When Elly opened the door to her office this morning, she spotted proof that another person had already been there.
A bacon and egg croissant sat neatly on a paper plate in the center of her desk beside a foam cup of coffee. She sniffed the wonderful smells, appreciating the gesture and rather touched. When she drew out her chair to sit, another surprise - someone else was sitting there!
Well, something, anyway.
There was a medium-sized bright yellow <i>banana</i> plushie in her place, holding a rose with a note clipped to it. The banana had a twirly, Dali-esque mustache under its googly eyes. The note pinned to one of its cartoon glove hands read:
"<i>I mustache you to be my Valentine</i>" ♡
It was clear who had sent it not only because it was written in English, but who else in Japan would know that this day where she came from - America -- was typically gender reversed?
Also, mustache.
She hid a huge smile behind one hand as she picked the stuffed fruit up and sat it on her desk, propped up beside her computer. The rose she slipped into a bottle of water after uncapping one of the few she had stored in her drawer.
The counselor went about her daily routine until lunch, when she heard the rapid beat of impatient fingers drumming on her door.
"Hey hey! You comin' to lunch or what?" Present Mic stood there beaming down at her.
Elly smiled back and held out a small box towards him. "Yep. I was looking for this first."
"Eh?" His grin got wider and he took her offering, popping it open to peer inside. What he found caused him to squeal with delight. "<i>Cookies!</i>"
"Chocolate chip cookies," she laughed.
Mic had already crammed several in his mouth. "Ohmigod, Ches," he raved through a mouthful of crumbs. "These're <i>so good.</i>"
"Well, I'm glad." She laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I badgered Aizawa unmercilessly until he told me your favorite."
"They're excellent." He swallowed mightily. Crumbs dusted his lips and chin and he wiped them off with the back of one hand. "I would've accepted anything you gave me, though," he admitted shyly.
"You're way too cute, you know," she told him with a smile.
Mic pulled his shades down with one finger to stare deeply into her eyes. "Actually, babe, I'd've never guessed." He laughed abashedly. "I'm not a huge or muscle-y hero, an' I'm cranked up to an annoying level most of the time. I got a lotta bad habits. But I never seem to bother you."
"Bother me?" Elly frowned, her ears twitching. "You're tall and lean. That doesn't mean you're not strong. And as for your 'levels', as you put it, I think that's what makes me love you so much. Your enthusiasm for <i>everything</i> you do, big or small, is infectious!"
The Voice Hero stood, stunned and anazingly mute for a few long seconds. She could see red creeping up out of his neck speaker to flood across his cheeks and brighten his ears endearingly. His lips twitched in a wobbly grin.
"M - Mic? You okay?"
"Oh, <i>yeah</i>." He sighed dreamily. "I'm perfect."
"Uh, okay." She blushed too when she saw how intently he was staring at her.
"Dude," he giggled faintly. "Ya don't even realize what you admitted, do ya?" He pushed back his chair and stepped close, wrapping his arms about her waist. "Hmm? The chocolate was one thing, but you <i>said</i> it!"
"I - I, er..."
Mic bent down and whispered into one of her furry ears. "I love you, too."
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