Blackout Confessions

Elly rolled over in bed, fussing with the sheets. She was tangled, wrapped up too tightly and she panicked and gasped sharply, waking in a sudden, jarring jolt upright.

She sat in the darkness, panting with her heart racing at some unknown nightmare. As she took slower and longer breaths to calm down, she saw the reason for her panic unwind itself from her waist. A muscular arm slipped from her lap when she moved.

"S'wrong?"

The husky, sleepy mumble was very wrong. It was a low baritone and far more annoyed sounding than concerned.

And, of course, there shouldn't be anyone else in her bed!

Elly swallowed very hard and turned to face a very bleary-eyed, very nude Shota Aizawa.

"Erk!" Her ears shot up in the air and she choked, her throat too constricted to push out the shriek that was her first reaction.

Aizawa propped himself up on one elbow and stared harder at her. "Hey, Ches. You all right?" He sounded more awake, less cranky and his tone was softer. When she didn't answer and remained sitting there, stunned and trembling, he sat up beside her. The sheets pooled low around his hips, showing the line of dark hair that trailed down his abdomen.

"Ai - Aizawa ..."

"What." He coughed dryly, and she realized with mild surprise that he had laughed. "You still asleep?" A hand reached out and touched her brow, resting there a moment. His palm was rough and calloused, but very gentle as he checked her temperature. She blinked, struggling to snap out of her stupor and move but she just couldn't seem to.

The scruffy man next to her muttered, "Not hot," to himself and withdrew his hand. He squinted at her and she saw the red flash of his eyes in the dark as he tested to see if her strange behavior was quirk-related. "Okay," he sighed, giving up on that idea when nothing happened.

"I have to -" Elly made another attempt to leave the bed but froze, a small squeak slipping past her lips as he wrapped both arms around her.

"What's wrong? You woke up like you had a bad dream and now you're acting irrational. Let me comfort you." He tugged a little, pulling her closer, and she was made aware once more of the fact that he was naked as she bumped against his hairy leg. His arms were very warm and strong, too. It would be easy to go along with it, to imagine this was only a -

"Dream," she blurted out.

That was it. Had to be!

"Hunh?"

"I, uh, I'm dreaming now." Aizawa's eyes slid half-shut and he groaned. Before she could say another word his hand slipped down her side and under the long t-shirt she wore. His fingers deftly tweaked one of her nipples and she moaned despite herself.

"Realize you're awake now?" This time she could hear the dry amusement in his voice. "Or do you need more ... convincing?"

"I don't remember us getting together. I went to sleep in my bed - alone -- and woke up with you here!"

He rubbed at his eyes with one hand, his shoulders slumping as he considered this. When he spoke next, his voice shook just a little. "You don't remember. So you don't really ... love me?"

"Um." Elly bit her lower lip.

"Oh?"

"You're... I can't lie to you now. It would be ridiculous in the position we're in." She hesitated, then went on quickly. "I kind of - felt that way already. I didn't tell you since you seemed like you weren't interested in anyone, let alone me."

His lips twitched in the faintest of smiles. "You do love me."

"Damn it! That's not the point -"

"Isn't it? If this is what you want, why fight it?"

"Aizawa -"

"You called me Shota last night," he sighed sadly.

"I - I don't know what to say."

"Look," he said firmly, "we both got a little drunk and confessed to each other. This -" He waved a hand at them in bed, "happened as a result. You didn't fall asleep alone."

"We - so we..."

"Made love. Yes."

"Oh my god." She buried her face in her hands. "I don't remember. And I don't feel hungover at all."

Aizawa looked more nervous when she admitted it. "You really don't..?"

"Remember?"

"Yes."

She shook her head. "I really don't."

His brow furrowed even deeper and she saw pain in his gray eyes as he flinched. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I shouldn't have taken advantage of you. I didn't think you were intoxicated since we talked for a long time beforehand. We discussed our ... ah, feelings, like I mentioned. I don't do that for just anyone." A long, shaky sigh followed and he drew the sheets up to cover himself. "I was under the impression that you wanted this. Me."

Elly watched as the scruffy man beside her hang his head, his long, black hair obscuring his face. She could hear uneven, hoarse breathing coming from him and was shocked that he could be so vulnerable. If he was telling the truth - and she believed him -- neither of them were at fault. She was just forgetful after drinking and rarely overdid it. Supposing she had, this could be the result.

Because she did love him. She was madly in love with this scruffy, haggard, bleary-eyed asshole that acted tough but had the softest heart of anyone she knew.

"Aiz - err, Shota," she purred softly, reaching out to brush his dark hair back and lay a hand on his shoulder. "I believe you. You're one of the best, the honest person that I know. I - to tell you the truth, I can black out like this if I drink too much. And, well, my 'too much' is probably far less than most people think."

"That seems excessive." He lifted his head to stare blankly off into the dark room.

"Yes, well. It has to do with the drugs the doctors gave me when I was younger."

He uttered a small sound of outrage that was oddly comforting. It was a protective growl that somehow conveyed his disgust at how she had been treated as a child. His arms twitched as if they wanted to hold her again, yet he held back this time.

Elly took a deep breath. Now that she was calmer, she could smell his bitter coffee and energy drink scent. It mixed with the warm, puppy like smell his unwashed hair gave off. They had been asleep for several hours and he probably smelled more like him than she ever noticed at work or the bar.

She very much wanted to kiss him.

So she did.

He twitched a little when her lips met his, letting her make all the opening moves. Aizawa pressed forward with a soft groan when she parted her mouth in clear invitation.

"Ches."

"Mm hm."

"Would you like to start over?"

"I think that's a good idea," she agreed, smiling when he wrapped his arms around her once more.