~Inari's POV~

Over the next several weeks as I healed, Aizawa had become a nearly permanent fixture in the apartment, and I wasn't as bothered by it as I would have thought. He was there when I woke up, left briefly with the boys for school and returned until I went to sleep. It was surprisingly cozy having him around. He was an excellent cook, surprisingly handy (knocking out several random 'I'll fix it later' projects around the apartment, I'd never get to), and helped the boys with homework.

Now that I was cleared by the doctors and no longer on medication and able to return to life as normal, I was a little worried he'd stop coming by. I left the hospital with a frown and headed back to my apartment. The boys would be getting home soon, would Aizawa be with them? He knew I was getting the all clear today. What if he didn't show?

I mentally kicked myself, why was I getting so worked up about it? The thought of Aizawa not being there made me feel sick to my stomach. I liked the stupid stalker. Maybe more than like...

"Hey! Look who made a full recovery!" The landlord greeted me as I stepped into the main lobby without any bandages for the first time in weeks. There were some dark burn scars lining my hand and arm but everything else healed cleanly.

"Why are you acting suspicious?" I frowned. He wasn't normally in the lobby, he was always behind the desk with the facilities manager.

"Me?!" He asked in mock offense, "I'm not acting suspicious."

"You are." I glowered.

"Just go away." He waved me off.

I scowled and retreated to my apartment.

Once I got to my floor, I thought I saw someone disappear into my apartment and frowned. There was definitely something suspicious going on. I quietly approached the door and listened quietly. I could hear hushed voices from within, many of them.

I nervously opened the door and jumped as there was a collective cheer from within my living room. Everyone had cried something different so it sounded like a loud discombobulated scream. I blinked in surprise and glanced around wildly. There were balloons and streamers and a sign that said "happy recovery" which made me think this was some kind of sobriety thing.

"I'm not giving up caffeine, if that's what this is about." I frowned at the sign.

I heard a few laughs from within the apartment before stepping inside. Hitoshi and Denki were holding a cake that looked like they'd baked together. It was lopsided, the icing was melting off of it as it had been too hot when they iced it and it was absolutely perfect. All of my stalkers were present, my heart skipped a little as I locked eyes on Aizawa. Candy and a few other girls from work were here as well as the Landlord who looked like he sprinted up several flights of stairs to beat me here and the facilities manager. Kazuma was sitting on the sofa with the young man I'd bumped into the night I got injured. They both offered me a warm smile. Most surprising of all was Karen, standing awkwardly near Midnight and Present Mic.

I gently ruffled Hitoshi and Denki's hair and gave them each a kiss on the cheek as they set the cake on the table, "the cake looks great, thank you. Now get all of these people out of our apartment." I grumbled loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Everyone laughed.

"Seriously, who is responsible for this? they're dead." I hissed at Hitoshi.

"Your boyfriend." Hitoshi pointed.

My face flushed scarlet, "what the hell did you just say?" I whisper hissed.

"Deny it all you want, it's pretty obvious." Hitoshi pointed.

"It really is, Nee-san." Denki piped up softly, joining our whisper huddle draping his arms across both our shoulders.

"Shut up! We haven't put a label on it." I grumbled.

"Then maybe you two should talk." Hitoshi smirked.

"Communication is key." Denki agreed with a smile.

"I'm not taking relationship advice from teenagers." I hissed.

"Pretty sure I get more action than you." Hitoshi teased me before realizing the joke he'd just made with his sister. He dropped his head into his hands, "ugh, you're rubbing off on me."

Denki nearly died laughing.

"Is everything alright over here?" Aizawa asked, joining our huddle, his hand reached out automatically and I felt my breath hitch in my throat as he placed his hand to the small of my back.

"Yep...by the way she HATES surprises, so good luck." Hitoshi pat his teacher on the shoulder before he and Denki went to join Kazuma and his new boyfriend.

I turned to Aizawa anxiously. Maybe this was like a last hurrah party before he walked out of my life forever. He didn't mind that I was a stripper but he didn't sign up for all my crazy.

"Why do you look like you're having an internal crisis?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine." I attempted to reassure him but my voice pitched.

He frowned and steered me away from all the people and into the safety and peace of my bedroom. Once we got to my room he closed the door behind us and watched me carefully as I began to pace, nervously.

"Want to tell me what's wrong?" He pondered.

"Not really." I continued pacing.

"Inari."

This was so stupid, how the hell did I catch actual feelings for my stupid stalker? And now I was terrified he was going to leave and I'd gotten attached.

"Inari!" Aizawa snapped and I felt a gasp escape me as his hand firmly gripped my shoulder, his thumb brushing sensually across my throat. He firmly shoved me down and onto the bed so I was sitting, facing him.

"Oh." A soft breathy sigh escaped me. My body burned with heat.

"Inari?" He frowned.

"Hm?" I looked up at him in a daze trying to get my heart rate under control.

"Are you alright?" He pondered.

"Second guessing my bedroom preferences, but yes." I grumbled before blushing as I realized I said it out loud and not in my head like I had intended.

"What?" He chuckled.

"Nothing, you don't need to know." I was about to jump to my feet but found his hand still firmly on my shoulder, no it had traveled closer to my neck which was much more exciting. What the fuck? I mentally kicked myself, stop! It has not been THAT long that you get desperate...I pondered this thought further, no, no it had been THAT long but that still didn't mean I needed to be this crazy.

Aizawa's grip tightened just a little and I felt my heart skip a beat and a nervous giddy flutter in my belly. I looked up at him in a daze.

"Talk to me." It wasn't a question, it felt kind of like an order and his tone got really dark and sexy and oh my god what the hell is wrong with me?!

"About?" I cleared my throat and tried to kick down all the inappropriate hormone crazed thoughts trying to fight free.

"Where to start?" He chuckled softly and removed his hand.

I mentally kicked myself at the sudden feeling of rejection and disappointment the moment he removed his hand from my neck. Down girl!

"Why did you look like you were freaking out when you got home, before you realized there were a bunch of people here?" He pondered.

He picked up on that?! "I wasn't freaking out." I lied but my voice cracked, betraying me.

He inclined an eyebrow at this.

I hurriedly looked away at anything but him. "It's stupid." I grumbled.

"If it's something that was worrying you, I don't think it's stupid." He tried the polite approach but as I remained silent he sighed and I let out a gasp as I found his stupid capturing weapon wrapped around me. It tightened as he wrenched me toward him and that excited fluttering returned to my belly as he caught me in his arms, "talk."

"Hm...didn't think bondage was my thing...but I may be reconsidering..." I noted absently my stupid brain just deciding it could say whatever the hell it wanted, even private inside only thoughts!

Aizawa's look of concern turned to one of amusement for a brief moment, he was struggling to stay serious, "talk."

I was scared to talk. I was scared to admit my feelings and get hurt or rejected or mocked. "...I was afraid you wouldn't be here..." I grumbled under my breath not sure if he could hear me or not.

He was quiet for a moment, "What?"

Thinking he hadn't heard me and now feeling very embarrassed, "because I like you and didn't want you to leave!" I lashed out, forgetting I was still wrapped up in his stupid capturing weapon, I attempted to hit him, lost my balance and took a nose dive toward the floor.

Aizawa caught me with ease. There was amusement dancing in his dark gaze, it reduced the smolder a little but did nothing to quell the nervous fluttering in my stomach or the racing of my heart. "Why would you think I'd leave?"

"I'm not injured anymore, your good deed is done." I breathed feeling deflated.

He was quiet for a moment before releasing me from his scarf. This was it. He was going to leave. I didn't think I could handle it. His hand lightly caught me by the chin, gently yet firmly tilting my face upward, drawing my gaze to his. "I'm not leaving unless you tell me you want me to, and depending on your reason I may decline to do so."

"It's pretty rude to force your presence on someone." I retorted with less bite than usual.

"Do you want me to leave?" He asked seriously.

I felt my breath hitch in my throat, "...no..."

He smiled and I felt like I was going to be reduced to a puddle. "Good." His hand gently fell atop my head, rustling my hair in a simultaneously patronizing and affectionate way. "Should we talk about the bedroom preferences comment?" He mused.

"No." I scowled and turned to head for the door.

He chuckled, "Inari, what's your safe word?"

What an odd question, of course I had one but I'd never had cause to use it, I was always the one in control in all aspects of my life including the bedroom, "paprika." I grumbled and reached for the door only to let out a yelp as I was suddenly bound back in the scarf and wrenched backward. The scarf released me as I was off balance and I felt myself fall backward onto my bed.

Aizawa was there in an instant, pinning my wrists above my head. Desire pooled low in my belly as he caged me in, trapping me beneath him. His free hand caressed my cheek before slipping into my hair. A shudder ran through me and a gasp escaped me as he caught a fistful of hair and pulled gently tilting my head back a little before capturing my lips in a kiss that took my breath away.

I began to panic as I realized I was okay with relinquishing control to him. I'd never been okay with giving anyone control. I was the one in control. "Paprika." I breathed once he broke the kiss.

He immediately released me and took a step back offering me a hand to take if I so chose to be helped up but not pressuring me to do so. "Are you alright?"

This man was probably the only person in the world capable of ruining me. "...I love you..." I admitted shakily.

Aizawa smiled a gentle, endearing smile. "Inari: 3, Stalker:2"

"I fucking hate your stupid guts." I laughed as I wiped away tears of joy and emotional overwhelm.

"I love you too, Inari." He leaned forward and brushed a delicate kiss across my lips.

"Now get rid of all the people in my apartment and we can pick up where we left off." I smiled.

He chuckled, "the people in your apartment all care about you and invited themselves, you're going." He moved toward the door and waited, "I'll give you three seconds, after that you don't get a choice and you will be punished later."

A shiver rolled down my spine and I mentally groaned, all my bedroom preferences were a lie when it came to this man! He was absolutely going to ruin me.

"Three."

My heart raced.

"Two."

Oh god, I was not okay.

He threw a sexy as hell smirk my way and I thought I might actually fucking swoon, "One." The scarf lassoed me with ease and I let out a yelp as I was dragged to the door. "Should have known you'd be a brat." He smirked.

"Shut the hell up, I don't know what the hell I am anymore and it's all your damn fault!" I growled, causing him to chuckle as he dragged me out of my bedroom, only releasing me from the scarf once we got a few steps from my door so I couldn't turn and run back to safety.