(no subject)
The Spirit of Romance
"I feel something here," Saga says, his eyes closed, his voice calm and breathy. "Do you feel it, Tora-san?"
The other guitarist had been aimlessly wandering around the small room we are waiting in, but now he turns to Saga and a look passes between them. Shou evidently doesn't notice it, clutching my arm tighter in fright when Tora answers, "Yes. It's nearby."
There is a slight snort of laughter from the face hidden behind a cell phone screen, but Nao doesn't look up, and Saga continues.
"There's a spirit in this room. A strong one."
"So close to Shou-kun," Tora adds softly.
I admit their omniscient tones make the pale sunlight in the room seem a bit darker. The antique Victorian furniture and decorations in subdued colours can easily be frightening when someone adds a ghost to the mix. But Shou is positively shivering, his wide eyes scanning the room.
"Ah, yes, it's an incubus. A spirit of mad lust and desire," Saga pauses for dramatic effect. "And it has possessed our dear Hiroto-kun."
Shou shrieks, immediately loosening his hold on my arm and scrambling to the far end of the sofa.
"Come on you guys, stop it. You're scaring Shou-san," Nao says, but his strict tone is ruined by laughter. Soon we all join in, even Shou, and Saga collapses on the couch between us.
"Don't worry," he says, slinging an arm around Shou's shoulder. "I'll protect you from the evil spirit."
But before I have a chance to pout and deny his claim, an assistant pops her head in and cheerfully announces that the stylists are ready for us.
---
It's early in the morning. Too early, I think, for dressing in heavy, layered clothing or sitting still while my hair is styled and makeup is applied to my face. I'm not complaining, though, because I'm doing what I love with people that I love, and anyway, this photoshoot location is quite beautiful.
The instant we take a break, I'm off to explore the house.
Wandering down a hallway, I peek into rooms at random until one piques my interest. Hardwood floors, wall sconces, heavy drapes drawn back to let the sunshine in. But what catches my eye is the piano.
It's made of a light brown wood and the polished black and white keys shine softly in the sunlight. Wrought iron candle holders and a painting adorn the top of it. I can't resist; I take off my coat, leaving it on a chair inside the doorway, and sit down on the small stool in front of the piano. Settling my fingers over the keys, I let myself slip into the simple melodies and the deep enjoyment that comes from playing music on any instrument.
It's no wonder I don't hear Saga enter the room until he speaks.
"Smile, Pon!"
He's holding up his phone, taking pictures of me. I turn back around, returning my fingers to the keys.
"Oh, are you mad at me because I scared Shou away?"
While I'm pondering this, Saga approaches the piano and plays a few notes, his long fingers dancing across the keys. In truth, I wasn't mad that he scared Shou because Shou had gone to me for comfort and ended up laughing the whole thing off. I was, maybe, a bit mad that Saga had so comfortably situated himself next to Shou. That I could imagine those delicate fingers easily entwining with Shou's, taking up the promise of protection and following it up with a declaration of love.
"Everyone knows you've got a crush on Shou-kun," Saga says bluntly, interrupting my thoughts. "Except maybe Shou-kun…"
"I do not have a crush on him!"
Saga cocks his head as though listening. "That's not what the spirits say."
He smiles as he walks away.
Trying to settle my racing thoughts, I continue to play. Classical music, an easy song that suits the atmosphere. A slight cough behind me, and I see a camera phone out of the corner of my eye. I'm about to scold Saga for sneaking up on me again, but I turn to find Shou instead.
"Can you play me a song, please?" he asks, and he smiles his gorgeous smile. I wish I could always make him smile like that, and I feel, at this moment, that I could admit it, that I could just blurt out everything about my emotions and Shou would understand. The moment passes with him still smiling at me while I stutter slightly.
"I-I don't think so. Maybe later. Uh, I mean, we should be getting back now, right?"
Without waiting for his answer, I grab my jacket and rush out of the room.
---
"How did it go?"
I jump at the sudden appearance of Saga, popping out of the shadows at the bottom of the staircase.
"How did what go?"
"I told Shou where you were. Figured you would want to talk to him."
Saga interprets my silence correctly. "You didn't tell him anything? But I set it up perfectly!"
I sigh deeply. "Shou-kun wouldn't want someone like me anyway. He probably likes you better. I mean, you're so sexy and confident. He's always saying that he thinks of me as a brother."
"Haven't you ever thought that he says that because he's afraid of how you would react if he said he liked you?"
Saga's words yet again cause me to think deeply and reflect on my feelings. I wonder if he really is in tune with spirits, to know all of this.
"And don't worry about me stealing him away," Saga tells me with a wink. "I've got my eye on someone else."
---
My mind is filled with heavy thoughts, but I put them aside for the sake of the photoshoot. I wonder a few times if they show on my face, but for the most part I don't worry about it.
It all comes back to me only after the lights and the backdrop have been taken down, the props shut away, and we've changed back into our regular clothes. Saga and Tora are talking about some doll that they found in one of the rooms while Nao is chatting with our manager about the single. Shou catches my eye, looks away quickly. We're all waiting by the stairs as things get wrapped up. There's no other place to go.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run out on you earlier."
"It's okay," he mumbles, looking down. My breath catches a bit; even in regular clothes, with no makeup on, Shou is stunningly beautiful. Instead of increasing my fear, I realize that his beauty should inspire me to speak, to be honest with him.
The words slip out, simple and comforting. "I really like you, Shou-kun. As more than a friend. I've been too nervous to say it, but I really want you to know."
His smile in that moment makes me wonder why I ever doubted myself. I draw him into an embrace and he pulls back to look down at me.
"I like you too, Pon."
I kiss him lightly on the lips once, then again, and he moves in, kissing me even deeper. It's a perfect moment, and then-
"The spirit-possessed Hiroto is sucking out Shou's soul!"
We turn to glare at Saga, who is herding the others up the stairs.
"You don't believe him, do you?" I ask Shou.
He smiles. "I never did."
"I feel something here," Saga says, his eyes closed, his voice calm and breathy. "Do you feel it, Tora-san?"
The other guitarist had been aimlessly wandering around the small room we are waiting in, but now he turns to Saga and a look passes between them. Shou evidently doesn't notice it, clutching my arm tighter in fright when Tora answers, "Yes. It's nearby."
There is a slight snort of laughter from the face hidden behind a cell phone screen, but Nao doesn't look up, and Saga continues.
"There's a spirit in this room. A strong one."
"So close to Shou-kun," Tora adds softly.
I admit their omniscient tones make the pale sunlight in the room seem a bit darker. The antique Victorian furniture and decorations in subdued colours can easily be frightening when someone adds a ghost to the mix. But Shou is positively shivering, his wide eyes scanning the room.
"Ah, yes, it's an incubus. A spirit of mad lust and desire," Saga pauses for dramatic effect. "And it has possessed our dear Hiroto-kun."
Shou shrieks, immediately loosening his hold on my arm and scrambling to the far end of the sofa.
"Come on you guys, stop it. You're scaring Shou-san," Nao says, but his strict tone is ruined by laughter. Soon we all join in, even Shou, and Saga collapses on the couch between us.
"Don't worry," he says, slinging an arm around Shou's shoulder. "I'll protect you from the evil spirit."
But before I have a chance to pout and deny his claim, an assistant pops her head in and cheerfully announces that the stylists are ready for us.
---
It's early in the morning. Too early, I think, for dressing in heavy, layered clothing or sitting still while my hair is styled and makeup is applied to my face. I'm not complaining, though, because I'm doing what I love with people that I love, and anyway, this photoshoot location is quite beautiful.
The instant we take a break, I'm off to explore the house.
Wandering down a hallway, I peek into rooms at random until one piques my interest. Hardwood floors, wall sconces, heavy drapes drawn back to let the sunshine in. But what catches my eye is the piano.
It's made of a light brown wood and the polished black and white keys shine softly in the sunlight. Wrought iron candle holders and a painting adorn the top of it. I can't resist; I take off my coat, leaving it on a chair inside the doorway, and sit down on the small stool in front of the piano. Settling my fingers over the keys, I let myself slip into the simple melodies and the deep enjoyment that comes from playing music on any instrument.
It's no wonder I don't hear Saga enter the room until he speaks.
"Smile, Pon!"
He's holding up his phone, taking pictures of me. I turn back around, returning my fingers to the keys.
"Oh, are you mad at me because I scared Shou away?"
While I'm pondering this, Saga approaches the piano and plays a few notes, his long fingers dancing across the keys. In truth, I wasn't mad that he scared Shou because Shou had gone to me for comfort and ended up laughing the whole thing off. I was, maybe, a bit mad that Saga had so comfortably situated himself next to Shou. That I could imagine those delicate fingers easily entwining with Shou's, taking up the promise of protection and following it up with a declaration of love.
"Everyone knows you've got a crush on Shou-kun," Saga says bluntly, interrupting my thoughts. "Except maybe Shou-kun…"
"I do not have a crush on him!"
Saga cocks his head as though listening. "That's not what the spirits say."
He smiles as he walks away.
Trying to settle my racing thoughts, I continue to play. Classical music, an easy song that suits the atmosphere. A slight cough behind me, and I see a camera phone out of the corner of my eye. I'm about to scold Saga for sneaking up on me again, but I turn to find Shou instead.
"Can you play me a song, please?" he asks, and he smiles his gorgeous smile. I wish I could always make him smile like that, and I feel, at this moment, that I could admit it, that I could just blurt out everything about my emotions and Shou would understand. The moment passes with him still smiling at me while I stutter slightly.
"I-I don't think so. Maybe later. Uh, I mean, we should be getting back now, right?"
Without waiting for his answer, I grab my jacket and rush out of the room.
---
"How did it go?"
I jump at the sudden appearance of Saga, popping out of the shadows at the bottom of the staircase.
"How did what go?"
"I told Shou where you were. Figured you would want to talk to him."
Saga interprets my silence correctly. "You didn't tell him anything? But I set it up perfectly!"
I sigh deeply. "Shou-kun wouldn't want someone like me anyway. He probably likes you better. I mean, you're so sexy and confident. He's always saying that he thinks of me as a brother."
"Haven't you ever thought that he says that because he's afraid of how you would react if he said he liked you?"
Saga's words yet again cause me to think deeply and reflect on my feelings. I wonder if he really is in tune with spirits, to know all of this.
"And don't worry about me stealing him away," Saga tells me with a wink. "I've got my eye on someone else."
---
My mind is filled with heavy thoughts, but I put them aside for the sake of the photoshoot. I wonder a few times if they show on my face, but for the most part I don't worry about it.
It all comes back to me only after the lights and the backdrop have been taken down, the props shut away, and we've changed back into our regular clothes. Saga and Tora are talking about some doll that they found in one of the rooms while Nao is chatting with our manager about the single. Shou catches my eye, looks away quickly. We're all waiting by the stairs as things get wrapped up. There's no other place to go.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run out on you earlier."
"It's okay," he mumbles, looking down. My breath catches a bit; even in regular clothes, with no makeup on, Shou is stunningly beautiful. Instead of increasing my fear, I realize that his beauty should inspire me to speak, to be honest with him.
The words slip out, simple and comforting. "I really like you, Shou-kun. As more than a friend. I've been too nervous to say it, but I really want you to know."
His smile in that moment makes me wonder why I ever doubted myself. I draw him into an embrace and he pulls back to look down at me.
"I like you too, Pon."
I kiss him lightly on the lips once, then again, and he moves in, kissing me even deeper. It's a perfect moment, and then-
"The spirit-possessed Hiroto is sucking out Shou's soul!"
We turn to glare at Saga, who is herding the others up the stairs.
"You don't believe him, do you?" I ask Shou.
He smiles. "I never did."