Moy Mell 26

Despite his anxiety about her health during the first few days when he took over, Aizawa had been working diligently to find out everything he could about the cult that attacked them. He had the Librarian in the park looking up any information about the types of weapons they had used and their clothing. Others were measuring the burn marks the portals left on the grass and looking up fingerprints and backgrounds of the assailants.

So far he had no leads. More disturbing was the fact that the cultists had all been released on a massive amount of bail money. That they could get free so quickly was ominous and hinted at some high ranking members in their society.

He sighed, checked his phone and groaned. It was dinner and after that, the time he dreaded the most. She would hopefully go to bed on her own, as she had the last few nights. He knew she might drop off on the couch or someplace odd soon, however, forcing the choice he so dreaded to make. As he boarded the fast moving car back to the main house he thought over his options.

<i>Did he carry her to bed or leave her?</i>

Zoro had done it, but they had a long work relationship that made it easier for the younger man to make that move. He wasn't sure how she would take it if she woke up to him pulling the blankets around her. Aizawa had never physically been in her room yet but had the blueprints. As her head of security he had access to cameras in some areas of the suite across from his as well. Of course the cameras were not inside her bedroom suite, but one was positioned at her door.

No more time for panic; he was here. He drew a sense of calm about him and entered the main compound, walking up the gravel drive. A few of the groundskeepers waved to him as he passed and he grunted affably at them in turn. The blue-haired man he understood lived on the roof was clipping roses in the front with a distracted look on his face. He paused, however, at the sound of the gravel crunching.

"Oh, it's you."

"Yes. Hello, James."

"Here... ah, I've got a few extra roses clipped off during the pruning. She'd probably like them." He shoved a handful of them at him and Aizawa took them awkwardly.

"You're having a bit of trouble adjusting too, huh?" He blew the lock of hair from his forehead back momentarily.

"Not really."

"Oh?" James laughed. "I hear her tearing you apart constantly from up there on the roof."

The bigger man grunted sourly and stared at his fistful of roses. "She might even throw these back at me."

"Don't give up. You wouldn't have gotten hired if she didn't like you to begin with."

"I think one of her problems with me is that she does like me."

"Well... good luck."

He grunted again and walked on, dismissing the guard on duty, a strange man that wore ancient Asian armor with bells on it. He bounced to his feet and grinned, saluting before strutting out of the house. Aizawa watched him leave, thinking what an eclectic variety of people lived and worked here. There were species and races, colors and all sorts of types. Except women, of which there were oddly none. He wondered why this was but again was distracted when he saw her flopped over in the middle of the couch. The cat woman had the television on but clearly wasn't paying attention to it. Her striped tail tips curled lazily up in turn with her breathing.

"I'm back," he said as he sat down.

She glanced over and sighed. "Eh."

"I brought you these." He lifted his offering up.

She silently took them and placed them in a vase nearby that had a few other flowers in it.

Aizawa frowned at her lack of spirit. He wished he had better news to report. "We haven't found any information yet."

"You will sooner or later." She shrugged.

He sighed, and she went back to not watching the television. The cushions bounced a little as he moved around but she tried to pay him no attention. This became harder when he sat within a foot of her, placing an arm across the back of the couch.

Had she thought he was cold? He was really very warm. Elly suddenly wanted very much to see him in casual clothing, to know how he dressed in his downtime. And of course he smelled very different from the scent she associated with peace and relaxation. Instead of musk and the tang of steel he smelled fuzzy, like a worn stuffed animal.

She sniffed delicately, a little thrill rushing down her spine. She didn't want to admit it, but she liked his smell. He continued to sit perfectly still, allowing her to approach him on her terms as he would any cat.

"Have my scent now, Ches?"

She blushed, realizing she had moved closer on her own. "How could I not? You stink." Her pert comeback caused him to grin.

"It's hot." He shrugged.

"We have air conditioning in here, but you're wearing all black. And scarves." She poked them nervously with an index finger, wondering how he made them come alive. "Of course you're hot."

"I have to have my tools of the trade, don't I?"

She sat back with a snort. "You can come in here after hours without the full work outfit. Hang the scarves up where you can reach if you need them. Hell, hang an extra batch up here if you have them."

"Are you saying you would like me to relax more around you?" He slowly reached out and laid one arm about her shoulders, pulling so she was leaning closer to his side than before. She resisted before their bodies touched and he stopped immediately.

"Well, it can't be that comfortable for you. I'm real sensitive to comfortable things lately, it seems."

"Ah."

"Don't try to touch me yet, for one. It's not ..."

"Comfortable."

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Noted." He lifted his arm and she scooted quickly to the other side of the couch. She wondered why he was sporting that creepy little grin of his.