All Might x Student!Reader (Boku no Hero Academia)

Chapter 23 - A Familiar Stranger

You rubbed your eyes, trying to steady yourself as the room slowly came back into focus. The strange sensation that had flooded over you earlier was starting to fade, but your confusion hadn't gone anywhere. You were still standing there, staring at the man in front of you, utterly bewildered. He seemed... familiar. His face, his hair, his eyes—they all stirred something in the back of your mind, like you'd seen him before, even though you couldn't quite place where. Your brow furrowed as you blinked, trying to make sense of the feeling, and before you could think better of it, the words spilled out of your mouth.

"Have we... met before?"

Toshinori flinched, shifting his weight awkwardly as an uneasy look crossed his face. His body language was subtle, but you caught it—a slight retreat, a step back as though he was trying to distance himself. That tiny movement only fed your growing suspicion. Were you right?

"N-No... that's... impossible," he stammered, staring at the floor, his voice shaky. "This is... o-our first meeting."

You couldn't shake the feeling gnawing at your gut. His voice—it had struck you as familiar the moment he first spoke, and now it was hard to dismiss. His whole demeanor made you uneasy, but not because he seemed threatening. No, it was something else—something elusive, as if you were on the edge of recalling a dream just before waking up. But as much as you tried to piece it together, you couldn't. Still, there was a part of you that knew you weren't wrong.

"I'm sorry... I just thought I'd seen you somewhere before, that's all," you mumbled, feeling your face heat up with embarrassment. You were a bundle of nerves now, the awkwardness of the situation settling over you like a heavy blanket. "And... and... I'm sorry about earlier, too. You know, for... for what you saw. I didn't mean for you to witness that. It must have seemed so strange, and I swear it's not what it looked like! It's just... I..." You could feel yourself stumbling over your words as you tried to explain. "I was just... scared."

Toshinori raised his head slightly, tilting it to the side as he finally looked directly at you. His eyes, soft and kind, studied you for a moment.

"Scared? Of what?" His voice was calm but curious, and you sighed, realizing that you hadn't quite meant to go down this road.

It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. You hadn't been scared in the way you were implying; the situation with All Might had shaken you for different reasons, reasons you weren't even sure you understood yourself. How were you supposed to explain it without admitting to how vulnerable you'd felt? And what would he think if he knew how complicated your feelings were toward your teacher? You decided it was better to keep it simple.

"I... uh..." You swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words. "I guess it's just that... this whole situation is so new to me. Everything. I was scared he might leave me." You bit your lip, the last part slipping out before you could stop it. The words felt heavy, weighted with more meaning than you intended, but you let them hang in the air.

Toshinori's expression softened, though there was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes—sympathy, perhaps, or something deeper. He seemed to consider your words for a moment before speaking again.

"If you think All Might would just leave you behind, you're mistaken," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "He worries about you. That much I know for sure. Don't you think someone like him would ever abandon a lady in distress?" He flashed you a small, almost teasing smile, but it carried an underlying sincerity that made your heart stutter.

"He worries... about me?" you repeated quietly, more to yourself than to him. The idea that All Might, the world's number-one hero, worried about you—truly worried—was something you hadn't fully processed yet. There was so much about your relationship with him that felt surreal, and Toshinori's words only added to the confusion.