The Hero and the Damsel

Coughing Fits

            Five to six months passed. Christmas was the best as Toshinori tried to plan another romantic evening using different co-workers' bad advice. This go around though it was Present Mic. That surprised me as Mic didn't seem the type. Especially since the suggestion was in a more..."sexual" nature. At least as "sexual" as Toshinori could get.

He was getting bolder though, more assertive at times. He was kind of...sexy in those moments. It was so embarrassing to admit that his godly-physique was so attractive. I was adapting though. I was even making new friends among the heroes at the agency Toshinori worked for.

Things were going as I thought, perfect, until around the end of our sixth month as a couple, February. I had just gotten over my morning coughing fit, something of a habit I'd been developing as of late. I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand as I walked out to the kitchen. Toshinori was making himself, and by default me, breakfast. I went over, wrapping my arms around those toned abs. "Morning Toshi..."

"Good morning Sweet-Tart!" He was always such a morning person...Ugh...

I hugged him tighter through as the new pet name caught my interest. "Sweet-Tart? That's a new one. When did you become the Candy-Man?" I gave a bit of smirk into his back.

I felt him tense up as my arms remained around his muscular mid-drift. "A-Ayano!" I gave a short laugh at his embarrassment, but that was soon cut short by another coughing fit.

I quickly released Toshinori placing a hand to my chest and the other over my mouth. This was a terrible feeling, just this horrible pain in my chest every time I coughed. However, the sensation of a large, gentle hand came upon my back. Toshinori was rubbing gentle, small circles on my back as he spoke calmly and with a bit of worry. "Ayano...I heard you coughing again this morning, and now...I really think you should go to the hospital."

I waved my hand at him, trying to make it seem as though my coughing was not causing me great deals of agony. As I did as such, I wheezed and choked out, "I'm fine Toshi, seriously. You can drop the concerned hero act." Great...he was totally going to believe my wheezing, choking speak when I say I'm fine.

What a surprise! He didn't. Rather, he picked me up, carrying me in his strong arms. That weightless feeling I loved returned as he carried me back to the bedroom. "I'm not giving a hero act...I'm being a concerned boyfriend Ayano."

His action of picking me elicited some struggles. I started thrashing and flailing around to no avail. My boyfriend was All Might after all, I should have known that it would be nothing to him. However, I continued to protest. "T-Toshi! P-Put me down!" Immediately after shouting though, I began coughing and hacking.

Toshinori's grip on me tightened slightly as he stopped walking to the bedroom stood in front of the doorway to the bedroom. "I'm...staying home..."

That was it. I kept struggling and thrashing, getting pissed. "The Hell you will! You're All Might! A hero! You don't get days off! You are going to work!" My voice started to crack before I started chocking and coughing again in pain. I stopped thrashing and gripped my chest tightly, attempting to let my coughing subside.

I saw the pain and sadness well up into his eyes as I regained control of my coughing. So much sadness and pain. He opened the door to the bedroom and walked over to the bed, setting me down with care as though I was some precious item. "Evil...doesn't ever rest..." He took a seat next to me on the bed, brushing some of my loose dirty blonde hair from my face, that pain staying in his eyes. "I..."

I reached my hand over to him, having lifted it from my chest with a bit of weakness as I rested it on his cheek. "If you ever stop saving people because of my illness I swear to God Toshi, I'll never forgive you and you can forget about sharing this bed with me!"

I was attempting to change the topic in hopes that it would lighten his spirit, but also he would follow the topic of conversation. Pick up my flirt. He did follow as a blush formed on that pallor skin. "S-S-Share...?"

The look on his face was sweat as I removed my hand from his cheek to rest it on my stomach. "Yes, share. With you're 7'2" height, I doubt the couch is the most comfortable place for you to be sleeping."

Toshinori hesitated and hung his head in embarrassment. "Not...not too comfortable, but...but I don't want to be indecent! Y-You a-and I are...w-w-well!"

I snickered weakly as I watched him, coughing a bit with a grin on my face. "We're dating Toshi, which means it isn't wrong for us to start sleeping together. I mean, it's been a few months since we started dating."

Toshinori leaned over me, in a rather looming fashion. This alone made my face go bright red. Whenever he did this, I always thought he would kiss me. It was kind of nice, certainly made him seem confident. I stared into those beautiful oceanic eyes, completely enamored. "A-Are you r-r-really okay with that A-A-Ayano...? Y-Y-You're okay with u-u-us sharing a...a bed?"

I snorted, giving a cough before I laughed. "Yes! I'm fine with it."

He was still nervous it seemed, but he leaned down and planted a gentle, quick kiss to my lips. "T-Then...Then tonight I shall j-join you i-in bed."

I melted into the kiss with a smile. "Just try not to use me as a teddy bear too much 'Sweet-Tart.'"

He blushed as he stood from the bed with a bit of embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. "I've been...messing around with pet names. N-Not one of my better ones, but I-I thought it was e-endearing."

I smirked at him. "If you're my Candy-Man and you are working towards those bedroom shenanigans your co-workers seem to think you get into with that lollipop of yours maybe."

The red on his face got worse as the tips of his ears started to tinge red. "You're really inappropriate at times Ayano." I shrugged as he shook his head and gave me a heroic grin. "Stay in bed!"

I rolled my eyes and glared. "And if I refuse to stay in bed."

Toshinori stood there, thinking a moment before he nodded. "I can't stop you, but I'll find a way to throw you off guard and make you shower me with compliments for the day until I'm satisfied."

I pouted as I looked away. "If you want a compliment, ask for one."

There was slight hesitation before he looked over at me with eyes that were asking for a compliment, begging for approval almost. I sighed but a twitch formed at the corners of my lips as I smiled. "Toshinori, I like you...so very much. Please stop looking so lost, I wouldn't stay with you and tease you if I didn't like you as I do."

He nodded, his blush lightening as he made his way back over to me. "I wouldn't call that a compliment, that's a confession Ayano."

I smirked at him in embarrassment. "Who taught you to play this type of game Toshi?"

He smiled as he placed a massive hand on my cheek and lifted me slightly in a gentle kiss, his hand finding its way to the small of my back. I kissed him back, happily and willingly. His kisses always made me melt. For a man who had never seen a woman undressed, he was certainly a great kisser. I could have remained that way for a bit, but my body had other plans.

In the middle of the kiss I felt another coughing fit on the verge of breaking through. I suddenly ripped myself from my boyfriend's lips and started coughing. My one hand at my chest, the other at my mouth. That's when I heard a sound that broke my heart to pieces to hear. Toshi...afraid..."A-Ayano...?" I looked over at him quickly, the motion surprising me as it made me dizzy. I swayed a bit, trying to orient myself to my position on the bed. However, I don't believe I did because a moment later I heard Toshi scream my name, but that was before everything went horribly cold and dark.