Hard Reset

 Hizashi whistled cheerfully to himself as he walked along one of the long halls in the teacher's dormitory. He was fresh out of his Present Mic costume, long hair tied back in a bun and dressed in a much more casual t-shirt and ripped jeans. He be-bopped along, dancing as he walked and snapping his fingers a little. Life was good, and tonight was about to get better.

He stopped in front of a specific door and tapped a cheesy "shave and a haircut" beat on the panel.

"Hey, Ches, you wanna go out for drinks?"

No answer.

This was not a man to be dissuaded by silence, however. He rapped harder, and the door to the counselor's room slowly creaked open.

"Ches?" Now there was a thread of concern in his voice. The room was dark but he could just make out her form hunched over on the bed. Hizashi snapped on the overhead light and she hissed.

"Oh, no," Elly whimpered fearfully when she saw who had gotten in. "No, no, Yamada, not you. Please. I'm... I'm fine. Really."

"Aw, not me? Whaaat?" He walked closer, frowning when he saw there were dark circles under her eyes. "You've been cryin', sweetheart. I'm not gonna let my number one listener sit all night in here bawling her eyes out without a shoulder."

"Wh - wha?"

"Yanno. A shoulder." He sat and pulled her up against him, propping her carefully on his chest. "To cry on."

"No," she said angrily. "I don't want you to see me like this!"

He held her firmly so she wasn't able to wrench away, but gently as well, because the goal was to keep her from hurting herself. "Too late, babe."

"I don't <i>deserve</i> you," she whined. "Please, I know I'm not beautiful, I know you care about me 'cause you're a good person. But you don't love me. You can't!"

"Whoa!" He sounded shocked as the dam of emotions burst within her and her voice started to climb higher, louder. "Ches, wait a minute..."

"I'm ugly, and everything hurts all the time and my body is gross and - and <i>this</i>." She gestured vaguely at her head. "It's broken, I'm broken, not worth it, too much trouble. My brain feels like it's on fire and my heart hurts so bad Zashi, I want you to make it all better <i>but you don't love me and of course you don't 'cause nobody</i> -"

"<b>PAUSE</b>!"

Elly reeled back, the force of his quirk striking her like a physical slap to the face. She mewed piercingly and was immediately alarmed. Her ears felt cloudy and the only thing she <i>could</i> hear was a ringing that wouldn't stop.

Although he felt guilty about using his Voice to silence her, Hizashi concentrated on pulling her close. He bundled her in his arms, rocking back and forth and lightly stroking her hair. He was talking, but she could only feel the vibrations through his chest along with his heartbeat. It was soothing, and the longer he kept it up the more relaxed she became.

He wasn't leaving her.

The terrible thoughts reared up again, whispering to her that this was what heroes <i>did</i> and she wasn't <i>special</i>, that he would have done this for <i>anyone</i>.

Hizashi felt her sniffle and tense up, starting to curl into a ball. He shifted her in his grip and smoothly bent to press his lips to hers in a soft, fleeting kiss.

Elly's ears shot straight up and her tail twitched, the fur fluffing out in all directions. She tried to back away but he shook his head and kissed her again, a little harder this time. She gasped and started to shake her head in confusion, a questioning look in her eyes.

<i>What? Why</i>?

His own warm, hazel ones stared back calmly at her. Slowly, he reached up with one hand and removed his red-rimmed glasses, placing them on the nightstand. Then he put his hand over his heart, and, looking directly into her surprised eyes he mouthed three words very slowly and with so much exaggeration that she giggled despite herself.

Then she realized what he'd said and sucked in a huge breath, her purple eyes wide.

<i>I love you</i>.

She blinked up at him, dazed.

<i>I love you</i>. He cupped her cheek in one hand and repeated himself a third time, the concentric circles in his eyes mesmerizing her. <i>I love you</i>.

This wasn't possible... was it?

But his mouth was on hers again and his hand was caressing her cheek, fingertips running up to plunge in her hair and join the other already there. His lips worked in a leisurely fashion, taking his time to see just how she liked to be kissed. Once he started getting it right he again slowed down until he had everything to maximum perfection.

Hizashi was drawing things out for a couple of reasons. One, he wanted to please her and honestly, he'd waited so long for this moment he was savoring every second. Two, she needed to ground herself after spiraling out of control in that depressing panic attack. So he kept kissing her on her lips, her cheeks, her chin - everywhere he could reach but limiting himself to her face. When her body grew limp against his, her hands sliding deliciously around his upper back, he moaned and nuzzled her lips with his tongue. Elly not only parted them but kissed back feverishly. They met in a meltingly passionate soul kiss that devastated Hizashi in a way that was completely new to him. His heart was full to aching, the need to love and protect this woman so strong that he felt his chest tighten near to tears.

"Oh, sweetheart," he murmured, sighing and dropping his forehead to hers. "I'm gonna be a pushy bastard tonight, but I think it's what you need." He stood up and she squeaked in protest, clinging to him as he bodily carried her out.

Several other teachers were in the social area as he wandered by with his prize, her striped tail dangling unceremoniously over one of his arms. Most stood and stared, amused at the scene, as he made his way over to the main doors.

Aizawa, however, couldn't resist calling drily out to his friend and colleague. "Yamada."

Hizashi stopped, wincing. "Yeah?"

"Remember, Kayama said the one on eighty-third has soundproof rooms."

"Erk." He turned around and strode stiffly out of the building, face flaming and uncharacteristically quiet.

His first stop was to ask Recovery Girl for help healing Elly's ears. Chiyo was outside on the lawn sitting in a sunny spot enjoying the afternoon when he found her. The older woman wasn't pleased when she heard what he'd done and whacked him across the chest with her cane.

"Ow!"

"I've told you before to be careful with anthros! Their ears are far more sensitive." She treated the counselor, who weakly smiled her thanks as she ate the sweet she was given. "Anyway," she grumbled, "how did this happen? Training?"

"Uh... no." Hizashi tucked a wayward strand of blond hair behind an ear. "It's actually kind of personal."

The nurse's eyebrows shot up. "Yamada," she asked sternly, "are you using protection during sex?"

He choked and almost dropped Elly, who clutched him harder around the neck. "<i>Chiyo!</i>" He gasped, embarrassed beyond belief. "I'm thirty-one, yo!" He carefully moved aside as the Insanity Hero decided she'd very much like to stand now.

"So?" She squinted sideways at the pair. "If you were using a quirk dampener this wouldn't happen."

He blinked several times, rapidly, as his mind processed what she was saying. "Oh," he said in a very small, stunned voice.

"Yes, 'oh'." Chiyo glared at him. "One good shout and she's like this! Thirty-one, my ass. You ought to be ashamed for not taking precautions -"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Sure it wasn't." She tapped her cane on the ground once and snorted. "You might fool some of the others, but not me. I've seen you two sneaking around trying to hide it for a year. Just come out already. It'll be easier on everyone."

He coughed apologetically, starting to back away. "I, uh, thanks for the help."

"<i>Get some protection</i>!"

They hurried off as she shouted after them.

Elly was starting to get her hearing back by the time they reached the garage. Hizashi was relieved but at the same time nervous about where they had to go.

"I gotta make a stop first, babe." She climbed in while he held the door open for her. "Can't get the strength I need at a love hotel," he muttered under his breath after closing her inside the brightly colored mustang.

She pointed at her ears and shook her head when he asked if she was getting better. "I'm hearing parts of sentences, but not all."

"Oof. I'm sorry, Ches."

"I'm going to assume you apologized. No need, Zashi. Really. I - I needed a hard reset."

He snorted, not convinced he'd done the right thing but appreciating her telling him. After a few minutes they pulled noisily up in front of a pharmacy and he sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes and bumping the red frames of his glasses up as he did.

"Ffffuck," he groaned. "Let's go, then."

"Okay?"

He helped her out of the car and slipped an arm once again around her waist as they walked inside. Hizashi strode immediately to the counter and greeted the clerk, a friendly, round-faced androgynous person with extremely long arms.

"Hi."

"Welcome. Is there anything I can do for you?" They smiled pleasantly, their limbs folded so that only the top halves were visible.

"Yeah. Can I get, uh, the maximum quirk dampener?" He shook his head when they went for one of the products behind them arranged in the massive array of shelving. "No, the other one - on top."

The clerk paused, then pointed at a plastic, theft protected case where only they could reach. "Pro hero strength?"

"Yeah."

"I'll need the I.D. of the hero purchasing it." They frowned quizzically at Elly, who hadn't bothered to hide her ears and tail since she didn't quite know what was going on. Hizashi could see the question in the clerk's mild, brown eyes - Cheshire's quirk was invisibility. Why would they need a dampener for <i>that</i>?

Hizashi grinned sheepishly and produced his hero liscence from his wallet. "It's not for her."

Their eyes widened as they saw the name on the card. "Oh! I'm sorry, Pres - ah, sir. I don't know what I was thinking. We don't get a lot of heroes in here, you know." They hastily opened the case, grabbed the box and scanned it. "They prefer to order online."

"Yeah," he sighed. <i>I can see why</i>. "It's kind of an emergency, otherwise I woulda, too."

"Emergency?" Elly's ears perked up as they left. "What did you buy, Zashi?"

He held her door open once more. "Protection."

She waited until they were back on the road to dig into the bag and look. His ears burned, but he gripped the steering wheel firmly and tried to regulate his breathing. "Dampener..?" She muttered to herself curiously.

The district they were entering was a nicer one, with formal business fronts and expensive restaurants. This particular hotel had discreet parking and, as Aizawa had said, the rooms were built with pro heroes in mind. He'd checked and there was vacancy, besides every room being soundproofed. Along with his purchase this meant their first time should be memorable in all the right ways.

"Here we are! This place is outta <i>sight</i>!" He pulled the keys out of the ignition and shoved them in his pocket. "We're gonna have a great time here, yeah? What d'ya think, yeah?"

"Zashi," Elly murmured, "You're <i>nervous</i>."

"Huh?" He blinked at her, confused.

"You're turning on Mic mode." She laid a hand on his, smiling when she felt the vibrations from his rapidly drumming leg. "Not that I don't find it adorable, because I do... but you can relax. I know where we are, and why."

"I don't want to rush you," he muttered. "I might be goin' too fast."

"You're not. I want this. And, if you can give me what I need, it's worth it."

Hizashi's voice deepened as he grew serious. "You just need love, baby," he told her firmly. "Real, strong, meaningful love. It might take awhile before you see that I'm in this for the long haul, but I've got all the time in the world for you."

Her ears laid back and she bit her lip, unable to answer that. He smiled sweetly at her, though, aware of her tumultuous emotions and shaking his head when she opened her mouth to try and reply.

"You don't hafta say anything. I see it in your beautiful eyes."

This time she was rendered thoroughly speechless. He led her into the hotel where they chose an available room from the display and he paid for it with his card. It took only minutes before they were sitting on a large bed in a spacious room, completely alone.

Hizashi dumped the contents of the bag out into his outstretched palm. "I've gotta take this before we start rockin'." He opened the box and broke the seal on the foil packet inside.

"A dampener," she marveled quietly. "I've heard of them but never, you know, used one or saw it used. What's it going to do to you?"

"It's  gonna stop me from deafening you," he laughed wryly. "In a few seconds I won't be able to use my quirk at full power. I heard they tweaked the strength a lot, which is good." He crunched the pill between his teeth like the directions said, grimacing at the bitter taste.

"What happens to you, though? Your quirk is your voice..."

"I'll get quieter, and won't be able to project my Voice. I hear they're not so bad, now. They used to shut down your quirk entirely. It sucked."

"But - but do you really need to use it?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" Elly didn't like drugs, especially ones that changed people in any way. She was anxious, worried for him and upset that he wouldn't be all there.

Hizashi smiled. He leaned very close to her and, wrapping his arms low around her waist, whispered in her ear. "'Cause I'm a <i>screamer</i>, baby." He paused to let that sink in and then kissed the side of her neck. "This bein' our first time, I want the extra reassurance I'm not gonna deafen you, especially after ya got hit once today." His lips trailed down her neck to her jawline, nibbling, his voice husky and soft.

"O - okay."

"Besides, I bet you can still feel it, hmm?" A low vibration tickled on her skin when he spoke. "I'm softened, not muted."

This time Elly laughed a little. "Softened?" Her hands squeezed his arms, grasping and rubbing towards his chest. "That might be the only thing soft about you right now."

He groaned at her touch. "Maybe, maybe not. My heart's meltin' every time we touch."

"Oh, that's nice. You're far more romantic than anyone thinks."

He scoffed. "Who are we talkin' about, here? Aizawa? Kay -" He choked back his late friend's name, grief passing momentarily through his hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's... kinda okay. I shoot my shot, came in hot an' now here we are. She'd have loved it." He rested his head on her chest for a moment, a melancholy smile on his lips. "She <i>really</i> would've loved to watch us become a couple."

Elly stroked his hair, kissing him on the top of his head while he tried valiantly not to cry. "You know, Hizashi," she said quietly, "you're here because you want to help me. You're <i>always</i> helping others. You dear, dear man..." A few tears ran down her cheeks and she sniffled, her voice growing hoarse as she went on. "You can - and should -- take time for yourself. To grieve and to rest sometimes. I see you keeping busy so you don't have to think about the bad things. Please tell me you'll work with me from now on to find a better way to manage your pain."

He managed a few strangled sounds and buried his head between her breasts, his arms holding her tighter than before. She felt warmth and wetness on her shirt and knew he was finally crying.

"It's okay to let go. We can do it, together." Hizashi lifted his face, his eyes red and watery, his cheeks blotchy. Elly's eyes streamed tears as well, but she smiled at him. "I'm scared, but," she wept quietly. "You need my love, and I have <i>so much</i> for you."

"I was supposed to tell you that," he sniffled. "F - first! Oh, hell." He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes roughly with his sleeve. "Fuck it all. I love you, Ches. I wanna give you everything."

"That's why we're here," she agreed with a grin.

He laughed out loud, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "You're right, huh? You get my heart and my, ahhh... somewhat dubious lovemaking skills."

"Dubious?! I doubt that."

"Well, you be sure an' soak it all in," he breathed, crawling on top of her and pressing her on her back onto the bed. "You can rate me after, yeah? Give me a <i>thorough</i> critique." Hizashi's eyes gazed deeply into her own as his hands caressed her breasts through her shirt.

"Mnn." She squirmed, licking her lips and arching her back. "I have sensitive breasts, Zashi. They're aching so much right now."

"Ohhhh?" His eyes widened. "You want more, then?" He drew his fingers together, rubbing her hardened nipples and loving how it made her moan.

"Please," she gasped.

He kissed her passionately, humming on her lips and lifting her shirt as they parted. "Up, love," he breathed. "Time to get naked for me."

Elly hurriedly popped the catch on her bra after the shirt sailed to the floor. He murmured softly when he saw her upper body for the first time, running a thoughtful finger along a few scars on her ribcage.

"Who hurt my baby," he whispered roughly. Oddly, it wasn't as much a question as it was him voicing displeasure over her getting injured. "I can't stand it. You need so many kisses..."

"You're so good with your mouth," she whimpered eagerly as he traced roughened skin and hard nipples with the same loving care. "Oh, Hizashi, that's so sweet. I - I'm twitching, god, I want..." Elly trailed off, uncertain what she really wanted because she had too much on her mind.

"Mmnn." He kissed between her breasts, looking up at her with a mischievous grin. "You wanna see just how good I am with my mouth, baby?"

She squeaked, toes curling and her hands sliding down his back, fingers clutching his shirt. "Yes. Yes, and I want to touch you, too..."

"Time for that later," he told her seriously. "For now, let's get you comfortable so I can explore your body and kiss you all over." His grin grew larger when he heard her quick intake of breath.

They kissed again, and this time his hands wandered lower and his lips followed. Elly sighed with lazy bliss as his warm mouth covered every inch of her body, his hands massaging alongside. When he got to her waist he kissed her belly button and she giggled helplessly.

"You're adorable, love. Now let's get these off... mmn, pretty." He tugged the last half of her clothing to the floor. Elly crossed her legs shyly and he smiled at her. "Every part of you is pretty, kitty. Don't hide from me, please?"

She took a calming breath and nodded. He was right; nothing was wrong with her body. Even if there was, one should shower affection on their partner to make them feel better, not worse.

And Hizashi was definitely a good lover.

He started from the beginning all over again, mouthing her lips and tickling her with his mustache, making her giggle and hug him. His hazel eyes shone kindly into her own for a long, loving moment before he slowly began trailing his kisses downward. By the time he reached her lower belly she was a shivering mess, her legs trembling and flopped open on their own accord. His patient, gentle caresses and encouraging hums had soothed her into pure desire. Her ears lay on either side of her head and her tail was still; Elly wanted what he was offering with no trace of self-consciousness at all.

"Please," she moaned.

"Are you ready, baby?" Hizashi suggested that she scoot close to the foot of the bed and took one of the pillows for his knees as he knelt in front.  "Comfy?" He checked again, watching her for any signs of tension, but her body was pliant, her tail fluffed out but calm.

"Uh huh."

He winked at her and slowly, softly kissed her thigh while maintaining eye contact. Elly shivered. "Okay, so let me know if it's too much. I can get a little..." He paused, his smile turning into a wicked smirk. "... intense."

She swallowed hard and nodded.

Hizashi kissed the curly puff of purple hair above her sex before dipping lower, licking a slow, light strip up the middle of the petaled folds of skin. His tongue flickered, barely touching and testing which areas were the most sensitive. She hissed and moved her hips, chasing after his touch when he dabbed at the covering of flesh up top.

"Baby likes it here, hmm?" He slipped his tongue back and forth, then up and down, switching sides until he found the perfect strokes. "<i>There</i> we go," he hummed, pleased, when she began to moan.

"So good!"

"Let's see if I can make your cute little button pop out." He nuzzled and she groaned as his mustache points tickled her. "Oh, it's so <i>shy</i>. So fucking <i>cute</i> how it's hiding from me." His voice dropped, became dangerously low and sexy as he crooned at her clitorus. "Come out for Zashi, sweet thing." He paused. "Or would you rather get hard for Present Mic?"

Elly's breathing picked up and she choked. "Zashi? What, M - Mic?"

Hizashi's voice grew bolder as he slipped effortlessly into character. "C'mon, this is for my number one <i>absolute favorite</i> listener. Y'all wonderin' what's goin' down and it's <i>me</i> on this beautiful lady. Mnnn," he pressed slightly harder, directing the faintest touch of his quirk at the folds of skin. "Lemme in, gorgeous, an' I'll rock yer world."

She wailed and her thighs spasmed, a jolt of electric tension rippling through her. "Oh my - my god!"

He whistled lowly as he used his fingers to slip apart the hooded skin and expose the slick bundle of nerves that would make her orgasm. "Such a big girl," he sighed in awe. "Hold on, sweetheart. I'm gonna make you scream." Hizashi set his lips carefully around the twitching button and directed the vibrations from his quirk around it.

Elly didn't remember if she screamed or not, because everything went white hot in an explosive release so hard she passed out.

When she came to she was being cradled in his warm arms, his face inches from her own. "Thank god, baby. I was a little worried."

"Hmmnnn... Zashi." She snuggled closer, wrapping her tail around his side.

"That was hella sexy," he murmured in her ear. "Listening to you got me so hard. I might've even come a little." He nuzzled at her neck, sighing.

"Oh," she gasped, suddenly feeling the skin on skin contact and noticing at some point not only had he washed his face and brushed, but stripped entirely.

"Surprise," he husked, his voice sex rough and desperate. "You ready to play again or d'ya need some more cuddles first?"

Elly's first thought was his sex, and she peeked between his legs to see he was circumcised, curving up towards his stomach in his excitement.

He was also very, very large.

"<i>Hizashi</i>," she gasped.

"Oh." He glanced down at himself and grimaced. "That." His forehead wrinkled tightly in thought as he tried to think of anything comforting to say, but she beat him to it.

"You're beautiful."

"I'm <i>whaaaat</i>?!"

She flipped over on top of him, kissing his neck and lower. Hizashi trembled and sank down on the mattress, allowing her to do as she wanted.

"So <i>ripped</i>," she breathed, kissing the firm muscles while her hands splayed out along them. "You hide all of this from everyone! Look at this body! Oh, god, Zashi - ohhh. Mmmn..."

"Uh." His stomach twitched, abdomen jerking under her worshipful touch. "Ungh!"

"You okay?"

"Nuh... uh, you're layin' it on a bit thick?"

"No way," she told him quietly. "Yamada Hizashi, you're the most handsome man in the world. To get to see you, to make love to you, I..." She choked up and had to fight back tears.

"Hey, hey!" He sat partially up and stroked back one of her side locks of purple hair. "Remember, babygirl, whatever yer feelin', I feel it, too."

"Ohh."

"Uh huh."

"Yeah." She kissed his tummy once more and then stood up. "I'm going to get something. I'll be right back." Elly went and got a washcloth from the bathroom before settling between his legs.

"What - are you sure, Ches?" His voice wavered and she smiled sweetly, nodding to reassure him.

"I want to make you feel good."

"Th - that'll do the trick all right - <i>mmmfff</i>." He expelled air out between his teeth as she gripped him gently but firmly. She stroked him lightly, testing for sensitive areas and marveling at his length. "Oh, honey," he choked, tossing his head back on the pillow. "Yes!"

"I love you," she whispered, so low that he didn't hear it over his continuous, babbling praise. She kissed the tip of his erection and swallowed it halfway down.

"Ch - Ches!" Hizashi's toes dug into the sheets and he whined loudly. "Your mouth is so <i>hot</i>, baby, thank you, oh my god -"

Elly smiled and drew back, using her hands as well as her tongue and lips.

"Oooooh," he moaned, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his breathing rate quickened. "Oh, yeah. Oh, <i>hell</i> yeah, you know just how to suck me. You're perfect, baby, <i>perfect</i>." His voice rose into higher octaves as she continued teasing the underside and tip. "Y - yer gonna make me lose it! Ah, ahhh, oh shit, fuck, holy shit - <i>aaaahhhhh</i>!" His hips jerked wildly forward but she was ready with the cloth and backed up so he didn't gag her.

Elly silently wiped him off while he came back down from his high. When he was clean she crawled back up to his side.

"Oh... wow, oh wow." He gave her a wild-eyed side glance, his mouth stretched in a crazy, happy grin.

"Yeah."

"Wooooow."

Elly giggled. "Hizashi."

"That was the best blowjob I've ever had." He rolled his eyes expressively.

"Zashi!"

"I'm not lyin'!" He placed a shaky hand over his heart. "I swear! You literally blew me away."

"Oh my god." Now she was laughing harder, holding her hand over her mouth.

Hizashi gave her that squinty-eyed look he was known for. "What you laughing about, babe? I'm <i>serioussss</i>. That was top-notch." He blew her a chef's kiss and she rolled over, muffling her laughter in the sheets. "I'd've screamed, but, you know." He gestured to the empty box laying on the bed beside them.

"Oh, yeah. The dampener. You poor, sweet Voice." Elly kissed his throat.

"Wha - oh, fuck. Fuck, baby. Your <i>mouth</i>..."

"Does this turn you on that much?" She licked his Adam's apple and kissed it lingeringly.

He squeaked out a faint noise. "Yeah! It's, it's uh... oh. You're getting me h - hard again. Don't stop, love."

Elly concentrated on how much she loved this man and his quirk which was a large part of him. She breathed warm air on his neck and throat, covering it all the while with soft, fluttery kisses.

"You're amazing," he growled seductively. "You turn me on so much that I'm ready again faster'n I thought possible."

"Oh, hell," she panted, feeling the hard press of his member on her thigh. "Do me, Zashi. Nice and slow, hmm?"

"Yeah," he murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, I'll love you like you've never been loved before." Her eyes grew watery and he kissed the tears away before they fell.

"I still think this is a dream, that you can't  -"

"Shhhh, no. No can't. Not anymore. I'll love you like you <i>deserve</i> to be loved," he told her seriously, his hands gripping her hips as he wriggled into position.

"H - Hizashi, you -"

"I love you, Ches."

"Hih - <i>Hizashi</i>!"

"<i>I love you</i>."