Chapter Text
Hayech stares at the camera in its case, letting out a deep sigh. He enjoyed taking photos any time he could- he'd recently gone to the Coventry cathedral and snapped a couple there, even gone so far as to mess with the lighting, posting them on his blog, but really, he was bored.
He'd visited so many places, been hired to do so many landscape photoshoots, but he wanted to start branching out his art. He charged around $500 a session usually, once everything was added up- expensive, yes, but often it includes a solid 25 photos, possibly more, depending on the subject, and honestly he'd been making a ton of money just by doing that- but since all of his work was scenery, that's all people thought he could do.
Hayech sighed, hanging his head in defeat. He knew he'd made it as a photographer, but at what cost? He wanted nothing more than to be known for more than just mountains and backgrounds, but who would hire him for anything else?
That's when his phone rang.
Hayech groaned, standing up, picking up his phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, uh, is this Hayech? I- I saw your number, um, on your photography blog, and I know you usually do scenery or whatever, but do you think I could pay you to fly out to America and have you do a one-person photoshoot?" The man's voice was high-pitched, and he spoke with a kind of excitement that happened to get on Hayech's nerves.
He really only took low-energy clients, usually. Hayech himself was low-energy, so he fucking hated being around anyone who would bounce off the walls at every little thing.
But hey, a business opportunity was a business opportunity, right?
"Uh, when were you wanting to get it done?" Hayech asked, voice monotone, looking at his calendar to see the next time he was available.
"Oh, when are you free? I'm pretty flexible with when it gets done, just trying to treat myself, y'know. And I really like your photos!"
Hayech pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at the screen for a moment in complete annoyance. The phone number was from Florida? He lived in England, was he seriously about to fly out to Florida?
He sighed. Fuck it, why not.
"I'm free in.. uh, a couple days, I'd say? That's when my next opening is. How long do you think I'd be staying? Just a day or two, correct?" Hayech really didn't want to spend any time in the hell-hole that is Florida any longer than he had to.
"Ah, uh, I'm not sure. Is that about how long it takes for you to do a proper photoshoot?"
"Well.. I mean, I'm kind of going to need more information. What kind of vibe were you going for?" Hayech asked, flipping to a fresh page in his notebook, uncapping his pencil.
The man on the other line paused for a moment, seemingly thinking. "I was thinking maybe something on the beach? Ooh- or, or, maybe some just in my house? I've got a pretty nice view from where I live, so? Would you charge more for the two different locations, or?"
Hayech wrote down the two locations. "How many photos were you wanting done at each? Usually, the 500 dollar package includes 25."
"Hmm, I think maybe 11 at my house, and 14 at the beach? But I don't know if I'll end up getting the whole 25, that's a bit excessive, I think. Especially since this is for just me, y'know?"
Hayech rolled his eyes. He wished that literally anyone else had called, anyone at all. Just not this guy, with his eccentric voice.
"...Alright. You said you'd pay to fly me out, correct?"
"Yeah! D-Does this mean you'll take me as a client?"
I'd rather take you out back and shoot you in your head. "Yeah, it does. What's your name, so I can write it down?"
"Skeppy."
Hayech sighs, writing the name at the top of his page, the blue ink of his pen bleeding through the paper. He silently cursed the thin notebook paper. "Alright, then, Skeppy. I'll send you my PayPal, assuming you're paying online?"
"Ah, yeah!" Rustling comes from Skeppy's end. "I'll email you your plane ticket, then. I look forward to meeting you!"
Hayech rolls his eyes for what feels like the millionth time in this barely five-minute phone call. "Likewise."
"Oh, do you need transportation, or like, money for a hotel too? I can provide both, if you need me to."
This guy rich or something? Hayech thinks to himself. "Uh, that'd be.. nice, I guess? You really don't have to, though." Please don't make me indebted to you.
"Nah, don't worry about it! I've got enough to rent out a whole hotel for you if I so pleased."
That made it official. This Skeppy guy was Hayech's least favourite client of all time, and he was going to kill himself before he had to fly out. Throw himself off a bridge or something- hell, maybe he'd just straight up shoot himself- because he literally could not for the life of him meet this guy in person.
"Is this a good phone number to send my information to?" Hayech decides to just go with it for now, despite Skeppy's voice being like nails on a chalkboard to him.
"Yep!" Skeppy popped his 'p' in such a way that made Hayech physically recoil. "And your email's on your site, right?"
"Sure is," Hayech tried not to let his annoyance show.
"Alrighty then! See you- uh, what day were you wanting to fly out again?"
"...Next Tuesday, I suppose? That's when my first free day is, and I'm going to need a little bit of time to adjust to the time zone over there."
"Oh, okay!" Skeppy's smile was evident in his voice. "And, when will you be returning home?"
"Uh.. The following Tuesday, I guess. So a week later," Hayech said begrudgingly, not wanting to spend a whole fucking week in that god-forsaken state, but that's approximately how long it'd take him to take the photos, fix the lighting, make them look good, and then print them out. Along with accounting for having to fix his sleep schedule to be able to do the shoots at reasonable times, fuck, he was already tired of this entire thing.
"Okie-dokie! I just bought your ticket, it should be in your email soon!"
"Okay. Thanks," Hayech pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'll mark it on my calendar."
"Alrighty! See you soon, then~!" Skeppy sing-songed.
Hayech took in a deep breath. "..Yep."
He swiftly clicked the 'end call' button before Skeppy could get another word in, tossing his phone down on his desk.
Fuck, what has he just gotten himself into?
Hayech pushes himself away from his desk, walking over to his closet to grab his suitcase. Might as well start packing, or he'd end up rushing it last-minute.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?" Hayech grumbled, trying to pick out thin, light clothes, something he wouldn't overheat in immediately. He figured he'd also grab his swimming trunks and shirt, since they'd be at the beach for a little, and trying to get sand out of cotton fiber is like trying to pull a rotten tooth with a pair of broken tweezers.
He sighed as his phone dinged, pausing his packing to check his notifications.
"Dude, I just got off the fucking phone with you, what the hell could you want?"
>heyyy its skeppy, just wanted to text u so u cuold save my number@!! oh and also, did you want me to send you some money for like food or whatever? just got taxes back like not too long ago, so i'm pretty much set for now haha
Hayech turns off his phone, walking out of his room for a moment. This guy could not be fucking serious. He didn't want his fucking money, he barely even wanted him as a client.
No, thanks.<
>r u suuureee i can totaly provide for ya if u need
I have enough money to feed myself, at the very least. Thanks for the offer, though.<
>okk fine i see how it is
The fuck was that supposed to mean?
Hayech sighed. He didn't save Skeppy's number, because why the hell would he? He'd do the photoshoot, take his flight home, and never think about the guy again. Except for when he's thinking back on his least favourite clients. Then he'd probably think about him again.
Hayech continued packing, being sure to grab what essentials he knew he was going to need, before staring at his suitcase.
"That's not gonna close."
He curses to himself. He really doesn't feel like paying to have a second bag on the flight, so he tried to force the bag shut. The zipper almost gives, but it ends up closing entirely, thankfully enough.
Hayech stares at the now-closed bag. "I don't even want to go, this is so stupid." He says to himself, putting the bag by his room door, picking up his phone and checking his email. He prints out his ticket (his mother instilled in his head that if he didn't, they'd think he was some terrorist or something), and placed it on his desk. He looked at the clock- it was nearing midnight, already? He might as well go to bed, since he'd have to get stuff in order the next day.
As Hayech's head hit his pillow, he really tried to go to sleep. Honest, he did- but as with every client he took, his mind began to swirl with ideas of what he'd photograph. He didn't know what Skeppy looked like as of right now, so he was hoping he wasn't unfortunate in the facial area. Hayech himself wasn't exactly the most attractive guy, but he liked to pride himself on being at least slightly above average. And besides, it's not exactly like he tries to be overly attractive, he's just a tall, lanky, white guy with an accent. It happens to be like catnip to a ton of people- girls and guys alike- especially since his accent wasn't precisely subtle.
He sighed. Tomorrow was Monday, so he'd have to get things in order- text his mum so she could keep an eye on his house while he was out of the country, apologise for it being so sudden, along with being sure to grab both his camera and printer. He'd put his computer in his computer bag already.
Hayech awoke the next morning, unsure of when he fell asleep. His hair was tousled, and he'd ended up sleeping until noon. Twelve hours was insane, even for him, especially since he still had shit to do before he flew out.
His stomach sank. That's right, he was going to that god-awful client, who happened to have an unreal amount of money. He swallowed thickly, deciding to just get up and ignore the pit of dread pooling in his stomach.
Hayech put his glasses on, blinking to adjust to being awake. His throat felt dry, as it usually did when he woke up. He inevitably decided to just suck it up and get up, grabbing a coke from the fridge. He turned on the TV, simply enjoying a little background noise. His flight was at 4am the following day, so basically he wasn't sleeping tonight.
Once he'd woken up a tad, he called his mum, explaining the situation. She said it was no big deal, and he thanked her earnestly, apologizing once more.
By time he had actually managed to get her to stop speaking, it was nearing 1pm. And again, he still had stuff he needed to get together, as he wanted to at least have a few hours to himself in his home country before he had to fly out to a state that was practically the opposite of where he lived.
Hayech got dressed, grabbed his phone and put it in his pocket, and headed out the door. Luckily, today was cloudy, so he didn't have to worry about being blinded. He slowly makes his way toward his favourite cafe, being mindful of the time. He'd probably end up just walking around until he got tired, then end up going home, maybe taking a nap (he found it almost impossible to sleep on planes), and then at around midnight head to the airport.
(His mother had also instilled in his head that he had to arrive there annoyingly early, but found that it was worth it to be on time.)
He stepped into the cafe, the bell above the door reverberating around the small room as he opened it. Hayech shook his head- he'd always hated obnoxious doors like that, found them too loud and annoying.
"Well if it isn't Hayech himself," the man behind the counter said, his voice ringing clear throughout the otherwise relatively quiet room.
"Damn, Ben, you still work here?" Hayech raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Thought you'd have at least picked up a different job at Maccies or somethin', never thought a cafe gig would be your place."
Hayech and Ben had known each other for a while, since they were both teenagers, and truthfully, Ben was not the kind of guy to work as a barista. Hayech hated most eccentric people, but Ben happened to be an exception. He was the kind of person Hayech could stand to be around, his personality not entirely intolerable. Sometimes, Hayech does want to scream at him to shut the fuck up, but decides against it, as Ben is.. honestly rather chill most times.
"Nah, can't be bothered to work a different job, y'know. Plus, the pay and benefits here are fuckin' awesome, dude! Free food, drinks, and I get paid enough to support myself and a little extra. That's rather a lot, for a cafe job," Ben explained, speaking with his hands as he did so.
"Mm. Sounds nice," Hayech nods. "You can just get me my usual, yeah? I'm headed on a plane tonight, out of the country, and I'd like to at least have this before I go."
"Oh, where're you headed?" Ben inquired, ringing up Hayech's usual mocha latte and cinnamon-bun muffin.
Hayech rolled his eyes. "Florida. A client offered to fly me out, so uh.. I guess I kinda had to go."
"Gonna photograph the coasts over there?" Ben chuckled.
"Probably, if he wants me to. Honestly, I can barely stand the guy, and I've not even met him. He wants me to have him as the subject instead of it just being scenery this time, which is a nice change, that's.. kinda why I said yes." Hayech crossed his arms, leaning against the wall near the counter.
Ben leaned over the counter, resting his head on his hands. "Why don't you like him?"
"Uh, he's just.. loud. And rich. And I don't exactly do well with most loud people. It took me a while to get used to you," Hayech huffed out a laugh, more of annoyance than anything.
"Oh, if he's rich, why aren't you upselling him, then?"
"I basically am. He's paying for my hotel and transportation, which, uh.. I don't know, I told him he didn't have to, but y'know."
Ben's jaw dropped. "You're telling me you've found literally every girl's dream guy?! And you're not even gonna let him treat you to anything special?!"
"...No. I don't even want him to pay for my hotel. Hell, I wish he'd fucking cancel. I'll be gone for a week, by the way," Hayech said, his tone edged with a bite to it.
"Yeesh, alright. Whatever, here's your food and drink. Hope ya have fun while you're out, yeah?" Ben gave a wide smile and a wink, to which Hayech glared daggers at him.
"I don't like you very much."
"Oh, you love me. That's why you keep coming to this cafe."
"I like the food. That's why."
"Nah, you like me."
"Goodbye, Ben. I'll be in touch once I land, alright?" Hayech said, a slight smile on his face as he headed for the door.
"Bye, Hayech. I'll be waiting for your text," Ben replied, waving with the same big, dumb grin he tended to have when he was around Hayech.
Hayech shouldered the door open, deciding to not walk around at all, actually, and just head home. Why spend all day outside when he could just.. not do that? He's had his socialization for the day.
So he starts his walk home, sipping his latte. It'd been forever since he last left his country, let alone the continent. He didn't particularly fancy planes, either- the turbulence tended to give him anxiety. He takes a bite of the muffin- delicious, as usual- and pauses walking to look up at the sky. It was grey, not a hint of blue shining through. He'd seen photos of Florida's skies, so at least that was something to look forward to. Other than that, he wasn't too excited.
He continues walking, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket. His hands were full, though, so he decidedly ignored it for the time being. He walked until he approached his house, yawning despite not really being too tired, setting his drink down for a moment to unlock the door. He'd finished his muffin on the way back, a sated feeling coursing through his veins.
Hayech stepped inside, grabbing his drink, setting it on the counter. He checked his notifications and saw an unsaved number- odd, for a moment, before it clicked in his head.
*Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me.*
>heyyy its me again O_o dont mean to be a bother or anything but i realized you dont really know what i look like, do yuo need to know beforehand or??
Not necessarily, but if you'd like to send a photo so I have something to visualize when I think about what photos I'll be taking, that'd be fine.<
Hayech's stomach twisted with anxiety. He really, really hoped he wasn't unattractive.
>ok wait let me take a good foto of myself i ltoreally do not do that ever. brb xP
Hayech put his phone down. Why was this getting to him so much? It's not like he hasn't taken relatively unattractive people's photos before, so why did it matter so much whether Skeppy specifically was attractive or not? It's not like he was gonna fall for the guy- hell, he already fucking hated him and they hadn't even met yet!
Hayech's phone dinged, and he realized he'd been chewing on his nails.
>ok this inst the best photo i couldget but like its the best one im getting right now u_u cant be bothered 2 retak it loollll
As Hayech opened the photo, he found himself almost shaking with anticipation, and when he finally did open it he nearly dropped his phone in shock.
Skeppy had taken a photo where the sunlight hit him almost perfectly, his skin appearing to almost glow in the golden light, his eyes beautifully reflective. He had gorgeous hair as well, seemingly well taken care of (despite the unnatural way it stood up on its own), and Hayech just.. stared.
Skeppy was far from ugly. But somehow, this was way worse.
He was utterly gorgeous, and that realization somehow pissed Hayech off more than anything imaginable.
>ihope its not too bad a photo loooolllll, ure awfuly quiet
It's not bad, no.<
Hayech replied too fast for his own liking.
>thank u mr professionall
No problem.<
Hayech stared at the photo Skeppy had sent, then just rolled his eyes and turned off his phone, then promptly turned it back on and set an alarm for 10:30 PM, so he could remember to get up and leave, and hopefully make it to the airport by midnight. He went and laid down in his bed, not even bothering to change. He plugged his phone in, rolling over and going to sleep.
..
Hayech groaned as his alarm went off, forgetting his ringtone was so loud. He shut it off, rubbing his eyes, sitting up and looking around his room. He was pretty sure he grabbed everything necessary, so he just grabbed his bags (camera, check- regular suitcase, check- computer bag, check) and his keys and headed out the door.
He shoved his stuff in the trunk of his car, and headed towards the airport.
Hayech rolled his neck as the plane finally landed, annoyance mounting inside him already. You know, if Skeppy really has all this money, why didn't he get me a first class ticket or something? Why not even a private jet?
He got his bags (after what felt like an eternity), texting Ben that his plane landed safely, and then texting Skeppy.
You said you'd provide transportation, yes?<
>did ur planelnd already wait almost there give me lke ten mintues ok
...Are you coming to pick me up yourself?<
>?? why wouldn't i be wer u expecting me to get uan uber or something
Hayech's eye twitched. That would've been preferred, yes.
He sighed. He supposed he couldn't get everything he wanted in life.
You did get me the hotel room, though, right?<
>i mean yea duhhhh but if you wanted 2 u could've easily just stayedin my hous :P big enough 4 the both of us
Aren't you driving??<
>yes im doing it safelty trust
Hayech put his phone down, shaking his head and heading toward the exit of the airport, after turning in circles for almost a minute straight trying to find one goddamn exit sign.
I'll be outside. I'm a 6'1 white guy, kind of hard to miss.<
>okk pullingup now
Hayech worried his lip between his teeth. He didn't want to be here, and despite it being incredibly early in the morning, it was already incredibly humid- something Hayech wasn't used to in the slightest- and feeling the air literally cling to his skin was making him want to just get on the next flight back to England.
A fancy-looking car pulled up, and the driver door opened. "Yo! You're Hayech, right?"
Hayech nods, picking up his bags and walking toward the car. "You're Skeppy, then."
Skeppy nods. "The one and only!" He looked Hayech up and down, having to crane his neck upwards to meet Hayech's eyes.
*Thank god.* "Where do I put my bags?"
"Oh, just like, in the back or something. Trunk or backseat, doesn't matter to me! Are you riding shotgun?"
"..I guess?" Hayech hated him even more now, somehow. He tossed his suitcase in the trunk, but ever so carefully set his camera and computer in. Couldn't risk those getting damaged, now could he?
Skeppy put his hands on his hips, cocking his head at Hayech. "You look nothing like I expected you to."
"You're not as tall as I thought you'd be," Hayech mused.
"Uncalled for!" Skeppy exclaimed.
"Can you.. maybe not be so loud?" Hayech grunted, pushing his glasses up.
Skeppy raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Usually people like the whole excitable persona I have, what's your deal?"
"I don't fucking like it, *that's* my deal," Hayech snapped. "So mellow out."
Skeppy put his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. My bad, bro."
Hayech rolled his eyes. He had a feeling he'd be doing that a lot while he was here.
They both got into the car, Hayech leaning against the window, his eyes closed as he tried to get a wink more of sleep. He'd been so exhausted recently- he's been overworking himself to the point of almost death again, Ben would say- so being able to sleep with minimal repercussions felt.. nice, actually.
That was, until Skeppy's piercing voice broke the silence.
"How long have you been doing photography?"
"I thought you read my blog," Hayech huffed.
"Yeah, but like, only a little. I'm a busy guy, y'know?"
"No, I don't know."
They pulled up to a stoplight, and Skeppy did a double take at Hayech in genuine disbelief. "You're telling me you don't know who I am?"
Hayech looks over at him. "Am I supposed to?"
"Well," Skeppy looked taken aback. "I- I mean, usually people do? Like, I'm- I'm sorry, are you being deadass?"
Hayech raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Who.. are you?"
Skeppy fumbled for words, stuttering for a while before finally deciding on a sentence to spit out. "I- I'm a model..?! Aren't you a photographer?"
"Did you- Did you read my blog at all?"
"Uh, yeah, of course I did! But like, I- I dunno, I figured you'd do more than just landscapes!"
"Are you this dense on purpose?"
"Are you always this rude to your clients?"
"Only the ones that deserve it," Hayech mutters. "Whatever, not the point."
"What'd I do to deserve it?" Skeppy sighed. Hayech didn't respond, as he couldn't just say he was pissed off at Skeppy's happy-go-lucky attitude.
A silence fell over them. Hayech just wanted to get to his hotel so he could get his computer set up and then crash for the rest of the day.
"Okay, no, I refuse to believe that you, as a photographer, don't know who I am! That's literally- That's insane, I can't believe it for a second!"
"Do you shut up? Like, ever?"
Skeppy tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Kinda got me there."
"Yeah, no fucking shit." Hayech groaned. "Are we almost to the hotel?"
"Are you sure you don't wanna stay in my house?"
"What part of 'no' doesn't register in that thick dome of yours?" Hayech snapped.
Skeppy nodded. "Got it. Well, uh, I happen to live near a hotel, so.. yeah. Uhm.." He trailed off for a moment, pulling into the hotel parking lot as he said that. His tone was closed off, as though Hayech had really bothered him with saying what he has been. "It's nice, really."
"Okay." Hayech shrugged. "Thanks, for paying for it and driving me here."
"..Yeah," Skeppy murmurs. "Yeah, no problem."
Hayech gets out of the car, popping the trunk and grabbing his stuff.
"Hey, Hayech?"
"What now?"
"You should really try lightening up, I think. Those dark circles don't look good on you~!" Skeppy winked, waving tauntingly. "Anyways, tell them I'm the one that booked the room and you should be able to get in. Cya tomorrow, then?"
"Yeah," unfortunately. "See you tomorrow." Hayech nodded curtly, turning away.
A week? A fucking week of this shit?
Oh, he was going to be dead by the end of tomorrow. He's sure of it.