Stupid's Arrow

Some teachers at UA ate in all the time.

They had great food when Lunchbreak was working and no real need to leave. But sometimes there was a desire to get away from campus for awhile.

Today was one of those days.

Some were going to get lunch out, paired off in sections both by friendliness and coincidence. Present Mic was ecstatic because the counselor didn't rush off for other groups; she went with him! His friend Aizawa was thrilled as well with the arrangement, since it meant his friend didn't sulk by him as he napped. The two were headed towards the gates on a beautiful, sunny spring afternoon when she heard him exclaim loudly.

He yelped. "Ow!" She turned to see the Voice Hero rubbing his leather-clad rear with no embarrassment whatsoever, only indignant surprise. "The hell?"

Elly blinked. "There's a tiny ... what is that?! Stay still."

Too late. Mic had gone white with panic, hopping around trying to view his own behind. "Holy shit, was it a bug? Did I get stung?"

"I can't see," she sighed, rubbing a weary but affectionate hand over her eyes. He could seem so goofy, especially in moments like this, but she knew this man was loyal, courageous and highly intelligent. It was extremely hard not to giggle at him now, though, as he bounced around slapping at the spot and staring around with wide eyes in the air for the culprit. "Let's go back. We can ask Chiyo what it was."

"She's not looking at my butt!" He gave her an odd stare suddenly. "Um. Are you?" His ears burned.

"Yep. And you're going to the nurse. Come on."

Recovery Girl removed what looked like a little, two-inch stinger from the man's back end. She held it up so they could see and he went two shades whiter in terror while his eyes rolled back in his head.

"That bug had to have been huge!" He fainted, collapsing onto the cot face down.

"This is an arrow, not a stinger," the older woman told Elly firmly, ignoring the entomophobic hero. "It's that time of year again." She rolled her eyes.

"What does that mean?" She patted his hand gently in concern. "Come on, Mic."

"We've got this... well, fella's not so much a villain as a troublemaker, really. Comes around this time of year and likes to muck things up." She glanced down at the tall man on the cot, pursing her lips. "Fancies himself helping, he does."

"Helping?" His hand squeezed hers, and she smiled down in relief. "Mic? You okay?"

"M'better than okay," he choked. His prescription sunglasses had slipped and she could see his wide, spiralling green eyes. They were fixed on her in utter and complete adoration.

"Yeah... no, he kind of isn't. See, the troublemaker calls himself 'Cupid'."

It was the Insanity Hero's turn to pale. One of her eyelids twitched as he pulled himself to a sitting position directly in front of her. "Um. You said what?"

"I never told you I think you're pretty, kitty, did I?"

Recovery Girl chuckled wickedly. "I'll arrange things with the staff for the rest of the day. You two go have fun."

"Chiyo!"

"Ohhh, relax. That's all he needs to do - both of you. It'll wear off in awhile. Get changed, take a shower. Might help a bit."

Mic was holding her hand to his chest like he never wanted to let go. In fact, she was afraid he wouldn't. "But..."

"C'mon, baby, we gotta do what she says, right?"

"Oh, god, what if he... but..!"

"Don't worry. He's a good man. Besides, in this state he'll do whatever you tell him. So no fear. Now get!" She shooed them out the door.

Elly had been right.

Present Mic did not relinquish her hand all the way through school and the entire length of campus until they reached his apartment door. As he fumbled with the lock, she would have excused herself to change but he clung to her arm.

"Don't leave me," he whimpered.

"Mic, I'm only a few doors down."

"Please?" He bit his lip, his face taking on that adorable, sheepish grin she loved.

Swearing softly to herself, she followed him in, removing her cat's paw boots and gloves along with the neck gear she wore. The bodysuit would have to wait. He dumped his own, larger neckwear on the counter and bit the leather of one glove between his teeth to remove it.

She glanced quickly away, her face burning. "You should get cleaned up. Chiyo said it might do you some good."

"Aww." He pouted cutely, his expression so pathetically sad that she laughed despite herself.

"I'll wait here. You can see me when you're done."

"Ohhh - kay."

Elly sat on his fuzzy couch, listening to him sing in the shower and afterward, while he got dressed in his regular clothing. Her heart was beating so fast she could barely breathe. The smell of the steam from the bathroom - his bathroom, she reminded herself giddily -- was sweet, filling her sensitive cat's nose with his clean scent. She lay in a half doze until she felt a light touch on her face.

"Surprise," he hummed suggestively from directly beside her.

"Wh - Mic! What was that?"

"I'm not Mic now." He pointed at himself, clearly not dressed in his work clothes anymore. "Oh! And that was for me to know an' you to find out, cutie." He grinned and placed a fingertip on her nose.

"Yamada..."

He gave her an even sadder look than before. "So formal?"

"I - you want me to call you Hizashi?"

He nodded happily, leaning towards her so as to cuddle. Elly bit her lip and stayed still, her body stiff and unyielding. Her tailtips thrashed about on the floor as she grew more tense. "Okay, but - ahh, Hizashi? You're not going to want to be doing that when you snap out of it."

"Who says?" He tilted his head, his chin nuzzling her shoulder. "You really need to chill out, though. Am I that freaky?"

She could feel his warm breath puffing on her sensitive throat. "N - no! I just told you, when you're, well, yourself later, anything you do now might be awkward. I understand," she added quickly, "you can't help it. But you might get embarrassed or upset."

"I am upset." He sighed and sat back up. "I want to see that beautiful smile of yours. You're all tensed up, though. Hey, now," he murmured as a thought struck him. "You want me to give you a massage?"

His fingertips ghosted along her neck, walking ticklishly along her hairline. Unable to hold her emotions in any more, she held her hands to her face and wept as quietly as she could.

"Oh, noooo," he choked, jerking back and stroking the backs of her hands instead. "Babe, you okay? How can I fix it?"

"You can't fix things," she choked. "Look, you don't really love me. It's that stupid man's quirk. And I think he's more than Chiyo suggested. Only a villain would give people hope like this when there is none."

Hizashi wrinkled his nose, scrunching the points of his mustache up. "Uh... Ches? Babe?"

"Oh, just let me cry. I can't hold it in until you go back to normal and I leave."

"I am back to normal."

"What?"

"I've been myself for at least the last ten minutes."

Her ears wilted, and she turned away from him with an embarrassed groan. "We're done here, then. Sorry, I - uhhh, got caught up in everything. That's all."

"No... oh, no ya don't." He peeled her hands gently away so she couldn't hide from him. "What's this, huh? You crying 'cause of me?"

"No," she protested vehemently. "I'm crying because of that horrible man and what he did to you. But you're okay now, right? So I'll just go."

He snorted in dismissal, shaking his head. "Nuh uh. There's no way I'm letting you leave now." He kept hold of her hands as he spoke.

"Come on, I'm fine. Really!"

"Don't hide from me, please," he pleaded when she tried to drop her head to avoid his gaze.

She sighed loudly. "Fine. Let's get my humiliation over with, then. Quickly, if you would, H - Hiz ... err, Yamada."

He gripped her hands tighter in his and tugged, causing her to become off balance. She fell directly into his waiting arms, stunned and more than a little confused. His t-shirt was soft, the black dress one he wore over it slightly heavier. Although he wore no leather in his casual clothing, he still carried the faint scent of it about him, as well as a bubblegum-like smell of hair product.

"See, uh, I was mortified when I realized I'd been babbling, fawning all over you like an over eager puppy." His hands stroked her hair, rubbing her furry ears. "That's a helluva thing for you to put up with, since I thought you didn't like me that way."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." He squeezed lightly. "You get it, princess? I'm in love with you, too. I was offerin' that massage when I was sober."

"You are? You were?"

"What does a guy gotta do to prove himself around here..? Oh! I know!" He lifted her up and in one swift move pressed his lips to hers, kissing her so passionately that she actually swooned. Hizashi's arms held her up even when they parted, breathing heavily.

"Wow," she gasped.

He set his forehead on hers, grinning. "Yeah, wow. Really wow."

"Maybe that guy isn't so bad, after all," she murmured, wrapping her arms around him while he bent for another kiss.

"Mnn, yeah baby."