He wouldn't like me, would he?
Chapter 10: Tanabata and a kiss
Author's note: First of, I'm sorry if I write the festival wrong, I'm not Japanese, I never went to Japan before I can just use the things I know about Japanese festivities I picked up from Anime. I hope that this will not be that big of a problem, but anyway I wanted to apologize in advance.
"So you finally have a date with All Might?", Shota asked while helping his sister get into her Yukata. Sakura had to find a new one since her old one was too small for her. Not that she didn't want All Might to like her, but she didn't feel comfortable looking like Midnight or Mt. Lady, who purposefully look sexy. She wanted All Might to like her the way she was, not as something she was not.
"Yes. He asked me and I just couldn't refuse. Do you think mom and dad would've liked him?", Sakura wondered as she put her hair up in a little messy bun and held it there, as if contemplating if she should do that.
"Mom and dad would've wanted for you to be happy, and if he makes you happy they would've accepted him.", Shota responded and took her hand away from her hair, letting it fall freely over her shoulders. He liked it better down, he thought it suited her spunky personality more when she could let her flow normally.
"That's not what I asked, you know.", Sakura took a strand and fidgeted with it. Shota took a rose from the dresser and fixated it in Sakura's hair with a hair-clip.
"That was literally what you asked. You look like a beautiful butterfly, Sakura.", the two looked at the mirror together and for once in a decade, they looked like brother and sister again.
"Mom and dad would be proud of you, Sakura.", Shota said with a smile, a real smile, a smile only Sakura ever got to see.
"They would be proud of both of us, Shota.", Sakura smiled back at her brother. Just as Shota wanted to reply the doorbell rang.
"I guess, he is here to pick you up.", Shota said and went to open the door. Sakura stood in the bedroom of their parents and admired herself in the mirror. She looked like a younger version of her mother in the Yukata. Even down to the hairstyle was she just a younger version of her mother. Sakura wanted to touch the mirror, wanted to know if on the other side her mother was waiting until Shota called out to her.
"Coming.", she called and walked to the front door, standing in front of All Might.
"Are you ready to go?", All Might asked, holding out his hand for Sakura to take. Sakura shook her head and went up to her room, got a little bag with money and came back down.
"And you're sure you wanna stay here all day and watch TV with Mic, Shota?", Sakura asked as she walked out the door. Shota nodded and send the couple on their merry way.
"You look really nice, Sakura.", All Might said. Sakura blushed and thanked him.
"I haven't been out to a festival since I was 13 years old. It's nice spending time at a festival again.", Sakura whispered.
"Well than it was good to have asked you out.", All Might smiled at her. It was always so nice when he smiled at her. It was a different smile than his hero smile, it was a smile only for her.
"Thanks All Might, you're the best.", Sakura smiled up at All Might. It always made All Might's day when he saw her smile. It was like something wanted to tell him to tell her how he felt about her, but he was afraid this would ruin their Friendship.
"Say Sakura, we're friends, right?", All Might wanted to know. Sakura was confused why he would ask that.
"Yes, we're friends. Friends can go out together, after all, that's nothing weird. I've been out on 'dates' with Mic a lot.", she replied. That made All Might smile. Sakura had preferred if they weren't as noticeable, because for once she wanted All Might to herself. She had nothing against fans wanting autographs, it happened to her sometimes too, but she didn't really like it that fans were interrupting her date. Was she jealous of the fans? Maybe a little. Sakura didn't even want that the media would know about their date, she would be in trouble otherwise.
"You seem distracted. Something the matter?", All Might asked, snapping Sakura out of her trance.
"I was just thinking about us being maybe a bit too visible. Not that I don't want you to interact with your fans, they are important to you after all, but I actually preferred to just spend the day with you. No distractions or interruptions, just you and me, hanging out, like friends do.", Sakura explained. All Might patted her head carefully as to not let the rose fall out of her hair.
"Don't worry. I asked you out on a date so I will dedicate my attention to you and only you today.", All Might said. It calmed Sakura's mind a little, still she would have preferred him not be so imposing right now.
As the day went on the two have done and seen a lot of stuff. They even ate something together. Sakura liked being the center of All Might's attention, it's like a dream come true. Because of her injury she couldn't walk as much as she'd liked, so All Might had carried her to a bench whenever she felt tired. It was nice getting this much attention from the man you secretly love.
"Look at you, you think you're so cool, now that you're friends with All Might.", a man insulted Sakura. She knew who it was and she regretted immediately going out today.
"Go Away, Bryan. I don't need you here.", Sakura said, looking at the ground. She never liked that man child, he was always so full of himself and that's what made her dislike him.
"Do you really think, you out of all people would have a chance with the number one hero? Even I would have better chances if I were a woman.", Bryan laughed, making Sakura angry and sad. Bryan was right with one thing, she would never have even the slightest chance of ever being able to call All Might her husband.
"Leave me alone Bryan. All Might and I are just friends, spending time together. He doesn't even know about my plans.", Sakura exclaimed. Bryan just started laughing again: "Rightfully so. He wouldn't wanna be with someone as ugly and useless as you anyway."
The last part really hurt. Bryan had called her ugly and useless before, so why did it hurt so much right now? Was it because she really thought she'd had a chance with All Might? Or was it because All Might, the person whose opinion meant something to her, called her beautiful before and that was crushed like that again? Sakura started crying, hiding her face behind her hair. She didn't want All Might or anyone for that matter to see her cry. All Might just sat down next to her, not saying anything and just taking her hand in his. He wanted to say something, but didn't want to scare her as her leg was probably still hurting, so he didn't want to make her jump and hurt her leg again.
"I saw that boy talking to you. Are you alright?", All Might finally said after about five minutes.
"Yeah I'm fine. This boy was just being stupid, like he always was.", Sakura stated, still looking at the ground, but know whipping her tears away with her sleeves.
"What did he say that made you cry, my dear?", All Might wondered. Sakura lifted her head and looked at the blonde. Did he just call her dear?
"He said, you wouldn't want to be with someone as ugly and useless as me.", Sakura answered honestly. All Might just smiled at her again.
"You're not useless and you're definitely not ugly. Don't tell her I said that, but in my opinion you're even more beautiful than Midnight.", All Might said. Sakura wiped away a last tear and than smiled too: "Don't worry, this'll be our little secret, my friend."
The two stood up from the bench, All Might not letting go of her hand, making Sakura blush when she realized it. She didn't mind it at all, just like she didn't mind that All Might called her 'my dear' just now. Sakura stopped at a jewelry booth, because she saw a nice bracelet that would match her necklace. Sakura's necklace was given to her by her mother a day before her first day at elementary school, to always have her family near. It was a locket with a picture of 4 people in it: two male, a female and a bundle. The bundle was Sakura as a baby, one male was Shota, the other their father, and the female holding the bundle was their mother. Sakura always wore this necklace ever since she got it, ever since her parents died it was her most prized possession. Sakura looked at the bracelet while All Might watched her. She was obviously thinking of buying it but didn't have enough money to actually buy it. The look of hurt on her face was evident, but All Might didn't want to ask her, he knew she would say she didn't need or want it, so he let it slide. Sakura just took his hand again and they started walking again. It felt weird that All Might wanted to give her a present, he liked her, but she was his friend. Friends could love each other right? Of course friends could love each other, it was nothing unusual, right? Why did he feel so drawn to her? What was it that made him want to stay by her side?
"Look we could sit down on the bench up on the hill. Up there we can see the fireworks best.", Sakura said and pointed at a bench on a little hill.
"Are you sure you can climb up there?", All Might sounded concerned.
"I can manage, Toshi. You don't have to carry me. Otherwise I won't ever be able to walk normally again.", Sakura just grinned and started walking up the hill. She just wanted to sit down again and just relax a bit. She had had a shitty day as it was.
"Alright. I just have something I need to do. I'll join you later.", All Might stated and left.
"Don't be long. The fireworks start in 10 minutes.", Sakura called after All Might, who just waved to her to let her know that he wouldn't just leave her alone. He had promised her to focus all his attention on her after all, and a hero should never break a promise.
After about 5 minutes All Might returned and sat himself next to Sakura on the bench up on the hill. Sakura had a talent for finding beautiful spots to watch something, as expected by a hero with her quirk.
"I've got something for you.", All Might said and Sakura turned to him with a surprised expression.
"Really? You know you didn't have to.", Sakura liked that All Might gave her so much attention, though it gave her the unrealistic hope that he might like her as well. All Might showed her the bracelet she was looking at earlier.
"You looked sad when you couldn't buy it, so I thought, I should buy it for you.", All Might was nervous. Sakura took the bracelet and put it around her left wrist.
"Thanks, Toshi. You really are the best.", Sakura said as she hugged All Might. All Might returned the hug and just said: "No problem."
He didn't want to let go of her, it felt nice having her in his arms, but eventually he stopped hugging her and the two just watched the fireworks. The two just sat there, watching the fireworks not realizing that their fingers intertwined.
"It's beautiful, don't you think?", Sakura asked, totally lost in thoughts watching the colors burst.
"It's not the only thing that's beautiful.", All Might said and turned her face to his. For him, she was the most beautiful woman he has ever met, and he had seen and met a lot of women. He couldn't quite tell what it was that fascinated him, but something about her carefree yet stern demeanor caught his attention. All Might knew that, what he was about to do might ruin their friendship, but he needed her to know, so he just puled her closer and kissed Sakura passionately. Sakura returned the kiss, leaning into it like it was a dream that she never wants to wake up from. After about a minute the two separated and blushed, their fingers still intertwined with one another.
"It's weird..." Sakura whispered.
"What is?", All Might wanted to know. Sakura stood up, her fingers slipping away from his, and answered: "This is. Our relationship. We're friends, and we will never be anything else but that, so please don't give me hope that we could be anything else. Thank you for the gift, and thank you for your friendship, All Might."
With that said, Sakura left, leaving a confused All Might behind. Did he do something wrong? Did he interpret her mannerisms wrong? If so, why would she have told him, that she loved him and let him kiss her? It was strange to say the least, confusing and strange. But if they were just friends, why did it hurt when she said they could never be anything else but that? Were they both trapped in the illusion that what they had wasn't something more? Was he trapped in the illusion that her feelings reached deeper than just affection? What was that strange feeling he had for her that he needed to proof himself? Was that what people called love?