"Good morning." An exhausted greeting from her new head of security caused the cook to glance over, but Elly remained steadfast with her back to the door.
"Morning. Aizawa, right?" Sanji put on a brave face and greeted him politely.
"Yes."
"What do you like to eat for breakfast?"
The new guy shrugged. "I'm not picky. I usually just grab whatever I can." He pulled up a chair beside the sulking form of his employer. "Good morning," he repeated blandly. She flicked her ears in a show of indifference.
"It's not a very good morning at all," she said spitefully. "Zoro's not here."
Aizawa rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He took a soft breath to center himself and didn'trise to the insult. "You're just like the cheshire cat," he told her as he admired the striping on her tail. "The colors are different and there's a split, but the similarities are there."
"I'm a demon, not a storybook character."
"This was <i>his</i> decision, not mine. I'm here to keep you safe."
Elly hissed at him. "I don't like it."
"You don't have to."
"I think he made a mistake. You did a good job, and I'm grateful, okay? That was something else. Your leg..." She shook her head. "But he's wrong. I - err, we, need him."
"I can and will do the same job." He flexed his leg once. It was still bandaged but the healing properties of the nedical team had done absolute wonders. He was walking on his own power and would regain full use in a couple of weeks.
His short, to-the-point answers were driving her insane. "Well, do you have to be so close to me?"
"You know better than that, Cheshire."
"That's not my name!"
"Would you prefer Ches?" One corner of his lip twitched upwards. Sanji gaped as he watched. The new guy was needling her on purpose! No one but the idiot green haired guy had been brave enough to do that.
"I'd <i>prefer</i> if you left me alone!" She spun about and stormed off to curl up in a furious bundle by the pool.
"Spirited," he murmured as Sanji set a cup of coffee before him. He took it and drank as he watched her stomp around near the pool.
"Yeah, she is that." The cook leaned on the counter, propping his head in his hands.
"Are you two still an item?"
He let out a great rush of air. "No. Not after all of this. It was a bad idea. We're just not ...right." He stood up and turned around to check the muffins he had in the oven. "I still love her, though."
Aizawa stood as well, grimacing as his leg twinged with pain. "Yes. She seems to have that effect on most of us."
He opened the doors as Sanji frowned after him, wondering about his comment. Him, too? None would have guessed, as his demeanor around her was so calculated. Definitely not like the swordsman, whom everyone knew was harboring an intense crush, if not more.
Had being around that succubus friend of hers for so long rubbed off on the demon cat? How did she do that?
Aizawa strolled right up to her as she lay in one of the lounge chairs near the pool. "It's time to discuss the interviews you have tomorrow." He scrolled through his phone.
Hearing him talk like that really drove home the fact that he was her new bodyguard. She opened her eyes and found he was watching her closely, calmly. His gray eyes were as bloodshot as they always were. A half moon shaped scar, inverted, curved under one of them. He really wasn't good looking, she noticed again with amusement. He didn't bother to shave often and his cheeks, chin and upper lip were covered in a thin, soft stubble. He wore a black jumpsuit with a gray utility belt and his weapon of choice, the gray capture thread, looped loosely around his neck. His dark, somewhat greasy looking hair hung long about his shoulders.
His dry lips curved in a sly grin. "Do I pass inspection?"
She huffed, her cheeks stained pink. "I don't really know why all this happened, and I don't like change in my home." Elly frowned. "Everything is different now."
"I'm the major difference, correct?" His grin grew wider as her ears flicked curtly and her tail lashed with annoyance.
"Yes. You are. I was - I <i>thought</i> I was -- close with Zoro." Her eyes paled, the dark purple fading to lavender. "He was with me for sixteen years and just left one night."
Aizawa's grin faded. "He didn't like doing this, you know. He did because it was the most logical course of action for your safety."
"Yeah. Well, he didn't even... all right, whatever." She changed the subject abruptly. "I'm going to have to talk about the change of security and introduce you in those interviews."
"I'll be there to answer questions. A small contingency will also fan out along the perimeter in case of problems..."
"Morning. Aizawa, right?" Sanji put on a brave face and greeted him politely.
"Yes."
"What do you like to eat for breakfast?"
The new guy shrugged. "I'm not picky. I usually just grab whatever I can." He pulled up a chair beside the sulking form of his employer. "Good morning," he repeated blandly. She flicked her ears in a show of indifference.
"It's not a very good morning at all," she said spitefully. "Zoro's not here."
Aizawa rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He took a soft breath to center himself and didn'trise to the insult. "You're just like the cheshire cat," he told her as he admired the striping on her tail. "The colors are different and there's a split, but the similarities are there."
"I'm a demon, not a storybook character."
"This was <i>his</i> decision, not mine. I'm here to keep you safe."
Elly hissed at him. "I don't like it."
"You don't have to."
"I think he made a mistake. You did a good job, and I'm grateful, okay? That was something else. Your leg..." She shook her head. "But he's wrong. I - err, we, need him."
"I can and will do the same job." He flexed his leg once. It was still bandaged but the healing properties of the nedical team had done absolute wonders. He was walking on his own power and would regain full use in a couple of weeks.
His short, to-the-point answers were driving her insane. "Well, do you have to be so close to me?"
"You know better than that, Cheshire."
"That's not my name!"
"Would you prefer Ches?" One corner of his lip twitched upwards. Sanji gaped as he watched. The new guy was needling her on purpose! No one but the idiot green haired guy had been brave enough to do that.
"I'd <i>prefer</i> if you left me alone!" She spun about and stormed off to curl up in a furious bundle by the pool.
"Spirited," he murmured as Sanji set a cup of coffee before him. He took it and drank as he watched her stomp around near the pool.
"Yeah, she is that." The cook leaned on the counter, propping his head in his hands.
"Are you two still an item?"
He let out a great rush of air. "No. Not after all of this. It was a bad idea. We're just not ...right." He stood up and turned around to check the muffins he had in the oven. "I still love her, though."
Aizawa stood as well, grimacing as his leg twinged with pain. "Yes. She seems to have that effect on most of us."
He opened the doors as Sanji frowned after him, wondering about his comment. Him, too? None would have guessed, as his demeanor around her was so calculated. Definitely not like the swordsman, whom everyone knew was harboring an intense crush, if not more.
Had being around that succubus friend of hers for so long rubbed off on the demon cat? How did she do that?
Aizawa strolled right up to her as she lay in one of the lounge chairs near the pool. "It's time to discuss the interviews you have tomorrow." He scrolled through his phone.
Hearing him talk like that really drove home the fact that he was her new bodyguard. She opened her eyes and found he was watching her closely, calmly. His gray eyes were as bloodshot as they always were. A half moon shaped scar, inverted, curved under one of them. He really wasn't good looking, she noticed again with amusement. He didn't bother to shave often and his cheeks, chin and upper lip were covered in a thin, soft stubble. He wore a black jumpsuit with a gray utility belt and his weapon of choice, the gray capture thread, looped loosely around his neck. His dark, somewhat greasy looking hair hung long about his shoulders.
His dry lips curved in a sly grin. "Do I pass inspection?"
She huffed, her cheeks stained pink. "I don't really know why all this happened, and I don't like change in my home." Elly frowned. "Everything is different now."
"I'm the major difference, correct?" His grin grew wider as her ears flicked curtly and her tail lashed with annoyance.
"Yes. You are. I was - I <i>thought</i> I was -- close with Zoro." Her eyes paled, the dark purple fading to lavender. "He was with me for sixteen years and just left one night."
Aizawa's grin faded. "He didn't like doing this, you know. He did because it was the most logical course of action for your safety."
"Yeah. Well, he didn't even... all right, whatever." She changed the subject abruptly. "I'm going to have to talk about the change of security and introduce you in those interviews."
"I'll be there to answer questions. A small contingency will also fan out along the perimeter in case of problems..."
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