Chapter Text
Keith stared at his computer. Despite his menacing glare, the numbers on the screen refused to change, and he shut his laptop with a sigh.
Keith loved being a freelance artist. He was his own boss, and got to work from home doing something he was passionate about. Sure, there was the occasional difficult client, but overall, Keith was happy.
That said, sometimes the number of commissions ran dry, and with them, his bank account.
Biting his lip, Keith drummed his fingers against his desk. Shiro and Adam were in the middle of preparing for a very expensive wedding, so he didn’t want to ask them for a loan if he could help it. He could try to find a part time job, but minimum wage still wasn’t enough to cover his rent, bills, and food, not to mention stuff for his dog Kosmo, and if he got multiple jobs, he wouldn’t have time to work on what few art commissions he did get.
There was one last option. Honestly, Keith wasn’t sure why he bothered considering other ideas first when he always ended up picking this one. Pride, maybe.
Keith picked up his phone to thumb through his texts. Before he could second guess himself, he typed out a message and tapped send, heart beating a mile a minute. No matter how many times he did this, it always made him nervous. Air rushed out of his lungs as Keith set the phone back down, only to jump when the screen lit up again.
That was fast.
Blinking, Keith scanned the reply.
Well, at least he wouldn’t have to work as a waiter or cashier now.
-----
“Okay, tilt your head back a little bit. Yeah, just like that. Now, look at me. Okay, now look up to the left. Perfect.”
Keith obeyed, holding as still as possible. It wasn’t too hard, since he was laying down on a bed, legs splayed out and slightly bent with a corner of the crisp white sheet draped tastefully across his hips. Keith’s long dark hair was fanned over the pillow, upon which one of his hands curled loosely by his cheek as he stared up at the camera lens.
“Now give me a smolder.”
“A what,” Keith replied flatly.
The camera lowered to reveal twinkling blue eyes.
“Y’know, a smolder,” Lance said. “Like this.”
He proceeded to do something with his face that reminded Keith of a simpering starlet from a black and white movie. Keith snorted.
“Yeah, I’m not doing that.”
Lance stopped batting his eyelashes to frown at Keith.
“C’mon, Keith. The broody pout is sexy, but your portfolio could use a little variation.”
“I don’t care about my portfolio,” Keith said. “I’m not one of your regular models, remember?”
“True, but I’m always willing to change that,” Lance replied with a wink.
Keith rolled his eyes.
A few years ago, when he was just starting out and struggling financially even more than now, Keith had answered an ad for an amateur modeling gig. Though his credentials were sparse, he landed an interview.
Still, Keith had been reluctant despite his need for money. The gig was clearly for some kind of erotica website, and Keith had read more than one horror story online about scams and human trafficking. But he was desperate, so Keith went to the interview...after he bought a small can of pepper spray, and told Shiro to call the police if he didn’t check in by six o’clock.
Keith went to the texted address. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t a nice brownstone apartment with hardwood floors and a homey interior.
The biggest shock of all, however, was the interviewer himself. Maybe he was stereotyping, but Keith figured a person running what was essentially a porn site would be, well, kinda shady, if not outright creepy. Lance McClain, however, was a perfect host from the moment Keith knocked on his door. He was kind and amicable, inviting Keith to the living room like they were old friends instead of two strangers about to do an interview.
At first, Keith was wary. Maybe Lance’s behavior was just an act to get Keith to lower his guard. Lots of con men were charismatic, right? That’s how they got away with stuff.
However, the more they talked, the more ernest Lance seemed. He asked Keith about himself and appeared to be genuinely interested in his answers. Keith asked him questions as well, and Lance’s blue eyes lit up with excitement as he told Keith about his business.
Lance was a freelance photographer whose workflow ran somewhat similarly to Keith’s own. Clients would commission him to shoot special events, and he had done some landscape shoots for nature and travel magazines as well. However, Lance also liked to dabble in photographing people, claiming that he had a love for capturing beauty with his lens, and what was more beautiful than the human body? He networked with some like minded artists, found interested models, and the Lazuli website was born.
What started out as a side hobby quickly turned into a business even more lucrative than his normal one. Lance admitted to Keith that a part of him was disappointed, but an even bigger part was thrilled.
“I still take the occasional bar mitzvah or wedding gig,” Lance said, “but Lazuli is my main source of income nowadays. It’s kind of awesome. I really like working with models one on one to get the most artistic vision.” Lance scrubbed a bashful hand through his hair. “Well, as artistic as you can get with amateaur erotica.”
“They definitely look different from most other stuff I’ve seen,” Keith offered. “Very elegant.”
“Thanks!” Lance grinned.
It wasn't just an empty compliment. Keith had clicked through the website to make sure it was legitimate, and had been pleasantly surprised by what he saw. While the photos were undeniably erotic in nature, most were done in a tasteful kind of way, like one might see in a classy magazine. The sets, lighting, and outfits had also been impressive. Lazuli’s sophisticated nature and high production quality had been a large factor in Keith deciding to apply to the job.
Once they were done talking, Lance took Keith into the studio for a test run. The room was decked out with lights, backdrops, and equipment that made it look like a photoshoot for a magazine rather than an amateur porn website.
Lance directed Keith to sit on the fainting couch in the middle of the room. He didn’t ask Keith to strip, saying he was more concerned about Keith’s modeling abilities than his looks. Keith had no qualms with nudity, but appreciated it nonetheless.
Over the next half hour, Keith followed Lance’s guidance into various poses. He had done some modeling for art classes in school, but this was a whole different beast with the harsh lights and more specific instructions. Though on the other hand, Keith had much more freedom to move around, which made things a bit easier.
“Alright, I think that went well,” Lance said as he tucked his camera into its case. “It felt like we had a good vibe going, y’know?”
Keith nodded. Lance gave good direction without being demanding, and Keith had felt his nerves gradually fade away until he was almost comfortable.
“I know this was just a test run, but we got some great shots,” Lance continued. “Wanna see?”
Keith joined Lance at the monitor. Dozens of photos filled the screen of Keith in different poses, some casual as he lounged on the fainting couch, some bright and cheerful as he laughed at something Lance had said, some seductive as Keith gave the camera a heated look from beneath his eyelashes.
“And this is without any kind of color correction or editing,” Lance shot Keith a wink. “You, my friend, are extremely photogenic.”
“Oh,” Keith blinked, a faint blush painting his cheeks, “um, thanks.”
Needless to say, Keith got the job. He’d done a handful of other gigs since then when money was scarce, which all led up to Keith laying on a bed under several bright lights with nothing to hide his modesty except a white sheet.
“Well, if you won’t give me a smolder, how about a smile?” Lance said.
“Are smiles sexy?” Keith asked skeptically.
“They can be,” Lance replied. “Picture this. You wake up in bed next to the love of your life. You look over at them and they give you a soft smile filled with tenderness and affection.”
“Sounds more romantic than sexy.”
“The two are not mutually exclusive,” Lance sniffed. He paused before adding, “Though it might help if the love of your life is super hot and naked.”
A surprised huff of laughter bubbled up from Keith’s chest. He brought the hand that had been resting on the pillow closer to cover his mouth as he chuckled, then looked up at the sound of the camera shutter rapidly clicking.
“There, that was perfect!” Lance said. “Possibly even the best picture of the whole shoot.”
“If you say so.”
A short jingle made Lance dig his phone out of his pocket. As he scanned the text, his smile transformed into a frown.
“Something wrong?” Keith asked.
“My next model just cancelled,” Lance replied.
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“Yeah,” Lance sighed. “Now I’m gonna have to find a last minute replacement if I wanna get this photoset out on time.”
Keith hummed sympathetically. He was glad he didn’t have to rely on other people for his art.
“Well, anyway, I think we’re done,” Lance said. “Good work today, as always.”
“Thanks,” Keith mumbled, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
He sat up and waited for Lance to leave the room so he could change. However, Lance didn’t move, and instead looked at Keith with a pensive gaze.
“I don’t suppose you’d be interested in filling in?” Lance finally asked. “You’d be doing me a huge favor, and the gig pays almost twice as much as this one.”
Keith paused. More money usually meant more explicit content, and he was already naked. What could the photoshoot possibly involve to garner higher pay? As far as he knew, Lazuli didn't feature hardcore porn. Keith glanced down warily at the white sheet covering his groin.
Apparently following his train of thought, Lance flapped a hand at him and said, “Oh, it’s not that. In fact, you’d be wearing more clothes.”
He quickly explained the nature of the gig, and as Keith listened, his trepidation began to fade. It didn’t sound too bad, and he could use the extra money.
“Okay,” Keith agreed. “I’ll give it a try.”
Lance’s eyes lit up.
“Thanks, Keith,” he said, relieved. “You’re a lifesaver!”
After further discussion about what the job entailed and what would be expected of him, Keith went to the bathroom to touch up his makeup and change into costume.
As usual, Keith was surprised by the level of detail. The charcoal grey slacks and waistcoat looked and felt like they were made of high quality fabric, and contrasted nicely with the crisp white shirt. Keith knotted the slim wine red tie and tucked it under the waistcoat before pulling his hair into a neat ponytail. A sleek pair of glasses completed the ensemble.
Keith walked back to the studio and blinked. Somehow in the time it took him to change outfits, Lance had completely transformed the set from a bedroom into an office.
The photographer looked up from where he was arranging props on the desk and flashed Keith a grin.
“Oh good, they fit,” Lance said. He came over to run a critical eye up and down Keith’s body. “Any issues? Are you comfortable?”
Keith shrugged, trying to remain aloof under Lance’s stare. “The shoes are a little big, but that’s about it.”
“Great,” Lance smiled. “Ready to start?”
Keith nodded and Lance handed him a folder. Curious, Keith peeked inside to find several pages of what appeared to be the script for the Bee Movie. He shot Lance a look.
“Really?”
Lance winked. “Just a little joke for anyone who looks close enough.”
Keith rolled his eyes, and got into position. Unlike the photoshoots Keith had done in the past that were just a series of glamor shots, this one would be more like a scene with a story, though “story” might be a bit of an exaggeration.
They started with pictures of Keith pretending to be a normal, if weirdly attractive, secretary. Under Lance’s direction, he acted like he was reading important documents while leaning casually against the desk, or speaking to a client on the phone, or editing the movie script with a red pen. It was kind of fun, and gave Keith time for his nerves to settle.
“Okay, I think we got plenty of great shots for this part,” Lance said. “Let’s move on.”
Keith nodded. Since this was a photoshoot and not a video, they could cheat a little with the progression of the story.
Lance set down his camera and walked up to Keith.
“May I?” he asked.
Keith swallowed, butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the other man's proximity. “Sure.”
He tried to will his heart to calm down as Lance reached up to undo Keith’s ponytail. Lance’s eyes were sharp with focus while he mussed up Keith’s hair to make it artfully messy. Those crystal blue irises lowered and warm fingers left Keith’s hair to gently tug at the wine red tie, leaving it loose and slightly askew. Keith barely dared to breathe as Lance unbuttoned the top of his shirt, caught off guard when Lance’s gaze rose back up to meet his own.
“There,” Lance smiled. “Perfect.”
Despite his best efforts, the blush on Keith’s cheeks remained for the next several shots. He hoped Lance just thought he was a good actor.
For this part, Keith had to pretend that the camera, and therefore the viewer, was his boss who Keith was trying to seduce in increasingly unsubtle ways.
“That’s it, now give me a coy look,” Lance said. “Like you want it, but you won’t admit it.”
Keith’s expression was probably less coy and more confused. “What?”
“Y’know,” Lance flapped a hand at him, “like you’re tsundere.”
“Oh my god, you’re such a nerd.”
“Hey, you understood what I meant, so who’s the nerd now, huh?”
“Still you.”
Keith would never tell Lance that that actually did help him understand what to do.
As the scene continued, Keith’s outfit gradually became more undone. He untucked his shirt from his pants, loosened the tie until it merely draped over the back of his neck, and lost his waistcoat, shoes, and socks entirely. His glasses stayed on though, because according to Lance they were an integral part of his character or whatever.
After about an hour, Lance told him to take a break. Keith drank bottled water while he watched Lance rearrange the office supplies on the desk so it looked like everything had been knocked over in a fit of passion. He then brought over some kind of rig that he attached his camera to so it would look straight down from above the desk.
“Ready when you are,” Lance said.
Keith took one last sip and walked back onto the set. Lance leveled a serious look at him.
“You’re sure you’re okay with this, right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Keith said.
“If there’s anything you don’t like, or that makes you uncomfortable, just say the word.”
“I will.”
Seemingly satisfied, Lance reached up to pull the tie from around Keith’s neck. Keith held up his hands and Lance wrapped the fabric around his wrists.
“Is that okay?” Lance asked. “Not too tight?”
Keith tested his new bonds. It was snug, but he didn’t feel like it was digging into his skin. If anything, he could probably wriggle out of it if he wanted to.
“It’s fine,” he finally replied.
Lance grinned. He helped Keith sit on the desk, then supported his weight as Keith leaned back to lay across it. That focused look returned to Lance’s eyes, and he adjusted some of the objects around Keith into what Keith assumed was a more aesthetic placement. Lance took Keith’s arms and guided them to rest over his head, his hands gentle yet firm as they pressed Keith’s wrists to the desk’s surface. He took a moment to arrange the fall of Keith’s hair and the loose ends of the tie, then stepped back to play with the monitor that was hooked up to the camera.
“Okay, so for this part of the scene, your boss has finally given in to your masterful seduction, and in a fit of unbridled lust, he tied you up and threw you onto the desk to ravish you,” Lance said cheerfully.
“Uh huh,” Keith blinked up at the lens above him. They had done a few angles like this in the past and it always felt a little weird.
“Now, since your character is a tsundere,” Lance said, ignoring Keith snort, “for these next few shots you wanna put up a bit of a struggle. Not too much, just enough to make things fun.”
“Um, okay,” Keith bit his lip. “How do I do that?”
“Y’know, just kinda,” Lance made an odd gesture that Keith had no idea how to interpret, “squirm around a bit. See if you can get your hands free. If you do, we can always just bind them again.”
Keith felt a faint blush rise to his cheeks. He nodded and Lance gave him a thumbs up to let Keith know he was ready.
Keith stared up at the camera. Tentatively, he tried to pull his wrists out of the silk tie’s hold. The soft fabric twisted and grew taut, but didn’t loosen, and a small frown grew between his brows as he tugged harder. Keith soon became so focused on trying to wriggle out of it, he nearly forgot about the camera altogether, heat pooling in his belly with the dawning realization that he couldn’t break free.
“Great, that was perfect!”
Reality came crashing back and Keith blinked up at Lance’s grinning face.
“It was?” he asked.
“Yeah, your expression was spot on,” Lance said. “You looked frustrated, but into it. It was cute.”
The flush on Keith’s cheeks grew darker at the praise.
“A couple more shots and we should be done,” Lance continued. “How would you feel about wearing a gag?”
Keith shrugged. “I guess I could try it.”
Lance nodded and retrieved a piece of white cloth and another tie, this one a dark navy blue. Keith guessed it was supposed to belong to his “boss.”
“If you need me to take it out for any reason, just snap your fingers or knock on the desk,” Lance said.
“Okay.”
Lance helped him sit up, explaining that it would be easier to tie the gag on that way. He also gave Keith some more water, which made Keith realize how thirsty he was after being under the hot studio lights. Once he’d had his fill, Keith opened his mouth so that Lance could tuck the balled up white cloth inside. Lance then pushed the blue tie between Keith’s lips, knotting it behind his head.
“Doing okay?” Lance asked.
“Mmhmmph,” Keith nodded.
Lance smiled and lowered Keith back onto the desk.
“Do you mind if I unbutton these?” he asked, pointing at the row of buttons on Keith’s shirt.
Keith shrugged, and shivered as Lance did so, spreading the shirt open so that Keith’s bare torso was on full display. One of Lance’s hands brushed against Keith’s nipple, and the tiniest moan crept up his throat, muffled by the gag.
Lance paused. Mortified, Keith felt heat rush to his face. Lance cleared his throat, his own cheeks slightly pink.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
Keith tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but all that came out was a, “Hmmh mmph hnn.”
Thankfully, Lance still seemed to understand and shot Keith a grateful smile. “I think we’re about ready to start again. Let me just fix your hair real quick.”
Keith nodded. As Lance began to fiddle with his locks, Keith’s eyes drifted shut. The feeling of his wrists being bound together was oddly thrilling, but the gag in his mouth and the way it muffled his words was almost intoxicating. Keith had never considered that he might have an oral fixation, but he couldn’t deny that a small part of him wanted to talk and moan and shout to test the gag’s limits.
In the handful of times Keith modeled for Lance, he had never gotten hard. That was no longer the case, and while he knew Lance wouldn’t judge him for it, Keith really hoped he wouldn’t notice.
Lance’s fingers in his hair were definitely not helping.
“There,” chirped the photographer in question. His hands slipped out of Keith’s hair and Keith opened his eyes to find Lance looking down at him, his previously hyper-focused expression replaced by something else.
“Beautiful,” Lance said softly.
Keith returned his stare with a hint of shyness. Lance seemed to come back to himself and pulled away with a small cough.
“Let’s finish this up.”
He snapped more photos while Keith tried to look sufficiently ravished. At least he didn’t have to fake being turned on anymore, as mortifying as that was. Keith stretched out across the desk’s surface, arching his spine as his wrists twisted in their bonds. Another small moan escaped through the gag, and Keith froze.
“Uh, it’s okay,” Lance’s voice said from behind the monitor. “Even though the viewers won’t hear you, feel free to make as much noise as you want. You’d be surprised how much it can affect your body language and facial expressions.”
The embarrassment faded slightly at the reminder that no one but Lance would ever hear him, but then it returned at the reminder that Lance would hear him. Even so, Keith took his advice and stopped repressing the little moans and whimpers that burst forth as he writhed.
Before he knew it, Lance’s face popped back into view. He looked oddly flushed.
“Okay, I think that’s a wrap,” he said. “Great job, Keith! You’re a natural at this.”
With a long blink, Keith slowly came back to himself. He still felt a little out of it as Lance helped him sit up and removed the tie and gag.
“We’re done?” Keith asked.
“Yup,” Lance nodded. “I mean, unless you wanna keep going. I did have one more pose planned for the original model, but it’s not quite as, uh, beginner friendly.”
Keith cocked his head curiously.
Twenty minutes later, Keith was harder than ever, though his new position of being bent over the desk hid that fact from the camera. Good thing too, since he was pretty sure the miniskirt did nothing to help hide his arousal.
“How are you holding up?” Lance asked between shots.
“Mmh fhhn,” Keith replied.
“Okay, let me know if you want to stop.”
Keith nodded. He could see why Lance had been reluctant to ask him to do this. The pose was definitely less comfortable than anything that came before. The upper half of Keith’s body rested on the desk, face turned with one cheek pressed against the hard wooden surface so he could look into the lens. At least since it was supporting most of his weight, Keith didn’t have to worry about balancing in four-inch heels, though they did make his ass stick higher up in the air to show off the miniskirt in all its glory. To top it all off, Keith’s arms were tied together behind his back, and a ball gag was buckled around his head.
Keith felt a little bit of drool slide down his cheek and wrinkled his nose. He liked the first gag better.
“And, done,” Lance announced. “For real, this time.”
He set his camera down and helped Keith stand upright. Keith was vaguely amused to note the high heels made him slightly taller than Lance.
“Let’s get you out of this stuff,” Lance eyed the complicated straps on the Keith’s shoes. “You mind if I carry you over to the couch? It’ll be more comfortable.”
Keith nodded, his stomach giving a little swoop when Lance easily picked him up bridal style. He set Keith down on the small sofa pressed against the wall, and Keith tried not to feel disappointed that the trip only took a few seconds.
Lance unbuckled the gag with nimble fingers.
“What did you think?” he asked as he untied Keith’s wrists.
“I liked it,” Keith said. “It was...fun.”
“I’m glad,” Lance kneeled in front of Keith to start removing the high heels. “You seemed to enjoy it more than the other times you modeled.”
Keith’s cheeks flushed and he averted his gaze. Lance seemed to sense his embarrassment, so he merely smiled.
“Do you think you’d be willing to do something like this again?”
Keith looked down at Lance in surprise. “Really? I thought I was just filling in.”
“I told you, you’re a natural,” Lance smirked. “You could be one of our most popular models if you wanted to. Plus fetish pics pay better than the generic nudes.”
Keith pursed his lips and looked away again.
“I’ll think about it,” he finally said.
Lance seemed to accept this answer for the time being. He retrieved some lotion to rub into Keith’s wrists. Bright red, Keith stuttered that Lance didn’t have to do that, but Lance insisted, so Keith sat in silence as large, warm hands massaged and soothed his muscles. He had to admit, he did feel better after a bit of pampering, both physically and emotionally.
Keith changed back into his clothes and said his goodbyes. Lance promised he would send the money to Keith’s account by the next day, and told him to come back soon. His charming grin stayed in Keith’s mind for the rest of the night, but it wasn’t the only thing stuck in Keith’s brain.
As Keith laid in bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about the modeling gig. How it felt to be tied up and gagged, defenceless and on display for whoever happened to visit Lance’s website. And sure, he had been on the site before in arguably more compromising positions, but this felt different somehow. This time, Keith himself had derived pleasure from the experience.
It felt new and raw and scary and exciting all at once, and if nothing else Keith knew one thing.
He was gonna have to buy some scarves and ties.