Adrian

"So what's your assignment?" you asked, looking up from the book you'd been immersed in for the past two hours. Sometimes you thought choosing a photographer like Adrian would have been a better choice: at least in your early twenties, you wouldn't be suffering from back pain.

"Nothing... um... nothing special," Adrian replied, adjusting his glasses and looking up from his laptop to meet your gaze. "A collection of portraits," he explained. "But I have to capture people as I see them, so that it evokes the emotions I felt during the shoot, not the ones emanating from the subject."

You chuckled, genuinely interested by his words; perhaps Adrian should have gone to psychology instead of you. "And how do you see me?" you asked, a smile tugging at your lips as his cheeks suddenly flushed. You always thought it was sweet that your best friend still cared about you after all these years.

• You... you want me to take a picture of you? - he asked uncertainly.

"Why not? You've never asked me to film you. You should feel more comfortable with me."

So you set up a meeting for the next day. You chose his dorm room—it was his safe place, where it was easier for both of you to work in privacy, away from prying eyes. When you entered the room, you noticed him cleaning the lenses of his camera.

"So how do I pose?" you asked, plopping down on his bed. "Like... taking candid photos?"

"Something like that, yeah," Adrian muttered, packing up the camera and trying his best not to think about you being on his bed. "So... like that?"

He perked up at the sound of your voice, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably as he saw you lying on your side, your head propped up on your hand, a beautiful, hypnotizing smile on your lips.

"Yeah... wonderful..." Adrian whispered, holding his breath and adjusting his glasses before picking up the camera. "Just like that."