Time in a Tree (All Might x Reader)

Tell Me

"Well, I must be if you still had your access card."

SHIT. You almost dropped your phone. Fumbling with it wildly as it bounced from hand to hand until you got a grip on the damn thing. HOW DOES HE KN-

"Hello? Are you still there?" Might's voice was still too smooth. "Mhm." Your voice was high pitched and laced with fear for some reason. "Yeah, yeah I'm still here." Ayo why the fuck am I shaking?

"Good." And then there was silence.... because it was your turn to talk.

You held the phone an arm's length away from your face so he couldn't hear your shaky exhale. Okay, I got this. You brought the phone back to your ear. "So word travels fast around there, huh?" 

"You could say that."

Am I in trouble? I'm too old to get in trouble like this. "So it hasn't changed much since I left." You kicked at the few pebbles around your feet.

"I suppose not. I found your card lying in the fourth floor hall."

"Claims...sounds about right."

"I did some digging."

"Sounds like something All Might would do, please continue."

"Tell me how they treated you." That...That didn't sound like a question and his tone confused you. Was it a command? A request? 

"Oh...today or before?"

You could hear Might situating himself on something. A chair maybe? You pictured him taking a seat in a big, brown, leather lazy boy. No, a love seat. He's a big guy.

"Both, if you'd indulge me." He answered.

"Um, okay." You took a deep breath. "That whole department disliked me and I'm not sure why."

It was a lengthy, mostly one sided discussion. You tried your absolute best to keep your self as calm and cool as Might's voice when he interrupted. Just to ask you to further elaborate, of course. The passive aggressive notes were manageable, child's play really. Then it escalated to missing documents, altered data, desk vandalism. Back in high school I see. And of course they stole your lunch. Your attempts to contact HR were somehow thwarted just like your transfer application. You weren't going to quit out of the blue because you needed the money, but you were definitely looking for employment elsewhere.

"When I was fired..." you laughed nervously. "I was relieved, even though I hadn't found some place new. Is that strange?"

"No, not at all." You could hear the clinking of ice on glass through the receiver and the way you pictured him changed. Still in that love seat definitely. You were speaking through his wireless buds, the sleek black ones. Now there was a dimly lit lamp above a side table where he took notes. His drink in the opposite hand, just as brown if not darker than the chair. One of those solid, clear, ice spheres rolling around in the alcohol happily. He looks like he'd enjoy the aesthetics of those. I could use a drink too. 

You wished you could read minds. His silence was starting to get to you, so you broke it. "What will you do with that information?"

"That's up to you." It was like butter, the way Might said that, and yet so unnerving that the most powerful man in that building - shit, in the world - just handed you the keys.

Your mind was racing, listening to that rhythmic clink. Fire them. One side screeched. They have families. Families that did nothing to hurt me. The other tried to reason. You went over numbers. If Might Towers employs this many heroes...

Out of them, the rookies cause an average of this much in damage...

To fire an entire department would be ludicrous. Even if it was split in sections the amount of funding it would take to hire and train newbies would be through the roof.

Call wait times would be even higher.

I gave him names. So, so many names. What if it was just them?

They still have families, responsibilities.

They didn't think about my"family" or "responsibilities". Now I sleep in my car.

You sighed heavily, scratching your head in frustration. Is this really a part if running a business...an agency? Damn, this was stressing you the hell out. 

"I..." you finally spoke. Might had been so patient, so quiet on the other end, apart from that little clinking. He didn't rush you, he left you to your thoughts. It almost felt like he was testing you. "Sensitivity training...and testing." That's the middle ground you chose. "Every day for two weeks. That floor can be split into eight even sections, totaling sixteen weeks. While one is training, their work can be divided among the remaining seven. That way it doesn't hinder efficiency hardly increases wait times." Your final answer.

"Is that all?" Might asked. How did he stay so level headed? It was fascinating. "....Yes." He couldn't see you nodding. "I'll see what I can do." You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. 

"I apologize if I've spoiled your day." He said softly.

"I should be telling you that!" You tried to laugh. "I'm the one who broke in, remember?"

"You're admitting to villainy then? I can't be friends with villains, it's against my code."

"Ehhh more of an antihero. Surely you could make an exception for me?"

"Maybe I will."

Charisma on 10. How'd he flip the mood so well from that downer? "That's fantastic news...thank you, Might."

He gave off an approving hum, picking up on what that gratitude was meant for. "What are you up to on your short day?"

"I'm at an arcade with a few friends."

"You should've told me I was interrupting something. We can talk later."

"No, no, no!" Don't go! You didn't mean to sound so...eager. "I'm kind of a third wheel, so it's alright."

"That doesn't sound too fun." You could hear the questioning expression he was making.

"It is! I've been having a blast, actually. The funniest thing happened, too. Wanna hear?"

"I'd love to."