"You cannot be serious?" You breathed, scowling as you looked into the mirror. Haruki stood behind you, nibbling her lip nervously as you turned your head and shifted, trying to get the 360 picture of the dress the Commission had chosen for you to wear to the Gala.
"I mean, you're far more covered than Midnight was last year," she offered, and you groaned in response. It wasn't that the dress wasn't nice; it probably was undoubtedly expensive, but it was just so exposing. The deep crimson fabric was silky, clinging to your body like a second skin. It was backless, the fabric just high enough to cover your ass, with shiny diamond chains decorating your back and connecting to the halter top. You sighed as you turned back to face your reflection head-on in the mirror. At least you were completely covered there.
"Plus, Hawks won't be able to keep his eyes off you," she added with a smile, and you blinked at her as she chuckled. "I mean literally. Besides the fact that you're absolutely stunning. If the light catches off these diamonds and your jewelry the right way, those little bird eyes of his will be laser-focused."
You chuckled to yourself, allowing your thoughts to wander as the employees at the dress shop made some last-minute touches and adjustments. It had been two weeks since your living room date, and he had revealed his big secret. Initially, it shocked you; after all, he was Hawks. You'd seen his hero persona in action—the way he fluttered his lashes, flirted with everyone, and how admirers always surrounded him. However, the more you got to know him, the more you realized that Hawks was just a character that he played, a mere act orchestrated by the Commission.
Keigo, on the other hand, was shy and reserved, revealing a side that underscored his social deficits. However, you had to admit that lately, he seemed to be more at ease around you. He had become notably more affectionate, approaching you while you cooked dinner to plant a gentle kiss on your head, and willingly falling asleep with you in his arms. He even managed to sneak in a couple more quick kisses here and there. It was a positive change, a healthy dynamic, and you found yourself thoroughly enjoying it.
You were more than happy to let things progress at his pace, to allow him complete and utter control over that. The Commission had taken away so much from him that you knew he needed this autonomy. When he was ready for that step, you'd gladly let him take it. Because, to be fair, the Commission had been right about one thing—Keigo was undeniably hot. Besides your little shower barge-in, you'd caught glimpses of him here and there; after all, you lived together, it couldn't be helped. The ripple of his muscles as he changed his shirt, the birthmark on his right hip that they definitely photoshopped out of his pictures, or the brief view of his perfectly toned ass as he pulled on his pajama pants the other night. The way his waist was so impossibly tiny, well, it was just unfair.
"Earth to Y/N!" Haruki called out, waving a hand in front of your face and snapping you back to reality. You flushed, your face warming as she smirked at you, crossing her arms. Grateful she didn't have Chiyo's quirk, you sucked in a breath, realizing you'd never hear the end of it if she knew what you had just been thinking about. "Are you done daydreaming? We've gotta get you out of this so we can go get your hair and makeup done."
"Oh, uh, yeah," you said, allowing her to help you down and back towards the dressing room. Haruki quickly assisted you in unclasping the halter top, and you stepped into the dressing room to switch back into your regular clothes. It only took a few seconds to slip out of the dress and hang it back up before getting back into your clothes with a sigh. The upcoming event had you more nervous than you cared to admit. Keigo had gone over everything the Commission expected, and while most of it seemed straightforward, interacting with the other heroes made you more anxious than you cared to admit. The only plus side was that the Commission seemed to want Keigo glued to your side the entire time, meaning he could lead the conversation.
"Alright, are you ready to go?" Haruki asked as you stepped out of the dressing room, grabbing the garment bag from you.
"Yeah," you replied before pausing, tilting your head as you looked at her. Haruki had been helping you a lot in the last two weeks, especially after the Commission brought all your things from your apartment. She had assisted you in unpacking, made dinners, and helped you sell and sort through things. In fact, you couldn't remember the last time she had been in the office with Keigo. "Hey, Haruki? Is it okay that you're missing work for this? He won't be upset or anything, right?"
"Nah," she replied, grabbing her bag before giving you a wide smile. "I was officially assigned to Y/N duty until after the gala. The boss has the sidekicks doing their own reports, and he's picking up the slack everywhere else. He wanted to make sure you had help getting settled and prepared." She chuckled slightly as you both made your way out of the store, "Besides, I would much rather do this than be filing arrest reports. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible, but this break has been nice."
"More than happy to help," you chuckled as you followed her into the salon, sucking in a breath as you were led to a chair, settling in. You weren't totally sure why, but the Vice President had insisted you have your hair and makeup professionally done. Keigo had said that tonight was going to be a huge deal, and once they made the official announcement, they were fairly certain people were going to flip out. After all, Japan's most eligible bachelor was no longer on the market after today.
It took literal hours for them to complete your hair and makeup, nearly lulling you into sleep during the process. Blinking in the mirror, your eyes widened as you observed the transformation. Your makeup looked impeccable, a look you doubted you could replicate on your own. They opted for a stunning golden eyeshadow, complemented by a vibrant sparkling red cateye eyeliner that extended into the corners of your eyes, subtly mirroring Keigo's natural markings. Your hair was elegantly styled into an updo, with a few loose and curled strands framing your face.
"Girl, you look stunning!" Haruki said, smiling at you through the mirror's reflection before checking her watch and sucking in a breath. "Shit, we need to get going. We've only got an hour and a half to get back to your apartment and get you changed and ready to go." You were quickly pulled from the chair, calling out a hurried thank you as Haruki tugged you out of the salon and into the waiting Commission car. You sighed, settling into the seat, shuffling nervously before looking over at Haruki.
"Can you give me a rundown on some of the other heroes again?" you asked nervously, and she chuckled slightly in response.
"Sure," she replied softly, crossing her legs as she began her speech. "Endeavor is a literal hothead. He can be rather abrasive, rude, and honestly unpleasant. Hawks seems to take it all in stride, though—go figure the fucking fanboy that he is."
"Fanboy?" you asked, interrupting her, and she started to laugh in response.
"Oh yeah, Endeavor is his favorite hero. Don't tell him I told you, but he's got a signed trading card in his desk. He talked about that thing nonstop for months after he got it. I've got zero idea why he's his favorite though," she said, rolling her eyes as you sucked in a breath, your heart twisting slightly. Endeavor had always been Himari's favorite too, that's why you'd used him as your answer that day in the book cafe. She used to beg you every night to let her watch 'Fire Guy' on TV. When you had asked her why, she just shrugged, saying something about how he looked so sad, like he needed a hug. You'd never really put much thought behind it before; Himari had always been overly empathetic towards people.
"Now, Best Jeanist will probably make some comment about your dress. Don't take it personally if it's negative. That man has a thing for fabric, and if it's not perfect, he'll say something. Edgeshot is pretty shy, quiet, and not your boy's biggest fan. He's always said Hawks is far too high-strung, which is understandable. He can be a lot when he's in hero mode." She said with a shrug before letting out a small giggle.
"They're honestly polar opposites, so he will probably try to avoid you both. Just try to be polite and give him a small hi if he dares to get close. Miruko is great; she likes Hawks a lot, so she'll more than likely be the first person to even approach you both. She's high-strung too, but friendly and horribly stubborn. The two of them disagreeing over something is horrible; you'll be stuck there for hours listening to them rant and rave."
"Anyone else I should know about?" You asked, and she let out a small hum before sighing.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Those are the top five, and I know they'll be there for sure. There might be a few heroes there from the UA staff, Eraserhead, Midnight and Present Mic, maybe All Might. The only one that isn't super friendly from UA is Eraser, but he will probably be in a corner somewhere trying to blend into the shadows. Don't stress, you're going to do fine. Hawks won't let you look bad; his poor little birdy brain won't allow it."
You smiled, looking out the window as you pulled up to your building, the driver quickly getting out to open your door. Both you and Haruki made your way up the stairs to your apartment, and you called out a greeting as you stepped inside.
"Hey! I'm just about to hop in the shower, so the bedroom is free for whatever you need," he called back, and you giggled slightly, glancing at Haruki before wiggling your eyebrows at her.
"Haruki is still with me, so make sure you're not giving anyone a free show. No walking around naked today," you called back, trying to hide your little giggles between your words.
"Y/N! I do not do that!" He exclaimed, the embarrassment obvious in his tone. Haruki snickered next to you as you heard quick footsteps down the hall and the sound of the bathroom door quickly shutting and locking. You sucked in a breath before leading Haruki into your bedroom, closing the door behind you and getting straight to work.
Haruki helped you get your dress back on, reclasping the halter neck and adjusting the diamond strands along your back. You shivered slightly at the cool metal against your skin before she helped you into your heels. The final touch was the jewelry, gifted to you by the Vice President just a few days ago—a thick diamond choker that absolutely glinted and shined in any light, along with a set of matching earrings. You had been speechless when Keigo handed you the box, your brows furrowing as you looked it over before asking him why. He had just shrugged, telling you that they thought you walked on water for finally managing to get him to settle into a relationship.
Haruki clasped it around your neck just as the door to the bedroom opened, and you could hear him suck in a deep breath. You turned, his eyes widening, his pupils dilating so quickly all you could see was black. He blinked several times, his eyes narrowing and expanding rapidly as he tilted his head. From beside you, you could hear Haruki struggling to hold in her laughter before reaching up to snap her fingers at him.
"Oi, focus! I know it's shiny, but it's time to get going," she said, unable to stop her laughter from punctuating her words. He cleared his throat, his face flushing as he shook his head.
"Yes, shit. Jesus, they really knew what they were doing with this one," he grumbled before giving you a shy smile. "You look amazing, obviously."
"Alright, you two," Haruki interrupted, grabbing both your arms and tugging you towards the door. She quickly stopped, holding her hand towards Keigo, and he furrowed his brows at her in confusion. She huffed in response, rolling her eyes before shaking her head. "Your phone, you idiot. You need pictures for your social media profiles. Mamoru was very specific in making sure everything was all updated after today, so."
Keigo sighed, handing over his phone, and you took the opportunity to look him over yourself. He looked good, his outfit similar to what he had worn on your date to the restaurant. All black, including a jacket this time, tailored tightly, showing off his physique quite nicely. The Commission really seemed to like to put him in black, but it was more than likely because it complemented his wings so well. Even you had to admit it was a pretty striking color combination.
"You look really good," you said to him as Haruki posed you both in front of your door. He chuckled, whispering a small thank you before pressing a kiss to your temple. After a few more minutes of various poses and camera clicks, Keigo finally groaned.
"Alright, that's more than enough. They will have us on that stupid red carpet for hours taking pictures and answering questions anyway, and I know you know that. Plus, the car is probably waiting for us," he said, quickly snatching his phone from Haruki despite her protests for just a few more. She huffed, crossing her arms, and you could just hear her mutter the words "kill joy" under her breath. Ignoring her antics, he turned to you, smiling as he held his arm out for you to grab. "Are you ready to go?"
"Lead the way," you replied with a smile, doing your best to ignore the sudden nerves fluttering in your stomach. After today, it would all be official. You would be the girlfriend of the number two hero, and you would more than likely be a viral sensation before the night was over. Yet strangely, you could only really think of one thing as you made your way down the stairs, the clicks of your heels echoing around you.
Akemi was definitely going to kill you when you went to work tomorrow.