âPlease tell me again, why am I letting you do this?â David sighed, trying to stay still. The light was pouring in from the window in Y/nâs dorm room, filtered only by the thin white curtain, and illuminating Davidâs features as, across the room, Y/n sat with her legs crossed and a big sketch book, tracing the way his jawline curved at his chin.
âWell, Jeff, we are doing this because you want to get into my pants and you know the only way youâll be able to do that is if I pass this class. Therefore, you are letting me sketch you so we can both be happy.â She smiled behind the sketchbook, her pencil not leaving the paper.
âFineâ David squinted his eyes âBut, I want to see your paintings once we are doneâ
Y/n thought about it for a long moment, no one had ever seen her work, not even her closest friends. It just always felt too personal. She sighed and said âFine, weâve got a deal. Now stop moving.â
As she observed him he took the time to closely observe her. Her hair was up in a lopsided bun that had strands of hair and pencils poking out. He smiled internally at the way she stuck her tongue out as she focused on the drawing. His attention then shifted to her lips and the way she would bite on them when she was unsure about how a certain detail was turning out. Finally his eyes dropped to her legs and he admired how they seemed to curve softly. At that point she said âIâm drawing you, whatâs your excuse?â as she noticed his obvious stare. He could see her cheeks were flushed slightly as he focused back on her face.
âIâm sorry.â He chuckled, guiltily and a bit embarrassed of being caught. âGo on, draw me like one of your french girlsâ He quoted, making them both laugh. âCan we answer some questions while we are at it?â
âSure, go for itâ She giggled.
âWe were on question 18. What is your most terrible memory?â
David watched as her eyes darkened and the pencil almost fell off her hand. Her lip quivered slightly, she closed her eyes and sighed before replying. âOne⊠one of the times my sister was hospitalized, it must have been like the third or fourth time. It was pretty ruthless. We didnât know if she was going to make it⊠my parents cried for days and days straight. My youngest sister was too young⊠she had no idea what was going on. Definitely not a time I like reliving.â
The room went quiet for a moment. âIâm sorry. I canât imagine how hard that must have been for your entire family.â David whispered.
âIt was. Whatâs yours?â She said wanting to change the subject.
âProbably the same as my most treasured one. Flying here on my own.â He replied before asking. âIf you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?â
âI donât think so. I would like to keep doing what I love, which is making art, learning and reading a lot. I would also not want to be a burden on my family and I would want to help with their debt as much as possible so I wouldnât quit working. If anything I would try to spend more time with my loved ones and maybe try to show my work at a gallery or something. What about you?â
âHmm⊠I donât know. I think I would want to just spend time with my family, my hometown friends. I really donât knowâŠ. Question 20: What does friendship mean to you?â
âFriendship means everything with the right people and nothing with the wrong people. I can have great chemistry with someone but if theyâll bail on me when I need them the most then they arenât real friends. I think valuable friendships are rare and that people use the word too lightly. What about you?â
âI would be nowhere without my friends. I think friendships are a huge part of my life and Iâve had the same friends since high school and I know we would all be there for each other if something were to happen.â
âThat is so cool that you have such great friends! I wish I was still friends with people from high school, sometimes life just stands in the way of thatâ She shrugged. âWhatâs next?â
âWhat roles do love and affection play in your life?â
âHmmm⊠letâs maybe find that one out laterâ She said with a wink, lightly biting on her lower lip.
âSureâ Davidâs voice broke, making Y/n giggle. He cleared his throat before asking âAlternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.â
âSo⊠Jeff, I like how funny you are, I like how attentive you are, I like your hands⊠a lot actually, I like your smile and above all I love how honest and true you are as we answer this questionsâ
David felt that familiar pang of guilt stinging at the base of his stomach, even more noticeable than ever before. He looked down embarrassed.
âOh, come on donât act humble now. I know you have a huge ego and you are breaking your poseâ Y/n chuckled.
âSorryâ David said, going back to his pose.
âWait, that is not it.â Y/n crawled across the room to where David was sitting. Her soft hands quickly adjusted the way his head was tilted. Then she focused on making his hair look like she wanted it for the portrait. As she finished she looked into his eyes for a moment, making sure every detail was right. âPerfectâ She let out in a breath before leaning in and softly kissing his lips. âNow donât moveâ
She crawled back to her sketchbook and said âYou still owe me five compliments.â as she got back to work.
âRight,â David agreed with a smile. âY/n, I like your lips and the million ways they seem to change with every expression your face makes, I like your eyes, I like how thoughtful and caring you are, I like how straight forward you are and I like how every hour I spend with you seems to last a minute and yet I feel like I could stay here with you for days just talking and looking at you.â The whole scene seemed very intimate, Y/nâs eyes left the sketch before her and focused on his, trying to read whether he was being honest, she felt her lips curve up into a small smile and the heat rising up to her cheeks.
They were silent like that for a moment until David cleared her throat and said âRight, next question, How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other peopleâs?â
Y/n looked down and kept sketching. âThe short version, yes we are very close and no, I feel like my childhood was average. Lots of good things and some bad things. You?â
âI feel like I could be closer with my family and⊠I feel like my childhood was great but not necessarily happier than most.â He shrugged âHow do you feel about your relationship with your mother?â
âPretty solid, she is like my best friendâ Y/n smiled. âAnd you?â
âI love her. I should probably tell her that more, but she is great.
âIâm nearly done. One more question?â
âMake three true âweâ statements each. For instance, âWe are both in this room feeling âŠââ
âOkay. We⊠are both kind, we both like romcoms and we both like fast food way too muchâ Y/n giggled.
âWe are both feeling comfortable with each otherâ Y/n nodded. âWe both like spending time together.â She smiled and nodded again. âAnd we are both falling for each otherâ David said, making it sound more like a question. Y/n smiled for a long moment and then nodded, a little sparkle lighting up her eye.
âItâs.. itâs doneâ She said a moment later. David crawled to her side and looked at the picture. He loved the way she had captured the light coming from the window and his expression as he smiled carelessly. It looked like a really good candid photograph. She was definitely very talented.
âThis is amazing! I want to see the othersâ He exclaimed excitedly. Y/n sighed, bracing herself and showed David a bunch of sketch books and full on paintings she had stashed under the bed.
David looked through them, at the way she captured lightning, at how the portraits showed emotion and thought at how it seemed like every single brush stroke had a purpose. âThese are all amazing, like gallery levels of amazing. You should be proud of this, you should be showing them somewhere.â
Y/n smiled and looked down âYou have to say that because you care about my feelings. Iâm not ready for the kind of criticism that comes with that kind of exposure. They feel too personalâ
âI get that. Putting your stuff out there can feel⊠scary. And people arenât always nice⊠but you are really talented. You shouldnât feel nervous about what others will say. Art is subjective, isnât it? The right people will know to appreciate it.â
Y/n smiled up at him. âThank you, Jeff. For everything. I have a hard time opening up to people and I with you it just feels⊠easyâ
David leaned down to kiss her but as he did he could taste the poisonous guilt on her lips.
Later that night as she swooned about him to her sisters he tossed and turned knowing that the truth might set him free but it would also make him lose the girl he was falling for. Â
