Class Reunion (Shota)

It was a very long flight from Japan to the United States. And then Elly and Aizawa had to get directly onto another one that took them to her home state besides. They were both shuffling zombies when they reached the hotel they were to stay at and "celebrate" her high school reunion.

Some of her old classmates that were in the lobby snickered, noticing the shuffling, bleary-eyed man beside her. They recognized her from unique her tail and hair, but he was a scruffy enigma. Gossip began to circulate that the "loser" of the class became a pro hero, sure ... but she couldn't get a good man.

Once a loser, always a loser.

Elly wasn't aware of this, however, as she was madly in love with her boyfriend and thought he was the handsomest man alive, clean-shaven or not. She was inordinately proud of him and couldn't wait to introduce him to those that had thrown rocks at her and convinced her she was "so ugly she would never get a guy".

Aizawa knew her school history. She had told him tales that made the hair on the back of his neck rise - the rock-throwing, for one. He hadn't really wanted to meet the adult form of the scum that had hurt his lover as a formative child, but she had wanted his support. She thought she could find some closure if she went, and here they were.

He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm going to get ready."

"Sounds great."

He showered, then she took over as he groomed and dressed in a ritual they had practiced every day for work, although there was considerably more grooming done this night. When they emerged from the hotel room they had transformed. Elly's short purple hair was down, softer than she normally wore it, with matching barettes to keep her sidelocks tucked in instead of framing her cheeks. She wore a simple black dress that was shaped nicely to her figure. Aizawa wore a standard black suit and tie.

They strolled inside and found their numbered table near the stage.

Her old classmates stared at them in confusion. Aizawa was very different from the scruffy man that had shambled into the hotel beside her hours ago. He was smartly dressed in an immaculate suit and tie, shaved clean with his long, dark hair tied back in a neat bun. Handsome no longer applied to him in this state, she thought fondly as she smiled at him. He was fucking beautiful.

She didn't realize many of them thought the same of her, as well.

"You okay, Ches?"

"Uh huh. Just admiring the scenery."

He snorted softly and reached out to take her hand. "You're the most gorgeous woman in here tonight, my queen. If anything, I've got the better view."

She smiled at him, speechless and misty eyed.

"Now. Why don't we dance once so we can get it over with?"

Elly laughed and stood up when he did. "There's my Shota. I love you."

He grinned cheekily at her. "I should hope so."

She hadn't known he could dance so well. It was only a slow pace and yet she was utterly swept away by his closeness and the sway of his warm body on hers. His hand rested lightly on her lower back, just above her tail. His other was wrapped intricately about hers and he held it to his heart as they moved. The song was romantic, and though it was in English and he couldn't quite understand all of it, he knew a love song when he heard it. He took her hand and raised it to his lips at the conclusion, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Umm, Sho, I think everyone is staring at us..?"

"Hnf. Someone did their research. I heard my hero name." He sounded disgusted that he had been recognized. "Let's sit again and see what happens."

"Mmn."

"Hey, Elly..." Someone at a close table began. "Is your boyfriend a pro hero?"

"Yes." Her ears flicked in amusement at their astonishment. "Pro heroes tend to be around others, so we date each other a lot. Plus there's a lot you would have to put up with if you're a civilian that we understand. Sometimes it's easier." She looked over at Aizawa and smiled. "I certainly fell in love with him easy enough."

Others chimed in and someone pointed out that he was very quiet.

"Are his eyes open?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Then it's because he speaks very little English. He can understand a lot of what we say but gets his syntax messed up if he speaks."

Aizawa nodded briefly in agreement and offered a simple, "Yes."

"What if he'd had his eyes closed?"

"Then he would have been asleep." She shrugged. "He works hard at two jobs, and his quirk is based on how well he can keep his eyes open. So he naps a lot."

He was putting drops in his eyes at that very moment, which caused some general laughter around.

"Can you translate if we..?"

"Uh huh."

"How'd you two meet?"

Elly turned back to face him. "Hey, baby, they want to ask you some stuff. That okay?"

He shrugged. "I heard him." He looked into the distance, scratching at his chin though there was no stubble there tonight. "You came to us through a school program. I, uh. Looked up your file the night before."

Elly noticed that his cheeks had amazingly started to burn a little in embarrassment.

"I didn't get past the first page where your photo was," he admitted with a woeful grin. "I was ... infatuated immediately. That turned into love later, when we started dating." He finished and looked up.

Elly was staring at him, her eyes wide and filled with tears. "Shota," she whispered.

He choked. "Er - ! Ches, what did I say? Are you all right?" He hurriedly scooted over and laid an arm around her shoulders, encouraging her to lean on him. "Do you feel ill?"

"N - no," she sniffled. "You never told me that. It's so romantic."

"It is?" Aizawa was well aware he was a dry and literal man. He blinked.

"If you translate from Shota to ordinary guy, yes. You basically said it was love at first sight for you."

He blushed harder and thrust his chin down as if to hide in his capture thread that wasn't there. "Eurgh."

"You did."

"I did," he finally admitted with a sigh. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her for a sweet little kiss. "But now you'd better answer your former classmate or I think they're all going to explode or something."

"Oh! Oh yeah!"

No one thought that she was much of a loser after that night. Especially since she had so completely won the heart of such a good man. She could have argued that she had made it on her own merit, but, society being what it was this was her victory.

Besides, it was her heart-bursting pride and love to know he had fallen so hard for her. That was the true accomplishment.