Moy Mell: 37

As soon as dawn broke the next morning her phone began ringing incessantly. She snarled in irritation and stuck her hand out of the covers to grab it, swearing faintly when it dropped on the floor. After scrambling frantically for a couple of seconds while she fought against the sheets tangling her arms, she finally had it again.

Grumbling, "This had better be good," under her breath, she checked the call list.

It was her friend, and she knew why she was calling - at least she hoped so. If it was an emergency the succubus would have shown up already.

Elly was not an early morning person but the constant calls snapped her awake. They continued even after she muted them and she realized it was an all out battle for the sex demon, who had decided she was 'helping'. She answered the seventh one after her shower, when she was getting ready for the day.

The succubus wailed loudly on the other end. "Ellyyyy! Don't mute me like that!"

She winced, ears flicking in pain as she pulled a brush through her hair. "I had to! Sheesh, Bella, you kept calling every few minutes!" She placed the phone on her bathroom counter as she brushed her hair. "And you know better than to wake me," she added darkly. "It's too early."

"Sorry. I thought something happened when you didn't answer." She coughed delicately. "Perhaps something of a human nature..?"

"Quit bugging me about him!"

"You have to take care of yourself, sweetie. You can't ignore your needs for too long. It's not healthy!"

"All right, so maybe - just maybe -- he really wants me. What makes you think I want him?!"

"Oh?" Bella's voice took on a mischievous lilt. "Okay, then. You do one thing for me, an' I'll never bother you again about it."

"Thank you!"

"Oh, don't thank me yet." She chuckled wickedly. "I want you to imagine him - naked and hot and sweaty, on top of you while he moans your name. Your true name, since you told me he dropped a bound promise."

Elly froze, her ears slowly falling on either side of her head as her face turned an alarming shade of red. "Hurk."

"If that doesn't turn you on, I'll leave it alone. But if you need a cold shower, honey, I'm going to keep pushing you."

"No! I don't ... wait, this is weird. I feel guilty? Why would I feel that?" She set the brush down and frowned at her reflection in the mirror.

"I can guess. Is it the green one? Does he make you sweat when you think of making out with him, too?"

"Oh nooo," Elly gasped, mortified. "No way."

"I'm'a tell you, sweetie, you waited too long! Now you've got two men you're interested in. You're confused."

"Oh, shit, Bella, what am I gonna do? And don't say 'get some'!"

The succubus laughed warmly on the other end. "Still good advice. Honestly, though? Maybe just talk to them. It could help."

"Talk?! About what? There's nothing to talk about!"

"Aww..."

"I - I can't handle this now. Goodbye, Bella." She tapped off and sighed, rubbing her eyes. "There is no way that ass is interested in me, anyway," she told herself firmly. "Shota, on the other hand, he said he was, right?" She groaned and hid her face in her hands. "Did he? Why do I care?!"

She couldn't stop her mind from running all sorts of embarrassing scenarios and situations while she dressed. When it was time to leave she was cranky, still sleepy, and very troubled. She banged open the door with unnecessary force, struggling to at least appear awake.

Aizawa stood there blinking at her with his bloodshot eyes in the middle of the hall.

"Oh! Uh, s - sorry."

"Not a problem." He shrugged. "Just surprised to see you this early. Good morning."

"Good morning." She grinned nervously, showing both her fangs.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at her. "Any reason you're up earlier than usual?"

She groaned, her ears flicking to one side. "Bella woke me. I told her never to do it again."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes!" She flinched a little, blushing. "Fine. Both of us. She's just been, well... being a succubus. It's hard to explain. She means well."

He shrugged, adjusted his capture thread around his neck and moved towards the elevator. "I'm sure she does. Want breakfast?"

"Sanji will be so upset if we don't eat his food." She chuckled. "But, you know, sometimes I just want a simple bowl of cereal or something."

"Agreed." He paused. "I should tell you that you have a visitor waiting for you downstairs in the kitchen."

"I do?"

"I saw him on the monitors in my room."

"I can guess who it is," she grumbled. And yet she was still startled to see Zoro sitting at the counter. He looked like he had slept there. His robe was rumpled, his eye bleary and his swords were leaning against the wall nearby. He straightened when they walked in, adjusting his sash.

Elly balked and rubbed her eyes, not really wanting to talk with him. When Aizawa glanced at her for guidance, however, she shrugged and motioned him away. He left without a further word, slipping off into the hall to wait. She sat on her stool next to the big man.

"What do you want now?" She placed her arms on the counter and hid her face in them. Her ears perked, proof she was listening yet she refused to face him.

He paused, frowning. Now that she was here he wasn't sure how to handle things. "I came to ask if you wanted to do something."

"'Something'?" Her voice was muffled.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Something. Anything."

She lifted her head until just her eyes peered suspiciously out at him. "Zoro?"

"Uh. What?"

"Why?"

He looked confused. "What?"

Elly's eyes hardened a little bit more. "Why do you want to do things with me? You wanted me to leave you alone before - okay, yeah, you said you didn't really want that. I remember." She waved him silent before he could retort. "But why now? Am I fun to be around? Do you miss your job? Do you miss me?"

"Uh."

She waited several long, nerve-wracking minutes before sighing bitterly. "I'm busy. Sorry." She turned and strode off.

"You're not just saying that and going out anyway, are you?"

"No." She stared back at him sadly before heading into the hall after Aizawa. "I'm not leaving the compound today."

The bedroom door at the corner of the kitchen opened and Sanji poked his head out, yawning. "Noisy this morning," he noted blandly.

Zoro grunted and grabbed his swords. He made as if to leave, then thought better of it and stood staring blankly at the hall she had disappeared down. His eye narrowed and he turned to look out the patio doors.

"You know, the crane's been full ever since you left," Sanji observed slyly.

"Whatever."

"Yeah." He dragged deeply on the pen and grunted as the other man stormed out onto the deck. "No one's wanted to play any more anyway."

Elly caught up with Aizawa as he paced the hall. "I need a walk on the beach to clear my head," she said firmly. "Let's go."

He followed her lead looking bemused. The couple didn't know Zoro was close as they passed through because he had ducked into the cabana to cool down, not ready to give up just yet. He figured when she came to breakfast they could talk; she was probably just cranky because she hadn't eaten yet. After about fifteen minutes had passed he poked his head outside and looked around.

Imagine his surprise on seeing two silhouettes standing on the beach. One was small, her tail whipping about in the ocean breeze. The other was taller, deceptively slender and slouched over with its hands in his pockets. It was clear who both of the figures were.

"She said she wasn't going out." He stared incredulously, his hands slowly balling into two huge fists as he watched his rival move closer to her.

"She's still here. A technicality, I suppose, but one that helped shut you down." Sanji knew where the big man had gone and had followed for curiosity's sake.

"She..." Zoro blinked, rendered speechless by what he felt to be a betrayal as they appeared to embrace. His frown grew deeper and he absently rubbed his chest, directly over his heart.

"Sucks, doesn't it. At least I was upfront about how I felt to her. You just can't do it, even when she gives you an opening." Sanji left, sliding the glass door to the house closed behind him.

He thought for a moment, distracted by the figures on the shore. Then he turned, baffled. "Opening?"

On the beach, Elly and her head bodyguard were strolling very slowly down the well-packed sand.

"You look upset," Aizawa said quietly.

"I am," she shrugged. "He keeps coming around. It feels like all he wants - misses -- is the control he had."

Aizawa knew who she meant by 'he', and was interested to note she didn't want to say his name. "He's confused."

"Huh. So am I. I thought he liked me." She swayed on her feet, yawning. "Ugh. Enough about him. I'm tired and cold. It's summer - supposed to be warmer."

"The beach is windy today, though. And you're up earlier than you normally are." He smiled and plucked at the front of the soft gray hoodie he wore. "Would you like my jacket?"

"Won't you be cold?"

"Yes," he said simply. "But I would rather you not be."

"How about..." She stepped closer and bit her lip. "Keep the jacket on. Just hold me."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Better?"

"Much." They stood on the damp sand, watching the waves lap the shoreline. Eventually Elly brought up something she had wanted to know. "I never asked you - why did you choose to work here?"

He shrugged. "I wanted more than the usual hero work for multi-talented humans. Plus, I like cats."

"Is that what you were doing before?"

He nodded. "Protecting multiple people was rewarding enough, but I heard it was different protecting a non-human. And I hadn't expected there to be a cat demon..." He coughed. "I lived on the other side of the world, where you came from originally. I thought if there was one, they would have stayed there."

"Pfft. After I was killed by those who were supposed to care for me and then hunted like a monster when I never acted like one? Who the hell would stay."

Aizawa rubbed at the back of his neck. "Yes. I see that now, but don't you ever get even a little homesick?"

Her eyes clouded over and she stared out at the sea for a long time before answering. "Sometimes I want to go back to the town I lived in, but after awhile I realize all I want are the good memories. And I still have those, though the bad ones outweigh the good. I couldn't go back unless I had someone I really trusted with me. I'm afraid of the people there."

"I'm sorry." His arms tightened around her.

"Thank you." She sighed. "This place is the best for me, I've found. The safest, and I have people around me that care."

"All men," he pointed out.

"Yep. I don't usually mesh well with female humans. They're very, um... it's so sexist to say this and all, and also punny, but..."

"Catty?" His mouth quirked in a grin.

"Yeahhh. In my experience with them they're not honest enough. I'd rather a blunt guy than someone who smiles at me but hates my guts on the inside. Also, my original owner was a woman. I loved her very much." She bit her lip, faltering slightly. "And you know how well that went."

"Is that why it's so hard for you to let your guard down?"

"Shota?"

"Mmm?" Her voice had become very quiet and he bent his head down to her cheek to better hear.

"I, uh. This is embarrassing. Could you carry me back in?"

He started, surprised. "Are you ill? Have you hurt yourself -"

"No." She turned and buried her flaming face in his chest, her hands clutching the sides of his jacket. "Not that way, anyway. I just want this and I'm really tired again. Is it okay?"

He bent and scooped her easily up off the sandy beach. "Very okay. I will do anything for you if you just tell me what you need."

She stifled a sob in the palm of her hand. He walked back up towards the house, silently pondering her reaction. He surmised she wanted to ask several things that seemed, from her standpoint, unlikely she would ever get. As they got closer to the house he braced himself for a confrontation but it appeared the swordsman had already left. Sanji was standing outside instead, vaping with a disgruntled look on his face. He nodded at him and opened the glass doors so he could carry her straight inside.

"I'll wait until she's finished her nap to make anything. Okay?"

"That's fine."

"She just can't stay awake if she gets up too early." The blond man flipped his golden hair with a toss of his head, smiling. "Whatever you do, don't put her back to bed - she's liable to sleep all day."

"We're headed for the couch," Aizawa murmured quietly. He laid her on the soft cushions and sat beside her, nodding when she snuggled up to him. His leg became her pillow as she squirmed around, getting comfortable without fully waking.

"I would gladly fill the hole in your heart if you would let me," he sighed softly. "If you could let go of a couple of things." He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek and sighed. "Your fear and that other man, for starters."

She lay there quietly purring as she slept, unaware of his statement.