Fic: The Camera Eye: Dirty Angel 1/2 [Yuuki X Subaru, NC-17]
Title: The Camera Eye: Dirty Angel [1/2]
Chapter: Twenty-second in The Camera Eye series. Links to previous installments can be found here. Split because of LJ's post limits; a link to the second part can be found at the end of the first.
Author: Boots
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Porn industry AU, drama, smut, romance
Warnings: Male/male sex, polyamory, exhibition/voyeurism (since the characters work in the porn industry), sex toys
Pairing: Yuuki (Lycaon) X Subaru (Royz), Yo-ka (Diaura) X Yuuki, implied Yo-ka X Subaru, Yo-ka X Byou (SCREW), Byou X Jin X Manabu (SCREW), Kouki (D=OUT) X Ryoga (BORN)
Disclaimer: GazettE/SCREW/D=OUT/BORN characters belong to PS Company, Alice Nine characters are now free agents, Lycaon belongs to Vogue Entertainment, Royz belongs to B.P. Records and Diaura belongs to Ains. I own the story only.
Summary: When Yuuki’s bosses at Eros Films insist that their latest contract player - a young, seemingly innocent man - be included in PSC Productions’ new video, Yuuki is determined to keep him from being chewed up and spit out by the industry. But will he scare him out of the business altogether?
Notes: I will admit to writing this because I saw these pictures on Tumblr and thought these two were so damn adorable together that I had to do a fic shipping them. This isn’t quite how they look in the fic, though - Porn Star!Yuuki has the longer pink hair (as seen in Gossip, Baka Ne and Shadow) and Neophyte Porn Star!Subaru has the blond hair from their new PV.
Uruha had to admit that the co-production deal between PSC Productions and Eros Films was one of the best things that had happened to the company during his tenure.
For one thing, they had free reign in using Yuuki and Yo-ka - both of whom were now fully much regarded as part of the family. All they had to do was make sure the two were available for a certain number of videos with their indie home base a year, and any scripts the two of them were in had to be approved by the Eros brass. Which, so far, was no trouble at all.
Of course, Eros did stick their two cents in now and again. Their head honcho was always listed as executive producer of the videos, and he’d offer casting suggestions here and there (Uruha always used friends of Yuuki and Yo-ka who were under contract to Eros in supporting roles). Very occasionally, there’d be a suggestion like, “Maybe Yo-ka’s first scene with Byou needs to be moved forward in the script.”
But there were no hard-and-fast mandates, no “You absolutely have to do this” - that is, until one fateful video.
* * *
The production in question was called Gossip. It was about two actors vying for a lead role in a film - an up and comer and a veteran who was trying to mount a comeback. Yo-ka was the former, Kouki was the latter, and Ryoga would play the director they were both trying to impress - by any means necessary.
Also included in the cast were Byou as the up-and-comer’s long-suffering manager and Shou in a cameo appearance as the veteran’s ex, who appeared in a flashback sex scene.
“You sure you want to do such a small part?” Uruha asked him during the pre-production meeting. “I mean, for a performer of your caliber . . .”
“It’ll be fun,” Shou said. “Besides, I just did a starring role. I could use a breather.”
“Plus there’s the small matter of you wanting to work with Kouki again, isn’t there?” said Saga in a tone of voice that left no doubt about what he meant by that.
“Hey!” Shou said, blushing bright red.
“It’s okay, Shou,” Kouki said, leaning over and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I want to work with you again, too. I haven’t worked with you since the reality show.”
“You can just say you want to fuck him, you know,” said Ryoga. “You’re at a porn company. We don’t exactly think we’re here to make ice cream sundaes.”
“Why not?” said Kouki. “I could go for one of those.”
“Jin, did you say there was one more part in the screenplay?” said Uruha.
“Just a minor role for a reporter who’s following Yo-ka around,” Jin said. “A sweet, innocent kid type. I wrote it with Manabu in mind.”
“Does he get to WORK with Yo-ka?” said Kouki, pronouncing the crucial word at four times the volume as the rest of the sentence.
“Or make ice cream sundaes with him?” said Ryoga.
“Did you think I’d write a non-screwing role for Manabu?” said Jin. “Come on, guys. That would be a waste of a good Manabu.”
“Well, all we need is for Eros to weigh in on the screenplay and then we can start,” Uruha said. “In fact, maybe I should check my E-mail before I go any further.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through it. “Yes, the reply is here.” He opened it up, read it - and said, “Oh, shit.”
“They don’t like the screenplay?” Jin said.
“They love it,” Uruha said. “That’s not the problem.”
“Well, what is?” said Shou.
“It’s casting,” said Uruha. “They said they have some young guy they absolutely want to be in the video - in the part Jin wrote for Manabu.”
“What?” said about half the room in union - with Saga adding, “That’s bullshit!”
“Can you tell him the part’s cast already?” Jin said.
“I mean, he said this kid absolutely has to be in there,” Uruha said. “He said they want to give him a debut role in a high-profile video, and if we don’t cast him, Eros is withdrawing Yo-ka from the production.”
“He can’t do that!” Yo-ka said. He was stunned. He’d heard gossip of his home company picking up this new, fresh face who’d never been in porn before, but he didn’t think they’d go this far to promote him - or anyone else.
“I’m going to see what we can do about this.” Uruha got up and started to head across the hall - only to find his boss in the doorway.
“I know you’d come see me about this,” he said. “I got the same E-mail.”
“Can’t we do something?” Uruha said. “We can’t let them dictate casting like that!”
“Unfortunately, we can,” said the boss. “Co-production means CO-production. It means they have as much right to their say as we do.”
“But Jin said he wrote the role for . . .” Uruha said - only to be cut off by his boss holding up his hand.
“We can spare one role in the film for their new star,” he said. “Given how generous they’ve been with Yuuki and Yo-ka? We have to remember we have those two on loan, you know.”
“Yo-ka doesn’t even know the boy,” Uruha said. “He’s comfortable with Manabu.”
“Yo-ka’s a professional in this industry,” his boss said. “Professionals in this industry have to do things like that sometimes. He can meet with the boy before we shoot.”
Uruha turned his head toward his star. “Yo-ka . . .”
Yo-ka held up his hand. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ll do it.” He’d had to do things like that sight-unseen earlier in his career - in fact, he considered himself a bit spoiled working with Uruha, who made sure all his actors were performing with people they felt comfortable with.
Besides, he was, indeed, curious about the new arrival.
“All right,” Uruha sighed. “If it means keeping Yo-ka, I’ll go along with it. But I want to meet with this boy first, and I most definitely want Yo-ka to meet with him.”
“Good.” The boss turned and left the room, and Uruha sank into his chair with a long sigh.
“Jin . . .” he began.
Jin held a hand up. “No worries, it’s all okay. It happens.” And now, he thought, I’m going to have to come up with a Plan B for Manabu. He knew that the youngest member of the Screw Crew was looking forward to this, even if it was a small role.
Uruha rubbed his temples. It was times like this that the thoughts he’d had a little while ago - of setting up his own indie production company and taking his actors with him - popped up again. It probably wasn’t something that was doable - yet. He was successful, true, but he still only had a couple of years in the industry under his belt.
A couple of years later, though . . .
Oh, yes, it was a lovely thing to think about.
* * *
Yuuki first heard about this incident from Yo-ka at dinner that night. “They just insisted he be in the video? Really?”
“They threatened to pull me out of it if the new person wasn’t in,” Yo-ka said. “It shocked the hell out of me. I’ve never heard of them going so far for a performer before. This guy must be something special. Do you have any ideas who he is?”
Yuuki shook his head. “I’m as in the dark as you are. I heard about them signing some new guy who’d never been in videos before, but that’s it - and besides, they do that all the time.”
“Supposedly he’s coming over to the office to meet with Uruha tomorrow,” Yo-ka said. “Uruha insisted on it.”
Yuuki looked thoughtful. “What time?” he said.
Yo-ka blinked. “Around 2, why?”
“I’m going to make a point to be in Uruha’s office,” Yuuki said. “I want to see him for myself. I want to know what Eros considers special enough to yank you out of a video for.”
But as it turned out, Yuuki wasn’t the only person who “just happened to drop in” at that time. When he arrived outside Uruha’s office at a few minutes to two, Jin and Byou were there. So were Aoi and Kazuki.
“What’s this?” Yuuki said, seeing the group near the door. “I didn’t know Uruha was throwing a party.”
“I wanted to go over the new version of the screenplay,” Jin said.
“I need to ask him about our shooting schedule,” said Aoi.
“And you both just happened to bring your boyfriends along,” said Yuuki.
“We were on our way to the store,” Byou said. “This was on the way.”
“And it’s my shooting schedule, too,” said Kazuki.
Check, thought Yuuki. The Screw Crew showed up to see who was going to replace Manabu in the video. “And I came to ask if Saga finished the script for my next video,” said Yuuki.
“Which you could have done by E-mail,” said Aoi.
“And so could all of you,” said Yuuki. “Face it, you’re all here to catch a glimpse of Wonder Boy.”
“And you’re not?” Aoi said.
“At least I’m willing to admit . . .” But before Yuuki could finish, the elevator pinged, and all eyes shifted to the doors. They opened, and the person who got out looked like he had no business being at a porn company.
He was good looking, of course. He had the same kind of fine, pretty features that were standard for PSC Productions talent, topped by a head of dyed blond hair - also typical. But he also looked sweet, innocent and . . . young. Too young.
“Um, hi,” the boy said, bowing to the group.
“Hi yourself,” Aoi said as they collectively bowed back. “I think you might be on the wrong floor.”
The boy looked around. “This is where Uruha-san’s office is, right? I have an appointment with him.”
“You’re . . . the new actor?” Kazuki tried vainly to hide the surprise in his voice. Byou just stared open-mouthed.
“I hope so!” the boy said with a big smile. “They told me at the Eros offices that Uruha-san had a part for me in his new video. I’ve never been in a video at all, so to debut with Uruha-san is really exciting!”
“Never been in a video at ALL?” Byou said. Apparently, that bit of news hadn’t reached the non-Eros-related personnel.
“Well, except for my audition video,” the newcomer said. “But that doesn’t count, does it?” He put his hand on the doorknob. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you all around!”
As soon as he went into the office, the group collectively rushed to the other end of the hall and formed a huddle.
“He’s a kid!” Jin said.
“Uruha had better get his paperwork,” said Aoi.
“Paperwork?” said Kazuki.
“You know, his license or passport or that sort of thing. Something showing his age.”
“He’s never been in a video?” Byou said. “He doesn’t know what he’s in for, does he?”
“He probably thinks all he’ll have to do is show a little skin,” Jin said.
Yuuki, meanwhile, was just staring at the closed door of Uruha’s office, deep in thought, his concentration only broken by Aoi slapping a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Yuuki! Earth to Yuuki!”
“He’s in a trance,” said Kazuki. “Well, I can’t blame him. The boy was cute.”
“Cute like a Pikachu,” Aoi said.
But Yuuki just stared at the door again. He knew types like that boy. He’d seen about them, heard about them - young, fresh-faced boys and girls who drifted into the porn industry lured by money and glamor. Some knew what they were doing, kept their heads above water and navigated the industry waters successfully. Others . . . were very good candidates for being chewed up by the business and spit back out.
As much as he liked and respected his bosses at Eros - they’d given him his start in the industry, a way to turn his obsession with sex into a career - he knew they wouldn’t be looking out for an industry newbie. Somebody else had to show him the ropes - so to speak.
“I’m going to talk to Uruha,” he suddenly said out loud.
“You can’t do that,” said Aoi. “He’s in there with that kid.”
“Then I’ll wait until he’s done,” Yuuki said. “Because the kid is what I want to talk to him about.”
“Look, why don’t we all go to Starbucks together, and then we’ll come back and make sure he’s got the kid’s paperwork?” Jin said.
“You guys go,” Yuuki said. “I’ll wait.
The rest of the group looked at each other. “Well, okay,” said Jin. “We’ll be at the usual place” - the Starbucks outlet on the corner near the office - “if you change your mind.”
The other guys headed down the elevator. Yuuki remained, getting out his phone and flipping through his messages, then looking at the door again.
After awhile, it opened and the young man came out. “Oh, you’re still here,” he said.
“I was waiting to see Uruha-san, too,” Yuuki said. “I need to talk to him about a video. I’m Yuuki, by the way.”
“I recognized you,” the boy said, bowing deeply. “I’m called Subaru.”
“Subaru? Like the car?”
“Something like that.”
“So . . . you’re still excited about the video after talking to Uruha?”
“More than ever. It’s just a small part, but I get to do a scene with Yo-ka, and there’s all kinds of great people in the cast. Uruha-san didn’t say you were in it, though.”
“I’m not,” said Yuuki.
“But you’re still with Eros, right? You’re not just with PSC?”
“Hell, yeah, I’m still with Eros.” It was a matter of pride to Yuuki that he still held onto his “indie cred” - despite the fact that he was now an award-winning star who’d been in two top-selling videos. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Then we could still work together - here or there.”
Yuuki was quiet for a moment. Then, he said, “Okay, I’m saying this in a completely not-hitting-on-you way - I want to give you my phone number.”
Subaru’s whole face lit up. “Really?”
“I think you need someone who’s in the industry already to talk to.”
Subaru pulled out his phone, opened up a new contact page and handed it to Yuuki. “Then we can go out for drinks sometime?”
“We definitely will.” Yuuki handed his own phone over to Subaru. The sooner the better, he thought, and definitely before they started shooting.
“Terrific!” Subaru said, as the two men gave their phones back to each other. “I’ll see you around, then!”
Yuuki waited until the boy had gone back into the elevator. Then, he knocked on Uruha’s door.
“Come in, Yuuki,” he called. “I heard your voice out there.”
Yuuki opened the door and came in. “I’m guessing you figured out why I’m here, then.”
“Yes, and the answer to your question is, I’ve gotten his ID. He’s legal and of age. Don’t worry, I don’t want PSC Productions having a Traci Lords case on its hands.”
“Traci . . .” The name seemed familiar, but Yuuki couldn’t place it.
“American porn star in the ‘80s,” Uruha said. “She made a ton of videos - well, they were films and VHS tapes then - when she was underage and lied about how old she was. The authorities found out, all the existing copies of her underage videos had to be hunted down and destroyed, and the industry became paranoid about hiring too-young people afterward.”
Yuuki shook his head. “You know so much about the business it scares me sometimes. But no, his age isn’t what concerned me. Well, it’s part of it, but it’s not the main thing. It’s, well . . . what was your overall impression of him?”
“Impression?” Uruha looked puzzled. “Well, he was a very sweet kid, and he knows full well what we do here. Says he’s making money to pay off college. He’s very enthusiastic about working with Yo-ka. He brought a flash drive with his screen test - no scenes with another actor, just some stripping and solo stuff. He seems very comfortable in front of the camera.”
Oh, boy. Yuuki knew he really had to talk to him now. Sweet kid? Paying off college? Excited about the glamor and celebrity? All potential danger signs.
“Did he talk about his skills? Relevant to the video?”
“We didn’t go into that,” Uruha said. “He did say he’d had a couple of boyfriends, so at least we know he’s not a virgin. But you know full well that Yo-ka will be in the driver’s seat for that scene, so I’m not too worried about that. He’s in good hands.” Then, after a pause - “This isn’t just about you having been sent here as a spy by the Screw Crew, is it?”
“They didn’t send me,” Yuuki said. “I came entirely on my own. I was just curious at first, but after I saw him . . .”
“You began wondering if he was too young?”
“Something like that.”
“Nothing to worry about at all,” Uruha said. “Everything’s going to be fine. I still don’t like the idea of Eros cramming a performer down our throats, but at least they didn’t demand he play a lead, and he seems to be easy to work with.”
Everything was going to be fine? Yuuki thought. Perhaps. It all depends on the boy . . .
He was going to call him later, see if he could arrange a meeting for tomorrow. He was going to find out what this boy was about. If he liked what he saw, if the newcomer was at least on somewhat firm footing, he could count on Yuuki to be a guide and mentor.
If he sensed the boy was at all in danger, though, he’d see to it that Manabu got his part in the film back - consequences with Eros be damned. Protecting a young boy’s well-being was more important than one video.
* * *
In the Starbucks, the three members of the Screw Crew, plus Aoi, sat in their usual corner booth. “I don’t know if that one is going to stick around,” Aoi said. “I’ve seen cute ukes, but he’s beyond cute uke. He looks like the lead in a high school dorama.”
“Maybe he just looks young,” Kazuki said, shrugging. “I was young when I started, remember.”
“You were old enough to be a DJ in a strip club,” Byou reminded him.
“Like the guys who own those places check IDs when they hire people?” Kauzki replied. “I just feel bad for Manabu. It wasn’t a big part, but it was a good one, and I know he wanted to do a scene with Yo-ka.”
Jin, who had been silent up until this point because he was intently texting someone, looked up from his phone. “Well, don’t feel too sorry for him,” he said, “because I just solved his problem.”
“You were talking to the guy from Eros?” Aoi said.
“Nope,” said Jin. “But I did convince Saga to write him into the script he’s doing for Yuuki. And it’ll be a bigger part, too.”
A cheer went up from the table, and Kazuki raised his Frappuccino in a toast. “You’re a genius,” he said. “I’m just glad you’re on my side.”
“I take care of my own,” Jin said. “Like I always have.”
“So . . . what if Mr. Cutesy-Wootsy runs away when he finds out what really goes on when we film videos?” said Aoi. “Does Manabu get two parts, then?”
“That’s up to Uruha,” said Jin. “But if it were up to me? Oh, hell, yes!”
The group laughed and followed Kazuki’s lead in holding up their cups in a toast. Things were going to be all right with Manabu, at least.
The new guy’s future? Well, that was a big wait-and-see.
* * *
Yuuki sat at a table that could be seen from the door. He usually covered his pink hair with a hat at times like these - he loved being the center of attention on a set, but he didn’t necessarily like being gawked at in a bar. Still, he wanted to make sure that Subaru could see him right away.
The novice porn star came in right at the appointed time, approaching the table and sitting down. “Hi,” he said. “Thanks for inviting me out tonight. I’m glad you did.”
“How so?” Yuuki said.
“Well, I didn’t have anything to do tonight - and I didn’t just want to sit around and play video games or anything like that. I was too excited about the shooting.”
“Do you live alone?” Yuuki said.
Subaru shook his head. “I have roommates - some other guys who came to Tokyo from Osaka with me. It’s kind of cramped with five of us in one place, but we make it work.” He looked around. “I’m going to the bar to get drinks - you want anything?”
“Actually, now that you’re here, I’d like to move to a back table,” Yuuki said. “More privacy. We’re going to be discussing work eventually.”
“Oh - oh, sure,” Subaru said. Yuuki noticed that he seemed only a tiny bit flustered at the mention of that - he didn’t even get blushy like Manabu would. This meant one of two things: either he knew more about the business than Yuuki thought, or he knew nothing at all. He’d find out soon enough.
They moved to the back table, and Yuuki flagged down a waiter to get them their drinks. Since he decided it was best to ease the younger man into this, he kept the conversation more general at first. He heard all about Subaru’s roommates (Kuina, Koudai, Tomoya and another Kazuki), and his life back in Osaka (which was good, but he and his friends decided there was more opportunity in Tokyo), and his college (where he’d studied art and design, with an eye toward creating video game characters and scenery - “My ultimate dream is to work at Square Enix”).
After awhile, Yuuki said, “You’re going into this business to pay off your college debt - right?”
Subaru nodded. “I still have some bills to clear up, and I’m supporting myself as well - that was the agreement with my roommates, we share all expenses equally. So yes, I need money.”
“And what pushed you in our direction?”
“There was a guy I went to college with who was doing videos secretly,” Subaru said. “He’d slip down to Tokyo on weekends to film them and then come back to Osaka for school. He told me about it at a party, when everyone was drunk. I knew I should have been shocked by it, but instead, I was. . .”
“Fascinated?”
“That’s a good way of putting it. It seemed like, well, a bold way to make a living. And he was getting paid a lot more than we were for part-time jobs. So I asked him to recommend me to a producer when I went to Tokyo.”
“How much did he tell you about the industry?” Yuuki said.
“Just that doing that kind of thing on camera was a lot easier than you’d think it is. And that the people were mostly nice and supportive. He said there were a few divas, but not many.”
And now, Yuuki was going to bring the reality hammer down. “But he didn’t tell you that it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life, did he?”
The younger boy looked confused. “What do you mean?” he said.
“I mean that there’s no such thing as just getting into this for one or two videos,” Yuuki said. “I have never known anyone who got into this business and then immediately got out. Once you’re in, you’re in. Most of the guys I know have been doing this for years - and a lot of them said the same things. ‘It’s just until I get my college education paid off,’ or ‘It’s just until I’m able to get into the field where I really want to work,’ or ‘I’m just gaining experience before going into legitimate film.’ They’re all in the industry, still.”
Now Yuuki saw the first flicker of worry on Subaru’s face. “Is it . . . is it because of the kind of things they’re doing? Because people won’t hire them if they’ve worked in porn?”
Yuuki shook his head. “There’s some stigma around it, but not as much as you might think, and it definitely doesn’t affect getting into the film industry. There’ve been guys who have made the transition from porn to legitimate film - although usually with a stage name change. No, I mean because it’s addictive. Doing porn is three times more addictive than crack.”
Subaru leaned toward him. “Because of the sex?” he said, quietly.
“That’s just part of it,” Yuuki said. “It’s mostly because porn becomes a home. It’s a place where you can be yourself. It’s where you don’t have to worry about putting on a proper bullshit dignified face for the outer world. You can have your hair any color and wear any clothes and get tattoos and piercings and it’s all okay. You can love who you want, how you want.”
Yuuki paused to take a drink before continuing. “And that’s another thing. Most of us are polyamorous. That means we have relationships with significant others, but we take other lovers as well, and everyone’s okay with it. I have a man at home I love more than life itself - Yo-ka, your costar in the video. But I also have other men, onscreen and off. So does he. He’s even got another guy that he loves, and I’m okay with it.”
Another pause, another drink. “Having a relationship like that - the security of love with the freedom of letting go of shame and fear - that’s addictive in and of itself.”
Subaru sat quietly, deep in thought. “I . . . I never considered any of this,” he said. “I never thought about it that way.”
“Look, I’m not trying to scare you out of the industry,” Yuuki said. “I’m not saying it’s a bad way of life, or a destructive one. Okay, there’s some jerks to be sure - but there’s jerks in every industry. I’m just letting you know what you’re getting into. I want you to go into this with your eyes open. This isn’t a hit and run - not by a long shot. But if you do decide you really want to go into the business? I’ll look out for you. I’ll be there if you have any questions or need help. But if you ultimately want to settle down with one person and have a desk job at Square Enix or anywhere else? This may not be your thing.”
A long pause, in which Subaru looked thoughtful again. “Why are you doing all this for me?” he said.
“Because I know what the industry can be like,” Yuuki said. “It’s like the wilderness. When you first go in, you need a guide, or you’ll get lost. And besides, after talking to you? I like you. I really do.”
“Really?” A big smile crossed the other man’s face.
“Really.”
Subaru finished his beer. “You’ve given me a lot to think about,” he said. “I think I’m going to take a walk before I go home - maybe chew all this over.”
“All right,” Yuuki said. “And you have my number if you want to talk - all right?”
The younger man nodded, put money down for his drinks and got out of the booth. “Thank you again,” he said, bowing. “I’ve had a very good time.”
As Subaru walked out, still looking contemplative, Yuuki finished his own beer. He just hoped he didn’t shock the kid - but he had to learn things as they really were. If he got two videos in and realized that being wrapped in the warm cocoon of the porn business was the best thing ever? He was never going to have that middle-class job and home in an equally middle-class neighborhood.
Of course, he’d probably be happier than he’d be in the middle-class neighborhood.
He paid for his own beer and started to leave. At least the kid seemed to have enough on the ball that he’d be okay if he stayed in porn. The question now was . . . would he?
To Part 2
Chapter: Twenty-second in The Camera Eye series. Links to previous installments can be found here. Split because of LJ's post limits; a link to the second part can be found at the end of the first.
Author: Boots
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Porn industry AU, drama, smut, romance
Warnings: Male/male sex, polyamory, exhibition/voyeurism (since the characters work in the porn industry), sex toys
Pairing: Yuuki (Lycaon) X Subaru (Royz), Yo-ka (Diaura) X Yuuki, implied Yo-ka X Subaru, Yo-ka X Byou (SCREW), Byou X Jin X Manabu (SCREW), Kouki (D=OUT) X Ryoga (BORN)
Disclaimer: GazettE/SCREW/D=OUT/BORN characters belong to PS Company, Alice Nine characters are now free agents, Lycaon belongs to Vogue Entertainment, Royz belongs to B.P. Records and Diaura belongs to Ains. I own the story only.
Summary: When Yuuki’s bosses at Eros Films insist that their latest contract player - a young, seemingly innocent man - be included in PSC Productions’ new video, Yuuki is determined to keep him from being chewed up and spit out by the industry. But will he scare him out of the business altogether?
Notes: I will admit to writing this because I saw these pictures on Tumblr and thought these two were so damn adorable together that I had to do a fic shipping them. This isn’t quite how they look in the fic, though - Porn Star!Yuuki has the longer pink hair (as seen in Gossip, Baka Ne and Shadow) and Neophyte Porn Star!Subaru has the blond hair from their new PV.
Uruha had to admit that the co-production deal between PSC Productions and Eros Films was one of the best things that had happened to the company during his tenure.
For one thing, they had free reign in using Yuuki and Yo-ka - both of whom were now fully much regarded as part of the family. All they had to do was make sure the two were available for a certain number of videos with their indie home base a year, and any scripts the two of them were in had to be approved by the Eros brass. Which, so far, was no trouble at all.
Of course, Eros did stick their two cents in now and again. Their head honcho was always listed as executive producer of the videos, and he’d offer casting suggestions here and there (Uruha always used friends of Yuuki and Yo-ka who were under contract to Eros in supporting roles). Very occasionally, there’d be a suggestion like, “Maybe Yo-ka’s first scene with Byou needs to be moved forward in the script.”
But there were no hard-and-fast mandates, no “You absolutely have to do this” - that is, until one fateful video.
* * *
The production in question was called Gossip. It was about two actors vying for a lead role in a film - an up and comer and a veteran who was trying to mount a comeback. Yo-ka was the former, Kouki was the latter, and Ryoga would play the director they were both trying to impress - by any means necessary.
Also included in the cast were Byou as the up-and-comer’s long-suffering manager and Shou in a cameo appearance as the veteran’s ex, who appeared in a flashback sex scene.
“You sure you want to do such a small part?” Uruha asked him during the pre-production meeting. “I mean, for a performer of your caliber . . .”
“It’ll be fun,” Shou said. “Besides, I just did a starring role. I could use a breather.”
“Plus there’s the small matter of you wanting to work with Kouki again, isn’t there?” said Saga in a tone of voice that left no doubt about what he meant by that.
“Hey!” Shou said, blushing bright red.
“It’s okay, Shou,” Kouki said, leaning over and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I want to work with you again, too. I haven’t worked with you since the reality show.”
“You can just say you want to fuck him, you know,” said Ryoga. “You’re at a porn company. We don’t exactly think we’re here to make ice cream sundaes.”
“Why not?” said Kouki. “I could go for one of those.”
“Jin, did you say there was one more part in the screenplay?” said Uruha.
“Just a minor role for a reporter who’s following Yo-ka around,” Jin said. “A sweet, innocent kid type. I wrote it with Manabu in mind.”
“Does he get to WORK with Yo-ka?” said Kouki, pronouncing the crucial word at four times the volume as the rest of the sentence.
“Or make ice cream sundaes with him?” said Ryoga.
“Did you think I’d write a non-screwing role for Manabu?” said Jin. “Come on, guys. That would be a waste of a good Manabu.”
“Well, all we need is for Eros to weigh in on the screenplay and then we can start,” Uruha said. “In fact, maybe I should check my E-mail before I go any further.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through it. “Yes, the reply is here.” He opened it up, read it - and said, “Oh, shit.”
“They don’t like the screenplay?” Jin said.
“They love it,” Uruha said. “That’s not the problem.”
“Well, what is?” said Shou.
“It’s casting,” said Uruha. “They said they have some young guy they absolutely want to be in the video - in the part Jin wrote for Manabu.”
“What?” said about half the room in union - with Saga adding, “That’s bullshit!”
“Can you tell him the part’s cast already?” Jin said.
“I mean, he said this kid absolutely has to be in there,” Uruha said. “He said they want to give him a debut role in a high-profile video, and if we don’t cast him, Eros is withdrawing Yo-ka from the production.”
“He can’t do that!” Yo-ka said. He was stunned. He’d heard gossip of his home company picking up this new, fresh face who’d never been in porn before, but he didn’t think they’d go this far to promote him - or anyone else.
“I’m going to see what we can do about this.” Uruha got up and started to head across the hall - only to find his boss in the doorway.
“I know you’d come see me about this,” he said. “I got the same E-mail.”
“Can’t we do something?” Uruha said. “We can’t let them dictate casting like that!”
“Unfortunately, we can,” said the boss. “Co-production means CO-production. It means they have as much right to their say as we do.”
“But Jin said he wrote the role for . . .” Uruha said - only to be cut off by his boss holding up his hand.
“We can spare one role in the film for their new star,” he said. “Given how generous they’ve been with Yuuki and Yo-ka? We have to remember we have those two on loan, you know.”
“Yo-ka doesn’t even know the boy,” Uruha said. “He’s comfortable with Manabu.”
“Yo-ka’s a professional in this industry,” his boss said. “Professionals in this industry have to do things like that sometimes. He can meet with the boy before we shoot.”
Uruha turned his head toward his star. “Yo-ka . . .”
Yo-ka held up his hand. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ll do it.” He’d had to do things like that sight-unseen earlier in his career - in fact, he considered himself a bit spoiled working with Uruha, who made sure all his actors were performing with people they felt comfortable with.
Besides, he was, indeed, curious about the new arrival.
“All right,” Uruha sighed. “If it means keeping Yo-ka, I’ll go along with it. But I want to meet with this boy first, and I most definitely want Yo-ka to meet with him.”
“Good.” The boss turned and left the room, and Uruha sank into his chair with a long sigh.
“Jin . . .” he began.
Jin held a hand up. “No worries, it’s all okay. It happens.” And now, he thought, I’m going to have to come up with a Plan B for Manabu. He knew that the youngest member of the Screw Crew was looking forward to this, even if it was a small role.
Uruha rubbed his temples. It was times like this that the thoughts he’d had a little while ago - of setting up his own indie production company and taking his actors with him - popped up again. It probably wasn’t something that was doable - yet. He was successful, true, but he still only had a couple of years in the industry under his belt.
A couple of years later, though . . .
Oh, yes, it was a lovely thing to think about.
* * *
Yuuki first heard about this incident from Yo-ka at dinner that night. “They just insisted he be in the video? Really?”
“They threatened to pull me out of it if the new person wasn’t in,” Yo-ka said. “It shocked the hell out of me. I’ve never heard of them going so far for a performer before. This guy must be something special. Do you have any ideas who he is?”
Yuuki shook his head. “I’m as in the dark as you are. I heard about them signing some new guy who’d never been in videos before, but that’s it - and besides, they do that all the time.”
“Supposedly he’s coming over to the office to meet with Uruha tomorrow,” Yo-ka said. “Uruha insisted on it.”
Yuuki looked thoughtful. “What time?” he said.
Yo-ka blinked. “Around 2, why?”
“I’m going to make a point to be in Uruha’s office,” Yuuki said. “I want to see him for myself. I want to know what Eros considers special enough to yank you out of a video for.”
But as it turned out, Yuuki wasn’t the only person who “just happened to drop in” at that time. When he arrived outside Uruha’s office at a few minutes to two, Jin and Byou were there. So were Aoi and Kazuki.
“What’s this?” Yuuki said, seeing the group near the door. “I didn’t know Uruha was throwing a party.”
“I wanted to go over the new version of the screenplay,” Jin said.
“I need to ask him about our shooting schedule,” said Aoi.
“And you both just happened to bring your boyfriends along,” said Yuuki.
“We were on our way to the store,” Byou said. “This was on the way.”
“And it’s my shooting schedule, too,” said Kazuki.
Check, thought Yuuki. The Screw Crew showed up to see who was going to replace Manabu in the video. “And I came to ask if Saga finished the script for my next video,” said Yuuki.
“Which you could have done by E-mail,” said Aoi.
“And so could all of you,” said Yuuki. “Face it, you’re all here to catch a glimpse of Wonder Boy.”
“And you’re not?” Aoi said.
“At least I’m willing to admit . . .” But before Yuuki could finish, the elevator pinged, and all eyes shifted to the doors. They opened, and the person who got out looked like he had no business being at a porn company.
He was good looking, of course. He had the same kind of fine, pretty features that were standard for PSC Productions talent, topped by a head of dyed blond hair - also typical. But he also looked sweet, innocent and . . . young. Too young.
“Um, hi,” the boy said, bowing to the group.
“Hi yourself,” Aoi said as they collectively bowed back. “I think you might be on the wrong floor.”
The boy looked around. “This is where Uruha-san’s office is, right? I have an appointment with him.”
“You’re . . . the new actor?” Kazuki tried vainly to hide the surprise in his voice. Byou just stared open-mouthed.
“I hope so!” the boy said with a big smile. “They told me at the Eros offices that Uruha-san had a part for me in his new video. I’ve never been in a video at all, so to debut with Uruha-san is really exciting!”
“Never been in a video at ALL?” Byou said. Apparently, that bit of news hadn’t reached the non-Eros-related personnel.
“Well, except for my audition video,” the newcomer said. “But that doesn’t count, does it?” He put his hand on the doorknob. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you all around!”
As soon as he went into the office, the group collectively rushed to the other end of the hall and formed a huddle.
“He’s a kid!” Jin said.
“Uruha had better get his paperwork,” said Aoi.
“Paperwork?” said Kazuki.
“You know, his license or passport or that sort of thing. Something showing his age.”
“He’s never been in a video?” Byou said. “He doesn’t know what he’s in for, does he?”
“He probably thinks all he’ll have to do is show a little skin,” Jin said.
Yuuki, meanwhile, was just staring at the closed door of Uruha’s office, deep in thought, his concentration only broken by Aoi slapping a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Yuuki! Earth to Yuuki!”
“He’s in a trance,” said Kazuki. “Well, I can’t blame him. The boy was cute.”
“Cute like a Pikachu,” Aoi said.
But Yuuki just stared at the door again. He knew types like that boy. He’d seen about them, heard about them - young, fresh-faced boys and girls who drifted into the porn industry lured by money and glamor. Some knew what they were doing, kept their heads above water and navigated the industry waters successfully. Others . . . were very good candidates for being chewed up by the business and spit back out.
As much as he liked and respected his bosses at Eros - they’d given him his start in the industry, a way to turn his obsession with sex into a career - he knew they wouldn’t be looking out for an industry newbie. Somebody else had to show him the ropes - so to speak.
“I’m going to talk to Uruha,” he suddenly said out loud.
“You can’t do that,” said Aoi. “He’s in there with that kid.”
“Then I’ll wait until he’s done,” Yuuki said. “Because the kid is what I want to talk to him about.”
“Look, why don’t we all go to Starbucks together, and then we’ll come back and make sure he’s got the kid’s paperwork?” Jin said.
“You guys go,” Yuuki said. “I’ll wait.
The rest of the group looked at each other. “Well, okay,” said Jin. “We’ll be at the usual place” - the Starbucks outlet on the corner near the office - “if you change your mind.”
The other guys headed down the elevator. Yuuki remained, getting out his phone and flipping through his messages, then looking at the door again.
After awhile, it opened and the young man came out. “Oh, you’re still here,” he said.
“I was waiting to see Uruha-san, too,” Yuuki said. “I need to talk to him about a video. I’m Yuuki, by the way.”
“I recognized you,” the boy said, bowing deeply. “I’m called Subaru.”
“Subaru? Like the car?”
“Something like that.”
“So . . . you’re still excited about the video after talking to Uruha?”
“More than ever. It’s just a small part, but I get to do a scene with Yo-ka, and there’s all kinds of great people in the cast. Uruha-san didn’t say you were in it, though.”
“I’m not,” said Yuuki.
“But you’re still with Eros, right? You’re not just with PSC?”
“Hell, yeah, I’m still with Eros.” It was a matter of pride to Yuuki that he still held onto his “indie cred” - despite the fact that he was now an award-winning star who’d been in two top-selling videos. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Then we could still work together - here or there.”
Yuuki was quiet for a moment. Then, he said, “Okay, I’m saying this in a completely not-hitting-on-you way - I want to give you my phone number.”
Subaru’s whole face lit up. “Really?”
“I think you need someone who’s in the industry already to talk to.”
Subaru pulled out his phone, opened up a new contact page and handed it to Yuuki. “Then we can go out for drinks sometime?”
“We definitely will.” Yuuki handed his own phone over to Subaru. The sooner the better, he thought, and definitely before they started shooting.
“Terrific!” Subaru said, as the two men gave their phones back to each other. “I’ll see you around, then!”
Yuuki waited until the boy had gone back into the elevator. Then, he knocked on Uruha’s door.
“Come in, Yuuki,” he called. “I heard your voice out there.”
Yuuki opened the door and came in. “I’m guessing you figured out why I’m here, then.”
“Yes, and the answer to your question is, I’ve gotten his ID. He’s legal and of age. Don’t worry, I don’t want PSC Productions having a Traci Lords case on its hands.”
“Traci . . .” The name seemed familiar, but Yuuki couldn’t place it.
“American porn star in the ‘80s,” Uruha said. “She made a ton of videos - well, they were films and VHS tapes then - when she was underage and lied about how old she was. The authorities found out, all the existing copies of her underage videos had to be hunted down and destroyed, and the industry became paranoid about hiring too-young people afterward.”
Yuuki shook his head. “You know so much about the business it scares me sometimes. But no, his age isn’t what concerned me. Well, it’s part of it, but it’s not the main thing. It’s, well . . . what was your overall impression of him?”
“Impression?” Uruha looked puzzled. “Well, he was a very sweet kid, and he knows full well what we do here. Says he’s making money to pay off college. He’s very enthusiastic about working with Yo-ka. He brought a flash drive with his screen test - no scenes with another actor, just some stripping and solo stuff. He seems very comfortable in front of the camera.”
Oh, boy. Yuuki knew he really had to talk to him now. Sweet kid? Paying off college? Excited about the glamor and celebrity? All potential danger signs.
“Did he talk about his skills? Relevant to the video?”
“We didn’t go into that,” Uruha said. “He did say he’d had a couple of boyfriends, so at least we know he’s not a virgin. But you know full well that Yo-ka will be in the driver’s seat for that scene, so I’m not too worried about that. He’s in good hands.” Then, after a pause - “This isn’t just about you having been sent here as a spy by the Screw Crew, is it?”
“They didn’t send me,” Yuuki said. “I came entirely on my own. I was just curious at first, but after I saw him . . .”
“You began wondering if he was too young?”
“Something like that.”
“Nothing to worry about at all,” Uruha said. “Everything’s going to be fine. I still don’t like the idea of Eros cramming a performer down our throats, but at least they didn’t demand he play a lead, and he seems to be easy to work with.”
Everything was going to be fine? Yuuki thought. Perhaps. It all depends on the boy . . .
He was going to call him later, see if he could arrange a meeting for tomorrow. He was going to find out what this boy was about. If he liked what he saw, if the newcomer was at least on somewhat firm footing, he could count on Yuuki to be a guide and mentor.
If he sensed the boy was at all in danger, though, he’d see to it that Manabu got his part in the film back - consequences with Eros be damned. Protecting a young boy’s well-being was more important than one video.
* * *
In the Starbucks, the three members of the Screw Crew, plus Aoi, sat in their usual corner booth. “I don’t know if that one is going to stick around,” Aoi said. “I’ve seen cute ukes, but he’s beyond cute uke. He looks like the lead in a high school dorama.”
“Maybe he just looks young,” Kazuki said, shrugging. “I was young when I started, remember.”
“You were old enough to be a DJ in a strip club,” Byou reminded him.
“Like the guys who own those places check IDs when they hire people?” Kauzki replied. “I just feel bad for Manabu. It wasn’t a big part, but it was a good one, and I know he wanted to do a scene with Yo-ka.”
Jin, who had been silent up until this point because he was intently texting someone, looked up from his phone. “Well, don’t feel too sorry for him,” he said, “because I just solved his problem.”
“You were talking to the guy from Eros?” Aoi said.
“Nope,” said Jin. “But I did convince Saga to write him into the script he’s doing for Yuuki. And it’ll be a bigger part, too.”
A cheer went up from the table, and Kazuki raised his Frappuccino in a toast. “You’re a genius,” he said. “I’m just glad you’re on my side.”
“I take care of my own,” Jin said. “Like I always have.”
“So . . . what if Mr. Cutesy-Wootsy runs away when he finds out what really goes on when we film videos?” said Aoi. “Does Manabu get two parts, then?”
“That’s up to Uruha,” said Jin. “But if it were up to me? Oh, hell, yes!”
The group laughed and followed Kazuki’s lead in holding up their cups in a toast. Things were going to be all right with Manabu, at least.
The new guy’s future? Well, that was a big wait-and-see.
* * *
Yuuki sat at a table that could be seen from the door. He usually covered his pink hair with a hat at times like these - he loved being the center of attention on a set, but he didn’t necessarily like being gawked at in a bar. Still, he wanted to make sure that Subaru could see him right away.
The novice porn star came in right at the appointed time, approaching the table and sitting down. “Hi,” he said. “Thanks for inviting me out tonight. I’m glad you did.”
“How so?” Yuuki said.
“Well, I didn’t have anything to do tonight - and I didn’t just want to sit around and play video games or anything like that. I was too excited about the shooting.”
“Do you live alone?” Yuuki said.
Subaru shook his head. “I have roommates - some other guys who came to Tokyo from Osaka with me. It’s kind of cramped with five of us in one place, but we make it work.” He looked around. “I’m going to the bar to get drinks - you want anything?”
“Actually, now that you’re here, I’d like to move to a back table,” Yuuki said. “More privacy. We’re going to be discussing work eventually.”
“Oh - oh, sure,” Subaru said. Yuuki noticed that he seemed only a tiny bit flustered at the mention of that - he didn’t even get blushy like Manabu would. This meant one of two things: either he knew more about the business than Yuuki thought, or he knew nothing at all. He’d find out soon enough.
They moved to the back table, and Yuuki flagged down a waiter to get them their drinks. Since he decided it was best to ease the younger man into this, he kept the conversation more general at first. He heard all about Subaru’s roommates (Kuina, Koudai, Tomoya and another Kazuki), and his life back in Osaka (which was good, but he and his friends decided there was more opportunity in Tokyo), and his college (where he’d studied art and design, with an eye toward creating video game characters and scenery - “My ultimate dream is to work at Square Enix”).
After awhile, Yuuki said, “You’re going into this business to pay off your college debt - right?”
Subaru nodded. “I still have some bills to clear up, and I’m supporting myself as well - that was the agreement with my roommates, we share all expenses equally. So yes, I need money.”
“And what pushed you in our direction?”
“There was a guy I went to college with who was doing videos secretly,” Subaru said. “He’d slip down to Tokyo on weekends to film them and then come back to Osaka for school. He told me about it at a party, when everyone was drunk. I knew I should have been shocked by it, but instead, I was. . .”
“Fascinated?”
“That’s a good way of putting it. It seemed like, well, a bold way to make a living. And he was getting paid a lot more than we were for part-time jobs. So I asked him to recommend me to a producer when I went to Tokyo.”
“How much did he tell you about the industry?” Yuuki said.
“Just that doing that kind of thing on camera was a lot easier than you’d think it is. And that the people were mostly nice and supportive. He said there were a few divas, but not many.”
And now, Yuuki was going to bring the reality hammer down. “But he didn’t tell you that it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life, did he?”
The younger boy looked confused. “What do you mean?” he said.
“I mean that there’s no such thing as just getting into this for one or two videos,” Yuuki said. “I have never known anyone who got into this business and then immediately got out. Once you’re in, you’re in. Most of the guys I know have been doing this for years - and a lot of them said the same things. ‘It’s just until I get my college education paid off,’ or ‘It’s just until I’m able to get into the field where I really want to work,’ or ‘I’m just gaining experience before going into legitimate film.’ They’re all in the industry, still.”
Now Yuuki saw the first flicker of worry on Subaru’s face. “Is it . . . is it because of the kind of things they’re doing? Because people won’t hire them if they’ve worked in porn?”
Yuuki shook his head. “There’s some stigma around it, but not as much as you might think, and it definitely doesn’t affect getting into the film industry. There’ve been guys who have made the transition from porn to legitimate film - although usually with a stage name change. No, I mean because it’s addictive. Doing porn is three times more addictive than crack.”
Subaru leaned toward him. “Because of the sex?” he said, quietly.
“That’s just part of it,” Yuuki said. “It’s mostly because porn becomes a home. It’s a place where you can be yourself. It’s where you don’t have to worry about putting on a proper bullshit dignified face for the outer world. You can have your hair any color and wear any clothes and get tattoos and piercings and it’s all okay. You can love who you want, how you want.”
Yuuki paused to take a drink before continuing. “And that’s another thing. Most of us are polyamorous. That means we have relationships with significant others, but we take other lovers as well, and everyone’s okay with it. I have a man at home I love more than life itself - Yo-ka, your costar in the video. But I also have other men, onscreen and off. So does he. He’s even got another guy that he loves, and I’m okay with it.”
Another pause, another drink. “Having a relationship like that - the security of love with the freedom of letting go of shame and fear - that’s addictive in and of itself.”
Subaru sat quietly, deep in thought. “I . . . I never considered any of this,” he said. “I never thought about it that way.”
“Look, I’m not trying to scare you out of the industry,” Yuuki said. “I’m not saying it’s a bad way of life, or a destructive one. Okay, there’s some jerks to be sure - but there’s jerks in every industry. I’m just letting you know what you’re getting into. I want you to go into this with your eyes open. This isn’t a hit and run - not by a long shot. But if you do decide you really want to go into the business? I’ll look out for you. I’ll be there if you have any questions or need help. But if you ultimately want to settle down with one person and have a desk job at Square Enix or anywhere else? This may not be your thing.”
A long pause, in which Subaru looked thoughtful again. “Why are you doing all this for me?” he said.
“Because I know what the industry can be like,” Yuuki said. “It’s like the wilderness. When you first go in, you need a guide, or you’ll get lost. And besides, after talking to you? I like you. I really do.”
“Really?” A big smile crossed the other man’s face.
“Really.”
Subaru finished his beer. “You’ve given me a lot to think about,” he said. “I think I’m going to take a walk before I go home - maybe chew all this over.”
“All right,” Yuuki said. “And you have my number if you want to talk - all right?”
The younger man nodded, put money down for his drinks and got out of the booth. “Thank you again,” he said, bowing. “I’ve had a very good time.”
As Subaru walked out, still looking contemplative, Yuuki finished his own beer. He just hoped he didn’t shock the kid - but he had to learn things as they really were. If he got two videos in and realized that being wrapped in the warm cocoon of the porn business was the best thing ever? He was never going to have that middle-class job and home in an equally middle-class neighborhood.
Of course, he’d probably be happier than he’d be in the middle-class neighborhood.
He paid for his own beer and started to leave. At least the kid seemed to have enough on the ball that he’d be okay if he stayed in porn. The question now was . . . would he?
To Part 2