Prompt: Painting || Hurt/Comfort
Author's Note: A lot is happening right now so all these are going to be late. Anyway, have day 1.
An Image Speaks a Thousand Words
Matthew hadn’t heard the knocking at the door. He has spent all morning engrossed in streaks of green, brown, and blue. He hadn’t even heard the creak of the door when the knocker let himself in.
“Matt…you…” came a breathless voice.
Matthew jumped, jamming his knee against the easel. The painting rattled but luckily didn’t tumble to the floor. He let out a sigh but tensed once more knowing he had an intruder to face that almost ruined everything.
Jan coward back into the cottage in a poor attempt to hide himself. Matthew scrambled to shield the painting with his body cold shooting through his chest, then stomach.
They stared at each other in silence. Why did Jan’s face have to be so damn unreadable?
“You paint,” Jan noted. Simply. Slowly.
Matthew’s eyes shifted back to the painting, then back at Jan.
“It’s nothing,” Matthew muttered, “Just a hobby.”
Matthew brushed past Jan into his cottage, whole body thrumming. He shoved the canvas into a nearby closet and strode back out on the back porch.
Jan reached out for him “Hey, why are you–”
Matthew sighed, eyes looking out to the cliffs he had been painting. “Sorry…I was just…startled.”
Jan slunk behind him, wrapping his arms around Matthew’s waist, pulling him against his chest. Matthew remained silent.
“You’re good,” Jan whispered.
Matthew shrugged. “I’m nothing special. Not like you and Papa. Just something I do to pass the time.”
“I also just do it to pass the time. Doesn’t make it any less meaningful and definitely not any less good.”
Matthew pulled away, collecting his palette and paintbrushes. “Better clean these up before the bristles get ruined.”
Brushing past Jan he made his way to the kitchen sink and let the water run over the brush part. Jan watched the browny mixture of paints twirl down the drain. They remained silent.
Matthew stepped back and shook the brush a bit before going back over to the closet and hanging it up. Jan followed, catching a glimpse of a wide collection of brushes in different sizes. Almost as big if not the same size as his own collection back home.
“Does anyone else know?”Jan asked, following Matthew back out onto the porch.
“Alfred because he’s nosey. And Kateryna since it was kind of hard to hide when we were sharing a house.”
Normally Jan had a good hold on his emotions, fully aware of what he was saying. But with Matthew, things just flew out. Especially in times like these.
“I don’t…I don’t know…Didn’t think it mattered.”
“You know how much I like art.”
Matthew slumped against the banister, looking back out at the cliffs. “Yes, and you’re an expert at it.”
“So you didn’t think you were good enough?”
Matthew shrugged. Silence
“Not even Francis knows?” Jan asked, joining Matthew in looking out across the way.
“Nope. And he’s the last one I want to know. Don’t need to bring something up to be the inferior version of him again.”
Matthew and Francis may have been in a better place in recent decades, even affectionate towards each other like a father and son should be. But there were still centuries of hurt, being a little doll that got dressed up and toted about, praised for how cute he was until he actually behaved like a child and in the process ruined his clothes.
“Hey,” Jan said softly, squeezing his shoulder. “I understand. Francis isn’t always the…easiest person to deal with. But at least trust me when I say that you’re good.”
Matthew looked up at him, lips drawn thin, eyes for once unreadable. “I’ll consider it.”
“I always forget you got Arthur’s snark,” Jan chuckled, pressing a kiss to Matthew’s forehead. “I hope you know that now that I know this, we’re going to have painting dates.”
Matthew pinched Jan’s nose before heading back into the house once more.
“Better start dinner,” Matthew explained, “Then maybe after…we could wind down by painting together.”
Jan grabbed Matthew by the hips, whirled him around, and planted a kiss on his lips. “Sounds wonderful.”
In the surprise ambush, Matthew’s cheeks flushed. He froze for a moment, composing himself while Jan continued on to the kitchen. He was feeling kind of stupid now for keeping this hidden for so long. Jan loved him so much. Even if his art wasn’t perfect, Jan would still love and still support his hobby.
Matthew shook his hands and head quickly. No more spiraling. He strode into the kitchen to start his peaceful evening with his lover.
