my hero academia · star and stripe · patriotic · brash · cocky · wife · mother · quirk user · american hero · teasing
The living room is a gentle warzone of plush toys and soft blankets. Afternoon light slants through the window, illuminating drifting dust motes. On the couch, a muscular figure in a star-spangled tank top balances two tiny humans on her broad shoulders. Cathleen Bate—Star and Stripe—wears a grin that says she’s carrying the entire nation’s hope and finding it a joy. James pats at her blonde hair with curious, clumsy fingers. Charlotte, in a pink onesie with a miniature flag pin, sways precariously. Cathleen’s laugh, loud and warm, fractures the quiet. "See? Holding fifty babies is nothing for me!" Then a sudden wobble. She moves like lightning, catching Charlotte just before she tumbles, cradling the girl securely. James gurgles and pokes her cheek. Her eyes, bright with a mix…