Smile for the camera

“Come on Prince-channnn smile! Just a little teeny smile~ just for a second?” 

Ryn was annoying. Prince stared at her as he adjusted the lollipop in his mouth. But she worked for the group as the social media manager, posting pictures of their concerts, day to day life, events and now birthdays. Prince wasn’t a smiley guy. Smiling wasn’t really something he did. For any picture not just Ryn’s. But maybe it was because Ryn started calling him ‘Prince-chan’ that made Prince want to smile even less. Or perhaps it was being stuck in the middle of fake flower scenery which faintly smelt of burnt plastic from Angel trying to fix something earlier. He pulled his lollipop out of his mouth and stuck his blue coloured tongue in Ryn’s direction. 

“That’s rude.” Ryn mumbled lowering her camera for a second, “You know. COY and Angel didn’t put up this much of a fight for their birthday photos-”

“Angel is always smiling you didn’t even need to try with him. And COY wears a face mask you didn’t need him to smile.” Prince pointed out twirling the candy in his fingers, “can’t you edit in a smile with that fancy photo magic of yours?”

“Eh…” Ryn looked at the pictures she had gotten so far, “it wouldn’t be genuine. Plus someone will probably tell. And this is perfect for a full set of birthday themed merch! You three will all have cute pictures of you smiling and being happy and girls dig that. Chicks dig guys that can smile and be cool. I’m chicks. So I should know.” Ryn smiled raising her camera again to capture what hopefully would be a smile but Prince only frowned. 

“I don’t smile Ryn. Never have and not starting for this.” Prince said firmly before sitting back down and sticking the lollipop back in his mouth.

“I’m glad you’re playing into your bad boy persona and yes it might be hot but I’m the one getting paid the longer you take.” Ryn mumbled before standing up, “Hey Angel?” 

Angel’s head slowly peaked out the other room as he was called before walking out to them. The group had nothing better to do today so Ryn figured she would put him to use. “So Angel. Tell Prince that he needs to smile for the pictures because girls think that is cute and will buy more merch if he does.”

Angel laughed shaking his head, “you called me in here to do something impossible? I was in the middle of watching that new web series with COY… Prince, throw her a bone smile a little.”

“Y-yeah! Smile for the camera, Prince!” Ryn huffed as if dragging in Angel to back her up would help with this. Prince snorted but no smile. He gave some semblance of a fake smile to which Ryn lowered her ears at. “Prince! People can tell that’s fake! I can tell that’s fake!”

“Hey, now you didn’t say it had to be a real smile” Prince pointed out jabbing his lollipop in her general direction. Ryn gestured dramatically towards Prince.

“How am I supposed to work with this?? He’s worse than COY at taking pictures!”

A distant hey of objection was heard from the other room. Ryn covered her mouth whispering an apology. “…but he is..no offence you guys all suck at pictures except Angel… Maybe we need a change of scenery.” Ryn finally decided standing up and pulling out her phone. The fake flowers were giving her a headache. Maybe a completely real setting would get a smile out of Prince. “I’m going to borrow Prince for another hour! Maybe two. I’ll text you! Come on now before it gets too late!” 

“Wait don't I get a say in this?? It’s my birthday- hold on!” 

Angel watched as Prince was pulled out the door before spinning on his heels to return to the other room, “Hey COY what did I miss?”

~~~

“There! You look so cute Prince!” Ryn was way too excited. She had dragged the other out to a botanical garden and used a few stray flowers to decorate Prince’s hair more than it already was. Prince simply endured her torture. All he had to do was exist for two more hours and then it would be too dark for pictures and she will have failed. At least the scenery out here was better and the burnt plastic smell was long gone. She had her camera half raised as she spoke to him as if expecting he might slip up and smile at some point. Prince didn’t plan on giving her that satisfaction. 

A hand dipped into his pocket to pull out a new lollipop having finished his last one a while ago only to find that his pockets were empty. He had really managed to go through half a pack in less than a day?? He groaned internally to which Ryn picked up on.

“Oh, I brought extras. I figured we be out a while..” she started before producing a mystery flavoured lollipop out of her pocket. Prince started to walk forward to take it from her only to watch her back up. “Hey hey~ this isn’t for free! Stay right there. You don’t want to mess up the composition then we’ll be here for another hour.” Ryn stated with a bright teasing smile, “For one smile, you can have this. One real smile. Nothing fake just a real genuine smile.”  

Prince moved back to the spot she assigned him “You’re terrible.”

“I am! I learned from the best.” Ryn winked holding her camera up, “Hey if you don’t smile maybe I’ll take this candy for myself.”

“What stops me from taking it out of your mouth?” Prince hissed back getting a light laugh out of her.

“Who are you? Angel? Pfft…that would be hot though. I would need another angle for that shot.” Ryn giggled focusing her camera on Prince. He didn’t look too upset, but she knew he was rather dependent on his sweet treat. Lollipops helped him stick away from his old smoking habits. So she wouldn’t hold it back from him forever, she just hoped that maybe it would convince him to smile for her so she could get home. Well, they still had a surprise party to attend…at least Prince was able to distract himself! 

But all she had from him was an upset glare. Helpful…Ryn rolled her eyes slowly pulling the lollipop back out and unwrapping it. “Fine. It’s mine then-” she started watching as he reached a hand out to her to stop her. She froze as something fluttered in the corner of her vision. “Ew! Ew! Bug!”

Prince watched as she got scared of a blossom floating in the wind and felt a small smile pulling at his lips, followed by him starting to laugh. It wasn’t even funny she just looked dumb. Ryn would normally defend herself for Prince laughing at her but the moment she heard laughter she snagged her pictures. Prince covered his mouth realizing that she caught him. hah. He closed his eyes as he lowered his hand again, a faint smile still on his lips. “Hey, you owe me something.”

Ryn handed over the candy happy to finally get everything over with. She ran her fingers through her hair with a worried look on her face, “is-is there a bee in my hair-” Prince found her fear of bees amusing but he indulged her, checking over her flowers before ruffling her hair.

“Nope.” Prince popped the lollipop in his mouth. Cherry flavoured. He stretched out happy that he could finally go home. Ryn clicked through all the pictures she got that day pausing on one of her favourites of Prince actually smiling. Such a gem. She didn’t even notice Prince started to walk away.

“Hey! Wait up!” Ryn said quickly catching up to his side, “Are you doing anything else for your birthday?”

“Going home. Sleeping.” Prince said not giving a second thought to that. “Maybe I’ll try that new web series the others are watching but it doesn’t seem to be my thing. Why are you asking me out on a date? Because I’m saying no.”

“I’m amazed you think so highly of yourself..” The smaller mumbled with a roll of her eyes, “As if I would go on a date with someone that takes hours to smile and then smiles at someone else's pain.”

Prince snickered twirling his lollipop in his mouth. “Well if not a date what is it then?”

“Nothing nothing! I can drive you home.” Ryn offered pulling on the long strands of her hair, “Since I drove you all the way out here I wouldn’t want to abandon you haha.” Prince debated for a moment. He did plan on getting a taxi. Not wanting to be caught up in some fake scandal. But also he didn’t want to be left in the middle of a garden for any longer than he had to be. 

“Fine. Only if you have another lollipop.”

“You finished it already!! Gah. I have more in my car. Sheesh did you bite it off?? Geez Prince. It’s like you think I’m made of candy-”

Prince smiled as she walked ahead, as long as no one saw he could show a little emotion. He already knew about the surprise party and maybe admittedly he took his time with pictures today so he could delay long enough for COY and Angel to figure out how to blow up balloons. He rolled his eyes as Ryn continued talking ahead of him. So far this was turning out to be a good birthday.