Chapter Three: Strike a Pose!

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"I was helping her," Gin stated, glaring right back at Yuvin.

I watched as Yuvin's eyes narrowed.

I do not like this atmosphere. I feel like I just want to melt into the floor or merge with the wall. Invisibility would be great too!

"Gin... I won't ask again," Yuvin warned through gritted teeth.

Gin's voice got even more profound as he leaned in toward Yuvin, pulling me forward with him even though I was still behind him. His tone was almost scary. I wanted to pull my hand away, but his grip was far too firm.

Why are they acting like this? Why today of all days? Today was supposed to be a happy day...

"Why do you need to know, huh? It's not like you're dating her," Gin snapped. "Stop questioning your elder and move aside, Yuvin."

Yuvin did not back down as he got in Gin's face, blocking the way with his body. I wanted to move, but Gin still had a tight grip on my hand; it was clear that I was not going anywhere, which frustrated me beyond belief.

"Oh, yeah? What if I want to make her mine? Will you stand in my way then, huh," Yuvin barked back, standing his ground. "I'm not moving until I get an answer! If you think-..."

"I did nothing wrong! She willingly agreed to it!" Gin yelled in defense.

"Agreed to WHAT?!" Yuvin shouted back twice as loud. His eyes were burning with a vexing fury.

"That's none of your damn business!" Gin bellowed.

I was throwing glances at anyone that might get a hint to get me out of this situation, but everyone was so focused on Gin and Yuvin, ready to back up Yuvin at any given moment. I eagerly wanted to get out of Gin's grip when Yuvin raised his voice even louder than before. Things were getting way too critical, way too fast.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Gin?! It IS my business!" Yuvin's voice bounced off the walls as he grabbed Gin by the collar of his shirt.

"Ngh!" The dressing room door behind us slammed shut with a loud thud as a sharp pain shot up my arm. Gin's grip on my hand became tight enough that I winced, flinching ever so slightly.

The grip on my hand suddenly disappeared at the same time as Yuvin let go of Gin, both of them quickly focusing on me, while the others flinched at the sound of the door. Gin spun around in concern, immediately questioning me, "Did I hurt you???"

"It... It's nothing, Gin. Don't worry about it," I tried to reassure him even though my hand was still pulsing. I swiftly pulled my injured hand into my chest, shielding it with my other arm. I could not look him in the eye, afraid he would see through me.

Regardless, he still picked up my hand, inspecting it, obviously not convinced. That is when he noticed that it was completely red with a faint purple tint from how tight he had been holding it. His eyes shot back up to mine, "Shiro... I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-..."

"I said it's fine...," I lied, hoping to convince him as I tried to pull my hand back. My hand hurt to the point that I wanted to cry, but there was no way I could ever let any of them see me cry.

They haven't seen me cry yet, and I sure as hell am not going to start today.

Yuvin pushed past him to get to me. Surprisingly, Gin did not object.

"Did he hurt you???" Yuvin asked me as he followed my eyes wherever they went.

"I-I'm okay, Yuv...," I stumbled over my words as I tried to cover my injured hand again, curling it into my chest.

Gin grabbed Yuvin's wrist when he reached out for me, "She said she was fine," he growled.

Yuvin gritted his teeth, "She doesn't look fine to me."

"Guys, I'm fine... Come on, I want to finish this shoot so we can leave... You two arguing is just wasting time," I attempted to speak for myself regardless of the fear in the far back of my mind.

"It's not wasting time if he did som-...," Yuvin tried to refute.

The annoyance I felt inside replaced any fear I had left, suddenly sparking a fire within me without warning. It was as if a switch had just been flipped inside my head. As I made an outburst, all the lights in the building began to hiss and flicker.

"For fuck's sake, Yuvin!!!" My eyes were red like a wildfire as I shrieked, "It was just a kiss!!! It is not like Gin took my virginity, for God's sake! I am tired of you two bickering like three-year-olds! Both of you, move the fuck out of my way before I knock your teeth out!"

They all just stared at me wide-eyed, as if they were standing in the presence of the devil. Nobody had seen my outburst coming. I was fuming to the point I was ready to throw hands at anyone in my way. That is when the first lightbulb burst, followed by another and another in succession.

Shit, shit, SHIT! Calm down, Shiro! Calm down before you destroy the place!!!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Howard yelped. I watched as Howard suddenly clung to Jibben, fear prominent in his eyes as a bulb burst into pieces just a few feet away. He looked me straight in the eyes as if he had a slight suspicion that I was the cause of all the strange events that day.

My gaze turned from Howard back to Yuvin, whose eyes had expanded as he stared at me. He slowly took a few steps back and off to the side. I stormed through the now open path toward the set for the photoshoot.

"I just want to get this over with," I grumbled.

I barely even heard Yuvin quietly utter his following sentence. "Her first kiss was with Gin...? They kissed..."

As I continued storming off to the set, I heard footsteps catching up to me. I was just about to step foot on the scene setup when a soft hand grabbed mine.

"Shiro... Are you okay?" Gin asked me quietly. His voice was on the edge of shaking.

Did I really startle them that much? It's not like I purposely tried to scare them. I just lost my cool in the moment and did not think of the aftermath.

I did not look back at him, but the gentle hold on my hand made me feel hesitant. The gesture alone was enough to calm me down just an ounce. The lights stopped exploding into pieces as I answered in a much calmer tone.

"I'm fine now, Gin... Let's just do this so that we can leave, okay? I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be anymore. I would rather just go home instead after what just happened," I mumbled, feeling calmer but still annoyed.

"Shiro...," He came closer, releasing my hand, back hugging me instead. He rested his chin on my left shoulder, "I'm sorry if I upset you... I just didn't want them to know..."

"Well, now they know... Can we go?" I asked, wanting him to let go.

"Have you calmed down enough for the shoot, though...?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Gin, I told you, I'm fine... Just let it go and get your hands off of me before I serve you a nutcracker."

"Okay, I believe you...," He let go of me with a gulp, then walked past me. I could not help but stare at his backside as he walked on ahead, though.

That ass, though, is so fine- Whoa there, Shiro. No filthy thoughts. Do the photoshoot and get it over with. The sooner, the better.

I scolded myself mentally as I followed behind him, picking up my pace. The Camera Director was all set up with a smile, just standing there waiting, but then I saw him nod to someone behind me.

The next thing I knew, someone had linked their arm around my right and was dragging me away from the set. When I finally looked, I was surprised to see Tayden. He pulled me along until he opened a door and dragged me in it. He closed the door with a heavy sigh and let go of my arm.

Is this a broom closet?

"I'm not going to ask if you're okay because I know you aren't so, don't even try lying to me. Before I say anything else, let me see your hand," Tayden calmly yet sternly addressed me.

I did not want to argue so, I lifted my hand up to him. He gently took it in both hands, carefully checking it over. His brows knitted together in confusion as the distorted color on my hand began to dissipate. I remained silent, and so did Tayden. He and I shared this special connection where we didn't need to use words to communicate; actions were enough. He shifted from my hand to pull me in for a comforting hug. I let my body relax against him, resting the side of my head against his chest. As he drew tiny circles on my back, I closed my eyes. All of my anger vanished as quickly as it had come, and my eyes returned to their natural amber color. We stayed like that for a few minutes before he kissed the top of my head.

"Tayden...?"

"Hm," he hummed in response.

"Why am I always the cause of arguments between you guys?" I frowned, feeling guilty.

"Do you know how in some species, the males will fight each other to win the female's heart?" He asked, beating around the bush.

"Tay... No riddles today, please..."

"Hmm," he hummed again as he pulled away and held my shoulders, searching my eyes for something. "You really don't know why they act like that? Even after all the hints that they have dropped, you're oblivious to the obvious?"

I just stared back at him blankly. "Why would they fight over a girl like me? I'm from a completely different class of society; I don't have anything to offer or bring to the table."

"Hah, and some say that love is blind," he rambled on, but when I still looked clueless, he shook his head before giving my shoulders a little shake. "Silly woman, they're in love with you, and so am-..."

"Impossible...," I whispered, wide-eyed, not hearing the last part of Tayden's sentence. Time seemed to slow down to a standstill.

Is this reality...? No, it has to be a dream...!

My eyes were fixated on Tayden, watching as his lips kept moving, but I was deaf to anything and everything around me. If he wasn't holding me steady by my shoulders, I would have already fallen over. My mind was in a state of shock that I couldn't shake. I didn't even take notice that the closet door had opened, and two others had stepped in before closing the door. Although I saw Tayden turn his head toward them, I did not fully register it. The moment that Tayden had let go of one of my shoulders, my sense of gravity tumbled down as my legs gave out on me. My body was like an empty husk as my limbs fell so effortlessly with it to the floor.

It was like I had become a lifeless rag doll. My eyes were in a soulless state while my lips were slightly ajar. My eyes did not move, only stared ahead. The word 'love' kept rotating in my mind. I hadn't had anyone feel love for me since my father died, and that was several years ago. I had no idea how to function with this new information. Muffled voices surrounded me, but I could not focus enough on any of them to decipher the words.

Three faces loomed over mine. They were so full of emotion, while mine was an infinite void. In the back of my mind, three names were continuously chanted: Tayden, Howard, Yuvin. Slowly, one by one, my mind registered each name to the corresponding face in front of me. Then, memories that I had buried deep within replayed in my head over and over: memories of my mom, dad, and best friend - the only people who had ever shown me love.

Someone take my hand... Pull me back, please. I don't want to relive these memories!

"Shiro! Hey, come on, can you hear me?"

"Tayden, did you break her? What did you say to her?!"

"I only told her the truth! She had to find out sooner or later, and she wasn't picking up on any hints!"

I can hear you. I can hear your voices again. Keep pulling; don't let go.

My fingers twitched, and my lungs inhaled deeply.

Did my lungs stop working for a bit?

My eyes finally moved, taking in the three faces looking down at me. I also took notice that my head was in Howard's lap. They kept on bickering until they noticed me finally responding, but instead of answering any of their piling-in questions, I blurted out my demand while I still held this chunk of courage I had found along the way.

"Tell me again," I spoke clearly. The three of them shut up and looked at each other, then at me in confusion. So, I focused on Tayden's face and repeated myself, "Tell me again."

"You," Tayden started, flabbergasted, "...want me to tell you again? Where did you drift out?"

"The words you said right after you called me silly," I stated matter-of-factly.

"I said," Tayden took in a deep breath, preparing himself as his cheeks flushed, "They're in love with you, and so am I."

"Gin, Yuvin, and Tayden?" I asked, feeling perplexed. Howard caught my eye as he laughed a bit, shaking his head down at me as he smoothed his palms over my cheeks.

"No, Shiro. Tayden is talking about the seven of us. Women aren't the only ones that get jealous, you know. Men get jealous of each other too. We told ourselves we wouldn't fight over a woman if we felt the same way about her, but here we are. I apologize on Tayden's behalf for sending you into shock," Howard beamed.

I felt some sort of confidence yet uncertainty in my chest, and I wanted something from each of them before my confidence faltered. "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything," Yuvin agreed, "Just name it."

"I want you to kiss me. I want to know how different it feels like."

~***~

"All set then, you two?" The Camera Director asked Gin and me as I walked back onto the set.

"We're ready, Director," Gin forced a smile.

"Alright, let us begin. Let me know at any point if anything is too uncomfortable, Miss Shiro," the Director commented as he fixed the angle of the camera.

"Got it," I nodded, understanding.

With that short exchange, the photoshoot for the magazine began. I followed every instruction to the T, as did Gin. It was a little awkward, but it was just business, so I put up with it.

Meanwhile, I noticed the others had gathered to watch. I saw some pretty jealous glances towards us as Gin, and I moved to the poses the Director told us to do.

At first, it was just innocent poses where I wore Gin's shirt overtop of the lingerie. The Director had me get on Gin's back with my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms wrapped around his shoulders as Gin held the back of my left thigh as he pretended to pour a cup of coffee with his right hand; of course, I hid my face on the side of Gin's face that was away from the camera. In the next, they had fake cookies on a counter as he pretended to stir a batter in a bowl on the table while I held two cookies over my eyes, both of us pretending to laugh. In the next, we stood with our backs to the camera over a stove with Gin in an apron; he was smiling at me as he held a frying pan as I pretended to season whatever was in the pan. After that, I was lying back on a couch with my right hand draping over my eyes as Gin sat next to the sofa, holding up a spoon to my mouth, trying to feed me. Oddly enough, after that, our roles were momentarily reversed in a way; he was now lying back on the couch as I posed to be crawling up toward his face with one hand on his thigh and the other touching the cushion underneath us, right between his legs.

I thought it was weird, though, when the Director had us move outside for a few poses. First, we sat down at a candlelit table with my back to the camera while Gin brushed some of my hair behind my ear with a cheesy grin. For the following few scenes, we hid my face with my hair at different angles. Then, he had us hold hands, pretending to walk down a path with Gin looking at me lovingly. After that, we moved back inside to a greenscreen; there, I had to pretend to be pushing Gin into a small stream with him looking surprised at my actions. The next scene required balance. Gin had to lift me up by my waist, and I had to place my hands on his shoulders with my arms straightened for support; at the same time, I had to bend one leg backward and point my toes.

As we started getting into the more intimate poses, I swear I could feel their stares turning into a fit of burning jealousy that could spark at any given moment.

"Gin, move closer to her," the Director instructed as we sat beside each other in the middle of a bed.

Our noses touched, our lips just inches away from the other; my hair was lying across my shoulder to hide my face. Next, I had to straddle Gin's lap as he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist while my hands rested in his hair; our foreheads leaned against each other, our lips even closer than before. Not to my surprise, the Director had Gin stand up with me, his hands under my ass to support me and my legs dangling but half-wrapped against his hips at the same time; I had to hold his cheeks gently in my palms while the heels of my feet dug into the back of his legs.

The Director then moved us along into the most intimate part of the shoot, wanting us to start kissing; it made my stomach feel like it had butterflies in it at the same time it wanted to churn. I had to take Gin's shirt off before we got back into the same position, left in just the lingerie now; my cheeks were burning. Gin's face came closer to mine as he asked me earnestly in a hushed whisper.

"Is it all right if I kiss you again?"

"Yes, I give you my permission, but just for today's shoot."

He smiled before we continued. My arms were now lightly draped across his shoulders as our lips finally crashed together. Then, he had to put me down and back me up against a wall, capturing my lips with his once more with one of his hands against the wall by my shoulder. Next, the Director wanted us to do a sort of yoga-like scene.

"Gin, get on the ground with your back flat. Shiro, you are going to grab Gin's hands as he lifts you up with his feet against your thighs. This will put you two in a superman pose, but we will take it a step further. After that, Gin, I want you to push your legs upward, with your knees coming in closer to your chest. Shiro, as he does that, you are going to bend your legs backward until your heels are almost touching your butt. Then, you are both going to hold that pose, and I want to see a deep kiss like a couple of newlyweds."

I just nodded with my face thoroughly flushed before we got into position. The kiss almost felt awkward at first, but we had to keep kissing until the Director told us to stop. I swear, it felt like an eternity before we could stop kissing.

I swear I heard whispers of the growing jealousy from the watching peanut gallery with our last two scenes.

We used a sheer curtain in the background with a strip hanging over Gin's arm as if we were in such a hurry that it got stuck. He had one hand wrapped around the small of my back with the other wrapped around the lower side of my head, his fingers tangling themselves into my hair; our bodies were pressed together as close as we could possibly be as we tilted our heads in different directions before we shared a kiss as deep as the last. I had to take a deep breath before we moved to the final scene. Gin had to lift me up to sit on the edge of a counter as he stood in between my legs with his hands on my sides, closer to the sides of my breasts; my arms had to be wrapped around his shoulders and neck, my back arching just slightly as I pulled him closer to me before he captured my lips for the last time.

"Perfect! Alright, that's a wrap!" The Camera Director exclaimed with a huge grin plastered on his face.

Thank fuck for that.

Gin pulled back from me with a smile that only grew wider when he saw how deeply that I was blushing, "You did great~."

"Thanks?" I half-asked as he let go of me and helped me get down from the counter.

As I turned around and started to walk towards the camera to review the embarrassing pictures with Gin, someone spoke up.

"Director. I want to do a scene similar to the last with her."

"It won't be in the magazine, though. Did you want it for a keepsake," the Director asked him?

"Yes, I'd like to capture this memory," he voiced back to the Director.

"Shiro, get back on set. We're doing one more shot," the Director pointed me back toward the set.

"Eh?!?!" My jaw dropped in disbelief.

I honestly could not believe my ears or eyes when I realized who had asked for the picture.

"Yuvin, are you serious right now???" I demanded to know.

He came towards me with a smirk, "I am always serious when it comes to you," he tugged my hand as he pulled me back on set.

I don't want to take any more pictures... I have had enough kissing for one day. I hope Yuvin is the only one that wants to take a picture to keep... Besides that, when am I going to get to change out of this outfit?!

-End of Chapter 3-

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