Lip Gloss Kiss
Kaoru X Leah
-One-Shot-
The hour dragged on as Kaoru sighed, looking from the book in his hand to his mother who chatted happily with the makeup artist. Both were standing in the studio, waiting for their last model to arrive. Kaoru was twin-less today, since his twin Hikaru had a date with Haruhi, which wasn't uncommon for them now, since they were pronounced girlfriend and boyfriend, much to the dismay of a few of the hosts. The boy sighed, rubbing his temples, not having his twin beside him just wasn't right, and having his twin leave him for a girl hurt, but not just hurt, he could feel the green of jealousy consuming his very being. Honestly he couldn't blame him, Haruhi was something different.
"Kaoru!" He turned his head at his mother's call and walked up to her, bowing to the make up artist with his host like smile, causing the older woman to giggle and compliment his mother on a fine boy he was. Typical. Like the other host's he could have a woman turn to putty within his hands, just by flashing a simple host like smile. "Kaoru, I just received a call from one of the competitors, she is going to be a few minutes late, would you go wait at the entrance for her and show her to the make-up room?"
"Hai Okaa-san." He nodded, closing the book he had been read, making sure to slip in his bookmark. He was studying fashion, like Hikaru. Someday they would be famous designers, like their mother, which they already had a head start on the family business. He bided the other woman farewell before making his way to the entrance, and placing a shy smile on his face for the passing woman who worked with his mother. They all gushed over him like school girls, and he couldn't help but feel rather proud at it. Not as much as Hikaru would be, Hikaru's ego was bigger than his ten-folds.
The afternoon heat finally set in, the long summer days just starting as they were released for their summer break not long ago. Kaoru raised his hand to his head, using it to block the sun that beamed down on the earth. He watched as the world around him passed with the time, the walking people, the busy street, the working class. It all seemed to be passing him by as he watched. Hikaru was on a date with Haruhi. Kyouya is off searching for that one moment where he can prove himself and surpass his elder brothers for the family business. Tamaki has probably found a way to entertain himself, knowing him. Honey was most defiantly with Mori, either enjoying each other's company or sparring, and honing their skills in the way of war. Everyone was off doing something and here he was waiting for one of his mother's models to come.
He couldn't help but sigh, it seemed he was getting left behind. He didn't care if the other host's did, it was his brother who hurt him by moving on. Kaoru leaned against the wall, looking towards the clear sky. He didn't like the idea of Hikaru moving forwards without him, everything they worked so hard for as children would be a waste. They had protected one another, they were the only ones that mattered back then. No one else even came close to penetrating their barrier, but now, Kaoru wasn't so sure. If Haruhi could pull it down so easily, was it the end of the Hitachiin world? His mind jumped from thought to thought, but the more he thought about it, the more depressed he became when realization slowly set in. He knew that this was it, that the world he and his brother took so long to build was slowly crumbling to the ground. Shaking his head, his light colored hair fell into his eyes, trying to push the thoughts out of his mind as he waited.
Soon enough a taxi pulled up, the back door opening, allowing the passenger to take one step out before pulling herself out from the yellow and black car. Unlike his mother's other models who were in their late twenties the woman who stepped out of the car looked no older than himself. His eyes seemed to stick to her, eying her ever so slightly.
Pin straight black hair and large purple eyes that could match up to Tamaki's. Her high cheek bones gave her face a heart like shape, small pouty lips were masked with a light layer of lip gloss. She stood no taller than 5'2, which was rather short for the model's his mother usually chose. A dark blush grazed his cheeks, he couldn't pin point this feeling that bubbled in the middle of his gut. He could tell, she was no Japanese girl, well not full at least.
Her eyes caught him as she smiled, rushing towards him, rather ungracefully for a model. He couldn't help but notice how she almost tripped, she seemed to be moving awkwardly in the high wedges she had on. She looked nervous, and well, un-model like in his eyes.
"Gomen!" She said quickly as Kaoru helped her balance, causing him to drop his book in the moment. She kneeled down and picked up the book, holding it out to him. "I'm so clumsy, please forgive me." She smiled, her Japanese was good, but anyone can tell that her accent was of a American girl.
"It's no problem." Flash the smile, yes, the host smile. He watched as she just simply smiled, nothing more. No swooning, no cawing in awe, not even a blush. Dumbstruck he coughed gently, catching her off guard.
"Oh I'm sorry!" Said the girl, opening her amethyst eyes. "I'm Leah Kinten, you must be Kaoru, correct?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Nodding a bit, he tried the smile, but yet again, no reaction. "Thank you for helping me." She followed him inside, down the halls, making sure she kept close. "I would have gotten so lost."
"It's not that big," it was true, this was the smallest studio his mother owned. She laughed, "it may be not very big, but I usually get lost anyways." He looked at her from over his shoulder, chuckling as well. As he looked at her he couldn't help but realize the expression she wore. One of pure awe as she looked around the building, her eyes darting from every picture that hung on the wall and into every window to see what was happening inside. She was tugging on her long black hair, chewing her bottom lip as we got closer to the make-up room. One thing hit him in waves. This was her first modeling gig. He stopped and turned to her, "this is your first audition?"
Her eyes widened slightly, her lips parting in slightly surprise. Was she that obvious? She pulled on the hem of his shirt and nodded her head. He watched as she looked back up at him, "in all honestly, I am purely terrified."
"Why?" Simply question, but he knew he wouldn't get a very simple answer. He leaned against the wall, his mother could wait a few more minutes, it's not like they were in a hurry or anything. The actual audition didn't start for another hour or so, all the other competitors were in the back getting ready. "It's only modeling, there is nothing to it." He shrugged, but he didn't know the half of it. He didn't understand the struggles of everyday people, what they have to sacrifice to get what they truly desire. Kaoru grew up having everything handed to him on a gold platter, unlike the girl that stood before him.
She shook her head, "it's not just only modeling!" She stated with a huff. "There is everything to it." He looked at her with a raised brow, not understanding what she truly meant. She leaned against the wall, slipping off her shoes, taking a good few inches off her as she stood barefoot in the hallway. "Modeling in the only way out of the live I have. If I don't do a good job here, I can kiss this career goodbye." He continued to listen as the girl started to spill her life story to him, a stranger to her. She told him about her living as a commoner, which was far below the status Haruhi lived in, he noted many times. She lived in the slum parts in New York, with her drug addict mother, and workaholic father. Her elder brother moved out as soon as he was old enough, leaving her alone in solitude. She explained how much she had to work to actually get a plane ticket to Japan for the audition. She was still a high school student during the day but had three other part time jobs, delivering papers in the early morning, being a waitress in the evening and working at a call center during the night, the only time she could do her homework. "And it doesn't help that I am a complete klutz, so the idea of walking down a runway scares me." She finished gently, holding her shoes in her hands.
Silence loomed over them, naturally Kaoru would have shrugged the commoner off, but upon hearing her story, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She tried so hard to get here, only to be judged by his mother, one of the most straight forwards and honest person in this business. She says what she thinks, not caring if she hurt the person.
Kaoru believed he felt this way due to his walls crumbling when he realized him and Hikaru will never be the same boys they were when they were younger. They couldn't hide and protect themselves from the outside world any longer. Hikaru already realized this, and was already adapting to this new way of life, Kaoru on the other hand was trying to hold onto the last few essence of their world they created.
"I should just leave..." She whispered, noticing some of the girls step out of the make up room, dressed in his mother's new styles, hair pinned up neatly, make up fresh on their face. Being a commoner, Leah knew she had no chance. "Save myself the embarrassment."
She pushed herself from the wall and was going to head to the exit, only to gasp when Kaoru wrapped his fingers around her wrist, dragging her into the dressing room. "K-Kaoru what are you doing?!" She cried in surprise, as he forced her to sit down in one of the chairs. He waved the lady off, stating that he was going to fix her for the audition. "Kaoru don't even mother, I wont match up to those girls." He simply ignored her and looked at the time, he had exactly an hour before the audition started, and maybe a bit longer before Leah had to go on. He placed a cap over her shoulders, grabbing a pair of scissors as her eyes widened. "D-Do you have a hairstyling license or something?" She squeaked out, but yet again she was met by silence as she watched as her black locks slide down the cape.
She watched in the mirror, watching him move through her hair easily with the scissors and comb, with a snip here and there. She watched as he worked, he looked almost...happy. Unlike the time in the hall, he had this depression that hung about him, but as he worked, a smile made a way to his lips. It wasn't that fake smile he wore earlier, no, this one was a real and sincere smile, and the smile alone made her cheeks heat up, her heart fluttering in her chest. If she was standing she would have swooned.
"Get up." He urged, looking at the time. He finished the cut, but he only had thirty minutes left to get her dressed, hair styled and make up done. He guided her into another room where hundreds of racks sat, each bearing at least fifty different outfits the girls could choose from. He knew that it would take a very long time to find an outfit to match a style, since many of the girls did hair and make up first, but right now she could pick an outfit and he could work with what kind of outfit she chose. "Hurry and pick." He urged, as she shuffled along the racks, her fingers gliding over the different material.
After a good five minutes, which seemed longer in Kaoru's mind, he could see Leah's head pop up from over the racks, holding up an outfit. "This one!" She sang happily, making her way back over to him. He looked over it carefully, it was a dress, a familiar dress. His eyes widen, this was a dress he designed in the sketchbook he kept at home. His mother must have found it. It was a traditional Chinese kimono of white silk, with purple patterns weaved in. "Is this one ok?"
"O-oh yeah." He nodded, leading her back into the prep room. He quickly rushed back to do her hair, pinning pieces up, and since her dress was a chinese style kimono he pulled her hair into a elegant bun, sliding two chopstick hair pieces in to keep the hair in place. Quickly working with her make up, he used a range silver to purple, a light blush and a gentle pink gloss for her lips. "Hurry, or you'll never make it." He ushered, as she quickly rushed to get dress, but upon entering she quickly turned around and walked back over to Kaoru, standing on her tippy toes and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you Kaoru." She smiled, before running off into the change room to change then rushing towards the stage. He rubbed his temples, why he did that for her, he honestly had no idea. It was just a spur of the moment kind of thing, but he couldn't help but smile.
He walked out of the building after telling his mother that he was going to head home, it had been a long day for him. Hikaru called and said he would pick him up on the ay home, since his date with Haruhi just ended. He agreed, and waited for his brother.
"Hey Kaoru!" His brother greeted as Kaoru slid into the limo, smiling in return. "Hey, how was your date?" He asked, watching his twin's face lighten up, as he told him of their date. He was happy, kaoru was glad that he was happy, but he couldn't ignore that little piece of the past he held onto.
"So..." Hikaru grinned slyly, as he leaned in towards his brother. "How was your day?" Kaoru raised a brow, trying to understand what his brother meant. "Fine, boring but i got some good ideas for a new outfit." He stated with a shrug. "Why do you ask?"
Hikaru chuckled, placing a finger to his brother's cheek and sliding down to his jaw before looking at his finger and showing it to his brother. "Lip gloss in the shape of a kiss on your cheek." His voice was laced with laughter as Kaoru's eyes widened, wiping off his cheek quickly, which were turning redder by the second. "S-shut up!" He stated, flustered beyond belief as the rest of the ride home was with Hikaru teasing him.
In the end Leah wasn't picked as a model for his mother's company, but she was scouted for another agency that worked along side with his mother's company. He has seen her in posters and billboards, but he hasn't seen her in person since that day. He was yet again alone, as he sat at him, flipping on the tv, scanning through the channels. He yawned, but his eyes widened to see Leah on T.v talking to a reporter, she was doing some sort of interview. He leaned in and listened.
"So why did you want to become a model?"
She smiled, her violet eyes seemed to shine. "I always had, since I was a child. I guess I held onto my child dreams and look where I am today." She giggled, looking at the camera with a small wave.
"Have you had ever doubted yourself in this business?"
"Oh god yes!" She laughed, crossing her legs. "It was actually the day of my audition and I was ready to high tail it right out of there."
The man who was interviewing looked slightly amused, "what caused you to stay?"
A small smile graced her lips, "a push from someone."
"Who?"
Kaoru chuckled, he was really interested in figuring out who helped her. He leaned on the couch and shook his head, she was becoming famous, and fast.
"Someone who left the audition with pink lip gloss on his cheek!" She giggled, holding up the same color lip gloss he placed on her that day. He chuckled, as he answered his phone which started to ring. Before he could even greet his brother who was on the other line, his brother started to yell in his ear.
"The girl who kissed you was Leah Kinten?!" Kaoru rolled his eyes and closed the phone, throwing it on the table as he smiled.