Work Text:
Sometimes Ann’s modeling agency allowed Akira to stand with the crowd as Ann worked.
He’s done so a few times, back when the whole Mika fiasco was going on and Ann was still figuring herself out, but now that they were now living together and Ann was beginning to really take her modeling career by storm, he began to show up on set more and more often. Ann persuaded her agency to give him a VIP pass so that he could arrive and leave with little trouble. He asked how she was able to do it, but Ann would answer him with a coquettish smile. “Panther’s not completely gone.” she would say confidently.
Ann was a people person, so it didn’t surprise Akira that she would be able to convince her agency to give him access to the set. (Although Akira would sometimes wonder if she pulled the crocodile tears on them at some point.) Regardless of how she did it, Akira was always happy to see Ann work whenever he got the chance. After all, she would always have his support.
-----
Summer was a popular time for the agency. That meant swimsuit photoshoots, promoting summer dresses, commercial filming… the works.
Akira dropped by one of the photoshoot sessions during one hot afternoon, per Ann’s request. For this photoshoot, Ann was one of the models to be featured in the latest line of summer wear. The agency booked a section around Miura Beach for the photoshoot to take place, and according to what Akira overheard from the crew, they’ve been here for several hours. The model currently being photographed looked exhausted in-between the shots, but she desperately sucked it up in order for her exhaustion not to be caught on camera. She struck a carefree pose as she looked out at the ocean, and the cameramen rapidly took their pictures. Akira silently watched the photoshoot go on until he felt something press against his back.
“Akiraaaaaaaa.... You maaaaaaaaade it…”
Akira glanced behind him to see an exasperated Ann pressing her forehead against his back. She was wearing a light summer dress that was filled with various blue and green flower prints. Her midsection was tied with a thin white ribbon, with both the ends of the ribbon and the skirts of her dress blowing slightly against the dry wind. Her hair was styled differently, as she was wearing a low side ponytail that rested upon her shoulder. Though she looked cute for the summer, Akira could tell that Ann was practically dying under this great humidity. (The heat was one thing. Ann normally wasn’t too bothered by the heat. But humidity was a different beast, and it can be really bad during this time of year.)
“Hey, sunshine. You look beat.” he commented.
“Oh my god, you have nooooooo idea…” Ann droned, snuggling her forehead against his back. “We had to be here around ten o’clock this morning, and it was already soooo hot. But then it got humid… Reaaaaaaaal humid... and we can’t go into the ocean to cool off since we only booked this photoshoot for a summer dress collection, not a swimsuit session. And we’ve only been around part of the boardwalk for this shoot…”
“Yeesh…”
“And then everyone started complaining about the heat. I know Mika roped a few of the makeup crew to pamper her and keep her cool, and she’s still bitching about it… And poor Airi-chan’s new at these kinds of photoshoots, so she’s struggling to keep it together over there…” Ann then groaned again as she moved her head slightly, opting to press her cheek against Akira’s back instead of her forehead. “Ugh... This sucks, Akiraaaaaaa…”
“Poor thing.” Akira said, shaking his head at her as he listened to her complain. It sounded like she had a rough session thanks to the weather. Luckily, he managed to pick up a few things on the way here. Since he was trying to keep cool while he was just walking through Tokyo, he figured that Ann could definitely use a pick-me-up too.
“Ann, look inside my bag,” he said, gesturing over to the bag slung across his shoulder. “Pick one.”
“Huh? Okay… I dunno what’s in here, but…” Ann murmured, unzipping Akira’s bag before taking a peek inside. Once she had a clear look at what was inside, she gasped loudly and began to jump up and down in excitement. There was a water bottle and two different flavors of tea bottles inside, none of which were carbonated. Akira picked those drinks out with that thought in mind.
“Oh, my beautiful, wonderful savior ~ !” she squealed. She then sprung up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and started to rapidly press kisses upon Akira’s cheek.
“H-Hey! Easy!” Akira gasped. Despite saying that, he was laughing over her excited reaction. And he was never one to refuse a kiss or two from his lady. Or ten or twenty.
“Hehe, okay. Up you go.” Ann sang sweetly, releasing Akira from her grip. She then took out the Earl Green that was inside of his bag and immediately opened it. She took a big glup of the drink and didn’t stop drinking until it was about halfway full.
“Damn,” Akira whistled, watching her down the bottle. “Didn’t think you were that thirsty.”
“Trust me, I needed that!” Ann replied, wiping at the corner of her lips.
“Ann-chan, you’re up! This section’s all going to be focused on you!” One of the cameramen called.
“Got it! I’ll be right there!” Ann called back, sounding a little more energetic than before. Akira didn’t know if it was because of the drink or that she was psyching herself up before she had to go do her session, but Ann visibly looked more energized as she turned back towards him. “That’s my cue! Thanks for the drink, Akira. I love that you’re so nice.”
“Anytime,” Akira assured, flashing her a smile. “Knock ‘em dead.”
Ann flashed her bright smile back at him before heading over to where the set was. A few of the staff ran back and forth to adjust her makeup and made sure that she was hydrated. Afterwards, they gave her a straw hat that matched with her dress, and moved out of the way to that the cameramen could do their jobs. Ann had to do various poses throughout her photoshoot session, and despite her complaining about the weather not too long ago, she didn’t let it show in her smile. Her poses were carefree, her expressions were lively and her smile was as bright as the sun as she beamed for the camera.
Seeing Ann come alive on set was truly a thing for Akira to behold, especially when he could tell that she improved on some aspects.
-----
Fall can be a very busy time for the fashion world. Sometimes it was brutal when Ann had to come in for a local session right after coming back from overseas.
Akira walked alongside Ann as they walked the streets of Ikebukuro, where today’s photoshoot was taking place. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him, making sure that she was steady as they walked. Ann herself was tiredly leaning her head against Akira’s shoulder, not wanting to part from him after spending a couple weeks abroad. Her eyelids were heavy and she was occasionally yawning loudly. She definitely looked like she still hadn't shaken off the jetlag after returning to Tokyo the day before. Akira sighed as he rubbed her arm, looking around to see if they were close to where they were going.
“It’s over at a cafe this time, right?” he asked.
“Yeah… for promoting the place. We should be close. The crew's booking the outdoor section, so it shouldn't be hard to find.” Ann said tiredly, taking a sip of coffee from her orange coffee flask. Even though they were headed to a cafe of all places, Akira made sure to brew some fresh coffee before they left, hoping that it would help Ann stay awake. “Mmm… Akira… is it too late to go home…? I wanna curl in bed with you and eat some sweets…”
“Not yet,” Akira said, shaking his head. “You’ve still got work to do. Not to mention you’ve still got to study and review all the lectures you’ve had to miss.”
“Ughhhhhh… Don’t remind me…” Ann groaned, completely exasperated. “Man… why did my manager have to schedule this shoot now? Right after I just came back too! I just wanna sleep…”
“Ann, you knew this was coming before you made the trip abroad.” Akira reminded her.
“I know! That’s the worse thing!” she exclaimed, before sighing dejectedly. “I just wish you could’ve gone with me to the US… then we’d be suffering jetlag together.”
Akira rolled his eyes at that. “Babe, please.” he said flatly.
“Oh, come on…! Don’t be mean!” Ann winced, hanging her head low in defeat. “But seriously… I wish you could’ve been there, Akira. I mean, it’s no Hawaii, but Los Angeles can be pretty cool for first-time visits. We could’ve looked around and tried out the local snacks, snapped some pictures at landmarks, got some souvenirs for Morgana… maybe even stop by the beach...”
“...That would’ve been nice.” Akira admitted, forming a small smile. He knew that he couldn’t be there for every event that Ann had to go to. But even when he understood that and accepted it… he still missed having her around whenever she’s gone for long periods of time.
“Hey, after this is over, we’ll stay in bed all night,” he promised. “We could watch a movie, I could bring in the snacks that are still in the pantry, or we could just cuddle until both of us fall asleep. Sound like a plan?”
“Ooh… I kinda like that,” Ann mused, forming a sleepy smile. She then took another sip of her coffee and patted her cheeks a few times, trying to psyche herself up and keep herself awake. “Alright…! No time to whine! Time to stay alert! Gotta work hard to cuddle hard!”
“Is that how that goes?” Akira asked lowly, feeling a small sweat.
“S-Something like that!” Ann sputtered, shaking her head vigorously. “C’mon, Akira! Let’s march to the set so that I can sleep in your arms!”
With newfound fervor, Ann marched the streets of Ikebukuro with Akira in tow. The cafe was already buzzing with the sound of the staff trying to keep everything together for the models being featured tonight. The cafe staff was there too, talking amongst themselves as they watched the photoshoot being set up. Once Ann set foot inside the cafe, she was whisked away to the dressing rooms in order to prepare for the shoot. Akira was left behind with only her coffee flask in his hands. He was allowed to stay and watch, but he couldn't disturb the staff as they worked. It was the usual rundown. He can live with that.
Some time had passed before Ann made her way on set, dressed for the season of fall. Her hair was down this time, styled with soft wavy curls that bounced as she walked. Ann was wearing a brown page-boy hat that fit snug atop her head, and a raspberry turtleneck sweater dress that looked oversized on her slim body, yet very comfortable to wear. The boots that she wore were over-the-knee, and they matched with the hat that she was wearing. She looked very stylish in this casual wear, which seemed to be the theme that they were going for today. With an easygoing smile, Ann sat down by one of the round tables nearby and went to work.
The staff had Ann do various poses with small props this time, namely from her drinking coffee from the coffee cups provided by the cafe. One time, she leaned back against her seat, crossing her legs as she took a sip of her coffee and looked out at the street, seemingly relaxed. Another time, she leaned forward and rested her elbow against her knee, smiling pleasantly as she looked at the camera as if something caught her interest. And another time, she dared to be playful with her hat as she tipped it down while holding her coffee by the handle. All three of those poses captured a casual, approachable Ann as she was seemingly enjoying a cup of coffee, and those shots didn’t hold an inkling of the tiredness she actually felt on the way here.
Akira smiled to himself as he watched Ann work. It amazed him how she could still tap into that boundless energy of hers. Slowly but surely, her hard work was paying off.
-----
Winter can be a rough time for people to do photoshoots outdoors, especially if it’s been cold for the past week.
Akira walked through the park as it snowed one late afternoon, heading towards the site of today’s photoshoot in order to pick up Ann. There was going to be a special on her for a fashion magazine, and they chose the currently snowy landscape of Inokashira Park to take photos. Since the bulk of the photoshoot was going to be happening during one of his classes, Akira couldn’t promise that he’d be there to watch her. But he did promise to pick her up when it was all over. If he was lucky, he might just catch the tail end of the photoshoot.
He exhaled as he walked, watching a frozen puff of air escape him, a telling sign of how cold it was outside. He then adjusted his scarf to cover his face more before tucking his hands inside his jacket pockets. Knowing how cold he currently was, he wondered how Ann was doing right now. He knew she hated the cold, so working outside must be… something else for her. Despite that, he also knew that something like the cold wasn’t going to stop her from working hard. Ann developed a sense of professionalism about her work. Akira has seen this through watching her go to various photoshoots and promotional events. Despite her complaints, she always pushed herself to get the job done, and today’s photoshoot will be no different. (Although Akira had a feeling that he was going to hear an earful of complaints from her when they eventually get home.)
Noticing a group of tents and trailers ahead, Akira walked towards it, figuring that it was the place where the photoshoot was taking place. Once he got close to the area he flashed his VIP pass, allowing him to get through security and stand among the small crowd of people taking the pictures. Ann’s session was about to wrap up, so it looked like his luck came through for him. Seeing her in such a cute winter outfit was a bonus.
Ann was wearing a black trench coat for this session. She had a white scarf around her neck and styled mittens on her hands to keep herself warm. The ankle boots she wore were black with gray faux-fur trim, which looked comfortable to wear in this cold. It also helped that the boots went with the dark skinny jeans she had on. The finishing touch was a black floppy hat that sat upon her head, accentuating her long blonde hair. Her hair was curlier than it usually was, and those big curls rested perfectly upon her shoulders. The snowflakes in her hair only accentuated the season and gave more life to her cheerful self. One of the last things that Ann did for the shoot was pick up a handful of soft snow and blow it at the cameras. Flashes of light came at her at all angles, and yet none of them shone as bright as her smile.
Seeing that smile always made Akira feel warm inside. That smile was Ann in her purest form.
“Okay, that should do it! Great work today, Ann-chan! Let’s wrap it up!” One of the cameramen announced.
Upon that announcement, the crowd that Akira was in dispersed. Most of them were crew members that were responsible for setting up the area. Others were either stylists or other photographers that had to review their shots. Ann herself was bouncing on the soles of her feet, rubbing her hands together in a desperate attempt to keep herself warm. Once she saw Akira standing across from her, she immediately stopped bouncing in place and made a beeline towards him.
“H-Hey, you made it!” she said cheerfully. “How did class go?”
“It was alright. Some parts of the lecture were difficult to follow, but nothing that a little studying can’t fix,” Akira answered with a slight shrug. “I’m more interested in you. You look like you’re freezing.”
“I-I am freezing! We were constantly moving through a few spots for some dynamic shots, and I’m s-s-sooooooo cold! I was actually fine when the shoot started, but then the wind picked up a few times, and then it got c-colder…” Ann recalled through her chattering teeth.
Akira couldn’t help but smirk a little as he listened to her talk. Yup, just as he thought. She was toughing it out. And she was complaining about the cold. Who said that he didn’t know his girlfriend?
“Heh… c’mere.” he beckoned, opening his arms out to her. Ann immediately took up his invitation by stepping closer to him. Akira then wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his gloved hands against her arms, hoping to warm her up a little.
“Mmm… you’re so thoughtful, Akira.” Ann purred sweetly, looking delighted at their current closeness. “...I still gotta change back into my actual clothes though. Brrr...”
“Then hopefully this will tide you over until you come back out,” Akira said, still rubbing at her arms. “Today sounds like a good day to test out the new kotatsu anyway.”
“O-Oh, that’s right!” Ann gasped, her face lighting up at the mention of the kotatsu. "I've been so excited over it! I haven't used one since that one time I stayed at Shiho's house during middle school! My folks hardly used one since they weren't there to actually use it, y'know? So using this one is going to be so fun!"
“I’ll bet.” Akira replied, chuckling over how excited she looked over something like a kotatsu. The kotatsu itself wasn’t that big of a deal to him, but seeing Ann get so excited over it, especially when she worked hard on her modeling session today, made him smile.
“Ooh, as a bonus, maybe I could help you review your lecture!” Ann then offered.
“Oh?” Akira inquired, raising a brow at her. “You’re gonna help me with Japanese History, huh?”
“...Crap, that’s right. That afternoon class was your history class, huh?” Ann murmured, her expression falling for a minute. But her face brightened up in determination as she pumped her fist into the air. “W-Well! History’s not as bad as math is for me, so...! I’m still in this! Leave all the flash cards to me!”
Akira stifled a laugh then. It was pretty cute seeing her try so hard to make this plan work. “Let’s worry about getting home first.” he said.
“Right! Right. Just stick around until I change back into my clothes! And try and stay warm!” With those final words, Ann hurriedly headed towards one of the trailers that were parked around the area. Akira chuckled under his breath once more as he watched Ann march through the snow in a hurry. He didn’t know if it was because of her being cold or her being eager about the kotatsu… or both, but either way it was still a cute sight to see her blaze through the area in her winter outfit.
-----
“Oh…! I remember this shoot! It’s the 767 Summer Breeze collection!”
Akira was looking over Ann’s shoulder as she was reviewing her portfolio from last year, with various photos and files strewn all across their work desk. A lot of the pictures here were taken from the b-sides, the pictures that don’t get included with the approved ones. There were a few copies of the promotional pictures within her portfolio, but most of it were collections of the b-side pictures. Ann was looking through the group of files she had by season, since that was how they were organized and she didn’t want to lose track of anything. She had already reviewed spring, but the first set that really caught her eye was the summer b-sides.
“Oh, that summer dress was so cute! I was so happy that they let me keep the wedges. That was my favorite part of the whole outfit.” Ann commented. “I remember how humid it was that day, though… it was especially rough on the newer models at the time.”
“You were a mess,” Akira mentioned. “I still remember you pressing your sweaty forehead against my back.”
“Ugh, can you blame me? I was practically dying out there!” Ann cried, shaking her head. “We were all downing water bottles like crazy! If you didn’t show up with your drinks when you did, I would’ve been laying on the sand in my misery!”
“You’re exaggerating.” Akira sighed, shaking his head.
“You say that, but it was totally true!” Ann said with a huff. “It’s a good thing that I pushed through my session as best as I could. It helped that I could have fun with the poses. Like this one!”
Ann pointed out one of the pictures in her portfolio to Akira. In this picture, she was in her summer dress with the sun hat and wedges. She had one of her legs popping up as she looked out at the ocean with her hand over her eyes, like she was looking for something out at sea. Despite the fact that it was a b-side picture, it really helped showcase Ann’s carefree persona that she displayed during that photoshoot.
“I had fun doing that pose. If I was on a boat doing that instead of on the beach, I bet it would’ve gone through.” she said with a smile.
“Their loss,” Akira said simply, smiling as he gazed at the photo. “I’ve got this view all to myself.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get cocky.” Ann teased with a grin. She flipped through her summer file before she eventually moved on to fall. Ann was very busy with her modeling during the fall, as that was when she spent most of her time traveling to her gigs instead of just attending the local ones. But one section of photos caught her eye, and she smiled.
“Oh, Akira! Look at this!”
Akira once again peered over her shoulder to look at the set of photos she was talking about. Ah… he remembered where this photoshoot took place. It was for that cafe in Ikebukuro. He remembered walking with her there, and he also remembered how tired she was from jetlag because she just arrived in Tokyo the day before that.
"They handed me so much food and stuff to pose with," Ann continued, looking through the photos. "After the photoshoot was done, the staff kept asking me how the coffee was since I kept drinking it in some shots. I said it was good, but then again… it wasn't my absolute favorite. I'm a bit biased towards a certain coffee brewer that lives in my house."
"Wonder who that could be?" Akira said knowingly, his smile turning a little smug.
"Obviously Morgana." Ann teased.
"Yeah, right!" Akira laughed, shaking his head. If that cat was in the room right now, his ego would grow even more despite Ann just messing around with him. (Then again, Akira shouldn't talk, what with the smug smile he displayed just now.)
Ann simply giggled as she went through the rest of her fall portfolio. She moved on the winter file, which was at the bottom of her pile. She skimmed through a few sections before she found the last photoshoot that caught her attention.
"Oh! The Winter Wonderland shoot!"
Akira peered over her shoulder again to see what Ann was talking about. Ah… he vaguely remembered attending this shoot, if he could even call it that. It was the one where he happened upon the last few minutes because it coincided with his Japanese History class. The only things that he clearly remembered was the outfit she wore during that photoshoot, and how cold she said she was when he got there.
"Despite how cold it was that day, walking around in the snow was actually kinda fun!" Ann said, reminiscing. "The park is so pretty with all of that fresh snow, so they mostly had me do calm poses and glamour shots like this one right here. But if it suited the shot, I could be playful with it and enjoy myself. Like this one."
Akira looked over to the photographs Ann was talking about. The first one was one of the glamour shots, he assumed. Ann was leaning her back against a tree while looking up at the snowfall. The entire picture gave off a serene aura. Ann’s expression was soft and calm, and the small, kind smile she wore seemed to bring the picture together for him. He couldn’t help but be reminded of the little smile she wore when they first met. The second photo… he remembered seeing it being taken. It was of Ann blowing soft snow into the camera. If the first photo was serene, this photo was more lively and cheerful. From Ann’s playful action, her lively expression, and the bright smile on her face, this Ann resembled the Ann he knew; cheerful and lively with a bright smile that would warm anyone’s heart. Both pictures captured her beautifully, and Akira couldn’t help but smile fondly.
“Beautiful.” he voiced.
“Which one?” Ann asked curiously.
“All of them.” Akira answered easily. “All of these pictures capture you perfectly Ann. Credit to the photographers of course, but you played a large role in that too.”
“Really?” Ann questioned, blinking in surprise.
“Yeah. I remember some of these photos. These were all parts of the photoshoots that I watched in person. I knew how tired you were during this one, how hot and thirsty you were in that one, and you were freezing your butt off in these two shots. But despite what you were feeling, you didn’t let that interfere in your work. Instead… you just put yourself out there every time. Seeing all of these photos in this file… I can confidently say ‘Yeah, that’s my girlfriend.’ All of these are true aspects of you, Ann. That’s why they’re all beautiful.”
“....” Ann turned her head away from Akira, trying to hide the blush on her face. She rested her hand against her cheek bashfully, but she was smiling despite her attempts to hide herself.
“You really know how to catch a girl off guard.” Ann said, giggling nervously. “But you know, it’s thanks to support like yours that I’m able to keep doing what I do. I can push myself through being tired or tough out the weather, but as long as you’re there supporting me, I can do anything. So… you’re a big factor too, Akira.”
“You know I always got your back.” Akira assured, before he leaned down and pressed a kiss upon her uncovered cheek.
“Ah…! Hey!!” Ann gasped, jumping in her seat in reaction.
“You can’t hide from me.” Akira said teasingly, giving her a sly smirk.
“Grr… Wipe that smirk off your face! In fact…!” Ann turned her body towards him and pulled him down by his shirt, bringing him down to her level. Before Akira could recover from his shock, Ann surged forward and pressed her lips hard against his in a form of payback. The two of them remained in that awkward position for a few seconds before Akira pulled back, catching his breath.
“Heh, did it for you.” Ann said, smirking in her triumph as she released her grip on his shirt.
“I wouldn’t be too sure.” Akira replied knowingly. He shifted his legs down so that he was on his knees before her, both for comfort and for… other reasons. He looked up at Ann with a devilish look to his eye as he fiddled with the edges of her skirt. “You got somewhere to be today?”
“N-No…” Ann stuttered, her blush deepening as she looked down at him
“Good.” Akira said, nodding firmly.
“Do you…?” Ann then asked.
“I’m gonna be in a meeting with a beautiful, successful model,” Akira replied. He then shifted his body up and placed his hands on Ann’s waist, towering over her with a smile on his face. “...That is, if you catch my drift.”
Ann smiled back up at him as she reached her hands up and brought him down to her level again, gently this time. Her smile was as bright and genuine as ever, capturing his heart like those photos on the desk did. It was Ann’s genuinity that drew people to her. That was her trademark, and he knew that it was going to help her reach the heights she’s been climbing in her modeling career.
But for now… he’ll have her to himself.
“Okay, hotshot. Let’s begin.” Ann declared, kissing him once more.