natural figure | taegi

chapter thirteen

•) Wednesday Evening

"It's so good already, how do make it look so realistic?" Hoseok is wonderstruck as his eyes follow Yoongi's hand for every stroke, turn, scrape. He'd stayed for well over the ten minutes Yoongi had prescribed him, Taehyung didn't really mind, but there was still part of him selfishly wishing he'd just go already, that Yoongi would kick him out. Even though he knew he'd instantly revert back into a tentative, shy, embarrassing state if it were just the two of them again.

"It's called realism for a reason, Hobi." Yoongi's voice was as blank as his face. His head appearing from the side of the canvas every couple of seconds, and each time it did his eyes were soft looking at Taehyung. Taehyung's arms ached from strain and the wish to just hold him already. What was happening to him? Was Jimin actually on to something? Taehyung was acting like he really was in love. What a mess... "Taehyung, how are your arms?"

Taehyung gave his left forearm a gentle squeeze, creating a slight painful pleasure, he'd held them up like Yoongi had instructed for a bit longer than he'd have liked, but Yoongi had made sure to focus on his arms until he could relax them. "They're fine, a little sore but it's nothing. How's it coming along?"

"You look great." Yoongi told him, if he could see his own eyes Taehyung would've noticed the way his pupils dilated.

"That's... not what I was asking." Taehyung couldn't fight the smile. Yoongi had been pretty outright since they'd met, but it was still startling sometimes when he was as honest as he is. Hoseok leant forward, pressing a cheek firmly into Yoongi's shoulder.

"Yoongi~ I'm hungry, how much longer?" He whined and Taehyung realised there was a slight gnawing at the bottom of his stomach as well, he hadn't eaten much today. Yoongi set his paint brush down in the jar and wiped his hands off with an old towel. "The reservation is in an hour and a half, gotta get ready, we can't be late."

Reservation? What was he talking about? Taehyung watched them carefully with a confused look. Was Hoseok coming to the dinner Yoongi had invited him to? Yoongi stood up, his stool dragging across the floor, he headed for the sink with his dirty paint brushes in hand. Taehyung felt a cold chill rush over his body. "We've got time, you don't need an hour and a half to get ready."

"You will, look at you. You're covered in paint." Hoseok followed him, standing a little ways behind, picking dried paint off the back of Yoongi's shirt. Taehyung's cheeks were a little hot with sudden and unsupervised frustration. He felt kind of forgotten on the other side of the room, still practically naked. "How do you make such a mess?"

"Good art is born from mess." Yoongi said, rubbing his fingers against the bristles of each paint brush until the colours swirled and collided on their way down the drain. Hoseok huffed with a shrug of his shoulders and turned to Taehyung.

"Are you keen Taehyung? Yoongi booked a table at that fancy grill restaurant downtown." Hoseok was smiling but it didn't make Taehyung feel good at all. So he was coming? Why? Taehyung managed to return something close to a smile which was more of an awkward grimace and he reached down to retrieve his shirt. He didn't see Yoongi looking over his shoulder at him, watching carefully as he always did. Hoseok moved over to the canvas again and waved to Taehyung. "Come look, it's so cool already. You look like an angel Taehyungie."

Taehyung followed his motion and stood by his side, eyes falling on the unfinished painting. For the most part, his head and arms were close to completion, then his body slowly faded into a void of white and pale red strokes of undertone. He couldn't deny it was - as usual - mesmerising. He'd made him look so pretty again. Taehyung didn't notice Yoongi standing behind him while he stared. Hoseok stretched his arms up high above his head and yawned. "I don't know where the talent comes from. He used to be absolutely terrible at drawing, even I was better than him for a time there."