Quality and Quantity

"Okay." U.A's counselor cleared her throat and looked over at her three colleagues sitting on the sofa in the common room. She sighed, her striped tail lashing slowly back and forth behind her as she thought how to proceed.

"Sup? You said this was a mandatory thing," Present Mic said cheerfully, swinging one long leg over the other. Yamada, she reminded herself. He's in casual clothing, so he's technically not working right now. She scanned the others briefly.

Yamada (Mic) ... Kayama (Midnight) ... and Aizawa (Eraserhead). She'd picked them because they were all fairly close and she knew how a chat like this might end up, especially with Kayama around.

"I know." She smiled faintly. "It's about the sudden rash of fanfics and art depicting faculty members and being distributed by the students. This is to help you talk to them and not absolutely freak out when faced with things like this."

Kayama's interest was definitely peaked. She was grinning from ear to ear, seated at the very edge of the couch as if to pounce. Elly groaned inwardly.

"Like what?" The Voice Hero asked.

"Like this. You first, Yamada." Elly tapped on the device she held and then handed him the tablet, set to a popular fanfic site. He quickly scanned the short story she selected.

"The frick is up with, 'the blond' this, an' 'the blond' that? The blond who? What? It makes me sound like some cheap floozy! Geez."

Kayama burst into laughter. "Do blonds really have more fun? Because you don't seem like it."

He read on, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the rest of the fiction quickly. "Ugh, whaaat? I don't have freckles, tattoos, piercings..."

"You're not gay or bi, either." She squinted over his shoulder. "Or have you been hiding a romantic attachment to men from us? Is that why you grew the mustache?"

His face scrunched up. "Che-e-s-s!" He whined, turning to the cat woman standing in front of the coffee table with two fingers pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Why do we need to be briefed on this?!"

"I like his mustache, Kayama," Elly murmured. "All right. It might be disturbing for us to actually see -" She paused as the other woman coughed. "Some of us," she amended, and Kayama's smirk grew larger. "Anyway, fanfics and art are a healthy way for people of any age to explore their sexuality. Among other ideas they have in general, of course. And anyway, it's not all sexual."

The dark-haired woman snickered wickedly at this. "A lot is, though. And hey, Yamada, if you want to be truly freaked out, check out the 'EraserMicElly' tag."

"Ohhh, no. No wayyyyyy." Yamada set the tablet down on the table with a panicked look. "Me an' Shota an' Ches?!"

Aizawa suddenly looked up from where he had been blearily staring out the window. "What was that?"

"You guys're a popular ship." Kayama handed the homeroom teacher her phone, already loaded to an art site. He clicked one of the thumbnails, frowning, and everyone took notice as his hair flew up. His eyes remained dark, but his face turned bright red. He handed the phone hurriedly back to the wildly laughing 18+ Hero, who briefly showed Elly as well.

The counselor sighed. "This is why I started with you three first."

"Because we're awesome?"

"Yes, Yamada," she sighed. "Because you're awesome." Her ears flicked as she spoke in a sardonic tone. Aizawa snorted, the sound suspiciously close to laughter.

"Aw." He pouted harder. "An' I told you, y'can call me Hizashi."

"Oh?" Kayama's eyebrows shot up. "Can I do that?"

"No." He folded his arms and glared at her. "You won't even call me Mic at school, so you don't get that privilege."

"Sure, okay. But what's got you so red in the face? You want her to call you by your given name... oooooh!"

Hizashi shook his head vehemently. "Oh no. No, Kayama, nuh uh, wait!"

"You like her!" Her dark eyes lit up outrageously and she pointed a triumphant finger at Elly. "You do! Look how much redder he got, Ches!"

Elly shook her head. "C'mon, you guys can't be harder to talk to than the kids..."

"Think again." Aizawa yawned and stretched, shouldering halfway out of his yellow sleeping bag. "These clowns are too loud. You want to go somewhere quiet instead?"

"You too, Aizawa?!" Kayama screeched in bewildered delight. "Oh my gosh! I thought you were just being a prude before. Did that fanart of you three getting it on wreck you that badly?"

Aizawa's jaw clenched so hard they could all see the muscle ripple. "Nothing, as you say, 'wrecks' me."

"Challenge accepted." Kayama tapped her brightly painted lips with an equally bright fingernail. "Hmmm... then how about you both kiss her? At the same time?"

"Are you fuckin' crazy?!"

Elly sat down hard on the floor as the entire building shook. "Hizashi!"

The Voice Hero clamped his lips shut, eyes expressing his apology. He hummed softly, soothingly, as he walked over to help her up.

"Idiot," Aizawa grunted painfully, "you're lucky you didn't break anything this time. Just ignore Kayama; you know how she gets. It's in her hero title, after all."

"Oh, shush, you big grump. I totally dare you to kiss 'em both!" She pounded on the table. "C'mon!"

Elly's ears flattened back. "I think I should be going." She got up to leave, but saw Aizawa's flushed face and Hizashi's pleading eyes. "Wait - you two want me to do it, don't you?!"

The taciturn man grunted and turned further away but Hizashi clutched her hand in his, tugging on it. "I uh, do really wanna kiss you!"

"But..!"

"He does, too, but he's too stubborn to admit it." Aizawa slapped his friend on the back of the head. "Ouch!"

"I'm not giving in to a dare like a kindergartner, Hizashi."

"Then I will." He impetuously cupped the back of her neck and pulled her to him. Aizawa slipped silently up and when she parted from his friend with a shocked gasp, he grasped her left side and quickly pressed his mouth to hers, sliding into a deep, soulful kiss that caused Kayama to both applaud him and then excuse herself out.

These three definitely needed to be alone.

Elly whimpered, wondering how things had progressed so fast. She lost all thought when the Voice Hero nudged his friend over and took the other half of her mouth, adding his tongue to the one already teasing hers.

Two men ... two gorgeous men kissing her at the same time! What was happening?!

Hizashi hummed in the back of his throat, his quirk vibrating through all of them. Aizawa, not to be outdone, reached out and took her hand, bringing it between them in an oddly touching fashion.

"Guys, guys ... wait!"

"I'm through waiting," Aizawa declared. "Zashi?"

"Yeah me too," he agreed all in one breath, his spiralled eyes never leaving hers. "Mnnn... I'm not a jealous man, baby. Let's go in somebody's bedroom an' see who comes out on top."

Her jaw dropped.

"My apartment is closer." Aizawa picked her up. The sensation of being swept off her feet so easily, as if she were a child again, caused her to go limp in his arms. His plain black t-shirt smelled like coffee and energy drink, and before she knew it, she was purring as she sniffed, nuzzling the soft fabric.

"But mine," Hizashi quipped lightly, "has furniture. Like, I dunno ... a bed, for starters."

"Fine," the dark-haired man huffed. "Let's go."

They walked out into the cool night air to the complex where the teachers lived. Elly kept her head buried in the homeroom teacher's chest until she heard the rattle of a doorknob that announced they were entering Hizashi's home.

She'd been here before and loved the decor: kitsch fashion that had been the style in the seventies. He had a plush couch with obnoxiously patterned throw pillows, records on the walls and lava lamps on end tables. The men kicked their shoes off and she was carried further inside to be laid on the waterbed in the back. The reality of their situation finally sank in and she scrambled backwards, eyes wide as Hizashi removed his outer shirt.

"Look, guys - I don't want a fling. I want to have a relationship! You can't have that with three people!"

"Sure you can!" Hizashi was optimistic. "Or, uh, anyway, I bet we could make it work." He fiddled with the red beaded bracelet he wore on one wrist. "I'd do anything for you."

"Try it again," Aizawa suggested.

"Try what again?"

"Kiss me." He caressed the side of her head in one hand, his eyes staring deeply into her own. "Or shall I have to come to you?" Aizawa stepped forward and lightly mouthed her lips. His stubble scratched slightly, but his touch was full of tenderness. She trembled and let his tongue slip inside to patiently lick and tease.

Her purple eyes were dreamy when they finally parted.

"Now kiss him." He gestured to Hizashi, who obligingly took his place, sliding his hands low and gripping the base of her tail.

"But -!"

"Shhh." His voice thrummed with passion as he squeezed her tight. Hizashi's mouth was just as warm and wet, but that's where the similarities ended. Where there had been stubble there was instead smooth skin, except for the furry points of his mustache. They swept across her upper lip ticklishly as he moaned and pressed harder, deeper. He was eager and impulsive, and her breathing grew even more ragged. She sank into his arms, whispering his name. When she opened her eyes again she was gazing into those swirling, concentric pupils in a dazed fashion. One of his hands stroked her hair and his smile was sweet and kind.

"Hizashi."

"That's my name."

She felt the bed dip behind her. Aizawa knelt, circling his arms around her waist. "And?" The dark-haired man prompted.

"Damn it," she muttered. Then, louder and clearer, "Okay, you win, Aizawa. I love you both."

He turned to her side, his bloodshot eyes regarding her with amusement. "Am I still 'Aizawa' to you after all that?"

She cleared her throat in confusion. "Um."

"If you're calling him Hizashi, you can go ahead and use my given name as well."

"Sh - Shota?"

He nodded, the hint of a smile playing about his lips. "That's good," he murmured. "I like that."

"You two can keep calling me 'Ches', then," she shrugged weakly. "Since my first name is, well... since it sounds like a popular one here."

"I love you, baby," Hizashi blurted out. His smile grew even sunnier and he kissed her once more, lingering, his curved lips gentle.

Shota rolled his eyes at him. "Could I have the front, please, for a moment? I believe it's best if I look into Ches' eyes for this as well."

"Oops." He chuckled and stepped to the side.

Shota grinned crookedly at her and touched her furry ears. "I love you, too."

"Oh."

"There, now, all three of us are in agreement." He rubbed at the back of his neck, looking off into the distance. "Correct?"

"Yeah, I guess we are." She sounded surprised.

"Then unless you're truly uncomfortable, we're three healthy, clean, consenting adults."

"I am on birth control."

"Good."

"Yep." Hizashi reached out and touched a finger to the tip of her nose. "Sho and I, we've worked together for more than a decade, baby. We know how to communicate. I know yer gonna love this."

"Clothes," Shota snorted cryptically.

"Yeah, let's strip to our undies so we can snuggle, huh?"

Since Shota was in front of her, she saw his body first. Elly paused in the act of taking her pants off as he wrenched himself out of his shirt in one fluid movement. The tired-looking man's body wasn't exactly what she expected at all. She knew his strength but had been misled from his posture and all the naps. He was firmly, impossibly built, with an impressive row of abdominal muscles and pronounced pelvic lines that tracked down into his pants.

Hizashi chuckled from behind her and she huffed, annoyed at herself for staring. She reached for him instead, and he came willingly into her embrace as his pants slud down to the floor. Elly's hands wandered over the rough scars covering his body, tracing the ones she could see and lingering on those she couldn't. Shota sighed heavily, his hands twitching on her back.

"He really likes that," Hizashi snickered, pointing at the bulge in his friend's underwear.

Shota glared at him but his features softened noticeably when she reached down to let her fingertips brush his rigid form. The blond man, meanwhile, had shed the rest of his clothing - leaving his necklaces, bracelet and socks on -- and was curling around behind her on the bed. He spooned close and nuzzled at the nape of her neck, brushing his lips across the skin and tickling her with the soft hair of his mustache. Elly felt his hot tongue slide over her neck, close by her throat, and shivered.

Shota took note of this and tilted her head back with a gentle touch, nipping with his teeth. While Hizashi licked and kissed he bit down and sucked with every intent to bruise the skin.

"Oh my god, Shota!"

"Too much, babe?" Hizashi peered over at what the other man was doing.

"N - no..."

"Do your side, too, Zashi." Shota's voice was muffled as he pressed into her neck. "One mark for each of us. You'd like that, hmm, kitten?"

"Oh god," she groaned. Her striped tail cut frantically through the air, whapping on Hizashi's naked side.

"Hey, careful with that thing!" He yelped, laughing. "Okay, okay. That means yes."

"How - how do we even go about something like this?" She asked after what seemed like an eternity of torturous pleasure.

"Mmm," Hizashi hummed as he thought. "Look, Sho, how's about I make it easier, huh? You've never had sex before. Go first; I'll jump on after." Aizawa glared at him so hard he flinched. "Whaaat?"

"Thank you for announcing my ineptitude," he ground out between clenched teeth. "Maybe you should take her now and I'll lay behind. I can get off that way."

"But -"

"It's okay." He shrugged. "If we want our first time together to be good for her, we should do it this way. I'll get next time."

"Awright, baby, that means you an' me."

She sighed, part of her still convinced this was a dream, and turned to face Hizashi. His body was no less impressive than his friend, just lighter skinned and with less battle damage. He had a curious puff of golden hair right in the middle of his chest, unlike the hairier Shota, but it trailed low on his belly to blend into his pubic hair just the same.

He also sighed as their arms wrapped around each other, and she realized with a start that her body was exciting them just as much. Blushing, they kissed while Shota pulled the remaining pieces of their clothing off the bed and into a communal pile.

"Move over," he muttered as he crawled over to the pillows. They settled with him sitting up, Elly laying on him like he was the world's fleshiest easy chair. Hizashi grinned at the sight and knelt before them, his erection curving up towards his belly.

"You all set?" Without waiting for an answer, he kissed her and stroked a hand down her side. She saw him maneuvering around and licked her lips, spreading her legs in invitation.

His first movement was slow and careful. When she moaned and dug her fingers in his shoulders, however, he ground his body against hers faster.

Hizashi thrust rhythmically forward, pacing himself as best he could in his excitement. Shota embraced her from behind, panting against her neck as he rubbed on her back. His hot breath ghosted over her sweaty skin, giving her goosebumps and causing her to shiver.

"Shota," she gasped.

"Hnf." His reply was brief; a low grunt. He did, however, reach around to caress her breasts. Though they were bouncing around he managed to grasp a double handful, his fingers automatically seeking the hardened nipples to squeeze. She cried out and Hizashi squinted, taking in what was happening at a glance. Tendrils of blond hair had slipped free of his bun and he tossed them back with an impatient shake of his head.

"Feel good, huh?" He pulled almost all the way out, muscles trembling with effort. Shota held out a breast and he caught the tip in his mouth.

"Zashi! Please don't stop!"

"Hmm. Just takin' a break, lover." He nibbled and she moaned. "Hey, Sho, reach around and rub her clit for me, huh?"

Her eyes popped open. "What? Wait!"

Hizashi giggled evilly. "Uh uh. Gonna make you scream like me, kiddo." He kissed her softly, distracting her while Shota's fingers wormed their way to their target. He dipped inside the warmth and wet, grazing Hizashi in the process and making the blond man jump. "Careful!"

"Shut up." Shota closed his eyes with an intense look of concentration. "Ahh. There we are. Pretty swollen and quite sensitive now, aren't we, Ches?"

"Please!" She bucked upwards, gasping, only to have her cries stifled by her partner on top. Hizashi thrust his tongue in her mouth, mimicking the act she so desperately wanted him to continue.

"Tell me when yer super close, baby. I'm'a give it to you then, an' only then!"

"Oh god, oh please Zashi ... Shota! I want it, I want it so bad..!"

Shota lazily rubbed in tight circles, drifting to the sides to caress the folds of skin that normally covered the little button of flesh. "In time. It will be better if you relax and enjoy this." He nodded to Hizashi. "She's close. Pull out and rub on her with your tip."

He withdrew his fingers and Elly sobbed momentarily at the loss, even though she heard and knew what was to happen. Hizashi continued the direct stimulation with the head of his dripping penis, biting his lip and sweating as he watched her squirm.

"H - Hih - Hizashi! I'm..!"

"Ahhhh! Yer beautiful, baby!" He parted her with a moist sound and didn't stop this time, pounding away as hard and fast as he could while her cries grew in intensity. The tingling and tension in her loins burst all at once with a shock of electricity so powerful her toes curled.

Shota let out a muffled gasp, stiffening behind her as she sobbed out a mingled shout of both their names. His messy, black hair shot up and he squeezed his eyes tight as he was relieved of the mounting pressure in his body. Elly's orgasm was so fierce she barely felt the hot, sticky fluid jetting up her back when he came.

Hizashi took just a few moments longer. He continued to cant his hips, reaching inside her as deep as he could while she tightened around him. His necklaces bounced on his chest as he threw his head back with a joyous scream.

They lay there only for a few minutes before Shota could be heard snoring.

Elly's incredulous look was the most hilarious thing Hizashi had seen all day, and he clapped a hand to his mouth to stifle laughter as he gently disengaged from her body. "Yeah, uh, I kinda expected that. Here, we can wake him up once we get clean, okay?"

"I guess..." She stood on wobbly legs and blinked down at him, sweaty, messy and definitely asleep. One corner of his mouth was curled up in a half smile.

The two of them smiled back at him, and then each other.

Empathy

The assembly was being held in U.A's biggest arena. The entire school was there at once, a feat usually reserved for the sport and seasonal festivals. The students lined the stadium seats and the teachers were close by.

The hero that was to speak was not well known, but had been chosen carefully by the board to enlighten them about a particular topic. She was quite small, the size of a tall child, with long, pink hair and a white and pink bodysuit as a costume that didn't give away what her quirk was.

"I'll need two teachers for this to work... oh, and they've told me the staff picked already." She pulled back from the microphone a moment to look down at the paper Midnight had handed her moments before. "Ah, Present Mic and Cheshire?"

The two jumped guiltily at the mention of their names. They were seated a few feet away like most of the teachers, save for a few that were patrolling the perimeter.

"What, really? Is this why I couldn't MC this event?" Mic pouted but got up, extending a hand to the counselor on his left.

She accepted his help and stood, a puzzled look on her pale features. "Why us? Why didn't they tell us..?"

"Dunno." He shrugged and they walked up to the chairs that had been set up facing each other near the speaker. She sat them down, smiling, and took the microphone in her hand again.

"So! First things first. My name is Emma, and I'm known as the Empathy Hero."

Elly froze in her seat, her striped tail stiffening and her ears laying back all at once. She glanced quickly over at Mic, who had both his short eyebrows raised high on his forehead.

He met her gaze and mouthed silently, "What the hell?"

She hoped her fear wasn't showing too much in her eyes. Mic suddenly looked concerned, his brows drawing so high up his forehead started to resemble a point.

Emma had been talking, addressing the students, but Elly knew now what this was about.

Empathy.

Feelings.

"Empathy can be a powerful tool as well as the thing that brings us together -"

She just couldn't concentrate. The Empathy Hero droned on in the background as she tried desperately to figure out a way to escape. But long before any of her thoughts could coalesce into anything coherent enough to try, she was being spoken to.

"Excuse me, Cheshire, could you take off your gloves, please?"

She jolted back to reality. Mic had already tugged off his soft leather ones. They lay over one of his legs. Elly could only smile weakly and nod, pulling her soft paw padded mitts away to expose her fingers to the cool air.

"Thanks. I want you to hold hands."

This time Elly shot the group of teachers a panicky look for help. All she saw were poorly concealed smiles ...and one stoic Aizawa, as always. She could put up a fight, in which case would look terribly unprofessional and may cause her an official reprimand, or just hope for the best. She reached out, trembling, as if placing her hands into a fire. They were gently enfolded by Mic's larger, stronger ones.

His palms were moist.

Probably because of the leather, she thought wildly. He did say often that it was a terrible insulator and he sweat badly when it got warm...

"And, if I lay my own hand on one of your teachers, we'll all experience their feelings for the other."

I'm doomed. Elly closed her eyes, wincing.

The student body and staff inhaled sharply as one. Mic's eyes bulged huge behind his orange-tinted sunglasses, his mouth dropping open comically. The counselor was the only one cringing, her eyes closed while she waited for it to be over.

"Oh my goodness."

She couldn't take any more. Tearing her hands away from his light hold, she jumped up and ran off the field, her tail trailing behind her like a banner.

Mic stared numbly at the overturned chair in her wake. "Uh... I'm'a go get her. Okay?" He jerked his thumb backwards and darted off.


-



Never had Elly felt so humiliated in her adult life. It wasn't enough that he knew - no, now everyone knew of her silly, unrequited love. She was a fool to think it would remain hidden in such a school where powers like that showed up more than usual. It hurt far worse than what she had imagined. It was physical pain in her heart - a burning, wrenching twist that was gutting her from the inside out. The cat woman ran blindly into a wall before she could reach a building entrance and slid down the cool brick, hands covering her face.

Mic was lucky she was too distraught to think of using her quirk. He found her easily and threw himself on the ground on his knees beside her. "M'sorry, Ches, I didn't know what was gonna happen! I promise!"

"I'm the one who's sorry," she whispered. "Now you're caught up in this foolishness."

"Wha - huh? Wha?" He tilted his head in puzzlement, causing her to smile despite herself. He looked like a giant bird when he did that. "Wh - no way, wait... you think I'm upset? We gotta get you back to the assembly, babe."

She balked, flattening against the wall blinking up at him with teary eyes. "Why?!"

"Well uh, you'll see? Please?" His green-golden eyes were kind, even warm. He thrust his lower lip out and gave her his very best puppy dog look, pleading with her. "Pleeeease? For me?"

The bastard.

He knew she wouldn't be able to refuse him. Elly sighed tremulously and allowed him to help her up. "All right," she grumbled, "but you better know what you're doing."

He half led, half carried her to the arena. Her ears twitched as she heard the excited babble from the crowd and she vanished momentarily from sight in her embarrassment.

"C'mon, we're right here. Sit down an' we'll fix it."

Elly was so astonished she blinked back into sight. "Fix it?! How do you propose we fix this, Mic? By showing me how much you revere me as a colleague..?" She shook her head, unable to continue.

Emma stood beside them. She was quiet, simply waiting as the Voice Hero gently persuaded his friend to try. "We've gotta do it again," he said stubbornly.

"But why? And if we do, can't we do it somewhere private?"

"Nuh uh!" Mic shook his head firmly. "It has to be like when you did it, in front of everybody."

He took her hands gently in his again, running one of his thumbs over her fingers in a manner intended to be soothing. Elly took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying not to squeeze too tightly shut lest the tears laying in wait just below the surface slip free.

"Okay," she husked painfully. "Let's get this over with."

"At his request... here's Mic's feelings for Cheshire this time around."

His emotions washed over Elly.

And they were ...

They were familiar.

As the school body drew yet another collective gasp, she was lost in his feelings, mingling with her own in the most delightfully confusing, yet harmonious fashion.

It wasn't quite like a mirrored projection of her own love, as everyone experiences and processes things differently. But it was so similar, so much like coming home.

She opened her eyes, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, to find him smiling and bashful, blushing across the bridge of his nose.

"You..."

"That's why these guys meddled an' picked us. They didn't think you'd run off, though." He nodded brusquely at the rest of the teachers. "Or that your love would be that strong," he added in an awed lower tone.

She bit her lip. "Oh. Um... and now we're being watched by the whole school."

"Uh huh. Don't worry." Mic lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles softly. "I got two extra talents. Playin' to the masses is my speciality, baby."

"What's your other talent?" She asked suspiciously.

He gave her that evil grin he sometimes used on villains and tough students. One eye wide, the other squinted, he chuckled. "One's satisfyin' the crowd, an' the other is satisfyin' you."

"One of the simplest lessons to learn is that we don't really know how others feel about us," Emma told the crowd with a smile. "We're often wrong, and our assumptions lead us astray."

The assemblage cheered and hooted as Mic tugged the still shocked counselor off the field, this time in the direction of the teacher's complex. He flashed his biggest grin at them and gave everyone a thumbs-up.

A Marked Man

"Cheshire's coming?" Aizawa grimaced lightly, shaking back his dark hair. Hizashi nodded. The two friends were walking down the halls of the school to get back to their respective classrooms after lunch.

"Uh huh... and hey! There she is!" Hizashi was completely in Present Mic mode. He clapped his gloved hands together sharply, whistling when he saw the swish of a bright purple striped tail rounding a corner of the school hallway. The woman it was attached to heard him and poked her head back around. Her cat's ears flicked, a broad grin spreading across her face.

"Mic!"

Aizawa groaned. "You two -" He started, but the counselor had already hurled herself at them with lightning speed.

Elly stuck her tongue out at the grumpy homeroom teacher and ducked under the Voice Hero's arm.

"Remember we're goin' for drinks tonight, Ches?"

"Yeah!"

He squeezed her side briefly and she rubbed her cheek on the arm of his jacket, laughing happily. "See you then!"

"Righteous." He shot double finger guns at her, clicking his tongue as he pulled the triggers.

"Hizashi," Aizawa said, frowning as he glanced back over his shoulder at the departing counselor. "How long has that been going on?"

The blond man blinked ingenuously at him, his eyes innocent and wide behind orange-tinted, prescription sunglasses. "Huh?"

His cranky friend jerked a thumb down the hall. "How long has she been scent marking you?"

"Marking - what? The heck are you talking about?" He popped the tab on his can of coffee and downed half in several gulps.

"When a cat rubs or pushes its head against you it's marking you with scent in a show of affiliation. It serves to maintain a connection within a group of individuals."

Hizashi stared blankly at him. "Uh..."

"If she's marking you, she wants you to be part of her life," he told the blond man bluntly. "She likes you, idiot."

"Of course she likes me," he snorted, tossing his head as if his hair were loose and not waxed up in that huge cockatoo plume. "Everyone likes me. I'm friendly, unlike a certain grouchy someone."

Aizawa passed a hand over his tired gray eyes. "No, Hizashi," he said firmly. "I mean she's romantically interested in you."

The Voice Hero reached his classroom door and paused in the act of reaching out to grasp the handle. The sun glasses slipped down his nose and he stared incredulously at his friend. "You said whaaaat?"

He shook his head, bemused. "You heard me. Do what you will with the information." And with that, he turned and shuffled off to his own room.

Hizashi was left with his mouth hanging open in the middle of the hallway. Several students passed him, glancing his way and then hurrying by. He finally shook himself at least partially together and darted down to his next class. He was distracted enough so that the kids noticed but not enough to let them skim through without homework, to their dismay.

He spent the rest of the day wondering what he should do with this new information.

Should he ...flirt?

Sure, in hindsight he could see they had been fooling around for awhile. The innocent seeming touches had turned to hugs, the glances stolen lingered a little longer now and sometimes their eyes would meet and hold warmly.

When had their relationship changed? He couldn't remember but knew it was at least a few months ago when he had called her "babe" for the first time - a slip of the tongue, he'd used it only in his mind previously -- and she blushed and allowed it.

He thought about it all day and into the night. And when he was showering, washing the product out of his hair, he finally decided.

I'm gonna go for it!

It was one thing to firmly declare in his mind that was the plan, though, and another to implement it. Hizashi had dressed simply, like he usually did, in a doubled shirt combo and khaki pants. Two necklaces - one gold, one silver -- rested lightly on the red shirt underneath the longer-sleeved black one he wore as a light jacket. A red beaded bracelet dangled loosely from one wrist. His long blond hair was tied up in a bun, the shorter hairs spiking up along his neck in the back. He hadn't a clue how to proceed with his idea, but when he saw the counselor walk in wearing a simple black dress and a leather collar with a charm attached, he acted on instinct.

"Wow, babe," he whistled lowly, taking in her outfit in its entirety. His greenish-gold eyes widened as he sucked in a gulp of air. "You look excellent tonight."

Elly's ears flicked once and she smiled. "Thanks, Yamada," she murmured. "You do, too."

He wrinkled his nose and leaned towards her in a conspiratorial manner, lowering his voice. "I'd be okay, yanno, with you using my given name."

Her eyes widened and the light blush on her cheeks grew until her face was flaming. "That's - that's uh... okay. I'd like that, Hizashi. You can call me whatever you like, too. I know my given name comes out a bit too much like common ones in Japan..."

He reached out and touched her shoulder lightly, smiling. "Elly." It came out sounding better than most here could pronounce it, but still accented. "But Ches is okay?" She nodded, and he leaned closer.

"H - Hizashi..?"

"Or baby? Ooh, how about babygirl?" He dropped his hand, grasping her wrist this time with a light squeeze. He spoke the term of endearment in English, causing her heart to flutter even more. "C'mon, babygirl, let's get you a drink."

She couldn't speak, only nodded. He took this as a positive sign and led her to the table the rest were seated at to order. Elly grinned nervously at the other teachers as he not only made sure to seat her beside him, but pulled her extra close.

"Hey, Yamada, you decide to make a move or you just need some free counseling?" Kayama snickered.

They all teased him, but after a few drinks the others soon left them to their own devices. Hizashi was careful to only drink one beer since he had driven over in the hopes of taking her back home. And when they were ready to leave, he took a deep breath and went for it.

"Hey, uh," he stammered nervously as he stroked a lock of purple hair back from her cheek. "You wanna keep this party going?"

Elly raised her eyebrows at him. "Mmmn?"

Hizashi took another breath and bit his lower lip, grinning shyly at her. "M'askin' if you want to come back to my place, baby?"

Her light gasp nearly paralyzed him with a sudden, terrifying fear of rejection. His grin became slightly pained as he cringed, waiting for the slap to come. She raised her hand and he closed his eyes tight.

Why do they always hit?!

But Elly's hand caressed his cheek gently instead of striking it, stroking down and toying with the point of one side of his mustache. "Zashi," she purred seductively, "are you asking me to come play?"

He suddenly couldn't swallow past the lump in his throat. "Uh..!"

Ohmigod she's being way too cute!

"Shh. Breathe." She lightly touched his throat and he wheezed.

"Yer wreckin' me, Ches!"

"Not yet," she snickered wickedly. "I'm saving that for later."

The ride back to campus was exhilarating. He was thrilled to see that she took an interest in his beloved car and knew it was an antique. They chatted casually, yet whenever he stopped for a light he reached over and their hands touched. They were both glad it didn't take long before they were parking in the lot at the campus.

Hizashi got out as she did and walked quickly over to her. Elly paused, thinking maybe he wanted to hold her while they walked, but instead he pressed her into the side of the car with his body. Hizashi kissed her, his hands resting on either side of her head. She parted her lips the moment he dabbed his tongue questioningly inside, and the kiss deepened.

His mustache was furrier, softer than she expected. The points were more like Dali's than Flynn's - grown up and out, not fully on his skin. The fuzz tickled gently, and his lips were smooth and full.

She never wanted the moment to end, but of course they needed to breathe eventually.

"Sorry, couldn't wait," he admitted with a sheepish chuckle as they parted with soft gasps. "I, uh... whoa!"

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again, this time dragging his lip between her teeth and sucking on it. He groaned and scooped her up in his arms, stumbling towards the complex the staff lived in. He somehow managed to unlock his door with his hands full of squirming, purring woman and slipped inside.

"Hah ... here, couch," he panted amidst kisses, leaning down to place her on the first available piece of furniture. She laid back, reaching out to him as he knelt atop her. Hizashi grinned and shucked his outer shirt off, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. Elly smiled at him and clasped her arms about his neck, pulling him down to her. Her hands slid under his red t-shirt and he bit his lip, squirming and trying to remember to control his quirk when he moaned. Every part of his body felt overly sensitive, her fingertips grazing his skin sparking flashes of heat and electricity wherever she touched.

He hoped he was making her feel the same. If he were to judge based on her meltingly passionate expression, he thought he was doing a pretty good job.

"H - Hih - zashiii..." The syrupy quality of her voice made him shiver. Her eyes had closed as he stroked her breasts through the thin fabric of the dress but they fluttered open when he hummed suggestively.

"I can't go any farther without takin' this whole thing off, baby," he whispered. "Is that what you want, or ..?"

His eyes were on her in the way she'd always dreamed, hot and swirling with passion. The concentric circles seemed to spin as he sighed and caressed the side of her face.

"Yes," she said simply, holding his hand to her cheek.

The blond man sucked in a huge lungful of air, and he pressed one hand to his mouth to stifle the joyful cry that wanted to spill out.

"...as long as you take yours off, too," she added with a twinkle in her eye.

"You've got a deal." He immediately slipped out of his shirt, revealing a rippling abdomen and chest only partially covered in golden hair. Her fingers went straight to the puff in the middle to stroke, trailing lower to trace it down to the waistband of his khakis. "Hey," he complained jokingly, "You better watch what y'doing down there."

"Oh, I'm definitely watching."

His neck grew hotter, and the flush spread to his chest, mottling it in hectic spots of color as she unbuttoned his pants. "Uh. Oh, yeah, I guess you would wanna see..."

"Of course I do. You're gorgeous, Zashi." She looked up at him, sweating a little with his short brows drawn up into a point on his forehead. "I mean it. I never thought you would be interested in me."

He caught her wrist before she could pull the zipper down. "Ches," he said in a serious tone, his voice deepening, "I didn't think you would want me. And, um... look, I gotta level with ya. I'm a little self conscious of my size."

Her eyes softened considerably. "Hizashi Yamada," she purred, "Your body will be perfect to me no matter what."

His heart skipped a beat. "'Kay, just ... don't be scared," he mumbled.

Elly unzipped him with caution and he shimmied out of his lower clothing, kicking them with a mild curse to the floor to lay with his shirts. Her eyebrows raised a little as she cupped the bulge in his red boxer-briefs.

"Oh," she murmured softly.

"Heh." He bit his lip.

"So that really is all you."

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck, sweating harder.

"Do you want to maybe take my dress off first?"

He nodded gratefully, taking her in his arms. The necklaces bounced on his chest as he moved and she smiled, running a finger across them. "Lemme get you hot, baby."

"I'm already there," she chuckled. "You - ohhh. Hizashi, wow. Yes." She tipped her head back as he began pecking little kisses all over her upper body. The dress she wore showed modest cleavage, and he dipped lower, sliding a warm, wet tongue between her breasts. Elly's breathing picked up and she stroked the back of his head, her fingers catching in the bun and tugging some more of his hair free. The strands fell down to tickle his cheeks and he absently tucked them behind his ears. His fingers touched the stems of his glasses when he did and he nodded and took them off, folding them and placing them on a table nearby.

"Sit up?"

"Yeah." She did, and he fumbled for the zipper down her back, slowly freeing her of her dress. She had to stand all the way so he could slip it off, and as he did he pressed his face to her exposed belly, kissing everywhere he could reach. "Let me - oh, god, let me sit back down..."

He grinned and pulled her into his lap, his mouth aiming for hers as she straddled him. "Perfect," he sighed dreamily, his fingers unhooking the clasp of her bra.

That's when she learned the Voice Hero was very fond of using his mouth even when he wasn't producing any sound. Well, he was, but technically not from his lips. She cried out continuously, gasping and moaning as he lovingly suckled on her nipples. His left hand toyed with one while his mouth attached to the other, then he would switch until the pleasure he teased from the swollen nubs was almost unbearable.

Her hands kneaded his upper back restlessly. "Please, I want - I need..."

He nuzzled once more and then backed up. "Bedroom."

"Yes."

"Enthusiastic consent," he hummed, pleased. "You are so freakin' awesome." Hizashi put his glasses back on. She purred her agreement and rested her head on his shoulder when he picked her up. He carried her swiftly to his bed and pulled the sheets back so she could cuddle up. The bedroom was very dark, the only light the moon shining through the blinds onto them as they came together. Hizashi smiled and rolled on top of her, propping himself on his hands so as not to burden her with his weight. More tendrils of his hair had fallen free and he ignored them as they kissed.

"What..." Music filled the air; a popular romantic song that she knew fairly well. "Zashi?"

"I, uh." He held up his phone, hidden in his palm on the bed. "I know ya can't see it right now, but I gotta extensive music system set up. I made a playlist for us, if we ever, uh - you know..." Hizashi paused. "I dreamed about this a lot," he added in a very low voice. "About you. Us."

"Ohmigod," she whispered softly. "That's so romantic."

He blushed harder and ducked his head. "Heh. I hope you like the music. Wouldn't wanna kill the mood!"

Her hands ran through his hair once more, this time unraveling the rest so his golden locks fell down in a shimmering cascade about his shoulders and back. "Nothing can kill this mood."

"Mmn. So..."

"I'm on birth control," she told him matter-of-factly. "You get your tests done at the start of the month, too?"

"Uh huh. Clean, or I can't do hero work."

"Me too."

"Good. Do you, uh, want a condom anyway?" He nodded to the side of the bed. "Kayama keeps shoving handfuls at me but I don't, ah, ever need them."

"Until now," she teased, laughing. "But, no. No, wait. I didn't mean that. I'm okay without."

He raised an eyebrow, one eye large and the other squinting at her. Once again he had removed those red rimmed glasses and his eyes were bare. They stared deeply into her own. "You sure?"

"Only because it's you. Yes. I've never done it without protection before, but I want this. It should be safe."

"Ahhh, shit - you tellin' me you want me that much?" His brow drew even tighter and he passed a hand over his face. "Listen, Ches - if ya didn't get it already, I'm so in love with you."

Her happy little cry made his heart pound. "I love you, too!"

He set his forehead on hers and sighed. "Hot damn. All right!"

They laughed in unison, hands grasping each other's final pieces of clothing. Hers went easily, panties of purple silk he slid down her legs as he whistled appreciatively. Elly pulled out and down to free him, and he gulped loudly. He'd forgotten his unease but now -

"Ohhh, Hizashi."

"Baby?" He slowly cracked one eyelid, hoping from her soft tone she wasn't frightened. "Uh..."

His member lay heavily on his inner thigh, dark red at the tip and leaking. He was far above average in length and her shocked gasp was amazed. He bit his lip, holding still and groaning when her fingers curled around him to give an experimental tug.

"You were afraid I'd be scared," she said quietly. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "That means others reacted badly to your body," she went on, her voice trembling.

"It's a myth everyone wants bigger," he coughed, embarrassed. "I've been turned down. And the other thing I hear a lot is guys with big dicks think they don't have to do much, so they suck at sex."

"Oh, Zashi, no... I'm not afraid of you. This," she rubbed gently, just under the sensitive head and he moaned. "This is part of you, and you're so good and kind. Not to mention sexy as hell," she grinned, flashing her fangs at him.

"For real?"

"Yeah, for real." Elly kissed him on the nose. "Here, see for yourself what you did to me." She guided his hand below and his eyes widened as he felt her wetness.

"Wow," he breathed. "You feel ready already." He wriggled his eyebrows at her. "A - Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Hizashi shifted around, angling himself and rubbing the tip of his erection on her body. "I'll go slow, 'kay? You gotta get used to me first."

She nodded and slipped her legs around him. He took a deep breath and flexed his lower half, thrusting inside and moving smoothly until his belly lat flat on hers.

"Ohhhh."

"I'm - I'm gonna move." He drew a shaky breath and pulled back, thrusting in as before. "S - still green, babe?"

"Yeah." She smiled warmly at him. "You feel very good." Her striped tail flicked slowly, stirring the sheets on one side.

He gasped, his heart swelling with pride at her statement. "Hold on, then. Yer so hot, I - I didn't know it would feel like this!"

His movement picked up, though he was still very cautious. After several minutes of frenzied thrusting she wailed his name and he froze, his eyes huge with alarm.

"Hizashi!"

"Oh shit, Ches, did I hurt you?!"

She shook her head, her short, purple hair splaying messily out on his pillow. "You're not hurting me, no, you're so gentle and it's so sweet... oh, 'Zashi!" Her cries grew higher pitched, breathier, and she squeezed him tightly around the waist with her legs. "Oh god, yes! Yes!"

Her final throes of pleasure pushed him over the edge and he whined loudly, hips bucking hard and fast. "Sh - shit... gotta try not to quirk out! Ungh, baby, hold yer hands over yer ears, quick!"

She clapped her hands over her furry ears and watched with love and a great deal of amusement as he threw his head back, his mouth open wide. She still heard the shout, and felt it besides, a force that washed over her and rattled the entire building.

Hizashi hung his head, face hidden in his long hair as he regained control of his breathing. When he finally spoke his voice was subdued, shaken. "Nothing broke? You okay?"

"I think we're fine." She glanced around. "No one came running, anyway. Isn't that a good sign?"

"Hey, yeah!" He brightened considerably. "I'm sorry for losing control of my quirk - I don't, you know, usually do that. Really. You're special."

Elly's smile widened and she brushed his hair back so she could look into his eyes. He grimaced slightly and pulled out of her, wincing at the sticky feeling. He'd come far too much... would she know?

If she did, she said nothing, just a brief mention that she needed to use the bathroom. He told her where it was and while she was gone, cleaned himself marginally up with some tissues from the bedside. When she came back he was waiting with his arms held out for her to snuggle close.

"Oh, this is nice," she purred happily, burrowing under the sheets next to his warmth. He kissed her forehead affectionately and she rubbed her cheek on his.

"Hmm," he murmured, "Y'know, this all started when Shota told me you were marking me earlier."

She paused in the act itself. "Oh, really?"

"Yep." He grinned at her. "I was a big chicken about tellin' you how I felt. Sounds dumb now, huh?"

"Nah." She kissed him and he returned the favor, softly mouthing her lips. "As long as we're together now, everything is great."

"Mmn. That's right."