Work Text:
The paintbrush just barely grazed the surface of their oil paints, picking up colour for a thin line across her canvas. Sun-down lights cast through the windows, illuminating the two’s workspaces, both of which faced towards the centre pedestal of the room.
Not that either of them were using it, of course. Squiddo had her own work to do, a reference photo balancing precariously on her lap, of a sunrise behind a gazebo. They shot a glance at Ash, who instead had a reference board resting at the base of his chair.
He seemed deep in thought, Squiddo assumed, pulling her eyes back to their work, but he cut in before they could dip back into their palette. “What’s up?”
Her brush hesitated over a blob of greyish purple before swiping it up. “Nothing,” Squiddo murmured.
Even though she wasn’t looking, they knew Ash was staring at her now. “Need a break?” He offered. “We’ve been here a while. I could use a water.”
“No, just distracted.” Subconsciously, they responded, instead more occupied by the choice between a vibrant orange or a warm yellow. It didn’t hit her how that sounded right until the tapping of Ash’s foot ceased.
“You mean me?” His voice was tinged with an amused tone, but slightly off. Without that egotistical intent. “I get it, I’m really quite distracting, with my massive aura-“
Squiddo spluttered on the realisation, and the careful streak of yellow wavered on the canvas. “God, you’re insufferable,” They eventually scoffed.
The comment was followed by a short silence, though it seemed to creep into Squiddo’s cheeks as a warm tinge. The sunset was starting to catch up on the two, with the afternoon light deepening into an orange tone not too dissimilar to Squiddo’s painting. The light on the floor shifted as the sun moved.
It was not long after that anxiety overtook them. Perhaps worried that the comment came out wrong, Squiddo tried to peek at Ash, who had since become quiet.
His brush hovered above his canvas, a tinge of flame-red just centimetres from touching the painting. Completely motionless, Squiddo turned just to meet Ash, blankly staring at them. The only movement he made was in his eyes, rapidly blinking back at Squiddo.
“Uh.” They swallowed. “Ash?”
Instead of a response, he pushed off from his stool, palette clattering to the side. With a single hand, Ash grabbed the canvas from the stand and began carrying it away.
Squiddo, taken aback, opened her mouth a couple times to decide what to say. “Hey, Ash? Ash!” When it became evident that he wasn’t going to stop, she abandoned her own paints and crossed the room in quick steps. When they reached Ash, standing by the window, they put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s- Are you okay?”
They stuttered through her words, hand loosening and trembling on his shoulder. “I- If I said something that, I wasn’t supposed to, I’m- I don’t find you insufferable, Ash. I’m really sorry that, uh, I said that.”
His face tensed, eyebrows pressed together. Staring down, he looked over the paintings set under the window, all their classmates’ old projects covered in dust, one or two being Squiddo’s own abandoned works. “No, nothing like that.”
It didn’t sound right to Squiddo. Like he was forcing it. “I know it was mean, and,” They rambled on, dragging a hand through their hair and rubbing a dusk purple onto her strands. “You can tell me if it was too far. I won’t say that anymore-“
Ash cut her off sharply. “Stop that. It’s, fuck, it’s not…” He breathed out a long breath, then placing his hand over Squiddo’s on his shoulder. “Don’t apologise. I’m not mad at you.”
He set the painting down on the floor. Somehow, in the shadow set under the window, the destroyed kingdom felt even more atmospheric. “I just don’t want to paint that anymore. I’ll…” He squeezed their hand. “Find a new canvas, okay?”
She didn’t get it. It was so sudden, from the peace of rendering to such a sudden response from him. In the back of her mind, the worry bit at her that he was upset about it. At her. “But it’s-“ Not even to mention that it was due in two weeks, she settled with, “It’s beautiful.”
The sunset was properly settling in, golden hour bathing the classroom in its signature glow. Ash took their other hand and pulled both together towards his chest. “I’d rather paint something… really beautiful.”
“Something that’ll move you. Something that doesn’t compare.” His hands, interlocked with hers, were beginning to be outlined in a soft, orange light. “Something just for- just for me and you.”
They didn’t know what to say. She didn’t think she’d ever seen Ash with such an intense look in his eyes. It was almost fierce, yet diffused with a desperate, passionate glow. Squiddo forced herself to speak before they were sure what to say. “I- What will you paint?”
“You, preferably a recent photo,” He rambled, an innocent, pure passion blazing in his voice. “Though if there’s an old one you’re inclined for me to try I would — in directional light, with the lights all coming off your glasses and earrings, though that’s really specific, so it’s okay if it doesn’t.”
They felt like they couldn’t breathe. The colours of the room all flashed around her, like the saturation was up to the max. Did she hear him right? “…Sorry, wait. Painting what photo?”
“Squiddo.” He deadpanned.
“…Ash??”
“I want to paint you.”
They forced themselves to heave in a breath. That sounded about right to her. Of course, Ash would want to do a portrait painting. He enjoyed human sketches, after all. “Oh, okay.”
Wait. “…You think I’m beautiful?”
Ash stiffened, and hastily dropped their hands. “Well, if you’re gonna put it that way-“ His eyes flicked between Squiddo and his seat. Settling back to his usual self, his tone was much more casual. “It’s- well it’s true, but it could be said that the human anatomy is very beautiful on its own,” He seemed to recite.
They had to restrain a giggle at his flustering, watching him retreat back to his empty stand for only a moment, before grabbing his hand. “Come on, man. I can take a compliment.” Feeling slightly daring, they tacked on quickly at the end, “Besides, you’re quite pretty too.”
A flood of red rose to his ears, hand heating up in her touch. “Well, you’re prettier,” He joked. “Even more than me.”
Though it sounded close to one of his egotistical remarks, it lost the edge it usually had. Squiddo shot at him, “Careful, Ash ‘Swag’, or else it’ll sound like you like me.”
His head turned away. Once again, he fell oddly silent. Though this time, Squiddo was utterly aware of what she’d said. It was to test the waters, but now-
The thought settled into her head over each ticking second. Oh my god.
Ashswag likes me.
A soft whisper, “Is it really not obvious?” Their gaze snapped up to his face, still angled away from her.
“I-“ Her heart raced, thumping so hard in her chest they thought it might break through bone. “I didn’t think you would.”
“It’s kind of selfish, isn’t it?” His voice stayed at its low whisper, but with a slightly sharper edge. “We’re friends, but I’m just… pretending we’re something else. So I’d never ruin what’s going on here.”
His grip loosened as if he meant to let go of Squiddo’s hand, but hers only tensed in response. “It’s not selfish. Do you think I hate hanging out with you?” They questioned.
Only then did Ash turn around. “… But isn’t it different?” His eyes were red at the edges, glimmering with the peak of sunset and some tears.
Maybe it was a bad moment. Maybe she was rushing it. But later, Squiddo would say it was the perfect time.
At the point where the sun hit the room with a light that turned canvases gold, Squiddo slowly pulled him in by the hand. When he was close enough, she snuck her free hand through his hair, smudging more paint through the curls, before settling under his chin. They pulled him in, closer and ever closer, and pressed to him a single kiss.
It may have been five seconds, probably even less than that, but to them it could’ve been forever. It took until after they pulled away that either of them seemed to know what happened.
Ash was the first to speak up, while Squiddo simply stared in awe. “So. Is this you saying you don’t mind me?”
The whole thing felt utterly absurd to Squiddo, and the added comment was no help. They coughed out a raw laugh. “Are you serious?? Ash, you’re-“ She rubbed a thumb along his jawline. “It’s me saying I like you too. I like you,” Squiddo repeated, almost as if to make it certain to themselves too.
“Oh.” He simply mumbled. “Then, can I…” He wrapped his arm around her, settling on her neck to draw the two into another kiss. This one was slower, probably because neither was quite as panicked as before, a lot more confident and comfortable.
When they pulled away, the last remains of the sunset had gone, left as just a trail of yellow drifting over the west. Their paintings, left unpacked and brushes drying on the floor, were forgotten by them both, in favour of interlocked fingers and soft laughing.