"You got lucky," Neuro commented acidly. He shook the paper in her direction. "Some singer eloped, and this other celebrity family adopted a baby. You and your scruffy boyfriend ended up with only a blurb on the second page."
Aizawa stared at him over the rim of his coffee cup but said nothing.
"That's good," Elly shrugged. "I had enough with people telling me what they thought last night." She made a face.
Aizawa snickered softly. "She about disemboweled a few socialites. You would have enjoyed yourself." This last was directed at the bird demon.
"Oh, really?"
Elly paused in the act of gathering up a forkful of bacon. "Um. Yeah. Well, a few of them had rather unflattering things to say about my date."
This time both of the males chuckled.
"M'serious," she grumbled around a mouth filled with crunchy meat. "What is it about famous people and beings that we can't even fart without others criticizing us?"
"You had less resistance when you dated the cook."
"Mnn. I know."
"I'm more socially acceptable," Sanji chimed in from where he was cleaning dishes. "Except for my smoking, they had nothing to pick me apart over." He dried his hands on a towel and walked over. "You, on the other hand - well."
"I look like an unwashed hobo?" His tone was amused.
Sanji grinned suddenly. "Your words, not mine."
"Ugh." Elly flicked the paper far away from her. "I'm not going to read it. Thanks, Neuro. You've been doing a great job despite how you feel about the whole thing."
"Yes, well. You deserve representation. All our kind do." He shook his head before sinking into the floor with an oddly vacant expression. "I'll keep you updated..."
"Annnnd he's gone." Sanji stared at the spot where he had disappeared. "The hell is it with that guy?"
"He's been upset for good reasons. Demons don't mix well with humans. We usually get hurt."
"Hurt." The blond chef took her bodyguard's empty plate. "This guy would light himself on fire before hurting you. Just like..." He choked back what he had been about to say when he saw her expression and turned quickly around.
Her ears dipped slightly and they finished breakfast in silence. When the plates had been cleared away she sighed and stood up.
"I have to get a disguise on."
"I've never seen you wear one," Aizawa said curiously. "Don't you normally go out as you are?"
"Yeah, but this is a way to check on stuff without being bothered by the press or fans. I need to go over some of the attractions." They were talking as she walked over to a bag in the corner she had set down earlier. With a small grimace she took out a large piece of cloth. "I hate this the most," she admitted, and curled her tail around her midsection. Once that was done she wrapped the cloth securely around and fastened it.
He watched closely as she transformed herself from half human to all, pinning down her ears and adding a cap that had rather convincing fake ones attached. The lumpy tail cover got extra padding added underneath and she donned another shirt on top.
"Your nose is still visible," he pointed out.
"Yeah, but no one looks that close." She shrugged. "And I'm not covering that up. Yuck."
He frowned thoughtfully, eyeing her with just the tiniest bit of amusement. "Should I change, as well?"
"You're gonna have to." She grinned, careful not to show her fangs, and pointed at the bag. "There's extra stuff in there."
Several hair ties, some fake sideburns, and a pair of sunglasses later she was the one struggling not to laugh. Aizawa's mouth was set in a thin line of disapproval. "I look ridiculous."
"I think it's cute," she snickered, tugging at a fuzzy chunk of hair on his cheek. "It's softer than the stubble, anyway."
He sighed. "Where are we going?"
"Around. I want to check out the new aquarium addition, for one."
They set out, walking quickly down the pebbled drive to hop into a bullet car in front of the mansion.
"You know what it looks like."
"Yeah, but from the, you know, customer's point of view." She gave him a sly look. "Think of it as a date."
He raised one eyebrow at her and snorted. "I'm working."
"I know." She patted him on the shoulder. "But we're supposed to look like a married couple. The least you can do is act accordingly."
"Fine." He grumbled, but a twitch of his lips showed he wasn't as discontent with the arrangement as he acted.
They got out in an area where there weren't any patrons and walked along the main road until they got to the gate and blended in with a set of specially designed tickets. They looked like ordinary ones but scanned a certain code to let the staff know who they were. After receiving their passes for the day in a like vein, they mingled with the throngs of people, holding hands and chatting. When they got to the ever popular superball machine, Aizawa smirked a little and bought her one.
True to the nature of the dispenser, the ball he received was black with something that lit up red inside when you bounced it. Elly smiled and got one of the bags to hold it in that they sold on the side. It was a bright purple woven sack with a strong, striped necklace cord.
The aquarium was fantastic, and the perfect place to end their day. They listened to some complaints around them but mostly everyone was having a good time like they were. The new exhibit featured abyss creatures, and it was pitch black inside the hall. The only guide to the exits were little red lights on the floor so they didn't disturb the sea life within. Aizawa slipped his arm around her waist in the dark, and when she sighed happily and faced him his eyes flashed red for a moment. He slowly winked at her and kissed her softly full on the mouth.
It was a very good day.
Later that night they met up at her door like usual, but she paused before opening it and looked down, blushing. "Could we, um... maybe change the bedtime process again?"
"Sure." He shrugged. "What do you have in mind?"
She floundered about, unsure how to express her desire and more than a little embarrassed by it. He watched her struggle with herself for a minute or so, then took matters literally into his own hands. Aizawa placed one palm on each cheek, cupping her face gently as she shyly refused to meet his gaze.
He very slowly and gently kissed her, starting with the lightest of touches and letting her show him what she wanted with her response. His stubble had grown in again so he was scratchier this time, the scruff rasping on her skin. But the contrast of his dry lips, the rasp of facial hair and his tongue when he licked her own was amazing.
He drew back and waited several moments for her to catch her breath. "Was that perhaps what you had in mind?"
Elly nodded with a little gulp.
"Good. Sleep well."
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