Assistant To The Hero Part I - Amajiki X Reader

Assistant to the Hero Part I - Amajiki x Reader

Requested by @fuzztacular , part II will follow tomorrow. Part of my Follower Celebration

- 5 days as his assistant

With only a few days left until Washio-san’s retirement party, you’re just a little surprised that they’re calling you in for an interview.

You’ve worn your best clothes to work every day for the last two weeks, hoping against hope that you’ll be called in. Washio-san has been Suneater’s assistant ever since he started working at Fatgum’s agency. You’ve heard all the rumors.

How he’s picky, doesn’t talk to anyone but Fatgum and Washio-san - or maybe Kirishima-kun, and never attends any office parties.

But you’ve also heard of him from Kirishima-kun - one of the three junior Heroes you’re managing - and he tells an entirely different story.

With three years at the agency under your belt, you’re more than ready to take on one of the bigger sidekicks of Fatgum and you know that you’re capable of assisting Suneater. All you need is a chance.

And if the ongoing interviews are any indication, he hasn’t picked his new assistant yet.

-

“Y/N, welcome.” Washio-san is a grey-haired woman. You’ve never met her without a smile on her lips or a colorful pin on her blazer. Today, she’s got a tiny, vibrantly purple hummingbird pinned to her chest.

“Thank you for thinking of me.” You shake her hand and take a seat.

“I’m sorry we didn’t approach you sooner, but you might know that quite a few assistants were up for a promotion. Since you’ve finished your first three years with great reviews from everyone around, it’s also your choice which sidekick you want to work for.”

That’s news to you. “It’s… my choice?”

Washio-san nods and shuffles her papers, waiting for you to make your move. But you don’t know what to say. Should you tell them that you want to work for Suneater? But surely everyone wants to work for him. But if you don’t say his name and pick someone else and no one ends up picking him? He’d be heartbroken to hear that.

“Who…” You start and cough awkwardly to clear your throat. “I mean I’m sure that if everyone got to voice their choice, quite a few choose the same hero, am I right?”

“Yes.”

“Who…” You look down at your hands to steel your nerves. “Who didn’t get picked? It’s… It’s not that I don’t have preferences, I’d lie if I said I don’t. But I always felt that at this agency, everyone was doing their best. No one deserves not to get picked. I’d rather assist someone misunderstood than just voice my preference.”

“Well, isn’t that nice of you?” Washio-san smiles knowingly. “I’m happy to report that no one went without a pick so far. But I believe that Suneater got picked the least.”

The relieved sigh leaves your lips before you can hold it back.

Washio-san’s knowing grin grows only wider and you bite your lip.

“Well, in that case, someone else picked him already, right?” You blunder on. “A-and it w-wouldn’t be fair to take their place. Not that I could take it that lightly, I mean, you’d have to decide that, right?”

“Why do you think you’d be a better match as Suneater’s assistant.”

There’s a new tone to Washio-san’s voice, like steel hidden behind velvet. You’re reminded that she’s kept working here for all her life, all three of her pregnancies and that she basically built up this agency. Suneater is probably like a son to her. A grandson, more likely.

You won’t get past her with flattery or trying to sound nice. And you owe her your honesty.

“I don’t think that I get to say who’s the best match for him.” You tell her, voice strong now that you talk from your heart. “I think everyone could work well with him if they treat him with basic decency. Kirishima talks highly about him and I believe Kirishima above all else.”

Washio-san nods and gets up. “Thank you. This will be all.”

“O-Oh… of course.” You scramble to get up yourself, shake her hand when she offers it, and walk to the door. This interview hasn’t given you any insight on the matter but you’re just a junior assistant anyway.

“Oh, by the way.” Washio-san calls out when you’re at the door. “Just between the two of us. You would have picked him, am I right? Suneater, I mean.”

“I…” You shrug, mouth pulled into a tight line. “Yeah,” you admit softly. “But I’ll work with whomever you pick for me. I like all of our sidekicks a lot.”

-

-1 day as his assistant

Five minutes before you have to leave for Washio-san’s retirement party, your computer pings, signaling incoming mail.

You click on the letter icon, ignoring Kirishima’s excited babbling about yesterday’s patrol.

The letter is short, but it leaves your head spinning.

“Kirishima?” You grind through your teeth. “I got the position.”

“No way!” He’s on your back immediately, his weight crushing you against your keyboard. “NO FREAKING WAY!!”

-

To Kirishima, you're celebrating your new job. You have to remind him constantly not to tell everyone he meets. This is still Washio-san’s retirement party after all.

She hugs you, thanks you profoundly for the pin you wrapped as delicately as you could. It's a silver squid, its tentacles glittering with deep indigo stones. It cost you almost an entire month of pay but it's so worth the smile on her face.

“This might be my favorite present, “ she tells you in a whisper, “But don't tell anyone. It reminds me of Tamaki.”

The man itself is nowhere to be seen. He's not on patrol, that you know from Kirishima, but you would have been surprised to see him at a party with this many guests anyway.

Only when the cake has almost been devoured and the drinks are already finished, you spot his trademark indigo hair.

He's wearing skinny jeans and a black cardigan and of you hadn't known him, you might have taken him as an overworked accountant.

“I put some cake away.” You tell him, plate in hand. “Kirishima said you like sweet stuff.”

He flushes bright red and his mouth forms a line that's so straight you could use it as a ruler.

“Oh, I am sorry, I didn't want to surprise you.” You rub your neck awkwardly. “We don't even have to talk. I’m your new assistant, starting tomorrow. I’ll just leave this here with you.”

You offer him the plate and he takes it, hands shaking.

It's obvious that he's trying to talk, just as obvious that he's trying to make eye contact, but he's failing at both.

“You don't have to make eye contact with me.” You point out softly. “Just look at my shoulder when you address me. That's more than enough.”

A heavy sigh leaves him when he does so

“I wanna go home.” He mutters, flushes even brighter when he seems to realize what he just said.

“I get that. I think it makes it that much more special that you still showed up for Washio-san. I will get her for you, so that you can leave right after, okay?”

“O-okay.”

-

1 Month as his assistant

It’s a good thing that you don’t like small talk or feel the need to fill Silence with chatter. If you keep quiet long enough, Suneater will forget that you exist and almost relax while doing his paperwork, sometimes even humming a tune under his breath.

When you keep exceptionally quiet, you might even allow yourself to look at him from the corner of your eye.

He is, without a doubt, the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen.

He is also nice, capable in a fight, and a good boss when he can do things in writing instead of approaching you directly.

-

Every week, without fail, a little present will pop up on your table, usually when you come back from lunch and he’s on his way out to patrol.

Some chocolates, a single Daisy in a drinking glass, a foreign coin that’s polished so well it reflects the sunlight.

It feels like little presents one would get from a bird and in a way, he reminds you of one, how shy and on edge he is all the time.

The first time you hadn’t been sure if the gifts were really coming from him. After all, there was still creepy Jin from Accounting who liked to bring you gifts in the hopes you’d go on a date with him in exchange.

But Jin’s presents had always been more showy and he’d never take the chance that you mistook it for someone else's work.

You’d written a card then, just in case, and put it on top of the paperwork Suneater had to sign.

“Thank you for the Chocolate, it’s my favorite kind. I hope it was from you. If not, please just mark this card with an X and put it back on my table and I will not mention it again.”

The card never came back to you. You found it in one of the drawers of his desk instead, when you went looking for a file for Fatgum a week later.

-

“Have you seen Suneater?” Some girl from Accounting bursts through the door of your office. You blink up at her in perfectly veiled annoyance.

“Bathroom break, I think.” You offer politely and she huffs in annoyance and leaves, leaving the door open.

You get up to close it, hearing a mumbled “Thank you.” from behind his desk when you go back to your chair.

“Of course.” You send a smile in his direction, barely able to see the tip of his right ear and some of his hair from where you sit. He’d been hiding behind the table for over an hour now, dropped down on the floor in a heap right after patrol, and refused any offer of water or blankets.

“You can call me Amajiki.” He mumbles again. “Tamaki Amajiki.”

“Thank you, Amajiki-kun.” You dare to say a few more words, hoping it won’t backfire. “If you want to talk about something, I’m always here to listen.”

“It’s stupid.”

“I’m sure it’s not.”

“My roommate’s moving out.”

You blink. That answer is unexpected.

“You’re not happy about it, I assume?”

“He’s my best friend.”

You nod, now understanding at least some extent of the problem.

“Did you have a fight, or…?”

“He’s moving in with his girlfriend.”

“Oh, that’s a big step. How do you feel about it?”

Amajiki moves back and your eyes meet for the briefest of moments before he turns the other way, now hiding completely from your sight.

He’s quiet for a while and you imagine how red he must be, the way he always turns when you can’t help but talk to him.

“Whether you feel sad about it or upset or anything else, your feelings are valid.” You say into the Silence when he’s still not talking. “I still remember when my roommate moved out.”

“Why did they move out?”

“Oh, Kyoko got married right after College.” You tell him. “And I was so happy for her, because Ryūnosuke is the nicest guy ever, but you can’t help but wish that some things stay the same forever, right? We had such a nice thing going on. After she left, I couldn’t find a long-term roommate for that apartment and had to move into something smaller.”

You bite your lip when you realize that you’re talking about yourself. Hasn’t being quiet paid off well for you up until now?

“Where do you live?”

Surprise washes over you. Does Amajiki want you to keep talking?

Heart beating loudly, you explain where you live. Your cheeks burn when he speaks up again.

“That neighborhood is not the safest.”

“No.” You clear your throat, Shame climbing up your neck. “But it’s cheap.”

“If you need-” You interrupt him before he can offer you a place to stay - you don’t want pity.

“Accounting girl is coming back.” If you can hear her stomping that well through the door, you fear for the ears of those outside

Amajiki falls quiet and you wait, wondering if he’ll get up to face her.

He doesn’t.

The door bursts open yet again.

“Is Suneater here now?”

You level the girl with an annoyed glare.

“No, he’s not here right now, he’s just left for lunch.”

“Why didn’t you tell him to wait?” She asks, clearly angry.

“I don’t work for you. What do you need him for anyway?”

“None of your business.”

“I’m his assistant. It’s very much my business.”

“Fine.” She huffs and places a folder on your desk. You recognize the color immediately. This isn’t something she’d ever need Amajiki for.

“But tell him to call me as soon as he can.”

“Will do.” You say and cross your fingers in your mind.

-

1,5 Months as his assistant

You put the perfectly round pebble on Amajiki’s table.

“What’s that?” He asks and picks it up to inspect it.

“I found it on my way here and thought you’d like it.” You say, ashamed of it now that you can hear yourself say the words. “But you can just throw it away if you don’t… I just thought because of the stuff you bring me…”

He pulls open a drawer, takes out a box, and opens it, carefully placing the pebble inside.

“Thank you.” He says without making eye contact. “It’s appreciated.”

“Very well.” You move over to your own desk, knowing full well that he’d just get nervous if you stand around him too much.

“What’s that?” You pick up the folder and read the first paragraph. “An ad for a roommate?”

“I have to start looking for one.” His voice has started quivering now, a clear sign that he’s getting nervous. You focus on reading to give him some space.

“Amajiki?” You make a point to never look directly at his face. Looking at the name tag on his desk usually works fine.

“If you want me to proof read the ad I have to say that it’s well written. The price is too low however. You should raise it, considering where you live.”

“The price is fine. Can you… do the interviews?”

“Sure.” You nod. “I’ll pick three people and let you decide from there. Do you only want male roommates or?”

“Both is fine.” He chokes out and you nod, turning back to your work.

-

2,5 Months as his assistent

The noise from below is deafening.

You’re hiding in the closet, cradling your emergency bag to your chest.

It’s not the first night you’re losing sleep because some villain or other decided that he wanted to prove himself in your neighboorhood. This time the target must have been the pizzeria below your apartment.

The door to your apartment crashes open but you manage to flinch only slightly.

Steps echo through the little space, someone yells something from the staircase - the hallways outside create a very distinct kind of echo - and your apartment falls quiet again.

You stay where you are and wait, phone in your hand.

It’s almost midnight when you hear steps again, this time quieter.

“Everything clear.” You know that voice.

Slowly you open your closet door to peer outside.

The lights are on and in the doorway, Kirishima is trying to put your door back into its frame.

“Kirishima?” You ask, surprised to see him here.

“Oi! What are you doing in the closet?” He’s at your side in a heartbeat, pulling you up. “Did someone kidnap you? Amajiki! Come here!”

“No, I live here.” You protest when Kirishima pulls you towards the door.

Amajiki, who’s just stepped in, freezes at your sight.

“You live here?” Kirishima sounds surprised but not judgy and you’re thankful for that.

“You’re not hurt, right?” Amajiki is still unable to look into your eyes, but he makes a point in looking at your shoes and your elbows as if those are the places to check for injuries.

“Completely fine. I hid in the closet.”

“That was pretty dangerous.” Kirishima tells you. “How would you have defended yourself?”

“I-”

“Where are you sleeping tonight?” Amajiki interrupts you, glaring at the door instead of you as he speaks. “The door is broken.”

“I’m just going to grab some change of clothes and leave for the agency. I can take a nap there and get an early start.”

“I have a free room.” You stare at Amajiki with your mouth open.

Before you can refuse the offer, Kirishima already claps you on the back with more force than necessary.

“That’s a great idea. That’s so manly of you, Amajiki!”

-

“They’re sending someone to fix my door tomorrow, err, today, I mean. Later today.”

“There’s no rush.” Amajiki is staring at his fridge as you carry your bag into his apartment.

“The smaller bedroom is free. I have to get back to patrol. The bus to the agency leaves every fifteen minutes at the corner. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

It’s weird being in his apartment by yourself even though you’ve been here before.

He’d shown you around once, told you what he could compromise on, and gave you a key to show others around.

That had been about a month ago but he’d yet to agree to anyone you thought he’d be compatible with.

Something you’d been annoyed with yesterday but had to be thankful for tonight when it meant you could crash in his spare room.

Here, in the quiet dark, the fear comes back with vengeance.

You’d been doing a lot of hiding in your closet lately and while you’d come out safe every time so far, you’d have to do something about that.

Just not right now.

You click the light back on, make sure that the front door is locked twice and all windows are closed, and fall asleep to a one-hour loop of coffee shop music.

-

“I have someone new for you.” You tell Amajiki when he comes into the agency around four.

“How’s your door?”

You frown. “Not fixed yet. So, before you say no again, this person-”

“You can stay in my apartment until the door is fixed.” He offers and this time, you look at him directly. He flinches in surprise when he notices your glare and you soften it immediately.

“Amajiki. Ask me who that person is that wouldn’t mind being your roommate.”

“Who’s that person?” He asks, voice timid.

“Me. Well, if you think that would work out. And just until I find something I can rent on my own, I don’t want to bother you longer than necessary.” You regret your words the moment you say them out loud. He wanted to be nice and you’re taking advantage of it.

Amajiki looks like he’s about to faint.

“You can say no if you don’t feel comfortable with it.” You offer softly. “I won’t be mad, I promise.”

“When can you move in?”

-

3 Months as his assistant

“You’re out of milk.” You point out. “And we need more eggs.”

Behind you, Amajiki scribbles down your shopping list of the week.

“I’m taking the train out for the weekend.” You tell him as you move towards the kitchen sink to do the breakfast dishes. “You have the whole living area to yourself until Sunday night.”

He doesn’t look like he cares about that.

Living with him is as weird and yet easy as working with him.

Amajiki’s room is bigger than yours because he rarely leaves it. Work is consuming as it is and he likes to just stay inside when he can.

You’re not sure if he reads or listens to music or watches TV or just sleeps away his free time, but you barely see him even if you’re both home at the same time.

At least he’s letting you cook and pay for the groceries to make up for the ridiculously cheap rent. Even though he insists on buying the groceries himself, because ‘they’re heavy and he can use that as free workout’.

It’s only been two weeks and you already know that the weekend with your parents is a necessary break.

If you’d had a minor crush on him when you started working as his assistant, that crush has increased by a tenfold now.

Seeing him in the morning trying to make coffee while half asleep does nothing to quell your growing feelings.

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning.” You tell him when he’s still not speaking. You don’t know why you add the last part, the words slipping out of your mouth like soap through your fingers. “We could do a movie night if you want.”

You can feel his eyes on your back now, heat rising to your cheeks. You scrub your plate again to keep from having to look at him.

“What movie did you think?” He asks, voice timid.

“I-” You stutter, trying to think of one off the top of your head. “There’s a new Pokemon movie?”

“I’ll put Popcorn on the list.” He says and you can hear him slip from his chair.

“See you later.”

Oh god. Movie night is going to kill you.

-

The living room couch had always felt massive to you until you had to share it with Amajiki.

He’s sitting at the other end of it, a bowl of popcorn sitting between you.

For a moment you wonder if this is how he feels all the time around other people, anxious and aware of every single thing you’re doing.

Is your breathing too loud? Are you moving too much or not enough?

“Bathroom break.” You call out softly and slip from the couch.

You can hear the movie pause behind you and rush to the safety of the bathroom.

It still smells like his bodywash inside which isn’t helping at all, so turn the water as cold as it gets and let it run over your wrists, counting to ten until you’re as calm as you could possibly get.

“It’s just Amajiki.” You whisper to yourself. “He’s too afraid of you to think of anything like that.”