Work Text:
“It’ll be a huge boost if I have someone like you with me!” Hatsume says, eyes practically gleaming. “I mean, I’m already going to stand out plenty, as I’m sure you know, but if I have to bring a guest with me, then having a guest who also happens to belong to a prestigious hero family is the best way to go! Don’t you agree?”
“Do you have to bring a guest?” asks Tenya, because that’s the only thing he can think to ask. She threw him off guard by grabbing him after school one day, and, as always, she’s talked so quickly that she’s been hard to keep up with.
“I don’t have to have to, but, you know, it’ll look better for me,” she says. “I’m lucky to even get invited to something like this at all, so I want to make the best impression I can!”
The invitation in question is one to some formal event being hosted by a big name in the support industry, and only a few students were invited to attend. Naturally, Hatsume was one of them, being one of the most promising students at UA. But, despite explaining her reasoning, Tenya still isn’t quite sure why she wants to bring him as her date.
“I’m not so sure about this,” he finally says. “I don’t understand why you want me to go with you.”
“I’m just using you again!” she says, without a hint of shame. “It’s just for one night. All you have to do is stand there and look good, and maybe say nice things about me and my babies from time to time. It’s totally simple! The fact that yours an Iida will be enough to draw lots of attention on it’s own.”
“Still, I don't know that I'm the best for-”
“You are! Don't worry about it! So, let me just tell you about the dress code and where we need to meet up…”
In the end, Tenya has absolutely no say in the matter.
~X~
“Well, don't you just look dashing, Rich Boy!” Hatsume cries. “Good job picking out a tie to match my dress. We’re going to be the best looking ones there, you know?”
She doesn't even give him a chance to respond before she's on about something else, and he's still not quite sure how he got roped into this. It's not the first time Hatsume’s talked him into something, and he still isn't able to resist her, even knowing her tricks.
“You...look rather nice yourself,” he says, because he’s sure that’s what he’s supposed to say. Even if this isn’t a real date, he still wants to be a gentleman.
“Ooh, you’re playing the part just perfectly!”
“The part?” he asks, but he gets no answer as she insists that they hurry to make it on time.
The night goes just about how he expected it. He’s little more than arm-candy, standing at her side while she babbles about things that even he can’t begin to comprehend. Hatsume is perfectly in her element here, and he’s not so sure that she needed him to make such a good impression. Either way, things are mostly uneventful for him until somebody asks her, “And is this handsome young man your boyfriend?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” she asks with a laugh, and for a brief second, Tenya thinks that she’s making fun of him. Yes, of course it’s obvious that the two of them would never really date, and he’s hardly boyfriend material. But then she gives a big, mischievous grin and says, “Of course he is!”
“I’m what?!”
Hatsume elbows him hard and says, “Were you daydreaming again? She just asked me if we were dating, that’s all.”
He knows better than to protest it, and forces a smile and says, “Ah! Of course, how rude of me! Yes, I am your boyfriend!” in such a stiff voice that the woman looks rather concerned. Still, she doesn’t comment on it, and once they’re out of that conversation, he drags Hatsume off to the side, not caring for the moment that he’s not behaving like a gentleman.
“At what point did I become your boyfriend?” he demands.
“It’s just for tonight, I promise!” she insists. “Come on, don’t you think it makes it look more convincing?”
“Makes what look more convincing? As far as I can tell, all you needed was an escort, and that’s what I am. I don’t see why we had to complicate the story!”
“Just trust me,” she says. “There’s no need to worry about anything!”
“I’m afraid it’s a little hard to trust you, after the sorts of stunts you’ve pulled,” he says bluntly, but when he sees how hurt she looks, he regrets it. He could have toned it down at least.
“It’s just for the rest of the night, and then you can forget this ever happened,” she says, and starts off without him, so he has to quickly catch up to her.
Tenya feels bad for hurting her, because he really hadn’t meant to. He hadn’t thought about her feelings on the matter, and had almost thought of her as not having feelings, at least not normal ones. But of course she has feelings like everyone else, and of course saying something like to her would hurt her feelings. It’s true that she’s done some underhanded things to him in the past, but she’s never really hurt him before, and it isn’t hurting him now to play along with her.
The next time somebody asks if he’s her boyfriend, he gives the biggest smile he can manage and says, “Yes, I am! And I’m very proud of her accomplishments and how far they’ve brought her!”
“Weren’t you the one who competed against her in the sports festival?” a man asks him. “Is that how the two of you met?”
“Yes, it is, and even then, I thought she was amazing,” says Tenya, and he’s being sincere. Though it was all rather frustrating, he was still very impressed with her ingenuity.
“You’re pretty impressive yourself.”
“I appreciate it, but tonight, I’m just here to support Hatsume.”
She’s a bit thrown by everything that he says, but bounces back quickly to take control of the conversation, and they have many similar conversations after that. Tenya plays the part to the best of ability, and, as Hatsume picks up on it, they’re able to work together more, until they’re told time and again that they make the perfect couple. By the end of the night, he’s watching her make several new contacts, and though he’s still sure that she could have done just fine on her own, he’s actually glad that he was able to be here with her.
“Alright, you can head on home and forget about all of this,” she says. “You did a great job faking it, by the way! You almost had me convinced, and I knew that you didn’t even want to be there.”
“Hatsume, I…” He clears his throat. “I’m sorry if I was a little harsh on you before. Tonight was more fun than I thought it would be, and there was no harm in me playing along with you. I shouldn’t have said some of the things I said to you.”
“Well, maybe I could have been a little more honest about my intentions,” she says. “I’m sorry about that too.”
“Well, now that the air is clear between us, I feel a lot better,” he says with a smile. “If you ever need any help in the future, don’t hesitate to come to me! And don’t hesitate to tell me outright what you want.”
“Outright, huh? Well, just so you know, next time is probably going to be a real date,” she says.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t worry about it, Legs! Anyway, I have to get going!”
Hatsume doesn’t give him any further answers, but Tenya is pretty sure he gets the picture. What’s more, he’s pretty sure he’s incredibly excited for next time.