"Well you're in a good mood today."
He simply eyed his friend before taking a long pull from the sparkling water handed to him. Sweat trickled down his neck as they stood in the tented area, a small reprieve from the unforgiving rays of the mid-day sun.
"Oh, that's right. She's coming here today isn't she?"
One corner of his lips pulled up at the correct assumption made by the smaller man. No matter what went on today, his good mood wouldn't lessen. "She is."
"What time?"
"Dunno."
"Wait...what? Didn't you ask her?"
One corner became two as a loaded smile filled his handsome face. His eyes sparkled with mischief causing his partner to become wary.
"I thought I'd surprise her."
This simply couldn't be right.
Kyoko stood in the middle of the large...no, make that oversized...luxurious room the attendant had shown her to. The two small bags containing her clothes and toiletries seemed vastly out of place against the plush, carpeted floor. A large, flat screen TV hung across from a leather sofa in the sitting area. The bathroom, with its marble counters and clawed foot tub, overwhelmed her with their brilliance. Several thick pillows and an ivory comforter decorated the king sized bed which sat next to french doors leading to a wide balcony.
Feeling a bit like Cinderella, Kyoko eased the doors open and let the smell of the salt water fill her head. The roaring sound of the waves beckoned her to step out further, indulging in the pleasure she'd never had the opportunity to know before. Though she wasn't very high up, her room afforded her the stunning view of the nearly empty beach. White sands stretched as far as she could see, the waves darkening their color as they crashed into the shore. Muffled voices could be heard below her as a couple lounged by the pool, basking in the rays of the sun.
"Unbelievable," she whispered in awe.
When Kurosaki-kantoku told her their shoot would bring them to the beach, this was far from what she was expecting. She'd already been surprised when he told her they would be traveling to a town just a few miles away from Sapporo for the shoot. It had been some time since she'd flown and she'd been excited for the trip, though it was only just shy of two hours. A rental car awaited them at the airport so she had no time to look for souvenirs for Moko-san, a fact which had her pouting slightly.
The drive to the hotel had her spirits lifting once more. It was nearing fall, so the beaches were less crowded than usual giving her the opportunity to fully appreciate the beautiful scenery as it passed by. The further they drove, the more opulent the houses became. Her golden eyes stared in awe at the magnificent homes she got to witness. Though as she stared at them, she began to wonder why she was coming to such a place.
She was hesitant to enter the lavish hotel they pulled up to; such finery surrounding her made her slightly nervous. While she was trained from a young age on how to behave like a proper young lady, she'd never actually been around such obvious displays of wealth. Regardless of her nerves, she was shown to a room and told to 'unwind' from the flight. Kurosaki-kantoku said he would call her soon to discuss the shoot.
Now, with no other eyes to watch her, Kyoko wandered about the elegant room she'd been given. A room all to herself at that! Her fingers trailed along the polished furniture as she walked, eyes curiously scouring every nook and cranny.
With the giddy feeling of a schoolgirl, she flopped back onto the bed, arms thrown out and fingers curling into the soft sheets beneath her.
Kyoko followed behind the young assistant to the room on the first floor where she was told Kurosaki-kantoku awaited her. She tried to converse with him as they walked, but his answers were very brief before he turned once more to consult the clipboard he was holding. Thinking she was distracting him from some important work, she stopped talking and simply let him led her through the twisting corridors.
The room they entered was massive in size and – if possible – even more grand than the one she was occupying. He must have reserved such a large room on purpose, as it was filled with equipment and people bustling around. She didn't have to search long to spot the director's tall frame leaned against a wall speaking to someone else she couldn't see. She skirted her way around the busy set, making her way towards the conversing pair.
"Ah, Kyoko. Right on time."
"Kurosaki-kantoku," she bowed respectfully as she stood before him. She turned her smile onto the shorter, blond man beside him. "It's good to see you again Tomio-san."
The young photographer returned her smile, the dimples appearing making him look even younger. "You too Kyoko-chan."
"Are we doing the photo shoot today?"
He shook his head, his blond locks falling attractively over one eye. "No, it's gotten to late and I want to make use of the natural light for this shoot. You'll do the commercial tonight and work with me in the morning."
Her confused eyes flickered between the two men. "Tonight? We're filming tonight?"
Kurosaki's brow lifted as he took a drag from the cigarette dangling between his lips. "That a problem?"
"No, no. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply it was. I was just...shocked. I didn't think we'd start so early."
He stubbed the cigarette out, his probing eyes watching her for a moment before grabbing a folder from the table near him. "I changed some of my plans. We're gonna go ahead and film the last commercial while we're here."
"O-kay..." This was the first she'd heard of it. Confusion, and not just a bit of nervousness, filled her mind once more. She knew nothing of his plans for the Fantasy shoot; the pressure she was now feeling was a bit much.
"Calm down," his deep voice barked above her. He blew out a breath and looked away from her upturned face. "I know you haven't seen a script but this was gonna be more like a...surprise for you I guess." He mumbled the last part, his hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. "When I was talking about the scripts with Sawara, he told me how much you'd be excited over this one. With how well you've been preforming...well, just take a look."
She took the folder from him and, with unsteady hands, opened to read the papers within. She was disbelieving, at first, of what her eyes just read. Once more, she scoured the page, her fingers now crumpling the material she held.
"Are you serious?" Her question was little more than a whisper.
"Yeah."
She took a step closer to the pair. Her brow drew down as she narrowed her eyes at the tall man. "Don't joke with me about this. Are you telling me, for certain, that this is real? This isn't some kind of prank?"
Kurosaki stared back at her, his eyes wide at the menacing aura surrounding her. "N...no," he cleared his throat, ashamed of himself at the slight hitch it held in her presence. "No, this is no prank. This is the script for the Fantasy shoot. I thought you'd be happy with it."
She held his gaze for a moment more, willing him to show any signs of treachery. When he didn't, her face erupted into one of pure happiness. She squealed and clutched the paper to her chest.
Kurosaki sighed in relief and watched her dance around the set like the innocent girl he knew her to be. Still, the wide range of her emotions caught him off guard sometimes. The dark, serious look she'd been pinning him down with was one even a gruff man like himself took note of. Now, she'd transformed right in front of his very eyes; twirling around with a smile that had everyone on the set chuckling. When she got in range of him again, he grabbed her shoulder, bringing her solo to a halt. He had to apply a bit of force to remove the now crumbled folder in her grasp.
"Enough, you still have to get through the Allure shoot first."
Try as she might, she couldn't remove the excited look from her face. "Of course! I'm ready to go at your call Kurosaki-kantoku."
Tomio chuckled beside him. "I'll leave you to it, Kurosaki. See you tomorrow Kyoko-chan."
The director flashed narrowed eyes at his back before calling out for one of the makeup artists. "Follow her Kyoko. We're using the room down the hall as a dressing room of sorts. You're co-star is in there as well. We have quite a bit of time before we're ready to begin shooting, so you introduce yourself."
She calmed down, but only just, as she absorbed his words. She'd been so excited over her newly gained knowledge that she'd forgotten about her co-star. She blushed a little as she thought about the things she was about to do with a man she'd not even met yet. With her professionalism about her once more, Kyoko followed the young woman down the hall.
The 'dressing room' had only a few people scattered about, setting out the make-up and wigs for her to adorn and doing last minute checks on the clothes that hung from the rack along the far wall. They greeted her fondly as she walked in, smiling and bowing as the stunned woman allowed herself to be pulled into the room.
"We're almost ready for you in makeup Kyoko-san," one of the women said as her outstretched arms presented Kyoko with a garment bag. "If you'd like to go ahead and get changed into this, we'll get started after you're dressed."
She accepted the bag with a smile and disappeared into the bedroom. Finally having a private moment to herself, she exhaled loudly and began the process of unzipping the bag she now had hanging on the door. Each tick of the zipper exposed more and more black satin to her eyes. She freed the costume from the confines of the bag and held it out before her. Judging from the length of the dress – no, this was most definitely not a dress – it would stop mid thigh on her. The ever so thin straps keeping the article of clothing on the hanger would do nothing to cover her shoulders from view. As she fingered the smooth material, a realization came to mind. There would be no way for her to wear undergarments under such material.
She thought about a strapless bra, but the fine texture of the black satin clung to her skin in impossible ways. She desperately hoped she was wrong about this and proceeded to strip her clothes off, tossing them carelessly into the chair in the corner. A startled gasp escaped her lips as the cool material slid over her curves effortlessly. She wasn't in front of the mirror yet, was unable to see her reflection, but already she felt so...sexy.
A pinched squeak passed through her embarrassed throat and she covered her face in her humiliation. Why would such a thought enter her mind? That wasn't a word a pure maiden should be attributing to herself! Nevertheless, with every move she made the dress slid across her body, making her aware of every inch of herself. The backs of her thighs, her stomach, her back, her breasts...
She clenched her hands and bit into her lip while she tried to ignore the sinful feeling making itself known. Eyes still closed tightly, she made her way to the mirror. When she felt the edge of the table meet her thighs, she dared to open her eyes.
The body of the woman staring back was unknown to her. Long, lean legs stood out daringly against the shiny black fabric. The flare of her hips in contrast to her tiny waist was easy to see as the material hugged her body deliciously. Her eyes slid down the reflection of her neck into her shoulders without distraction from the thin straps. The cut of the gown dipped every so slightly into the gentle slope of her chest. Though it wasn't revealing in that sense, even with her less than ample attributes her breasts were framed perfectly, the ni...
Kyoko ran to the door, keeping herself completely shielded by the sturdy wood as she called out for the woman who'd given her the bag. The young woman ran over, curious as to the cause of Kyoko's distress.
"Umm...t-the dr...my b..." Kyoko only stammered incoherently as a fierce blush took root on her face and the higher functions of her brain seemed unable to work correctly.
The make-up artist stared back at her for a moment, lips pursed as she tried to decipher the ramblings of the young star. Thankfully, luck was on her side as the girl's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh," she drew out as comprehension dawned on her. She leaned closer to Kyoko's bright red face, voice dipping to conspiratory tones. "There's more stuff at the bottom of the bag to help with...that."
The golden eyed girl nodded her thanks and closed the door once more. She reached inside the garment bag once more, feeling around on the bottom for what she had originally missed. The underwear she pulled out were ones not unfamiliar to her. As Setsu, she had donned many pairs of these 'man-eater panties'. She stepped in front of the mirror once more. The lines she had been able to see clearly before were now gone. The panties were made of the same soft, silky material as the lingerie she wore so they complemented each other, sliding across one another as she moved. There was still one more problem that was painfully obvious.
Kyoko returned to the bag, hoping to find something to help with this dilemma. What she pulled out was foreign to her. The two small, thin, round disks she held in her hand stumped her. Just what was she supposed to do with these? She flipped the flesh colored pads over in her hands, pondering how they could help.
Heat filled her cheeks as her mind finally processed what to do with the objects in her hands. She stared at herself in the mirror a moment more, gathering her courage and praying for knowledge as she pulled down the straps of her dress. Kyoko briefly wondered if Moko-san had ever had to use nipple covers before?
A white, terry cloth robe lay folded on the counter of the attached bathroom and she grabbed it with a whispered prayer of thanks. She was not in the right mindset to try and walk out into that room full of people wearing what she had on. With the belt securely tied, she made her way over to the chair set up for make-up.
The same young woman came up to her smiling in a knowing way. "Did you find everything okay?" she whispered to the actress.
"Yes, thank you." She had a better hold on her emotions around everyone, but the dull hue of a blush still worked its way to the surface.
Another door opened and all the women's attention was drawn away. The man who walked into the room was simply beautiful. Light, wavy brown hair topped a chiseled face that sported a pair of hazel eyes and a pleasant smile. His torso was bare, giving every woman present the pleasure of gazing at his broad shoulders, smooth chest, and toned stomach. The pair of black pajamas he wore slung low on his hips, the Adonis lines of his hard body disappearing beneath the waistband.
Kyoko turned around as the women showered him with praise and asked him random questions to hold his attention. This was the man she was supposed to work with? Dressed like this? And doing that?
Her heart beat furiously as nervousness and embarrassment took hold of her. Dear kami-sama she thought she was prepared for this. She pinched her arms under the large sleeves of the robe to try and focus. It wasn't like she hadn't seen a man dressed in so little. She'd seen Ren's photos in the magazines and he was shirtless all the time! The lines of his body were a bit more defined than this mans as well. In fact, that area on his hips where...
She pinched herself again, harder this time. This was absolutely not the time to be thinking of Ren in such a way, comparing him to the half naked man standing behind her. Just the thought of Ren being the one standing there wearing so little, him holding her, touching her bare skin...
Something pulled low in her belly, filling her with an unfamiliar warmth. Her breathing was coming too fast and her heart felt as if it would beat straight out of her chest. Damn his brilliant smile for blasting the locks of her heart away! He wasn't even here yet her mind seemed to keep coming back to him. This wouldn't do; she had an important job awaiting her.
Her eyes closed and she took slow, calming breaths. She just had to focus.
In through the nose...
Focus. Kurosaki-kantoku was counting on her.
Out through the mouth...
Focus. No matter how much he filled her mind she had to be able to stay in character and be professional.
In through the nose...
Focus.
Out through the mouth...
"Kyoko-san?"
When she turned around to greet the owner of that smooth voice, the color had receded from her cheeks and her mind was no longer a whirlwind of chaos. "Yes, I'm Kyoko."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ryuu and I'll be working with you today."
The few women left in the room whispered among each other as their blushing faces continued to stare at the man before her. She ignored their ramblings and returned the smile he presented her.
"All right, let's get you into make-up Kyoko-san."
She happily accepted the suggestion and sat before the young woman. As her hair was pulled back, Ryuu came to sit beside the two, slipping a similar robe onto his frame. "Mind if I stay and talk with you for a while Kyoko-san? I'd like to get to know you a little bit before the shoot starts."
"Of course not Ryuu-san. I'm sorry I can't talk to you properly." She tilted her head back and closed her eyes as instructed. The first brushes of the cool make-up across her skin made her giddy once more; this was one of her favorite parts about the job.
"Please don't concern yourself with that. This is quite usual for our line of work anyway. Also, I'd really just like to talk with you. I'm...actually, I'm a fan of yours."
She really wanted to face him to thank him for his kind words, but the mascara being applied to her lashes wouldn't allow her to do so. Instead, they continued to talk while she sat patiently in the chair. Ryuu-san seemed to be a nice man and was easy to talk to. She discovered through their conversation that he was actually a model and this would be his first acting job. He passed through the harsh auditions Kurosaki-kantoku held and, though he admitted to being a little nervous, he was excited for the opportunity.
When the young woman announced she was finished with Kyoko, she felt more comfortable with Ryuu-san. She turned to finally face him and was met with a shy smile on the man's face.
"It...ah...you look very beautiful Kyoko-san."
The long, straight brown hair she now had fell to rest on the top of her chest. She'd not been given contacts to wear, so her golden irises stood out against the smoky back drop of her lined eyes. Pale, pink lips were touched with a hint of gloss that made her lips shimmer. There was no jewelry to distract from the natural beauty her face held.
"Oh, I almost forgot the last part of your costume!"
Kyoko and Ryuu exchanged a confused look as they watched the girl rifle through a bag left by the door. She returned with two small boxes, one for each of the actors. Simple gold bands were encased inside, Kyoko's being thinner than the one presented to Ryuu.
"Kurosaki-kantoku thought it would be a sweet touch. Ya know, really add to the romance of the commercial."
Ryuu smiled and handed the box back to the woman. He interrupted her when she was about to question his actions. "Just a moment please." He disappeared into the room he changed in before quickly returning holding a similar ring in his hands. "If that's the case, I'd like to wear my own wedding ring."
"You're married?"
"Yes, for almost a year now."
The young woman inspected the rings closely. Finding them to be nearly identical, she agreed to allow him to wear his personal ring. When she left the two alone in the room, Kyoko turned to Ryuu, her question unable to be held back.
"Is your wife okay with you doing this commercial? Does she know what we'll be doing today?"
Ryuu laughed as he slipped his ring back in place. "Of course she knows. I always tell her what kind of job I have lined up."
"And she's okay with that? Is she an actor as well?"
"No, she's in medical school actually. And yes, she's okay with it. I may have only done modeling before, but this isn't the first time I'll be working with a woman." A soft smile graced his lips as he spoke of his love. "Each time my job calls for me to pose in any intimate way, I always think of her. She's my inspiration; she's what allows me to get my mind where it needs to be."
"I'm sorry for asking such personal questions."
"Don't be, anyone would be curious, especially since she's not an actress herself." A beep from the pocket of his robe interrupted the two. A light chuckle slipped from his lips as he observed the screen. "Speaking of my wife, that's her mailing me. I'm gonna go speak to her before we begin shooting."
"Okay. I'll see you on set."
He paused on his way to the door, fingers snapping as he made an abrupt change in direction. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot to give this to you." He stopped just inside his dressing room, removing a CD from the player there. "Listen to this while we're still waiting."
"What is it?"
"It's the song they're gonna play over the commercial, but it'll be playing during filming as well. It's really good; the beat just sorta sets the tone for everything."
"Okay, thank you very much."
"No problem; see you on set." He said with a wave and left her in the room alone.
Curious to the disk she was holding, Kyoko walked back into her room and loaded the CD, starting the song while she checked her make-up once more in the mirror. The low bass of the song swept through the room, rolling over her and settling into her mind. Her eyes closed on instinct as she heard the rhythmic beats of the drum begin. There were no words, as they would only use the instrumental version for the commercial, but they weren't necessary. The almost primitive feeling the low tunes elicited prickled her senses and coerced her body into moving. Her hips swayed gently, rocking side to side as the music continued.
She cleared her mind of everything else and let the beginnings of her character settle in place. A married woman; that would be an easier scenario for her to follow along with. The guitar struck a long chord before smoothly falling into a riff. Being here, in this lavish hotel...perhaps it is a special time for her and her husband. An anniversary maybe? Whatever the reason, night was falling and she had donned this slinky piece of lingerie just for him.
A seduction of her husband.
A smirk lifted one side of her mouth as she walked over to hit the repeat button on the CD. She slid her hair over her shoulder as she sat on the chaise at the end of the bed. Her head fell back, eyes slipping shut as she let the rhythm lead her mind down whatever path it may.
She didn't know how many times the song had replayed, only that she was very familiar with every beat that came out of the speakers. She'd not moved from her spot, contented to simply relax until she was called for. The first ghost of a shiver that crawled up her spine surprised her. She tightened the belt on her robe, assuming she had simply caught a chill as the sun set below the horizon. When it came again, goose pimples erupted along her arms and the hair at the back of her neck stood up. She sat up quickly, whipping her head to the door as it swung open. Her heart stopped for a moment as she tried to process the image she was seeing.
"Did ya miss me?"
The cocky smirk residing on his face only infuriated her more. Everything about the bastard pissed her off! From his boots sporting little skulls around the heel to the the line of piercings running up his right ear. Her nails bit into her palms and her eyes narrowed at his easy going image.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Reino winced in exaggeration at her hate filled yell, but he once again sent that devil's smirk her way. This man...because of this man she'd had her lips defiled by that bastard Shotarou! Because of him, she suffered greatly through Valenti...Vain day! Curses flew through her brain as she stared him down.
"That's good," the grin on his face split even wider while he watched her. "That's real good Kyoko."
"What the hell are you talking about Beagle?"
He chuckled and stepped further into the room, slowly closing her only option of escape behind him. "That aura surrounding you. That dark cloud is all for me isn't it?" He tucked a lock of his silver hair behind one ear. The playful look in his eyes didn't fool her at all. Demons of hell had different ideas about what was fun than the normal people of the world. "You've been thinking about me haven't you?"
"Why the hell would I think about you? I already asked you a question! What are you doing here?"
He walked over to the dresser holding the CD player. He stopped the music and ejected the disk, inspecting the top before frowning. "This is just a copy. No wonder you didn't know."
"D...Don't tell me..."
"Uh huh. That's Vie Ghoul's latest single, but I was kind enough to hold the release date until your commercial was filmed. What did you think of it? Do you like it?"
She tried to gauge the distance to the door, pointedly ignoring his question. It only burned away at her soul that she was enjoying this copying bastard's song. Unfortunately, he hadn't moved far enough away that she would be able to make a clean break. She wasn't necessarily frightened of him, but the last place she wanted to be was shut up in the same room with him.
"I was thinking about you when I wrote it."
"Ha! You expected me to believe you wrote this? You aren't copying Sho anymore but you could just be copying someone else!"
"How rude; I am a musician ya know. We only copied Fuwa to steal his top spot, but since you didn't like it I stopped that. I've been busy in New York making this new album. I'll get you a copy when it's ready."
She inched herself forward. "Don't bother you bastard. Like I wanna hear anything of yours!"
She wasn't prepared for how quickly he moved in front of her, effectively blocking her route and bringing himself close to her. She stepped back towards the bed, instinctively putting distance between herself and the demon before her. He sighed, tilting his head and running his hands through his silver hair.
"Ya know, it's really frustrating that you just don't get the simplest things sometimes."
"W-What's that supposed to mean?"
He shook his head, a chuckle rumbling from his chest. "Don't worry Kyoko, I intend to show you."
He reached his hand behind his back and she heard the distinctive sound of the lock clicking into place. For the first time since he walked into the room, a real sense of panic flooded her body.
"Now," he grinned, advancing toward her slowly. "Let's see how much we can get that Sakki of yours to grow just for me."
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A/N:
Great news! Shura Weasley is translating The Magic of Her into Spanish! Just head on over to her page and check it out if that's your native tongue! And a big, big thanks to Shura for doing so!
Oh, and P.S. - I leave the anonymous option up on the review because I don't want to not give anyone the ability to comment on my work. However, because of the new layout of the FF site, I think some people are forgetting to log in. The only reason I say this is some people have wanted me to clarify something or PM them, but I can't do so because they forgot to log in. Just remember, if you ask me something I can't get back in touch with you if you aren't logged in! Plus, I do want to be able to thank you for the wonderful reviews I get. (Okay, maybe I'm not able to get around to it every time but I do get back with you guys! Swear!)