Wonderland - 4

Els/Shota
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Aizawa arrived as she expected promptly at six. She did not, however, assume he would make an effort to clean himself up. His messy black hair had been freshly washed and carefully pulled back into a small bun. He had partially shaved, eradicating some of the more scraggly stubble from his pale face. His clothing was about the same as his hero outfit: black with black, and black shoes. She saw they were pressed with no wrinkles, however, and was touched he had made a very conscious effort to dress nicer, in his way. She wore a simple outfit, something he noticed with approval as she closed the door and joined him in the hall. Black shirt with an Alice in Wonderland quote on it - at least he assumed from the design, as it was in english he couldn't read -- and jeans. A pair of sandals completed her look.

"So," she said as they walked out the front doors of the hotel. "Where are we going?"

"It's not far." He pointed down the sidewalk to a business that had a bright blue awning in front.

When they reached the place she couldn't believe her eyes. "A cat cafe?" She bit her lip to try and hold back her laughter.

"I like cats." He held the door open for her and they stepped inside.

"That better not be the only reason you like me."

He snorted. "Ridiculous. You have much more to offer than a domesticated animal."

"That's good to know."

They ordered some coffee and a couple of buns from a passing waitress and sat in silence for a bit.  Surprisingly, he was the one to speak first. "That one has your name." He pointed.

She followed his finger to see a rather large, striped cat purring on one of the cat houses they had set up. "He's humongous!"

His lips twitched, not quite a smile but as close as he usually came to one, and he nodded. Elly got up and walked over to the big tabby, calling softly. He raised his head briefly, meowed and dropped back into a nap.

"He's kind of a lazy ass, though."

She jumped, heart pounding in her chest. He had managed to creep up on her and spoke directly over her bent shoulder. She breathed deeply, struggling to recover. How could he do that? Worse yet, his closeness and low voice had caused a noticeable reaction in her. The striped tail behind her fluffed out from the top to the double-tipped white ends.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just - ah, you startled me." She grinned, abashed, and stroked the fur down with one hand.

"Can I ask you something?" He sighed dismally as he watched her give her namesake a friendly pat on the head. "Am I doing anything wrong?"

"Wrong? How so?"

"They despise me," he shrugged. "I've tried everything." He watched as one stalked up to Elly. "See? They like you." The cat rubbed his face on her leg and she grinned.

"They rub to mark what they like," she commented, "usually toys and furniture, sometimes people. It's not always a cuddly gesture, though. It's possesive. More like saying 'this is mine.'"

"They never do that to me. All they do is -" He knelt and the cat immediately hissed at him, fur puffing out in anger.

"Aw." Elly saw how much this meant to him and she had an idea. She got up, raising an eyebrow at him to silently ask if he wanted anything else. He shook his head, so she wandered over to the counter and spoke with the server there. The woman smiled, holding her hand before her face to hide her expression. The grumpy guy was one of their top customers, but he always disturbed the cats. She always thought if he had one of his own, he would look happier. The woman he brought today got what she wanted and went back to their table in the corner.

He blinked when a crinkled cellophane package dropped in front of him. It contained a cute little stuffed blue mouse. "Uh."

"Open it."

He popped the bag open, scaring a few more cats in the process. Shaking his head ruefully, he pulled it out. "Now what? I've tried toys before, they don't..." He trailed off as he glanced across the table at Elly. Those furry purple ears were attentive and her eyes bright as she tracked the mouse. He moved it slightly, and she flicked it with her hand. Aizawa didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Here he was, sitting in a cat cafe where all the cats hated him but his date. He sighed in resignation and dangled it around while she playfully batted it. Since his hand was holding the mouse, this meant their fingers frequently brushed together. Aizawa found it was more difficult to control his expressions when they touched. He was about to toss the thing over to her when she placed her hand on top of his.

"You're wrong, you know," she said softly.

"Mnn?"

"Not all cats despise you." She leaned across the booth and rubbed his stubbled cheek with her own. "And that, by the way, was meant to be possessive and affectionate."

"That's good to know." He paused, thinking hard. They were on a date, and couples kissed on dates - he had seen them do so even in public. Aizawa didn't have a problem with the act, but his lip was still sore from her bite earlier and he didn't want her to risk infection. He had refused Healing Girl's offer to treat it in an act of penance Elly found touching. Instead, he licked his finger pad, frowning with deliberation, and gently kissed it. He pressed that on her lips instead, gasping at the sensation when she responded with a kiss back. "I think I only need one cat, anyway."

"Yes," she purred, staring into his eyes intently. "I'm glad."