Portraits of our dreams (Hashirama x Madara)

18. Boudoir (Hashirama)

"Excuse me? Could you tell me a bit more about this New York piece?"

I went towards the middle-aged man with my hands behind my back and smiled warmly.

"Ah! One of my personal favourites!" I said. I said that about all of my photos, to be honest. "This was taken from the top of the Empire State Building. Usually, New York views are obscured by smog. But I was lucky this day. There was a crisp coolness in the air that made the skyline visible unusually far away."

"How much is it?" the man asked.

I mentioned a sum that made me blush. I didn't believe I was worth that much money, but the gallery owner had insisted.

"You don't know how good you are, Hashirama!" she had said.

"I'll take it", the man said without a moment's hesitation, and I blinked.

"Of course, Sir", I said and tried to sound as if I was used to people paying the amount of a kidney transplant for my photos. "Thank you for supporting a local artist!"

I went into the innermost room of the gallery. There hung the photos my heart burned for the most; the portraits. What had started as a fun experiment had soon become my biggest passion. I had hired several different models in all shapes and sizes, and become quite well-known for my unusual style.

Hashirama Senju has the rare ability of taking something classical and making it unique.

The words of the magazine that had first published my portraits. Not counting the stolen ones my former friend the studio owner had had published in his name, of course. 

I had never published or sold anything of Madara, though. First and foremost because we were not in touch, so I couldn't ask him, which I wanted to do even if I owned the pictures and legally could do whatever I wanted with them. But also because I wanted this little piece of us for myself.

That was, until now.

The gallery owner had insisted, and I had finally agreed. One portrait of Madara, where he stood among the cherry blossoms, was the centrepiece of the portrait room of my exhibition. It was also the largest and most expensive piece, and it already had a red dot next to it, marking it as sold.

I stood in front of it, looking at it dreamily when suddenly, I felt something eerie. It was as if someone was touching my back, although I didn't feel touch but an entirely new entity that I couldn't explain. It took me a while to realize what I was feeling was someone watching me from behind; their gaze upon me.

I turned, and it was like turning to a second, even more beautiful photo than the one I had stood before just a second ago.

"Oh, God..." I burst out before I had time to think and put my hand over my mouth, feeling my face crumple up in emotions.

Madara smiled shyly, as if uncertain what he should do.

"Hi", he said.

"Hi", I said.

We stood there for a second that was a long as an eternity. 

"You cut your hair", he finally said.

I pulled my fingers through my new, short hair, cut in quite a preppy style with a side-part. I had had it like that before, and found it refreshing.