Somniphobia

 The hospital was a blend of both busy and calm, the back area where patients were mostly sedated quieter than most. A lone doctor wandered over to the nurse's desk and cleared his throat as he thought. He was thick bodied and tall, his face reminiscent of a turtle with a beak and green, mossy hair.

"Okaaay, and, we'll give her another twenty minutes, Simmons. If she doesn't go, you know we have to keep her checked in until she does."

"Yes, doctor," the man sighed wearily. "She's not going to like that. And... wait, what's that sound?"

Loud, clomping footfalls were headed towards them from around the bend where they couldn't see. The male nurse slowly sat down, one eyebrow raised as he prepared for the worst. Curious, the doctor rounded the corner and nearly ran into a panicked, gibbering Present Mic. He was dressed completely in his hero outfit and his huge hair nearly smacked a passing nurse as he whipped around.

"Doc!" He yelped and slammed on the brakes, his steel-toed boots scuffing the floor. "What's wrong with Ches? Why'd ya call me in?"

"Mic! Glad you got here this quickly." The doctor gestured with his tablet as he tapped on it. "Cheshire has been with us for around three hours now. I'm sorry we didn't reach out to you sooner, but we, ah, didn't know."

"Know?"

"She's been calling out for you, saying, among other things, that she -" He checked his tablet. "'Can't sleep without her Mic'".

Hizashi stood there confused, embarrassed and startled as <i>hell</i> but not knowing how to tell this person the truth. Their relationship wasn't like that! Not that he didn't want it, but he'd been too nervous to ask her out, and...

<i>He thinks we're</i> <b>sleeping</b> <i>together</i>!

His ears began to blush hotly, though they were hidden by his headphones and no one could see.

The doctor took his silence as a different kind of nervousness and placed a confidential hand on his arm, pulling him gently apart from the curious nurses at the desk. "Look, I know this brings your personal life to light - both of you -- and I can only promise that we'll be as discreet as possible with this information."

He suddenly remembered the reason he was there, and worry for Elly flooded his features again, turning his expressive forehead into a point. "Ches! How is she? You - you said she can't sleep..?"

"She was beaten badly in a fight with a villain that used a relaxing agent, not unlike Midnight's -" The man paused and hung his head as Hizashi's pain doubled at the name. "I'm sorry. Cheshire should be able to sleep by now. She's resisting medication as usual, however, and her stress levels are warring with what little we've been able to give her." He opened her door and gestured for the Voice Hero to go inside.

Hizashi gasped when he saw her, curled in on herself on the hospital cot and covered in bandages. He rushed to her side and knelt immediately, reaching out to touch one of her trembling, cold hands that dangled off the edge.

"Ches? Babe? It's Mic - they called me, an' I came as fast as I could."

Elly's clouded mental state recognized his scent and the touch of leather engulfing her hand. Her breathing picked up, and her tail swished so wildly about in agitation it stirred the bedsheets so they fell to the floor. Hizashi exclaimed softly and continued to speak in a calm, soothing voice.

"You hear me, pretty kitty?" His cheeks burned hotter as he allowed himself to call her names he'd previously only done in his dreams. "It's Present Mic, here at your bedside just for you."

"M - Mic?" The words were heavily slurred and her purple eyes were glazed over. "I can't  - I can't sleep without..."

His heart nearly exploded out of his chest with love as she struggled to say it. "S'okay," he reassured her quickly. "I'm here."

She seemed doubtful, but he knee-walked closer and threw his other arm around her as best as possible. Bending down, he used just the hint of his Voice to hum into one furry ear. "You're safe with me," he murmured. "Go to sleep."

To his relief, she did just that, dropping off between one breath and the next. He sighed and looked up, gesturing out the window to someone as they walked past. The person nodded and went to fetch a nurse.

Eventually one with long, furry rabbit ears bustled in alongside the doctor. She glanced over at where the Voice Hero was holding Elly's hand and looked quickly away, though Hizashi could see excitement in her beady eyes.

"Good, she's asleep." The doctor rattled off a list of what they needed to do to keep her sedated for a number of hours.

Hizashi sat still, holding Elly's hand in his. He'd disentangled himself once she was fully asleep and was seated in the uncomfortable plastic chair beside her bed. "Is she gonna be out for a bit?"

"Yes. We'll be giving her enough sedative for a few hours. She'll wake approximately around six -" He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Give or take, if she's rested enough. You can go grab her hospital bag, if she's got one - clothes and things she might want for the night."

Hizashi nodded and stood, his knees popping lightly. He rather regretfully let go of the pale woman's hand. "Hey, doc, I forget - is this the hospital that lets us stay overnight with..?"

"Yes," the turtle anthro nodded again. "You may stay the night as you're the closest thing she has to family here."

"Awesome." He patted his long plume of hair and sighed. "I'll come back in civvies with stuff for both of us."

He returned to his room on campus to shower and change, glad she was finally resting and happy to have time to wash all the product out of his hair. He pulled it into a quick bun once it was mostly dry and headed to her room.

Thirteen waved to him as he strolled up and he nodded at her. "Is she doing better?" Her eyes behind the helmet were concerned.

"Yeah, she's sleeping. Lotsa bandages and shit, but hey, we've all been there."

"Tell her we hope she gets better soon!"

He smiled and opened the door. Once he walked in, however, he froze, stunned. The bed was prominent and he could see the entire piece of furniture once inside. Laying partially covered by her sheets beside her pillow was a Present Mic hugging pillow.

It had a different image than the most commonly used one in most of his merchandise, and he vaguely remembered posing for it awhile back. If he recalled correctly, the photo shoot in particular was one used in higher end goods. Hizashi stared stupidly down at it for a good five minutes, pulling the sheets back and poking it. The case was well-worn and had been washed many times, indicating a fair amount of use.

"Well, shit," he muttered to himself.

<i>This is what she meant</i>!

"Heh," he chuckled as he rummaged through her closet to find the ubiquitous hospital bag most heroes had packed and ready to go, "Let's hope she ain't <i>too</i> disappointed to find the real thing when she wakes up."

Hours later he jolted upright as she began to murmur and toss around, coming out of the drugged sleep. He smiled and set his phone aside, waiting for her to open her eyes.

She wasn't disappointed, but to say she was shocked would be an understatement.

"Y - Yamada..?"

He nodded. When he was dressed in his civilian clothes she called him by his family name. "Hi, sweetheart. Ya feelin' better?"

If seeing him by her side wasn't enough to stall her brain, his cute nickname for her definitely was. She stammered and shook her head as if to clear it. "W - wh - what? Wait. Still asleep."

His smile grew broader. "Holy shit, yer too cute."

"<i>Oh</i> yeah, I'm def-i-nitely still ...sleeping." Her ears flicked once, slowly.

Hizashi leaned over and patted her on the cheek gently. "No, Ches," he told her quietly. "You're awake."

"B - but..."

"I've been here waitin' for you to wake up. It's -" He checked his phone. "Six forty-five. Almost seven o'clock at night now. Oops! Nurse." He backed off as the rabbit-eared woman bustled in to check up on the patient.

"Have I really been here all day?" Elly frowned.

"Oh, yes," the nurse said cheerfully. "You weren't doing so well, though, until your boyfriend showed up. You just needed some rest before we could make sure you were okay!"

The cat woman stilled at the word <i>boyfriend</i>. "Uh!"

Hizashi leaned over in a conspiratorial fashion. "It's okay," he murmured. "I'll explain in a minute."

"Oh. Um. Okay." She laid back as her vitals were checked. Once everything was pronounced well on its way to normalcy they were left alone for a brief period before the doctor could come back around. Elly turned to the grinning blond man beside her. "Talk."

He shrugged. "You asked for me - well, Mic -- so that you could sleep. The staff took that a certain way."

Her face showed a sudden realization that caused her cheeks to blush prettily. "Oh. Oh, no."

"Yeah." He pointed at her bag sitting beside his near the table. "I saw the pillow when I went to get yer stuff."

"Ohhh noooo." Her ears folded back in distress and she clutched the sheet over herself. "Yamada, I'm  - I'm sorry. I've got no excuse." She sighed and covered her face with both hands.

"You don't need an excuse."

"I've been <i>sleeping</i> with your <i>body pillow</i>. Of course I need an excuse."

He shook his head and stroked the back of her hands. "Nah. I mean, if you wanna tell me why you didn't let me know earlier that would be cool, but you don't need to freak out, babe. I like you."

Elly dropped her suddenly shaky hands. "You... like me, too?"

"Wouldn't have canceled my show to stay here if I didn't really, really like ya." He cupped the side of her face in two hands, careful not to disturb any bandages, and kissed her softly on the mouth. "I love you," he whispered in English.

She melted into the touch, echoing his statement. "Hizashi," she sighed. "Thank god."

He nearly melted at her use of his given name and settled on deepening the kiss.

"Hey, good morning ...or should I say, evening!" The door opened and the afternoon shift doctor walked in with a big smile. The staff had been gossiping like crazy, something about Present Mic and Cheshire being an item now - and they were the first to see proof! He had spoken firmly with everyone, however, reminding them it wasn't kind to spread rumors. He nearly dropped his tablet when he walked in on the two heroes locked in a tender kiss.

"Ahh, oh my. My apologies," he stammered, realizing he probably needed to apologize to the staff later as well. Looks like they had been right!

Hizashi broke apart with a dazed smile. "Oops. Got her heart racing a bit there, didn't I." He glanced over at the machine connected to her pulse which was beeping faster. "Sorry."

"Oh no, that's fine."

Once she was cleared to leave he followed her as an attendant pushed her to the door in a wheelchair. And as soon as she was up Hizashi was right by her side.

"So..." He slung an arm around her waist. "Ya wanna ditch that pillow for the real deal tonight? Gotta warn you, though. I'm much clingier." Hizashi squeezed for emphasis and she squeaked.

"We can't ... the campus -"

"Oh, no, not <i>there</i>. No privacy." He nodded. "But I've got a place in the city we can stay at."

"You do?" Elly blinked up at him, surprised at first. After a moment's thought, however, she slowly nodded. "Of course you do. This campus dorm thing was implemented quickly. And you won't always be here."

"Hopefully." They walked up to a cobalt blue mustang parked securely close to the entrance and he paused, digging in his pockets with an absent-minded look on his face. "It's ridiculous to have a place when I barely use it now."

"I'll bet."

Hizashi triumphantly pulled out a keychain with a gaudy, bedazzled microphone and several keys attached. He jiggled them restlessly in his palm as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Soooo... where to? Your choice, no pressure. I still want a relationship with ya, whether or not you wanna see me," He drew close and hummed in her ear, "play DJ tonight."

Her left ear twitched, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin. "Just play? I thought this was <i>serious</i>," she teased.

"Real serious stuff should always be playful," he chuckled softly, unlocking her door and opening it with a flourish. "It needs to be fun to be good."

"Oh, my." Her face flushed a little harder.

Hizashi grinned at her as he slid into the driver's seat. "What's it gonna be, Ches? We could always cuddle in the main room at the dormitory, watch a movie or somethin'."

Elly closed her eyes, a trembling smile on her lips. <i>He's giving me options so I don't feel rushed. And he sounds just as excited for a simple movie night!</i> She sighed and opened them to find him biting his lower lip, his hazel eyes gold in the light of the underground parking lot. He looked so <i>nervous</i> that she leaned over and touched her nose to his, leaning across the center console. Her mouth twitched into an impish smile before she kissed him, a serious kiss that began softly but deepened until he was whining and pressing back with unbridled enthusiasm.

"God, baby, <i>yes</i>," he ground out, his hands clutching his knees to curb the desire to grasp her just as tightly. When they parted, his glasses were askew and he fixed them before taking a shaky breath. "Uh huh. My place. Okay."

"Yes." She giggled when he fumbled the key in the ignition, his hands not exactly steady. "Breathe, Zashi."

"I forgot how for a minute there," he admitted with a wry laugh. "Yer gonna wreck me so bad. You know that, right?"

"I'm shaking, too," she told him. "I don't think I've ever been this excited - errr, about, you know." Her ears flipped back and forth in amusement at her own shyness. "Damn. I'm thirty-two. You think I could say it, but my heart ..." She shrugged sheepishly.

He pulled out onto the road, looking around carefully before merging into traffic. "Huh. I get it, babe. Me, too, right? Like, I'm old enough that I thought I was past all the teenage blushin' and giggles but then, <i>wham</i>!" He emphasized this with a slap to the steering wheel, shaking his head in amazement. "You came along and rocked my world."

"Aww."

Hizashi coughed, his ears burning. "Yeah. Like that."

"This is a nice district," she murmured as they entered an apartment complex with a neatly manicured lawn and small copse of trees off to one side. "Wow. And so tall... it's a tower mansion!" The building's windows shone in the sunlight, patio doors on one side glistening.

"I hope yer not afraid of heights. I'm on eighteen."

"Really?!"

"Yep." He pulled into another underground parking lot, using a card to check in at a gate. "The first floors are cheaper, an' they're more expensive the higher you go."

Elly pursed her lips, eyeing him sideways. "Hizashi?"

"Uh huh." He put the mustang in park and turned to grin at her.

"How many floors does the building have?"

"Twenty." He burst out laughing when he saw her face. "The others were rented out already."

"Isn't that dangerous in case of earthquakes or ...anything?"

Hizashi paused in the act of helping her out of the car. "I guess it is, a little. But it's just as dangerous on the ground levels if it floods." He pulled her close as the door clicked shut. "Don't worry, Ches. I'm not here a lot, remember? And I don't hafta stay, either."

"Mnn." She let herself be hugged into complacency. "Sorry. Seems weird to get worried about that when we're both pro heroes. But, meh, the brain, it does what it does." She poked her forehead and smiled.

He startled her by placing a light a kiss to her head. "S'okay. It shows you care about me."

His place looked as she'd expected - seventies kitsch with a modern splash, thrown in alongside some nineties TV and movie memorabilia. There were golden shag rugs on the floor and an actual beaded curtain separated the hallway into the back, where he was tugging her eagerly towards the bedroom. Laughing, she let him guide her until they were in his room, gold and black with rock posters and records framed on the wall. A large western-style bed was the focus of her attention until he faced her, placed a warm hand on her waist and gestured with the other.

"Tadaaaah."

"I knew what this looked like before I even set foot inside," she told him honestly. "I wasn't sure, but aside from the black light posters, I was right."

Hizashi rubbed his neck a little, abashed. "Uh, well, about that."

"Oh, please tell me you've got some!"

He clicked the light switch off, then a second one below it. The normal lighting switched over to a moody glow, and suddenly half the posters near the bed were glowing along with a circle of artistically placed stars and music notes on the ceiling above. They were invisible with a regular bulb, or daylight, but now they shone forth like the night sky.

Elly gasped, delighted. "Ohhh, Hizashi," she exclaimed breathlessly, "it's so beautiful!"

His gaze never wandered from her face, his eyes filled with emotion. "Yeah," he said quietly. "You are." Slowly, as if afraid he'd ruin the moment, he reached into his pocket and drew out his phone. After a few taps music began to fill the room from some well hidden speakers. She cocked her head, listening, and he stepped up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. "I know you like music like I do, and I've been makin' this playlist for awhile now. I didn't think I'd ever get to use it."

The sweet notes of a piano were followed by a romantic song, the opening melting her heart as she realized the music was meant for her - for <i>them</i>.

Elly hitched in a short breath, tears pricking her eyes. Behind her, he carefully swept her hair back from her neck to plant small, warm kisses along her flushed skin.

"Oh, sweet babygirl," he groaned, the music and her closeness inflating him as much if not more. "Now I've gotcha, I - I dunno what to <i>do</i>. I wanna give you <i>everything</i>, all at once." He laughed a helpless little laugh and hugged her tighter.

"Just keep kissing me," she sighed.

"Yeah. I can do that." He puffed against her neck and licked where he felt her pulse jumping crazily under her skin. Elly miaowed, and he shuddered pleasantly. "Sh - shit. Are you feline enough to have heats? D'ya do bite markings?"

"I do get heats." She turned in his arms, placing hers slowly and deliberately around his neck. "Only my mate gets to mark me, and I've never submitted yet."

<i>Fuck,</i> Hizashi thought dismally. <i>She's my age, but never let it happen?! I've got a snowball's chance in Hell, don't I?</i>

He swallowed hard past the lump in his throat, his heart hammering in his chest. "Uh, I, I didn't... sorry, I -"

Elly locked eyes with him and rolled her neck back, shivering before going limp in his arms. She indicated the spot where he'd been nuzzling and breathed in a low, husky voice. "Mark me, Zashi. I waited ...for <i>you</i>."

"Ohmigod," he choked. "M - me? You want me this much, right away?"

"I just know," she said simply.

He whined and kissed her passionately, his hands stroking her hair. "I've never done it before. I only learned about it at U.A when I was a kid, briefly."

"All you have to do is give me a hickey there. My hormones will cause the mark to show up. It'll be vibrant, and it's meant to be displayed," she warned.

"I know." He kissed along her throat, making his way over and tickling her with his mustache. "S'okay. I - it's turning me on, yanno? It's so primal. Like, you're <i>my woman</i>."

She moaned, clutching at his shoulders as they bunched powerfully under the shirt he wore. "<i>H - Hizashi</i>."

"Yeah," he growled, his quirk rumbling on her skin. She sobbed with anticipation and he licked the spot, swiping his tongue hotly across once. "<i>Mine</i>."

Elly knew many would not understand, but giving herself in this moment to him, as she had no one else, meant a lot more than sex. She also knew the tabloids would eat it all up tomorrow but she didn't care; all that mattered was his mouth on her neck. He sucked and then grew bolder, scraping with his teeth and causing her to cry out.

"Whoa!" He yelped in concern, pulling back the second he heard. Her neck had a spot on it in the shape of his mouth, blood red and dark around the edges. "Is it supposed to look like <i>that</i>?! Oh no, no... did I hurt you?"

She shook her head dreamily. "I told you it would be colorful. And no, you didn't hurt me. It felt good." Her voice cracked and she laughed, giddy with euphoria. "So good."

"Really? Ya okay?" He kissed her on the lips, staring deeply into her eyes. The music had changed to a slow, syrupy song with a lot of bass, and he moved his hips, bringing them into contact with her own and then away, shifting with the beat as the kisses grew more intense. They danced like this until she slid her hands down his back to his rear, cupping and squeezing mischievously.

"Yeeowow!"

"Your butt is so tight. I thought the leather pants helped, but it's all you, isn't it?"

"Mnnnn!" His hips jerked forward as she rubbed. "We need to get on the bed or I'm gonna collapse!"

Elly giggled at his enthusiastic response. He swept her into his arms and leaped, causing the mattress to squeak alarmingly under their combined weight. "Oh my god, Zashi, we're gonna break the <i>bed</i> -"

"Naahhh. Wait, ya think?" He squinted at it, accessing the durability of the mattress. "What a way to go out, though," he snickered.

"Not if it breaks me with it."

"Aw, baby, I'd save ya."

"<i>Cute</i>," she giggled.

"Me?" He batted his eyelashes at her ingenuously, kissing her softly on the nose. "Oh hey, kitty nose! I never knew, but up close the underside's totally boop-able." Hizashi paused, then whispered hoarsely, "<i>Don't let Aizawa see</i>."

"I know." She laughed. "I caught him staring at my feet once. I think he wanted to rub the toe beans on my hero suit's shoes."

He threw back his head and howled laughter. She joined him, giggling while they clutched each other and rolled around.

"Oh, man," Elly gasped finally, wiping tears from her eyes. "I only laugh like that with you, I think. It feels so good."

The blond-haired man wiggled his eyebrows at her. "That's a compliment if I ever heard one! And speaking about feeling good, we should talk prep."

"Prep?"

He gestured vaguely in the air. "Like, we're all up on our testing, you're on birth control -"

"Mandated during hero work, yep."

"So, you good then?" He hummed happily, placing his forehead on hers and staring deeply into her eyes. "D'ya want me to -"

"God, Zashi," she panted, tossing her head a little. "I - I can't take it... oh, god. Your eyes are so gorgeous."

"Wait, you like 'em <i>that</i> much? Are you serious?" He sat back for a minute on his haunches, mouth agape. "For real?"

She nodded, smiling shyly up at him. "For really real."

A large, goofy and somewhat mischievous grin spread across his features. "Ah huh huh huh."

"Oh, no. Zashi..."

"So is <i>that</i> why you get really red whenever I squint like this?"

"Hiza - eeeeek!" She cried out as he suddenly and unexpectedly grasped her around the waist, pulling her close to give her the intense look he used on the kids training at school. Elly melted, her eyes softening as she grew limp in his arms.

"<i>Nice</i>," he murmured, awed that he had this much effect on her. "I - wow, babe, I didn't know. Look, uh..." His ears started to blush and he grinned sheepishly. "You know when you sing it does the same to me."

She looked bemused, her ears flicking sideways. "Really?"

"Uh, yeah." He grinned shyly. "I like voices, an' yours is pretty, kitty."

She reeled him in for another kiss.

The soft sounds of their mouths meeting, tongues playing gently with each other and creaking of the mattress filled the bedroom, providing a music underneath the strains playing on his sound system. Hizashi nuzzled her shirt up with his nose, kissing up her belly to her breasts and licking at her nipples through the silky bra she had on. She responded by moaning and squeezing his behind like before, which again made him buck his hips. This time, however, he rubbed the bulge in his slacks on her lower belly and she hissed with eagerness.

"Oh my god, I want you so bad."

"Ughhh," he groaned. "I <i>know</i>. I want to sex you up, babygirl." He frowned as if remembering something, then snapped his fingers. "We got distracted!"

"I'll say."

"We were talking about protection before."

"Yeah, we're both clean and I'm safe." She blinked, puzzled. They had been over this, so what did he mean?

"I was gonna ask if you want me to wear a condom anyway. For extra protection, or just if y'don't like, uh, you know. Fluids..?"

Elly hesitated, biting her lip and trying to formulate her thoughts properly. "Um."

He stroked her cheek, tucking one of her side locks back. "Don't be afraid to ask me to wear one, baby. I don't mind."

"No, it's not that. It's the other thing, and it felt kind of strange saying it out loud. I'm okay without one. For you, though - only because it's you."

Hizashi sucked in a quick rush of air. "You don't want me to use anything?"

"I've never done it without before," she said quietly. "But I feel like it's okay. That it's safe, and it's - oh, <i>hell</i>." She huffed loudly, embarrassed but determined. "Those are true, but they're all just excuses. I really do want it; I've fantasized about you coming inside of me."

His reaction was priceless.

His eyes somehow popped open wider, his mustache points twitching as he smiled in a daze, whining so loudly the doorframe rattled, along with the bedside table drawer and light fixtures.

Elly gasped. "Zashi?"

"Holy shit, <i>baby</i>! Keep yer legs an' hands on your Loud Blond Boyfriend at all times an' hold on, hold <i>onnnnn</i>..."

Clothing flew to sail across the room as it was removed and laughter mixed with sighs and moans emanated from the writhing lump of arms, legs and assorted other body parts on the bed. Hizashi only stopped once, to take his glasses and necklaces off and place them more carefully aside. He then threw himself back into the loving discoveries they were both making about each other.

He found out she had sensitive breasts, which worked perfectly with his oral fixation. He hummed happily, suckling on nipples made extra tender from extended nibbling. Elly tried to caress his chest but he was curled tightly to her own, so her hands tentatively stroked his hair instead. He lifted his head after a few minutes and smiled knowingly at her.

"You want my hair down?"

"I like it like this a lot, but I've never seen it when it was loose." She toyed with the blond spray that fanned out from the back of the bun. "I'll admit I'm curious."

Hizashi sat up, his chest rippling impressively at the slightest movement. He reached behind with one hand and unfastened the tie, shaking his head as his hair spilled down over his shoulders and behind his back. Elly's breath caught in her throat. It was long, it was luxurious - even with all the product he used during the week -- and it, no, <i>he</i>, was gorgeous. She knew that, but seeing him shirtless with it cascading down around him like a halo of gold stirred such emotion within her that she became speechless.

He licked his swollen lips, watching her cheeks grow pinker and her purple eyes blow wide with lust. "Uh oh," he cooed softly. "I broke my poor baby, didn't I?" She bit her lip, her chest heaving, mind racing with so much love and desire she was still unable to reply. Hizashi laid down on top of her and kissed her passionately, slowly, as his hair fell about them. Loose, he had no control over it and locks fell freely all around them, scented like sweet shampoo and softer than silk. "Poor, sexy baby," he sang playfully.

This brought her a little out of the lust-induced fog and she snorted. "Me? Sexy?"

"Yes, you." He took her hand in his and placed it over his heart. "Feel that? That's all for you. And, ah, you know, also <i>this</i>." He moved her hand lower, letting go when she understood what he meant. Elly continued, eagerly running her fingertips across his abdomen and ticklishly lower, below his navel.

Hizashi squirmed as she grew closer to the bulge in his underwear. "Yeah," he husked simply. "Yeah, please - y - oh, <i>yeahhh</i>!"

She smiled as her fingers cupped him through the thin fabric, the firmness and small, damp spot evidence of his arousal. "Oh, Zashi."

"I want you bad," he admitted with a low groan. "So bad I'm gonna need you to stop for now. I think," he murmured, rolling over and caressing the curve of her body, "if it's okay with you, I'd like to go down on you for awhile." He laughed in delight at her reaction, seeing her tail fluff out in all directions and her ears shoot straight up.

"<i>Ohhh</i>."

"Let me guess. Not too many guys suggested that before."

"N - no." Her nose wrinkled and she held up one finger. "Plus, it only happened once and I had to ask."

He raised an eyebrow, keeping eye contact with her as his fingers delicately rubbed the front of her panties. "Yeah? Was it good?"

She shook her head in regret. "No. He kept blowing out for some reason, like he hated it and was trying to not, I don't know, taste me? It made me kind of insecure."

Hizashi licked his lips, leaning forward to stare deeper into her eyes. "I promise you," he hummed in as seductive a manner as he could manage, "I'll make you <i>sing</i>." She shivered and nodded, spreading her legs as he pulled her underwear down. He tossed them carelessly aside and slid down off the end of the bed. "Throw me a pillow, babe? And scoot down near the edge closer to me." He caught the pillow neatly out of the air and set it under his knees.

Elly blushed when she wriggled down, seeing he was in the perfect position with his head right where her open sex would be. She held her breath and raised her legs when he indicated, placing them on either one of his shoulders.

"I'm n - nervous..."

"But still okay?" He kissed her thigh and she squealed a little. "If you need to tell me something, use stoplight colors. Green is okay, yellow wait, and red a big ol' <i>stop</i>. I'll listen for those, okay? So you can use other words if you want to get into it, but those'll be the ones that make me immediately pay attention."

"Safe words." She shivered. "I've never used them before."

"They're for both of us, baby. I want you happy, and fulfilled, but most of all safe. I don't wanna hurt you in any way." He swept his hair back and tied it in a loose ponytail with the band he'd kept on his wrist.

"Yes."

"So... still okay? Go for green?"

"Yeah. Green." She smiled, then added, "Show me what you can do."

He took that as a personal challenge, of course.

Hizashi savored the moment of being able to indulge his desires. He liked pleasing others and he loved using his mouth and tongue, one reason being that his quirk worked in his favor in situations like this. She had a bad experience with oral sex and probably felt like she was in the wrong somehow - that her body was repulsive. He loved all of her with all of his being, and his heart beat fast at the opportunity to show her just how special she was.

His first lick made her jump, and she giggled, nervous but not backing away. As his tongue lightly ran along her folds she grew louder and he smiled.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet," he whispered, planting feathery kisses until he was nuzzling the hooded flesh covering her clitorus. Her cries had grew more urgent, astonished even, and he flicked the tip of his tongue out and slipped it between the folded skin, patiently uncovering the swollen bundle of nerves that could make her orgasm.

"Ohmigod," Elly wailed, her hands twisting the sheets tightly and her thighs quivering.  "Hizashi ...<i>yes</i>." Her striped tail beat itself on the bed, whipping up a small breeze.

"There we go," he sighed. "There you are." He kissed and lapped slowly, moving in all sorts of patterns until he found the one she responded to the most. Then he sped up until she was moaning in rapture, her body bubbling over with fluids from his saliva and her own natural lubricant. He took a chance and made a noisy, sloppy swipe with his tongue, slurping and groaning in delight. "Fuck, baby, you're <i>tasty</i>."

She choked and twitched, her body responding to his words. "Zashi!"

"Mmmn." He did it again, munching with his lips on her clit. "I'm hooked, princess. Gonna eat you all up."

She let out a strangled scream and he quickly hummed, directing his quirk through his Voice and vibrating as he sucked.

Elly's back arched off the bed as she came, a steady, loud string of nonsense falling from her lips that he deciphered mainly as, "Oh god Hizashi, I'm coming and you're amazing".

He chuckled and eased up on his kisses, helping draw her pleasure out and bring her gently back to him. Once her breathing had slowed, he helped her remove her legs from around his neck where they'd tangled themselves at the height of passion.

He kissed her knee affectionately. "I'm going to wash up and I'll be right back, okay? I got kinda soaked." He winked at her and somehow, even after all they had done already, she still managed to blush.

When he got back he saw she had taken the time to clean up a little and comb her hair back with her fingers where it had gotten messy from writhing around on the bed. She lay on her side, her tail swishing back and forth and her eyes warm and filled with gentle afterglow.

"You kept your undies on," she noticed.

"Huh? Well, yeah." He lay beside her and kissed her sweetly on the lips. He smelled of fresh mint and clean soap, and his mustache was damp. "It's up to you to decide when you want to see me."

"I've wanted to for a long time." She purred and tugged at his puff of chest hair. Hizashi gasped, and she smiled and tickled all the way down the fuzzy trail on his belly until she reached the hem of his underwear. She drew them up and then off, and he helped to pull them all the way down his legs until they were gone.

"Oh, god. Yes." He was very hard and his member had a slight curve to one side even as it was nearly touching his stomach in his excitement. Elly stroked the patch of public hair and trailed her fingers from base to tip. Hizashi whined and she looked up into his glazed eyes, her own dark and very serious.

"As much as I want to taste and feel you and watch your come shoot out, I - I can't hold back. I need you inside me <i>right now</i>," she said, her voice trembling.

He inhaled sharply, catching his lower lip between his teeth. With one sweep of his leg he had her on her back and he knelt, rubbing the dripping head of his erection on her thigh. Before he moved, however, he bent down and placed his forehead on hers.

"I love you," he whispered as he thrust.

She answered him back with a kiss and a breathy, "I love you, Hizashi."

Her body was slick from his previous efforts and he was well aware she had come once and would be slightly over-stimulated. He moved as steady and slow as possible, angling his body position as he sought her g-spot. If he could hit that, her pleasure would flare anew and she might orgasm again.

"Unnhh..!" Of course, that meant he had to hold back, and he was almost at his limit. Besides that he was naked inside her with no protection, a naughty, taboo feeling though they had taken precautions. It was his first time having sex like this and it was very different. The warmth he expected was molten heat, enveloping his cock and making him feel like he was going to melt inside and out. It was slicker, smoother, and better - bringing the tension in his belly to an unbearable pressure. He was not going to be able to hold out for long and he whimpered, wanting to make their first time extra special.

As he bucked harder, faster, giving in to the urge to plunge and release, he felt her legs slip on his waist. Her new position changed his trajectory and he thrust firmly up at a sharper angle.

Elly yelped. "Oh! Again!"

Hizashi wiped the sweat of his brow and dropped his knee to better hit that area. Panting hard, he rammed his hips to hers and was rewarded with a series of moans so loud he knew he'd found it.

"Fuckkk, baby, yeah. Yeah, I got you!" He threw his head back and let go, crying out with satisfaction.

"Yes! Yes! It's so <i>good</i> I don't want it to stop!"

"Holy shit! More, baby, tell me more!" His voice was rising, becoming higher pitched and desperate sounding.

Elly was nearly there herself and that helped ease her inhibitions. "I want your come," she cried out, almost begging. "I want you to come inside of me!"

Hizashi did just that, tensing up all over before the pressure broke and he screamed her name, being very careful not to use his quirk. He felt it tickling at the back of his throat, though, and wondered, in awe, that she could do that to him. Her body spasmed underneath him and he gathered her in his arms, kissing her through her second orgasm.

She kissed back with fervor, throwing her arms around his sweaty neck. "Wow! You're amazing!"

"No one's ever praised me and you keep on doing it," he sighed, his eyes dreamy. "It made me come much harder. You - you're so special, Ches. You're so special to me." He placed his hands on either side of her head and kissed her soundly.

"You are to me, too."

"So, hey. You gonna sleep okay tonight?" He teased, grinning as he cuddled her close. "I'm not as squishy as that pillow."

"No, you're not. Some parts of you are quite solid." She batted playfully at his firm chest, which was hot after their recent workout. "But I'm just fine, thank you."

"Good," he grinned.

"The real thing is better."

List: Hero Cosplay

 Elly walked with a slow, unhurried pace under the glowing street lights. Tonight it was her turn to pick up the food for dinner, and she'd opted on getting some takeout that was near. It was nighttime but the place was open late and she was enjoying her quiet stroll. She turned the corner and glanced to her left and her tail puffed out in shock.

There he was, hanging upside down on his capture weapon in between the two buildings.

Elly's breath caught in her throat and she stepped back, uncertain though she knew this was his effort to make their play more realistic. He swung down and landed neatly in front of her with barely a sound, which made her shiver. He was so good at what he did that he had surprised her completely. The back alley hid his scent and his black tracksuit blended perfectly into the shadows.

He'd revealed himself to her for a purpose, and it became clear what that was once he caught her around the waist with one arm. Aizawa gave her a cocky grin before swooping her quickly up onto the rooftop.

"<i>Eraser</i>!" She wheezed, out of breath as always by the sudden elevation. She didn't do well with heights and he knew it, so she was startled when he swung them onto another before she could catch her breath.

Another.

And another.

Elly clung tightly, focusing on his scent, his warmth, the feel of the fabric under her hands and his utility belt pressing on her belly. In a short while she was in a kind of mental state bordering on subspace - all of her senses were heightened and her mind and emotions were totally wrapped up in the suspense of the moment. Her fear of heights vanished, and she grew dreamy-eyed and even began to purr.

This moment was what Aizawa had been waiting for. He stroked her furry ears and spoke in a soft voice. "You're safe now," he told her with quiet authority.

She sighed.

"Do you want me to take you somewhere where we can be alone?"

Elly nodded.

"Yes or no, kitten," he said firmly, raising her chin with one cupped palm underneath. "A hero needs clear and simple consent. Make sure you communicate well with me tonight, okay?"

"Okay," she murmured.

He smirked. "Tell me the truth, then. Do you want Eraserhead to make you feel good?"

"Yes," she gasped quickly, clutching at his ragged sleeve.

"All right. I can do that." He gathered her in his arms again and swung out in a different direction. "Relax," he soothed when she tensed up. "We're almost there."

<i>There</i> turned out to be the most discreet love hotel she'd ever seen. There was a covered walkway and inside had a machine that dispensed the room keys without the need of any personnel. He carried her into their room and deposited her gently on the bed.

"We're here now... what would you like to do, hmm?"

She made grabby hands at him until he bent down to her level and kissed her, rubbing his scruff on her cheek and grinning.

"Mnn. Good."

Aizawa realized his girlfriend was in deep, barely able to speak. He saved her the trouble of doing the work herself and unfastened his belt and tracksuit, pushing his underwear down as well.

"<i>Now</i> what would you like?"

"I want to suck you off."

"Yeah?" He tickled her furry ear with a fingertip, causing goosebumps to trail down the skin and the hair to prickle. "Is that really what you want?"

"Yes," she moaned, nuzzling the dark trail of hair on his lower belly.

"Whoa... eager, aren't we." He nodded, though, when she looked up for reassurance. "If that's what you want, who am I to say no? Besides," he groaned harshly as she started kissing, "I want to feel that little kitten tongue on my cock."

Heeding that request,  she didn't take him all in when she reached his firm member. Aizawa was so stiff he was curving towards his stomach and already dripping with excitement. Instead of long swipes of her tongue or sucking, she opted for tiny little kisses and light lapping. When she started to purr as she licked under the reddened tip his hips jerked wildly.

Elly looked up and caught her breath at the sight.

There he was, standing with his suit flapping open at the front, his hair down and his goggles laying loosely about his neck. His eye was closed and he was holding a hand tightly across his mouth, which she could see was contorted in a pleasurable grimace. Eraserhead was almost undone.

She placed a wet kiss on the end and swirled her tongue, parting her lips just enough to cover the tiny leaking hole, and sucked.

"I'm gonna come <i>if you don't stop</i>," he whispered, breathing hard and shaking. "Is that what you w - want? Does kitty want Eraserhead's m - <i>milk</i>?" Saying it out loud inflamed him, and his hair shot up like when he used his quirk. "That's it, I can't huh - hold back! Drink it, kitty, <i>drink your milk</i>!"

Elly tried her best to swallow as he came but he was over-stimulated and there was a lot. When he came to she was sitting on her haunches wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, her tongue flicking at the corners of her mouth. A little puddle of semen was on the bedspread but he could tell she had done as requested - as much as she could, anyway.

"Holy shit," he choked. He walked around to the other side and sat on the bed beside her, holding her close until she grew more alert.

"Mmn, baby? You're there." She hugged him back.

"Of course I am. Are you okay, my queen?"

She smiled and nodded. "I just need to clean that up and rinse my mouth out."

"I've got <i>that</i>." He grabbed a handful of tissues and started to wipe it up. "Go ahead, and then I'll take care of you."

Elly took her time washing her face and picking out a bottle of mouth wash from the pay area. When she got back Aizawa had tied his hair back but his outfit was all in place again.

He patted the bed. "Come sit, kitten." She did, and he raised his arm so she could wriggle into his side. Aizawa wrapped his arm around her, his hand resting on her back as she snuggled against him.

"That was really hot," she told him quietly.

"Oh?" His ears blushed as he recalled his actions. "I, uh, may have gotten a little carried away."

"No, you were fine." She raised her head and kissed under his chin, purring. "It was sexy. You don't lose control like that too often, and I liked it."

He shifted as she covered his face with kisses, bending to get at her lips but she slid to the side and continued. Aizawa sighed heavily, laying back on the pillows and bringing her with him.

"I'm supposed to be catering to your whims tonight, my queen," he protested gruffly. "Instead you're making this about me."

Elly crawled on top of him. She breathed heavily, her eyelashes lowered as she stared down. "But, Eraserhead," she cooed, "I <i>am</i> getting what I want. I want you. I've always wanted to <i>lavish</i> attention on you in your outfit. I'm doing what no one else gets to do."

He chuckled ruefully. "Ah, I should have known. You crave these displays of affection now and then. Have I been neglecting you at all? No?" Aizawa rubbed a hand over his face, smiling, when she shook her head hastily. "Good. How about you touch me a little more, then? I think your favorite hero might have a surprise for you."

Her ears perked, her tail tips flicking with interest. "You might?"

His smile grew into a cocky grin. "I do," he confessed, "but it's on my body somewhere. You'll have to find it."

<i>That</i> was a mistake.

He writhed on the mattress, eye squeezed shut, body sweating and jerking as her hands groped him and her mouth devoured every inch of his skin. She removed his scarf, goggles and suit with painstaking slowness as she searched him. When she got to his leg she kissed him above the prosthetic, murmuring sadly. It was still new to both of them, though his leg had healed, and it broke her heart every time she encountered it. She'd held her tongue and never told him how it made her feel, knowing he was coping with so much and not wanting to add to his stress.

"You want it off, baby?"

He paused, then nodded. "All right. It's getting irritating." He bent over and pushed the release button on top while she pulled down. He let off on the button after it separated. "Okay, go." Elly gently wriggled it free and set it aside. He peeled the silicone liner off his leg and set it on the nightstand beside them, straining a bit to reach.

Aizawa sighed. "That's better." He squinted suspiciously at her as she sat between his legs staring at him. "What's that look for? Wh -"

She flung herself on him, pressing her mouth to his and kissing him with a passion so unchecked he shivered. His own repressed emotions struggled to the surface, responding to hers in a primal way that he could not fight against.

"I love you so much," she gasped. "Shota, baby, I never told you how <i>scared</i> I was when I heard you were hurt this badly, I - I'm sorry!"

He inhaled deeply of her scent. "No," he said softly in resignation. "I knew it was tough on you, too. We should have talked about it."

"Some counselor I am, right? Ugh."

"No, it's my fault too." He kissed her softly on the mouth, tongueing gently until she grew all shivery again. "There, now. You missed your present."

"I did?"

"Yes." He pointed at his leg. "Perhaps it was a bad idea, but..."

She frowned curiously as she stroked the skin, looking for something she missed. Then she saw it, dark writing tattooed where the edges of the liner concealed it before.

<i>I will always come back to you</i>.

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Uh oh," he muttered right before she started sobbing. There was, however, a gentle smile on his face as he consoled her. Later, there might be time for play again, when the mood lightened. But for now, there was only love and comfort.

Wishing list: clothed sex

 Elly found her boyfriend lounging on the couch when she came out from the bedroom. He had on casual clothes, some dark jeans and a t-shirt. She walked over and sat down on his lap, careful to rest her weight on one side only.

Aizawa looked her up and down. "Nice choice of clothes," he commented blandly with one eyebrow raised.

She wrinkled her nose at him. "I know you like this outfit, Shota. I wore your favorite skirt! Don't act like you're all blasé about it."

"Hnf." He massaged the back of his neck with one hand, a blush forming across the bridge of his nose. "I wore boxers so it would be easier."

Elly looked down and saw not only had he unzipped and unbuttoned his slacks, he'd pulled himself out from the front of his underwear. Her cheeks grew redder than his and she swallowed past a large lump in her throat. "Oh," was all she could manage to say.

"Maybe I <i>do</i> like your outfit." He rubbed his palms up her thighs underneath the skirt with a rough groan. "You only wear skirts when we play like this."

"Is that a complaint, sir?" She hissed with pleasure as he reached around and rubbed the base of her tail.

"No." He grinned up at her. "You could wear a bag and I'd think you look sexy in it. The skirts get me riled up, though." He squeezed her naked rear and she wriggled around on his lap.

"I can tell," she panted. "You're a little rougher than usual." He raised an eyebrow at this and she shook her head in response to the silent question. "It's okay. I like it."

His eyebrows raised more. "Oh, really?"

"Yes." She kissed him, nibbling on his lower lip. "Really," she breathed into his mouth.

"Okay if I grab your hips then, kitten? I need something to hold onto if you're going to ride me."

"Mmmn." She nodded, squirming around and trying to position herself.

"There."

Elly let her weight sink her onto his member, carefully angling so she wasn't straight up and down. "There," she agreed breathlessly.

"Ffffuck," he groaned hoarsely. "You're so hot inside." He drew in a sharp breath when she began to move, holding onto the couch cushions on either side and rolling her hips.

She would have liked to last longer, and sometimes she did, but Aizawa's open admiration of a few new techniques she tried out got her so excited she expelled a lot of energy fast.

"Oh, baby, I can't go on much longer."

"Ch - Ches..." Aizawa's breathing was coming in short, quick pants, his face red across the bridge of his nose and cheeks.

"Sorry," she gasped, "my legs - I can't..." Her thighs trembled, ready to give out.

"Got you." He wrapped his arms around her and tensed himself, bouncing her on his lap. "Hnnf! That's ...nice and deep."

"Oh god!" She plunged her hands in his hair, unraveling the loose bun and causing it to spill free over his shoulders.

He chuckled wickedly and continued to thrust in this awkward position, his head bent down with his hair swinging in front of his face. His hands held her firmly, gripping tighter than usual and sinking into her pale skin. The thought that she might have him-shaped bruises there later was what sent him spiraling over the edge and he coughed in surprise as his orgasm broke all at once.

"<i>Sh - shit</i>!" His lips thinned and he threw his head back, his chest heaving with dark sweat stains spreading on his shirt on various places.

They couldn't stay joined like this so she slipped off and immediately hurried to the bathroom, cursing gravity under her breath.

When she got back he'd cleaned up and put himself back together, and he motioned for her to sit again on his knee.

"I know that excited you, love, but did you come?" He stroked a wayward hair away from her cheek. "No? What would you like, then?"

"Oh, I don't know." She pondered the question, kicking her legs a little like she were younger.

"Cute," he laughed. "Like you're a kitten, huh?"

"Well, this skirt does remind me of the ones the girls wear at school," she said primly, fluffing it out.

"Oh, so a <i>naughty</i> kitten at that." He grasped her thigh, rubbing a rough palm up her leg. "Are you hot for teacher, kitty?"

She trembled as he tickled her rough, sex-dampened patch of public hair. "If you're the teacher, fuck <i>yes</i>."

"Oh? Eyes forward." His voice took on the somewhat bored, unaffected tone he used while teaching. Elly stiffened and began to moan as he got right down to business, rubbing the slick upper folds of her body to get at the excited nub swelling underneath. "Tell me exactly how good I'm making you feel."

"Very g - good," she stammered, knowing it would be useless to resist his question.

"Not descriptive enough," he said curtly, removing his finger from her clit and slipping it inside very slowly. "You can do better."

Elly groaned in dismay, her body needy and only receiving little hints of pleasure from his slower, deeper movements. "It kind of feels like electricity when you touch me. Wh - what you're doing now isn't enough, please..."

"Hnf. What do you need, then? Tell me." A second finger joined the first, pumping in and out and creating such a noisy, wet sounding mess that her face burned red in embarrassment. "You're dripping wet," he noted dryly. "Not all of that is my semen, is it? I think you're just that excited I'm fingering you under your little skirt."

She mewed faintly, biting her lip and straining. "Oh, god."

Aizawa had pity and used his thumb to stroke her clit while his other fingers thrust. "Why don't you come for me, hmm? You might want to keep quiet, though..." This time he could feel her twitch under his fingers when she whined, and he smiled, knowing he was on to something.

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Shh," he warned in a conspiratorial husk. "No one knows I'm playing with your pussy, and it might come as a shock to them if you scream when you orgasm."

She clapped her legs together, shaking hard and whimpering under her breath as he teased her final throes of pleasure slowly out with careful rubbing.

Eventually she lay back on his chest, gasping for air. "<i>You</i>," was all she could say.

Aizawa curled one arm around her. "Me? You're the one that nearly broke my finger off."

Temporary Problems

Yamada Hizashi - a.k.a Present Mic -- was looking over some homework after class when the door opened. He looked quickly up and saw it was the temp the school brought on to help with their counselor's huge allotment of case files she had to go through. She seemed odd, to him, always smiling just a bit too much around Cheshire and taking a little longer to do her tasks than necessary.

He shrugged inwardly. Not his problem; if anyone could handle this one it was a licensed psychiatrist, which their cat lady was. So he waved her cheerfully over, taking a break from the onerous grading.

"'Sup?"

"I think you need to read this," she told him cryptically, handing him a nondescript notebook.

He frowned but glanced at the pages she set it open to in front of him. It was in English, and at first he thought she needed him to translate. But Ches was from the States and spoke even more fluently than him, so why hadn't she gone to her?

The reason why jumped out at him from the pages almost immediately.

<i>I want to hold him in my arms - no, more than that -- to</i> be <i>held, to have him squeeze me and tell me he loves me. I want to stroke his hair and know what it smells like up close, to touch that long, blond hair and see if it's as soft as I imagined.

And oh god, that adorable mustache...</i>

He clapped the book shut, his cheeks burning.

"This is private, yo!"

The woman huffed. "Only to her."

"Th - this is me. This is Ches' handwriting. She's writing about <i>me</i>." Hizashi pushed the book away as if it were hot, his heart racing. "Why'd you show me this?!"

"She needs to get over you." The woman sniffed. "The only way that's going to happen is if you recognize her silly crush and tell her off."

The Voice Hero's mustache points twitched as his lips thinned. He carefully placed his hands on the edge of the desk, gripping it so firmly his nails turned white. The tinted sunglasses he wore flashed in the artificial light above them, obscuring his hazel eyes but not his eyebrows, which slowly drew down into a hard frown.

"Get out." One leather-gloved hand pointed at the door.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing; the words were soft and spoken in a deep voice unlike the blond man's usual tenor. "What?"

Hizashi inhaled slowly. The temp took a nervous step back, hands jerking towards her ears in sudden fear.

"I said, <b>GET OUT</b>." He did not use enough force to deafen her yet it knocked her off her feet momentarily. The startled temp scrambled to her feet and escaped into the hall.

Hizashi picked up the journal in one hand and his papers in the other. He slammed the teens homework in his desk drawer and stood resolutely. "Gotta give this back," he said out loud.

He grew more nervous the closer he got to the counselor's office. He wasn't sure how she'd react, but he had an idea, and it wasn't good. He knew her pretty well and she was always kind to him. They joked around and were really friendly towards each other so on one hand, she might forgive this trespass. This was a very private circumstance, however, and he was uncertain of the outcome.

"Ches? Ya in here?" He tapped lightly on the door.

"Uh huh. C'mon in, Mic."

He sighed and stepped forward, standing for a moment with the book clutched in his hands. He took another step, then thought better of it and locked the door.

Elly raised her ears, the furry points perking up along with her eyebrows. "Whoa. Is this serious?"

"Uh, yeah." He walked over to her desk and set the notebook down.

She blinked several times in rapid succession. "How did you..?"

"I was given this. Look, m'sorry. I read some of it before I knew." He sighed and wrung his hands nervously. "I stopped the second I realized, but, uh..."

Her eyes darkened in despair but she only nodded. "I see. Thank you, Mic." She blankly scooped into a drawer with an uncaring arm.

"Er... what do we do now?" He caught his lower lip adorably between his teeth and sat down heavily in the chair across from her desk.

"Whatever you like," she said simply. Hizashi's heart caught in his throat at the soft, resigned sadness in her voice. "You can ignore this and I'll never bring it up again. You can also acknowledge it made you uncomfortable and," she laid her ears back but continued, "choose not to associate as much with me from now on."

"Aw, Ches..."

"Basically I'll do whatever you want," she said, her voice breaking a little. "I understand. But please, make your request quick." Her tension was evident not only in her voice but the way she was holding herself, her once-proud tail and shoulders stiff and her eyes cast down.

"Look at me," he begged.

Elly lifted her chin. Although she did what he asked, it wrong, somehow - he wasn't sure but he thought she might be distancing herself so as to soften the blow she thought was coming. She wasn't truly focusing on him.

"I need ya to <i>really</i> look at me, kitty."

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then reopened them. This time there was so much hopeless, raw agony in her stare that he almost recoiled. He sighed and hooked a finger in his sunglasses, dragging them down so his own were bare. Free of the orange tint they looked more golden-green, the spirals thin with anxiety.

"<i>Please</i> get it over with," she whimpered.

Hizashi jumped up out of his seat and his long legs carried him around to her side in a single, huge step. Elly flinched but he fell to his knees and threw his arms around her in a tight hug. He pressed his head above her breasts, feeling the wild thumping of her heart on one cheek.

"I like you, too," he blurted out. Then he added in English, "I love you."

"<i>What</i>?!" Her cry came out almost like a cat's shriek, she was so shocked.

"Ow! I thought I was supposed to be the loud one here!"

"Sorry." Elly let herself be held for a long time, relishing in the feel of his arms around her. And when she separated to look down at him, she got her second surprise.

Hizashi kissed her.

His mouth pressed firmly on hers, a little moist, with some awkwardness and a lot of desperation. Warmth spread throughout her body at his obvious desire and she gently ran her hands through the softer hairs at the nape of his neck as the kiss progressed. Her fingers couldn't go far, however, because she was blocked by his directional speaker. They rested on top and she tapped a rhythmic tattoo as he swiped his tongue along hers.

"Mic..." She paused, then whispered hoarsely, "<i>Hizashi</i>," before kissing him again.

He groaned low in his throat and pulled her closer, his own hands desperate and shaking. "Mnnnf... ahh, <i>baby</i>." He drew apart briefly. "How secure's the lock on that door?"

"Enough."

He squinted at her greedily, one hazel eye wide and the other narrow as he took in the situation. "Thank god." He unhooked the clasp at the back of his heavy gear and set it on the floor. "'Cause we're not gonna want to be disturbed for awhile."

The temp was furious when she saw her plans had backfired in such a spectacular fashion. She tried to peek through the frosted glass on the door but it was impossible. What she heard, however, caused her to rush to get another teacher.

Aizawa was crankier than usual as she dragged him towards the office. He slumped along, still in his sleeping bag and not impressed by her need for a "witness" to Present Mic and Cheshire's breaking of school policy. She nearly shoved him at the door and they listened for a brief moment.

"We can't," Elly gasped. "Not at school, Mic!"

"Chill out, babe," he laughed softly, his voice dangerously low. "Sure we can - look, just a little here, and..."

"Ooooh."

Aizawa grinned mercilessly and produced a skeleton key. "If this will shut you up..."

"Open it already!"

The door swing wide to reveal Elly seated in front of her computer with Hizashi behind her. They were looking up with almost identical puzzled looks, blinking innocently at the intruders.

"Hey, Aizawa," Hizashi pointed a finger gun at him. "What up?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Elly gestured at the screen in front of her. "We were talking about throwing a party for one of the kids."

"Ches thinks they wouldn't like it 'cause, you know. They'd rather have it at home or someplace cooler."

The temp took in the Voice Hero's ruffled hair with a few strands from the huge plume falling down his shoulder, and the self-satisfied smirk on Elly's face that she couldn't quite hide. She stormed off down the hall, swearing loudly.

"What's her problem?"

"Don't piss her off, guys, okay?" Aizawa sighed wearily. "She's almost out of here. And, Mic?"

"Yo." He threw a pair of finger guns cockily at his friend and colleague.

"Put your pants back on."

Hizashi turned beet red and froze in place until the door closed again. He waddled out from behind the chair, grasping for his pants that were puddled around his ankles. "How the <i>crap</i> did he know?!"

She coughed. "Lucky guess?"

Mermay 2021: 15

 Elly scheduled to come in later at work so they could get clothing and essentials from the local mall. Aizawa turned out to be a practical shopper, making quick work of picking out items once he identified his favorite color - black.

They stacked everything at her house to sort through later and drove in to the aquarium together. Aizawa caused quite a stir in his black jeans and tank top, but what really earned him the gasps of surprise were his new lower appendages. He wiggled a foot, bound in clean bandages again and a thin sock. He'd still refused regular shoes and was wearing crocs, much to the amusement of, well, everyone.

"Of all the shoes you looked at, you chose those?!" Kan could barely keep from laughing out loud. The others were holding it in, although barely.

"Are you really mocking my footwear when the other day I had a tail?"

"I'm sorry, I just... crocs!" This time he did burst out laughing, great big bellowing <i>haw-haw-haw</i>'s that echoed in the hallway that led to the convalescent pool.

"Kan!" Elly glanced over her shoulder with a little smile. "He doesn't like shoes but he can't wear sandals yet. This was the most comfortable option."

"Oh, yeah. Looks like you fucked your feet up. Not used to having them, huh?"

"He walked a long way to get to us, besides."

"Wait, he walked to the base?!"

The rest of the staff gathered around the tanks, chatting as they checked the occupants and marked things on clipboards attached. Elly smiled at them and walked further on to the end where the sealed door was. Aizawa hurried forward as she opened it, eagerly making his way to the water's edge near the steps to sit on the cool concrete. The small fish darted about in little schools, breaking apart now and then as a larger one flashed through.

"And we're back again." She knelt beside him.

"Yeah." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You know, I saw why they let you go. It was very clever, acting like all this -" He waved his arm around, "was staged for a ...what did you call it? Mer-person show."

"It worked," she agreed.

"What about the shows? Were they real?"

Elly hastily placed her hand on his. "I was going to talk to you about the idea. I thought it might be a good way to slowly introduce humans to mers." She squeezed lightly. "They wouldn't know, they'd think it was fake, but the kids... maybe, one day, they'd remember it and be kind if they saw one of you."

"Hope that our peoples could merge, like us. Or at least live in harmony. However..." He laughed softly, the faintest touch of bitterness on his tongue. "You can't use me as the attraction any more, even if we both wanted it."

"It's more important to try to turn you back because <i>you</i> want it."

"It can't be water," he grumbled bitterly, touching the surface of the pool with wistful fingertips. "I showered with you before and nothing happened."

Elly shook her head, running a thoughtful hand through his hair. "That was fresh water, dear. What if the salt - or any other number of components in the ocean -- is a factor?"

"Could that work?"

"I'm grasping at straws," she admitted, then briefly explained the phrase to him. "I am, though. I can't think of any scientific reason why you have legs in the first place, so my first thought went to, well... fantasy. There has to be a reason, we just don't know it yet. And if my memory serves me right, there was a movie that touched on this exact thing. The mermaid used salt to change back."

He turned his head towards her, squinting so suspiciously she had to clap a hand over her mouth to stay a wild rush of laughter. "Are you serious?"

"The movie wasn't," she shrugged. "But really, what have we got to lose?"

"So you think I should jump in?"

"Maybe after you put a bathing suit on..."

He squinted harder. "Ches," he said slowly, speaking very clearly, "if I wear anything and get my tail back, I'll just shred the clothes."

"Oh." She cleared her throat, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Let me lock the door for privacy, then."

"Uh huh." Aizawa started stripping before she was halfway there, kicking the rubber shoes off and poking at his socks.

Elly tapped the moulding to get everyone's attention and pointed backwards. "We need some privacy, guys." This immediately caused a round of whistles from the staff, who were rambunctious after the stress of yesterday. She blushed harder and closed the door firmly.

Aizawa was nude when she hurried over, and already half in the water. He slipped into the pool with a splash just as Elly realized he might not know how to swim as a human.

She needn't have worried.

As soon as his head was underwater his body adapted, gills first and then everything else in rapid succession. They watched as his legs fused together, his feet stretching back out into a fin and his lower body changing from skin to scales. In minutes he was back to his old self and none the worse for wear except some marks on the end of his tail. He flicked it and swam straight forward, the rush of adrenaline filling him as his gills processed the water through.

Aizawa swam several laps until he caught the familiar scent of his mate. He snapped his head up, his eyes closing happily when he saw her. He swam quickly over and embraced her briefly, loving the chance for a hug in his element. Since she needed air the couple soon popped to the surface, scattering the feeder fish with their exuberant splashing.

"Oh!" She gasped in a lungful of air. "I'm so happy, and you looked so happy, too! I couldn't help myself!"

He ran his tongue out along his teeth, suddenly very aware that she'd done the same thing as him and jumped in naked. She was pressed against him and he was nearly stifled by an extreme desire to wrap his tail around her. "You're - ah. Your scent is so much stronger when I'm like this." His chest heaved and his gills fluttered rapidly at the same time.

"Aizawa? Your eyes are <i>red</i>. Are you okay?"

He swallowed, creating a distinct gulping sound in his throat. "Should have known," he choked hoarsely. "We mated, but not like this. You - I'm getting too excited. Please. You need to go -"

"What? Why?"

"Too quick," he snapped, distraught. He swam back towards the stairs with his eyes wide in panic. "I didn't know <i>this</i> would happen!"

"<i>What</i> is happening?" She followed him, reaching out in concern.

"I'm rutting! You need to go!" He backed up on the steps, stuck there and clearly panicking.

A rut is a period of sexual excitement and activity usually displayed by certain animals like deer - but definitely not sharks. Elly had absolutely no idea that mers had them, nor did it make sense that he would suddenly have such an onset of desire.

"Isn't that supposed to be a breeding period? Like, when I'm ready? You said I wasn't  -"

"It can happen if I get really excited," he groaned. "Please, I'll calm down in a few - <i>what are you doing</i>?!"

She ran her hand down his chest.

"I'm your mate," she said simply. "I'm not going anywhere if you need me." To his astonishment she didn't stop, but continued to stroke lower until she reached his tail. There were two small slits on the underside, one smaller than the other. She passed over the first to the lower, larger one which had a faint blush surrounding it.

Aizawa's breathing grew hoarse. "Ah! Mnn..!" He threw his head back as she gently tickled the pink skin. "Do you know what you're doing?"

<i>Ridiculous question, mola brain. It</i> definitely <i>feels like she knows what she's doing</i>.

"I know," she murmured softly, still rubbing in that delicious way that threatened to have him come undone. "I want to see you in your natural form, too." She pushed down lightly, encouraging his bulging sex to slip free from its confines.

Aizawa moaned loudly as he gave in to her touch. "Don't be afraid," he gasped. "I'm different..."

"I know sharks and I love you, remember?" She watched, unsurprised, as two sex organs unfurled under her gentle touch. "Does this feel okay?"

He nodded wildly as she stroked him, curious about his anatomy. The one on top closely resembled a human organ, though it had an extra ring of flesh around the tip. The other was thin and looked entirely shark-like.

"We may not be compatible," he hissed, writhing as she let go of one to curiously stroke the other.

"This one looks just like a shark clasper."

He growled loudly, his throat working as he threw his head back. Elly smiled and stroked faster while her other hand cautiously pet his gills.

The stimulation was so intense he was overwhelmed. Aizawa gasped hoarsely, his shoulders dropping as he plunged his face to the side into the water to cry out. A thick, gel-like fluid pulsed out to float around her hand. It didn't rise but stayed in contact with her skin.

"Lubricant," he husked in answer to her silent question when he rose again. "If you - if you keep doing that, I'll keep squirting..!"

Her eyebrows raised. "Can you have multiple orgasms?" Her heart beat faster than before, her cheeks flushing hard. She wanted to give him that pleasure, to see him come undone.

"Y - yeh - hesss." He paused to shakily wipe the water dripping off his face and pull his hair back. "The lower one will keep going, even if you ignore the top. The orgasms aren't as strong, but they - <i>wait</i>! My beloved, w - wait!"

Elly focused her attention on the shark-like clasper, fondling the alien appendage. She felt a little strange doing so at first, but Aizawa's contortions and steady exhale of soft moans and gasps encouraged her.

"A - almost," he panted, a sex-induced flush spreading across his nose and cheeks. "Almost..! Yes! Yes, and <i>keep going</i>! I have to be emptied before, ah, <i>aaah</i>! Mnnn, before I can relax."

"Fully emptied?"

"Yes." His tongue slipped wantonly out from between his lips and he purred lowly. "You're going to have to either fuck me or milk me dry."

"I didn't know you had a naughty streak, Aizawa." Elly leaned closer, a dangerously sly smile on her lips. "What about both?"

<i>Both?</i>

Before he could ask out loud she bent and wrapped her lips around his bottom member.

"<i>Ches</i>!" His eyes showed complete shock at her actions. They were filled with lust, certainly, but just as startled at this strange surprise she'd sprung on him. She suckled gently and he howled, throwing his head back with his nails clawing at the sides of the pool so hard they left grooves in the concrete. Then her fingers stroked lower, tickling the clasper while she swallowed the other all the way down.

Aizawa came so hard he saw spots. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears trickling down his cheeks as he gasped dry, harsh air into his lungs. When he regained consciousness she was still holding him but had paused for now.

"Okay, it's okay," she murmured. "Want me to keep going?" He nodded furiously and she smiled, her hand moving again in easy, smooth strokes due to the amount of lubricant he was producing. "Mers don't use their mouths like that because of their teeth, huh?"

He nodded again. "Yes. Too sharp." A pause, then, somewhat wistfully, "Do it again? Please?"

"Tell me what you would like," she murmured as she kissed a trail down his stomach to his navel.

"I like <i>that</i>." His tail beat so violently through the water it splashed both of them. "It's good, so good... but I want to be inside of you."

"Do you have to, um. Penetrate with both?"

"Not really." He pointed at the clasper. "This provides lubricant, nothing more. You'll need it when I swell and we're bound together."

"Ohhh, this is a type of knot." She rubbed her fingers around the ring of firm flesh, licking gently and causing him to bite back a hoarse cry. "That's daunting."

"We - we don't have to -"

"I want to." Elly dug her nails into the side of his underbelly and dragged down a little to see his reaction.

"Oh, barnacles." His eyes slipped shut in bliss. "You're too <i>good</i> at this."

"I really want to," she reassured him. "I was too sleepy this morning to know what was going on, but now we can both have fun."

"I don't want to hurt you." He carefully caressed the side of her face. Though he'd broken his claws off a day ago they were still very hard and could easily slice her tender skin. "My claws, my teeth - what if I forget in the heat of the moment? What if mer sex in general hurts humans?"

"If it hurts, I'll tell you." She kissed him on the lips and he purred in response. "Trust me."

"Hold onto me," he murmured, indicating his finely scaled shoulders. Elly slipped her arms around him and he wiggled off of the step into the water. Her heart dropped when he swam out into the deeper area but he stayed in place, nuzzling her with his nose in lieu of kisses.

"You can stay afloat during?"

"I have to. You can't breathe underwater." He tested a few motions, using his arms to stay up while his tail beat powerfully back and forth. "Hnf. Tricky."

"Maybe we could go back to the step. I've got an idea."

"All right."

She motioned him to rest and when he did she sat, wrapping her legs around his tail.

"You want to sit on top of me while we mate?" He looked mildly surprised but then a sudden hunger flooded his dark eyes. "That's exciting."

"You want to try it?"

He reached for her, his expression more than a little greedy. "Come here."

"Oh my."

Aizawa carefully positioned himself. "This has to be here." He indicated the clasper, resting lightly on top of her sex. "It will make you feel really good, so don't worry, please. Just tell me like you said if anything hurts."

"It goes in a little, doesn't it."

"Not all the way," he hedged. "It's the other one I'm concerned about. Humans don't swell and bind together when they mate. We do. I - I don't think I can stop it once it's started."

Elly wriggled around, sliding against him. "That's okay. I want you to finish all the way, sweetie."

He growled, his ear flaps blushing bright pink. "Shells, woman, are you <i>trying</i> to make me lose control?"

"You mean you haven't already?"

"N - no, I'm still holding back."

Elly thought about what might cause him to drop his inhibitions and love her already. She took a deep breath and wrapped her legs tighter around him. "It's your body, 'Zawa. I want you in me."

His eyes went completely blank, the calm grey disappearing as that wild, red glow burst forth. With his hair undone and laying spilled down over his shoulders, chest heaving and that intense gaze he looked like a hungry predator.

She didn't panic, but she did grow just the faintest bit uneasy.

<i>Uh oh</i>.