Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, no real humans were used to make this story and the characters featured in this piece of work do not belong to me. Also, I do not make any profit from this.
Warning: possible grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as missing letters and/or words.
There will also be detailed sex scenes and possible violence, as well as bad language and slang words. This is/will be an mpreg (male pregnancy) story, so if this offends you please do not read it and turn back now.
Thank you for your understanding.
Main Pairing: Royal Pair
Chapter Four: Don't.
He stepped out of the check-in territory, his eyes going over the crowd consisting of tourist, guests and those that waited for their friends and family. He sighed and made a small move to make his bag hang more comfortably on his shoulder; the strap was starting to cut into his skin. Even through the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing.
They said someone will be here to meet me. Ryoma scanned the crowd one more time, already searching for his phone.
He thought that there will be, at least, a sign with his name or a face that would have the grumbles of hard work etched in it and a professional smile on the lips. A professional when it comes to these things. His fingers already danced around the small buttons, forming a number… But then a push on his shoulder made him turn his head.
Behind him stood a black-haired woman, panting heavily and holding on his persona for support, exhausted from running. Obviously. The square-shaped glasses, surrounded by the thin black frame, slid down her nose, the olive green eyes looking up at him. She sighed and straightened out her form, smoothing out her cream colored cardigan and the black formal pants.
She looked him in the eye, "Echizen Ryoma-san, I presume?" her tone even, no sign that she had been out of breath just seconds before.
"Depends." He answers, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"Takahiro Anzu. Secretary of Atobe Keigo, the director of '13'. Pleased to meet you." She didn't sound offended, probably because she was used to people like Ryoma.
Ryoma accepted the outstretched hand and nodded slightly. "Same here."
She led him to the car, a red Lexus IS cabriolet, and then they drove out on the busy streets of Tokyo. Neither of them felt the need to talk, it was something unnecessary and actually quite annoying. Though, Ryoma could feel here eyes looking at him from time to time during the drive, but it wasn't the usual look that people gave him.
She broke the silence when they could spot a part of the '13's building. "May I ask you a question before we get there?"
Ryoma looked at her, probably the second time this far that he actually took in her appearance. She was quite nice to the eyes. He thought about it and looked away from her. "Once again, it depends."
"Do you by any chance know Atobe-san?" she turned left, avoiding a traffic jam. "He usually doesn't talk to models himself. Unless he either knows them very good, or has been interested by something." She once again turned, driving into a small street.
"I don't know him personally." Ryoma lied, not missing a second to answer her question, "Just as much as the media provides for the people. That's all."
She hummed to herself before speeding up a bit. Silence once again settled between them. The ride to the main building wasn't long after that. It seemed like the little steers they were taking had no one on them, as if the rest of the people had disappeared.
The red Lexus stopped at the tall building, most of the walls covered in glass and see-through. The people were running in and out of it, the door never really closing. She waited for Ryoma to get out of the car and then started to walk, expecting Ryoma to followed her, into the building and through the hallways and then up with the elevator. People greeted her on the way, Ryoma ignored everyone, and some of the female workers seemed to check him out, whispering to their friends, right after he was out of the hearing zone.
"Are they always like this every time they see a model? Or that's just me?" he asked Anzu when they were in the elevator, safe from uncalled ears and eyes.
The secretary turned her eyes on him for a moment, "I think it is because of your looks. And not many models from America, that work with us, come to the main building, since I am the one to usually explain them everything. Not the boss himself." She checked her phone while answering the model. "Since boss is usually too busy for this." She once again eyed Ryoma.
The small 'ding' signaled of the end of the ride, the door slowly sliding open. In front of Ryoma's eyes was a stylishly decorated hallway, the red carpet standing out in comparison of the white walls, with photographs that hung on the walls, showing the owners partners and the owner himself. Anzu briskly walked past Ryoma, turning right, right after stepping out of the elevator.
The walk wasn't long until the black wooden doors, clearly leading to Keigo's office, came in sight after turning at another corner. Anzu knocked and walked straight in, Ryoma following, albeit a bit unwillingly.
Keigo watched as Anzu left his office, leaving Ryoma behind. Even though it was his own wish to speak to him like this, explain the whole idea behind 'Seduction' and where he will live for the time being and his schedule, but now that he was left alone in this room with Ryoma… His past lover… It was hard to start something.
He bit the inside of his cheek, not an action he did a lot, and closed his eyes, trying to gather thoughts and decide with what he will start. "Ryoma, I-"
"It's Echizen to you, Atobe-san." The way Ryoma said his name almost made the man flinch. It seemed that Ryoma refused to acknowledge the past that they shared. Or maybe he has already forgotten about it.
Either way, the hate was still there.
"I understand. Well then, Echizen-san, just how much do you know about 'Seduction'? Though, I believe that Hawk-san has told you the basics." Keigo tried to keep it formal, just like any other meeting.
Ryoma answered with a curt nod, his arms still crossed over his chest. "It's all about being seductive and making both women and men long for you, while you show off the new designer clothes. The collection's name is also 'Seduction', just like the theme of this photo shoot."
Keigo nodded in approval. "Yes, indeed. Do you need further information?" he tried to sound formal.
Ryoma shook his head in return, "That's all I need to know in order to do what is asked from me and do it good."
"In that case, should we know something that was not written in your profile? Something, that might affect the photo shoot, scars or tattoos for example." Keigo had hard time to keep control over himself and refrain from trying to get Ryoma to talk to him about them. What they had. Ask for forgiveness.
"I have big scar or the backside of my right leg. But it usually doesn't interfere with the shoot." Ryoma's keen eyes saw the guilt flashing through Keigo's, but chose to ignore it. It was his entire fault anyway. All of it. "But what I'm interested is, will I do only single shoots, or there will be shoots where I will be paired up with another model?"
Keigo was reaching for some papers at the moment. "Yes, there will be cases like that. And maybe, you will be asked to work together with more than one person. Is that a problem?" he dig through the papers and glanced at his former lover.
"No. Just curious."
"Good." Keigo pulled out one document, or maybe just a simple note, from the stack of papers and giving it an once-over look handed to Ryoma, "This is the address of where you will live and the schedule for the shoots that you will be in." He pulled out another, much smaller piece of paper, from one of the drawers. "And here are the phone numbers and names of your photographs, some of the models that you will work with and people that you can ask for if something goes wrong."
"This is all that I have to know?" Ryoma looked at long list of numbers and dates and places, slightly confused at first but then started to slowly remember where the places are. He stopped at the name Fuji Syuusuke for a while longer than necessary, but didn't say anything.
Keigo looked thoughtful for a second, but not because of the question that was asked him just now. "No, that would be all." He thought over a bit, but before he could speak someone knocked and came in without receiving an answer.
In came Fuji, looking rather pissed off, and him followed two models, from the looks of it. One had short, bleached hair and he looked like a mix between Japanese and some other nationality, his eyes were closed and mouth twisted in a smile. The other had shoulder-length, black hair, his grey eyes had immediately landed on Ryoma, never leaving him once. They both were rather tall, it was hard to tell just how much, and they were wearing matching blue and silver yukata's.
"Fuji!" Keigo sounded surprised, "Why are you here? And what about them?" he nodded to the two behind him. "Shouldn't you be working right now?"
"Kiriko and Jun refuse to do what I say. And I have just about had it with those two. It seems that they both dislike working together, no matter what." He forced the last three words out of his mouth, so that everyone in the room would know he is not happy about this whole thing. "So, you either make them work or find me anther model. Because I refuse to waste my time on them." He smiled an overly sweet smile. One, that sent shivers down their spines.
Kiriko, the one with the black hair, still didn't look away from Ryoma, not that the other cared much, and asked: "He's the new guy. From USA right? From 'Aurora's Kiss'." He smirked and glanced at Keigo, "I don't mind working with him. He looks sexy enough and not one of the annoying type, like this one here." he nodded at Jun.
"Hey, no fair!" Jun now flashed the other model with a brown-eyed glare, "He's cute, and I want to work with him too! And I'm not annoying, just not your type, Kiri-chan." He added a quick wink.
Ryoma sighed, "So, that's all that you wanted to talk with me about, right?" he looked at Keigo. Slowly standing up he casted a glance at Fuji, nodding a small greeting and turned to walk away. "I would rather work with the one in the dark blue yukata." Kiriko smirked at Jun, "The other one is too loud."
"Good idea. Can you organize that Atobe? Echizen and Kiriko would look better together than Kiriko and Jun either way." Fuji sighed, throwing the few papers in his hand on Keigo's desk, the pictures that didn't turn out well. "And easier to work with too."
Before answering Fuji, Keigo stood up and asked Ryoma one last question, while the said model still remained in the office. "Do you still remember, Ryoma?" he swallowed, "Three years ago?"
The two models, meaning Kiriko and Jun, looked rather confused and let their eyes wander from one man to the other. Fuji opened his eyes a bit, staring at Ryoma and waiting for the reply. He too, was interested what the younger will answer to this.
"Need I remind you, Atobe-san?" Ryoma's voice sounded bored and the annoyance slipped through the words, "This was the first time that we have met." With that he left the room, leaving the next words hanging in the air, "And don't call me Ryoma. I hate it when my name comes out of your mouth."