AN: What should I be doing? Sleeping! What am I not doing? SLEEPING!
I'm sorry to everyone out there who might still be following me (you're still there, right?). I've been studying hard for my exams and I passed my first one so I'm just trying to chill and enjoy myself. I'm also in the hardest rotation of my internship so hopefully I'll be back with more writing in the upcoming months. Plus! There's going to be a holiday Secret Santa on tumblr so if you're free please sign up! Our wonderful glowing blue will be our moderater and I'm super excited for the prompt she'll come up with.
Anyway, that's not why you guys are here. LOL I hope you enjoy the story. I'm still toying with the idea of smut here but this will only be maybe a 2- or 3-part story so your input would be appreciated. :)
Summary: Shifter!AU. A top model and a newbie photographer should have little uncommon other than opposing sides of the camera, but a game of cat-and-mouse has them seamlessly chasing after each other.
Part One
Don't worry. You'll know it when you know it.
Such a vague answer, and at seven years old, Toushirou couldn't yet wrap his mind around it. But his mother's smiling face, aged from illness but still so bright in his memories, left him warm and restless. But how was he to know it when he didn't even know what it was?
His elders claimed that finding a mate was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime emotion, one that burned through all reason and clarity and left only obsession in its wake. Some had even been driven to madness by it, an unlucky few repulsed when their lovers found out what made their loyalty so ardent. Not everyone could or wanted to understand the animal that slept beneath their skin, who would tread quietly one moment and roared ferociously the next.
But it made one thing certain: people were drawn to that magnetism, regardless if they understood it or not.
Because of it, women had been throwing themselves at him since he was barely out of adolescence. There was no pattern to them, just an undeniable attraction that made even the frailest creature chase after him with gusto. And just the same, men found that same aura a threat. Bullies pushed him around the playground until he learned to fight back, and eventually he was quietly feared for both his fighting prowess and stellar performance in academia. But it didn't matter when the female teachers simply cooed over him like he could do no wrong while the male ones bowed their heads to him in submission.
It made him spoiled and he knew it. Hitsugaya Toushirou could do no wrong, no one told him no, and so he took selfishly. He could sleep with a different woman every night—and occasionally did when the full moon approached—and negotiate in or around any dealing that came his way.
So it was no wonder when he turned to modeling when he turned twenty. He was scouted on the street after some simpering girl had attached herself to his side, whispering sweet obscenities as she slipped a hand into his back pocket and pressed her breasts into his arm. A beautiful woman approached him, strawberry blonde hair and enough cleavage to impress even him, as a pink scarf curled and wafted around her neck.
Despite his companion's jealous hissing, Hitsugaya felt compelled to take her proffered card, and even blushed when she winked over her shoulder and strolled away. Later on he'd find out it was her own animal speaking to him, a nubile cat with omega tendencies and who couldn't leave pretty faces alone (apparently she had a weakness for white hair and bright blue eyes, go figure).
So he signed on with her, shrugging when asked why he signed his life away and then wiped his hands on his slacks. It was neither nerves nor anxiety. It was a feeling akin to excitement and uncertainty, a goal that wouldn't simply be handed to him like everything else in his life.
But, alas, even that was a short-lived dream. Only two years into his career and he was at the top of his profession. Designers clamored for his attention, dressing him in their finest clothes and pulling him across the world for a chance to have him at their shows. The women came just as they always had, and the men backed down with a well-placed response, too scared to do anything but heel in his presence.
What a boring game, he would think to himself, a warm body wrapped around his own. Underneath the smell of sweat and their fucking, there was always the residual scent of his partner's essence. Sometimes the perfumes were so delicate they were drowned out until he was at the edges of sleep and he remembered he brought someone home. Other times the smell was thick, laced with reminders of other lovers and bad habits, and immediately he wanted them out. But no matter how sweet or sour they were, all he could think was that none of them were his.
Smoothing the edges of his coat, Toushirou let the stylist prattle on about his handsomeness. Her fingers were familiar weights against him, and he knew them more intimately than he probably should. But he decided against bedding her a second time, sensing the possessiveness in her gaze and touch and refusing to feed her fantasies. Matsumoto was right; he needed to avoid fucking the help. The brunette was good at what she did. It would be a shame to lose her because he'd needed to fill a little of the white noise.
"Well, don't you look gorgeous."
He grunted.
"A hello is the usual social cue for this, Hitsugaya-san. It's a wonder how the media hasn't found out about your horrible manners yet," Matsumoto chastised, strolling in as bright as a beam of sunlight. Beautiful and charismatic, sometimes he thought it was a shame she herself wasn't in front of the camera.
"I see you enough that your entrance didn't warrant one."
"Well now you've gone and hurt my feelings." Clucking her tongue at him, Rangiku tossed her hair over her shoulder and lowered a steely look beneath her long, long lashes.
"If you're married to Gin, I doubt there would be better training for verbal abuse than him." The mocking disdain almost made her smile but Matsumoto held it back.
"Leave my husband out of your shortcomings. It's not his fault you're a stodgy old man with a stick up his ass."
He murmured something inappropriate beneath his breath but deigned to let her have this round.
"Is there something you need?"
"Other than to bless you with my presence?" she spoke frankly, enough to make him roll his eyes before turning towards her. "Just wanted to brief you on your partner today."
"Isn't it a guy?" Usually only the women needed to be discussed beforehand. And that was mostly her giving him a warning about taking them home.
And he didn't—most of the time.
"Yes but he's not one the kind you should be messing with. Which I know you could do so don't even try to defend yourself," she interrupted, holding up a hand when he opened his mouth to comment. Your alpha-ness won't work on me, kiddo.
Miffed, Toushirou found a seat and crossed his arms defensively. "So what about him?"
Rangiku gave the signal that had everyone filing out, no questions asked. They'd worked with the two so long that words weren't needed anymore at moments like these. The air turned tense and the earth almost quaked, as if two powers were going to go head-to-head.
When the door shuttered close, Rangiku's face straightened. "He's an alpha, like you."
That caught his attention. "Oh? Is that so?"
"Yes. A well respected one, with a mate that would claw your eyes out if you look at her funny."
"And why would I do that?" He scrunched up his face, disgusted. There was no reason to fight for a woman who didn't want him. In fact, he liked them more because he could have a conversation without being propositioned. It was always a nice change of pace.
"Just sayin'. I know you don't have any interest in happily married mates but your reputation..."
"For the record, those women were unhappily married humans. I won't be held responsible for their marriages crumbling." He was hardly their first tryst. Women of means could have a string of lovers and were oftentimes better at hiding it than their male counterparts. He was just too high profile to get away with sneaking around for too long.
"But it doesn't really endear you to our kind, does it?"
"Our kind also find people who have tunnel vision as soon as they fall for each other. It's a completely different thing."
"Hmm, that's true."
Of course it was. He'd seen her with Gin enough times to know how true. "Is that all? Can I go out there now without getting punched in the face?" He stood, dusting himself off before stepping towards the exit.
"Just one last, itty-bitty thing..."
Oh god, what was she hiding? "Out with it, Matsumoto."
"Okay, two things. One, your partner kind of just, well... found out he was a shifter."
Stunned silence met her smile.
"... What?" He wasn't formulating real thoughts anymore. "You mean... what?"
"Let's just say his parents were a little... ambivalent about sharing our lifestyle with their children."
"And who the hell was stupid enough to keep such a big secret from them?"
She shot him a pointed look. "Shiba Isshin, now Kurosaki Isshin. You know, the man you idolized as a kid."
Hitsugaya promptly choked on his tongue but found his voice soon enough. "I-I did not! I was... young! And impressionable! And...!"
"A little stupid?" Rangiku supplied, grinning broadly at him. "Oh come now, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. A young pup with only a mother finding a father figure in a kind, if a bit flaky, alpha. It's a sweet story."
"Anyway," he continued, ignoring the heat brushing the back of his ears, "So now the kid knows. Then he should realize I'm no threat, right?"
"Oh yeah. He's definitely not worried about his mate. You know Rukia-chan, don't you?"
Knew her. Respected her. Feared her. Pretty much the only way to feel about the Kuchiki princess. "How could I not? Her brother and I have been friends for years now. There should be no problem."
"Well..." At least she had the good sense to look sheepish, twiddling her fingers as she bit out a smile, "that's the other thing..."
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Karin motioned to the assistant calling out to her about the position of the light. She gestured more to the right and was immediately called in another direction, someone asking if she'd like this background or another. Constantly she was bombarded with requests but she handled them like the seasoned pro she was. She might only be a senior in high school but she'd been holding a camera for as long as she could remember. And she was damned good at getting her shot.
She wondered if Ichi-nii was feeling as awkward as she hoped. Ever the overprotective big brother, he'd tried to forbade her from accepting her first job three years ago. It was a small thing, a photoshoot for a teen magazine, and she'd been working as an assistant long before they'd offered it to her. Just as the words fell from Ichigo's mouth she knew she was going to do it even if it killed her.
And now here she was, an up-and-coming photographer getting a steady stream of jobs while maintaining her near-perfect grades. Her brother could eat his heart out.
"Please call Hitsugaya-san out first," she ordered, not looking up from her camera as she fitted the lens. A thrill of excitement trailed up her spine. A rookie like her getting a chance to photograph one of the most beautiful faces in Japan, hell, maybe even the world, wasn't something to look down on. She was going to make the most of this.
A clamor of words echoed in the studio, bodies bowing as greetings were exchanged. Stealing a fortifying breath, Karin turned towards her newest subject, pasting on a smile that reeked of nervousness.
Draped in clothing that would've swallowed another man whole, Hitsugaya was perfectly primped and polished, to the point she wouldn't have been surprised if he'd just stepped off one of his many covers. A strike of jealousy curled through her at those long lashes framing eyes that glowed brighter in person than any picture she'd seen of him. The urge to capture his beauty—all of it, not just the superficial surface people fussed over—made her skin itch, as he came to a stop before her.
"Hitsugaya-san, welcome," she spoke clumsily, trying to get the words from her brain to her mouth in the right sequence. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kurosaki Karin, your photographer for today."
She bowed deep and then stood straight, realizing that the top of her head could barely brush his chin, that was how tall he was. Really, what were him and Ichigo eating as children? People weren't meant to be this big.
He looked at her straight then, up and down slowly, like he was measuring her worth, like he had the right to define her. Immediately the hairs on the back of her neck prickled, a quiet rage building in her gut, and she tried to gain some perspective. She was reading too far into it. Of course he'd look at her funny; she was a child commanding a small army of workers that were all well her senior. It wasn't the first time someone had condescended to her and it would hardly be the last.
Breathing deep, she tried to keep her composure. "I hope we have a good shoot. I'll do my best so I hope you'll do the same."
She turned away as she cringed, realizing too late that she ended on a confrontational note.
What was wrong with her? Wasn't she trying that new pacifist thing her family kept trying to force on her? But there was something in the way that Hitsugaya looked at her, sizing her up and deeming her unnecessary for anything more than a cursory glance. Karin didn't need a bunch of pretty boys with pedigrees to define her, but all the same, she wanted to drag him into step with her. It was the only way to harness that untapped potential of his.
His eyes followed her as she went to the crew behind the monitors, and they stayed on her as she leaned over and laughed at some comment by one of them. Just a sniff and Toushirou could tell there was something otherworldly about her but it was so weak he had to put in effort to sense it. Perhaps her mother's human blood had more pull than her father's, unlike her sibling. Just a whiff of the hallway and he smelled another male shifter and he felt his nerves unsettle.
And yet Toushirou was intrigued. She was no shrinking violet for a half-breed. The majority that he'd met were perilously weak to full bloods, bending over backwards to follow their commands, even if they were of a weaker breed or lineage. It was shameful to the point of embarrassment but he could partly understand. Their blood yearned to thicken its strength. To them, the means were worth the expense.
But not this girl.
And she was certainly a girl, Toushirou thought to himself, dragging himself away to make his way beneath the lights. She was a slight thing, not quite thin but athletic, someone who wasn't afraid of a little hard work. She was moderately pretty, he supposed, dark, straight hair and big, knowing eyes. He shouldn't compare her to his previous partners but he couldn't help it. He'd never met someone quite as sure of herself as this creature.
Her daunting words hung between them, seemingly innocent to their spectators but each of them had heard it loud and clear. She wanted something that no one else had been able to pull from him. She wanted him wholeheartedly, and with each click of her shutter she grew frustrated at his imposed control.
"Okay, let's take five." Raising a hand, everyone came to life again, voices crashing with the shuffling of steps and chairs.
Sighing, Karin made her way to the computer to look over the first round of shots. For the record, Toushirou was a damned good model. He exuded confidence like he breathed, his angles flawless to the point she wanted to mess his perfectly quaffed image with her aching hands. But he refused to offer more than a slight sheen in his eyes, a guarded expression in an otherwise expressive face.
"Ugh, what a waste..." she murmured to herself, stretching her arms high.
"What do you mean? I think they're really good," Hajime commented offhandedly. He wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either.
"It's just not what I had in mind," Karin grumbled, her fingers finding the pendant around her neck and playing with it instinctively. "It's just a little... I dunno, not what I want."
"Oh yeah, that's a great description. Why don't you critique the big shot model that he's not enough of 'what you want'?"
She laughed, moving to release the clasp on her necklace when she realized it had gotten tangled in her hair. "Yeah, he'd probably take that the wrong way."
"Well it's not like he's gonna touch a kid, so no worries about your chastity."
"Hey, my chastity is nobody's business, you perv," she chided, playfully punching her assistant in the shoulder as she pocketed the necklace and resumed her place in front of Toushirou.
He'd been restyled into a suit this time, and she had to admit that he was as fine a specimen of a man as one could find. Perfectly tailored lines and dark blues and blacks that played off his pristine skin. It was no wonder that women left their husbands for a night with him. She didn't really understand lust but if she looked long enough, maybe he'd make her.
A new scent dragged its way over to him, an insidious crawl that wrapped around his nose, and it took a second for Hitsugaya to regain his bearings.
"Where's that coming from?" he asked no one in particular but Matsumoto read the look in his eyes and it registered a second later. She stopped, recognizing the smell as an unmated female and a powerful one at that. But as she peered around the room, she recognized no one of consequence.
"Are you ready?" a steady voice asked, laced with a quiet command.
A warning purr entered Rangiku's mind, her animal immediately on its haunches in defense against this new predator. But the other female preened proudly, not the least bit threatened, and she realized that her opponent had no idea she was in any danger. It was either self-assurance or arrogance, but it was undeniably an alpha that sat in leisure among them.
Watching Hitsugaya with narrowed eyes, Kurosaki Karin was every inch her father's daughter, refusing to bow her head when he regarded her with renewed interest.
He tried not to inhale too deeply, almost afraid of the side effects of her heat on his already cloudy head. It was such an innocent scent but it crawled inside him, intrigued his wolf, and made him submit pathetically at her feet. In hindsight he should've known better than to underestimate Isshin's daughter.
"Hitsugaya-san? Is it okay to continue or do you need more time?" Karin interrupted his thoughts, her voice cutting the calm she'd leashed him with, and he almost smiled.
For god's sake, he was at the mercy of a child. "What did you do?"
Startled, he felt her animal take offense and slink its head away in irritation. However she handled it like business as usual and motioned for everyone to take a little while longer before setting her camera down carefully. He could see the pup in her pacing, biding its time impatiently, as she came over to him and tried to appear appeasing.
"Is there anything wrong? Are you not feeling well?" She completely ignored his question. Perhaps she didn't even know she was vulnerable.
Then again Karin had no idea what she was and so he tiptoed carefully. "I could ask the same of you. Did something happen?"
Her lips puckered, her bottom lip jutted just a little more, and it held more of his attention has it should have. Naked women have been less interesting than the look on her face, pensive and guarded and so sweet.
She's a child, you idiot, he chided himself and forced his eyes to hers.
"Is there a problem, Toushirou?" A newcomer entered their arena like a thief in the night.
A growl rumbled deep in his chest but he stamped it down, brushing off the impoliteness as if flicking dust from his expensive clothing. Uncouth but supposedly likable, Kurosaki Ichigo had gained a reputation as an actor long before he'd become a model. How they'd never ran into each other before now was a miracle.
But their meeting was turning out to be damned curse. "Hello, Kurosaki. It's nice to finally meet you."
He grunted, a noncommittal sound that was more gruffness than assent. As far as first impressions went, neither of them were scoring very well.
Karin interrupted then, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke. "Ichi-nii, I said I'd call you when you were needed. So go to your dressing room and wait."
"And leave you with this guy?" A shrinking look was shot his way but Hitsugaya shot him an easy smile in return. "Like hell I will. I'll wait right here and make sure he doesn't try anything."
"And just what would he be trying, huh? There's literally more than a dozen people here. What do you think he's going to do to me?" And why would he want to? Karin was neither blind nor deaf; she knew the kind of company a top model kept. Hell, she had a celebrity for an older brother.
He didn't say anything but both he and Hitusgaya knew what he meant. He could have her fixated on him, letting loose a pheromone that would have her panting after him like a dog in heat. She was as untried as they came, completely vulnerable to an experienced male's tricks, and thus fresh pickings without a companion to protect her.
That being said, Toushirou wasn't interested in unwilling partners. "Settle down, Kurosaki. Let me finish my set in peace. I promise nothing will happen to your sister."
For today, at least. He made no promises regarding the future.
Sensing the sincerity, Ichigo reluctantly backed down but not out. "I'll finish up and then come out. I won't be long." He turned towards his sister and gave her hair a playful ruffle. "Put your necklace back on while I'm gone. You know better than to take it off. You're forgetful enough to lose it."
"I won't!" Batting his hand away, Karin dug into her pockets and clenched her fist around the warm gold. She'd misplaced it more than a handful of times but she always found it. It was too precious to go missing for too long.
Ichigo ignored her, shooting a kind glance in her direction before he made his way back to his quarters.
"Your brother doesn't seem the type to have a sister complex," Hitsugaya started, pulling her attention back to him. "But I suppose everyone has their secrets."
"He does not, and if you want to keep your head on those shoulders of yours I'd suggest you change the subject," she tossed back haughtily.
The way his smile curved made his expression pleasant, as if he liked her more for her insults than her earlier professionalism. What a strange man. She'd have gotten chewed out if she did that to anyone else, even those models with far less popularity.
He's really odd, isn't he? Karin huffed, pulling her necklace out and wrapping it around her neck as usual. It was a gift from her mother when she'd turned thirteen and she hadn't gone a day without it since.
The addictive redolence disappeared as soon as the chain hit her skin. And while she certainly didn't notice, Toushirou found a growl surfacing into his throat, biting it back when he realized it was coming. That being said, he wasn't quite ready to let her go back to playing human, not when she was so close and looking at him with a distinct challenge in her eyes.
The voices and faces of the others faded into the background when Toushirou lifted a hand and wrapped it around the small, golden pendant across her chest. Her startled expression and the slight pick-up in her breathing had him wishing they were somewhere far more private and perhaps with far fewer clothes.
"Do you really need this? It's not as if it'll change the way you take pictures."
"It was a gift, one that I don't plan on letting anyone touch so easily," she pointed out, gripping his hand with a much smaller one. If she was trying to convince him to let go then she was going about it quite poorly.
"How about a deal then," he negotiated, loosening his grip only to adjust it so it came around hers. He felt the muscles in her hand jump but her face remained guarded.
He was really starting to like this girl. "If you take off this necklace for the rest of our session, I'll give you what you want."
The words were innocent enough but the way Hitsugaya delivered them made it sound like they were doing some illicit. The thought had her flushing from her neck up, and she could tell he noticed it when one side of his mouth lifted, obviously getting the reaction he wanted. It was reason enough to tell him off and with anyone else she would've shut him down immediately. But the thought of Hitsugaya at his best and knowing she was the one who brought it out in him had her closing the door on her pride and matching her pace to his.
He saw her answer before she could say a word. Soundlessly his fingers crept to the nape of her neck, unclasped the lock, and pulled it away from her. Immediately her hands followed after him, harried that he'd dare take something so precious.
Stepping away, he dropped the necklace into his pocket. "Insurance," he explained before turning on his heel and letting her aroma settle into his very bones. After all, even the most experienced hunter needed all the leverage he could get when he found worthy prey.
AN: Well I hope that was worth the wait and you guys are enjoying it thus far. I'm writing a bunch of random things right now but I'm gonna make this story my top priority for now until my schedule stabilizes. So please leave a review behind if you liked it. ;)
Thanks for reading, everybody! Until next time~