Chapter Text
With shaking, sweaty hands, you smoothed out the fabric of your silver sequin dress as you stood just outside the entrance to the grand hall. You averted your gaze as the first couple walked in, knowing that you would soon have to follow. God, was your hair okay? Should you shake out some of the ice and stardust? Let more accumulate? Were your shoulders clean? Maybe you should exhaust some of your Quirk so the galaxies in your eyes aren’t so… startlingly bright? God, you should have practiced more. Your fingers feel stiff.
It’s towards the end of December. You are Comet, the newly dubbed “Shooting Star Heroine,” and you’ve only been in Japan for four months. You were summoned here during a villain breakout crisis to help with injured civilians and crowd control, as well as finding those who had been trapped beneath the rubble of the nearly completely destroyed district. Upon being offered a permanent job that paid much better than your job at home in the states, you’d decided to stay. It was a much better arrangement for you from the start, given the different pressures of being a hero in America, as well as the way Quirks that alter physical appearance are received. You were lucky your Quirk, Shooting Star, was classified as an Emitter Quirk, rather than a Mutation, but the presence of stars and galaxies in your eyes, rather than the normal sclera and iris and pupil, gathered mixed responses..
That fact doesn’t change your anxiety now, in the present. You have been invited to a charity event to raise funds towards rebuilding a town to the far north, devastated by a petty quarrel between two ultra-powerful villains. The only reason you’re here, however, is because you saved a distant relative to the manager of the event directly out of the arms of a villain, and you had played piano practically since you could read. The manager had extended the invite, despite your lack of fame, and you had offered your services as an expert concert pianist, to help raise funds during the event. It didn’t feel right to show up to the event as a nobody who didn’t know anyone, especially if you didn’t have any money yourself to offer. Since you could play almost anything instantly by ear, this seemed like a good alternative to money.
And because you were the event’s only musician, you would be due inside soon to speak with said manager, and to properly warmup.
All of this was just one mistake built on top of several others. You were a foreigner still trying to get her roots planted in the ground. You didn’t belong here.
You sigh, and shake out your hands, still sweaty with nerves.
Time isn’t going to wait for you.
You sigh again. You whisper encouragement to yourself under your breath, and then, with your back tall and heart pounding, you round the corner into the grand hall.
The event manager is there with his cousin. God, why’d you have to forget his name? But the man bows as you approach, and once you are close enough, you do the same. Thank goodness shaking hands isn’t terribly common.
“We are very fortunate to have such a gracious heroine in our presence,” the manager says, and you desperately wrack your brain for any recollection of any syllable of his name. He gestures behind him to the piano on the elevated stage. “There is your throne, my dear.”
“We rented the piano just for this event,” the cousin beams, tense with excitement even with his arm in a cast. “We’d love to hear a piece before more heroes start filling in, if you’re able!”
“Well, I was hoping to have time to warmup,” you agree with a nervous laugh. “I would be honored to perform for you. I’m still… sort of in shock I’m here in the first place.”
“Oh, don’t be!” the manager insists. His name! God damn it! “You’ve done me more good than I could ever ask of a stranger, and to offer to play for us on top of that? We are the ones who are in shock, to know such a selfless and kind heroine.”
Jesus, please, what is his name! “Thank you so much… Miyauchi-san.”
You bow a little. The event manager smiles and bows as well, and says nothing about his name. You must have got it right.
Sweet.
You spend the next fifteen or so minutes warming up, performing what to you are simple scales, and Miyauchi and his cousin are delighted by what they hear, even if it isn’t an actual song. You do perform one shorter piece, for their sake, and they and the few early-bird heroes applaud you.
“This is going to go great!” Miyauchi exclaims as you make your way down from the stage. “So, what was your plan for commissions and requests?”
“Well, the base price per minute would be 1665 yen for more well known pieces. For songs I haven’t heard or played before, that would be 2780 yen per minute. I don’t normally charge so much, so if you think it’s too high--”
“Oh, Comet, do you have any idea who your audience is? 1665 yen is pennies to these heroes. It’s perfect. You’re going to do just fine.”
You smile nervously at Miyauchi’s words. 1665 yen is pennies to these heroes. You knew of course that famous heroes would be here to bring their support, but you didn’t think they would be that well off or generous. Before you can think to ask what kind of heroes you might be seeing tonight, Miyauchi’s cousin breaks in.
“Well please, help yourself to any of the food and drink! You’ll need energy to perform. I’d eat and relax now, before everyone starts arriving. My cousin and I will be within arm’s reach if you need anything else. We remain in your debt, Comet.”
The two cousins bow once more, and so do you before they break away from you to speak with some of the early arrivals. You watch them from afar for a moment, before deciding to take their advice and stock up on energy. It’s going to be a long evening, and it will only get harder from here.
You’re a hero, and it’s time to prepare.
You are a little over fifty songs into the evening when an excited babble rises up throughout the crowd of mingling pro heroes. Their voices and chatter had been little more than white noise before, but now they were loud and excited. You know better than to stop playing, or allow the distraction to cause you to make a mistake, so you do your best to drown out the noise and continue. You’re being paid to perform, after all; now is the worst time to disappoint.
The night had gone smoothly enough so far; a fold out board at the front of the stairs to the stage informed the heroes of your purpose, and you would take their requests and their yen, and then perform their song. Stand up, return to the stairs. Rinse and repeat. It hasn’t been terrible, or at least, not as terrible as your previously anxious brain had anticipated. Some even took the time to chat with you and get to know you some, before making their request. It was pleasant-- you were actually mingling with people. Networking, almost.
But now, it’s loud. The energy in the room has doubled, and it’s distracting. Even once you finish the piece, the commotion hasn’t calmed, and the applause for your performance is meager, and so you raise your eyes from the piano in search of what could be the reasoning behind--
Oh my God, that’s All Might.
You gape. You blink quickly, so certain your vision is playing tricks on you. But still, those towering, golden bangs remain, even as the Number One Hero stands surrounded by other heroes eager to greet him, or introduce themselves. When his laugh rolls over the crowd and floods your stage with the sound, you feel as if you’re about to be blown over with the force in which reality hits you.
That is All Might, The Symbol of Peace.
He is here.
And you are isolated on a stage, in easy sight.
You stand with shaking knees and unsteady ankles. The sparkle of your sequin dress seems to catch his eye, and you hold your breath when he glances your way. Thank God, it’s really only a glance-- he doesn’t linger. He returns to whoever he’s speaking to.
Quickly, you make your way to the stairs of the stage. There is one hero left with one more request before you’re set to take a half hour break. The woman looks up at you with a glimmer in your eye as your gaze refuses to leave All Might.
“You’ve never seen him in person before, have you?” she teases.
“He’s so tall!” you gasp out, and the woman laughs.
“It always takes everyone by surprise the first time. Sure you’ll be able to focus on playing, dear?”
That finally manages to encourage you to tear your gaze away. “No, I’ll-- I’ll be alright. What would you like to hear, ma’am?”
“Oh, so formal! Do you know ‘Changing Heart’?”
You think for a moment. “Yes. Yes, that one’s about two minutes, that will be… 3330 yen.”
The woman before you smiles, and tucks away the money into the donation box beneath the sign. “Break a leg, dear! You’ve still got an audience-- well, an audience and a half , with that man in the house.” She gestures back to All Might with a tilt of her head, and supplies you with a wink, before turning and disappearing back into the crowd.
Oh God. This is how you’re going to die. Your knees are shaking even worse than before when you head back up the stairs, and you’re thankful for the length of your dress for hiding it. Simultaneously, you can’t reach the bench soon enough, and yet all too soon. Your hands come to rest on the ivory keys, but another hearty laugh causes you to tense and still.
You’ve still got an audience .
You can roundhouse kick villains in the face. You can body-slam them into walls. You can charge into burning buildings.
You can play piano with All Might in the room.
With one last deep breath, you begin. Either the room melts away from your anxiety, or your audience has somehow hushed itself once again, despite the presence of the Number One Hero amongst them. The latter would be nothing short of miraculous. Your eyes never leave the keys before you, however, too terrified to leave and to look amongst the crowd. You remember, suddenly, that bravery was acting even in the face of fear. It does nothing for you.
Regardless of your stomach flipping like a dog that learned a new trick, and the shaking of your arms as if you were freezing, your performance must have been good, because the crowd claps louder than the last performance. You sigh, and close your eyes, and instantly transition into your warm-down. With the calming exercises, you stop thinking about how many people are in the room, and the one man in particular you had been fearing being seen by. Your racing heart slows, and the copious amounts of ice and stardust on your head and shoulders begin to melt or fade away. You don’t open your eyes again until your playing slows to a stop, and you stand on much steadier knees.
The crowd is definitely quieter than when you began. It takes you a second, but you find quickly enough that All Might is, indeed, still present, though at the far left side of the grand hall. Just as you turn to leave the stage, Miyauchi’s cousin-- that’s right, his name was Sasaki-- extends his arm to you excitedly. You take it as he guides you off of the stage.
“All Might!” he half whispers and half shrieks. All you can do is nod, and cast nervous glances in the direction of the pro hero.
You almost stumble on the last step down, when he looks across the room, and his eyes without doubt lock onto yours. He sees your eyes, and his own widen minutely in surprise.
You glance away quickly. Color creeps onto your cheeks and ears. Sasaki continues to babble away, but there’s so much blood rushing through your head, you cannot hear him until the end of whatever he’s saying.
“... absolutely enraptured by your playing! He actually hushed the people around him to better listen to you!”
You shake your head, and your breath quickens. “W-what?”
“All Might! He was watching you play like it was the last thing he’d ever see! Here, have a drink--”
Sasaki shoves a wine glass, seemingly procured from nowhere, into your clammy, shaking hands.
“He loved it! You’re doing great, just like my cousin told you you would! Don’t stress, it’s alright! Just relax, enjoy your break. Mingle with the heroes! Make some friends; you’ve got a natural knack for it.” He pats your back with his good hand, and gives you finger guns as he walks away. “You’re going places, Comet! Nowhere but up from here!”
You muster up an awkward smile, before narrowing your eyes down at your drink. You down half of it quickly, and run a hand through your hair. Stardust and ice rains down on your shoulders and chest, adding more glitter to your already bright getup.
A sequin dress. Good God, what were you thinking .
Staring down into your wine glass was much easier than talking to other people, but you knew that any halfway decent hero had even a sliver of charisma. You needed to talk to at least one group of people. Two, if you were lucky. Fortunately, you spot a trio of heroes that had been very kind and eager to speak with you earlier upon requesting their songs, and you make your way over to them. They had introduced themselves by their hero names-- Nirvana, the Ethereal Hero; Ace, the Lucky Hero; and Soulmate, the Judgement Heroine. Nirvana was the first to spot you and gesture you closer to the group.
“Excellent performance, Comet!” he exclaimed, teeth flashing brilliantly against dark skin. Ace and Soulmate raise their wine glasses to you in agreement. “You play well and confidently.”
“I’m glad I at least come across that way,” you joke. You lift your own wine glass, hand still shaking. Soulmate takes notice instantly, and wraps her hands around yours to steady you.
“Something the matter? Your look like you've seen a ghost.”
You tense, and your eyes flicker unintentionally to the left. All three heroes follow your momentary glance, and Nirvana smirks. Ace snorts, and takes a sip of his wine.
“What, you’re not seriously losing your cool over All Might being in the room? Okay, so you’ve only been here four months, this is probably the first time you’re seeing him in person, but relax . Seriously. The guy’s a huge dork .”
“D-Dork?”
“Oh sure!” Ace chuckles. “I mean, come on, you all know what they say about blondes--”
“Ace.” Soulmate shakes her head in disappointment. “He is right about not needing to be concerned about him, Comet. All Might is a very kind and gentle man outside of work. He knows how ragged this gig can run us all.”
You nod tensely.
“He looked at me.”
“And how could he not?” Soulmate responds. “You were the only person up on that big empty stage, and the spotlight makes your dress shine like a star. Pun intended.”
You roll your eyes. Soulmate pats your hand in hers.
“Relax. He’s a hero, just like the rest of us, regardless of his status. And yes, you played beautifully . Of course he’s going to notice that. He isn’t judging you, he isn’t evaluating you. Tonight, he’s just another patron to the charity. You’re just two people in a room with a whole lot of other people. Breathe.”
You do, and your shaking decreases dramatically. Soulmate releases your hands, and smiles.
“There you go. You know, for a woman who charges headfirst into collapsing buildings without hesitation, you sure do find a lot of other things to overthink and antagonize over.”
You blink in shock. Before your performance, these heroes had no idea who you were. “Did you..?”
“Look you up while you were playing?” Ace shows you his phone, and a news article that you were featured in. “Oh yeah, you bet. Sure lots of other people were too.”
Your eyes widen in fear at the implications of that message. Soulmate catches on immediately, and roughly grabs Ace’s arm.
“Ace, I think I see Frostbite over there, so if you two don’t mind…”
“What? Frostbite’s on patrol tonight--”
But Ace and Soulmate hurry away through the crowd, leaving just you and Nirvana. The Ethereal Hero just laughs, and places a consoling, warm hand on your shoulder.
“You’re networking. You’re making connections, and people are taking note of who you are. That’s a good thing. The job doesn’t get any harder, but the recognition and pay you get for what you do does . Nothing but positives will come out of people looking you up.”
“You’re sure..?” Your head begins to tilt towards where All Might was, but Nirvana stops you before you can lay eyes on him again.
“Comet, I don’t know how heroism works back home in America for you, but I promise you, here, it’s much more fun and welcoming. Chin up. Let all that anxious, negative energy out of your body. Just breathe . Besides, you’re only five minutes into your break.”
You inhale slowly. “Right.” You exhale. Nirvana takes a step back from you. His vision flickers behind you, and before you can see where he’s looking, he speaks up suddenly again.
“You know, Soulmate has a lot of faith in you. You’ve got a strong soul with a lot of good energy. Take it easy, alright? Good things are just around the corner for you.” Nirvana straightens himself out. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a refill.” He gestures to his empty wine glass, and parts ways from you with a small bow.
You bow to him as well, and finally, you are free to turn around to see what on earth Nirvana was distracting you from.
All Might stands up from having been looking at the information on the fold out board giving instructions on how to request a performance from you. You squeak in surprise; this only puts you about fifteen feet apart. When he perks up at the sound and begins to look your way, you hastily avert your gaze and focus on calmly, casually , walking in the opposite direction and slightly to the right, towards the windows where the lights of the city at night are beginning to shine. On the way there, you gulp down the rest of your wine, and pick up another, and take another sip of that , too.
He isn’t really considering..?
You reach the window and rest your shoulder against it, the cool glass instantly calming you. Your head is spinning, and you know your alcohol limits; you can’t even blame it on the wine. Why are you so terrified of a man who only means good in everything he does?
“The guy’s a huge dork ,” Ace had said. You dare a glance back to the crowd of people. You spot his bangs near the edge. He’s talking with Nirvana and Soulmate, it looks like. They’re laughing and at ease, one hundred percent. You find yourself relaxing, too, watching them, until All Might once again looks your way, and your eyes lock once more.
Everything grinds to a halt.
There’s nowhere for you to go. There’s nowhere for you to look away, without making it obvious. The two of you stare across the room at one another, trapped in each other’s gaze. You find yourself beginning to drown in cerulean, ocean-blue eyes, and you can’t help but wonder and worry what he must think of the stars and galaxies in your own. Is he disturbed? Concerned that you cannot see? You swallow, and you are the first to break your gaze, turning your attention outside instead.
Perhaps he’s stared at you long enough. Perhaps he’s satisfied now.
When you shoulders cease to prickle with the feeling of being watched, you peer out of the corner of your eye back towards the group. All Might is leaning down to whisper with Nirvana and Soulmate, and Nirvana is all smiles, while Soulmate seems to be cautionary.
After a minute, All Might stands and straightens his shoulders. You find yourself doing the same, but you freeze when his sights settle on you once again.
The first step he takes towards you has panic settling in your gut. The second has your heart pounding. Adrenaline floods your veins, and you have to fight every instinct in your body not to run. Instead, you use that energy to step away from the window, to stand taller. Your hand with your wine glass continues to shake, however, but the rest of the world began to dissolve around you, into white noise and blurred shapes, until all you knew was the sharply dressed, seven foot man approaching you now.
He stopped before you… rigidly. The two of you blinked owlishly at each other, and silence came between you. All Might stood before you, and you didn't even dare to breathe incorrectly.
Until, he bowed. Deeply. Humbly .
“Y-Your piano playing was beautiful--”
You bowed, as well. Your words began to tumble out before you could stop them.
“I’m so grateful you made time to come--”
All Might continued.
“-- sure that most of tonight’s revenue will come from you--”
“-- no one else would have if you hadn’t announced you’d be--”
“-- taking requests was a perfect idea, and your original pieces--”
“-- of this is possible because of you--”
You straightened, and dropped your wine glass. In a flash, the Number One Hero had caught it, between his thumb and forefinger. Not a drop of liquid spilled out, but the motion brought his face closer to yours. Time stood still, oceans and sunny blue skies colliding with stars and the infinite ocean above. You held your breath, and his eyes widened impossibly further as he beheld your gaze close up.
Slowly, the world begins to move again.
The tension is shattered with a laugh, as All Might stood and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and beamed. His head was haloed by the soft golden light all around you.
“Well, that would have been an unfortunate accident!” he exclaimed as he offered you back your glass. “I must have overwhelmed you. My apologies, I should have introduced myself first!”
You gasped out a light laugh, taking back the glass from his hand. Your own fingers looked like that of a child’s, in comparison to his, and you continued to tremble. After a moment to breathe, to catch your calm, you stammer out, “I think you need no introduction, All Might.”
“Ah, r-right. But I arrived a bit late, and, well… I don’t think I ever caught your moniker.”
He’s asking for your name. All Might wants to know who you are.
“Call me Comet.” You ran the tip of your finger over the rim of your glass, before setting it on a passing platter to be taken away. More alcohol would do you no good at this point, and with your hands free, you won’t look on the verge of passing out constantly. “I’m… a bit new in Japan.”
“I sort of thought so! You’re from America, aren’t you? I can tell from your accent. Your Japanese is quite good! How long have you been in the country?”
“Ah, I want to say it’s been four months. I made sure to learn a comfortable amount of Japanese before coming. A search and rescue hero agency wanted me here during the Khaos Crisis, and then I was offered a position I couldn’t refuse. Paid much better than work back home. It’s been… nice. I like it here. Much more vibrant and accepting of Mutation Quirk diversity. They don’t much like the physical mutations back home… And-- and my Quirk, it’s not actually a Mutation, it’s classified as an Emitter, but, but my eyes were cause for, ah, concern, when they developed, and…”
You weren’t sure how soft your voice came across, but the Number One Hero had leaned in closer to take in your words. You felt less intimidated than you had before, but the close proximity still made goosebumps rise on your skin.
“Well, I’m glad life here is agreeing with you so far! How was it that you ended up at this event, Comet?”
“I, well, I saved a distant but beloved cousin of the event manager’s, and word spread. I didn’t have any money of my own to give, but I was an accomplished pianist back in the States. I can play just about anything by ear. He said he was happy to have me participate in any way, and the event could use some classy music, anyways.”
“Well, I find it very fortunate the two of us could meet this way.” All Might flashed a gentle and inviting smile, and instantly you could feel color rising on your cheeks. You tried to chase it away with a small laugh and a thank you, and a hand scratching lightly through your short hair tinged with violet, but the Pro-Hero’s eyes only widened as stardust and comet ice fell from your head and lightly dusted your already glittering shoulders. You felt the ice rain down around you, and you blushed and slowly removed your hand from your hair. All Might caught you by surprise yet again when he inquired:
“Ah… c-could I make a request of my own? How much is a request?”
Oh God.
“A-- A song request? Depends on the length of the song. Each minute is a minimum of 1665 yen. Songs I’ve never played or heard before would be 2780 a minute.”
All Might nodded, before fishing out a phone from one of his pockets. The device was comically small in his hands, but he managed to navigate it fine enough, and he came to stand next to you as he showed you his request. He knelt down so that he was at about equal height with you.
“It’s not a well known piece, but… my master was fond of it.”
“Your master…” you echoed softly, hardly being heard. Without thinking, you wrapped your hand around his (which was much warmer), pulling the phone closer as you listened to the song. Something about the notes, and the tone of voice in which All Might had spoken of his teacher, tugged at something at the bottom of your heart, and you found your breath short.
“That’s-- that’s… I can do this,” you whispered. “That’ll be 9730 yen, once the piece is completed. If you will give me a moment to warm up, of course…”
“Yes, that should be fine.”
You pulled your hand away as if you’d been burned, once you realized you’d basically been holding All Might’s hand. The Pro-Hero did not react, but you could have sworn his cheeks were dusted light pink. He smiled kindly as you parted ways from him, and made your way to the platform that housed the baby grand. You didn’t even consider your break was barely halfway through as you ascended the stairs to the stage, heart hammering relentlessly in your ears.
True to your word, after a brief warm up session, which caught the attention of the event’s participants nearby, you turned on the microphone, and rang the chime which indicated you would be beginning another performance. All Might made his way from the side of the room where he had caught you back to the center, smiling excitedly. With his sights set firmly on you, and knowing that they were on you alone, made it impossibly difficult to breathe.
But he was counting on you.
All Might was counting on you .
You closed your eyes, and looked away from the crowd as you began, knowing that if you set your sights on All Might again, you wouldn’t be able to get through this. As you played, ice sprinkled down from your head, coating your shoulders and making you glow. You winced every time a piece of ice clinked on the keyboard, but still, you played on, right to the very end, every second and every note of the song you’d heard before ringing through your bones.
You remember, once more, that bravery was acting even in the face of fear. You remember that phrase, as you play on for the Number One Hero, and your chest suddenly swells with unimaginable pride.
Now, it makes sense.
When the piece is complete, you gasp out the breath you had been holding nearly the whole time, and the crowd below applauds spectacularly. Your arms shake and your breath heaves, but you stand from the piano, and move to bow…
Only to be stopped by the sight of All Might once again.
He remains standing tall and proud, but unlike before, where his energy had frightened you… something has changed. All Might stands among the crowd, clapping with the rest of them, but the sound shifts to silence, when you look into his eyes once more.
They’re wet. Thankful.
Vulnerable .
The realization knocks the wind out of your lungs all over again.
Vulnerable.
Human.
“The guy’s a huge dork.”
That… and clearly something more.
You force yourself to bow. When you come back up, the tears are gone. His smile is as strong and awesome as ever.
That song… what meaning did it hold for him? What could cause All Might to feel so strongly..?
All of your fear, your anxiety, vanished in an instant. Your doubts about yourself and about All Might were gone. All that remained, as you descended the stairs more confidently than ever, was a determination to understand him. To know All Might, and know what one song could possibly mean to make the Number One Hero so emotional.
To make a god appear human. If only for one moment.
Your heart sings, upon reaching the bottom step, and All Might moves to meet you halfway.
“Beautiful,” he praises you. “Absolutely beautiful .”
He deposits the promised yen into the box next to the two of you without looking.
“It was my pleasure to perform for you,” you promise him. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“I loved it.”
His voice cracks. He inhales sharply in surprise at himself.
Something inside of you sparks to life.
Does this man… not allow himself to feel?
You feel a fierce urge to protect him. On nothing more than a thought, a hunch , you find your heart burning with the need to chase All Might to the very ends of the earth, to be there to support him. You want to protect the world’s Number One Hero based on an idea that may not even be true.
Your throat is tight as you fight for words. Something to change the topic away from his emotions, whatever he’s feeling, for now. Now isn’t the time.
“I wouldn’t mind playing for you whenever,” you offer.
“R-Really?”
“S-Sure! Sure, it wouldn’t be any trouble. Not for you. After everything you’ve done for us, it’s… it’s the least I could do to thank you.”
All Might laughs to calm himself, you notice.
“Well then! I will certainly keep that in mind. You’re brilliant, after all; should I ever need a pianist, you’ll certainly be the first person I come to.”
Your fear and doubt threaten to return to you, but you only straighten your back and smile, to trick the feeling back down inside of you.
“I look forward to it.”
The rest of the evening goes without a hitch. All Might invites you to come and meet some of the more popular heroes with him, which you graciously accept, but you do not spend the whole night with him; you’re still needed on stage to raise money. At the end of the night, over one hundred million yen is raised for the charity, and Miyauchi thanks everyone who contributed graciously. To your humiliation, you are summoned to the stage and given an extra round of applause for supplying music the entire evening. Now that you’ve met and spoken with All Might, however, a speech in front of this audience is a breeze.
The event comes to a close shortly after that. As you make your way to the door alongside the rest of the crowd, All Might waits at the door for you. To your surprise, he already has your coat.
“If I may?” he asks, and holds it open for you to step into.
You blush and stutter, but eventually agree. The Number One Hero stands tall before you.
“Do you have a ride home?”
“I-- I can just… jump there,” you laugh nervously.
“Really?” He sounds impressed. Then, softer, he asks, “Can I… can I see? Er, like, I mean, walk you outside and… see you off?”
Oh. He wants to see your Quirk in action. You laugh, and flutter your lashes down at the ground.
“If you don’t have someplace else you have to be…”
You are some of the last patrons to exit the venue. All Might extends his arm for you to take, and you do. The hall back to the outside world is long, and he fills the silence with questions.
“So. ‘Shooting Star’. How does that Quirk work?”
“Ah, well, I can run and jump at speeds faster than the average person. I can reach up to 200 miles per hour pretty easily, and I can go faster, but that takes more effort. And depending on the temperature, how high in the air I go, how fast, the humidity in the air, among other factors, a forcefield of ice and light will form in front of me, and the forcefield will have a comet tail. Hence the, uh… the Quirk name.”
All Might hums at the information. “And uh… your eyes? Do they-- I mean, do the stars mean anything, or have any use, or was it just a physical change?”
“Well, beyond being indicative of how much of my Quirk I’ve used, no. If I over-extend myself, it can impair my vision; the stars will start to go out one by one if enough time has passed, or I’ve used a lot of energy. I’ve never tested just how far I can go before things get bad enough that I can’t see at all. I don't like to think of what might happen to me. Closing my eyes or being in complete darkness is usually plenty to get my Quirk recharging. If I can be out under the stars without light pollution interfering too heavily, however, my Quirk can return almost instantaneously, depending on how much of my energy I’ve used.”
“Fascinating!” he exclaims, and he sounds so genuine in his excitement that you can’t keep your heart from swelling up with gratitude. “You literally see through the eyes of the universe… how… well, I don’t think there’s any better word for it other than romantic .”
You blink over at the Number One Hero in surprise.
“... I don’t think anyone’s ever used that word to describe my Quirk before.”
All Might freezes, and then laughs nervously.
“Aha, maybe that wasn’t the best wording. Someone I once knew said that about the aspect of another Quirk. Guess it wasn’t the best way to describe your Quirk, given we hardly know each other.”
You watch All Might’s face shift from embarrassment, into awkward shame, before you softly pipe up:
“... I like it.”
He relaxes considerably, and sighs. You don’t think to ask about All Might’s Quirk; it’s pretty clear to you that it’s a very advanced form of super strength. Instead, you ask about something that had been said earlier.
“Who was it that told you some other Quirk was ‘romantic’?”
“Ah. That would be my master.”
You’re briefly silent as you digest the connotation of All Might comparing your Quirk to something his teacher had said.
“They must have been… a wonderful person.”
“She was.”
The two of you reach the door together, where a light snow has begun to fall. You zip up your coat, and shake out your arms, before turning to the pro hero next to you.
“Well, All Might… I suppose you’re in for a show. Ah, thank you, for… seeing me out.”
The pro hero beams, and takes a step back to allow you room, even though you still have a set of stairs to descend. He seems to struggle for words for a moment, but he finds them quickly enough.
“Thank you for such wonderful music! And thank you for such wonderful conversation. Japan will be lucky to have you as a hero. Goodnight, Comet.”
“Goodnight, All Might.”
“Goodnight.”
You descend the stairs slowly, looking back to him the whole time, but all he does is grin and wait. Upon reaching ground level, you finally tear your gaze away and to the street to your left. Thankfully, it’s empty; you can get a running start. You step onto the concrete with you hands in your pockets, clenching your fists to get your blood pumping. Just before you set off, you remind yourself that this is why you never wear heels.
With one last glance to All Might, who only waves, you charge forwards, already feeling the air charge and tremble around you. The cold makes you regret not wearing a suit rather than a dress, but fortunately, with a Quirk like yours, it wouldn’t be far at all to get home. The moment you take that leap into the air, light and ice burst and crackle all around you, and the ground thunders with falling ice and stardust. Within seconds, you are over 200 feet in the air, cold wind whipping past your face. Had your hair been longer, you surely would have been blinded by it. Even so, your vision isn’t so spectacular that you can glance behind you and spot All Might behind all the ice and light.
Still. You hope your takeoff towards home made for a fantastic show.
Despite the cold and the wind howling around you, you only feel warmth in your heart. Very rarely did you feel as if you were in the right place at the right time, but tonight, it seemed that Fate had decided to grant you a little mercy. You smile, even as your teeth chatter.
Maybe Soulmate was right. Maybe good things truly were coming your way.
But there was only one way to find out; Time won’t wait for you to wonder.
Time doesn’t wait for anyone.