Hero Worship (Zashi)

The box was huge.

It arrived care of U.A., addressed to the school counselor, but she wasn't there at the time. Since she didn't take possession of it right away, it sat in the teacher's lounge while the staff ogled it.

"It's friggin' giant," Present Mic exclaimed in awe.

"It's also not yours, Hizashi." Aizawa sat in the chair next to his friend, digging one hand into his capture weapon to search for his eyedrops.

"I know!"

"Doesn't diminish the curiosity, though." Midnight tapped on one side. "It's heavy. To ship this all the way from America must've cost a fortune."

"Cheshire said she paid for it," Toshinori murmured quietly. Everyone turned to face the skeletal blond man as he coughed apologetically. "She told me she had to threaten her mother not to throw the stuff out. It's quite important to her."

"Oh my goddd, now I have to know what's in it. She told All Might about it, it's got to be something juicy!"

"Kayama!"

"Don't -!"

"It slipped," she said innocently, her dark eyes wide as one of her pointed fingernails slit the tape. "Look, just a peek and we'll seal it back up... oh. Oh, my."

"Well?" Hizashi tried not to look too interested. "No, no, we shouldn't. You need to fix it back up. She's our colleague, and it's her privacy."

"Yamada," Kayama said thoughtfully, "remember that charity auction we did years ago?"

He pulled a face. "There's been a lot -"

"The one where your jacket - your used jacket -- sold for that obscene amount of money?"

He pushed his shades up, rubbing at the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "Oh that. Uh huh. Some chick in America fought really hard... for ... it ..." He trailed off, his greenish-gold eyes bulging.

Toshinori's jaw dropped, and he sat back down into his chair slowly. Aizawa appeared to be wholly absorbed in his work, his expression enigmatic as always, though he did glance over at his friend once.

Kayama pursed her lips. "I think you'd better have a private chat with Ms. Sketchit after school hours," she told him with a smug little smirk.

That was how Hizashi found himself at her apartment several hours later. He had waited until they had time to shower and change into civilian clothing, hoping it would be easier to talk as friends than colleagues.

And besides, if his hero persona got her that flustered, he wanted to save it for a special occasion.

He was barely inside before he spilled everything. "Kayama looked," he blurted out all at once. "I swear, Ches, I told her not to - we all did -- but then she said that I should talk to ya afterwards, an' I got to thinkin' maybe she knew what she was talking about, and -"

Elly sighed. "Breathe, Zashi," she told him wearily.

He gulped in a huge breath of air. "She asked me about this one time, when I donated a jacket..."

She sighed an even deeper sigh and reached into the box, pulling out a very familiar jacket that was definitely his. Even the better fakes couldn't duplicate the exact size, for one, and he had a special lining sewn inside that could be unzipped in warmer weather. His mouth gaped open, lips slightly pursed as he stared, wide-eyed at this proof.

"I have the certificate of authenticity that came with it and your hand-written note." Her voice cracked and he noticed she was facing away from him, unable to look him in the eye.

"Whoa, babe, th - this went for a lot of money. Like, thousands." He placed a shaky hand on her shoulder and she flinched.

"I'm sorry," she choked. "This is really embarrassing, and I've put you in a terrible position. I never meant to do that to a colleague."

"No! It's, uh, I mean, why?" He stared incredulously at her, his glasses slipping down his nose. "Ches, that was so much money!"

Her knees trembled and she collapsed all at once on the floor in front of the package, sobbing. "I had to have something! My home life, my - my relationships... they were shit. You were the only person that gave me hope, even if you didn't really. I used fantasies of you to stay sane."

"Huh. No way." Hizashi fiddled with the bracelet he wore on one wrist, spinning the red beads absently. "Well, is the real thing better?"

"I don't know," she hissed acidly, "since now I've probably lost you as a friend. All because of my stupid crush from way back."

"Of course we're still friends," he said in exasperation. "This whole thing is actually kinda incredible. No one's ever had, uh - I'm not regarded as a sexy hero or anything. Not really. Uh... d'ya still have a crush on me?"

"You're not helping," Elly groaned. "And no. I've gone farther now that I know you."

"Farther..?" He gave her what she always thought of as The Look, one of his glorious, green-gold eyes wide and the other squinted, with a sly smirk to match. "You tryin' to tell me somethin'?"

"Just when I thought this day couldn't get more embarrassing." Elly's ears flattened backwards and she started to shake again. "I'm not trying to tell you, since I want to stay friends. You can guess, you're smart enough." She pushed the box angrily with her foot and it fell over, spilling far more Present Mic merchandise than he knew was available onto the table and floor.

"No hugging pillow?" Hizashi poked curiously through the pile. "M'actually kinda sad. Never saw one with me on it before."

Her purple eyes stared at him with a flat, dead inside kind of look. "You've seen all this, I guess it's not going to hurt." She waved him down the hall into her bedroom. He followed, head bobbing as he peered around her eagerly.

He was a bit disappointed to see it wasn't lewd at all. It was a standard photo of him, the pose they used for almost everything. He was standing tall with one arm up. It was, however, a very worn-looking pillowcase. Like it had been used - and washed -- a lot.

"I can't sleep without it," she confessed in a very small voice. "I'll have to now, honestly, but -"

"Well, sure." Hizashi stepped forward and eyed his image with a peculiar squint. "But only 'cause there isn't room for us both and a pillow." He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back to whisper in her ear. "I'm'a sleep cuddler. Really bad. Tend to cling, yanno?"

Her face flamed bright red. "Uh..."

"Yeahhh?"

"Are you suggesting we're going to sleep together from now on?"

He blinked. "Why not, babe?"

"Because I'm not that easy, Yamada Hizashi!" Elly bared her fangs at him as she yelled. It wasn't as loud as he could get, of course, but she had excellent diaphragm control and he was oddly proud. "Get out!"

Hizashi was devastated. He darted out of her home at breakneck speed while she shrieked like a cat at him. His heart pounding heavily in his chest and his breath coming in harsh pants, he called his two best friends for help.

"How on earth did you ruin such a sure thing?" Kayama wrinkled her nose at him, toying with the rim of her glass with one finger. They had gone to their usual haunt, a bar close by campus. It was within walking distance but Hizashi had taken his car for comfort. He didn't plan on drinking anyway. "She's totally into you," she continued.

"You know him," Aizawa grunted cryptically.

"I - I just -!" The blond man groaned and banged his forehead on the table. He spoke from that flattened position, his voice slightly muffled. "Aughhh... I kinda, maybe acted like it was already decided we'd, uh, ..."

They stared at him across the beer-stained table.

"You know." He looked up and coughed, blushing suddenly, then stared wretchedly into his glass of soda. "Do the deed."

"So..."

"You pressured her?"

"Nuh uh!" He shook his head wildly about. "I said something like how I cling when I sleep."

Aizawa snorted laughter. "Idiot."

"I was tryna' be cute!"

"And you probably were, to her," Kayama said firmly. "It pissed her off. You were being too flippant about things. It's obvious that she wants more than just sex from you."

"So do I!"

"It's fixable." She rolled her eyes in exasperation at him. "Go apologize, stupid. With flowers. And maybe some wine or something. Woo her like she matters to you, no joking."

"But - but of course she does, I even told her we were still friends!"

"Then she thinks that's all you are, idiot. You said she's got more than a crush on you, well - fucking confess. She's not going to do it until you do."

"She's right, you know," Aizawa added calmly.

Hizashi sprinted outside as fast as he could.

It took him more than an hour before he could gather everything he needed and he made sure to text several apologies along the way. She ignored every one, but he did notice she read them. He found the reason she may have not answered back when he arrived at her apartment again. Elly's voice could be heard from where he stood as she talked on the phone.

"He's so ughhh," she groaned loudly. "How can someone be so adorable yet gorgeous at the same time?"

A pause, then,

"And why did I give up my only chance?!"

He held his breath and knocked on the door.

Inside, Elly's ears jerked upright and her eyes grew wild as she stared at the entrance. He knocked again, gently, and called out her name in a low tone.

She couldn't refuse him.

When she opened it, Hizashi stood there, head drooping like a wounded puppy. His spiralled eyes were wide and filled with sorrowful hope. In his left hand he held the most magnificent flowers she had ever seen. He trembled as he offered it to her; a black box with gold calligraphy on the side, filled with far more than twelve red roses. She'd never seen so many in person before.

Did they do bouquets of more than a dozen?

Apparently they did.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice deep and serious. He swallowed hard, then bit his lip and held out his other offering. His hand was gripping a bottle of expensive looking sake so tightly the knuckles were white. A plastic bag dangled from that wrist. She sniffed and caught a scent of her favorite food.

"Oh."

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," he sniffled. "Don't let my stupid mouth ruin us."

"Your mouth isn't stupid," she said automatically, and he smiled.

"Does this mean I can come back in?"

Elly sighed in defeat, though the corners of her mouth twitched up in a shy smile.

"These are really beautiful," she commented as she set the flowers aside for now.

He set the bag of food and the sake down on the counter so he could take his boots off at the door. "They're, uh, 'forever roses'. There's a florist in town that has them in stock so I got lucky..."

"Forever?"

"Yeah." He startled her by coming up from one side and peering down over her shoulder. "The place has a lifetime guarantee on 'em. I kinda, uh, see..." He made a face she couldn't see and then laughed out loud. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's out on social media real soon that Present Mic bought a bouquet of these. I had to show serious I.D. to get 'em."

"Why would you -" Elly had been searching the name online, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw the cost of a single rose. "Yamada Hizashi! These are too expensive!" Her phone clattered onto the countertop out of her nerveless fingers.

He shook his head rapidly, golden hair flicking back and forth as he did. Some came loose from the bun and he tucked it behind his ear. "Nuh uh," he protested. "You're worth as much to me as you spent on my jacket!"

"H - hih - iz ..." She hiccupped, tears running down flushed cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a sweet embrace.

"No buts," he said firmly. "In fact, you're worth more to me 'cause I'm in love with you." And then he kissed her, since her face was turned up to him anyway.

Elly absolutely melted against him, a phrase he had read before and thought silly. Now he knew it could happen; her body was warm and pliant and wholly desirable. He held her with one arm around the waist while his other hand twined in her short, purple hair, threading through while he mouthed her lips repeatedly. When she gripped his outer shirt in both hands and started to kiss back harder, he moaned and slid both hands down her lower back.

"Zashi."

"Mnn." He opened his eyes to find himself staring into her deep, dark purple ones.

"After all that fuss I made earlier, I'm embarrassed to give in like this," she groaned. "But if you kiss me any more I swear I'll just faint!"

He shrugged and grinned sheepishly at her. "Is that such a bad thing, babe? I'm not goin' anywhere... yer stuck with me. Hope you like super clingy, affectionate boyfriends!"

She gave up all at once, and so unexpectedly that he stumbled back a step. "Show me," she pleaded, her tone low and rich and urgent. "Take me into the bedroom and show me how much you love me."

"For real, yo?" His eyes seemed to spin, the spirals thickening in intensity.

"I can't wait. Yes."

"Lemme put the food in the fridge, at least."

She giggled at his fretful tone and nodded. "I have a feeling we're going to want it later."

"Arrgh," he grumbled as he stood up. "Don't wanna let go - hafta put food away." Hizashi bent and kissed her neck, rubbing his mustache on her and making her laugh louder.

"The faster we put the stuff up, the faster we can get back to snuggling."

His eyes brightened. He bounced over to the counter and slid the takeout into the fridge in one smooth, swift movement. "Okay! Where's the bedroom, baby?"

She clutched her sides, howling with laughter.

"Yer not gonna be laughing for long," he predicted with a wicked smirk.

They lay tangled together on her western style bed, sheets twisted under them and clothing piled everywhere the eye could see. A pair of briefs hung from one of the bedposts and her bra lay draped across the lampshade on the nightstand.

Hizashi had looked once, briefly, and dubbed the mess a "sexplosion". True to his prediction, however, she didn't laugh because his warm, nude body lay atop hers when he said it.

Elly was just the <i>tiniest</i> bit distracted. She couldn't think, breathe, see or smell anything but Hizashi. He dominated her entire being at the moment and appeared completely flabbergasted by this.

"Hey hey there," he murmured into one if her furry ears. "You feelin' good? Everything okay? M'experiencing some severe radio silence here."

She was at a loss for words.

How could she explain the soft prickle of his mustache rubbing on her upper lip as he kissed her took her breath away? The warmth of his pale skin on her own, his sweet, delicious scent of leather, bubblegum-like hair products and just... him. Underneath it all her sensitive cat's nose could smell the unique blend of sweat and musk that was his alone. Combined, it was all proof this was actually happening, and Elly was speechless with sheer exhilaration. Her dreams had never been enough; she could finally get drunk on the real thing.

She kissed him.

Hizashi's eyes widened as she pressed forward, her passion speaking for her. He groaned and then closed them, surrendering to the moment.

"Oh, <i>baby</i>," he wheezed. "Ches honey, I was supposed to show you, not th'other way around."

"Can't help it," came her purred reply. She chased after his lips, brushing more kisses wherever she could. "I love you, Zashi. I love you so much. I've had a crush on you for years and when I met you - it wasn't instant, but I fell so deep in love."

He kissed her cheeks, her eyes, her mouth. "Dammit," he whispered, "Yer killin' me here. Y - you..." He shook his head. "Hold onto me," he told her, his voice rough and low. "Hold on to your Zashi." Her thighs gripped him and she clutched his shoulders as he thrust.

An electric thrill ran up her belly from her loins as he entered her. Hizashi was perhaps marginally talented at best in the bedroom, having only had a couple partners in the last few years. However, his willingness to please the woman he had fallen for more than made up the difference. He found himself digging deeper, holding back and prolonging their lovemaking in ways he never knew he could. The weight in his lower belly was maddening; he was going to orgasm hard but that didn't surprise him. She was so delightful, so eager and full of passion. Her body held him hot and tight, and he whimpered as he bucked repeatedly forward, desperate for more even as he pulled back to plunge back again. His hair was almost free of the bun now, long, blond strands clinging to his sweaty neck and back.

Her eyes were tightly shut and mouth parted as she strained, moving with him to deepen his thrusts. Her furry, purple ears lay cutely askew on her pillow and he smirked when she let out a pure, catlike miaow. If sound was an indicator - and he liked to think it was, as a Voice Hero -- he was doing very, very well.

"Oh god, oh <i>Hizashi</i>, yes!"

"This?" He tried his best to duplicate his previous movement, with excellent results. Elly's cries grew frantic, her nails scratching at his back and digging little bites of pain to mix with his pleasure. He gasped loudly and his pace grew faster, harder, as he neared orgasm.

"Don't stop, please, ohhhh, so <i>good</i> please, little more -!"

He grasped a double fistful of sheets and clamped his lips tightly shut. There was no way he was going to ruin their first time by knocking her out with his Voice, but he didn't have much of a chance to hold back when she came.

His shout mingled with hers, each calling out the others' name in ecstacy.

Neither one of them knew how they disentangled or when the condom got tossed. When they started to come around they were snuggling close despite their sweaty bodies and his massive, unruly mess of hair.

"Now that was excellent." He sighed and wrapped an arm around her. "Was it - was I -- worth the wait, Ches?"

"Cut it out." She nipped his neck in reproach for the tease. "But, um... yes. Oh, god yes." 

BONUS

"Hizashi? Is it okay to look yet?" Elly sat on the edge of the bed with her eyes closed. She was wearing a t-shirt and soft shorts, and though simple sleeping attire, he had told her she looked especially pretty tonight. Her new boyfriend loved to surprise her, she found out, and the more shocked she was the more he enjoyed it. Hizashi had only told her she could have this latest gift from him if she closed her eyes and waited patiently.

"M'kay... almost." He sounded very close now, and then the bed dipped as he sat beside her. "Okay! You can look!"

She opened her eyes and immediately turned to see what he had been plotting. Her breath caught in her throat, and she jumped when she saw him looming over her with a wicked smile on his face.

Present Mic was very close, one arm behind her on the bed while he snickered at her stunned gaze. He'd slicked his hair up and dressed completely in his hero persona, right down to the neck speaker and everything.

"I heard my girlfriend gets turned on by a certain hero," he mused, pursing his lips and wiggling his eyebrows comically. His mustache twitched as his grin spread. "What d'ya say to a bit of cosplay, baby?"

"S'not cosplay if you really are Mic," she managed to choke out.

"Touche." His grin grew smarmier somehow, his eyes swirling as they focused deeply on hers. "But then it makes this all the better, hmm?"

She stammered out a series of garbled noises meant to be words, but could form no coherent sound. The leather jacket rubbed her bare arm and she shivered as he leaned ever closer.

"Well, then." His hand slipped low around her waist and he squeezed. "How about I give my awesomest, super number-one listener a smooch?"

Elly nodded, hoping to convey her approval. He took her hands and placed them around his neck on the catch of his speaker. "Let me take this off first. Then we can have some fun."

Hizashi removed his neck gear but left everything else on. He loved the way she was staring, her hot eyes tracking him as he bent and laid the speaker on the nightstand. He sat back on the bed, crooked a finger at her and spread his legs in an inviting manner.

"Zashi," she gasped, "you're incredible." She hopped into his arms, purring loudly with her tail twitching with interest.

"Uh uh, sweet thing." He beeped her gently on the nose and pulled his shades down slightly so she could see his green-gold eyes whirling with lust. "Outfit's on. I'm Mic now."

She bit her lip, her cheeks blossoming into twin roses of shyness and excitement. "Present Mic," she whispered.

"Yeah." He covered her mouth with his own, cupping the side of her burning face in one soft, leather-gloved hand. "Mikey likes." Her tongue eagerly met his and her hands toyed with his massive hair spike, testing the weight and feel. They kissed for a long time, wet sounds the only noise in the otherwise silent room. Hizashi usually played music when they made love, but he'd been too swept up in the moment this time. Elly's hands were everywhere - groping him hungrily, kneading his thighs and growing closer to his tightly tented crotch. He moved his under her t-shirt, petting her breasts and enjoying the view as he made her squirm.

"God, Mic, I'm gonna explode if we don't get down to it."

"How 'bout a ride, baby? Yer already sittin' on my lap." His hand stole to the waistband of her shorts and slid them down. She kicked them off and he hummed with appreciation when he saw she was nude underneath.

Elly immediately unbuckled and unzipped his pants, careful not to snag him in the process. Hizashi hummed and let his head roll back on his shoulders while she pulled him free. The air felt cool on his flushed skin as his erection sprang out, curving up with droplets of fluid dripping down its length. Her enthusiasm had passed itself on to him as well, and he was ready for whatever she wanted.

Or so he thought.

"I didn't think you'd actually do it, baby!" He groaned, his trademark sunglasses sliding down the bridge of his nose as she slipped him quickly inside her. "Shhhi - i - i - it! But hey, Plus Ultra an' all that. Wow!"

Elly laughed loudly in pure joy. The position was difficult, sure, but she had energy to spare thanks to his little surprise. She held on tight, her fingers digging into soft leather, and concentrated on an in and out motion rather than up and down. They shared their test results every month - all heroes were required to have regular blood work done -- and she was on birth control. Tonight was one of the nights they decided to skip wearing protection.

Since they didn't always do it, the heat and the added sensation threw him quickly close to the edge. They panted and kissed and grasped each other tight while she rode him as best she could for a few long minutes.

Finally, Hizashi grasped her rear and let out a bestial groan that sounded almost like a growl. "Yer beat's perfect, babe," he panted harshly, tugging on the base of her tail in a way he knew she liked. "But lemme add a little into the mix." He set himself and bucked into her, meeting her down thrust with his upward one. She had been getting tired, after all, and her movements were growing more shallow.

"Mic!"

"Oh, yeah," he wheezed. "There we go."

"Take me, Voice Hero!"

"M'not greedy," he gasped as they both neared completion. "But yer mine, ain't ya, Ches?"

"Yes!"

"So good," he choked.

Attraction (Zoro)

The crew had split up at the dock, everyone going their separate ways to look for fun, food and supplies. Elly tagged along with the swordsman since he'd said he wanted to both eat and drink. It was late and it seemed that they had the whole place to themselves. That suited her just fine at the moment and they strode along the town's cobblestone street in silence until she realized something.

She looked up at him, blinking in shock. Her eyes grew wide and she grabbed a double fistful of his robe, tugging on it.

"What?!"

"You're radiating pheremones. I can smell it on you, and I'm the only one here! You're attracted to me!"

Zoro gave her a very sour look, his eyes squinted almost all the way shut in disgust. He thrust his lower lip out and grunted, "Fine. I'm attracted to you. Happy?"

It was Elly's turn to pout. "Not when you say it like that."

He groaned. "Look, cat," he told her angrily, pointing a thick finger directly at her nose. "I don't have time for crap like this. I've got a goal and nothing is going to stop me from achieving it."

She blinked at the fingertip, her purple eyes crossing as she stared. "But -"

"Nothing," he said firmly. "Now get off me."

"Yeah," she murmured, a frown crossing her pale features. "Okay."

He huffed impatiently and stormed off down the street to the nearest tavern. Zoro wanted to concentrate on drinking, his favorite vice, but after only a quarter of an hour he was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.

"What," he groaned when he saw who it was. "What do you want, pervert?"

Sanji shoved at him roughly. "Saw Angel walking back towards the docks. It's not time for us to leave yet, so I tried calling her back for some fun."

Zoro scowled at him.

"She said she was going to stay in her tower for the rest of the dock. Now, why do you think she would say something like that?" He blew smoke into the air in a lazy stream.

"In her tower?" The big man frowned. The cat tower had been a joke gift when she became a member of the crew. It was a tall cat scratching post, nicely carpeted wood with a bottom half that had a comfortable bed inside and lots of other places to hide. They hadn't known at the time that she could revert back to cat form and it would actually become her safe haven. She said she preferred it to a human bed at times.

The cook was walking out the door, but he turned and called back. "She's just a 'stupid cat' to you, though, right? Why should that bother you. Oh, and by the way, she was trying to hide it, but she was definitely crying."

Zoro swore violently under his breath and stood up, throwing a handful of coins on the bar top.

Now he had to go find that stupid cat and drag her back out.

Unfortunately, Sanji had not been joking when he said she was in her cat tower. She had changed form and hissed at him as he approached, digging her claws deep into the carpeting and refusing to move.

"You ..." He snarled to himself, beating on the floor with one large fist. "Stupid cat," he finished lamely. "I don't even know why I'm bothering, but get the hell out here!" He grit his teeth and dragged her out by the tail. When she was exposed she reverted back into her more familiar human form so she could talk - or, rather, scream -- at him.

"Go away!" She clawed at his face, hissing, perhaps forgetting in her rage that she was back in human form. Her nails were sharp enough to badly scrape, though, and he swore as she tore his cheek three thin, bloody stripes.

Elly knew she was badly outclassed in a wrestling match but struggled anyway, her arms and legs straining as he held her down. She whipped her head up, snapping at the air inches in front of his nose and his good eye widened incredulously. Before he knew what was happening he had crushed their lips together. Her teeth were still bared and he pressed forward despite the taste of copper that flooded his mouth as she nicked him with her sharp canines. His tongue thrust deep, pushing at hers and dominating as his body weighed her down to the decking. He kissed her long, hard and very deep.

Even Zoro had to breathe, though, so eventually he had to part for air.

"You bastard," she choked.

He ran his tongue out, licking the blood off his lower lip. "Tell me you didn't want that."

"You know I want you. I'm not hiding that." Her eyes glinted dangerously in the moonlight shining through the porthole. "What I object to is you acting like I'm a nuisance and then forcing yourself on me."

"I like your spirit." He shrugged. "Sure, you're a pain in the ass, but then I realized you're my pain in the ass."

"Augh! You're an idiot!" She screeched in rage.

"Flea-bitten stray," he snapped.

"Muscle-bound no-brain!"

"Demon!"

"Human!"

They stared at each other, panting, red-faced and sweaty, teeth bared.

"That's it, right here," Zoro ground out, his hands tearing at her clothing. "You asked for it." His robe was next, and he unfastened just enough of the frog catches on the front for access.

"You better keep that top half on, big man," she growled. "Or I'm going to rip you to shreds."

He grinned fiercely at her and slid it off his shoulders in one move, revealing his tan, scarred chest. He leaned forward and spoke lowly into her furry ear. "Do it."

"Knock it off!" She slashed at him halfheartedly, not really wanting to hurt him that bad though she was furious.

"F - fuck," he groaned. "Aahh! A little pain isn't gonna put me off." He sank his teeth into her neck and she screamed piercingly. "Like that, huh?" Zoro chuckled smugly. "How you going to explain when everyone sees the bite marks on your pretty white skin?"

"Oh, now I have pretty skin." She retaliated by sucking on his own neck as hard as she could. "Mmfft. I won't need to explain," she huffed as she nipped. "They're gonna know."

"Who's gonna know I took you right here? All they'll be able to see is the bruises - but no one'll know it was from my thorough fucking." He wasted no time and thrust, groaning at how absolutely perfect she felt tightening around him.

"You -!"

He grinned down at her, tongue lolling out suggestively as he panted. "Yeah? What's the matter, give up already?"

"No! Harder," she rasped harshly, her eyes narrowing. "I'm not like one of your cheap, breakable little barmaids."

"Barmaids?" He snorted, amused. "You've got the wrong idea about me. As usual." He braced himself and moved faster, bucking into her so strongly that her hips would be bruised the next morning.

"Wh - what?"

"I don't fuck around," he panted, fixing her with a look so intense she faltered, her heart leaping into her throat. "You said it before, remember? I only want you."

"Z - Zoro?!" Elly squeezed tighter with her thighs, holding on for dear life. His new pace was doing things to her that had never been done before. She wasn't sure she wanted to admit something so embarrassing, but she also couldn't help it. In a few moments her pleasure was going to soar her mindlessly over the edge into a screaming mess.

"Gonna make you mine, kitten," he rumbled into her mouth as he kissed her.

Okay, yeah. That was it.

The possessive statement mixed with the adorable nickname he dropped the second after broke her completely.

"Yes! Yes, Zoro, give it to me!"

The laugh that burst out of him was the most joyous she had ever heard. His heavy body shook all over, and he wrapped her in his arms, his strokes firm and steady. He kissed her once more, but curiously softer, his lips and tongue gentle. "I'm close," he told her seriously. "You coming with me?"

The electric friction grew higher, her body more tense. She could only keep gasping "yes", her voice growing louder as she spiraled into her inevitable orgasm. His shout was no less powerful than hers as he came seconds after her.

The next day the other girls were baffled at the change in their quarters.

"How did the decking get torn up like that?" Nami wrinkled her nose as she scuffed her heel on the wooden planks. "We're really careful with it."

"Looks like claw marks," Robin murmured with a sly smile.

Elly shrugged. "Beats me," she coughed under her breath. She turned and raised her eyebrows at the sight before her. Chopper stood in the doorway, holding his nose with his eyes gigantic as he stared in disbelief at her. "Err... oops."

One of these things is Not Like the Other

Their date had gone well.

This wasn't a one-time thing, either - Elly and Hizashi almost always had fun together. They had been officially a couple for almost a year now, no longer the headlines and top subject of online gossip. Which was a good thing, because tonight they wound up in his room at the dorm, tumbling onto his bed in a tangle of arms, legs and one striped tail.

It was going well until she got too close to an insecurity of his.

Her hands caressed his chest, lingering, petting gently. His breathing quickened for more than one reason, and when she tugged on the bottom to loosen it from his slacks, he jerked back.

Elly stared at him, purple eyes wide with hurt at the apparent rejection. "Zashi?"

"Uh. S'okay." His brow creased in a light frown and he tugged on the shirt he was wearing in apprehension. "Uh, I just ...we don't need to undress?"

Her face clouded further. "Oh. We don't have to do this if you don't want to. I thought that by now it would be okay. I didn't mean to, um. I'm sorry." Hizashi felt her body grow tense in his arms and she pulled away. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin, her expression firming. "Well, hey!" She said with forced cheerfulness as she stood. "We've got school tommorow, so I'd better go get some sleep. See you!"

He tried to say something - anything -- but his throat was squeezed tight with nerves and regret. He waved meekly instead, then swore at himself the moment the door clicked shut behind her.

He really wanted her.

But how could he let her know the reason behind his reluctance for her to touch or see him? Once she knew, she would say it wouldn't matter and of course it would. He didn't want to lose her, but his body, well... it would disappoint if not disgust her. He'd turned her down countless times already, afraid of letting her see the real him. But he saw now he risked losing her from his constant rejections anyway. Hizashi closed his eyes and groaned loudly. The least he could do was text her goodnight.

Mic: Hey beautiful, sorry about that. I know I keep backing away but it's this body issue I have

Mic: It's not you

Hizashi waited anxiously, resisting the urge to send a third text.

Ches: Zashi, I'm a therapist. I understand, it's okay. Thanks for letting me know! We'll talk later. G'night ♡

He blew air out in semi-relief. At least she didn't think he hated her or something. The bit about "talking later" made him nervous, but he ignored that for now and tapped a message back.

Mic: Night ♡♡♡

"Later" came sooner than he preferred, after school the very next day. It was pretty quiet at the teacher's dormitory, so they retired to his room to talk. Hizashi sat on his bed while she nervously walked around in small circles.

"I'll get right to it," she murmured.

"Okay." He gulped.

Elly forced herself to stop pacing and took a deep breath, looking him in the eyes. "If you're asexual or anything else, I want you to know it doesn't matter to me. I love you." Her voice wavered a little and a tear slipped down her cheek as she continued, "but if you don't at least have romantic feelings towards me, we should end this."

Hizashi felt like an ass for causing her so much pain. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down to him in a fierce embrace. "God, baby, no! I'm so sorry, don't cry. I love you, I really, really do." His quirk caused the air around them to throb with a low pulse they both felt. It was rather soothing, and he kissed her forehead and did it again when he repeated himself. "I love you."

She whimpered, and he realized how much she had been holding back. "Thank god. I - I don't want to even think of my life without you in it."

"Oh," he choked. "Me too. S'why I didn't talk to you before. I don't wanna lose you!"

"So ...so what's wrong? If you want to tell me, that is. I'd like to know, but if it's difficult you can have as much time as you like. I don't want to force you."

Hizashi sighed. "I keep pushing you away 'cause I'm - well, I'm not gonna look like you expect."

"What?"

"My body," he clarified. "I, uh." He lifted the hem of his shirt with a grimace, bracing himself for her gasp of dismay.

Elly sounded confused. "Um, sweetie, I'm not sure what you're telling me to look at. It's just your chest."

He blinked, his red glasses slipping on his nose. "The scars? I mean, see? Here... and here, and -"

"This?" She reached out and gently traced the ridged flesh above his navel. "This is what's been bothering you?" Now she was clearly baffled.

"But they're so ugly."

She trembled as she took in the expanse of pale skin he had gone through so much trouble to hide from her for so long. "You're a Pro Hero. It'd be weird if you didn't have scars. I've got some, too, and Hizashi, it doesn't matter. You're still handsome as hell." Her fingers lightly grazed another, older scar.

"Wha-a-a?" He scoffed, mustache wriggling as he frowned harder. He shook his head then, as she gave him a reproachful look. "Okay, okay. You said it. I believe you think that, but it's hard to really-really convince myself. Other people haven't been kind," he added lamely.

Elly winced at his mention of others and obvious mental pain. "Those idiots didn't deserve you," she hissed angrily. "You're gorgeous."

"Wh - what're you doin'?!" He blinked his eyes open wide, scrambling backwards on the bed until he was flat against the wall. She climbed over his long legs, her tail swishing slowly back and forth.

"I want to see you."

He sighed and removed his glasses. "Here, babe. Put 'em on the nightstand. I ain't gonna fight ya, but the scars - there's a lot. They touch me up whenever I get in magazines and shit like that for a reason."

"Magazines make everyone look fake. I like the real you." Gentle hands not only lifted his red shirt but removed it entirely, tugging carefully over his head. Hizashi ducked out of instinct, and it pulled easily off. Once his chest was bare, he laid back and closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. There were no exclamations of disgust, however, and she didn't ask him to put his shirt back on. Instead he felt a warm kiss as she pressed her lips to his throat. He was amazed she even knew there was one there, faint as it was and covered with concealer. When he was younger, his neck gear had exploded and burnt a ring around his throat that was mostly gone except that small part. The speakers had gotten a serious upgrade after that - the support staff misjudged his power -- and it never happened again, though the one mark remained.

"Wh - what're you doing?"

Elly looked up at him through half-lidded eyes but didn't say a word. She moved down and softly kissed the ragged strip across his left pectoral, gotten while rescuing children out of an over turned bus. Moved over and traced the thin line over his right nipple, and further, further down, always slow and sweetly loving. His body stayed tense for a few minutes, but it simply felt too good. Instead of bucking away, he found himself arching into her caresses, yearning for her fingers and hot tongue.

"O - okay," he panted roughly, squirming madly and dislodging the leopard print sheets underneath him. "I get it. I get it... ahh, shit, what, ya gonna do them all? I've got too many!"

"Yes," she said firmly. "I'm going to do them all. Every single one."

He blinked, then gasped loudly as she unzipped his pants. They had never gone this far before, and his heart felt like it was going to hammer straight out of his chest. "Sh - shit, wait -!"

"Just be quiet, sweetie."

He laughed at the irony in that statement, his eyes rolling back in his head as she licked a rough strip of flesh on his inner thigh. "At least lemme take my boots off."

"Be my guest." Elly nodded, and he unbuckled them with lightning speed, shoving his pants down as well. For the first time he lay completely exposed save for a pair of red boxer-briefs that were stretched tightly across the front. It was the most vulnerable he had been in a long time, and, though he trusted her, the past was hard to let go of.

"Well, uh, now you can see the worst." He bit his lower lip, blushing, but she only smiled and kissed the burn mark on his lower belly. His skin twitched, but he remained calm.

She was still not turned off.

She kissed and caressed, her hands and lips loving him as he truly was. Hizashi felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from him. Freed from his mental block, his body surrendered completely to her touch and he was forced to cram a hand against his mouth to try and stifle the cries bubbling up from within. She paused, and with the most impish grin he'd seen requested he flip over.

"What?"

"Turn around, please," she repeated. "I haven't done your back."

"But baby," he started to protest, but she shook her head.

"No, Hizashi. I said all of them."

He whined and flopped around to lay on his stomach. "M'not gonna last," he complained. "Ahhh, god, your mouth!"

"Nmm. There's not so many here," she murmured. "It won't take long."

"I'm not gonna take long!" His tortured erection was trapped between his briefs and the mattress, the friction incredible.

"Mm hmm." She mouthed a spot between his shoulder blades and he whimpered, trying not to rub himself on the bed. "Let go, Zashi," she whispered in his ear. "Don't hold back."

"But - but you haven't..."

"You dear, sweet man," she breathed with a catch in her voice. "It's okay to put yourself first sometimes." Elly leaned lower, her breasts pushing softly on his bare back as she nibbled his earlobe. "I want to give you this."

Faced with so many pleasurable touches and listening to her turned on voice husking directly into his ear, he gave up. He stuffed his face into the pillow, muffling his moans as he bucked his hips, rubbing off against the soft bed. It didn't take long; he had told the truth about being pushed to his limit.

"Mfft!"

She smiled and kissed the nape of his neck as he slowed down. "I love all of you."

Hizashi turned his head to reveal he was red-faced and sweaty, his eyes whirling with emotion. "I totally believe that."

Counseling: I Love You

The little girl in the commercial hugged her father, her pigtails flying as she laughed jubilantly. The whole scene was homey and meant to tug at your heartstrings. The father smiled and told her he loved her.

"Hizashi," Elly said suddenly, her face growing very still as she started to tremble. Her voice was shaky and faint, as if coming from a long distance away. "I just realized something."

"What's up, babe?" Hizashi pulled his feet off the coffee table, sensing from the tone of her voice he would need to pay very close attention. He placed his arm around her.

"I'm not sure my father ever actually <i>told</i> me he loved me." Her eyes were wet with tears but she wasn't weeping. She sat up straight with her hands balled into fists on her lap, staring blindly at a spot on the wall. "I don't think he did. He hinted at it playfully when I was super young - you know, when he was kind to me because I was 'cute', but that was it."

"Uh." He shook his head, not really surprised but hating that she kept getting hurt, even now in her older age.

"No. No, all the female relatives and little girls got love. I didn't. I think - I don't know what... maybe it's just my memories. It has to be -"

"You know, princess," Hizashi sighed softly beside her. "The other stories you've told me have bearing on this. He didn't treat you well, so it doesn't surprise me he didn't say he loved you."

"But - but Zashi, I thought he did. He had to, right? This was the one thing I never thought about.  I just... assumed. Made myself believe it? Oh my god." She blinked, so mortified by her realization that no tears came. She simply sat, frozen, repeating herself as she struggled to believe the unbelievable.

"S'okay," he murmured. "I'm thinking none of the guys in yer family did..?"

She shook her head. "I felt love sometimes from my grandpa. I knew he did. But my father and stepfather... no."

He stroked a lock of hair away from her cheek and kissed her tenderly. "I love you, princess," he told her quietly.

"Thanks." She leaned on him, sighing, as he nuzzled into her hair. "I needed that." 

Moy Mell 56

When they got home that night, Aizawa spoke briefly with Sanji before joining her in the living room. Elly lay draped across the arm of the couch, ears lazily flicking as she watched him.

He walked over and pointed down where their rooms were. "You still want me to sleep with you tonight, little one?"

She blushed. "You know I'm far older than you and a demon besides. Why call me that?"

He grinned at her and kissed her nose. "Because no matter all that, you're shy ... and hesitant to tell me what you need."

"Fine," she said quietly. "I want you to sleep with me every night. What do you think?"

Aizawa scratched at his chin stubble. "I think that I sleep better with you in my arms."

Elly sighed happily. "That makes two of us."

He grinned at her. "I can use my room across the hall as storage, so you won't need to give me much space for my things here."

"There's plenty of it." She gestured vaguely about. "Just let me know what you need."

"Well," he said quietly, "first off, I'd like us to retire early for the night. I'm taking my responsibilities as your bodyguard and mate very seriously."

She huffed under her breath. "I'm not sleepy, Sho."

"Not now, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

She shivered a little and held out her arms.

The bath in her suite had been set and the large pool was warm and filled to the top with swirling, sweet-scented bubbles. A tray sat nearby with a bottle, some food on a plate and two cups.

He shed his simple tracksuit and slipped in, gesturing for her to join him. "Come, Ches. I can't pamper you properly unless you're beside me."

She watched him with dark eyes, undressing slowly and carefully. "This what you spoke with Sanji about?"

He nodded. "He picked a variety of special delicacies."

"I didn't know you could turn on the bath. I knew you had access to my rooms, but..." Elly sank into the water with a low, blissful purr. "Oh, this is wonderful."

"This sake is really excellent," Aizawa murmured approvingly as he sipped from an intricately glazed earthenware cup.

"Mmmn." She closed her eyes, and he set the cup back on the tray to slide closer to her, reaching out and stroking the fading bruise on her neck. Her purr grew louder, and he bent close, breathing on her skin. "Shota..."

He smiled and blew lightly on the warm flesh, causing her to shiver. "Feeling better?"

"So much better. You?"

"Me?" He chuckled. "I'm feeling great because I'm with you. Now, let's see..." He nibbled gently on her neck all around the bruise, licking lightly. "Does my queen want it? Hmm?"

"Yes," she groaned. He grinned against her neck, the hard press of his teeth making her pant. "Make me yours, Sho."

"You're already mine," the ghost of a chuckle drifted up to her ears. "Want more, though, huh?" He nuzzled with his cheek, rubbing his unshaven scruff on her neck. She growled softly and turned her head, catching his chin between her teeth. His eyebrows shot up and his grin turned fierce.

"More," Elly murmured in a daze as he nipped, then bit harder. "I can't believe how good that feels." She paused then, a flicker of worry crossing her features. "That reminds me. We need to talk about my heat again."

He licked a soothing swipe across the fresh bruise and murmured agreement. "You've hinted it's coming soon. Have you started preparations?"

She nodded. "That's what I wanted to talk about. I told you I've got that place, right?"

"Yes." He stroked a lock of wet hair back from her forehead.

"Everyone is ready to move at a moment's notice. I've sent the one with details -" He nodded. "I'll send further instructions after we bathe. Plus you're going to want to coordinate security, but I don't think we'll clash."

"We won't. I'm leaving the regular contingency at the main house just in case we're being watched. Nothing will look different except you'll be missing for awhile. But then again, that happens sometimes anyway."

"Good. I - I think things might start very soon. When you touch me, it's like I'm on fire."

"Oh?" He tilted his head at her, the lower half of his hair sticking wetly to his shoulders. "Not painful, I hope?"

"No. Intense." She shivered, panting, with her tongue lolling out and her eyes dreamy. "Like I want to sink my claws into you and not let go until you're screaming yourself hoarse with pleasure."


to move."

"Ahh... my queen?" He pulled back a ways. "Maybe you should send that email before we go any further. You're starting to feel physically hotter, and you sound a little odd."

She blinked at him, her eyes snapping into focus. "Um. Yeah, let me do that." Their phones were nearby charging on the bathroom countertop. She grabbed them both, bubbles slipping off her nude body onto the tile as she got out, and handed him his while she busied herself sending the file. "There. It's done."

"Good," he murmured. "I didn't want you to hold back if that was the case."

"I wouldn't be able to," she admitted sheepishly. "You're going to have to lead me around or I won't listen." Elly shivered. "I think you'd better read it right away. It - it might be coming. I think it's happening." She sounded very nervous and he drew an aura of calm around himself for her sake.

"Don't worry, I'll do it right now. I've also read up on what little information there was on the internet. Factually trusted sites run by other anthro demons," he added. He swiped his phone on and clicked on his email. It seemed simple enough in theory as he read - she would be focused on him, so he would need to guide her through daily life. Nothing would be as attractive to her as mating, so he would need to lead her around, sometimes using sex as a bargaining chip. He had quite a lot of information on the subject now, enough to help to the best of his ability.

He hoped.

Looking into her darkening eyes, he wondered exactly what he had gotten himself into this time.

STFU

Elly excitedly listed off the places the teachers might go on their group gathering. She was talking mainly to Aizawa, as Toshinori was sitting near but wasn't going. The others were either at a meeting or out of earshot so they weren't her sole focus right now. The counselor took a breath to continue, rolling the trackball on her mouse, when Aizawa startled her.

"Stop." He held a hand up to indicate he wanted her to be silent. "I'm busy and not listening."

Elly bit back what she had been about to say. Her face started to burn, and she felt the sting of tears at the back of her eyes. Her ears folded back so tightly they disappeared into her short purple hair and she closed her laptop, slinking out of the joint workspace without another word.

Toshinori blinked at her back, noticing her striped tail dragging on the ground rather than waving proudly behind her as she left. He turned his sunken gaze on the scruffy man hunched over and tapping on his keyboard. "Aizawa," he called to get his attention.

He didn't look up, the glow from the screen flickering on his pale features. "I just said I was busy," he grunted, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.

"Aizawa," he repeated firmly, "I think you hurt Cheshire's feelings."

"Huh?" This time his gray eyes peered over the top of the screen. "What are you talking about?"

It was true; she was devastated.

Elly had always been told she was needy and annoying. It started with her family when she was old enough to feel hurt by their constant bullying and grew worse when she started dating. In college, she learned many women that didn't have strong bonds with their fathers turned to abusive partners, as well. Once she recognized the cycle within herself, she had simply stopped dating. In her mind, it wasn't worth it for the pain it caused her in the end. Turning a blind eye to her would-be suitors was easy when she didn't have many, anyway.

She suspected she may have been fooling herself that she had ever truly been in love.

And then her career bloomed, a transfer to U.A. and her Pro Hero status taking off. Everything was finally going well ...if she ignored how lonely she was at night. Worse yet, she couldn't deny she had developed feelings for a certain unkempt colleague. Aizawa knew nothing, of course, as she kept her emotions fully bottled up. Therefore she was ashamed to have almost broken down, and darted into her private office, closing and locking the door.

I shouldn't be in this much pain from one comment.

Yet the way he had cut her off stung more than she wanted to admit. If she was pissing him off, he wouldn't want to be around her. Elly wasn't sure she could handle that. They had gone on multiple group outings to local eateries and bars and she was - accustomed, for want of a better word -- to being around him. They had worked together as heroes, put their lives on the line and more. In horror, she realized she had begun to think of him as hers, in a way. She had fallen in love with a good, strong man this time but he didn't want a romantic relationship with anyone, let alone her.

Her feline features had perhaps helped him become comfortable around her faster but this afternoon had proven he wasn't interested. She placed her head on her desk and spiraled into a rabbit hole of negative thoughts and despair.

-

Elly changed how she interacted with the gruff homeroom teacher from that point on. From a tactical standpoint, she wanted some distance to heal. She also would give him a much-needed break from her annoying antics, and hopefully things would at least go back to normal. It wasn't too difficult to stay in her office, so she busied herself with extra work.

It was hard not seeing him, though. She already missed his familiar scent, his low, pleasing baritone and even those bloodshot eyes.

"Hello, Cheshire. You going to get a late lunch?"

She jumped a little, startled out of her thoughts as she wandered along the hallway. Thirteen was there, her eyes showing she was smiling in a friendly way. "Oh, hey. Yeah, I got caught up with a student and we went over schedule. Is Lunch Rush still making those turkey club sandwiches?"

Thirteen laughed. "He told me he wouldn't dream of taking those off the menu now that he knows you love them so much."

Elly broke out into a huge grin that showed both her sharp canines. "Yay."

The space-suited hero waved cheerfully at her as they parted ways. The counselor walked quickly on, carefully checking the halls and testing the air with her nose. She didn't want to end up face to face with the homeroom teacher after pointedly avoiding him all day.

Back at the teacher's work area, Shota Aizawa frowned.

The counselor normally said good morning to him every day at the staff lockers. She had been absent from not just that area, but all they interacted in, which was very unusual. The timesheets mocked him as he stared blearily down at them, rubbing the back of his neck.

Yamada flopped into the chair beside him and pointed at his neck. "Oh, hey, y'see Ches got that new neck gear? Looks pretty sweet. I was thinkin' maybe Mei could take a look at mine later. Couldn't hurt - girl's got talent!"

"Cat," Ryo growled under his breath as he passed by. "We had to get a cat for a counselor."

"You always complain, but she's one of the only ones that can understand you when you start barking," Kayama snorted.

"Hrrarf!"

Aizawa's brow creased, deeper lines wrinkling his forehead. "Is Cheshire on the grounds, then?"

"She's here," Kayama called out. "Saw her duck into her office earlier. I don't think she's been out yet, though. Must be busy."

He grunted in a noncommittal fashion and stomped out into the hall.

-

Elly decided it would be safer to eat in her office than risk the teacher's lounge.

She was wrong.

Aizawa had been on a mission to find her once he knew she was on campus. It didn't take long, either, since she was in the one place she was supposed to be.

Her ears shot up as she went to lock her door upon cleaning up the remnants of her lunch. There was someone on the other side - someone that was very insistent on getting in. He put his shoulder to the door, and, knowing his strength, she sighed and gave up.

"Fine. Come in before you break anything."

"You've been avoiding me," was all he said as she flopped down on her chair.

Elly shuffled a batch of papers on her desk. "Yes, well ...that recent villian attack has me rather busy. The students were quite shaken by it." Bending down, she busied herself in her file cabinet, hoping he would give up and go away.

Aizawa's expression firmed, and he placed his palms flat on the desk in front of her. "Have I offended you in some way?"

She bit her lower lip, still not looking at him though he was leaning close. "You have been nothing but professional."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Elly started to tremble the tiniest bit. She spoke in a much lower, softer voice with her furry ears sinking down. "Aizawa. You've done nothing wrong. It's me, and I am dealing with that in the only manner I possibly can right now."

He frowned harder, his forehead wrinkling as he watched her feline body language display sadness and fear. "Is it - it isn't because I said I wasn't listening the other day, is it?" She flinched and Aizawa swore, cursing All Might vaguely under his breath. "Look," he sighed, "I was busy. All I wanted to convey was that you weren't getting my full attention. I didn't want you to think I wasn't listening because I didn't care."

"I told you, this is my problem. You weren't -" She jerked upright, her eyes darting up to meet his in shock as her hands were covered by his warm, rough ones.

"If you hurt, it is my problem," he told her quietly. "I don't want to see you upset." He grimaced as he struggled to say the right thing that was also the truth. "Especially if I'm the one that made you upset."

"You didn't mean I was being annoying?"

He blinked at her in surprise. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Emotional baggage." It was her turn to make a face. "Okay. I'm sorry, too, then. Didn't mean to make such a fuss about it - I just didn't want you to get tired of me."

Aizawa let out the most exasperated sigh she had ever heard. "Ms. Sketchit," he snorted, "I'm friends with Present Mic, for fuck's sake. You couldn't be more annoying than that if you tried." He paused, thinking. "Also, I'm pretty sure everyone is more lively than me. You don't have to worry."

She actually laughed at him addressing her that way. It was strange to hear him call her anything but her hero name. "I get it, I get it. It's hard for me to think I'm anything but a pain in the ass, but I believe you."

"Good." He glanced up at the clock on the wall. "What would you say to going out with me later?"

Elly was amazed at how fast the man moved when he was sure of himself. Once Aizawa knew what he wanted and deemed the results satisfactory, he was relentless.

That was how she ended up in his arms that evening after they went for dinner, held so tightly he nearly stole her breath away. And not just from his grip, because he was unfailingly gentle every time he touched her. No - he was warm and firm and smelled so good she simply gave in to her desires. They kissed again and again, their desire to remain in contact with each other warring with their need for air.

Nothing had ever felt so right.

"Purring?" He chuckled under his breath as they parted briefly.

"Mmn. Is that a problem?"

"No," he murmured into her hair, inhaling deeply. "Not at all. I wasn't sure how much feline you had in you."

She nuzzled his cheek. "The underside of my nose, two fangs, ears and a tail. I've also got neck and tail sensitivity, so unless you want to make a pretty firm statement about how you feel about me I'd reccomend staying away from those areas."

His gray eyes narrowed in thought. "...like this?"

"Shota!" She yelped, shocked at first and then falling backwards onto the couch they were laying on. His teeth pressed playfully on her throat, right where the thumping pulse beat madly under the skin.

"Has any man marked you before?"

"No," she choked, squirming under him. "I ... no, never, I didn't let anyone."

"Oh?" Now he sounded curious. "Took it seriously, did you? What if I decided I want you so completely?" His lips moved, tongue flicking out to trace the area.

"Sh - Shota..."

"Shhhh," he whispered softly against her skin with a hint of laughter in his voice. "I'm busy. "

Civilian Restraint

"Midnight's a good actress. Can't we just use her?" Aizawa pointed. The rest of the staff either chuckled or shook their heads as they sat around the table in the lounge.

Kayama grunted in an unladylike fashion. "Nope. Me? Pretend that? You'd need an actual pro actress to be able to play that part convincingly."

Yamada glared at her, his eyebrows drawing down. "Hey!"

U.A.'s counselor sat on the far side of the table, between Thirteen and Snipe. She had listened to the others argue about method acting and how important this was for some time, and had grown tired enough to make an offer.

Elly sighed, her ears low on the sides of her head. She raised her hand in resignation. "I can do it," she said quietly.

"Blech," Kayama shuddered. "Do you really think you can be convincing?!" She tapped her shiny red fingernails on the table in a restless staccato.

"I can do it," she repeated, more firmly this time. She nodded at the blond man staring at her in surprise across the way. "Trust me. If you want authenticity for this exercise, you'll get it."

They filed out to put on their outfits and get ready.

"This is a rescue operation only," Aizawa stessed as he led his class over to the test area. "The area has been cleared of villains but civilians are injured and need to be taken to safety. Several structures have been damaged as well as other hazards you will have to navigate."

This section of Ground Beta was in shambles. A skyscraper had a huge, smoking hole in one side and fire and rubble lined the street. Staff members cried out for help from everywhere, and those were the easier targets. Others were slumped over, too incapacitated to move.

"Oh my god." Someone in the back choked as they heard a shrill scream coming from close by.

"Rescue as many as you can," their teacher told them firmly. "The cut-outs of the citizens count as well."

The students fanned out immediately upon his word.

"Somebody go look for that loud-ass screamer!" Bakugo snarled as he gathered as many cardboard people as he could in his arms at the same time. Midoriya and Uraraka unconsciously paired up and went in search of the sound. Their eyes widened as they rounded a corner and found her.

Elly had been doctored up to look smudged and hurt, but what rattled them was not only that or her cries. She was wearing a pregnancy suit under her clothing and clearly in double the danger as she lay half trapped under some of the broken-off bits of building that had collapsed. Her hands were outstretched towards the street, where a quick glance showed a lump of clothes with a pool of blood spreading out from under them. The lump had long, blond hair that had been mostly torn out of a scraggled bun.

"Ohmigosh, here." The teenager rushed to lift the crumbled bits of concrete off her while his partner helped by flicking still-falling pieces harmlessly away. But Elly wasn't focused on her rescuers.

She squirmed in Midoriya's grip, eyes locked onto the wounded man sprawled on the concrete. "Hizashi!" The cry was absolutely blood-curdling, and the teenager flinched, staring at her in pity.

"Y - you need to stay here, ma'am," he said quickly, "we're going to evacuate the -"

She bit him, hard.

"Ouch!" Midoriya squeaked in shock but to his credit did not drop her, so she took a deep breath and pushed with her hands and feet, shoving herself bodily out of his arms. He wasn't really expecting this, nor did he want to use excessive force on a (admittedly fake, but it was real for the test) pregnant woman, so he let her go.

"Deku!" Uraraka yelled in alarm. "If she goes out there, she'll be in danger! The street's caving in!"

He glanced around, panicking. "Stay here, please," he begged the cat woman. "This is safer."

"Let me go! I have to - Zashi!"

Hizashi lay on the ground biting his lip. It was really hard to stay quiet when he heard her screaming and crying his given name.

"We're gonna bring him to you!" Uraraka placed both hands on her shoulders and spoke firmly, loudly, right into her pale face. "Let us help him!"

She blinked, then nodded. "Hurry! Please!"

It was over in moments.

Uraraka released, and his body floated to land gently beside the hysterically weeping counselor. She flung herself on him, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Hey, Els." He spoke in a very low tone. Yamada - Hizashi, in her mind now -- was known for overacting his parts in these, but he seemed subdued by his colleague's acting.

Elly held him tight and whispered, "I love you," so fervently that before he knew it he had responded by pulling her close for a reassuring kiss. He lightly brushed his lips on hers, murmuring softly.

"M'okay, baby. It's okay." He stroked her short purple hair, wiping the wetness on her cheeks away with gentle fingers. All he could think of was stopping her tears; he forgot about the students and staff all around them.

This had a surprising effect on the exercise.

The students froze when they saw the counselor and English teacher kiss. Some of them had speculated they liked each other, but to see the affection in public threw them. They stopped, staring, while Hizashi stood, supporting her in a protective curl of his arm.

Aizawa was livid at his class. "What are you doing?!" He pointed at the rest of the "people" that still needed rescuing. "If a small display of affection is all it takes to stop you, these people would be dead in real life!"

They got off relatively easy, however, since it was showed in the end they managed to get all the civilians to safety. He chewed them out for less time than he might have, especially since he had been just as startled by the sudden display of affection the two had shown.

While he ranted, most of the other staff members headed to the Faculty Dorm to clean up and it was only Hizashi and a very embarrassed Elly that still needed to get their things. They walked slowly into the locker room, him supporting her the whole way.

"I, uh, can walk by myself, Yamada." She opened the door.

He shook his head. "Nuh uh, no way. Yer callin' me Hizashi now. And, uh. Hey, wow," he whispered as she leaned against her locker. "I, whew! I ...that was really real, yo."

"I need a minute," she gasped behind her hands. Her striped tail lashed madly behind her as she struggled to calm herself.

"Hey," he repeated lamely, inwardly cursing himself for not knowing what to say. "If you weren't acting, uh, you know, I like you, too. Obviously. 'Cause I kissed you. It really is okay."

She took a shaky breath and peered out from between her splayed fingers. "You what? You weren't acting?"

Hizashi blinked down at her as he swung his door open. "Of course not," he huffed, his ears burning. "I love you," he told her proudly in English.

Aizawa walked in just as he spoke and, seeing the two of them deep in conversation, turned on his heel and went back out. Neither noticed him, and in fact, Elly could barely stand since her weakened knees wouldn't support her. She trembled and he snaked an arm around her waist to steady her.

"You really do," she murmured in awe. "I never thought this outcome was possible."

He closed his locker with his hip and pulled her closer. "Hell, babe, I never thought ya liked me, either. But hey, here we are. So... what d'ya say, huh? We can go out and seal the deal right. Dinner, some fun at a club or somethin', and maybe stay the night someplace nice."

Elly's ears perked up. "'Seal the deal', huh? As in, a relationship? Because I'd be more than happy to be your girlfriend." She smiled shyly at him.

"Yanno, if that's the case, I'd bet I can make you scream for a far more pleasurable reason." He caught his lower lip between his teeth as he grinned sheepishly at her.

"I'll hold you to that," she murmured.