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Throughout the time they spent together, Matt learned a few things about Alex. There were the obvious facts - he was reserved, kinda shy and a dexterous roller skater - and there were the more subtle ones - he had a sweet tooth, a poetic vein and more than a few insecurities regarding his appearance; the last one being the precise reason he was hesitant about Matt's most recent request.
"But I'm sure you'll look fantastic!" he insisted. "You always do."
"I don't know, Matt... couldn't you invite one of your mates? Or an experienced model?"
"My mates aren't photogenic at all, I can assure you. And yeah, I guess I could call a model, but I want you, Al. I just think my project would look much more passionate if my model were you. "
Alex felt the blush rise to his cheeks, trying to formulate a reply on a par with his boyfriend's words.
"But... I'm not photogenic, Matt."
"I took pictures of you before and I beg to differ."
"But it were spontaneous pictures, and the best ones are always when I'm with my back to the camera... I don't look good when I'm posing."
"Babe, can we make a deal?" Alex arched an eyebrow, intrigued, and Matt felt he was going to win that battle. "If you don't like the pictures I'll take of you, I won't use it on my project. I'll find some model or whatever and do another session, no problem. You can do whatever you want with the photos, even burn them. What do you say?"
Alex reflected for a moment. He trusted Matt. If he said he wasn't going to expose him if he didn't liked it, he wasn't. He also trusted Matt's skills with a camera; maybe he could save a few photos after all...
"Okay. Deal."
Matt grinned from ear to ear.
-
It was around 6 PM when Matt appeared in Alex's door, camera hanging on his neck. Matt said that the photoshoot was going to happen in the woods - much appreciated for it's quietness and normally used for snog purposes by the students. They walked until they felt sure that no one was going to disturb - the place where they now stood was a clearing, surrounded by large trees. Although the light from the poles around the campus permeated the woods, they were at a rather dark area.
"Are you sure it's okay to do a photoshoot with the perspective of a maniac jumping out of these bushes and killing us both?"
Matt laughed, even if the said perspective did creeped him a bit.
"Don't be so morbid, Al. If it helps, I'll light up."
Matt fumbled in the backpack he brought, removing from there a cilindrical luminaire. He hanged it on a protuding branch and turned it up; the ambient was flooded by an intense purple colour and the trees projected their radial pattern onto the floor. Alex was enchanted - and a little more relieved. Maybe that peculiar light would mask his imperfections.
"What's the concept, then?" he asked.
"I was thinking about... a dark forest thing. Something that holds a natural, undeniable beauty, but also keeps some obscure, ancient secrets. It mesmerizes you and drags you in... until you cannot find your way back."
Alex looked at him, astonished.
"And do you think I would be a good model for that?"
"The perfect one, actually." Matt smiled broadly, and Alex smiled back. He had a fair suspicion now that the theme wasn't just fit for him; it was made for him.
Matt took the camera in his hands.
"So, shall we begin?"
-
Matt asked Alex to take off his shirt and shoes before the session began ("to look more natural", he said), and there he was: only in his jeans, standing in a corner of the clearing, arms loose and back pressed against a tall tree, looking into nowhere. The shadows of branches and leaves danced around the cool breeze and onto his skin, and he could smell the faint scent of flowers. He had lost count of how many clicks he had heard from Matt's camera and was quite thankful when he told Alex to lay down. A funny sensation creeped up his spine when he lied on the leaf covered floor, curls spreaded around his head like a dark halo. He felt utterly vunerable when Matt approached to take a few shots from above, planting his feet beside Alex's hips. He was starting to feel self-conscious again and resisted the urge to ask Matt - who seemed extremely focused - if he looked too ridiculous like that. Then Matt suddenly spoke:
"You kinda look like an elf, you know?"
"A Mirkwood elf." Alex added, amused. "The cool ones."
"Or a deer."
"What?"
"I don't know. I think it's the eyes." then he resumed his shots, and Alex repressed a smile.
Matt instructed him eventually - like when he asked Alex to pick a few leafs from the ground and place them on his torso, or roll onto his stomach, or put his arms above his head - but the majority of the shots were subtle changes of angles or lightning, provided by Matt himself.
Alex began to feel a little sleepy when Matt announced that they were done. He was ready to take the luminaire when an idea crossed Alex's mind.
"Do you mind if I take some?" he asked, hesitant. "Pictures?"
"Sure." Matt handed him the camera and Alex began to explore the buttons, trying to figure them out. "So am I your model now?"
"No way. I prefer the trees."
Matt gave him a incredulous look and Alex quickly took a picture of it, giggling.
"Lay down?" Alex asked, lips curving into a smirk. Matt acquiesced, amused by the sight of Alex mimicking his previous actions.
"Just don't drop it." Matt requested as Alex took pictures from above.
"I won't! But if it's the case... we can reduce the impact if we reduce the distance from the ground." he said as he started lowering himself onto Matt's lap.
"Thanks, I feel calmer now." he said, pulling Alex closer with a hand on the small of his back until the camera was able to capture the encounter of their lips.
-
When Matt showed Alex the result, he surprised himself by saying he had loved it. He had to admit that the ambient did an amazing job and he looked quite good. If he was a social media person, he definitely would like to post some of those.
"I hope you don't include the last ones in the project, though." Alex said, biting his lip.
"Don't worry, I'll keep those for myself." Matt smiled and pecked Alex's cheek as they started to head back to their dorms.
-
A few days later, Matt delivered the project. He was rather calm about the grade, since the very fact that he had been able to do that was satisfying enough. He had revealed some of his favourite pictures and disposed them on his bed, looking at them dreamily. One of them showed Alex on his stomach with his arms above his head; adorned by messy, dark curls, his perfectly sculpted back was in view, as well as the gentle curve at the end of it. There was one with a profile, Alex with his back against a tree, eyelids heavy and mouth slightly open, embraced by angulous shadows and seeming lost in his own little world as always. The next one was a close-up, a study in Alex's features; prominent nose, naturally pouty lips and intense brown eyes that pierced into Matt's soul.
The last two were part of the extras. One of them showed their faces pressing against each other, eyes closed and lips parted, mid-kiss.
The other one, a little blurred, showed Alex's lean stomach contracting at a off-screen touch; the only indication of Matt's presence being the hand that clutched Alex's waist tightly.
Matt sighed as his mind began to flood with thoughts about a possible next session.
He was hopelessly lost in that dark forest.