G H O S T [Shota Aizawa x OC]

T W E N T Y - S E V E N

About a week later, Shota's students proposed a plan to get Eri to sleepover in their dormitory. They outlined an entire scheme to build a massive pillow fort in the common room and they'd all stay there and play with the innocent little girl. Well, the sociable ones. It was a weekend, so the teacher didn't have a real reason to tell them 'no.'

Also, he was craving an overnight babysitter.

He and Sumire weren't really hiding from others, but they weren't going to flaunt their relationship either. They wanted - or the just really the woman as Shota never cared for how he looked in front of others, nor their impression of him - to keep a professional working environment and knowing that Eri would say things even she didn't understand them, they didn't want to confuse her and have her tell Shota's students.

But she knew something was up. It would only be a matter of time until she discovered what actually made them "special friends."

If the man were being honest with himself, he was still a man with very heated desires. Sumire had been so comfortable and physically open with him thus far, so perhaps he could romance her entirely.

More than anything, he wanted to make her feel as special as she truly was to him. After all, no one had ever brought him to want to be better, before. He knew that she accepted him in all of his laziness and peculiarity, but he wanted to try for her. He never cared for what others thought of him or how he looked to them, but he cared about his impression on Sumire. Not because he felt like he had to, but because he wanted to. He felt like a smitten little boy trying to woo his crush.

So, after he dropped off Eri at class 1-A's dorm, he bought some white roses and a card, thinking that red was too cliché as if buying roses in the first place wasn't. He left one rose by her door with the card and knocked before disappearing into his apartment.

It took a few moments for the woman to answer, but when she did, her lips curved into a pleasant smile. She took the rose and read the note, which said, "A car will pick you up at 7:30pm. Dress nice (the fancy way that we don't really do)" and was signed "- your hero."

She did as he said and pulled on a tight black dress she only wore for special occasions. She also put on darker makeup and curled her silver hair. She shoved her feet into black stilettos that matched her form-fitting gown, but the entire time she was wondering she had dressed up too much.

And by 7:30 she was downstairs in front of the building waiting for the car that was coming for her, kicking her feet and looking at the ground, wanting to hide from being seen dressed up so nicely. When the black car pulled up, the driver got out and opened the back door for her where she found another rose waiting in the back seat.

She felt so flattered and was surely grinning sillily the entire drive. The car eventually arrived in the nearest city where it stopped in front of a famous fancy restaurant. Everyone tried to get reservations at this restaurant for celebratory occasions; it was the most well-known and successful restaurant in the city, and among the greatest in all of Japan.

The driver got out and opened the door for Sumire once more, then led her into the restaurant and up the stairs to the higher level where Shota was sitting at a two-person table, waiting for her with the rest of the bouquet of roses.

He stood to greet her, and the car driver took his leave. The woman felt like squealing but restrained herself and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. She could only bring herself to say his name, overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude. She kissed his cheek, then got a good look at him.

He rested his hands on her accentuated waist, feeling her figure beneath the classy, yet tight-fitting dress. It was modest yet hinted at the well-endowed body beneath the satin and lace. Alternatively, the typically grungy man had shaved, and not only was his hair tied back, but it was styled back with gel, and he wore a nice button-down long-sleeved shirt and black dress pants.

"You look beautiful." He hummed, trying to keep his lips off of the woman.

"Thank you." She beamed. "You cleaned up rather nice yourself."

"Don't get used to it." He muttered. "But I figured I should take you on a first date sooner or later."

She giggled, clearly so impressed that her heart was melting for the man. "This is quite the first date." She then raised a brow teasingly. "Is this how fancy all your first dates are?"

"I've never bothered to try." His comment confused Sumire. She wasn't sure what it meant, and when he realized this, he clarified, "I haven't dated in a while, and it's never been with someone I bothered to try and care about."

"Well, I'm very flattered."

They had a nice, delicious, several-course meal and headed back to their apartments afterwards. While both enjoyed the fancy date, they were also eager to get back home, throw off their shoes, take off their formal clothes, and relax.

He respectfully stopped at her door and seemed to be planning to leave her for the night. She, however, laughed and pushed him back to his door. "Shota." She began confidently, then lowered her voice. "You're not sleeping alone tonight."

The shocked, yet pleased man stepped back, tripping over a small box that was behind him. Confused, he picked it up and started opening it. It was filled with tissue paper with a note on top. The note read "I saw the flowers. Have fun tonight~" Each of them could practically hear the flirtatious hum behind the lettering.

Hidden underneath the tissue was a pair of handcuffs with fluffy black fur lining the circular holes.

Shota and Sumire's cheeks reddened as they hurried into his apartment, escaping from anyone's line of sight. Once the door shut behind them, they both breathed out "Midnight" with heavy sighs in unison.

Then, they laughed, realizing that the questionable heroine had cornered them both and had given each of them a suggestive pep-talk prior to even realizing how much they liked each other.

Still a bit embarrassed, the man set them aside and shook his head. "I told her I didn't need them."

"What, didn't think you had a chance?" Sumire teased, trying to make light of how flustered she felt and the butterflies that filled her stomach.

"No." He countered, and suddenly, the ends of his ribbon-like capturing weapon mysteriously floated from his bedroom and snaked around the woman's waist, pulling her body close to his; her chest pressed to his, her hips resting against his, and her legs entangled with his longer ones. Her back arched against the scarf-like material as a pink color dusted her cheeks.

He lowered his head, hovering just above hers as she blinked with wide, charcoal eyes. She was just waiting for him to sweep her off her feet and kiss her, biting her lower lip eagerly. "This is way more convenient." He said in a rough, low voice.

She released an excited squeaking noise from her throat as he found the zipper on the back of her dress. "How does this even work?" She giggled as his lips hung just above hers, feeling his hot breath above her skin.

"I think that having a little bit of mystery makes it sexier."

Tired of being teased, Sumire whined, "Come on Shota, just kiss me already."

So, he did, grinning against her soft mouth in satisfaction. He lifted her from the ground and carried her like a bride into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him for extra privacy, not that they really needed it.

Needless to say, they made the most of Eri being gone that night.