her close to him, letting her hide in his chest as she cried her heart out.

"To me, you're a true hero. You are Peace." My Peace. "You are Hope."

The scent of her still managed to calm him through the chaos around them, burying his face in her hair. He couldn't even imagine how much agony she was in, feeling herself being crushed alive just to offer someone a gentle death.

"It's going to be okay."

His voice wavered ever so slightly, trying his hardest to be strong for her as Nana's face smiled at him in his memories.

"I am here."

They’d both stopped what they were doing to stare at him in awe, before the support course student tilted his head behind the camera. “Hold on. Is that a Superman quote? Did you just read your comic page out loud?”

Toshi turned his head towards them from the bed, an iconic grin plastered over his face. “Yes.”

“You’re such an Americanophile, dude!” “HAHAHAHAHA!” A laugh familiar to millions of people in the future resounded through the bedroom, both of his friends’ joining in. The clip seemed to cut before another reel of the same scene started playing.

“Lottie, how’s the costume going?” 

“Look, look! Isn’t this, like, totes cute?!”

Still on the floor, David straightened his back against the bedframe and craned his neck to get a better view at Charlotte’s papers. Atop numerous fashion sketches was the renewed version of her very first hero costume, admittedly an improvement over the plain boots, short dress, arm-length gloves and long cape from before that she had basically meshed together from a bunch of Toshi’s vintage comics. “Wait, that’s actually kinda cool.” “Isn’t it?! I’m designing a more stylish cape, too! Definitely shorter. This one gets so annoying! Apparently, long capes and not being able to fly or leap are, like, a super bad matchup.” “That could work, actually. I just read about this new material the other day; it’s real aerodynamic. It could help you glide around. And yeah, I saw you trip on it when you tried to get that kid’s cat out of a tree- ow!”

The heart-shaped pillow she threw at him bounced off Dave’s head to land on Toshi. He snuggled it to his muscular chest, arms crossed, before he gave her a big thumbs up. “Nice, Lottie. Super cool! It suits you.” A slight blush dusted her cheeks as her eyes lingered on the pillow she cuddled it to sleep every night, snugly squeezed against Toshi’s bosom, camera slowly panning to take in his large biceps.

“You guys…!” The young heroine rushed over and wrapped her arms around both, pulling the three of them close. The camera clattered to the floor, capturing an upside-down view of their hug. “I couldn’t have picked better dorks as my sidekicks.” “Sidekicks?! I’m basically a genius, and this guy’s seven feet tall!” “The perfect boring backdrop characters to make me shine!” “Man…” “HAHAHAHA!”

-

“Guysss, why’d you both ditch me? That lecture was sooo-whaaAAAT IS going ON?!”

Toshinori’s incredibly red face turned away, hands fidgeting in his lap.

“D-Dave is… here…”

“Toshiii, sit still!”

Those pink nails that made his skin prickle grabbed onto his face again, and Toshi had never felt himself this close to spontaneously imploding. Shyly, his eyes darted over to David, a confusing mix of 'please don’t look' and 'please don't leave me' combined over his features.

“Y-Yes, ma’am…” 

“Alright, this is getting weird.” With a deep sigh, David set his backpack down and took a seat on the floor next to them, taking the scene in with a laugh. Charlotte’s focus was indomitable; nothing could shake the pure concentration as she drew the eyeliner over Toshi’s lids, staring at him more intently than his heart could handle.

“So, you’re turning him into a pretty princess? Did I miss the prom invite?” All it took was one deadly look from Charlotte for David to raise his arms in defeat. “Alright, alright! Geez…” “He’s already pretty, that’s why I wanted to see how he’d look with some make-up! Don’t worry, you can be next.” 

Toshi’s gulp was a lot louder than he’d hoped as her delicate fingers smeared the kohl from the corner of his eye. “Sorry! Did I hurt you? We can stop anytime!” 

Dave raised an eyebrow at him, mouthing a not-so-subtle ‘blink three times if you need help.’ The blond’s dazzlingly bright smile blinded the both of them. “You never have to worry about me hurting, Lottie! You look like you’re having so much fun. I’m just glad I get to see it.”

Surprised, Charlotte let out a squeak, dropping the setting spray she had just picked up as her entire body caught on fire. She stood up and stumbled to the bathroom, muttering a faint “you’re such a dork” before disappearing from their sight. 

Confused, Toshi scratched his face, slouching as his eyes met Dave’s. “Did I say something wrong?” 

“Toshi! Ah, Izuku, too! Sorry, one sec, work email…”

Truthfully, he was always fanboying at least a little. Not just one, but TWO former Number One heroes in his proximity?! Besides, her being one of the closest people to All Might, and still rumored to be lovers, so many years later? He was basically vibrating with excitement already, in addition to the squeal he’d just let out when he noticed her phone charm, bouncing lightly under the motions of her fingers across her phone screen.

“NO WAY?!?!?!?! THE SUPER ULTRA LIMITED EDITION, AMERICA ONLY, VERY FIRST DESIGN OF ALL MIGHT MERCH, PROTOTYPE YOUNG AGE ALL MIGHT!!!!!! MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTS!!!!”

The shine in Toshi's eyes grew brighter as he realized, his heart instantly swelling in his chest. His eyes met Charlotte's as she bit her lip, flustered from head to toe. Their longing stares turned into a simultaneous laugh, leaving Izuku listening to them with his own blush across his cheeks. Despite a few scuffs showing its age, it had obviously been treated with the greatest care.

“That old thing? You… kept it?”

Her expression melted into the sweetest smile, despite the fluster over her facial features still ridiculously obvious.

“Didn't you hear? It's the rarest.”

“Toshi, look at this! I drew you! Except, cuter, and, like, super perfect for a little keychain or phone charm! You said you've been asked for a prototype merch design, right? Here you go!”

He could never help returning her smile, just the same as always.

“It really is."

“Lottie! This is no time to leave that park bench - because I am here! With the first ever…” Sporting the brightest grin, Toshi proudly pulled out a dangling phone charm, holding it to the side of his face and mirroring his signature pose, “-All Might merch! HAHAHA!” Charlotte broke out into a giggle, rushing over to him. She placed an arm over his chest for support, rising to her tip toes for a better look. “Ahahaha! It's even goofier than I thought it would be! It's so cute, though! Really looks like you! Oh-? You're turning kinda red!” His laugh slowly dissipated into an awkward throat clear before snatching the charm into his palm, a large hand holding the tiny All Might out for her. “It's the test one. I'd be honored if you kept it, since it's your design. It felt right.” With a small smile and that annoyingly repetitive feeling of butterflies in her stomach, Charlotte gingerly took the phone charm from him, both of their eyes flickering to each-other as their skin touched. She attached it to her phone and held it up with a laugh, doing her best impression of him before the setting sun. “Charlotte's favorite phone charm… is here!” Shit, he was probably turning redder. “We need to make some small changes, though. I'll simplify the suit design more, so it's easier to recognise on this small of a scale. Then you should be good to have them make the first batch and ship them out!” “Ah, I see! You're really good at this stuff, Lottie.” “Well, I am the most fashionable hero!” Before he could think, Toshinori's hands had found her sides, lifting her up and spinning her in the air as she clutched his shoulders in surprise. He reveled in his favourite sound, one he wouldn't hear for much too long after they'd part. “And also - the tallest!” “That's right! Wait-! I almost dropped Smallmight!” “Smallmight?” “Mhm! He's my buddy now!”

“Of course I kept him. I would never leave my Smallmight behind!”

Midoriya grabbed his head in shock, almost falling over from the overwhelming domesticity between them.

“THAT'S WHERE IT CAME FROM?!?!?!?!??!”

Toshinori knew it as well as you, that if he used his full power you'd be lying face first in the ground, defeated in seconds, but you still wanted for him to use his full power, once.

Toshinori attacked you once again, and this time your plan didn't miss, he was holding back so you planned to use it against him, you again tried throwing him down and it worked.

You sat down on his waist, staring down at him as you smirked. Toshinori lay flat on the ground and you basked in the glory for a minute or two as he didn't say anything just held your waist and with a single move reversed your position rolling you on your back, now you were lying down, the ground to your back. His hands on either side of your head and your legs on either side of his waist.

"What did I say about being distracted?" Toshinori said staring down at you. "I win" He smiled widely.

You looked up at him, his blond bangs falling perfectly on his face, his breath heavy and face sweaty, locks sticked to his cheeks. You lifted your left hand holding his wrist next to yours, your hand slid up slowly, his eyes widened slightly, your hand stopped right at his bicep.

Your free hand reached up, a breath away from his face, you hesitated for a second before your fingers tugged his blond locks behind his ears and he blushed, cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink, his breath caught up at his throat.

Your hand slid down, cupping the back of his neck as your thumb stroked his neck, slowly. He let out a gasp. Shocked at the sound he made, his hand shot up covering his mouth to hide the embarrassment, his eyes darted away. And You pulled him down by his neck.

Easily.

Only because he let you, his hand fell down near your head, his face a breath away from you

"So... " You murmured. Breathy, low. Your warm breath fanned his face. You pecked him on the corner of his mouth, your hand tightening on his bicep, staring up at his eyes.

He looked down at you, lips parted. He leaned down to kiss you. And before he can, you put your hand on his chest pushing him and rolling again. As you sat on top of him, you smirked.

"What did you say about being distracted? "

You raised your eyebrows and leaned down, "Who's the winner now?" Your lips brushed his ears. You leaned back, index finger lifting his chin when you pressed your lips to his.

Finally.

The first touch of your lips was incredibly soft which sent a jolt down your spines. The absolute softness of lip against lip, a lingering contact. You leaned back for better position and Toshinori leaned forward as if he didn't wanted to let go.

"So impatient" You murmur against his lips.

As the kiss deepens, his hands come up snaking around your waist, pulling you closer against his chest. You also let go of his chin and snake your arm around his neck and the other hand stroked his head. Slow.

The world narrowed down to just the two of you, you bite his lower lip and he lets out another gasp. His mouth hold your lower lip hostage, pulling and sucking it and you moan at the contact and his tongue invades your mouth, licking and sucking everywhere. it was a sweet, sensual, clumsy kiss, and the gasps disappeared inside your mouths

When you finally broke apart, your breath was heavy, same as toshinori. Chest heaving, lips parted, and faces flushed. It was a reluctant pull, your forehead linger against his, breathing the same air. You both chuckle, a smile breaking away when you look down at him and he looks up at you.

_____________________________________________

Another fic! Woohoo :D

I lost the first draft to network, and I was so frustrated when I realised it disappeared 😭😭

But I still giggled while writing it again, it was so sweet, now I may have diabetes. Just kidding.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading ♡

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