A/N: Prompt was model!jinyoung and photographer!jaebum. I don’t know anything about photography or how modeling photo-shoots go, so I’d like to apologize in advance for the inaccuracies and probably really unrealistic portrayal of the modeling industry in general xD

~~

“Not interested.”

“But Jaebum, this is a-”

“I told you, I don’t work with pro-models anymore. I’m done with that. Even now I rarely work with people as subjects, and when I do it’s always candid shots only. So no.”

Jaebum wasn’t being rude (yet), but Jackson could tell he was nearing the end of his patience on this topic. He’d set his drink down with a slight clatter for extra emphasis on his last two words, and Jackson had a feeling this was going to be a lost cause.

Except, he couldn’t afford for it to be.

“He’s just recently turned pro? He’s like, barely just starting to dip his feet into the pro modeling world, so he’s still probably super, uh, organic, and just, I really do think he’ll fit your vision!” Jackson tried to sound as convincing as possible, but Jaebum remained unimpressed.

“That’s even worse. Recently turned pro models are always way too skittish and looking to please, the last thing he’ll be able to do is to look natural and candid in front of my camera. It isn’t easy to make something staged look like something that’s not, you know that.”

“But he also has a ton of experience in front of cameras already!” Jackson quickly started to backtrack. “That’s why the magazine chose him, because he’s already got quite the online fanbase. He’s been modelling only as a hobby the past few years, just recently turned pro.”

Jaebum didn’t say anything at this, only looking at Jackson pensively as he took a sip of his drink.

“So?” Jackson pressed, eyes wide in anticipation.

“Did you...perhaps already promise someone that I’d take this job?” Jaebum finally asked through narrowed eyes. Jackson winced slightly, never good at lying or hiding anything, and that was all the confirmation Jaebum needed.

“Spit it out…” Jaebum said tiredly, sighing as he sunk back in his seat to level a rather intimidating stare at his friend. Jackson gulped slightly.

“How...how did you know?” he first asked weakly.

Jaebum rolled his eyes.

“Because you never push so hard for something, forget the whole ‘this is an amazing opportunity’ and ‘this could change your career’ type of bull, you of all people know I couldn’t care less about that if I wasn’t interested in the content being produced. So clearly there was something else going on, now spill it.”

At this, Jackson deflated, resigned to telling the truth and hoping against hope that Jaebum wouldn’t kill him.

“Um, well, Mark’s actually heading this issue, and he’s a huge fan of your work and really wanted you to do the photography, so I kinda....”

“Stop right there,” Jaebum groaned, rubbing his face with one hand tiredly. “Of course, I forgot Mark worked there. You still haven’t mustered the guts to ask him out yet?”

Usually, Jackson would’ve fired back with some witty defense, but with so much riding on the line at this moment he figured it probably wouldn’t be wise to antagonize Jaebum any further, and again simply spoke the truth.

“Yeah, I was thinking, you know...maybe I’d ask him out after this issue was published, because your photography always does well so this issue would also do really well…”

“Don’t try to flatter me,” Jaebum snapped when Jackson peeked up at his expression cautiously. Jackson quickly squeaked out an apology before becoming extremely interested in his drink, while Jaebum simply sighed.

If it’d been anyone else, in any other situation, he wouldn’t have even given this job a second thought, rejecting it immediately. But this was his friend, admittedly one of his only friends, and he’d been pining after Mark rather pathetically for a really long time…

Jaebum took a deep breath, praying he wouldn’t regret this.

“Show me whatever pictures you have of this Park Jinyoung.”

~~

The theme of the shoot was supposed to be autumn, given the upcoming transition to fall. It was your typical, obligatory seasonal shoot, but the magazine had also wanted to maximize the use of outdoor scenery, and, of course, aesthetics, aesthetics, aesthetics.

Given that, Im Jaebum’s style fit their vision perfectly. The free-lance photographer had built up quite the reputation these past few years after quitting his job at a rather large modeling agency. He now focused on candid shots and nature photography, possessing a very distinct style, one that emphasized simplicity in order to elicit a whole range of emotions from the viewer, all done in a single snapshot. He’d quickly become very sought after, but was notorious for being prickly to work with, not to mention extremely picky about his projects.

The day of the shoot, Jaebum showed up at 2:00PM sharp, satisfied to see that everything had already been setup as he’d ordered. He couldn’t help but grimace slightly at all the lights; Jaebum much preferred to work with only natural lighting, but given the amount of editing and filtering these photos would be going through before printing, the artificial lights would unfortunately be necessary, especially given the cloudy weather.

The location was a bit far from the city, a nice woodsy area where the leaves had already started to turn colors. Jaebum set his bag of equipment down, about to grab his camera to take a few test shots, only to be interrupted by someone calling out his name from somewhere behind him.

Thus turning around, he came face to face to his subject of the day, Park Jinyoung.

“I’m Park Jinyoung, I’m honored to be working with you today.” Voice soft and polite, Jinyoung bowed a full ninety degrees in greeting. Jaebum, too, bowed slightly in response, though his eyes remained fixed on the other who was now again upright.

In person, Jinyoung looked just the same as in the photos Jackson had showed him. Except, perhaps a bit younger, what with his bangs down and makeup kept minimal. Gaze trailing over his body, Jaebum hummed slightly in approval; at least the styling team had done their job and taken his instructions to heart.

Rather than crimped or styled stiffly, Jinyoung’s hair was kept soft and nearly untouched, the slightest breeze ruffling his locks in a swaying motion. There was the slightest hint of brown smudged along his lashline that softened his eyes, rather than sharpening them like the usual black eyeliner models tended to wear. His lips were brought out just slightly by a tint, again barely there.

He was currently dressed in an oversized maroon sweater, sleeves going down to his knuckles. His legs were covered by simple white slacks, his feet bare.

Eyes trailing back up to his face, Jaebum came to a single conclusion, one that he’d already arrived at when he saw Jinyoung’s pictures.

Park Jinyoung was incredibly average.

Well, of course he was handsome. But having been immersed in the industry for so long, handsome and good-looking models was the norm. Sure, there were more and more unconventional types breaking into the scene these days, but by and large possessing good looks was an absolute requirement to enter this skin-deep world. Jaebum had seen his fair share of the devastatingly gorgeous and strikingly handsome, and in comparison, yes. Jinyoung was handsome, but in an incredibly average way.

Which was fine by Jaebum, as long as he could act natural on camera.

“I’m looking forward to working with you as well,” Jaebum finally said, his words not insincere. He bent down to pick up his camera, slinging the strap around his neck.

“I’m going to take a few test shots, you can join me whenever you’re ready.”

Jinyoung nodded in response, and Jaebum couldn’t help but notice the grace with he walked away. Eyes narrowing, Jaebum in a thoughtful breath, eyes still not yet breaking away from Jinyoung’s retreating back.

Jinyoung wasn’t dainty, or light, and he most certainly wasn’t “the personification of grace and beauty,” or any of the similar sounding bull people tended to spew when praising models. He did, however, seem to exude an aura of calm around him- quiet, peaceful, and steady.

Simple.

Jaebum felt his lips curl into a smile.

Maybe he’d enjoy this more than he’d originally thought.

Flipping on his camera, Jaebum ran through his usual settings, adjusting his aperture to accommodate the outside lighting. He immediately started taking test shots, keeping a mental list of which spots he wanted to shoot and the various angles he would have to get. He decided to set the first location to be under one of the largest trees in the area, the grass underneath already littered with a smattering of fallen leaves. However, a majority of the leaves still remained attached to the branches, perfectly illustrating a state of transition.

Just as Jaebum was directing the lighting staff to put up a simple three-point lighting setup, Jinyoung approached him, hair slightly more tousled than before and a bag in tow.

“I’m set,” Jinyoung smiled, but Jaebum’s attention immediately focused in on the bag he was carrying.

“What’s with the bag?” he asked directly, frowning.

“Ah,” Jinyoung immediately started rummaging through it, pulling out a book.

“I have a few props that I thought would work well with the theme of the shoot, if that’s okay?”

While Jinyoung was clearly looking at Jaebum for approval, his demeanor was one of confidence, as if he knew exactly what should be done and was only asking Jaebum out of courtesy. Jaebum felt rather unconvinced, but shrugged, deciding to give Jinyoung the benefit of the doubt.

“We can try it,” he allowed, gesturing towards the tree they would be shooting under. “Sit there, we can get started.”

Jinyoung dropped his bag to the ground, the book he’d pulled out before in hand as he walked over to settle underneath the tree, his back against the trunk comfortably and his legs extended out in front of him.

Without waiting for any further direction from Jaebum, Jinyoung simply flipped open his book and started to read.

Jaebum opened his mouth to speak, to give Jinyoung instructions on what he wanted him to do, but stopped with a sharp inhale, taking two quick steps forward to crouch down and lift his camera to his eye.

Click.

~~

Jaebum couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to work in absolute silence with a human subject. And that was one of the reasons why he’d quit and started working with only nature instead, to be honest.

Every time Jaebum had been on the verge of speaking, ready to tell Jinyoung to look up or try crossing your legs now Jinyoung would beat him to it, shifting to whatever position Jaebum had desired without a single verbal cue. Sometimes, he moved to positions that Jaebum hadn’t envisioned, only for him to realize that this was something he now absolutely needed.

Soon, Jaebum stopped thinking about giving directions altogether, simply following Jinyoung’s flow movements as they came. And that was the most unbelievable thing of it all - it appeared to be so completely natural, as if Jinyoung was really just enjoying an afternoon of outside reading. When he turned the page, brow furrowed, he looked so engrossed in the text, oblivious of his surroundings. When he looked upwards occasionally, the pondering look in his eye was also incredibly convincing.

And then, he smiled.

It had caught Jaebum so off guard, he nearly missed the shot. One moment he’d been turning the page, and the next a hand had come up to cover his mouth slightly, eyes crinkling while lips turned upwards.

Jaebum’s breath caught in his throat but his finger managed to click down at just the right time, capturing the moment just before it disappeared.

Jinyoung resumed his contemplative expression, and Jaebum could breathe again.

Until it struck him that, for the first time, he’d become breathless over a human subject.

~~

“Break!” Jaebum finally called out, straightening from where he’d been crouched on the ground. Flipping through the photos, he knew he had every shot he could possibly want for this given set, and yet he still had an urge to take more. But of course, considering time, they would have to move on.

Around him, the staff scrambled, getting ready to move the equipment to their next shot location. Jinyoung had been swept away by the stylists for an outfit change and touch ups, giving Jaebum some time to relax and recollect his thoughts.

The next group of photos were to be taken close to the field, where some taller grasses also grew. Jaebum squinted at it from afar first, scoping it out, before finally heading towards it.

On his way, however, he couldn’t help but hear some of the chatterings of the waiting staff.

“I’ve never seen a professional shoot go like that, where the photographer gives absolutely no direction to the model. It’s insane.”

“Right? Even the most experienced models, they tend to already know what the photographer may want from them but there’s always some direction thrown in here and there. Jinyoung just sat down and they worked in complete silence for, what, twenty minutes?”

“Jaebum’s really living up to his name, it’s crazy how he manages to just go along with whatever the model is doing and capture everything perfectly.”

“Seriously. He just manages to make art out of whatever is at hand, huh? That’s hell of a talent.”

Jaebum couldn’t help the amusement that rose in him upon hearing these words; the staff seemed to be convinced he was some miracle worker, able to turn whatever source material given into a masterpiece. If only that was true- he wouldn’t have to work nearly as hard as he did, then.

Walking past, he commented nonchalantly, “If every model was like Park Jinyoung, I’d never have to have left the pro industry to begin with.”

Jaebum didn’t have to look back to know the staff now wore identical expressions of shock on their faces.

~~

The second sequence of shots went just as smoothly as the first, if not more so. Once again, Jinyoung had brought in his own props, this time a stack of loose papers and a pen, but this time Jaebum didn’t question it. At Jaebum’s ready cue, he quickly sprawled out on the ground, laying the papers down in front of him. And from there, for all intents and purposes he appeared to simply set to work.

Now decked out in all black, from the leather shoes to the black jeans to the form-fitting black button up top, the accent of his current outfit lay in his scarf, wrapped loosely around his neck in a pattern of red, white, and gray. Jinyoung would write for a while, sometimes pausing to click the pen or chew on the end with his teeth. When a breeze blew through, he’d have to make a snatch for the papers, lest they be blown away.

His expression was also ever changing, going from pondering, to satisfied, and even frustrated between the various shots.

For a scene so simple, there was so much to capture, and Jaebum quickly lost himself to the rhythmic click of his camera.

~~

“That’s a wrap.”

Jaebum’s words were met with enthusiastic applause and Jinyoung bowed in thanks, turning to make sure he faced all the staff. Soon after, everyone dispersed to begin taking down the equipment. Jinyoung, too, left to change, leaving Jaebum to pack up his own camera.

Before calling it a day, Jaebum had shown them some of the pictures, leaving everyone more than satisfied with the results of their shoot. Jaebum knew he had everything he could possibly need, and much more, but still found himself wishing he had more time, that he could’ve taken more pictures and captured more moments.

This wasn’t a new feeling, by any means. Too often photographers would be constrained by time, or money, or other practical means. A sunset, for example, would start and finish within the duration of someone’s meal, or even a long conversation. Working primarily with nature, Jaebum had learned the lesson on fleetingness all too well.

But arriving at this feeling when working with a human subject...now that was all too new. He’d never been so intrigued, and Jaebum wasn’t one to miss out on an opportunity only to cry about spilt milk later.

When Jinyoung emerged from the changing room, he was greeted by Jaebum’s smile and a raised eyebrow.

“Would you be interested in getting some dinner with me? My treat.”

~~

“I think of modeling as a form of acting, to be honest. You don’t have lines, you don’t have dialogue, you might not even have a story you’re trying to tell. But you’re still trying to convey emotions, or evoke a reaction from a given audience. And to do that effectively, acting is involved.”

Jaebum hummed in agreement as he finished chewing his mouthful of noodles, swallowing quickly in order to speak. Jinyoung sat across from him, finishing up his own bowl. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant that Jaebum had picked out, at Jinyoung’s request, but it was clean and comfortable, and their food had been served to them quickly.

“You’re not the first to say modeling is similar to acting, but you’re definitely the only one that I’ve had a shoot like that with before,” Jaebum didn’t speak in an around-about way, making his interest as blunt as possible. At this, Jinyoung laughed, and Jaebum automatically found his eyes  going to how Jinyoung’s crinkled in mirth.

“Well, it was my first time too, so we’re even, I guess.” He paused, gauging Jaebum’s heavy gaze, before speaking again. “You’re not like how I thought you would be.”

At this, Jaebum quirked a smile.

“Oh? What did you imagine? I’m always curious to hear about my reputation.”

“Well,” Jinyoung leaned back in his seat a little, eyes drifting slightly off to the side as he tried to find the exact words. “I mean, the word on the street is that you’re not an easy photographer to work with, very particular about his work? Not mean, but slightly prickly, and there’s the whole thing about refusing to work with pro models.”

His eyes drifted back to Jaebum, and his eyes narrowed slightly in thought.

“But I didn’t think, even before working with you, that any of it was necessarily bad? I’m actually a huge fan of yours, I’m a regular follower from your blog. From your works, at least, I got the impression that you were a very patient person, but also incredibly stubborn. You’re willing to do almost anything to capture whatever it is you have in mind, as well as unwilling to compromise any part of your vision. You have a tendency towards more simplistic things, but also play with a large range of emotions and moods. And that’s not easy at all.”

Analysis complete, Jinyoung leaned forward in his seat again, head cocked slightly.

“How accurate was I?”

“Well, accuracy is subjective, isn’t it? My impression of myself can hardly be used as the standard of correctness,” Jaebum said humorously. “Stubborn is quite the euphemism, though.”

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Jinyoung disagreed. “I think you just know very well what you like and what you dislike, is all. You’re honest about your feelings too, and you don’t hide it. That’s not a bad thing, I’d take someone blunt and straightforward over someone who likes to tell pretty lies any day.”

“Well, I agree with the bit about being honest with my feelings and knowing exactly what I like,” Jaebum gave Jinyoung a knowing look, causing Jinyoung to look down, suddenly flustered. “But accurate enough, I’ll say. Something I wanted to ask earlier, though, was why The Catcher in the Rye?”

The sharp turn Jaebum made in the conversation caught Jinyoung a bit off guard, his head jerking back up with confusion on his face. It took him another moment to understand what Jaebum was referring to, before that confusion turned into comprehension.

“Ah, the book I brought to the shoot? I’m actually rereading it, for a project I’m working on.”

“A project?” Jaebum was immediately interested.

“Yeah…” For the first time, Jinyoung looked a bit sheepish. “I’m actually a writer. That was my primary job, actually. I’ve written for a couple of different columns, I also have a good number of short stories out there. I run my own blog, too, but that’s just for kicks rather than actual income.”

“But you’ve just switched into pro modeling, right?” Jaebum recalled that being a detail Jackson had mentioned. “Why the switch?”

Jinyoung sighed, a rueful smile on his face.

“Well, being a writer isn’t exactly the easiest way to earn money, especially if you’re picky about your projects.”

“I can relate in that respect,” Jaebum said wryly.

“You sure can,” Jinyoung agreed, smile turning more genuine. “But yeah, it was when the silly modeling I was doing on the side just for variety started earning me more money than my actual real job that I realized I might have to reevaluate my priorities, especially when my landlord was that close to kicking me out for always being late on rent.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung paused to take a sip of his drink, now more contemplative. “But it’s been fine, actually, better than I’ve expected. I mean, I like modeling, so that’s good at least. And you know what people say, make your favorite thing your hobby rather than your actual job and choose what earns you a living first. I still get to write, and without having my paycheck attached I can actually work on whatever I want to now, so all things considered I’m in a pretty good spot.”

“So why in the world does your project involve that bastard Holden?” Jaebum steered the conversation back to his original question, and Jinyoung gave him a look, amused.

“What, do you have something against Holden as a character? The Catcher in the Rye is actually one of my favorite books, you know, don’t insult him.”

Jaebum made a face.

“I didn’t like that book, read it in university. And okay maybe I can see why you’d like it, but don’t try to say you like Holden as a character.”

This was the first time Jaebum had displayed a side to him that even remotely resembled immaturity, and Jinyoung couldn’t help but laugh.

“Okay, to be fair I didn’t like the book either, when I read it the first time. But don’t you think Holden is interesting? And while sometimes you do just want to hit him upside the head, I at least find so many aspects of him relatable.”

Jaebum’s brow furrowed as he tried to think back to the details of the book, but it’d been so long ago he really couldn’t come up with much.

“Okay, to be honest I don’t even remember much about what happened, I just remember absolutely hating it,” Jaebum finally admitted.

“See, you should read it again. You’ll probably have a different perspective, and you won’t be forced to write an essay on it, either.”

Jinyoung looked smug, as if he’d just won some long-winded argument. Jaebum usually would’ve found this to be irritating, but coming from Jinyoung, it was surprisingly...endearing.

“True, true,” Jaebum conceded. “Maybe I’ll give it another go.”

~~

The rest of their meal followed similarly with comfortable conversation, and just the slightest bit of flirting. Jaebum had never been one for social events, and Jinyoung also admitted he was pretty much the same. The fact that they’d both thoroughly enjoyed their time together was quite telling about the state of things, leaving a smouldering sense of satisfaction in Jaebum’s stomach, in addition to a prickling eagerness for more.

As promised, Jaebum paid the final bill, Jinyoung allowing him to without a single protest, but with the promise that he would pay the next time.

And just to make sure a next time would indeed happen, on their way out, Jinyoung had pulled that darned book out of his bag.

“Hang on to it for now, I have another copy at home.” He handed the book to Jaebum, nudging him playfully with his shoulder. “And actually give it a second chance, I’m expecting a well thought out response when you return it to me.”

“Deal,” Jaebum accepted it easily, a cool night breeze blowing through rustling the pages slightly. Jinyoung’s hair, too, flared up by the disruption, and Jaebum found himself once again mesmerized by the other man in front of him.

The step he took towards Jinyoung was almost involuntary, but it seemed he wasn’t the only one so caught up in the moment.

Jinyoung was wearing that smile again, and Jaebum could feel his heart pick up speed at the sight.

“Can I kiss you?” Jaebum’s voice was so low it was nearly a whisper, transfixed as Jinyoung stepped even closer, eyes sparkling with an affection that shouldn’t have been able to develop so fast, yet had.

Jinyoung didn’t respond verbally, choosing to close gap between them instead, eyes slipping shut.

Click.