Seeing is Believing

"Sea Sharp? Really?" Elly stared at the villain rather blankly. He was dressed as a pirate, complete with a peg leg and obligatory eye patch.

"Ha! You'll be changing your tune, kitty, the minute you get wind of my quirk!"

"High pitched noise? No, thank you." She faded into invisibility. Once disappeared into thin air, she pulled her mask up. "Besides, I think we may have one upped you here."

Present Mic glared at the other man. "Back off, man," he warned. "You've got ears, and, voice quirk or not, there's a world of difference between a nobody villain and a pro hero."

Sharp chuckled. "Try me, then."

They were astonished to find out that the man's quirk reflected sound back at a higher frequency. This meant if he timed it properly, he could use Mic as his own weapon of mass destruction.

Elly froze, momentarily stunned, and the poor hero stared at what had until recently been the very sturdy walls of a nearby building. He blinked, shocked, slowly coming out of his quirk pose with his arms thrown back and hands open. His fingers twitched as he stared at the destruction. Glass had also shattered in an impressive radius around them and the anguished cries of animals and anthro type humans could be heard far into the distance. Elly was only partially muffled by her respirator and he could hear her mewing as well.

"Warned you." Sharp shrugged, unconcerned. "That's all on you, hero."

He glared at him angrily and pressed his lips together, sealing them shut.

The fight went on for a short while, Elly skirting the field and trying to get close enough to make an impact. Unfortunately without his quirk and in close range combat, Mic was at a tremendous disadvantage. He picked up a bunch of cuts and bruises from well-timed blows and then a lucky kick from the sturdy peg leg sent him sprawling to the ground. Sharp laughed cruelly and raised his sword.

"No! Mic!" Desperate, she flung herself in front of his crumpled form, taking the thrust instead. It went in just under her ribs on the right side, and she stiffened and fell.

"Ugh, self sacrifice," the villain spat. "That's far more than heroism calls for. I think this one has a crush you, Present Mic."

Elly raised her now-visible head and coughed, a frightening amount of blood gushing from her pale lips before dropping fully to the ground. She did not move again.

"Oops," Sharp murmured, tapping his leg on the pavement. "Looks like she had a crush is the more appropriate tense."

Mic clenched his fists and dragged himself to his feet. He stumbled, but managed to stay upright. Chunks of his once proud, blond hair were stained with blood and falling down to hang about his shoulders and he was missing a studded shoulder pad. Amazingly enough, although his face was scratched and bruised his sunglasses were intact. He pushed them farther up his nose and took a deep breath.

"You're not going to try that again, are you? I'll just raise your pitch double what I did last time. You'll end up putting half the populace in the hospital." He glanced at Elly laying in a growing puddle of blood. "Or the morgue along with your crazy girlfriend."

His mouth a grim white line, the leather-clad hero launched himself at the man's blind side and threw the hardest punch he could.

Elly woke in a cool, white room. She did not feel any pain and knew from the light weight in her arm there was an IV attached. She was in the hospital.

"Oh thank frikkin' god," a familiar voice choked beside her.

"M - Mic?" She coughed weakly.

"Here - the nurse, uh, said you could have this when you woke up." A straw banged her lip and she accepted it gratefully, pulling in some cool water to wet her dry throat.

She sighed, blinking hard to focus when he took the cup back. "Hizashi," she said with some surprise. He had time to clean up and change and was no longer his hero persona. His forehead sported a single haphazardly placed band aid and nothing about him looked injured. "How long..?"

"You've been out about a day." His face was pale and drawn, unlike his usual cheerful self. Something else was different about him and she frowned, trying to think.

"What happened to your hair?!"

He coughed. "Sharp tried to cut me, but missed. Well..." He pointed, turning so she could see half of it had been raggedly hacked off. "Sort of. He didn't miss all of me."

"Oh, Hizashi. That's like, your trademark..."

"Shit, girl! Forget the hair! You damn near bit the big one!" He rubbed a tired hand at his eyes under his glasses. "F - fu ... ah, shit. Why'd you do that? You didn't need to!"

"He was trying to hurt you." She closed her eyes.

"Uh uh, kiddo." He flicked her on the nose and she mewed, surprised. "Look at me. You. Did not. Have to do that. Why? Why put your life on the line? You shoulda waited and ambushed him!"

She lowered her ears, sinking down into the plain white hospital bed sheet. "I don't know. I just couldn't let you get hurt that bad."

"Shit," he repeated. "Okay. You're gonna promise me, then..." He patted the blanket where her hand should be and she slowly withdrew the one not hooked up to the IV. She gasped when he took it very gently in his. "Please don't do anything like that. Don't take unnecessary risks. "

She was about to say that's what heroes did when she saw the pain in his green eyes. He had thought her dead and it was still very fresh in his mind.

Elly sheepishly nodded. "I'll be more careful. Sorry."

"Okay, okay." He looked up at the ceiling, his foot tapping restlessly on the floor. Their hands were still entwined as he fidgeted nervously. "All right. I'm just gonna say it, otherwise I'll chickenshit out like the last few times."

"Say it?"

"I think I'm in love with you. Okay, no, shit - yeah. I am. No 'think', just... am." He scrunched his face up in anxiety as he babbled. "I, uh, love you."

"Wait, wait, Hizashi - the last few times?"

He bit his lip, blushing furiously. "Yeah."

"You mean you felt this way before the fight?!"

"Uh... yeah."

"That's why I threw myself in front of you, you adorable idiot!" Elly raised herself up on her elbow. "I couldn't bear to let you get hurt because I love you. I thought - I thought..." She trailed off, realizing what she had half yelled right in his face. A nurse peeked in, concerned about the noise, and smiled when he saw the two so close together.

"Ohhh, shitfuck." Hizashi's eyes went even wider. "You love me too?"

She groaned. "I didn't want you hurt. I never thought you felt the same way."

His mustache twitched. "Y'mean Sharp was right?"

"Ugh. Yes. Yes, he was." She sighed. "About me, anyway. And if you can call what I feel a simple crush... I wouldn't, though."

"Oooooh." Hizashi had regained some of his normal goofy nature. He leaned forward so their noses were nearly touching, his glorious green eyes wide. "Does this mean I can finally do this?"

"Do what?"

Their noses touched.

He brushed past with a devilish grin on his face, his eyes closing, and lightly set his lips on hers. Elly immediately kissed him in some sort of instinctual reflex, moving against him and opening her mouth for deeper access. She felt her lips tingle when he hummed with pleasure, pressing firmer and slipping a careful tongue inside. They finished one and just as quickly started another, and another, starved for each other and giddy that they were both alive.

They would have kept it up except for a loud, less-than-polite clearing of someone's throat nearby. Hizashi parted from the patient guiltily, a light blush staining his cheeks.

"Um. Sorry... hey! Shota!"

The dark clothed man was standing there hunched over with a grimace on his pale face. "If you two love birds are done here, we need to bring Chiyo in again before she can get released." He rubbed at the back of his neck with one hand, absently nodding to Elly.

"I'm ready?"

"Almost." Recovery Girl came bustling in and smacked Hizashi's hand off of hers.

"Hey!"

"Oh, shush. You'll have plenty of time to be lovey later. She needs one more treatment or they won't let her go today."

It took a few hours, but the staff let her go eventually.

Hizashi wheeled her out of the doors himself, his expression elated with a giant smile on his face. She stood up at the street and the nurse that followed nodded to them and took the chair back in.

Elly sighed and covered her eyes with one hand. "Ow," she muttered to herself. "It's bright."

He heard anyway and laughed. "Yeah, you were in that artificial light too long. Here." Placing a gentle hand on her waist, he helped guide her to the waiting car that would take them back to the campus.

"Ahhh." She sat and bounced around a bit on the comfy padded cushion. "The school has nice cars, don't they?"

"They do. Cosy." He sat close to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

She giggled. "You're making it cosy, silly. But I don't mind!"

"Good." He watched the scenery pass out the window for awhile until they were close to the complex the teachers lived in. "Hey, did I tell you we have the day off? Both of us?"

"Awesome!"

The car stopped and he got out, putting up a hand to stop her when she would have crawled after him. He rushed around to her side instead, opening her door with a florid bow marred only a little by his sheepish grin.

Elly laughed again and stepped out after thanking the driver.

"So, ah, what do you want to do?" He glanced around nervously as the car pulled away.

She took his hand. He jumped a little but then grinned down at her, his eyebrows raised. "Anything is perfect," she told him happily. "Anything at all."

Counseling: The Bag

"Ha! That show is on again." Hizashi snickered as he watched. "Babe? The one with the, uh... yeah! <i>Beavis and Butthead</i>!"

"Ohhhh, wow. I used to laugh at some of these a lot back then." She giggled wickedly when she thought of a quote and turned to see her boyfriend had pulled his shirt over his head. "Oh god, no, Zashi..!"

They laughed for a solid ten minutes straight, wheezing and clutching their stomachs in pain towards the end.

"No more... m'gonna barf."

"Ugh," she agreed, wincing. "'Sides, I just remembered one of my little stories from my past."

"That'll get us to stop laughing, all right."

"This one's about my grandfather. I brought a date home and he asked, '<i>Who is this butthead?</i>', so I told him it was someone from work that I was dating." She smiled a little. "See, he instantly didn't like him. In all the time I knew him, he never once liked any of my boyfriends. And really, he was right. They were horrible."

Hizashi squeezed her tightly. "I hope I'm doing better."

"Zashi," she scolded him gently. "You know you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I try to tell you at least once a week."

"Aww. I know, m'just teasing."

"I wish he could have met you," she said softly, a tear slipping out of her eye. "I do miss him. But this is about what he said next. He sat me down and explained that they had this saying in the army about girls."

"Uh oh." She felt him tremble, and brought his arm up to kiss his wrist. 

"Yeah. They'd say, '<i> Put a bag over her head!</i>' if the lady was ugly. You know, they would screw her anyway, in other words..."

"<i>You are not ugly!</i>" Hizashi completely lost his temper this time, and, unable to hold back, he flailed about, gesturing with his one free hand and knocking the couch throw pillows on the ground. "What the everloving <i>fuck</i>, babe! What is wrong with your family?!"

She shrugged. "No clue. If they wanted me to feel completely bad about myself, they managed it. <i>Everyone</i> told me I was ugly: the kids at school, my family. What was I supposed to think?"

On the muted television in front of them Beavis was staggering around for some reason or another. Cartoon hijinks that hurt no one in their animated world. Hizashi sighed and closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure. "I wish you could have seen it. I wish that, for one second even, back then you could had seen that you were beautiful."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "It would have taken a lot."

"I think it might have taken just me."

"You're a lot," she murmured. "To me, anyway."

Stupid's Arrow

Some teachers at UA ate in all the time.

They had great food when Lunchbreak was working and no real need to leave. But sometimes there was a desire to get away from campus for awhile.

Today was one of those days.

Some were going to get lunch out, paired off in sections both by friendliness and coincidence. Present Mic was ecstatic because the counselor didn't rush off for other groups; she went with him! His friend Aizawa was thrilled as well with the arrangement, since it meant his friend didn't sulk by him as he napped. The two were headed towards the gates on a beautiful, sunny spring afternoon when she heard him exclaim loudly.

He yelped. "Ow!" She turned to see the Voice Hero rubbing his leather-clad rear with no embarrassment whatsoever, only indignant surprise. "The hell?"

Elly blinked. "There's a tiny ... what is that?! Stay still."

Too late. Mic had gone white with panic, hopping around trying to view his own behind. "Holy shit, was it a bug? Did I get stung?"

"I can't see," she sighed, rubbing a weary but affectionate hand over her eyes. He could seem so goofy, especially in moments like this, but she knew this man was loyal, courageous and highly intelligent. It was extremely hard not to giggle at him now, though, as he bounced around slapping at the spot and staring around with wide eyes in the air for the culprit. "Let's go back. We can ask Chiyo what it was."

"She's not looking at my butt!" He gave her an odd stare suddenly. "Um. Are you?" His ears burned.

"Yep. And you're going to the nurse. Come on."

Recovery Girl removed what looked like a little, two-inch stinger from the man's back end. She held it up so they could see and he went two shades whiter in terror while his eyes rolled back in his head.

"That bug had to have been huge!" He fainted, collapsing onto the cot face down.

"This is an arrow, not a stinger," the older woman told Elly firmly, ignoring the entomophobic hero. "It's that time of year again." She rolled her eyes.

"What does that mean?" She patted his hand gently in concern. "Come on, Mic."

"We've got this... well, fella's not so much a villain as a troublemaker, really. Comes around this time of year and likes to muck things up." She glanced down at the tall man on the cot, pursing her lips. "Fancies himself helping, he does."

"Helping?" His hand squeezed hers, and she smiled down in relief. "Mic? You okay?"

"M'better than okay," he choked. His prescription sunglasses had slipped and she could see his wide, spiralling green eyes. They were fixed on her in utter and complete adoration.

"Yeah... no, he kind of isn't. See, the troublemaker calls himself 'Cupid'."

It was the Insanity Hero's turn to pale. One of her eyelids twitched as he pulled himself to a sitting position directly in front of her. "Um. You said what?"

"I never told you I think you're pretty, kitty, did I?"

Recovery Girl chuckled wickedly. "I'll arrange things with the staff for the rest of the day. You two go have fun."

"Chiyo!"

"Ohhh, relax. That's all he needs to do - both of you. It'll wear off in awhile. Get changed, take a shower. Might help a bit."

Mic was holding her hand to his chest like he never wanted to let go. In fact, she was afraid he wouldn't. "But..."

"C'mon, baby, we gotta do what she says, right?"

"Oh, god, what if he... but..!"

"Don't worry. He's a good man. Besides, in this state he'll do whatever you tell him. So no fear. Now get!" She shooed them out the door.

Elly had been right.

Present Mic did not relinquish her hand all the way through school and the entire length of campus until they reached his apartment door. As he fumbled with the lock, she would have excused herself to change but he clung to her arm.

"Don't leave me," he whimpered.

"Mic, I'm only a few doors down."

"Please?" He bit his lip, his face taking on that adorable, sheepish grin she loved.

Swearing softly to herself, she followed him in, removing her cat's paw boots and gloves along with the neck gear she wore. The bodysuit would have to wait. He dumped his own, larger neckwear on the counter and bit the leather of one glove between his teeth to remove it.

She glanced quickly away, her face burning. "You should get cleaned up. Chiyo said it might do you some good."

"Aww." He pouted cutely, his expression so pathetically sad that she laughed despite herself.

"I'll wait here. You can see me when you're done."

"Ohhh - kay."

Elly sat on his fuzzy couch, listening to him sing in the shower and afterward, while he got dressed in his regular clothing. Her heart was beating so fast she could barely breathe. The smell of the steam from the bathroom - his bathroom, she reminded herself giddily -- was sweet, filling her sensitive cat's nose with his clean scent. She lay in a half doze until she felt a light touch on her face.

"Surprise," he hummed suggestively from directly beside her.

"Wh - Mic! What was that?"

"I'm not Mic now." He pointed at himself, clearly not dressed in his work clothes anymore. "Oh! And that was for me to know an' you to find out, cutie." He grinned and placed a fingertip on her nose.

"Yamada..."

He gave her an even sadder look than before. "So formal?"

"I - you want me to call you Hizashi?"

He nodded happily, leaning towards her so as to cuddle. Elly bit her lip and stayed still, her body stiff and unyielding. Her tailtips thrashed about on the floor as she grew more tense. "Okay, but - ahh, Hizashi? You're not going to want to be doing that when you snap out of it."

"Who says?" He tilted his head, his chin nuzzling her shoulder. "You really need to chill out, though. Am I that freaky?"

She could feel his warm breath puffing on her sensitive throat. "N - no! I just told you, when you're, well, yourself later, anything you do now might be awkward. I understand," she added quickly, "you can't help it. But you might get embarrassed or upset."

"I am upset." He sighed and sat back up. "I want to see that beautiful smile of yours. You're all tensed up, though. Hey, now," he murmured as a thought struck him. "You want me to give you a massage?"

His fingertips ghosted along her neck, walking ticklishly along her hairline. Unable to hold her emotions in any more, she held her hands to her face and wept as quietly as she could.

"Oh, noooo," he choked, jerking back and stroking the backs of her hands instead. "Babe, you okay? How can I fix it?"

"You can't fix things," she choked. "Look, you don't really love me. It's that stupid man's quirk. And I think he's more than Chiyo suggested. Only a villain would give people hope like this when there is none."

Hizashi wrinkled his nose, scrunching the points of his mustache up. "Uh... Ches? Babe?"

"Oh, just let me cry. I can't hold it in until you go back to normal and I leave."

"I am back to normal."

"What?"

"I've been myself for at least the last ten minutes."

Her ears wilted, and she turned away from him with an embarrassed groan. "We're done here, then. Sorry, I - uhhh, got caught up in everything. That's all."

"No... oh, no ya don't." He peeled her hands gently away so she couldn't hide from him. "What's this, huh? You crying 'cause of me?"

"No," she protested vehemently. "I'm crying because of that horrible man and what he did to you. But you're okay now, right? So I'll just go."

He snorted in dismissal, shaking his head. "Nuh uh. There's no way I'm letting you leave now." He kept hold of her hands as he spoke.

"Come on, I'm fine. Really!"

"Don't hide from me, please," he pleaded when she tried to drop her head to avoid his gaze.

She sighed loudly. "Fine. Let's get my humiliation over with, then. Quickly, if you would, H - Hiz ... err, Yamada."

He gripped her hands tighter in his and tugged, causing her to become off balance. She fell directly into his waiting arms, stunned and more than a little confused. His t-shirt was soft, the black dress one he wore over it slightly heavier. Although he wore no leather in his casual clothing, he still carried the faint scent of it about him, as well as a bubblegum-like smell of hair product.

"See, uh, I was mortified when I realized I'd been babbling, fawning all over you like an over eager puppy." His hands stroked her hair, rubbing her furry ears. "That's a helluva thing for you to put up with, since I thought you didn't like me that way."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." He squeezed lightly. "You get it, princess? I'm in love with you, too. I was offerin' that massage when I was sober."

"You are? You were?"

"What does a guy gotta do to prove himself around here..? Oh! I know!" He lifted her up and in one swift move pressed his lips to hers, kissing her so passionately that she actually swooned. Hizashi's arms held her up even when they parted, breathing heavily.

"Wow," she gasped.

He set his forehead on hers, grinning. "Yeah, wow. Really wow."

"Maybe that guy isn't so bad, after all," she murmured, wrapping her arms around him while he bent for another kiss.

"Mnn, yeah baby."

The List: Praise

"You wanted to talk to me about tonight's play?" Elly kissed the underside of his chin, purring. They were sitting on the couch, fully dressed in casual clothing since they had just gotten back from eating dinner.

"Mmn," he hummed, closing his bleary eyes as she mouthed his scruff. "I heard that a lot of people get turned on by being overly praised by their partners."

"Mm hmm. Praise can be a powerful aphrodisiac."

"I don't accept a lot of it from outside sources." He shrugged. "When you tell me something, though, it feels different."

"Better?" She moved up and licked at his dry lips.

Aizawa frowned, pulling her into his lap even as he deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth. "Nmm. Much better," he breathed. "When you say it, I don't mind."

"Like your nickname," she suggested slyly.

He wrinkled his nose a little. "It's so ridiculous," he sighed, "but perhaps that's why it works."

"Aw, it's not ridiculous. I love you, baby."

He thrust his lower lip out in a hard pout. She laughed and threw her arms around him, kissing him once more. They kept this up, panting into each other's mouths and using their tongues and teeth. Elly slid her hand down his soft shirt to his slacks.

"You're such a big boy, Shota. Look how hard you got just from kisses."

He choked a little, blushing and struggling to hide his embarrassment. "Uh."

"And shy. So cute." She rubbed her nose in an affectionate manner on his. "Do you want to make love, baby?"

"I do." He turned and met her for another kiss. "I want to please you, my queen. So much of this play has been for me. But this time, I think it can be good for you, too."

"I'd like that."

"I'm still going to devote an entire weekend to you one day soon," he promised fervently. "You just need to write down what you want, and I'll try anything at least once."

"I'll remember that." She nibbled on his lower lip and he groaned, opening his mouth for her.

"Softly," he whispered.

"Romantic? Oh, Shota..." The kiss was long and impossibly gentle. Her sweetest spot down below was throbbing by the time they parted, and he was as obviously turned on. "That was very, very good."

"Would you like more?"

"I want to feel your hands on my breasts," she murmured. "My nipples are aching for your touch ... and your mouth."

He growled lowly. "This is amazing. C'mere. I'm going to tease you until you weep." His fingers deftly caressed her left breast and then tweaked the firm nipple.

"Shota Aizawa... what are you doing to me?"

He chuckled.

She made as if to yank the shirt over her head but he stopped her. "No, just lift it. I know one of your kinks is keeping clothes on while we mess around."

Her breathing sped up. "Unhook the bra, then... it'll hurt if it stays on. There. Good."

He lifted the shirt and ducked partially underneath, his lips seeking and finding her most sensitive nipple. His fingers tugged delicately on the other as he licked and kissed, listening to her soft cries as he teased her. Her fingers stroked his dark hair loose from the bun, and he sighed as it fell down to frame his face.

"That feels amazing, Sho," she whispered. "I'm so excited I'm damn near going to come in my pants."

"That would be interesting," he murmured. "Let's see if it's possible." One hand reached down and rubbed her crotch while he continued to suckle. She moaned and bucked towards his touch, yearning for release. After a few minutes, he bit down and she gasped wildly, arching her back and whimpering.

"Un... believable," she choked.

"Huh. I guess it was possible." He grinned.

"Ummm. I really want to get out of these now, though." She paused. "And I still want you."

"Even better." He grinned. "On the couch?"

"Why not? Give the bed a break," she teased with a twinkle in her purple eyes. "Let's just take off our lower half, though. I really want you to keep this sexy shirt on."

He eyed her incredulously. "Ches, it's just a button down."

"I know," she purred. "You look so hot in it. Unbutton just the top, and it drives me crazy."

Aizawa started to breathe faster. "My queen, you're amazing."

"Really?" She blinked ingeniously up at him as he crawled on top of her, wriggling out of his slacks and underwear.

"Yes. In so many ways."

"Hey... I'm supposed to be praising you, not the other way around."

"I'll do whatever I damn want," he groaned, rubbing himself on her warmth and wetness. "Can't wait any more. Is it okay?"

"Yes."

She grasped the back of his shirt, tugging gently. "Slide in nice and slow..."

"Yes," he gasped.

The next several minutes consisted of such wild thrashing about that every cushion was thrown off the couch, some several feet away.

His ears burned as she continued to moan. "So... good, you're so good! More, please!"

"Ches, Zashi's gonna hear you if you get any louder!" He continued to thrust, panting in her ear. "I heard the door slam; he's home."

"Don't care. Don't stop, Shota, don't stop, please don't stop you're amazing!" Her voice rose in excitement and peaked in a loud, long wail as she shuddered through her orgasm.

Aizawa was flustered but well on his way to his own climax. He pushed thoughts of his friend next door out of his mind and buried his face in her neck, growling deep in his throat.

It was glorious.

There were no embarrassing texts or knocks on the door. The Voice Hero did, however, eye his friend a little curiously when they saw each other next. Aizawa stared blandly back at him as if daring him to bring it up.

Hizashi bit his lip, grinning slyly, and said absolutely nothing.

Wonderland: 20

It was a wonder she made it on the plane, but she played the part of the weary traveler, hiding her tears until she was finally allowed to rest. Elly slumped in her seat holding her hand with the strip of capture weapon curled around it to her cheek. She was happy they had allowed it on the plane, because it was the only comfort she had right now. 

At some point before takeoff a stewardess came by to ask if she needed anything, but she shook her head. The woman went away feeling quite sad for her. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it was clearly hurting her very badly. 

The plane was hours in the sky when Present Mic got a text from his boss about what they had talked about earlier. He waited until Yagi had arrived to substitute his next class and headed out.

Hizashi pulled his orange-tinted sunglasses down, wiping the sweat from his brow with one hand. He stood in front of his friend's door to deliver a message. He knew Aizawa was not in a good mood and was not looking forward to trying to break through the man's defenses. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Go away." 

He groaned. <i>Oh, great. It was going that way already.</i> "Shota, I have really good news you're gonna want to hear about Ches."

The door swung open and he winced. The other man was dressed in a rumpled black shirt and sweatpants. His messier-than-usual black hair hung down around his face, accenting his skin so he looked even more pale and drawn. 

"What."

"Uh, good news. About Ches."

His eyes glared balefully red as his hair swept upright. When he spoke, it was through his teeth, nearly snarling. "You said <i>what</i>? How could anything be good? She's <i>gone.</i>"

"No, wai - !" He cut off in mid-sentence and frowned at his friend, pointing at his throat.

"Shut up."

He mouthed the words in an exaggerated fashion anyway, signing as he did. Aizawa didn't remember much ASL, but he caught enough of it to drop his gaze. "What?!"

"Finally," the Voice Hero coughed. "Damn it, Sho, you know I hate it when you mute me."

"<i>What did you say?</i>"

"Chicken shit, all of 'em," he grumbled. "They made me tell you, even though it's good news." He held a hand out to ward him off as Aizawa clenched his fists. "Ches is accepted! All that crap about not makin' it was a test!"

He didn't even bother to dress formally before crashing into the principal's office for the second time that day.

"I apologize for the - ah, logical ruse," Nezu murmured, steepling his paws on the desk before him. Aizawa glanced at him sourly and he grinned.  

"Since there was a contingency that believed Ms. Cheshire would be a liability due to her illness, I believed the best way to show how dependable she was would be to put her through one of the worst possible scenarios... and show them she was tougher than they thought."

The dark haired man collapsed into a chair. "Leaving me. All of this, a place she finally felt like she, at least partially, belonged."

"Indeed." 

He rolled his head back, staring at the ceiling and rubbing his neck with one hand. "Does she know yet? Is she coming back soon?"

"She was informed at her first layover, which, by the way, was arranged for the possibly of bringing her back. We purchased all the tickets, including those back here. To her new home." He paused and took a sip of tea from the ever-present cup beside him. "I must say, I was not considering how attached you had become to her."

He snapped upright, quickly on guard. "I did nothing unbecoming of a UA staff member. I simply supported my ..." He blushed, but went on, "my loved one. But also, a very talented individual that I believe would be an asset."

Nezu waved a paw airily about. "Don't concern yourself about our little discussion. Your loyalty was never in question. If this hadn't been a clever ploy - if it had been real -- I would gladly have let you take the time off you asked to go to her."

"Thank you, Mr. Principal."

"I never thought I'd see the day you were so smitten with someone." He repeated and shrugged. "I think that's what pulled the larger half of the staff together on this. This woman has to be something special, other than her exemplary records so clearly show. And, like you, Aizawa - we make exceptions for those who are exceptional. You're allowed to sleep whenever you get the chance. We'll eventually work things out with Ms. Cheshire, as the kids call her, the same way."

Wonderland: 19

Aizawa barely slept.

He woke, groggy and with a horrible dull headache that even coffee and a shower couldn't break. His phone buzzed with a text as he was sucking disheartened on an energy drink pouch, tying his hair back as he got ready to pick Elly up for the somber drive to the airport.

Nemuri: It's for the best, you know. It will be all right, you'll see!

Aizawa snarled at the glowing screen and blocked her from texting him. He would have to unblock her later - school policy said teachers had to be accessible to each other -- but damned if he was going to answer that or put up with that shit today.

Everything seemed to happen quickly, fast but not enough to lessen the pain.

Yagi came by in the school limousine and they both picked her up from the hotel. They drove on in complete silence, Elly clinging to her boyfriend and shivering with repressed emotions. She had to try and control herself but it was going to be one of the hardest things she ever had to do. The exhausted homeroom teacher sat with his arms wrapped around her, his face buried in her hair. Each had barely slept the night before and again, their eyes were matched in flecks of red and dark shadows.

When the car stopped he sighed deeply and gently pried her off him. "Time to go, Ches."

"I know." She slid her backpack over one shoulder.

"That's really all you had?" Yagi looked astonished.

"Yep. I would have bought more if I stayed." Elly stepped out and waited for them to catch up.

"Over here?" Aizawa checked her ticket and nodded. "You'll have to go through customs. We have to leave you before that."

"Um. I think that this is the closest we can come." The skeletal man beside them pointed.

"Okay. Then I guess this is it." Her ears drooped.

"I very much wanted you to stay, Ms. Cheshire," he said, clasping his hands together. "Most of us were sorry to hear the news. Please do not think badly of us."

She smiled, then spoke quietly in English to avoid passersby hearing. "I know, All Might. I appreciate your support - everyone's, really. It means a lot to me."

He smiled sadly and stepped back.

Aizawa had been holding her hand since they got out of the car. He moved it now to cradle against his chest. His other reached into a pocket of his slacks and pulled out a small strip of familiar, silvery cloth. As he placed it in her hand it automatically wound itself about her wrist, squeezing gently. It took the place of his hand when he let go.

"Here," he whispered brokenly. "It's a piece of an older capture weapon I kept. Though separate, it's part of the whole and I can still control it. They'll allow it through because it's small. If you wear it, whenever I get the chance, I'll literally be in touch."

Elly stared at it for a moment, biting her lip harder than before. Then she slowly smiled through her tears. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He hugged her a final time, his heart breaking when he heard her breathing deeply to take in his scent. "I'll keep trying to work things out, Ches. If nothing else, I've never taken a vacation and I have a lot of time saved up."

"Thank you." She kissed him softly on the cheek, but he turned so their mouths met.

Yagi was holding a sodden tissue to his eyes as they parted. "Aizawa, I'm sorry. I had hoped ..."

"Yes." He watched her duck through the first set of gates and mingle into the crowd to disappear in the sea of humanity bustling about. "So had I."

They stayed for a few minutes, ostensibly for a bathroom break but really to give Aizawa time to pull himself together. In a very short time he was back, nodding to his colleague that he was ready.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes." His voice hardened. "I'm anxious to be back at school so I might chat with our esteemed principal."

"Aizawa -"

He turned to face the tall man, staring up with such a look on his face he immediately shut up.

As soon as they got back he stormed off, purposefully choosing the back halls so fewer students would see him. Those that were unlucky enough to meet him got out of his way as he moved grimly through the halls, his baleful red eyes flashing and his jaw set. He stormed into the principal's office, his hair waving as if in a breeze but not flying completely up as it did when he used his power.

"I'm going to need time off."

Nezu's nose tested the air, wriggling slightly. "Aizawa. You have never taken time off in all the years I've known you." He spun around in his chair. "Why now?"

"Does it matter? I doubt it does at this point. The facts are, I need the time and I'm entitled to it." His mouth settled into a thin, grim line when he wasn't speaking.

The principal sighed. "Look, you're welcome to take as much as is allowed at once. Don't do anything hastily, though. It may work out in the end."

"Oh? Is there some way the board will allow a talented, unique hero they should have hired yet were prejudiced against to come back? Maybe as a janitor?"

"Go home," his boss suggested mildly. "Take the rest of the day off and try to calm down. Keep your phone on you, though - we may need to get in contact."

"Fine. Yes." Aizawa grunted, biting back what he really wanted to say. He nodded curtly before leaving.

Nezu wiped his brow. "Phew. I never thought ... hm." He frowned at the PA system and flicked the switch for the English classroom. "Mr. Yamada, could you come in here a moment?"

"Sir? Yes. Be there in a minute!"

Wonderland: 18

They had gotten together on her last night in Japan, uncertain of what to do. It was difficult to think about what lay ahead for both of them. They ended up eating in at his apartment, unwilling to be apart for more than a few minutes at a time. It was currently late, her flight was early in the morning, yet neither felt like sleeping.

He was kissing her like it would be the last time, aware that was always the possibility. His hands cupped her cheeks and she tangled her fingers in his long, dark hair as they desperately tried to memorize each others' touch, taste, and feel.

"Let me love you, my queen," he pleaded softly, his gray eyes earnestly staring into her own. "Stay with me tonight."

"I'm so sad, Shota. I - I don't want our first time to be when we're both so messed up."

"If this <i>is</i> our last night together..."

"No! It can't be!" She tore away from him and flung herself onto the other side of the couch, weeping openly. Her sobs were so powerful they wracked her body, shaking it violently as she struggled with herself.

"Ches, please. I'm sorry, I only want to be close to you right now. I don't care how!"

"Huh - hold me!"

He reached around to grip her tightly. "I'll go with you," he whispered. "I know you don't want it, but let me walk you as far as I can into the airport. I'll be with you as long as possible."

"Nezu said Yagi was coming," she sniffled.

He made a face. "I don't fucking care if All Might is escorting you or the whole damned school. I'm going as well."

She smiled at his defiance. "Thanks. You know... I know I'm high maintenance, and I have a lot of issues." Aizawa opened his mouth to protest but she laid a finger on his lips. "No - let me finish. I am. It's me, and I can't change that. But I've worked so damned hard to make sure my skills offset the bad, so that I could be seen as worthwhile!"

"I think you're highly underestimated and not being given a proper chance. Your records, your actions, all speak for themselves. You are - " Aizawa paused, sighed, and covered his eyes with a shaky hand. He was unable to continue; his emotions had caught up with him at last. He finished with, "my queen," in a husky voice near to tears.

"Oh my god, Shota, how am I going to do it? How am I guh - gonna make it without you now that I don't ... oh my god!" She buried her face in his chest and cried. 

He stroked her hair, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "Ches, you would never hurt yourself, would you?" 

"What?" She raised her head. He saw her eyes now matched his; they were deeply bloodshot and tired, with dark shadows under them. He wanted to fix it but could only offer kisses. "Do you think I would?" 

"No," he mumbled. "Shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry."

"If I ever did, it would be my decision. I couldn't see myself doing that, though. It would hurt you and I would never do that."

"Yes." He took both her hands in his. "I bleed if you so much as fucking get upset. Like now. I feel <i>useless!</i>" He yelled this loudly, his hair flying upright as he raged.

"People manage to make things work in more difficult situations. Hopefully we can, too." 

"Let me mark you one more time, then. Something. <i>Anything</i>."

"Will it make you feel better?"

"I don't know," he confessed. "I want to give you a piece of me to take with you, but that's impossible."

"Unless you use the cheesy 'you're always in my heart' line," she chuckled weakly.

He snorted. "Too simple. You are. I want to do more."

"It will be enough if we see each other again, in person. That's all I want - to be with you." Her eyes were leaking again, she knew it, she just couldn't seem to stop.

"There is no if, Ches. Just when. I'll <i>make</i> it happen." He paused, then sighed. "Now. It's late, and you need sleep. Let's get you back to the hotel."

He ended up dropping her off and heading back to crash on his couch just as he was. His phone was set to wake him long before her flight so they could be together again for what little time was left.