Bab 194: The Way You Touch Me
"It's not too late, Akane. We could totally just go home and say we got abducted by aliens or something."
"Oh, come on," Akane said as she wrapped her arms around her lover in the courtyard leading into the Yokai recording studio. "Where's my brave girl?" Akane smirked, giving her a warm smile and a wink.
Izumi had done an even better job on Akane's disguise this morning than she had in the trial run a few days ago. She wore a green polo shirt over a pair of khaki slacks and the same brown mens' dress shoes she'd tried on a few days prior. If Ranko didn't already know who it was under all that makeup – and no small amount of stretch bandages and duct tape – poor "Aki" would have been punched in the face three times already, with as many times as "he" had grabbed at Ranko since they left Izumi's apartment at too-damn-early-o-clock that morning.
"I can do it if you can." Ranko smiled up into her lover's eyes, the only part of her that was still recognizable. It was so weird seeing her made up like… a boy. But Akane seemed to be enjoying herself. She was even more flirty than usual, and couldn't keep her hands off of Ranko. The redhead thought maybe it was just an effort to desensitize each other somewhat before she had to do it in front of people, but part of Ranko wondered if there wasn't a part of Akane that was just enjoying being able to flirt and tease without the judgemental stares they spent so much of their relationship trying to avoid.
"C'mere, you." Akane pulled her closer, kissing Ranko softly with open lips, holding her in the embrace until one of Ranko's heels popped up off the ground.
As weird as it was to look into a boy's face and feel the way Akane made her feel, Ranko's desire to be pulled into a kiss in the middle of the street without worrying who was watching, like any other girl could, was the whole reason she'd written Sneak in the first place. Even if the methods they had to use to make it happen had been beyond extreme, Akane had been right the other day.
It does feel kind of nice to be swept off your feet sometimes.
Exhaling heavily to summon her courage as she was finally released, Ranko squeezed her lover's hand. "So, we're doing this?"
Akane nodded, beaming with excitement. "Lead the way, princess."
Blushing, Ranko turned to lead her disguised fiancee through the building, trying not to squeak too loudly in the cavernous main hall when Akane playfully swatted her on the backside with a smack that echoed far more loudly than she'd expected. She emerged through the back door onto the back soundstage lot, the same one where the Rise video was shot. There, she made eye contact first with Crash, who was standing on the back lot finishing a cigarette, and he could do naught but laugh and shake his head. "You've gotta be shitting me."
"Crash, this is my fiancee, Aki." Ranko giggled as Akane gave a nervous smile.
He laughed, shaking his head. "And you two nutters really think you can pull this off around sixty industry professionals?" Crash rolled his eyes, tossing his cigarette butt away. "Ranko, you're an even crazier chick than I gave you credit for."
Ranko smirked confidently. I convinced a whole-ass high school I was dating the basketball captain for almost four months, buddy. You don't know how good I really am. Yet.
"We'll take our chances." Ranko grinned, waving as Shinji approached. She was really glad he'd showed up at all; things were still pretty touchy between the two of them. He wasn't taking her phone calls, so she'd had to tell the others about Akane's plan yesterday without him and trust Crash to relay the details to him. Judging by how pissed her bassist looked, he'd gotten the message.
"This. This is your master plan? Are you psychotic?" Shin groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "I cannot believe I hitched my wagon to this insanity. It'll never work."
Ranko grimaced, leaning into him. "It'll work a lot better if you shut the hell up right now and stop raising suspicion."
She shot up straight as she saw a short, chubby man in a loud tropical-print button-down shirt approaching. "Hi, Yuji!" Ranko gave him a bright smile and an emphatic wave. After his not only getting rid of Takao for her, but giving her the opportunity to be the one to tell him, Ranko loved that guy.
"Hey there, star! How we doing? Who's this?" He looked up at Akane, and Ranko could see him building a scene in his head.
Ranko squeezed Akane's hand, both out of love and to provide a little boost of courage. "Yuji, this is my fiance, Aki. Aki, this is Yuji Oe, our director."
The heavy-set man blinked in surprise. "Good to meet you, Aki, but I didn't know you were engaged, Ranko."
Ranko nodded enthusiastically. "It just happened over Christmas. Isn't he just the most romantic?" Ranko threw herself at Akane's chest, snuggling into her with an air of absolute, unadulterated joy as Akane wrapped her in her arms. She could feel Akane's promise ring, which she wore on a silver chain around her neck to maintain her disguise, rubbing against her cheek through her shirt, and she nuzzled softly against it in wordless acknowledgement. This is so much easier than trying to play this game with Eiji.
"And, Aki, I understand you're going to be our male actor for the video today?" Yuji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The studio had tipped him off that there was going to be a last-minute cast change, but he was starting to understand why. He's a good-lookin' kid, and you can't deny he's got chemistry with Ranko.
Ranko nodded, giggling up at Akane, who seemed somewhat lost for words. Akane wasn't especially worried about her voice itself; Izumi had taken care of that. "Just scream into a pillow for two hours the night before, and your voice will drop an octave or two," she'd said, and it had certainly worked. Akane just didn't really know what to say.
Don't worry, Akane. This is where I'm at my best. "I understand all about professional distance and stuff, but I gave Aki my word, no other man will touch me like that but him. I know people think I'm this rebellious punker from my songs, but really? I'm a good girl and I don't want to do anything untoward."
Akane desperately fought not to shake her head. Good gods, Ranko. Laying it on a little thick, aren't we? But man, is it fucking adorable to watch.
"Well, alright," Yuji said. "Let's get you into costuming and makeup, Ranko. As for you, Aki, I guess all you need to do is take your shirt off."
Akane's face began to crack into one of panic, but Ranko sprung forward and shook her head vigorously. "I wouldn't recommend that, Yuji. Aki's definitely the rebel between us, and he's got tattoos on his chest that would make a sailor blush. You'd spend so much money trying to cover them with makeup or your computer mumbo-jumbo that you're much better off to agree with me that he's sexy as hell just like that, and call it a day."
With a chuckle, Yuji shook his head. "Are you sure you're not the director, Ranko? Okay. He stays like he is. Aki, make yourself comfortable, while we get your girl all prettied up for you, alright?"
Akane grinned. "Gladly."
Ranko dove into Akane's chest again, squeezing her tight around her belly and kicking one of her yellow heels up behind her. "I'll be back as soon as I can, handsome. I love you so much!"
A few meters away, Ranko's drummer just moved his pointed index finger from Ranko to Akane and back, his jaw hanging open in disbelief. "Is that really…"
Crash nodded slowly. "Not a fucking word, Ken." He smiled, watching as Ranko practically skipped through the backlot after Yuji, her yellow sundress flouncing a bit in the breeze. My gods, that girl is incredible.
Some thirty minutes later, Ranko bounced out of the makeup trailer, wearing a thin baby pink nightgown. She padded back to the group in a pair of white fuzzy slippers to spare her bare feet the discomfort of the backlot's asphalt.
Akane sat up on the bed they'd set up on the soundstage in the main building, waving to Ranko from atop its pastel green duvet as she approached. "Hey there, gorgeous."
Ranko kicked off her slippers, getting a three-step running start and leaping onto the bed, curling up in Akane's arms with a giggle just as they would at home. "Hi!" There are sixty-six people watching us right now. One hundred and thirty-two eyes. And I get to show them all how much I love you. Just for today.
Laughing, Akane hugged her close. "They are letting you keep that outfit when you leave today, right?"
Blushing, Ranko tittered quietly, burrowing gently into Akane's tightly-bound chest. "Well, they are making us shoot a video on Valentine's Day, so I figure they owe me one. I'll see what I can do, lover boy."
Yuji began consulting with the camera crew, describing the shot he wanted, but Ranko did not wait. They probably weren't going to use it, but she didn't care. For a week and a half, the studio had made her live in a constant state of panic about being groped by some random dude, and karma had repaid her with a mighty gift. She was determined to squeeze every bit of fun she could out of it.
She pushed Akane backward onto her backside on the bed, crawling after her sultrily on her hands and knees across the king-sized mattress. Each time Ranko reached forward with her hands, Akane playfully scooted back. Akane thought she was just fooling around, until Ranko opened her mouth, still giving languid chase around the mattress.
"You say you're not sorry that we're lovers, babe. Why'd you hide me underneath the covers, babe?"
Yuji threw his clipboard into the air with a shrug and a laugh. "Fuck it, roll tape, I guess."
~~~
"Um, Aki?" The director held up a finger to get Akane's attention as they filmed the next scene, in which Akane had backed Ranko up against a wall. The songstress still wore the pink nightgown, and she was struggling to catch her breath.
"Yes, sir?" Akane turned, still holding Ranko's wrists over her head against the plywood facade.
"I get that you're trying to be realistic with her and all, but…" Yuji blushed a bit. "You do know she still has to be able to sing, right?"
Ranko flushed, hiding her face behind her forearm. Hey, it's not my fault that she's driving me absolutely crazy. This scene was your idea, buddy.
"Um, sorry?" Akane growled her reply, her strained vocal chords giving her words a gravely tone that far better suited her current appearance than her usual voice would have.
"It's… let's just take five?" Yuji shrugged, laughing as he tossed his clipboard on a folding canvas chair. I swear, working with teenagers is gonna turn me gray before I'm 40.
Ranko blushed and lowered her chin shyly as Akane turned her eyes back toward her restrained fiancee. "If we're on a break, you could let me go, ya know."
Akane nodded thoughtfully, tightening her grip on both of Ranko's wrists with just her left hand. "I could, it's true." She flashed Ranko a devilish grin that sent such a shiver up the redhead's spine that even Akane could feel it through her wrists. After nearly and hour and a half of teasing, and the rush of getting to be in Akane's arms without feeling the need to hide it, every square millimeter of Ranko's skin was screaming for attention, and Akane knew it without a shadow of a doubt.
"Well, mister, if you're not going to let me go, at least kiss me." Ranko bit her lip cutely, looking up at her lover with a hopeful expression.
"I don't know…" Smickering, Akane poked her future wife gently on the nose with her free hand. "Yuji said I need to let you cool down a little."
Ranko whined softly, stomping her bare foot in protest against the carpeted floor of the set. "That's not fair! How am I supposed to cool down when you're here with me?"
With a shrug, Akane slid the index finger of her free left hand from the neckline of Ranko's nightdress up her neck to her chin. "I could leave if you prefer…"
Ranko's breath caught in her throat as Akane's finger passed over it. "Don't you… f… fucking dare, boyfriend."
Sighing sadly, Crash leaned on one of the unused camera tripods, watching the pair interact from thirteen meters away. He only looked up when he felt Jacob's hand thump down forcefully on his shoulder. "Hey, what's up, Jake?"
Jacob motioned to the two flirtatious girls under the bright studio lights. "Why do you keep staring like that, man? You're just torturing yourself."
Crash nodded distantly. "I know. I really don't have a chance, do I?"
"Bro, she's getting married. I know you don't get much chance to see them together up close like this very often, but… the ring really should've been enough to get the point across, don't ya think?" The Australian scratched his scalp, careful not to disrupt the gel holding his green mohawk in place.
Crash sighed, rubbing his temples with his right hand. "Yeah, I know. Just, how do you move on from someone like that?"
"Aw, c'mon, mate." Jacob rolled his eyes. "You didn't even date her. You kissed her once, like, a year ago. Just be her friend. Maybe once you stop going all googly-eyed for Ranko every time you're at the bar, you'll notice somebody that's right for you and you can stop chasing ghosts. You're about to drop an album, too, man. The birds'll be lining up if you let 'em."
~~~
Ranko leaned against a tree, watching from some fifteen meters away as Akane spoke to an extra, a teenage girl wearing the same generic high school uniform as Ranko now did. The songstress had been glad to change; two and a half hours of merciless torture at the hands of her "boyfriend" had left her in need of clean clothes whether the scene called for them or not. Akane had changed into a boys' school uniform, and fortunately been able to do so without disrupting her disguise too much.
She knew Akane was just making small talk, as she wore no microphone and nothing she said would be picked up on camera, but she still wondered what was being said. Was it about her? It almost hurt not knowing, not being within arm's reach of her lover after how close they'd been all day. It made it require no acting at all to convey the appropriate emotion for the portion of the song she was singing.
"When they're next to you, it's like you don't know I'm alive. The second that they look away, you send me into overdrive. I can't help it, falling underneath your spell. You're the best at kiss, and kiss, and never tell…"
She absolutely ached to be in Akane's arms. She wondered if singing the song at a faster tempo would hasten it, but she reminded herself that Yuji would just demand another take of this agonizingly distant shot. You don't understand, Yuji. This is the one day I get to be hers and not have to hide it. I don't want to waste a second of it. And on Valentine's Day, to boot.
"Sneak, baby, sneak, baby, no one knows how many nights I've lay here begging you to hold me close…"
~~~
Ranko held the dynamic microphone in her hand with a pronounced sass, dancing in front of her band as they played the bridge of the song. She was dressed in her third costume of the day, a red microdress that was a bit showy for her tastes even by her stage standards. She might not have agreed to wear it even if she was performing the scene with Crash, but as long as she was with Akane, she felt like she could be sexy and safe at the same time. Akane had changed again too, this time back into the polo shirt and slacks she'd worn when they first arrived. She danced on the "stage" set just behind Ranko, who grinded her backside against her lover as she sang lustily into the handheld microphone.
"You made me your dirty little secret, then, you made me your dirty little freak again…"
Akane tried not to blush, ignoring the cameras and just trying to focus on being natural with Ranko in the moment. It's a good thing I'm not a boy for real, Ranko… She grinned, allowing herself a split second to think ahead to the surprise she had planned for her fiancee later in the evening. I can't wait, baby. Gods, I love you, Ranko.
Jacob was fairly certain camera D caught Crash cringing and rolling his eyes at the couple at least once during the band's playthrough of the song. He hoped they wouldn't use that shot.
"That's why I'm buried in my pillow when you make me scream!" Ranko turned to face her beloved, wrapping one leg and one arm around Akane and singing the line practically in her ear as she hooked the red stiletto heel she wore behind Akane's knee to rest her leg's weight on the back of the larger girl's calf.
"Aaaaand, cut! Great job, everybody. Love that take!" Yuji applauded as an intern ran in front of the camera, slamming the clapper shut to indicate a pause in the filming. "Ranko, next we're going to move to the… ummm, Ranko?"
By the time the intern with the clapper had cleared the camera's view, the lead vocalist of the Dapper Dragons had already melted into her fiancee's arms again, whimpering quietly into a kiss with "him." Whatever the director was saying, Ranko didn't hear a thing.
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