Work Text:
— •
painting the boy across from him was probably the worst idea for this project. no matter how much yuto worked and reworked the art, it could never accurately encompass the boy’s beauty. it wasn’t even close.
hyunggu didn’t even know yuto was painting him, so lost in his own art, earbuds playing some indie group he’d definitely introduce yuto to next week. his head bobbed to the music as he effortlessly laid down paint, stroke after stroke. shades of blue and purple covered his hands, similar to the colors yuto was using to paint hyunggu’s own baby blue hair. what was hyunggu painting in such colors? what was he painting with such ease?
curiosity—and frustration—get the better of yuto after another ten minutes, and he abandons his piece to carefully get up and make his way over to the only other person in the quiet studio. hyunggu doesn’t notice him, and yuto takes the opportunity to look at what it is that has taken all of hyunggu’s attention.
it’s beautiful. an almost abstract, candy-colored landscape looking like something yuto has seen only in his best dreams. pretty pink clouds float in a lavender sky above bright blue mountains and yuto has never wanted to live in a painting as much as he wants to live in this one. the bushes and trees are baby blue, living amongst the world like they were truly grown there. yuto is quickly studying the curve of hyunggu’s hands rather than the curves of art on the canvas, and only stops when the aforementioned boy notices yuto’s silent presence.
“oh! my god,” hyunggu exclaims, jumping in his seat and raising one paint-covered hand to hover above his heart. yuto startles at that, jumping back a little himself.
“sorry.” it falls from his mouth reflexively.
hyunggu takes a moment to compose himself, his breathing almost comically labored. “it’s okay yuto-yah, did you need something?”
yuto shrugs, attempting to come up with something less creepy than ‘i’m nosy and kind of in love with you and i just wanted to know what such a beautiful boy was painting.’
“just tired, was gonna ask if you wanted to head out for the night?” well that’s not what he meant to say. he didn’t want to go home. but the words were already in the air, and seemed to weigh down the thin layer of energy that hyunggu was holding around him.
hyunggu taps his phone with a mostly-clean pinky to check the time; 1:08am. his eyes widen, and he nods at yuto. “yeah, we can go.” he looks at his canvas and pauses. “actually, you can go without me? i want to keep working for a while.”
yuto knows what that means. ‘i’m not gonna sleep at all until this painting has reached my impossible standards of perfection unless someone forces me out of this room.’ he rolls his eyes.
“no, you need to rest. it’ll still be here in the morning and you’re only gonna drive yourself crazy if you don’t take a break.” his voice is warm but stern, and hyunggu barely opens his mouth to argue before giving up.
“fine.”
hyunggu turns to clean up, and yuto retreats to clean up his own mess and hide his canvas from the boy across the room. once all brushes and hands are washed, and bags are packed, yuto is waiting for hyunggu at the door.
“wait,” hyunggu says suddenly, “what are you doing your project on? you never told me.”
yuto tries to breathe around the lump in his throat for a moment before answering. “i don’t want to show you until it’s done, it’s... too important.” hyunggu nods understandingly. “anyway, let’s go.”
“ i’ll walk you home . “
hyunggu smiles, but drops it a brief moment later, raising an eyebrow. “but you live in the opposite direction?”
“i want to make sure you get home safe.” yuto’s face heats up at the confession, so he starts walking towards the exit, leaving hyunggu to catch up.
“but what about you? i don’t want you walking double the distance alone.” yuto’s heart clenches at the genuine concern in his friend’s voice.
“i can take care of myself.” he replies after they’ve stepped out of the building, holding onto his backpack straps and not daring to look at the annoyed frown he knows is on hyunggu’s pretty face.
he’s started in the direction of hyunggu’s dorm, so the other has no choice but to follow him, shorter legs struggling to keep up with yuto’s long stride until he whines for yuto to slow down.
they reach the dorm in silence, and yuto goes to say his goodbyes when hyunggu cuts him off.
“do you want to stay here tonight?”
yuto starts to decline, but hyunggu has pulled out the big puppy eyes, pulling on the sleeve of yuto’s hoodie. “i just don’t want you walking all the way back across campus, it’s almost two am, and i don’t have a roommate right now, and you could probably borrow a big hoodie if you want?”
hyunggu drops his gaze to hide it, but yuto still notices his ears turning brighter pink than the clouds he was painting earlier, and it warms his entire core, his own ears heating up to match. he smiles, resting his free hand over hyunggu’s on his arm.
“okay, i’ll stay.”