The Hero and the Damsel

Stay With Me

            Each day led to the comings and goings of doctors and nurses. Those days were hazy, but the only thing I could think of, the only thing on my mind was this crumpled note that All Might left behind on my bedside table. Ask about flowers. What did that even mean? Ask me about flowers? Ask what kind of flowers I liked? Any time he came to visit me though, I was too scared to bring the note up. I was nervous, I just set it back on the bedside table in hopes that maybe he would see it and remember the part about flowers. He never mentioned it.

On the last day of my being in the hospital, so the day that I would soon be released back into the working and breathing world, All Might came to visit me as usual. I was standing up now, the burns on my legs having healed greatly. I stared at the window as he ducked below the door and entered my room, his usual booming bass voice calling out to me. "Yamane! You're walking now! You're healed! Wonderful!"

I turned to face him with a sad smile on my face. I had a feeling that this would be our last encounter. Our last visit. Even though he annoyed me, and his constant outlandish nature was sometimes rather grating, I found his company enjoyable. "Hey All Might...I get discharged today, so the civilian you 'saved' is officially saved."

His expression seemed worried as his crystal eyes focused on me standing by the window. "You still don't seem 'officially saved' to me. You seem sad."

I sighed turning my gaze down in a bit of dejection. I wasn't going to lie, I was sad. I genuinely was getting used to All Might coming to visit me every day. I was getting used to something I shouldn't have. He is a hero, he was doing a service by ensuring that I pulled through my injuries, now that I have, he'll vanish from my life, almost as quickly as he entered it. I shook my head. I was unable to fathom words.

He approached me carefully as he rested a large hand on my back. I was right in thinking that I would be quite dwarfed standing next to this man. He calmly tried to sooth me as he rested his hand on my back. "What's got you down Yamane?"

I looked up at him, trying not to seem upset, but that depressed expression in my green eyes I couldn't help as he gazed at me with his crystal blue eyes. "I'm going to miss our talks."

He seemed genuinely surprised with my response. Was it strange? Did that strike him as odd? He stood there a moment processing what I said to him before he smiled widely. It wasn't a fake grin like he usually had, this one was different somehow. "I will miss our conversations too. Perhaps there is a way we can alleviate the problems so that both of us do not have to miss these conversations."

My gaze continued to focus on those bright blue eyes with sadness and pain. "But how...? You are a hero All Might."

He watched me, his hand tensing on my back as he tried to rub it in a soothing manner. He seemed unsure of what to say or what to do. His gaze went down, I could tell from the pained look in his blue eyes that he didn't know what to say or even know of a solution. That was until he blurted out something I don't think even he meant to say. "You could stay at my place."

My eyes focused on him in amazement of what came out of his mouth and immediately after he said it, he covered his mouth. "You...you want me to stay with you?"

He seemed flustered. His once suntanned face replaced with red as he embarrassedly started to stutter. "I-I-I mean, if you w-want. Y-Y-Your home is b-burned down C-C-Civilian Y-Yamane! I-It would be w-wrong of a h-hero such as m-myself to d-d-deny a c-c-civilian i-in need!" I could tell he was completely nervous. He was flustered, panicking, trying to find the words to use to explain himself without sounding strange or inappropriate.

I started laughing at him as I grinned up at him. "Are you inviting me to your bed?!" I hunched over, grasping my sides and stomach from the pain of my laughter.

I don't believe All Might could have gotten any redder, or hotter, literally. I could feel the heat radiating off of him. He quickly removed his hand from my back in an attempt to be polite and appropriate. "N-N-Never! I-I-I'm not s-s-so bold a-as to ask a d-d-discharged woman from the hospital to come to b-b-bed with m-m-me!!"

I kept laughing hysterically as I watched him panic and wave his hands around to try and demonstrate that he had only the purest intentions towards me. I kept laughing and I grabbed his hand to try and stabilize myself. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just messing with you. I won't intrude on your home All Might. You're a hero, you probably get into danger even at home, I don't want to deal with that." I sighed, breathing in to try and calm myself as I held onto his hand and collected myself.

All Might seemed embarrassed and his face remained red, but his panicked hand waving had ceased as he looked down at my hand and then focused on me. "Then how shall we stay in contact for...f-f-for these c-c-conversations of ours?"

I smiled as I removed my hands, having officially calmed my nerves. I reached into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out a small light purple phone and gentle shook it. "Phones?"

He seemed confused and nodded, almost having forgotten that phones existed. He pulled out a red cellphone and showed it to me. We opened our phones and let the infrared do its work. We traded e-mails and I smiled up at him. "This way we can still chat with each other, even when you are saving the city and maybe the world."

He nodded with a blush as he watched me. "Of...Of course!" He gave that boisterous fake grin of his again. "This way I always know you are safe as well Yamane!" He gave that fake laugh again, the one I had always found so annoying, but had grown to know that meant he was nervous or afraid.

I place my hand on his broad, toned chest. Underneath my fingertips, I could feel his rippling pectorals. "What's got you all nervous this time All Might? Is it that I'm a girl?"

His blush darkened and turned his crystal blue eyes seemed worried, but bright and embarrassed as he mumbled. "Yes..." He shook his head. The golden blonde bangs that were styled up swayed with his headshake. "Yamane! Shall I escort you out of the hospital?! I wish to ensure that you truly are saved!"

I smirked and laughed as I nodded. "Sure, All Might."

He let me leave the room first. I stepped out of the door and looked back to watch him leave the room as well. We left the hospital together, walking side by side, but at a comfortable distance. I didn't want people to assume anything about their preferred hero. Their popular hero. As I walked alongside him, I noticed that again, he was a man. I needed to remember that even though this man was a hero, he was still a man. He was a human male. I always needed to remember that. With all his visits, it was hard not to notice that he was a man over a hero. He wasn't All Might the hero to me anymore, he was All Might, the man. The normal man.

I continued walking alongside him and as we approached a nearby hotel, I turned and faced him. "Well, here is a suitable hotel. Job well done All Might!" I gave a mock solute which made him laugh gently.

All Might placed a hand on my head and ruffled my dirty blonde hair. "Stay safe and try not to run into danger too often." He smiled before lifting his hand and turning to leave.

As I watched his tall,toned...handsome figure leave, I called out to him. "Sunflowers!" He turned toface me confused as he cocked an eyebrow at my outburst. I laughed gently andcovered my mouth as I grinned to him. "I like sunflowers!" With a bright smile,I walked into the hotel to set up a room to stay in while I worked on finding anew apartment and start a completely new life.