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Fulgur is already starting to regret his offer to accompany Uki on one of his modeling gigs as he sits in the backseat of Uki’s BMW on the way to the venue.
This is only their third time meeting in person — the second came when Uki had stopped by Fulgur’s work one afternoon unannounced and sat with him on his lunch break — and he was definitely nervous .
I’m not gonna know any of these people…and Uki’s gonna be busy. Does it even count as a date at that point?
Thankfully, Uki had assured Fulgur that it was going to be a very laid back and casual gig today; just a small studio with less than 20 people and it should only take a few hours. Which is not bad considering most of Uki’s work days had him leaving his apartment at 7 in the morning and returning sometime around midnight.
“It’s not runway work, nor do I need to get preened over for hours.” Uki hummed, leaning over the middle seat to kiss Fulgur. “And everyone is super nice. You’ll have a good time, promise.”
Which leads them to where they are now; in the lobby of a studio. It’s very modern and clean and bright, things that make Fulgur instantly relaxed.
But he’s brought back to his anxious fidgeting when Uki excuses himself.
“Uki, don’t, I-”
“You’ll be fine, honey. It’ll be like… 10 minutes. Just say hello to someone!” Uki scurries off towards one of the wings and disappears behind a door.
Okay… just act natural, Fulgur. You’re allowed to be here, it’s fine. Just stay quiet and wait for Uk-
“Hey there!” Someone calls from a few feet away, their tone friendly. Thank god. Fulgur looks over. The person takes a step towards him and Fulgur believes that they must be a part of the crew. “Who are you?”
“Oh, I’m Fulgur Ovid. Uki’s… Uki’s boyfriend.” It’s still so surreal to say out loud.
They look confused for a moment, then their eyes spark in realization. “Oh! Right, he mentioned he was bringing someone onto set today… Nice to meet ya.”
“Likewise,” Fulgur replies, sticking his hand out for a handshake, which the other takes. “I’ve never been to a photoshoot before. But I have been on set, so I think it’ll be something similar. Hopefully.” The student laughs off some of the tension.
“Like a movie set, orrrr?” They press.
“Ah, yeah. I’ve been going to those since I was little. My, uh… My brother works in the entertainment industry.”
“Brother huh…” Oh god, here we go.
It’s not like Fulgur was unrecognizable or anything; if you knew anything about Vox Akuma, the incredibly talented director and movie fanatic, you definitely knew something about his little brother.
He didn’t like talking about Vox during a first meeting. He had his own life and accomplishments, goddamnit!
But also… It was a lot easier to talk about Vox instead of himself.
So, once Fulgur confirmed that they did indeed know of his brother, they began to chat about his movies. Fulgur talks about what it was like to be on over half of the sets, how fun it was when his brother playfully let him call for cuts, and how incredibly cool it was to be able to meet all the talented actors.
Their conversation breaks once Uki walks back over, a smile on his face and a gray robe covering his body. The crew member walks off before Fulgur gets a chance to say goodbye.
“Find a friend, baby?” Uki asks, hand resting on Fulgur's shoulder.
“Ah, something like that. They were nice to talk to.”
“I’m so glad. Maybe you’ll run into them later, but for now, I gotta go get my makeup done. So come with me.”
Right, that was a part of this too.
Fulgur does quickly make a mental note to tell Vox about the fanboy in a way that still keeps Uki’s anonymity — he’s still not sure if he’s ready for his brother to know about them juuuust yet— as he begins to follow his boyfriend to a different room.
This one is small, done up with string lights, fans, and a couple vanities. Two of them are empty, but the one on the far left has a woman standing at it.
She’s got a split dye of pink and blonde and more eyeshadow than Fulgur thinks he’s ever seen on a person. It suits her face though, and she’s definitely pretty.
“Uki!” She calls, waving both of her acrylic adorned hands out. Uki returns her gesture, albeit more refined, and starts to walk over. They clearly know each other. “How the fuck are ya?!”
“Exhausted, but still excited. I’ve wanted to model for this company for months.” Uki replies, taking a seat in the chair in front of her. Fulgur shuffles off to the side, still in viewing range, but not in the woman’s way.
“Oh, Koto. This is my boyfriend.” Uki gestures over to him. “Fuu fuu-chan, this is Koto. Well, Koto ka. She’s my go to makeup artist when she’s not busy as shit.”
She smiles at Fulgur and he offers a shy, but friendly wave in return. “Hey there, Fuu fuu-chan.”
“Just Fulgur is fine, thank you.” Uki muffles a laugh into his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same.”
The three of them are quiet after the pleasantries as Kotoka gets her stuff set up and starts working on Uki’s makeup. It doesn’t stay quiet for long, however, as the two fall into easy conversation. Fulgur just listens in silence, occasionally responding to some group chat messages from friends to pass the time.
“Sooooooo, Fulgur.” Kotoka prompts, patting Uki’s face with a brush full of powder. “What do you do for a living?”
The sudden question startles Fulgur a bit, much too used to the background noise of their gossip. He clears his throat and locks his phone.
“Oh, I’m currently in college, pre-med to be specific, but I also have a part time gig at the hospital café.”
“Pre-Med? How old are you?” Kotoka asks.
“Oh… I’m 20. Sophomore.”
“Damn, Uki!” She exclaims. “I didn’t realize you were a cougar .”
“Hush,” Uki chuckles lightly, looking back over to Fulgur (who’s sure he has the brightest red blush on his face right now) with black rimmed eyes. “I’ve always liked men who were younger than me.”
“Oh yeah! Like S-”
“Okaaay, that’s definitely enough.” Uki cuts her words off in their tracks, and she does actually stop and get back to work.
Fulgur raises a brow, but doesn't press. Uki’s dating life before him really wasn’t his business… though he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little curious.
The silence falls back over the room while Kotoka finishes up. After about 10 minutes, she claps her hands together. The sound knocks Fulgur out of his head.
“Alright, you’re all set!” Kotoka takes a step away from the chair and mirror and wow.
Fulgur… really loved seeing Uki all dolled up like this.
Regularly out-of-place multicolored waves held in place with pins and hairspray, natural skin made flawless and neutral and camera ready… eyes wrapped in black smoke and lips washed light pink gloss; Uki looked stunning. A look befitting a model for sure.
He watches as Uki does a onceover in the mirror, pushing a few pieces of his bangs out of his eyes under Kotoka’s watchful gaze before turning towards Fulgur with a grin.
“How do I look, baby?” It’s the exact same makeup as his main picture on Tinder. I would recognize it anywhere…
“...fucking gorgeous.” Fulgur’s voice is soft, and Uki giggles at the compliment.
“Mmm. Yeah, Koto’s a miracle worker. Thanks bitch.”
“Awww, it’s nothin’! Go rock that camera~” She offers a thumbs up, then shoos Uki out of her chair so she can start cleaning up. Fulgur steps over, offering a hand to Uki. He takes it graciously and lets Fulgur tug him upright.
“Hehe. Let’s head towards the set.”
Uki gives him a mini lecture — very similar to the one he got this morning when Uki picked him up: no touching anything, don’t be loud, and behave yourself — as they walk down a hallway and step through two wide open doors.
It’s a very simple set; just a white backdrop hung from the ceiling that cascades onto the ground and a few extra bright floodlights. There’s only about half a dozen people lingering around, some messing with the lights and the large camera on the stand.
It was a very familiar view to some of Vox’s earlier movie sets — the ones he would accompany Vox on involuntarily while his parents worked long evenings.
“Oh, I expected…” Fulgur trails off.
“Expected?”
“...more, I guess?” More people, more cameras, more noise.
Uki hums. “I told you it was gonna be a more lowkey shoot. Single, smaller company.”
And that certainly is true; it was the whole reason Uki invited him to tag along. It must be the new atmosphere making him a little scatterbrained. “Right, right. I think I’m just used to you describing all these hectic shoots by now. And movie sets.”
Uki smacks his arm playfully. “Find a place to chill, baby. I need to actually get dressed now.”
Fulgur watches as Uki walks up to a woman with an arm full of white fabric. They talk and then she ushers Uki into a small room just to the right of where they entered.
He ends up finding a few chairs near the back of the room by the wall. He politely asks someone — who Fulgur is pretty sure is the photographer — if he could scooch it closer. The man instructs him on how close he can move it and Fulgur settles down.
The first adjective that comes to mind when Uki walks out of the dressing room a few minutes later is flowy.
It’s definitely streetwear inspired and objectively unisex, even if it does read a bit more feminine with the tight purple crop top underneath. The main body of the outfit is large swaths of flowing white in the form of wide legged pants and a short sleeve jacket. It dwarfs Uki’s form, but there’s a certain charm to it. It looks very comfy.
“Wow…” Fuu gawks quietly, mouth slightly agape. He’s immaculate.
Uki gets walked over — he’s wearing a pair of tall boots that make him stumble slightly and Fulgur finds it oddly cute — to the backdrop and crowded by a few people. They futz with his hair and pose, directing him both verbally and physically.
Fulgur hears the rapid shutter of a camera, drawing his attention away from his gorgeous boyfriend for a few seconds. He watches the photographer — yup, he had asked the right person after all — move and tilt the camera, pulling back and leaning in for the best shot possible.
That goes on for around half an hour. Uki occasionally throws sultry glances and little kissy faces Fulgur’s way in between more serious poses and close ups. They make Fulgur feel a little warm.
But he’s absolutely captivated seeing Uki in his element. No wonder he’s so sought after; beauty aside, he’s a natural. His posing is loose and effortless, but still radiant.
“I see you found yourself a seat.” Uki's voice pulls Fulgur away from his phone with a smile. He must be finished with this set. Already? “How are you enjoying yourself so far?”
“Oh, it’s great! You’re good at what you do and it’s nice to see you all dressed up and professional.”
Uki must not have expected the sincerity, because Fulgur can catch the startings of a blush under the layer of foundation and concealer.
“Well, aren’t you just so swe-”
Uki gets interrupted by that same woman, who is now holding a different outfit configuration and motioning for Uki to follow her again. He takes a step towards her.
“Is that normal? Multiple outfits?” Fulgur questions quickly.
Uki pauses, looks back, and nods, expression endeared. “Mhhm. 3 is nothing, though. Sometimes, I model the whole collection.” He waves his long nails in Fulgur’s direction before dipping back into the changing room.
The cycle rinses and repeats for the last two outfits. The first of those isn’t much to look at, if he’s being honest. Not really his style with the lack of sleeves, high neck, and general stiffness. It looks good on Uki though, which is what really matters.
But the final outfit???
The final outfit floors Fulgur.
It’s similar in color to the first two, which makes sense given the fact that this is a collection, but it’s got straps and it’s tight and Fulgur has to keep himself from actually drooling. The posing is even more suggestive despite — or maybe because of — the fact that the only skin being shown is his neck and hands.
And the rest of the session is a blur. Before Fulgur can really process it, Uki is tapping on his shoulder. When Fulgur focuses his vision, the model is dressed in his regular street clothes sporting a tote bag that Fulgur isn't sure he recognizes.
“Oh, done already? Like… done done?”
“Mhmm. I said it wouldn’t be any longer than, like, 3 hours.” Fulgur looks at his phone and, sure enough, it’s only been around 2 and a half. “I’m ready to leave whenever you are, babes. Though the spacey look is super cute.”
“...shut up.” Uki leans down to peck him on the cheek, and Fulgur stands up afterwards. As they’re walking off — and after Uki offers a single goodbye to everyone — Fulgur motions to Uki’s shoulder.
“What’s in the bag? I don’t remember you bringing that with you.”
Uki smirks. He pulls one of the handles off his shoulder, roots around, and pulls out some white cloth. And it’s got straps and hardware…
“They let me pick my favorite outfit of the day to keep. And I saw the way you were staring at me in this one.” He chuckles, pushing the pants back into the tote. “Maybe, I’ll give you a private show sometime~”
“I-mm. Uh…” Fulgur stutters, flustered by the suddenness. Uki barks a laugh.
“Let’s just get back to the car for now, babes. I need some food and a nap.”