Love snaps, 4

 Hizashi got back long before she did, so he busied himself with some grooming while he waited. His hair was very long and needed a combing, and since he didn't have his, he made do with the fingers of his left hand. He checked his tail over carefully and was pleased to note he was healing well and there were no parasites or anything.

When Elly came back she had a cloth bag with her that she set down by the edge of the pool. Hizashi clicked to himself underwater, hearing the sound, and soon came up to greet her.

"Hey!"

"Hi there!" She took off her water sneakers, rolling her pants up so she could sit on the edge and dangle her feet. "Come on over so I can check that wound, okay?"

"I was hoping you'd be back early." He lay back so she could examine the much smaller puncture.

"I only had to check up on some things, thankfully. It seems my staff is enthusiastically helping out in the front these days." She chuckled, thinking of how they worked with sharks and more, yet the merman scared them. 

"Fnf! If they'd treat me like a person instead of a monster, there wouldn't be any trouble." He knew immediately why the other humans avoided him. "Plus, they come at me too fast before I know what's happening."

"Yeah, I warned them about that." She nodded to herself, drawing back. "You're almost completely healed now. That was pretty fast."

"Yep. Doesn't hurt at all." He squinted, trying to focus on the lower part of his tail.

Elly pursed her lips. "So... I'm guessing you don't see very well, do you, Hizashi?"

He wrinkled his nose. "No. Sometimes I have a fish around to help me out, but there's none in here. Not that it'd matter much anyway, since I'm looking <i>out</i> of the water a lot!"

She nodded. "I picked up a couple of used eyeglasses from a place around here. People donate them... well, that doesn't matter now." She smiled at his bafflement, reaching into the bag she'd brought to pull some out. "All you need to know is they're a tool to help you see better."

He took a pair and looked at her for guidance. She placed one on herself, and he nodded. "Oh, yeah. I didn't know what these things were!" 

The second-to-last were a red pair, and when he slipped them on his golden eyes grew wide. "Ohhhhh!"

"Aha!" She started laughing with glee. "I was hoping for that reaction!"

"I can see!" His ears wiggled so much they almost fell off, but he put his hand up before the frames slid down his nose. "These are <i>awesome</i>!"

Elly checked her phone. "There, I marked the prescription so we'd know what was best. I brought a couple of these things, too -" she showed him a handful of what looked to him like tubeworms, "they slip over the ends and then around the back of your head to hold the glasses in place."

Hizashi slowly dunked his head underwater, then came back up blinking. "Oops. Just for upside, huh." He shook his head so the droplets ran down. "Well if I can't wear them underwater, I'm gonna wear 'em when we're together!" He winked at her. "You're even prettier when I can see you better!"

She was getting used to his flirting by now, so her blush wasn't as pronounced. "Thanks."

"You're extra welcome." He unlooped them from his head and handed the glasses back to her. "I'm gonna go out to get some lunch since I'm better. You don't have to waste anything on feeding me anymore - unless you want to show me anything special, that is." He chuckled. "I could eat human food all week. It's so different!"

"How about I pick up some dinner, then? I've got an idea of what to try next!"

"Excellent! I won't eat too much." He gave her a jaunty wave before slipping past the gate.

Hizashi hadn't been thinking of food at all, however. He sped off to his underwater cave, not that far away but deeper underwater in distance. Mers normally didn't own too many items since humans might find them at any moment, and those they did were constructed to look like ocean detritus. His comb was a polished piece of halibut jaw, for example. He picked that up, gathered a few pretty shells, and foraged for some longer kelp to make a better bed at the aquarium pool. 

When he was done his cave looked as barren as it had when he'd left it that fateful morning. Pleased, he nodded and set back out. It had taken awhile to gather everything and he wanted to get back before Elly arrived with dinner. Besides, he found he was <i>really</i> hungry - he had, in his haste, forgotten to eat anything at all for his midday meal.

Zooming along backwards with his tail curling rapidly, he almost spun into the merman hiding in the shadows by the runoff gate.

"Ahhhh, barnacles." Hizashi groaned.

The new mer appeared frail, his face hollow with bones protruding as if he might have been recovering from an illness. His eyes were sunken but a beautiful, clear blue like the ocean, and he had blond hair that dangled past his cheeks in two long locks. His tail was yellow with white on the underbelly.

"Hello, Hizashi."

"Yagi." He sighed. "Why are you here?"

"I was worried since it's been a long time that anyone saw you." He shrugged. "You look well."

"I <i>am</i>. Did you even listen to what Aizawa told you?"

"Of course I did. But I wanted to see for myself, and, like I said, that was weeks ago. Any human that charmed one of us so completely that they'd risk exposure... that's special." He paused. "And dangerous. You know that."

Hizashi grimaced. "Yeah, I know. But if you're gonna show yourself, too, won't it be worse?"

He shrugged. "It's been a couple weeks and she hasn't put you on display. I think we're safe; I'm just here to make sure."

"You better not scare her, dude. I swear, if you so much as freshing <i>look</i> at her the wrong way -"

"My friend!" Yagi put up both his hands in a mollifying gesture. "I would never intentionally frighten a lady. If she's as kind as you say, we'll have no problems."

Hizashi snapped his claw irritably, another warning, but he nodded and led the way into the aquarium. It was easier setting up a small section of the pool with a fresh kelp bed and his belongings with help, and he was soon humming to himself as he combed his hair for real and waited for Elly to get back.

Yagi watched him primp with an amused glimmer in his eyes. He said nothing, however, and simply hid until the human made her entrance.

Elly got a shock when she walked into the large med bay later. She'd never seen another mer before and didn't know about the visit. She almost dropped the pizza boxes she was carrying but managed to grab hold of them all until she could set them down by the pool's edge.

"Hey, babe." Hizashi waved cheerfully at her. He was wearing the glasses from earlier and had done his hair up in a messy bun, a look she immediately found his most attractive yet. He smiled and jerked his thumb over in the direction of his friend. "Everyone's been so worried about me they sent the local law enforcement."

"Ha! Hizashi, you know we don't have that in our community." Yagi shook his head.

"Nice try. You know you're the protector of this area."

"Ahhh, yes. Well. Hello there!" He decided to ignore this and address her instead, his robust voice belying his sickly nature. "My name is Yagi. I'm one of Hizashi's friends."

"What a wonderful surprise," she smiled, keeping her mouth closed. "Nice to meet you, Yagi. My name's Elly."

"Hello, Ms. Elly!" Yagi suddenly grew in size, his chest expanding until he was a hugely muscled specimen from the waist up. His tail shot up and out as well, and she smiled, seeing spikes now. It seemed mers could be different types of fish, and unlike Hizashi who was a shrimp, Yagi was a puffer fish.

"If it's okay, could I ask how you speak our language, too? Hizashi told me it's rare to speak it so fluently."

Yagi coughed and deflated back to his smaller size. "Some of us know how from books your kind left behind. That's personally how I learned. One of the first ones I read as a child was made for water use, a child's book."

"Most mers know basic human language from the region they live in for safety's sake," Hizashi added.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," she said thoughtfully. "I don't think I've heard you speak anything <i>but</i> English."

He laughed a little. "You didn't realize it, but I talk to myself quite a bit. You've been hearing it more than you think."

She blinked, then her eyes widened. "The clicking..?"

"Yep."

"I should've guessed, but it's been a wild ride so far... and I kind of dismissed the sound as your claw and feet." She scratched her head. "I've been so excited and struggling to think straight for awhile."

Hizashi swam close, his antennae twitching nervously. "I'm not stressing you out, am I?"

"No, no!" She placed a gentle hand on his arm and he smiled happily. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Yagi's eyebrows shot up. "Well," he coughed uncomfortably. "Ah... you seem to have brought dinner with you, if that's what that smell is coming from those boxes! Room for one more?"

"Sure!" Elly opened the top one and both mers inhaled deeply.

"That smells <i>so</i> good," Hizashi sighed.

"Wait until you try it."

Dinner went well. 

Hizashi found out he didn't like anchovies, a fact that had Elly giggling uncontrollably even though she knew there's no way he would like every way humans prepared fish. Yagi left afterwards with a promise to check up on them every once in awhile, and then they were alone.

Hizashi stretched his arms over his head. "Ohhhh man. I ate too much."

"Mmhmm. It was good, though."

"Yeah." She smiled and gathered the boxes up to store some and recycle the rest. "I'm going home after this, so good night."

"'Night, babe."

Elly's mouth twitched but she didn't say anything. That was twice now he'd called her that - and she was sure it was deliberate.

Love Snaps, 3

 Elly left and was gone for hours after they shared brunch. Hizashi grew anxious awaiting her return, especially because several of the other people that had been there when he woke the first time showed up. Kan was not among them, and though he was thankful - he didn't trust him at all -- he found that didn't really care for anyone else, either. They definitely looked at him like a curiosity and not a person. There were far less questions than when Elly was with him and more of an insistence, as if they couldn't be bothered to treat him as an equal. One even offended him by trying to measure his tail without asking!

When the man didn't listen to his repeated objections Hizashi startled him by casually lifting his giant pincer out of the water. The message was suddenly very clear and he was left alone after that.

He was fed that night by someone he didn't see, a few fish tossed into the pool while he was taking a nap. Disgruntled, he didn't eat the offering and went back to sleep in the hopes that when he woke she would be there.

When she showed up the next morning he was more than relieved. Feeling like a fool, he wished her good morning and could barely control his ear fins wiggling with happiness.

Elly was just as happy to see him. She'd spent an awkward evening worrying and a sleepless night, so much that her eyes had dark smudges underneath. She'd really missed him, and with that thought came more that caused her mind to spin. She forced herself to focus but when he flung himself forward to greet her she watched, entranced, as water ran down his sculpted chest, past glittery scales and hardened flesh...

Realizing she was staring she tore her gaze away and busied herself with getting breakfast set up. There was fruit salad and grilled fish instead of the raw ones out of the bucket for him. She frowned when she sat and noticed the fish laying uneaten above ground.

"Was there something wrong with the fish last night?" She paused to point at them. "Weren't they fresh? I told them fresh."

He sighed in the middle of biting off the head of the strange, crispy fish. Mers didn't cook, so the texture and flavor was startlingly different. He chewed relectively for a moment and decided he liked it. "No. I was worried because you didn't come back."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I spent so much time with the sharks that I was exhausted, and I barely had time to catch the bus." She thought of how lonely he must have been and stared disconsolately at a grape before stabbing it with her fork. She thought, too, of how she barely got any sleep for thinking about him. "I should've just slept here again but I had to get my mail and stuff."

"You should go back to your home at night," he said slowly. "What's the use of having one if you don't use it? I'm not a pup anymore, I can look after myself. I'll admit, though..." He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I did miss you."

"I missed you, too."

"Oh, yeah?" He flashed her a practised smile and she laughed softly.

"I see you're trying out our customs."

"Well, sure. Mers don't show teeth to each other often, but you guys do."

"How do you smile, then?" Hizashi blushed, his ear flaps slowly moving up and down. She got the hint and grinned widely. "I've seen you doing that and wondered why! So do you only use your teeth as a sign of aggression?"

"Yeah, and also, uh." He grinned abashedly at her, the gesture coming more naturally as a flirt. His teeth were almost the same as a human's, but his canines were pointed just enough for her to notice. "For impressing a potential partner."

"I guess it works, because your smile makes you even more handsome." Elly said this without thinking and then froze, horrified at her boldness. While it was true they'd been skirting around the edges of something, this seemed too casual too fast.

Lucky for her, however, Hizashi had already been smitten for some time. His smile grew broader and she noticed his ears wiggling faster as well.

It was still embarrassing, so she awkwardly picked up her phone and found her streaming music service. "Hey! Uh, do you like music?"

His face lit up more at the sounds of 90's pop filling the room. "I <i>love</i> this song, yo!"

They spent the next hour listening to music before she had to go to work checking on the tanks. Thinking about the injured sealife she was attending to brought Hizashi up sharply when he realized there was no way his friends would know if he was all right. He decided he needed to let them know how he was doing.

He sank down into the water, watching her until the door closed. When she was gone he went to the gate, unhooked it and slipped out. The connecting area was little more than a stream, but big enough to allow him to swim down into the main body of water. He sighed and looked around, gathering himself for a moment.

"Aizawa." He didn't know if his friend would be in the area, but it wouldn't hurt to see. He used more force, clicking harder. "<i>Aizawa</i>."

He rushed at him out of the shadows of a nearby dock, eyes flashing red with worry. "Quick, over here!"

"Hey." He swam casually over but tugged away when he grabbed his arm. "Calm down, I wasn't stolen. I was injured and they let me recover in safety." He showed him the nicely healing puncture on his tail.

"How did you escape?"

"I didn't -"

"Then it must be a trap to you to lead them to more of us!" He hissed lowly with alarm. "We have to <i>move</i>."

"No, you don't get it, they're okay. Well... she is, at least."

"What?" Aizawa stared at him flatly. "Are you in your right mind, Hizashi?"

"I swear it. She helped me, and isn't keeping me hostage at all. See how easy I got out? No one followed, either. You can relax, it's not a trap or anything."

He shot him an even flatter look. "Really."

"Really!"

"Why are you still here?"

Hizashi shrugged. "I'm not fully healed, and it's way easier to rest in there with no predators or other mers around."

As if on cue, a shark of indeterminate species swam by and they respectfully moved aside to give it room. "How long are you gonna stay, then? You two aren't compatible. I know you've got a crush on this walker for some bizarre reason, but it can't logically work."

Hizashi's face fell. "You don't know that."

"How are you going to mate? You're a shrimp and have very specific parts that don't align with mammals."

"Mating isn't <i>everything</i>."

This time Aizawa raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to be celibate for life?"

"I don't hafta - wait, no way, nuh uh, I'm not talking about this with you. Full stop, bro."

"I'm not your -"

"I'm going back."

"You're really going to do this?"

"Yeah." Hizashi nodded, folding his arm across his claw. "I need to be with her. I've never felt like this before, yo. I'm serious."

His friend sighed in defeat. "I'll let the others know you weren't taken by force. I can't gaurantee they won't show up to try to rescue you or talk you out of this, though."

"I know. Just try and make sure nobody panics <i>too</i> much."

"No promises," he grunted sourly.

Love snaps, 2

 It was close to evening when he woke, so eventually the staff of the aquarium left for their respective homes.

Hizashi didn't know where he was or that they were truly gone until the next day. He woke several times that night to scout around the pool, checking to see if the aggressive male or any of the others had come back. They did not. He was, however, surprised to see his tentative new friend remained, curled up in a bundle of cloth beside his temporary living space. He eventually drifted off, though it felt very unnatural to sleep out in the open instead of his hidden hole deep under the sea. He knew that she was there to provide him comfort and protection, however, and the thought both eased his mind a little and excited him.

He was awake when the seabirds started screaming outside the gate that led to the ocean. He welcomed the sound gladly since it was a change from the eerie silence of the pool.

"Ugh," Elly groaned, rubbing the small of her back as she woke. "The sleeping bag was probably not a great idea." She sighed and gathered the bright blue fabric in both arms, rolling it up to shove under a desk for the day.

"Good morning!"

She jumped, then laughed out loud. "Oh my god. I forgot you spoke our language for a second there. I'm awful in the morning before my coffee... aaaand there I go, rambling already. Good morning."

"What's coffee?" Hizashi's antennae twitched with interest. He'd always wanted to learn more about the human world, and he had the perfect opportunity here.

"It's a hot drink that helps wake us humans up."

"Oh." He thought about this for a moment. "Like how we eat clams and mussels and stuff for breakfast."

She raised her eyebrows. "You do?"

"Uh huh. It kind of ...perks us up, yanno?"

"I imagine it's the taurine levels in that type of seafood," she murmured to herself. "Hmm. Interesting."

"I could definitely do with a hit this morning," he grumbled with a frown. "I'm stiff and I feel like I huffed some puffers. Bleah."

Elly ignored his comment about the puffer fish for now, more concerned with his injuries. "Can you swim down there and back again? I'd like to see how your motor skills are coming around."

"Sure." He dove all the way to the bottom and sped across to the far end, tilting more than he'd like but otherwise able to move.

The door to the far side opened at that moment, and the big man from the other day walked in. He had a bucket in one hand and a look of pure distaste on his gruff features. "I got <i>his</i> breakfast."

Elly glanced over and wrinkled her nose. "Is that the same thing we give our bottom feeders in the tanks? Algae wafers?"

"Yeah, so what?" He pointed at Hizashi with a stabbing motion. "It - he's -- half shrimp, right?"

"Yes, but I thought we'd try a few different things. His type is carnivorous, Kan. Besides, it seems demeaning to feed him that. It looks like slop."

Kan set the bucket down none too gently near the pool. "Bullshit. I doubt he cares." He tipped it over and a slurry of algae wafers, half dissolved, splashed into the water.

Hizashi had to squint to see, but he heard most of this from underwater as his natural movement was backwards. His mouth thinned when he saw her grow upset, and he growled when Kan made the threatening gesture. He decided he did <i>not</i> like this human and he felt protective of his protector. In his haste to get back to her he did a stupid thing and pushed himself, curling his tail faster in harder crunches. He was shaking and he barely avoided the mess of algae in the water when he arrived.

"Hizashi, you've gone white!" She gasped in horror and grabbed a bag nearby, jumping into the water to steady him.

"Yeah," he grunted. "My bad, I wanted to uh. I mean, I just pushed myself too much. The wound's not healed yet and ohhhhh. Shells." He curled up tight, panting. "M'fine..."

"Your pereio and pleopods say otherwise, buddy." Elly ran a hand over his carapace, encouraging him to unfurl. He did, but with a small exclaimation of pain that caused all his appendages to twitch even harder. "You broke it open," she said worriedly. "It's okay, I can seal it shut again. Maybe another small dose of antibiotics, looks red but not too bad..." She kept a steady stream of talk as she worked, and he relaxed under her gentle ministrations. Sealant was applied and she gave him another shot to combat infection. She hesitated on giving him a painkiller, however.

"You need to eat with that, but..." She sighed as she stared at the swirling waters of the pool. "I'm sorry about the algae tabs. Someone checks in here in a little while and we can send him out for food. Hang in there and if it gets too bad tell me."

He nodded and closed his eyes.

It was thankfully only a few minutes later when the door opened again and a different man stuck his head in. He had dark hair and skin and a far more kinder countenance than the other one, Hizashi thought.

"I'm going for a coffee run. Ya want anything?"

Elly responded in a much more genial tone, confirming Hizashi's thoughts. "Hey! Is it the shop on the corner?"

"Uh huh."

"Uh... bagel sandwich with egg and meat, any kind. And a large coffee, light and sweet, thanks."

"Will do."

As he was disappearing out the door she called out to him again. "Actually... wait. I have an idea." She scribbled hastily on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

The man blinked a bit, then laughed. "That sounds about right. Good thinking!"

Hizashi was laying lazily on his side watching her tap on a rectangular device she held in her hand when her coworker came back. In one hand he held a large bag from which delicious smells were wafting. He sat Elly's coffee down and handed her the bag.

"I got it all - and specifically requested the lox. Thought he'd enjoy that one, right?"

"Great! It went okay on the research tab?"

He nodded as he grabbed a clipboard and headed out. "No problem."

Elly took the food out, one by one, and unwrapped them from the paper they were in to set on the flattened bag. She took her meal and set it aside, then called the curious merman over.

"These are bagel sandwiches. They're good."
Hizashi had never seen so much human food, let alone any of it close up before. He sniffed the "sandwich" closest to him and watched as Elly took a bite of hers and chewed. Following her actions he picked it up. The firm substance on the outside belied the meat and odd smell of the inside, which was strangely squishy, like a sea sponge. He opened his mouth and took a bite.

His ear flaps flipped up right away as the salty meat and moist substance hit his tongue. He quickly finished the rest in two more bites and snapped his claw excitedly on the surface of the water. In doing so, he fired a larger bullet than he intended and it struck the far side of the pool with a resounding <i>splash</i>, spraying water everywhere.

"Oops."

"Wow," she whispered in awe. "You really have the capabilities of a pistol shrimp."

"Uh huh." He cleared his throat. "I don't, err, go off like that a lot. Really. It's just that these things are <i>awesome</i> and I'm so hungry."

"Here." She offered him another sandwich and he wiggled his ear flaps happily as he ate it. "Stay still please - I'm giving you that painkiller now."

"Uh huh." He watched as the shot went in. "I've seen those things in the water and on the beach sometimes but never knew what they did."

"Oh." Her face fell. "I'm so sorry. They should never, ever end up dumped like that. I get so angry when humans pollute, especially our precious oceans."

"We don't mind some of it! In fact, that's kinda how I learned your language. I found a some magazines and books on the beach when I was young." He paused, remembering. "I'm one of the only mers that can walk a little on land, so I was always the one to go looking for human stuff after dark."

"How'd you avoid being seen?"

"I picked up better speech patterns listening in at the beach. It was mostly younger ones like me, so they weren't too observant. I hid in some rocks or buried myself part way in the sand. Besides, no one believes anybody if we're seen once in awhile."

"I think I figured something out." Elly grinned. "Let me guess; they were rock and teen magazines."

"Whoa! How'd you know?"

"You have a certain way of talking." This time she blushed as she rushed on, "it's not bad! I think it's kind of cute."

His ear flaps moved so fast he put up his hand to brush his hair over them. Untied, the blond tresses fell down his back and fanned out in the water around him. She noticed his hazel eyes had concentric circles as pupils, mesmerizing and, she thought, hauntingly beautiful. They stared at each other, getting closer until one of his antennae touched her cheek, tickling it.

She coughed and sat up quickly. "Oh! I almost forgot. Are you all right with being alone for awhile? I've got to check on a shark we just got in."

"I'm cool." He sighed, disappointed but understanding. She cared for a lot of sea life and he liked that about her.

"You can use my personal tablet if you want - it's like a book but you touch the pages to get where you need to go." She showed him how to use it and was amazed at how fast he picked it up.

Hizashi sighed again as he watched her rush out the door into the back workings of the aquarium. He set the tablet aside and instead of reading anything replayed the memory of her telling him the way he spoke was <i>cute</i>.

Love snaps, 1

 The marine biologist had short purple hair that flowed closely about her face under the clear tropical waters. Her figure was shapely, shown off in the tight wetsuit she wore, and the striping on her split fins and suit matched her hair.

Unbeknownst to her, she had a secret admirer that came to visit every day as she observed the reef life.

"Over here, yo."

"Hurry, there's a walker!"

Far below, two shadows slipped quickly into a hidden cave on the ocean floor with the low sounds of clicks and whistles. There was a resounding <b>snap</b> that disturbed the sand and a cloud of ink erupted from the entrance, dissipating slowly into the water. And then, a few minutes later red eyes were shining out of the darkness, blinking as they tracked the scientist's movements.

The woman above continued to methodically check the species swimming around her, without any idea that two creatures straight out of the pages of a fairy tale were watching her.

There were two mer-people hidden in the cave.

The one was a leopard shark, his tail patterned with dark markings that enabled him to blend in with his surroundings. The other had a curling, yellow shrimp's tail with red patterns speckled on it. He had long, blond hair tied back with a strand of kelp and a heavy red pincher instead of a right arm. Two yellow antennae sprouted from either side of his lip like mustache points that swayed in the current.

Both appeared ravenous, tearing into their lunch as they watched the human swim around.

Eventually their food was devoured and the shrimp man spoke. "So?"

The dark-haired other blinked, his red eyes softening to gray. "What?"

"What d'ya think?"

"Of what? The walker?" He squinted up with a distrustful glare. 

"They call themselves humans," he reminded him.

"Whatever." He waved a hand at her. "Doesn't look too dangerous. Good idea to keep an eye on her, though. You never know."

"Well, yeah... but nah. I mean, see how she's helping? She's healing the reef and the creatures that live here. I've been watching her capture injured fish and bring them back later."

"Walkers are the ones that fuck up the reef in the first place!"

"They're not all bad, Aizawa," he said firmly.

"Whale shit." Aizawa bared his teeth in distrust. "Anyway if you think she's so great, why'd you bring me this time?"

"I guess for insurance. I'm not entirely certain about this." Hizashi's voice remained calm, though his pulse was racing. He'd decided to show himself to her weeks ago and now was the time. "Stay here," he called out to his friend as he curled his tail powerfully, swiftly propelling himself towards the purple-haired woman.

His friend choked. "<i>Hizashi, no</i>! Do you have a death wish?! Don't do anything stupid!"

He ignored his frantic clicks and growls, focusing instead on the beautiful human that was stroking a playful parrot fish. He stayed away at first, out of her field of vision - or so he thought.

Everything happened so fast that later it would seem like a dream.

She whirled around and saw him.

Hizashi tensed even as she did. He saw her eyes widen underneath her mask and she pushed herself back in shock, unfortunately right at the reef. The bright, lively coral had many nooks and crevasses where creatures both lived and hid from view. One of them was deceptive; a pretty shell that most people never assumed held any danger.

She knew but didn't see the marbled cone nestled in the fluttering growth. Her arm would reach it soon and Hizashi reacted immediately. He instinctively knew his pincher would be frightening so he did a very dangerous thing, using his tail to whip the cone snail away. Although he was lightning fast so was the little creature, and it stung him before it was flung onto the sand.

Hizashi swore softly. His tail was strong and armoured but the plating had been stretched out. The harpoon-like radula got him between the shell, right in the tender flesh. The woman dove back down to him, shock replaced with concern. She moved her two sticks in an oddly graceful way through the water, holding them together so they functioned almost like a tail. The snail's paralytic venom soon caused him to stiffen and in the moments before he blacked out he thought how she could almost pass for one of his kind as she reached towards him.

When he opened his eyes he was in an environment he didn't recognize; a small area filled with unusual tasting water. There were walls that weren't coral yet felt rough to the touch, and the ground was also hard and cold.

But the worst was the eerie silence.

Underwater should be noisy, filled with the sounds of the creatures that shared their home with him and the human's vehicles plowing through the upper waves. The silence was almost deafening and though it was good he was alone since he was injured, Hizashi had to push a crushing sense of fear aside. To distract himself he examined his tail and saw there was a thin coating of something over the puncture wound. He instinctively knew it was the work of the woman who had reached out to him. A good thing she'd been there, although he could have made it alone. He was still dazed and didn't feel great, but at least he was awake.

His ear flaps fluttered then as he picked up noises. They were coming from the surface, though, a gathering of people that sounded very excited.

Then he heard <i>her</i> voice.

He flexed his arms and tail, popping up like a cork with water streaming from his long hair. There were many different humans with her, some wearing long coats and others wetsuits. Hizashi swam around to her as she stood near the side of the water, spinning akwardly around when he reached her so he was facing everyone. His motor reflexes weren't quite back yet and he wobbled, but grasped the lip of the pool with his hand to steady himself.

The group took a collective step back when he rose up to swim towards her. A few were holding objects in their hands he recognized easily as weapons and his eyes narrowed. He'd better be careful. He slowed his approach, swirling around and irritated that he was more clumsily than usual. Still, he managed. The woman drew in a quick breath when he grew near but didn't jerk away like the others.

Now that he was closer he could see her much better. She was fairly short, with eyes that matched her dark purple hair. And because she was out of her wetsuit, she appeared a tiny bit thinner in a pair of worn jeans and a baggy Ron Jon t-shirt. Hizashi noticed that she wore no jewelry or other adornments, and he was instantly curious as to why she wasn't mated like others he'd seen. He saw absolutely no Gift on her person to show she was with anyone.

"Thanks for helping me out!" He chirped brightly in her own language.

Quite a few of the people dropped what they had in their hands. The ones with weapons clutched them tighter and he kept a close eye on them.

"It <i>talks</i>!" A burly, spiky-haired man spluttered in shock. "What the hell!"

Hizashi frowned. "I'm not an 'it', yo," he said angrily. "My name is Hizashi."

The woman was perhaps the only person to keep her cool, though she was clearly excited. She smiled at him and he felt his ear flaps prickle as the expression lit up her pale features. "Hello, Hizashi. I'm Elly."

"Hey," he answered back amiably. "Thanks for helping me out."

"How do we know it's not one of those weirdos that pretend to be a mermaid," a slender woman muttered in the back.

Elly shot her a dissaproving look. "First off, they're not weirdos, Linda. How many times have we had this discussion."

The woman shrugged. "Sorry, but -"

"He had PSP, for Christ's sake. No ventilator, nothing except treatment for the the wound the snail gave him... <i>and yet he's awake</i>. I think we can agree he's not human. Besides, I worked on him. That tail, the claw! He's real."

"Right," the spiky-hair man nodded. "Then it's more of a danger."

"I'm not an it!" Hizashi snapped once, very lightly, in anger. The water around his claw bubbled with disturbance.

"Stop calling him an it!" She hissed at the same time that he did. "That's insubordinance, Kan. I'm the person in charge here and you will <i>not</i> disrespect our guest!"

"Guest?!"

"He's not a prisoner or a test subject - the gate needs to remain unlocked <i>at all times</i>."

"If he leaves, we lose the opportunity ..!"

Elly ignored the protest, pointing at the merman and then the exit out to the ocean. "Look, you can come and go as you please." She walked over and demonstrated how it worked, a simple latch that he could reach up to unhook. Hizashi fumbled to unlatch it but then waved a hand at the indoor pool and his injury to indicate he knew it was better to stay put for now. She nodded and closed it again, seeing how his hand shook with effort at the manipulation.

"I'm not going anywhere yet," he told her firmly. "No way. I'm weak as a pup and still having trouble seeing straight, yeah? I'll stay."

"Good." She smiled warmly at him and he slid partially underwater to hide his blush, ear flaps lowering shyly. All that display of teeth had an effect on him; he did find her attractive, after all. Mers showed their teeth in mating and aggression, and there was no hostility in her expression. The result was what felt to him like a tremendous flirt, though he knew humans did it to show happiness. 

He raised himself to smile carefully back at her, not showing any teeth just in case.

Her smile somehow grew brighter, and he knew he was lost.

Custom Merch

 "Mic, you gotta see this before you go!" The woman at the radio station ran up to the startled Voice Hero, brandishing her phone around like a deadly weapon. "Oh. My. Godddd!"

Hizashi raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Just look!" She squealed loudly and thrust the screen in his face.

The image was of a custom stuffed toy, a likeness of him in a much larger size than available in stores or other promotions. It looked similar to a Cabbage Patch Kid, but much bigger with adult proportions.

"So weird!"

He jumped back, eyes wide. "Ah, holy crap! That's way bigger'n the ones they sell."

"I knoooow, right? Ew."

"Ew?" He frowned, squinting at the text below yhe image. "Why ew? And, uh. The comments are gettin' really harsh."

<i>Do you, you know. Do you... do you, uh...? I don't wanna know forget it lol</i>

...

<i>This is an abomination and should not exist. Destroy it. Now.</i>

...

<i>You fuck that thing, don't you.</i>

...

<i>y Mic tho?</i>

He snorted and finally pushed her hand with the phone away. "People can be a buncha weirdos."

"I <i>know</i>, right? They paid somebody to make that thing!"

"That's not what I - ah, hell." She wasn't listening and was already out of sight, scampering down the hall. 

When he got back to the campus later he noticed the school counselor wasn't around to greet him like usual. She slept poorly and often would still be awake, coffee in hand seated on the couch ready to talk. He frowned, hoping she was all right.

"Maybe I should check," he muttered to himself as he walked down the hall. His light knock on her door produced no response, but it wasn't locked and swung open easily. Alarmed, he tensed in preperation for what might be on the other side. 

Elly was on her bed curled up in a ball. She stood up when she saw who it was, rubbing at her eyes with her hands. Her cheeks were pink and stained wet from crying, her purple eyes bloodshot and miserable.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I mean... not really. But I will be."

"Well, if ya need a good laugh - check this out!" He showed her the Mic doll on his phone, hoping at least for a smile. 

She did not smile. 

In fact, her face paled considerably and she clapped a hand over her mouth. 

"Holy shit! You okay?" Hizashi watched her transformation in dismay. She'd looked bad to begin with, but now she appeared to be sick. "You need to go see Chiyo, babe -"

"No."

"But you look like you're gonna barf!"

"I'm - I'm not," she said weakly. "I promise I'm not, it's, um. Oh..."

"That's it. Nurse. Now." He made as if to reach for her and she shook her head wildly.

"No! It's mine."

"Ehhh?"

"The Mic plushie," Elly clarified. "I had it made. That's why - I didn't want you to know..." 

He looked around, confused. "But -"

She pointed to her closet with a shaky finger. "I - I hid it in there."

Hizashi sat heavily on the bed and blew out a huge gust of air. "Why, Ches?"

"I posted on a therapy group," she explained weakly. "I wanted to share with other fans so they wouldn't be scared to use plushes. But I forgot to make the image private." She rolled her eyes, brushing her side locks away from her cheeks. "My account is vague and I'm on a VPN, so no one knows it was me. But the pic... ugh. This is why people are scared to try different comfort techniques. I mean, I tried to help but it backfired."

"Um, babe?"

"Yeah." 

There was a beat of silence, and then he gently turned her to face him. "Why d'ya have a plush <i>me</i>? Why not a teddy bear or somethin'?"

"Oh." Elly made a face, wrinkling her nose. "I guess everything's gone to shit so I might as well fess up. I fell in love with you a long time ago."

His face immediately blossomed into color and he stared at her in shock.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't going to tell you, it's unprofessional and <i>creepy</i>. I realize it's creepy." Her ears twitched and she sighed sadly. "I just really want to be held. I had it made life-sized so the arms could - could... hug me. Plus, studies show it's good for adults, it was published in 2013 in the journal Psychological Science that simply holding a plush could reduce existential fear in people with low self-esteem -"

"Whoa, hey now."

"Sorry!" She grimaced. "Sorry... I know."

He shook his head, his huge plume of hair rustling. "Nah, babe, don't be sorry. I get it, yeah? I mean, I was freaked out at first, 'course I was! They sell other ones of me, though. There's tons of merch. I think I even got on a bubblegum wrapper once. That's weirder, right?"

She sighed. "Maybe. I'm still sorry, though. And embarrassed. Let's put it past us so we can still be friends?"

"Past us?"

"Please. I'll get rid of it, I promise."

"Ches -"

"I never should've had it made." Elly shook her head. "I wanted to imagine what it felt like when someone loved you unconditionally. But it didn't feel like anything. It's not real."

Hizashi shook his head slowly, huffing under his breath. "Damn, girl. No wonder you wanted a hug." He stood, popped his neck gear off and carefully set it by his feet.

"I'm also sorry I dumped all that on you." She opened her mouth to apologize more but found herself enveloped in a tight embrace that smelled mostly of leather. Hizashi was much taller than her and she came up to around his chest. That meant she was snuggled against firm pectoral muscles and could feel the wild beating of his heart.

She stiffened, gasping out loud, but he didn't let go and she eventually relaxed a little. "You don't h - have to do this!"

"I know." He swept her off her feet and into his lap as he sat on the bed. "It's, you know. Unconditional."

Caught in the act

 There was a close and friendly darkness to the room they chose that day. It was one of the inner, smaller areas of the ship that the crew normally didn't congregate in so they had every right to believe they would be alone.

"We only have so much time," Elly whispered breathlessly as they rushed inside. "It's almost lunch and they'll come looking for us."

Zoro chuckled wickedly. "More than enough time if you shut up."

"Bastard." She stuck her tongue out, tugging on his haramaki to pull him closer.

Zoro quickly stood over her, bending so their lips could meet. He placed his palms on the wall on either side of her head, his stance possesive. This was something she told him she enjoyed, so he'd taken to playing it up more. He growled low in his throat before pressing his mouth to hers.

His broad shoulders concealed her completely above but her tail curled around his left leg, a clear indication of who he was with. He'd just deepened the kiss and moved closer, his hips jerking in anticipation of touch, when the door suddenly opened. A shaft of light from the other room flooded in and they were seen by three astonished crew members at once.

Chopper clattered to the ground as he sat in shock. Sanji choked out loud and Luffy gagged violently as he shoved a hand over his mouth.

"<i>Ewwwwww</i>, Zoro, what the hell are you doing!"

Sanji immediately froze in place by the scenario in front of him, but soon recovered enough to slap his captain over the head. "We had this discussion, idiot."

"Yeah, but his <i>tongue</i> was in her mouth!"

"'Cooties' don't exist!"

Elly bit her lip and nodded when Zoro motioned for her to escape off to the side. She gratefully melted into the darkness, hiding in a corner waiting to be forgotten or at least for them to leave.

In the meantime Sanji and Chopper were both stressing there were no major health risks to kissing ... none of which involved a fictional bug, anyway. 

"Okay, okay!" Luffy crammed his hat tighter on his head, pouting. "I didn't really think that. But it's still gross." However, now that his initial disgust was over, he saw a rare opportunity to roast his first mate. "Besides, we all saw it," he informed him smugly. The huge grin on his face grew wider, testing the boundaries of his stretching capability. 

The door opened again and Usopp's long nose preceeded him as he poked inside. "Hey, what's all the yelling about?"

"We caught moss head making out with Angel." Sanji paused, then did a double take as he remembered. Outraged, he stomped forward. "What were <i>you doing</i> kissing her like that?!"

"Ah haaaa!" Luffy laughed out loud.

"What?" Zoro glared at him but to no avail; once his captain had an idea in his head he was going through with it.

"Not just kissing!" Luffy howled with glee, pounding the decking with his feet and fists. "You were practically sucking her face off!"

"Ew, Luffy," Ussop groaned. "I wasn't there. The visual was <i>not</i> needed."

"Why didn't you tell anyone you were a couple?" Sanji huffed angrily. "I'd have been shouting it off all the rooftops."

"Maybe she's not that into him."

"Or <i>he's</i> not."

"Uh, guys," Usopp pointed out nervously, "we're talking about Zoro... and he looks kinda angry. Maybe we should go?"

"You're all fucking nuts." Zoro waved a hand dismissively at the group and was about to leave when Chopper blocked his path. He raised an eyebrow, his face like a thundercloud but starting to burn red across the bridge of his nose. "Don't -"

"Uh, Zoro are you being, you know, careful..?"

"Damn it!" He spun around and stormed off without answering.

Elly had long snuck out through another door at the end of the room. She was standing at the bow watching the sea birds fly around their ship when he found her. 

"Stupid cat!"

"Hmm, what?" She didn't move but her ears perked up.

"Everyone saw us," Zoro snapped.

"I know."

"Well?!"

She thought about it for a little while, changing her view to watch the waves break against the hull instead. "Are you ashamed of me?"

"<i>What?</i>"

"You never wanted anyone to know we were together."

"Look what happens," he grunted.

"Okay." She took a deep breath and placed a hand on his arm. The touch was light and he noticed it felt different right away, reacting with a deeper frown than he intended. Elly let the hand fall, her smile faltering with it. Yet her voice remained firm and unwavering when she spoke. "I'm sorry. If you want to end whatever we had, let me know. I... well, honestly, I knew this would happen. I just didn't know when."

"Whatever we <i>had</i>?" 

"I was hoping for a little more time," she admitted softly, a breathy catch finally creeping into her speech that hinted how near to tears she was.

"What the <i>hell</i> are you talking about?" The big man caught her by both shoulders and spun her sideways to face him. "Why are you being so fucking dramatic?!"

"I am <i>not</i> 'being dramatic'," she hissed, the first tears springing into the corners of her eyes.

Zoro shook his head crossly. "You're crying and it has something to do with me. Spit it out already."

"I'm telling you, that's fine!" Her voice raised until she was nearly shouting, fists clenched at her sides. "<i>I know I'm not important to you</i>! I <i>knew</i> we were just having fun and now it's over because we got caught. Now go away before I actually start crying because I <i>don't</i> want you to <i>see</i>!"

Zoro stood there impassively for a long moment - too long, because she couldn't hold it in anymore and started weeping. He scratched his chest, staring off into the sky while a slight burn spread across his ears and nose. "You idiot," he finally sighed in a resigned tone.

"I know! Just go!"

"I <i>said</i> you're an idiot. I <i>didn't</i> say you were right. Get over here."

"Wha - hey!" He reached out and pulled her into his arms, enfolding her in them and pressing her to his upper body. She struggled but he tightened his grip ever so slightly and she realized she wasn't going anywhere. It didn't hurt; she was embarrassed more than anything and wanted to escape. "Hey," she spluttered, half-crying and half-angry, "let me go!"

"No." He casually glanced around, noticed a flurry of activity on the top deck nearest them, and sighed. "Quit trying to hide, you suck at it," he called out to his eavesdropping crewmates. 

Several heads popped up one after the other. "Sorry Zoro!" Chopper scrambled to jump up on the railing so he could talk. "Luffy said you were acting funny, I thought you might be sick!"

Elly giggled faintly through her tears. Zoro shot her a look that clearly said <i>I'm so tired of this shit</i> and then shook his head, addressing the little reindeer. "I'm fine. It's almost lunch, we'll be there in a minute."

Chopper hesitated, looking at Elly's flushed face and wet cheeks with concern. 

"It's okay," she told him with a weak smile. He pouted a little but nodded and walked off, his hooves clopping lightly on the deck. The others hesitated, but seeing the big man was fully intending to stay still until they left, soon followed suit.

"I'm gonna clobber Luffy," Zoro muttered when they were alone again. He let her go and she took a wobbly step back.

"Yeah, yeah. You <i>were</i> bright red, though."

"The sun is hot."

"We only just came outdoors."

Zoro groaned, his hand coming up to rub at his remaining eye. "Shut up, cat."

"Yeah."

"Not like <i>that</i>," he ground out between clenched teeth with a look of absolute frustration. "I need to say something."

Elly looked up while bracing herself and watched the big man struggle to express what he wanted to say. He thought for several minutes and she hardened her heart with each second lost, fearing the worst. 

She finally gave up. "I think your silence is just about as good as words, yeah?" Her voice was quietly regretful. "I'm sorry."

He made a strangled sound and grabbed her arm when she tried pushing past. "Wait!"

"<i>No</i>!" She hissed, tearing out of his grasp. "I thought, I don't know, you were so gentle sometimes, what I thought I saw... I thought..." Elly shook her head, closing her eyes tight against the memories. "It hurts but I'll be fine."

"The fuck..?" He watched her leave, more confused than ever.

Lunch was awkward that day.

Elly sat beside Sanji instead of him, and the usually amorous chef knew not to bother her as he normally would. He attended to her carefully, noting she wasn't interested in eating and pulling out real cream to make a small drink she could sip instead. She was the first to leave, pleading a headache, and there were a few glances cast Zoro's way that he steadfastly ignored.

He continued to act as if nothing was wrong, even when anyone tried to talk to him on her behalf. 

After the third time Elly fled from him when she noticed his approach, however, he was anything other than indifferent. 

Sanji raised one curly eyebrow when the swordsman barged into the kitchen after dinner. People usually left him alone when he was washing up because they'd get roped into helping. He calmly rinsed a couple more plates off, the only sound the water rushing from the faucet and dinnerware clanking together.

It took several minutes for Zoro to speak. "Is there any more of that cold beer?"

"Maybe." Sanji wiped his hands dry on a towel and grabbed a bottle from the fridge. "Here."

"Thanks." He grunted and drank. 

"I don't know how the fuck you landed that woman, but you sure screwed it up." He started stacking the dry plates, his back to the other man.

"I didn't 'land' shit!"

"Obviously!" He turned his head to snarl at him.

Zoro slammed the bottle down angrily, but his tone changed when he spoke next. "She keeps running away from me," he muttered.

"Of course she does!" Sanji finished putting the dishes away, shutting the cabinet door much harder than usual in exasperation. "She likes you, <i>why</i> I can't <i>possibly</i> understand -"

"You sonofa -!"

"Shut up!" He kicked the bench near the swordsman for emphasis. "You didn't tell her you loved her back, right?"

"She knows." Zoro grunted sourly. "What's that got to do with anything."

"She <i>doesn't</i> know, you idiot! She won't let herself be alone with you because she thinks all you want is sex and she's afraid she'll give in when you try again."

Zoro sat without so much as blinking for a few seconds, completely stunned for once while his crew mate lit a cigarette.

"I know 'cause I've done that," Sanji admitted. "Not my finest fucking hour, but I knew I had a shot. The woman told me afterwards and I felt like shit since we were leaving the next day."

"I wasn't going to -"

"You weren't?"

"No!"

"So." He lowered his cigarette to blow a cloud of white smoke out in a long, even breath. "You wouldn't have made some half-assed attempt at an apology and thought everything was immediately better? Better enough for a fuck?"

Zoro's lower lip thrust out pugnaciously. "Bastard," he growled under his breath.

"Don't push her." The blond-haired man shrugged, brushing his bangs into place with his free hand. "Say whatever you're feeling and then back off."

Zoro waited until he found a chance to speak with her alone. After patiently tailing her all day, he noticed her going into the bottom half of the ship and heading for the aquarium. He caught up with her but simply stood for a long minute, watching her stare at the fish darting amongst the waving kelp strands.

"I know you're there."

He grunted, moving to stand beside her. "Yeah."

"What do you want?"

"You're upset."

"Really?" Elly's ears flattened back. "No, really? Did you figure that out all by yourself?"

His frown deepened. "You don't have to be an ass."

"Maybe I don't, but I'm <i>upset</i>, and someone won't let me chill the fuck out." She pushed away from the tank and made as if to storm off. He grabbed her arm in desperation and she stopped to stare at him in disgust. "Again?"

"Sorry," he muttered, relaxing his hold on her. Elly immediately slipped away and out into the night. He followed quickly and found her staring up at the crow's nest where they usually slept, her eyes far away.

"It's not going to make everything perfect immediately again even if you apologize."

"I <i>know</i>." Zoro slumped against the mast, swearing sulfurously under his breath for a minute. Then, so low she almost didn't hear, "I fucked up and I'm sorry. I get why you don't want to, but you can come up whever you want. To sleep. Just sleep."

Her ears perked and she stared at him, amazed. But before she could say anything he pointed up at the crow's nest. "Good night, cat." He turned and gripped a rung on the ladder, but there was a long, awkward pause as he held the position. Elly waited, and while she was bewildered by his grudging apology she staggered at what came next. 

He turned his head, his body visibly tensing as he flexed powerful muscles in preparation to climb as fast as possible. "I love you."

And he was gone, pulling himself up to his room and slamming the door.

She stood there letting the sea breeze whip her short, purple hair around her ears. One hand reached out to grasp the railing and she leaned against it for support. "What the <i>hell</i> just happened?"

Wanting to clarify and needing to hear those words again, she clambered up the mast to their room.

"All right, you big brute, why?"

"What." He rolled out the futon with a raised eyebrow.

"Did you mean it?"

He held up one hand. "I didn't say it to get laid."

"Oh." She sounded uncertain but rested her head on the pillow. His tone was one she was familiar with: he was done answering questions. "Well, then, good night."

Zoro snorted and rolled over away from her. 

Feeling hurt all over again she curled into a ball and tried to force herself to sleep. It didn't come easy, but she eventually drifted off.

Elly woke up as the morning sunlight bathed her face in warmth. She stretched carefully, frowning when she didn't feel Zoro's large presence beside her. She turned sleepily around and her brow furrowed harder when she saw she really was alone.

"Where'd you go," she mumbled.

"C'mon, cat." He grunted as he dug around through the dresser for fresh clothing. "You're pissed at me. Why would I risk a faceful of claws? I told you we were only sleeping."

"Yeah. You did." Elly sighed, but shook herself and then stood up. "But you also said..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Maybe I imagined it."

Still, she sat with him at breakfast instead of avoiding the big man, which he considered a win. He was also much quicker to pick up on the fact that he'd better keep making an effort or he'd lose all his momentum.

Zoro finished his plate and pushed it back, picking up his mug instead. He took several large swallows, set it down and scratched his chest, looking around. "Hey, cook - is there more coffee?"

Sanji was about to let fly with a snarky comment when he saw the big man curl an arm casually around Elly's shoulders. She glanced up at him quickly, surprised, but he was staring blandly at Sanji. Elly sighed and relaxed comfortably against his side, something they had been doing for months but never in front of the crew. 

"Here," the chef muttered instead, shoving the half-empty pot at him. 

"Thanks." 

Elly kept staring at him after that. He noticed but said nothing, preferring to work out in silence while she lay nearby in the sun. Afterwards, however, he approached her with a questioning look in his eye.

"Can we maybe... <i>don't laugh</i>," she warned him. 

"I won't."

"I want you to hold me like you used to. If it's okay," she rushed on. "If it's something you want, too." 

Elly was enfolded in a tight embrace almost before she'd finished talking. "That's good," she sighed happily. "That's a good start again."

Just do it

 "You just gotta <i>do</i> it, Aizawa." Hizashi rolled his eyes. "Go for it. If it happens, it happens."

"Sure," his friend grunted sourly. "And, if it doesn't I'm failure of the year." He shook his head in disgust. 

"Pffft! You'd only be hot goss until the next disaster. Not forever. And imagine if it <i>worked</i>. I mean, she's worth it."

"Yamada -"

"No, man, I'm <i>serious</i>. I've been a good friend about this, but it's been ages and you've never made a move. I like her too, yo, and I'm not gonna wait forever."

"She's not interested in me."

Hizashi snorted loudly. "Yeah, well, you think she wants <i>me</i>?"

"Why try if you think that?"

His hazel eyes misted over for a brief moment as his imagination took over. Then he shrugged. "Because sometimes we're in our own heads."

At this moment the person in question walked into the room and made her way directly to the fridge. She poked her head inside, striped tail lashing lazily at her legs, and uttered a rather unladylike curse.

"Who drank my milk?!"

They watched her partly in amusement but also with the affection of a couple of older men with crushes. Hizashi was the first to shake himself free of his love-induced stupor.

"So... want me to show you how it's done?"

Aizawa snorted. "You? Seriously?"

"Oh, that's it." He got up and brushed off his khakis with a disdainful flap of his hands. "Watch and learn."

"Damn it, if I catch the asshole that's doing this I'm gonna -"

"Hey, babygirl."

"Hizashi?" Startled at his sudden approach and the nickname she almost dropped the cup she held. "Hey."

The blond-haired man swept a practiced hand around, checking his bun for strays and brushing a few back before stepping behind her and leaning down. Their bodies were suddenly so close the warmth was maddening, but they were not quite touching. He placed his hands carefully around her, laying his palms flat on the counter on either side. She became very still but he noticed her breathing grew quicker; her chest rose and fell in harsh little pants that excited him.

Hizashi dropped his voice low and sensual, lips barely an inch away from her furry ear. "<i>I want you in my arms tonight</i>," he hummed seductively.

She didn't move and he tensed in expectation of a slap, thinking he'd pushed things too far for sure. But after awhile Elly's body relaxed and she turned around to face him, sliding her arms around his neck. They stared into each others eyes and he swallowed hard when he felt her fingers ghost across the feathered, lower part of his hair.

"Just tonight? Or more?" She watched him intently.

He shook his head, smiling. "More. You want a loud-mouthed boyfriend, just say yes."

"Perfect," she purred happily. "Yes. What time, handsome?"

"Ten minutes," he answered promptly. Everyone will have gone to bed or be out working by then, and they could slip out unnoticed. "I'll drive us to my place in the city, yeah?" His eyes focused on her flushed face, mouth parted in a smile. Hizashi licked his lips, imagining their first kiss, and decided to press his good luck further by going for it right now. It was brief but electric, causing his heart to beat crazily in his chest and her tail to fluff out in all directions.

"I'll go get ready," she whispered. They parted, her walking back down the hall to change and him stumbling back to the couch.

Hizashi flopped heavily down, his face bright red and his eyes wild. "I... I didn't think that would work. I really didn't think it would <i>work</i>!"

"<i>What the hell</i>!"

"Uh, I'm sorry dude, but, erhm... I'm gonna get laid tonight."

"Understandable," Aizawa said through clenched teeth. 

"Should I just -"

He didn't let him finish. "No. It's her choice, and she clearly wants you." Aizawa squeezed his eye shut tight. "Very, very <i>clearly</i>. Just make sure she knows it's not a one-night stand."

"Already did 'cause I'm not a one-night kinda guy. I'm serious about her."

"Good. Make her happy."

"Hey, boys." Elly walked over to them, radiant in an off-the-shoulder top and flowing skirt. "What're we talking about?"

"Mnn. Stuff that reminded me of something, beautiful. I'll be right back," Hizashi crooned, blowing her a kiss before dashing down the hall. She grinned and sat down to wait.

Aizawa sipped his coffee, staring at the TV in front of him. They sat quietly for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Make sure you use protection," he said in an offhand tone.

Her ears perked, cheeks flushing slightly before she replied. "We're all on quirk-controlled birth control. Is there some reason I need more?" 

Aizawa glanced at her, his expression amused. "I'm not talking about <i>that</i> kind of protection."

"Wh - what?" 

The object of their discussion came bounding back with a triumphant grin on his face.

"Did you get what you needed?"

"Oh yeah." He held up a small plastic container. "This is for <i>you</i>, babe." It was tossed into her hands.

Elly opened the case. Inside were a brand-new pair of custom-fit earplugs. 

Hizashi grinned wickedly at her and wiggled his eyebrows. "Protection," he explained.

 

I like em chunky

 Hizashi's small eyebrows drew his expressive forehead into a worried point. "What the hell's happening to me?!" 

His lower belly was swollen, hanging over his belt like he'd suddenly gained thirty pounds or more overnight. He winced and poked at it with a finger. The skin sunk in where he jabbed, a soft, malleable substance.

Fat.

"Hey, Hizashi - you okay?" 

He jerked around at the sound of the voice and then froze, his ears and neck flaring in shame. Of course the first person to see him like this was the school's counselor, a close friend and his <i>fucking crush</i>.

"Ack!"

"Ohmigod, Zashi!" Her cat's ears popped straight up in shock. "That's not natural!"

"Ya think?! I must've got hit with some weird quirk."

She fussed over him, running a hand gently over the bulge and causing him to simultaneously lock up and shiver in different areas. "You have to get checked out. I don't know how that could be medical, but if it is, it's serious!"

"Yeah. Yeah, m'going right now."

The clinic ran tests and confirmed that it was not natural weight gain. He was sent home with a () diagnosis and no treatment. Elly was waiting anxiously for him and followed him to his room when he got back.

"Zashi..?"

"They don't know whose quirk did this," he mourned in an oddly quiet voice. "I don't - they don't know if I can go back to normal, either."

"Does it hurt?" 

"Nah. I look... well, different, is all." He looked away, blushing.

"You don't look <i>that</i> different." Elly sat beside him on the bed and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're still handsome, for one." He snorted and she shook her head, violently dismissing his unspoken protest. "No, honest! I still think you're hot. Um. I mean, I know we're just friends but - but..." She trailed off awkwardly. "Oh, dear."

He turned to stare at her incredulously, his one eyelid drooping in that way he had. "You think I'm <i>whaaaaat</i>?!"

"I think you're hot," she shrugged. "I guess I have to own up to it now that I blurted it out."

He bit his lower lip, staring at her hand in consternation. "Uh, but, well - shit, Ches. Ya can't really think that?"

Elly sighed and reached out to touch his belly, trailing gentle fingertips ticklishly up and down the fine line of blond hairs rolling over it. He used to be able to see the hair vanish into his pants, but now all he could see was that bump of fat and her hand, dipping lower, circling his navel...

He gasped and flinched a little, jerking away at the intimate touch. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-<i>whoa</i>!"

She immediately snatched her hand back, face flaming with embarrassment. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I just assaulted you, I don't know why I thought that was okay. Please don't hate me."

Hizashi gaped at her, his golden eyes wide. 

She squeezed her eyes tight and jumped to her feet, bowing low in apology. "Sorry," she repeated. "I'm w - worse than horrible. That was uncalled for and I'll leave -"

"Nuh uh," he choked, grasping her hand as she turned away. "Don't go!"

"You don't hate me?"

"I mean, uh, a little warning woulda been nice! Ya startled me, babe. But I, um... I like your hands on me."

Her smile was radiant. "We need to start way slower than that, though. Here." She settled back on the bed and gestured for him to come close. "Lay your head against me, okay?"

Elly ran her hands gently through his long hair while he rested and stroked his forehead and cheeks. As he grew more relaxed she massaged his shoulders, easing the strain of the day away until Hizashi was humming with pleasure, his quirk vibrating in the air between them.

Eventually he raised his head, eyes glazed, and tugged on her shirt to indicate he wanted her to bend down. When she did he caught her lips with his in a serious kiss that took her breath away.

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

"Ohhhhh," he whined softly. "Woooowwww."

"Yeah." 

"You sound happy. But what if..." He fidgeted, pressing his fingers together and trailing off shyly.

"What if, what?"

He sighed. "What if it keeps going? What if I get even bigger an' I can't stop it?"

"You're not going to die," she said firmly.

"No-o-o-o, but..."

"Zashi?"

"What if I look really-really different," he blurted out all at once. "Like, I get so big that I change?"

"Hizashi, I'm in love with <i>you</i>. Not your weight. Yeah, I think you're sexy as hell now, but as long as you're you, nothing else matters."

"You'd want me even then?"

Elly kissed him softly. "Yes. I'll always love you."

"<i>Oh</i>," he whispered, eyes widening as they grew shiny from unshed tears. "Can we - do you wanna, maybe..?"

"We can, and I very much do." She paused. "I - I really want - oh, geez, how the hell do I say this?"

"I love you, baby."

"That," Elly gasped, tears budding in the corners of her eyes. "I needed <i>that</i>. Oh, thank god. I love you, Zashi. Now make love to me."

"<i>Yeah</i>!"

The problem was his proportions were off. After several misses Hizashi started to get upset.

"I know, it's okay," she murmured. "I'll help."

He tried again but once he found her warmth there was another issue.

"It's gettin' in the <i>way</i>," he panted, frustrated. 

"No, sweetie, it's okay. Look." She raised her hips and he sank further in with a gasp. 

"Oh, <i>baby</i>!"

"That's good," she agreed with a moan. "That's so good."

"K - keep your legs like that," he groaned as he thrust. "That's perfect."

"I <i>know</i>," she agreed dreamily. "Don't stop sweetie, I'm close!"

He grunted with effort and kept going until she buried her face in the crook of his neck to muffle a scream. Proud of himself for making her feel good, he kissed her sweaty brow before continuing.

Elly took a minute to recover from her orgasm. Dazed and happy, she wanted to help him along so she did something she'd read about a few times. Threading her fingers through his long hair, she got close to the scalp before carefully grasping and tugging. 

Hizashi pulled up sharply, his mouth open in a loud gasp. "Whoa, <i>babe</i>!"

"Did I hurt you? I thought it might feel good."

"N - no, it wasn't painful. I think... do it again?" He bounced experimentally a few times. She waited until his eyes started to slip closed in bliss before pulling again. 

His reaction was electric.

"I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come <i>I'm gonna come</i>," he whined, his voice rising an octave each time with pleasure. 

"Awesome," she panted, holding tightly on to his shoulders while he thrust into her so her deeply she was pushed into the mattress. "Guess that did feel good!"

It took him a little while to come down from his high but when he did he carefully pulled out of her body. "Y - yeah." Hizashi exhaled softly against her sweaty neck, rolling over beside her. "Well, babe, some things can hurt in a good way."

"Mm hmm."

"But not for you, not right now. <i>You</i> get nothin' but sweet, sweet love and cuddles." He nuzzled her cheek with his nose and she giggled. "Yer in for a helluva surprise when I'm back to my normal self again, by the way," he promised with a mischevious twinkle in his eye. "I'm so much more agile when I'm fit."

Retreat (Aizawa)

 Elly kept arguing against these "togetherness" retreats, but someone higher up the school chain of command loved them. Both her and Hound Dog's protests were ignored, as usual, and here they were... again.

He took it in stride. The cat counselor, on the other hand, was furious. She made sure <i>everyone</i> knew that she found these oversharing and forced bonding sessions ridiculous for any number of reasons.

She knew she was letting it get to her too much, however, when Aizawa opened his eye to glare at her. This effectively silenced her at any moment, even mid-tirade, since she hated when that disapproving look fell on her.

Elly had to admit they <i>did</i> choose wonderful resorts and sites for these, though. Even if she didn't like the reason she was there she enjoyed her stay every time. This one was a sumptious five-star hotel with a great restaurant, beautiful suites and a spa, which is where they were currently. The teachers settled into a room surrounded by windows built for meditation or perhaps yoga. She looked around and chose a sun-warmed spot, curling her tail around her and sighing with only a little irritation.

Her annoyance faded when Aizawa strolled in and made for the space beside her right away after only a cursory glance around the room. He sat next to her on a floor pillow and immediately dropped his head down into a slouch as the head of this area set up the next exercise.

"Geez, Aizawa," Hizashi laughed at his friend from where he sat cross-legged in front. "You just woke up! I thought you said this was one of the only times you got rest, yo."

"I am rested," came the grumbled reply. "I don't want to be here."

"Tell me about it," Elly snorted.

"Okay!" The person in charge walked in the middle of the pillow piles and smiled. She was a small, middle-aged woman wearing a tie-dyed shirt and khaki pants with woven sandals. "My name is Uchi Tokeru, and my quirk is going to help us understand each other better today."

"Good luck getting some of these guys to open up about anything," Chiyo cackled. The school nurse always came along for safety's sake and she was loving every minute of this.

Uchi's smile grew wider, and she winked at her. "You'll see," she promised.

"This won't be the constructive session she thinks," Elly predicted.

"Now, for this first exercise you're gonna show your colleague how you feel about them by touching anywhere on their face."

Aizawa immediately turned to his partner and caught the right side of her face in one rough palm even as she moved towards him. His other hand did the same to her left cheek and they trembled as he held them in place. Though rigid, his touch was gentle, silently begging her to stay when he was certain she would flinch backwards, because that wasn't the only touch he wanted to initiate.

He'd been afraid for nothing.

She faced him, met his lips with her own and even pressed harder when his uncertainty held him back. The couple was soon deeply invested in each other, tongues meeting softly, slowly and with an intensity that startled their colleagues.

"<i>Holy shit</i>!" Hizashi nearly fell over when he looked up.

"Aizawa! Ms. Elly!" Yagi coughed up a gout of blood in shock. "Oh... oh, my."

"What the hell is your quirk?!" Ken choked. He was another having a difficult time accepting what was happening. He kept averting his eyes and blushing despite being made of cement.

"It causes people to react truthfully to my suggestions," their guide said with a shrug. "The stronger the emotion behind them, the more power it has."

Hizashi let out a long, low wolf whistle.

The sound broke the couple out of their romantic trance. They realized what they were doing at approximately the same time and jerked quickly apart.

"What..." Elly's hand slowly lifted to wipe the trail of saliva that snapped onto her chin. "What just <i>happened</i>?"

"I assaulted you." Aizawa's voice was gruff and lower than usual, the tired, flat tone completely gone for once. Instead he sounded horrified. His cheeks flushed an alarming, brick-like red and he refused to look anyone in the eye, turning so his patch faced the group. In doing so his good one zeroed in on Elly, however, and he swore under his breath. "That was completely unprofessional and -"

"Shota."

Everyone jumped a little at this - <i>no one</i> called him by his given name -- but no one was more shocked than the man himself. His eye widened when she reached out and took his hand.

"Ches?"

"It's okay. We have to talk, though."

"<i>Talk</i>?" Hizashi chuckled and was about to say more but noticed his friend's burning red eye directed at him.

Elly touched his floating black hair and it immediately fell down about his shoulders. "Yes, talk. Among other things."

"All right." He sighed, sounding drained of what small amount of energy he'd mustered up that day. "Let's go to my suite."

No one argued for them to finish the exercise. They watched them leave in silence until the door clicked shut.

"So... <i>that</i> just happened," Hizashi drawled after they were gone. The statement shook rest of the staff out of their daze and they huddled together to gossip.

Meanwhile, Aizawa led her straight to his room, which was far away from the others due to his sleeping habits and requests for privacy.

"This will do," she murmured, locking the door after placing the <i>do not disturb</i> sign over the knob.

As soon as she turned back towards him he raised a hand. "I apologize ag - agai -!" He flailed wildly about, his eye bulging as she threw her arms around him. "<i>What are you doing</i>?!"

Elly smiled while hugging him. "No apologies necessary," she told him firmly. She reached around to caress the back of his neck in one hand. "We're both adults that work in a highly stressful, tight-knit group. We know each other, and I want you - all of you. Do you want me?"

"Yes." He answered quickly without thought, his arms wrapping around her.

"Then kiss me again... and this time, <i>don't</i> hold back."

Aizawa made sure to take her request seriously. His hands slid low and he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss held for some time until she dropped her hands to grasp his firm rear. He groaned and his hair flew up when she groped him hungrily. Elly found this highly flattering and a sign, maybe, that he was so turned on he couldn't help himself.

"Bed," he said shortly when they parted for air. She glanced behind her and nodded briefly, sitting on the edge and holding her arms out. Aizawa shed his black shirt in one smooth move, exposing his fit upper body flexing with light effort. He had a patch of dark hair that trailed messily down his belly and continued under his slacks.

"Oh, <i>my</i>."

"Wait." He held up one hand as he sat beside her. "I have to take this damned leg off."

"Oh? I thought it would help you balance."

"You're right that balancing is a key factor for sex, but I'm sure we can figure something out." He unlatched the metal upper part and set it carefully aside.

Elly watched him peel the soft silicone sleeve off the stump where his leg used to be. "Should I drop the subject?"

He shrugged, then grunted. "It's not an emotional thing. It's... look, I got my balls caught in it once." He paused. "<i>Once</i>. Never again."

She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up and he gave her an impressive side eye.

"Not a joke," he grumbled, rubbing the rough skin. "It happened."

"I know, I'm sorry. Really. You just looked so -"

"Yeah, I know." This time his lips twitched in a small smile. "It's funny <i>now</i>. It certainly wasn't funny <i>then</i>." He lifted himself up and shimmied out of his pants next without warning, causing her eyebrows to shoot up. Aizawa wore snug, black boxer briefs with grey trim - much like his outer outfits. They fit snugly on his skin, showcasing his prominent erection.

Aizawa turned smoothly at the waist to face her. "You're next," he told her with a much wider grin.

They wrestled together on the bed until both were nude. His palms were calloused but gentle, his touch eager though he held himself back - she could tell by the way he trembled.

And when he finally entered her it was a shocking, electric thrill she did not expect.

"Oh god, baby <i>yesss</i>!"

Aizawa paused and squeezed his eye shut tightly, breathing hard. "Kitten," he hissed through clenched teeth, "if you make sounds like that I'm <i>not</i> going to last long."

"Sounds? What... oh. Ohhh." She laughed weakly, shivering in anticipation of his next move. "Look, I'll try, but I can't control that. Especially not when you're making sounds I like, too!"

He grunted then took a deep breath. "Fair enough. Can you raise your left leg here?"

Elly lifted where he indicated, then gasped. "Oh!"

His grin was fierce. "Thank you. Now that I've got my balance back, you might want to hold on." He took a long, deep breath, bunching all of his muscles to prepare himself to go all out.

She swore softly as her orgasm burst through her. It was quick but strong and she was left bewildered, clinging to him in the aftermath. It took Aizawa a few seconds more, but when his release came he gasped, stuffing his hot face in the crook of her neck as he shuddered through it.

They paused for a moment, locked together and breathing hard as their bodies cooled. Eventually the harsh pants stilled into regular breathing and Aizawa lifted his head to look into her eyes. His gaze was by far the softest she'd ever seen and she smiled back.

"I think this was a <i>very</i> constructive session," he said with a perfectly straight face.

Elly blinked in surprise at the joke and whapped him gently on the arm. "Shota!"

"What?" She watched in amazement as he flashed her a very real, rather handsome smile. "I could get into therapist on a regular basis."

"You mean therapy!"

"I know what I said."

Into your Arms

 It was early morning at U.A, the mist from sunrise hardly cleared and birds just starting to chirp in the cool air. The students were still asleep, but the teachers were slowly waking to get ready for the day.

Present Mic banged open the door to the teachers' office with unnecessary force, trying to act more awake than he felt. This usually worked for him, not counting the tall cup of coffee he held in one gloved hand. Today, however, he could tell something was off as soon as he greeted the room.

"Morning, everyone!"

Silence.

No... there was a faint sound. He spotted his friend at the desk section but the sound came from the right. The head counselor was leaning against the coffee machine, slumped over oddly. Her purple striped tail lay listlessly on the floor and her eyes were unfocused.

"Hey." She tried what might have been a wave but her hand flopped at her side as if she couldn't quite move it.

"Ches? You okay there?" He set his coffe down, his eyes not breaking contact.

Elly did not look okay. She wobbled unsteadily back and forth, frowning lightly in confusion. "I don't know," she mumbled, blinking as she struggled to focus. "I can't... I'm so hot -"

Hizashi exclaimed in surprise as she staggered forward. He moved fast, gripping her under the arms when she might have fallen. "Whoa there!"

"Mic..?"

"You almost ate shit there, babe." He glanced around but it was only Aizawa, who stared blandly back at him. "Okay, okay, I'll take you to the nurse. C'mon."

"Nurse?" Her head lolled forward and came to rest on his chest as he picked her up. He could feel the heat through his shirt and winced; she was far too hot.

"Yeah. S'okay, we'll get you checked out and make sure. Then you can nap."

"Nap..." She sighed and closed her eyes.

To his complete astonishment the counselor actually did fall asleep on the walk to Recovery Girl's office. He found out when he was about to place her on one of the cots and decided to keep holding her instead. 

Chiyo's side-eye was strong as she approached them, speaking volumes without saying a word as he cradled her in his arms. She did, however, have to ask medical questions. "What's the story, Mic? Did she pass out?"

Hizashi shook his head. "Nah, she fell asleep, I think. She was really hot and kept wobbling all around when I got in."

"Hmmm." The elderly nurse checked her pulse and then temperature. "She's skirting the edges of a high fever - high enough for concern, but..." She checked her tablet, nodded, and sat back on her desk chair to think.

"Is she gonna be okay?"

Chiyo smiled at him. "Yes. She's got some autoimmune diseases and they can cause this sometimes, especially if she's stressed. It looks like she pushed herself too far this time. Probably didn't get enough sleep."

"Whew," he let out a relieved sigh. "I thought she was worse. That's good to hear."

"So! She's going to need to stay hydrated, and eat on the regular like any other day even if she feels like she doesn't want to. Snacking will be fine, you need to make sure she doesn't pass out with her blood pressure being low."

"But - what, me? I can't leave --"

"I'll excuse you <i>both</i> for the day," she went on as if she hadn't heard him, "so you can look after her. That's all right, isn't it?"

Hizashi grinned hugely, cuddling the warm bundle in his arms. "Perfect. Thanks, Chiyo."

"Yeah, yeah." She flapped a hand at him dismissively. "You're young and in love. You'll take care of her just fine."

His face turned bright red. "<i>What</i>?! I'm not, I mean, she's not, obviously..."

The nurse gave him a hard look. "Don't bullshit me, Mic."

"But -"

"I'm old, Yamada, and I've seen this play out a million times. Go make her feel better."

Hizashi sighed, giving up. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." He gently picked up the limp body of the counselor, careful to drape her tail over so it didn't drag on the ground. As he was leaving he paused at the door. "Was I really that obvious?"

She gave him an amused look. "Everyone knows except you two."

He thought about that while he drove them home. It was probably true and he knew the others would tease him after today. What bothered him wasn't that - everyone always ribbed on him -- but he was angry that he'd <i>waited</i> this long. 

He parked, got into the elevator and rode up to his suite with the lightly snoring woman held carefully in his arms. It was only when he set her down in his bed that she stirred, opening her eyes.

"Mic..?" She blinked blearily up at him. "What?"

He gently pulled the covers up around her. "You're at my suite in the city, babe. You passed out or fell sleep or something."

"For how long?!"

"Long enough to make me worry." He smiled reassuringly at her when she stammered an apology. "No, babe, it's not yer fault and I don't mind. I want to help you."

She flopped down on the pillow, her ears askew. "Ughhh. This is <i>not</i> how I wanted to end up in your bed."

Hizashi's ears turned bright red all at once. "Excuse-me-<i>what</i>?"

"You heard me." She shrugged. "I was in your arms and barely remember, now your bed and nothing's gonna happen."

"Whoooooa, you really lose your filter when you feel bad, don'tcha? You're not even like this drunk."

Elly snorted, shaking her head. "You haven't seen me really drunk."

"Wh - but..?"

"Can't get too drunk in public. Sober is safe."

He looked a little sad, then thinking of drinks he remembered, reaching for a bottle of water on the nightstand. "Speaking of - Chiyo said you gotta stay hydrated. There's water in the pitcher on the table there."

"Thanks."

"All right, you get some sleep. I'm gonna clean up." He slapped his knees getting up and walked briskly towards the hallway. "Oh, and ...Ches?"

She yawned, her voice distorted by the sound. "Myeah?"

"I'll always make sure you're safe." He snapped the light switch off and closed the door behind him as he left.

Hizashi changed out of his hero outfit and showered, preferring to wash his signature spike out instead of leave it to be touched up the next day. The fact that Elly loved his hair was a big factor in his decision, and he wondered as he dried and looped it into a loose ponytail how she might react. He didn't have too much time to reflect, however, because when he opened the bathroom door he heard muffled sobbing coming from the bedroom. Alarmed, he rushed over to check on his patient.

"Babe? You okay?"

She whimpered and shook her head. "<i>Can't</i> sleep."

He looked worried. "Have you not slept this whole time?"

Elly shook her head. "Everything hurts."

"Ohhhh noooo." He sat beside her and stroked her ears back. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"Not your fault."

"You want me to stay this time until you fall asleep?"

"Yes." She blinked back exhausted tears. "Please?"

"I'll do whatever it takes." Hizashi pursed his lips. "Hey, uh, ya wanna listen to some music? I can find some relaxing stuff." He dug around in his pocket for his phone, but stopped when she shook her head again.

"Your voice is better."

"Ohhh..?" He blinked, startled. "You want me to keep talking?"

Elly let her head fall fully back and scooted as close to him as she could get. She reached out and placed a shaky hand on his leg and closed her eyes. "Talk to me," she muttered.

"Uh, okay. Would a story do? I dunno what to say -"

"Yeah."

"Okay..." Hizashi rubbed his mustache points with a hand, thinking. "So, I guess, one day a really pretty lady that had furry little cat ears and a stripey tail got sick. Like, nothing that serious! Just a little fever from workin' too much, ya dig?

"She keeled right over in front of her friend, who rushed her to the nurse where they worked. That's how he knew she pushed herself too hard, but it was nothing bad... she just needed rest. 

"So he, ah, took her home. It was quieter here - <i>uh, there!</i> -- and she could sleep better. But it turns out she still had trouble."

Elly sighed and tugged on the leg she was holding. He gently removed her hand and replaced it with a piece of bedsheet for her to clutch instead. 

"When she woke up after finally fallin' asleep she saw there were flowers on the table next to her. She was shocked, 'cause that seemed weird, but..." He trailed off as he heard her snoring and tiptoed quietly out.

Elly woke up in a cool, dark place with the soft, golden glow of a lava lamp nearby the only light. She was laying on silk sheets that smelled in her sleepy, not-awake brain like comfort and ...flowers?

<i>What</i>? <i>Why the fuck did I think th</i>-

There was a gorgeous bouquet of flowers sitting on the nightstand near the lamp. 

She jolted upright, the sheets sliding off her as she gasped. "Hizashi?!"

"Heyyyyy, there she is!" Hizashi was right there smiling broadly at her. "Feeling better? That yell certainly sounded healthy." He chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed.

"How - how did I..?"

Instead of answering, he reached out and gently held up the sheet for her with a light cough. Elly's bodysuit had shifted during sleep and was exposing the upper swell of her cleavage. She grasped the fabric and, blushing, held it there clutched in both hands before she remembered the zipper.

He waited until she fixed herself before nodding. "You got woozy at school and Chiyo told me to take care of you."

"Oh." She paused, her tired brain struggling to catch up. "<i>Ohhhhh</i>. Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such a pain."

"Pain?" He frowned.

"You know, in the ass," she added drily.

He laughed loudly, slapping the bed with an open palm and rolling his eyes for good measure. "Ha! Babe, there's <i>no freakin' way</i> you could possibly be a pain to me. You needed help! I'm just happy you're not mad."

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Well I, uh." He blushed a little harder than when he'd offered her the sheets for her modesty before. "You're in my <i>bed</i>."

"Yeah, but <i>you</i> weren't in it or anything." She paused, then her ears slowly lowered until they were sticking out sideways. "You weren't, were you?"

Hizashi jumped guiltily. "Nuh-uh! Nope! I only sat on the edge - <i>like this!</i> -- to make sure you were okay a few times." He bounced a little as if to prove his point.

"Of course you weren't." She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I know you're a good person. I'm just weirded out that I was helpless and it's messing with my head."

He nodded rapidly. "It's okay, babe. You got heated up and started talking funny. I figured you were out of it."

Elly slowly turned to him. "I did <i>what</i>," she asked in a flat voice.

"Nothing..."

"<i>What did I</i> say, <i>Hizashi</i>?"

He gulped. "Kinda, um. Insinuated that you wanted me in bed with you and... stuff."

She went absolutely white all at once, a startling contrast to her flushed cheeks. "Ohmigod."

"Uh... it's okay!" He placed his palm on the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "You didn't realize what you were sayin', I, uh, won't hold you to it or nothing. Really." He paused, spinning the red bracelet he was wearing on one wrist. "You were dazed and stuff, plus it's not like you actually <i>like</i> me."

"Whaaaat?"

"C'mon," he laughed nervously. "We're close enough you realize the way I am. Nobody gets <i>closer</i>. I always wondered when you'd start pushing me away like everyone else does. I'm a lot to handle," he rushed on, his voice strained. "I know that, I work too much, get bombed on my only days off and I'm, well, fuck. Annoying."

"<i>What</i>?" Her frown grew deeper.

Hizashi ignored her, caught up in his thoughts. "You're the only one that goes with me to lunch an' stuff. The only one that listens to me." He laughed, a strange, soft chuckle that sounded more like a gasp for air than mirth. "And that's your job, so of course ya do."

"I spend time with you because I like you."

"You do? For real?"

"Yes!"

"Oh." He grimaced, running his hand through his hair. "Well. Uh... ignore the pity party I dumped on you, then? Shit. I sound like an idiot."

"It's okay. I didn't know you felt that way, though. I thought I was being way too obvious about how much I like you." She decided to change the subject when she saw his eyes widen in shock. "Did you get those flowers because of the story you were telling me? And how does it end, anyway? I fell asleep before you finished!"

"Well, then..." He took a deep breath and handed her the spray. There were many beautiful flowers but she noticed something odd. 

"One of these is fake? That's weird."

"It'll make sense, I promise." He took them from her and placed them safely back on the small table. "So, yeah, there were these flowers and it was weird, 'cause one of them wasn't real. So she asked him what was up with the fake one?"

"Uh huh."

"He solemnly told her he would love her until all the flowers in the bouquet died." Hizashi sat back and waited with a wildly beating heart while she processed this information. Eventually he saw that her eyes were filled with tears when she looked up at him.

"That's... that's so..."

He leaned close without realizing, drawn in by her expression with his ears starting to burn. "So what, babe?"

Elly's lips twitched and she flicked him on the nose with a finger. "...cheesy, you dork!"

He started laughing. "Hey!"

"You could've just told me."

"Yeah, but you deserve more attention... 'specially after dropping like that on me!" Hizashi paused. "I guess I better start keeping an even closer eye on you, huh? Don't want my girl hurting herself."

"I feel better already."