I have a job to do, I remind myself as I stare at the gorgeous man lying snuggled in bed in front of me.

I’ve refused to let him be whitewashed for this photoshoot. His natural skin color is too beautiful to be hidden behind layers of make-up, or camera filters. The fairy lights hanging above his head make his beautiful caramel skin sparkle. The twinkles dance in his chocolate brown eyes.

I have a job to do.

I look down at the camera in my hands, clicking through the photos I have already taken. B.A.P’s singing angel, Daehyun has been lying curled up in wintry blankets for an hour while I’ve shot him from all angles. I’ve captured him looking sweet, sleepy, y…

This could kill a person.

“I think it’s time we’ve gotten him out of bed,” I say to his handlers and the other various people lingering about the set.

“I think so too,” Daehyun says in a “for-what-it’s-worth” manner.

I just nod, and move over to the opposite side of the set where we have a fake fireplace glowing in front of a beautiful blue couch. Everything is very blue and snowy.

Daehyun’s winter aesthetic.

I’m drowning in it.

“Let’s come over here,” I tell him, gesturing to the couch. There’s a cream and blue afghan draped over the back of the couch. “Snuggle up under this. Where’s the cocoa I asked for?”

A small woman brings in a cup of cocoa, steaming as if she’s just poured it, but has probably been reheated. I thank her, and place the blue snowflake-covered mug on the coaster that sits on the end table beside the couch. There are star-shaped marshmallows floating in the chocolate.

“Can I drink this?” Daehyun asks with a grin.

“I wouldn’t recommend it. They probably prepared it about twenty minutes ago when I asked for it.”

Daehyun frowns. The small woman promises to bring him a fresh cup.

Daehyun’s face lights up brighter than the fairy lights could ever do. The boy loves his chocolate.

I have a job to do.

“Let’s get a few shots in while she’s fetching that,” I suggest.

He gets right down to business, curling up under the afghan that looks like something my grandmother would knit.

“Should I pick up the cocoa?” he asks.

“Let’s get a few shots without it. Lean over on the arm of the couch.”

He leans over, and I start shooting. I long for the shutter click of my favorite film cameras, but digital cameras are the industry standard.

My mind drifts to the photos hanging in my dark room at home and I must remind myself again that I have a job to do.

Daehyun rests his cheek on his arm as he reaches out to gently trace a snowflake on the side of his mug. It’s the perfect shot, and I steal it before he moves, yawning and looking straight into the camera.

Like he’s looking right into my soul.

A job.

I have one. To do.

The small woman returns moments later with a fresh mug of cocoa which she uses to quickly replace the old one.

New marshmallows bob around the top of the liquid like apples in a barrel.

I shake my head. Bobbing for apples if a fall activity. This is a winter shoot. Focus.

Daehyun picks up the mug, and I snap a shot. He brings the mug to his mouth. Another shot.

He stares down at the marshmallows and gives the perfect smile. Another shot.

Then, he does something that makes my stomach quiver. As he blows on the steaming liquid, he flicks his eyes up at the camera, grin still in place, eyes twinkling from the fairly lights hanging behind me.

I steal the shot, snapping over and over, as he stares at the camera, at me, into my eyes.

He knows what he’s doing.

He takes a sip after a few moments of blowing on it to cool it. It’s still hot, so a small sip is all that he gets. Some of the chocolate lingers above his top lip, and he swipes his tongue over it to remove it.

I steal the shot, every shot, capturing the entire movement.

He knows what he’s doing.

A moment later, he plucks a marshmallow out of the cup, and holds it between his teeth – a bite frozen in time. All the sensual allure of the tongue swipe has disappeared. The grin is back.

How does he manage this?

I steal the shot again, because he’s staged it so well for me.

He knows what he’s doing.

After thirty minutes of hot chocolate seduction and cute cuddling under the afghan, Daehyun moves to sit in the floor in front of the faux fire. He pretends to warm his delicate hands, and I sneak a few close-up shots of his slender fingers illuminated by the faux flames.

“I should pretend to roast a marshmallow,” he suggests. Something I wouldn’t have thought of, but I can’t be held responsible for the state of my mind after this cute-y-cute-again photoshoot.

Someone appears out of nowhere with a skinny stick, sharpened to a point at one end. Daehyun scrambles up from the floor – cute again – and grabs a marshmallow from his hot chocolate.

Too late, someone has brought along a fresh one. He slyly pops the other one into his mouth, grinning at me as he does so. His managers aren’t watching, and he’s just gotten away with a small act of rebellion which excites him.

It excites me too.

I have a job to do.

I snap photo after photo as Daehyun plays around in front of the fire, “roasting” his marshmallow, pretending to eat, pretending his mouth is burnt.

Basically, I snap a ton of photos of Daehyun acting ridiculously adorable.

Until he’s not.

Until he’s lounging in front of the fire, eyes closed, hem of his sweater riding up slightly to reveal his taut stomach muscles.

Then I’m snapping shots of Daehyun that will make you drool. That almost make me drool.

I have a job to do.

Until I don’t.

Until the shoot is done.

Until I’m walking out of the building, and I feel a hand wrap around my wrist, a body press against my back.

“You didn’t even say goodbye,” he whispers into my ear.

His plump lips brush gently over the shell of my ear.

He knows what he’s doing.

I’ve done my job.

I lean back against him. “I didn’t think I had to. I thought I’d see you later.”

“You will.” He releases his hold on my wrist. His lips leave my ear. His body retreats. “But you still could have said goodbye.”

“I was acting professional. No one is supposed to know.”

“Photographers sometimes say goodbye to the people they’re working with. It’s polite.”

“Goodbye, Daehyun.” I don’t look back. “I’ll see you later.”

“Make some cocoa and put on the twinkle lights. I like this winter aesthetic.”