Tuesday, October 22, 2019

One Helluva Sucky Night

Present Mic was finished for the night at the local club he often got gigs at. He was preparing to gather his things and leave when a drunken club goer approached him.

She looked around the right age to be let in but just that - and he groaned inwardly at the portrayal of "adultness" she was struggling to show off.

"Hey. Heyyy. You wanna go in the back room?"

He grimaced, shaking his head. "Uh, no thanks. I've got a girl I love very much." He bent over and started unplugging some of the heavier equipment.

"She's not here though, right? Honestly, I really want to know what it's like to fuck a hero." She reached out to grab his rear, but he sensed this and fell flat on his chest onto the floor. She groped the empty air instead, swaying on her feet unsteadily.

"Lady, quit botherin' me! I don't want you. I have everything I need in my babygirl, so go away before I call the bouncer on ya!"

The huge bull man had already heard the fuss, however, and gripped the drunken girl's arm gently but firmly to pull her away from Hizashi. "Awright, les' go, kiddo. You're harassing and trying to assault a hero. Thas'a bannable offence, bitch."

"Thanks, Mano," he sighed, hefting his bag of equipment onto his shoulder. "Ches would say thanks too if she were here."

The man snorted, amused. "Your girl would've clawed this skinny little shrimp's face off."

"Put me down! I'm his date!"

They both ignored the pushy female's tantrum, especially this outrageous lie. Mano stomped out of the door and deposited her on the sidewalk outside.

Hizashi breathed easier. That didn't happen often, truthfully, but when it did the women were always so offended that he turned them down. One had even told him that he was a 'crap hero' and he should be grateful for the attention. He shook himself and headed out the back to take the bus home.

When he got there he spotted Elly seated on the couch with her phone in her hand.

"I'm home."

"Yay!" She leaped up to hug him.

"Mmm. Had a suck night tonight, baby. Glad to be home... what're you lookin' at?"

Elly's lips twitched. She held the phone out so he could see it.

"Ah, fuck. Twitter." He spat the word as thought it left a foul taste in his mouth. "Wh - wait, what." He snatched it out of her hands and read the tweet that had been directed at her.

"I assume she's pissed you turned her down, so she straight up lied. To get you in trouble with me and raise her status."

Hizashi's eyebrows had drawn up so tight his forehead looked like it came to a point. This was the last straw in a heap of other slights, insults and hard work he wasn't appreciated for doing by the general public. He shook with shock and rage, his face turning red as he struggled to hold it all in. Afraid he would startle or frighten her, he handed the phone back and strode off into the bedroom with his fists and jaw tightly clenched.

It wasn't just the problem of her going after him. No. She had found his ultimate weakness and exploited it without probably even knowing.

She had brought this bullshit to his girl. Had tried to hurt her. He knew Elly had trust problems before, with her abusive parents and other boyfriends. This evil woman didn't know or care; she was so wrapped up in her ego trip that she wanted to punish them.

Elly had never seen her boyfriend this upset. She could tell he was swallowing everything back and thought she would give him some space to sort things out for himself. After fifteen long minutes of strange silence in their normally boisterous home, she got up to see if he was okay.

Hizashi was not.

The tall man was curled into a ball on the bed, breathing in hard, tight little puffs. He had removed his glasses and neck gear but that was it.

"Sweetie?"

He buried his face in the pillow.

"Oh, poor Zashi. I'm sorry. I'm not upset about this, if it makes you feel better. I know you love me."

"Huurgh!"

She rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, you're all tense. Sit up, please? Let's get your jacket off, at least. You're laying on all those zippers and stuff. It can't be comfortable."

"Mmfft." He still regused to speak but he sullenly sat up and let her slip the heavy leather jacket off.

"Good boy," she purred softly. Her hands gently rubbed his neck again, aware how uncomfortable the gear made him by itself. With the added stress his muscles were tense, rigid. She murmured sadly and tugged his white tank top off as well, slowly and carefully massaging his back. After a few minutes he let out a gusty sigh, his shoulders dropping as he relaxed a little.

Hizashi turned slightly. "M'sorry, I -"

Elly placed a finger on his lips. "Shh, love. No need. Just follow me." She took his hand and he slid off the bed.

She led him to the bathroom where she quickly and efficiently ran a warm shower, grabbed two towels and then stripped in front of him. He hastened to unzip and remove his pants as well, kicking off his boots first in a corner. She pulled back the shower curtain and beckoned to him.

Breathing hard in a different way than before, he joined her.

Elly embraced him immediately, seeking out his lips for a spine-tingling kiss while she stroked his arms and waist. He whispered of his love for her, adding the quirk-enhanced hum that she loved. She attacked the source of the hum with more kisses, staggering him with her intensity.

Hizashi threw his head back, his throat working as she kissed every inch of it. He knew what she was doing and it was making him weak - so weak, but hard as hell below. The water trickled down his face and chest, parting at her head as she was attached to him and running down her form from there. He held her slippery body as tight as he could and concentrated on standing. His knees felt like jelly and he was starting to shake.

Her lips trailed over his collarbone and past, licking, sucking and kissing as she moved steadily down. Hizashi realized what she intended and he groaned loudly, his hands spasming as she dipped her tongue in his navel. Locks of his hair, softened by the water, began to fall wetly down his shoulders.

"Babe, I'm -"

She softly engulfed him inside her hot mouth without warning, as deep as she could manage all at once. He cried out, whining and catching the back of her head in both hands.

"Ah god, baby, that's new!" He sucked in a huge lungful of air and let ot out in a series of passionate moans, getting progressively higher in pitch as she pleasured him. "You're - you're gonna gag, princess, d - don't..!"

She grasped his hand in hers and squeezed in a comforting way, not stopping for an instant. Hizashi bit his lip, the weight in his lower half building to an almost unbearable pressure.

And then she drew back and kissed him, right on the head of his penis. She softly drew him into her mouth after, swirling her tongue on the underside with more obvious kiss motions. He had let go of her hand and when he felt close he tried to back away, but she gripped his bottom and pulled him towards her. The kiss broke him; he let out a long, low keen that caused the cabinets and mirror in the bathroom to rattle alarmingly and doubled over, embracing her upper body as best he could. He quivered through what was one hell of an orgasm, one that blotted out the world but him and his beloved.

When he came to she was rinsing him off with the shower head, the bar of soap held lightly in one hand.

"Better?" She asked him brightly.

"Much better way to have a suck night," he agreed, grinning when she hit him lightly on the chest in exasperation.

Moy Mell 52

It was Aizawa's turn to endure a mind-destroying onslaught of affection. She lovingly gripped and stroked him as he had her tail not too long ago. Elly sent him into a rapturous state where his hair rose and fell with the ebb and flow of his pleasure. His flesh became hotter and generously slicked with the lubricant he was producing, which in turn doubled his excitement. He finally shuddered powerfully and fell forward, his hand lightly touching her wrist.

"Wait. I need to calm down." He took a deep breath and reached out for her remaining underwear. "Besides," he husked, "you still have these on. Let's get them off, and... oh. Oh, you're so hot and wet." He toyed with the delicate folds under her bristling puff of purple hair for a few moments.

"Sho ...? Are you going to -?"

"In a minute, love." He lightly swirled a finger on top of her sex and she moaned. "You need some time." He added several kisses on her neck to the stimulation below and she shivered.

"Ohhhh..."

"I want you to be ready for me. Here, tell me if this feels good." He continued rubbing and slipped a finger inside as he did, curling slightly. She cried out loudly and he smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Please!"

"Almost," Aizawa murmured. He thrust harder, faster, watching her closely for any signs of discomfort. There was only joy and the heightened, breathy little screams as he hit the soft spot inside her that doubled her pleasure.

"Shota Ai - Aizawa, please!"

"Yes," he finally whispered into her mouth as she wept his name. He held her gaze as he withdrew his fingers and readied himself. He was gorgeous in the moment before he moved, poised perfectly above her with his muscles trembling in anticipation. His gray eyes were filled with passion and there was a blush across the bridge of his nose. When he thrust, his eyes slipped shut despite himself and he shuddered with complete satisfaction. "Oh, Chesss," he hissed sibilantly.

"Ah!"

"Okay?" He cracked an eyelid open to peer down in concern.

"Perfect," she groaned.

"I'm going to move, dear," he whispered. "Hold on to me."

And it was good.

So very, very good.

He paced himself, his body warring deep within as the pressure built in his loins. He wanted to lose himself, to bury forward into her heat repeatedly until the weight broke free. But he loved her, and his desire to please was greater. He kept at it by sheer force of will, sweating, his thigh and arm muscles trembling from the strain. Her soft cries and gasps of delight began to get louder as he picked up the pace.

Her purple eyes were very dark and very, very wide. All at once she clutched frantically at his back for purchase, crying out. "Sh - Shota, what's huh - happening? What are you doing to me?!"

The panic mixed into the shout caused him to jerk to a sudden stop. He froze in his movements, his expression giving away his shock. "No," he gasped, chest heaving from his previous exertions. His choking sob caught her so completely off guard that she jerked backward.

"Shota, what?!"

"Have I been hurting you?!"

"Not hurting. Feels good, it's just so much..!"

"Wait. W - no. No, it couldn't be. Ches?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever experienced pleasure during sex?"

She bit her lip. "I'm sure during one of my my heats... maybe? I don't remember those afterwards."

"Oh, shit." He dropped his forehead to hers, letting his hot tears fall onto her face. Elly stroked back the sweaty strands of black hair that had come free of his ponytail and purred soothingly.

"Then it's supposed to be this - this much?"

"Yes. Yes ... I need to, keep going. Is it okay? Please, please let go and trust me. If it doesn't hurt, ride it out. Let me take you there." His hips had begun to gently buck again as he spoke. He smothered her with kisses as he loved her again, drying his own tears off her cheeks.

She nodded, gasped, and closed her eyes tightly shut as his strokes sped up, sparking more delight in her lower belly. This time when the electric feeling grew tighter she let out a long, low breath and kissed him deeply. "Don't stop, then, it's happening again, it's..!"

"Yes!"

"Oh, Shota!"

"Yes!" His facial features drew together, his hair stirring wildly. He placed his forehead to hers. "Tell me how I feel inside you!"

"You - oh, it's so sweet." She opened her eyes to find his staring so close and burning with the same flames of their combined fire. "So good..."

He saw it when her pupils dilated, and she bucked upwards desperately, crying out while the fish around them exploded in a massive light show. He came not far after, kissing her and whispering that he loved her over and over again.

He made sure to pull out carefully so she wouldn't cramp and flopped on his back beside her on the cushions.

"Ohhh." She reached for his hand and he took it. "Wow."

Aizawa continued to breathe heavily. "Yes," he panted.

"Is that - is that what's supposed to happen?"

Aizawa's victorious grin was fierce. "Yes."

"So many yesses! That's the most I've ever heard from you in a row."

He laughed softly. "Come here, Ches."

"Mmm. You're cuddly after sex."

"Shhh," he hushed her with a gentle smile. "Just hold me."

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Power of a kiss (Zashi)

For some odd reason, there had been a trio of teachers chosen to help two students that utilized draining emotions from others to store their power. The three unanimously voted in were Cheshire, Present Mic, and Midnight.

Mic and Cheshire had been unceremoniously dumped with the girl that wanted to try and work with the passionate emotions: love and desire.

"I mean, I kinda get Midnight, but why the hell were we chosen?!" Mic scratched his forehead with one finger, his expression puzzled.

"No clue," Elly said. "She looks like she's doing okay, though." Midnight was on the other side of the room coaching another girl with similar powers.

"Hey, I need some emotions here. Go drag her over if she can help. Maybe you can kiss her or something."

Elly's face scrunched up and she tried very hard to hide her emotions.

Mic looked just as uncomfortable and he shook his head slowly. "Uh, nuh uh. No way. I'm sorry, but I won't do that. Not with her."

"Fine, then," the girl groaned dramatically. "Then kiss Ms. Cheshire. I just need a spark, anything, to start my quirk!"

He bit his lip. "Hold up! How'd you two even make it into U.A with <i>these</i> provacative quirks?!"

Midnight had wandered over and she groaned loudly when she heard him complaining. "Ugh, just <i>do it</i>, Yamada. You've been making puppy dog eyes at Cheshire for months. You know you want to."

"<i><b>Midnight!</i></b>" He was so embarrassed he didn't think to curb his protesting squeal. The dark haired teacher gargled and fell to her knees on the ground, her hands hurriedly covering her ears.

"Serves her right," Elly murmured from beside him.

"Ah!" He jumped several feet away in shock. "You heard that?!"

"Yes. Is it true?" She cocked her head at him, her ears swiveling towards him.

He gaped at her in horror. "I - I, I, uh..."

"Mic." She took hold of his jacket collar in both hands, pulling him close. "Do you <i>want</i> to kiss me?"

He nodded emphatically, his sunglasses bobbing up and down.

"Me, too." She lifted her head so their neck gear didn't get in the way and closed the gap between them. In the last moment before their lips touched she paused, her purple eyes wide and vulnerable.

"S'okay," he murmured and slipped his long arms around her waist, bending the last bit so they touched. Both had thought they could make a little gesture, brush their lips on each other's and then back away.

They had never been so mistaken.

Once they joined, they were fused tightly together as one. Elly purred and he hummed pleasantly, the sounds combining into an interesting duet as she ran her hands caressingly up his chest on top of the buttons and zippers of his jacket. Mic desperately wished they were on his bare skin, and the thought made him groan and deepen the kiss further. Neither was aware of their surroundings as they lived only in this moment of exploration, mutually aware that this was now the first of many.

They broke apart with Mic whining softly, a low sort of feedback sound. His green-gold spiraling eyes were dreamy and far away. "Whoaaaa..."

"Wow."

They had forgotten the student. She was dancing about with excitement.

"<i>All right!</i>" She screamed ecstatically. "You two are really something else! <i>Look</i> at all this!" The power emanating from her stored passion quirk was so high it was crackling electricity throughout the air all around. "Yeah heh! Let's go train!"

The two teachers broke apart, their eyes locked onto each other. Mic bit his lip and grinned sheepishly down at her.

"Looks like we've got more than a spark, huh?"

"You betcha, baby," he whispered.

Power of a kiss (Shota)

For some odd reason, there had been a trio of teachers chosen to help two students that utilized draining emotions from others to store power. The three unanimously voted in were Cheshire, Aizawa, and Midnight.

Eraserhead and Cheshire had been unceremoniously dumped with the girl that wanted to try and work with the passionate emotions: love and desire.

Midnight was on the other side of the room coaching another girl with similar powers. They stared at her for a long while, then Aizawa shook his head.

"I simply cannot fathom why we were chosen for this task," he muttered.

"Yes, I know," Elly agreed. "Midnight seems a better choice for both of you." She addressed the student dubiously, her striped tail swishing.

"Well, I want to work on some passion, so get her over here. Maybe she can use her quirk on him or kiss him or something."

Elly used her power to hide her face from view momentarily. She had grimaced terribly at the thought.

Aizawa stared blankly back at the teenager. "No," he refused flatly.

"Fine, then," the girl groaned dramatically. "Then kiss Ms. Cheshire. I just need a spark, anything, to start my quirk!"

His left eye twitched. "I don't know why you think she would allow me to do such a th -"

Midnight had been creeping closer and she cackled suddenly, pointing at him triumphantly. "Ha, Eraser! You didn't deny you <i>wanted</i> to do it that time!"

Elly's eyebrows raised. "Wait, what now?"

He ducked into his capture weapon, frowning at her. "Be silent for once, Midnight."

"No <i>waaay</i>," she drawled. "Hey, Ches. He's been eyeing you for months, you know. I can tell he's interested 'cause it's never happened before!" She choked, cut off abruptly as his capture thread effectively gagged her.

"<i>Midnight!</i>" He roared, his hair floating upward and his eyes burning red.

"Eraser..?"

He turned his head to see Elly standing near him. Very near, in fact - a couple of inches or so away from his nose. "Ches," he choked, the bridge of his nose blushing deeply. He made his weapon let Midnight go and she gasped, putting her hand up to her lips.

"Is it true? Do you want to kiss me?"

The homeroom teacher scowled darkly but in this situation, so close that he could smell her scent and see all the tiny details of her face, he couldn't think of the right thing to say. He took hold of her shoulders instead, and, bending down, placed his mouth on hers.

Her ears laid back and she stared dreamily into his gray eyes for a moment before they slipped closed in bliss.

Midnight whooped happily. "Yeah, get some, Aizawa! Finally!"

He held up one hand behind his back, the middle finger popped up towards the R-18 Hero, and continued his slow, explorative kiss on the woman he so desperately wanted. Elly's knees wobbled and she threw her arms around his neck, clutching at the back of his hair. The little tug her fingers made as she twined them in his dark tresses caused him to growl lowly in pleasure. On his part, his hands slipped from stiffly holding her shoulders to caressing her back, pulling her towards him and squeezing like he never wanted to let go.

They eventually broke apart, their tongues hanging out for a split second, connected by a thin line of saliva. It snapped and they both swallowed hard, panting heavily.

"Ohmigosh, <i>look</i> at all this! Yeah! You guys're incredible!" Power surged around the student and she gleefully called out to her opponent across the way. "Let's battle! I'm ready!"

Aizawa slowly flushed from red to purple when he realized Midnight had been rather mischievously catching the entire event on her phone.

"Kayama, I swear to fuck if you put that on social media I'll -"

"Oops." She tapped a button and smirked. "My finger slipped."

Elly darted over. "Right on the Facebook page?!"

She chuckled wickedly. "Now you can't hide it. You better follow this up, you two." She flapped her hand at them airily. "It's about time you hooked up, anyway."

They both stared at her helplessly, and then each other.

"I suggest we retire to a more ... private setting to discuss the matter further," Aizawa murmured.

"Agreed," Elly purred enthusiastically.

Chicken Livers & Sex



Hizashi whined softly as he listened to his wife gag painfully in the bathroom. He knew she didn't have anything in her stomach since they had just gotten up but her body refused to stop retching. After several agonizing minutes the toilet flushed and he heard her rinsing her mouth out in the sink.

"Y'okay, princess?" He hovered near the door, pale and worried looking. "You need anything?"

The door opened and Elly shuffled out, her hair damp and clinging to her sweaty cheeks. There were dark circles under her eyes. "I wish someone would have warned me it could be this bad," she moaned.

"Here, let's get you on the couch. I got breakfast ready - just what you wanted, too!" His nose wrinkled as he helped her stumble tiredly into the living room. "Chicken livers and eggs."

She grinned weakly at him. "Bring it on."

"It <i>stinks</i>," he added as he walked off to grab her plate. "Yuuuck."

This time she laughed, bracing herself on the arm of the couch. "I know. I always hated liver. But, you know, I guess kiddo here likes it." She rested a hand lightly on her slightly distended belly.

"We're going to have a little talk about that when they come out," he sniffed. "There's like, no way I'm getting pureed liver all over me every day."

"That may not be your choice," she snickered as she took a bite. "Oh, it's good. Thank you, sweetie."

They ate and she waddled off to shower. As soon as she emerged she heard him singing to himself outside the door.

"Sweetie?"

"You feelin' better?"

"Tons."

"Soooo." He gave her a sideways kind of smile, his eyes twinkling. "You wanna fool around?"

"Oooh." She giggled. "Right after I showered? You were waiting, weren't you."

"Mm hmm." He loosened the towel around her waist and flung it carelessly over the tub. "Look, I don't know what the science is behind all this, but ever since you've been carrying our baby I want to screw you into the floor every time I see you."

"How ro<i>man</i>tic." She rolled her eyes expressively.

He laughed and nuzzled her neck playfully with his mustache. "C'mon, love. I'm gonna do ya so hard we might end up with <i>twins</i>."

Elly burst out laughing at this so hard she got dizzy and he had to carry her to their bed.

"I'm going to get too big for this eventually."

He did a double take as he laid her down and crawled on top, shedding his pants and underwear along the way. "Wha - this?"

"Well, yeah. And possibly carrying me, too."

"Nahhh." Hizashi kissed her deeply, using every little trick he had learned about her to make her hot. She was panting roughly in minutes, begging for his sex and clinging to him.

"Look, what if I lift my legs..?"

"Babe. Yer tummy isn't that big yet." He thrust tentatively forward a few times, sighed lustily and nodded. "We don't slap bellies anymore, but other'n that... no problems here!"

"I'll say," she breathed, gripping him tightly by the shoulders. "Mmm, Zashi, give me one of your hummy kisses, dear."

He chuckled and slowed down so he could concentrate, softly kissing her and directing his hum so her lips and tongue tingled. "Love you."

"Ohhh. Yes. Yes, I love you so much."

"Gonna be gentle this time," he whispered. "It's ... it's sweet. Gonna come so sweetly inside you."

"I know. I - oh, <i>Hizashi</i>."

You're Not Supposed to Get Hurt

Aizawa was on patrol the night Cheshire was injured.

He was maintaining radio contact with her, a few blocks away, when he heard the blood-curdling cat shriek erupt from his device... and then silence.

He got there as quickly as he could, using his capture weapon to hook onto buildings and light fixtures, swinging him down back alleys and streets until he saw her. There was absolutely no resistance in her body; she lay limp on the pavement like a heavy cloth sack trimmed with fur. Frowning with concern, he carried her to the side of the road and checked her pulse. It was low and irregular, not a good sign at all. As he gently turned her to try and lay her flat, he saw blood speckling on her lower left side.

"Shit." His heart hammering in his chest, he clenched his teeth and looked closer. What he saw caused him to grab desperately for his cell phone to call for an ambulance.

That much blood was not a good sign.

All he could do was hand her over to the medics when they arrived; he had no real authority to ride with her. Besides this, he wanted to find the villain before they got away. He was extremely methodical, tracing her steps as she had told him and reasoning out a hiding place the man would have chosen.

"Damn it!" The villain was flushed out of the bushes at a nearby park. He stood his ground, his clawlike hands at the ready. Aizawa shuddered when he thought he saw blood on them - it would almost have to be her blood. "Fuckin' bitch was talking to you, wasn't she?!"

"Are you saying," Aizawa asked in a deadly quiet voice as his hair stirred upright, "that you are responsible for the attack on my colleague?"

"What, the batshit cat? Oh, yes. I fucked her up big time. What, you think I'm not gonna do the same to you?"

"You hurt my Cheshire." It was a statement and not a question. He was enraged but still coldly logical, calculating exactly how much force he could bring to bear on this villain to appease his sense of revenge without his hero credibility.

"Oh, shit ... does that mean she was your girl? Scrawny little ass like you?! Damn, no wonder you're pissed off. I put her out of commission for awhile -"

The criminal was cut off as he taunted, not realizing Aizawa had snaked his capture weapon around his backside. He snapped it grimly tight across the man's mouth and tied his arms and legs down before raising him in the air.

He fixed him with a penetrating stare and said quite clearly, "She's not my girlfriend." And with that, he slammed him down on the ground, his teeth bared in a grimace of effort.

And again, his eyes blazing as he thought of this piece of trash hurting his friend.

The cops arrived with another ambulance for the villain.

"If she's not his girl why d'fuck d'he do that?" He spat out blood, his eyes wild. "Keep 'im away from me! He's as nuts as she is!"

Aizawa stared back with dead eyes at the man, who cringed backwards so hard he fell off the stretcher before they could cuff him to it.

"Unusual amount of force for you, Eraserhead," a cop nearby noted. "You really bashed that guy good."

"He's not permanently injured."

"Nope. And you're within rights, I'm not saying you're not." He held up his hands, one bearing a notepad he had been transferring information into. "But what does he mean by you two not being together?"

"What?" This came out so flatly shocked the cop shrugged.

"Everyone that knows you knows you've got a soft spot for cats." He nodded.

"Hnf. Do you know which hospital they took her to?"

He named the correct one and Aizawa sighed inwardly in relief. It was close by, so she had gotten immediate care. "Thanks," he called out, then took off running down the road. The policeman stared after him for a short while, noting he turned off at the street that led to the care center.

He texted as he ran, knowing his shift wasn't over yet and needing someone to cover. Luckily a working hero picked up on his urgent texts as he neared the hospital and he cleared it with them to finish his work. Breathing a little easier, he strode confidently inside and took the elevator up to the proper floor. He had been in almost all of the hospitals in the region for one reason or another, and knew them quite well.

"Oh, Eraserhead! We don't see you often as a guest." The lizard woman behind the desk paused. "You are a guest, right?"

He shrugged. "Yes. Cheshire. Ah..." He thought for a moment. "Elly Sketchit. Can you sign me in for a visit?"

"Sure." The woman held out a clipboard, blinking her heavy lids with an audible sound. "Sign and date - and note the time, please."

He scribbled on it and handed it back.

"She's in 25b. Just down the hall on your right."

"Thank you."

The rooms were private in this wing due to the nature of the occupants. All were heroes injured in the line of duty, some far worse than others. He hurried down the hall until he came to her room, and took a deep breath before entering.

It was dim, the blinds pulled, and the only sound the steady beep of the machine that monitored her heartbeat. Aizawa saw how pale she was and clenched his fists.

He sat in the chair beside her bed and looked as much of her over as he could see. She had a blanket draped over her but he could tell she was tightly bandaged around her middle.

"I caught the bastard," he told her quietly. "He's going to be imprisoned for his crimes plus what he did to you." His normal deadpan voice cracked despite his struggle to remain calm, and he sighed. "I never thought what would happen if you were injured. I get hurt all the time, but you ... you're not supposed to."

He laughed drily. "And just how logical is that line of reasoning? I'm fucked up because you are, Ches. Please get better."

He heard a light step next to him. Hizashi had come to visit as well. The blond man squinted down, hands on his hips.

"Well? Ain't'cha gonna kiss her?"

Aizawa glared up at his friend, then rubbed a weary hand over his face, pulling down at the stubble on his chin. "No," he grunted. "No, she's too good for me, Hizashi. I'll just do what I can to protect her until she finds someone."

"Aww, shit," Hizashi breathed. "You fuckin' serious? Wait. Wait ... are you crying?" He stumbled backwards in shock, his hand clutching the fabric of his shirt over his heart. "Holy shitfuck, Shota!"

This time he refused to look up and instead hung his head, his long, dark hair hiding his face from view. "You're exaggerating as always. I'm fine. She's not."

"They got her drugged up pretty good, huh." He frowned. "She's not even twitchin'."

"She doesn't like medicine like that," the ragged man said flatly. "It frightens her."

"Well, but if she needed it..."

"She's going to need someone here when she wakes up. She'll be in a strange place and highly drugged." His breathing picked up slightly. "Damn it."

He had raised his head on this last, and Hizashi could see his paler-than-normal face, the cheeks splotchy with hectic color.

"Your eyes are red from cryin'," he pointed out.

"My eyes are always bloodshot, Hizashi!" He snarled as quietly as possible to avoid waking her.

"Yeah, but yer hair is up. Plus, ya know, you still got tears on yer cheeks, dumbass. Just admit it. You're in love with her."

Aizawa swore softly. "Don't you dare tell anyone that. I mean it. If this gets out, she'd have to deal with all the grade school bullshit teasing from our colleagues."

"I fink - think -- I c'd handle zat." A thick-sounding voice drifted up from the cot.

Aizawa's gray eyes shot wide open, almost as if he were using his quirk. "Ches!"

"Sho?" She was trembling, her eyes still closed. "You were right. M'scared." Her heart monitor was beeping a little faster, though not enough to alert the nurse.

He scooted as close as the chair would reach and reached out to her, flinching and pulling his arm back when he had been about to drape it around her. "I'm here. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Hizashi smiled gently as he watched the two interact. He stepped slowly to the door and stood guard so they wouldn't be disturbed.

Back inside, Elly was weeping silently. She had managed to grasp blindly out of the covers with one hand and he immediately caught and held it. "It's going to be okay. I'll tell them you don't want the harder dosage anymore. They'll give you something else that won't put you under."

"A - Aizawa..!"

"Are you in pain?" He panicked, staring around for the button to call the nurse. "Do you need me to -"

"I need you!"

He blinked, his heart racing incredibly fast in his chest. "You said..?"

"If you really meant wh'you said before, please hold me."

Aizawa swallowed hard and wrapped his free arm around her. She opened her eyes, sniffling, clearly wanting to be as close as possible but unable to move.

"Wait," he murmured, and stood up. She was at the edge of the bed so he walked to the other side and carefully laid behind her. He re-wrapped his arm around her and tugged her gently so she rested snug against him, his other arm worming its way around her as well. This took awhile due to the I.V. and monitor she was hooked up to but he managed.

She sighed so deeply she coughed, then settled her head under his chin. "Aizawa-kun," she purred softly, already drifting back into a sleepy haze.

"You can call me Shota, if you'd like," he murmured.

The purring grew louder and he smiled.

Slumber Party

The boys of 1-A were out on a long field mission. This caused some jealousy in the ranks of the female heroes-to-be, and after some discussion it was decided they would have a party.

A slumber party!

Cheshire was there, though they technically didn't need an adult around as they had permission. But since she was free that day and the girls wanted to get to know her better, she had been invited.

Everyone was wearing casual pajamas - mostly shirts and sweatpants. Elly had on an old band t-shirt herself, with her most comfortable, fuzzy lounge pants. The first thing they did was order a bunch of pizza for delivery, and the second was a friendly attack on the school's counselor.

As was usual in most cases when teenagers get together, the topic had almost immediately come up of dating. This made them turn to her and bombard her with questions.

"I just sat down!" The counselor laughed when they flopped all around her on the couch, asking "who she liked" and "if she had a boyfriend".

"Yeah, but we really wanna know." Toru clasped her gloved hands together. They were a little closer than the others, since the girl shared her quirk and she had been mentoring her.

"Well... I'm single. If you must know, I do have an interest in someone, though."

"Oooh! Who is it?" Ochacho gasped eagerly.

Tsuyu bounced up beside her rosy-cheeked friend, whose eyes had grown wide. "Yeah, Ms. Cheshire - are they one of the teachers here, ribbit?"

"Oh, my. You're not going to drop this, are you?"

Everyone shook their heads, grinning at her.

"Okay. Yes. He's the most gorgeous guy here," she smiled.

"Gorgeous? Goodness." Momo raised her eyebrows. "Um... who do we have that is that attractive on the staff?"

Tsuyu set one long finger to her mouth and pondered, rocking back on her legs. "Ribbit...?"

"Oh, please tell us!" The brunette by her side was bouncing up and down in excitement. She was also very glad they hadn't gotten to her yet and was willing to drag this moment out to avoid her own inevitable embarrassment. "Does he know?"

Elly shook her head. "No, I'm way too shy to tell him. I mean - you know, what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"How do you feel about him?"

The counselor coughed a low, dry cough into one hand. "Uh, you know, maybe we should just -"

"No way," Toru begged, hopping alongside Ochaco. "We're learning about adult relationships! Are you really as awkward as us?"

She burst out laughing at the invisible girl's candid observation. "Okay, okay! Yes. We make plenty of mistakes. And he - he's so... well, I think I've fallen in love with him."

"That could easily happen, right?" Mina nodded. "Spending most of your time with him in school and afterward. And don't you all pair off with each other for patrols?"

"Yep. The teachers go out for social events, too. We get to know each other very well. Unfortunately, this means if he, ah, liked me I think he would've asked me out by now." Her eyes clouded over slightly.

"Awwww." A collective sigh rang out of the group.

"But I still can't help it. His eyes are so gorgeous, and he has this look he does when he's working that makes me lose my mind."

"And his voice?" Ochacho prompted.

"Oh, yes. It sends shivers up my spine when he speaks." Elly sighed dreamily, her purple eyes distant and her long, striped tail fluffed out in all directions.

Kyoka squinted appraisingly at her, then remarked slyly, "I dunno, Miss Cheshire - Present Mic has a pretty annoying voice."

Her ears settled back part way. "No he doesn't -!" She caught herself and blushed bright red, laughing and covering her face momentarily.

The girls squealed in glee.

"Aha!"

"Wait, it'shim?!"

"Ohmigosh."

"Nooo. Is it really him? Tell us!"

"Yes, tell us!"

Elly gave up. She let everything she had been holding back out at last in a heartful little cry. "Okay, geez, I admit it! I'm in love with Present Mic!"

They all erupted into laughter and cheers, wildly giggling and falling all over themselves until an apologetic cough interrupted their mirth.

The pizza guy was here.

He had a huge stack of boxes piled in his arms that covered his face. And although the man's facial features were hidden, she spotted a beaded bracelet on one wrist that she recognized.

Elly froze.

Her eyes grew huge and she started to visibly sweat.

He held his arms out mutely, the pizza boxes wobbling somewhat unsteadily. The girls rushed over and unloaded them to the table in the middle of the common area. As the last box was lifted from the pile, Mic's face was revealed.

His cheeks were flushed and he was sporting the biggest, dorkiest (and most adorable, to tell the truth) grin she had ever seen. As it was late, he was also dressed casually. He wore a t-shirt with a slightly larger button down on top as a light jacket, and worn jeans. His hair was pulled back in a messy bun with the overflow dangling down the back of his neck.

He stared incredulously at her from behind his red, floating frame glasses with those mesmerizing eyes of his.

"Whoa, baby," he said in a low voice.

Elly would have run but there was nowhere to go. He was blocking the exit and the girls were behind her. So she stayed, swaying slightly on her feet with her tail lashing against the backs of her legs in agitation. "How long were you standing there, Mic?"

"The pizza's warm, not hot," Tsuyu mumbled to Momo. "I'd say pretty long."

"Uh oh," the dark haired girl said quietly.

"I came in around the time you were talking about my eyes." He squinted down at her with the wicked look he now knew made her weak.

"I - I don't know what to say... uh." She took a shaky breath and started again. "I'm sorry, we were fooling around and -"

"Nuh uh," he shook his head. "Don't apologize if you meant it." He lowered his voice even more, moving and dipping down to her height so he could be closer to one of her furry ears. "Did you mean it?"

She choked, biting her lip. "Oh, hell. Yes."

"Good." He slipped an arm around her waist and called out to the goggle-eyed students staring with their hands pressed to their mouths and clasped between their breasts with barely contained teenage excitement. "You girls can have just as much fun with Midnight, right? She's home, give her a call."

"M - Mic?" Elly squeaked faintly as he drew her comfortably alongside him.

He met her nervous gaze full on with a huge smile. "We've got plans," he called over his shoulder as he escorted her out if the dormitory.


He guided her out the dormitory and they started walking towards the teacher's complex. They were quiet for a bit, but he broke the silence after a while.

"D'ya really like my voice?" He seemed uncertain of himself all at once. "It's not, ya know, whiney or anything?"

"What? No! Your voice is perfect," she insisted. "Just like I said. Have people said that?"

"Yeah."

"Well, screw them." She said it with such heat that he glanced over, startled.

"Awesome," he murmured. "Ya really do care." He squeezed her waist gently and her heart started to beat even faster.

"Um." She fidgeted, looking anywhere but directly at his beautiful eyes.

"Hey, pretty kitty." He reached out and cupped her chin in one hand. She was gently directed so that their eyes met, and saw he was staring at her so intensely she shivered. "You wanna have our own slumber party?"

"Mic!" Her jaw dropped and he giggled wickedly.

"Here, we're almost at my apartment. An' call me Hizashi - y'don't hafta be formal, babe."

She choked, the blush she was wearing growing even darker. "H - Hizashi?"

"C'mon." He hummed in a suggestive manner, his hand slipping lower so he could lightly stroke her neck. "Be my girl, huh? And let me rock you startin' tonight ... an' forever after."

There was absolutely nothing she could say to this. Her throat worked, but no sound came out; she reached up and touched his cheek with a brief caress of her fingertips, her eyes shining.

"'Cause I, uh, I've fallen in love with you, too." He spoke this last so sheepishly, and bit his lip so adorably she couldn't help herself and had to kiss him. He eagerly kissed back, closing his eyes and humming a little, which startled her but the vibration from his quirk turned the kiss into a brand new experience for her. When they broke apart she moaned very softly and he shivered.

"Awright," he muttered to himself, digging in his shirt pocket for the key. "Ah. Uh... Ches?"

She nodded, still speechless. Hizashi looked uncertain, nervous. "Do you really want to ... I mean, you know what I'm suggestin', right?"

Elly's heart nearly melted right then and there. She hugged him tightly all at once, causing him to wheeze comically.

"Babe! Yikes!"

"Hizashi, I love you. I only know you as a friend, but I want to know you as a lover."

It was the Voice Hero's turn to gasp for air as he lost the ability to speak. He hugged her back, not believing his good luck. A half an hour ago he thought she didn't feel the same.

He pushed the door open and stepped aside so she could enter first. She walked in, comfortable because she had been here quite a few times before. His apartment was decorated in an older fashion, 70's style with framed records hanging on the wall and a very expensive sound system hooked up on one wall. She smiled at him when he coughed nervously.

"Um. You've been here, yeah."

"Lots of times."

He took her hand. "But you've never seen my bedroom."

It was dark, the blinds drawn. He flicked a light switch and the room glowed warmly from within. The color scheme was yellow and black - just like his hero costume, and it was still a blast the past. A pretty gold lava lamp was warming up on the nightstand that would add to the atmosphere. She looked around briefly, but her focus was on the bed. Hizashi owned a large, western sized bed with a wooden headboard and everything.

"You like?"

"I do," she murmured. "It's pretty in here and it's just so you."

"Nahhh," he flushed at her praise. "I see something prettier." He crept up on her from behind and kissed the nape of her neck.

"Eek!" His mustache tickled and she screeched, then laughed when he tightened his grip, chuckling, to nuzzle her even more. "Hizashi! That tickles!"

"I kno-o-ow, why you think I'm doin' it?!" As she wriggled his hands moved to get a better grip and slid further up her stomach. When he felt her tremble at his touch, he reached all the way and cupped her breasts in both hands.

Elly's breathing picked up and she had to steady herself against the only thing available, which was his body. "Hey, sexy, I'm about to collapse," she warned him.

"Onto the bed, then," he said cheerfully. "That's where we're headed anyway."

"Good idea." She walked over, then paused to look towards him only to see him grinning hugely. He wiggled his eyebrows at her before leaping, catching her in a huge hug and landing them squarely in the middle of the fluffy bedspread.

"Oh my god!" She clutched wildly at him as the bed rocked under them.

He couldn't contain his laughter. "Water bed, baby. Surprise!"

"Augh, you dork! That nearly made me have a heart attack!" Elly grabbed him and wormed her fingers under the t-shirt he was wearing. "Take that!"

"Oh, oh, wait!" His giggles were dangerous. He squealed hilariously, trying to escape her gentle tickling and when he was unable to he resorted to begging. "Pleaaase, c'mon, I'm gonna break a window or somethin'! I swear!"

She paused only when the window actually did start to rattle. It ceased the moment he stopped screeching. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"Nuh uh, promise! I've already broken two this semester 'cause of spiders. Nezu's getting pissed at me."

"Spiders?"

"I get someone to spray here all the time for bugs, but the spiders get in anyway." He shuddered and instinctively hung onto her for comfort. "I kinda lose control of my screams then. Sometimes."

"That's terrible." She stroked the back of his head, careful not to unfasten the tight bun he had wrapped it up in. It was as soft as she had imagined. "Well, I'm only a few apartments down. Next time when you see one, text me. I'll come get it for you."

His green-gold eyes stared at her in awe. "You - you'd do that for me?"

"Yes. I don't ever want you to feel that afraid. It must suck. I mean, I have anxiety and stuff, but I don't have any actual phobias. You do."

"Thank you."

"No problem. You know how I feel now. I'm hopelessly in love with you." Her ears lay on either side of her head as she confessed again.

"And Present Mic?"

"He's part of you, so yes!"

"Damn, babygirl. You're drivin' me crazy." He squirmed around a little, fussing until he was laying part way on top of her on the bed, her hands still on the back of his head. "You want that down? Ya keep playin' with it."

"At some point, yes. I - I really want to see you like that. Never have."

"Not a lot have." He smiled faintly. "It's so long I keep it tied back all the time. Otherwise it gets in everything." He kissed her briefly, then ran a hand through her much shorter hair. "I like yours. S'more simple. I would love to see it down, too, though."

"After awhile the spray will wear out," she grinned. "I can brush it down, if you'd like."

"Mm. Later. We can do each other's hair." He rolled his eyes and she laughed. "I'd much rather get to the doin' each other now." Hizashi deliberately rubbed his groin on hers and kissed her once more.

"Mmm. Oh, Hizashi."

"Yeah, baby." He groaned. "These're in the way..." Reaching up, he pulled his glasses off and tossed them on the nightstand. "There. I've got all I need right here."

"Uh oh." She frowned. "Except we need protection."

"Aaahhh... shitfuck. I knew I was forgetting somethin'." He slapped the side of his face.

"It's okay."

"So, uh. You get the mandatory testing done every month as a hero, right?"

"Oh, yes. Blood has a tendency to get on us, so it's necessary. I'm clean."

"Me too."

"I'm not currently on birth control, though."

He blinked. "Oh... then we need it for now. Uh, here. I think I have some condoms in the drawer." He reached over and pulled out a small box, squinting at the expiration date.

Elly hid a smile behind her hand at his expression. "Expired?"

He cleared his throat. "Long frickin' expired." He paused, then, realizing what this implied and tugged a finger at his shirt collar, dragging it down and swallowing hard. "Er..."

"It's okay. There's a convenience mart not far from the grounds. We could zip over real quick."

He sighed. "Yeah."

"Agreed." She kissed him on the cheek and he brightened noticeably. "I'll see if I can get to my doctor's soon. I really should be on the pill anyway, but last time I tried it messed me up. They have new kinds, though."

"If it still messes ya up ya don't hafta try so hard. Wearing a condom won't kill me."

"True, but I like feeling more secure. And since you've made it very clear we're going to be a monogamous couple..." She nuzzled his neck, smiling shyly.

"Aw, babe. Yer killin' me here. Too cute!" He rubbed her ears and grinned. "Hey, now we can get some snacks, too!"

The store was a brisk walk away and they made it there fairly quick, though they weren't in a hurry. They walked with Hizashi's arm wrapped around her waist, their movements and voices suggesting to any who overheard that they were completely head over heels with each other.

They separated once there, however, when she wandered a few feet away to snag something to buy.

"Hey, Ches, you want some pork buns?"

Her ears perked, and she looked up from the selection of breads she was currently perusing to nod enthusiastically. "Oh, yes! Get some, please. I've got a couple bottles of your favorite soda here."

"Ooooh! Good." He packed a few to go and, grinning, slipped his free arm around her waist again. "We gotta get the goods next, sweet thing."

"Uh huh."

"I need a particular, err, brand. Yer not allergic to latex, are ya?"

"Nope." They walked around a corner and into the health section. The selection was far more vast than she remembered back in the States. "Whoa. So many... and the box art is way different than where I come from."

"Really? I thought this was universal." He frowned, squinting at the packages. "Where th' hell..."

"What brand do you need, Zashi?"

He giggled gleefully at the pet name, forgetting where he was for a moment. "'Zashi'. I like that. S'cute."

"Remember why we're here," she told him gently.

"Oh. Oh, uh..." He bit his lip again. "It's kinda embarrassing, but hey, here they are. Someone messed up the racks." He pulled down a larger box on top.

Elly's eyebrows shot up. "Ohhh..." The box art was a photo of a bull elephant charging. "'Mega Big Boy'," she read in an amused tone. "I didn't know Okamoto made these. Zashi, are you not telling me something?"

His left eye twitched. "Ah... heh heh. You like surprises, right?"

"Well it's not really a surprise now, is it?"

"It will be," he promised, his face taking on a gloomy cast. "I, uh, don't like to brag because size, well, doesn't matter. It really doesn't," he added earnestly. "Guys always say they're huge, or they wanna be. It's stupid. Who cares?"

He seemed so intent on convincing her that her psychology training was aroused. "Hey," she said quietly, snuggling closer into his warm side, "it's okay. I'm not going to get scared. No way. Not of you - or of any part of you."

He sighed. "Was I that obvious?"

"Well... to me. You've had some bad experiences, I guess. That makes me sad and angry. And, well, jealous." She hid her face by pressing it to his chest. It was difficult to keep walking like that, however, so she straightened before they got to the checkout.

"Aw." He placed their stuff up and paid for it quickly, refusing her offer of some cash to help. As they headed back out, he shrugged and smiled. "Y'know, I never had a girlfriend before. So'm thinking you're my everything. No need to be jealous."

"Right now I'm more excited." She hefted the smaller bag he had let her carry, which had the condoms inside.

He grinned at her. "Me, too. Wanna race?"

She burst out laughing and he scooped her up in his arms and started sprinting down towards the campus, her tail flowing behind them like a purple striped streamer.


Hizashi raced back to his apartment with his brand new girlfriend in tow. The snacks were put away; they weren't that kind of hungry now.

He pucked up a remote once they were in the bedroom and clicked until he found a romantic station to play. Elly hung the bag with the condoms in it on the headboard and he watched her with increasingly ravenous eyes.

"Right," he said lowly, "this time I'm gonna dump these first." He took his glasses off and placed them on the nightstand. "There. Now let's start gettin' rid of other things. Like this." He tugged on the bottom of her shirt and she raised her arms so he could slide it off. As he did he ran one hand up her belly to her breasts, stepping close and kissing the emerging skin as it showed. The shirt was cast aside and they came together in a passionate kiss, their tongues entwining as they embraced.

"Mmn. Hey, baby, you taste even better'n I dreamed." He pressed his mouth on hers again, the vibrations tingling her lips and tongue.

"Zashi!" She gasped when she could speak. "You - your quirk. I never realized how devastating it could be in bed!"

"Oh, that's nothing." He chuckled. "If you want, I can try a little something later... definitely later. Maybe a coupla days later, since I doubt I can wait that long tonight..." He kissed her neck and she giggled before what he said struck her.

"Oh my gosh," she gulped.

"Uh huh. Vibrations, hmm?" He hummed against her neck and she cried out. "You guessed, didn't you? My smart baby."

"Oh god, Hizashi!"

"Later," he husked suggestively, "remember? For now, I just wanna touch."

"And kisses," she pleaded, tugging on his shirt collar. "Kiss me, Zashi. More."

"Shit, what you do to me," he sighed. "Lemme ditch my tops, too."

Elly eagerly peeled the outer one off and caressed his chest through the tank underneath before pulling that up as well. She had never seen him without his shirt, and she was enthralled at his tightly-muscled body. Looks were deceiving; Hizashi appeared tall and somewhat gangly in his hero outfit. He was actually lean and fit, his abdomen rippling when he moved. Awed, she traced the sculpted muscles and toyed with his golden matt of hair in the middle. She moved further up to his necklaces and sighed.

"Fuck, you're even more gorgeous underneath."

He laughed until he was red-faced at this, shaking his head in apology as he struggled to calm down. "N - no way, shit! You're serious! No one's ever told me I'm freakin' great for anything!"

She smiled tolerantly and tugged playfully on the gold curls, causing him to yelp, though not in pain. "I honestly dreamed of this. Now that it's happening I'm going to tell you exactly how I see you... the most special person in the world to me."

Hizashi's eyes widened so much she thought he was going to cry. Instead he whispered confidentially in her ear. "I fantasized about you, too. So, like, hey..." He squeezed her waist in both hands. "Do you scream when you come? Or will you just moan my name?"

She gasped and he started kissing her on the mouth, soft, open brushes that he repeated until she was panting in agitation. The bed rocked gently under them, sloshing this way and that, and she vaguely wondered what it would be like to make love on.

When he raised his head to stare into her eyes she moved forward and began lovingly planting light kisses on his neck, silently worshipping his quirk. He realized this and groaned, tilting his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped.

"Oh, god, baby," he wheezed. "Oh, god," his voice raised when she wrapped her legs around him, joining their lower regions through their pants. "Yes! Shit, babe, I gotta ... I need -"

"Take your pants off," she purred seductively. "I want to see you."

"Do yours an' we got a deal." He unzipped and unbuttoned in record time but then they got stuck as he was trying to kick them off. Swearing, jeans around his ankles with only a bright pink pair of boxer briefs on above as well as his jewelry, he flailed around until she stopped him with a gentle touch.

"Shh, cutie. Here."

"Heh." He blushed but thanked her as he lay on his back with a sheepish grin. "They got, ah, stuck."

"Oh, my." Her attention focused on the front of his underwear, her eyebrows raised. She crawled closer and stroked down his lower belly, tracing the trail of darkening blond hair.

"Uh, remember I won't h - hurt you..."

"I absolutely know that." She took a breath and lightly touched the oversized bulge in his briefs. "I may be startled, but don't worry, okay?"

"Uh huh." He looked so nervous that she ignored his erection for now, settling for an exploration of his long legs. "Hey, your underwear have special accommodations for your tail, huh?" He lightly held the striped fur in one hand.

She froze, the fur fluffing out. "Oh..!"

"Hoo, boy. Tail's sensitive?"

"Yes," she squeaked, tears beading in the corners of her eyes.

"Is it bad? You want me to let go?"

"No, it's okay. Just ... aaahh, like that."

He squeezed the base gently. "Hmm, I seem to recall anthro types gettin' all worked up over their tails, yeah? You ever let someone touch yours?"

"No."

"Only me? Oh, wow." He let it go and pulled her up next to him. She propped herself up on one arm and smiled down at him as he lay flat on the bed. "You make me feel special."

"You are."

"I, uh. I'm very ready now. If you're okay, too."

"Oh, yes." She walked her fingers down his belly again as his breathing picked up. He had started to sweat from nervous excitement and still worried that she would act like previous people had when she saw him. The boxer briefs were carefully peeled down and off, freeing his firm member to fall heavily onto his thigh.

"Oh, Hizashi."

At the briefest of touches his erection slowly curved up towards his stomach, tilting slightly to one side. "Ches!"

"You are a big boy, aren't you?"

Air was forcing out of him in quick, rapid puffs, his chest heaving. Her tone was just right; not condescending nor the least bit frightened of what he had. He grew more aroused than he felt he ever had before and his heart swelled with love for her as his body did below. She really, truly accepted him - all of him. His voice, his love of music, his body size and more.

"I love you," he told her, so intensely that his quirk vibrated the air around them. He could think of nothing else to say, though he wanted to tell her more.

Her eyes showed she understood ... and felt the same.

"That's it, then. C'mere."

"Gladly."

They twisted themselves into an intricate tangle of arms and legs, their naked bodies growing slick from their combined sweat. After about the third time his chains got caught in between them he apologized.

"Maybe I should take these off, too," he muttered, flicking the necklaces with a finger. "Hold on... ah, there." He set them aside but kept the bracelet on since it wasn't in the way. "Oh. And lemme get one of these." He rustled around in the bag, opened the box and tore off a packet.

"Ready?"

"I am," he grinned. "Are you ready for me?" He reached down and thrust a single finger slowly in and out of her heat.

"Zashi..."

"Yeahhhh. I know. I'm bigger'n that. Wait for it, baby. Here's two." He added another, rocking forward in a slow pace. "Still feel good?"

"Yes." She smiled dreamily at him. "So good. But I want you."

"Ngh." He closed his eyes tight for a moment. "Damn, you make me want to go too fast! Slow an' steady, ready for three..."

"More," she pleaded, raising her hips to meet his hand. "Oh, Zashi, more! Please! Take me!"

"Sh - shit!" He whipped his hand away and grabbed the condom packet with shaking fingers. It took a little longer than he would have liked but he eventually managed to slide the sheath over himself. "I gotta go slow, okay? These have a lot of lube, but let me know if you need more."

She nodded and slid her arms around him as he positioned his body. "Oh, baby," he whined, "You're so hot I can feel you through the condom. Oh, man." He pushed carefully, penetrating her with only the tip of his member. Elly cried out with pleasure and he kissed her, his brow furrowing as he thrust a little bit more.

Her toes curled, and she tossed her head on the pillow, her purple hair wildly splayed out on both sides of her flushed face. "H - Hih - Hizashi! Yes!"

He groaned and wriggled his hips, ending with a sharp bucking motion that settled him firmly inside her, their stomachs flat against each other. "You took me all in," he choked, stunned. "I - I've n - not ever... you're so hot!"

"Love me, Zashi, yes!"

"Yes!" He pulled back and then forward, faltering a little at first but finding their rhythm in a few moments. "Unnh! My precious, special baby! You fit me so perfect!"

"Feels soooo good," she wept. "Oh, it's - don't stop, I'm getting there quick! Ohmigod, Hizashi Yamada!" Her final cry was inarticulate but truly shocked, indicating an orgasm of massive proportions. She buried her face in his upper chest, mewing and holding on for dear life as he sped up.

"M'gonna ... close, really close," he whimpered. "You were so beautiful when you came, oh god baby! My full name!"

She arched her back, her lips parted and her eyes hazy. "Come inside me," she purred, and he did.

After he made sure to pull out with the condom intact and they visited the bathroom once each, they piled back onto the bed. He sighed lustily and pulled her into his curves, making her the little spoon, to her extreme delight. And if she had thought him affectionate before, she was anazed at how soft and cuddly he was after sex.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask ya out before," he yawned. "All that wasted time, mmmn."

"It's okay. This was worth waiting for."

"Best slumber party ever," he agreed with a twinkle in his eye.



Moy Mell 51

Elly sighed and cuddled close, purring faintly. "I love the way you smell," she told him dreamily.

He grinned. "I was thinking that a little while ago, too."

"That you smell good?"

He snorted. "Ches."

She giggled faintly and burrowed deeper into his arms. "I know."

"I'm curious about something. May I ask if you've ever experienced a healthy relationship?" He stroked her back as he spoke. "Friends, parents, lovers?"

"Well, I didn't know my parents. I was given to - to ..." Elly faltered, then took a breath and went on. "I only remember my owner. The servants fed me, but she held me and stuff. I didn't realize I was only an accessory to her until I was reborn in this form."

Aizawa tightened his hold on her as she started to shake. "I understand yokai are born from sadness and pain. You don't have to go on if it hurts too much."

"No, look. It's been so long since I told anyone. And you should know. She tossed me to the servants to kill when I was close to turning eleven. They thought I would become a demon if I lived that long." She growled lowly, her voice vibrating. "They made me what they feared. As I was taken away to be drowned in a lake, I heard my owner talking about the next cat she was going to get. She was excited."

He gulped loudly. "Shit. I'm so sorry."

"Long story short, no. I've not been treated well by humans. Even other demons tend to look at me in a bad light because I was a pet at one point. The guys I hire here, at the compound, are the closest to a family I've ever come. They say they love me, but, well..." She shrugged.

"You've heard that before."

"Yes." She whimpered and he kissed her forehead. "I've been lied to in the past because they like living here, or want something from the rich demon that can make their life easier. And before I reached celebrity status, the humans all hated me. I was run ragged just trying to keep dry and fed."

At this point she raised her head to look painfully into his eyes. Her hand briefly touched the stubble on his cheek. "I'm a demon, Shota, even if you say - " She stopped herself and began again, "Even if you love me. I've done terrible things and have even killed people. I can't - won't -- excuse any of that. But I hope I learned. I've tried to become better instead of stagnating due to my power and the position of wealth I hold now. I still, deep down, though, think..."

"That you don't deserve it," he murmured sadly. "And that I don't love you."

Her ears flicked. "Wait, no, I -!"

"Yes. You started to say it: 'even if you say I love you'. This implies I don't mean it." He drew himself up into a half-raised position on the cushions, leaning on one elbow and looking very intensely down at her. "You need as much proof that I can offer. I don't blame you at all for having doubts. I believe I know how to quell them now, however." Aizawa closed his eyes briefly and raised his chin, his expression firming with resolve. Elly's heart felt like it was trapped in her throat, choking her and keeping her from speaking. Confused, afraid, she could only watch helplessly, not knowing what he intended to do.

"I am here of my own will and without reservation, and vow that I am deeply in love with you," he paused and again said her true name, clearly, invoking it as she gasped loudly. The ripples this time in the air were much more pronounced. He smiled as she covered her mouth with her hand, her wide eyes streaming tears. "I really do love you, Ches. Am I right that those pretty wavelets in the air wouldn't have been so benign had I lied?"

She nodded. "It would be have been bad," she whispered.

"I'm not the best man in the world, myself." He shrugged. "But we all make mistakes. We shouldn't punish ourselves when we learn from those errors, let alone for what we couldn't help. You deserve to be loved and happy."

"I'm glad you asked me about my past again."

"So am I." He kissed her and she threw her arms around his neck in abandon. This went on for a long time, their kissing growing more passionate and their bodies tangling as they wrapped themselves around each other.

At last Aizawa huffed and rolled up on top of her, planting his knees on the cushions on either side to support himself. He reached out with one hand and hovered over her chest. "May I..?"

"Please," she husked eagerly. "Touch me. And I - I want to ..."

He saw where her gaze wandered and wrenched himself quickly out of his shirt, tossing it aside before leaning down to kiss her once more. Her hands greedily caressed his back and she mewed, distressed that she couldn't reach all of him since they were so tightly embraced. All that was forgotten when his hands gently cupped her breasts through her bra, his thumbs running over the hardened nipples. He stroked her into a state of panting, whining agitation while he alternated between kissing her lips and sensitive neck.

"Shota, please," she finally pleaded. "Let me undress."

He nodded, staring hotly at her while she tugged the shirt off. Before she could reach around and unhook the bra, he bent and nipped the fabric with his teeth. Elly caught the back of his head in one hand as he licked through the thin satin, molding her skin to it and causing her to cry out loud. He relented at last and let her unfasten the now damp bra. She tossed it indifferently aside and kissed him before he had a chance to become distracted by her bare breasts.

"Your body..." She traced one of the many scars that covered his tanned flesh.

"Hmm. I can tell you about some of them later, if you'd like. It would take too long now and we're busy, aren't we?" He grinned fiercely at Elly.

She agreed, flashing her fangs at him in an equally wicked smile. "Yes." She purred loudly, sliding her hands further down his abdomen.

"Hnng!" His hips thrust without thought when she found him, first tracing the bulge below and then grasping firmly. "Ha ... shit. I thought I was prepared for that." He paused, then let out a low moan as she started to unfasten his pants. When they were loose, he kicked them off and sent them flying into the dark. She ran her hands around, cupping his rear in his red boxer briefs and murmuring faintly in appreciation.

"You're so tight."

He snickered, and she slapped him on the ass. "Ouch."

"Did I hurt you?" She was immediately concerned, her fingers turning so gentle as to be dangerously ticklish.

"I'll live. Now, how about you?" Aizawa turned his attention to her pants and slipped them off. She raised her lower half to help, gasping a little when he tugged on her tail to slide it out through the hole. "Oh, yes. I almost forgot."

The next several minutes was a terrible, wonderful agony of teasing pleasure for her. He held the base of her tail, squeezing and pulling until he found just the right actions to make her lose her mind. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she closed them as he kissed her, rubbing himself on her through their underwear as well. He held her sway until she cried out weakly, her hands grasping the back of his head to pull him close.

"I want to see you."

He sat up and let her run her hands down his chest again, ruffling the trail of dark hair that led into his briefs. She worked her fingers under the band and lifted out and down, mindful of his firm length. He leaned back when they were gone, kneeling so she could view him in his entirety.

She hesitantly reached out and stroked the tip of his member and he huffed out air, trying to remain calm. "More," he ground out, shaking harder. "Please... touch me. "

A mischievous grin twitched across her lips. "As you wish," she said quietly.

Moy Mell 50

He stopped after walking for what seemed to be a long while to a blindfolded Elly. She heard nothing but doors opening and then the hollow, muffled sounds of his shoes on carpeting as he walked further inside and deeper down wherever they were headed. He set her on her feet at last, however, with a low sigh.

"All right. I'm going to take the blindfold off now."

She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light though there was very little. They were in a large space she recognized as the area they went to on their first date - the abyss room at the aquarium. The lighting was dim out of necessity and only red so as not to frighten the denizens of the deep that lived in the huge, wrap-around tank that circled the room. There were extra lights flanking a large, comfortable pile of pillows and blankets spread out in the center.

She looked around, wondering where all the fish were. They were normally lighting up all over the place but the tank was dark. "Where are all the fish, Shota?"

Aizawa smiled at her and snapped his fingers.

The bioluminescent fish behind him that had seemed oddly vacant suddenly lit up in the shape of a heart and then swam off, each in different directions to create intricate displays like deep sea fireworks.

Elly stared, mesmerized, turning in a slow circle to take it all in. She was amazed that he had orchestrated this somehow. When she rotated back around her dark haired boyfriend had a genuinely pleased look on his scruffy face.

"No one will disturb us, " he told her quietly. "We're well-guarded and have the place to all to ourselves for a good part of the night."

"How..?"

"Takasu helped by speaking with his deep sea boyfriend. He was the one that choreographed the fish and a few others from the aquarium got what we needed. It wasn't difficult."

"But..."

Music began playing over the speakers; a special collection of romantic music chosen by the park's resident DJ's. Aizawa smiled and stretched his hand out to her, palm out. "Come to me."

She toddled forward as if mesmerized and placed her smaller hand in his. He pulled carefully, with just enough strength to tug her against him.

"You've waited centuries for the right person to come along." Aizawa gathered her in his arms, burying his face in her neck to breathe deeply. She smelled good, like always, and this made him smile again. "I'm here," he whispered softly. "Do you still want me?"

"Yes," she husked right before their lips met in the inevitable kiss that followed. "More than ever."

Her declaration inflamed him, and he took liberties her had never dreamed of, running his hands down her back and beyond to grasp the base of her tail.

"I can touch it." His voice was so hoarse with emotion she could hardly tell what he was saying. She quivered and fell forward into his arms in a half faint as he lightly squeezed. "You - you let me touch it."

"Shota," she whimpered softly, "please. I'm very sensitive there."

He immediately let go. "Sorry."

"N - no, don't stop. Just... be careful. You doing that, it makes it hard for me to think."

"And stand," he teased in a low voice. He palmed the entire length once more before letting it fall.

"Yes."

"Hmm. We're moving quickly. I think we need to discuss protection before we get more serious," he told her quietly. "I had some brought in, but didn't know what was necessary."

She shook herself all over to try and bring herself back to her senses. "Protect - ohh. Condoms and whatnot."

Aizawa nodded.

"W - well, I'm safe on all accounts. Can't get pregnant unless we did some, ah... well, it's an intricate procedure. Do you need to see my testing I had done at the start of the year?"

He shook his head. "I have access to the files as head of security. I check your health status at the start of each month."

"Oops. I forgot. I okayed that when you started. It made me feel like you were more a part of my life. At first, I was pissed... but now I think you're the best thing that ever happened to me." This last was spoken shyly and she blushed a little.

He reached out and caressed the side of her face. "Thank you," he said simply.

"You're welcome." She rubbed her cheek on his hand, purring.

"Would you like my test results?"

"Do I need to see them?"

He scratched his chest, shrugging. "I'm clean, for what it's worth. I thought you would want to see for yourself."

"Will it upset you?"

He shook his head. "You would be foolish not to check, even if you fully trust me."

She thought for a moment, regarding him with an even, dark purple stare. "All right." She took her phone out of a pocket and contacted the doctor's offices. The information was relayed to her after he agreed to its release. He was, of course, telling the truth.

"Is there truly no need for any protection?" He sounded baffled. "That's amazing. I've never -" He caught himself before he went on, choking back what may have caused jealousy. "That excites me, Ches."

"Me, too. Still nervous, though." She laughed sheepishly.

"If at any time you feel uncomfortable, for any reason, please let me know," he said seriously, pulling back to stare deeply into her eyes. "You mentioned you haven't had good experiences with sex. I want to change that."

She swallowed nervously. "Okay. Yes."

He gauged her reaction and swung her around to settle on the pile of cushions. "Let's just relax."

Moy Mell 49

Aizawa excused himself to go to the bathroom and pulled out his phone, texting quickly. He had an idea, and several people needed to be told what to do if it was to be accomplished by the time he required. When he got back she opened her arms and grinned at him.

"Ha," he murmured as he settled her comfortably on his lap. "I could get used to you being this affectionate." Elly wrapped her arms around him, purring.

They cuddled on the couch for awhile, chatting about the park and random things, and then she brought up the day's activities. "You really got my entire schedule cleared?"

"Yes. We can do whatever we please." He watched her white tailtips lazily curling up and down in the patch of sun shining in from the windows.

"The whole day," she mused thoughtfully. Then she surprised him by asking him instead. "Well, what would you like to do?" Her fingers toyed with his long ponytail, tugging lightly.

"Me?" He blinked.

"Yes, you. You got hurt too..." She kissed his cheek near the bandage and he pretended to scowl. "And have been under stress. It's not fair to always do what I want. And besides, making you happy makes me happy."

"Hnf." He frowned, thinking. "I'm not a socially active man," he half-apologized, scratching at his chin. "But I did read about a demon owned restaurant near the park that sounds intriguing."

"For later? 'Cause Sanji's motioning for us to come eat breakfast."

The cook was indeed beckoning from the hall so he stood, picking her up with him.

"It's the ghost food place."

"Ooohhh! I never went there!" Her eyes lit up and she hugged him about his neck as he walked towards the kitchen. "Yeah, you don't go there to get full. You just taste. I've heard it's a very unique experience."

"It's settled, then. We should call and reserve a table, though."

"I can do that."

"Hey, are you going to put her down long enough to eat?" Sanji smirked a little at them both as he walked in.

"I'm considering not."

"Suits me," she quipped perkily, then spotted the food and let out a happy yowl. "Yay, pork roll! Thank you, Sanji!"

"I live to serve," he murmured, his lips quirking in a smile as he watched the bleary-eyed man sit down exactly as he said he would, using a combination of arm and leg strength to keep her firmly on his lap.

"Do you like this?" Elly stuck her fork in a small piece and held it to his lips.

"I don't think I've eaten it before." He took the bite, chewed reflectively for a moment, then swallowed. "Not bad."

Sanji had to press the heel of his hand to his mouth avoid squealing with glee. He was enjoying seeing her open up like this to someone. He left so that they could continue eating in private and only came out after they were gone.

They wandered the park incognito all afternoon, just browsing places they both enjoyed, before heading to the restaurant. Inside at a podium stood a male kitsune in semi-human form, like herself.

"Hello," she smiled.

"Ah! So good to have you visit us. We were hoping you would one day, being that we're practically neighbors." He checked the reservations. "Yes. Table for two..." The fox demon blinked, his ears perking as his nose tested the air. "Oh, my. Is this your mate?"

Elly's chin rose and she nodded firmly, although her cheeks were stained pink at the admission. "Yes... is there a problem?"

"Oh, no. Right this way." He gestured, a fluid movement pointing towards an empty table nearby. "It's just that the community thought you were observing the quaint human custom of 'boyfriend and girlfriend'."

They sat at the table he picked out for them and he took their drink orders.

"Thank you," Aizawa murmured.

Elly nodded. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome." The kitsune paused, then added, "I apologize for my candid observations." He bowed, his tails carefully laid flat against his back. "I'm happy for you both. It's simply a shock when a demon chooses a human for their partner. Doesn't happen often, you know."

"Oh, yes," she sighed. "I know."

"I'll send someone right over with your menus."

After they had ordered and gotten their drinks, Aizawa smiled and pointed at himself. "So I've become your mate?"

She coughed, embarrassed, and answered in a low voice. "Well... yes? I thought you understood what marking me meant." Her cheeks reddened further.

"I did. Don't worry, Ches," he hastily assured her, reaching out to take her hand. "The only thing I wasn't aware of was how rare a relationship like ours is. It changes absolutely nothing, however."

Her ears relaxed, slipping back into their casual position from where they had begun to fold back. "Good. I mean, we haven't actually ... you know, yet, but the marking shows our choices were made."

He nodded.

"It's - it's not like marriage, you know. Kind of, but not quite. It means I won't, um. Lay with anyone else."

"You don't have to explain right now, my queen," he said softly, squeezing her hand. "I want to be with you. If you feel the need to discuss things in depth later, that's fine, too. But remember: I'm absolutely not going to stop loving you."

"Thanks, Sho. I needed to hear that. It's... well, let's just enjoy this." She smiled happily at him. "I'm having a great time with you today."

He chuckled, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand. "I hope it only gets better."

After they were finished eating it was starting to get dark out. Aizawa took her hand and told her he had a surprise ready.

"You do? When did you manage that? We've been together all day."

"I have my ways." He shrugged. "But look... here." She followed his finger, blinking when he tapped it above her lips.

Elly sneezed. "Wh - what?!"

"Sorry. Here we go." He tied a thin strip of cloth he pulled out of his sleeve around her eyes. "I'll lead or carry you, whatever you prefer. It's not too far - we'll take one of the bullets partway."

"Clever," she murmured. All I can smell is the perfume you dabbed under my nose."

"That's to keep this a surprise, Ches. Otherwise you'd easily know where we're going." He took her arm and walked her to the silvery vehicle on the track. "Up."

She sat inside and heard the door click closed. The seat bounced slightly as he moved around, and he suddenly and rather mischievously nibbled on her neck, causing her to gasp loudly. "Hey!"

"Couldn't help it." He laughed and kissed her briefly on the lips. "It's out of my system now... and look, we're here."

"We are?"

"Yes. Let me take you."

Elly's throat tightened at his choice of words and she let him pick her up to carry wherever he wished.

Moy Mell 48

She lay in her bathtub with an arm across her eyes, exhausted from the stress of the day before. It had been her hope that she could relax here, in the warm, scented water and the dim lighting that normally worked. This early morning, however, nothing could calm her. Elly sighed and dragged herself to her feet, dripping, and reached half-heartedly for a towel.

Going through her morning routine didn't help, either, but at least she was ready when the chime to her suite sounded.

"Hey." She joined him in the hall, smoothing the wrinkles in her jeans with both hands. "You knew I'd be up, huh?"

He nodded, rubbing at his neck. Aizawa wore a simple bandage on his cheek, but other than that, there were no marks on him from the fight that she could see. He was wearing casual clothing like her: a black t-shirt and soft, worn-in dark jeans, and his hair was tied back in a loose ponytail.

"Did you get some sleep?"

"A little." She shrugged. "Not much."

"Sanji's already up. Do you want to wait in the living room while he fixes breakfast?"

She made some sort of unenthusiastic noise and followed him to the elevator. When the doors slid shut he reached out and took her hand in his.

"Huh?" Her ears perked towards him.

"I took the entire day off so I could focus on you," he told her quietly, watching her closely. "You're free the whole day, too. I worked with everyone to reschedule a few things."

"Oh." She blinked, then smiled weakly, realizing for the first time he didn't have his weapon immediately on him. "That was kind of you... and everyone that helped."

The doors opened and he led her to the couch in the living room. "Here. Sit, and I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay." She rolled her neck back, rubbing at it briefly.

The moment he walked into the kitchen he saw the cook standing in front of the open fridge, staring blankly at the contents. The blond man shut the door quickly and gestured.

"What happened?!" Sanji hissed, his eyes wild. "The texts got out, sure, we know what you said officially, but..?"

Aizawa thought for a moment, looking up and scratching his chin. "His bottled emotions got the better of him. He ended up grabbing and screaming at her about it."

He winced hard, one hand hitting the side of his face with an audible slap. "Shit. I knew it."

"Could you maybe, I don't know, cook her favorites today?"

"Hell yes I can." His manner became instantly businesslike and he swiftly unhooked a pink apron from its peg near his door. "I have everything ready for occasions like this. You go take care of her; I'll take care of the food."

"Right."

He turned to leave and Sanji added in a very serious tone, "You'd better go all out, Aizawa. This... well, I think she was in love with him. Before. This has got to sting more than she's letting on."

The dark haired man nodded.

Far away, Zoro was sitting on his bed in his new cool, rock-walled room in one of the the weyrs. He hadn't asked for a specific area, yet Chris had been sure to place him at the top. He didn't have any duties for a day so he could get accustomed to his new surroundings and yet all he could think about was his utter failure. He wasn't sure he could rise out of this. Not only had he waited too long, he had put his hands on her - making him the most despicable person in the compound right now.

And he'd lost her anyway.

He brought out his phone and read the email that Aizawa had sent to the staff explaining his demotion and the event. He had been kinder than expected, but Zoro guessed folks would know something bigger happened than he was letting on. All he could do was work well and hard ... and hope for redemption.

When Aizawa came back to the couch he saw Elly trying rather unsuccessfully to hide the fact that she had been crying. He sat close and reached out to comfort her.

"It's over, Ches," he told her quietly, turning her palm over in his hands. He bent and kissed her wrist lightly, causing her to gasp at the ticklish brush of his lips. "You did what you had to do and so did I."

"But - but I feel ..."

He drew her hand closer and placed it over his heart. "Guilty, betrayed, and confused? I would assume a lot more, as well. Those are all negative emotions, and can only hurt you if you let them."

She gulped and blinked back tears. "Maybe I should have known. I never thought he would get violent. That's scary." She rubbed her arms furtively, trying not to mention the multiple thoughts in her head. Some would upset him, yet she knew she had made the right decision about the matter. Zoro had to leave her; but this man, her boyfriend, was staying. She held berself and shivered.

He was instantly concerned, craning his neck to look at her arms. "Are you still in pain? That's unusual, isn't it?"

She shook her head. "It's not that kind."

"Ah."

"What about you?"

He shrugged at her gentle, worried touch of the band aid on his cheek. "It just itches."

"Good." She flopped onto her back on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm so tired of crying, Shota."

The furniture creaked and rocked as Aizawa crawled over to kneel on top of her. He was careful not to make a lot of bodily contact but placed his forehead on hers in that endearing way he had.

He held her gaze, smiling the tiniest bit. "You've cried enough over other people."

Elly's tail fur fluffed out. "We've only been together for a couple months. And while I'm certain how I feel, that's frightening, too. I mean, it's barely amy time at all, right?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you asking me?"

"Oh... I don't know." She placed her hands over her face, groaning. "I don't know anything anymore."

"You can be too frightened, wait until you're not, or forge ahead anyway. These are your choices, and, while they may be difficult, I can't - I won't -- make them for you." He lowered his head, but with his hair in a ponytail there weren't any dark tresses hanging down for him to hide in. "The outcome is too important." He backed away slowly.

"Bella said something similar to me a few weeks ago." Elly noticed the blush burning on his cheeks despite his neutral tone and immediately hugged him, pulling him close again. Her reaction to his slight discomfort was so strong she knew her decision had been made. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.

His body suddenly and startlingly relaxed, all at once. She hadn't been expecting this and wasn't sure what was happening until he blew a great breath of air out in a massive sigh of relief. "I wasn't sure you would say it," he confessed. "To hear those words..."

"Did your voice just crack?"

He cleared his throat, scowling. "No."

"That's okay. It was really sweet. I'm - it was hard to admit it, but I do. I'm just so afraid. I don't want to lose you," she sighed tearily. "I lose everyone. I'm a demon and if life has taught me anything it's that I'm not allowed to receive love." Elly's eyes were huge and shining with tears. One fang was caught in her lower lip and he felt her entire body trembling so hard she almost fell off the couch despite him being there. The blush on her cheeks turned a bright, rosy color.

"Ches!" He snapped sharply, cutting her off mid-tirade. She swallowed back her babbling and found she couldn't look away from Aizawa's gray eyes. They held her in place as he cupped a hand on the back of her neck. He kissed her so tenderly that she gasped, and he wrapped his arms around her to hold her comfortingly tight.

"Tilt your head, my queen," he murmured softly.

She did without thought and cried out as she felt his teeth on her neck. "Shota!"

"Yes?"

"You know what I am!"

"Yes," he said quietly. "You're a scared little kitten and you need my help. There are no demons here."

Elly closed her eyes and felt the hard press of teeth, the scratchy stubble on his lower face as he nibbled. He didn't bear strongly down and she knew what he was waiting for.

"Please," she husked in a trembling little voice. "Do it."

His teeth sank into her neck immediately.

"Marking" was, at least for her, a misleading term. It meant she would change her scent to indicate she was with someone; his actions would not actually leave a physical impression. He knew this and didn't bite down hard, just waited for her hormones to begin registering the action.

"Oh, Sh - Shota, that feels so good," she breathed in such a massive gasp of relief that he smiled.

"Want more?"

"M - more?" Elly sounded astonished. She hadn't considered anything past accepting in the first place. Her heart began to pound so hard she thought it might escape her chest. "Yes! The other side. Do the other side!"

He kissed her softly on the indicated part of her neck. "Shh. I'll take care of you."

"Oh, Shota!"

Many kisses later they were both breathing hard and staring somewhat sheepishly into each other's eyes.

"I - I really want you right now," she gasped. Her striped tail thrashed madly about on the couch and floor.

"I have to admit, I'm highly aroused." He pulled away a little and stroked her hair back from her cheeks. "But jumping immediately to sex may not be the best idea."

"I don't want to wait until my heat. It won't be ..." She trailed off, frowning a little. "It will be too fast, too impersonal."

"I completely understand wanting to make love before your heat. I don't know what that will be like, but from what we've talked about it sounds rather ... frantic." She nodded, and he took her hand in his. "Listen. Give it the rest of the day. If you still want me to share your bed when the stars come out," he kissed her palm, curling her fingers over as if she could hold it tight, "I will be more than happy to oblige."

"Oh." Her ears lay askew on either side if her head as she thought about this. "Yes... yes, I think that will be just fine."

They smiled at each other.