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“You want me to… what?” Aira asked, staring at the rest of his unit in pure disbelief.
Tatsumi had called for them all to gather earlier to discuss their plans for upcoming advertising for Alkaloid. Usually, Aira wasn’t too good at getting involved in the actual planning behind things, so it was already surprising to him that he was actually expected to voice his opinion on what Alkaloid did for their promotion. The very last thing that he expected was for the eldest member to directly address him and make the most absurd (and slightly embarrasing) suggestion Aira had ever heard.
“Dress up in costumes for a shoot” Tatsumi replied, confirming to Aira that his ears weren’t playing a trick on him.
Hiiro nodded along, excitedly. Atleast somebody was seemingly enjoying Aira’s sudden bewilderment.
Aira shook his head firmly and scrunched his brows, showing that he was clearly NOT happy with what his unit was suggesting to him.
“But why? It’s not fair that I’m the only one forced to dress up like that for the photoshoot. Shouldn’t our whole unit do it?” Aira insisted, eyes darting towards the three infront of him. It wasn’t so much that he was against dressing up, it's just the idea that he was supposedly tackling this alone.
“The magazine that is looking to do an article for Alkaloid is only looking for one member to shoot, I do personally believe you’ll be the best fit for what their requirements are” Tatsumi reasoned. Mayoi, who was sitting awkwardly at the side and playing with his hands, gave a small mumble in agreement.
“And you like dressing up! Don’t you Aira!” Hiiro interjected, beaming. Aira did a double take and stared at him with wide eyes.
“What’s that meant to mean?” Aira asked, glancing towards Hiiro.
“Kohaku-kun told me that Aira used to dress up a lot online. What’s the word….” Hiiro trailed off, looking around as if the room they were in had the word he was looking for written on its walls. After a moments deliberation, Hiiro snapped his fingers - presumably having found the word he was looking for.
“Cosplay! You used to cosplay! That’s it!” Hiiro blurted out, looking very proud of himself.
Aira’s face had reached an impressive shade of red as he felt himself slowly sink towards the floor (he was nothing if not a little melodramatic).
Why did Kohaku tell Hiiro that?? Why were they talking about him? … Was he often their topic of conversation? How long had Hiiro known?
“Umu… it was very impressive! I could almost not recognise Aira in the photos!”
Aira’s head immediately snapped up as his eyes widened even more.
“you saw PHOTOS?” He gasped, placing his hands on his head. This was it. Aira had never been more embarrassed in his life.
“Yes! Aira looked very pretty! Especially in the one where you had long brown hair!” Hiiro continued, seemingly unaware of Aira’s plight.
Aira groaned loud, dragging his hands over his face. Not only had Hiiro seen some of Aira’s old cosplay photos, but he’d seen photos where Aira was crossdressing as characters from idol animes.
This day could not get any worse.
“If.. If it helps, ah.. if you don’t mind.. I think you did infact look very pretty in them Aira-san.. like a girl..” Mayoi piped up, glancing over at a stricken Aira.
“You saw them too???” Aira whined, officially having given up on having any semblance of composure anymore. Tatsumi too gave Aira an apologetic smile, signaling to Aira that he’d probably also seen the dreaded photos. Aira fully lowered himself to the floor in defeat, leaning his back against the wall behind him.
“You don’t have to do this shoot if you don’t want to, but out of the four of us I believe you have the most experience in costumes. I also believe you could probably pull it off the best” Tatsumi recounted, crouching down and placing a hand on Aira’s shoulder. After a moment of deliberation, Tatsumi tilted his head and continued. “If you really don’t want to do it, I’m sure Mayoi-san can. I believe he would also look rather pretty in costumes”.
“Eh..?” Mayoi startled, staring at Tatsumi like a deer in headlights before aggressively shaking his head.
“I could never! I would never look as cute as Aira-san! I would be a disgraceeee…” Mayoi countered, a very scared look on his face. At this point, Tatsumi had already made his way over to Mayoi with a stern look.
“What did I say about talking down to yourself? You would look very cute, Mayoi-san” Tatsumi declared. He then leaned over to whisper something in Mayoi’s ear, which had the purple haired boy promptly blushing. Aira rolled his eyes.
Hiiro was seemingly unaware of the very obvious flirting happening infront of him. Aira wondered if Hiiro would even be able to tell if he was being flirted with? Probably not. Aira could probably flirt with Hiiro right now and the boy would be clueless.
Not that he would! Obviously.
... He was awful at flirting anyway.
Aira sighed and lifted himself up again.
“Alright. I’ll do the shoot” he conceded, lifting his hands up in the air in surrender. Hiiro gave an excited grin.
“I can’t wait to see Aira dresses up” Hiiro stated, voice confident “you’ll probably look even prettier in real life than in the photos!”
How did he just SAY those things? Aira groaned into his hands as he covered his face.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever” Aira eventually spat out.
He was regretting his decision in accepting already.
—-
The shoot had started out well enough.
The first few costumes were rather tame. In all honesty, some of the other units he knew at ES had probably worn stuff similar to them as outfits they preformed with on stage. They were slightly strange design wise, but nothing that made Aira stop and stare.
After around the third costume, however, they started asking more from Aira. More dramatic makeup, more cutesy poses and most annoyingly - wigs. Aira had worn and styled a fair amount of wigs in his time as an internet cosplayer, but wearing wigs (that were notably FEMALE hair style wigs) infront of an entire professional camera crew was more than just a bit daunting.
It was when they pulled out a proper Lolita style outfit - fitted with an exaggerated dress, shoes and handbag - where Aira really started to voice his complaints. He had been rather patient so far, but just staring at the layers of petticoats and trimmed lace around the dresses skirt put him severely out of his depth.
The only thing that stopped him from walking away completely, apart from the obvious of causing a big issue for his unit if he did actually do so, was the fact that Hiiro was cheering him on in the corner of the room. The boy had unwavering enthusiasm the entire time, giving reassuring hand gestures after every photo and constant small words of encouragement embarrassingly shouted over at him. Aira definitely couldn’t say he minded it, though.
Hiiro, as dense as he was, must’ve sensed Aira’s discomfort over the entire Lolita outfit, as he stepped towards the photographer and said something to him. Aira couldn’t make out what was said, but the photographer nodded and signalled over to his team for a moment. Hiiro walked over the loose cables draped over the floor and stood over to the set where Aira was taking his photos.
“Are you okay?” Hiiro immediately asked, a concerned look on his face. Aira found himself unable to answer, staring directly at Hiiro in slight confusion (and admittedly, some awe, since the boy always looked so attractive up close).
“I asked if they could give you a small break since you seemed overwhelmed. Sorry if I overstepped” Hiiro added, noting Aira’s confusion - his tone apologetic. Aira felt a sudden wave of affection run through him. Hiiro was so stupid. Why on Earth would Aira be upset about Hiiro worrying for him?
“No… it’s ok, thank you” Aira replied, quietly. This managed to restore all of Hiiros energy as he gave a big grin in return, clutching at one of Aira’s hands.
Aira looked over at where the dress (and was that now a new wig being brought over??) were standing, waiting for Aira to wear them. He shuddered.
“I’m just not so sure about the next outfit. It’s too… dramatic. I’ve never worn a dress or outfit like that before” Aira admitted, allowing himself to confess his worries to Hiiro. Hiiro nodded and looked over at the outfit contemplatively.
“I think it’s a very beautiful outfit.. but I think I would be scared putting something like that on” Hiiro replied, voice strangely serious. Aira was suprised at this statement. Hiiro, who Aira had always seen as quite unshakeable, would be scared putting on an outfit like that?
Aira’s thoughts must have shown quite clearly on his face, as Hiiro shook his hands in a ‘don’t get me wrong’ gesture.
“It’s too pretty and delicate for a person like me. I feel as if I would break it or just look really strange. Umu.. I think it would really suit someone like Aira, though. You’re smaller, with a softer, nicer face and ..ah what’s the word.. a slender body” Hiiro admitted, face becoming a bit pink.
Aira stared at him in shock and embarrassment, mouth hanging open slightly as he tried to process what Hiiro had just said.
Aira had also suddenly become increasingly aware that Hiiro was still clutching one of his hands rather tightly.
“Um..” Aira started, and then his mind went blank again. Damn Hiiro and his stupid face and the way he always somehow knew exactly what to do and say.
It didn't take long before the photographer signalled that they would start taking photos again, and whatever Aira had wanted to say in reply to the other boy was lost in the moment. He forced himself to straighten up and gave a nod towards Hiiro instead. Hiiro nodded back with a smile, stepping back and returning to his position at the side of the room.
Aira was ushered into the changing room where he was handed the base of the dress and the petticoat layer. He put those on to the best of his ability and stepped out of the room, trying to steal a look at himself in the mirror.
He was unsuccessful in that moment and was instead surrounded by two people who helped him fix any bits of the outfit he had put on incorrectly, as well as place other accessories on him like a pretty pearly necklace and the small matching handbag. He was also handed a small pair of pink heels. They were very short heels and Aira assumed that they were probably more for decoration than long lasting wear.
Aira was told to wear a pair of dark doll-eye contacts, which originally freaked him out very much. However, He finally caved and put them in. This was followed by the makeup team giving him a cute looking pair of false eyelashes and a whole load of fancy looking makeup that Aira didn’t even try to focus on as they caked it on him.
Lastly, a long blonde wig with an attached pink bow was presented to him. Aira always felt a bit self conscious about how he looked in the wig caps, with his hair all completely out of his face, but he wasn’t really left with a long time to deliberate over it as the wig was placed onto his head. A woman with a large bottle of hairspray fixed some bits at the front before giving him a curt nod.
Aira’s last outfit was finally on, and at this point Aira was getting impatient to see how he looked. He didn’t even dare look over at Hiiro just yet. He made his way over to the mirror to glance at himself.
He looked…
Really pretty?
Aira knew that he wouldn’t look bad, he wouldn’t deny that he knew this sort of stuff did suit him in some way.. but he really didn’t expect to look THIS good. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from his reflection in the mirror. It was as if a doll was looking back at him. Aira smiled.
He happily made his way over to his designated place on the set, ready to pose. He allowed his eyes to wander over to where Hiiro was standing and was once again suprised by just how honestly enthralled Hiiro looked. Hiiro was staring intently at him and acting as if he believed that if he pulled his eyes away from Aira, he would dissapear.
Aira gave a small smile and winked. It was somewhat Hiiros fault he was in this position to begin with, so he had an excuse to tease the other boy. Hiiros eyes widened in reaction and his face turned the exact shade of red as his hair, which Aira did not attempt to decipher the meaning of right then.
The rest of the photos in the shoot turned out perfectly. Aira had the extra confidence boost of knowing he looked good for once (in all honesty, his current look really embodied his theme of Lo~ve) , so he allowed himself to use this to his advantage. The photographer seemed just as pleased with the results as Aira was, which definitely seemed like a good sign. It didnt take long for the shoot to wrap up, the assistants who had been helping him with the costumes on the side giving compliments to Aira as he finally relaxed out of his last pose. Aira quickly pulled off his wig, grimacing at the way his hair was most certainly all messed up now, and also slipped off the heels he had on before making his way over to Hiiro.
Hiiro was staring at Aira with an unreadable expression, seemingly focused fully on Airas face. Aira gave an awkward wave at the boy in an attempt to try gain his attention.
This caused Hiiro to finally snap out of it, looking sheepish. He grabbed a handful of fabric from Aira’s dress in his hands thoughtfully as he tried to examine it, earning a little noise of surprise from Aira as his skirt lifted a little at the motion.
“What are you doing??” Aira exclaimed, trying to swat away Hiiro’s hands.
“It really is a lovely dress. I was right when I said that Aira would look pretty in it!” Hiiro stated, a bright grin appearing on his face. He dropped the part of the fluffy skirt he was holding onto and placed a hand onto Aira’s cheek instead. Aira startled and moved back, not expecting the sudden contact.
“Aira looks very pretty in makeup” Hiiro continued. It seemed as if he was just voicing all his thoughts aloud.
“What? Do you prefer how I look when I'm in makeup compared to how I look normally?” Aira grumbled, trying to act harsher than he felt to stop his face from heating up. Hiiro just swiftly shook his head.
“No. Nothing can beat my regular Aira” Hiiro responded, face serious. He moved his thumb across Aira’s cheek, letting the palm of his smooth hand rest on Aira’s chin. Hiiro’s eyes examined Aira’s face carefully, glancing at every part of him. It was humiliating for Aira, but he made no move to back away or stop it. He stood there, completely still, as Hiiro observed him like he was a piece of art in a museum while caressing his thumb over his cheek.
Hiiro’s hand then moved away as swiftly as it had come, pulling back from a flustered Aira as Hiiro gave him a grin.
Did Hiiro know what he was doing to him??
“You should change back to normal clothes, it must not be very comfortable for you right now” Hiiro suggested, gesturing towards the changing room in the back. If he was honest, Aira had completely forgotten he was on a photoshoot set. Hiiro had turned his mind into a complete puddle, leaving him grappling for his thoughts to get in line. Aira just chose to give a curt nod as he turned on his heel and rushed to change - hoping to calm down by the time he was done.
It didn't take Aira long to change back into his casual wear, and he handed over the dress and other accessories to the assistants that were still loitering around at the set. Aira’s eyes met Hiiro’s as he saw the other boy gesture for them to leave the room, so Aira quickly followed along, letting Hiiro hold the door open for him as he stepped out.
“You must be very tired after all that posing and changing..” Hiiro mused, after both boys had left the studio and began walking their way back to the dorms.
“Mmm” Aira agreed, nodding “It does take a lot of energy”.
“If Aira feels tired, you can hold my hand to have some support while walking” Hiiro suggested, tilting his head and giving Aira a soft smile, offering his hand out towards him.
Aira stared down at the outstretched hand before quickly accepting the offer and taking it in his. He didn't allow any time to doubt himself, hoping his eagerness wasn’t too clear.
Hiiro really wasn’t as oblivious as he seemed. He probably knew exactly what he was doing to Aira.
However, this didn't stop Aira from clutching Hiiro’s hand tight in his own as they continued their walk back, their connected hands lightly swinging between them with each step. Hiiro’s hand was soft, bigger than his own and extremely comfy to hold. If Aira wanted to indulge in this moment, who was to blame him?
He certainly didn't pay attention to the knowing looks that Tatsumi and Mayoi gave the pair as they entered their room, hands still entwined.