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FIC: Gigolo, Part 1 of 2
Title: Gigolo, Part 1 of 2
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka; Akiha and Ebi from Hana-Kimi
Word count: ~6,190
Warnings: Spoilers for the Hana-Kimi manga
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Unexpected Opportunities, Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2), Forgiveness, Firsts, First Date (Part 1 and Part 2), Going Steady (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Audition (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Cookout (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Press Conference (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Sanctuary, The Prince vs. the Groupie (Part 1, Part 2), and Family Visit: Tokyo (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5). The series also includes two side-stories that are outside of the main timeline: Valentine's Day Surprise and Strictly Business.
Summary: Kikuchi and Onozuka's day off is interrupted with the unwelcome news that the Gigolo photo shoot has been moved up.
Author's note: This story introduces a couple of characters from the Hana-Kimi manga by Hisaya Nakajo, but no prior knowledge of Hana-Kimi is required to understand the story. See the afterword at the end of Part 2 for more information about Akiha and Hana-Kimi if you're interested. (This is what Akiha looks like, in case you're curious.)
***
Onozuka found himself walking up the steps of Father Osamu's little church, not knowing how he had got here or what he was doing here, but Kikuchi was at his side, looking devilishly handsome in a tuxedo.
They walked through the door, and the pews of the church were filled with smiling, cheering well-wishers. "Congratulations!" Yoshizumi said cheerfully, while Asano sneered and said with a hint of smugness, "I knew that you two were doing it!"
Kikuchi's parents were there, and Ryoko pressed a bouquet of flowers from her garden into Onozuka's hands, saying, "I'm so happy for both of you," with tears in her eyes. Hachi sat at her feet, wagging his tail happily.
Miyasaka, Katou, and Iwaki were there, too. Miyasaka said gruffly, "Ah, you guys always acted like a married couple, anyway--might as well make it official."
"I'm sure you'll make a lovely wife," Katou told Onozuka mischievously, while Iwaki just beamed at them approvingly.
"Married?!" Onozuka exclaimed. "Wife?!" Then he looked down at himself and saw that he was clad in a gown made of white silk and lace.
And suddenly, he found himself standing with Kikuchi in front of Father Osamu, who smiled at them benevolently and said, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this couple in holy matrimony..."
"Wait a minute!" Onozuka protested, but the pealing of the church bells drowned out his words...
***
"GAH!" Onozuka shouted, sitting bolt-upright in a cold sweat. His heart pounding frantically, he looked around and realized that he was in Kikuchi's bed, not the church, and his lover was lying beside him, his slumber undisturbed by Onozuka's dream--or nightmare.
Onozuka glared at Kikuchi accusingly, convinced that it was all his fault, although he wasn't quite sure how. Well, the stress of yesterday's family visits had probably contributed to the dream, along with drinking too much wine at dinner to relax, and he certainly wouldn't have been dreaming about the church if Kikuchi hadn't introduced him to Father Osamu. So really, it was all Kikuchi's fault!
"And why the hell am I the bride?!" Onozuka demanded indignantly of his sleeping lover, who grunted and shifted slightly on the bed, but didn't fully wake. It was hardly fair that Kikuchi was sleeping peacefully after being the cause of Onozuka's traumatizing nightmare, so Onozuka was about to wake him when he realized that he could still hear a ringing sound.
"Katsuya!" Onozuka exclaimed, grabbing Kikuchi by the shoulder and shaking him a little more vigorously than was really necessary. "Your cell phone is ringing!"
"Eh?" Kikuchi asked, blinking sleepily. "Are you sure that's not your phone?"
"No, because--" Onozuka started to reply, about to say that the ringtone didn't sound like any of the ones that he used, when when a melancholy Enka song began blaring from the floor--more specifically, from the pocket of his jacket.
"I swear I'm going to kill Fujimoto if he tells me that I have to work on my day off!" Onozuka groaned. "I'll take this in the other room," he added, as he climbed out of bed and grabbed the phone.
***
Kikuchi took a moment to appreciatively ogle Onozuka's nude body as he hurried out of the room, then sighed and got out of bed to answer his own phone. "What do you want?" he growled.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Kojima responded with token politeness, although she didn't sound apologetic at all.
"Yes, you did," Kikuchi replied sourly. "I repeat: what do you want?"
Kojima took his bad temper in stride and replied briskly, "The Gigolo photo shoot has been moved up. Can you make it to this address in two hours?"
She started to give him the address, but he cut her off, shouting, "Wait a minute! I thought that the Gigolo shoot wasn't scheduled for another two weeks!"
"The photographer, Morita-sensei, was in an accident on Friday--his car was hit by a drunk driver," Kojima explained. "Gigolo didn't hear about it until the next day, and they've been frantically scrambling to get a replacement."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Kikuchi said in a more subdued voice, his anger dissipating. "Is he going to be all right?"
"Well, he suffered a concussion, a broken arm, and a few broken ribs, but he's expected to make a full recovery eventually," Kojima replied. "However, obviously he can't take pictures with a broken arm, and he's going to be out of commission for several weeks."
"I understand that the schedule would be affected by that, but does the shoot have to be today?" Kikuchi asked. "Besides, I would've thought it would take longer to find a replacement."
"Ah, but that's the silver lining to this cloud," Kojima said with satisfaction. "It turns out that Morita was a mentor to Hara Akiha."
"Hara Akiha?" Kikuchi asked, startled. "The famous fashion photographer? I met him at a party in L.A. once."
"Apparently Hara worked as an assistant to Morita when he was a kid, and he's agreed to take over the Gigolo shoot as a favor to his mentor. However, he's in high demand, and he's leaving tomorrow for an assignment in Europe, so this is the only day he can do the shoot without delaying the start of Gigolo's ad campaign."
"Fine," Kikuchi gave in with a sigh of resignation, watching his plans for a day of leisurely sex vanish in a puff of smoke, figuratively speaking. "Give me the address."
He was turning off the phone when Onozuka stormed back into the bedroom, looking extremely annoyed. "Fujimoto just told me--"
"I know, that we have to do the Gigolo shoot today," Kikuchi interrupted. "Kojima just told me the same thing."
"And it was supposed to be our day off, damn it!" Onozuka complained, as he hastily picked his clothes up off the floor. "If I'd known we were going to have to work today, I would have forced myself to stay awake last night and do it a second time!"
Kikuchi couldn't help but laugh at Onozuka's desire to get the maximum amount of sex possible in one night, despite his own disappointment. "Don't you feel at all sorry for the poor photographer who was injured in the crash?"
"No," Onozuka said sulkily. "I think it was very inconsiderate of him to get hurt during our weekend off. And couldn't Gigolo get another photographer with a more flexible schedule?"
"I hate to say it, but Kojima was right--it's an unexpected benefit to get Hara Akiha to do the shoot," Kikuchi admitted. "He's famous worldwide, not just in Japan--I met him hobnobbing with the Hollywood elite when I was still living in America. And it's not just the added publicity that his name will bring to the campaign--he really is a remarkable photographer who brings out the best in his models."
Onozuka gave him a suspicious, slightly jealous look, then apparently decided that he didn't have time to press the issue. "I have to get back home in time for Fujimoto to pick me up--he thinks I'm at Miyasaka's place," he said. "But I need to take a quick shower before I go. Will you call me a cab?"
"How about I join you in the shower?" Kikuchi asked with a grin.
He reached out to slip an arm around his lover, but Onozuka firmly pushed him away. "It'll take too long if you do," he snapped irritably.
"I promise I'll make it quick," Kikuchi wheedled. "Besides, we're being deprived of our day off, so don't you at least want to have a quickie in the shower?"
"We could have spent all day yesterday having sex if you hadn't decided to spring your little 'surprise' on me," Onozuka retorted. "And anyway, the frustration will be good for you--it'll add more sexual tension to the photo shoot!" Then he darted into the bathroom and slammed the door--and a moment later, Kikuchi heard the click of the lock being turned.
"Don't you trust me, Yuu?" Kikuchi called out.
"No!" Onozuka shouted emphatically.
***
Two hours later, Kikuchi met Onozuka and Asami at Akiha's photo studio. Onozuka carried himself with his usual princely charm and composure, but Kikuchi could spot the faint hint of lingering irritation in his eyes, although it was doubtful that anyone else--except for Katou and Miyasaka--would have noticed. Asami yawned, looking tired but also excited, and she was clutching a large book to her chest. When Kikuchi got closer, he could see that it was a collection of Akiha's photos, titled "Goddess."
"So you're a fan, Asami-chan?" Kikuchi asked with a grin.
"I'm a huge fan!" Asami giggled, a little sheepishly. "I feel sorry for the photographer who was hurt, but I have to admit that I'm glad to have the chance to meet Hara-sensei!"
"Oh, but I hate being called 'sensei,'" a cheerful voice said. "Let's dispense with the formalities--please just call me 'Akiha.'"
The three of them turned to see a young man smiling at them--he was perhaps a year or two older than Onozuka. He was tall and thin, with shoulder-length blond hair pulled back in a loose tail, and Kikuchi might have mistaken him for a model if he hadn't met the man before.
"Hello, Akiha," he said casually, taking smug satisfaction in the startled glance that Onozuka gave him.
"Katsuya!" Akiha exclaimed with a friendly grin. "I feel bad for Morita-sempai, of course, but I'm so glad to finally have the opportunity to work with you. Remember, the last time we met, I said that I wanted to take your picture?"
"I thought you were just being polite," Kikuchi chuckled.
"Do you two know each other, Kikuchi-san?" Onozuka asked in a sweet voice that didn't quite mask the edge of jealousy beneath it as well as he thought it did, judging by the way that Akiha's grin widened slightly, and the speculative look that Asami gave him.
"We met a couple of years ago, back when I was living in America," Kikuchi explained innocently. "It was at a party celebrating the premiere of a movie I was working on, and Akiha was doing a fashion shoot for a big magazine with the lead actress."
"And of course, since we were the only two Japanese there, we naturally struck up a conversation," Akiha chimed in. "Not to mention that I'm a big fan of Katsuya's movies!"
"Aren't we all?" Onozuka laughed, still smiling sweetly, but the edge in his voice seemed to get a little sharper.
Kikuchi smiled, although Onozuka didn't really have any reason to be jealous...or perhaps he did, depending on how one looked at it. Kikuchi remembered that the party had been boring: the same old bullshit with people name-dropping and trying to cozy up to the big stars and power players in the industry--of which he wasn't one, of course. At the time, Akiha was just beginning to achieve worldwide recognition, being hailed as the young genius photographer from Japan, and he had seemed a little overwhelmed and ill at ease among the Hollywood types.
At some point, they had been introduced, and it had been only natural for them to slip away from the rest of the party for a little while to converse in their native language. They were both fluent in English, but they had both agreed that it was a relief not to have to think so hard, translating back and forth from one language to the other in their heads.
They had chatted and flirted a bit, and Kikuchi had found himself thinking that maybe the party would not turn out to be a complete waste of time after all, until Akiha had mentioned something about his wife waiting back at the hotel because parties like these made her nervous.
"Ah, I didn't realize that you were married," Kikuchi had said, taken slightly aback, wondering if he had read the signals wrong.
Akiha had just laughed and winked at him. "Sorry, I didn't intend to mislead you, Katsuya." (The young photographer had seemed to be as casual as an American, and Kikuchi had grown used to American customs by then, so they had easily fallen into using first names although they'd just met.) "I like all beautiful people--it doesn't matter to me whether they're men or women. If I'd met you before I met Ebi, I'm sure we could have had a good time, but I love my wife--she's my goddess."
"She's a lucky woman, then," Kikuchi had said with a regretful smile.
"No, I'm a lucky man," Akiha had said, and they'd gone back to discussing movies and photography. Eventually, Akiha had been called away to be introduced to some Hollywood big-shot who wanted to meet him, but before he had left, he'd said, "I would like to take your picture someday, Katsuya."
But the opportunity had never come up, and Kikuchi had forgotten about that offhand request until now. He had looked up some of Akiha's work after the party, though, and discovered that the photographer had real talent--and he hadn't entirely been joking about his wife being a goddess. "Goddess" was the title of one his most famous photographs, a nude portrait of his wife. She had a tall, slim build, with small breasts and hair cut boyishly short, but she had glowed with femininity and sensuality in the photo. It hadn't just been the lighting or effects--he seemed to be able to bring out the inner essence of all his subjects, an indefinable yet significant quality that set him above most of his colleagues.
They had talked about it a little at the party. "There's a constant exchange of signals between the photographer and model," Akiha had explained earnestly. "It's not just about technique--the quality of the photo depends on how well the photographer can read those signals. It's like the way that a girl looks prettier in a photo taken by her boyfriend than in one taken by a stranger. It's because couples are so open with each other: when you're photographed by somebody you like, you're able to relax more, and that helps bring out your natural look. That's what 'signals' are all about."
"So photographers and models are like lovers, eh?" Kikuchi had asked slyly.
"Almost," Akiha had replied with a grin. "We're constantly seducing the models with sweet words until we can capture that perfect moment."
All the talk about seduction had turned Kikuchi on, and he had always regretted that he'd never had the chance to sleep with the photographer--although not so much now that he had Onozuka. But Onozuka was obviously wondering whether there had been something between Kikuchi and Akiha, and Kikuchi definitely took some satisfaction in his lover's jealousy.
"Thanks for changing your schedules on such short notice," Akiha said now to Kikuchi, Onozuka, and Asami. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I'll be in Europe for the next few weeks, and Gigolo didn't want to delay the shoot that long."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Asami gushed, although Onozuka looked as though he would have begged to differ. "I just love your photos! I was wondering...if it's not too much trouble...would you please sign my book?"
"I'd be happy to," Akiha replied with a bright smile, accepting the book graciously. "Later on, you'll have to give me your autograph in exchange."
"He's almost as smooth as you, your Highness," Kikuchi whispered to Onozuka, who gave him a sour look in return.
After Akiha signed Asami's book, he suggested, "Why don't we go into my office, and I'll explain what I have planned for the shoot."
***
As soon as they entered the room, Onozuka and his two co-stars stopped dead in their tracks, struck by a smell of overwhelming, almost sickly sweetness.
"What is that?!" Kikuchi exclaimed.
"It's red bean paste," Onozuka replied automatically. The smell was an old childhood memory from home and his father's shop, since red bean paste was a staple of so many traditional Japanese sweets. But there was something slightly off about this particular scent, which was much sweeter than the one he was used to.
"Right you are, Onozuka-kun," Akiha said cheerfully. "That's my breakfast!"
"Breakfast?" Onozuka asked incredulously as Akiha picked up a small pot that was warming on a hot plate, and dug in with a spoon, eating directly from the pot. "And you're eating it plain?" Red bean paste was a popular ingredient in wagashi, but it was normally used as a filling in mochi and manju rather than being served by itself.
"Akiha-san loves sweets," Asami explained. "I remember reading that in an interview."
"That's right," Akiha replied. "Would you like to try some?"
Asami and Onozuka both cautiously tried a small spoonful. "Oh!" Asami exclaimed, wrinkling her nose slightly. "I love sweets myself, but that's a little too sweet for me, I think."
"Argh!" Onozuka exclaimed, much less tactfully. He grimaced and shuddered, adding, "That's way too sweet; it has twice as much sugar as normal!" But there was a hint of something else, too...Onozuka frowned thoughtfully and grimaced again as he ran his tongue along the sticky residue clinging to his teeth. "Vanilla extract?" he murmured. "A combination of Japanese and Western sweets?" He wasn't sure that it really worked, but it was an interesting combination, or would have been, if the paste hadn't been overpowered by the extra sugar.
"You're right, Onozuka-kun," Asami said, sniffing at her spoonful of bean paste. "Now that you mention it, I can smell the vanilla."
"Ah, you have a distinguished palate, Onozuka-kun," Akiha said, regarding him with interest, and Onozuka silently cursed himself for letting a bit of his confectionery training slip out.
"Oh no, not at all," Onozuka laughed nervously.
"Did you want to try some, too, Katsuya?" Akiha offered, but Kikuchi smiled and shook his head.
"No, I can already tell that it's too sweet for my tastes."
Akiha just shrugged and smiled in a puzzled manner, as if wondering how anything could possibly be too sweet. "Well, more for me, then," he said cheerfully, popping a large spoonful of the paste into his mouth.
Onozuka shuddered again; his teeth hurt just thinking about consuming that much sugar. Then he tried to steer the photographer back to the business at hand. "You were going to tell us about your plans for the shoot, Akiha-san?" Onozuka prompted.
"Yes, have a seat," Akiha said, setting down the pot for a moment while he poured out some tea for them. Onozuka drank it gratefully, washing the too-sweet taste of the bean paste out of his mouth, but shuddered when he saw Akiha add four spoonfuls of sugar to his own cup.
"I'm surprised that his teeth haven't completely rotted away," Asami whispered to Onozuka.
"Maybe they have and his teeth are false," Onozuka whispered, and Asami giggled, then they both quickly snapped to attention like guilty schoolchildren when Akiha cleared his throat.
"As I'm sure you know, the previous Gigolo campaign with Katou Youji was rather risqué," Akiha said pleasantly. "Gigolo would like to continue in that vein..."
A scowling Kikuchi interrupted, "Surely we're not just going to copy the previous ads?"
"Of course not!" Akiha replied indignantly. "I'm insulted that you think I'd do such hack work! I'm not interested in copying anyone else, and I never accept an assignment unless I think that I can bring something fresh and original to it. Gigolo wants ads that will be sensual and attention-catching, but beyond that, they've promised to give me free rein to follow my own vision."
"I apologize," Kikuchi said sheepishly. "I suppose I'm a little defensive about the 'gay actor' comparison..."
"Don't worry," Akiha said sympathetically, then grinned and winked at him. "I promise, no one will remember Katou's ads once they see ours!"
"I like the way you think, Akiha!" Kikuchi laughed, grinning at the photographer wolfishly, and Onozuka found himself starting to frown before he forced his lips back into a polite smile. But damn it, he didn't want to see Kikuchi smiling that way at anyone but him! Then he realized, to his dismay, that he was becoming almost as obsessive about Kikuchi as Katou was about Iwaki.
It's just a job, Onozuka reminded himself firmly. And Kikuchi is probably just flirting with Akiha to make me jealous, so I won't give him the satisfaction of showing a reaction.
Meanwhile, Akiha was saying, "As I was saying, the previous ads were popular, but there were certain publications that refused to run them because they were a little too risqué. So that gave me an idea--I want to do two separate sets of ads with two different themes: 'innocence' and 'sin.'"
"Innocence?" Onozuka asked, intrigued in spite of himself.
Akiha nodded and said, "Actually, I want to play off your 'Prince' image, Onozuka-kun. You and Asami-chan will play a prince and princess, Romeo and Juliet style, a pure and innocent love. Those ads will run in the magazines that would reject more risqué fare, and they'll provide a nice contrast to the 'sin' ads."
"Didn't Romeo and Juliet commit suicide?" Onozuka asked dryly.
"Yes, but we won't show that part, of course," Akiha laughed. "Now, as for the 'sin' ads...I hope that nobody minds showing a little skin." He hastily added, "All within the bounds of good taste, of course--Kitamura-kantoku called me last night and gave me a stern warning not to shoot any exploitative pictures of Asami-chan."
"Are you sure that there's nothing between you and the director?" Onozuka teased Asami.
"Oh, that's just him acting like a big brother, not a boyfriend," Asami groaned, rolling her eyes. "I'm so embarrassed that he'd talk to you that way, Akiha-san!"
"It's okay; it just shows that he cares about you," Akiha replied good-naturedly.
"Well, I wouldn't take my clothes off for just anybody, but I trust you, Akiha-san," Asami said seriously. "I've seen your 'Goddess' pictures, and they're very beautiful and sensual, not sleazy at all."
"Thank you," Akiha said, smiling at her warmly. "But even so, Gigolo won't be able to post billboards with full nudity, so we'll be showing the illusion of nudity rather than the actual thing--strategically draped sheets, or one of the men's arms positioned to hide your breasts, that sort of thing. Because actually, what's hidden is often more exciting than what's already revealed."
"Ooh, that's exactly right, Akiha-san!" Asami exclaimed delightedly.
"Sort of like a striptease with the emphasis on 'tease,'" Onozuka laughed, with a quick sidelong glance towards Kikuchi, who was the biggest tease he knew. "Okay, I'm up for it! I assume I'll have to show some skin in the sex scenes with Kikuchi-san in the movie, so this will be a good warm-up." He expected Kikuchi to make some sly remark or innuendo, but instead his lover looked tense and slightly worried.
"Surely you're not nervous about showing a little skin," Asami teased. "Not after the steamy love scenes you did in your old movies, especially the one in 'Tokyo Countdown,' where you practically bared it all!"
"Well, it was filmed through a steam-clouded shower stall door, so you could say that all the, ah, important body parts were obscured," Onozuka said with a grin.
"Should I be worried that the two of you are familiar with my sex scenes in such detail?" Kikuchi asked wryly.
"It's only natural that we would should study them, Kikuchi-san," Asami said earnestly. "After all, we are playing your wife and lover in the movie!"
Kikuchi laughed, but he still looked tense, and Akiha asked, "Is something wrong, Katsuya? As I said, you won't really have to pose nude, if that's what you're worried about..."
"It has nothing to do with modesty, but there is a slight problem," Kikuchi replied. Then he sighed and began unbuttoning his shirt, saying, "I suppose you might as well see for yourself." He let his shirt slide down off his shoulders, then turned around to reveal the rows of long, red scratches on his back.
Onozuka felt his face grow hot, but fortunately Akiha and Asami were too busy gawking at Kikuchi to notice, which gave him enough time to get himself under control. Oh shit, I completely forgot about that! Onozuka thought, a bit guiltily. But it was really Kikuchi's fault for being such a tease last night!
"Oh my, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said, feigning a startled laugh. "I thought that you said it was going to be strictly business before pleasure until the movie was done!"
Kikuchi glared at him for a moment, then smiled and said, "Well, an opportunity came my way that I just couldn't pass up. The young man in question was quite persistent, and as you can see, quite enthusiastic." Onozuka fought back another blush as Kikuchi continued, "Of course, if I had known that we would be shooting today, I would have asked him to be more careful, but I apologize, Akiha."
Asami giggled, then said, "Oh, but it should be all right if you only photograph him from the front, right, Akiha-san?" She grinned and added, "Or did your lover mark you on the front as well?"
Kikuchi sighed again and turned around, revealing a small love-bite on his chest that Onozuka belatedly remembered leaving.
Asami giggled again, while Onozuka smiled sweetly, attempting to look as innocent as possible. "It's okay, we can cover it up with make-up," Akiha chuckled, and then his jaw dropped and his eyes widened, as if he had suddenly been struck by an idea.
"Akiha-san?" Asami asked in a puzzled voice.
Akiha ran over to the door and shouted, "Ebi! Ebi, come in here for a minute!"
A young woman appeared in the doorway and asked, "Yes, Akiha, what is it?" She was tall, with light brown hair cut boyishly short, and dressed casually in slacks and a loose shirt; she might almost have been mistaken for a boy at first glance.
"You're the goddess!" Asami squealed excitedly.
"Eh?" Onozuka asked in confusion.
"Ah yes," Kikuchi said knowingly. "I can see the resemblance now." He winked at the woman and added, "Sorry, I didn't recognize you at first with your clothes on."
The woman--Ebi?--turned scarlet, and Asami scolded, "Don't tease her like that, Kikuchi-san!" Then she turned back to Ebi and gushed, "I'm such a big fan of Akiha-san's work, especially the photos he took of you. See, I have the 'Goddess' collection! Will you autograph it, too?"
"Oh, well, I..." Ebi stammered, looking a little flustered, then pulled herself together and politely said, "Of course," although she was still blushing slightly.
"See, Onozuka-kun," Asami said, flipping the book open to a full page spread of Ebi posing nude, lying on her stomach on a white sheet with flowers scattered around her. Her short hair tumbled loosely across her face, and her eyes were closed, with her lips curving in a small but contented and slightly mischievous smile. She did not look at all boyish in the picture, and it wasn't just because her nudity exposed the curves of her hips and breasts--she seemed to glow with an inner light, to radiate a sense of femininity. Even Onozuka, who had little sexual interest in women, could appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the portrait.
"This is kind of embarrassing," Ebi muttered.
"Allow me to introduce you," Akiha said cheerfully. "This is Kotobuki Ebi, my make-up artist. Ebi, this is Asami-chan, Onozuka-san, and Kikuchi-san from the 'Love Reborn' movie."
"Nice to meet you," Ebi said, with a quick, polite bow. "I'm a big fan of all three of you--I especially love your TV dramas, Onozuka-san!"
"Ah, I've been upstaged by the Prince," Kikuchi laughed ruefully.
"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way," Ebi hastily tried to apologize.
"Don't worry, I was just teasing you a little," Kikuchi said with a grin and a wink. "Forgive me; it's a bad habit of mine. So you're Akiha's goddess." He smiled rakishly and added, "I met him at a party in L.A. a couple of years ago, and I was thinking about hitting on him until he told me that he had a beautiful goddess waiting for him at home."
"You're so bad, Kikuchi-san!" Asami laughed.
Onozuka shot his lover a quick glare, then suddenly realized that an awkward silence had fallen over Akiha and Ebi.
"Sorry," Kikuchi apologized. "It was just another bad joke."
"Oh, I'm not offended," Ebi hastily assured him. "It's just that Akiha and I aren't married anymore."
"I'm sorry," Kikuchi repeated. "I didn't realize..."
"It was all my fault," Akiha said lightly. "But fortunately, Ebi was mature and generous enough to continue our friendship and working relationship after the divorce."
"It wasn't anyone's fault," Ebi said, with a wistful smile. "It just wasn't meant to be." Then she added, in a much more cheerful voice, "But don't worry! We love each other like brother and sister now!"
Crap, does that mean he's single? Onozuka thought to himself in dismay. If he had been married, he probably wasn't gay--unless he had been closeted and in denial--but if Kikuchi wasn't joking about propositioning him, he was probably bi, which meant that he was still a threat.
"Anyway," Ebi said quickly, obviously trying to clear the tension in the room, "what did you want, Akiha?"
"Kikuchi-san, will you show her?" Akiha asked, and Kikuchi sighed and reluctantly showed her the scratches on his back and the bruise on his chest.
"I didn't know that the photo shoot would be moved up," Kikuchi said in a slightly aggrieved voice. "Can I put my shirt back on now?"
Akiha nodded, and Ebi said, "Well, the bruise can be covered up easily enough. I suppose I can conceal the scratches with make-up as well if I have to, but wouldn't it be easier to just shoot him from the front?"
"But I don't want you to conceal them," Akiha replied. "In fact, I want you to emphasize them even more!"
"What?!" the actors and Ebi all exclaimed in unison.
"Let me explain my idea," Akiha said, smiling slyly.
***
Kikuchi was a little skeptical about Akiha's plan, but agreed to go along with it--Asami, of course, thought it was brilliant, while Onozuka blushed, acting embarrassed, but said that he would go along with whatever Akiha-san recommended. The little brat--acting all innocently shocked when Kikuchi had revealed the scratches, as if he weren't the one who had put them there in the first place!
As revenge, Kikuchi began flirting a little more blatantly with Akiha. It was fun to watch Onozuka try to act as if he didn't care, but Kikuchi noticed the signs of irritation: a slight narrowing of the eyes, an overly cheerful smile, and the quick, cold glares Onozuka shot at him when no one else was looking.
Akiha decided to shoot the "innocence" pictures first, and had them change into medieval-style costumes: shades of blue for Onozuka, which nicely complemented his golden hair; a gown of pale, cherry-blossom pink for Asami, with a wreath of pink roses for her hair; and black velvet with silver piping for Kikuchi.
"I thought I wouldn't even be in the 'innocence' shots at all," Kikuchi said to Akiha.
"As good an actor as you are, I don't think that anyone would ever associate you with 'innocence,'" Akiha replied, grinning at Kikuchi, which caused Onozuka to scowl before he caught himself and resumed his princely mask. "The focus will be on Onozuka-kun and Asami-chan," Akiha explained. "But you will be the hint of 'sin' lurking off to the side in the shadows, which will help tie the two themes together."
"That's so clever, Akiha-san!" Asami said admiringly.
"Absolutely," Onozuka agreed, with just the faintest trace of sourness in his voice.
There was a balcony set already in place in the studio, and Kikuchi asked, "How did you manage to arrange things on such short notice? Or do you always keep a spare balcony on hand, just in case?"
"I was lucky," Akiha laughed. "The drama club at my old high school just happened to have performed 'Romeo and Juliet' recently, so I was able to borrow the set from them, and the movie studio loaned me the costumes."
"Onozuka-kun, didn't you say that you played Romeo for your high school play?" Kikuchi asked.
"Yes, I did," Onozuka replied, politely but coolly.
Akiha grinned and said, "Osaka High is an all-boys school, so the female roles were played by men, just like in Shakespeare's time. So if you'd gone to my school, Onozuka-kun, you might have played Juliet instead, with that pretty face of yours!"
Onozuka's cool smile turned positively icy and he said, "Well then, I guess it's lucky that I didn't go to your school."
"I meant it as a compliment," Akiha assured him. "Besides, from what I understand, you're playing a woman, or at least a man possessed by a woman's spirit in the movie, so there's no need to be offended, right?"
"I'm not offended at all, Akiha-san," Onozuka said sweetly.
"Yeah, right," Kikuchi muttered under his breath, which earned him another covert glare.
"Anyway, I was glad to have the chance to visit my alma mater," Akiha said mischievously. "My first love, my sempai from my old school days, is working there as the school doctor, so it's a good excuse to drop in and visit him."
"Ooh, so you swing both ways, Akiha-san!" Asami exclaimed.
"I don't discriminate," Akiha replied with a smile. "I appreciate beauty in all its varied forms."
"How poetic," Onozuka said, with only a slight trace of sarcasm.
"Ah, so I have bad timing again," Kikuchi said, heaving an exaggerated sigh of regret.
"I still think you're beautiful, Kikuchi-san," Akiha said playfully. "But my heart belongs to Umeda-sempai."
"But you have someone, too, don't you, Kikuchi-san?" Asami pointed out. "The person who left those marks on you--who is he?"
"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," Kikuchi replied with a grin.
"And since when are you a gentleman?" Asami retorted, grinning back at him, and Kikuchi laughed.
"You wound me, Asami-chan! But yes, I was only playing around with Akiha. I am fond of that person, even if he can be rather troublesome at times."
"Ooh, a secret romance!" Asami said delightedly. "That's so exciting, isn't it, Onozuka-kun?"
"Very," Onozuka replied sweetly.
"Well, shall we get to work?" Akiha suggested cheerfully.
Once they started working, Akiha immediately became more business-like. He was still friendly, but dropped the joking remarks and focused intently on getting the right shot. Onozuka also gave up his veiled sarcasm and sulking, and followed Akiha's instructions without complaint. Kikuchi smiled; all four of them were dedicated professionals in their own way.
The main focus of the shot was Prince Onozuka and Princess Asami, of course, with the lighting filtered to cast a soft, dreamlike glow on the pair. Asami leaned down over the balcony, reaching out to Onozuka, who reached up towards her yearningly, their fingertips just barely touching. Off to the side, Kikuchi lurked menacingly in the shadows, shrouded in darkness and barely visible except for the silver trim glittering on his costume.
Akiha tried some other poses, including one where Onozuka climbed up on the balcony to plant a chaste kiss on Asami's lips--something that caused Kikuchi to scowl jealously, to the point where Akiha told him that he looked a little too menacing, which caused Onozuka to smirk. It was ridiculous--Kikuchi knew that Onozuka had no romantic interest in Asami or any other woman, but he still didn't like seeing his lover touching anyone but him.
When Akiha was done shooting, he uploaded the photos to his computer, and they all gathered around to take a look at them. "I think that the first pose works best," Akiha decided. "It captures the theme of 'innocence' best, with the lovers just barely touching, and will contrast better with the 'sin' shots."
"I agree," Kikuchi said, partly because he really did agree, and partly because he preferred not to see posters of Onozuka kissing Asami plastered all over Tokyo.
"I'll defer to your judgment, Akiha-san," Onozuka said sweetly. "I'm sure that you know best."
"Me too," Asami said, but with a wistful little sigh. "Although it was fun kissing the Prince!"
Akiha winked and said, "I can make a print just for you, as a special souvenir of the occasion!"
"Thanks, Akiha-san!" Asami said happily.
"Good work, everyone," Akiha said approvingly. "Let's stop and take a break before the next shoot."
Part 2
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I SO want to tell everyone about O&K!!!!
*covers mouth with hands*
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Heh heh, I think several of O&K's coworkers have already guessed that they're together, although nobody knows for certain.