"Have you got everything?" Hizashi peered into the backseat of his car, squinting sleepily. "It's so early... yer sure not forgetting anything?"
Elly dragged her feet as she walked, her bloodshot eyes just as weary. She stared halfheartedly at the single suitcase and then lifted her backpack she had slung over one shoulder.
"This is fine, honey. Remember how little I had when I first came here. I don't need much and I only need the suitcase because I'm bringing stuff back home."
"A'ight." He climbed into the driver's seat and waited until she buckled in before pulling out of the garage. "Well, shit. You're only gonna be gone a few days but I already miss you."
"I know. I'm really going to miss you, sweetie. I'm not sure how well I can handle staying with my parents."
"If you need me just call."
"It's a thirteen hour time difference -"
He pulled out of the lot, nodding to the attendant on the way. "I know, princess. An' I'm tellin' ya, I don't care. You need me, you call."
"Okay." She stifled a yawn and Hizashi made the decision to pull into a drive-through coffee shop before heading to the airport. He ordered her a sweet and light coffee, as she liked, and a horrendous monstrosity for himself with far too much caramel syrup and whipped cream.
"Here." He handed hers over with a winning smile.
Elly laughed merrily when he covered himself in cream taking his first big sip. "I love you so freaking much."
He grinned at her and winked.
Their farewells were said in the car before she even got into the airport - she had insisted on it to make things easier for them both. Hizashi didn't like this but when she requested anything he always did what she wanted if at all possible. He saw the logic but he had a tough time with letting go quickly. After he got her suitcase he clung to her in front of the car, kissing her neck and holding her so tightly she gasped for air.
"Zashi, I have to breathe," she reminded him quietly. Her voice was trembling and when he saw how much she was holding back he let go.
"Sorry."
"I'll let you know when I get there safe." She bit her lip, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Okay. I love you, baby."
"Love you, too." She squeezed his hand and took a breath, shouldering her pack and picking up her suitcase.
He stood there, his smile faltering as the doors closed behind her and he couldn't see her anymore. His hand slowly dropped to his side and he glanced over, startled, as if realizing at last there were other cars in the drop off section. Hizashi waved an apology to them sheepishly, and the person immediately behind raised their hand and shook their head as if to say, <i>no problem</i>.
He sighed and slid into the seat, preparing himself for the drive back and the long day of worrying about his girl he knew was about to start.
And it was a very long day indeed.
"Hizashi."
The Voice Hero jerked his head up from the stack of homework assignments he was supposed to be grading. He blinked, set his pen down and rubbed his eyes under the prescription sunglasses he wore.
"'Sup, Shota?"
"You don't have any patrols this week, do you?" The scruffy man asked suspiciously. "You're not focusing on anything, and you'll only end up getting in trouble if you try hero work."
"Uh, no. I canceled."
"Good," he grunted. "Now, stop worrying. She's a Pro Hero like us. She can take care of herself."
"I know, kinda, but -"
He raised an eyebrow at him. "But?"
"I dunno." Hizashi sighed, twiddling his pen between his fingers. "Her best friend is really hurt bad, she hates getting separated from me, an' her folks are mean. I'm not gonna feel okay until she's back home."
"She'll be fine."
Toshinori peered over from across the way. "My apologies," he began softly, "but did you say her best friend was injured? That wouldn't be the Mad Hatter, would it?"
"Uh, yeah..?"
The tall man coughed lightly. "I, err - there's been a development." He turned his laptop around so they could see the news he was reading.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
More than a Crush (Shota)
Aizawa Shota was incredibly grumpy.
His class noticed this right away and were on their best behavior, only relatively trying his patience until they escaped towards the safety of the cafeteria at lunch.
His best friend commented on it when he came over to ask if he wanted to grab some food. Present Mic winced at the scathing reply he received.
"Whoa there. Yer crankier than usual."
"I'm having difficulty concentrating due to lack of sleep. My stomach is irritated and jumps around a lot, and that's put me off eating as well. I've also become fixated on a certain scent, a - an odd, almost nonexistent scent. It's not there all the time, but when it is I can barely smell it." He stuck his hand into the scarves around his neck and brought out his eye drops. "It's infuriating, " he grunted as he squeezed a drop into each eye.
"A certain smell?"
"I thought I might be having seizures so I had testing done. Nothing." He stowed the bottle away. "I can't get the counselor out of my head. I know I should talk with her if this is a mental issue, but -"
"Is it, um, wait. Wait... you're telling me you can't eat or sleep, and your stomach is all fluttery. The smell is really light, but kinda sweet, an' you can't stop thinking about Ches?"
Aizawa's eyes narrowed.
He rubbed at one eye, then blinked really hard. "Yamada," he choked in panic. "Yamada, wait. Aren't these feelings and awkward physical sensations things people claim to experience when they're in love?"
Mic was ecstatic. Rarely did he get to see Aizawa flustered and he was clearly in shock at his revelation. He clutched at the edges of his desk, the whites of his eyes huge and his face drained of color except for reddened ears and a patch spreading across the bridge of his nose.
"And the scent..."
"Definitely her," the Voice Hero said smugly. "She doesn't wear perfumes or anything, so it's really light. Maybe from her clothing, I dunno." He covered a smile with one gloved hand when Aizawa fell forward, banging his forehead onto the desk.
"I can't be in love," he groaned. "I've held the damned foolish emotion off for thirty-one years! Why now?"
"I'd guess you hadn't met the right person. You really couldn't run from it forever, ya know."
"This will only complicate matters if Cheshire finds out," he declared firmly, jerking his head up with a steely resolve in his eyes. "No one - and I mean no one -- is going to hear about this. You got that?"
"Oooh." Mic sucked air in through his teeth. "That's gonna be a problem. See, uh..." He held up his phone.
Aizawa's face somehow grew paler. The screen showed that Cheshire was on call and had presumably been for awhile. His dark hair flew upright as his eyes burned red, his jaw clenching so hard it popped slightly. "I'm going to mute you for a week," he snarled angrily, pushing his chair back. His gripped the desk so tightly his knuckles were white.
"Oh! Hey now, uh, is that Toshi calling..?" His friend bolted out the door without warning, yelping as he heard rapid footsteps following him. He pelted off as fast as he could, scrambling around the corner with a jet black blur in pursuit. He veered off to the side suddenly with a low laugh, but Aizawa was too blinded by rage to see and collided with the person coming down the hall towards them.
"Whoa, Eraser!"
"Of course," he murmured in resignation, staring down into a pair of wide purple eyes.
"I was just coming to see you." Elly coughed lightly, adjusting her tail as he sat up. He offered her his hand and she pulled herself to a standing position.
"I gathered as much." He jerked a thumb backwards at his classroom. "Let's go inside."
Aizawa slumped in his seat, and she took a chair beside the desk. "Are you okay?" She frowned.
"I am not," he grumbled, rubbing his palms over his eyes. "This... I never thought I would feel this way. It's quite an inconvenience."
"Is it really that bad?" She asked in a small voice, her ears curling backwards.
Aizawa glanced up, startled. She was staring at her hands in her lap, her face flushed and an odd expression on her features. "Excuse me?"
"Is it that bad that you like me?"
His throat worked mightily but no sound came out. He could only shake his head numbly as he watched the counselor place her hands in front of her, folding them tightly.
"You might be mistaken, then," she husked tearfully. "If you think it's an inconvenience."
"Are you crying because I might not like you?" His tone was absolutely incredulous. "Cheshire?!"
She drew a shaky breath and held her chin up bravely. "All right, listen. Remember the day we were showing your students how to restrain their captures?"
"Yes."
"And the time we worked together during the physical training field trip."
"Yes..." His brow started to draw up as his mind pieced things together. "There were a lot more instances, as I recall."
"Aizawa," she sighed in disbelief. "No one else wanted to work with you. You know the staff usually draws lots for the, ah, dubious honor. But I offered every time."
He stared at her for almost a full minute, eyes narrowed as he thought. "Is that so?" His low baritone took on a rumble, almost a purr. "Did you enjoy it when I took you down?"
Elly shivered, shaking her head but not in negation. "I'm not sure what you're suggesting," she lied.
"Oh?" He stood and stepped closer to her beside his desk, placing a hand on either side and leaning down to stare intently into her eyes. "I think you do," he murmured.
Her ears lay folded into her hair as she shook, staring into those blood-flecked gray eyes.
"Logic dictates that if you find me attractive, you might find this arousing..." His dark locks whisped upright in that unseen wind, his eyes burning red. "...and those few times I caught you? Tied up in my capture weapon, with me like this, hovering above you." He paused, reached out and gently took her chin in one hand. "I thought you were smiling for other reasons, and that your blush was caused by simple physical exertion. Perhaps I was wrong, hmm?"
"What are you doing?!" He was right, of course: she was mesmerized by his eyes and floating hair. It was more than sexy to her, and this was the first time she'd seen it so close up. Her tail fluffed out in all directions as she tried desperately to control her breathing.
"You're trembling, Ches," he husked, inches from her face as his semblance returned to normal. "That pretty blush is back on your cheeks as well. Why is that?"
"A - Aizawa..."
He kissed her.
Elly had imagined this moment many times but, being a therapist well-versed in the ways of fantasy versus reality, never thought it would be this good. Nothing could be - or so she had thought. His lips were dry, a little chapped, but gentle on her own as he brushed them on hers but didn't push. Next was a series of mouthing movements that left her shaking even harder, her heart pounding in her chest. She grasped his capture weapon and held a tight double fistful, moaning lowly. Aizawa paused, then opened his eyes as he did his mouth, his tongue lapping as he silently asked for permission to deepen the kiss. She tilted her head up further, lips parting eagerly, and it grew more passionate yet. His stubble rasped on her skin, scratchy but not too much. It was him, the scratch, and she craved it as well as his taste of bitter coffee and energy drink. She wasn't sure how long they were locked together, but eventually they parted for air.
Elly miaowed shakily. "I almost can't believe you just flipped a switch like that and - and, wow."
"I needed confirmation," he told her very seriously. Then he smiled, reaching around to rub the back of his neck. "I, uh, enjoyed it as well, of course."
"You're an amazing kisser," she murmured.
"Mnn. I had a special muse." He laid a thumb on his lower lip in reflection, his eyes far away for a moment. "I know you're from America, but you've lived here long enough to understand a lot of our customs, correct?"
"Yes. I studied before I came over, too. But being here is the better teacher."
He took her hands in his, disentangling them from the scarves about his neck to hold against his chest.
"I'm in love with you, Ches," he told her quietly, confessing in true Japanese fashion. "We've been colleagues and have gone out before in groups... plus that one time we both helped out at the cat shelter. We know each other." Aizawa frowned a little. "I want to date you, with serious intent."
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Mm hmm. I love you, too. Now, let me just..." Elly took her hands back and smoothed his hair down. "There. It's a good thing I don't wear lipstick, but gloss rubs off enough." She carefully wiped his lips with a finger.
"Presentable?" His eyebrows arched upward.
"Hell, yeah." She grinned and rubbed her cheek on his. "I mean, everybody's going to know at some point, but let's not give them gossip fodder right away."
He actually laughed, a dry sound that nonetheless made her heart soar.
His class noticed this right away and were on their best behavior, only relatively trying his patience until they escaped towards the safety of the cafeteria at lunch.
His best friend commented on it when he came over to ask if he wanted to grab some food. Present Mic winced at the scathing reply he received.
"Whoa there. Yer crankier than usual."
"I'm having difficulty concentrating due to lack of sleep. My stomach is irritated and jumps around a lot, and that's put me off eating as well. I've also become fixated on a certain scent, a - an odd, almost nonexistent scent. It's not there all the time, but when it is I can barely smell it." He stuck his hand into the scarves around his neck and brought out his eye drops. "It's infuriating, " he grunted as he squeezed a drop into each eye.
"A certain smell?"
"I thought I might be having seizures so I had testing done. Nothing." He stowed the bottle away. "I can't get the counselor out of my head. I know I should talk with her if this is a mental issue, but -"
"Is it, um, wait. Wait... you're telling me you can't eat or sleep, and your stomach is all fluttery. The smell is really light, but kinda sweet, an' you can't stop thinking about Ches?"
Aizawa's eyes narrowed.
He rubbed at one eye, then blinked really hard. "Yamada," he choked in panic. "Yamada, wait. Aren't these feelings and awkward physical sensations things people claim to experience when they're in love?"
Mic was ecstatic. Rarely did he get to see Aizawa flustered and he was clearly in shock at his revelation. He clutched at the edges of his desk, the whites of his eyes huge and his face drained of color except for reddened ears and a patch spreading across the bridge of his nose.
"And the scent..."
"Definitely her," the Voice Hero said smugly. "She doesn't wear perfumes or anything, so it's really light. Maybe from her clothing, I dunno." He covered a smile with one gloved hand when Aizawa fell forward, banging his forehead onto the desk.
"I can't be in love," he groaned. "I've held the damned foolish emotion off for thirty-one years! Why now?"
"I'd guess you hadn't met the right person. You really couldn't run from it forever, ya know."
"This will only complicate matters if Cheshire finds out," he declared firmly, jerking his head up with a steely resolve in his eyes. "No one - and I mean no one -- is going to hear about this. You got that?"
"Oooh." Mic sucked air in through his teeth. "That's gonna be a problem. See, uh..." He held up his phone.
Aizawa's face somehow grew paler. The screen showed that Cheshire was on call and had presumably been for awhile. His dark hair flew upright as his eyes burned red, his jaw clenching so hard it popped slightly. "I'm going to mute you for a week," he snarled angrily, pushing his chair back. His gripped the desk so tightly his knuckles were white.
"Oh! Hey now, uh, is that Toshi calling..?" His friend bolted out the door without warning, yelping as he heard rapid footsteps following him. He pelted off as fast as he could, scrambling around the corner with a jet black blur in pursuit. He veered off to the side suddenly with a low laugh, but Aizawa was too blinded by rage to see and collided with the person coming down the hall towards them.
"Whoa, Eraser!"
"Of course," he murmured in resignation, staring down into a pair of wide purple eyes.
"I was just coming to see you." Elly coughed lightly, adjusting her tail as he sat up. He offered her his hand and she pulled herself to a standing position.
"I gathered as much." He jerked a thumb backwards at his classroom. "Let's go inside."
Aizawa slumped in his seat, and she took a chair beside the desk. "Are you okay?" She frowned.
"I am not," he grumbled, rubbing his palms over his eyes. "This... I never thought I would feel this way. It's quite an inconvenience."
"Is it really that bad?" She asked in a small voice, her ears curling backwards.
Aizawa glanced up, startled. She was staring at her hands in her lap, her face flushed and an odd expression on her features. "Excuse me?"
"Is it that bad that you like me?"
His throat worked mightily but no sound came out. He could only shake his head numbly as he watched the counselor place her hands in front of her, folding them tightly.
"You might be mistaken, then," she husked tearfully. "If you think it's an inconvenience."
"Are you crying because I might not like you?" His tone was absolutely incredulous. "Cheshire?!"
She drew a shaky breath and held her chin up bravely. "All right, listen. Remember the day we were showing your students how to restrain their captures?"
"Yes."
"And the time we worked together during the physical training field trip."
"Yes..." His brow started to draw up as his mind pieced things together. "There were a lot more instances, as I recall."
"Aizawa," she sighed in disbelief. "No one else wanted to work with you. You know the staff usually draws lots for the, ah, dubious honor. But I offered every time."
He stared at her for almost a full minute, eyes narrowed as he thought. "Is that so?" His low baritone took on a rumble, almost a purr. "Did you enjoy it when I took you down?"
Elly shivered, shaking her head but not in negation. "I'm not sure what you're suggesting," she lied.
"Oh?" He stood and stepped closer to her beside his desk, placing a hand on either side and leaning down to stare intently into her eyes. "I think you do," he murmured.
Her ears lay folded into her hair as she shook, staring into those blood-flecked gray eyes.
"Logic dictates that if you find me attractive, you might find this arousing..." His dark locks whisped upright in that unseen wind, his eyes burning red. "...and those few times I caught you? Tied up in my capture weapon, with me like this, hovering above you." He paused, reached out and gently took her chin in one hand. "I thought you were smiling for other reasons, and that your blush was caused by simple physical exertion. Perhaps I was wrong, hmm?"
"What are you doing?!" He was right, of course: she was mesmerized by his eyes and floating hair. It was more than sexy to her, and this was the first time she'd seen it so close up. Her tail fluffed out in all directions as she tried desperately to control her breathing.
"You're trembling, Ches," he husked, inches from her face as his semblance returned to normal. "That pretty blush is back on your cheeks as well. Why is that?"
"A - Aizawa..."
He kissed her.
Elly had imagined this moment many times but, being a therapist well-versed in the ways of fantasy versus reality, never thought it would be this good. Nothing could be - or so she had thought. His lips were dry, a little chapped, but gentle on her own as he brushed them on hers but didn't push. Next was a series of mouthing movements that left her shaking even harder, her heart pounding in her chest. She grasped his capture weapon and held a tight double fistful, moaning lowly. Aizawa paused, then opened his eyes as he did his mouth, his tongue lapping as he silently asked for permission to deepen the kiss. She tilted her head up further, lips parting eagerly, and it grew more passionate yet. His stubble rasped on her skin, scratchy but not too much. It was him, the scratch, and she craved it as well as his taste of bitter coffee and energy drink. She wasn't sure how long they were locked together, but eventually they parted for air.
Elly miaowed shakily. "I almost can't believe you just flipped a switch like that and - and, wow."
"I needed confirmation," he told her very seriously. Then he smiled, reaching around to rub the back of his neck. "I, uh, enjoyed it as well, of course."
"You're an amazing kisser," she murmured.
"Mnn. I had a special muse." He laid a thumb on his lower lip in reflection, his eyes far away for a moment. "I know you're from America, but you've lived here long enough to understand a lot of our customs, correct?"
"Yes. I studied before I came over, too. But being here is the better teacher."
He took her hands in his, disentangling them from the scarves about his neck to hold against his chest.
"I'm in love with you, Ches," he told her quietly, confessing in true Japanese fashion. "We've been colleagues and have gone out before in groups... plus that one time we both helped out at the cat shelter. We know each other." Aizawa frowned a little. "I want to date you, with serious intent."
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Mm hmm. I love you, too. Now, let me just..." Elly took her hands back and smoothed his hair down. "There. It's a good thing I don't wear lipstick, but gloss rubs off enough." She carefully wiped his lips with a finger.
"Presentable?" His eyebrows arched upward.
"Hell, yeah." She grinned and rubbed her cheek on his. "I mean, everybody's going to know at some point, but let's not give them gossip fodder right away."
He actually laughed, a dry sound that nonetheless made her heart soar.
Aftermath 33
Aizawa was receiving the aftercare pamphlet from the tattoo artist when Elly wandered back in, loaded down with several large bags. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing, only lifting his left hand to show the reddened skin and dark outline of the ring drawn on his finger.
"Ohhh, Shota," she breathed softly when she saw the cheshire cat's grin on the band.
"I thought it was appropriate."
"I would get one, too... but despite being a hero I'm a complete chicken about deliberately inflicted pain." She scrunched up her nose at the thought. "I don't even have pierced ears."
"Understandable. It would hurt yours far more than an average person." Aizawa nodded at the tattoo artist.
The man agreed, carefully cleaning his pen-tipped hands with a cloth designed for that purpose. "Anthro types don't usually pierce," he added helpfully. "I get some come in here thinking they're badass and want to show everyone they can handle it, but they usually pass out from the pain." He shrugged. "So don't feel bad."
"That does make me feel better," she murmured. "Oh. And thank you." She reached out and shook one of his hands. "This means a lot to us and you did an amazing job."
"Just make sure he takes care of it like he ought," he chuckled.
"He's good with things like that." She smiled as they left.
They strolled back out into the now-busy mall, weaving their way between all the people milling about. Aizawa hooked an arm around hers and nodded at her bags.
"What did you get?"
"Well, there were a lot of sales." Elly blushed a brick like color and stared at the floor a few seconds too long.
"Ches," Aizawa murmured. "Look at me, please."
"Ack."
"I'm not scolding you," he said firmly. "I was just curious." Then he grinned. "I'm going to carry those, so I should know if they're going to be heavy."
"Well... some candy, but not much. And the international store did have salmiakki, so I bought you some."
His gray eyes lit up. "Thank you."
"I also got a couple pillows, a throw blanket and some, um." Her ears flicked and she coughed in embarrassment. "The one place had bath stuff I'd always wanted. I can hardly ever use anything scented, but I bought a few things for when I have time off."
"Sounds reasonable." He gently urged the bags off her, shouldering them on one side so he could hold her hand with his free one. "Where to next?"
"Um... oh! The registries. First one is for household stuff." She pointed, and he squinted at the huge shop front they were approaching.
"Uh oh," he murmured under his breath.
"I know you hate shopping. Especially this, right?"
He frowned as they walked into the store. "Isn't it odd to put up a list of what we want people to buy us?"
"Well, think of it like this - do you really want twenty blenders?"
Aizawa grimaced. "No. No, that does make sense, love."
She purred in delight at his casual use of such a romantic name and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad you think so."
He rubbed the back of his neck as they paused to get their bearings. "If we're getting new furniture, then we're going to need a bigger bed. Yours is too small to fit us both comfortably."
At that point a sales associate spotted them and bore down on them with a tentative smile. "Hello there! Is there anything I can help you with?"
"We're just looking for now," Elly smiled. "Oh, but can you tell us where your registry kiosk is? Or is it all through an app now?"
The woman blinked, appraising them for a moment. When she spotted her striped tail she recognized Elly and her smile grew broader. Pro Heroes made a decent amount of money, and weddings, showers and such events would mean a lot of sales. It was also simply exciting to meet one in public.
"Oh! We have a kiosk, but it's also on an app. You can download it right from there or at our website." She led them down an aisle towards the boxy structure.
"Awesome."
"Can I ask?" The woman smiled beautifully at the couple, and they could see unusually large teeth - perhaps part of the woman's quirk. "Is this a wedding, or..?" Her eyes darted over to the scruffy man with tired eyes carrying all their bags. No recognition there - Aizawa was still flying under the radar as an underground hero.
"Wedding," he answered, putting some bags down by the side of the kiosk. The sales representative keenly spotted his tattoo bandage when he scratched his chin. It was the obvious shape, size and on the appropriate finger. Her eyes widened.
"Uh huh," Elly purred. "This is my fiance."
Aizawa's lip twitched, amused at the other woman's confusion. No one ever assumed he was with her in that way. He knew he was unshaven and unkempt, slouched over with messy hair and bloodshot eyes. Most folks cringed or leaned away from him in public.
But Elly was always so proud to announce he was her man. She didn't see him the way they did, and that was all that mattered. His heart swelled with love as she showed off her ring, oblivious to the startled look the clerk was giving him.
"Ohhh, Shota," she breathed softly when she saw the cheshire cat's grin on the band.
"I thought it was appropriate."
"I would get one, too... but despite being a hero I'm a complete chicken about deliberately inflicted pain." She scrunched up her nose at the thought. "I don't even have pierced ears."
"Understandable. It would hurt yours far more than an average person." Aizawa nodded at the tattoo artist.
The man agreed, carefully cleaning his pen-tipped hands with a cloth designed for that purpose. "Anthro types don't usually pierce," he added helpfully. "I get some come in here thinking they're badass and want to show everyone they can handle it, but they usually pass out from the pain." He shrugged. "So don't feel bad."
"That does make me feel better," she murmured. "Oh. And thank you." She reached out and shook one of his hands. "This means a lot to us and you did an amazing job."
"Just make sure he takes care of it like he ought," he chuckled.
"He's good with things like that." She smiled as they left.
They strolled back out into the now-busy mall, weaving their way between all the people milling about. Aizawa hooked an arm around hers and nodded at her bags.
"What did you get?"
"Well, there were a lot of sales." Elly blushed a brick like color and stared at the floor a few seconds too long.
"Ches," Aizawa murmured. "Look at me, please."
"Ack."
"I'm not scolding you," he said firmly. "I was just curious." Then he grinned. "I'm going to carry those, so I should know if they're going to be heavy."
"Well... some candy, but not much. And the international store did have salmiakki, so I bought you some."
His gray eyes lit up. "Thank you."
"I also got a couple pillows, a throw blanket and some, um." Her ears flicked and she coughed in embarrassment. "The one place had bath stuff I'd always wanted. I can hardly ever use anything scented, but I bought a few things for when I have time off."
"Sounds reasonable." He gently urged the bags off her, shouldering them on one side so he could hold her hand with his free one. "Where to next?"
"Um... oh! The registries. First one is for household stuff." She pointed, and he squinted at the huge shop front they were approaching.
"Uh oh," he murmured under his breath.
"I know you hate shopping. Especially this, right?"
He frowned as they walked into the store. "Isn't it odd to put up a list of what we want people to buy us?"
"Well, think of it like this - do you really want twenty blenders?"
Aizawa grimaced. "No. No, that does make sense, love."
She purred in delight at his casual use of such a romantic name and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad you think so."
He rubbed the back of his neck as they paused to get their bearings. "If we're getting new furniture, then we're going to need a bigger bed. Yours is too small to fit us both comfortably."
At that point a sales associate spotted them and bore down on them with a tentative smile. "Hello there! Is there anything I can help you with?"
"We're just looking for now," Elly smiled. "Oh, but can you tell us where your registry kiosk is? Or is it all through an app now?"
The woman blinked, appraising them for a moment. When she spotted her striped tail she recognized Elly and her smile grew broader. Pro Heroes made a decent amount of money, and weddings, showers and such events would mean a lot of sales. It was also simply exciting to meet one in public.
"Oh! We have a kiosk, but it's also on an app. You can download it right from there or at our website." She led them down an aisle towards the boxy structure.
"Awesome."
"Can I ask?" The woman smiled beautifully at the couple, and they could see unusually large teeth - perhaps part of the woman's quirk. "Is this a wedding, or..?" Her eyes darted over to the scruffy man with tired eyes carrying all their bags. No recognition there - Aizawa was still flying under the radar as an underground hero.
"Wedding," he answered, putting some bags down by the side of the kiosk. The sales representative keenly spotted his tattoo bandage when he scratched his chin. It was the obvious shape, size and on the appropriate finger. Her eyes widened.
"Uh huh," Elly purred. "This is my fiance."
Aizawa's lip twitched, amused at the other woman's confusion. No one ever assumed he was with her in that way. He knew he was unshaven and unkempt, slouched over with messy hair and bloodshot eyes. Most folks cringed or leaned away from him in public.
But Elly was always so proud to announce he was her man. She didn't see him the way they did, and that was all that mattered. His heart swelled with love as she showed off her ring, oblivious to the startled look the clerk was giving him.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Funny Business
(1)
Aizawa's had a thoroughly disgusted look on his face when Elly came across him that day on campus. There was a garishly dressed woman tugging on his arm, one of the teachers from the other schools U.A was hosting for a certain event. She didn't recognize her but that didn't matter; what she heard was more than enough to send her into a blind rage.
"C'mon, Eraser! Just one kiss! You'll never know if you don't try, right?"
"Go away, Joke," he sighed dismally.
But she persisted, going so far as to try and grab him around the neck. He pulled back before she could get a hold, and the aqua-haired woman spun about, her eyes widening as she lost balance and nearly fell.
"Hey! This isn't funny," she yelped angrily. "What gives?!"
Aizawa's bloodshot eyes narrowed. He deduced what was happening and saw he needed to defuse a potentially dangerous situation fast. "Cheshire," he called out firmly, "It's okay."
A pair of pale lavender eyes glowed into focus beside Ms. Joke's head. "Really? So heroes can sexually assault people now?"
He sighed, the reached out and placed a hand where he surmised her shoulder was. She flashed back to visibility at his touch, her brow drawn and fangs bared. "It's not worth it," he shrugged. "She just thinks she's funny. It's her quirk, after all."
Ms. Joke blinked. "Cheshire? Ohhhh, the stripey cat lady working at U.A. now." She paused, then inevitably laughed. "I'd say nice to meet you, but given the circumstances ..." She shrugged, or at least tried to in the Insanity Hero's tight grip. "You can call me Emi."
Elly looked like she would very much like to call her something else. She dropped her captive with what sounded like a string of curses in English.
"I'm going back to the dorm," she growled, switching back to Japanese for their benefit. She then stalked off, her tail waving angrily behind her.
"She's charming," Emi drawled. "Now, where were we - hey! Where'd he go?!"
(2)
A group were going to meet up for drinks with the staff from the other schools. Elly had been invited, but...
"Isn't Ches coming?" Aizawa looked over his shoulder briefly as they walked out of the dorm.
"Nah," Hizashi shrugged. "She said she would only ruin our fun or something."
Kayama's lips were tightly pressed together. "What she said was 'I'd only spoil the joke'."
"Same thing."
"No, Yamada - it's not." She pointed a ruby-red nail at the bundle of boundless energy that had come dashing out of a corner to launch herself at Aizawa. "She meant her. She doesn't want to be around Joke."
"Why n - oh." He blinked, watching his scruffy friend try and fend off the overeager woman. "Ohhhhh," he repeated, his eyes widening.
"Yeah."
"Well, shit." Hizashi scratched his neck where some of his long, blond hair had come free of its bun. "Shouldn't we do something? Anything? He can't stand her, yanno."
The commotion in front of them grew louder momentarily, and then their taciturn friend was storming towards them.
"That's it. I'm not going." Aizawa had finally had enough.
"Come back! I wanted to ask what you thought good names for our kids would be!"
"Shit." He bolted for the safety of the teacher's dormitory, sprinting harder than when he was on patrol fighting villains.
He found Elly inside, bumbling about the kitchen area in a soft t-shirt and sweats.
"Oh, hey." She flicked her ears at him as she took a bag of popcorn out of the microwave. "Aren't you going out?"
He flopped down on a chair nearby with a sour look on his face. "I decided I would rather not."
"Huh." Elly pulled the bag open and it tore off center, causing her to yelp as the steam burned her. "Damn it!"
Aizawa was on his feet in a flash. "Let me see."
"See what? I'm an idiot," she groaned, shaking her hand. "Ouch."
He grasped it quickly in midair and pulled her in for a closer inspection. "Sink. Now."
"But -"
He nudged her with his body and she went without any further complaint. Elly watched him closely as he ran cold water on her hand. His expression was enigmatic as always, but he seemed to take extra care patting her dry and peering at the skin.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Of course not," she murmured. "That wasn't really necessary, you know."
He snorted. "You cried out loud enough."
He was still gently holding her hand in his warm, rough palm. She jerked it back, her ears flattening. "It startled me, that's all. Besides, I was hurting far more earlier and you didn't care." She bit her lip, wincing. She hadn't meant to admit that.
Aizawa frowned. "What do you -"
"Do you want to join me? I was going to curl up on the couch and watch a movie." She lifted the bag of popcorn, shaking it with a bug, nervous grin. "If we get a bowl we can share."
(3)
"I'm going after him!" Ms. Joke would not be put off by the scruffy man's continuous rejections. Hizashi bravely tried to bar her way but only ended up delaying her a bit. She made it to the dormitory after causing him to laugh so uncontrollably he nearly wet himself. Kayama raised an eyebrow at the howling man on the road and then followed Joke herself.
Emi paused in the act of barging in and froze, frowning at the sight in front of her. She rubbed her eyes and blinked hard. Aizawa sat close beside the counselor, one arm draped over the back of the couch behind her. As she watched, he leaned over and then paused, rubbing at the back of his neck and looking at her as she was focused on the television screen.
"Uh... is this a joke?!"
A hand descended on her shoulder, long nails biting in a little sharply as she started to take a step forward. "Whoa there, Emi. I usually like watching you run Aizawa ragged. But that was before this." Kayama's voice was firm. "It won't end well."
Back on the couch the scruffy man had been caught staring a little too closely. Elly looked up, startled and blushing.
"Hey, 'Zawa," she said softly, "I, uh, didn't really think anyone would be watching this with me when I rented it. Is it okay?"
"It's fine," he mumbled. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." She rubbed absently at one furry ear, trying not to think about how good he smelled - like a warm, cozy nap.
"How did I hurt you ...before?"
She froze, the movie and her lazy comfort sitting beside him forgotten. Now his closeness could - and probably would -- become embarrassing, and she tried very hard to think of a way to answer that didn't put her feelings on the line.
She took so long to answer that he guessed.
"I didn't mean to sound like I was defending her." He grimaced. "I wasn't."
Elly laid her ears carefully on either side of her head and sighed. "Okay, look. Yes, she pissed me off because I got jealous." She looked away, blushing hard and mortified at the ugly emotion that hinted at another, deeper one. "I'm sorry -"
Aizawa took her chin in his hand and tilted gently up. "Don't be," he told her seriously. "While I may be calculating while battling villians or grading students, I'm inept at matters like this."
"Like..?"
"This." He placed his mouth on hers and awkwardly waited for her to take over. Elly's heart hammered in her chest and her stomach fluttered crazily at the touch. She brushed her lips on his. They were dry and chapped, and without thinking she lightly traced them with her tongue. He gasped and parted them, pressing forward with his hand sliding around to cup the back of her head. They moved slowly, lingering on this first kiss as their tongues met and tangled together. She heard his breathing start to grow heavier and reached out to run her hands through his hair.
"Oh, Shota," she whispered.
The casual use of his given name inflamed him. Aizawa groaned and pulled her onto his lap. "Th - this okay?"
"Yes. But ...privacy?"
"The others are working, asleep, or at the bar by now." He rubbed her back gently. "I - I don't want to get carried away. Being out here may curb my intentions."
"Oh?" Her forked tail fluffed out at this. "And just what is it that you want so badly?"
He pulled her even closer and she breathed in sharply as his eyes suddenly burned bright red, his hair floating upward. "You."
(4)
They kissed passionately, their hands exploring carefully under each other's clothing without removing anything. The sounds were soft and low and wet, mixed with husky, breathy pants and a cry now and then.
"Ahh..."
"Mnn!"
"So soft."
A beat, then,
"So hard."
Aizawa chuckled at this. "You want hard?"
"What if I do, Shota?" Her hand dipped lower, running along his belly and toying ticklishly at his navel.
"Cheshire," he choked, "do you remember why I wanted to stay in the open?"
"Yes." She nibbled the sensitive skin on his neck, sucking on the jumping pulse and working up to his ear to whisper. "You wanted to hold back. But don't you want to make love to me, Shota?" Her hand squeezed the bulge in his pants, kneading delicately.
He closed his eyes briefly. "Naughty kitten," he groaned darkly. "You know I do. You can probably smell as well as feel my arousal, hmm?"
She nodded. "I want you to know, uh, I'm not usually this forward. It's just that it feels right. This. Us."
"Yes," he murmured. "I agree... but not here. If you're going to be my girlfriend I'm treating you even better now."
"I was getting special treatment before?!"
His shoulders moved in a nearly imperceptible shrug. "We need to rent a room at a love hotel."
"Oh." Her cheeks burned even hotter. "I, uh, we don't have those where I'm from, so I'm not sure..."
"I've never used one before, either," he murmured, his hand idly stroking her tail. "I know who to ask for suggestions, though it will likely open us to a great deal of teasing later." He took out his phone with a resigned sigh. "Neither one of us knows a suitable place, though, and the logical choice is ask someone who does."
Seconds later a loud chime caused them to jump guiltily around.
(5)
Kayama stood there, hand still on Emi's shoulder in a vice-like grip while her other held up her phone. The four heroes stared rather stupidly at each other and then Aizawa frowned.
"How long have you both been there?"
"Never mind," the dark-haired woman blurted out with glee. "That doesn't matter. There's a place close by, very nice and discreet towards Pro Heroes." She put her phone back and dug around in her purse, muttering to herself. She let go of Ms. Joke when she did, and Emi rubbed her lips with one hand, trying to think of something - anything -- funny to say.
For once in her life, she couldn't.
Which was probably a good thing, since Elly was so enraged at being spied on that she was growling ominously under her breath. Aizawa stroked her ears, soothing her.
"Here it is!" Kayama triumphantly held up a glossy black card. She walked over and handed it to him. "The nice building with all the flowers out front by that one restaurant - you know, the one we went to last week. "
He nodded. "Thank you." He stood, simply picking Elly up with him as he went. She mewed in surprise but didn't protest, and after a quick check to see if he had his wallet, he strode out the door.
"I guess love is a very funny business," Joke chuckled ruefully as she watched the two walk off into the night.
Aizawa's had a thoroughly disgusted look on his face when Elly came across him that day on campus. There was a garishly dressed woman tugging on his arm, one of the teachers from the other schools U.A was hosting for a certain event. She didn't recognize her but that didn't matter; what she heard was more than enough to send her into a blind rage.
"C'mon, Eraser! Just one kiss! You'll never know if you don't try, right?"
"Go away, Joke," he sighed dismally.
But she persisted, going so far as to try and grab him around the neck. He pulled back before she could get a hold, and the aqua-haired woman spun about, her eyes widening as she lost balance and nearly fell.
"Hey! This isn't funny," she yelped angrily. "What gives?!"
Aizawa's bloodshot eyes narrowed. He deduced what was happening and saw he needed to defuse a potentially dangerous situation fast. "Cheshire," he called out firmly, "It's okay."
A pair of pale lavender eyes glowed into focus beside Ms. Joke's head. "Really? So heroes can sexually assault people now?"
He sighed, the reached out and placed a hand where he surmised her shoulder was. She flashed back to visibility at his touch, her brow drawn and fangs bared. "It's not worth it," he shrugged. "She just thinks she's funny. It's her quirk, after all."
Ms. Joke blinked. "Cheshire? Ohhhh, the stripey cat lady working at U.A. now." She paused, then inevitably laughed. "I'd say nice to meet you, but given the circumstances ..." She shrugged, or at least tried to in the Insanity Hero's tight grip. "You can call me Emi."
Elly looked like she would very much like to call her something else. She dropped her captive with what sounded like a string of curses in English.
"I'm going back to the dorm," she growled, switching back to Japanese for their benefit. She then stalked off, her tail waving angrily behind her.
"She's charming," Emi drawled. "Now, where were we - hey! Where'd he go?!"
(2)
A group were going to meet up for drinks with the staff from the other schools. Elly had been invited, but...
"Isn't Ches coming?" Aizawa looked over his shoulder briefly as they walked out of the dorm.
"Nah," Hizashi shrugged. "She said she would only ruin our fun or something."
Kayama's lips were tightly pressed together. "What she said was 'I'd only spoil the joke'."
"Same thing."
"No, Yamada - it's not." She pointed a ruby-red nail at the bundle of boundless energy that had come dashing out of a corner to launch herself at Aizawa. "She meant her. She doesn't want to be around Joke."
"Why n - oh." He blinked, watching his scruffy friend try and fend off the overeager woman. "Ohhhhh," he repeated, his eyes widening.
"Yeah."
"Well, shit." Hizashi scratched his neck where some of his long, blond hair had come free of its bun. "Shouldn't we do something? Anything? He can't stand her, yanno."
The commotion in front of them grew louder momentarily, and then their taciturn friend was storming towards them.
"That's it. I'm not going." Aizawa had finally had enough.
"Come back! I wanted to ask what you thought good names for our kids would be!"
"Shit." He bolted for the safety of the teacher's dormitory, sprinting harder than when he was on patrol fighting villains.
He found Elly inside, bumbling about the kitchen area in a soft t-shirt and sweats.
"Oh, hey." She flicked her ears at him as she took a bag of popcorn out of the microwave. "Aren't you going out?"
He flopped down on a chair nearby with a sour look on his face. "I decided I would rather not."
"Huh." Elly pulled the bag open and it tore off center, causing her to yelp as the steam burned her. "Damn it!"
Aizawa was on his feet in a flash. "Let me see."
"See what? I'm an idiot," she groaned, shaking her hand. "Ouch."
He grasped it quickly in midair and pulled her in for a closer inspection. "Sink. Now."
"But -"
He nudged her with his body and she went without any further complaint. Elly watched him closely as he ran cold water on her hand. His expression was enigmatic as always, but he seemed to take extra care patting her dry and peering at the skin.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Of course not," she murmured. "That wasn't really necessary, you know."
He snorted. "You cried out loud enough."
He was still gently holding her hand in his warm, rough palm. She jerked it back, her ears flattening. "It startled me, that's all. Besides, I was hurting far more earlier and you didn't care." She bit her lip, wincing. She hadn't meant to admit that.
Aizawa frowned. "What do you -"
"Do you want to join me? I was going to curl up on the couch and watch a movie." She lifted the bag of popcorn, shaking it with a bug, nervous grin. "If we get a bowl we can share."
(3)
"I'm going after him!" Ms. Joke would not be put off by the scruffy man's continuous rejections. Hizashi bravely tried to bar her way but only ended up delaying her a bit. She made it to the dormitory after causing him to laugh so uncontrollably he nearly wet himself. Kayama raised an eyebrow at the howling man on the road and then followed Joke herself.
Emi paused in the act of barging in and froze, frowning at the sight in front of her. She rubbed her eyes and blinked hard. Aizawa sat close beside the counselor, one arm draped over the back of the couch behind her. As she watched, he leaned over and then paused, rubbing at the back of his neck and looking at her as she was focused on the television screen.
"Uh... is this a joke?!"
A hand descended on her shoulder, long nails biting in a little sharply as she started to take a step forward. "Whoa there, Emi. I usually like watching you run Aizawa ragged. But that was before this." Kayama's voice was firm. "It won't end well."
Back on the couch the scruffy man had been caught staring a little too closely. Elly looked up, startled and blushing.
"Hey, 'Zawa," she said softly, "I, uh, didn't really think anyone would be watching this with me when I rented it. Is it okay?"
"It's fine," he mumbled. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." She rubbed absently at one furry ear, trying not to think about how good he smelled - like a warm, cozy nap.
"How did I hurt you ...before?"
She froze, the movie and her lazy comfort sitting beside him forgotten. Now his closeness could - and probably would -- become embarrassing, and she tried very hard to think of a way to answer that didn't put her feelings on the line.
She took so long to answer that he guessed.
"I didn't mean to sound like I was defending her." He grimaced. "I wasn't."
Elly laid her ears carefully on either side of her head and sighed. "Okay, look. Yes, she pissed me off because I got jealous." She looked away, blushing hard and mortified at the ugly emotion that hinted at another, deeper one. "I'm sorry -"
Aizawa took her chin in his hand and tilted gently up. "Don't be," he told her seriously. "While I may be calculating while battling villians or grading students, I'm inept at matters like this."
"Like..?"
"This." He placed his mouth on hers and awkwardly waited for her to take over. Elly's heart hammered in her chest and her stomach fluttered crazily at the touch. She brushed her lips on his. They were dry and chapped, and without thinking she lightly traced them with her tongue. He gasped and parted them, pressing forward with his hand sliding around to cup the back of her head. They moved slowly, lingering on this first kiss as their tongues met and tangled together. She heard his breathing start to grow heavier and reached out to run her hands through his hair.
"Oh, Shota," she whispered.
The casual use of his given name inflamed him. Aizawa groaned and pulled her onto his lap. "Th - this okay?"
"Yes. But ...privacy?"
"The others are working, asleep, or at the bar by now." He rubbed her back gently. "I - I don't want to get carried away. Being out here may curb my intentions."
"Oh?" Her forked tail fluffed out at this. "And just what is it that you want so badly?"
He pulled her even closer and she breathed in sharply as his eyes suddenly burned bright red, his hair floating upward. "You."
(4)
They kissed passionately, their hands exploring carefully under each other's clothing without removing anything. The sounds were soft and low and wet, mixed with husky, breathy pants and a cry now and then.
"Ahh..."
"Mnn!"
"So soft."
A beat, then,
"So hard."
Aizawa chuckled at this. "You want hard?"
"What if I do, Shota?" Her hand dipped lower, running along his belly and toying ticklishly at his navel.
"Cheshire," he choked, "do you remember why I wanted to stay in the open?"
"Yes." She nibbled the sensitive skin on his neck, sucking on the jumping pulse and working up to his ear to whisper. "You wanted to hold back. But don't you want to make love to me, Shota?" Her hand squeezed the bulge in his pants, kneading delicately.
He closed his eyes briefly. "Naughty kitten," he groaned darkly. "You know I do. You can probably smell as well as feel my arousal, hmm?"
She nodded. "I want you to know, uh, I'm not usually this forward. It's just that it feels right. This. Us."
"Yes," he murmured. "I agree... but not here. If you're going to be my girlfriend I'm treating you even better now."
"I was getting special treatment before?!"
His shoulders moved in a nearly imperceptible shrug. "We need to rent a room at a love hotel."
"Oh." Her cheeks burned even hotter. "I, uh, we don't have those where I'm from, so I'm not sure..."
"I've never used one before, either," he murmured, his hand idly stroking her tail. "I know who to ask for suggestions, though it will likely open us to a great deal of teasing later." He took out his phone with a resigned sigh. "Neither one of us knows a suitable place, though, and the logical choice is ask someone who does."
Seconds later a loud chime caused them to jump guiltily around.
(5)
Kayama stood there, hand still on Emi's shoulder in a vice-like grip while her other held up her phone. The four heroes stared rather stupidly at each other and then Aizawa frowned.
"How long have you both been there?"
"Never mind," the dark-haired woman blurted out with glee. "That doesn't matter. There's a place close by, very nice and discreet towards Pro Heroes." She put her phone back and dug around in her purse, muttering to herself. She let go of Ms. Joke when she did, and Emi rubbed her lips with one hand, trying to think of something - anything -- funny to say.
For once in her life, she couldn't.
Which was probably a good thing, since Elly was so enraged at being spied on that she was growling ominously under her breath. Aizawa stroked her ears, soothing her.
"Here it is!" Kayama triumphantly held up a glossy black card. She walked over and handed it to him. "The nice building with all the flowers out front by that one restaurant - you know, the one we went to last week. "
He nodded. "Thank you." He stood, simply picking Elly up with him as he went. She mewed in surprise but didn't protest, and after a quick check to see if he had his wallet, he strode out the door.
"I guess love is a very funny business," Joke chuckled ruefully as she watched the two walk off into the night.
Miranda Rights
It was demonstration time in one of the practice gyms.
"There you are!"
Color exploded into view like dye within a glass of water as the shock from Present Mic's shout forced Cheshire back into visibility. He leaped forward and rolled her over, kneeling lightly but firmly to hinder her movement while he expertly slipped the zip ties on her wrists. The teenagers crowded close, watching carefully as he made quick work of the ties through experience.
"You have the right to remain gorgeous," he murmured next to her ear as he pulled her into a forward sitting position. "Anything you touch can and will be held against you," he went on to hum suggestively. As he spoke his hands rested on the small of her back and waist, gentle pressure that nonetheless seemed to burn her through her suit.
"Present Mic!" Elly pushed with her legs, face flaming, and he caught her before she fell flat on her back. She gasped his hero name to remind him where they were, and it must have worked because he bit his lower lip in embarrassment.
"Too much?" He knelt before her grinning apologetically and hanging his head a little as if expecting a scolding. The orange-tinted sunglasses he wore slipped on the bridge of his nose and his eyes were kind as always.
"A little, yes," she breathed. Her furry purple ears stood crazily out of her mussed hair and her tail swished violently around.
"Sorry. I get carried away sometimes when I'm in 'Mic Mode'." He paused, tugging nervously on his fingerless leather gloves. "With, uh, I mean around you, that is."
"I just hope the kids didn't hear."
Kyoka Jiro stood standing in the front row twirling one of her long, dangling ear jacks with a finger. She met Mic's suddenly alarmed gaze, unperturbed as he jerked his head up to stare at the classes watching. She rolled her eyes in silent disgust and looked pointedly away.
"Oops."
Elly sighed, but she didn't scold him further. "I knew it."
Mic coughed quietly. "I'll make it up to ya." Then, raising his voice, "Awright, all my student listeners, bell's gonna ring an' you hafta get to next class. I'll see ya tomorrow."
They filed out quickly en masse, as if they knew more than he the possibilities of the teachers' situation.
Mic snickered and bent towards her. "Here, lemme just -" He stopped in the act of reaching for her wrists, a decidedly wicked smirk on his lips. "Well, now," he murmured instead, passing his hand just over where the plastic cord restrained her. "This seems like such a shame to waste. My classes are over for th' day, and so are yours... aren't they, baby?"
Elly gulped. She had never told anyone, but his eyes had a mesmerizing effect on her. The way he was staring at her, bent down only inches away, was drying up her mouth and making her heart race. She tried to speak but a weak mew was all that came out.
Mic raised one eyebrow, his grin widening. He unhooked his neck gear and set ot aside. "We've got the practice gym to ourselves now, but ya gotta tell me if you want to play or not."
"Is that all this would be to you?" She perked her ears in his direction, her eyes narrowing. "Play?"
Mic was taken aback. His green eyes grew huge, and he shook his head so vehemently a wisp of blond hair fell out of his plume to dangle down his cheek. "Oh, hell no! Nuh uh, no way. I'm - I've been a big, fat chicken about this, but..."
"What!"
"I like you." He smiled at the expression on her face and held up one long finger to waggle around. "I know in America you don't use that phrase for serious."
"Uh... well, kids do. But adults -"
He placed a light finger on her lips, silencing her effectively. "I've fallen in love with you, pretty kitty. This would be fun, but I want to a relationship, too. You know, us. Exclusive."
"Oh my god," Elly gasped, her vision doubling as tears filled her eyes. "Mic -"
"Plus, y'know, you get to call me Hizashi. Cool bonus, huh? Nobody else does, 'cept maybe Eraser once in awhile 'cause we've known each other ages, but -"
"Hizashi."
He blinked, his eyes dreamy at the way his given name sounded in her voice. "Yeah?"
"Shut up and kiss me."
He shivered with delight and pressed his lips to hers. She sighed and opened her mouth at his slightest nudge, allowing him to slip his tongue inside to lick and tease. Their kiss turned hotter and more passionate than any they'd experienced before, and both were out of breath as they parted, chests heaving and eyes half-lidded.
"After that kiss, baby, I think it's damn clear you're my soul mate," Hizashi whispered shakily.
"I won't argue with that," Elly breathed.
"You still wanna, you know, with the..." He raised an eyebrow, staring pointedly at her bound hands. "Cause I could take 'em off."
She flicked her ears with a show of indifference. "Welll... why not fool around like this while we can?"
"Oh, no way. Noooo waaayyy." He breathed out in a huge gust. "This turns you on, doesn't it, babe?"
She snorted. "You turn me on, Zashi. I mean, sure, this is kind of hot and a hell of a lot of naughty -"
Hizashi giggled faintly. "Got that right."
"But in the end, it's you," she finished softly. "Seems a shame to waste this opportunity like I mentioned, though."
"Kinky," he hummed in one of her furry ears. "Mmnn. All right, babygirl. Is there a zipper on this thing, or what?" He thrust a hand in the fur covering her chest.
"Yeah. Hidden."
"Oooh." His nimble fingers found the closure and dragged it down far enough to expose a sliver of her front all the way down. "This is hotter'n seeing you all the way naked."
She licked her lips, staring pointedly at him. "Uh huh. And you..?"
"Hold up a minute, I gotta get these off." He popped the catch on her bra and whistled lowly as her breasts bobbed free. He leaned forward and wrapped his lips around one of her nipples, sucking and licking while one hand caressed her other breast. He hadn't bothered to take his fingerless gloves off, and the contrast of the soft leather and skin was enough to cause her to cry out. His mouth was talented as well, and as he suckled gently she began to wish her hands were free so she could touch him.
"M - Mic... Hizashi!"
"Hmm, we're still in school, and in our hero clothes besides. You can call me Mic." He laughed a dark, wicked kind of laugh. "I know ya probably fantasized about me both ways. Let's start here."
"Ohmigod -!"
"Panties offfff," he sang softly, pulling them down. "Oh boy, yer really into me, ain't ya?!" His fingers pet her pubic hair apart and rubbed delicately at her cleft.
"Mic, please..!"
"Yeahhhh," he hummed. "You're super wet. You're gonna feel so good. I'm gonna make us both feel good." He withdrew his fingers and leaned back, his hands working busily at his belt and tight leather pants. He made quick work of them and his dark red boxer briefs, shoving them impatiently down past his hips to puddle around his ankles. "Condom?"
She shook herself back to reality. "Hmm?"
"I said, whoops, 'cause we don't have a condom."
"I'm on birth control and we don't have to worry about testing since we get that for hero work." Elly spread her legs as well as she could and bucked her hips. "Take me, Voice Hero."
Hizashi threw himself on her without further hesitation. His energy was nearly boundless and after the first tentative thrust, he sped things along until they were both gasping with exertion. Sweat flew as their bodies joined repeatedly - moist sounds and the slapping of flesh an undercurrent to their mingled cries of pleasure. It wasn't too long before his movements grew jerky, his moans nearly continual.
"Sh - shit, baby, I'm gonna squirt!" Hizashi covered her mouth with his, kissing her so he would curb his desire to scream too loudly.
Elly would have giggled at his choice of words - she'd never heard that nefore -- but his obvious orgasm was having an effect on her as well. Present Mic was coming inside of her, kissing her deeply as he shook all over. She could smell his sweat, the smell of sweet hair product and leather all around them, and the undertone of musk and salt as he filled her with his seed.
The delicious, rubbing friction he was creating in her aside, the sound of his pleasure was what did her in.
Her climax was sweet and long, fulfilling in every way. Gasping through his frantic kiss, she once again tried to move her arms to hold him and mewed weakly with disappointment when she couldn't. Hizashi grunted, reached around and snapped the tie free in a quick little jerk. Her hands whipped around to embrace him, tugging on his neck to pull him as close as possible.
"Holy shit, Cheshire."
"Present Mic," she agreed enthusiastically.
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"So, uh, hey - let me help you clean up." He dug around in a pocket and produced a handkerchief with his logo on it.
"Thanks." Elly hid a smile at the fact that she was using the Mic merchandise to clean her privates. It was almost surreal.
He waited until she had put herself marginally back together and then reached out and held both her hands in his. "I got an idea: let's get a hotel room for the night. We hot a lot to talk about, an' I wanna show you what Hizashi can do."
"I'd like that," she purred enthusiastically.
"There you are!"
Color exploded into view like dye within a glass of water as the shock from Present Mic's shout forced Cheshire back into visibility. He leaped forward and rolled her over, kneeling lightly but firmly to hinder her movement while he expertly slipped the zip ties on her wrists. The teenagers crowded close, watching carefully as he made quick work of the ties through experience.
"You have the right to remain gorgeous," he murmured next to her ear as he pulled her into a forward sitting position. "Anything you touch can and will be held against you," he went on to hum suggestively. As he spoke his hands rested on the small of her back and waist, gentle pressure that nonetheless seemed to burn her through her suit.
"Present Mic!" Elly pushed with her legs, face flaming, and he caught her before she fell flat on her back. She gasped his hero name to remind him where they were, and it must have worked because he bit his lower lip in embarrassment.
"Too much?" He knelt before her grinning apologetically and hanging his head a little as if expecting a scolding. The orange-tinted sunglasses he wore slipped on the bridge of his nose and his eyes were kind as always.
"A little, yes," she breathed. Her furry purple ears stood crazily out of her mussed hair and her tail swished violently around.
"Sorry. I get carried away sometimes when I'm in 'Mic Mode'." He paused, tugging nervously on his fingerless leather gloves. "With, uh, I mean around you, that is."
"I just hope the kids didn't hear."
Kyoka Jiro stood standing in the front row twirling one of her long, dangling ear jacks with a finger. She met Mic's suddenly alarmed gaze, unperturbed as he jerked his head up to stare at the classes watching. She rolled her eyes in silent disgust and looked pointedly away.
"Oops."
Elly sighed, but she didn't scold him further. "I knew it."
Mic coughed quietly. "I'll make it up to ya." Then, raising his voice, "Awright, all my student listeners, bell's gonna ring an' you hafta get to next class. I'll see ya tomorrow."
They filed out quickly en masse, as if they knew more than he the possibilities of the teachers' situation.
Mic snickered and bent towards her. "Here, lemme just -" He stopped in the act of reaching for her wrists, a decidedly wicked smirk on his lips. "Well, now," he murmured instead, passing his hand just over where the plastic cord restrained her. "This seems like such a shame to waste. My classes are over for th' day, and so are yours... aren't they, baby?"
Elly gulped. She had never told anyone, but his eyes had a mesmerizing effect on her. The way he was staring at her, bent down only inches away, was drying up her mouth and making her heart race. She tried to speak but a weak mew was all that came out.
Mic raised one eyebrow, his grin widening. He unhooked his neck gear and set ot aside. "We've got the practice gym to ourselves now, but ya gotta tell me if you want to play or not."
"Is that all this would be to you?" She perked her ears in his direction, her eyes narrowing. "Play?"
Mic was taken aback. His green eyes grew huge, and he shook his head so vehemently a wisp of blond hair fell out of his plume to dangle down his cheek. "Oh, hell no! Nuh uh, no way. I'm - I've been a big, fat chicken about this, but..."
"What!"
"I like you." He smiled at the expression on her face and held up one long finger to waggle around. "I know in America you don't use that phrase for serious."
"Uh... well, kids do. But adults -"
He placed a light finger on her lips, silencing her effectively. "I've fallen in love with you, pretty kitty. This would be fun, but I want to a relationship, too. You know, us. Exclusive."
"Oh my god," Elly gasped, her vision doubling as tears filled her eyes. "Mic -"
"Plus, y'know, you get to call me Hizashi. Cool bonus, huh? Nobody else does, 'cept maybe Eraser once in awhile 'cause we've known each other ages, but -"
"Hizashi."
He blinked, his eyes dreamy at the way his given name sounded in her voice. "Yeah?"
"Shut up and kiss me."
He shivered with delight and pressed his lips to hers. She sighed and opened her mouth at his slightest nudge, allowing him to slip his tongue inside to lick and tease. Their kiss turned hotter and more passionate than any they'd experienced before, and both were out of breath as they parted, chests heaving and eyes half-lidded.
"After that kiss, baby, I think it's damn clear you're my soul mate," Hizashi whispered shakily.
"I won't argue with that," Elly breathed.
"You still wanna, you know, with the..." He raised an eyebrow, staring pointedly at her bound hands. "Cause I could take 'em off."
She flicked her ears with a show of indifference. "Welll... why not fool around like this while we can?"
"Oh, no way. Noooo waaayyy." He breathed out in a huge gust. "This turns you on, doesn't it, babe?"
She snorted. "You turn me on, Zashi. I mean, sure, this is kind of hot and a hell of a lot of naughty -"
Hizashi giggled faintly. "Got that right."
"But in the end, it's you," she finished softly. "Seems a shame to waste this opportunity like I mentioned, though."
"Kinky," he hummed in one of her furry ears. "Mmnn. All right, babygirl. Is there a zipper on this thing, or what?" He thrust a hand in the fur covering her chest.
"Yeah. Hidden."
"Oooh." His nimble fingers found the closure and dragged it down far enough to expose a sliver of her front all the way down. "This is hotter'n seeing you all the way naked."
She licked her lips, staring pointedly at him. "Uh huh. And you..?"
"Hold up a minute, I gotta get these off." He popped the catch on her bra and whistled lowly as her breasts bobbed free. He leaned forward and wrapped his lips around one of her nipples, sucking and licking while one hand caressed her other breast. He hadn't bothered to take his fingerless gloves off, and the contrast of the soft leather and skin was enough to cause her to cry out. His mouth was talented as well, and as he suckled gently she began to wish her hands were free so she could touch him.
"M - Mic... Hizashi!"
"Hmm, we're still in school, and in our hero clothes besides. You can call me Mic." He laughed a dark, wicked kind of laugh. "I know ya probably fantasized about me both ways. Let's start here."
"Ohmigod -!"
"Panties offfff," he sang softly, pulling them down. "Oh boy, yer really into me, ain't ya?!" His fingers pet her pubic hair apart and rubbed delicately at her cleft.
"Mic, please..!"
"Yeahhhh," he hummed. "You're super wet. You're gonna feel so good. I'm gonna make us both feel good." He withdrew his fingers and leaned back, his hands working busily at his belt and tight leather pants. He made quick work of them and his dark red boxer briefs, shoving them impatiently down past his hips to puddle around his ankles. "Condom?"
She shook herself back to reality. "Hmm?"
"I said, whoops, 'cause we don't have a condom."
"I'm on birth control and we don't have to worry about testing since we get that for hero work." Elly spread her legs as well as she could and bucked her hips. "Take me, Voice Hero."
Hizashi threw himself on her without further hesitation. His energy was nearly boundless and after the first tentative thrust, he sped things along until they were both gasping with exertion. Sweat flew as their bodies joined repeatedly - moist sounds and the slapping of flesh an undercurrent to their mingled cries of pleasure. It wasn't too long before his movements grew jerky, his moans nearly continual.
"Sh - shit, baby, I'm gonna squirt!" Hizashi covered her mouth with his, kissing her so he would curb his desire to scream too loudly.
Elly would have giggled at his choice of words - she'd never heard that nefore -- but his obvious orgasm was having an effect on her as well. Present Mic was coming inside of her, kissing her deeply as he shook all over. She could smell his sweat, the smell of sweet hair product and leather all around them, and the undertone of musk and salt as he filled her with his seed.
The delicious, rubbing friction he was creating in her aside, the sound of his pleasure was what did her in.
Her climax was sweet and long, fulfilling in every way. Gasping through his frantic kiss, she once again tried to move her arms to hold him and mewed weakly with disappointment when she couldn't. Hizashi grunted, reached around and snapped the tie free in a quick little jerk. Her hands whipped around to embrace him, tugging on his neck to pull him as close as possible.
"Holy shit, Cheshire."
"Present Mic," she agreed enthusiastically.
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"So, uh, hey - let me help you clean up." He dug around in a pocket and produced a handkerchief with his logo on it.
"Thanks." Elly hid a smile at the fact that she was using the Mic merchandise to clean her privates. It was almost surreal.
He waited until she had put herself marginally back together and then reached out and held both her hands in his. "I got an idea: let's get a hotel room for the night. We hot a lot to talk about, an' I wanna show you what Hizashi can do."
"I'd like that," she purred enthusiastically.
More than a Crush (Zashi)
"Again with this nonsense?" Aizawa raised his eyebrows. He had walked into the other man's classroom to drop off a stack of books and was immediately treated to a impromptu dissertation on Present Mic's favorite subject these days.
It was not English.
"Yeah, well, it's not nonsense to me! Didja hear how she said she wished she could go get a cup of coffee from that cafe? But she's too busy?"
"Go get her one then."
"What'm I supposed to tell her then, huh?" He set his elbows on the desk and pouted at his friend, spiralled pupils swirling beneath his shades. "Oh, hey, I went out of my freakin' way to get you this for no reason? I just couldn't."
"Tell her why, then."
"I don't know why I wanna treat her so special! A crush is a freakin' crush and I've had those before. So why've I got this ache in my chest when I see her?!"
"Hizashi..."
But the Emglish teacher was lost in his own world now, his hands curled under his chin staring dreamily into space. "She's smart as hell an' she sings like a freakin' angel. I'm a Voice Hero so I know, Aizawa. Hers is gorgeous. Maybe she doesn't know that I know, she sings at the clubs around here sometimes. I can get in unnoticed, since I've worked most of 'em, too."
"Get real, Yamada," Aizawa said bluntly. "You'd think she's perfect no matter what."
"Nuh uh," he snorted. "We've all got our faults. But she's got such beautiful eyes -"
"Ugh." Aizawa rolled his and ducked into his capture weapon to hide the grin he was sporting.
"...and that thing she does with her hair when it tickles her cheek makes me get all wiggly an' shit every time." Hizashi paused, his sunglasses sliding down his nose. "Holy hell, I just figured out this ain't a crush now. I'm in love," he sighed, a huge, wobbly grin splitting his blushing face.
"You might be the very last person to realize that." Aizawa held up his phone towards his friend. The contact screen was on the counselor's image, showing she had been on call for some time.
The blond man's jaw dropped. He stared incredulously at the device, then slowly back at the scruffy homeroom teacher.
"Holy fuck nuts," he wheezed at last. "You crazy bastard! She's gonna think I'm a cre-e-e-ep!" He ended on a loud wail, causing the pens and pencils in his cup on the desk to rattle crazily and then tip over the edge. His eyes were bugging out, the spirals thinning in anxiety. Even his massive blond plume of hair seemed to bristle behind him. "I don't know how to fix this!"
"Oh?" Aizawa calmly peered out of the room. "You'd better figure it out then. Cheshire's coming down the hall."
"Shit!" He scrambled madly for the door as his friend walked out.
"I'm going to take a power nap. Try not to shout the building down."
"Yer an asshole, Eraserhead!"
"Hnf." He waved backwards at the distraught man as he shuffled back to his classroom.
Hizashi didn't have enough time to really work himself into a panic, but he was very close when she opened the doors.
"Hi, Mic," she called quietly. "I just got the most interesting phone call."
"M'sorry," he squeaked nervously as she strode inside. "Uhhh, see, I didn't know I had a hot mic." He tried smiling but it felt wrong.
Elly raised her eyebrows as well as her furry cat's ears. They perked out of her hair, swiveling in his direction as she walked closer. "Well, now..." She drawled comically, "That was definitely my line."
"Ah... whahuh?"
She was beside him now and placed a hand on his arm, using her other to pull half his headphones off. This exposed his blushing ear, which was as pink as the bridge of his nose in his confusion. Soft, warm breath puffed on the curved shell as she whispered, "Ask me out, handsome."
Hizashi's mind shut down. He had been prepared for rejection, however tactful, but never expected her to hit on him. "What just... what?"
She smiled, letting the headphones pop back into place. "Are you free after school? We could get that coffee."
He nodded. "For real? You - you actually wanna?"
"Yamada -" He sighed, wishing, once again, that he could tell her it was okay to call him by his given name. Elly cocked her head quizzically at him and sat on the edge of his desk, staring deeply into his eyes. "Hizashi," she amended softly.
"Whoa," he choked. "That's eerily perceptive."
The counselor grinned, the glint of a fang showing under the school's fluorescent lighting. "Part of my job," she purred. "Now, as a reminder..."
He nearly passed out when she kissed him. Her lips brushed the very corner of his mouth, chaste enough for work but hinting at what such action could turn into later. Hizashi closed his eyes and hummed, pleased, under his breath.
"No way I'll forget, baby," he husked, turning so he lightly grazed her lips. She purred in delight and her hand squeezed his gently. Neither had really been paying attention to anything but the other, so when they straightened and their eyes focused again they got a surprise. An entire class filled with wide eyes and gaping mouths sat stunned in their seats.
Elly handled it far better. She smiled in a wholesome manner at them all, waving cheerfully. "Hey, everyone! Sorry to cut into your class time." She slipped off the desk and paused to pick up the cup and writing implements, setting them in their proper place. "I'll see you later."
He gulped. "Uh huh." Hizashi watched in amazement as she left, her striped tail twitching lazily behind her. As soon as the doors swung heavily shut the class erupted into chaos.
"Mr. Mic!"
"Are you two dating?!"
"How long -?!"
Hizashi wrenched his focus back to the students with an effort. "Whoa, whoaaa!" He waved his hands in the air. "At least ask yer questions in English!"
So they got coffee after school.
It went about as well as expected, really. The two had gone out many times before but not on official dates. Since this came after a confession, it was decidedly different. Their hands touched a lot more and there was an abundance of blushing. Hizashi got so red in the ears, nose and cheeks he looked as if he was coming down with a fever. Elly sat very close to him, and they had a wonderful time. As they walked back to the teacher's dormitory, he leaned close to her and whispered somewhat theatrically.
"Hey hey, baby, I just got an idea. How about we sneak into my room at the dorm for some quiet time?"
"Uh... is that allowed?"
"Rules say the students aren't supposed to fool around in their rooms. Not the teachers."
Elly frowned. "It does say we're not allowed to have outsiders in -"
"We're both staff."
She struggled with the semantics. "But..."
Hizashi glanced around, then pulled her into a dark corner of the entrance hall. He laid an arm on the wall over her head, stepping close with one knee along her side. His eyes whirled as he squinted appraisingly down, then he reached out and lightly grasped her chin in his thumb and forefinger.
"I just want more of this." His mouth grazed hers, the soft hair of his mustache rubbing on her skin. She trembled and grasped his shirt collar as he nuzzled gently. The gold and silver necklacs he wore jingled musically as he moved. "Yeah, baby? We get s'more privacy, we can, ah ...get to know each other a lot better."
"Ugh, Zashi. That's the oldest line ever." Elly giggled faintly.
"Aw," he pouted cutely with his lower lip thrust far out. "I just wanna hold you more 'n stuff." They parted with furtive looks around, mindful of the fact that their colleagues were settled in rooms stretched along the dark hallway they could see the opening to.
"Your room is closer," she gave in, hugging him quickly.
He grinned. "Uh huh."
He took her hand and led her to his room, a world of records, stereo equipment and kitsch design from the seventies. There was a yellow shag rug on the floor and the bed was western style with black silk sheets. A golden lava lamp cast a glow across it as he turned it on to create a romantic ambiance. There was more, but she didn't see because his arms wrapped around her and his mouth found hers again, hot and wet and urgent.
"Mnn, that's good." Hizashi licked his lips and sighed, placing his forehead on hers. "No, that's better than good. I've never felt like this before." He sat on the edge of the bed and she followed, curling her tail to the side.
"Me neither."
"So, uh. You heard me over the phone but..." Hizashi gulped nervously. "I - am I gonna freak you out if I confess in person right now?"
Elly thought for a moment. "Oh. Ohhh, Hizashi, oh my god. You won't scare me. I promise." She kissed him rather hard and he blinked, grinning widely at her apparent happiness.
"I guess not, huh? I know our cultures are different an' all, so I hope this comes across right..." He took in a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around her. "We haven't seriously dated, but we've been out an awful lot. We work together in more ways than one, I see you all the time an' I feel like - like I couldn't make it without you. I love you."
Her jaw dropped.
Hizashi had skipped the "like" part of his culture and gone straight to romantic love - a phrase not heard often save for in dramas and movies. She stared at him through a blurry deluge of tears, her body starting to shake.
"Uh..." He startic to panic, stroking the back of her head as she clutched him and sobbed. "You okay, baby?"
"Yeh - eh - ess!" Elly stuttered between breaths.
"Ya kinda freaked," he pointed out mildly.
"Well... I thought I was the only one to have these feelings." She buried her head in his neck, and her next sentence came out slightly muffled. "I thought I was wrong to love you so much."
He perked up, his eyes alight. "You do?"
"I'm so in love with you."
"Shit," he breathed in awe. "Best. Day. Ever." Then his eyes slipped closed in bliss as she kissed his chin, moving down. "Ungh, Ches, that's..."
"I've wanted to do this for too long." She lavished light, open-mouthed kisses all over his throat. "Your Voice turns me on, you know."
"Ohhh." He heard her capitalize the word and understood. "Now there's another totes new thing for me. Everyone always says I'm annoying."
Elly purred, shaking her head. "No. No way. You make me get all shivery when I listen to you, in class, during patrol, on your programs..."
He dropped his tone low, aiming at one of her furry ears. "Do I turn you on that much, babe?"
"Oh, Zashi, yes," she sighed, her tongue laving his jumping pulse.
"No fair," he husked. "Where'm I supposed to kiss for your quirk?" His eyes squinted, and he gave her a wicked grin. "Yours is all over, isn't it?"
She flicked her ears coyly. "Well, I turn invisible wherever - or whatever -- I want."
He bent his head to hers. "Oh? Then where do you want it, Ches?" His lips grazed hers and she felt herself giving in, a slight shifting of her body in preparation to grow limp and let him take over.
They jumped as there was a light but insistent knocking at the door.
Hizashi's eyes clouded over. "Shit," he muttered in English. Then, back in Japanese, "This'd better be good!" He opened the door just a crack so the person on the other side couldn't see fully. Unfortunately, Aizawa barged in anyway.
"You got back a half an hour ago," he grunted. "I texted you twice. What -" He blinked, pausing as he took in the disheveled and blushing woman on his friend's bed. "Cheshire."
"Hey." She waggled her fingers at him in a sheepish hello.
"Hizashi, you know your room here isn't fully soundproofed."
"Yeahhh," Hizashi sighed. "I get it. We're, uh... not doin' anything, uh, really serious."
The homeroom teacher's mouth twitched in a crooked smile. "Oh? Then what were you doing?"
"You sound like Kayama." The blond man grumbled, then sighed as he heard Elly getting up off the bed. "Aww."
"It's okay, Zashi," she told him quietly, placing a hand on his arm. "We were lucky it was Aizawa!"
"True that," he mumbled.
"Not as lucky as you think!" A cheerful voice called out. Kayama stuck her head in the door, a gigantic grin on her face. "I followed Aizawa because I thought we might all go out for drinks! Whatever were you getting up to, you two lovebirds?!"
"If we run, she'll just chase us," Elly remarked clinically.
"Now everybody's gonna know tomorrow," Hizashi groaned.
It was not English.
"Yeah, well, it's not nonsense to me! Didja hear how she said she wished she could go get a cup of coffee from that cafe? But she's too busy?"
"Go get her one then."
"What'm I supposed to tell her then, huh?" He set his elbows on the desk and pouted at his friend, spiralled pupils swirling beneath his shades. "Oh, hey, I went out of my freakin' way to get you this for no reason? I just couldn't."
"Tell her why, then."
"I don't know why I wanna treat her so special! A crush is a freakin' crush and I've had those before. So why've I got this ache in my chest when I see her?!"
"Hizashi..."
But the Emglish teacher was lost in his own world now, his hands curled under his chin staring dreamily into space. "She's smart as hell an' she sings like a freakin' angel. I'm a Voice Hero so I know, Aizawa. Hers is gorgeous. Maybe she doesn't know that I know, she sings at the clubs around here sometimes. I can get in unnoticed, since I've worked most of 'em, too."
"Get real, Yamada," Aizawa said bluntly. "You'd think she's perfect no matter what."
"Nuh uh," he snorted. "We've all got our faults. But she's got such beautiful eyes -"
"Ugh." Aizawa rolled his and ducked into his capture weapon to hide the grin he was sporting.
"...and that thing she does with her hair when it tickles her cheek makes me get all wiggly an' shit every time." Hizashi paused, his sunglasses sliding down his nose. "Holy hell, I just figured out this ain't a crush now. I'm in love," he sighed, a huge, wobbly grin splitting his blushing face.
"You might be the very last person to realize that." Aizawa held up his phone towards his friend. The contact screen was on the counselor's image, showing she had been on call for some time.
The blond man's jaw dropped. He stared incredulously at the device, then slowly back at the scruffy homeroom teacher.
"Holy fuck nuts," he wheezed at last. "You crazy bastard! She's gonna think I'm a cre-e-e-ep!" He ended on a loud wail, causing the pens and pencils in his cup on the desk to rattle crazily and then tip over the edge. His eyes were bugging out, the spirals thinning in anxiety. Even his massive blond plume of hair seemed to bristle behind him. "I don't know how to fix this!"
"Oh?" Aizawa calmly peered out of the room. "You'd better figure it out then. Cheshire's coming down the hall."
"Shit!" He scrambled madly for the door as his friend walked out.
"I'm going to take a power nap. Try not to shout the building down."
"Yer an asshole, Eraserhead!"
"Hnf." He waved backwards at the distraught man as he shuffled back to his classroom.
Hizashi didn't have enough time to really work himself into a panic, but he was very close when she opened the doors.
"Hi, Mic," she called quietly. "I just got the most interesting phone call."
"M'sorry," he squeaked nervously as she strode inside. "Uhhh, see, I didn't know I had a hot mic." He tried smiling but it felt wrong.
Elly raised her eyebrows as well as her furry cat's ears. They perked out of her hair, swiveling in his direction as she walked closer. "Well, now..." She drawled comically, "That was definitely my line."
"Ah... whahuh?"
She was beside him now and placed a hand on his arm, using her other to pull half his headphones off. This exposed his blushing ear, which was as pink as the bridge of his nose in his confusion. Soft, warm breath puffed on the curved shell as she whispered, "Ask me out, handsome."
Hizashi's mind shut down. He had been prepared for rejection, however tactful, but never expected her to hit on him. "What just... what?"
She smiled, letting the headphones pop back into place. "Are you free after school? We could get that coffee."
He nodded. "For real? You - you actually wanna?"
"Yamada -" He sighed, wishing, once again, that he could tell her it was okay to call him by his given name. Elly cocked her head quizzically at him and sat on the edge of his desk, staring deeply into his eyes. "Hizashi," she amended softly.
"Whoa," he choked. "That's eerily perceptive."
The counselor grinned, the glint of a fang showing under the school's fluorescent lighting. "Part of my job," she purred. "Now, as a reminder..."
He nearly passed out when she kissed him. Her lips brushed the very corner of his mouth, chaste enough for work but hinting at what such action could turn into later. Hizashi closed his eyes and hummed, pleased, under his breath.
"No way I'll forget, baby," he husked, turning so he lightly grazed her lips. She purred in delight and her hand squeezed his gently. Neither had really been paying attention to anything but the other, so when they straightened and their eyes focused again they got a surprise. An entire class filled with wide eyes and gaping mouths sat stunned in their seats.
Elly handled it far better. She smiled in a wholesome manner at them all, waving cheerfully. "Hey, everyone! Sorry to cut into your class time." She slipped off the desk and paused to pick up the cup and writing implements, setting them in their proper place. "I'll see you later."
He gulped. "Uh huh." Hizashi watched in amazement as she left, her striped tail twitching lazily behind her. As soon as the doors swung heavily shut the class erupted into chaos.
"Mr. Mic!"
"Are you two dating?!"
"How long -?!"
Hizashi wrenched his focus back to the students with an effort. "Whoa, whoaaa!" He waved his hands in the air. "At least ask yer questions in English!"
So they got coffee after school.
It went about as well as expected, really. The two had gone out many times before but not on official dates. Since this came after a confession, it was decidedly different. Their hands touched a lot more and there was an abundance of blushing. Hizashi got so red in the ears, nose and cheeks he looked as if he was coming down with a fever. Elly sat very close to him, and they had a wonderful time. As they walked back to the teacher's dormitory, he leaned close to her and whispered somewhat theatrically.
"Hey hey, baby, I just got an idea. How about we sneak into my room at the dorm for some quiet time?"
"Uh... is that allowed?"
"Rules say the students aren't supposed to fool around in their rooms. Not the teachers."
Elly frowned. "It does say we're not allowed to have outsiders in -"
"We're both staff."
She struggled with the semantics. "But..."
Hizashi glanced around, then pulled her into a dark corner of the entrance hall. He laid an arm on the wall over her head, stepping close with one knee along her side. His eyes whirled as he squinted appraisingly down, then he reached out and lightly grasped her chin in his thumb and forefinger.
"I just want more of this." His mouth grazed hers, the soft hair of his mustache rubbing on her skin. She trembled and grasped his shirt collar as he nuzzled gently. The gold and silver necklacs he wore jingled musically as he moved. "Yeah, baby? We get s'more privacy, we can, ah ...get to know each other a lot better."
"Ugh, Zashi. That's the oldest line ever." Elly giggled faintly.
"Aw," he pouted cutely with his lower lip thrust far out. "I just wanna hold you more 'n stuff." They parted with furtive looks around, mindful of the fact that their colleagues were settled in rooms stretched along the dark hallway they could see the opening to.
"Your room is closer," she gave in, hugging him quickly.
He grinned. "Uh huh."
He took her hand and led her to his room, a world of records, stereo equipment and kitsch design from the seventies. There was a yellow shag rug on the floor and the bed was western style with black silk sheets. A golden lava lamp cast a glow across it as he turned it on to create a romantic ambiance. There was more, but she didn't see because his arms wrapped around her and his mouth found hers again, hot and wet and urgent.
"Mnn, that's good." Hizashi licked his lips and sighed, placing his forehead on hers. "No, that's better than good. I've never felt like this before." He sat on the edge of the bed and she followed, curling her tail to the side.
"Me neither."
"So, uh. You heard me over the phone but..." Hizashi gulped nervously. "I - am I gonna freak you out if I confess in person right now?"
Elly thought for a moment. "Oh. Ohhh, Hizashi, oh my god. You won't scare me. I promise." She kissed him rather hard and he blinked, grinning widely at her apparent happiness.
"I guess not, huh? I know our cultures are different an' all, so I hope this comes across right..." He took in a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around her. "We haven't seriously dated, but we've been out an awful lot. We work together in more ways than one, I see you all the time an' I feel like - like I couldn't make it without you. I love you."
Her jaw dropped.
Hizashi had skipped the "like" part of his culture and gone straight to romantic love - a phrase not heard often save for in dramas and movies. She stared at him through a blurry deluge of tears, her body starting to shake.
"Uh..." He startic to panic, stroking the back of her head as she clutched him and sobbed. "You okay, baby?"
"Yeh - eh - ess!" Elly stuttered between breaths.
"Ya kinda freaked," he pointed out mildly.
"Well... I thought I was the only one to have these feelings." She buried her head in his neck, and her next sentence came out slightly muffled. "I thought I was wrong to love you so much."
He perked up, his eyes alight. "You do?"
"I'm so in love with you."
"Shit," he breathed in awe. "Best. Day. Ever." Then his eyes slipped closed in bliss as she kissed his chin, moving down. "Ungh, Ches, that's..."
"I've wanted to do this for too long." She lavished light, open-mouthed kisses all over his throat. "Your Voice turns me on, you know."
"Ohhh." He heard her capitalize the word and understood. "Now there's another totes new thing for me. Everyone always says I'm annoying."
Elly purred, shaking her head. "No. No way. You make me get all shivery when I listen to you, in class, during patrol, on your programs..."
He dropped his tone low, aiming at one of her furry ears. "Do I turn you on that much, babe?"
"Oh, Zashi, yes," she sighed, her tongue laving his jumping pulse.
"No fair," he husked. "Where'm I supposed to kiss for your quirk?" His eyes squinted, and he gave her a wicked grin. "Yours is all over, isn't it?"
She flicked her ears coyly. "Well, I turn invisible wherever - or whatever -- I want."
He bent his head to hers. "Oh? Then where do you want it, Ches?" His lips grazed hers and she felt herself giving in, a slight shifting of her body in preparation to grow limp and let him take over.
They jumped as there was a light but insistent knocking at the door.
Hizashi's eyes clouded over. "Shit," he muttered in English. Then, back in Japanese, "This'd better be good!" He opened the door just a crack so the person on the other side couldn't see fully. Unfortunately, Aizawa barged in anyway.
"You got back a half an hour ago," he grunted. "I texted you twice. What -" He blinked, pausing as he took in the disheveled and blushing woman on his friend's bed. "Cheshire."
"Hey." She waggled her fingers at him in a sheepish hello.
"Hizashi, you know your room here isn't fully soundproofed."
"Yeahhh," Hizashi sighed. "I get it. We're, uh... not doin' anything, uh, really serious."
The homeroom teacher's mouth twitched in a crooked smile. "Oh? Then what were you doing?"
"You sound like Kayama." The blond man grumbled, then sighed as he heard Elly getting up off the bed. "Aww."
"It's okay, Zashi," she told him quietly, placing a hand on his arm. "We were lucky it was Aizawa!"
"True that," he mumbled.
"Not as lucky as you think!" A cheerful voice called out. Kayama stuck her head in the door, a gigantic grin on her face. "I followed Aizawa because I thought we might all go out for drinks! Whatever were you getting up to, you two lovebirds?!"
"If we run, she'll just chase us," Elly remarked clinically.
"Now everybody's gonna know tomorrow," Hizashi groaned.
Scarred Transference
(1)
U.A.'s counselor had problems, just like the students and staff she saw on a regular basis. Just because she had gone to college and could diagnose and treat people didn't mean she was free of the issues others faced. Problems like infatuation, or crushes. Everyone got those, and some were even confident enough that they acted on them and got dates.
Although lately she had begun to suspect hers was more a case of unrequited love.
Elly sat on her bed in her room at the teacher's dormitory, staring moodily at her phone. She ran her fingertip along the screen, tracing the scar that ran just under his eye. She wondered how many more he had; once while visiting the campus gym she had caught him working out, shirtless. There had been scars on his arms, his back, and a latticework along his ribs on the left at the time that was fairly fresh. His one elbow was a travesty of deep, rough skin where he had lost several layers protecting the kids in his class one year.
She very much wanted to kiss them all. The knowledge that he wasn't interested - in, well, anyone, let alone her -- always caused her sadness. Pining wasn't an attractive emotion, nor was it productive, so the counselor usually pushed it aside and concentrated on other things. This time, however, she allowed herself to cry.
Sitting alone in her room, she sniffled as the tears fell hot on her shirt and the back of her hand holding the phone clutched to her chest.
He was only one floor away, yet it was as if it were a million miles.
Her ears drooped, and she sneezed.
"Hey, cat lady! You in there?!" The sudden banging on her door caused her to shriek.
Once more she regretted having chosen the room next to the boisterous Midnight. She hastily wiped her eyes, tossed the phone on the bed and answered the door before the woman pounding on it broke it down.
"Kayama, for god's sake, relax! What is it?!"
Her colleague pursed her ruby red lips and stared hard at her. "I could hear you crying," she confessed with a little shrug. "What's wrong? You need to go out tonight, get a little tipsy? Have some fun?"
She sighed weakly and laid her ears back in irritation. "No. I'm fine -" Her nose had been stuffy due to the crying, but it cleared enough just then for her to catch a familiar scent. Kayama watched with a barely-concealed smirk as Elly saw Aizawa slouched over to one side. He was dressed in a worn pair of jeans and a black turtleneck, with his dark hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. "Erk."
"C'mon. A night out will do you a whole lot of good."
Her heart nearly stopped when the scruffy man peered over at her. "We all need to relax once in awhile," he told her matter-of-factly.
How could she say no to that?!
(2)
The answer, of course, was that she couldn't. Of course she ended up going.
The three walked to a bar close by the campus that staff frequented on the weekends. They ordered, sat down and got their drinks in amiable silence, since although Elly was miffed at Kayama using the homeroom teacher to trick her into going, she was happy to be with him.
She wasn't used to drinking a lot, though. After a few glasses she really needed to pee.
"Excuse me. I'm gonna head to the ladies' room," she murmured.
Aizawa said nothing but took a swig of beer. Kayama sneakily trailed after her in the bathroom, however.
"Feeling better?"
Elly jumped from where she sat on the toilet, startled. "Really? Girl's chat in the bathroom?"
"Why not?" She heard water running in the sink as the other woman washed her hands. "You looked like you needed a pep talk."
"For what? We're just having drinks."
"Could be more than that - for you and Aizawa, anyway."
She groaned and yanked extra hard on the toilet paper with a grimace. "Don't start."
"I know for a fact he likes you."
"Sure he does. I'm part cat." She frowned. Hadn't she hung her bag on the door hook?
"I think it goes a lot deeper than that." The towel dispenser cranked noisily. "I'm sure he'd be happier making you purr than those strays he feeds on the street."
"Kayama, I swear to g -" Elly froze, terrified, as she slammed open the door. The dark-haired woman was gone. "Ohhh my shit, she planned this. How stupid can I be?!" Elly squeezed her eyes tightly shut, her hands balling into fists.
She had no ride back, and the other woman had likely been the one to swipe her purse. Moments later her phone buzzed, alerting her through text that it was as she suspected - Kayama told her not to worry, her things were safe. Elly bit back any angry response she might have made and simply texted a curt "thanks" back.
She made her way back to the booth and dropped into it with a heavy sigh, rubbing her eyes with one hand.
"What's wrong?"
"A certain someone thought it was funny to steal my purse. I don't have money, I.D, or anything."
Aizawa's eyebrows shot up. "Kayama," he groaned. "She left quite quickly. I should have guessed."
"Yep."
"Sorry. She ... thinks she knows best. She can get meddlesome, though." He drained the last of his beer and reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay the bill.
Elly eyed the now-empty glass. "Are you okay?"
He snorted. "M'fine, Cheshire. It takes a hell of a lot more than three of those to put me under." He paused as he slipped his billfold back. "I am, however, definitely not sober. What say we head to a cafe and get some coffee before heading back?"
"I'll pay you b -"
Aizawa cut her off as they walked out into the cool night air. "No need. It's drinks and coffee, nothing expensive."
"All right."
The cafe was just down the same street. A lot of businesses had popped up innthis area and it was busy in a friendly sort of way. The two headed inside and Elly had to still her heart at the thought that this really looked like a date.
The two of them, alone in a cozy corner shop getting coffee. They could have been a couple after a movie or something. She was so flustered she paused when he asked what she wanted.
"Oh. Uh, a small coffee, c - cream, uh..." Her tongue got tied and she blushed in confusion, shaking her head at her foolishness.
Aizawa smiled crookedly at her. "She'll have a medium, double cream and one sugar."
"Uggghh." Elly sipped her coffee as they headed to a small booth in the back. "I'm sorry, again. This night has been a mess."
The dark-haired man slid across the table from her and grunted. "I thought it was decent."
"Wh - what?"
"We had drinks and relaxed. Now we're enjoying a decent cup of coffee together." His expression was enigmatic.
She tilted her head to one side, ears perking upright. A smile slowly spread across her face and she nodded. "You know what? You're right. Here, let me -"
He raised an eyebrow. "A photo?"
"I won't post it anywhere," she promised. "I sort of just want to remember this night. It was nice."
He shrugged. "If you want."
She got in his side of the booth, biting her lip with her heart pounding even faster. Would he think this was strange? She could have just leaned across the table. But no, she edged beside him and then nearly fainted when he placed an arm around the back of the seat behind her, leaning close. Somehow she managed to snap a photo of them right before all hell broke loose.
(3)
Aizawa posed for the photo with an unusually soft smile. After the click, however, he fell face down on the table with a loud thump. There was no warning at all; one second he was sitting and the next his body was completely limp as though he had passed out. Elly jumped, alert at once as she heard someone dashing out the door. The bell tinkled but she didn't see anyone. She was too concerned about her colleague laying beside her.
"Is he okay?"
"No. Call the cops and an ambulance." She wasn't too clear at the moment since she was too intent on checking his pulse. He was breathing, he didn't have any marks she could see and as her delicate nose tested the air she could only detect coffee and his usual gel drinks. Her hands gently pulled back his ponytail to check again for anything suspicious.
What happened?
Her purple eyes went wide and she slammed into the back of the booth, gasping.
The voice had been inside her head.
It was Aizawa's.
"Crap," she choked. "Mind transfer quirk!"
The waitress that had come running earlier was back. She stared with equally huge eyes at the Insanity Hero, both recognizing her and absorbing what she had said.
"Ex - excuse me, Cheshire?"
"Yes?"
"I called the, the cops and the..."
Is that my body? I should try and work my upper body more these days.
Elly squeezed her eyes tight, swallowing hard. "Good."
"Are you okay?"
"My friend was just shoved into my head, and it's - it's a little disconcerting."
I'm sorry, Ches. She thought he was remarkably calm for what had occurred. Well, there's no need to get riled up. That won't help, his voice murmured.
"And now he can read my thoughts. Fabulous." She groaned deeply, thrusting her hands over her face.
Indeed, he continued, I have access to what you think or do. I can see what you're looking at as well.
The door chimed again, this time announcing the police, and he fell silent so she could tell them what had happened. His body was taken to a local hospital, but there was nothing to do for their combined minds. A psychiatrist asked her a few questions, but knew her background and waved her off to go home after a quarter of an hour.
Home?
She shuddered, but it was late and she had nowhere else to go. It was a school day tomorrow as well. Aizawa would miss his class, but she had appointments.
Kayama was waiting for them when she got back. "I'm so sorry I filched your purse!" She wrinkled her nose. "If I hadn't been such a meddler, this might not have happened."
"It's okay, Kayama." It was her voice, but altered.
Kayama into Elly's face. "Hey - your eyes changed color. Was that you, Aizawa?"
She nodded - or rather, he did. "I can step forward momentarily. Cheshire's eyes will change when I do." He faded back, and the color flushed from a lighter tone into her dark purple.
"I hate it when he does that," she complained. "It's only been twice in the hospital and yet it feels ... itchy."
I'll stay back here, then, he promised contritely.
"You do that," she told him in a sour voice.
"Well... the staff was sent a notice," the other woman told them. "Most are in bed by now, but they'll get it in the morning. We'll all help out. Try and get some rest."
"Yeah," Elly sighed. She went up the stairs and slipped quietly into her room, flopping just as she was onto her bed.
You're as tired as I am, but restless.
"Yeah." She tossed her handbag carelessly on the floor and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'll look for the photo I took at the cafe - that might show us the villain in the background so we can get a lead." Elly really wasn't thinking when she opened her image gallery.
She held the phone loosely in her hand as the images sat on the screen: Aizawa at an event that had been held just last week at the beach, one of him on the practice field ... another at a conference where he had been dressed in a suit. Her face grew red and she hurriedly flipped through the rest of the gallery, looking for the image she needed. She was suddenly very aware of just how many photos she had snuck of the cranky man while he wasn't looking.
His voice resounded quietly in her head. Cheshire.
"Yes?"
Are you ... why are there so many pictures of me in your phone? Do you have feelings for me other than as your colleague?
She sighed bitterly and covered her face with her hands.
No, no don't -
There was a long, several minute pause where she let the tears flow quietly down her cheeks, shoulders slumped in despair. Aizawa struggled with the onslaught of emotions coming at him. Knowing she was pushing them as far away as she could didn't help; it meant they were far worse than she was letting on.
He wasn't emotionless himself. He understood her feelings but didn't know how to be reassuring. He'd messed up a lot with his ward, unintentionally of course, and always felt terrible afterwards. And, like Eri, he found the counselor was someone he very much wanted to comfort. Her pain was near overwhelming, and he flinched mentally away from it. She was absolutely positive he would never reciprocate her feelings, and this crushed her, causing her heart to beat faster and making it difficult to breathe.
So much sorrow! Please don't feel ashamed. You hid it well when I wasn't inside your mind, even while drinking, and...
It was as if a steel door slammed shut with a loud crash. Aizawa, startled, exclaimed in surprise at the sudden willpower he felt her exuding.
"No," she said curtly out loud. Her voice was dry, bitter, and sounded incredibly tired.
But -
He found himself listening to a short music clip, on repeat, in her mind. She blocked him out with repetitive sound as she laid down to sleep. Eventually they both dropped off.
(4)
The morning presented even worse problems.
She didn't shower.
How could she? Aizawa would experience her body in more intimate ways than anyone else could. So she waited until she felt his awareness drift off to sleep again - he napped often anyway, plus there was nothing for him to do while disembodied -- and hand washed as quickly as she could.
The school day went on almost the same, although students started commenting on how strangely Elly was behaving. 1-A's class was in an uproar about their teacher so she kept far away from those impetuous students. The staff, however, eventually had a few words for her as she sat quietly in a corner of the lounge eating a very small lunch. She was desperately trying to avoid going to the bathroom, and eating would compound that issue. So she took only enough calories to keep on her feet and struggled on.
"Hey, there. You two doing okay?" Frowning, Midnight placed a tray down across from her. "You don't look so great, Cheshire."
Present Mic stared earnestly into her face and whistled lowly. "Yer even startin' to look like him!"
All Might had a worried look on his skeletal face as he peered closely at her. "I think you need more rest," he suggested quietly.
"I'm fine," she shrugged.
"You're paler, and your eyes look - pardon me for saying so, but hell, Ches, they look worse than his." Midnight poked her shoulder. "Is everything really okay? I'm sorry about last night, you know. I just thought it might shake you out of your melancholy. "
"It's fine. I'll adjust." She finished another bite of fried rice and then sighed wearily. "Enough," she said to no one in particular and stood to throw the rest out.
"I don't think she's okay," Mic fretted as she slumped out the door to hide once more in her office. "An' what about Aizawa, huh? She's even startin' to sound like him, but he never says anything!"
"I assume Aizawa doesn't want to cause her further distress," All Might murmured.
"We better team up after school to try and hunt that villain down. That's the only way they can be separated again."
Mic nodded, picking up a hamburger from the plate in front of him packed with fries and coleslaw. "A bunch of others wanted to help, too. The kids and everyone."
"Mmn. It's a good thing Ches is so popular."
Mic snorted. "Aizawa might be an ass sometimes, but he's always there for anyone that needs him. Don't count him out of the popularity rankings. It's just - well..." He chewed, swallowed a huge mouthful. "I think they're gonna get together eventually, yanno? But this doesn't look like it's helping."
"You never know."
"Yes," All Might sighed as he stared at the back of the door she had left through. "We can only hope things will work out."
Elly was forced to go back to her room at some point.
She worked later than usual, took a sick Hero's patrol and even ate dinner out - a thing she wasn't fond of doing alone -- before finally facing the prospect of being alone with Aizawa's presence once more. When she was in public it was easier to block him out, though she felt guilty for doing so.
As soon as she crossed the threshold into her the dorm, she knew their situation was going to get harder. She absolutely had to use the toilet as well as shower now, too.
Some things couldn't be put off forever.
Elly put a sign up on the door to let the others know she was using the facilities. Since he was with her, it had been agreed she would bathe and use the bathroom alone (though not alone) until they were seperate once more.
She relaxed her guard as she was washing her hands. The toilet flushed cheerfully in the background, reminding her of her deed and the fact that she had shared it with him.
Ches?
"Aah! Damn it. I'm sorry I ignored you - blocked you, I mean, really, all this time. It wasn't fair."
You had your reasons.
He was silent after that, and she wondered if he was so disturbed by her love for him that he could barely bring himself to speak to her.
It's not that.
"So... the bathroom?"
Everyone poops, he thought in such a prim tone that she giggled despite herself.
"All right," she sighed wearily, sitting on the closed toilet seat. "Let's talk, then. I'm sorry for earlier. I meant to keep all that nonsense to myself. Preferably forever."
Stop that! She got a brief mental image of him frowning, followed by a long-suffering sigh. You didn't let me finish speaking before.
"I know. Please, I don't want to hear you say any of it. It's bad enough without you telling me I'll 'find someone else, some day', or whatever platitudes you would use."
You're stubborn, came the wry thought. I like that.
She bit her lip, trying to still the irrational beating of her heart from the praise.
I like you.
She couldn't speak or think clearly and sat there for a couple of minutes, blinking and trying to make sense of what happened. Then he gently suggested she get cleaned up for the night. You need to shower, Aizawa told her. It will make you feel better. And you know, he murmured, his mental voice a low, pleasing baritone, I bet I can let you experience what I'm feeling, as well. An excruciating wave of lust and more washed over her.
It was the more that caused her to gasp and flail about for purchase. She hit the toilet paper with her fingertips and a good foot of it rolled off wildly to lay on the floor in a heap.
"Shota! Y - you..?!"
I feel the same way about you, yes, he acknowledged placidly.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?!"
His laugh was a bit harsh, causing her to blink. Ches, I'm somewhat durable, but definitely not what most consider attractive.
"You told me I'm beautiful, even though I can't see that myself. I understand not being able to believe anyone would desire you." She paused, then stood up. "You know how I see you now, though."
Yes. He paused, gathering his thoughts. You ...think I am handsome. What an astonishing thing.
She shrugged, knowing what he was going through. "I really should shower," she muttered under her breath.
If I make you uncomfortable, I could try to nap like before.
"You know what?" Elly sighed as she gave up at last. "No. Just ...whatever happens, happens."
Aizawa waited patiently, watching with her eyes as she readied a towel and clothing for the night. She undressed quickly, unzipping her suit and taking off her bra before stepping out of her panties. She sensed his presence but he was quiet, and that was almost as unnerving.
A test of the water spouting from the showerhead found it satisfactory enough. She sighed again and got in, careful as always to make sure her tail was inside and not sticking out of the curtain.
"You're silence speaks for you, Aizawa. I'm sorry I probably don't live up to any expectations," she said quietly as she squinted at the shampoo.
No. Your logic is flawed. His thought was firm. I feel your doubt, but your body really is beautiful.
"Are you serious?"
If I were there, I could wash your back. He sounded rather mournful. Ah, well. We'll just have to wait, won't we?
"But I'm -"
I can feel all of your pain. His voice was even more subdued this time. Your loved ones told you that you were ugly.
"Among other things, yes."
Your father.
"Stepfather," she corrected, a little sharper than she intended. Then, "Yes." She hurriedly ducked under the water stream to rinse the shampoo out of her purple hair, forgetting he knew she was crying anyway.
He wasn't right then, nor is he now.
"I wish I could believe you. I do ...and I don't."
I'll just have to keep showing you how much I love you.
"Oh? How are you going to do that inside my head?"
It will be much better when I'm back in my body, he agreed mildly.
She blushed, though they had just shared an intimate moment already. He laughed softly in her mind, and then -
She was suddenly very, very alone. The warm sense of his presence was gone.
Elly leaped up, her heart pounding in her chest.
(5)
She didn't bother drying her hair. Elly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and raced to the hospital, her heart pounding in her chest and her stomach clenching with nervous excitement and worry. Navigating the hallways proved more of a challenge than fighting a villian, however, and she was forced through several checkpoints before finally standing in front of the nurse in charge of the wing he was in.
"I'm here to see Aizawa Shota - Eraserhead."
The tentacled man dressed in crisp white glanced briefly in her direction. "And you are..?"
"Elly Sketchit. Pro Hero Cheshire -" She passed her credentials over. "I was the one that hosted him during this event."
"Relationship to patient?"
"I'm his girlfriend," she said firmly, with no hesitation at all though her heart fluttered. "He's going to want to see me right away, trust me."
As if on cue, they heard Aizawa's irritated voice ring out in the hall. "Ches? What's taking you so long?"
She raised her eyebrows at the nurse, who passed her I.D back and motioned her towards the door. "Try and talk some sense into him, please," he added with a long-suffering sigh. "Every time he comes here he leaves far too early."
"I'll try, but no promises. He's stubborn."
"You're telling me." The nurse had been there when Eraserhead had been in a nearly full body wrap... and still left to go to work. He wished the cat woman the best of luck, especially since the scruffy hero had been more than irritable when he woke up this time.
Elly opened the door and stepped inside the sterile glow of the hospital room. Aizawa lay propped up on a small cot on the right. He had an I.V. drip of some kind hooked up in his arm and a monitor nearby was registering his vitals. His hair had been brushed and pulled back into a ponytail for easier access but his face was covered in thicker stubble than usual since he hadn't shaved at all.
They stared at each other for a long minute.
Aizawa broke the silence first. He held his free arm out. "Ches..."
She rushed to his side and he embraced her as best he could. When she parted slightly to look into his eyes he grinned and tangled his hand in the back of her hair, tugging so their noses touched. He tilted his head and kissed her with a soft sigh that spoke louder than words. His scruff rasped on her skin but she didn't care. Neither of them heard the door click open again, but a low voice interrupted them.
"Oh. My apologies." The woman at the door chuckled. "I was told the host was here and I wanted to check up on you both."
Aizawa huffed impatiently and didn't relinquish his hold. "I'm back," he said as if that solved everything.
"Yes. I know." She nodded to Elly and the Insanity Hero gently disengaged from her new boyfriend enough to shake her hand. They introduced themselves and the doctor affected surprise. "I didn't know you two were a couple."
"Neither did we."
"Ahhh. Well, there's some more good come out of this, then."
Aizawa propped himself up higher, gesturing with the arm hooked up to the drip. "Can we take this out now? The catheter was taken out half an hour ago, and I can drink as well as urinate regularly."
Elly winced ever so slightly, grinning in apology. "You know from previous visits he's impatient."
"Hmm. Yes." She leaned over and checked a few things on the tablet she held. "Just a few questions, I promise. You weren't truly injured this time, so we can let you go -"
Aizawa nodded, swinging his legs over the edge of the cot already.
"...as soon as you show us you're ready. You've been here before and I assume you know what that means."
Elly blinked, confused. "Um."
He snorted, then pointed at the small room in the corner. "I have to go to the bathroom."
It only took one cup of coffee for Aizawa to fulfill the hospital's release request, and then they were on their way. They stopped at the entrance to sit on a bench under the glow of a streetlight.
"Are you tired, Aizawa?"
"Ches..." He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger. "I only call you by your hero name because my accent causes me to mispronounce your given one." He removed his fingers and took her hand in his, pulling it to his chest. The worn fabric of his turtleneck was very soft under her palm.
"Would you like me to call you Shota, then?" Her smile was warm and a little shy.
"It feels appropriate."
"Okay." She leaned into his side and he grinned at her. "Well? Are you tired, Shota?"
"Not too badly." He thought for a moment, looking up at the twilight sky. "Can I make a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"My body lay dormant for an entire night and day. We've been very stressed." He lightly squeezed her hand. "I don't want to go back to the dorm. I think some gentle exercise would do us good, instead."
Her cheeks aflame, she concentrated on breathing. He was definitely suggesting what she assumed. "Gentle," she repeated in a trembling voice.
"How could it be otherwise?" He took her hand and placed it over his shoulder, drawing her close. "Midnight texted me earlier to suggest a discreet love hotel. If you're willing, so am I."
She breathed deeply, inhaling his sweaty scent, with traces of hospital sharpness lingering in his clothing. "I've never been," she admitted quietly. "Isn't it just by the hour?"
He placed his forehead on hers. "You can pay for all night. The school is close enough and we could still make it to classes in the morning if we left early. What do you think?"
"Is that back washing offer still open?"
"Of course." Aizawa's grin spread, more of his teeth showing as he chuckled. "In fact, a shower is the very first thing on my agenda." He sniffed at one of his sleeves and grimaced. "I hope they have a laundering service," he added.
It turned out that the hotel did, in fact, offer laundering - for an added fee, of course -- as well as food delivered from local eateries. Elly scrolled through the tablet on the bedside table as Aizawa headed immediately into the bathroom, shedding his clothing as he went with absolutely zero reservations.
Her eyes widened as she found the wide selection of sex toys and prophylactics also sold. Hastily setting the pad aside, she concentrated instead on the pile of dark fabric cluttering the floor. She picked the pieces up and set them in the designated basket for cleaning while she heard the squeak of a tap from behind her. She was so absorbed in gathering everything that she didn't hear him come back out.
"Are you coming, kitten?" His voice was very low and soft; the double entendre breathed warmly on her neck.
Elly's ears flicked up and her tail fluffed all the way out. She nearly dropped the basket but he moved swiftly, his arms wrapping around her to grasp the handles. Her breathing grew hoarse and she shivered as she felt his warm, hard, undeniably nude body behind her.
"Oh my god, Shota."
"Hmm?" His tone was mildly quizzical as she took hold of the clothing and set it aside.
"You're - that's..."
He reached out and gently turned her to face him.
Aizawa had an extremely fit body. The man obsessively worked out and it showed in every sculpted line of muscle. Each were defined but not too large, just toned and fit. His pale, scarred body was even lighter on his chest and lower, past the tufts of hair trailing down past his navel.
Elly gasped as she saw him for the first time, both excited and suddenly very, very shy.
He paused, scratching absently at his chest. "Is something wrong?"
"N - no, I just, uh. Oh my god." She kept repeating herself in dazed confusion.
"You're not a virgin," he murmured softly. "I wasn't snooping, but I did sense that when I was in your mind. What's wrong, then? Is this too fast?"
"No, it's..." She sat heavily on the bed, her tail thumping in agitation. "I may not be a virgin per se, but I've only had sex once, Shota. It wasn't -" She searched for an appropriate description. "It wasn't a very good experience for me," she finished somewhat weakly.
He joined her on the bed. "We can use this time to talk, or just be together. We don't need to have sex."
"No, I want to." Elly took a slow, deep breath. "I trust you. I just want you to know I may be a little reserved."
"You mean frightened." His brows drew together as he spoke sadly. "Ches, you have had so many bad men in your life. You - for you to trust me, it means a lot. I want you to be very sure this is what you really want."
"I'm absolutely certain," she replied back without hesitation. "I wouldn't have said yes to coming here otherwise."
"Hnn." He thought for a moment, scratching the scruff on his chin and looking up at the ceiling. "Then I will need to know the second you feel uncomfortable with anything."
"Stoplight colors," she said cryptically.
"Excuse me?" He blinked, caught off guard.
"They've been used as safety words for many things. Green is great - no problems, yellow means I have an itch or something innocuous like that but do need to stop. Red means stop immediately because I'm terrified or in pain."
He winced. "I would never -"
"I know. But there are things that happen that are out of our control."
"Yes." He stroked her hair gently. "And, look - I meant it when I said I wanted a shower first. Just a shower. Fooling around in the bathroom is a damn foolish way to get hurt."
"That sounds great." Her ears perked back up again and he rubbed them affectionately. "Um. I was startled, seeing you at first. But your body..."
Aizawa cleared his throat. "I know. I'm covered in scars. Sometimes I feel like they're more prevalent than my actual skin."
"That's not it! You're perfect. I mean, I guess I would've thought that no matter what, really, but I - your body really turns me on. That's what got me so flustered."
He stared at her as if gauging the truth of her words, stunned and a little confused. "I ..." He shook his head and rubbed at the back of his neck, a burn starting to burn across his nose. "Thank you. No one's ever told me that before."
"You get the water ready?" She helped him past his awkward declaration and he looked up gratefully.
"Yes. We'd better get in."
"Right behind you."
(7)
Elly knew he had seen her naked before, but his reaction wasn't what she expected at all. Aizawa sighed lustily as she stepped out of her last piece of underwear.
"You're even more beautiful with my own eyes," he murmured.
She blushed but got in when he gestured for her to go first, standing near the back so he could step into the warm spray. He noted this and smiled at her before handing her the small soap the hotel provided. Showering was easy; she'd shared it with him earlier when he was in her mind. His body was a distraction but his easy acceptance of his nudity helped.
It was when he laid his warm, rough palms on her that her mind went blank and her heart began to race. He pulled her close and kissed her first, a brush of the lips and tentative lick that asked for more. She slipped wet arms around his neck and opened her mouth to willingly deepen the kiss. It was slow, building up to more as his stubble rasped on her face and his tongue teased gently. The contrast was stimilating.
"I had no idea you were such a good kisser," she panted when they parted.
"I am? Tonight has been full of surprises."
Elly laughed, pushing back a wet lock of purple hair that stuck to her cheek. "I'm still waiting for that back scrubbing, you know."
"Turn around, then." He lathered her up, rubbing briskly when she started to purr. "I think I know why you wanted this so much."
"I like back rubs. Who doesn't?" She faced him once more, taking the soap back. "Your turn."
His reaction was about the same as hers in the end. It brought them closer together, a simple act that showed they cared about each other. And after they finished washing up, they started on their hair.
"We may as well continue our talk from before," he said as he rinsed his long, black locks free of the hotel shampoo. "I fear it will be difficult after we, ah... start making love."
"Mmn." Elly rubbed at one eye, squeezing it shut as the foam from her hair dripped down. He saw this and maneuvered about so she could use the showerhead.
"You're on birth control, correct?"
"Uh huh. Required for hero duty. And we know we're both clean because of that, too."
He nodded, rubbing the scruff on his chin as he thought. "Do you want me to wear a condom anyway? It's up to you, but it's always safer."
"Do we have condoms?"
"We can order them from the hotel's service app." He paused. "Latex okay?"
"Actually, no. I'm allergic. It has to be those stupid expensive ones or nothing." She paused. "You know, Shota, I've never felt this way before, but I kind of want to go without. We could always get a morning after pill if we're worried."
Aizawa shrugged. "Again, up to you. Our life situations are not appropriate for raising a child, so we should be careful."
"Is that an unspoken 'yet' I heard?" She raised an eyebrow, her stomach fluttering wildly at his choice of words.
He said nothing but blushed harder. She noticed that as the shower progressed, especially after he had finished washing her back, his chest had gotten splotchy and red. It was even more so now, burning like his face and ears. Elly let his slip of the tongue drop tactfully. She herself had fantasies, and who knew what the future might hold? She'd never thought this could happen, after all.
"Hey, it's getting a bit cool. I think we're done, huh?"
Aizawa looked grateful that she changed the subject and nodded, reaching up to turn the showerhead off. He ran a hand through his hair and squeezed some water out before getting out. "I feel much better." He yawned, stretching and looking around for the towels.
Elly found them, puffy rectangles of luxurious cloth that nearly blended in on the equally white counter. She passed him one and began briskly rubbing her hair dry. He grunted his thanks and did the same.
"Hey, you're going to get tangles that way. Here..." She came closer and combed her fingers gently through the thick, dark tresses. "They have some hair ties on the counter. No, I'll pay for the damn things if you'll wear one." She broke the package open quickly before he could resist and took out a red one.
"You're not going to braid it or anything, are you?" He shot her an amused look, watching her in the mirror as she tied his hair back with a look of intense concentration.
"No, I couldn't even if I wanted to. I suck at styling hair. Just wanted to tie it back so it wasn't in the way."
He reached around and pulled her arms about him, still gazing into the mirror. "I like this look," he murmured quietly.
"Oh." She blushed. He stood once again completely nude and uncaring. This time, however, she let her eyes linger on the junction between his legs. "Ohhh." It was all she could say as she saw he was truly erect now, his member curving to one side and nearly poking his belly in its eagerness.
"Yes. You've gotten me incredibly hard, little one." Aizawa turned and slid one hand low around her waist, bending for a kiss. "I want you," he breathed.
(8)
The bed was comfortable and the pillows deep and soft. Elly sank down with a sigh, twisting the sheets nervously in her hands when he rolled close beside her.
"Easy," he said calmly. "Remember that I love you, and don't want you frightened or hurt. We can stop at any time."
"Thank you." Her hand shook as she traced the stubble on his cheek. "You're much gentler than I dreamed."
His lips twisted in a wry grin. "Did you imagine me a beast in the bedroom?" Laughing at her expression, he picked himself up on his hands and knees to crawl on top of her. He was careful to prop himself up, keeping a lot of space between them at first. "May I kiss you like this?"
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Aizawa leaned down and mouthed her lips, tracing the outline with his tongue. Her hands stroked his chest hair, toying with it playfully. The kiss deepened, and her hands wandered, eventually finding a flat male nipple. She tugged experimentally and was rewarded with a low hum.
He broke off, panting. "Harder, please."
She rubbed, then pinched, a thrill shooting up her spine when he moaned thickly. "You have sensitive nipples."
"Is it that obvious?" His sardonic tone made her smile.
She wriggled down and wrapped her lips around one, nibbling while her hand teased the other. Aizawa choked and whipped his head back, his throat working. His breathing grew harsher as the nubs of flesh she worked on grew deliciously sensitive, a torturous pleasure. After a few minutes his arms and legs started to tremble.
"I n - need to lay on you. I want..."
"Okay." She pushed herself back up to settle on the pillow. "Oh!" A sharp gasp forced its way out as he settled on her, bucking his hips in a suggestive manner.
"Mnn." His eyes were half-lidded as he stared into her own. He licked his lips, then dipped down to plant feather-light, plucking kisses on her neck, moving lower when she arched her back. "What could you possibly want, Ches?" His tongue traced a soft breast, spiraling slowly, ever inward.
"Ah, Shota," she groaned. "Please." Her hands cupped his neck and urged him towards her own stiff nipples.
"Poor little cat," he whispered, dabbing with the tip of his tongue.
"You're a tease," Elly whimpered faintly. "Oh my god, so sexy."
He chuckle was low and dark, almost evil-sounding. "Sexy, hmm? You like a little anticipation, it seems." His lips brushed lightly and she bit her lip, her toes digging into the sheets.
"Please, baby, they're aching."
His eyes widened at the nickname. "Wh - what'd you call me?"
Elly blinked, trying to gather enough of her wits to think back. "Baby," she coughed in embarrassment. "Probably not a good choice, huh?"
"It's fucking ridiculous."
She laughed. "Yeah -"
"Do it again." A tremor ran through his low baritone.
She tilted her head, making sure to make eye contact this time. "Shota, baby," she purred.
He opened his mouth and devoured her with a shaky moan that spoke more than words could say. She cried out and clutched his shoulders as he hovered above, lips suckling hungrily.
But it was not enough.
(9)
Aizawa was too excited.
He hadn't thought such a foolish thing could be his undoing, but his body absolutely throbbed at her choice of words. It inflamed him, the silly love name, and before he knew it his hands were caressing her, groping low on her waist as he rubbed his hard length on her thigh. He listened very carefully for any protest but she was enthusiastic, her hands kneading down his back. He gasped and drew back wetly when she grasped his rear in both hands.
"Ungh!"
"God, yes."
"Can I -"
"Yes."
His first move was to align himself with her body and use his member to stimulate but not enter. He held himself in one hand and rubbed against her open body, trying to duplicate whatever actions that caused her loudest cries. The problem was it felt very good to him as well. Aizawa held back valiantly against the mounting weight crushing him below, but he couldn't last forever. Her moans were almost continuous now, though, and she twitched every time he moved.
"Are you close?" He kissed her neck, licking along her throat up to her lips so when she spoke, it was into his mouth.
"A - ahh! Yes."
"Good. I'm going to begin."
"Shota..."
He paused. "Still green?"
"Yes! Green! Please, baby, don't stop." Elly forced her eyes open to see him looking very tense, his brow tight and his eyes dark. Sweat droplets ran down his naked body and his chest was stained a blotchy pink. "Sho? You okay?"
"Yes." He sounded strained, his voice harsh and his breathing coming in rough, jagged pants between clenched teeth. "You're so wonderful I'm having a difficult time controlling myself. But don't worry. I meant what I said earlier. There's no other way for me to love you but gentle."
She clung to him, her legs wrapping around his middle and her hands grasping his shoulders. "Shota."
"I felt your love when I was in your mind," he whispered. "This is my chance to give you mine."
"Oh, Shota."
U.A.'s counselor had problems, just like the students and staff she saw on a regular basis. Just because she had gone to college and could diagnose and treat people didn't mean she was free of the issues others faced. Problems like infatuation, or crushes. Everyone got those, and some were even confident enough that they acted on them and got dates.
Although lately she had begun to suspect hers was more a case of unrequited love.
Elly sat on her bed in her room at the teacher's dormitory, staring moodily at her phone. She ran her fingertip along the screen, tracing the scar that ran just under his eye. She wondered how many more he had; once while visiting the campus gym she had caught him working out, shirtless. There had been scars on his arms, his back, and a latticework along his ribs on the left at the time that was fairly fresh. His one elbow was a travesty of deep, rough skin where he had lost several layers protecting the kids in his class one year.
She very much wanted to kiss them all. The knowledge that he wasn't interested - in, well, anyone, let alone her -- always caused her sadness. Pining wasn't an attractive emotion, nor was it productive, so the counselor usually pushed it aside and concentrated on other things. This time, however, she allowed herself to cry.
Sitting alone in her room, she sniffled as the tears fell hot on her shirt and the back of her hand holding the phone clutched to her chest.
He was only one floor away, yet it was as if it were a million miles.
Her ears drooped, and she sneezed.
"Hey, cat lady! You in there?!" The sudden banging on her door caused her to shriek.
Once more she regretted having chosen the room next to the boisterous Midnight. She hastily wiped her eyes, tossed the phone on the bed and answered the door before the woman pounding on it broke it down.
"Kayama, for god's sake, relax! What is it?!"
Her colleague pursed her ruby red lips and stared hard at her. "I could hear you crying," she confessed with a little shrug. "What's wrong? You need to go out tonight, get a little tipsy? Have some fun?"
She sighed weakly and laid her ears back in irritation. "No. I'm fine -" Her nose had been stuffy due to the crying, but it cleared enough just then for her to catch a familiar scent. Kayama watched with a barely-concealed smirk as Elly saw Aizawa slouched over to one side. He was dressed in a worn pair of jeans and a black turtleneck, with his dark hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. "Erk."
"C'mon. A night out will do you a whole lot of good."
Her heart nearly stopped when the scruffy man peered over at her. "We all need to relax once in awhile," he told her matter-of-factly.
How could she say no to that?!
(2)
The answer, of course, was that she couldn't. Of course she ended up going.
The three walked to a bar close by the campus that staff frequented on the weekends. They ordered, sat down and got their drinks in amiable silence, since although Elly was miffed at Kayama using the homeroom teacher to trick her into going, she was happy to be with him.
She wasn't used to drinking a lot, though. After a few glasses she really needed to pee.
"Excuse me. I'm gonna head to the ladies' room," she murmured.
Aizawa said nothing but took a swig of beer. Kayama sneakily trailed after her in the bathroom, however.
"Feeling better?"
Elly jumped from where she sat on the toilet, startled. "Really? Girl's chat in the bathroom?"
"Why not?" She heard water running in the sink as the other woman washed her hands. "You looked like you needed a pep talk."
"For what? We're just having drinks."
"Could be more than that - for you and Aizawa, anyway."
She groaned and yanked extra hard on the toilet paper with a grimace. "Don't start."
"I know for a fact he likes you."
"Sure he does. I'm part cat." She frowned. Hadn't she hung her bag on the door hook?
"I think it goes a lot deeper than that." The towel dispenser cranked noisily. "I'm sure he'd be happier making you purr than those strays he feeds on the street."
"Kayama, I swear to g -" Elly froze, terrified, as she slammed open the door. The dark-haired woman was gone. "Ohhh my shit, she planned this. How stupid can I be?!" Elly squeezed her eyes tightly shut, her hands balling into fists.
She had no ride back, and the other woman had likely been the one to swipe her purse. Moments later her phone buzzed, alerting her through text that it was as she suspected - Kayama told her not to worry, her things were safe. Elly bit back any angry response she might have made and simply texted a curt "thanks" back.
She made her way back to the booth and dropped into it with a heavy sigh, rubbing her eyes with one hand.
"What's wrong?"
"A certain someone thought it was funny to steal my purse. I don't have money, I.D, or anything."
Aizawa's eyebrows shot up. "Kayama," he groaned. "She left quite quickly. I should have guessed."
"Yep."
"Sorry. She ... thinks she knows best. She can get meddlesome, though." He drained the last of his beer and reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay the bill.
Elly eyed the now-empty glass. "Are you okay?"
He snorted. "M'fine, Cheshire. It takes a hell of a lot more than three of those to put me under." He paused as he slipped his billfold back. "I am, however, definitely not sober. What say we head to a cafe and get some coffee before heading back?"
"I'll pay you b -"
Aizawa cut her off as they walked out into the cool night air. "No need. It's drinks and coffee, nothing expensive."
"All right."
The cafe was just down the same street. A lot of businesses had popped up innthis area and it was busy in a friendly sort of way. The two headed inside and Elly had to still her heart at the thought that this really looked like a date.
The two of them, alone in a cozy corner shop getting coffee. They could have been a couple after a movie or something. She was so flustered she paused when he asked what she wanted.
"Oh. Uh, a small coffee, c - cream, uh..." Her tongue got tied and she blushed in confusion, shaking her head at her foolishness.
Aizawa smiled crookedly at her. "She'll have a medium, double cream and one sugar."
"Uggghh." Elly sipped her coffee as they headed to a small booth in the back. "I'm sorry, again. This night has been a mess."
The dark-haired man slid across the table from her and grunted. "I thought it was decent."
"Wh - what?"
"We had drinks and relaxed. Now we're enjoying a decent cup of coffee together." His expression was enigmatic.
She tilted her head to one side, ears perking upright. A smile slowly spread across her face and she nodded. "You know what? You're right. Here, let me -"
He raised an eyebrow. "A photo?"
"I won't post it anywhere," she promised. "I sort of just want to remember this night. It was nice."
He shrugged. "If you want."
She got in his side of the booth, biting her lip with her heart pounding even faster. Would he think this was strange? She could have just leaned across the table. But no, she edged beside him and then nearly fainted when he placed an arm around the back of the seat behind her, leaning close. Somehow she managed to snap a photo of them right before all hell broke loose.
(3)
Aizawa posed for the photo with an unusually soft smile. After the click, however, he fell face down on the table with a loud thump. There was no warning at all; one second he was sitting and the next his body was completely limp as though he had passed out. Elly jumped, alert at once as she heard someone dashing out the door. The bell tinkled but she didn't see anyone. She was too concerned about her colleague laying beside her.
"Is he okay?"
"No. Call the cops and an ambulance." She wasn't too clear at the moment since she was too intent on checking his pulse. He was breathing, he didn't have any marks she could see and as her delicate nose tested the air she could only detect coffee and his usual gel drinks. Her hands gently pulled back his ponytail to check again for anything suspicious.
What happened?
Her purple eyes went wide and she slammed into the back of the booth, gasping.
The voice had been inside her head.
It was Aizawa's.
"Crap," she choked. "Mind transfer quirk!"
The waitress that had come running earlier was back. She stared with equally huge eyes at the Insanity Hero, both recognizing her and absorbing what she had said.
"Ex - excuse me, Cheshire?"
"Yes?"
"I called the, the cops and the..."
Is that my body? I should try and work my upper body more these days.
Elly squeezed her eyes tight, swallowing hard. "Good."
"Are you okay?"
"My friend was just shoved into my head, and it's - it's a little disconcerting."
I'm sorry, Ches. She thought he was remarkably calm for what had occurred. Well, there's no need to get riled up. That won't help, his voice murmured.
"And now he can read my thoughts. Fabulous." She groaned deeply, thrusting her hands over her face.
Indeed, he continued, I have access to what you think or do. I can see what you're looking at as well.
The door chimed again, this time announcing the police, and he fell silent so she could tell them what had happened. His body was taken to a local hospital, but there was nothing to do for their combined minds. A psychiatrist asked her a few questions, but knew her background and waved her off to go home after a quarter of an hour.
Home?
She shuddered, but it was late and she had nowhere else to go. It was a school day tomorrow as well. Aizawa would miss his class, but she had appointments.
Kayama was waiting for them when she got back. "I'm so sorry I filched your purse!" She wrinkled her nose. "If I hadn't been such a meddler, this might not have happened."
"It's okay, Kayama." It was her voice, but altered.
Kayama into Elly's face. "Hey - your eyes changed color. Was that you, Aizawa?"
She nodded - or rather, he did. "I can step forward momentarily. Cheshire's eyes will change when I do." He faded back, and the color flushed from a lighter tone into her dark purple.
"I hate it when he does that," she complained. "It's only been twice in the hospital and yet it feels ... itchy."
I'll stay back here, then, he promised contritely.
"You do that," she told him in a sour voice.
"Well... the staff was sent a notice," the other woman told them. "Most are in bed by now, but they'll get it in the morning. We'll all help out. Try and get some rest."
"Yeah," Elly sighed. She went up the stairs and slipped quietly into her room, flopping just as she was onto her bed.
You're as tired as I am, but restless.
"Yeah." She tossed her handbag carelessly on the floor and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'll look for the photo I took at the cafe - that might show us the villain in the background so we can get a lead." Elly really wasn't thinking when she opened her image gallery.
She held the phone loosely in her hand as the images sat on the screen: Aizawa at an event that had been held just last week at the beach, one of him on the practice field ... another at a conference where he had been dressed in a suit. Her face grew red and she hurriedly flipped through the rest of the gallery, looking for the image she needed. She was suddenly very aware of just how many photos she had snuck of the cranky man while he wasn't looking.
His voice resounded quietly in her head. Cheshire.
"Yes?"
Are you ... why are there so many pictures of me in your phone? Do you have feelings for me other than as your colleague?
She sighed bitterly and covered her face with her hands.
No, no don't -
There was a long, several minute pause where she let the tears flow quietly down her cheeks, shoulders slumped in despair. Aizawa struggled with the onslaught of emotions coming at him. Knowing she was pushing them as far away as she could didn't help; it meant they were far worse than she was letting on.
He wasn't emotionless himself. He understood her feelings but didn't know how to be reassuring. He'd messed up a lot with his ward, unintentionally of course, and always felt terrible afterwards. And, like Eri, he found the counselor was someone he very much wanted to comfort. Her pain was near overwhelming, and he flinched mentally away from it. She was absolutely positive he would never reciprocate her feelings, and this crushed her, causing her heart to beat faster and making it difficult to breathe.
So much sorrow! Please don't feel ashamed. You hid it well when I wasn't inside your mind, even while drinking, and...
It was as if a steel door slammed shut with a loud crash. Aizawa, startled, exclaimed in surprise at the sudden willpower he felt her exuding.
"No," she said curtly out loud. Her voice was dry, bitter, and sounded incredibly tired.
But -
He found himself listening to a short music clip, on repeat, in her mind. She blocked him out with repetitive sound as she laid down to sleep. Eventually they both dropped off.
(4)
The morning presented even worse problems.
She didn't shower.
How could she? Aizawa would experience her body in more intimate ways than anyone else could. So she waited until she felt his awareness drift off to sleep again - he napped often anyway, plus there was nothing for him to do while disembodied -- and hand washed as quickly as she could.
The school day went on almost the same, although students started commenting on how strangely Elly was behaving. 1-A's class was in an uproar about their teacher so she kept far away from those impetuous students. The staff, however, eventually had a few words for her as she sat quietly in a corner of the lounge eating a very small lunch. She was desperately trying to avoid going to the bathroom, and eating would compound that issue. So she took only enough calories to keep on her feet and struggled on.
"Hey, there. You two doing okay?" Frowning, Midnight placed a tray down across from her. "You don't look so great, Cheshire."
Present Mic stared earnestly into her face and whistled lowly. "Yer even startin' to look like him!"
All Might had a worried look on his skeletal face as he peered closely at her. "I think you need more rest," he suggested quietly.
"I'm fine," she shrugged.
"You're paler, and your eyes look - pardon me for saying so, but hell, Ches, they look worse than his." Midnight poked her shoulder. "Is everything really okay? I'm sorry about last night, you know. I just thought it might shake you out of your melancholy. "
"It's fine. I'll adjust." She finished another bite of fried rice and then sighed wearily. "Enough," she said to no one in particular and stood to throw the rest out.
"I don't think she's okay," Mic fretted as she slumped out the door to hide once more in her office. "An' what about Aizawa, huh? She's even startin' to sound like him, but he never says anything!"
"I assume Aizawa doesn't want to cause her further distress," All Might murmured.
"We better team up after school to try and hunt that villain down. That's the only way they can be separated again."
Mic nodded, picking up a hamburger from the plate in front of him packed with fries and coleslaw. "A bunch of others wanted to help, too. The kids and everyone."
"Mmn. It's a good thing Ches is so popular."
Mic snorted. "Aizawa might be an ass sometimes, but he's always there for anyone that needs him. Don't count him out of the popularity rankings. It's just - well..." He chewed, swallowed a huge mouthful. "I think they're gonna get together eventually, yanno? But this doesn't look like it's helping."
"You never know."
"Yes," All Might sighed as he stared at the back of the door she had left through. "We can only hope things will work out."
Elly was forced to go back to her room at some point.
She worked later than usual, took a sick Hero's patrol and even ate dinner out - a thing she wasn't fond of doing alone -- before finally facing the prospect of being alone with Aizawa's presence once more. When she was in public it was easier to block him out, though she felt guilty for doing so.
As soon as she crossed the threshold into her the dorm, she knew their situation was going to get harder. She absolutely had to use the toilet as well as shower now, too.
Some things couldn't be put off forever.
Elly put a sign up on the door to let the others know she was using the facilities. Since he was with her, it had been agreed she would bathe and use the bathroom alone (though not alone) until they were seperate once more.
She relaxed her guard as she was washing her hands. The toilet flushed cheerfully in the background, reminding her of her deed and the fact that she had shared it with him.
Ches?
"Aah! Damn it. I'm sorry I ignored you - blocked you, I mean, really, all this time. It wasn't fair."
You had your reasons.
He was silent after that, and she wondered if he was so disturbed by her love for him that he could barely bring himself to speak to her.
It's not that.
"So... the bathroom?"
Everyone poops, he thought in such a prim tone that she giggled despite herself.
"All right," she sighed wearily, sitting on the closed toilet seat. "Let's talk, then. I'm sorry for earlier. I meant to keep all that nonsense to myself. Preferably forever."
Stop that! She got a brief mental image of him frowning, followed by a long-suffering sigh. You didn't let me finish speaking before.
"I know. Please, I don't want to hear you say any of it. It's bad enough without you telling me I'll 'find someone else, some day', or whatever platitudes you would use."
You're stubborn, came the wry thought. I like that.
She bit her lip, trying to still the irrational beating of her heart from the praise.
I like you.
She couldn't speak or think clearly and sat there for a couple of minutes, blinking and trying to make sense of what happened. Then he gently suggested she get cleaned up for the night. You need to shower, Aizawa told her. It will make you feel better. And you know, he murmured, his mental voice a low, pleasing baritone, I bet I can let you experience what I'm feeling, as well. An excruciating wave of lust and more washed over her.
It was the more that caused her to gasp and flail about for purchase. She hit the toilet paper with her fingertips and a good foot of it rolled off wildly to lay on the floor in a heap.
"Shota! Y - you..?!"
I feel the same way about you, yes, he acknowledged placidly.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?!"
His laugh was a bit harsh, causing her to blink. Ches, I'm somewhat durable, but definitely not what most consider attractive.
"You told me I'm beautiful, even though I can't see that myself. I understand not being able to believe anyone would desire you." She paused, then stood up. "You know how I see you now, though."
Yes. He paused, gathering his thoughts. You ...think I am handsome. What an astonishing thing.
She shrugged, knowing what he was going through. "I really should shower," she muttered under her breath.
If I make you uncomfortable, I could try to nap like before.
"You know what?" Elly sighed as she gave up at last. "No. Just ...whatever happens, happens."
Aizawa waited patiently, watching with her eyes as she readied a towel and clothing for the night. She undressed quickly, unzipping her suit and taking off her bra before stepping out of her panties. She sensed his presence but he was quiet, and that was almost as unnerving.
A test of the water spouting from the showerhead found it satisfactory enough. She sighed again and got in, careful as always to make sure her tail was inside and not sticking out of the curtain.
"You're silence speaks for you, Aizawa. I'm sorry I probably don't live up to any expectations," she said quietly as she squinted at the shampoo.
No. Your logic is flawed. His thought was firm. I feel your doubt, but your body really is beautiful.
"Are you serious?"
If I were there, I could wash your back. He sounded rather mournful. Ah, well. We'll just have to wait, won't we?
"But I'm -"
I can feel all of your pain. His voice was even more subdued this time. Your loved ones told you that you were ugly.
"Among other things, yes."
Your father.
"Stepfather," she corrected, a little sharper than she intended. Then, "Yes." She hurriedly ducked under the water stream to rinse the shampoo out of her purple hair, forgetting he knew she was crying anyway.
He wasn't right then, nor is he now.
"I wish I could believe you. I do ...and I don't."
I'll just have to keep showing you how much I love you.
"Oh? How are you going to do that inside my head?"
It will be much better when I'm back in my body, he agreed mildly.
She blushed, though they had just shared an intimate moment already. He laughed softly in her mind, and then -
She was suddenly very, very alone. The warm sense of his presence was gone.
Elly leaped up, her heart pounding in her chest.
(5)
She didn't bother drying her hair. Elly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and raced to the hospital, her heart pounding in her chest and her stomach clenching with nervous excitement and worry. Navigating the hallways proved more of a challenge than fighting a villian, however, and she was forced through several checkpoints before finally standing in front of the nurse in charge of the wing he was in.
"I'm here to see Aizawa Shota - Eraserhead."
The tentacled man dressed in crisp white glanced briefly in her direction. "And you are..?"
"Elly Sketchit. Pro Hero Cheshire -" She passed her credentials over. "I was the one that hosted him during this event."
"Relationship to patient?"
"I'm his girlfriend," she said firmly, with no hesitation at all though her heart fluttered. "He's going to want to see me right away, trust me."
As if on cue, they heard Aizawa's irritated voice ring out in the hall. "Ches? What's taking you so long?"
She raised her eyebrows at the nurse, who passed her I.D back and motioned her towards the door. "Try and talk some sense into him, please," he added with a long-suffering sigh. "Every time he comes here he leaves far too early."
"I'll try, but no promises. He's stubborn."
"You're telling me." The nurse had been there when Eraserhead had been in a nearly full body wrap... and still left to go to work. He wished the cat woman the best of luck, especially since the scruffy hero had been more than irritable when he woke up this time.
Elly opened the door and stepped inside the sterile glow of the hospital room. Aizawa lay propped up on a small cot on the right. He had an I.V. drip of some kind hooked up in his arm and a monitor nearby was registering his vitals. His hair had been brushed and pulled back into a ponytail for easier access but his face was covered in thicker stubble than usual since he hadn't shaved at all.
They stared at each other for a long minute.
Aizawa broke the silence first. He held his free arm out. "Ches..."
She rushed to his side and he embraced her as best he could. When she parted slightly to look into his eyes he grinned and tangled his hand in the back of her hair, tugging so their noses touched. He tilted his head and kissed her with a soft sigh that spoke louder than words. His scruff rasped on her skin but she didn't care. Neither of them heard the door click open again, but a low voice interrupted them.
"Oh. My apologies." The woman at the door chuckled. "I was told the host was here and I wanted to check up on you both."
Aizawa huffed impatiently and didn't relinquish his hold. "I'm back," he said as if that solved everything.
"Yes. I know." She nodded to Elly and the Insanity Hero gently disengaged from her new boyfriend enough to shake her hand. They introduced themselves and the doctor affected surprise. "I didn't know you two were a couple."
"Neither did we."
"Ahhh. Well, there's some more good come out of this, then."
Aizawa propped himself up higher, gesturing with the arm hooked up to the drip. "Can we take this out now? The catheter was taken out half an hour ago, and I can drink as well as urinate regularly."
Elly winced ever so slightly, grinning in apology. "You know from previous visits he's impatient."
"Hmm. Yes." She leaned over and checked a few things on the tablet she held. "Just a few questions, I promise. You weren't truly injured this time, so we can let you go -"
Aizawa nodded, swinging his legs over the edge of the cot already.
"...as soon as you show us you're ready. You've been here before and I assume you know what that means."
Elly blinked, confused. "Um."
He snorted, then pointed at the small room in the corner. "I have to go to the bathroom."
It only took one cup of coffee for Aizawa to fulfill the hospital's release request, and then they were on their way. They stopped at the entrance to sit on a bench under the glow of a streetlight.
"Are you tired, Aizawa?"
"Ches..." He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger. "I only call you by your hero name because my accent causes me to mispronounce your given one." He removed his fingers and took her hand in his, pulling it to his chest. The worn fabric of his turtleneck was very soft under her palm.
"Would you like me to call you Shota, then?" Her smile was warm and a little shy.
"It feels appropriate."
"Okay." She leaned into his side and he grinned at her. "Well? Are you tired, Shota?"
"Not too badly." He thought for a moment, looking up at the twilight sky. "Can I make a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"My body lay dormant for an entire night and day. We've been very stressed." He lightly squeezed her hand. "I don't want to go back to the dorm. I think some gentle exercise would do us good, instead."
Her cheeks aflame, she concentrated on breathing. He was definitely suggesting what she assumed. "Gentle," she repeated in a trembling voice.
"How could it be otherwise?" He took her hand and placed it over his shoulder, drawing her close. "Midnight texted me earlier to suggest a discreet love hotel. If you're willing, so am I."
She breathed deeply, inhaling his sweaty scent, with traces of hospital sharpness lingering in his clothing. "I've never been," she admitted quietly. "Isn't it just by the hour?"
He placed his forehead on hers. "You can pay for all night. The school is close enough and we could still make it to classes in the morning if we left early. What do you think?"
"Is that back washing offer still open?"
"Of course." Aizawa's grin spread, more of his teeth showing as he chuckled. "In fact, a shower is the very first thing on my agenda." He sniffed at one of his sleeves and grimaced. "I hope they have a laundering service," he added.
It turned out that the hotel did, in fact, offer laundering - for an added fee, of course -- as well as food delivered from local eateries. Elly scrolled through the tablet on the bedside table as Aizawa headed immediately into the bathroom, shedding his clothing as he went with absolutely zero reservations.
Her eyes widened as she found the wide selection of sex toys and prophylactics also sold. Hastily setting the pad aside, she concentrated instead on the pile of dark fabric cluttering the floor. She picked the pieces up and set them in the designated basket for cleaning while she heard the squeak of a tap from behind her. She was so absorbed in gathering everything that she didn't hear him come back out.
"Are you coming, kitten?" His voice was very low and soft; the double entendre breathed warmly on her neck.
Elly's ears flicked up and her tail fluffed all the way out. She nearly dropped the basket but he moved swiftly, his arms wrapping around her to grasp the handles. Her breathing grew hoarse and she shivered as she felt his warm, hard, undeniably nude body behind her.
"Oh my god, Shota."
"Hmm?" His tone was mildly quizzical as she took hold of the clothing and set it aside.
"You're - that's..."
He reached out and gently turned her to face him.
Aizawa had an extremely fit body. The man obsessively worked out and it showed in every sculpted line of muscle. Each were defined but not too large, just toned and fit. His pale, scarred body was even lighter on his chest and lower, past the tufts of hair trailing down past his navel.
Elly gasped as she saw him for the first time, both excited and suddenly very, very shy.
He paused, scratching absently at his chest. "Is something wrong?"
"N - no, I just, uh. Oh my god." She kept repeating herself in dazed confusion.
"You're not a virgin," he murmured softly. "I wasn't snooping, but I did sense that when I was in your mind. What's wrong, then? Is this too fast?"
"No, it's..." She sat heavily on the bed, her tail thumping in agitation. "I may not be a virgin per se, but I've only had sex once, Shota. It wasn't -" She searched for an appropriate description. "It wasn't a very good experience for me," she finished somewhat weakly.
He joined her on the bed. "We can use this time to talk, or just be together. We don't need to have sex."
"No, I want to." Elly took a slow, deep breath. "I trust you. I just want you to know I may be a little reserved."
"You mean frightened." His brows drew together as he spoke sadly. "Ches, you have had so many bad men in your life. You - for you to trust me, it means a lot. I want you to be very sure this is what you really want."
"I'm absolutely certain," she replied back without hesitation. "I wouldn't have said yes to coming here otherwise."
"Hnn." He thought for a moment, scratching the scruff on his chin and looking up at the ceiling. "Then I will need to know the second you feel uncomfortable with anything."
"Stoplight colors," she said cryptically.
"Excuse me?" He blinked, caught off guard.
"They've been used as safety words for many things. Green is great - no problems, yellow means I have an itch or something innocuous like that but do need to stop. Red means stop immediately because I'm terrified or in pain."
He winced. "I would never -"
"I know. But there are things that happen that are out of our control."
"Yes." He stroked her hair gently. "And, look - I meant it when I said I wanted a shower first. Just a shower. Fooling around in the bathroom is a damn foolish way to get hurt."
"That sounds great." Her ears perked back up again and he rubbed them affectionately. "Um. I was startled, seeing you at first. But your body..."
Aizawa cleared his throat. "I know. I'm covered in scars. Sometimes I feel like they're more prevalent than my actual skin."
"That's not it! You're perfect. I mean, I guess I would've thought that no matter what, really, but I - your body really turns me on. That's what got me so flustered."
He stared at her as if gauging the truth of her words, stunned and a little confused. "I ..." He shook his head and rubbed at the back of his neck, a burn starting to burn across his nose. "Thank you. No one's ever told me that before."
"You get the water ready?" She helped him past his awkward declaration and he looked up gratefully.
"Yes. We'd better get in."
"Right behind you."
(7)
Elly knew he had seen her naked before, but his reaction wasn't what she expected at all. Aizawa sighed lustily as she stepped out of her last piece of underwear.
"You're even more beautiful with my own eyes," he murmured.
She blushed but got in when he gestured for her to go first, standing near the back so he could step into the warm spray. He noted this and smiled at her before handing her the small soap the hotel provided. Showering was easy; she'd shared it with him earlier when he was in her mind. His body was a distraction but his easy acceptance of his nudity helped.
It was when he laid his warm, rough palms on her that her mind went blank and her heart began to race. He pulled her close and kissed her first, a brush of the lips and tentative lick that asked for more. She slipped wet arms around his neck and opened her mouth to willingly deepen the kiss. It was slow, building up to more as his stubble rasped on her face and his tongue teased gently. The contrast was stimilating.
"I had no idea you were such a good kisser," she panted when they parted.
"I am? Tonight has been full of surprises."
Elly laughed, pushing back a wet lock of purple hair that stuck to her cheek. "I'm still waiting for that back scrubbing, you know."
"Turn around, then." He lathered her up, rubbing briskly when she started to purr. "I think I know why you wanted this so much."
"I like back rubs. Who doesn't?" She faced him once more, taking the soap back. "Your turn."
His reaction was about the same as hers in the end. It brought them closer together, a simple act that showed they cared about each other. And after they finished washing up, they started on their hair.
"We may as well continue our talk from before," he said as he rinsed his long, black locks free of the hotel shampoo. "I fear it will be difficult after we, ah... start making love."
"Mmn." Elly rubbed at one eye, squeezing it shut as the foam from her hair dripped down. He saw this and maneuvered about so she could use the showerhead.
"You're on birth control, correct?"
"Uh huh. Required for hero duty. And we know we're both clean because of that, too."
He nodded, rubbing the scruff on his chin as he thought. "Do you want me to wear a condom anyway? It's up to you, but it's always safer."
"Do we have condoms?"
"We can order them from the hotel's service app." He paused. "Latex okay?"
"Actually, no. I'm allergic. It has to be those stupid expensive ones or nothing." She paused. "You know, Shota, I've never felt this way before, but I kind of want to go without. We could always get a morning after pill if we're worried."
Aizawa shrugged. "Again, up to you. Our life situations are not appropriate for raising a child, so we should be careful."
"Is that an unspoken 'yet' I heard?" She raised an eyebrow, her stomach fluttering wildly at his choice of words.
He said nothing but blushed harder. She noticed that as the shower progressed, especially after he had finished washing her back, his chest had gotten splotchy and red. It was even more so now, burning like his face and ears. Elly let his slip of the tongue drop tactfully. She herself had fantasies, and who knew what the future might hold? She'd never thought this could happen, after all.
"Hey, it's getting a bit cool. I think we're done, huh?"
Aizawa looked grateful that she changed the subject and nodded, reaching up to turn the showerhead off. He ran a hand through his hair and squeezed some water out before getting out. "I feel much better." He yawned, stretching and looking around for the towels.
Elly found them, puffy rectangles of luxurious cloth that nearly blended in on the equally white counter. She passed him one and began briskly rubbing her hair dry. He grunted his thanks and did the same.
"Hey, you're going to get tangles that way. Here..." She came closer and combed her fingers gently through the thick, dark tresses. "They have some hair ties on the counter. No, I'll pay for the damn things if you'll wear one." She broke the package open quickly before he could resist and took out a red one.
"You're not going to braid it or anything, are you?" He shot her an amused look, watching her in the mirror as she tied his hair back with a look of intense concentration.
"No, I couldn't even if I wanted to. I suck at styling hair. Just wanted to tie it back so it wasn't in the way."
He reached around and pulled her arms about him, still gazing into the mirror. "I like this look," he murmured quietly.
"Oh." She blushed. He stood once again completely nude and uncaring. This time, however, she let her eyes linger on the junction between his legs. "Ohhh." It was all she could say as she saw he was truly erect now, his member curving to one side and nearly poking his belly in its eagerness.
"Yes. You've gotten me incredibly hard, little one." Aizawa turned and slid one hand low around her waist, bending for a kiss. "I want you," he breathed.
(8)
The bed was comfortable and the pillows deep and soft. Elly sank down with a sigh, twisting the sheets nervously in her hands when he rolled close beside her.
"Easy," he said calmly. "Remember that I love you, and don't want you frightened or hurt. We can stop at any time."
"Thank you." Her hand shook as she traced the stubble on his cheek. "You're much gentler than I dreamed."
His lips twisted in a wry grin. "Did you imagine me a beast in the bedroom?" Laughing at her expression, he picked himself up on his hands and knees to crawl on top of her. He was careful to prop himself up, keeping a lot of space between them at first. "May I kiss you like this?"
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Aizawa leaned down and mouthed her lips, tracing the outline with his tongue. Her hands stroked his chest hair, toying with it playfully. The kiss deepened, and her hands wandered, eventually finding a flat male nipple. She tugged experimentally and was rewarded with a low hum.
He broke off, panting. "Harder, please."
She rubbed, then pinched, a thrill shooting up her spine when he moaned thickly. "You have sensitive nipples."
"Is it that obvious?" His sardonic tone made her smile.
She wriggled down and wrapped her lips around one, nibbling while her hand teased the other. Aizawa choked and whipped his head back, his throat working. His breathing grew harsher as the nubs of flesh she worked on grew deliciously sensitive, a torturous pleasure. After a few minutes his arms and legs started to tremble.
"I n - need to lay on you. I want..."
"Okay." She pushed herself back up to settle on the pillow. "Oh!" A sharp gasp forced its way out as he settled on her, bucking his hips in a suggestive manner.
"Mnn." His eyes were half-lidded as he stared into her own. He licked his lips, then dipped down to plant feather-light, plucking kisses on her neck, moving lower when she arched her back. "What could you possibly want, Ches?" His tongue traced a soft breast, spiraling slowly, ever inward.
"Ah, Shota," she groaned. "Please." Her hands cupped his neck and urged him towards her own stiff nipples.
"Poor little cat," he whispered, dabbing with the tip of his tongue.
"You're a tease," Elly whimpered faintly. "Oh my god, so sexy."
He chuckle was low and dark, almost evil-sounding. "Sexy, hmm? You like a little anticipation, it seems." His lips brushed lightly and she bit her lip, her toes digging into the sheets.
"Please, baby, they're aching."
His eyes widened at the nickname. "Wh - what'd you call me?"
Elly blinked, trying to gather enough of her wits to think back. "Baby," she coughed in embarrassment. "Probably not a good choice, huh?"
"It's fucking ridiculous."
She laughed. "Yeah -"
"Do it again." A tremor ran through his low baritone.
She tilted her head, making sure to make eye contact this time. "Shota, baby," she purred.
He opened his mouth and devoured her with a shaky moan that spoke more than words could say. She cried out and clutched his shoulders as he hovered above, lips suckling hungrily.
But it was not enough.
(9)
Aizawa was too excited.
He hadn't thought such a foolish thing could be his undoing, but his body absolutely throbbed at her choice of words. It inflamed him, the silly love name, and before he knew it his hands were caressing her, groping low on her waist as he rubbed his hard length on her thigh. He listened very carefully for any protest but she was enthusiastic, her hands kneading down his back. He gasped and drew back wetly when she grasped his rear in both hands.
"Ungh!"
"God, yes."
"Can I -"
"Yes."
His first move was to align himself with her body and use his member to stimulate but not enter. He held himself in one hand and rubbed against her open body, trying to duplicate whatever actions that caused her loudest cries. The problem was it felt very good to him as well. Aizawa held back valiantly against the mounting weight crushing him below, but he couldn't last forever. Her moans were almost continuous now, though, and she twitched every time he moved.
"Are you close?" He kissed her neck, licking along her throat up to her lips so when she spoke, it was into his mouth.
"A - ahh! Yes."
"Good. I'm going to begin."
"Shota..."
He paused. "Still green?"
"Yes! Green! Please, baby, don't stop." Elly forced her eyes open to see him looking very tense, his brow tight and his eyes dark. Sweat droplets ran down his naked body and his chest was stained a blotchy pink. "Sho? You okay?"
"Yes." He sounded strained, his voice harsh and his breathing coming in rough, jagged pants between clenched teeth. "You're so wonderful I'm having a difficult time controlling myself. But don't worry. I meant what I said earlier. There's no other way for me to love you but gentle."
She clung to him, her legs wrapping around his middle and her hands grasping his shoulders. "Shota."
"I felt your love when I was in your mind," he whispered. "This is my chance to give you mine."
"Oh, Shota."
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