BLBS 2

The morning light streamed through the scenic wall of windows, illuminating the suite and settling in a cheery beam on the living room couch.

Elly groaned loudly and held her hands up before her face, forgetting where she was. This had the unfortunate effect of unbalancing her and she fell off with a thump and a loud, startled curse. Her tail hit one of the screens nearby and it nearly fell over as well.

"Ouch, damn it!" She rubbed her hip as she fought to stand among the litter of the party last night. Her eyes fell upon a cup nearby and spotted the condom Aizawa had tossed inside it.

Last night.

<i>Oh, shit</i>.

She'd slept with that despicable reporter.
Sure, he was hotter than she'd imagined and the sex had been good.

<i>Better than good</i>, if she were honest with herself. She hadn't come that hard in years. But now she was having some reservations. What had she inadvertently slipped during their time together? Was he gleefully writing things she may have said down, turning it into some scandalous article? She grabbed her pants off the floor and dug into a pocket for her phone.

<i>God, no wonder my PR agent hates me</i>.

Her eyes narrowing, she checked every single one of his social media accounts that she could find.

Nothing.

Well, there was a small review of a local art show, and his Twitter feed had photos of a very large caffeinated monstrosity he had apparently bought this morning.

There was nothing about <i>her</i>.

Maybe he was waiting; he would write a bigger piece about a famous celebrity, wouldn't he? It could take a day or two.

She would wait and watch.

And do that she did for an entire week. Aizawa never mentioned her at all, save for defending himself one time when someone brought up an older review of her work. Although this was what she wanted, Elly was still disgruntled, but for a very different reason.

<i>She couldn't get him out of her mind.</i>

Images kept replaying, scenes and moments in her head from that night. How damn sexy he looked naked and sweating on top of her, how his lips and teeth had felt on her skin. Sitting in a small room before a commercial she was filming one day, Elly smiled a secretive little smile. Her fingers stole to the pulse on the left side of her neck. It was covered with a light scarf and some tactfully placed jewelry. Aizawa had marked her up so badly her makeup artists were aghast. One of them, however, had looked at this as a challenge and worked with wardrobe so that nothing could be seen. Afterward she spoke with her manager and gave them both a raise, commending their service.

By the end of the week she was intrigued by his silence and alarmed, as well, for the burning in her loins had grown to a fever pitch. So, late that Friday when she was tossing and turning in bed she picked up her phone. Aizawa had given her his contact information a long time ago, with the hopes that she would let him interview her. She hadn't been sure why she kept him in her contacts, but it came in handy now.

<b>Cheshire</b>: <i>Hey, baby, you wanna come over? I'm bored again.</i> ♡

Elly thought for a moment, her cheeks turning pink. She pulled up the t-shirt she was wearing as pajamas and took a selfie with just the right hint of naughtiness in her eyes. She waited, but the plumpness between her thighs grew unbearable when she saw he had looked at the text. After fifteen long minutes she couldn't take it anymore. She thrust a hand into the bedsheets and touched herself while she imagined his dark eyes widening at the photo. Maybe he wasn't texting or calling back because he was jerking off.

She came with a low growl of displeasure, the orgasm not enough. It felt puny compared to the high that bastard had brought her to.

What the hell was she going to do?

Aizawa let her simmer for about a week. He also had enjoyed the sex, not just because it had been mind-blowing but for the fact that he rarely indulged, as it were. Work came first, literally, with him. And to that end he threw himself into his job with fervor, tackling the little things the office threw at him with as much gusto as a world-breaking news story. He was aggravated and didn't want anyone to talk to him, since his mind would inevitably wander and then they would begin asking questions.

His colleagues were alert to the change in his temperament and ganged up on him in the break room one day.

"Hey," Kayama, an older woman in a crisp, dark business suit and skirt that matched her hair and eyes, was the first to corner him.

"You're grumpier than usual, Aizawa. You looked different the day you came home from that Cheshire thing." Kan was a gigantic man with fangs, imposing to anyone that didn't know him. Aizawa, however, couldn't care less about the man's physical stature and brushed past without a word.

"We're all wondering, you know," she continued as he stomped off. "You give us a reason why your mood has been worse after being soooo much better, or..."

He clutched the doorknob as hard as he would like to wring her gossipy neck. "I didn't get a story," he snapped without turning around. "Okay? That's what's pissing me off. Leave me alone so I can work in peace. I'll get her one day, though - I promise you that."

<i>Except I've already had her</i>, he thought, his ears burning. <i>And the bitch had the gall to be fucking incredible</i>! He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Fuck it. This week had been <i>shit</i>, and he needed to blow off some steam. He took out his cellphone and looked through his messages to find a number.

<b>Bastard</b>: <i>Are you home?</i>

Elly blinked at the abrupt text and then snickered at his contact name. She'd forgotten when she changed it, but it had been at some point after he'd ignored her for at least two days.

<b>Cheshire</b>: <i>Yes</i>

<b>Bastard</b>: <i>I'm coming over</i>

That was it. No asking like a person with common decency or any explanation. He simply asked if she were there and then told her he would be coming. Anger flared up in her, but her heart was also fluttering in her chest in anticipation of seeing him again.

"Cocky little sucker, aren't you Aizawa?"

Elly was surprised when he showed up. The man was a mess, his stubble unruly and plain work shirt pulled half out of rumpled, tan slacks. His once gorgeous raven hair was dull and hung in a messy tangle loose about his shoulders. She perked her ears. Elly had gotten dressed for the occasion herself, a pair of tight jeans and a loose, over the shoulder shirt. Her makeup was impeccable, leftover from work that day she hadn't removed yet.

"Holy shit, are you okay? You look like you just got into a fight without all the bruises." She paused then as he glared at her, and she saw the dark smudges under his eyes. "Well, except for those eyes. Yikes."

"What's with the concern all of a sudden?" He kicked his loafers off at the door and hung up his suit jacket. "You thinking this might be a good time to finish the job?"

"I'm not that freaking heartless. You look like shit," she stressed. "You have a bad day or something?"

"I'm here for sex, not to talk." He dropped his shirt on the floor and took her in his arms. "Or do I look too disgusting?"

"Shut up." She pouted, blushing. The fact was all she could think about was getting him naked. His new hobo look hadn't put her off at all, and now that she thought about it, maybe <i>this</i> was his natural state. It fit his attitude, and he was turning her on just as much, especially when he bent to suck at a spot just under her chin. She moaned and he grinned.

"No? Good."

"We can go in the bedroom, this time."

"Even better," he sighed.

They stripped hurriedly, casting quick glances at each other and piling their clothes in a heap beside the giant bed. Aizawa was finished first and he climbed onto the mattress from behind, curling around her as his hands wandered her curves to unhook her bra.

"Give me your neck," he demanded lowly, and she bent to one side to expose her wildly jumping pulse. "So fast," he snickered. "You like when I mark you? Isn't it risky to show off love bites to the public?"

"The public doesn't own me. And besides, my makeup artists hid the others." She cast a sly look over her shoulder, her lashes fluttering and a risque smile on her parted lips. "Maybe you should do better this time."

Aizawa's hands squeezed her breasts hungrily. "You want better, do you?" His mouth trailed hotly on the healed skin, licking and sucking softly. "Here, maybe? It would be <i>much harder</i> to hide one so far up..."

"Mnn." She placed her hands on his and arched into his touch, her tail whisking about and stirring the sheets underneath. "You gonna do it, or are you just talk, <i>baby</i>?"

He swore violently at the nickname and sank his teeth in. "I told you not to call me that," he said acidly as he sucked and bit.

"So?" She gasped and started to tremble a little as his marking grew serious. "I - I told you my name a long time ago, and you refuse to use it."

Aizawa licked at her blood-speckled skin. He'd sucked a dark bruise the size of his mouth onto her neck, higher than any shirt or scarf could cover. "Hmm? Your name is Cheshire. It's all over the fucking place nowadays -"

"My name, Mr. Bastard Reporter, is <i>Elly</i>."

"Ches," he amended grudgingly, a spark twinkling in his gray eyes.

"You son of a bitch!"

"Not true," he deflected easily, rolling her over and under him. "And, besides, Ches is who you really are, isn't it? I've never seen 'Elly'. Only the spoiled little rich brat that is, coincidentally, one hell of a good lay."

She squinted angrily at him and flexed her nails in his back. "I'm not really sure if you just complimented me or if it was an insult."

He smiled smugly at her and rubbed his firm length on her thigh. "You want to talk or fuck?"

The answer was fairly obvious, given the choices.

Elly woke much more comfortably the next morning than their last tryst, warm and safe in her bed with soft sheets piled around her. Her entire body felt sore but she was refreshed and satisfied after her romp with that idiot last night. She yawned, stretching, and her hand lightly struck something behind her. She frowned. Come to think of it, that wasn't the only odd thing.

<i>There's an arm around me!</i>

She craned her neck around. Aizawa lay there, the sheets pulled down and dressed in his undershirt and boxer briefs with one arm slung low around her waist. He had curled himself around her, making her the little spoon as they slept.

She rubbed her eyes.

He was still there.

"Well, well," she purred, pleased that he'd stuck around this time. She hadn't thought he had it in him. As she fidgeted around to face him his eyes popped open.

Aizawa groaned. "Fuck, what time is it?"

"Six."

"In the <i>morning</i>? What are you, a sadist?"

Elly stuck her tongue out. "For your information, I have an early photo shoot. I <i>have</i> to be up early, I don't <i>want</i> to."

"Unghhh."

"You can sleep in if you want, babe, but I've got to get ready to go." She ran a hand down his chest, her purring growing louder. There was a semi-firm lump in his underwear that was stiffening further under her touch. "Mmmn, good <i>morning</i>."

"Hnf." He shifted slightly, angling his hips so she could have better access. "If I join you in the shower, would you suck me off?"

"With a condom, yes."

"I gotta get some fucking testing done," he muttered. "I doubt you'd believe me if I told you I'm clean."

"Nope," she agreed cheerfully with a toss of her head. Her hair was mussed, sticking up on one side, and his fingers itched to touch it, stroke it and tame the bedhead. "I mean, would you believe me if I said the same?"

He snorted, following her as she picked up a pile of neaty stacked clothing and headed into the bathroom. "That's different. You're a celebrity."

Elly's bathroom was larger than any he had been in his entire life. The dual shower was a lima bean shaped whirlpool with tiled areas to stand under the showerheads and seats. Aizawa noticed, but was too eager to get under a warm stream of water to care. A shower - or bath -- was the same as long as it got the job done.

"Once again, I have to remind you that being popular doesn't make me an indiscriminate whore." She turned on the water and opened a medicine cabinet, fishing out a condom.

He shrugged. "It's easier for you to find partners."

"It's not easy for you?" Elly raised an eyebrow at him. "You're..."

<i>Incredibly handsome. Roguishly sexy. Kind of cute when you get flustered.</i>

She caught herself before any of the praise on her lips tumbled out and instead finished, "...not bad-looking, you know."

"Such flattery," he said drily.

"Come on, strip and get in. I want to see how fast I can make you come."

He shrugged and pushed his underwear down. "I'm still sleepy," he warned her. "Don't expect a lot of attention."

She rolled her eyes at him in exasperation and bent her head back in the water to rinse her hair. He noted with satisfaction how gruesome the mark on her neck was as he stepped in.

"Here," she offered, gesturing at one of the seats set back behind the warm spray. "Sit."

He did, and she reached up and took the condom out of the tray she had set it in. Once she had it in her hand she knelt on the plush matt in front of him and kissed the inside of his right thigh. His muscles spasmed, and he cleared his throat. Her kiss had been very gentle, her expression unreadable as she stared up at him.

"You smell like wet fur."

Elly reached behind her and brought her sodden tail up for him to see. The alternating light and dark purple stripes were dripping wet. "That's because I have wet fur, you idiot. It's clean, though."

He turned his head slightly, but his hair was just as wet. It was slicked back, exposing his entire face, and she could see him as he blushed. "I didn't say it was a bad smell."

"Oh." She kissed his other thigh and his eyes slipped closed. "You might be sleepy, but your cock is waking up." She trailed a fingertip along the twitching flesh as it slid up and out. He let out a low moan, and she smiled and rolled the condom on.

Once covered, she lapped lightly at the tip, then underneath, where it was the most sensitive. Aizawa huffed and his head rolled forward as he began to pant. She bought expensive prophylactics and they were thinner than the latex ones he was used to, yet the heat of her mouth was less with the barrier. He couldn't wait to get that testing done, even though he knew it was invasive as hell. It would be well worth it. His train of thought then derailed completely as she sucked on the tip, working her lips down to the base.

Elly took her time, keeping her throat relaxed and her lips tightly wrapped around his length. She rarely did this but had enough experience to know the basics. Aizawa sounded <i>filthy and gorgeous</i>, low sounds and gasps tearing from his throat. His tired brain put pleasure first instead of trying to be smarmy and mouthing off like he usually did.

She liked it, so she concentrated on making him feel good, sucking in and using her tongue. She felt him jerking back, trying not to thrust into her mouth and was oddly touched. Elly had thought the bastard would want to fuck her face and had been prepared for such an onslaught, but he was holding back. His head was rolled back, Adam's apple bobbing as he vented tiny, soft groans.

"Ch - Ches, m'gonna..." Elly picked up the pace and soon he was shuddering as he spurted into the condom. In a burst of inspiration, she mimicked the action of swallowing and he choked hard mid-orgasm. "God, <i>yes</i>!"

"Mmm. Somebody came really hard." She carefully removed and tied off the full condom. "Was it good, baby?"

"I think you sucked the snark out of me, so I'll just say yes."

"That's nice," she purred.

Bright Lights, Big Story 1

It was dark out, and while the city below was a riot of color and noise, the luxury apartments on the hillside overlooking the ocean and bright lights below were mostly quiet.

All except one.

Music and light erupted from the windows of the penthouse, indicating a party of massive proportions. One would think everyone would be having a great time at such an excellent location with good food, drink and music, but there was someone who was standing off to the side, alone.

The woman sighed, running a hand through her dark purple hair and tucking the lock tickling her neck along one cheek back into the main mass.

A man dressed in a shiny gold suit walked by and waved at her cheerfully. "Hey, Cheshire! Havin' fun?"

Elly Sketchit - a.k.a Cheshire, a popular singer that had what blue collar workers would call "everything" -- was <i>not</i> having fun. She smiled back, her cat's ears flicking as she faked enjoyment for what seemed like the thousandth time since her meteoric rise to fame a couple years ago.

This party was predictable. Predictable and boring.

So, so fucking <i>boring</i>.

An after party was just that, as well - a bash following one of her concerts, and, as the owner of the home she had to be here for this one. She'd normally ditch after a few minutes but there was no way she could escape this time.

She hated after parties; despised the people trying to fawn over her, so desperate to not look like <i>fans</i>. As Cheshire, though, she had to play as nice as possible for publicity's sake. No one here cared that she had just drained her every ounce of strength on stage singing a half an hour ago, the stage lighting causing her to sweat harder than any workout and her abdominal muscles twitching from strict breathing control.

Fuck these fake people <i>Cheshire</i> had to act like she cared about. She wished she was back to being Elly Sketchit again. She just wanted to shower, flop onto her couch and eat an entire box of jerky sticks before falling blissfully asleep.

Her ears flicked in annoyance as she scanned the room, looking for any distraction. Her eyes lingered on the bar once again, but she knew in her state alcohol would just cause her to pass out right here.

<i>I could just get some fruit juice,</i> she thought tiredly, and began making her way over. When she got there the bartender turned around and she saw him for the first time.

He was dressed in a simple black, tight-fitting vest and pants with a red patterned bowtie. Nothing fancy - it was a typical bartender look, really, for these types of things. He wore a smartwatch made up to look like a gold timepiece on one wrist and his wealth of dark hair was pulled back, showing a tiny golden cuff on one ear to match. His face was oddly scruffy, a stubbling of hair on his upper lip, cheeks and chin that looked effortlessly attractive.

Elly found herself waking up. The man's eyes were charcoal gray and seemed to smolder with an inner fire as he met her own calmly. She raised her eyebrows, liking the look more than the simpering she received from most people in general.

"What would you like?" His voice was even better, a rich, low baritone only slightly marred by the fact that he sounded irritated.

"I'm looking for something non-alcoholic to perk me up," she said softly with a little smile. "Any ideas?"

For a moment he appeared incredulous - <i>a celebrity that didn't drink, especially one with a fully stocked bar?</i> -- but smoothly mixed together a few ingredients, the bottles clinking musically together with purpose. A tall glass filled with bubbly, dark soda and a cherry garnish was handed over. Elly took it from him, letting her fingertips touch his briefly before bringing it to her lips.

Her smile only grew as she sipped. "I feel like a kid again," she chuckled. "A Roy Rogers. This is perfect, I love cherries." Her gaze lingered on his mouth as she spoke, wondering what it would be like to kiss him or how those lips would feel sucking on her neck.

Elly decided she was definitely getting laid tonight.

"I'm glad you like it." He nodded, the corners of his lips quirking up in a small smile.

"Are you free after the party?"

The man checked the levels in his bottles and general bar area before nodding once, as if to himself more than her. "I have to clean up, but it shouldn't take long."

"Do bartenders drink after they work?" She moved aside as someone came staggering up to order, waiting while they were served. Thankfully, everyone was pretty inebriated by now and no one was asking after her. She didn't blame them; by this time it was well known she would have slipped away the first chance she got. This time, however, she thought she would stick around.

"We do," he said quietly, his eyes meeting her own and causing her tail to puff out ever so slightly.

"I may not want something now, but you could help yourself after the guests leave. Maybe you could stay here and we could relax." Her tail twitching with interest, she leaned over to offer him a view of her rather modest cleavage in the tank top she was wearing. For once she wished she had worn a racier top, but it wasn't really her style.

Elly jerked upright when he snickered, startled at such an unpleasant reaction.

"That usually works for you, doesn't it? Just asking anyone like that. God, you're even more smug than I thought."

Her jaw dropped. "What the hell?!"

"You never asked my name," he pointed out. "Doesn't matter, does it?"

"I - you ...well, fine," she snarled, anger finally bursting through her so violently she saw spots. She slammed her glass down on the bar, her eyes narrowed. "You don't have to accept, but you also don't have to be a dick about it."

"I'm not a very good bartender," he admitted with a low chuckle. "But I'm a better pickup artist than you are. I'll admit I'm also not a celebrity, so I'm not accustomed to getting whatever I want, but I'd have asked someone's name before asking them for a one-night stand."

A few people were staring, noticing the tension between them and her raising volume. Elly's ears laid back and she hissed, "Fine, asshole! What's your name?"

"Aizawa Shota," he replied simply.

She froze.

<i>Oh, no. No, this had to be a terrible nightmare.</i>

Aizawa?

He was the reason she had, more than once, thrown her cell phone across the room and broken it. In the world today, reporters needed to have a better story than anyone else's or there was a very real chance it would get lost in the mess of the internet. He was the newest reporter to rise to the top, writing for a prominent art and music website. In order to get sensational stories, he liked to antagonize celebrities with tweets and otherwise on social media, riling them up. Sometimes he would criticize their lifestyle and work until they agreed to a private interview to clear the air. Elly steadfastly refused to rise to his bait online, being one of the very few he hadn't cracked yet.

And she wasn't about to now.

"So you're faking a profession in order to get close enough to get info for an article." She tossed her head, lips thinning as she glared at him. "This is a new low, Aizawa. Even for you."

"You're not exactly the type to give interviews," he pointed out. "I tried what I could."

"You trashed all my best pieces!" She hissed at him, keeping her voice low. "You bastard! You didn't even give any of them a chance!"

"I give honest reviews," he snorted. "You can't handle it."

"I fucking hate you!"

"Oh? You sure sounded like you wanted to fuck a minute ago." He paused then, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting you to try and get me into bed. That would certainly make an interesting article."

"Even <i>you</i> wouldn't write about something so vulgar as sleeping with someone."

"Want to test that theory?" His fingers began snapping off his bowtie with rough, quick movements. "While you were screeching at me, the party left for the other venue. We're alone."

Her head jerked around, startled. It was true; the music was still playing, bass reverberating through the room and lights on, but no one was there. She hurriedly grabbed a remote and turned the sound system off with a sigh of relief.

"Well?" His voice spoke close to her ear, and she jumped again. Aizawa had snuck up behind her and as she turned around he placed his hands on either side of the wall, pinning her in place with a wicked smirk.

She slapped him hard enough to leave a momentary print of her palm on his cheek. His head rocked back with the force of her blow. "Don't try that agressive crap on me, you bastard."

Aizawa slowly rubbed his stubbled jaw, eyes burning into hers. His creepy grin only increased in intensity and he didn't back away, instead choosing to grasp the opposite side of her face and kiss her as hard as she'd slapped him. She grasped a fistful of his vest, tugging on the silk as they met with tongue and teeth. His scruff rasped on her skin, and though his actions were rough his lips were soft. When she raised a leg to wrap around him, however, he bucked it off with a chuckle and stopped kissing her, rubbing a thumb on her lips in lieu of his own.

"Fuck, you're a tease," she hissed.

"That suggests you want more than this," he whispered in her ear. "Do you want more?"

Elly bared her teeth, flashing her sharp canines at him in a little grimace. Her hands ran roughly down his back to his ass. She squeezed hard, and he emitted a low gasp against her neck. Elly smirked and raised a knee between his legs, rubbing at his crotch and causing him to growl under his breath.

"Sure sounds like <i>you</i> want <i>more</i>," she gloated, her hands running up his back again to tug ruthlessly at his ponytail. "Had some fantasies of screwing a star, did we baby?"

Aizawa bit her on the neck. "Shut up," he grunted. "I don't have sex based on popularity. And if you <i>ever</i> call me that again, I'll make sure everyone knows you hit on me."

"And risk them knowing the rest? You're not gonna look so great after the public thinks you used me."

He sucked harder on her neck in reply, leaving a mess of bruises and teeth marks that left her panting and writhing.

"You look pretty nice all fucked up with my marks on you." Aizawa leaned over and nipped at her ear, whispering hoarsely into it. "You're one of the country's most popular singers, Cheshire, but I wonder how much better you'll sound when I'm pounding into you."

"<i>I</i> wonder if you ever shut up," she sniffed, catching the back of his head in her hands and dragging him into a kiss. He bared his teeth, nipping at her lower lip before their mouths met in another noisy, wet clash, tongues warring for dominance. After awhile, Elly found herself grabbing restlessly at his shoulders, moaning while he kissed her just right. When she was still for a moment he deepened his kisses outrageously, mouthing her lips in a way that had her bucking on his body below.

"Where?" His voice was low and rough, panted hotly between her lips. His hand had rucked up her tank and bra, exposing her breasts to his hungry gaze.

She pointed to a couch nearby, flanked with a couple if Asian screens to give it an illusion of privacy in the large room.

"Really?"

"Bedroom's too far," she groaned as he ruthlessly bit her left nipple.

"Mm hmm." He picked her up and she kicked in his arms.

"Sh - shit! I can walk, you idiot!"

"Can you?" He swiped a few empty cups off before dumping her on the couch. Aizawa popped his vest open, shucking it carelessly onto the floor. His dress shirt was next as he maintained eye contact with her the entire time. "'Cause you're frozen right now, <i>Ches</i>. What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Elly huffed with irritation. "Clever," she said drily. "Do you write all your own material, Mr. Bigshot Reporter?"

"It's all me," he told her in an insinuating tone, low and rich and sexy. Aizawa hooked his thumbs in his belt and dragged down enough for her to see his pelvic bones jutting out slightly. A trail of dark hair wound its way from between his rather surprisingly sculpted chest and abdomen down into those dress slacks. "Lose the top," he suggested, "I want to see if I can really tell if your own... well endowed <i>attributes</i> are real."

She spluttered and nearly ripped off her tank and bra. "You...! I've never had work done! I don't believe in that!" Her pale breasts bobbed as she gestured madly about.

"I can see that now," he said so quietly she could barely hear. This mollified her somewhat, and she sank back down onto the cushions. His appreciative stare calmed her even more, and Elly stretched languidly, eyes half-lidded as she watched him take in her upper body. His eyes burned with fervor as he looked down at her.

"You like what you see?"

"You're regularly featured in magazines and websites," he said sourly. "Your concerts have been selling out and record sales are through the roof. Don't others tell you every single day how attractive you are? Affection of the general public not enough for you?"

Elly tossed her head. "It's never enough." Although what she really was thinking was that most of her praise came from artificial means. The public wasn't someone telling her to her face, and oddly enough she trusted him more. If one of her harshest critics told her he thought she was beautiful, she might just believe him.

Maybe.

"You're a spoiled brat."

Her lips thinned in anger, and her nails dug into his back, scraping in and dragging a few inches. Instead of complaining, his breath hitched sharply, his throat working as he threw his head back. Locks of sweat-damp hair framed his face, sticking to his neck and cheeks, which were red as well as the bridge of his nose. His chest started to get splotchy, too, and she watched with interest as she lashed her striped tail on the backs of his legs.

"You're a body blusher? That's kind of hot."

He shot her a withering look. "Of course I'm hot. I'm sweating, aren't I?"

This made her break out into a genuine laugh, something that both amazed and shocked her. He was pretty cute when he got too serious. "I mean <i>this</i>, babe," she purred, hands coming around to trail more gently over the reddened skin on his chest. "You blush all over. Or ...I wonder. Is it <i>all</i> over?"

"Strip me," he commanded, grabbing her hands and placing them on his belt. "Take off my pants and see for yourself."

"Big man," she sneered at his ordering her around.

"You have no idea," he snickered with a wicked grin. "But if you're curious, you'd better get to work."

"Damn," she sighed wistfully. "You're a lucky man. But I <i>also</i> remember that curiosity killed the cat." Her hands unlatched the belt and popped the buttons open.

Aizawa arched his back as she unzipped and tugged his pants down. "The other half of that saying isn't well known. You want to hear it?" He kicked the slacks off, nude now except for a pair of maroon boxer briefs that were stretched tightly across the front. Aizawa leaned over her, pressing his body down and grinding his lower half on hers. "It's '<i>but satisfaction brought her back</i>'. You want that satisfaction from me, don't you, Ches?"

She groaned when he rubbed up on her, reaching around to clutch his rear like before. "Satisfaction is a strong word. Let's see if you can live up to it."

His answer was a mind-numbing soul kiss, so powerful that her lips felt swollen after they parted. Aizawa's hands easily removed her jeans and then hovered over her thin slip of panties, relishing the moment. "And let's see how much you want me."

"Careful," she snapped when he moved to take them off. "Don't touch my tail. Let me do it."

Her tone warned him not to push his luck. Though she had been fighting back every step of the way it had been exciting. Fun, even. This was neither of those. She was genuinely concerned, and she moved quickly to unfasten the velcro that kept the underwear in place around the striped fur sticking out of her lower back. When she nodded, he placed his hand on the front of the thin fabric and dragged them off, revealing a neatly trimmed batch of bristling purple hair.

"You don't wax? I thought that was big in the celebrity scene." He stroked once, then slipped a finger inside her, hissing at the moist heat.

Elly squirmed around while he curled his finger, probing for the right spot. "Would you do that? Imagine it growing back in." She shuddered, then moaned as he found what he was looking for.

Aizawa added another finger, then another. His movements were quick and sure, squelching sounds the only accompaniment to her bitten off cries. "You holding out on me? Don't try and be quiet, I can see how good it feels."

"It's ...fine," she panted, her eyes dark as she stared up at him. "I hope you can do better."

"I think it's time for me to force a few screams out of you." He peeled his tight briefs off, his penis bouncing free to curl up towards his belly.

Elly pounced, her hands gripping him just the right side of tight and stroking, getting a feel of his erect member and rubbing under the plump tip.

"Aaahhh, fuck, you know how to handle that cock," he husked, jerking back and into her hold to fuck her hand. "<i>Fuck</i>!"

"Not yet," she muttered.

"You have condoms?"

She raised an eyebrow at this, certain as she had been he was going to fight her on the subject. "Yeah, I forgot. Let me up, I'll go get one." She dropped him and got up to look. Aizawa watched until she disappeared down the hall. He listened to her swearing faintly as she rummaged through a drawer in what appeared to be the bathroom. She exclaimed softly after a few minutes and the light clicked off.

When she joined him again she had torn the packet open and was holding the contraceptive out. "Lay back, I've got this."

"You planning on riding my sorry ass in bed as well?"

Elly sighed gustily but said nothing, and it was all he could do to remain quiet as she slid the condom over him. She stroked once, from head to base, then smiled and gestured for him to move so she could lay down. He bit back a moan when she rose to meet him, wrapping her legs around him before he moved forward.

"Ahhh, shit," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"Y - you're hot," he choked, stunned the condom wasn't dulling the sensation as much as usual. "And tighter than I thought you would be -"

"Bastard," she panted, her hips chasing after his slow, teasing thrusts. "Tightness doesn't equal virginity, and I fucking resent your <i>insinuation</i> about my sexual activity."

"So then, you - ahh -- just wanted me that much, huh?"

"Shut up and <i>move</i>."

Aizawa obliged, and they were soon back into harsher loving, biting and clawing and swearing as they fought each other for pleasure while simultaneously giving back with their efforts. Their bellies slapped together, clapping in a quickening beat, and Aizawa knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He threw his shoulders back, straining as the pressure in his groin grew to a crushing, unbearable weight. Then he heard Elly cry out, more like a cat than human, and the pleasure exploded. He came with a violent shudder, spilling into the condom. Despite having come Aizawa still fucked her through her orgasm, gasping with oversensitivity but continuing to buck into her as she shuddered against him.

He grit his teeth as he pulled out, tying the full tube off and tossing it in one of the discarded cups from the party.

"<i>Fuck</i>," he groaned, rubbing his eyes as he tried to organize his thoughts.

"Just did that."

His mouth twitched, but he didn't smile. There she was, the woman that had caused him so many sleepless nights worrying about his reputation. He was supposed to interview her or at least get some information for anything - an article, a blurb, even a tweet. There she was, laying there nude, sweaty and properly fucked - his glorious work -- and he still didn't have anything.

Aizawa sighed and started pulling his clothes back on. Elly watched him sleepily from the couch where she had curled up and pulled a blanket down on top of her. "Leaving already?"

"I have work in the morning." He grunted as he bent over, digging through a pile of their discarded clothing for his bowtie. He fished it out and stared at it before thrusting it carelessly in his pants pocket. Aizawa rolled his eyes to stare at her in the most condescending manner. "Some of us work regular hours for our living."

She sniffed and rolled over. "Hit the red button on the door panel when you leave."

He shook his head at her attitude but agreed out loud. "Yeah." Right before he left, he leaned into the room one last time. "Thanks for the tip," he called out in a lazy tone.

She threw a cup at him.

Joke Dump

Aizawa Shota <i>hated</i> it when Ms. Joke arrived on campus - or, really, came anywhere near him -- for any reason. She clung to him, made insinuating comments and he had caught her staring at inappropriate areas of his body more than once. He constantly had to cancel out her quirk, since she was determined to see him laugh, and it was extra tiring to be around the woman.

Today was not a good day.

Aizawa, Joke, and Present Mic were standing on a training field near the main school grounds waiting. Cheshire was involved in this exercise but hadn't arrived yet and the students also had yet to show. This was possibly why Joke decided to suddenly tackle her crush in a massive hug, knocking him to the ground in an impressive display of sheer effort which was mostly due to his utter astonishment at her growing audacity.

Mic watched warily, knowing better than to get involved. He glanced back towards the campus and saw a figure standing still a fair distance away.

Elly stood on the field, frozen in place and staring as the scene unfolded before her. She walked over the hill just after Aizawa got pinned, and all she could see were his dark-sleeved arms around the garish orange and teal outfit Joke wore. Mic turned at the sound of her gasping, and he caught a brief glimpse of anguish on her face before she vanished.

The sound of footfalls faded into the distance as she ran.

"Uh, Ches left," Mic murmured as Aizawa finally managed to shove his unwelcome, giggling leech off.

"She what?" He frowned hard at his friend. "We told her to meet us here. The kids will be here any minute now."

"And there they are!" Joke waved cheerfully at the group as they walked in a vibrant, chatty group towards them.

Aizawa grit his teeth and they went through the lesson without her. After the students were groaning, trudging back to the dormitory much slower than they had arrived, he huffed in irritation.

"Ches should have been here," he said angrily. "I'm going to ask her what the hell she thinks she's doing."

"Uh, that might not be such a good idea - oh! He's gone." Mic scratched the back of his head, making a face. "Welp, guess he's gonna learn something."

Ms. Joke waved a hand airily about. "Don't know what you're talking about," she said in an exaggerated, dreamy voice. "Mmm. N'don't care, either."

-

Class 1-A's homeroom teacher was unbelievably pissed.

Cheshire was not one to shirk her duties, and to hear she had arrived but left the area before the kids got there was baffling to him. He kept going over multiple scenarios in his head, and, of course, because he was Aizawa Shota, he never once thought of the right one.

Aizawa roughly pushed the door to the counselor's office open without knocking. "Hey. You were supposed to be at the field at eleven. You can't just go running off -"

"Shit!" Elly was hunched over in her chair, purple hair drooping over her face. She jerked upright and before he could make sense of the wetness on her cheeks she turned invisible.

His eyes burned red, his own hair shooting up as he raised his voice. "What the hell, Cheshire! You're acting worse than a bratty student! Stop hiding from your responsibilities and ...and. Ches?" He broke off, hair slowly floating down and the fire in his eyes dying. When she had become visible he had locked eyes with her, and the pain in them caused him to falter to a stop.

She sat stiffly, smiling at him rather woodenly through the tears running down her face. "Yes," she said quietly. "Yes. I shouldn't hide, should I? What's the point?"

"What are you doing?" He frowned, confused. "What happened? Are the other kids okay?"

"Everything is fine," Elly told him firmly, though her voice cracked a little as she spoke. She cleared her throat and stood. "I won't bother you about your ...relationship with Joke. But please, try to keep it professional at work. At least when I'm around."

"My what?" Now Aizawa was absolutely perplexed. His brow knit further, causing him to appear more brooding and even angrier. "What are you talking about? She's the one that constantly assaults me." A new thought crossed his mind as he said this, and he looked up, eyebrows raising. "Did you see her knock me over earlier?"

"I don't need to talk about it!" She pushed him out the door, shaking with an onslaught of emotions. "Just go! I apologized for earlier. Just... <i>go</i>, okay?"

Aizawa blinked at the door as it was shut securely in his face.


-


"He's comin' back," Mic muttered nervously, tugging on his fingerless gloves.

"Oh, shit." Joke giggled, obviously unrepentant. "On a scale of one to ten, how pissed is he?"

The Voice Hero glanced out over the campus' neatly manicured lawn where he could see a dark speck rapidly closing the distance between them. "Uh, I'd say around seven. Hundred."

To say he was furious would not do him justice. When he got closer they could see his grim features twisted into a snarl of rage. He went straight for Ms. Joke, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"You ignore my attempts to tell you I'm not interested, fine. You badger me un-fucking-mercilessly for years. But you've done it this time. <i>You made her cry.</i>."

"I, uh... who's that now?" She scratched her head, leaning over with her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Cheshire!" His voice rose as his hair did, his eyes burning red and hot with fury - and his quirk -- as he inadvertently activated it. "That woman has gone through hell and fucking back and I've <i>never</i> seen her get emotional. I work with her at school and on the Pro Hero circuit, damn it, and I've helplessly watched as she got shot up with spines, stabbed, thrown like a rag doll into a third story building..."

"Oh! Don't forget the time she got hit by that one quirk ...o-o-o-kay, I'm leavin', sorry." Mic held up his hands and scooted away to safety as his friend's ire was directed at him mid-sentence.

Ms. Joke frowned for once. "Wait, does this mean you like her?"

"Of course I do! She's one of my colleagues."

"So am I, technically." She leaned back on the balls of her feet, lips pursed.

"One that doesn't bother the shit out of me constantly!" Aizawa snapped. "If she does feel more than friendship for me she keeps it to herself, even if I might want -" He snapped his mouth quickly shut as that last part blurted out.

"You do, then. Huh. Heh." A forced chuckle fell flatly out of her mouth, then a bigger one, and finally she was laughing like her usual self, bent over and wiping at her eyes. "You - you've fallen in love and <i>you don't even know it!</i> Oh god, that's so - so... <i>you</i>!"

Aizawa looked like he'd swallowed an entire lemon tree, let alone a single fruit. He raised his hand, finger up, to make some logical argument, and then slowly, very slowly dropped it as he realized she was right. His dark tresses sank down around his shoulders and the fire died in his eyes, leaving them charcoal gray again and stunned.

"That's fine," she wheezed. "Really! The look on your face is priceless. Ohmigod. You really didn't know. Even after chasing me down to scream at me because she - she got upset earlier."

He shook his head. "She's still upset."

"W - wait, what? And you think she doesn't like you?! Shit. It's a good thing you're so hot. You're not the brightest when it comes to relationships."

"Enough!" He spun on his heel and headed back the way he had come, muttering under his breath.

"Good luck confessing!" She waved cheerfully at him and got a shoulder twitch for her trouble.


-


Aizawa had to find her.

And, of course, this time she wasn't in her office. He swore as he realized he was now playing hide-and-seek with a person with an invisibility quirk. He kept at it, scouring the halls when he had free time. He didn't give up, and eventually later on in the day he came across the tired woman in a barely-used back room. She was leaning against the front desk, her tail drooping as she wept.

"Hey," he called out awkwardly, stepping quickly over and touching her shoulder in support. She staggered against him and he grunted and swung her easily into his arms before she sagged and fell. "<i>Hey</i>, it's me. You really still crying?"

Elly buried her head in his upper chest, burrowing under his scarves to hide.

"Oh, no you don't." He pulled a chair up and sat, placing her on his lap sideways.

"Don't want you to see me this way," she husked.

"Look, just... stop, please. Okay?" He wiped wetness from her cheeks with careful fingers. "Please? For me? I - I hate seeing you upset."

She swallowed back her cries, catching them before they could escape. Unfortunately, this made her shake harder as she struggled to hold the emotions in.

Aizawa caught her gaze and drew in a sharp breath. Those dark purple eyes were huge, shining with unshed tears. The pain in them showed it was difficult for her to do what he requested, but she was trying.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to stop. I shouldn't have told you to." He cleared his throat and held her tighter, rocking back in the chair without a second thought. "You never cry, and we all need to sometimes. Especially if what's inside has been there so <i>very</i> long." His voice dropped and he husked this next in as sexy a tone as he could manage. "Ches? Has it been bottled up in your heart for a long time? These ...feelings?"

She bit her lip harder, her dark eyes huge and her cat's ears laying back.

"Cute," he sighed, reaching up to rub them and earning a soft mew for his efforts. "You're blushing, kitten. Does that mean yes? Does that mean these feelings are for <i>me</i>?"

A pause. She trembled in his arms, her tail puffing up the slightest bit. Aizawa knew cats; he knew what her body language meant.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered softly. "I have them, too. For you."

"Ai - Aizawa?"

His lips twitched in a slow, rare smile. "If you like, you can call me Shota."

"But -"

"Yes, it means we're close." He chuckled at her confusion as she squirmed around in his lap. "But we are, aren't we? And I mean to get a whole lot closer. With your consent, of course."

-

From that point on, Emi Fukukado's focus dropped from chasing after Aizawa to trying to catch the new couple in any act of a romantic nature.

"I thought she was worse when she was after me," he groaned. Elly wiped sweat off his brow as the two of them hid in a utility closet.

"I have to admit, I kind of like this better," she admitted blandly.

Komh 27

"No way, uh uh." Hizashi flatly refused to listen to his friend and colleague who was trying to talk some sense into him. The scruffy homeroom teacher followed him back to his apartment in a desperate attempt to reel the Voice Hero in.

It wasn't working.

"I'm <i>going</i>." He threw random pieces of clothing in a battered duffel bag as he spoke, not really paying attention to what he was doing.

"Hizashi!" Aizawa reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"No!" He wrenched away, his spiraled pupils thick in his anxiety. "There's a good chance the villain was luring all the Wonderland Heroes out. You saw what happened to her friend. I read the <i>fucking book</i>. That's not gonna happen to her!"

"Your girlfriend will be fine," he insisted through clenched teeth. "If you go barging in there it might throw her off."

"Then I'd better have a plan, hadn't I?" He grimly checked his equipment case, making sure his gear was intact and wrapped securely. He could fix it himself in a pinch, but it was a pain to do so and could take a long while, depending on which part was broken. "'Sides, I can meet her family. Not a plus, I know, they're not nice to her, but this way we can get a hotel room or something instead."

Aizawa ran a weary hand across his face. "You're going, then?"

"I've got a three o'clock flight."

"All right." He took Hizashi's duffel bag and started to dump the contents out on the bed.

"Wh - Shota! I told you I'm going!"

The scruffy man nodded and set half the underwear aside. "You need to pack wisely."

"Oh." He watched numbly as his friend thrust more calculated pieces into his carry-on. "Sure."

"I care about her, too," he grunted. "Both of you," he added sourly when Hizashi coughed. "You know that. You be careful when you're in America. I know how you get where she's concerned and you need to <i>think</i>."

Hizashi nodded, rubbing at the back of his head. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

"Taking a cab to the airport?"

"I'm not gonna drive." He looked horrified at the idea of taking his antique car and parking it, left for days by itself with airport security.

"You're not all gone in the head, then. Good."

"I got the first flight I could. Text ya when I get there, and every other day. That way y'know we're all right. Ya get radio silence, something happened."

Aizawa nodded, scratching his chin scruff. "Even better, 'Zashi."

"Yeah, yeah." He picked his bags up and plodded out the door. "I gotta hurry, cab's waiting at the gate."

It wasn't a long ride to the airport, but he grew more and more anxious sitting still. His legs vibrated restlessly and he drummed his fingers on the car door until the driver spoke.

"You all right back there?"

Hizashi blinked down at his restless body and stilled himself with a mighty effort. He returned a weak smile at the burly woman, a humanoid with an extra set of arms. "I, uh. Yeah. Sorry."

The woman raised one free arm and waved it off. "Ahhh, it's alright. Get a lot of folks going to the airport that're filled with emotions. I always wonder what my next one's gonna be. You look pale, though. Not scared of flying?"

"No." He picked at the beads on his bracelet, spinning them as he thought. He wasn't about to tell everyone the reason he was flying, but there was something else that stood out. "I'm going over to America to meet my girlfriend's parents."

Technically true; he would meet them. At least he thought so. Elly was staying with them when she first got there, but he hoped to take her with him to a hotel. He busied himself during the bag check and boarding by scrolling through hotel sites, choosing a very nice one by the ocean that was close to a few locations he had heard her speak favorably about.

Hizashi barely managed to sit patiently in his seat until the plane was in the air and electronics allowed again. He quickly unlocked his phone and stared grimly at the article that Toshinori had shown them.

<b>Wonderland Heroes Become Targets of new Villian</b>

<i>It began with America's own Mad Hatter, attacked while on route for a little girl's birthday tea party. But what authorities first thought was a random encounter has turned into a thorough investigation as the violence spreads.

The White Rabbit and Dormouse flew from England to offer support to their injured colleague, only to be attacked at the very hospital Hatter is recovering in. Authorities are contacting the other members of the storybook Heroes to make sure they remain safe. No details have been released about the villain, save for what a bystander saw at the scene of the second attack. The witness said that playing cards were scattered all about, and from what they could see, there were no red ones.

After the attack, they lay on the ground splattered with bright, red blood in an eerie depiction reminiscent of Carroll's 'painting the roses red' scene in the book.</i>

Hizashi bit his lip, sweating as he mentally calculated how many hours she would be alone before he arrived.

"I'm comin', baby," he choked.

Like & Subscribe

Elly shifted her neck gear around, making it visible for a few seconds to get it comfortable. She was fully dressed as Cheshire, the Insanity Hero, for her weekly video post on YouTube.

She stared at the camera in front of her and waved at its operator, who smiled at her and gave her a thumbs-up. "In three, two, one -"

"Hey everybody!" She flicked her ears with a huge smile. "We got so many requests that I show you all an arcade. I picked my favorite so far for this episode!"

The cameraman swiveled about, angling to show the entrance to the popular fun center as she chatted her opening bit. It was gorgeous at night, lit up in a multitude of tiny, colored lights on both the outside and in. He panned back to her, and she dropped a wink.

"It's date night, perfect time to show what this city has to offer." Elly leaned over and spoke into the camera with an even bigger grin. "Okay, now, speaking of dates ...<i>so many</i> of you wanted to know if it's true Present Mic and I are a thing -"

A leather-clad arm draped around her shoulders off-camera. The shot paused for effect, then smoothly moved over to the Voice Hero as he stood there with one eyebrow raised and a stern look on his face.

"Everybody keeps askin' if I <i>like</i> Ches," he whined. "No I don't, 'kay?!"

There was a long pause as the camera panned out to them both looking very solemn.

Mic broke first, a huge grin splitting him from ear to ear. He grabbed her around the waist and planted a noisy kiss on her cheek.

"Mikey!" She shrieked laughter, squirming, but his grip was too tight. He leaned directly in for a close up and pointed one finger at the lens.

"I don't just freakin' like her! I'm madly in love with this lady. So yeah, okay? That should answer a lotta questions, right?"

They entered the building after Elly spoke a little more about Japanese arcades with Mic interjecting from time to time. Once they were inside, however, they quickly lost the informational structure of the shot. It was bright and loud, the machines speaking and cranes playing music.

Mic pointed at the far wall right away. "I know. I'll destroy you at DDR," he gloated, rubbing his gloved hands together and smirking. He took her hand and they started walking over.

Elly's ears perked, and she stopped short after a minute, causing him to jerk to a halt as well. "Oh my gosh," she murmured. "I've got an idea - let's try a UFO catcher first!"

"Yer just trying to delay the inevitable." He squeezed her around the middle.

"But Mikey, <i>look</i>." She burst out laughing. "They bundled my Cheshire Cats in with your Cockatiels!"

He bent down at the machine, pulling his shades down with one eyebrow raised. The striped purple cats had rubber bands around their middles, connecting them securely to the birds. The staff had attached heart stickers to them in various places as well as placed heart decals on the machine.

"They knew I was going to film," she laughed out loud, holding her middle. "I bet they did this on purpose!"

"Wha - now would you look at that. So, you wanna try it? We can split them and each keep half!"

Several coins later Elly was sighing, her ears laid back with a rueful expression. "Awww, I'm so bad at these! They're way different from the ones in the States."

Mic stepped up close behind her and took her arms in his. "Aw, babe, ya just gotta get used to them. Look, see -" He guided her through it, nudging the bar until it was approximately close. He tapped her hand over the button, and she pressed it. The plush swiped close to the edge, teetered a bit and then fell in. "Hey," he crowed, pleased with himself. "We just needed to team up, yeah!"

A few of the people around that had been watching clapped, and one couple squealed softly when she threw her arms around the Voice Hero in a huge hug. He chuckled and kissed her softly full on the lips, which incited some low whistles.

He blushed a little. "Kids. Oh, sh - er, crap, there's some of my class in here!"

"Ha! Well, they were going to see something like that sooner or later."

"They're gonna bug me on Monday," he whined.

"This is going on my channel. They'll all see it anyway." Elly grinned, pointing.

Mic did an extremely comical double take, blinking at the cameraman. "I forgot!"

They didn't quite get through the whole arcade, but after recording an hour's worth of footage, they had enough to splice together a twenty minute video. They ended with thanking the staff and showing off the plushes they won.

Elly was red-cheeked and happy, her tail curled around her boyfriend's legs as they stood with their arms around each other.

"Thanks everybody," she called, waving. "Until next time..."

"This is <i>Sound</i> -" Mic used a fraction of his quirk, just enough to mimic being on a microphone. He pointed finger guns at the viewers while sporting a gigantic smile.

"- and Out," Elly smirked, flickering into nothing except the trademark cheshire cat grin.

They waited until the red light flickered and faded on the camera before hugging each other while bursting into laughter. Most of the staff and customers joined in, though some just smiled politely.

"<i>I love that bit!</i> Y'think it's an okay team name?"

"I think it's the best," she purred enthusiastically. 

Starry Eyes of Green and Gold

It was after school hours.

Most of the staff was in the process of getting cleaned up, removing their Hero outfits or had moved on to other jobs. Elly had showered and changed into a plain, black tank top and jeans with sandals. A black choker with a golden microphone charm adorned her pale throat. She stowed part of her stuff back in the locker in the teacher's lounge, then turned with a sigh. A large potted bamboo plant was sitting there by the windows. It was beautifully adorned with strips and scraps of colored paper, star decorations and ribbons. She walked up to it, a gentle smile on her face and her white tail tips twitching. Elly loved holidays, and being a late June birth herself, felt close to this one. She sighed as she stared at it, her own slip held loosely in one hand. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the firm step of a boot behind her.

"I like it," Yamada Hizashi murmured near her ear, causing her to jump. "Tanaba, I mean. Besides it bein' my birthday and all, it's a pretty night. The bar we go to opens up the back and we can sit under the sky. The city lights dull the stars somewhat, but at least there's fewer bugs." His voice was low and pleasant, unlike his Hero persona. His outfit that day was simple as well, she saw when she turned - black jeans, a white cotton t-shirt and his usual necklaces and bracelet.

"I - I didn't know that was today, exactly." She bit her lip, cursing herself for not remembering. She had written the precious day on her calendar, but Eri had smothered most of the month in stickers on her last visit. The carefully recorded day had probably been replaced by a sparkly heart.

<i>Considering how infatuated I am with him, gotta admit that's ridiculous</i>, she thought with an inward groan.

"Pfft, forget about it." He shrugged. "You're comin', right? You can pay for one of my drinks if you want. Or not. Just you being there would be cool." He leveled the full force of his smile at her, and she had to place a hand to the wall beside her so she didn't pass out from his cuteness. In doing so, she dropped her piece of paper and he bent and picked it up.

She froze, her heart dropping in her chest.

<i>Oh no!</i>

He glanced at it, the smile still lingering on his lips. He intended to fix it to the bamboo alongside his, but couldn't resist reading it. When he did his eyes grew wide.

"H - holy shit, did I read that right? Did you wish... for <i>me</i> by my given name?"

"I have to go." Ears low and face burning, she made an attempt to rush past him to the door.

"No, no baby, <i>wait</i>!" Hizashi caught her arm before she could get further. "Look. Ches, look - my <i>tanzaku</i>." He gently pried her hands away from her face with one hand while the other held his slip of paper out for her to read.

She gasped out loud when she saw her name also written on it. He stepped closer as the pretty gold paper fluttered to the floor out of her nerveless fingers.

"We wished for the same thing. That's why you waited until everyone was gone? Me, too. I guess we, uh, we're really dense, though, huh? I mean, how the hell could we have missed it for so long?"

Her ears flicked. "For 'so long'?" She asked in a stunned voice.

He gestured wildly with his free hand. "Yeah! Uh! It... uhhhh. Shit. Ya got me. My mouth runs way ahead of my brain too much. I've been in love with you for a long time."

"Ohhh. Oh my god. I ...me, too. You don't have to be better than you are. I don't think that's possible anyway."

Hizashi stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. "Hey, is that a Mic charm?"

She coughed lightly. "It's, ah, a microphone, yes -"

"Ahh, no Ches. Don't kid around. I bet that's my merch." He grinned, admiring how it sparkled under the fluorescent school lighting. "You were doin' stuff like this right under my nose, huh? And I didn't catch on."

Elly swallowed hard, nodding. "All right," she gave up with a shaky smile. "Maybe I started to get a teeny bit obvious. But - but I really like you."

"Shit. I feel like my heart's on fire," he groaned, pulling her close. "The beat's crazy fast. Babe, you feel it, too? Here..."

Elly's face burned hotly when he pressed her up against his chest. "Oh," she gasped.

Hizashi's eyes widened, realizing the position he had put her in. He yelped softly, yanking his hands away and holding them up in the air. "S - sorry!"

She stared at him, and, holding his gaze, slowly laid back down again, laying her hands on his chest. He sucked in a gasp of air and froze. They sat like that for a few seconds before she felt him sigh deeply. His arms wrapped around her and he bent down to nuzzle the top of her head.

"Can I really have this?" He whispered so softly she had to prick up her ears to hear. "Not a lot of people take me seriously. They think I'm some sort of idiot that yells a lot. Shitty entertainer, sham Hero, I've heard it all, especially on social media. But you understand, don't you? You get me."

"I hope so," she murmured.

"Oh, oh! You <i>definitely</i> get me. But I mean that both ways, babe." Hizashi grinned and patted her gently on the back.

"How much of you do I get?" Emboldened by his confession, she decided to play a little.

His eyes lit up, the spirals seeming to swirl as his gaze grew in intensity. "You can have as much as you want, <i>if</i> you promise that tonight's not just a birthday gift."

"It's definitely not just a one night thing."

"Good." He hugged her happily. "'Cause I wanna keep this gift forever."

Undercover Lover

<i>Ah, Shit.</i>

Pro Hero Cheshire, known to some as Elly Sketchit and others simply as "Ches" due to various reasons, was having trouble with the current mission she was on.

It was a simple one; infiltrate a company that was suspected of villainous deeds and find tangible evidence of foul play. Again, it wasn't difficult - especially with her quirk -- but she had been teamed with Present Mic so as to remain inconspicuous, and <i>that</i> was causing her some serious issues.

For one, she couldn't help thinking her partner looked <i>so damn good</i>. He was incognito like her, so she referred to him as Yamada instead of Mic. Every time she did she felt a small twinge, though, wanting to call him by his given name but knowing it was socially unacceptable.

His hair was tied up in a neat bun, the extra that wouldn't fit falling smoothly down his neck. Yamada also wore a Western style suit in charcoal gray with a gold and charcoal striped tie.

"Did ya find it yet?"

She turned from her scrutiny of the room to see him digging with two fingers uncomfortably at the tie. "I hate this," he complained sourly. "It feels like a little noose choking me."

"I thought you liked Western stuff."

"Well..." He hedged, digging through an unlocked drawer. "I do. Just not <i>ties</i>."

She chuckled and went back to scanning the office for hiding places.

"Ches!"

"Hmm?" Before she knew what was happening, he had grasped her around the waist, spinning around to push her onto the desk. Yamada's lips mashed against hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth with an eagerness that left her dizzy. She threw her arms around him and held tight, one hand stealing to his neck to stroke and play with the excess hair hanging from his bun. Her heart fluttered madly in her chest and her blood sang; every little touch inflamed her.

When she finally looked into his red, spiraling eyes they were apologetic, however. "Sorry," he mouthed silently.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Her ears flicked. <i>Shit!</i> She had been too distracted to hear the door opening! Her quirk should have easily rendered them invisible but she had been too busy pining for the tall, blond hero.

He had caught the intrusion and used her as an excuse for them to be there.

"Ohhh. Sorry," he said out loud a little sheepishly. He smirked, his mustache twitching as he stared at the imposing figure in the doorway. "We just wanted to, uh... find some place quiet."

Elly tried her best to act irritated at the interruption. She <i>was</i> upset, just not precisely in that way. Still, she needed to play the part convincingly, right? Her hand stole down his neck, dropping low on his back while she whispered in his ear. "Let's take this somewhere else, handsome."

"Yeah."

"Get out!" The owner of the office shouted.

They scrambled out in a tangle of arms, bumping into each other in their haste to get away as office workers would in this situation. When they got far enough away, he sighed shakily and dropped his head, breathing hard.

"That was close," she murmured.

"Sorry," he panted. "I'm sorry - it was all I could think of to do, and, well, you gotta admit it worked!"

Elly crossed her arms. "It's okay."

They walked into a nearby breakroom, empty due to most going out to lunch that day. It had been a good time to snoop, but apparently the floor was not as empty as they'd thought. He closed the door carefully behind them and faced her, ready to apologize again.

"Are you - are you <i>pouting</i>?" He blinked several times, rapidly, then swore as one of his contacts popped out. The color underneath was his natural greenish-gold instead of the red. He tilted his head and placed it back in, adding a few eyedrops with another muttered curse that sounded suspiciously like 'Aizawa'.

"There," he muttered. "Stupid things. I wish they'd've let me wear my glasses."

"I'm fine, Yamada," she said curtly. "It's fine. Let's go."

"Uh uh, no way." His fingers curled around her wrist as she tried to rush past. "You're <i>upset</i>. I told ya I was sorry to jump you like that. I didn't mean it at all!"

"<i>I said I'm fine!</i>" Elly knew she was acting childish but couldn't help herself. The sting of rejection was too much. He didn't have to act like kissing her was repulsive! And, besides, in the moment, she had been convinced he was into it. It was in the way his breathing had hitched just a little bit, his ears blushing and his hands squeezing her so tightly.

No.

No, she had imagined that. He'd only done it for the mission.

"Yer not fine," he snorted.

"It's not your fault," she admitted grudgingly. "I liked it. I wanted to think you did, too. Now let's never speak of it again."

"Wait," he gasped as she yanked her wrist from his grip. "Wait, Ches - you <i>liked</i> it?"

"I like you," Elly admitted with a deep blush. "So, yes. Rest assured, however, I won't let it be a problem at -" She broke off when he placed a hand on either side of her on the wall and leaned in close. "Um. Yamada?"

"So, uh, I lied," he drawled, his eyes half-shut as he touched his nose to hers. "I thought you didn't like me doin' all that kissing up on you. Looks like I was wrong, hmm?" He brushed his mouth on hers, humming low in his throat. Elly chased the sweet sensation of his lips, following him when he moved to one side. He groaned and let her catch him in their best kiss yet, full and soft and deep and fully consensual.

"Yamada," she breathed softly.

"Shit, yeah," he whispered. "Let's try that again. Only this time -" He placed a thumb on her chin and rubbed gently. "This time, call me Hizashi."

Her purple eyes opened wider than wide as he kissed her once more, his hands roaming.

"<i>Hizashi</i>," she purred, voice thick with passion.

"I take back what I said before," he husked enthusiastically. "This is an awesome mission. And it just might take awhile longer."

"We've still got to find that info," she agreed.

He chuckled wickedly. "It won't be too hard now that we've got a reputation for canoodling. Then we can have fun grossing the kids out back at our other job."

"Oh, my."