Mark 14

 "Ungh," Hizashi groaned as he checked his emails one sunny morning not long after the conversation with their neighbor. They were lounging on the couch after getting ready for the day, her in casual clothing and him in his DJ costume. "I'm not in the <i>mood</i> to be Mic yet."

"Aww, honey." She smiled affectionately at him. "You will. You just need more coffee."

He groaned. "It's the worst bullshit today. No gig. You remember, right?" He stared morosely at his neck gear and leather jacket draped over a chair.

She frowned. "Remember? Remember what?"

"Uh, it's the day my agent arranged an interview an' photos here." He winced. "I'm sorry. I got too caught up in our not-love triangle shit to remind you last night."

"Oh, no," she gasped, her ears flat with fear. "How do I - what do I <i>do</i>?!"

He turned around, smiling affectionately at her as he took her hands in his. "It's okay, baby. I fell in love with you, an' just being you is definitely enough."

"Sure, but what about your fans?!"

"Oh." He blinked. "Yeah, they can get a little pissy."

"I'm so <i>nervous</i>," she wailed.

"You'll be fine. I'll be right there, love, and I won't let anything happen you don't want to. An' besides, I wanna show you o-o-o-off! Please?"

"I've got to, I don't know, at least change!" She looked down at herself. Once again she was wearing one of Hizashi's promotional shirts, this time a black crop top with his name emblazoned in gold glitter paint. Jeans and a pair of sandals topped off the look.

"You're gorgeous, babe."

"For a photo shoot?!"

"Yeah! Why not?" He batted his eyelashes outrageously at her, knee-walking over while holding that trembly pout. "<i>Pretty please</i> wear that smokin' hot outfit? For me? Oh oh oh!" He leaped suddenly to his feet, grinning like a maniac. "I know how to get ya to say yes!"

"I wasn't going to say no!" She was laughing by this time, rolling back on the cushions.

"Mnnn..." He flashed her a cocky smile and crawled closer. Placing his hands firmly on her hips he gave her a look that she swore could have melted steel. "We got some time before the interview, sweetness. I say we put it to <i>very</i> good use."

"What are you suggesting exactly?"

"I'm <i>sayin'</i>..." He was far more confident dressed as his persona and he chuckled slyly. "You wanna fuck Present Mic, baby?"

Elly shivered, her ears folding back into her hair as she watched him watching her with those bright eyes of his. "But - but you're all dressed!"

"So <i>cute</i>!" His posture slouched and his expression slid easily into his more sheepish, casual self. "I promise we can do this with minimum mess. You okay? I thought this might be fun, 'specially since I know you were a fan."

"I'm still a fan," she corrected. 

"Oooooh! That gets me all wiggly inside. For real? Even though you know the really real me?"

Elly giggled. "Say <i>real</i> again, sweetie. I think you missed one."

"Awwww c'mon, be serious! I wanna make you totally relax, babe, an' I just <i>know</i> I can turn ya into jelly like this. Sound good? Yeah?"

"Yeah. Put your Mic back on."

This time he laughed as he gave her a thumbs-up. "Lay back, babygirl. I'm fixin' to rock your world."

She did, and he laid carefully on top of her. Hizashi smiled, a big, toothy grin with one eye squinted and the other wide open. It was a look he'd cultivated when he was playing up his persona and it hit her hard.

<i>Oh no oh shit oh fucking FUCK he's too sexy</i>!

He pulled his white shirt up with one hand, exposing his lightly muscled abdomen. He was smooth skinned except a single sparse puff of gold between his pectorals. A teasing trail dipped between defined pelvic bones at the waist of his tightly belted leather pants. 

"Ready, babe?" His voice was even hotter. He somehow <i>knew</i>, perhaps subconsciously, that a lower, vibrating baritone would wreck her completely.

Elly shook herself back to reality. He was still talking. "Wh - wha..?"

"What's wrong, distracted by something? Some<i>one</i>?" His smile grew into a smug smirk as he gestured to his body. "Could it be that..." Hizashi leaned over her slowly until their foreheads were touching. His golden-green eyes with their concentric circles seemed to spin hypnotically and she whimpered as he got close. He licked his lips, his gaze dropping to her own, but moved past to whisper in her ear instead. "...you want me <i>that</i> bad?"

"Erk!"

"M'gonna unzip and pull these babies down real careful. I won't be able to move that much 'cause they're tight, so I need some help to slip in, yeah?" He wriggled his leather pants and underwear down eagerly and she guided him with a gentle touch.

"Relax, baby," he promised with a twinkle in his eye. "You come first today, no matter what. We're all set, so lay there and let me do all the work." He thrust expetimentally and nodded, panting right away with his tongue hanging out. "And oh, that's good."

"This is so hot," she groaned, grabbing at his rear still partially molded to the leather pants. "Ohmigod, <i>Mic</i>, I want it fast. I want you to come in me so bad!"

Hizashi arched his back, thrusting more firmly. "Uh, uh, babygirl! I said <i>you're</i> coming <i>first</i>. Ya vlose already?"

She dug her nails in harder, whining as the electric feeling in her lower belly rose higher and higher. "Yes yes yes!"

"<i>There</i>," he gasped, "oh, thank fuck I'm gonna -!"

Of course Hizashi helped her pick an outfit for the interview afterward. Elly helped get him back into order, too and there was enough time for fussing over his hair to make sure it was perfect.

She was less nervous and it went well, especially since he was right by her side. 

Entangled Hearts 6

 "Ohhhh, that's <i>soooo</i> good."

Kayama paused from where she'd been walking down the hall to listen in at the teacher's lounge. Present Mic wasn't known for low voices, after all, and the sound came through clear as if he was right there beside her.

The next <i>was</i> whispered though, with a hushed giggle that identified the person as Elly. "You want more, then?"

"Yeah, don't you dare stop."

She barged in triumphantly, eyes gleaming, only to find the two sitting on the couch with a paper bucket in front of them.

Hizashi turned his head, a puzzled look on his face with his cheek full and half a piece of fried chicken dangling out of his mouth. "Hwa'zzup, Kayama?"

Elly was frozen in place with her hand outstretched holding a freshly fried wing. "Hi Midnight. We found this new chicken place! Since it's both our favorite food we decided to grab some right away."

He chewed, then swallowed mightily. "Uh huh! You want a piece?"

Kayama frowned a little. "You guys are weird."

A few days later she rounded a corner headed towards the joint office where the teachers worked to hear more whispered speech in the lounge.

"Hurry up..!"

Hizashi groaned. "Babe, I already did it twice, it's too much."

Elly scoffed, then giggled. "It can never be too much."

Kayama tried opening the door quietly this time, sliding it as slowly as possible but they were waiting.

And just like last time, there they sat. They weren't even close together on the seats, there was at least a foot between them. 

Hizashi pushed his sunglasses up on his nose and grinned brightly at her. "Hey, Midnight! Got any requests for some impressions?"

"He's so good!"

"Yeah, just don't ask me to do one over and over again." He rolled his eyes dramatically. 

Some time passed before it happened again.

It was close to lunchtime and Kayama headed to Lunch Rush's cafeteria to nab something to eat before it got too crowded. She wasn't expecting to see the Voice Hero's plume of blond hair bobbing behind the line where the kitchen was.

She heard the counselor first, though she couldn't see her.

"You have to be more gentle," Elly said firmly. "You can't just grab them. Wrap your hands around them like this."

"Hey, they're much softer than I thought. Wow."

"What are you two <i>doing</i>?!" Kayama spluttered. "I'm up for kinky stuff, but in the kitch - ohhh?"

The tall man was indeed close to Elly, standing behind her with his arms around her... but they weten't touching. He was reaching around to the lightly floured counter where several blobs of white sat, unformed.

Hizashi held a rice cake out in his palm. "'Sup, Kayama?"

After many more incidents like these, Kayama began to get angry. She <i>knew</i> they were messing with her but couldn't shake the feeling the two were a couple.

The R-Rated Hero vowed that it would take a lot for her to fall for one of their tricks again, but it <i>was</i> her namesake and she was bound and determined to finally catch them. As she passed Elly's office one cloudy afternoon she heard what sounded suspiciously like kissing. Thinking it was likely another trick, she forced herself to turn around but this was followed by an unmistakable moan of pure pleasure.

She froze, listening.

"Shhhh, sweetie. We really don't want anyone to catch us this time."

"But you're so <i>goooood</i>." He whined softly. "I can't hold back."

"And you're sure this couldn't have waited until we were at your place."

"Couldn't wait another <i>second</i>, pretty kitty."

A sigh. "All right, you cheater. You <i>know</i> I can't resist when you give me those eyes. Take it off."

"Oh, <i>babygirl</i>." There was a long, long pause. Then, "Right there, right there. Don't stop."

Kayama's hands twitched.

"Harder," he pleaded in a trembling voice.

That was enough.

Kayama slammed open the door with a triumphant "<i>Aha</i>!" only to find she'd been had again.

There was Hizashi, sitting splay-legged on a chair with his head swinging freely forward and a look of sheer bliss on his face. His directional speaker lay on his jacket to one side of her desk while Elly massaged the back of his neck and shoulders.

"Damn it!" Kayama swore and slammed her hand on the doorframe. "<i>Are you two hooking up or not</i>?!"

"'Hooking up'?" The other woman flicked her furry ears once. "No way!"

"Whaaaaaat?!" Now she was almost screeching.

"Chill out," Hizashi grinned. "Hookin' up means like, casual shit. Me and Ches are <i>far</i> from casual. We're <i>seriously serious</i>."

"Wait, so you're -?"

"A couple. Yep."

She pursed her bright red lips and doubled down. "And that means you're..?"

Hizashi was ready. He spoke up in his very best, brightest and <i>robust</i> radio host voice. "Boning? Shagging?" He paused, looking up at Elly who was barely stifling her amusement. "Boot knockin'? Gettin' it <i>onnn</i>, doing some horizontal tango?"

She lost control and burst out laughing. "Zashi!"

He continued, unperturbed. "Boinking, porking, bumpin' uglies? Or maybe ya just prefer good ol' fashioned f-"

"Hizashi!"

"....ffffffor-ni-cay-shun, what?" He blinked at her, wide-eyed and innocent.

Kayama glared at him with her eyelids lowered. She sighed. "So you two are fucking."

"Fuckin' in love," he agreed.

Both women groaned, though only one had a smile on her face.

Entangled hearts 5

 Hizashi stared at her for only a few seconds before acting. He bent his arms, lowering himself to kiss her deeply. They lay like this for some time, kissing now and then, until he just couldn't be quiet anymore.

"You want me, huh."

"I meant everything."

"I know what ya meant." He smiled, a sweet, slightly sappy smile that melted her heart. "But, uh, we better talk about <i>that</i> before we, uh..." He shrugged and rolled to the side, still cuddling her.

"Not much to talk about, is there? I'm on hero mandated birth control. The quirk user, so it's solid." She paused. "I also, um. Haven't been active for a couple years. I frequently test negative for anything since I don't do regular patrols."

Hizashi nodded. "Yeah, nah... me neither. I'm more into my side gigs these days than fightin' on the streets. And one night stands seemed more exciting as a kid, not a thirty-year-old."

"Do you want to see my latest tests?"

"Nah. I trust you. You're still on patrol, anyway, like me. They'd pull us if our blood got tainted."

"Then we're both clean."

"Looks like it." He nuzzled her neck affectionately. "I know this'll be our first time, but we've been together through more shit already than most couples have in their entire lives. I trust ya, and I hope you do me."

"Yes."

"I'll still wear a condom if you want. I think I got a couple around from Chiyo's <i>health incentive</i> last week." He shuddered at the memory. "She kept pushin' them on me. Finally ended up slipping them in my jacket when she thought I wasn't looking."

"Ha!"

"I think she thought we were, uh, hooking up already." Hizashi shook his head in amazement as a thought came to him. "Do you think... naahhh."

Elly ran her fingers lightly through his puff of chest hair, toying with the curls. "What?"

"Mmn." His low hum of pleasure caused her to smile and he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Okay, I've got a theory but no yelling -"

"That's funny, coming from you!"

"Ha <i>ha</i>." Hizashi thought for a moment. "What if this was all carefully orchestrated? Kayama going places with me, her pushing all those condoms at me every chance she got. D'ya think she was trying to make this happen?"

"What!"

"Got yer attention." He snickered, then yelped when she tugged on his hair. "Careful with that! I barely grow any in other places than my head, yo!"

"No, seriously... would she? Yeah, she <i>would</i>, wouldn't she?"

"She asked me a couple times if I needed help askin' someone out."

"Holy shit."

"Let's mess with her," Elly blurted out all at once.

"Wha?" He propped himself up on a hand and gave her a baffled look.

"Let's mess with her," she repeated, her eyes bright. "You know, prank her about it. Us."

Hizashi chuckled. "You're my girl, all right."

"So it's settled? Instead of letting everyone know right away, we'll play into her game, make like we're being sneaky hiding we're together." She kissed the tip of his nose.

"Deal." He rubbed his nose on hers after the kiss with a smile. "She needs to get the wind taken outta her sails now an' then or she gets insufferable. She'll <i>really</i> gloat if she thinks her little scheme worked."

"Hooray."

"Now, where were we..?" He lifted himself up and over her once more, making sure he was secure but not weighing too heavily.

Elly reached out and touched the waistband of his slacks. "We were getting rid of these."

He shuddered with pleasure. "Yeah. Yeah, let's do that." 

They helped each other undress until both were nude under the sheets, their bodies touching with an indescribable heat that caused him to exclaim loudly.

"Holy shit, I'm burning up already and we haven't even started!"

"Well, you <i>are</i> hot!"

"Aw, <i>shit</i> Ches." 

"Are you blushing?"

Hizashi ducked his head, grinning. "Maybe, yo. I don't get called 'hot' a lot. And you're seeing everything."

She ran her hands lightly along his sides until she reached his waist, then slipped forward. "I sure am."

"Oh boy." His ears turned bright red and he gasped. "I'm, uh, oh... not gonna last if you keep -"

"Then let's go."

"You ready, baby?"

"Yes." Elly hugged his sides with her legs, her tail fluffing out to the side.

"Hang on," he husked in a curiously low voice.

In contrast to how she'd imagined he would be, Hizashi was very quiet. This was likely on purpose, since he might hurt her if he lost control of his quirk. His increasingly rough breathing and her cries were the only sounds besides the creak of the bedframe and the slap of their bellies together, until the end.

He made sure to raise his head to the ceiling as he shouted her name, and thankfully only a few paint chips fell.

He was, all in all, very pleased with himself. Everything had gone quite well.

Instagram Recording

 Hizashi and his friend and colleague Aizawa Shota were sitting in the common area in the faculty dormitory, taking a break from school work for awhile to recharge. Aizawa was clicking randomly through television channels with a bored look on his face while his buddy checked his phone.

"Check it," he said excitedly, "I posted this last night. '<i>Just got done with a set @OutlandersClub</i>!' It was rockin'. And I think that's a sick photo, yeah?" Hizashi posed jokingly, flexing in his jacket and letting the light hit his neck speaker so it flashed bright in the sun. "That's one good shot of me as Mic!"

"You're an idiot," Aizawa grunted and gave up, tossing the remote onto the coffee table.

Hizashi shrugged, scrolling absently down the comments on his post but then froze, his finger twitching. "The <i>fuck</i>?"

<b>BeetsMe</b>: <i>LOL who's he looking at</i>

<b>Rand0mShppr89</b>: <i>He's waiting for Eraserhead cause they're married</i>

"Why they gotta do me like that?" He shoved the phone in Aizawa's face. "It's cool if they wanna do it in their fandom circles, but why they got to bring it up every. Fucking. Post I make?!"

Aizawa read the post and snorted. "Stupid," he said dismissively. "Look, we've been through this. The fans will insist their favorites are together. And we're both single, it's inevitable they would pair us with others."

"Yeah, others, not us. Why us?"

"We're seen together a lot."

"Yeah, 'cause you're my bud. <i>Ugh</i>!" He slammed the phone down on the arm of the couch. "If I could, I'd post a pic of me kissing, uhhhh... oh."

Elly raised her eyebrows from where she had crept up behind him. "Don't stop <i>there</i>," she chided him while Aizawa tried to stifle a laugh. "Who does Present Mic want to make out with... on camera, no less?" She placed her forearms on the back of the couch, grinning maniacally like her namesake.

"Uh, how the hell can I spin this so I don't sound like an asshole..?"

Her tail twitched as she leaned over, lifting his headphones off on one side to purr into his ear. "Me. You say it's me, you sexy beast. And then Aizawa films us making out like two horny ass teens." 

His jaw dropped, his sunglasses sliding down his nose to reveal bulging hazel eyes, the spirals thin with shock. "<i>Cheshire</i>!"

She giggled and snapped the can back on his ear. "What? I thought you loved DJing."

He twisted around to stare at her. "I do," he said slowly, his mind racing wildly as he looked at her in a new light. "I could spin <i>you</i> all night long, baby."

"Oooh, you talk big. But can you put your money where your mouth is?"

Hizashi reached up with one hand, placing it on the back of her neck. She willingly leaned into his touch and he lifted his head to reach, turning so his speaker didn't get in the way. They took their time and slowly, sensously deepened into a blistering soul kiss that would make most people blush to witness.

"Huh - holy <i>shit</i>," he gasped when they parted. "That was epic."

"Mmmn."

"Too bad I can't show everyone <i>that</i>! It'd shut 'em up for awhile."

Aizawa cleared his throat. Hizashi glanced over and was surprised to see him holding his phone. "I got it." 

"You <i>whaassst</i>?!"

"I recorded you two." He shrugged. "That was extremely disgusting to watch, by the way. You need to get a room or something."

"No way?!"

"You wanted it."

"You did say that," Elly reminded him, running her fingers lightly over one of his studded shoulderpads.

"I guess I did. Huh."

Aizawa handed it to him and stood. "Keep me out of it," he warned before he walked off down the hall.

"Weird how this worked out," Hizashi muttered.

"Because it <i>was</i> me, wasn't it." She tweaked one of his mustache points playfully.

"Yeah," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I never thought you'd call me out on it, though."

"Good thing I did."

"Yeah," he said again, his grin growing wider. "Hey, if you want an American breakfast we better stop and pick some stuff up tonight."

Birthday 2024 (Hizashi)

 Another year, another birthday.

Elly had already hung her paper on the bamboo display in the common area of the faculty dorm and was on her way to greet the birthday boy. Tonight a group of them would gather at a bar with him for drinks and food, but she wanted a small moment alone.

She knocked and he pulled the door open immediately, backing up so she could enter.

"Hey!" He grinned and threw double finger guns her way in a jaunty manner. This wasn't an unusual greeting but for some reason she responded differently. Maybe it was the excitement of the day or the previous battle they had survived, but when he faced her with his arms thrown wide she leaped forward.

Elly met him in a hug.

Though Hizashi was startled, he reacted by instinctively hugging back. And when she didn't let go right away he squeezed tighter, wrapping his arms more firmly around the smaller woman and bending down to be closer.

They stayed like this for a long time. Several people passed by the open door meaning to congratulate him, but quickly spun around when they noticed the situation.

Yagi, however, was startled enough to cough. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth, hacking up a tiny amount of blood.

Hizashi raised his head, blinking to focus. When he saw the skeletal man standing there stunned he grinned sheepishly and gave him a thumb's-up  behind her back.

"Oh! Uh, I'm terribly sorry, Yamada... Ms. Cheshire." He darted back down the hallway where the others had gone but the noise startled Elly. She gasped with mortification, unaware how long she'd been clutching onto the voice hero like a living stuffed animal.

"Ohmigod!" Jerking backwards too fast she wobbled on her feet, her tail swishing for balance.

"Careful, babe!" Hizashi steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.

"H - how long was that. No, Zashi, don't answer, I know it was <i>too long</i>!" Her breathing picked up as she panicked. "Oh man, ohhh boy, I did <i>not</i> mean to do something that awkward, I'm sorry." Elly rubbed the bridge of her nose with one hand, groaning loudly. "It's just that your hug, it was..." She frowned, her eyes softening. "It was so <i>perfect</i>."

"Perfect?" His

"Um. Yeah. Warm and strong and something I can't place that I've never felt before," she admitted quietly. "I'm sorry I held on too long."

He rubbed her shoulder gently in a soothing manner. "Was it safe?"

"What?"

He stepped close again, his golden eyes serious. "Did it make you feel <i>safe</i>, like I'd never let anyone hurt you?"

Elly bit her lip, not really knowing what to say. "Hizashi -"

"'Cause I won't. That's what <i>I</i> felt." He slowly slipped his arms around her again, staring deeply into her eyes all the while. "Like the only hero I need to be is yours."

"Oh."

"So... uh. You wanna go for round two?"

This time she reached up, placing one palm gently on the nape of his neck. Once there her fingertips brushed the short, feathered hair and she stroked it softly.

He shivered a little. "This was a good birthday gift, yo."

"What, me?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. 

Entangled Hearts 1 - 4

 <b>Turdburglr27</b>: <i>Is Present Mic gay</i>?

<b>GroundGremlin</b>: <i>NO</i>

<b>Turdburglr27</b>: <i>He could be, geez</i>

<b>GroundGremlin</b>: <i>He shows no signs of being gay</i>

<b>Turdburglr27</b>: <i>He also hasn't shown signs of being straight</i>

<b>GroundGremlin</b>: <i>He literally was just seen with Midnight at a school festival, you moron</i>

<b>Turdburglr27</b>: <i>So</i>? <i>They work together</i>

<b>GroundGremlin</b>: <i>He also works with a TON OF guys and how come he wasn't with one of them</i>?

Hizashi grimaced and set his phone down. "For fuck's sake, now they're arguing on Twitter about whether I'm gay while others say we're dating."

Kayama tittered faintly. "Does that bother you?"

"Of course it does! We're not dating, ugh!"

"Yes, but we <i>were</i> seen together at the festival." She sighed, covering her mouth as it turned into a yawn. "Honestly, you think my fan base would know I've got better taste than that."

"Hey!"

"What? Gonna argue? Your girlfriend is already pissed."

Hizashi frowned, confused. "You know I'm single, yo."

"<i>Really</i>? What about Cheshire?"

He staggered backwards, arms shooting up. "<i>Whaaaaat</i>? Are you nuts?!"

Aizawa snorted from where he sat beside his friend. He shot him a look but he said nothing.

"You two are pretty inseperable," Toshinori added unhelpfully.

"But - we're not - "

Kayama scoffed, waving her hand airily about as she walked over to the vending machine to get a drink. "You may as well be. You two don't get press but you're always together."

Stunned, Hizashi looked out at a row of teachers all nodding in agreement. "What!"

"Maybe that's why she's upset."

"What, because the press doesn't care about them?"

"Hnf." Aizawa snorted louder and finally glanced over his laptop at the others. "They would, if they were seen as their hero personas."

"Yeah," Kayama agreed. "He's always primping all casual with <i>her</i>. And she hides her features with her quirk."

"But -" The Voice Hero spluttered wildly, hands outstretched on the desk and his sunglasses slipping down his nose. "That's bogus, yo! I don't -"

"Not to mention the flirting." Hizashi spun around, amazed at the newcomer's take. Nezu walked around the desk area with his paws behind his back and a knowing grin. "Those two are always making eyes at each other, are they not?"

"We are?" Now he was more than confused; his tone betrayed complete and utter bafflement. "But - but we're not - wait. <i>Wait, Kayama, did you say she's pissed</i>?!"

"She left for the gym a long time ago. Go see for yourself!"










Elly gripped the climbing wall with her claws and pulled herself up, snarling under her breath. She'd been at the gym for hours, swimming, lifting weights and tearing into practice dummies so hard one had to be retired.

There were so many photos. So, so many.

<i>But what about</i>us? <i>Don't we go out a lot, too</i>? <i>Am I not good enough</i>?

In one, he had his arm slung casually around the dark-haired woman and they were laughing.

<i>Of</i> course <i>they're laughing, they're friends, you idiot</i>!

Still, what if..?

<i>I</i> know <i>I'm not good enough for him</i>.

"I don't need to see that kind of shit and I don't want to think about it!" She ran up so quickly she ripped some chunks out of the plaster, snarling with fury.

As a therapist, she knew jealousy was an instinctual response when one was feeling threatened. She also knew it wasn't a failing if handled properly, and her gym session was an effort to get the fury out before it could fester and hurt anyone.

It wasn't rational - she didn't <i>own</i> him, nor did she want to. But the sick, angry alarm bell going off in her mind as she thought of him with another woman refused to be erased.

It didn't have to be a real circumstance like this last one, either. She often caught glimpses of fanart or obviously doctored photos online that enraged her as well.

Those that originally tried to talk to her spread the word that she was <i>not</i> to be disturbed. A lesser-known hero stayed at the door to advise others as they came in, and he was the one to speak to Hizashi as he entered.

"Hey, man - you <i>don't</i> want to bother Cheshire right now. She'll claw your face off."

"Nah, man. Thanks, but she won't hurt me."

"Suit yourself." The man shrugged. "I warned you."

Hizashi raised his eyebrows, whistling lowly. He could hear the snarls before he even opened the door and it was terrifying. She sounded like some sort of wild cat in a nature documentary, and he briefly wondered if he <i>would</i> be okay. He gulped a little and turned the handle.

"What're you doing, Ches?"

She thought she was hearing things at first.

<i>He's busy, there's no reason for him to break his routine and come here. You're imagining shit</i>!

"I know ya heard me."

Elly hissed with shock and slid down the wall, leaving long, deep grooves as she descended. "Mic?!"

Yes, it was definitely him. He stood with one hand on his hip, eyebrows raised as he watched her carefully. "Yeah. C'mere."

Once her feet were on the ground, she tore her gloves off so she wouldn't have access to the clawed tips. "Uh, what's wrong? Why are you here?"

"Heard you were losin' yer shit," he drawled comically. "I should be asking <i>you</i> what's up."

"Oh. It's nothing. I need to work something out, that's all." She flicked her ears, trying to sound calmer than she felt.

Hizashi gave her a squinty-eyed look. "Nuh uh, kitty," he snorted. "It's not nothing. Tell me."

This time she backed away a step. "Mic, it's nothing. Really."

He crossed his arms, his lips thinning into a line. "Don't'cha trust me?"

"No! No, I mean I do, shit! I just... <i>can't</i>!" The rage returned, breaking free from her calm facade. "I don't wanna talk to you, okay!"

"Fine," he snapped. "If you don't wanna talk, let's fight. Practice ground alpha -"

"I don't want to fight you, either!" Her expression was so stunned by his suggestion that his own frustration melted away.

"You're scaring everybody," he said in a gentler tone. "We can go somewhere we can really let loose on campus. Call it sparring, you know, instead of... whatever this is."

"I don't <i>wanna</i> call it <i>anything</i>!" She screamed. It was too difficult to listen to him being so kind and caring.

<i>You're</i> not special <i>to him. You're causing too much trouble. He doesn't care about you, just stopping your anger because it frightens others. Maybe it frightens</i> him.

"I <i>want</i> to stop feeling so gross!" Elly slammed a fist into the wall hard enough to break skin and he moved swiftly, grasping her wrist and pulling her firmly but gently away.

"Stop that!" Hizashi checked the hand and saw it was only a thin scrape. "Thank fuck you didn't do more damage. Still, that's it, you're comin' with me." He lifted her off her feet in one scoop of his arms.

Elly squeaked in shock, but after a pause started flailing around again. "What the hell are you doing?! Put me down!"

"Nuh uh." He snorted and shifted his grip, pulling her closer against him as he grabbed her gloves and strode purposefully out of the gym. The others watched with relieved sighs as he stormed off.

Although she could have fought harder, she did not. Like she said, her rage wasn't directed at him and he was holding her tight, his arms warm and strong. That caused her to stutter helplessly, her actions belying her words as her tail lashed wildly about in confusion.

"You can't just grab me like this!"

"I can if you're hurting yourself."

"You're abducting me, for fuck's sake!"

He snorted and swerved to avoid a concrete pillar in the garage as she reached out to grab it. His voice dropped low while he marched resolutely to his car. "Don't go there, babe. I'm <i>not</i> gonna let you tear yourself up because yer jealous."

"I never said I was jealous!"

"Oh?" He paused to lift her around, staring deeply in her eyes while he held her at arm's length like the very angry cat she was. "Aren't you?"

"Why would you think that?!"

"Kayama suggested it." He watched her closely as he spoke the name and sure enough, Elly's body went rigid and she bared her fangs in a snarl. "That sounds about right to me. Still gonna argue?"

She glared at him but didn't say anything.

"We're goin' to my place above the agency and work on getting you chilled the fuck <i>out</i>." He opened the passenger door of his mustang and bundled her inside. "Stay there," he told her firmly before he walked around to join her.

"Now what?" She grumbled after he sat in the driver's seat and turned to face her.

"Now you need to take a deep breath and try not to claw my seat to bits."

"I won't fuck up your car, Mic," she snapped. Then, softer, "I know how much you love it."

"Do you?" Hizashi frowned, then reached out to lay one leather-gloved hand on her arm. "I guess you do. We know a lot about each other."

"I guess so."

"Uh huh." He dug his key out of a jacket pocket and slipped it into the ignition. "But I still don't get why you were so angry today. I mean, it doesn't make sense."

Elly groaned loudly. "I can't stand thinking about you with other women, okay?!" She squirmed as far away from him as she could, pressing against the window as the truth burst out. "It's stupid, but it <i>hurts too bad</i>! I'm broken and shitty and I just needed some <i>time</i> to work things out like all the other times but no-o-o-o ," she drawled this sarcastically, "you needed to help."

"Ches."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm a terrible friend. I know that. I try so hard, but you - you fill something in me that I need so badly and I never thought I'd find."

"Babe," Hizashi stressed a little harder.

"And now that's it, I guess. I fucked up everything."

"<i>Babe</i>! Look at me, yo. Geez."

She took a deep breath and steeled herself.

"You didn't screw anything up. Really." His eyes were kind as he stroked a wayward lock of purple hair back from where it was stuck on the wetness on her cheek.

"Jealousy is a negative emotion," she said flatly. "Giving in to it is seen as, ugh, as much as I hate to say it, a 'red flag'."

"Now you know that's not always true. Besides, ya never brought this up, <i>I</i> chased you down. What happened all the other times?"

"Got it out of my system," she admitted grudgingly. "I don't want to hold you back. I want you to be happy."

He let out a gusty sigh. "I will be happy, if you freakin' listen." He shrugged. "I know you're a shrink, yeah -"

"Mic," she chided gently.

"Sorry." He grinned a little. "I was teasing. But some of us can't be fixed, it's <i>really</i> hard, life is busy..." The Voice Hero dropped his tone another notch, speaking softer than she'd ever heard him. "It's not wrong to want. It's not wrong to feel shitty when you think your want is unachievable."

Elly's ears folded back into her hair. "Yeah. I find him at last, and then - then, well, you can't force things. It's okay. I knew from the start, anyway."

He raised his eyebrows. "You knew what?"

"I knew you'd never see me that way."

"Hmm. What way?"

"Oh my god, you know what I mean! I'm not going to humiliate myself further today. Nope. Not happening." She crossed her arms and glared straight ahead out the window.

"You're right," he told her solemnly. Elly heard the creak of leather as he shifted in the driver's seat but didn't look; she couldn't bear to.

<i>He said I was right. He'll never see me the way I do him</i>. She choked a little despite her tough act. That was really rough to hear although she'd expected it.

"I <i>meant</i> you're not gonna humiliate yourself any more today," he clarified, his soft voice close to her ear. She jumped and turned slowly, gasping when they bumped noses. Hizashi's golden eyes were half-lidded and a small, slow smile curved his lips. They stared into each others' eyes for a long moment, his half-lidded and hers wider than wide.

"Hey, Cheshire! You left your gym bag - oh." A small woman with goat horns and three eyes paused when she saw the two so close together. "Sorry! Here you go." She dropped the bag and dashed back to the safety of the entrance.

Elly stared numbly after her, her mind racing as fast as her heart as she tried to make sense of everything. She popped the door and drew her bag inside to set at her feet.

Hizashi chuckled. "Good, now you have your stuff." He turned the key and slowly backed out of the space. "Anyways, like I was saying. We might be broken, but our parts fit together. See, you want to <i>be</i> wanted and I want someone <i>to</i> want me. We can heal each other, yeah? Yeah? Make each other better."

"What you're describing is a dependant relationship."

"So what," he replied, unruffled. "So I depend on you and you, me. The bad kind is where it's one-sided, right?"

She nodded somewhat reluctantly. "Yes, but -"

"You're not gonna talk me out of this, yanno." He looked out through the windshield, his eyes lost in thought for a moment. "That's what you're tryn'a do, isn't it. Push me away, 'cause you think I'm going to leave."

"I -" Elly sighed, dropping her head to stare at her hands in her lap. "Maybe. But what if - what if you don't, if they were all right and I'm..." She drifted off, not knowing how to put her past trauma into exact words.

"What if I'm too clingy?"

"Wha..?" She blinked, turning to see him gripping the wheel with both hands, so tightly his exposed knuckles were white.

"What if you think I'm obnoxious after we start spendin' more time together?"

He opened his mouth to say more but she cut him off with a quick, "I get it, Mic. I don't see you like that at all."

"Yeah. But I do."

"Uh huh."

They drove in silence for awhile after that.









Hizashi's agency was deeper in the city but a fairly fast drive. As he was parking she began to get more nervous, shaking and unable to stop worrying she might screw things up. Hizashi noticed after he got out and popped her door open. She made no move and stared at the dashboard, her eyes a million miles away, until he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Ches. It's gonna be okay."

She jumped guiltily, ears pinning back. "Wh - oh! Am I that transparent?"

"Not usually, no. But you had a tough day, baby." He pocketed his keys and helped her out. "You're off a bit. No worries, though! We can party all weekend now!"

"You've always got work -"

He shook his head. "I called and got some time off just for you, babygirl."

"<i>You</i> took time?" Elly's ears laid on either sides of her head, giving her a comical look as she stared up at him. "The busiest man I've ever known took time off?" They stepped into the elevator and he pushed the button for the hero suites above the agency.

"For you, yes." He gestured grandly for her as the doors opened, and walked beside her to his door. "Although I gotta admit, it'll be nice to do whatever and not have a schedule for once."

"And what does 'whatever' mean right now?"

"A shower," Hizashi stated very firmly as he opened the door. "I need to be <i>clean</i> and let my hair down." He gestured at the huge plume atop his head with one hand as he hung up his jacket with the other. "Literally!"

<i>A shower. He'll be in there, naked... oh my god. Naked and wet, rubbing soap all over his body -</i>

He squinted earnestly at her, one of his eyes wide and the other a barely-open slit. Hizashi normally utilized this stare when he was intimidating someone, but it sometimes slipped out when he was feeling cocky. When she wobbled a little, a blush spreading quickly across her cheeks, he added a grin that grew more wicked as he spoke. He knew what she was thinking. "Wouldn't a shower feel good after all that workin' out?"

Elly couldn't stop staring at his chest. She'd seen him wearing a t-shirt before, but he usually layered with a long-sleeved one that partially covered it. Hizashi's white shirt was thicker but tight, clinging to his body enough that without the jacket she could clearly see that his pectoral muscles were very defined with the hint of nipples tugging at the cloth...

"<i>Hey</i>, now. My eyes are up here, baby."

She jumped, embarrassed. With a mighty effort she managed to tilt her head but then found herself staring directly into those beautiful golden spirals. "That's not any better," she choked, reaching out a shaky hand to steady herself against the door. "Your eyes are too much."

Hizashi blinked once, surprised. "Wha?"

She steeled herself, knowing she'd already said too much so might as well go all in. "Your eyes are gorgeous," she said weakly. "You keep looking at me like that and I'm going to faint."

"Oh?" This time they widened as he got the gist of what she was saying. "<i>Ohhh</i>?"

Elly swooned; she couldn't help it. He caught her almost automatically, his arms closing around her in an instant.

"Hey," he murmured, concerned. "You okay? You didn't just like, pass out 'cause of <i>me</i>, right?" He pulled her closer to him. "R - right? That's like, only in cheesy romance books 'n stuff?"

"I guess it happens," she sighed dreamily.

"Not to me!"

"Mic?"

"How much of this gotta come off before ya call me <i>Hizashi</i>, huh?" He wrinkled his nose at his outfit. "I only got the pants, gloves, shades..." He ran his hand up to touch the white frames, then further, until he patted his hair. "Err... yeah. It's the hair, right?"

"Mmn." Her fingers brushed the back of his neck where it was feathered and he shivered.

"Yeah. It's the hair. Okay, that's gotta <i>go</i>. You, however, still need to chillax. You get first dibs, if you want."

Elly thought about it. "Your hair takes a long time to take care of, right?"

"Kinda."

"Then you go first." She gave him a little push in the direction of the hallway. "I'll be fine waiting."

"You sure, babe?"

"Yep."

She sat and listened to him cleaning up, eyes closed to better focus on the sounds and smells. He grunted and swore as he got rid of his hero clothing, and she heard what might have been a spray bottle before he let out a relieved sigh. After that the taps squeaked as he ran the shower and Elly leaned back on the couch.

The gentle patter of water falling soothed her and, exhausted from the mental and physical strain she'd been through, she soon dozed off.

Elly woke up a quarter of an hour later to a soft chuckle and tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes with a faint mew of protest - she hated waking up too quickly -- but her protests died off when she saw him.

Hizashi was dressed casually, his red glasses on instead of the shades and a plain black t-shirt. This was offset by the most outrageously flashy gold sweatpants with a black stripe down the sides. His blond hair looked darker wet, and it flowed down his back freely. In one hand he held a white hand towel and a hair dryer, in the other an odd-looking comb with wavy teeth.

"It's so long," she marveled, gently touching the golden strands. Hizashi didn't really know what to say to that, so he just nodded, smiling as she grew bolder and ran her fingers through it. "And shiny."

"Also damp," he added. "And it doesn't smell so great when wet. You get cleaned up, babe. I'll finish drying an' you can play with it all you want when you come out." He winked slyly at her.

Her heart now racing, she grabbed her bag to take a shower. His bathroom was luxurious and although she wanted to get back to him, she stayed longer, enjoying the huge shower and tub combo.

When she came out she was much calmer and dressed in a soft shirt and sweatpants much like his, though not as flashy.

"I feel so much better," she sighed.

"Great! So, c'mere." He patted the couch, wiggling his eyebrows.

Elly came and sat beside him but he pointed farther back. Confused, she scooted off and he motioned for her to raise her arms. She let out a small gasp when he stretched himself out along the length, laying his head in her lap.

He smiled wistfully up at her. "I know this might be a little selfish, but it's okay, right?"

"Selfish?" She gently ran her hand through his hair, amazed at how alive it felt. "I've wanted to do this for a long time."

"You've no idea how awesome this feels," he murmured. "My hair's always drawn so tight on my scalp. It gets painful after all day like that."

Her fingers rubbed lightly in circular motions, pausing now and then to stroke the thick locks away from his cheeks when they fell a little to one side or another. Hizashi hummed quietly, tilting his head into her touches.

"Is this helping?"

"Yeah," he moaned softly. "Oh, baby, thank you."

Her cheeks burned hotly as she considered their positions. Hizashi's body was limp all over, one arm dangling off the couch and one arm laid across his chest. His t-shirt was pulled up and his pants loose, culminating in a reveal of pale skin and light dusting of hair trailing down his lower belly. His legs splayed over the far end, feet dangling since he was tall.

"My pleasure," she mumbled, suddenly shy.

He opened his eyes to gaze fondly up at her. "What d'ya think? Your turn now?"

Elly froze, her hand in mid-air. "Wh - what?"

"It feels good. You wanna try it?" He flexed his fingers, grinning at her.

Her eyes narrowed a little. "You weren't being selfish at all, were you."

Hizashi's grin grew sheepish and he sat up with a low laugh. "Aw, you saw right through me. But how can you say no?"

They switched positions, Elly sitting farther up than on his lap. He rubbed her furry ears and she sighed, closing her eyes. "Zashi?"

"Mm hmm?"

"It's been a very, very long time since I trusted someone enough to relax like this." She paused but didn't elaborate further, choosing a different route than delving into her past. He knew a little about that, anyway. What he didn't know, however, was the certainty she could give him.

<i>Might as well get it all out in the open</i>, she thought before taking a deep breath.

"Ches?" He sounded worried. "Is something wrong? Want me to stop? Did I upset yo-"

"I love you."

There was a long silence and she stiffened, afraid she'd made the wrong decision. When she grew brave enough to look up, however, she saw his lips twitching with mirth and his golden eyes swimming with unshed tears.

"I was s'posed to say that first," Hizashi chided in a low, deep voice. He sniffled and wiped at his eyes with the back of one hand. "I love you too, baby."

"Oh!"

"And ya <i>still</i> sound surprised." He let his fingers wander briefly over her cheeks to her lips, where they lingered. "Remember the New Years party last week? I was trying to get up the nerve to kiss you all night. Even if it was just a peck on the cheek, I was still too scared shitless in the end."

"Huh." She looked thoughtful enough that he started to shift uncomfortably around, moving his legs but keeping her steady.

"Uh. Babe?"

"I was sad that night," she confessed.

"What?"

"I was sad." She sat up and turned to face him while sitting on his lap. He wriggled a bit, frowning as she kneed him in the groin a little but was quiet until she spoke again. "Sorry," she murmured. "But yeah, that was the party you stayed far away from me and it made me feel terrible."

Hizashi reached out and carefully placed his arms around her with his hands on her back. "If I'd stuck close to ya I was gonna fuck things up." He shook his head, wrinkling his nose and mustache as he did so. "I fucked it up anyway, yeah?"

"I could've kissed <i>you</i> but I was just as chicken."

He squinted at her again and was pleased to see she still melted, her eyes glazing over as she stared weakly back at him. "You want..?"

She almost quipped back <i>do you have to ask?</i>, but didn't because it was so sweet that he <i>did</i>. Elly settled on smiling tearfully and whispering "Yes."

Since she was on his lap he lifted his head, and she felt his lips turn in a smile when they met. Then his hand cupped the back of her neck while his other pressed lightly on her back, caressing and encouraging her to come closer. She laid on him as he turned, miraculously managing to flip them so she was underneath. They stared at each other for a few seconds and then he whimpered softly as one of her legs brushed his thigh. 

Their next kiss was longer and far more passionate. Hizashi held them together while he mouthed her lips, humming with pleasure. The hums held faint undertones of his quirk that vibrated through her body, causing chills to run up and down her spine. They lost themselves, tongues touching and his mustache tickling her upper lip.

His mouth moved from her own to her neck, placing little kisses as he went and gauging her reaction to the new area. When she clutched his back, rolling her head to the side to give him better access he gasped with delight. He'd wanted to do this for ages, and without further thought he nibbled, kissing inbetween bites and swipes of his tongue. Hizashi was a complicated man, for certain, but as far as kinks went he was quite simple.

He liked using his mouth.

He treated both sides of her neck and throat the same way, careful not to leave marks that wouldn't vanish in a few minutes. With Elly's vigorous squirming proof she was liking his attentions, he sighed happily.

He drew back and traced her cheek with his fingertips, his golden eyes staring deeply into her own. She saw her own emotions mirrored back at her and her heart skipped a beat. His smile was soft with his lips parted lightly, those glorious eyes filled with love. She could barely believe it.

She bit her lip, not wanting to cry any more. But the tears wouldn't be held back and she was soon pressing her face to his chest to muffle them.

He was so gentle, nearly reverent, in his approach. This was not an act he took lightly and his serious tone of voice only confirmed this when he spoke, low and with no trace of his usual joking self. 

"You okay? Did I scare ya? 'Cause we did move, uh, really fast." Hizashi pushed a little further when she only shook her head, kissing her hair. "So, hey, don't feel pressured into anything, yeah? You wanna stop, that's it - end of the show. Period."

"It's not that."

"What's wrong, then?" His grip tightened protectively and she started crying harder.

"<i>That</i>," she managed to wheeze. "Oh, Hizashi, that. Your arms around me and they way that you touch me, hold me, I never thought anyone would."

"Ohhhh." He thought about that for a moment, nodded to himself and pushed back.

"What are you doing?"

"Gimme a minute," he muttered, shifting around so he was facing front on the couch with his feet on the floor again. "Here." He stood and picked her up.

"Where..?"

"We're gonna lay in bed an' you're gonna cry it out while I hold ya." He spoke matter-of-factly, but most of all calmly, in a soothing tone. "Then we'll decide what's going down."

"Oh." Elly sighed disconsolately and took in the decor as he bumped the door open with his hip. It was much like the rest of the suite, black and gold with small accents of red here and there. The bedroom had a glittery bean bag chair in one corner, lots of music posters and a large, western-style bed with black and yellow silk sheets. The bed was messy and not made up; he absently pushed the sheets down and picked up a pillow that was on a side table. 

"Yeah, s'okay. You had a super emotional day and then I kinda wrecked you with kisses." He puffed his chest out with a smirk even as he laid her down. 

"<i>Hizashi.</i>."

He chuckled and slid in next to her, reaching out to pull her to his chest. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. We're all settled - cry away!"

She sniffed once, then shrugged. "I don't feel like it anymore." 

"That's good!"

"You know... can we go out sometime this weekend? Like you did with Midnight, dressed in our gear?"

He settled his chin on top her head. "Yep."

"Awesome."

"Jealous baby," he chided softly, making it clear he was joking but knew it was important to her. "We'll fix it. This time when the bad news brigade snaps their pics they'll see some <i>real</i> gossip!" He kissed her, hard and deep and very, very serious.

"Zashi!"

"Mmmn. Nobody's gonna question we're together." He rolled over on top of her, propping himself up on his hands and knees. "Everybody's going to know you're my baby."

"And you're mine."

"<i>Fuck yeah</i>."

Elly giggled and deliberately slid her hand under his shirt to pet his twitching abdomen. "Hey, have you been working out more? You're ripped! I mean, you always had a nice body, but these are, wow."

He gulped, his face burning hot. "Ahhh, yeah, been hittin' the gym a lot. I, uh, had some things to work out, too. You know." 

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Hizashi bit his lip and started to pant. "Yeah, babe, I... well, shit, you know. Ffffuck."

"I think I get it." She lifted the hem and he tore it off in one smooth motion.

Now that he was bare chested she could see the defined muscles and fuzzy patch of gold in the middle. His scent filled her nostrils, the bubblegum of hair product without the leather but instead a spicy, masculine deoderant. She smiled when she saw the hair under his arms and laughed to herself at how giddy she felt. 

"Babe?"

"Oops!" Elly kissed his neck in apology. "I was being silly. Seeing you like this makes me happy. I actually got turned on by your underarms." She laughed again.

"Wh - honestly?" He stared at one in astonishment, wrinkling his nose. "Well, at least I showered!" She laughed more, and he started tugging on her shirt. "C'mon, let me see them sexy pits, lady."

"No more, I swear I'm gonna die!" She started to wheeze and had to gasp for air. "Okay, okay! There." Her shirt dropped to land on top of his on the floor.

His laughter died at once, replaced by a sexy growl. "You're not gonna die, babe... but you're gonna go to heaven." He ghosted his hand across one of the cups of her bra, smirking when she shivered.

"Ugh, so cheesy!" She narrowed her eyes and ran her hands down his back, gripping his shoulderblades. "But sexy. Still sexy."

"Good. It's nice to be finally appreciated." He snickered, but the blush on his ears was steadily creeping downward and his chest was rising and falling rapidly. He was definitely going to break the light-hearted mood if pushed a tiny bit further.

So Elly nudged him a little.

"I want you," she told him quietly. 

Hizashi's eyes met hers and she saw the rings around his pupils fuzz and blow wide. The expression on his face was part incredulous, part something she wasn't certain... love? But it seemed far more intense than that.

Adoration?

An unusually large amount of pent-up lust?

<i>Uh-oh</i>.

His throat contracted as he swallowed, but no sound came out. 

<i>I think it's all of the above.</i>

Cold outside (Aizawa)

 It was fairly late on a winter night in Aizawa's suite above the agency he worked at. Snow fell lightly on the city outside, blanketing the streets and buildings with a thin, fluffy coat of cold.

A party had grudgingly been held here in honor of the holidays, though most of his guests had left by now.

Elly was staying behind, ostensibly to help clean up after the group made a mess, but really to spend more time with the cranky man she'd grown so fond of. As she collected cups and plates a song began to play softly on her phone. She'd set it for background music but forgot when the playlist paused before repeating.

"Sorry. I'll turn it off."

"Wait." Aizawa frowned, listening. "I wanted to ask, before... is this considered appropriate?"

"How so?"

"Well, it sounds like the man is trying to coerce the woman into staying." He paused, rubbing at the back of his neck while the song continued in the background. "My English isn't very good," he confessed. "Maybe I don't understand the phrasing?"

"Nope." Elly stifled a grin, hiding the twitching of her lips by quickly turning and placing the glass she held in the dishwasher. "No, you're right."

"I am?" He sounded mildly surprised.

"Yep. There are some people that think this song is really, uh... creepy. Like, she's trying to get away and he's trying to keep her there." She paused, then continued, "to be fair, it's not <i>supposed</i> to be quite like that. They're flirting; she wants to stay but wants to be persuaded. Maybe chased after a little."

"I don't understand why some people do that," he sighed. "Why can't everyone just say what they mean."

She fidgeted a little, flicking her ears and starting to blush. "Sometimes it's hard to be blunt."

"Have you ever done that? Hinted and not said what you meant?"

"Yes."

"Why?" There was no maliciousness in his tone; he simply sounded curious.

Elly rubbed at one furry ear while she thought about her answer. When she spoke she cast her eyes down shyly, so she didn't notice when he walked closer. "Well... I do it when I'm scared. The answer I get might hurt. I think most people are the same in that regard."

"I wouldn't hurt you."

She made a rocking gesture with one hand. "Ehhhh... you never know, Aizawa. What if I wanted to initiate a - a romance between us. A relationship. And what if I wanted to start, uh, this, by staying over tonight? Rejection would hurt less if we both pretended we're talking hypothetically."

"Like if we were talking about the song?" He raised an eyebrow as she started to blush harder. "<i>Do</i> you want to stay?"

Elly realized how close he was and gasped a little. "See, this is why -"

Aizawa slipped his arm around her. When she jumped, startled, he stroked her shoulder gently. "Enough cleaning." He led her to the couch, encouraging her to sit.

"But there's still -"

"I understand it's easier to hide behind a premise." He curled his arm tighter, encouraging her to cuddle against him, "But I will <i>never</i> intentionally hurt you."

"Aizawa..." Elly shook her head, confused. "Shit," she laughed in resignation. "What happened? What's going on? I mean, one minute I'm putting away dishes and the next I'm - I'm ..."

"In my arms? Yes?" He pulled her even closer, his other arm reaching out so he could lay his hand lightly on hers.

"Yes!"

"Is it okay?"

"Yes again." Elly nodded, then sighed. "Very much yes."

"Well, it's cold outside. And snowing." He let out a rarely-heard dry laugh. "Our situation is rather like the song. I'd feel better if you stayed, but it's your choice."

"Who would drive in this storm?"

"There's likely to be <i>some</i> service that could take you back to U.A."

She thought seriously about it for a couple minutes, toying with his fingers and then tracing his palm. "Hmm."

Aizawa watched her quietly, his breathing slow and even. He simply waited, knowing she would eventually make a decision. Elly, on her part, was convinced by his steady manner. He wasn't going to argue or beg like she'd had to suffer through in previous scenarios with other men. He wasn't guilting or pressuring her though he stated his preference for her safety.

Eventually she spoke and when she did she looked deeply into his single eye. "If I stay, where would I sleep?"

"Yamada forced me to buy a bed last year." He pointed vaguely off toward the dark hall where she had only been in the bathroom. There were two other doors in the dimly lit area. Aizawa saw what she was thinking and added, "you can have the bed. I'll take my sleeping bag into the other room."








He brushed his mouth on hers, watching carefully for any sign of rejection. His heart beat fast when her hands lightly clutched the front of his sweatshirt, her lips parting willingly. A weary sigh of relief escaped him and he pressed forward.

"Aizawa," she gasped, startled at just how good a kisser he was.

"If you're willing to kiss me," he told her seriously, "you probably should call me by my given name."

"Shota," she agreed quietly.

"Perfect." He kissed her more firmly, his hand cupping the back of her neck.

Aizawa's face was clean of stubble as he had recently shaved, and Elly found herself vaguely disappointed. She'd always wanted to know what it would feel like. He smelled <i>sleepy</i>, with his long, dark hair clean but reminiscent of someone that just woke up. It was a soothing smell and coupled with his strong arms wrapped around her she felt comfortable to let go and see what happened.

He was so gentle, and she marveled at this, such an unexpected delight as she ran her fingers through his hair. He uttered low groans when her hands touched a new spot, now the nape of his neck, after that his shoulders as he surged above her.

His mouth moved lower, nibbling on her neck while one hand slipped underneath her sweater. Elly gasped, startled by the intense surge of lust this action stirred within her.

"Shota."

"Nmm."

"We should stop."

"Yes." All movement ceased; he froze in place for several seconds while he took a couple long, deep breaths. When he spoke again, however, his voice cracked on the first few words. "Sorry, I un - understand."

"I don't want to rush things -"

"Ches."

"Huh?"

"You don't need to justify anything. You say stop, I stop. I don't want to do anythung you're not... <i>very</i> positively consenting to."

"Oh." She blushed, then thought for a moment. "Good."

"We should get ready for bed." He cleared his throat and went on to ask, "would you like to use the bathroom first?"

"Um. No, you go ahead. I bet you'll be faster anyway."

He nodded and walked off to grab a duffel bag from his bedroom, the only thing in there besides the bed and a single nightstand with a lamp. She was right and he was quick, the longest time devoted to brushing his teeth before he cracked open the door. "I set everything you might need on the counter," he told her quietly. "There's a shirt on the bed ypu can wear, too."

"Thanks."

"Good night." He scratched absently at his chest, yawning.

"Good night."

Aizawa stumbled into the guest room and unzipped the duffel, pulling out his yellow sleeping bag and tossing it on the floor. He sat down on it and took off his eye patch, setting it aside while he unfastened his prosthetic leg. This took awhile, peeling the soft rubber sleeve off and massaging the rough skin at the base of the stump after the heavy metal leg was put away. He was glad to curl up inside the puffy bag and rest, sighing as he thought of the woman one door away.

It might have been minutes or hours later, he wasn't sure, when he woke to a soft sound. Alert immediately, he threw one side of the sleeping bag off him and struggled to get up. That's when Aizawa realized what the sound was and relaxed slightly.

"Are you awake?" Elly was standing outside his door tapping gently.

He rubbed his eyes and remembered the patch. "Ches?" His fingers dug into the side pocket of the duffel bag searching for it. "Are you okay?"

"I... no. Can I come in?"

"Ahhhh..." It was foolish, but he didn't want her to see him without the patch. When he didn't answer right away he heard her feet scuffle on the floor.

"Sorry if I woke you. It's nothing important." The way her voice broke suggested otherwise and his search grew frantic.

"No, I just have to get - wait --" Aizawa fumbled the patch on and headed to the main bedroom. "Ches?" She jumped upon hearing him and pulled the sheets up to her neck.

"Uh. Yeah. Come in."

"Is there something wrong?"

"I, well. I thought I could handle things." She sniffled and he was mortified to hear she was near tears. "I thought, I really did -"

Aizawa strode quickly over and stood over her at the side of the bed. "You're crying," he said nervously. "Did I do something wrong? What do you need?"

Her tail thumped heavily under the covers and her ears lay back. Aizawa didn't know how to comfort a person, but he understood cats.

He whipped his hand in his sweatpants pocket and pulled out his phone. A couple taps and soft, classical music filled the room. The pieces were soothing and curated specifically to calm cats down when he found strays that needed help. He placed the phone on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I need you to look at me, please," he husked in a low tone.

Her ears flicked and she bit her lip, but she did as he suggested. "Sorry," she gasped.

"No need. Do you trust me, Ches?"

"What?"

He placed a steady hand under her chin and stared into her eyes. "<i>Do you trust me</i>?"

The slightest flicker of alarm crossed her features before she blinked it away. "Yes."

"All right. Are you dressed?"

"I'm wearing one of those shirts you gave me."

He pulled back the sheets and climbed in without another word. Elly froze, startled, then remembered this was <i>Aizawa</i>, and he probably had a plan in mind. He was diligent in asking consent at every turn which he did again after getting in bed with her.

"May I hold you?"

She nodded and scooted close, allowing him to curl an arm around her.  "I'm so tired," she sighed, hesitantly cuddling into his embrace. "And you're so warm."

"You can sleep now," he murmured. "It's okay."

"Mnn..." She relaxed little by little until her yawns grew giant and nearly continious. "Sleep." There was a long pause, then she added, "and you smell good."

Aizawa raised his eyebrows but said nothing, letting her mumble until she drifted off. He lay there for a few minutes to make sure she was really asleep, then let out a slow, deep sigh. He'd normally fall asleep right away but tonight he lay there planning what the morning could bring while he held her close.