Your questioning at a halt as he passed by the first time. His steps more pronounced than normal. You heard as he moved into his room and then...Your ears perked, the sound of running water. The second time Yagi passed by, your racing mind went from a ten to a thousand when you caught sight of the red hazard bag in his grip. Oh it's bad. It's gotta be really bad. Lips sealed shut but ear canals wide open, you listened as he left.
By the time he returned you were in the kitchen eating. His eyes just barely glossing over you before he returned to his room. You heard it again, the sound of running water. Really bad.
The initial shock had worn off. Your form now curled up on the loveseat of the living room. Remote in hand, you flipped absentmindedly through channels in dire need to distract your ears. Cooking, animals, comedy, another hero dead, comedy. Damn, was it a shame you were becoming numb. Or is it a shame it's becoming the norm?
You shook it off, deciding a streaming service would do you best at the moment. Navigating to the app, it immediately opened to the login screen. Deadass? He doesn't have...not like he'd have time. You logged in with your own info. 'Your' being used lightly. You browsed through your mother's profile then your brother's to see if they'd been watching anything interesting. Nothing caught your eye so you went to your own, settling on a thriller you'd long ago put in your watchlist.
His movement picked up again not even fifteen minutes into starting your film. He was moving through the back of the house. He was moving through rooms you hadn't explored but you knew were there.
Step step step. From his room to his office.
Step step step. From his office back to his room.
Step step ste-. You cocked your head. That's new. That is new. A heavy door opened to a room you hadn't known was there. Something gnawed at you, begging you to go investigate while the better half of your conscious told you to mind your fucking business. So you curled up just a bit tighter on the seat.
His pacing continued, steps becoming softer. He was speaking with someone. Hushed conversations not meant for your ears. You kept time with each film you watched, he hadn't slowed down until you were on the third. The clock creeping towards and hour after midnight. The movies were good, you were just a tad distracted at the time. You promised yourself you'd come back to give them your undivided attention.
When you found yourself scrolling through social media to kill time that had done nothing wrong, he found repose on the couch adjacent to you in a huff. "I'm sorry about that...about earlier."
You shrugged it off. "Told you I've seen some shit." The hum he gave in response sounded almost...disapproving.
Yagi was there, but it seemed your only company was the television and the dimmed lights from the kitchen. And the sighing. You didn't think he realized it, but he was sighing so deeply every few minutes. You flung your head back, catching his eye. "You want a hug? Because you're acting hug deprived." You said straight faced, Yagi blinked a few times, taken aback. "I..I-"
"Yes or no, big guy." You stayed direct. "Um...sure?" His brows furrowed as you pushed up from the warm spot you created and bored your knees into the couch next to him. "Open 'em." You tapped at his arms that were still closed off, pushing in at the soonest opportunity that presented itself, latching round his neck.
"Th-thank you?" He gave two awkward taps on your back. "Don't give me that stiff ass fan hug!" You squeezed tighter. "Hug me back...thirty seconds. That's all I ask." You begged inwardly that he'd just go with it, and then gave your own sigh when he did. "Why?" His voice a low rumble in your shoulder while you were pulled in by your waist.
"You looked like you could use one." You pushed in by your temple, counting down silently. Damp tresses tickling your cheekbones and nose. "Just some healthy doses of dopamine and serotonin...a little oxytocin." You continued. "You're trying to drug me then?" He moved as if to look at you. "No...I'm your friendly neighborhood pusher."
"How much do I owe you?" Yagi asked, you took a moment to think. "For you? I won't charge this time. That fair?" You went to pull back, finding it difficult when Yagi didn't comply. "...Thirty more? Please?" His request muffled while his grip tightened. "I guess I've got that good shit."
"The best." He tried to chuckle. His heart thumping from obvious stress ringing in your ear from the closeness. Your mind went flying, trying to remedy what was happening. Whatever it was that was happening. The cause of this happening. How the fu-
"Can I ask you something?" He spoke up. "Of course." You nodded. "Can you answer honestly?' He questioned again. "To the best of my ability...I promise." You affirmed.
"Do you have your mother's quirk?"
"I...I don't believe I do." You answered and soon after you couldn't tell what it was, but something was telling you he didn't like that answer. You cleared your throat. "Hear me out." You began. "There was a point in time we thought I did, when I was a child obviously. Sometimes I have dreams and they'll give me an idea of my upcoming day and sometimes I'm just good at putting things together without realizing. It's just really good intuition I guess."
"You should learn to control it." Yagi hummed. "What makes you say that?" You pondered aloud. "It would be useful."
"You already have one Sir Nighteye." You quipped.
"One more wouldn't hurt."
"Oh? Who said I'd work for you?" You snickered. "If I'm remembering correctly, you. More than once." Yagi rebutted. "Things changed." You grinned. "I heard Endeavor's hiring."
"You wouldn't want to work for him." Yagi shook his head.
"Why's that, big guy?"
"He won't pay you as well." Yagi dropped nonchalantly, you puffed. "And here I was, thinking you'd say something sweet like 'You won't see me as much'." He rocked a bit. "That too."
"Ah, so I just had to coax it out of you...but what made you ask?"
Yagi's brow furrowed a bit as he put his thoughts in line. "There have been times when...when you've been eerily correct." He said. "Could I get an example?" The blonde nodded. "My trip, not the most recent but the one before then. You knew it was classified and when I got back, you repeated what was said almost verbatim."
"I'd just say that was a coincidence."
"Bianca." You took a sharp inhale through your teeth. Shit! "That was interesting timing to ask about my relationship status." He continued. "No dreams, I just put two and two together without realizing how detrimental...is that the word I want to use?" You took a moment to think. "Adverse? No, we're going with detrimental. I didn't realize how detrimental that was or would become."
"Did you dream of today?" Yagi asked. "No. What happened today?" You were quick to respond. "My tie."
"Your tie?" It took a moment to come to you. Oooh! "Shit, what happened?" Sighs that had finally came to a pause returned with one long and drawn out. Warmth from his exhale spreading across your back.
It was supposed to be a quick stop by the convenience store. He wanted something to snack on to hold him over until he could leave the office. What would've been a quick fifteen to twenty minute venture for anyone else became a half hour endeavor when a young hero ran up to him. Eyes brighter than the setting sun behind him with a smile that stretched from ear to ear, he introduced himself as UpBeat. Damn did that name match his personality and his quirk he described as 'double tap'. Might's interest peaked, his open palm held up for a presentation. After a spout of bashful uncertainty, UpBeat gave Might's palm a light hit. That hit followed by an unseen, second tap that rocked the older hero on his heels. UpBeat, flushed and attempting to apologize, was met with praise, his face turning a new shade of red.
Might's simple 'Walk with me' got the newbie sputtering on about his short time as a hero finally allowed to patrol on his own. His role models and the like. He didn't aspire to be number one, he was content with being remembered. They flew through the basics of conversation as Might's destination came into view...along with the crowd of people forcibly rushing out of its doors. UpBeat, excited to show off his quirk to its fullest, shot ahead.
"He didn't know." Toshi's voice was solemn. "...Didn't know?" You repeated. "There's... there was a villain that dropped off the radar. No sign of him anywhere for years, he was assumed to be dead."
"And he wasn't." Your heart dropped. "He was not. This was the first occurrence of him on the mainland...I should've stayed on that kid's heels.'
"Tosh..."
"When I turned in he had the poor kid by the throat and just ribboned him."
"Fuck." You felt your stomach turning into knots at the thought of someone's son being dismembered in such a cruel way. "Looked me in the eye when he did it...with this twisted grin. The sick fuck did it for a reaction, for shits and giggles." Yagi took a few seconds to calm down. "And I...I...I'm glad he didn't feel it." He admitted. "If I'd stayed-"
"You didn't know, Toshi."
"I know, but if I moved-"
"You're human, with human reactions. That's not a sin."
"I'm faster, I could've-"
"You're not invincible."
"I could've stopped it."
You pulled back, arms locked and hands pressed against his collar bones. "Can I be honest with you, Toshi?"
"Please."
"That, just now? That sounded like you were rehearsing an apology....and I know that sounds fucked up." Your brows furrowed. "But you are human." You stressed every word. "You're stuck in public apology mode and I'm not here for it. You want to mourn him. I can hear it. Fucking do it." An arm stretched back as you pointed to the front door.
"As soon as you come through that damn door you are not All Might to me. You don't have to talk to me like you are still All Might. You're off the fucking clock, let loose, there's no judgement here." You brought your pointing finger back, driving it into his chest. "I don't know who held you on that call for hours but I am not them. Don't talk to me like I'm them. Don't grieve to me about actions not taken, because I'm going to tell you to grieve over that life cut too damn short."
Your expression softened, hands moving up to meet his cheeks. "You know why, Toshi?" You started. "I can't sit here and tell you things you already know. Shit you've heard countless times before. The whole 'You can't save everyone', 'Things happen', 'Unfortunately this and that, 'Oh well you could've', 'If you'd just'..." You shook your head. "No...No I won't do that to you. That sucks and it hurts to hear it over and over and over again. You can, no, you deserve to express your emotions however you deem fit...at least while you're here, okay?" You searched tirelessly for some semblance of an 'okay' in his eyes, only for his forehead to press against yours, eyes closing slowly. "Thank you."
"You know you don't have to thank me. Not for that." You shook your head.
"I wanted to."