Work Text:
Patrick looks up from his book at the sound of a page being torn from David’s sketchbook. He watches as David balls up the offending paper in his hands and tosses it in the direction of the garbage can. It hits the rim, bobbles for a second, then drops neatly into the can.
“He shoots, he scores!” Patrick cheers. David scowls at him.
“Could you please keep your sportsball hooliganism to a dull roar?” David grumbles, smoothing a hand over a fresh sheet of paper. “I’m trying to work over here.”
“Sure,” Patrick says, placing his bookmark and setting his book aside. “I was just impressed. You got it in the can from way over there.”
David scoffs. “Please. Like it’s hard?” But he looks a little bit pleased with Patrick’s praise.
“What’re you working on that’s got you so worked up?” Patrick asks, getting to his feet and moving to stand behind David, hands on his shoulders, fingers digging into the taught muscles at the base of his neck.
“Ugh. It’s…” David sighs, tossing his pencil dejectedly down on the desk. “I used to be able to do this. Drawing the human body was like, so easy. And now? God. I can’t even...nothing looks right.”
Patrick looks down at the assignment sheet David has printed out. He’d recently decided to take an online art course through Elmdale College, and this week the class was supposed to be focusing on the human form.
“Can I help?”
David shakes his head, his shoulders slumping. Patrick leans down and plants a kiss to the top of his head. He’s about to leave David to his assignment when David grabs his hand.
“You have a body,” he says thoughtfully.
Patrick snorts. “Very observant of you, David.”
David lets his eyes roam down and then back up Patrick’s body, ending with an off-kilter smile and a flirty little wink. “You have a very nice body, actually,” David says.
“Okay…” Patrick says, taking a step back. “Why are you being weird?”
David shakes his head. “I’m not! I just...I’m trying to work from memory here, and it’s not...I can’t...nothing is coming out right! I just… could you? I mean...would you, maybe—“
Oh no. No, no, no, Patrick thinks.
“Oh no. No, no, no,” Patrick says with a firm shake of his head. “I am not posing naked for you.” Patrick puts his hands on his hips. He will not be swayed. He’s not exactly sure why he feels so uncomfortable with this. David sees him naked all the time and is very, very vocal about how much he loves Patrick’s body.
It’s just that David’s body is the most beautiful thing Patrick has ever seen. And beside him, Patrick feels a bit like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. When he looks in the mirror, all Patrick can see are the little love handles he’s starting to get, because since moving into the apartment they’ve been eating at the cafe much more often, because Ray isn’t around anymore to cook delicious, healthy meals with. And he sees his skin that is at least three shades too pale to even be considered white. He’s practically transparent. And he doesn’t have enough body hair, and maybe his penis hangs a little more to the right than he’d like, and there’s that scar on his knee from that time he slid into home base and caught his leg on the catcher’s cleat, and—
“Honey?” David’s voice interrupts the litany of flaws currently running on a loop through Patrick’s brain. Warm hands and cool rings cup his cheeks and David’s face comes into focus when he opens his eyes. “It’s okay. It was...it was just a thought,” David says, stroking his thumbs over the jut of Patrick’s jaw. “If you’re uncomfortable, it’s okay.”
Patrick swallows thickly. “Why me?”
David’s smile sets a warmth brewing in the centre of Patrick’s chest. “Because yours is my favourite body,” he says simply. “Why would I want to draw anyone else’s?”
David’s words still the spiral of anxiety in Patrick’s brain. They make him want to stand up straighter, be braver.
“Um...so you want to do this now? Like, tonight?”
David shrugs. “The assignment isn’t due until Friday, so I’ve got time.”
“I, um, I mean...you wouldn’t have to show my face, right? Like...nobody would know it was me?”
David’s hands trickle down Patrick’s neck, landing on his shoulders. He gives them a squeeze. “Not if you don’t want me to.”
Patrick chews on his lip thoughtfully, nodding his head.
David smooths his hands down Patrick’s arms, taking his hands in his. “So, how about this. Think about it,” he says lightly. “And if the answer is no, that’s okay. I don’t want...this isn’t about making you uncomfortable, Patrick.”
“Okay.”
David smiles. “Okay.” He presses a kiss to Patrick’s lips, then moves to sit back down at the table.
“No, David. I mean okay,” Patrick says, emphasizing the last word. David looks at him searchingly.
“Like, okay okay? Like, you want to do it?”
Patrick nods. David frowns. “Patrick…”
Patrick takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He gives David what he hopes is a reassuring smile. “I want to do it,” he says. At David’s questioningly look, he elaborates. “I want to see myself. The way you see me. I think...I think I’d like the way you see me.”
David’s expression goes soft and he steps toward Patrick, tracing a gentle finger from his temple, down his jaw, hooking it under his chin and tilting his face up for a chaste kiss.
“You’re so beautiful, Patrick.”
“Show me,” Patrick says and begins unbuttoning his shirt.