Bad Press is Good Press

by unfoldingbliss

An outburst would do little to help Asami out. But the thought of uppity snobs grabbing her, holding her like she was some...trophy grated at his nerves. [Tye/Asami]

It's not my best, but it'll have to do *sighs*

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"Tye, could you please stop fiddling with your tie?" Lex scolded as they drove in the back of his limo, "You're going to ruin the pressing."

"Sorry," Tye grumbled, taking his hands off the tie and shoving underneath them his legs, "I've...I've just never worn something so formal before."

"Come now, you've never worn a suit?" he quirked an eyebrow, "Don't you have dances or school functions that require such attire?"

"Yeah, but me and Jai - I mean I just never went to them," Tye replied. It'd been a few weeks, but the thought of his best friend still left a bitter taste in his mouth, "I was planning on maybe going to one my junior year, asking my friend Brenda out if she and Paco weren't an item by then. But...yeah. I prefer skateboarding to dancing any day."

"Hmmm," Lex hummed, "Very well. You're still young so you won't be required to partake in the standard ballroom dancing unless a sponsor asks you. But seeing as how you're all striking, that may prove to be difficult."

The billionaire turned his attention to the other two boys in the limo, "Do you two have any dancing experiences?"

"Uh...if you're talking about ballroom dancing," Virgil said, "the only thing I know how to do is waltz. My sister taught it to me when I was in grade school."

"Good," Lex smiled, "What about you, Eduardo?"

The fourth member of the limo stared at the ground, grinding his shoes together, "I...can dance a lot of them. The salsa, tango, mambo, swing, the hustle..."

"Fabulous!" Lex exclaimed, his smile widening, "That's quite an extensive skill set. We'll have to make a show of it. Women at these engagements love a young man who can dance. Did you take classes in Argentina?"

"Not really," he shook his head, "I had a friend...she loved to dance. We would practice almost every Friday night in her apartment."

"Well, we'll have to thank her," he placed a hand on his shoulder.

Eduardo forced a smile, "Yeah...we sure do."

Tye was confused as to why Virgil frowned and stood up to sit next to Eduardo after that, whispering something that he couldn't hear, but he really didn't have time to dwell on it. He was nervous. No, scratch that, he was more than nervous. Beyond nervous. Terrified even. Sure, they'd been preparing for this ball thing for the last few days: how to eat, drink, talk...but he had not been prepared as butlers dressed him in a five thousand dollar charcoal-black suit with a bright orange tie or the woman called in to exclusively shampoo, condition, and style his hair, now tied into a low ponytail away from his face.

He turned back to Virgil and Eduardo, who were in similar outfits. Virgil fashioned a dark blue suit with a yellow tie while Eduardo was dressed in gray with a burgundy tie. Virgil's hair was trimmed a little and Eduardo's was straightened and slicked back, resembling that of a thirties mobster.

"So, Sam and Mercy are meeting us there?" Virgil asked Lex from behind Eduardo.

"Yes, Asami's primping should be done by now," Lex checked his watch, "They should be arriving about twenty minutes after us."

"Why did she go somewhere else, jefe?" Eduardo inquired, "Couldn't she just dress with the rest of us?"

"She could have," Lex frowned, seemingly unsure of what to think of the new nickname adopted by all the boys, "But I have an acquaintance uptown who owed me a favor and I thought this was an optimal time to cash in on it. Don't worry, Asami is fine. And of course, many of the men there will want a dance with her, so she had to look her best."

Tye scowled, thoughts flying to a band of overpriced suits and ties swarming over Asami, "What if she doesn't want to dance with them? They can't force her."

"No, they can't," Lex agreed, "But Asami has been instructed to accept all invitations. She's going to be the center of attention, more so than you three. Not only is she the only female member of your little team, but she's what you'd call...exotic. Also very pretty, which can be a deadly combination at these events."

Protest hung in his throat, but he quieted the urge. An outburst would do little to help Asami out. But the thought of uppity snobs grabbing her, holding her like she was some...trophy grated at his nerves. Asami had been through hell and back with the Reach (they'd all been, but that wasn't the point), couldn't she relax and have fun for one night without meeting high and ridiculous expectations? First the Reach, then STAR, now Luthor...

No choice, Virgil's voice rang in his ear, calling him back to the night they took up Luthor's offer, He's our best shot at surviving until this whole thing blows over with the Reach.

Do you honestly believe he's going to let us go once they're gone? Tye asked, he might be worse.

I think you're forgetting that we have powers, hermano, Eduardo spoke up, his eyes darting back to Lex's car, And I'm sure if push comes to shove, we can get help from the Justice League.

Yeah, a smiling Jaime flashed in front of him, maybe.

"Looks like we've arrived," Lex announced, "Remember, boys. Smile and stay polite."

They nodded as they stopped outside of the gala, bright yellow lights streaming into the limo. Lex was first out the door, waving at the reporters before the doors.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lex said, "It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the three young men of Infinity Inc.: Virgil Hawkins, Eduardo Dorado, and Tye Longshadow!"

A flurry of white flashes stung Tye's eyes as he exited the limo with Virgil and Eduardo. The reporters were prepared to swarm the trio when Lex stood in front of him, holding out his hand to calm them, "Now, now. There will be plenty of time to ask questions after our formal presentation. Excuse us, we have a party were late for."

Some chuckles escaped the reporters, but Lex's words didn't stop them from trying to bombard the trio. One such reporter shoved a microphone in front of Virgil's face and asked him how he felt to be a part of one of Luthor's many pet projects.

"Uh…no comment?" Virgil shrugged and Tye could see Lex smirk at his response.

Once a pair of men opened the gala doors and they were safe from most of the press, Tye took a deep breath. One part of the evening was over and many more were to come.

"Dios mio…" he heard Eduardo whisper from behind him. He would have looked back if it wasn't for the chandelier that caught his attention. His eyes widened, taking in a sight of such luxury he had only heard of on cheesy Hollywood access shows. The entrance was drenched in shades of gold and silver: the tile, the walls, the stairs…he wasn't sure to be amazed or appalled. So this was how the other side lived and entertained themselves, throwing extravagant parties in makeshift palaces, laughing and watching as the press and everyday men ate out of the palm of their hands. His mother had been such the type. She watched those shows and award ceremonies constantly, wrapping herself up in their fantasies and dreams.

Just another way to escape, I suppose…Tye clenched his fists, nails digging into his palm. This was the last place he wanted to think about his mother. Even if he did go back to El Paso, begged her to come to Metropolis, she wouldn't budge. For all her dreaming couldn't save her from the submissive mindset she'd been struggling with for years.

"Hey, Tye, you okay?" he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and he looked up to see Virgil, frowning, "C'mon, dude. It'll be okay. It's just some fancy party. We've been through tougher times."

Tye smiled weakly, "Yeah…yeah, you're right. Let's get this over with."

Virgil chuckled and patted him on the back a few times before they hurried over to Eduardo and Lex, already half up the stairs.

"Can you believe this place?" Eduardo seemed to be the most enamored with the atmosphere, eyes broadened and dazed, "She would have loved it."

Deciding it best not to ask, Tye kept quiet and did as his friends were, taking in the place for what it was worth. Perhaps once everything was all said and done, he could tell Paco and Brenda about it. And maybe Jaime once he stopped being an asshole.

"Okay, gentlemen, we have arrived to our destination," Lex said, extending his hand out to showcase the ballroom before them.

"Wow, it's huge!" Virgil exclaimed, "My sister would have loved this. All the dance competitions she participated in were just in high school gyms."

"Yes, this is the biggest ballroom in Metropolis and I figured it would do for your introduction," Lex replied, "Now, I have some business to attend to with a few of our sponsors. You three just take a table somewhere and stay out of trouble until it's time for the speeches. After that, some women may approach you and ask for a dance and I highly encourage you to make yourselves available, including you Tye. While bad press is still good press, I really don't need the headline of tomorrow's paper alluding to my team being anything but outstanding citizens. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir," they said in unison.

"Good," he nodded, "Now go off and be merry."

He entered the ballroom and at his arrival, an onslaught of finely-dressed men and women surrounded him. The boys took as their signal to find someplace "quiet" to spend the duration of dinner.

"Man, I hope we get to do something," Virgil sighed minutes later. They had taken to a table in the corner of the ballroom, watching as more and more people entered. Using his teleportation, which was undoubtedly becoming easier for him to do, Eduardo had swiped several plates of hors d'oeuvre from a few waiters and glasses of water from the bar. "You think you could get some wine, Ed?"

"Yeah, I'm sure that will go over well with jefe," Eduardo huffed, "Imagine if the reporters found out about that? They'd have a field day and I don't even want to know what he'd do to us."

"Ugh, fine," Virgil whined, slouching against his chair, "Guess we'll just have to wait for Sam to show up to make this a little more bearable."

Sam. Tye's heart skipped a beat, quickly realizing that he would soon discover what she looked like out of her typical long-sleeve shirts and green headband and in a dress, no doubt just as expensive as his suit if not more. And her hair. Would it be down, styled? What about jewelry, would she be wearing a necklace or a bracelet or –

"Hermano, c'mon, she's here!" Eduardo hissed at him, taking his arm and walking them towards the ballroom entrance. His breath hitched and his stomach flopped. Wasn't there supposed to be more time – he was sure they'd only been there for fifteen minutes tops! He needed time to prepare for this, dammit!

"I think I'm going to be sick," he mumbled, letting Eduardo drag him to the center of the room and clutching his chest for support. When was the last time he'd been this nervous?

"Now, everyone," Lex's voice rang in his ear and he cautiously looked up. A crowd circled him, his arm wrapped around Asami. However, he could only see the top of her head from this angle and he really didn't have the heart to take another step forward, "With the arrival of the lovely Asami Koizumi, this completes Infinity Inc. and the presentation shall commence. Boys, if you would come over here."

Lex waved his hands in their direction, seemingly pleased they had kept out of sight until now. Tye shut his eyes as yet another burst of white lights flashed in front of him, certain members of the press granted entrance at this time. Eduardo continued to pull him forward, grumbling how he needed to keep it together. A few more steps and –

"Friends!" the sound of her voice brought on a fresh wave of hot shivers crashing against his skin, "Happy to see them!"

"Darling, not them, you," Lex chuckled.

"Oh, gomensai, Luthor-san," Asami apologized, "Happy to see you!"

"We are too, Sam!" Virgil exclaimed, "C'mon Tye, have some manners and open your eyes!"

"Tye-kun?" Asami's voice was closer and he could feel her arms hovering near, "Genkidesu ka?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Tye replied, shaking his head and finally opening his eyes, "I'm –"

Asami stood in front of him, her lips drawn into a slight frown. Thing was, they were glossed over in dark pink, shimmering in the lights. Her dark hair framed her face, cascading down her shoulders and across the top of her back. Cheeks brushed in rosy hues, eyelashes thickened with mascara, shades of black from the corners of her eyes…

And her dress; a dark yellow with short sleeves that hung off her shoulders, exposing her fair skin. It sat tight around her waist, secured by a black sash. It tapered off at her hips, the fabric layered into long ruffles. A necklace was fastened around her neck, a charm shaped like a bee sitting near her collarbone.

"Wow…" Tye trailed. He wanted to say she look beautiful, stunning, amazing, wonderful, anything. But he didn't know if she had learned any of those words yet and he didn't have the foresight to seek translations into Japanese.

It seemed though, through his widened eyes and open mouth, Asami received his message. She smiled, her cheeks a touch more rosy than they were before.

"Alright, alright, everyone," Lex did his best to calm the crowd, standing in front of the quartet, "If I could direct your attention to the front of the room. We will begin our presentation as soon as everyone takes their seat. Children, if you would please follow me."

Lex led them across the ballroom floor and Tye did his best not to stare at Asami. Eduardo and Virgil were chatting her up, asking how her trip with Mercy went. She giggled throughout most of it, replying back with either a "good!" or "yes, exactly," mimicking her English tutor.

"You look kanari, Sam," Eduardo said as they sat down next to the podium Lex would be addressing the crowd, "Really."

"Ano…arigato, Ed-kun," Asami blushed, grinning sheepishly and pulling a piece of hair behind her ear as she turned her attention to Lex.

"What does that mean, Ed?" Tye asked, nudging Eduardo in the ribs.

"Pretty," Ed responded, smirking, "Didn't think about that, did you, Romeo?"

Tye scoffed, "As if," folding his arms against his waist, "I just wanted to know."

Eduardo laughed and turned towards the podium while Tye's stare stuck to the floor. What was his problem? It was just Asami: in a dress with her hair down, wearing jewelry and being goggled at by every man over fifteen in the room.

And I'm one of them, Tye admitted, tightening the hold on his waist. He was no better than all the men Asami would be forced to dance with. He would have to watch them fondle her, undress her with their eyes unabashedly. How could Lex use her like this?

His thoughts were so all-consuming, the speech and all its contents were drowned out. He would have missed the team's cue to stand and wave to the crowd had Eduardo not yanked him out of his seat and smacked him on the back.

"You are definitely not a party person," Eduardo mumbled under his breath as they sat back down.

Tye chose not to respond and decided to listen in on the conclusion of Lex's speech instead.

"Therefore, any contribution and support you could offer this new project would be most beneficial not only to us, but will begin a new era of heroism that, unlike the Justice League and their little branches, will stand the test of time," he smiled and this time, it almost made it to his eyes, "Thank you for your time and now, let there be dance!"

At his exclamation, the band to the right started up with a song Tye vaguely found familiar. Wasn't it from that movie, Sleeping Beauty? That was considered ballroom music?

"Oh man, here they come," Virgil groaned. Tye turned to the ballroom floor and watched as several men and women made their way towards them. Oh God, had Lex been serious? Did these women actually want to dance with them?

"Hey there, handsome," one such woman approached Eduardo and all three boys choked. She couldn't be much older than them, eighteen or nineteen at most. Her dark hair was up in a fashionable bun, held together by a ruby encrusted tiara. She was decked out in a burgundy dress that clung to her chest and hips and like Asami's, loosened around her legs. Only instead of ruffles, it was layered in a red see-through fabric, leaving little room for their imaginations to wander. Her bright green eyes smiled at Ed, "Would you like to be my partner this evening?"

"E-evening?" Eduardo squeaked out, shakily standing up to meet her.

"Of course," she winked, "Mr. Luthor told me what a great dancer you are and I don't really like sharing. So how about it, cowboy?"

The Argentinian, loss for words, merely nodded. The woman laughed and tugged at his arm, leading him out to the dance floor. He turned back to his friends and both Virgil and Tye gave him a thumbs up as he was willingly dragged away.

"I really cannot believe that just happened," Virgil said. "I mean, Ed's decent-looking and all but tell a girl you can dance and you're in. Maybe I should have – "

"Don't worry," another young woman approached them, her purple dress shorter and brown hair longer, made up into a braid that traveled down her shoulders, "I like my meat darker, stud."

"Okay, bye Tye, gotta go," Virgil hopped out of his chair and took the woman's hand, kissing the top of her fingers, "Shall we dance, mademoiselle?"

The woman coyly grinned, "Lead the way."

Tye watched them leave in the same direction as Eduardo and sighed, unable to take a look at the six men stumbling towards Asami. He couldn't believe she had to accept –

Accept all invitations.

"Hello, Mr. Longshadow," a tall woman stood in front of him, her curly red hair contrasting sharply with her blue dress, "My name is Doris Zeul. I was hoping you would do me the honor of – "

"Sorry, maybe later," Tye waved her off, rushing past her and shoving several of Asami's suitors out of his way.

One such man held her hand, his lips closing in on her fingers, "Miss Asami, I would be most delighted if you – "

"Asami, dance with me!" Tye exclaimed, snatching her hand away from the older gentleman, "That is – if you want to."

His friend blinked a few times, but she soon burst into a fit of giggles, "Hai, Tye-kun! We dance!"

Asami excused them from the crowd of stunned and disappointed men, firmly latching onto his hand as they walked where Eduardo and Virgil were located. Eduardo and his mystery woman were dancing up a storm, moving to the music with ease and putting on a show for the guests still tending to their meals. Meanwhile, Virgil and his lady friend rocked back and forth, slow but still on pace with the rhythm.

Virgil was the first to notice the pair and his smile broadened, "Oh, I see you found a loophole, Tye! Good for you, lover boy!"

"Let's see if our Apache Chief can sweep her off her feet!" Eduardo snickered while he and his partner performed a dip.

"I swear if you two don't shut up…" Tye trailed, it suddenly dawning on him that he indeed didn't know how to dance and a group of men were burning holes into his back and older couples were cooing over the hero pair ready to take the floor and what the hell was Lex going to do to him when he discovered he shook off not only his first dance partner but Asami's as well –

"Tye?" Asami's concerned voice brought him back from his frantic thoughts, gulping as his eyes caught her glossy lips. Were her lips always so…tantalizing? He'd never paid much attention to them before, "Okay?"

"Fine, fine!" Tye forced out, taking a step closer towards her, "I'm just…not good at dancing."

"Oh?" instead of the expected, upset reaction, Asami giggled again, snaking one of Tye's arms around to the small of her back. Her eyes brightened with mischief, lips drawn up into a sultry beam, "I…lead, you…follow."

"Wait, you know how to – ah!" And just like that, Asami pulled them into the waltz, flying them into circles across the floor. As she commanded, he followed her lead, doing his best to not step on her toes. He had no idea what he looked like, but she…she was radiant, all her focus swept up into the music playing around them. The ruffles at the end of her dress swayed to her precisely timed steps, breathing further life into their waltz than Tye could have imagined. Her smile stayed ever present and each eye dazzled like a gemstone.

She was in her element. And never had Tye felt more lovestruck.

"Amigo," Eduardo said as he and Asami found their way to dancing along aside of him, "You got company."

Tye looked up and sure enough, the same young man as before was making his way towards them, no doubt to say, 'Can I cut in?' and steal away Asami for him and his fellow snobs.

"Nope, not happening," Tye's eyes narrowed, whipping back to face Asami, "Sam, you want to get some air?"

Asami's eyes caught the man as well and she mutely nodded, although she frowned at the prospect of leaving the ball so soon.

"We can dance later," Tye grinned, keeping his hand firmly pressed into the small of her back. Tye looked back to Eduardo, "Mind if you and Virgil give us cover?"

"Sure thing," Ed replied. He took a hold of his partner's waist, beaming, "Could we cut back the way we came, bonita?"

"Anything you say, cowboy," she consented and allowed him to lead them back to Virgil, now dancing with another woman. Getting the message, Virgil winked at his departing comrades and waltz into the pursuing man's path, leaving little room for him to go anywhere but back to the dining areas. Despite himself, Tye smirked and led Asami out of the ballroom.

The hall was almost barren – just a few stragglers and couples talking. At the end of the hall was an opened balcony, complete with some tables and chairs.

"C'mon Asami," Tye grabbed her hand, "Let's run before anyone finds us."

At the word 'run,' Asami smiled and nodded. The pair busted into a sprint, not taking another glance back at the ball and all of its sparkling glory.

They rushed out onto the balcony, laughing in-between breaths. The few couples that were outside turned around, stares pointed and unamused, but the duo cared little. Some paces forward and they were at the edge of the balcony, gazing down at the cars and people below.

"Cool, right?" Tye asked, a nervous edge lacing his voice. This was the first time he'd been alone with Asami in an awhile, "Skies clear, pretty lights – "

"You," Asami said, squeezing his hand, "Arigato, Tye-kun."

His face flushed, stammering and rushing out, "F-for what? Saving you from dancing from all those guys? That was just me being selfish, really. I just wanted to be the only one to dance with – "

He bit the inside of his mouth, hoping against all hope that she didn't really understand anything he just said at all. But the giggle that escaped her dashed them and he begrudgingly faced her, bracing himself for a witty tease. Instead, soft pink lips pressed into his cheek and he froze on the spot, breathless.

"Want to dance with Tye-kun much," she whispered, "Just Tye."

Her words stoked his appetence and within seconds, his hands cupped her cheeks and he led his lips towards her. The kiss was strong and tasted of cream and Tye sighed into her, heart churning at the tingling buzz her glossed lips incited onto his. He never thought kissing could be so –

"Hey kids, smile at the camera!" someone shouted across the balcony. Both Asami and Tye whipped around and were met with a bright flash, "Wouldn't want your tabloid debut to be littered with duds!"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Tye moaned, slapping his forehead, "Is this what they're going to put on all the newspapers?"

A member of the paparazzi laughed, taking another shot of the exposed teenagers, "You bet, young man! Nothing sells papers more than a secret affair, especially one amongst young superheroes."

Suppressing another groan, he spun back to Asami, who was taking the flashes and crewman better than expected, "What are we going to do now?"

Asami shrugged, throwing one hand in the air, "No idea!"

And indeed, much to Lex's chagrin and no matter how much he tried to bribe the reporters and columnists after discovering the pair minutes later, each and every paper, news site, and tabloid in Metropolis plastered a photo of a surprised Tye and Asami on the front page, each headline along the lines of:

Young Love on Board Infinity Inc.! Is this the Start of a New Starling Couple?

"Bad press is good press; bad press is good press…" Lex chanted, ripping each paper and throwing them into his fireplace.

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Anyone care to guess who Eduardo's dance partner was based on? ;3