Silent Love Song 1

 Bruno Madrigal wasn't used to being Outside - every time he thought of it, he capitalised the word to signify its significance -- he'd been living in the deep recesses of his home, hidden away so long that he'd forgotten many things.

So he went for long walks through the village and to the outskirts, often wandering alone with his thoughts as he had grown accustomed to.

<i>The smell of the beautiful plants and flowers.</i> He jumped back from a gorgeous orchid he held, dropping it quickly as a bee flew out. The bug buzzed merrily at him and flew away, possibly to sting Agustín, as most seemed to do without rhyme or reason.

<i>The majestic wildlife.</i>

A donkey galloped across his path and he jerked back to avoid a collision, skipping to the side of the road as out of the bushes exploded a large-framed woman shaking her fist in the air.

"Hello, Luisa!"

"Uncle," she called out by way of greeting. Then she sped off after the braying ass with a few choice words for the beast floating back in the breeze after their passing.

Bruno sighed.

"Not the majesty I was hoping for, ay? If I could spot a bright toucan or some pretty hummingbirds, that might be ..." He trailed off slowly, his eyes widening. Farther off, far back in the darker recess of the jungle, he saw two eyes shining at him. "Oh my god," he whispered.

It was a puma, the queen of the jungle. Bruno could scarcely believe his eyes, however, because she was not only sleek and lithe and dangerous looking as she landed directly in front of him in a single, smooth leap...

...she was <i>purple</i>. Her fur was a rich, royal color and her markings slightly darker. Her tail was long and proud and oddly split at the tip with white frosted marks.

They stared at each other, big cat and human, locked in place for several minutes. Bruno's heart pounded in a mix of terror and awe, and he frantically wracked his brain for an idea to escape safely.

"Uncle Bruno!"

Her head snapped up, breaking the spell they were both under, and she darted back into the safety of the dark canopy.

Bruno let out a huge sigh of relief. "Camilo, sh - err, thank goodness. You scared a puma off."

"A puma?! Wow! I should go get Antonio."

"Well... it looked like a puma, but it was <i>purple</i>." He paused, rubbing at the back of his neck and peering jerkily into the dense green of the deeper jungle. "I swear I really saw it -"

"A <i>purple</i> puma?" Camilo laughed and morphed into a similar shape, baring his fangs at him and growling playfully.

"No," Bruno muttered. "No, it had a strange tail - the tip was split, and white on both ends."

The puma turned back into the sprightly young boy, who pursed his lips at the man, giving him a look that was all too familiar.

<i>Crazy Bruno</i>.

Old habits died hard, and he'd only been welcomed back recently. He shook off the negative feelings and tried to make light of his discovery. "Ahhhh, it could've been a trick of the light. Maybe it was dyed!"

"Yeah. Sure. C'mon, it's time for dinner!" He sprinted off, waving. "Race you!" He turned into a cheetah - a purple one to tease him, of course -- and rounded the bend before Bruno could begin to move.

"'Maybe it was dyed.' what a great save, idiot." He shook his head in disgust at himself. The word "dinner", however, had its usual effect on him and he turned to follow the youngster up the road to his home.

Sticks & Stones

 It was almost like a date.

Hizashi Yamada was with her, dressed in casual clothing and just as handsome in her eyes, if not more. He constantly kept up a bright patter of conversation and happy laughter, drinking beer after beer at the izakaya they were seated at.

Elly could fantasize that the man sitting on the stool next to her had taken her out exclusively, but she knew the others had simply bowed out tonight. It was strange, but their coworkers had been all busy ...except for one. Her crush was free and more than willing to go out drinking with her - <i>as colleagues and friends</i>, she reminded herself sternly.

She wished it could be more.

An hour and multiple drinks later everything was going better than it usually did because without the others, Hizashi, of course, was focused solely on her. They were already pretty close, had grown so over the course of working together and talking about music and radio, television and each others' culture. Being alone together like this was new, however, since Hizashi was a gregarious, friendly man and he attracted people around him in droves.

She desperately wanted to broach personal topics and learn more about him, but he was all about the drink tonight. He grew so loud, in fact, that they attracted attention from the other patrons.

"Ohhh, is that Cheshire?"

Elly's ears perked, but she said nothing and patiently waited to see if the person came to her, making it their choice. She silently chided herself for styling her hair like she did for her Hero persona. It was just that Hizashi told her once he thought it looked pretty that way, and she couldn't resist.

The people stayed seated, however, whispering in an attempt to keep their voice low without realizing her much her cat's ears picked up.

"Who's that with her?"

"I don't know, her boyfriend?"

"She could be drinking with a friend."

"Not that much drinking!"

Elly sighed and downed half her beer in a single gulp. <i>Yeah, he's just a friend. A</i> good <i>friend, but that's all he'll ever be</i>.

Meanwhile Hizashi was clueless about the conversation involving them. He stared at his mug and decided he needed another drink, so he began waving his hand around with a huge grin. "Hey, yeah! Another extra large beer here!" He blinked, then pounded a fist on the bar, laughing outrageously loud at the unintended rhyme.

<i>God, he's adorable. An adorable dork.</i> Her mind wandered as she watched him, and she giggled suddenly. <i>Adork-able.</i>

He grinned at her and winked, sending her heart into a thumping frenzy she tried her best to hide. Meanwhile, his loudness must have tipped the civilians off in their discussion, because after they argued about whether or not he was her boyfriend the topic changed to who it could be.

"Could be Present Mic. He's kinda loud."

"He doesn't look like him!"

"I mean, that's a <i>lot</i> of blond hair though, right?"

"Naaah. It can't be. Like, you can't tie that guy down, I bet. They wouldn't be a couple."

"What about all those Micshire fans?"

"Oh, please, the shippers force everything to make things fit."

Elly dug her nails into the underside of the bar, her ears flat with sudden, white-hot rage. Thinking it herself was one thing but hearing others voice her insecurity was too much, especially in her inebriated state. She lost control of her quirk, her furry ears and tail blinking into sight.

Hizashi thumped his new mug on the table with a lusty sigh. "Whooooo, that's good beer!" He turned to her and paused, his lips pursed as he stared hard enough to cause her to blush.

"What?!"

"Yer ears're showing," he grinned.

"I know," she hissed. "We need to go."

"What's got yer tail in a knot?"

"Nothing," came her terse reply.

The blond-haired man squinted, wobbling on his stool and kicking out with one boot to try and stabilize himself. "Nuh uhhh," he denied, voice even louder than before. "It's not nothin'!"

"Fine," she groaned, digging in her purse for enough money to cover their tab. "I'm drunk enough? That a good reason?"

"But baby, yer lookin' so <i>sexy</i>, not silly. All angry like yer gonna tear into somebody so hard with y'claws." He broke out into a very short rap. "Yer a really gritty pretty city kitty."

Elly started to laugh despite herself. "<i>Gritty?</i> Aw, Zashi! You're <i>drunker</i> than me!"

"Say it say it <i>say itttt</i>," he sing-songed cheerfully. "Let it all out!"

"Okay, okay! I'm pissed 'cause I heard those two saying, um, something." Even with her head buzzing with the alcohol she'd drunk she knew enough to keep her mouth shut about the exact topic.

"Fussy. Bet ya wanted to tell 'em off."

"Damn straight," she grumbled. "I wish it were legal to slap people that said dumb shit."

"Ya can't beat up the civvies, baby." He propped his chin on his elbows and batted his eyelashes at her. "But I think I might have a solution for us both."

"Yeah? What?" She raised her eyebrow, nodding for him to go on and he leaned closer, far over so he could whisper in her ear.

"You wanna piece of me instead? Work out some of that aggression?" He slipped an arm around her and bent to mouth hotly at her neck.

In her defense she <i>was</i> pretty drunk. Elly's willpower was at a record low already and she had zero defense against his sexy, throbbing voice and touch. She shivered and clung to him as they stood, nodding.

"Can't go back to campus," she muttered. "Where..?"

Hizashi paused in the act of nuzzling his nose in her hair and pointed left down the street. "My agency's a little ways that way." He waved a hand carelessly about. "I gotta place upstairs."

It took longer to walk there since they were hanging all over each other but eventually they reached the office building. It looked very secure and Hizashi needed to pass a print check to open the door. That was easy enough since all he had to do was slam his hand onto the panel, but once they were inside and up the elevator to the residences he groaned.

"A'wright, there's the door but, uh. Keys." He slumped against it, digging in his shirt pocket.

"Am I really gonna see your place?!"

"I gotta find 'em first," he grumbled, his lower lip pouting as he frowned.

"Zashi," Elly giggled, slurring slightly. "They're <i>right here</i>."

He bit his lower lip, squirming as she reached around and pulled them from his pants pocket. "Ffffuck. I mean, thanks."

The door opened and they fell inside as one, mouths fusing together and bodies desperately wrapping around each other the moment they were alone.

Hizashi woke as he usually did on the weekends, dry-mouthed with a pounding headache in his temples. This time there seemed to be some added bonuses -  sore muscles and lanky, sweat-soaked hair falling around him.

<i>I didn't tie it back</i>?

He sighed, wrapping his arm around the warm softness at his side. "Mnnn."

Elly purred softly, not awake yet but cuddling into his chest as he held her. Hizashi's eyes suddenly popped wide open. He blinked, struggling to focus through the haze of sleepiness and headache.

<i>CHES</i>!!!

He whimpered, his body tensing in fear as he remembered parts of last night. Oh, <i>hell</i>, and once he started to remember it all flowed back to him and his eyes grew impossibly wider.

<i>Oh shit, holy shit, we fucked</i> so much <i>an' in so many different places an' even more impossible positions!</i> Everywhere he looked memories came back that caused his tired body to valiantly try to respond to. He grimaced and stared his penis down, muttering darkly at it. "No more outta you, fucker. I doubt I <i>got</i> any more, anyway." The multiple stains in various states of drying on the floor, bed, and walls more than proved that along with the dull ache in his balls. <i>What... no way, is that one on the</i> ceiling? <i>Fuck</i>!

"Oww oww owwww."

<i>Wait, if I'm hurting, then...</i>

"Oh no, Ches, yer gonna be in so much pain, m'so sorry," he choked as quietly as he could. "It's all my fault!"

"Doubtful, but thanks for your concern," a muzzy voice drifted out from under the covers. "The pain is from my head, not my other parts. S'probably from the sort of, ahhh, bacchanalia we indulged in after we got back here."

"Erk..!"

"We did everything but anyone else," she grunted, still holding her head. "My god."

"I'm not a - I'm a one girl only type of guy!"

"Zashi, <i>please</i>," she groaned, pulling the sheets back and placing a shaky hand over her eyes. "Inside voice. My head feels like someone's stabbing me in the eyes with a knitting needle. Besides, me too. I don't do orgies." Elly swallowed and made a face at the taste in her mouth. "You hafta admit though, we drank, and we fuh - uh, fooled around all the while listening to really loud music. Also, it looks like we broke some of your furniture?"

"That was probably my quirk." He winced, glancing around to access the damage. "Fuck, Aizawa's gonna kill me if I shattered more windows in the place." He found a bottle of clear liquid and opened it, suspiciously sniffing the contents. Elly watched him with an enigmatic expression, though her heart fluttered wildly at how cute he looked with his nose scrunched up and his mustache awry, like his messy bedhead.

He held it out to her after a quick taste. "It's water. Here."

"Thanks."

"So..." He dragged the word out while she drank. "Uh. Now what."

"Your turn." She grinned weakly and handed him the bottle, still half full. "Look, I - I'll admit it. I'm shameless; if you just want to hook up now and then it's cool."

"Is..." He seemed taken aback by this, but she was too upset to notice. Hizashi set the bottle to his lips and took one long swallow, after which he capped it and put it beside them on the bed. He frowned a little, then took her hand in his. "Is that what <i>you</i> want?"

"Well, no." She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes. When she answered, it was in a tremulous voice that she was obviously trying very hard to control. "I'll take as much or as little as you want to give."

"Hey," he whispered, rubbing his thumb gently back and forth on the back of her hand. "Yer <i>shakin'</i>, baby. We were friends before this, yeah? Why be afraid of me now?"

"I want to be more than friends," she admitted in a whisper so low he had to bend close to hear.

"Okay."

"Wh - what?"

"Okay." He tugged her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "Now it's my turn to ask a question."

"Uh."

"How much?" His voice dropped down to a serious baritone, causing her to shiver.

"How much..?"

"How much more? I'm just as afraid I might scare <i>you</i> away, yanno." A somewhat feral grin broke out on his features while his hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. "I want us to be a couple, yeah? My one an' only babygirl."

"<i>Yes</i>," she blurted out in a huge rush. "I want that. Yes!"

"Now that that's settled, what say we order takeout an' have a shower while we wait, huh?"

Her stomach gurgled, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Urp."

"That sounds like another yes to me!" He flopped over and started digging through the pile of clothing on the floor for his phone. "Greasy food helps a hangover. Whaddaya want, babe?"

"I dunno... wait, no. Breakfast sandwiches!"

"Oooh, yeah." He found it, but had to stretch to retrieve it and started slowly sliding off the bed. She watched, amused, as he kicked wildly in the air. "Shit! Little help?"

Elly grabbed his ankle and, as it would be impossible for her to haul him up, helped him roll safely off onto the floor. "You're so cute."

"I'm so <i>hungry</i>." He lay with his rear up in an incredibly comical and no doubt uncomfortable position as he tapped on his phone. "Aha, gotcha babe. Pick somethin' and send it, I'm gonna get the shower going."

He wandered groggily off, bracing himself with one hand on the walls as he went. She picked up his phone and ordered, all the while listening to him muttering to himself as he got the water running.

When she poked her head in the bathroom, he turned around and gestured grandly. "Come on in! I got the temp nice 'n warm and there's room for two."

"You're not kidding." The bathroom was spacious, and she almost forgot about her headache as she took it all in. She hadn't noticed the luxury of the suite when they first entered, but he had a very upscale home. There was the largest sink and bath tub she'd ever seen, the latter of which he was watching her fondly beside as the shower ran warm water and filled the room with steam.

"C'mon, babygirl," he urged softly, holding his hand out. "Let's clean up."

Elly took his hand and joined him under the steady stream of water. He closed the doors alongside them and reached over to a shelf built into the wall for the soap. He gave that to her to wash first while he carefully lathered his long, blond hair.

"I feel so much better already," she sighed as she rinsed off. "Do you want me to wash your back for you?"

Hizashi ran a hand over his foamy hair and nodded, smiling. "Lemme get this mess clean and some conditioner in. Then we can do each other."

"That sounds great," she purred, watching him bend backward into the spray.

His soft chuckle made the hairs raise all over her body. "Naughty kitty. Still, can't blame ya." He finished cleaning up and adding the conditioner, working it in and humming to himself all the while.

"I thought I'd have exhausted myself last night, but you look so good." Elly crept closer and embraced him, wrapping her arms around his chest and kissing him on the neck. "Too good," she mumbled crossly.

"I kinda thought I was spent, too," he murmured. "But you're such a hottie, sweet baby, ya got me goin' again."

"Did you know? The shower is my favorite place for oral sex," she whispered as she mouthed a hot trail down his abdomen. "It's easier for me to make you feel good."

"Ah, <i>that</i>," he moaned lowly. "I'm excited, but I don't know if I'm gonna be able to - ohmigod! <i>Mnnn</i>!"

"M'not <i>that</i> good at this," she giggled as she swirled her tongue around his twitching member.

"I beg to - I b - beg to... fuck," he gasped, laughing even as he panted with pleasure. "Fuck that, I'm'a just beg. Please, oh yeah, please. Don't stop that little suckle, sh - <i>shit</i>!" His thighs started to tremble and he laid a gentle hand on the back of her head, encouraging her by stroking her hair and ears. She paid attention, repeating motions that made him cry out and shake harder and harder, until his fingers spasmed, clutching her tighter. "Babe, careful, I'm close!"

"It's okay to come in my mouth."

He choked at the idea, toes curling on the bath mat and swallowing hard with an incredulous look. "Wh - huh? Really?!" Hizashi looked down and saw her, the water dripping down her cheeks and her hair slicked back. She opened her mouth and backed up to show him her tongue sliding over him, nodding.

"Come in my mouth, Voice Hero," she said softly before sucking on the tip like she knew he loved.

This did him in and he gasped loudly, shaking and biting his lower lip to hold back his quirk. She guided him through his orgasm with lighter touches until he fell back, spent.

Elly cleaned her mouth out under the showerhead and shook herself all over. "That was sexy."

Hizashi ran a shaky hand over his eyes. "Gotta... rinse my hair 'n catch my breath," he panted. "N'then, then it's your turn."

"What about the food -"

He placed a finger under her chin, his hazel eyes half-lidded with sated desire. "The delivery guy puts it in a box from the outside. It'll be fine. I <i>really</i> wanna show you what I can do when I'm not hella drunk."

"Yeah," she whispered.

"I wanna do everything with you an' to you," he grinned. "Make you crank up the volume, here."

Although he told her he wanted to, she was nervous while he rinsed the conditioner out of his hair.

"You sure you want to do this? I mean, a lot of guys don't like it - I don't want you doing something you don't like."

Hizashi blew a fine spray of water out his mouth and squeezed his long, blond hair back, pulling it to lay off his shoulders. "Whew! What was that, babe? I had water in my ears."

She repeated herself shyly. "You don't have to, um. Go down on me. Not if you don't want to."

He gave her a lopsided, squinty grin and kissed her, his hands stroking down her sides. After a few long, slow swipes of his tongue he broke apart, still smiling, and got down on his knees while not breaking eye contact.

"Sit on the seat there in the wall for me, please?"

Elly looked around and saw with surprise that there was a little seat indented on the far side of the shower. She sat, breathing in long, deep breaths and trying to calm herself down. Hizashi edged closer and touched her leg with his fingertips, caressing her calf.

"Z - Zashi -"

"You've been told this is yucky before, right?" His glorious golden eyes were kind.

"Well... yes. Yeah." She cleared her throat. "And people can have preferences, it's okay. I'm not fond of giving oral unless I'm in the shower, for one."

"I get it, babe. I do." He placed his chin on her knees, sraring up at her with that soft look on his blushing features. The steam from the shower and their activities had caused an adorable flush across the bridge of his nose, as well as his ears and some of his neck. "But I <i>really</i> want to do this."

"Uh -"

"Nah, baby," Hizashi breathed, kissing her knee and nosing at them so she would let him in. His mustache brushed the skin of her thigh as she spread her legs, and he continued kissing her until she relaxed.

"Hizashi..."

"I love this. I want you to come so sweet you fall even harder for me." He smiled at her whimper and used a finger to stroke her hair and folds apart.

"I can't fall <i>harder</i>," she protested weakly, gasping as he nuzzled with the tip of his tongue. "I don't think it's possible."

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll see."

She got his point almost immediately.

Hizashi was excellent at oral sex; he really did enjoy pleasing her and wanted nothing more than to hear her enjoying herself. He took his time, mindful of the fact that she'd tensed up slightly at the start, but after a few minutes she was lost in the waves of pleasure he teased effortlessly from her. Just the idea of him doing this was enough to cause her to shudder with lust, and watching him made her twitch and moan.

He brought her to the brink a couple times before pulling back to kiss her thigh once more. Their eyes locked in a hot gaze and he deliberately licked his lips, panting as he stared deeply into her eyes.

"Mmmn, good kitty. Come on my tongue, you can do it. I love you, Ches. Let go for me." He bent and licked faster, head bobbing and using the gentle vibrations of his quirk to surround her sex with a low hum.

"<i>Hizashi</i>!"

"There we go," he husked softly. He trailed her slowly down and back again, but when she came to he realized she was crying. Hizashi hurriedly wiped his mouth and stood, pulling her into a hug. "Hey," he hummed, using his quirk again to create a soothing tone. "Hey, what's wrong with my number-one listener?"

She sniffled and clung to him, burying her face in his chest. "I love you too much!"

His smile was like the sun coming up. "Good thing I told all the others to cancel last night, huh?"

Game Night

 "The civilian said they ran off this way."

"I know, Eraserhead, but I just don't see anyone -" Elly's ears slowly raised to attention, listening to something her partner couldn't hear. She frowned. "Mic? Is that you?"

Aizawa glanced at her sharply. "Where, Cheshire?"

She pointed off to the near distance, around a corner by a crumbling building. Sure enough, they could see a figure standing there. Aizawa held back while she walked cautiously into the side street.

"Mic?"

He beamed when he saw her. "Hey, Cheshire! I couldn't bear the thought that you were in danger, so I stepped out to team up."

"Mic," she chided gently. "We're all professionals."

He kicked the gravel around at his feet. "Yeahhhhh, but I like you more. Can't have my fave girl gettin' hurt, now can I?"

"What did you -? Wait, okay, did you see anyone on your way over here?" She thought she heard wrong and tried to steer the conversation back to their patrol work.

Present Mic, however, was having none of that. He shrugged and pointed over his shoulder. "No one over that way. But hey, that means we're alone, right? Come on over here, beautiful lady. I've got a secret to share with you."

She lost her ability to speak when he called her <i>beautiful</i> and stared at him, her cheeks burning red.

Aizawa stepped out during the silence with a nod. "Hey."

A look of brief annoyance flickered across the blond-haired man's face. "Hey."

This confirmed Aizawa's suspicion.

<i>Yamada shouldn't be here.</i>

He hadn't said he was coming and he'd never pulled such a stunt before. Although Aizawa surmised the Voice Hero <i>did</i> have a crush on Cheshire, he never addressed her as anything special or hit on her so bluntly. Something was very wrong, but if he used his quirk now, and this man was an imposter, they would lose the element of surprise. He had to try a different tactic before the cat woman took another step.

He smoothed his brow and called out to him instead. "Hizashi!"

"What?"

Elly paused, startled, and even more shocked Mic answered casually. It was very strange Aizawa used his given name, something he never did. She backed up a step and the Erasure Hero reacted quickly, his eye flashing red as the weapon around him snapped out. He caught the other before he could run and dragged him across the rubble in the street towards him.

"Ow, damn it, that hurts!"

"Zashi?!" Elly rushed over, her heart sinking at the sound of him in pain.

"He's gone nuts! Tell him to untie me!"

"You know it's not him," Aizawa grunted as he locked the zip ties around his wrists. Elly cringed when the fake whimpered and he had to shake her by the shoulder before she could look away. "<i>Snap out of it, Cheshire</i>!"

"But you tried to erase the quirk. And I - I can smell him." She blushed but went on. "It's definitely his scent."

"It's me! You know it!"

"Shut up," he snapped, tying off a section of his cloth around the man's mouth as a gag. Then, calmly, "I don't know why my erasure didn't work. It could be any number of reasons, but there is a way I can put an end to your doubts." He stood up, knee popping on one side. "Here. I'm calling Mic."

He put it on speaker and held it out as it rang.

"Whazzup? You all right?"

Elly paled, her ears drooping at the sound of his voice. "Mic?"

"Ches?"

"We just caught... you," Aizawa said with dry amusement.

"Whaaat?"

The man on the ground let out a puff of air and slumped over in defeat.

"A villian that looks like you. Tried to lure us in, specifically Cheshire." He winced, pulling the phone farther away as the sound of Hizashi's worried screeching almost deafened them. "<i>Calm down</i>! She's fine."

A glance over in her direction, however, showed that she was anything but. She was standing with her head down, tail lashing about her ankles and her fists clenched.

"Yeah. We'll be back after we process this one. You're coming?" He affected mild surprise, his eyebrows raised. "All right. Cheshire, ah, will be glad to see you." He shoved the phone away in his pocket.

"He's not Mic."

"No."

"I should have realized." Her deadly quiet tone dripped with humiliation. "So stupid. I would have rushed right into danger, just because - well. Because," she finished weakly.

Aizawa prudently said nothing.

It took twenty minutes for the Voice Hero to show up since this was on the outskirts of town, and when he did he ran straight to Elly. The police jumped up, startled, as another man flew into their midst and he was forced to show his identification. Once they were sure it was him, they let him past.

"You really all right? Why'd he look like me? Did he look that much like me?!" He blurted out a myriad of questions, hovering anxiously near her but not reaching out. His hands twitched at his sides but he balled them into fists instead. "How'd ya know it wasn't me?"

Elly looked helplessly over at Aizawa, her tail swishing in agitation.

Wrong choice.

"He used Cheshire's desire for your companionship against her." The scruffy man shrugged. "I believe he called her 'beautiful lady'."

She choked, betrayed.

"What's that now?" Mic blinked. "I wouldn't have said <i>that</i>."

"Wha..?" Elly's tail stilled, then drooped, falling into the dust of the road. Her eyes, a deep purple, paled until they were lavender in her grief. "Oh, Mic," she whispered in a voice near to tears.

He rushed on. "I'd've said <i>pretty city kitty</i>, or maybe <i>beautiful babygirl</i>. 'Lady' ain't my style, yo. It's too vintage."

"What!" This time the striped fur along her tail fluffed out in all directions.

"Well, what d'ya think I'd say? Huh?" He placed a tentative arm about her shoulders, tilting his neck to look directly into her eyes.

"Nothing like that," she muttered, dazed but with the color returning to her pale cheeks and eyes.

"Yeah, I've, uh, been a total wuss. Kept meanin' to talk to ya, babe, but it's hard to throw yourself out there, yeah? I thought <i>you</i> didn't like <i>me</i>."

From where Aizawa stood he saw the counselor throw her arms around his friend and nodded. He watched them wander off together, shaking his head. She might take the rest of the night off, but he was going to finish their shift.

It was uneventful after that, and Aizawa was tired from lack of any kind of stimulation. While it was great that no one was hurt or needed rescuing, times like these made for very boring patrols. When it was finally over he made his way back to the agency where he lived with Hizashi, his only thoughts focused on getting some coffee in him since he had paperwork to finish. Problem was, he'd run out that morning.

Passing up the second floor where his suite was to go up to the third, he wandered sleepily over to the door and knocked. It swung open and he stepped inside.

He immediately froze, stunned, with his hand still on the doorknob.

The blond-haired man was sitting on that monstrous leather couch of his in the suite's living room area. This was nothing new, but sitting naked on his lap with only his Present Mic jacket wrapped around her shoulders was none other than the school counselor, Cheshire.

All three stared numbly at one another for a solid minute before she flickered and vanished.

"Yamada!"

"Uh!" He wrapped his arms around the invisible woman in a protective manner. "What the frick, yo! The door was locked!"

"It wasn't," the dark-haired man said acidly. "It very obviously wasn't. What are you two <i>doing</i>, anyway?!"

Hizashi squinted at his friend as if trying to figure out if he was serious or not. "We're playin' strip monopoly without a board or pieces." He paused, then yelped, "The hell d'ya <i>think</i> we were doin'?!"

Aizawa had the grace to finally look embarrassed. "Congratulations," he mumbled.

Elly's voice floated out of the air from her general position. "Was there something you needed, Aizawa?"

"Nothing important. I'll, uh, just ..." He stumbled back out of the doorway into the hall. Elly slid off Hizashi's lap and locked the door after him, turning visible as she walked back to cuddle with the Voice Hero again.

"Monopoly?"

"Twister was too obvious." He shrugged.





-

Bonus:


Aizawa Shota was a tired, tired man.

It should be noted that this tiredness was of epic proportions, compounded by Hero work and the care and constant worrying over training a bunch of damn near suicidal teenagers. His eyes twitched and burned, and no amount of eye drops even gave him a tiny fraction of relief. He stumbled around his kitchen, digging through cabinets for some caffeine, <i>any</i> caffeine, but, as it happened, he'd run out. Again.

He sighed and headed up to his friend's suite.

It was quiet tonight so he hoped for the best, and the door easily opened.

<i>He wouldn't be</i> that <i>stupid again, would he</i>?

"Fuck, Yamada," he sighed, one hand rubbing over his exhausted features.

<i>Yes. Yes, he would</i>.

Hizashi blinked over at him, his eyes wide with a huge, lopsided grin on his face. "Uh... oops. Door? Again?" He was sitting on the couch beside Elly, who was dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans. The blond-haired man, however, was wearing only a pair of socks - and one <i>wasn't</i> on his foot.

"Why can't you remember such an important thing?"

"Well, it's not like this is open to the public. An' I swore I locked it this time! I even checked!" He rubbed at the back of his neck, blushing wildly. "Sorry, sorry." He made as if to get up and Aizawa winced, imagining the sock slipping. Then he saw he was also wearing a red-beaded bracelet... again, not where it belonged on his wrist but in a very unusual place.

"Don't get up!" Aizawa barked harshly. "For fuck's sake, please, I'll close it on my way out." He glanced over at the mess of brightly colored pieces on the coffee table. "What the hell were you doing <i>this</i> time?"

Elly spoke calmly, though she was clearly holding in a fit of laughter. "Strip monopoly, what else?"

Mark 13

 As Present Mic, Yamada Hizashi was a celebrity.

He had no problems when he was single in finding interested partners if he wished, and he never had to worry about being alone. For awhile, when stardom had been new to him and he was young and stupid, he'd come home with a new person every night. He was always careful, however, and had remained safe and clean during that time, thank goodness.

But he'd always craved <i>more</i> - someone who wanted <i>Hizashi</i>, not Mic, another person to spend the rest of his life with.

His soulmate.

She lay beside him in their spacious bed right now, and finding her made him happier than he'd ever been. But the reveal that his oldest friend shared her Mark had caused something to snap inside him. Hizashi descended into a very dark place he thought he'd crawled free of long ago, and Elly was at a loss how to comfort him. After Aizawa left he had done nothing but cry, and it took several hours before he was exhausted enough to open up.

"I'm scared," he sobbed while she hovered anxiously near. His glasses were on the bedside table and his naked eyes red and puffy from weeping for so long.

"There's nothing to be scared of. I'm here."

"You won't leave me?" He sniffed once, angrily wiping at his eyes with the back of one hand. "I hate crying! An' I really huh - hate, hate this. If - if you've got another soulmate, you have another choice, right? You might leave me."

Elly goggled at him in shock, her purple eyes wide and dark. "Oh my god, Hizashi, I would <i>never</i>!" She threw herself into his arms and he caught her gladly, holding her tight. "Don't you ever, <i>ever</i> think that. I'm staying with <i>you</i>, sweetie, you're my forever love."

"Forever," he whispered, repeating her and adding, "Forever home."

"Hmm?"

"We haven't talked about my childhood, have we." It was not a question and she felt him tense up as he spoke.

"Not much. You just said you were raised by your grandparents."

"Yeah, uh... that's 'cause my parents kinda gave me up," he mumbled.

"What?!"

"They didn't like me very much, I don't think. At least, that's what little five-year-old me thought." Hizashi buried his face in her neck, the smell of her perfume calming him some. "I don't really wanna get into it, but my grandparents kicked me out as soon as it was legal, too. I might have some, uh, issues."

"My god." Elly pulled herself up so she could hold him better. "Poor Zashi," she choked, softly and slowly stroking his long blond hair. "That's terrible. I'm sorry." A few well-placed kisses in his hair and he tilted his face up toward her for more. Elly peppered him with the lightest brushes of her lips until he was dreamy-eyed and panting.

"I know you love me," he whimpered. "I <i>know</i>. It's like, a definite thing. But when that - when he --"

"I sympathize. If someone else had come saying that they matched with you <i>I'd</i> have gotten upset!" She hissed a little at the thought.

"Yeah." He laughed under his breath.

"Don't worry too much about it. I like when you tell me how you feel. I want to know as much as I can about you, not just the 'fun' stuff. And I want to help, Hizashi. You can always come to me."

"Thank you," he said in a much calmer voice, sighing shakily in relief as his body relaxed the rest of the way.

"Thank <i>you</i>." She smiled and let him roll her underneath him on the bed. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah. I dunno what came over me." Hizashi cleared his throat. "I know you're mine an' I'm yours, then that irrational, paralyzing terror hit me all of a sudden, really bad." He shook his head, golden hair falling over his shoulders onto her. "I love you, babe."

"I find your reaction super understandable, especially given your childhood." She brushed some of the hair back to uncover his cheek for a tender kiss. "I love you very, very much."

He smiled, and she was happy to see that the spirals in his eyes weren't thin with anxiety anymore.

Just past the other side of their shared wall, however, Aizawa was having a much harder time. He had no one left in his personal life to share problems with and this was a complicated one.

"Shit," he muttered as he flopped face first onto his bed. Like the rest of his surroundings the mattress was economical, covered with a simple white cotton sheet set and black comforter on top. He groaned into the pillow and rolled over to stare at the ceiling while his mind wandered.

<i>Maybe I can move</i>.

No.

That wouldn't work because he honestly didn't want to. This was where they had moved in together. Aizawa could touch the walls, the fixtures, everything <i>he'd</i> once touched. He could look at the patio doors and almost still see him there, silhouetted against the coming dusk of the night.

He closed his eyes and rubbed a hand across his tired features. This place had <i>memories</i> and he wasn't going to let that be torn away from him, too.

"<i>Shit</i>," he said more forcefully, grinding his teeth together.

Aizawa wasn't a social man by any means - nor did he want to be -- but he wasn't truly a hermit. Not being able to talk to Yamada would mean he would lose his only friend. He would eventually be forced to interact; he saw no logical way out of this mess. All he could do was vow he wouldn't let his friend's soulmate charm him away from his past.

At least he had one thing going for him - he didn't make friends easily, if at all. He reached out to turn the light off and huffed a bitter puff of air at the traitorous Mark on his arm as it came into view.

The dark-haired man snapped the light switch down and stuffed the offending arm under the pillow in one swift, angry movement.

Getting a handle on things

 Elly sighed as she stepped into her quarters in the teacher's dormitory, pulling her neck gear off and unzipping the top half of her suit. It had been a rough day, and she was planning on a hot shower and some goofing off tonight to relax. After cleaning up the counselor decided that, if she was staying in, she could indulge in her secret desires. She made sure the door was locked before rummaging around for a special t-shirt to wear.

She smiled quietly to herself as she pulled it on. It was soft and well-worn, much bigger than her so that it fell to her knees and slipped off her shoulder. She'd snagged it out of a bag of donations Hizashi had been planning to drop off at a thrift store one day. It was an older shirt advertising his radio show and nothing was really wrong with it, he'd probably just gotten new ones. It was a guilty pleasure to wear something that he used to, and she drew it close around herself, sighing as she imagined him wearing it.

"You big dork," she chided herself gently, laughing. She had long since resigned herself to the fact that she'd never be anything more than a friend and colleague to the boisterous Voice Hero, but she let herself dream once in awhile. Sighing again, she flopped onto her bed and picked up her phone. Her other biggest, <i>guiltiest</i> pleasure was going onto the biggest Present Mic fan forum and chatting with others. When she logged in tonight, however, there was a surprise - a private message in her inbox.

<b>TheRealGift</b>: <i>Hey! Your username popped up & I wanted to tell ya that post you made defending Mic recently? It was *chef's kiss*</i>

Elly giggled wickedly. She shared Hizashi's dislike of most reporters, especially ones that ripped on him. She had posted a long, structured thread on all the reasons he was a viable Hero, because some shitty article had claimed he wasn't very strong and other defacing lies.

<b>XRadioXSilenceX</b>: <i>Thanks! I hate it when people act like he's a "lesser" Hero. It's bullshit.</i>

<b>TheRealGift</b>: <i>Can I ask you a question? How did you come up with your username?</i>

She smiled somewhat sadly. "Oh, that? Yeaaahhh..."

<b>XRadioXSilenceX</b>: <i>I suppose because I'll never get to tell him how I feel. I don't wanna be creepy, and I know for sure he's not interested! Also I needed the x's cause of course this was already taken</i>

<b>TheRealGift</b>: <i>You sound so sure about him not being interested in you</i> <b>:c</b>

"Awwww, a text emoji. You must be almost as old as me."

<b>XRadioXSilenceX</b>: <i>LOL of course I'm sure!</i>

Elly frowned lightly, looking around. She kept hearing the chime the message board made when she got a private message. It was almost as if it was echoing. Her ears perked, and she hit "send".

<i>There it is again. It sounds like it's close by</i>!

She flung the door open and staggered back as she nearly knocked over Hizashi, still dressed in his shades, leather and gloves, but without his neck speaker or headphones. And he was carrying a laptop!

He stumbled into the wall and gave her the biggest, goofiest grin she'd seen him manage yet. "Hey hey there, Ches - or should I say <i>Radio Silence</i>?"

Elly goggled crazily at him for a moment, her eyes huge, then realized not only what this meant but that she was wearing the most incriminating t-shirt and only had a pair of panties on underneath it besides. A sound resembling a broken squeak toy squeezed out of her tightly shut throat.

"Ohhh... you actually are, uh. Oh."

"The real Present Mic? Yep." He nodded at her clothes. "<i>Nice</i> outfit, yo."

Elly froze, becoming even more terrified as a sudden thought struck her. Hizashi pushed past and walked inside her room, and she let the door slip from her nerveless fingers to clack shut.

"You didn't read any more of my posts, did you..?"

"Babe." He blinked at her ingenuously, hazel eyes staring widely from over the rims of his outrageous sunglasses. "I clicked those links <i>first</i>, a looooong time before I messaged ya."

Elly sank onto her bed, hands covering her brightly blushing face in shame. "Oh <i>no</i>."

"I especially liked the one where you hypothesized if I'm a screamer or not," he chirped brightly.

She sank further into a ball, hoping that this would all end. Mostly everything she'd written was emotionally charged, a lot highly sexual as well.

"...and argued with the others over what I smell like. You were the only one that got it right, an' that was when I really figured ya out." The bed dipped as he sat, and her heart sped up at his close proximity. "Hey, uh, Ches? Ches. You all right?"

Elly removed her hands slowly from her flaming cheeks to stare incredulously at the Voice Hero. "Are you <i>kidding</i> me? This is the most embarrassed I've been in my life!" She started to flicker in and out of sight as she struggled to refrain from using her quirk.

"Yeah, but don't you wanna know?"

"Know <i>what</i>?!"

"If my hair is soft despite bein' spiked up like this, what I smell like up close..." He leaned over, curling an arm around her to nudge closer on the bed. "...or what my mustache feels like when we kiss."

Her tail fluffed out in all directions and he laughed briefly before pressing his lips to hers in a lingering kiss that took her breath away.

"Mic," she gasped dreamily when they eventually parted for air.

He grinned. "I love how you always use my Hero name when I'm in the outfit."

Elly ran her hands up his neck to the plume of golden blond hair, relishing in every shiver her touches dragged from him. "Oh," she gasped in a small, dazed voice. "It's soft. Th - uh, it's all so soft."

"Yeah."

"I - I was not expecting that."

"Yeah?" Hizashi tilted his head towards her once more, his gloved hand cupping her jaw. "So you wanna feel it again?"

She went immediately where he guided. His fingertips and the worn leather provided a contrast on her sensitive skin, her senses heightened now that they were so close. His neck looked impossibly bare without the speaker and this time after a break she dipped her head and brushed a tender kiss on his throat.

"Oh yeah, I <i>like</i> that..."

Amazed she could make him sound so weak, she did it again and purred with delight when he groaned, his expressive voice turning deep and sultry, rather than the high tenor he normally spoke in.

"More, please, baby?" His glasses slid down his nose and he impatiently took them off. "Maybe this is kinda weird, but no one's ever done that. Feels like -" He slurred, glorious eyes closing in bliss when she started lavishing all her attention on that area. "Ngghh, ah... shit. Feels like yer tryin'a kiss my quirk."

"What if I am?" A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she planted a soft kiss just under his ear. "Your quirk is a great deal of who you are."

"Yeah, but like, it's not too much? <i>I'm</i> not too much? You don't think so?" He paused, then elaborated when she made a questioning sound. "Even the fans that think I'm, ya know, cool an' stuff, get tired of me when they're with me a lot. It's like, worship from afar. I've been told I'm great - in small bites. Not - not all the time, 'cause I'm too exhausting to deal with. Too tiring, too loud, too..."

"Enthusiastic? Cheerful? Playful?" She brushed a strand of hair that had fallen free of the rest back behind his ear.

"Uh... nope?" He laughed sheepishly, kissing her forehead as he blushed awkwardly. "Not one of those. Annoying, yeah, sure. Among other things."

The look she gave him was both sad and angry. "Those people don't deserve you," she said with a catch in her voice. "I mean, I don't think <i>I</i> deserve you - no way! -- but I think you're an amazing man. You cheer me up and keep me going no matter what, even when I'm having a bad time." She deliberately avoided mentioning her mental illness, though Hizashi knew about it. Most of her colleagues did because she believed transparency was key to destigmitization. "I love your boundless energy," she sighed. "But I realize, unlike those other idiots, that it's not totally you. Present Mic is hype, loud and cheerful and more like Hizashi cranked up to eleven."

He smiled into her hair, his hands rubbing her upper back. "You said my given name."

"Uh huh." She giggled when he hugged her. "I've always wanted to. Is it - I guess it's okay, right?"

"It's all okay. Plus I think you deserve me. Or, like, if it sounds better I really want <i>you</i>, ya dig?"

"Awww." She thought for a moment. "Anyway, maybe I can say this now. You push yourself so hard, Mic. <i>Too</i> hard. I know Hizashi isn't always happy and cheerful, and that's okay. You're allowed to be down, too, sometimes. You can always come to me if you need to be around someone then."

Hizashi stared into her eyes, the spiral pupils dizzy with emotions. He was thinking about how it was so amazing she understood him, and he was certain it wasn't just because of her occupation. He gave in to his base desire at last with a little shiver.

"Mnnn. I'm feelin' <i>enthusiastic</i> now, though, babygirl. You get it? Yeah?" His hands wandered from her back to her front, cupping her breasts through the thin shirt. "Yer gonna get it," he hummed wickedly.

"Present <i>Mic</i>!"

"'Sup, baby?" He licked the wildly beating pulse on her neck. "My number-one listener got any requests?"

"I'm sorry," Elly murmured, shivering with reaction from both his touch and the silky tone of his voice. "I should really use your given name if we're..." Her blush intensified. "You know."

"Nah, that's totes okay," he murmured into her hair a bit breathlessly. "I'm still in the costume. Later, when my hair's down, you can moan <i>Hizashi</i> instead an' it'll be even hotter."

"Oh, god!" The notion of <i>later</i> hadn't even crossed her mind; his casual mention that he would still want her caused her mind to blank. She cried out and he hastily covered her mouth with his, silencing her as he stroked her breasts through the shirt.

"Mmmn. The way your nose crinkles up so cute, an' your fangs peek out when I kiss you just right - all of you makes me want more. I wanna slip it to you, beautiful." His hands moved down her waist until he was running his fingers under the hem of her panties.

"The others!" She hissed, her eyes darting to the walls on either side. "Mic, we can't -"

"You wanna bet? I have a special secret nobody knows about, pretty kitty -" He kissed her left breast, mouthing the nipple. "I can be <i>quiet</i>." His tone dropped, and then he was humming lowly, the vibrations tickling her feline ears. "Only you can hear this frequency... and maybe Hound Dog. But nobody else will know."

"But - but <i>I'll</i> make noise, and the bed -"

Hizashi swiftly covered her lips in a deeply passionate kiss, swallowing whatever else she might have said. "No way, Ches baby. I'll muffle yer sweet cries. An', look, check it. Gentle, slow movements won't rock the boat, yeah?" He thrust his hips, rubbing his leather crotch on her thigh. The bed moved but didn't pound outrageously into the wall like she'd feared. "If you think you can handle me, I can deliver."

"Then," Her throat felt so dry she almost couldn't force out a whisper. "Then take off all that sexy leather and take <i>me</i>."

"Ooooh, yes ma'am!" He wriggled off the end of the bed and started peeling off the tight pants he wore. After he got them to his ankles he looked up, grinning. "Hey, you want me to keep the top stuff on for now?"

"You can if you want." Her look belied her indifferent tone; her gaze was hungry as she watched him shimmy outrageously out of his underwear. A trail of fine, blond hairs crept downward from under his white shirt and led to a darker golden patch preceeding his erection.

Hizashi laughed, crawling back on the bed. "You wanna grab that leather, don't ya?"

"I want to grab <i>everything</i>," she muttered.

"Patience, baby." He kissed her and tugged her panties down in one swift movement. "For now, though, let's see how ready you are." His fingers rubbed and gently entered her warmth. "Fuck yeah, you're <i>hot</i>."

She squirmed, her breathing becoming erratic as he rolled his finger in slow, lazy circles. "Please," was all she could manage to gasp.

"Please, what?" He grinned down at her.

Elly changed tactics. She really wanted to touch him anyway, but with his jacket and shirt on and his groin pressed to her side she had only one option. Her hands grabbed hold of his bare bottom and squeezed.

Hizashi let out a soft groan. "Shit..! Okay, okay! I know." He dropped an apologetic kiss on her lips and nudged her inner thighs with his knees to suggest she spread them. "No more teasing."

She'd been promised gentle and slow, but hadn't been expecting it - she trusted Hizashi, but the men in her life always promised and never delivered.

Until now.

His first thrust was smooth and he didn't stop until their bellies were brushing. Elly's legs jerked, and she gripped his waist with them as she grabbed a double handful of fragrant leather. He nuzzled her cheek, dropping low to kiss her.

"You feel so good, baby," he whispered, rolling his hips and sighing. "You like how I feel inside you?" He chuckled when she squeezed her eyes tight, biting her lip to try and hold in the cries. "Just whisper, baby. Tell me if I'm doin' you right."

"<i>Perfect</i>," she wheezed. "Keep up those long, deep strokes, please, it's hitting just the right spot inside me." He whimpered and complied, drawing back with lazy, slow thrusts of his hips that left them panting and wanting more. Hizashi kept that slow, even pace, however, and was soon rewarded by the woman underneath him tugging on his jacket and whipping her head from side to side.

"You close?"

Elly nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

He drew back and fixed her with his very best stare, the squinty-eyed <i>you're gonna get it</i> smirk that he gave unruly students and villians.

"M - Mic..!" She sucked in a quick lungful of air, her own eyes going very wide.

"M'gonna give it to ya, Ches honey. Present Mic's gonna come inside of you."

She pressed her face tightly on his upper chest, muffling her scream as she came. And, as promised, Hizashi was not far behind. His body trembled and he bit her very lightly on the neck as his pleasure burst.

They lay there for a minute, getting control of their breathing.

"Wow," she said at last.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Wow!"

"Mic - Hizashi -- I lo -"

"Oh, nuh <i>uh</i>, sweet thing," he interrupted quickly, his eyes wide. "You ain't supposed to say it first!"

"There aren't rules for this sort of thing," she scolded mildly.

He pulled her into the full circle of his arms, his hazel eyes shining greenish gold in the light. "I love you," he told her in English. "There. <i>Now</i> you."

Elly touched his cheek with wondering fingertips. "I love you so much."

Mark 12

 Elly stared at her neighbor across the cafe table, stunned at the news he just dropped on her.

"I've heard of this happening," she said, hesitant and filled with dread. "But usually it's in cases where <i>both</i> people have lost their soulmates. Hizashi's - he's not..."

"He's fine," he assured her. "It does happen with children, too," he added quietly. "Young kids don't form romantic relationships, so they go through a few friends that act as platonic soulmates while they need them."

"Oh, yeah. That never happened to me, but it did a few kids I knew growing up."

He stared at the Mark bitterly for a moment. "This has to be something similar."

Elly sighed, shaking her head. "All right, Aizawa. We need to discuss this. <i>All</i> of us."

He winced, a hand creeping up to rub the back of his neck as he stared mournfully out the window. "Yes. I can't run from it anymore."

Hizashi did <i>not</i> take the news well.

When they showed up together at the town home he welcomed them in, thanking his friend with a huge smile. "Hey, ya finally met, huh? And gave her a ride home early? Awright, what an awesome day!" He hugged her happily.

"Yeah, about that..." Aizawa rubbed the back of his neck once more. Elly saw this was a nervous quirk he had and took a deep breath. He was going to jump right into it.

"Yeah, what?"

Aizawa rolled his sleeve back to show him the Mark.

The blond-haired man blinked, gaping, until Elly showed him hers next to it. Then she gasped, surprised, as Hizashi began bawling, his hazel eyes squeezed shut and tears spilling down his face. He wobbled and might have fallen if she didn't grasp him by the arm.

"Hizashi!"

"Yamada! Snap out of it!"

"<b>No!</b>" His voice control was impressive, he really got under it and projected a loud shout that caused Aizawa to grimace and clap his hands over his ears.

"Sweetie, please," she begged, rubbing the arm she held. "We need to talk. It's okay."

"N..." The undercurrent of fright he heard from her calmed him down a little. He squinted at Aizawa through damp eyelashes. "N - no, she's <i>my</i> baby," Hizashi whined. "I love her. You can't - you can't take her away... Ches, what's happening?"

"I'm not leaving, but we do need to talk," Elly suggested, pointing in the living room. "Zashi, we'll take the couch. It's okay, sweetheart. Just sit for now." She pressed gently on his shoulders, settling him in his favorite spot before going to the fridge to pour three beers.

Hizashi grabbed one the minute she set them down. He lifted the tall glass to his lips and drained about half all at once. Elly watched with a worried look on her face but was silent. "A'ight, let's fuckin' Google this shit," he snapped loudly. "Ain't gonna freak out 'til I get some more <i>info</i>."

"Yamada," his friend started, but the DJ cut him off with a violently flamboyant hand gesture.

"Nuh uh! Listen!" He proceeded to read aloud from his phone. "A person has multiple soulmates - it'd be impossible not to -- meant to come in and out of their life over the years; these soulmates can be both romantic and platonic."

"The kids," Elly murmured. Aizawa grunted, nodding.

"I don't like it, but..." Hizashi tossed his phone negligently onto the coffee table with a frown. "Basically each soulmate serves a necessary purpose in our lives. It could be that you've reached the point where you know you should be, well, over things..."

Aizawa touched underneath his eyes with trembling fingertips. "I don't know that at all."

"Your heart probably doesn't," she said sadly, "but your mind might."

"Well, if yer <i>brain</i> realizes it, then ya need support and friendship - and Ches is the perfect match for that." He paused, then added darkly, "it'd <i>better</i> be that," while drawing his knees up in front of his chest and glaring at the man opposite him.

"I don't need another loud friend," the dark-haired man grumbled from where he was slumped in a plush chair. "And I don't want to be <i>over</i> any - anything."

"This sucks." Elly stroked Hizashi's long, blond hair while he grumbled under his breath, still pouting. "How the hell did we not know about this, any of us? Have either of you ever heard of an adult finding double Marks? Or more, even?"

"Nuh." He pulled her possesively against him, his frown drawing his expressive eyebrows into an almost comical point.

"I would conjecture most people stop really looking once they've found their partner." Aizawa took his glass and held it for a moment, staring into the amber liquid dully. "Others may have refused to believe there's another out there after..." He trailed off, his eyes far away. They knew what he was thinking and silence reigned for a little while.

"You're obviously not into me like that type of soulmate," she ventured at last, placing her glass down.

"I wouldn't know."

"What's that mean?" She got up to settle her tail in a better position, curling it alongside her.

"So, I guess I better explain. I'm bi and demi, sort of ace but not all the way." Aizawa explained. "So I wouldn't experience what you two did anyway. I have to be emotionally connected to my partner before I'm in any way inclined toward them." He held out his arm, the Mark so faint it was barely noticeable. "It might be why this is so light. I don't know you well at all."

"It's darker than your first one," Hizashi muttered. He shook his empty glass and uncurled himself from his tight sulk to rummage around in the kitchen.

"Oh, uh..." Elly frowned, trying to remember everything she knew about the terms. Bi wasn't difficult, but the others she hadn't heard as often so she asked in as gentle a manner as possible. "I'm a little confused, Aizawa. I don't want to ask an insensitive question, but I'm not sure I understand exactly what <i>demi</i> means, especially when combined with ace."

He shrugged. "Don't be worried about offending - it took <i>me</i> a long time to figure out how I felt. I can't expect you to get it right away when it's more complicated from how you function."

Elly sighed with relief. "Thanks."

"I'm not interested much, if at all, in sex with another person unless I'm in love, and my desire is rare even then. I also have to be emotionally connected to someone - to know them well -- in order to feel love in the first place."

"Isn't that how it works? You get to know someone and then you fall in love?" Her furry ears wiggled with amusement.

"Is it what happened to you two?" He snorted. "You jumped on each other from the second your Marks aligned."

"Hey, now -" Hizashi was walking back from the fridge with another huge glass of beer. He hadn't known this fact about Aizawa, and the idea that he possibly wouldn't be sexually attracted to Elly appeared to calm him down some. "It wasn't <i>that</i> fast."

"Really? How many dates until you slept together?" They looked away and the blond-haired man coughed shyly. "I thought so. It's different for me. I don't get crushes or feel attraction to <i>anyone</i> unless I bond with them. And even then sexual attraction's still rare."

"We kinda bonded -"

"Hizashi, we moved really fast. And we definitely were attracted to each other right away."

Aizawa rubbed a hand across his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Look, I'm not deliberately trying to be an asshole. The point is, if I stay far away I'll never fall in love with you."

"But I'm right <i>next door</i>. We share a wall."

"Yes," he said sourly. "I know."

They all stared at each other.

Hizashi took a giant swig of beer and burped loudly. "Well, I guess, uh... <i>fuck</i>."

"That sums the situation up perfectly, thank you."

Mark 11

 Living with Hizashi was easier than Elly expected. They got on well, though there were a few hiccups about eating times and preferred food, and one horrible spat when he tried to wake her up early. On the whole, though, things settled down in a couple weeks.

She was working at the store one afternoon when the door tinkled musically open and a customer walked in. Elly's ears snapped upright as she recognized their neighbor, the dark and scraggly-haired man that had run off the day of her move. Her eyes narrowed - she was certain he wasn't in to purchase music, of all things -- but then had to cater to another customer afer they asked about a type of music they were interested in. The scruffy man wandered over to the magazine racks, eyeing her suspiciously over the pages more than anything else. He stayed there so long that the other person left and she finally was able to confront him.

"Excuse me, <i>sir</i>," she called out, forced by the hours to at least try to be civil, "was there anything you needed help with?"

He jerked guiltily when she approached. "I, uh... no, not really."

Elly noticed Kayama watching them carefully from a corner of the cafe and relaxed a little. If he was here to cause any sort of trouble, her friend had her back.

"Maybe you'd be interested in a cup of coffee if you're going to be standing around for many more hours," she suggested dryly.

He actually nodded. "That might be a good idea. Are you too busy to join me right now?"

It was her turn to jump, startled. "Uh, me? No, we're not and I haven't had a break in awhile, I guess."

He ordered a simple black coffee and they sat down close by the edge so she could watch the shop.

"So, you probably know that I'm Yamada's neighbor."

"I know, and that makes you mine, too. But it doesn't explain anything," she huffed. "So, what? You came here to see if I'm a serial killer or something?"

He rubbed wearily at his eyes with a shaking hand. "Look," he murmured in a softer tone, "I needed to see you."

"What!" She shook her head, amazed. "You've been at me since I first met Hizashi! Telling him he was rushing into things and all that crap." Her lips drew down into a thin frown.

"It's ...complicated," he hedged, holding his cup in front of him like a shield. Elly realized he seemed afraid of her, as his hands were shaking and he was even paler than she remembered. "I didn't mean to imply you weren't meant for each other. And I ran that day for a good reason, as well. I'm not sure I want to tell why you even now."

"That's <i>exactly</i> what I'm going to ask!" She hissed, her tail swishing furiously behind her. "What the hell, there's obviously something wrong. You don't want Hizashi and I together -"

"No. That's not correct." He looked up and met her raging purple eyes with his gray ones. Whatever Elly had been about to say died on her lips when she saw the anguish in that tired, blood-flecked gaze. His Mark seemed to be a smudge, almost cloud-like in appearance, under both eyes. It was faded, and she knew what that meant. Hizashi had told her his soulmate died tragically young.

She continued in a less harsh tone, though her anger was not completely defused. "You better give me a good reason you came looking for me, or I'm calling the cops."

The man held out his left arm and slowly pushed back a tattered black sleeve. Amidst the dark hairs was something unheard of: another Mark. It was clear it was not a tattoo, because though it was faint and small, it was moving. A somber musical score in black and gray played out, yearning towards her own. It was also much darker than the fading ones under his eyes.

"No." Elly shook her head. "No, it's not possible." She pulled up her sleeve to prove it, and gasped when she saw hers was moving as well. It was not, however, matching the contemporary pop music playing in the background, but was rhythmically the same unknown beat as his.

"Let's try this again. My name is Aizawa Shota," he sighed. "It seems that we're each others' second soulmate."