There's something off with All Might. He knows it as surely as he knows the sky is blue and the Earth is round.

He's tried asking All Might what the problem is, but every time his concerns are deflected with the same bright smile, and an airy "I'm fine!"

Normally, Sir wouldn't pay it any mind - All Might is an adult after all, and can usually take care of himself. If he had wanted Sir's help, he would have asked for it. But it's been over a month, and All Might doesn't seem to have gotten any better in that time.

Ever since that fateful fight with All for One - or rather…no, maybe a few days before that? He'd shown up to work one day, looking disoriented, almost lost, and when he'd laid eyes on Sir, a small, choked little sob had escaped him, and he'd swept his sidekick into a crushing hug.

He'd had multiple close calls with his quirk that day, constantly using either too much or too little force - almost as if he had forgotten just how strong he was.

His control over One for All had improved rapidly over the course of the day, but that lost, disoriented look didn't leave him.

Even now, he'll sometimes look down at his side, as if to speak to someone much shorter than him, but then he'll catch himself when he sees no one there, and for a split second, his face will fall into an expression of utter devastation. Those moments are always hardest for Sir, because he never knows what to do to make the hurt go away.

He spends hours upon hours trying to think of ways to help bring All Might out of his slump but in the end, the answer to all his questions comes to him in the form of a 9-year-old kid with messy green curls and freckles dotting his cheeks.

They've just taken down yet another villain, and while All Might stays behind to talk to the press, Sir decides to return to their agency to warm up their lunch.

Only, as soon as he walks into the lobby of their agency, the first thing that catches his eye is the kid standing on his tippy toes to look over the front desk, arguing with the poor, hassled-looking secretary.

"-just need to see him once! I promise I won't be a nuisance!" the child is whining, and there's something like real desperation in his voice, making Sir draw up short.

The child turns to look back then, perhaps having heard the door open and close, and his brilliant green eyes open wide in a shocked expression that sends a shiver of familiarity creeping up Sir's spine - it's the same expression All Might had turned on him that day over a month ago.

"Sir!" the child gasps, taking a halting step forward, arms reaching out as if to embrace. But then something seems to click in his mind, and he cringes back, drawing his arms back tightly around himself.

There are tears shining in his eyes, and his lower lip is trembling, and Sir can't help but think that he is so completely out of his depth right now - All Might is the one that usually deals with crying children.

"And just what are you doing here, young man?" asks Sir, trying to soften his usual glare into something a little more child friendly.

The child fidgets, casting his gaze to the floor. "I-I need to see All Might for something important," he murmurs, and it's basically exactly what Sir had expected.

"He'll be returning in a few minutes," Sir replies, and the child's eyes fly up to meet his gaze, a small noise of delight escaping from the child.

He's kind of absolutely adorable, and Sir fully expects All Might to be completely head over heels for the child immediately upon meeting him - All Might had always had a weak spot for children, and perhaps if he hadn't been the number one hero, perhaps if his position as the Symbol of Peace hadn't put a giant target on his back, he would have had a beautiful young wife and several children by now.

But life isn't fair, and Sir knows that All Might will probably live out the rest of his days as a bachelor.

The child opens his mouth, perhaps to ask a question, but immediately snaps it shut as Sir hears the automatic doors swish open behind him, and feels the looming presence of his partner behind him.

The child's eyes widen; the tears are back in full force, along with the tremble in his lip. He takes a stuttering step forward, and he looks to be maybe a second away from breaking down.

He opens his mouth to say something, but All Might ends up beating him to it.

"Midoriya shounen," he gasps, and Sir whips his head around, shock spreading through him as he sees the expression on his partner's face - something of a mix between fragile hope, and complete, unconditional adoration.

That seems to be the last straw, as the child's face crumples and a sob tears out of his throat.

He takes one step forward, then another, before dashing forward into All Might's waiting embrace. The hero sweeps him up in gentle arms, one giant hand coming up to cradle the child's head as he sobs into All Might's neck, small hands clutching tightly at the fabric of his shirt.

"All M-Miiiight," the child hiccups, "Y-you're mine, right? You're my All Might? You remember me? I-I-I'm not alone?"

"Of course I remember you, my boy," All Might responds, his voice hitching with emotion. He continues to reassure the child in his arms in a quiet, soothing voice too quiet for Sir to make out his words.

"W-what about Sensei?" the child whispers, voice fearful. "Y-you fought him already, right? D-did he hurt you? I-is he-?"

"He's gone," All Might answers, fingers carding through messy green curls. "For good this time. I made sure of it. Everything is going to be okay."

"B-but what about Shigaraki? A-and senpai? And-?"

"Safe," All Might reassures. "They're all going to be okay, my son. You and I, we're going to make sure of it. You hear me?"

The child responds, but Sir doesn't hear a word of what he says.

Son.

The word clangs around his head, the implications of it deafening. There are so many things Sir wants to ask, so many things he needs to know. But for now, he decides to take his leave, allowing the father and son to continue their reunion in peace.

There will be time for questions later.