Hate to Love – Hard to Love

Her stunning violet eyes enraptured every single gaze that it met, but most of all the photographer who was staring at her through the camera. So untouchably austere and filled with a cold that spoke of nobility, Erina Nakiri's face was a sight to behold. Sweeping a curled lock of strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and peering at the camera beneath her long lashes, there was a click that signaled a photo captured.

"That's a wrap!" the photographer couldn't seem to wait and immediately turned to look at the image that was taken on the monitor by his side, knowing that the higher-ups would be more than happy with the pictures, especially the last one.

"Erina-sama," her pink-haired secretary was at her side at once, agenda held as always in her hands, "You did wonderfully, as you always do."

The woman in question merely nods her head in assent, seemingly preoccupied with some errant thought as she begins to make her way to the dressing room. The dress she was modeling provided little warmth in the drafty shooting area, so she was anxious to be rid of it and change into her working clothes.

"After we leave here at three, we are scheduled to have an appointment with Hibiscus, an up and coming luxury fashion house before the dinner at Golden Gate with the designer." Hisako's instructions caused Erina to raise an eyebrow with slight interest.

"Please inform me as to why I would be modeling for an 'up and coming' fashion house? I don't remember seeing a contract for Hibiscus," while tucking her button up into a sensible but fashionable business skirt, the model asked.

"I'm sorry Erina-sama," her secretary apologized, head downcast. "But Alice-sama would not relent, it's her new pet project and she was very adamant that you model as your show of support."

"And of course she would go bully you instead of trying to bully me into it," Erina shook her head, too used to her cousin's antics. Alice had always had a playful streak, so it didn't surprise her that if she ever opened up a fashion house that she would exploit her this way.

Shrugging on her blazer in an enviously smooth movement, the violet-eyed supermodel spoke again, "Do not apologize, you did nothing wrong."

. . .

Nakiri Erina was born to be a star, there was no question as to this fact, but the question of how she became one. Coming from a family with a history that ran deep and pockets that ran deeper, her life has always been one of absolutes.

While she was born into luxury, she was also stripped of the luxury of youth. From a young age, she had known that whatever she chose to be, there was never the possibility of being number two. She would always be number one.

So from the moment she first debuted as a model, she had never looked back. It seemed that high fashion was made to be worn by her, there was a seamless way that she wore what may have seemed ridiculous clothing on anyone else. There was no denying that the woman knew uncannily what was going to look so good that people could not look away. The world had never known such a genius and she had the entire globe at her fingertips.

Which could also be said for Nakiri Alice whom she was sitting directly in front of.

"Cousin, you're looking," Alice's startling pale eyes glinted with her usual mischief, pink lips curled into a smile that seemed to hint at her amusement at some secret Erina didn't know, "well."

Erina struggled not to pinch the bridge of her nose, conversations with Alice were never fun as the woman had absolutely no shame, "Thank you, although I must say your current attire is much more…matronly than usual."

"I've been too busy designing to be worrying about what I'm wearing," Alice responded, chin tilted slightly in annoyance, "Besides aren't you going to ask me how business is going?"

"I know it's going well," at this Erina's face softens slightly, a genuine smile on her face as she relishes in the fact that her flighty cousin had finally found something that brought her happiness. Alice was truly passionate about her fashion house and it showed in the way she would forgo contact with her family for weeks on end when her muse strikes her.

Alice had finally found her dream.

"I know you always do those super old and boring photoshoots all the time," the white-haired woman emphasized, watching as her cousin's delicate eyebrows began furrowing lightly, "So I decided that the newest collection of Hibiscus was going to be displayed in an unconventional way."

Erina did not like that word, nor did she miss the devious smirk on Alice's face as she stressed out that particular word. There was a certain person that had always been tied to that particular group of syllables, one that she would rather do without. But that didn't mean the modeling world wanted to do without him, much to her every growing chagrin, looking at the increasing number of magazines he was gracing every season.

. . .

Yukihira Sōma's gaze was magnetizing, his sharp golden eyes were hyper-focused and seemed to pierce through the camera to the photographer whose fingers tremored faintly as they clicked the button. A blinding flash illuminates the dark room, and his picture is processed and shown on the nearby monitor.

His skin was illuminated into a startling pale in contrast to the dark background, one of his hands was in his dark red hair as his luminous yellow eyes glinted with an unspoken promise. Looking at the photo with satisfaction, the director indicated that the shoot was over.

Shinomiya strode over to where Sōma was chatting it up with the makeup artist whose cheeks were flushed a pink that was visible from meters away. After brushing her off, he crosses his arms over his chest as he stares the younger male down, "You think that was good enough?"

Sōma only shrugs nonchalantly, "The photographer seemed to like it, what's the problem?"

His mentor only shook his head, an unspoken disappointment that wafted off of him in waves, "You'll never be signed onto the really big names if you continue doing shoots like this, I know you're not technically a professional, but this won't do."

"I know, alright? I'm just a kid who got lucky off of Instagram," Sōma's jaw clenched, eyes freezing over as he recalled the similar words that rolled off so easily from her tongue. But even then, he never found a single being as breathtaking as she was.

Reaching over and laying a hand on his shoulder, Shinomiya said nothing more and guided the handsome young male to the dressing room. When Sōma gets around to checking his texts, he finds a few from Alice Nakiri, which was never a good sign.

The woman was a certifiable way to come in contact with the one person that he could never ignore, no matter how much he wanted to. After all, there was nothing else that people wanted to do but stare at her, lost in her simplistic movements that were inevitably hypnotizing. Nonetheless, he liked Alice, and for all her excitable energy she was an undeniably talented individual.

"Shinomiya-senpai, Nakiri wants me for a shoot for her fashion house," Sōma calls out to the man who was reading something on his compact laptop, "She says that it'll be a good chance to change up my image, make it less 'plebeian'." His face contorts slightly when he sees the words and struggles not to roll his eyes.

"I mean, there's no way that you could say no." The pink-haired male mutters, "At this time, a Nakiri's words are law in the fashion world. It'll be interesting, I wonder who else will be modelling?"

. . .

"Erina?" The name comes out almost as a hiss when he sees her very recognizable secretary sitting outside of the meeting room that he was supposed to enter five minutes ago. Unconsciously he takes inventory of what he's wearing, which consisted of a pair of jeans and t-shirt topped off with an open blazer. It'll have to do.

"Hello ladies," he smiles charmingly at Alice, whose lips were lifted lightly into a smile that held a hint of smugness that did not go unnoticed by the redhead. But any thoughts he had regarding the white-haired woman disappeared when he laid eyes onto the queen herself, Erina. He couldn't seem to help the way that his breath caught in his throat as he took in the way she sat, perched delicately on her seat. Her long blonde hair was coiled into an updo, leaving the pale expanse of her neck and collarbones visible and framed by a clean white blouse that was tucked neatly into a skirt that hugged her slim waist and curvaceous hips.

Erina, to her credit was just as affected but had perfected her ability to keep calm and collected, but even then, she couldn't help but to sneak another glance. The blue of his jeans contrasted appealingly with the red of his hair and seemed to sit deliciously low on his hips while his t-shirt outlined his torso. It wasn't tight enough to make anything out, but it indicated enough towards a lean and toned figure that was emphasized by the blazer that seemed to widen his shoulders. His eyes were that same glowing gold, and the moment it met her violet ones she slid it naturally back to Alice who was looking much too smug.

"I see you've finally decided to grace us with your presence," Alice indicates to the chair next to Erina, asking him to sit down, "We've got quite a few things to talk about. As you know I've decided to launch a brand-new line for the spring and summer but have been looking for the perfect models for the photoshoots."

"Are you sure this isn't just you wanting to set everything on fire?" Sōma chuckles, consciously keeping his gaze off of the woman beside him, "Because I have no doubt this Nakiri is silently plotting for your demise."

The strawberry blonde whips her head to glare at the slyly smiling redhead, "What's that supposed to mean? That I can't be professional even if I have to model with someone like you?"

"Ouch," the word was sarcastic, but even after hearing it for the nth time, it still stung. "Would it kill you to hide your disdain for just a few minutes?" His eyes narrow slightly as he watches her tilt her chin arrogantly, and interrupts whatever she was going to say with, "Oh save it, princess. It's not like it will be something you haven't said already."

"That's fine, I'll just save a few more breaths for something actually worth my time," Erina sniffs delicately, silently fuming at his blatant obnoxiousness. "Like my purse, for example. At least it listens and happens to have a better bloodline than you."

"Yeah, talk to your dehydrated piece of cow skin," Sōma rolls his eyes, but relishing the way that she was staring angrily at him. To his knowledge, this was one of his unique abilities, to get the unflappable Erina Nakiri to look as if she was trying to set him aflame using just her eyes.

"Aw, so cute," Alice interrupts the spat between the two biggest names in the modeling world, "This will be perfect! Just what I was looking for."

Perhaps this was the one in a million thing that caused the two to act in perfect concert, swiveling their heads to stare appalled at the white-haired designer who had a grin that stretched widely from ear to ear. A foreboding feeling entered their stomachs as Alice began to outline the schedule for the shoots, knowing that there was no way that either of them were going to say no.

. . .

The first couple of shoots were individual, none the less the two main acts both had to be present at the behest of Alice who claimed that there must be continuity even if they weren't going to be on the set at the same time. When he hears the commotion from behind him, Sōma turns to see Erina stride purposefully into the room. Her long blonde locks were braided into a pair of loose pigtails that suffused her aura with a tinge of youthfulness that seemed almost out of place with her usual aloofness.

Erina hated turtlenecks, and that was the first thing Alice had her model claiming that the centre pieces of today could not be outshone. It was a lovely deep burgundy that played interestingly with the violet of her eyes, but the fabric irritated her to no end even if it wasn't scratchy at all. It was just uncomfortable, and so was the little bag that her cousin had told her was supposed to steal the show.

It was cute while maintaining a certain classiness, the smooth black leather was adorned with small floral motifs and three-dimensional vines that crept along the fabric artfully. In her hair was the other main character of today's shoot, a small tiara that sat delicately on top a cushion of spun gold.

When she catches Sōma's gaze, she feels strangely bashful, her usual confidence waned slightly. She blames the outfit that made her feel younger than she actually was, but it may have had to do with the clothes that he happened to be sporting for the shoot. His hair was even more tousled than usual, fiery red an artful mess that was complimented by the beige slacks and baby-blue sweater he was wearing. A white button up peeked out from beneath the wool, both at the collar and at the hem, making him look like a typical college student that rolled out of bed a tad too late.

For one of the first times, Erina looks away from his gaze in a way that hinted not at derision but of innocent hesitation and perhaps it was only the makeup, but there was a pink that tinted her cheeks that made her look much too tempting. Sōma watches as she steps onto set, the entourage of makeup and hair trailing after her, ensuring that she looked absolutely perfect.

Alice was waiting there and before she left, she waited for Erina to sit down in front of the white table before whispering something into the blonde's exposed ear. Sōma isn't sure what the whitehaired Dane had said, but whatever it was, it caused one of the most becoming blushes to appear on the princess's face. At this, the photographer couldn't help but snap a couple of pictures of this unbelievably rare chance.

"Okay photographer," Alice skipped off of the set with a happy step, "I leave the magic to you, while I finally relish in the chance that I get to boss the great Nakiri Erina around."

Following her cousin's directions, she places the little bag onto the table and begins posing for the camera, all traces of the earlier flustered expression gone and replaced with sterile professionalism.

"She's too good at this, isn't she?" Out of nowhere, Alice is next to Sōma who was watching the processes with a critical eye, "Just a little too…dead."

The redhead nodded in assent, Erina was truly a top tier model without any doubt, however the way she did it was how it was traditionally done. Without too much emotion infused to her, a still life almost. Which to be fair was stunning on its own and fit the criteria that most high-end fashion houses wanted, but it wasn't what Alice wanted.

"You mind flirting with her?" Her voice was deceptively innocent as if the thought had only just struck her, "You know, liven it up a bit."

Sōma snorted, "I don't have a death wish, so unless you have some sort of guarantee, I ain't doing it." Although the idea did have its merits, seeing the usually so put together model flustered was very fun.

"Come on, don't be such a wuss," Alice nudges him, coaxing him into the dangerous waters that came with angering Nakiri Erina, but then again these were the only two people that didn't care a whit for that.

The two of them make their way to the photographer who was busy snapping away, the flashes and clicks making a soothing rhythm. Erina notices them immediately and the pristine expression almost cracks at the sight of Sōma again, she cursed her cousin in her mind. "I hope you get used to Sōma soon, you guys will be getting much closer by the end of this project."Somehow, Erina knew Alice did not simply mean in a friendly way, it just wasn't the way she rolled so it was all she could do to not think about it.

But for all her intentions, her eyes slid from the camera to Sōma's face who seemed to have been waiting for her to look his way. Once he had her attention, she watches as a slight curve imprints itself onto his lips and the idiot dares to wink at her, a cheeky one to be sure but the reaction is immediate. A redness blooms onto her cheeks and there is a spark in her eyes that wasn't there before as the movement registers and she looks down.

Her heart is beating just a tad too fast, the feeling foreign as she deliberates her next move. Hesitantly, she lifts her head just slightly before peering upwards through her lashes, the remnants of the earlier blush still tinting her face.

Sōma was having a bit too much fun, seeing Erina's reactions were always amusing but these ones were the best ones he's ever been able to see. So of course, without even Alice encouraging him, he pushes it even more.

When he sees her looking at him again, head still slightly lowered but violet irises trained onto his movements he lets the earlier faint smile deepen into a playful smirk as he raises a hand to beckon her with his pointer finger.

Bam.

She couldn't help it; it was all purely reactionary. She jumped up from her seat and slammed her hands onto the white table with a resounding thump, it was then that the camera clicked. Erina's face was a sight to behold, there was a clear expression of anger mixed with a bunch of other emotions. Her pink lips were parted in shock and the crown on her head had become dislodged and was hanging on haphazardly to her head.

"I like this one," Alice's voice broke the heated stare that the two models were holding, "Okay, Yukihira, you're up."

Erina felt rattled, and she never felt rattled which was why it took her a moment to react to her cousin's words. Her jaw clenched, she wasn't sure what kind of game that infuriating redhead was playing, but she would take no part in it. Untangling the crown from her hair and placing it haphazardly on the table like Alice had told her to do earlier, she hurriedly retreats to her chair where Hisako was waiting for her.

"Erina-sama," the pink haired woman was slightly concerned, her boss was acting quite strangely today from the way she was puffing her cheeks out (dare she say it?) cutely. "Is everything alright? Would you like something to drink, perhaps?"

"No, please don't bother," she motioned for Hisako to take a seat beside her, "Why do you think he's so popular?" She gently angles her head towards Sōma who was being prepped by Alice.

"Hm?" Hisako muses slightly as she studies the mask that falls easily into place, transforming him from the happy-go-lucky kid to more of a confident and playful college student. He exuded youth, and not just the idea of 'young' but the brashness and headstrong tenacity that people have come to associate with it. And there was no denying it, "He looks good, and people want to see more of him."

Erina sniffs at the answer but doesn't say anything to dispute what her long-time friend and secretary had said even though she knew that it was much more than that. While she had felt uncomfortable dressed so 'young' he seemed to be in his element, looking like any college girl's dream boy. As much as she didn't want to admit it, there was a unique charm to him that attracted eyes and hearts in a way that she knew differed from hers.

. . .

Sōma never thought he would have ever worn something like this, there was nothing to say about the design, it looked amazing hanging on the clothing rack. But he didn't think it was for him, it fit him well and the style fit, but the print. It was a vibrant red that was enhanced by the darkness red of his hair, but there were small black flowers embroidered sparingly across the fabric. They were so small that from far away it seemed to be inconspicuous black dots, but it was clear what they were as soon as you were within a couple of meters.

He was so clearly uncomfortable that Erina stifled a chuckle when he steps out of the changerooms, his usual brashness and easy confidence had been stifled slightly. Not to say that he didn't look good, the amount of giggling by the female workers and even some of the male was proof enough.

This time Erina was wearing something more to her tastes, a cute tweed skirt and matching blazer that was paired with a pair of cute white oxford shoes. It was still youthful but held more of an art to them than that godforsaken turtleneck. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail with rich blonde curls at the bottom and yet another crown placed on her head.

Her eyes scanned the new set, with the same pastel but a different colour background and the modern table was replaced with a heavy-looking oak one. A few bookshelves were also rolled in, as if replicating a library within this pastel blue background, Erina found it odd but just ran with it. After all, it was Alice.

Apparently, Sōma was going up first, which left her sitting to the side as she watched him pose a few times. It was definitely not to Alice's liking from the way that she was frowning slightly, and Sōma knew it too. The ease he usually felt in front of the camera was escaping him, as he sat behind the table neatly and tried a few poses at the behest of the photographer.

"You're too stiff, and yet this is one of the things you like to point out about me," her cold voice seemed too loud in the spacious area, "Lighten up Sōma, just do what you usually do or your charm with that jacket is going to wear out."

She was surprisingly close, even a smidgen in front of the camera but the reaction from him was immediate when he hears her words. He rests an arm on the back of the chair, hand dangling loosely as he tilts his chair back slightly, so it rests only on two of its four legs. "So I have charm eh?"

He watches as she stands proudly and tilts her chin up, "Don't misread my words, it's the jacket that gave you whatever limited charm you have." But then to his surprise, she doesn't leave but rather stays there a little longer. Her lips curl into a slight smile as her gaze seems to run up and down his figure before returning to his golden eyes that were filled with surprise. She resists the urge to stick her tongue out at him and satisfies herself with a slight deepening of her smile.

There was a little part of her that said that she really shouldn't have, she should have just left as soon as she had finished speaking, but she couldn't help it. There was a part of her that wanted in on the game he had been playing earlier, which she hoped was not going to going to cause undue trouble later on.

. . .

Their next shoot was bizarre, there was no other word that Erina thought fit more because how else does it explain the dress she was wearing and the motorcycle she spotted on her way in? Perhaps she was overthinking it, but Alice was not the type to do things the way you expected her to in the first place. In the end, she stops worrying and steps out of the dressing room fully outfitted in a blush pink dress that had a short, but voluminous skirt with a waist that sparkled from a line of blinding gold. At least for once, she wasn't wearing those tiaras, although the hefty metal that circled her bicep begged to differ.

Souma knew the dress was supposed to be innocent looking, heck the colour and the cut screamed fairy princess, but Erina somehow made it look seductive at the same time. The fabric hid the shape of her hips but emphasized the tininess of her waist in comparison to her voluptuous chest. He hadn't even noticed he was staring until she walked up to him with an amused glint in her eyes.

"You seem more distracted than usual, I hope that won't be an issue today," while usually he would have taken some offence to that, there was a hidden playfulness to her words that had never been directed towards him.

He waggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly, "Hey, I never said anything when you were staring earlier." Souma watches as she frowns slightly, lips forming a slight pout and continues, "'Sides, you look cute. Can't blame a guy for looking at a cute girl, right?"

At this, against her wishes, her face flushes and to hide her reaction she steps up close to him so she can glare right into his eyes, "Don't call me cute."

The increased proximity seemed not to affect the redhead as he returns her gaze with a slyness that was not caught by the strawberry blonde, "I'll stop calling you that when you stop blushing whenever I do."

She releases him and places her hands on her hips with a proud flick of her hair she enunciates, "I'm holding you to that, and sorry to say, I wasn't staring at you especially if I could stare at my piece of dead cow skin." Before he can respond, she had glided away and went onto the set.

The set today was interesting, there was one with a gilded throne and one with the motorcycle and as asked, Erina stepped onto the throne and settled herself in the seat. Her legs were crossed and as one arm lay across her midsection the other was on the arm of the throne while she laid her head gently on that hand. Slipping a finger into her hair and tugging on a curl so that it came out of her updo, she began twirling it slowly as she stared with a bored expression on her face into the camera.

Alice wasn't unhappy per se, but it was missing something the expression was slightly off, boredom should be the main emotion portrayed. However, she was hoping for an added hint of longing, of some sort of unhappiness that stemmed from being so bored. It was pivotal to the way that she wanted the shoot to go, so when she saw that Erina seemed unable to portray the emotion she wanted, she told her to take a bit of a break. The photographer, on the other hand, decided to stay, it wasn't as if they had something else to do and besides, taking pictures of Nakiri Erina was everyone's dream at this point.

The woman herself stayed seated on her throne in deep thought as she contemplated what Alice wanted, she had always had difficulties in making herself seem emotional. It just wasn't the way she was taught to model, because in the end, it was the clothes that were supposed to shine, not her. But as her mind wandered, her eyes did the same, straying away from the camera and lights to where that infuriating redhead was chatting it up with Hisako.

He was clad in pair of leather pants that fit a tad too well with a leather jacket that was embroidered with a motif of a large vine that wrapped around his shoulders and across his back and curling around his narrow waist. But most of her attention was on the way that he and Hisako were chatting, her childhood friend seemed much more relaxed and from the way her shoulders shook, she was laughing. Hisako always seemed to stifle her laughter with Erina, and this fact made her inexplicably sad, their friendship would always have the undercurrents of their different upbringings. She wasn't sure if it was her fault, but she had always tried to ensure that Hisako wasn't putting herself down but perhaps it was too late.

Unbeknownst to Erina, while her expression remained the same, her eyes had gained a faint sheen of sadness and longing as she watched the two interact. Shaking her head gently, she told herself to focus on the task at hand but even then, she was quite curious about what the two were having so much fun talking about. At this, there was a strange bitterness on her tongue that she did not want to think about, so she finally returned her gaze toward the camera to see the lights flash.

The image captured the turmoil in her eyes too well, while there was the earlier expression of boredom it seemed to serve instead as a mask to the longing and bitterness in her eyes. This was the photo that Alice had wanted and as soon as she saw it, she told Erina to move off set.

. . .

Souma was more in his element now than ever, dressed in casual clothes and leaning against the vintage motorcycle with an easy smile on his face. There was distinct confidence in the way that he posed, which was not Alice wanted. It seemed she was only becoming more and more fickle about the entire thing, nitpicking the slightest of issues and being very blasé about some of the more important things.

"You look too satisfied, there needs to be some sort of spark that kind of hints at a longing or desire for something more," Alice rubs her chin with a pale hand as she studies photos that were already taken. Hm, perhaps the same trick would work on Souma?

Just as she had done with Erina, she leaves the room and waits for fate to do its job. When she leaves, it seems that the male relaxes a little more, photographer notices and just like Erina, he becomes distracted. The object of his fascination was none other than his female counterpart who was conversing with her aide, it was then that a young male shyly approached the two.

Souma said a silent prayer for the kid, knowing that he would likely have to face the wrath of Erina only to see that beyond the initial haughty and dismissive way she looked at him, she did none of that. In fact, she was looking quite serious and attentive as they talked as the younger male jotted down little notes onto a handbook he was holding. Souma was very curious, what could they be talking about? But then something shocking happened, Erina smiled, and it wasn't anything like the little condescending smiles he was usually on the receiving end of, but it was genuine even though it was small. And then she reached out and gently took the notepad out of his hands and jotting into it for a few moments and returning it.

As he watched this occurrence, Souma's facial expression had changed slightly there was a faint crease between his brows as he tried to make sense of the scene he had just witnessed. There was a mixture of curiosity and puzzlement in his gaze that was totally unaware of the photographer who was snapping away happily.

. . .

Erina supposed that it was bound to happen, but she didn't necessarily expect it and certainly not in this way. She wondered if Alice knew that the pink concoction she was wearing was going to pouf most unbecomingly if she was sitting on a motorcycle. But this was only the smaller of the evils because she was supposed to be riding the said motorcycle with Souma, which was one of those things that never seemed real until it happened.

She couldn't look him in the eyes as they took their places and was steadfastly ignoring everything she could about the interaction even if her arms were wrapped firmly around his torso and her chest pressed inappropriately on his back. Souma, to his credit, hasn't been much of a dick about it and was currently struggling also not to think too much about the entire thing.

There was a large fan that was going, blowing curls loose from Erina's updo and waving slightly wildly in the air as she unconsciously hid her face in his back. It was difficult to describe what she was thinking or feeling at this moment, she wasn't annoyed or angry as she thought she would be. It was definitely more embarrassment than anything and it showed in the way her cheeks glowed slightly with red.

It was too bad that Souma, who was supposed to be 'driving' the motorcycle, was wearing sunglasses. So the camera was unable to capture the bewildered confusion mixed with a tinge of happiness in his eyes. The arms that were wrapped around his waist were pale and slim but belied a certain strength, and he couldn't think about the other point of contact or else he probably couldn't continue the shoot.

When the fans are finally cut off, Souma steps off the stationary motorcycle with a smooth step when he feels the arms loosen from his body. After pushing his sunglasses into his dark red hair he offers a hand to the woman who was still sitting on the vehicle, who seems slightly dazed as she takes it without a quip. But before she could react, Souma had tugged her close to his chest and reached down and hooking an arm beneath her knees and picking her up. Her breath stopped, whatever her mind had been wandering about to was slammed right back into the present as Souma's vibrantly gold eyes stared quietly into hers.

Souma had thought he might have been unaffected by the woman that was currently in his arms, but as he gazed into the violet eyes that seemed softened by a sheen of uncertainty his heart began to beat much too quickly. Erina had always been heart-stoppingly beautiful, but now, he couldn't even begin to describe her and out of his volition, he began to lean closer.

Erina felt as if his gaze was going to swallow her whole, it was too much and not enough at the same time. Even if she had wanted to make him put her down, the words and thoughts all died as his face moved closer and when their faces were only separated by a breath. Both of them knew not what would have happened, but they were interrupted a series of loud catcalls and whoops that echoed in the large open room, lead of course, by Alice.

Souma almost dropped Erina and said woman whispered quietly into his ear, "If you drop me, I will end you."

The red-headed male swiftly put her down and reached a hand to the back of his neck as he rubbed it slightly nervously, "Aw come on, Nakiri. I'm not that weak, or are you saying something about yourself."

"Thanks for ruining the moment," but contrary to her words, Erina almost felt comforted by the badly done jibe and she flicks her hair past her shoulder with a smooth movement. Done with the shoots for the day, she couldn't wait to go home and get away from the person that was causing too much confusion to her life.

But there was a small part inside her that told her that it was too late, she was already beginning to like him too much.