Moy Mell 23

It was bad now. 

The nights, they were the worst. She tossed and turned, never quite comfortable, never feeling... safe. She knew she was, but the warmth of Zoro right outside and across the hall was gone. A new man lived there now, cold and logical and different. 

She was so lonely. She had broken up with Sanji as well so there was really no one in her life she was close to. Sure, it was for the best and she didn't regret it. And they were still friends. But there was a very real need she had that wasn't getting fulfilled anymore and it was like someone had torn a chunk of her heart out. 

It hurt.

Elly started to drag herself around, her attitude getting worse as her headaches grew more violent and the circles under her eyes deepened.

Worried, the new head of security headed off to visit the old in the dorms. He found him furiously working out, lifting a set of weights that were so heavy as to be impressive even to him.

"Did you see the notes we left?" Zoro asked.

"Yes." Aizawa frowned a little. "The other was from the bodyguard before you?"

"Yeah." He placed the weight down and sat up to look directly into his gray eyes. "Your job, Aizawa - it's not just to make her safe. It's to make her <i>feel</i> safe. She needs a lot of care. If she's not sleeping, make sure she does. Don't..." He covered his face with his hand. "Don't hide it if you love her. Use it to your advantage and make her feel that."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely as he watched the big man struggle. "She misses you, you know. Why not try to talk to her?"

"I can't. I don't want to take that big a chance. This will be fine, given time. At least I can still see her. And she'll... forget me."

"I doubt that. But you are not going to be convinced, so I'll drop that line of questioning." He walked over to the door, nodding a goodbye. "This has been a very informative discussion, and I will be able to put it to good use."

"Yeah." 

Back at the main house, it was after lunch and Elly had adjourned poolside. The sound of the waves on the beach behind the infinity pool calmed her most days. Today, however, she was jumpy and almost screamed when she felt a light touch on her bare shoulder.

She spun around low, fangs bared and her tail frizzing out in all directions. 

"Oh. It's you again." 

Aizawa was unchanged. Even out in the sun he still wore his black bodysuit and scarves.

"Can I get your back for you?" He offered in a mild, inoffensive tone that suggested to her that he was being polite.

"You don't need to do anything like that. It's not your job." She set the lotion aside and reached for her beach towel.

"If you don't mind, I would like to."

She raised an irritated eyebrow at him. "Why, 'Zawa? Your saving my skin from sunburn count as protecting me?"

"I'm just as infatuated with you as the other men you employ are." He shrugged.

She paused in the middle of unfolding her beach towel, her tail jerking upright. "Wh - what?!" 

"Did I stutter?" 

"N - no, but..."

He grinned creepily. Elly was starting to realize he did this when he thought he had gotten the upper hand. "There's no logic to keeping it a secret and my feelings will only enhance my obligations to keep you safe."

She stood there, doubled over and blinking in disbelief. His direct way of speaking and unemotional tone threw her off enough that she let him step forward and take control. He fluffed the large towel out and gently guided her to lie down on her stomach with her head on the rolled towels already in place. Her mind spinning, she lay there in wait as she listened to the squirt of the suntan lotion and him briskly rubbing his hands together.

The skin of his palms were rough. His first motion was a sweeping caress that took her breath away, the next a deep tissue rub on her tense neck that was so relaxing she began to purr. She forgot her troubles as the stress of the past few days seemed to melt away under his touch. 

"Hey, Aizawa - " Sanji opened the sliding glass doors and called out.

The new head bodyguard raised a finger to his lips in warning. "She's asleep."

"Oh my god. No way... did you <i>do</i> that? She's needed a good night's rest for a week now. I thought she was never going to sleep."

"Yes." He stayed where he was, crouched on his haunches with his arms on his legs, slippery hands dangling off his knees. Sanji wordlessly handed him a towel and he wiped them clean.

"Okay. I might have had my doubts, but shit. That - " he jerked his thumb at the softly purring cat demon laying on the chair in the sun, "That's fucking amazing."

Aizawa watched her back slowly rising and falling with her even, sleeping breaths. "I really like cats," he said.