This Time

Epilogue

The black car fondly named 'Hercules' raced below on the streets while above PuriFire soared through the sky like a daytime comet. In moments like these, All Might felt hilariously like Batman, but he didn't know if that made Mei Catwoman or what. In a way, it was almost fitting if he really thought about it.

He watched the woman bounce from building to building through the windshield, admiring her lithe movements, and only momentarily thinking back wistfully on the days when he could soar alongside her too. Thoughts like that did him little good now, though. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure anything he did now was really of any use, no matter how often Naomasa, Nezu, Aizawa, or the dark-haired heroine he so loved told him otherwise.

Society was crumbling - that was easy enough to see even through his tired, sunken eyes. Crime was running rampant and no matter how hard the pro heroes scrambled for purchase, there never seemed to be enough of them to stop the rising swell. March was beginning, and the spring air held an unspoken warning that burned like a coal in his non-existent stomach. It was why even months after his retirement, here he was patrolling the streets and aiding in the only way he could - offering support to his heroine bride.

A year ago, he'd only just begun to realize his blooming feelings for the then-vigilante. When he really thought about it, it was kind of insane how much had changed since then.

No, not 'kind' of insane. It's absolutely, batshit bonkers, he thought to himself somewhat giddily. The gold band on his boney ring finger caught the sunlight for a moment as if to accentuate his point. A year ago he thought he'd be dead by now, not married.

In the end, they'd kept the ceremony small and private - neither had wanted to make a big production of it nor did either have any family to speak of to attend regardless. Naomasa had been his best man, and Nemuri had been Mei's maid of honor. Chiba - being the closest thing Mei had to a brother - gave her away, and for a split second All Might swore he saw Gran Torino swipe some moisture from his eye. There were of course a few other witnesses, and all of them were unsurprisingly from Yūei. Toshinori didn't mind at all that almost his entire pool of friends (maybe more of a puddle than a pool?) consisted of his coworkers. Aizawa cleaned up well, and even Chiyo put aside her white coat and visor for the occasion. Mic he never had a doubt would dress to the nines, and Nezu had a plethora of dapper little waistcoats to choose from, of course. The only witness not among the staff wore a yellow suit that was touchingly familiar. Toshinori assumed he'd purchased this one after his old maroon suit had been shredded in the battle on I-Island. Just this once, Toshinori didn't scold Izuku for the water works.

Mei had been... well, honestly Toshinori wasn't even sure he had words in Japanese or English to describe the way she looked walking towards him in the shimmering white dress. Angelic? Brilliant? Dazzling? Gorgeous? None of those adjectives were strong enough. Mine, his thoughts gloated, but that was really just his pride talking. It still wasn't enough.

But those ocean eyes had looked up at him with complete and profound love, and he'd felt like his chest would burst from happiness as he was sure his eyes must have mirrored hers too. And when her soft cherry lips vowed bashfully, yet certainly, "I do," he knew without a doubt that he was the luckiest man alive. He had to be.

The gorgeous woman saw him - really saw him, and she still loved him with all his boney angles, hidden insecurities, mental barriers, and scarred skin. She had loved him when he was All Might, but she loved weak Toshinori all the same. He didn't think he'd ever really be able to put into words to her how much that really meant to him. The fact that from the very beginning she'd simply just seen another person behind his hero smile, and someone worth knowing under his baggy clothes... he still couldn't articulate to her just how deeply that had affected him. Even before he'd known it, she'd been exactly what he needed, and he'd love her till the day he died for that.