A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
By
Chibijem
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein and am making no financial gain from this work of fiction.
Ichinose Tokiya finished buttoning the white shirt he was supposed to wear for the last part of the photo shoot for the cover of Starish's next disc. The group was on their last day of shooting and were glad of it. To most, taking pictures seemed to be easy: you posed and the photographer took the picture. To him and the rest of his friends, it was a tedious process that took an inordinate amount of time. There was make-up, hair and wardrobe. Then there was the setting or settings with everything having to come together just right to make the session a success.
"You almost ready, Tokiya?" Kurusu Syo stuck his head into the room. He was similarly dressed as was the rest of the group.
"I'm coming." Tokiya took one last glance in the mirror as the hairdresser played with his hair.
"I am so not looking forward to this last shot." The pink haired violinist said miserably. "I hate wearing soaking wet clothes."
"Well at least it's the last shot of the session." The unofficial leader of Starish replied.
"It's one thing to be wet after a performance; it's another thing entirely to have water dumped on you." Hijirikawa Masato added as the two joined the rest of the singers.
At the question in the steel blue eyes of his former roommate, Ittoki Otoya laughed. "We're waiting on the photographer. He wants everything to be just right." He said with a roll of the eyes.
"You know this will be the picture that will be on the cover and that means we will have wasted the past four days," Jinguji Ren sighed.
"It will not have been wasted," Shinomiya Natsuki spoke up. "The company needed more new material for the upcoming promotions and merchandise. So it saved us some time."
"As Saotome would say 'Time is money'." Aijima Cecil did a perfect impression of their out of this world manager. Everyone laughed.
"Has Haruka arrived?" Tokiya asked after the love of his life.
"Iie," Shibuya Tomochika replied. She was doing a behind the scenes feature of the photo session for her television network. "She texted me her meeting was running behind schedule."
"Sou desu ka," The raven haired vocalist replied, disappointed.
"Don't worry, Icchi. She'll be here soon enough." Ren told him, laying a muscular arm over his friend's shoulders.
Not soon enough for me, Tokiya thought. The couple's schedules had been so full the last weeks, the two could count the number of hours they had spent together on one hand; phone calls, emails and texts were just not enough. The upcoming promotional appearances for the newest disc promised to make spending time together a challenge; they had promised each other they would make sure to spend at least part of each day with one another, no matter what they had to do. Hence, Haruka cramming several meetings into this morning so she would have the afternoon free to be with him and the group as they wrapped up the photography session. At his name being called by a cherished voice, his head lifted and a huge smile covered his face. He met his love half way and swept her into his strong arms, her happy laughter filling his soul.
"I am so happy to see you." The founder of Starish told him, hugging him tightly.
"I can say the same," the tall singer replied, pressing a kiss to his lady's soft lips. He rested his forehead against hers as he held her off the floor, not wanting to relinquish his grip. "Are you done for the day?"
"Hai and thank goodness." She caressed his striking face with her adoring fingers.
"Bad?"
"Iie, just long. Everyone had their own opinions and it just dragged on and on." She laid her head on his shoulder and breathed him in. "All I could think about and wanted was to see you. I've missed you so much."
Tokiya's embrace intensified, "I've missed you more."
Haruka pulled back at the emotions in her love's voice, "Anata?"
"I'm alright."
The composer lifted an eyebrow, doubting his words. "Honto ni?"
"Mmmmmmm," He pulled her close again. "I've come to realize how much I need you, I mean really need you."
"Tokiya!" Haruka hissed.
"Not that way," a blush rose along his cheeks. "Well….not right at the moment. I just meant that I've come to rely on you to keep me sane." The two had yet to take that last step but they knew the time was rapidly approaching when they would consummate their relationship.
Haruka hugged him again. "You know since I first saw you as Hayato, you've always managed to keep me calm. Now you keep me calm, happy and loved."
Tokiya leaned in and kissed her again, "I hope that will never change."
The rest of the members came over, "You are planning to share, ne, Ichinose?" Masato asked with a smile.
Their composer laughed and hugged the pianist when her love set her on her feet. "Hijirikawa-san." She greeted him warmly.
"Lady, do I get a turn?" The saxophonist opened his arms in invitation.
"Jinguji-san." Haruka laughed as she was wrapped in the orange-haired musician's arms.
She greeted all the members the same way: with hugs, smiles and laughter. "How is the session going?" She asked looking around the set.
"Long….way too long." Otoya answered.
"I don't know where Shacho found this guy, but he is picky, very, very picky." Masato added.
"He's a royal pain in the ass." Ren plainly stated.
"I am sure he has his reasons." Cecil as always trying to find the good in any situation.
"Hai, job security. He's probably getting paid by the day." Syo said sarcastically.
"As Shinomiya-san said: we do need more new material for the new disc not to mention all the magazines and other media will need new shots." Tokiya responded, wrapping an arm around Haruka's tiny waist.
"And we all appreciate it," Tomo-chan said joining the group. She and Haruka hugged each other. "I've missed you Haruka. We need to get together and catch up."
"Hai, as soon as I can get a break." The red-orange haired young woman replied. "Things have just been so busy."
"Well, I will just get in line behind a certain singer for your time." The red headed television personality joked, shoulder bumping the tall singer.
"It may be a long wait, Shibuya-san" Natsuki advised, laughing.
A few minutes later, the photographer was finally ready and called Starish before the cameras. He wanted to get several pictures of the group completely dry and then some individual shots of each member. He completed this in about an hour and then the assistants started setting up to protect the background and equipment for the wet part of the session.
"Do we really have to do this?" Syo whined. "The way things are going we are all going to catch colds, hot lights, cold air temperature then getting soaking wet….."
"Spells trouble," Ren mused.
Haruka turned to her love, "The dressing room is warm, ne?" She knew a cold would cause many problems if any of them were to get sick. She was determined not to let anything happen to any of her vocalists especially if it cut into her time with one blue eyed, raven haired singer.
"I suppose so," said singer answered. "Depends on what you define as warm."
The assistants brought several robes and towels and laid them about as the photographer called them over. Haruka let Tokiya know where she was going and kissed him as he moved to take his mark.
"Don't you need to stay and watch the shoot?" The composer asked her best friend as the other followed.
"Iie, my guys are taking footage and photographs of their own," Tomo-chan replied. "Besides I get the chance to spend some time with you not to mention I do have more access than a regular person to Starish." She smiled.
"Mmmmmmm," Haruka returned the grin with a laugh.
"How are things between Tokiya and you?"
"Good." Haruka replied, entering the dressing room and checking the thermostat. She raised the temperature. She turned back to her former roommate and saw the look of doubt on the woman's face. "It's been hard the past few weeks trying to find the time to be together. Between finalizing the recordings for the disc, the new interviews and other promotional stuff and this photo shoot, we've barely had a few hours alone." The tiny composer admitted. "We're both feeling out of sorts, I guess."
"Well as soon as the disc is released, you'll have more time, ne?" Tomo-chan hugged her friend in sympathy.
"We both hope so."
The two females returned to the staged area and gaped at the scene before them. All seven members of Starish were completely drenched, white shirts completely see-through. Haruka swallowed hard seeing her love posing, oozing sex appeal. He ran his long fingers though his wet hair, his steely eyes smoldering for the camera.
"I certainly hope you get some time together too. Especially if he looks like that," Tomo-chan barely managed to say, tongue-tied as she was. It was definitely a new look for the normally staid singer. "I envy you, Haruka."
"Uhhhh…..hai." Starish's founder stuttered. Oh my god! He looks so sexy, I just want to….to….ugh, she thought. She had seen her love in various states of dress and undress but to see him wet and emanating his natural sex appeal was almost too much, particularly since they'd had little time together recently. Also not helping with her flustered state was the fact Tokiya's body was moving with the beat of the background music which just happened to be the song "Independence".
She saw the other members doing the same as Tokiya but her gaze was inevitably drawn back to the love of her life. She barely managed to get her attention focused as Syo and Natsuki finished their part and came to her; she handed them both towels so they could dry off. She repeated the action when Cecil, Otoya and Masato came to her.
Their resident saxophonist and ladies' man sauntered over with a smile, "I see something or rather someone has caught your attention, Little Lamb." He said, taking the towel from her.
She blushed, "Jinguji-san…..ano…I…."
"Hai, we all know." He laughed and pulled on the robe. "For someone who is so private, he can really turn it on when called upon." He watched as his friend bowed to the photographer and thanked the man for his work.
"Are you alright, koiishi?" Tokiya asked as he took the towel from her. "You look a little flushed. You're not coming down with something, are you?" He lifted a hand to her forehead, concern written all over his handsome face.
"Oh, she's got something alright," Ren teased. "But I think you can cure it, Icchi." He left the couple and walked towards the dressing room.
"What did he mean by that?" Tokiya ran the towel over his hair, soaking up the moisture, then draped it over his shoulders. He returned his attention to Haruka at his side, "Are you sure you feel okay?"
"Heki desu," she smiled up at him, laughing softly at his towel-spiked hair. "You should change before you catch cold." She advised and thought to herself, and before I ravage you right here!
Tokiya nodded and started walking and unbuttoning the shirt. "Coming?" He asked as he followed Ren's path.
"Uh, hai."
Tokiya lifted an elegant eyebrow in question at her behavior. He shrugged his shoulders and made a mental note to ask her later about it.
0-0-0-0-0
A week later, the proofs were delivered to the Shining Entertainment headquarters; all involved were meeting to decide what images would be used for what purpose. Saotome was extremely pleased with it all. When their manager glimpsed the wet shots, he knew instantly that the group shot would be the cover of the disc and set in motion for posters to be manufactured of the individual members.
"Definite best sellers," He mused.
Haruka held one image in her hand, not being able to take her eyes off of it.
"Daijobu desu ka, Haru-chan?" Natsuki inquired from across the table.
"Hai," she laid the image face down on the stack of papers before her.
"I bet I know…." Ren goaded.
"Jinguji." Masato warned.
The meeting concluded with everyone getting copies of the upcoming schedule of promotional events and appearances. It included Haruka; she had become an in demand personality since her relationship with Tokiya was revealed not to mention her own success as a composer. The couple tried as much as possible to keep their private affairs so, but the curiosity from the media and fans was high and normal. They had decided to let little glimpses of their relationship out as long as it did not overshadow Starish as a whole and the rest of the group approved of what was released. Everyone filed out of the room, with the promise of a lunch set up in the corporate dining room; the unofficial leader and their composer remained behind.
"What caught your rapt attention?" Tokiya attempted to pick up the paper.
Haruka placed her hand over it, "Just a photograph."
Tokiya leaned closer, knowing what effect he had on her and that it was much more pronounced with their time apart. He was able to distract her and pulled the picture to him. He smiled at her after seeing his own image staring back at him. "You know you can see the real, breathing, me any time." He said softly. "I can even arrange to be drenched for you." He whispered in his deep voice. He laughed at the blush staining her soft cheeks. "Of all the pictures, you picked that one?" It was one of him completely soaked though, the partially unbuttoned white shirt not covering anything, his blue-gray eyes smoldering, hand in his thick, raven hair.
"You….it just…..There's something about it….you…."
Tokiya chuckled, pulling her to him and kissing her. "I think I get the idea." He pulled back but kept her in his loving embrace. "We definitely need more time together," he mused, a smile in his voice.
"Definitely." Golden eyes met steel blue. She rested her head against his broad chest.
After gathering their things, they exited the room and headed towards the dining hall. Tokiya taking her carrying case in his hand and wrapping an arm over her delicate shoulders. He bent down to whisper in her ear, making her shiver in delight and anticipation. "The invitation to a private showing is open-anytime."
FIN
Author's Note: Sort of a long one. This was inspired by the cushion I have seen images of online of Tokiya. Definitely did not work out the way I wanted it to, however. I guess the image had me tongue-tied too. Thank you for reading.