Two weeks passed.
Two weeks of texting. Flirty messages exchanged at odd hours. Her schedule was unpredictable, hero work keeping her busy at random times, so our conversations happened whenever she was free. Sometimes at midnight. Sometimes at 6 AM. Sometimes in the middle of the afternoon when she was supposed to be grading papers.
I learned things about her through those texts.
She hated mornings. Couldn't function without coffee. Had a secret addiction to trashy romance novels that she'd deny if anyone asked. She found most of her coworkers boring. She loved her job but hated the paperwork. She had a cat named Whiskers that she insisted was "ironically named" even though I was pretty sure she just thought it was cute.
She learned things about me too.
That I was planning to apply to U.A. That I trained every day. That I had a quirk I was vague about, deflecting her questions with jokes. That I wasn't intimidated by her reputation or her attitude or her teasing.
The tension built with every message.
She'd send me photos sometimes. Nothing explicit, but suggestive. Her in workout clothes, sweaty after training. Her lounging on her couch in a silk robe. Her winking at the camera with a glass of wine in hand.
I sent photos back. Me after workouts, shirt off, muscles on display. She responded to those with fire emojis and comments about "jailbait" that I knew she didn't mean.
The flirting escalated. The innuendos got more obvious. We both knew where this was heading.
Finally, on a Friday night, she sent the message I'd been waiting for.
What are you doing tonight?
I was lying on my bed, pretending to do homework that I'd finished hours ago. My heart rate picked up when I saw her name on my screen.
Nothing important. Why?
Come over.
Three words. Simple. Direct.
Now?
Now.
She sent an address. A high-rise apartment building in an upscale part of the city. Pro hero money.
I'll be there in an hour.
Make it thirty minutes.
Yes ma'am.
Good boy.
I was out of bed before I finished reading her reply.
Shower. Quick but thorough. I wanted to smell good. I picked out clothes carefully. Dark jeans that fit well. A white button-up shirt, sleeves rolled to my elbows. Nice shoes but not too formal. Casual confidence was the goal.
I checked myself in the mirror. My body had improved significantly since I'd started training seriously. Broad shoulders, defined arms, visible abs beneath my shirt. My face was decent too. Strong jaw, dark eyes, hair that cooperated when I bothered to style it.
I looked good. I knew I looked good.
But Midnight was used to men who looked good. Models. Athletes. Fellow heroes with perfect bodies. Looking good wasn't enough to impress her.
I needed to be different.
I grabbed my keys and headed out.
The train ride felt endless. Every stop took too long. Every delay made me check my phone, wondering if she'd change her mind, if she'd text me to say this was a mistake.
She didn't.
I arrived at her building with three minutes to spare. The lobby was fancy. Marble floors, a doorman in a uniform, tasteful art on the walls. I told the doorman I was visiting Kayama in 14B, and he checked a list before waving me toward the elevators.
She'd put me on her guest list. She'd been expecting me.
The elevator ride was the longest of my life. Fourteen floors of anticipation building in my chest. My palms were dry. My breathing was steady. But my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.
The doors opened. I walked down the hallway. Found her door.
Knocked.
"It's open."
Her voice, muffled through the door. I turned the handle and stepped inside.
Her apartment was exactly what I'd expected. Modern furniture in dark colors. Dim lighting from strategically placed lamps. The smell of something floral in the air, probably her perfume. Soft music playing from hidden speakers, something jazzy and low.
The door clicked shut behind me. I heard the lock engage automatically.
"In here."
I followed her voice to the living room.
She was there. Lounging on a leather couch, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of red wine in her hand. But she wasn't in her hero costume.
She was wearing a silk robe. Black, loosely tied, showing off her legs and a dangerous amount of cleavage. Her purple hair was down, falling in waves over her shoulders. Without the mask, I could see her face clearly. Sharp cheekbones. Full lips painted red. And her eyes. God, her eyes. Dark and hungry and fixed directly on me.
"You're early," she said.
"You said thirty minutes."
"I did." She sipped her wine, watching me over the rim. "Most people would have been late. Traffic. Nerves. Last-minute second thoughts."
"I'm not most people."
"So you keep telling me." She set her wine glass down on the side table and stood. The robe shifted as she moved, revealing more leg, more skin. She walked toward me with slow, deliberate steps. A predator approaching prey.
But I wasn't prey.
She stopped in front of me. Close enough that I could smell her perfume. Close enough that I could see the faint flush on her cheeks from the wine. Close enough that if I reached out, I could touch her.
I didn't. Not yet.
"This is a bad idea," she murmured.
"Then why did you invite me?"
"Because I wanted to." Her hand came up, fingers tracing along my jaw. Her touch was cool. Soft. "Because you're interesting. Because I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since that convention."
"Same."
"Really?" A smile flickered across her face. "And what have you been thinking about?"
"This." I caught her wrist gently, holding her hand against my face. "Being here. With you. Finding out if you're as good as your reputation suggests."
"My reputation?" She laughed softly. "And what does my reputation suggest?"
"That you know what you want. That you take it. That you don't waste time on people who bore you."
"All true."
"So why am I here?"
"Because you don't bore me." She stepped closer, pressing her body against mine. The silk of her robe was thin. I could feel the heat of her skin through the fabric. "Because you look at me like I'm a person, not a fantasy. Because when I push, you push back."
"Is that what you want? Someone who pushes back?"
"I don't know." Her other hand slid up my chest, feeling the muscles beneath my shirt. "Most men don't. They see the costume, the whip, the whole dominatrix thing, and they assume I want to be in charge all the time. They want me to tell them what to do. To control everything."
"And you don't?"
"Sometimes I do." Her fingers found the top button of my shirt. Started to undo it. "Sometimes I want someone else to take the wheel. Someone confident enough to handle me." She looked up at me through her lashes. "Think you can handle me, Kai?"
"Only one way to find out."
I kissed her.
She made a small sound of surprise against my lips. Like she'd expected more buildup, more talking, more dancing around what we both wanted. But I was done waiting. Done playing games.
I kissed her hard, my hands finding her waist, pulling her flush against me. She melted into it after a moment of shock, her arms wrapping around my neck, her fingers tangling in my hair.
She tasted like wine and something sweeter. Something addictive. I wanted more.
I backed her toward the couch, not breaking the kiss. Her legs hit the cushions and she fell back, pulling me down on top of her. The robe fell open with the movement, revealing bare skin beneath. She wasn't wearing anything underneath.
I pulled back just enough to look at her.
Fuck.
She was gorgeous. Full breasts, soft and round, nipples already stiffening in the cool air. A narrow waist that flared into curved hips. Long legs that seemed to go on forever. Pale skin that practically glowed in the dim lighting.
"Like what you see?" she asked. The confidence in her voice was undercut by something else. Vulnerability, maybe. The need for validation that everyone had, even people who seemed invincible.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
She blinked. Surprised by the sincerity. "Flatterer."
"I mean it." I leaned down and kissed her neck, trailing my lips along her pulse point. "Every inch of you is perfect."
She shivered beneath me. "Kai..."
"Hmm?"
"Stop talking."
I grinned against her skin. "Make me."
She grabbed my hair and pulled me up into another kiss. This one was rougher, more desperate. Her tongue slid against mine as her hands worked at my shirt, yanking it free from my jeans, fumbling with the buttons.
I sat back to help her, pulling the shirt over my head and tossing it aside. Her eyes widened when she saw my body.
"Oh my." She reached out, her palms pressing flat against my chest. Feeling the muscles, the definition. "You've been hiding this."
"Surprise."
"Where does a fifteen-year-old get a body like this?"
"Training." I caught her hands and pinned them above her head, pressing her into the couch cushions. "Dedication. And a quirk that rewards hard work."
Her breath caught. She liked being pinned. I filed that information away for later.
"What kind of quirk?" she asked.
"I'll show you."
I kissed down her neck, across her collarbone, down to the swell of her breasts. She arched into my touch, straining against my grip on her wrists.
"Let me touch you," she demanded.
"Not yet."
"Kai..."
"Patience." I flicked my tongue across one nipple, and she gasped. "I thought you wanted someone who could take charge?"
"I... I do, but..."
"Then let me." I released her wrists but gave her a look. "Keep them there."
She hesitated. This was new for her. Being told what to do instead of giving orders. But something in her expression shifted. Curiosity. Excitement.
She kept her hands above her head.
"Good girl," I murmured.
Her cheeks flushed. "Don't call me that."
"Why not?" I kissed down her stomach, my hands sliding along her sides. "You like it."
"I don't..."
I bit her hip gently, and she moaned.
"You were saying?"
"Shut up."
I laughed softly and continued my exploration. My lips trailed across her lower belly, my hands pushing her thighs apart. She was already wet. I could see it glistening between her legs, could smell her arousal in the air.
"Someone's eager," I said, echoing her words from our texts.
"Your fault." Her voice was breathier now. Less controlled. "Teasing me for two weeks..."
"You liked it."
"Maybe." She squirmed as my breath ghosted over her center. "Kai, please..."
"Please what?"
"Touch me. Properly."
"Where?"
"You know where."
"Say it."
Her face was flushed, her eyes dark with want. The R-Rated Hero, reduced to begging in her own living room. I loved it.
"My pussy," she whispered. "Touch my pussy. Please."
I rewarded her by pressing a kiss right above her clit. She bucked against me, desperate for more contact.
"Good girl," I said again.
"I told you not to... ahh!"
I licked her.
One long stroke from her entrance to her clit, tasting her for the first time. She was sweet and musky and perfect. Her thighs clamped around my head as her back arched off the couch.
"Oh fuck. Fuck, Kai, that's..."
I did it again. And again. Long, slow licks that explored every fold, every ridge. Learning what made her gasp, what made her moan, what made her grab my hair and grind against my face.
"Right there," she panted. "Right there, don't stop, please don't stop..."
I focused on her clit, circling it with my tongue, then sucking gently. Her whole body shook.
"I'm close. Already. How are you... oh god..."
I slid two fingers inside her. She was tight and wet and hot, her walls clenching around me as I curled my fingers against that spot inside her.
"KAI!"
She came.
Her pussy spasmed around my fingers, her thighs squeezed my head, her whole body convulsed. I worked her through it, licking and fingering until the waves subsided and she collapsed back against the cushions, gasping for air.
I pulled back and wiped my mouth, watching her recover.
"Holy shit," she breathed. "That was..."
"Just the warmup."
Her eyes snapped open. "The what?"
I stood and undid my jeans, pushing them down along with my boxers. Her gaze dropped to my cock, hard and thick and ready for her.
"Oh." She licked her lips. "Oh my."
"Still want to know about my quirk?"
"I'm starting to get the picture."
"You haven't seen anything yet." I climbed back over her, positioning myself between her thighs. My cock pressed against her entrance, slick with her arousal. "Essence Absorption. The more intense the experience, the stronger I get. And my partner feels incredible."
"Sounds convenient."
"It is." I pushed forward slowly, sinking into her inch by inch. "Very convenient."
Her head fell back, her mouth opening in a silent moan. I gave her a moment to adjust, feeling her walls stretch around me, tight and hot and perfect.
"You feel amazing," I told her.
"So do you." She wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me deeper. "Now move. Show me what you've got."
I grinned.
"Yes ma'am."