Headcanons

 Elly vigorously massaged her temple with her fingers from both hands. Being a therapist at the top Hero School for teenagers made for some interesting sessions...

...and then there were other, less intense moments.

She stared at the email she'd gotten for one more long minute and took a deep breath before typing.

<i>It's okay to have "headcanons" about heroes, but remember that</i> reality exists <i>and they aren't always true. For example, Present Mic is not deaf. I've watched him turn around as a person asked him a question from behind.</i>

Elly paused, gathering her thoughts. She'd already stressed the importance of dreaming and the thought process in previous emails. These two had also been told why believing your heroes had the same afflictions or desires was important for your psyche. She needed for them to understand communication - and <i>tone</i> -- was key.

"All right, let's try this..."

<i>Having fantasies and dreaming about whatever you like is normal. When you post them</i> online, <i>you open yourself to others that don't agree with you. And they may see it as an attack against what</i> they <i>believe is the truth. 

You say those that "hate headcanons" are "annoying" and then say "let people have fun" by posting them. Most would gladly do this, but they do not like your continued</i> insistence <i>that you are right. If you simply post and have fun that's fine. But lately, you have been adding "fight me" and "I'm 100% right, get over it losers" to your posts. You can see why this is triggering for your friends, right?

Both sides need to respect each other, and the person that blocked you</i> was respecting you <i>because they chose to not listen or engage with your very hostile arguments on your behalf.</i>

Elly folded her ears firmly back and highlighted one last part:

<i><b>TLDR; Most people are nice. They're kind, they think of themselves as Good People.

Those same people will respond with hostility if you hit them with it first. You're not owed sympathy and compassion if you insist on treating everyone around you with unjustified contempt.</i></b>

She straightened up and rubber her eyes with both hands, yawning. As she rolled her chair back to rest a bit she heard the door snicker open and Present Mic stuck his head in.

"Hey, what'cha doing?"

Elly rubbed her aching neck with one hand. "Ugh... diffusing an online situation between classmates. This has been going on for awhile and I'm trying to talk some sense into them." 

"They fighting?"

"Kind of. One likes to write fanfics and is struggling with negative comments when they put them online. They're argumentative and pushy, and it sets their friends off. That's when it hits the fan and they contact me." She picked up her coffee for a sip.

He nodded vigorously. "Huh. I know what you mean. I gotta shipper in my last class that wholeheartedly believes I'm raw doggin' Aizawa."

Elly spit coffee out all over her keyboard. "<i>Mic!</i>"

He snickered. "Made you stop frowning for a second."

"Honestly..." She sighed, dabbing at her desk with a wad of tissues, though he could see her lips twitching in the hint of a smile.

"Wanna go get coffee after yer done? My treat, since, you know." He gestured at the spill. 

"Sure."

"Don't worry. They know I'm really bonin' you. They like writing that other shit, though." He walked around to her side of the desk.

Elly rolled her eyes. "<i>Hizashi</i> -"

"Kidding! I don't talk like that. They, uh, do know we're a couple though. You dropped off my lunch the other day, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"They made a bunch of dorky comments about that." Hizashi rolled his eyes. "Anyways..." He leaned down to give her a quick peck on the cheek before she stood. "C'mon, babe, you seriously need a break."

"Okay, okay. Not gonna argue."

Hizashi playfully swat her rear as she walked by with a chuckle. "Maybe we could engage in some gross PDA when we get near the front? That exact class let out and I wanna traumatize them a little."

She giggled wickedly.

Retreat (Hizashi)

 Elly kept arguing against these "togetherness" retreats but someone higher up the school chain of command apparently loved them. Both her and Hound Dog's protests were ignored, as usual, and here they were... again.

He took it in stride, though. The cat counselor, on the other hand, was furious. She made sure <i>everyone</i> knew that she found these oversharing and forced "bonding" sessions ridiculous for any number of reasons.

She knew she was letting it get to her too much, however, when the others nudged Hizashi to shut her up. He could effectively silence her at any moment, even mid-tirade, with a simple smile.

Elly had to admit they <i>did</i> choose wonderful resorts and sites for these. Even if she didn't like the reason she was there she enjoyed her stay every time. This one was a sumptious five-star hotel with a great restaurant, beautiful suites and a spa, which is where they were currently. The teachers settled into a room surrounded by windows built for meditation or perhaps yoga. They were near Mount Fuji and the wilderness was a sparkling, snow-covered wonderland. She looked around and chose a sun-warmed spot, curling her tail around her and groaning with only a little irritation.

Her annoyance faded when Hizashi strolled in and made for the space beside her right away after only a cursory glance around the room. He sat next to her on a floor pillow and took her hand in his, beaming at her so brightly she wondered how he didn't blot out the sun.

"Good mornin', babe!"

"Good morning." She sighed, still unsure about everything.

"Aw, ya don't <i>sound</i> like it's very good." He gently rubbed his thumb across her hand as the head of this exercise walked in the middle of the pillow piles to greet them. She was a small, middle-aged woman wearing a tie-dyed shirt and khaki pants with woven sandals.

The woman clapped her palms gently together. "My name is Uchi Tokeru, and my quirk is going to help us understand each other better today."

"Relax, nothing's gonna go wrong when I'm here." Hizashi squeezed Elly's hand gently.

She smiled, geniunely touched but also amused. "Oh? You're going to make this not suck?"

"Yeah!"

Uchi ignored them and continued with her speech. "Now, for our first exercise, you're going to show your colleague how you feel about them by touching anywhere on their face..."

Hizashi turned to Elly with a lopsided grin. Their eyes met and, before either of them knew what was happening their mouths were softly pressing together.

Yagi looked over casually from where he was sitting and started coughing loudly. "Oh my - Yamada and Ms. Elly..!"

"That's one way to do it, I guess," Snipe drawled comically.

Soon everyone was either staring, stunned, or hooting and whistling. The couple was oblivious at first and deepened the kiss, their heads moving as their tongues touched. Hizashi's hand reached up to gently caress her cheek, his eyebrows drawn up tight with emotion. Elly's cat ears melted down on either side of her head, her tail fluffing out behind her.

Yagi looked away, blushing furiously.

"What the hell is your quirk?!" Ken choked. The cement man was having a difficult time accepting what was happening, averting his eyes and blushing.

"It causes people to react truthfully to my suggestions," she said with a shrug. "The stronger the emotion behind them, the more power it has."

"Truthfully? They're joined at the lip!"

"Ugh." Aizawa cracked his lone eye open and cringed at what he saw in front of him. "Why did I <i>look</i>."

"Well." The guide blinked at the shocked group. "There's a first time for everything, I suppose."

"Never happened before?" Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

"No." She paused to think. "Technically, they <i>are</i> touching each other's faces, so I suppose it counts."

"<i>That was what you were worried about</i>?!"

"Woooooow." Everyone watched Hizashi's eyes flutter open. They were glazed with pleasure at first, but he blinked back into focus when Yagi choked a little. "Ohmigod!"

The couple stared back at their wide-eyed colleagues, blushing in mortification.

"Wh - I had no idea that was going to happen!" The counselor's face winked out of sight.

"Neither did I, yo!" Hizashi paused, then blurted out, "wait, we <i>both</i> did it, that means you're into me, too! Holy shit! HEY GUYS, SHE LIKES ME!"

Aizawa winced harder and gave him a stern stare. "Congratulations. Now shut up."

"Weak. This is <i>awesome</i> and I'm gonna shout it to the rooftops!"

"You realize that's a threat, coming from you."

"C'mon." Elly winked back into view. "You know that's not what he means."

"Can we, uh, have the rest of the day off?" Hizashi raised his hand like he was a student. "I think we have to talk... among other things."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Elly agreed.

"Yeah," he chuckled, getting up. "Probably when I was kissing you." He waggled his eyebrows at her, complete with a sly grin that showed just the hint of his teeth.

The pair was allowed to gracefully bow out of the rest of the day's activities. They wandered over to the lounge and watched hikers march along the frozen trails outside for awhile in silence. Hizashi carefully placed his arm around the back of the plush sofa they sat on, lowering it to her shoulders when she smiled.

"This is nice."

"I know," he sighed, setting his feet on a footstool and crossing his legs. "I should've confessed a long time ago."

"You still didn't," Elly reminded him.

"Ohhhhh, I didn't?" He hugged her close and kissed her upper cheek, the closest part he could reach without bending. "That's lame, yo. Wait a sec..."

"We're pretty much alone."

"Ahh. That's what I was checkin', but it doesn't really matter. I wanna let everyone know." Hizashi nuzzled close to her furry ear and whispered, "I love you, baby." She shivered all over and he cooed with concern. "Oh nooo, you cold? We should head to my suite to warm up -" he lowered his voice, "if you're pickin' up what I'm droppin' down, yeah?"

"I think you're going to have to pick <i>me</i> up after that," she said in a shaky voice. "I doubt my legs will hold me up!"

"Done!" He scooped her into his arms and stood all in one motion. Elly yelped, surprised, but all he did was shift her weight around before heading for the elevator.

"Zashi!"

"What? You told me to carry you." He pushed the button for his floor, grinning. "Your legs are <i>jelly</i> from all that <i>sexy</i> wooing."

"Oh my god. Stop."

He was very obviously trying to hold back laughter when the doors opened, without much success. "This <i>is</i> our stop! How'd ya know?"

"You dork!"

"I know, but you <i>loooooove</i> me anyway, so what's that make you?" He paused briefly at the door to his suite to grab his card and swipe in with a flourish.

"I guess I," Elly sighed in mock resignation. "Am a dork lover."

Hizashi snickered as he carried her in and set her on her feet to lock the door securely. "I'll let you pick a place to bang," he suggested cheerfully, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder at the bed, hot tub and couch.

"<i>Yamada Hizashi</i>!"

He dodged her hand, laughing wildly. "Whaaaaat?! <i>You</i> know you want me. <i>I</i> know you want me. That kiss had <i>potential</i>, babygirl."

Elly bit her tongue to try and prevent a smile. "Still, 'bang'? Really? And why wouldn't we use the bed?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I mean ...there's a hot tub?"

"It's snowing outside."

"Well, whether it's snowing or not, you're gettin' seven inches, baby." He thrust his hips out while throwing double finger guns at her.

Now she couldn't hold back the grin. "...because we're going to do it twice?"

Hizashi's jaw dropped and he stood still for a good five seconds before throwing his head back and laughing like a loon. "Ouch! Okay, yer gonna hafta see for yourself, but don't say I didn't warn ya!"

He sat on the bed and held his arms out wide, and she didn't need a second invite. They proceeded to twist themselves into an intricate knot of passion, clothing thrown wildly into the air at random intervals until both were nude.

"Hey, sexy," Elly murmured. He was gorgeous; his clothing hid a defined body from public view and he kept himself well groomed everywhere. She sighed and glanced down further. "Whoa."

"Told ya."

"And here I thought you were joking." She lightly ran a fingertip along his length and smiled as he twitched. "Good thing we're both on hero regulated BC and STD checks. I mean, can you even get condoms that fit?"

"Yeah, but." He stopped to squirm when she started actively stroking him to full hardness. "Um, oh shit, your hands are really soft. Uh. I gotta order them. Not many places have bigger ones that fit..." He caught her wrist in one hand and she looked up into his spiralling hazel eyes. "You gotta quit, babygirl, or I'm gonna lose it waaaaay too fast."

"Really? That's flattering."

"Yeah, well, I've kinda had these feelings for you for awhile. I've been bottled up and I'm about ready to pop."

"Pop... or shout?" She closed her fist and pumped several times very quickly.

All his breath rushed out at once and he bit his lip lightly, sealing his mouth in a silent reminder to not lose control of his quirk. "Hnnnf!"

Elly paused her exploration of his body to address that concern. "Are you okay, Zashi? I mean, I doubt <i>I'm</i> going to be able to be very quiet. You look scared..?"

"Nerves," he squeaked, his eyes squinting open a little. "It's nerves. I haven't had to hold back this hard in a long, long time."

"Aww."

"Heh." He forced himself to relax and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, yeah. Listen, babe, I got an idea if I start to get too loud, okay? Lemme know what you think. A kiss probably wouldn't work since we're gonna be doing a lot of that. How about you, ah, this might be kind of weird..."

"It's okay." She smiled, encouraging him to go on.

"All right. I want ya to pinch one of my nipples, yeah? I mean, it won't hurt, but think of it like a volume slider. It'll definitely get my attention."

"How hard?" Her fingers traced one, circling the tip. "I don't want to be mean."

"Try it." He licked his lips. "Um. I suggested this for a reason, though, so like, <i>mmmn</i>!" Hizashi squirmed as she drew her fingers together. "Okay, oh man, you're gonna have to do better than th - <i>ffffuck, yeah</i>!"

She experimented until they agreed on the right amount of pressure - fairly hard, with a literal twist -- and she immediately began calling them his "mute" buttons.

"Okay, we're all safe and ready, right?"

"Yeah," he agreed, panting, with his cheeks burning and his hair coming out from the sides of his bun in long, blond wisps. "Yeah, we're good to go, I think."

"So if they're that sensitive, how would you react if I sucked on them?"

His eyes fluttered open wide and he whimpered right before she closed her mouth on one. His whines of pleasure weren't loud but inspired, and she caressed his trembling body while she teased the tight buds of flesh.

After a long time she let him rest.

Once he recovered he spluttered, amazed. "How'd you know to <i>do</i> that?!"

"Mine are just as sensitive," she admitted with a low purr.

Hizashi grinned wickedly. "Oh, baby." She shrieked laughter when he growled into her neck, nibbling and kissing. "Yer gonna get it!"

It only took a few minutes before she started to beg. It was too much having him above her, arms wrapped around him while he treated her so tenderly with kisses.

"I want you," she gasped. "Now. Please."

Hizashi kissed her softly on the mouth. "Okay, baby. But <i>let me know</i> if it hurts or I get too loud. Promise?"

"Yes. I'll mute you or tell you if I'm uncomfortable."

"Awesome," he murmured. "Then raise your legs and hold on."

He entered her smoothly and she shivered at the electric thrill of penetration. "Oh, 'Zashi."

"Ches," he groaned.

"You don't have to go <i>that</i> slow..."

"Yeah, I do." He dropped his head to kiss her into silence while he moved as slowly as possible, a lazy, infrequent thrust of his hips. "I gotta concentrate on not goin' too deep."

After several minutes of moaning while clinging desperately to him she whimpered. "Zashi, you're gonna drive me crazy -"

"Good," he panted, eyes squinted as he concentrated.

"No, I mean <i>please</i>, I need more!"

Hizashi opened his eyes to stare at her through a haze of passion. "Once I get goin' it's -" he paused to catch his breath, "h - hard for me to stop. You sure?"

"Yes!"

"Want you to, to..." He stopped, groaned deeply and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. "Want you to come, baby."

"I'm close," she panted, "I'm getting close."

"Oh?" He raised himself further on his palms above her. "Harder? Or just faster, baby?"

"<i>Faster</i>!"

"Hang on," he sighed.

She should have heeded his warning. Elly knew his remarkable stamina was a manic trait and now that he knew her body, he threw himself into their lovemaking with all he had. She gasped, surprised at the quick fierceness of her orgasm when it struck.

"Oh my god <i>that's so good</i>!"

"Yes!" He bit his lower lip, straining, sweat trickling down his neck. In the moment of climax she thought he was beautiful and his volume never reached above a normal shout.

"I <i>love</i> you," she gasped weakly after he rolled off of her tired body.

"Yeah," he panted, chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath. "You're amazing, babe. I never thought anybody would be louder than me!"

She turned a very dark shade of red and looked hurriedly around. "Erk."

"Don't worry. My neighbor's Aizawa. Plus, I bet they aren't done with their class thing yet." A deliberate, low knocking coming from the shared wall made him choke a little. "Oops."

"I'm sure he won't tease us too much."

"I'm just worried 'bout the rest of the stay. How many times is too many, anyw -" He caught the pillow she tossed at him full in the face and started laughing.

These trying times (Aizawa)

 Aizawa was directed to his friend's room the moment he walked into the common area that evening. Several of their colleagues noticed the counselor's distraught state after watching the news. Turns out the stress was too much for her and this made him worry.

When she opened the door upon his knock she looked terrible. Elly's ears were drooping, her eyes red and teary with hectic blotches of color on her cheeks. She let him in and collapsed onto the bed, rolling up to hide.

"The others said you were upset. For some reason they thought I should be the one to check up on you... are you okay?"

"No," she muttered.

"You look sick."

"Thanks." Elly curled up into an even tighter ball with her tail around her and sniffled. "I'd rather you not see me like this," she admitted with a groan. "I'm not my best right now."

"You ran off during the news. Was it villians?"

"Yeah, the new ones got me rattled. There's not enough fighting against them in my opinion, all mixed in with my usual fears and anxieties."

He shrugged. "Stress builds. You reached your limit, that's all. You need to rest." Elly looked up at him and nodded with a strange, weak smile he didn't trust. "Cheshire -"

"I'm sorry, I know!"

This time he passed a tired hand over his eyes, sighing deeply. She watched, trembling and nervous, as he locked the door. He turned back and sat beside her on the bed, shaking his head when she tried to move to make space for him. Instead, he carefully placed an arm around her.

Startled, she lost most of her anxiety of the moment. "Aizawa..?"

"You <i>don't</i> know."

"Uh..."

"Please." He ran one hand through his messy, dark hair and grunted. "No, shut up. This is hard for me... I'm trying to comfort you."

"You're trying to what?" She laughed despite herself and he blinked morosely down at her.

"Really?"

"Now I really <i>am</i> sorry. That was unexpected though, you have to admit. And why'd you lock the door?"

"I thought I'd spend the night." Her gasp triggered a creepy grin. "Not like that, we're at school. But sleeping together - <i>just sleep</i> -- would be all right. Unless you object."

"You." She pointed at him with a shaky finger. "You want to... <i>snuggle</i>?"

Aizawa's eyebrows raised. "Do you not want to?"

"Oh. Uh, yes! I mean, yes I want to."

"Good. Pull that blanket closer and get comfortable."

She took hold of her Alice in Wonderland themed blanket, the grin of the Cheshire cat smoothing out like her own as she tugged it over them both.

"Aizawa?"

"Yes."

"I never thought you'd offer something like this and I'm a little confused." Elly frowned. "Why?"

He sighed one of the largest, long-suffering sighs she'd heard from him in awhile. "Because I care about you."

"Does that mean -"

"Besides, I would never pass up the chance to nap with a cat."

She rolled over, grumbling to herself, but when she felt his arms wrap around her as he pulled her against him it turned to purrs.

These trying times (Zashi)

 Hizashi was directed to his friend the moment he walked into the common area that evening. Several of their colleagues noticed the counselor's distraught state after watching the news. Turns out the stress was too much for her and this made him worry.

When she opened the door to her room upon his playful tapping she looked terrible. Elly's ears were drooping, her eyes red and teary with hectic blotches of color on her cheeks. She let him in and collapsed onto the bed, rolling up to hide.

Hizashi, of course, had nothing even resembling a filter and said the first thing that came to mind. "Aw, babe, you look like shit!"

"Thanks," she muttered.

"You know what I mean." He turned and locked the door, certain this was going to be an all-nighter. "The guys told me you needed some help."

"Maybe." Elly curled up into an even tighter ball with her tail around her and sniffled. "But I'd rather you not see me like this," she admitted with a groan. "I'm not my best right now."

"That's why I'm here, yo." The bed dipped as he sat down next to her. "I wanna help. Tell me what you need or hey, you know, whatever. 'Kay?" He waited for a few seconds, growing more concerned when she didn't speak. Although worried he thought it would be best to let her open up when she wanted to. It took a lot of control, but instead of pressing further he reached out to stroke her hair instead.

"I feel like shit."

"Maybe it's me and I gotta run my mouth... tell me to shut up if you want. Or to leave. But it's okay to show me your other sides. Everybody's got shitty days, some more'n others for whatever reason."

She groaned as she sat up. "I'm angry and depressed and - hell, too many things. Kinda afraid you won't like me anymore after you hear it all."

Hizashi snorted loudly. "Babe, there is seriously <i>nothing</i> that will stop me from liking you." He paused when his fingers came into contact with one of her furry ears. "Um. Is it okay if I pet these?"

They twitched and she shrugged. "Yeah. Only because it's you, though."

"Oho..! So I'm <i>special</i>."

Elly grunted but then sighed and leaned towards him as he carefully rubbed the velvety fur. "Don't let it inflate your ego, Mr. DJ."

"Me?! Never."

"Riiiight."

"So... can I ask?"

"Bleah. It's all so stupid. Worse, as a therapist I <i>know</i> how to handle my feelings."

"You were watching the news."

She nodded. "Some of the new villians got me upset. There's not enough fighting against them all mixed in with my usual fears and anxieties."

"You filled up." He shrugged. "Everybody's got a limit, yeah? I know a little of what you told me about your past and am amazed you held out this long. You're super strong, babe."

"I don't feel strong right now."

"You need to recharge is all. I can help with that." Hizashi curled an arm around her and smiled when she wriggled close. They sat in silence for awhile, until a soft sigh and her body posture told him she'd relaxed.

"So, uh, how about we get comfy." He pointed at the head of the bed. "Lemme scoot over and we can sleep tog - err, go to bed - err..." His blush intensified as he struggled to find a way to say it without insinuating anything. "Um. <i>Fall asleep</i> together, yeah? That sound good?"

Elly looked up at him in pure adoration, her eyes dark and very soft. "That sounds perfect."

"On top of the covers with the fuzzy blanket?" He picked it up and motioned for her to join him.

"<i>Definitely</i> with the fuzzy blanket."

He put his phone and glasses beside hers on the end table. "I texted everyone we're sleeping. Do not disturb ...<i>or else</i>." He growled in mock anger at the sheer arrogance of anyone daring to interrupt them.

"Good." She laughed, cuddling into his side.

"You want thigh or breast meat, baby? I can turn around -"

Now Elly had to muffle her giggles in her hands. "Hizashi!"

"Whaaaat? I gotta know so I can get situated." He faced her and she purred, happily burrowing into his chest. "This better?"

"Yeah. Everything is better when you're around."

His ears burned hotter. "That's good," he murmured.

"Mmn?"

"I said, uh, good night."

Xmas Costume Wish

 The teachers' dormitory was beautiful this holiday, decked out in lights and tinseled garland and a tree filled to the very top with shining ornaments.

It Christmas Eve and instead of the usual party there was a costume theme this year.

Elly sighed and fixed her long, blond wig for the tenth time since she'd put it on. It was itchy and annoying but the woman she was dressed as didn't have short, purple hair like she did and she was determined to look the part. She smoothed her red dress, adjusting the gold belt that circled her waist and looked in the mirror.

"Close enough." No one was going to guess who she was but that didn't matter. She was pleased with the outfit and it was a color that was <i>Christmassy</i> enough to pass by itself as pretty.

Hizashi had seen her dress a week earlier and she blushed deeply, remembering his wolf whistle of appreciation. It wasn't racy by any means but beautiful, long flowing and unlike anything she'd worn before. As she walked into the common area her eyes darted rapidly about, focused on finding the Voice Hero.

He found her first.

"Hello, <i>princess</i>."

Elly blinked in surprise and subconsciously held her breath as he strode into the room with all the swagger his costume demanded.

He wore all black, tight-fitting leather pants and boots the same as his hero outfit but with an open-laced pirate shirt and a plastic rapier at his side. His blonde hair was tied back in a bun and he had on an upper face mask that somehow didn't hinder his glasses.

Elly let out a soft whimper, again without realizing she'd made a noise. <i>Oh my god he - he didn't!</i>

He'd somehow known her costume and matched hers so perfectly that it <i>couldn't</i> be a mistake.

She might have guessed his extensive knoweledge of popular American movies would lead him to know her costume. Yet she never in a million years imagined the man of her dreams would dress with her for the penultimate romance-comedy couple of all time.

"H - Hizashi," she gasped as he grasped her waist lightly in one hand and swung her into a staged embrace. Others started to take notice and there were a few raised eyebrows.

"Think I didn't recognize the dress? The belt, the wig, gloves... all gave it all away. And I couldn't pass up my chance; I've got the mustache and hair already!" He smiled at her. "Besides, this is true love. Do you think this happens every day?"

She drew in a sharp breath, her hands twitching on his back. When she didn't pull away Hizashi looked around, expecting everyone to be thrilled with his wit. What he got, however, was nothing but mixed frowns of anger and sympathy. Confused, he turned back to the woman in his arms and his breath caught in his throat.

Though she was smiling, Elly's eyes were overflowing with tears that dripped down her flushed cheeks. Baffled, his hands fell and she vanished immediately. The door outside opened and slammed shut as the small crowd watched in silence.

"Wh - what'd I say?"

Though several people shook their heads in resignation, All Might stepped up to the poor man. Yagi shook his head, sighing, and placed a hand on his colleague's shoulder. "She thinks you were just quoting the movie, Yamada."

"Well, I was, but - uh. I mean..." He took off his glasses to rub wearily at his eyes. "I've been wanting to confess for ages. I thought I could use it as a cover, ya know? In case she didn't like me back."

"She had no way of knowing you were serious."

Hizashi groaned loudly. "I knowwww. I screwed <i>up</i>. How do I fix it?"

Aizawa's head popped up from where he was bundled in his sleeping bag on the couch. "Go after her, idiot," he snapped.

"I'd do that, yes," the other man echoed.

Hizashi stared at them for a second, then burst into a run out the door screaming Elly's name.

"What are you again?" Yagi asked mildly, walking over to the couch.

"Caterpillar." He shrugged.

"Are caterpillars yellow?"

It was cold outside, the ground frozen hard but no snow yet. He had no idea where she was and knew she could perfectly hide because of her quirk. If she didn't want him to find her, he simply wouldn't.

"Ches? I'm sorry, babe - I messed up! I didn't mean, well, uh! I did mean, I mean..." Hizashi trailed off, swearing under his breath. "Lame," he groaned.

She was so close she had to take off her wig to mask her cold breath puffing into the air. It would have worked if only it hadn't started to snow at that moment. It was a very fine snow, coming down gently at first but starting to build with each passing moment. Hizashi stayed where he was, stubbornly calling her name until he turned in the right direction.

The snowflakes settled on her, glistening like shiny crystals and creating a shimmering outline. "You're <i>beautiful</i>," he gasped in awe.

Elly flashed back into sight. "Damn it... wait, <i>what</i>?"

"Beautiful," he repeated, stepping closer. "I mean, I always think you are but -"

"You <i>do</i>?!" She rubbed her eyes incredulously as she stared into his dear, sweet face. "Does this mean you were serious in there?!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly. "I was scared, so I played it off like I was quoting it to give you an out... you know, in case you didn't like me that way. But I should've realized, yeah?"

Elly shrugged. "How could you have guessed?"

"Well, I could've at least manned up to it."

"Being a man's got nothing to do about it," she snorted. "I actually think it's sweet that you were nervous."

He squinted quizzically at her. "Uhm... really?"

"Yes."

Hizashi jumped a little when he felt her hand gently slip into his. "Oh," he choked, feeling lame that he couldn't come up with something better - <i>anything!</i> -- to say.

"You can tell me now," Elly offered.

He brightened all at once, flashing her a genuinely warm smile. "As you wish," he husked quietly before bending for a kiss.

Mark 15

 Aizawa didn't pay to much attention to his neighbors ...at least, he <i>tried</i> not to. It hadn't been hard in the past because Hizashi had been busy with work. Nowadays, however, was a challenge. The celebrity DJ had begun spending far more time at home. It meant more disruption in Aizawa's life, though he had to admit he was trying hard to roll with the changes. If there was a lot of noise, for example, he put on a pair of headphones or left for a walk on the beach. 

Of course, though it might be selective memory loss, he kept forgetting that his - <i>their!</i> -- soulmate lived there now.

He grumbled to himself as he opened a kitchen cabinet in the early morning hours. Once again, he'd used up all his coffee and had none. Rubbing his eyes and yawning he made his way to their door.

Aizawa coughed in surprise at seeing Elly open it. "I ran out of coffee," he grunted as an explanation, then hurried on, "I shouldn't have - I'm sorry. I'll go."

She stopped him with a hand on his shoulder as he spun around. "No, Aizawa, wait."

"I forgot," he muttered. "Again."

"Yeah, but we can't ignore each other forever, right?"

He looked back at her, his gray eyes haunted. "Can't we?"

"No. We can't."

"I'd prefer if we tried," he said and pulled away to dart back to safety.

She watched him go, sighing sadly before closing the door and walking back to the kitchen to continue cooking. Hizashi soon popped his head in from the hallway, freshly showered and wearing a black silk robe with a towel wrapped around his massive pile of hair.

"Hey, babygirl," he crooned playfully. "Whatcha doing?"

"Making breakfast, love." She turned her head and they shared a tender kiss. 

"Ooooh, great. I'm starving. Must've worked up too much of an appetite last night." He rolled his eyes dramatically.

She chuckled softly. "Oh, and I talked to our neighbor."

Hizashi raised an eyebrow. "What's he want?"

"He wanted to borrow coffee again. But he freaked out and ran when he saw it was me."

"Sounds about right." He looked down at the coffee he was pouring for himself with a smile. "I think he's a little afraid of you."

She stopped buttering toast for a moment to look over at him. "Would you get jealous if we went somewhere together? To talk?"

He stood up and walked over to her. "No, dear," he told her softly, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the neck. "He's my friend and you're my lover <i>and</i> friend. I know I blew up when I first found out and I'm sorry. I'm trying to get over my insecurity, but that's my problem. I do trust you both."

"Hmm." She leaned into his touch. "I hate seeing him so unhappy. His life has been tough, from what you told me."

"Ha! Don't let him know you feel that way. Guy slammed the door in my face when I showed up to offer condolences after the death of his soul mate."

She sighed. 

"You didn't get any coffee," she pointed out.

"That's fine." He tried to close the door but she shook her head. 

"Let's go get some."

"Go... get some?" Aizawa stared at her blankly.

"Both of us. We can get some at one of the cafes nearby. We've done it before, it shouldn't be too much of a bother, right?"

He frowned, trying to process the information that was coming at him. "You want... to go someplace with me? I'm trying to stay away from you, but you want <i>to get coffee together</i>?"

Her ears flicked and she stared back innocently. "Yep."

Aizawa stood still, frowning harder. Eventually he raised a hand to rub wearily at his eyes. "You're not going to accept <i>no</i> as an answer, are you."

But she surprised him again. "If you really don't want to I won't force you. I'm as concerned as you are about our situation, though, and we need to talk."

He dropped his hand, his eyes looking more tired all at once. "All right."

They received some odd looks when they arrived at the cafe. It was a sit down restaurant and they ordered from an obviously flustered waitress who kept glancing at him as though he was going to attack her.

Aizawa noticed this and sighed quietly to himself. "Black coffee," he ordered. 

Elly decided on a special coffee with flavored cream and sugar, and they sat back after they were done. They decided to wait until they had their coffee before talking but the silence between them wasn't awkward. She mulled this over in her head and couldn't figure out why, so she let it go once a hot cup was set in front of her.

"Thank you." A big smile to their server caused the young lady to smile back. Aizawa noticed she once again avoided eye contact with him, however.

"Thanks," he muttered anyway, but with as quickly she dissappeared he doubted she heard him. 

<i>Why doesn't</i> she <i>treat me like the rest</i>?

Elly frowned briefly at the interaction but shook it off. "Let's start with the big question," she began. "Why did we match?"

He absently tugged at his sleeve that hid their Mark from view. "Could be anything. Maybe I do need -" he made a face before continuing in as dry a tone as possible, "a friend."

"If all I'm meant to do is be there for you, that would be fine, right? There's still so much we don't know about Marks. People act like it's not scary, but it's only been a decade since they started showing up."

"I know." He stared morosely into his cup.

"I mean, look at mine and Zashi's, it's so <i>different</i> than most."

"Yeah."

There was a long silence. Aizawa's eyes were filled with pain and, as Hizashi suggested earlier, fear. He hid it well but as they had been talking his worries floated to the surface. His hands clutched the warm mug and he slumped in the chair, looking anywhere but at Elly.

She reached out and lightly touched his arm. When he jumped, nearly spilling hot liquid everywhere, she pulled back but left her hand halfway between them. 

"I'm sorry -"

"Don't stop being who you are just because of me," he told her seriously. 

Elly smiled warmly. "Thank you. I was kind of afraid I was being too, um. Touchy. I don't do that to everyone, but for some reason..." She trailed off with a shrug.

He grunted, deliberately ignoring that line of thought. "Our options in dealing with this are limited." He raised a hand - the one farthest from her -- and ticked them off on his fingers. "One, I move. Two, you move. Three, we don't interract although we live next to each other."

"Four," she added quietly, "we let whatever this is, happen."

"I don't want it to." His voice sounded as exhausted as he looked. "I don't, you don't, he doesn't. Not only because you two are bonded, but who would want <i>me</i> around all the time anyway?"

"I don't think you're a terrible person. I mean, I'm spending time with you now, right?"

"That's because these stupid Marks fucked everything up. The only person that really wanted me was..." He froze, then clamped his mouth tightly shut. 

"You don't have to say anything."

He nodded curtly. 

"But if you ever <i>want</i> to, I'd like to know more about him. He sounds like he was a really great guy."

His head drooped down, dark hair falling down to hide his face but he nodded again. 

"Let me know any time. Text or call or ...hell, come over. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Aizawa remembered a few very lonely nights recently and shook his head. "I couldn't -"

"<i>Any</i> time," she repeated firmly. "I might be asleep or whatever, but I <i>will</i> get back to you." Elly laid her palm on his arm again and, to his horror, he felt his ears start to burn.

"Let's get back to our choices." He cleared his throat roughly and straightened in his chair. His tone became so gruff, in fact, that a passing waitress stopped and made a small sign with one hand at Elly out of concern.

"Uh huh." She shook her head, a smile directed at the anxious girl. <i>I'm okay,</i> she mouthed silently.

Her scruffy friend's countenance was emanating ominous vibes. His expression grew even darker as he thought. The waitress looked unconvinced but backed off. "I'm not going to move," he said firmly. "And I doubt you are, either..?"

"Well, that's not so easy. I just moved in a month ago! I don't want to do it <i>again</i>. Plus I like where we are."

He agreed. "And we can't ignore each other. We've tried."

"That only leaves option four," she reminded him gently.

"But we don't have to fucking <i>rush</i> things, do we?" He grew more agitated as he spoke, his hands balling into fists. "What did we get from today except - except..." His left eye twitched and he once again clamped his mouth shut, horrified at what had been about to come out.

<i>...except that my heart raced when you touched my arm, and I haven't felt that happen in years</i>.

Luckily Elly hadn't noticed, or she was kind enough to pretend not to. "We know what we're not going to do. We understand that we need to look deeper to get more information."

"The university would <i>love</i> this bullshit," he muttered. 

Her ears perked wildly up. "Aizawa, that's it!"

"What?"

"The university. They have scientists dedicated to studying Marks. We should go and see if they could shed some light on our situation."

"No."

"What?! It's a perfect solution, they might be able to help!" 

"I <i>work</i> there."

Elly paused, thinking she'd heard wrong. "You what?"

"I'm a professor at the university." He inwardly groaned, knowing he was going to lose this battle. She was as strong willed as -

<i>No! You're not comparing them!</i>

"What do you do there?" 

"Research and lectures, mostly."

Her ears laid back in irritation. "Getting information from you is like pulling teeth, man. <i>Please</i> tell me what."

Aizawa hesitated until she laid a hand on his. Startled, he blinked down at the soft palm laying so gently on his larger, rougher hand. His fingers twitched and he rubbed nervously at the back of his neck with his free hand. "Ah... you're not going to like this..."

"You research Marks, don't you."

"I did, but gave it up years ago." He cleared his throat. "I've been dedicated to erasing Marks from people instead of researching their meanings."

You Deserve This

 Present Mic was tired.

No, that wasn't right.

He was <i>exhausted</i>, drained beyond the capacity to think or feel his legs as they moved woodenly, carrying him into the suite above the agency he lived in. The school had rightly given him some leave after the explosive battle they'd fought but it was several weeks later. Cleanup during the aftermath had taken every single able-bodied person and he'd pushed himself hard in an effort to forget his personal pain. This was his first time back to his personal residence in months, if he had the brain capacity to remember.

He managed to drive there and park without incident, and, stumbling into the elevator stood for a full minute staring at the numbers on the panel before pressing his floor. Opening his front door took awhile as well since he couldn't find his key, but after dipping into several jacket pockets he finally found the correct one.

It swung open before he put it in the lock.

The school counselor opened it for him. She was dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, nothing formal that might insinuate a professional visit. "Hello, Hizashi."

He blinked, shaken out of his stupor at last. "Wh - Ches?"

"Yeah. Come on." She gestured and he walked inside, unlatching his neck speaker and kicking off his boots automatically. 

"What're you doing here? How'd you even..?" He hung his headphones up and scratched the side of his neck with a frown.

"Aizawa let me in."

"Oh." Unburdened by his heaviest gear he walked to the leather couch in the main area and flopped onto it. 

"You need more than the time set aside for you to relax," Elly told him firmly. She sat beside him while curling her striped tail around her.

He grunted. "Like what."

"Actually relaxing." Her furry ears honed in on him as she spoke. "Look. In the end, it's your choice." Although soft, her voice held an undercurrent like steel and he was amazed. This wasn't how she'd ever treated him before. "I stay and help you decompress, or I leave."

<i>She's usually so chill around me. This is... different.</i>

Sitting here resting, however, was enough to start remembering things he'd rather not. He was intrigued by her coming into his personal space in such a way but the intrusive thoughts soon broke free.

<i>He saved your life and you beat the shit out of him and made him cry</i>

"Hizashi?"

<i>noNOnoNOno thinking</i>

The turmoil of his emotions were growing but he knew one thing. "I want you to stay."

"Good. Remember, you can tell me to leave any time for any reason and I'll go. Okay?"

He sighed and nodded again.

"Hizashi."

"Hnn?"

Elly placed her hand on his arm. "Tell me clearly, yes or no. I'll leave whenever you want me to. Okay?"

"Y - yeah. 'Kay." He sniffled, obviously struggling to hold back tears.

"You can cry, you know," she murmured.

To her shock he whipped his head up, his eyes blazing with rage. His body tensed and he jerked away from her touch. "No, <i>I can't</i>! I'm not allowed to! I hurt everyone around me just by cryin'! I can't cry, I can't shout, <i>I can't lose <b>control</i></b>!"

Several frames fell off the wall as his voice raised in volume and she winced, covering her ears instinctively. Nothing broke as everything in his place had been purchased with his quirk in mind, but he recoiled when he saw her flinch.

"Oh, <i>no</i>."

"Hizashi."

"No, no, no! How old am I to lose my shit like that?!"

Elly sighed sadly. "I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me."

"Wh - <i>you're</i> apologizing to <i>me</i>?"

"Yes."

"But - but look, I just..." He reached out, confused, to touch the tips of her ears. The purple fur was shorter here, and he could see the veins through the skin were dark, flushed with blood. "I <i>hurt</i> you. You're not afraid?"

"Of you?" She took his hands in hers. "You're a good man. Mistakes happen, they're not intentional. Plus, look, I can still hear. You didn't do any damage, it's just a little pain that's much less than what you're feeling, I'm sure."

He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes swimming with tears and his lower lip trembling. She hesitantly made a gesture with her arms and that's what broke him; he grabbed hold of her upper body and buried his face in her neck, sobbing. Elly held him quietly, rubbing his back without saying a word. She let him taper off naturally, waiting until his breathing slowed and the shaking eased. 

"More?"

Hizashi shook his head. "I can't," he croaked. "But I feel like shit. Not better."

He'd gone for so long denying himself certain emotions the release wasn't cathartic, it hurt.

Again, she knew.

"You've been in so much pain for so long. One cry isn't going to do it. Here, you stay for a second, I'm going to get you a drink."

She was back with a small cup in a few minutes.

He held it up to his nose and sniffed once. "Sake?"

"It's pretty strong. Drink, and then you should probably shower if you're up to it. A shower will make you feel physically better."

"When did you get this? I didn't have any in the house."

"I bought it awhile ago." She shrugged. "I use it to help me relax sometimes."

"Oh." He knocked the cup back quickly, a warm glow lighting up his throat and down into his belly. "Yeah, that's good. And you're right... I'm uncomfortable as hell in all this leather. Gotta clean up."

"Uh huh."

She lay back and listened to the sounds of him washing up: the water running and the bumps and movement as he finished up in there. After about half an hour he emerged wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist, his long, blond hair darker than usual as it was still dripping wet. 

"Hey." 

"Hey - oh!" Her entire face flushed bright red when she saw him. He was lean but sculpted above the waist with a thin line of fuzzy hair that trailed down his belly. "Um. Shouldn't you get dressed?"

"Yep." He walked toward the back where his bedroom was.

Elly let out an explosive sigh of relief, rubbing a shaking hand over her face. "I - I'm never going to unsee that. Holy shit. I mean, <i>wow</i>, but - ohmigod. Butt." She gulped, then swallowed past the huge lump in her throat as her memory forced the image in front of her eyes again. "He's way too hot."

Hizashi walked out yawning hugely, dressed in a U.A t-shirt and sweatpants. He sat on the couch and absently scratched his chest. "Yeah, so..."

"Your hair's still wet," she murmured, touching his neck briefly. "Sit here and I'll comb it out for you."

Hizashi sighed and nodded. 

The tangle-free comb running carefully through his hair massaged the scalp and calmed him at last. He concentrated on the repitition of the strokes, the softness of Elly's body behind him and some sweet scent she had on. She rarely wore perfume and this was subtle; it took him some time before he identified it as lavender.

"Hmm... this is nice. And different," he muttered. 

"What was that?" She gently stroked both sides of his silken hair back so she could wrap it up in a soft scrunchie.

He kept his head down. "I said, no one's ever done stuff like this for me before." 

"It's about time, then."

"I dunno." Hizashi looked up but not at her. "Doesn't this make you feel like I'm not, well..." He huffed quietly, tapping his pointer fingers together while fidgeting.

<i>If he bites his lower lip I'm going to fucking melt</i>, Elly thought, alarmed. Out loud she encouraged him the best she could. "Tell me anything you want, Zashi. I'm not saying that as a therapist, either."

"Oh?" This time he did meet her eyes. His beautiful green-golden irises were glazed over but she could tell he was puzzled by his tone. "M'not less of a man?"

"I really want to help you. I'll be honest, I - I get angry sometimes about how you're treated. I think you're taken for granted for a lot." Her expression firmed and she cleared her throat. "You'll never be less to me. <i>Never</i>." 

"Huh." He sounded less than convinced but shrugged it off. "Is there any of that sake left?"

"No more alcohol," she told him with such authority he blinked, surprised. "I've seen how you cope during the weekends, and it's terrible for your health. Besides, you need to feel this."

"Aww." He pouted, his lower lip thrust out.

"That one drink was to relax you, though I don't think it did a very good job."

"My neck hurts," he agreed. 

"That happens a lot, doesn't it? Stress and that giant speaker don't mix well. I'll massage your upper body if you want." He pulled his shirt off immediately, bouncing around so that his back was facing her. Though she was startled she stayed quiet and reached for him.

His shoulders had some tiny freckles here and there that could only be seen close up. She had to bite her lip very hard to restrain the urge to kiss them. He was so close, his pale skin fresh and clean from the shower smelling like a mix of leather and light, fruity bubblegum. 

"You always smell so nice," she murmured as she rubbed his shoulders.

Hizashi grunted again but the sound was questioning.

"Well, you wear leather a lot so it lingers. I like leather. And your hair products smell yummy."

He chuckled faintly as her fingertips brushed down his spine. "I guess, if you like that kinda thing."

"I like <i>you</i>, Zashi."

He craned his neck back to stare at her, his golden eyes a mystery. Then, moving slowly as if he were afraid she might pull away, he took her hands in his and tugged them around him. She was now hugging his nude chest from behind as he leaned back to look up at her.

"Is that why you're taking care of me?"

"Well -"

"You coulda done this for Aizawa, too. Or any other guy."

"You're not any other guy," she said quickly. "And I wouldn't do this for anybody else."

He wriggled against her, the hint of a smile turning up the corners of his lips. "'Cause you <i>liiiiiiiike</i> me?"

Elly sighed. "Yes."

"<i>Really</i> like me?"

"Yes."

A gigantic smile spread across his lips. "I suddenly feel a lot better, babe."

"You do?"

"A whole lot better. I mean, I lost a friend. Then I lost somebody that wasn't all the way here, if that makes sense... <i>but I found you</i>."

"You got me," she agreed softly.

"I hope so." He paused, then reached up to caress her chin in one hand. "I really needed this, babe. Thank you."

"I'm just loving you."

He blushed hard all at once, his lips quirking into a huge, goofy smile. "You said it first."