Chapter Text
Taking photographs through a frame is no different from freezing time, if only just for a moment.
It’s that semblance of control that keeps her coming back to hold the little device between her fingers, gentle and firm, and it always give the blonde-haired girl a reason to seek out the world, to capture its fleeting moments amidst small windows of time. The camera strap hanging around her neck is a reminder of that responsibility: the sole responsibility of reminding the world that there is beauty all around them.
Just that they didn’t stop to take a look, to appreciate the little things they have before it all fades into the dust.
At the very least, she was being paid back tenfold for her devotion to the art.
Naminé’s upcoming client was none other than Roxas, a renowned musician. She had heard his songs and she found his voice soothing, but she had yet to see him at his fullest potential and in his rawest form.
That was her job to do: to capture the purest form of Roxas, without all the inhibitions.
At four o’clock sharp, she reached her destination: a photoshoot by the lake. All the equipment was already set up. A van wasn’t too far from where they were; there were an assortment of clothing in there, prepared for the young man. There was a pier by it and the lake was a beautiful, shimmering blue.
She caught a whiff of sea-salt lingering in the air, instilling a sense of freshness and bringing about a calm within her. The sun was in the sky, but it shone through the trees, bathing its subjects in a soft light as its rays were filtered by the leaves.
Whoever chose this place had certainly done their research.
“Hi, are you Naminé?” a voice called out to her. Naminé flinched, but she turned to greet whoever had posed the inquiry.
“Yes, I am. Miss Aqua sent me here on a field assignment today.”
Naminé took note of the girl and her emerald eyes, gleaming bright with passion. There was a warm and friendly disposition that she couldn’t quite shake and she found herself being led by Olette – that was her name – as soon as they got past the formal introductions.
The young photographer had gone to all sorts of photoshoots, but never had she encountered a situation where the model was unable to make it before, due to a last minute emergency.
Icy blue eyes scanned each and every one of their expressions. Distress and panic was written all over their faces, reflecting the seriousness of their situation. Their eyes passed over her, before diverting back to their own people.
Naminé wondered whether her assignment would be over before it even started. She simply remained in the distance, as far away from Olette as she engaged herself in the discussion before she deemed it necessary to step forward.
Something akin to mischief glinted in Olette’s eyes as soon as her eyes rested on Naminé once more.
She wasn’t sure whether she liked what was about to unfurl.
“This is Naminé. She’ll be the model alongside you today.”
It felt strange to be donned up in makeup. Olette, as she found out, was Roxas’s makeup artist and Xion was his stylist and now hers. Instead of being decked in her usual white dress and cardigan, she now donned a pair of light blue high-waisted jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Naminé shifted around, not missing the way the t-shirt not only hugged her curves, but emphasised it.
Across her, Roxas was decked in similar garments, but his t-shirt was of a loose fit, most likely so that it didn’t bring attention to his somewhat lanky form. After all, he was still a developing fifteen-year-old.
On stage, Roxas appeared so confident and in his element but when he was off-stage, he was so different. He constantly shifted where he stood, eyes flickering here and there. A single hand kept rubbing the back of his neck and murmuring underneath his breath and he kept rocking on the heels of his feet, uncertain what to do.
Not too far from her, Olette held her camera. Naminé entrusted it to her and she knew that the brunette would handle it well, just like how she handled Naminé’s face well. The director had explained to her that all she needed to do was just be comfortable with Roxas, but it seemed that the boy needed to be comfortable with her.
“I’m Naminé,” she introduced herself. She watched as he stared at her for long time, his eyes glazed over with confusion before he continued the conversation.
“I’m Roxas, but you already knew that.”
Naminé couldn’t help but giggle.
“Of course. I’m not supposed to be the model today but it looks like they’re making the best out of the situation.”
It was his turn to let out a chuckle.
“Yeah. Let me know if you’re uncomfortable with anything. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to,” he informed her with all the bravado he could muster. “And neither will I let them.”
Most of the poses they were asked to had been rather intimate. The young photographer was rarely in the spotlight, but she eased into the role a lot more easily than she had expected. Roxas, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling.
As someone who had been studying photography for years, Naminé’s had her fair share of being behind and in front of the camera. Roxas, on the other hand, is stumbling through the experience, unsure of what he’s supposed to do.
Naminé takes a moment to glimpse at the people around her. Most of them certainly did look experienced but, like her teacher had mentioned before, most of them don’t have the time to be empathetic towards his plight of newfound fame. If she remembered correctly, Roxas had gone viral and become famous within less than a week. He barely had time to adjust to his new life, let alone have a breather to reflect on the sudden rise to fame.
The two of them continued to take some rather casual shots, such as back to back and standing side by side. For a newbie, Naminé thought it was rather impressive of him to handle everything with a pep in his step. She noticed the way he tried not to his discomfort show too much, even as she felt him shivering against her form while he smirked at the flashing lights.
“Okay, we want something more intimate now,” the camera director ordered. There was no room for compensation and Naminé attributed it to the mere fact that time was ticking, which meant there was no time to hesitate.
He ended up moving forward, guiding the two of them into a really awkward position. While Naminé was used to it, it didn’t change the fact that Roxas was a complete stranger, that her own face would be exposed to the world and that she might get death threats (he was young and handsome, after all).
She was still incredibly uncomfortable with this set-up.
However, there was little time to care about herself, not when Roxas was clearly on edge: his lips were pursed together, his eyes were glazed over and had begun staring somewhere else.
Roxas was focusing everywhere else but on her.
Instead of resting completely on him, Naminé supported herself on her knees and hovered above his lap. She guided his hands to her hips, instructing him and shifting his position so that he was looking directly at her as he leaned against the log. Her left hand rested on his shoulder while her right rested upon his heart.
“Is this a product shoot or a promotional shoot for your upcoming song?” Naminé asked quietly. At the very least, make some quiet conversation while she was at it. “Ah, I remember the title: ‘Beautiful Soul’, wasn’t it?”
That seemed to calm his nerves, to get him talking in order to distract himself. He nodded. Within moments, the tension seemed to drain from him as she continued to find out more about him as a person, about what drove him to do the things he did.
He then shifted the topic to her by asking, “You’ve done this before?”
“I have,” Naminé answered. “I’m a photographer myself so I know what to look for. I’ve also been a model for my friends to hone their skills. I’m supposed to join them in the shoot today but it seems that the need for another model is more important than my assignment.”
Roxas sighed, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Just think of me as a friend,” she paused. “As a friend you’ve known your whole life.”
They spent the rest of the day with Naminé guiding him, easing him into being comfortable with intimacy, coaxing him into letting himself go. It was easier said than done, but with much effort on her side, Roxas eventually slipped into more comfortable zone.
Roxas, she found out, might look like a charming young man on the outside but she saw the whirlpools in his eyes; it was as though she was staring into the eye of a weathered storm. There was so much depth to him and, for someone who didn’t intentionally seek out fame, Naminé knew that Roxas wished for some semblance of normalcy.
He sought for a calm before the storm and she knew she did too, because when this photoshoot got out, she’d never hear the end of it from her friends.
Once the shoot was over, everyone was already preparing to head to wherever they were needed. Naminé knew that she needed to return back to her company, but not before calling Miss Aqua to let her know of the situation: she hadn’t managed to get any shots at all. Thus, she would need to find another opportunity.
Just as she was about to press the button, she heard Roxas calling out to her.
“Roxas,” she merely said. “What’s up?”
“On behalf of everyone, thanks for helping out. I think we would have been stuck in a dilemma if you didn’t agree to it,” Roxas began, a smile on his face. “I was also thinking whether you’d like to do another photoshoot, since you mentioned that you needed it for your assignment.”
“Really?” Naminé asked in disbelief.
“Yeah. Keyshot Productions is the company you’re working at, right?” he continued. “My brother knows your boss so he can help me put in a good word for you. I’m going to do that too.”
She remained quiet for a tad bit before breaking out into a smile.
“Alright, that’s a deal. When would be good for you?”
“Tomorrow at sunset, meet me at the café called The Usual Spot. I’ll ask Olette whether she can bring you there. It’s our little hangout corner,” Roxas brought a finger to his lips. “But keep it a secret, alright?”
Naminé offered him a soft smile.
“Alright. See you soon, Roxas.”