Traumatic

 "Oh my god oh my god <i>ohmigod</i>," Hizashi chanted in horror as he saw the villain their team had been called to subdue. "Oh, <i>hell</i> no!"

"Shut up." Aizawa snapped, muting his colleague while he surveyed the damage.

"Deep breaths, Mic," Elly murmured.

There was a huge anthropomorphic bug standing in the center of the shopping mall. Everywhere within five feet or perhaps a little farther around them was splattered in blood, and they had no way of knowing if it was from any casualties or not yet.

Elly's eyes widened in concern even as she circled around to the side, invisible. She was worried for Hizashi as this would be a bad match up. The Voice Hero was absolutely terrified of bugs, and, sure enough as they spun about he shrieked and jerked away. Coming from him, the shriek was enough to stun the villain, though only for a moment. Aizawa tried to secure them in that time but a set of sharp mandibles snapped through the capture weapon like scissors through paper.

Before the team could regroup the bug person was spraying blood at them. They were all hit by some of it, though Elly got the worst as she was the closest.

The villain then turned to him, who was struggling to wipe off his dropping eye gear. "I don't think any of you have heard of me," he said in a deceptively deep voice. "My name is Trauma Tick. And, if you don't mind..." He paused to siphon off all the blood, suctioning it up like the world's most disgusting vacuum. He grew bloated and round as he did, his eyes bulging as his stomach swelled.

Hizashi threw up, shaking and foaming at the mouth with disgust and fear. He struggled to force himself to face the bad guy, but he was paralyzed.

Aizawa swore harshly as the blood touched his fingers. He realized too late the power was in the bodily fluid, and he was struck full force by the effects as the villain recalled it. He fought for a few seconds, then slumped to the ground on his knees, tears running out of his one good eye.

"Interesting. You feel responsible for what happened to your friend. Not just his death but his un-death as well..."

Hizashi finally got a hold of himself. He inhaled, getting ready to shout, but he'd been touched by the blood as well.

"And Present Mic... tsk, survivor's guilt is such a common issue with heroes. You lived, but <i>two</i> of your inner circle of friends died. And the other is maimed while you - you! Remain perfectly healthy."

The Voice Hero choked on his shout and stumbled backwards.

"By the way..." Trauma Tick laughed, a soulless, hollow sound. "I can't see you, cat, but I know you're here. Cheshire -" He scanned the room and then burst out in an absolute fit of delighted giggles. "Oh, <i>my</i>! That's delicious! Your defenses crumble, you finally fall in love and yet he will <i>never</i> love you back. You're not worthy of Present Mic, are you?"

Hizashi drew in a quick rush of air. He heard that, however faintly, from inside his personal bubble of mental agony.

<i>Ches</i>?!

Elly appeared between the two other heroes in a flash of sudden color. Her tail slashed madly through the air and her eyes were pale with grief.

The villain gloated over the fallen forms of the three of them, pacing back and forth. "The guilt, the sorrow ...and the unworthy, unrequited love."

As he spoke the last words Elly struck. She launched herself like a furry bullet, not even bothering to use her quirk. No, someone like this deserved a special, physical response to quell her profound sadness and rage. She drew her arm back and decked him as hard as she possibly could.

He fell back, spitting weaponous blood and bits of his own carapace. "H - how is this possible?! You should be immobilized by grief! <i>You can never have the only thing you've ever truly desired</i>!"

"I realized that <i>when I was a child</i>," she growled, kicking him roughly to turn him over so she could zip tie his many wrists. "These two suppress their trauma. I accept mine."

"Ugh. No more bug baddies. No more!" Hizashi stumbled over chewing noisily on several sticks of gum in an attempt to freshen his breath. "I can't <i>take</i> that shit, yo."

"I don't blame you this time," Aizawa grunted. He accepted his goggles back from Elly with a nod.

"Yeah, that was really gross." She shuddered. "I almost lost my lunch myself."

Feeling better about his inaction, he sidled closer to the Insanity Hero. "So, uh." He tilted to the side, rolling on his heels and giving her a sly, side-eyed look. "The one thing you've ever desired?" His voice ended on a high note, leaving the question open if she wanted to answer it or not.

Elly shrugged gruffly and turned away so he couldn't see her face. "Unconditional love. But it's okay. I know what it's like to live without." He opened his mouth but she shook her head, her voice rising. "No! Don't you <i>dare</i> tell me you love me like a friend, Mic. Don't you fucking dare." She stumbled and he realized with horror that she was weeping so hard she was hyperventilating and about to pass out. He lunged as she toppled over and caught her gently in his arms.

Aizawa and Hizashi shared a long, uncomfortable look. Not surprisingly the blond-haired man was the first to break the silence. "I didn't know. Did you?"

"We all pretty much guessed." His friend shrugged and sat on the villain's back, pulling out his phone to contact the cops.

"Wai - you <i>all</i> knew?!"

"She doesn't hide it very well, Mic. Good thing for her you're an idiot."

He stood there with his mouth gaping open while the paramedics rushed over, having gotten there first. "Excuse me, Mic!" The responder broke through his stunned haze. "Is Cheshire okay?"

"Oh! Oh, uh, she fainted." He jabbed a thumb over at the villain. "Bug boy, though, he's gonna have one helluva headache when he wakes up."

"Your work?" The medic tested his pulse and peeled back one of his eyelids professionally.

"Uh, no actually. Ches here cold-cocked the poor bastard." He laughed viciously, his gaze narrowing as he watched the villain getting loaded onto a stretcher. "He'd been better off getting hit with my voice. At least then he wouldn't be hearing about how much he screwed up."

Since she remained unresponsive Hizashi was forced to hand her over to the medical staff in the end. Elly made a whirlwind recovery once she was out of sight of him, and the next day was back in school like the rest of them.

At least, that's what he thought.

"I can't find Ches," he whined sadly in the teachers' office. "Every time I try to approach her she <i>literally</i> vanishes. 'Cause she can do that."

"Then leave her alone," Aizawa snorted.

"But - but I don't wanna! So what if she was kinda outed that she likes me. I like her, too!" He slammed his leather-clad fist on his leg.

All Might had been listening to the conversation and at the last sentence he perked up. Unbeknownst to many, he was a romantic at heart and he thrived on scenarios like this. He also the one that had first guessed at the building feelings between the two and brought it up to the others.

He leaned over in a conspiratorial fashion. "Send her flowers," he whispered hoarsely.

"You said what?" Hizashi blinked across the desk over at the tall man.

Yagi held up his phone and pointed at the screen. "Several of the stores around here carry small, fresh bouquets that are in season. Or you could spring for the local florist." He paused, then smiled sweetly at the Voice Hero. "If you're trying to show her how you feel, might I suggest the <i>plus ultra</i> approach..?"

Hizashi glared at him flatly for a second and dug his wallet out of his back pocket, popping his credit card out and laying it in front of him. He dialed, then propped his cell phone between his headphones and ear.

"Hello? Yeah, how many red roses ya got in hand right now?"

When she came back from lunch the counselor almost wasn't able to fit in her office. She opened the door to a sweet smelling paradise filled with roses everywhere - on her desk, on the floor, and even sitting on her chairs!

<i>Red roses... they don't mean something different in Japan, do they? Does he not</i> know <i>what these symbolize?</i>

She numbly moved a spray on her chair and sat.

<i>Hizashi</i>...

As if her thought of him summoned the perky blond-haired man, he spun around the corner and pointed at the extravagant display.

"Hey there, Ches!

Elly frowned with confusion, batting lightly at the huge vases of red roses on her desk. "<i>Please, Mic</i>," she begged him sadly, "Don't try to soften the blow. Just ...okay, just tell me." She lifted her trembling chin, rolling her shoulders back with a determined gaze. "Get it over with."

"I love you," he told her in accented English.

"I promise to keep things professional, but I need time to heal..."

He chuckled in wonder and got up to walk around to her chair. Setting his hands on the armrests he spun her about to face him. "You didn't hear what I said at all, did ya? Who hurt you so bad that you can't accept my confession?"

"Your what?" She blinked, puzzled. "But I thought you said - that you meant --"

Hizashi removed his sunglasses with one hand. "I said, I love you." He cupped her chin in his other palm and stared deeply into her eyes. "And <i>not</i> just like a friend. I've got friend benefits already. I want the whole you."

"You <i>can't</i>," she gasped in absolute panic.

"Love you? Who says?"

Elly shook her head in confusion. "Everything in my head," she admitted thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but what does your heart say?" He placed a hand over his and tapped once. "Mine knows you're worth everything you're afraid to give me."

"It - it might take awhile before I believe that." She took a shaky breath. "I hear you now, though. It's difficult for me to believe."

"I promise to always be on your side. Ya know, unless I'm under you, or on top, or we're trying something weird and diagonal." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"<i>Mic</i>!"

He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead.