Siren Song (All Might x Reader)

Chapter 32: Lights, Camera, Action!

"(Y/n)? You gotta breathe for me, alright sweetheart? If you sweat too much or tear up you're going to smudge all my hard work." Saffron stressed, gripping your shoulders tightly and fussing over your makeup.
"Sorry, Saff- I just-I-"
"You're gonna be fine, okay? Just an interview. It's not even live. I'll get to look at the final cut after it's edited and before it's aired. I'll make sure you look great, got it? You're gonna be with All Might, you'll be fine."
"Right, I'll be fine."You tried to reassure yourself, though it wasn't really working. "All might. Where is he anyways?"
You'd gotten up unbearably early and were rushed to the studio before the sun was even up. In your sleepy stupor you'd barely talked to Toshi, who was equally as sleepy as you were. Saffron, filled with five shots of espresso, kept both of you in line. Once you'd arrived at the studio after a short drive in the car you'd been whisked away to hair and makeup. They put you in the suit Chiara had made you, gushed over how amazing it looked, and then they set to work primping and preening you until Saffron deemed you screen worthy.
She'd insisted everything look subtle and natural on your behalf, and to their credit the makeup team had remained remarkably tame. No dramatic contour, no obnoxious eye makeup, just simple touches to draw out your best features and conceal how tired you were.
When they were done you were hooked up to all sorts of cables and microphones that they hid underneath your clothes and pinned to your suit. You felt robotic, not only because you were barely awake but because of the litany of wires pressed against your skin. You moved when people told you to move, smiled when they asked you to smile, and did your best to remember all of the lines Saffron fed you as she fussed over you like a mother hen.
"Have you had anything to eat today?" She asked before she applied your final coat of lipstick.
"No. I'm way too nervous to eat." You mumbled, face feeling stiff with the weight of the makeup baking under the bright lights.
Saffron pursed her lips in displeasure, looking between you and the lipstick before closing the lid and pushing you away from the people trying to turn on the box strapped to your hip.
"One second. Emergency breakfast break." She told them, pushing you away by your shoulders towards the craft services table.
"Saff, I really don't think I can eat right now." You argued, the knot in your stomach leaving your mouth dry and tasteless.
There was no way you'd be able to swallow anything at the moment. Your mouth felt like it was filled with cotton. If you swallowed anything of substance you ran the risk of throwing it back up.
"You've gotta eat. Even if I have to shove it down your throat," she stressed, "The last thing you want to do is go up there and pass out."
"The last thing I want to do is puke on public television." You countered.
"Just eat something small and light. Look, a little donut! Perfect!" She snatched it up onto a napkin and thrusted it into your hand.
"Saff, I-"
"Don't argue with me on this, (y/n). Right now you're my client. I'm your manager. What I say goes, and I say you're not going up on that stage until you eat."
You opened your mouth to argue that that would be fine, considering you didn't want to go up there, but she was quick to pop the donut hole in before you could speak.
Frustrated, you chew and choke down the donut, hating how sickly sweet it made your dry mouth taste. It sat like a rock in your stomach, though Saffron didn't seem to care. She was in full manager mode, directing people, organizing and critiquing. She was in her element and god help anyone who got in her way.
"Ready to go?" She asked once you'd finished the napkin full of donuts she'd give you.
You were careful to avoid smearing up your makeup or getting crumbs on your jacket, though you felt like a fool while doing so. To add to that embarrassment, it felt like all eyes were on you. Every one on the crew was sneaking by to get a look at All Might's first ever girlfriend. You could feel them sizing you up, wondering what it was about you that caught the number one heroes eye, wondering why you were special.
"Ready as I'll ever be." You deadpanned, trying to ignore the crews curious gazes.
"Hey, chin up." She spoke more softly as she painted your lips with the lipstick she'd brought earlier. Her voice was kinder now, her managerial persona falling away for a brief second. "Do you feel better now that you've eaten?"
"Slightly." You admitted, though you couldn't move your lips much for fear of ruining the lipstick as she put it on.
"Good. You wouldn't believe how many people go up there without eating and pass out under the stress of it. I always make sure to force my stars to eat something. I'll do it for every interview you do just like I'll do it for your wedding." She smiled to herself, then capped the lipstick and slipped it back into the pocket of her navy blue pants. She pulled the napkin from your hands and held it up to you. "Here, blot."
"On set in five!" One of the stage crew called out, adjusting his headset as everyone began to scurry to their positions.
"Alright, (y/n). You're gonna go out there and you're going to be great. The audience will love you. Just remember the talking points I gave you and let All Might take the lead, got it?"
"G-got it!" You stuttered as she pushed you by your shoulders to the set.
You could see the host standing near her chair on set, adjusting her microphone as she talked to Toshinori. You saw his bright smile, heard his booming laugh, and suddenly you didn't feel quite so stressed out. The prospect of being on television was still terrifying, but with him beside you it didn't seem so bad.
"And there she is right now!" The host beamed, her voice as sweet and silky as honey. She stood tall and confident in front of you, dressed in a blinding white blazer and skirt. Her hair dripped in rivers of the darkest, silkiest black down her shoulders, and the tanned skin of her flawless face shined under the spotlight of the set. She was captivating, and for a minute you completely forgot why you were there, if not to stare at this beautiful woman.
You'd seen her before on tv, though you hadn't paid much mind to her. You never realized just how gorgeous she was. Prettier than any model you'd ever seen. The tv didn't do her an ounce of justice.
"Good morning! Lovely to finally meet you. All Might was just telling me all about you."
"N-nice to meet you!" You smiled nervously. All Might moved closer to you, placing a comforting hand on the small of your back.
"I was just telling her about that delicious cake you made!" He smiled at you.
"Oh it's no-"
"We'll definitely have to get your recipe for our home and garden section sometime! It sounds delicious."
"That would be great!" You lied, not liking the idea of doing more interviews than absolutely necessary.
"Mic check! Rolling in one minute!" The director announced, whizzing past Saffron as she approached to sit you in your chair.
"Now, you sit at his right side. Cross your legs at the ankles- yeah, just like that. Now relax, but don't lean back on the mic box at your hip. That thing can get uncomfortable. Now take a deep breath." Saffron looked you in the eye and adjusted the collar of your blouse. Your heart was beating so frantically you worried everyone could hear it. You opened your mouth to tell her you felt like puking, but Toshi slipped his hand into yours and suddenly all that stress melted away.
"You're going to do great, sweetheart." He smiled at you, smoothing his thumb over the back of your hand.
You smiled back at him, still unsure but knowing he'd never let you down. You hoped you wouldn't let him down either.
"You interrupted the pep talk I was gonna give her!" Saffron whined. "Listen, (y/n), you're gonna do great! I've been training you for this for-"
"Rolling in five, four, three-"
"Shit, good luck!" Saffron whispered before whisking off the stage. In the two seconds left you did what she'd told you, tried to look relaxed, put a pleasant smile on your face, and looked directly at Toshi, as if he was the only person there.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Sonoda Yori here with tonight's exclusive special guests, All Might and someone new to the show, Miyasaki Tsukiko. Lovely to have you both here tonight."
You tried not to be caught off guard by the use of the fake name given to you by saffron. It was a precautionary measure, though it would take some getting used to. No one needed to be dredging up any files on whatever may have been in your past. A scandal was the last thing you needed immediately after your debut.
"Lovely to be here, as always." All Might beamed.
"Thank you for having us," You smiled at her, just as you'd rehearsed.
"Ladies and gentleman, tonight Entertainment Daily has the exclusive scoop on something we've all been waiting for for years; someone has finally captured the heart of the number one bachelor. Tonight, we're bringing you the exclusive scoop on just who this lovely woman is and how the love story of the decade came to pass. Tell me, All Might, why make your relationship public? Why now?"
"It seems only right that the country that holds my heart gets to meet the woman whose heart I hold. I don't want to keep any secrets from the world, or from my fans, so as soon as Miss Miyasaki was comfortable of course I wanted to share her with you."
"Always so smooth with your words, aren't you, All Might? So, help us get to know her better. When did you meet?"
You kept up your tight grin as you turned to Toshi, waiting for him to hash out the lines Saffron had fed him over and over again in the car.
"A few months ago we met while working on a similar case. She was working freelance and I instantly fell for her. I hired her for my agency right on the spot."
"Oh, a workplace romance!" She grinned. "What do you do, Miss Miyasaki?"
"I work in recruitment, specifically for water based heroes. I haven't been doing it for long but I already love it." You tried to relax your voice, but there was a nervous edge to it as you smiled. Toshi stroked your hand again, and for a moment you felt like you were back at home, telling your mom about what you'd been up to for the past few years instead of a tv host.
"She's spent more time out in the field than in my agency. I don't think she's stepped foot in there once."
"There've been a lot of reports of her spending time with Saffron. Now we can see why," The hostess smiled. "Another question our viewers are probably dying to know is how long you two have been together. Was it a whirlwind romance? Did she sweep you off your feet, All Might?"
He let out a boisterous laugh. "No, no. I was the one pursuing her. She was very adamant that we maintain a professional relationship, but I was persistent."
"Very persistent," you joked.
Make sure that they know All Might was the one who pursued you. Make it painfully obvious. People will always jump to conclusions, thinking you chased after him for his fame and money. Make it hard for them to find evidence of that. You remembered Saffron saying the night before.
"It really hasn't been all that long. Maybe a month or so?" You lied smoothly.
"Almost a month to the day," he lied alongside you with a smile.
"And you've kept it under wraps for that long? I must say, I'm surprised! Why the secrecy?"
"While All Might is really used to the spotlight, it wasn't something I was very familiar with. We didn't want to put our relationship in the spotlight before it really had time to bloom."
"And bloom it has. You two look absolutely perfect together." She looked between your hands. "Does this mean we can anticipate you at the upcoming gala?"
"Of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world," Toshinori smiled while you nodded alongside them.
"We are all dying to see your dress. Based off your wonderful outfit tonight I can only assume it'll be a Chiara original. Can you give us any hints on what we can expect?"
"I'm honestly not sure what to expect, but if this outfit is any indication I'm sure it'll be amazing. Chiara only makes the best." You responded.
"That she does, that she does. Now, a few more questions we've been dying to know: what does a typical date night look like for you two? I'm sure being with the number one hero doesn't make pinning him down for a date very easy."
"All Might actually always finds time for me," You correct her, just as Saffron had told you to. "While we might not have much time for anything fancy, we spend a lot of time at the cafe in Might Towers, or watching movies together."
"Movie night is a tradition for us." He explained.
"It sounds like you two always make time for each other, but isn't it hard sometimes? Do you ever feel selfish, taking up what little free time he has? He could be out working and instead he's with you. Do you ever worry you serve as a distraction?" She asked out of nowhere. It wasn't one of the approved questions you'd rehearsed.
Your mouth dropped, unsure of how to respond. Toshi face was uneasy and he laughed uncomfortably as he shifted in his seat.
You did your best to return your face to a neutral state and take a deep breath before you answered, carefully calculating your answer. If you said the colorful things you wanted to say in response to her rude question, you'd blow the interview. If you didn't defend yourself youd look like a fool.
"What All Might decides to do with his free time is up to him, I'm just very lucky he decides to spend some of it with me."
"And you don't feel like you're a distraction?"
"I don't. Hes always going to put his hero work first, I have no doubt about that and I don't want to change it. His dedication is part of what I like about him."
"I agree." Toshinori nodded. "The balancing act can be hard, but we each know where our priorities are and we're okay with it."
" I'm sur our viewers will be glad to hear that. It must be very daunting to be with the most famous man in Japan. Do you ever worry you won't measure up?"
"She never has to worry about that," Toshinori cut her off with a tight smile.
"I see. And how does his hero work affect you? Are there ever days you worry he won't come home? Days you wish he would stay home instead of working?"
The question was directed at you, but you weren't prepared to answer. Saffron hadn't expected her to do any deep digging questions, so you didn't know how to respond.
Did you worry about his hero work?
Of course you did, but you couldn't say that in front of the entire world. You couldn't sew any doubt into their minds about the capabilities of the number one hero.
Still, images of Toshinori weak and bleeding in his bed plagued your mind.
Your perfectly manufactured smile dropped a single millimeter before you could answer, and she noticed.
"It has to be terrifying, knowing that any day he goes out on patrol could be his last."
Toshinori shifted uncomfortably next to you, but kept his smile plastered to his face.
You swallowed, searching for the proper words, looking over the woman's shoulder to Saffron as if she could help you out. She looked like she was fuming at the unscripted question, but rolled her hands to urge you to keep going.
With a breath for courage, you squeezed your boyfriends hand.
"All Might is the top hero in the country. There's never been a villain he couldn't face and bring to justice. Every day he goes out I feel good knowing that the world will be that much safer by the time he comes home."
Saffron seemed pleased with your answer.
"Such wonderful adoration. Now, All Might, let's talk about your outfit for the gala."
You breathed a sigh of relief and before you knew it, Toshinori answered the rest of the woman's questions and the interview was over.
"It was lovely to have you both here." Sonoda shook both of your hands. "We'll have the interview edited and ready to go for the prime time slot tonight."
"That sounds wonderful. Make sure you get my good side." All Might beamed.
"We wouldn't be able to find a side that wasn't good, All Might." She schmoozed. "And Miyasaki, I hope you'll forgive me for catching you off guard. People love to see the drama and emotion. Saffron would've never let me ask if I put it into the script, but I think you had a perfect answer."
"Don't push it. I haven't approved it in the final cut. Pull something like that again and we'll take our exclusive interviews elsewhere." Saffron glared. You could tell her espresso was wearing off and you figured getting her out if there sooner rather than later would be a good idea. Even you could feel yourself grow more and more tired, though by the view outside the window you could tell it was barely morning. The commuters were just beginning to leave their homes to trek to work and you felt like you'd already gotten a whole day of work in.
"Of course. Very sorry. We'll have the final cut ready for your approval by noon."
"Good. Now, our schedule is chock full. Well call you later, depending on how the final cut turns out." Saffron threatened.
"Wonderful. Have a good rest of your day!" She smiled uncomfortably.
Before you could say goodbye, Saffron had linked her arm with yours. Toshi trailed closely behind as she pulled you through the studio and into the parking garage.
"Oh, the fucking nerve of that woman!" She hissed into your ear. "I tell her only the approved questions and she tries to push it because you're fresh. If she thinks she's gonna get away with this she's got another fucking thing-"
"Saff, it's fine," you squeezed her arm. "Breathe."
"It's not alright! No one treats my clients that way."
"Saffron, it's just one interview. I'm not really a client, and I don't really care about her dumb questions. It's okay."
"That's where you're wrong, babe. After this interview I'm gonna have people foaming at the mouth to get you to work for them. Modeling, commercials, more interviews. Even if you don't want to do them I'm still going to have to filter through them. So, like it or not, you're my client now."
"But-"
"Unless you plan on going to another manager," she interrupted. "In which case I'll be heartbroken and unable to speak to you ever again."
You rolled your eyes and squeezed her arm. "Fine, fine. You're my manager. Just don't sign me up for anything weird."
"Of course." She grinned and nodded.
"This is feeling eerily similar to when she coerced me to hire her as my manager." Toshi piped in.
"And I've done a great job, haven't I? If night eye and my hiring experience is indicative of anything, sometimes you don't realize you need help until it's forced upon you, mister number one." She teased.
As the car came into view, Saffron released your arm and it was replaced quickly by Toshinoris arm. He pulled you close and leaned down to whisper in your ear before you slipped into the car.
"You did great, dear. I'm sorry she threw such awful questions at you." He kissed the side of your head and closed the car door behind you.
"Ugh, can you keep the make out sessions to a minimum until I get home? I don't have enough caffeine in my system to deal with the sweetness." She fake gagged as Toshinori walked to the other side of the car and let himself in.
"Sorry, Saff." You chuckled.
"I think we should celebrate tonight," Toshinori smiled as he slipped his arm around your shoulders.
"Celebrate what?" You asked.
"Your debut!" He beamed. "You did really well in that interview. Everyone will love you."
"I don't think I did that well..." you admitted.
"I've seen a lot of first timers interview," Saffron explained. "Not even 10% of them do as well as you did out there. You even dealt with her curveball. I'm proud of you! We deserve to celebrate. It'll be like a premier party!"
"It's not like it's a movie," you rolled your eyes.
"Nah, I think we'll take modeling and then movies as your next steps." She teased.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself."
"I'm just thinking big picture! Tonight we'll have champagne, the cafe can cater us! Nothing big, but fancy. We can invite Camilla, Night Eye, Akemi-"
"Akemi! Oh my god!" You gasped, suddenly remembering the date you'd had with him only a few days ago.
"What about him?" Saffron asked.
"I gotta tell him- oh no. We had a date the other day, remember? I've gotta call him before the interview airs. I don't wanna hurt him."
"Oh..." Saffron pursed her lips, "That's a sticky situation. I'm sure Akemi will understand, even if it's awkward. He's chill like that."
"Are you sure?"
"Totally sure. Just give him a call. Don't wait on it, alright?"
"Alright..."
"So anyways. For champagne I was thinking-"
You tuned Saffron out the rest of the way home, dumbly nodding and agreeing with whatever she said. Toshinori could see how out of sorts you were, but didn't feel it was his place to intervene.
He was part of the reason you had to call Akemi, after all.
When you were finally alone, after a grueling training on hardly any sleep and another cup of coffee, you stared at your phone.
Surprisingly, it felt almost harder to call Akemi than it had been to talk to your mom initially.
Hoping for some sage advice, you made a call to your mom.
"Hey, Kiddo!" You could hear her smile on the other side of the line. "How'd your big interview go this morning?"
"Is that (y/n)? Tell her I said hi!" You could hear Brienne blabber in the background.
"Bri says hi, by the way."
"Tell her I said hi."
"She says hi back," your mom passed the message on.
"Ask her about the interview!" brienne insisted.
"I was trying to until you interrupted."
"Oh! Sorry."
"Anyways," your mom chuckled, "the interview. Was it good? What was Sonoda like?"
"She was beautiful. Like almost creepy so. She didn't seem human." You teased, "And she threw me a bunch of rude curve ball questions about whether I felt I was a distraction to All Might or not."
"Seriously?" You heard Briennes outrage in the background.
"I'm sorry your interview was tough, but at least it's over now! What time is it airing?"
"Six tonight."
"We'll be sure to watch it!"
"Saffron mentioned a viewing party tonight if you wanna come. I'm sure Toshinori wouldn't mind getting rooms here for you if you wanted to stay the night."
"Do you miss is already?"
"Of course I do."
"Well we miss you too. I'll have to see if Bri-"
"We'll be there!" Brienne took the phone. "I'll bring some chips and dip."
"Sounds good," you laughed.
"Would you stop interrupting my phone call?" You could hear your mom swat Brienne away. "I swear, she's been unhinged since you left the other day."
"You mean she isn't always unhinged?" You laughed half heartedly.
"More so than usual. And you sound off too. Something wrong?"
"Kinda," you admitted, flipping back onto your bed.
"What's happening?"
You weren't sure what to divulge to her. The weight of a big hero mission feeling like it was on your shoulders, the exhausting training you'd been doing, feeling like telling the world about your relationship was a mistake. You decided to start simple, with your Akemi dilemma.
"Before I made things official with All Might I went on a date with a super nice guy. He's still expecting a call back from me and I- I just can't bring myself to let him down."
"Well, you can't leave him hanging forever. How many dates were you on?"
"Just one. I just don't wanna hurt his feelings."
"I understand." Your mom thought for a minute. "It would hurt less for him to hear from you than from the interview."
"You're right. It's just- it's hard."
"As hard as calling your mom after a decade apart?"
"Almost as hard, but not quite." Yoy sighed.
"Listen, (y/n). I know it's hard. Talking to people always is. But letting Akemi know is the right thing to do."
"It's just scary. And hard." You admired sheepishly.
"The right thing to do usually is. Something you have to take the things your afraid of and meet them head on. Then you realize it wasn't that hard in the first place."
"I didn't know you were a waxing philosophical." Brienne snickered in the background.
"If you don't get out of here I'll have half a mind to beat you with this spoon!" Your mother threatened.
You ignored Brienne with a roll of your eyes. "You're right. You're usually right. I'll call him."
"You can do it. I know you can."
"Thanks, ma. I'll call you when I'm done."
"Alright, good luck. I'll talk to you soon. Love you."
"Love you too!"
"Tell her I said I love her too!" Your friend interrupted. You heard a sharp 'whack' on the other side of the line, followed by brienne complaining about her butt being smacked. You couldn't help but laugh as you hung up.
You knew your mom was right. You needed to call him, and it was more than likely that you were getting too worked up over it. Still, the thought of hurting his feelings seemed unbearable.
No matter how you felt, you forced yourself to pick the phone back up and dial his number.
It rang a few times, giving you a false sense of hope that he wouldn't answer, but on the sixth ring he answered.
"Hey," his voice was thick with sleep, but you could still hear his smile.
"Hey, did I wake you up?"
"A little. I work at night, remember? Gotta sleep in late."
"Oh- I can call back another time. Sorry!"
"Nah, don't do that! It's fine. I don't mind missing sleep for beautiful women."
You laughed, but it felt stale.
"Well, I'll make it quick so you can get back to sleep then."
"What's up?"
"I just wanted to let you know that All Might and I are a couple..." you started, mouth as dry as cotton. "We did an interview about it this morning and I wanted to let you know before it aired."
His silence was deafening.
"How long have you guys been a thing?" He asked after a few beats of pause.
"Just a week maybe." You responded.
"So not while we were on a date?"
"No." You frowned.
A few more silent beats passed before he spoke again.
"Well good for you!" He sounded cheery. "Dating the number one hero must be rad as hell."
"You're not mad?"
"Course not! Don't take it personally, but if All Might would've asked me out I would've said yes in a heartbeat. Have you seen that man?"
You couldn't help the laugh that escaped you. "Yeah, I have."
"He's like seven feet of pure muscle. You'd be an idiot not to go out with him."
"It's true."
"I'm happy for you. Jealous, but happy." He teased "So what's this interview about?"
"Just announcing our official relationship."
"Oh, 'official'. Sounds fancy."
"Not sure how fancy it is, but we're having a viewing party tonight at 6 if you wanna come."
"Sure, I'll stop by before work. Will there be food?"
"I think so. I left all the details to Saf."
"Then there will definitely be food. I'll be there."
"Good." You smiled. "I'll look forward to it."
"'Course. Now, I hate to cut this short but I need I get some sleep if I'm working and partying tonight. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Sounds good. Sleep well."
"I'll try. And (y/n)?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for telling me. I was getting worried you didn't like me or something."
"Nah, I like you." You reassured him.
"Good. I think you're pretty cool too. See you tonight?"
"See you tonight."

"That was... a lot easier than I was anticipating." You muttered to yourself.