Kanpeki na arashi - 2

Hizashi/Els AU
(Nekotonezumi flip)

_

"Not my right. My duty." He rummaged through his bag and pulled an extra robe out. "Put this on."

She did with some reluctance, sniffing at the fabric distastefully. "This smells like you, filth."

"Ah, good times." Hizashi grinned wickedly. "Remember when I first insulted you, ya hairless monkey?"

"I'm not hairless, and yes. You all run your mouths pretty well."

"Hairless monkey? That's more than he deserves. He's a rodent."

"Like a mouse, eh?" He picked her up when she refused to move, slinging her over his shoulder and ignoring her shriek of protest. "You do realize in our culture the mouse is held in greater regard than the cat?"

"Because the filthy thing tricked the cat!"

"That's true, isn't it, Hizashi?"

"Yeah, you told me your fairy tales." He glared at his master now, not liking his careless treatment of their prisoner.

"Besides," she snarled angrily, "like all vermin, your eyes glow red in the dark."

Hizashi doubled over laughing. They had walked a fair distance from the graves now, and the demon hunter plopped her down like a sack off his shoulder, eliciting another yowl from the cat woman. He snorted laughter and began setting up camp for the night.

"Well." Aizawa busied himself laying sticks in a pattern for their nightly fire. "This mouse caught a cat very easily once again. So there must be something to the tales."

"I don't like using my strongest power!" She made a terrible face and pulled her hands inside her sleeves. "That's the only reason you caught me, you disgusting human!"

"Easy now," the thunder demon murmured, swirling around her side. "You know he's part demon himself."

"No, he's not. He might have some blood in his veins, but he's not one of us." She spat, her face twisted in pain. "Only a human would inflict this much suffering without cause."

"She's got you there, y'know."

"Shut up!" He stared down at the cat woman. "There is cause here. You're being brought back to the village you terrorized. They'll decide what to do with you."

"Those idiots! I didn't do anything to them!"

"Yes." He checked her collar, making sure it wasn't about to come loose. "That's what they all say, cat."

"Don't call me cat. I'm not a beast."

"Oh? You have a name?"

"Eruri Fang." She thrust her lower lip out. "I'm called Elly now."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "That only confirms my theory. Named demons are stronger. More of a danger to humanity."

"More lies. Humans name things to control them. They hate things they don't understand, so they tack words they do unto them. I didn't get stronger because of a stupid name."

Kanpeki na arashi - 1

Hizashi / Els AU
(Flip Nekotonezumi story)
_

The night air was cool on his skin as he raced through the thicket, ignoring the sting as leaves and branches sliced the exposed skin of his face. His familiar demon laughed wildly beside him, racing alongside in an arcing slash of electricity.

"'No problem', hmm? 'Just a little cat', huh? I told you this one was a she-beast!"

"Shut up." The man slowed at the edge of a clearing that led to the sea. The vegetation slowly dwindled here until sea grass and sand were the only things in sight. A trail of pawprints lay before them as they reached the water, and he bent to squint down the beach.

"She ran down the strand."

"No, really. I thought she went for a swim." The being paused to take on his more human form. He had pale skin and a normal human body for the most part. His golden hair, however, curled up from the back of his head in a most unnatural way. A soft green wrapping with depictions of storm clouds covered his waist, leaving his tattooed upper body bare except for two silver cuffs on his wrists. Curls of colored, roiling clouds and lightning tapered down his shoulders and down his arms, while on his back were depicted a curious pattern of circular drums. "You want me to ...?" He turned around, his green eyes questioning. The spiraled pupils seemed to spin as he regarded the human.

"No." The man stood, grimacing as his knees popped. In contrast to the demon at his side he was rather unremarkable looking, pale, with a scruffy days' worth of stubble always on his face and a half moon scar under his right eye. His long black hair was tied back with a rawhide thong in a messy ponytail that accentuated his worn features. He wore a black hakama with baggy gray pants underneath and an open chested robe, but he was not equipped like a samurai and carried only a simple bag. "We can track her, Hizashi. Let her wear herself out before we reach her. Then she will be easier to catch."

"You're far more evil than we are, Aizawa Shota."

"So you say." He pointed at the long run ahead of them. "Let's go."

They reached her as she sped up the beach to a small cemetery near an old, broken down village. The nekomata spun about, her lavender pupils dissolving into an unnatural white glow as she hissed a warning. Her double-tipped tail slashed wildly through the air as she set her paws firmly in the dirt.

Aizawa stopped to catch his breath. "You're coming with me one way or another, cat."

She growled ominously, backing away from him and flashing a mouthful of sharp teeth in warning.

"That would be far more intimidating if you were larger, you realize." Hizashi stood some distance away, leaning on one of the larger gravestones. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head and glanced over at Aizawa. "Call me if you need me, you pathetic piece of shit."

"I won't need you for a job small as this, windbag."

Her eyes narrowed as he spoke. She glanced back over her shoulder at the cemetery. "Don't come any closer. I'll bring up an entire army!"

"Will you?" He calmly reached into his bag and pulled something out that glinted coldly under the light of the moon. "Try."

She shook herself, then jumped at him, transforming along the way into a much more frightening spectacle of fur, fangs and razor-sharp, three inch claws. She slashed at the air in front of him, but he stepped quickly back. His gray eyes suddenly glowed bright red, tracking her as she leapt again. She yowled in confusion as her form shrank down to normal cat size, and Aizawa easily caught her. He snapped what he held around her neck - a silver collar wrought with inscriptions meant to hold her in check. The demon screamed, an eerily human sound, and fell onto the ground before him, writhing in agony.

He blinked. The feline was now a pale, trembling woman with short, dark purple hair, cat ears and a tail. She pounded her leg with a fist and screamed again in fury.

"Hizashi."

"Yeah?" He cracked an eyelid open.

"She can change form, too."

The thunder demon whistled appreciatively. "Whoo, you're not kidding, boss. I didn't know cats could do that."

"So kill me already," she demanded, staring up at her captor. "That's what you humans want, isn't it? Get it over with!"

Aizawa raised an eyebrow as she thrust her bare chest defiantly at him. "You know I probably can't."

"Yes. But you'll try." Her ears laid back and she suddenly flinched away from the ocean nearby. He bent to help her up but she wrenched her arm out of his hand. "Don't touch me!"

"You're going to need clothing."

"Not going to kill me right away? There's only one reason for that I can think of." She rolled to her feet and backed away from him. "If you try to lay with me, you filth, I'll bite it off!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, sighing wearily. "I'm not depraved enough to try and sleep with a monster."

"You're the monster!" She took a few more steps.

"I wouldn't get too far from him, if I were you," Hizashi called out. She ignored him and spun about as if to run. Aizawa folded his hands into his sleeves and waited calmly. She didn't get far before the collar glowed red and she gasped, falling once more in a crumpled heap.

"You're bound, demon." The dark haired man walked over to her and stood staring blandly down into her agonized eyes. "You can't escape me; if you walk further than ten paces away the collar will cause you incredible pain."

Hizashi picked her up, stroking a fall of hair away from her cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you with him?!"

"Oh, I'm bound, too." Hizashi tapped the wristlets he wore, then pointed at her collar. "Same way you are, sweetheart."

"Damn it! Do you think it's your right to enslave us, human?"

Siren Song - 3

Hizashi/Els AU
_

She drove him to the mall to pick up clothes after breakfast. It wasn't busy in the morning and they were able to wander around leisurely through several male clothing shops. Hizashi wasn't really fussy but he was tall, so it took several tries before they found a store that could fit him.

"This isn't too much? I feel bad making you pay right now, but I didn't bring any money with me on my swim."

She affected surprise. "I thought you didn't have any money."

He grinned at her. "I don't have access to it now, that's all. I can pay you back later."

"Hey, look. These are your size, too!"

"Really?!" He saw what she was holding and snorted laughter. "What are you insinuating, lady?"

"That you look good in scales?" She grinned and flashed the biking pants in front of him. They were tight blue spandex with a scale pattern.

"Those are snake scales!" He held a hand up before his face as if he was about to faint. "Please. I'm not a reptile." Elly snickered and put them back on the rack.

"Ooh, go ahead, there's the fitting room. Try your stuff on." They chatted through the door as the salespeople watched in amusement.

"All right, check these out..." The door swung open and he wandered out.

"Those are great!" Elly nodded. "I think they look good on you."

He paused, turning around to stare at his reflection in the mirror and wiggling his rear to make her laugh. "So they don't make my butt look big?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No! They really do look great."

"Okay, that's probably it, then! Two pairs of pants, undies and some shirts are all I need for now." They asked a passing clerk if he could wear one of the outfits and it was agreed as long as she paid first. Fifteen minutes later he strode out in well worn jeans with a heather gray, button-down shirt worn open at the neck and a simple white tee underneath. He still had the sandals from the house as he found them more comfortable than anything else they had tried on. 

Hizashi definitely stood out in the now-busy mall. He was tall, he had long, yellow golden hair tied into a bun and his physique was trim yet rippling with an undercurrent of muscle. She thought he was gorgeous, and to her chagrin she found others did as well. In a few minutes they were surrounded by women. The ladies clustered around him, completely ignoring Elly, who sighed and simply stepped aside. He was polite, but kept glancing nervously about until he found her sitting on a bench a few feet off.

"Elly! Where'd you go?" He pushed through and sat with her, reaching out to hold her hand. "Don't leave me like that." The crowd of females glared at her angrily, though some slunk away after seeing how he looked at her.

"Sorry. I just got shoved and felt it was easier to wait." She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"Aww." He snuggled closer, mischievously stealing his very first kiss on her cheek. "If that ever happens again, just hold on tighter to me. Don't let go; I won't."

She blushed wildly, touching the spot he had kissed with trembling fingertips. "Oh. Th - thanks."

"Okay, then! Ready to go home?"

"Yeah."

When they got back, Hizashi folded his new clothing neatly in the top drawer of the dresser. He didn't throw out the clothing that was there, just moved it all down so his was easily accessible. Once that was done he stripped, tossed the clothes he took off in a backpack he had found in the room and drew a towel around his waist.

"Hey, do you have any ziploc bags?"

Elly raised her eyebrows at his nudity, then remembered he couldn't really wear a bathing suit. "Yeah. What do you need them for?"

"I need a waterproof bag to carry my info back. Just the usual - photo ID, cards, you know."

"You have those? Of course you do." She slapped the side of her head. "I'm not going to ask how right now, but..." She rummaged around in an old wooden dry sink near the back door. "Here, a bag from my free diving gear. It'll keep your stuff dry."

"Thanks! I'll grab some food for tonight and get the money to pay you back." He tapped his long fingers thoughtfully together, staring at the clock in the living room. "Should only take an hour, maybe a little more if dinner's feeling frisky."

"You don't have to -"

He rolled his head on his neck, one eye wide and the other squinting in a way she found strange yet intensely attractive. "Pay you back? Get food? Nah. I want to do both. Okay?"

Elly placed a hand on his arm. "Okay," she smiled.

"Don't worry. I'm coming back." Hizashi leaned over and kissed the top of her head, delighting at how quickly and deeply she blushed.

"I know that."

"I'm not sure you believe it, though. Something about how you're clinging to me tells me you're scared."

She blinked down in surprise to find he was right; her fingers were digging into his forearm. "Sorry."

"Hey." He took her hand in his when she let go. "It's fine to be scared once in awhile. This is happening very fast, but I promise I have the best intentions."

"Hurry back," she murmured uneasily.

"I will." His answering smile warmed her heart. It was foolish, she knew, to have such an attachment to a man she had just met. But what if it was true? What if magic really did still exist?

There was a merman, after all, waving at her from the beach right now. Was it so silly to believe in love at first sight then, as well?

Siren Song - 2

hizashi/els AU
_


He was very pleased with himself. She couldn't believe her eyes and in the end had asked if he wanted to spend the night. Hizashi enthusiastically accepted, so they trudged up the beach to the back of the house.

"This is so great," he chirped happily. He took a moment to wipe his sandy feet off before coming inside to the almost all hardwood floor interior. She smiled, noticing this.

"I have a spare room. You can sleep in there," Elly offered, trying not to stare at the incredibly sexy man walking closely behind her wearing only a towel draped around his hips. "Oh! It has a bathroom ...here, if you want to shower or anything." She pointed.

"Wooow." Hizashi's eyes grew wider as he saw more of the place. "Your house is great!" He peeked into the bathroom, then scratched his head. "Uhh. You usually wear clothes when you're on land, right? I don't have any on me right now."

"That's okay! There's some in this dresser here. They might not fit really well but we can get you better things tomorrow."

"Do you already have a mate?" His face immediately fell as he saw men's clothing packed neatly in the drawers.

"No! Uh, I mean, we don't call it that. But, no. Those were for my ex boyfriend. I bought them and he never... well, he didn't use them. That's all. We're not together anymore, thank god."

"Boyfriend and girlfriend, not mates." He blushed. "I know that, it just means so much more in my culture to say it the other way."

She sighed. "Your culture. Damn. Every time I think this isn't happening, you say something that brings me back to the fact that you had a tail half an hour ago."

"I assume you showing me this room means you don't want me with you tonight?"

She choked and had to place a flailing hand on the wall to steady herself. "We just met!"

"So? I know you're my soulmate." He lightly touched her hair, dyed purple and cut short for ease of swimming. "I know you feel it, too. I won't force anything, but I'm curious as to why we should wait." He smelled good, not as she might have expected but with just a hint of tang of salt that reminded her of the sea. There was also a faint scent of musk about him, like the Old Spice her grandfather used to wear.

"I thought I had found true love before," she said quietly. "You know, the ex. And a few others. It always ends badly. I - I just want a little time to adjust. If I wake up in the morning and you've been a dream, then..."

"I think you would be upset, " he said. His fingers gently stroked through her hair to caress the back of her head. "Would you cry if I wasn't there when you woke?"

She swallowed back tears. "Hizashi."

"I've made you sad." He withdrew immediately, holding his hand in front of his lips. "I didn't mean to. I'm very thankful for your hospitality and I should have been more thoughtful. I'll sleep in this room, and will be waiting for you here in the morning."

"Good night." She smiled at him before fading back into the dark hallway.

"Sleep well."

He wished it for her, but didn't get a good sleep himself since he wasn't used to the softness of the bed. He was also far too excited!

This meant he was awake long before his hostess, so he used the time to shower, shave and dress himself as befit a human being. When he was all done he pulled open the closet door to find a full length mirror and examined himself carefully.

His long, blong hair had been folded into a more intricate bun instead of the ponytail. He had chosen the lightest color t-shirt out of the drawer, powder blue, and a pair of ill-fitting khaki slacks that were a good couple of inches too short for him. His ankles stuck out, but he had decided that it was the most comfortable for now. He wouldn't have bothered with shoes but had spotted a pair of woven hemp sandals with sea shells, and those were perfect. As he was marveling over the footwear he heard the sound of knocking coming from the front of the house. He winced; she was still asleep! In order to stop the thudding, impatient noise he answered the door. It swung wide to reveal a bewildered golden brown human with dark hair.

"Good morning," Hizashi said pleasantly. "Did you want something?"

"Where's Elly?"

Hizashi frowned at the angry, direct tone. "She's asleep," he answered, putting a finger to his lips. "You want to leave a message?"

"This is ridiculous! Who is this guy?! Why's he in your house, huh?" The man went from disturbed to shouting in a heartbeat, as if he could somehow scream her awake.

Which, Hizashi thought painfully, was probably true if he kept it up. "You're her ex, aren't you?"

"I'm her boyfriend," the man insisted, puffing his chest up and standing on his toes to poke the six foot, ten inch merman in the chest.

"You're leaving."

The man took one look at the resolute glare in those green eyes and backed away. "I - if you think she's yours 'cause you slept with her, she cheated on me. So, she'll cheat on you. Better just leave, I can deal with her."

That was it. His jaw clenched and he knew if the sniveling little bastard tried more lies he would punch him in the face. Some of that thought must have shown through, because the other scrambled even further up the gravel driveway, his eyes huge in fright.

"If she wanted you, you would be here," he said in a deadly quiet voice. "You are not. I am here now. Go away." He resisted an urge to slam the door and carefully locked it instead.

"Hizashi!"

"Erk!" He jumped guiltily.

Elly was standing behind him in her nightgown, shaking. "Did he leave? Is he gone? You're still here!" She couldn't resist hugging him tightly.

He felt her heart beating wildly against him. "Does he come here to threaten you?"

She cringed the tiniest bit. "Well... he won't take no for an answer. My parents also kind of encourage him, so there's that."

"You've told him to go away and he keeps coming back?"

"Yeah. I hate to bother the police, but I was starting to think I might need a restraining order. He gets that bad."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he grumbled.

"Thanks. I'd better go shower."

"Yeah. The sooner you're ready, the sooner we can get me clothes that weren't intended for that ratbag." He plucked at the front of his shirt with some distaste.

She burst into laughter.

"Oh! I didn't mean, uh, thank you! I just..."

"I know. It's okay."

"I can sort of pay my way, too. I'll get food for later. I'm told humans - ah, people -- pay high prices for seafood, even around the shore. That's easy for me."

"Sounds great! I won't be long."

Siren Song - 1

AU Hizashi/Els
_

The woman lived by herself in a small home on a tiny stretch of beach. She had relied on the fantasies and kinder worlds found in books to get her through a tough childhood, and due to this still had more than a touch of whimsy in her soul. She wanted to believe dragons and fairies existed; that the magic of Santa Claus was real. Reality often struck her unkindly in the face as she struggled to share her love of peaceful, happy thoughts to others.

Adults just grew up cold, without magic anymore. It was sad, because personally she thought that's what people needed.

The singing began a few weeks into the summer of her thirtieth year. It was something more than melodious, a song without words that made her happy, yet want to weep when the last notes had faded from the air. The woman had asked her family what they thought only to have them question her sanity. She had then resorted to recording the song to upload it online, but it was the same.

She would often fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and the soft, haunting melody only she seemed to be able to hear. But after a few bad days in a row with no love or support to boost her in her time of need, she couldn't bear it any more. She donned her swimsuit, some protective gear for the reef and head out late one night armed with a flashlight and towel only. She had been warned from an early age about night swimming, but had lived here long enough to know where the bad areas were. Stretching on the shore, she heard the song again and focused in on it, trying to decipher where it was coming from. The crash and spray of the waves made it very difficult to tell, but by sheer luck she saw movement on a large rock jutting out a few feet out. Setting out for this large chunk, she soon got her feet under her and crept around until she found him.

He had his lower half in the water as he sat, nude to the waist with a beaded coral bracelet on one wrist. Long, blond hair flowed down his back, the fact that it was mostly dry a testament to how long he must have been sitting.

"Hey! My name is Elly and I live on the beach in that house over there. Are you the one that's been singing every night?"

The man gasped in surprise and slipped out of view into the water without another sound. She peered around the rock, frowning. Where could he have gone?

"You - you could hear me?"

"Ah!" She jumped and barely avoided falling in herself. "Are - are you the one coming here every night to sing?"

He blinked, his impossibly bright green eyes wide as he stared at her. His pale face was all she could see, framed in the ocean by his long, blond hair. "You heard me," he repeated, obviously quite stunned by the fact. "No one else can hear that song."

"Yeah. Well, I thought everyone was just being mean when they said they couldn't hear."

He swam closer. "It's true. Only a siren's soulmate can hear their special song."

Wait... siren? Soulmate?

The man had gotten his hands on the bottom of the rock and he jumped up. A spray of water accompanied his leap as he slid up beside her, human from the waist up but a silvery skinned fish on the bottom. Elly choked, a hundred thoughts running through her head. The silver was shimmery and iridescent, the fins and tail a yellow that matched his hair color. She backed up, not entirely certain she hadn't met a madman out here.

"Hello, Elly. My name is Hizashi."

She ignored the niceties for now, too shocked. "Is that one of those latex swimwear things? Like, some people like to put on and pretend they're..." She stopped, looking closer. "It's - it's not a costume, is it. I can't see a seam at all."

"You're taking this better than I imagined you would. I mean, we know you exist. Humans don't really accept that we do, though." He swept one hand around, tying his hair back with a cord he took off his arm.

"I might be in shock." She squinted, once more caught off guard by how handsome he was. "I think I am. But I've always wanted beings like you to be real, so..."

He reached out for her, a soft smile on his lips. "Do you mind if I hold your hand? Every siren dreams of this day and I'm a little overwhelmed."

Elly wordlessly held one out and he grasped it lightly. "Thank you. Um. You're really warm."

"So are you," she noted in surprise.

"Yep. Technically I'm a mammal, so I'm warm blooded. I just mimic a fish from the waist down."

"Really?" Elly looked harder, then saw he was blushing. "Sorry. I'm staring at your - well, yeah. It doesn't look embarrassing, but that's your um. Your lower half. Sorry."

"I like having your eyes on me," he said shyly. "I never thought anyone would hear my song and find me! Hey, let's head for the beach? You're going to get cold sitting on this rock - and, heck, so am I eventually."

"All right." She watched him as he moved gracefully in the water alongside her, wondering what he would do once he was at the shore.

"Whoohoo!" Hizashi leaped, arcing out and rolling as he fell so that the impact would distribute throughout his body. Elly winced but he seemed perfectly fine, so she clambered awkwardly out of the froth to pick up the towel she had placed on the sand.

"I never thought I'd be talking to - hell, let's face it -- a dream for a lot of people. A fantasy creature." She dried herself quickly off and then handed the cloth to him, eyebrows raised.

He laughed, accepting it with a smile. "I bet you have the same questions. Every time we match with a human they have the same questions." He dragged his tail farther up on dry ground and began stripping the water off it with his palms.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And you know what I'm talking about." He gave her a very direct look. She noticed he had two tiny, well-kept points of a mustache on his upper lip. They wiggled when he talked or smiled.

"The thought did cross my mind."

"Just wait for it..." He eyed his tail speculatively, rubbing with the towel. "Ah, there we go." In one quick motion he wrapped himself around the waist, and with good reason. The scales smoothed more, turning a fleshier color. As she watched in astonishment he picked himself up to face her on two very human legs.

She blinked. "Have you ever seen a movie?"

His answering grin was huge. "You're thinking 'Splash', aren't you?"

He's not Heavy (he's my lover)

Hizashi/Els
_

Elly carefully placed her palms on the floor and arched her back, her tail curving as she stretched. Nature sounds filled the apartment: a light, spring rain shower with frogs peeping randomly amidst the drops. She had a sweet smelling candle burning and the lights were turned down low. It was a night of relaxation before her boyfriend came home from the bar where he was involved in "mysterious guy things", as he had put it. Otherwise she would have gone, too. No matter what he was doing, though, if he was at the bar she knew how things would end.

Halfway through her second set her phone started to ring. She rolled over and grabbed it. "Mic?"

"Heyyyyy..." His voice was slurred, she could barely hear him over the cheery chatter in the background. "Hey prinnncesh. I need'a favor."

Elly held back laughter at his comical attempt to sound nonchalant. "You're drunk and need help getting home?"

There was a very long pause in which she could sense him pouting, trying to think of some way to make things sound better. He gave up eventually. "Yeahhhhhh."

The phone changed hands and she was suddenly talking to Yagi. "Uh, Cheshire? He drank a great deal and, well... he insisted you help him, not us. Is that okay?"

She had already extinguished the candle, grabbed her bag and was sticking her feet in sandals by the door. "Oh, yeah. He gets clingy now when he drinks. I'm fine with it."

"He's a big man - are you, um. Can you carry him if he ...?"

"Kind of." She closed the door behind her, checking to see if it was locked. "It's not a long distance away, though. I've done it before." She grinned when she heard Mic wailing in the background, something about needing his baby. "If you want to help, get him some water. I'll be there in a little while."

She hurried along, not wanting to burden their friends with an immeasurably drunk Hizashi. He was one thing sober, after all, but when he got a few in him, he turned into something else. She pushed open the door to the bar and walked over to the table they usually got. Several teachers were still there, including Cementoss and Snipe, and, of course, All Might.

Yagi was the one propping her drunk boyfriend up in one of the seats. He looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Cheshire! Thank god. He was yanking on my hair just minutes ago."

Snipe grinned wickedly. "Yeah, he thought the long, dangly bits were his reins."

"Oh, Yagi, ugh ... sorry." She picked up the slack, pulling him upright and the thin man sat up, coughing a little. He waved this off as nothing, however.

"He's, ah. A lot heavier than he looks. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah. I've done this before, remember?" She glanced out at the rest of them with an apologetic smile. Snipe chuckled and Cementoss was oddly blushing. In fact, all the guys had odd looks on their faces. She wondered what he had told them in his state and was about to ask, but he snapped upright, his green eyes focusing on her.

"All right, sweetie. I'm here."

"Whee!" He flung his arms around her in a crushing hug.

Elly coughed, her ears laying flat in distress. "Easy, Zashi. I need air."

He instantly let go with a sheepish laugh. "Oops. No squeeze the kitty."

"That's right, you remembered." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, nodding to their friends that he would be okay now. "No squeezing too hard. Little squeezes are okay." He giggled and grabbed her again as she waved thanks to the guys at the table.

"We leaving?"

"Uh huh." She fussed with his shirt, untangling part of his collar from the necklaces he was wearing. "All right! We're going to walk back home."

He nuzzled her neck, hunched over and clearly not paying attention. Elly sighed, lifted his chin with one hand and rubbed her nose on his. "Hi-za-shi."

"Hunh?"

"There we are." She took his hand this time and he immediately followed her as she tugged on it. "Good! We're going home, dear."

"Ohhh, yeah. Sorry."

They began a half-walking, half-shuffling gait down the sidewalk, fused together on one side as he refused to stop cuddling her. She couldn't be angry at him since he rarely got this wasted ... and especially when he was being this cute. The smell of beer on him, however, was not pleasant.

"Phew! God, you stink like a brewery. Face this way, please... or at least don't burp on me!"

He snorted back laughter and covered his mouth. "You're wunnerful."

"I should believe it by now. You tell me every day." She yelped as he sagged against her, sliding towards the pavement. "Baby, you're heavy... oh, geez. Here, um. Up!" She got his attention by slapping her thigh.

"You gonna carry me?"

She started to sweat. "Sure, hop on!"

This is probably not my smartest idea, I just said he was heavy..!

He scrambled onto her back and she lifted from her legs to sort of waddle along for a few minutes. Thankfully they were close enough to the teacher's complex that someone saw they needed help. Hizashi was lifted easily off and she turned around to find him struggling in his best friend's vice-like grip.

"You're going to hurt her, you fool." Aizawa glared at the wiggly drunk in exasperation. The blond man protested being taken from her with a loud keen, enough to rattle the teeth in their heads.

"Zashi, stop it!" She hurried over and patted his cheek. "I have a treat for you."

He stopped squirming and eyed her owlishly. "Really?"

"If you're a good boy and let Aizawa carry you in."

"Hmf." He closed his eyes, and seconds after was asleep.

"That was fast."

"No," Elly disagreed, massaging her lower back. "No... it really wasn't."

He nodded, walking along the corridor to their apartment. "So. What's the treat he gets when he wakes up, or is it something you can't share with a colleague?"

"Pfft! He won't remember. And if he does I have a hidden stash of candy in the house."

"Candy?"

"I've been trying to keep him away from sugar. Just imagine Present Mic times a hundred. It's cute, but the crash he goes through afterwards is hell."

"Worse than this?" He propped him up by the door as she unlocked it, considering.

"Yeah... probably. At least he can sleep this off!" She dug two hands under his arms and dragged him inside. "Thanks!"

Aizawa watched her with a small grin on his face. He reached out and closed the door. Good thing she had been too preoccupied with his drunken antics, or she might have asked about why Hizashi had called all the guys together. He had been warned not to tell, and it would be more amusing to watch things unfold naturally anyway.

Nekotonezumi - 11

He had never been with someone that excited him this much. It wasn't that she was forbidden, being a demon, although that might have been part of it. It was that she gave herself to him even after all she had been through and all he had done that melted his heart. They kissed, their hands unwrapping and unfastening bows and catches of clothing, the soft cloth piling around them until both were nude. He stroked her cheek like he had before, smiling that the tears were gone. 

"You're smooth," she sighed, stroking the part of him that curved up towards his belly. 

"Should I be different?" He kissed her throat and she moaned. 

"No. I don't want to hurt anymore. It's good that you're like this."

"Good." His hand touched her below and she jerked her hips in response. 

"Ah! Sh - Shota!" 

"I'm thinking you've never had sex in human form, am I right?"

"What's happening to me?!"

"That's a yes." He carefully, slowly used his hand to stimulate her, bringing her to heights she could not have imagined. His fingers stroked open her body, rubbing in tight, hard little circles on that bundle of nerves that gave her the most delight. Before long she was wrapping her legs around him and begging for him to take her.

Aizawa gleefully complied.

Half human, half demon, he had never thought to mate with another. His first thought was that he would bring a monster into the world, or a halfling like himself that had no home with either race. None of this mattered, or, rather, it did as he thrust into her body. He lost himself in the age old desire to breed, to love another so completely that one might give a piece of themselves towards new life. He realized before he completely gave in to the pleasure that he had fallen so fast, so deeply, that this was meant to be.

Aizawa growled and his eyes flashed red, his hair swirling upright in his pleasure. His lover dug her nails in his back, squeezed him tight with her thighs and cried out, muffling the sound by pressing her lips on his. He could feel her tail lashing behind them as she came.

They collapsed as one onto the futon, panting and satisfied in more ways than one.

Early that morning the demon hunter took the little bottle from his belt and shook it. "Hizashi. Come out."

The thunder demon yawned. "Ah, thank god. I thought you two were gonna go at it all night."

"Hizashi!"

"What? It's hard to sleep with that going on."

Aizawa took several long, cleansing breaths. "Get over here before I change my mind about this." He grasped the demon's wrists and the cuffs fell off.

Hizashi froze. "You - you just..."

"I can't free her and keep you enslaved. It wouldn't be right." 

"I can go?" His green eyes shone with joy.

"If you want, yes." Aizawa smiled then as Elly entered the room. She had washed and changed into the soft robe the inn had provided.

"You two mind if I hang around?" He grinned. "My family's kind of a bunch of assholes and... well, I was starting to think we might be friends."

She hugged him. "Of course you can."

"First day as my woman and already making decisions for me." He chuckled ruefully. "All right, Let's get going."

"Where?"

Aizawa rubbed the back of his neck, staring out at the bright blue sky. "I condemned a lot of demons. Maybe I should go back and check to see if they truly deserved it."

"With our help."

"Don't make me regret it already," he said sourly. Elly laughed softly and squirmed under his arm while the thunder demon walked on ahead, out the double doors and into the sunshine of the new day.

Nekotonezumi - 10

Elly lay there with her eyes wide, unaccustomed to the feeling of such a complete embrace. She could feel his heart beating wildly on her arm and the only sounds in the room were their panicky, rough breathing. 

"What are you doing?!"

"I don't know," he confessed. "You intrigue me in a way no woman has before. Your past weakens you in some ways yet makes you stronger in others. You refuse to submit, but what will you give willingly?"

"Willingly? Wait, what!"

"Am I forcing you?" He breathed, his hands running down her body to draw her into a more comfortable position. 

"Y - you human fuh - filth..." 

"Am I?" He drew his thumb across her lower lip. "Do you not desire me?" His gray eyes were dark in his passion.

"Please..."

"I require an answer, demon." He brushed his mouth on hers, sliding his tongue out to dab at the corner. "Do you wish to lay with me tonight?"

Her vision doubled as her eyes filled with tears. His scent, the heat of his body and his touch combined was too much. She dug her nails into his back, catching in the cloth as she kneaded. "This one night?" Her voice trembled. "Will you give me one night to play at loving before you condemn me? If so, you are crueler than I thought." She sobbed softly into his chest as he ran his hands through her hair.

"I will not let them have you." He wiped the wetness off her flushed skin with his fingers.

She sniffled, looking slowly up into his eyes with a confused expression. "You - you won't?"

"I promised them I would bring the demon responsible for the theft back." He paused, then shrugged. "No demon did, so their request is invalid. No money exchanged hands yet, either, so they have no hold on me."

"Y - you're not going to?"

He touched her neck briefly, murmuring under his breath. The collar snapped free and fell into his hands. He placed it aside on the mat. 

"I know you'll probably just run now, but you're welcome to." His hands twitched as if he wanted to touch her again but he let them fall. "Flee, if you would. You would have every right the way I've treated you." 

"This is what you meant by willingly," she whispered. 

"I behaved badly, but I was taught your kind was always wrong. I didn't think that might make me wrong sometimes, too."

"Shota."

"Eruri." 

She quivered all over. Using a demon's real name was powerful. He cautiously reached out for her again and she placed her arms around his neck. "So. Can you show me what it means to love a human, mouse?"

"I can certainly try."

Nekotonezumi - 9

"Excuse me, but I thought I recognized you from people's descriptions." The woman placed a hand on his arm. "Are you the one that hunts demons?"

He squinted at her. "Who wants to know?"

"Well, not too far away a village was rumored to have had the dead rise from their graves."

Elly tensed but he shook his head, warning her. She moved behind him. "I know. I've was sent to bring back the demon that did it."

The woman pursed her lips, her brow furrowed. "A nobleman's grave was torn wide open, and some family heirlooms were taken, but it wasn't a demon." She looked earnestly over at Elly. "I saw two very human thieves commit the crime, but no one believed me when I spoke."

"Mouse..."

"Hush, cat." He gave her a very stern look. 

"I know you were at the jewelers. You saw the necklace. I - I didn't know what to do about it, but I didn't want you risking your life to catch a demon if it wasn't warranted."

Elly gagged and he inconspicuously elbowed her in the belly. "Ack!"

The woman eyed her curiously. "The rumors were that you worked with only a demon familiar."

"He's nearby." He thought hard, pacing in the small room. "The necklace won't be proof enough to the villagers that it wasn't a demon. I need to bring the creature in as I promised."

"Well... all right. I'm sorry I bothered you. I just thought maybe it might help."

"Oh, it did." He walked her to the door and nodded to her. 

"You gave them your word."

He sighed deeply. "Yes."

The bottle at his side suddenly wiggled, and Hizashi coalesced into form. "Aizawa, you know she's innocent. You have proof and a witness."

"I gave the people my word, Hizashi."

"To hell with your word!" Thunder rumbled in the distance as he grew furious at his master. "I'll not let you take her back to be tortured for no reason other than to satisfy your honor!"

"Calm down." 

"Hizashi," she said softly. "I think we need to talk about this, alone."

He spluttered in rage but Aizawa pointed at the bottle firmly, and he had no choice but to cram himself back in. 

She sat down in defeat. "You're going to bring me in anyway."

"I can't go back on my word." He knelt beside her, one hand unfastening his hair so it swept down over his shoulders.

"What does it do to your honor if an innocent suffers?" She shook her head when he would have answered. "No. I don't care. Don't try and explain it, please. I thought... but no. They hurt. All humans do is hurt."

"Cat, listen to me."

"Please don't force me to do anything. I know you can. I'll go back to the village. I won't fight. Just please don't  - no more hope, okay? No more..."

He cried out in a suffocating mix of rage and confusion, throwing his arms about her. "You're so fucking irritating!"

Nekotonezumi - 8

After viewing several shops later the next day, the human at her side was looking grim.

"This is inconceivable. That last place - that jewelry. You really didn't..?"

"I didn't take anything because I didn't do anything."

Aizawa's pale features turned a shade whiter. "I - I think you're right."

"What?" 

"The pieces were sold to that last jeweler. He didn't admit it, but the necklace was described to me when I took the job to bring you in. They were most upset about its loss." 

"Yes." 

"You were reluctant from the start to use your demonic skill. And because you didn't, I caught you. I think I would have done everything in my power to prevent being brought back if it were me. Most demons do."

"Of course they do. But my 'talent' is abhorrent. At least I find it so." She shuddered. 

"And the child... you risked more pain for someone you didn't know. And this. I think I was wrong."

Elly swayed on her feet and he swore, grabbing her about the waist before she could fall. "Damn it, cat! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Wrong?" She shook her head in a daze. "You just... you believe me?"

He thrust out his lower lip in a firm pout. "Maybe."

"No, you do. You really do."

"Even <i>if</i> I did -"

She scoffed. "You do."

"If I did, how do you explain your involvement?"

She lifted her face to smile sadly at him. "You know the answer to that, mouse. I was there. That's all it takes for humans to blame us for any wrongs they commit."

"Shit." He balled his hand into a fist and struck his leg. "We can't retrieve the stolen goods. I don't have enough money to buy it."

"It wouldn't matter, anyway."

He offered her his hand as they began the trip back to the inn. "If we had that, we could have evidence of your innocence. The item wasn't destroyed to feed your demonic power as they thought."

"Wouldn't matter, I'm telling you." She sighed bitterly. "They would simply say I hadn't done it yet."

"And my word that I found it in the shop..."

"You?" She laughed, a strained sound. They had entered their room and stood standing in the middle with the window open and a fragrant breeze blowing in.  "You've clearly fallen for my demonic charms and can't be trusted."

He scowled angrily, his hand closing tighter on her own. Elly moved her tail nervously, unfastening it from about her waist where it had been masquerading as a furry belt. "Stupid cat," he growled, reaching out with his other hand.

"Filthy mouse!" Her eyes flashed in rage. How dare he hurt and even frighten her, and now give her hope she might be set free? She reminded herself that all humans did was cause pain.

He caught her freed waist in that hand and pulled her towards him like he had last night. This time, however, he didn't move away when their noses almost touched. Elly's eyes showed considerable anxiety as he let go of her hand to grip her chin tightly. They stared at each other, chests heaving, each one caught in a grip of paralyzing emotions. 

There was no telling how long they stood in that strange embrace when they heard a polite knock on their door panel. They jumped apart, each blushing wildly. Elly whisked her tail back into a makeshift accessory as he cleared his throat.

"Yes?"