13 - Whoops.
Life settled into a sort of rhythm after that.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, Lukas and Mathias would spend their time at Image as respectable models promoting fashions and posing in photographs.
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings, they would drive into the center of the city and those respectable fashion models became two-dimensional lovers whose bodies were printed on next month's issue of Playgay, shrink-wrapped sluts with no purpose other than to make some lonely woman (or man) happy for an hour from afar.
It was a rhythm, like the beating of a heart or the rushing of a waterfall, which they fell into together.
A couple months ago, Lukas would have never expected to even think this, but now, he was utterly thankful that Mathias worked with him at Playgay. Yong Soo, Yao, and a couple other models they worked with, Matthew, a quiet and sweet Canadian boy who lacked presence, and Roderich, who put on airs of superiority and carried himself as if he were more dignified than the rest of them, were good people and, for the most part, fun to work and hang out with, but the Playgay studio was just so different than what he was used to at Image that having Mathias there gave him something of familiarity to keep him sane. Even though he knew he was beyond professional level as a model, he couldn't help but feel unease and embarrassment every time he donned a sexy outfit or spread his legs for the camera. He had no qualms with getting naked in front of Mathias or nearly-naked for an artistic shot back at Image, but this new gig was just... Indescribable.
Mathias seemed in his element, though. Naturally loud, boisterous, and a showoff, he lavished attention on the camera, upping his performance with winks and cocky smiles. By July, he had replaced Yong Soo as Playgay's poster boy. In fact, he and Lukas were supposed to do the July cover together. It was awkward for Lukas, passing by a newsstand on one of his days off and seeing his or Mathias's face on the glossy cover, smirking at him from behind the shrinkwrap. To everyone else, Mathias was just a handsome face, a sex symbol to be placed in their fantasies, but to Lukas, he was reality. A beautiful reality which the camera failed to capture.
It was a small consolation, really. Mathias was all his, no matter how many two-dimensional copies of him managed to seduce people.
Yes, life had settled into a sort of rhythm, like the beating of a heart or the rushing of a waterfall, but a palpitating heart or a dried-up waterfall. It worked, but something was just...
Off.
XxX
That July was one of the hottest on record. The sky above Berlin seemed to fall in slow-motion, and the towering city buildings waved like a heat mirage. Thank goodness Image's studio was air-conditioned.
It was Friday morning. Mathias lounged in the back room with Berwald and Tino, sprawled out on one of the couches, basking in the rushing A/C as they waited for their assignments. Berwald was supposed to work with Francis to model a series of new designer eyeglasses, Mathias's body was being put to work to model swim trunks, and Tino and Lukas were going to be participating in an artistic shoot by some little-known photographer, but Lukas wasn't in yet. Tino flipped through his cell phone, trying to reach Lukas in some way or another, but all for naught.
"Lukas hasn't answered any of my calls, Mathias! I thought he was free on Tuesdays and Thursdays but when I tried calling him, Emil picked up and said he was at 'work.' Working? At nine PM on a Thursday night? I don't think so!" Tino stamped his foot for emphasis.
"Remind me, why were you calling him at nine PM on a Thursday night?" Mathias asked flatly.
Tino smiled. "Gelato, of course!"
"It's his weakness," Berwald added.
"We called you too, but you didn't pick up."
"I think I had a... Visit... With my mother," Mathias lied, glancing shiftily at the clock on the wall, "So I'm not quite sure what he was doing on Thursday, I don't live with him or anything like that..."
"Are you sure? Most days, you guys seem to leave toge–"
"What Tino means t' say," Berwald interrupted, silencing Tino with a gentle hand placed over his mouth, "is tha' he's worried 'bout Luke's safety, as a friend, is all." He relinquished his hold over Tino's blabbermouth and stopped him from saying anything further with a look over the rims of his glasses.
"Er... Yeah. I'm kind of worried he hates me, too," Tino added sheepishly.
Mathias nodded. He knew exactly what Tino meant. Only recently had Tino been offered a contract from a big-name international modeling company, which Lukas had been vying for his whole career. "I thought you guys got that cleared up?" he asked.
Tino shook his head. "Not officially," he admitted, "we've been talking since then, but it hasn't been the same. I thought we could get back together over gelato."
Mathias racked his brain. I don't think we've told them about our other job yet, he thought, maybe it might be time...
Just as he opened his mouth, Lukas walked into the room and any idea of talking about his other job was interrupted by Tino jumping off the sofa, marching over to him, and demanding, "Where have you been? I tried calling you, but you didn't pick up."
Lukas scratched his cheek absentmindedly. "Overslept," he said, glancing away, "I was... Visiting my mother... Last night. And I left my cell at home."
"Quite a coincid'nce," Berwald piped up, "M'thias was just tellin' us about how he went t' visit with his mother as well."
Berwald's stoic nature made it hard to tell whether he was suspicious or not, but Lukas and Mathias still shot worried glances at each other. The truth was, the night before, they had stayed late at Playgay admiring the July issue with their fellow models. It was supposed to hit newsstands that day.
Tino sighed. "Well," he said, "it's about time for Luke and I to get going, we'll see you later." He and Lukas left the room, leaving Berwald and Mathias sitting across from each other.
"You two are lyin'," Berwald commented.
Mathias tensed. "How so?" he asked, forcing himself to smile.
"By any chance, do y' have another job?"
"No, why, is it not allowed or something?" he asked. Berwald's glare made his skin crawl and blood boil; he had no idea how in the world Tino put up with him.
The glare relaxed and Berwald stood up. "No, just wonderin'. Should get goin' now. Seeya lat'r."
"You too."
Mathias waited until Berwald was out of the room and his footsteps had completely disappeared down the hall before going out to meet his photographer as well.
XxX
The photographer Lukas and Tino were supposed to meet with was simply awful. He had no sense of direction or composition and chose awful, uncomfortable poses for them to be in. He seemed more like an artist in possessions than skill, and impossibly dark sunglasses prevented them from meeting his eyes, rendering him unapproachable. Upon previewing some of the photos on his expensive digital camera, Lukas and Tino unanimously decided that they just wanted the shoot to be over.
When it finally was, it was a little past noon and their stomachs were definitely growling.
"We have a bit of a break," Tino suggested, "want to see if we can find Ber and Mat and get lunch?"
"And by chance, we happen to be here!"
Tino and Lukas turned to see Mathias, Berwald, and Francis come up behind them. "How did your shoot go?" asked Francis, "I heard that you two got the weird photographer with the sunglasses."
Lukas nodded. "Yeah. He's not very good."
"Oui, je sais," replied Francis, "He asked to take some pictures of me a couple years ago... Tell me, is he still as amateurish as before?"
"If by 'amateurish', you mean 'doesn't know a damn thing about photography and very annoying to be around', then yes," said Tino, "I would say amateurish."
Francis sighed, grimacing. "Too bad all he is is a bad photographer and an annoying person," he chuckled, "then maybe, we could get Ludwig to blacklist him."
Lukas smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that. I hope he doesn't come by again."
They shared a laugh, then Francis looked at his watch and exclaimed, "Oh, mon dieu, I'm late for a lunch date. I'll have to leave you four alone, desolé! A tout à l'heure!" The flamboyant Frenchman rushed off, waving goodbye.
"Well, how about lunch?" Tino piped up, looking at Lukas, Berwald, and Mathias expectantly, "I know a café we could go to, the food is really great!"
"I'm starving, sounds good!" Mathias agreed, already beginning to rush off with Tino. Lukas and Berwald looked at each other and sighed exasperatedly–keeping up with their energetic lovers was like herding cats–and paced after them.
XxX
Lukas, Mathias, Berwald, and Tino walked down the sunny streets, Tino leading the way towards the café he had in mind. "It's just a little further," he said, "give it a few blocks."
They were about a block away from Image when Mathias and Lukas spotted the first newsstand.
The new issue!
The special one with me and Lukas on the cover!
It's supposed to come out today!
Mathias looked around at his comrades. Lukas had the same realization he did, and looked back at him, dark eyes flickering worry. Berwald was focused straight forward, and Tino looked around all over, taking in the sights of Berlin and looking for where he had to lead the others next. His wandering eyes caught sight of Mathias.
"Hey, what's wrong with your face?" Tino asked him. His question was obviously innocuous, but Mathias winced when he added, "You look constipated."
Mathias could feel himself breaking out into a cold sweat. He began to walk sideways, hoping his broad back could conceal the hot pink cover proudly on display and all the dirty secrets it would reveal as they passed the newsstand.
"Why're ya walkin' like that?" Berwald asked, a groomed eyebrow arched in suspicion.
Mathias laughed nervously. "It's like what Tino said! I'm... Er, constipated! A-ha-ha-ha!"
Lukas elbowed Mathias in the stomach. Too suspicious, he mouthed. Mathias relaxed as they left the newsstand behind them.
XxX
Lukas's sharp eyes spotted the next one a block before it came. While Mathias resorted to walking sideways again in hopes that he would block their view of any magazines with eye-searingly pink covers, Lukas distracted Berwald and Tino by talking.
"So, um, I heard you guys went to Normandy over your last vacation, right? I went there on a school trip. It was great! We visited the beaches and the bunkers, and Bayeux is a really nice town, too! What do you guys think?" He noticed his voice getting steadily louder the closer they got.
Berwald nodded. "'T was nice. Got to go walkin' on th' beach. Bit cold, though. Why d'you ask?"
Lukas let out a choked laugh. "No reason! None at all!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mathias walking sideways, crowding Berwald and Tino, somewhat hiding the news kiosk from their view.
That was probably the most I've talked in my entire life, Lukas thought, letting out a sigh of relief. The newsstand was far behind them now, and the café Tino had in mind was coming up, no outdoor news kiosks in sight. It looked like they would make it, until Tino stopped them in front of a small store half a block from their quarry.
"Ah, I just remembered," he said, "there's something I need to get here. Mind if I go in for a bit?"
"No, not at all!" grinned Mathias, "Take your time!"
"Thanks!"
His grin faded when his eyes trailed up to the sign on the store.
Zeitungkiosk.
It was an indoor newsstand.
As soon as he registered this, there was a loud yelp from inside. Berwald, Lukas, and Mathias charged inside.
"Tino, are y' okay?" Berwald asked.
The sight awaiting them was like a gunshot to Mathias's and Lukas's chests. Tucked under one arm was some scientific journal, probably something Tino liked, but that was not their concern. The real problem was the shrink-wrapped magazine he held at arm's length, staring in wide-eyed terror at it as if it were a cobra poised to strike. There was no mistaking that bright pink cover and the man on it. Tino slowly raised his head, looking directly at Mathias and Lukas. "This isn't... No, it can't be..." he mumbled, "I can't believe it... This isn't you on the cover, is it?"
Berwald peeked over Tino's shoulder at the magazine, then recoiled to stare Mathias in the face, his glare infinitely more intense than anything Mathias had seen before.
"You guys are porn stars?"
AN: Holy cow I didn't know I could cliffhangers.
Anyway, thanks, everyone, for all the positive feedback! Haha, it's 1:11 AM where I am right now. Good night~