knj imagines

human canvas || k. lawley

"Why don't you come paint with me?" Kian said, patting the spot beside him on the floor.

Watching Kian paint was mesmerizing. It amazed me how he could take a blank canvas and transform it into something so breathtaking when all I could do was draw a stick figure and call it a day.

"No, that's okay. I like watching you," I said and he rolled his eyes at my comment; he always said that's something a mom would say. "Besides it would be like wasting a canvas because we both know how awful I am."

He laid out another garbage bag to protect the floor, plopping a canvas on top and patting the floor again. "You are not awful. Now get over here before I make you come over here." He wiggled his fingers threateningly and that was all it took for me to jump up and take my seat beside him.

"How dare you threaten me, especially with tickling," I pouted and he smirked, handing me a paintbrush which I held like it was a foreign object. "What do I even paint?"

"Whatever you feel like," he said, dipping his brush into a light blue and continuing to swirl the colors of the abstract face he had created. I smiled at how happy he looked before turning my attention to the bright white board that stared back at me.

I forced myself to dip the brush into a color and put it on the canvas, trying my best to make something that would be worthy of Kian giving up his materials for.

I leaned back when I was finished, tapping Kian and presenting my masterpiece to him. He smiled widely and pulled his phone out, taking a picture of me and my new baby. "What do you think?"

"Baby, they're so cute! Is it a mommy and a baby giraffe?" I frowned at his question and his smile faded. "Is that not what they are?"

"Kian, they're dinosaurs. Why would I paint green giraffes?" I pouted and he pulled me into a hug, apologizing quickly but I couldn't keep the act up for long, quickly pulling away and smiling. "It's supposed to be me and you as dinosaurs."

"Regardless of what they are they're adorable," he said and I smiled proudly. "We should probably display it somewhere. Like in our bedroom or something."

I scoffed and shook my head, standing up and placing it on the kitchen counter. "It deserves to be out where everyone can see!" He laughed and glanced back down at his canvas and I took the opportunity to grab my phone and start back the hallway.

"Where are you going?"

"To shower," I said, holding my hands and arms out for him to see. They had somehow become multicolored and I'd rather have my original skin tone back.

"Wait, come back. I have an idea," he said and I frowned as I walked back towards him. He tugged at the hem of my shirt and smiled up at me from his position on the ground. "Take this off."

"What?" I pulled the fabric from his grip and he smiled, grabbing my hand instead and pulling me down to kneel in front of him.

"I want to paint on you but I need space to work with," he said, pushing his hands under my shirt with a smirk. "So I need this off."

I squirmed but took my shirt off anyway and he pushed my shoulders so I was laying on my back in front of him. His forgotten canvas was pushed aside and he pulled his paints closer, getting comfortable beside me.

I watched him think for a moment before he chose an orange paint and brushed my hair off my shoulder. "Close your eyes until I say you can open them. I don't want you to peek," he said and I closed them uncertainly.

The paint was cold on my skin and he laughed at the small shiver that went through my body. "Why is that so cold?" When he didn't respond I cracked my eyes open to see his bottom lip between his teeth in concentration and I kept quiet so he could work his magic.

After about 15 minutes I was tired of the silence and Kian's quiet humming had made me want to hear him sing. "Can you sing me a song?"

"Like what?" I peeked my eyes open again and he was smiling as he worked on something on my collarbone.

"How about Ghost of You by 5 Seconds of Summer?" It had been the song that he was humming and I hadn't ever heard him sing it other than when we were in the car and he did it under his breath.

"Little depressing but okay," he said with a chuckle and softly sang. I let my body completely relax and I could feel myself drifting asleep, only being kept awake by the coldness the paint was bringing to my skin.

Kian smoothly transitioned into different songs, moving my arms however he wanted them as he continued to travel all around my upper body, drawing what felt like random shapes.

Finally he stopped singing and I blinked my eyes back open. He was glancing over his work with the biggest smile and held a hand up. "Stay exactly where you are, I have to take a picture."

I closed my eyes and smiled lightly as he snapped a picture and he reached a hand out to help me up, steering me into the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror my breath caught in my throat.

Everywhere I looked there was something breathtaking and I was surprised to find tears in my eyes. Koi fish decorated my collarbones and shoulders and there were butterflies resting up and down both of my arms. Kian had painted a sunset filled with pinks and purples on my stomach and an ocean in front of that.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered and Kian smiled, planting a kiss on the top of my head.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it! I never want to wash it off," I said and he chuckled. "Maybe you can design tattoos for me."

"I'm pretty sure you have never been more attractive to me than right now after what you just said!" It was my turn to laugh and he wrapped his arms around my waist, squeezing me into as good of a hug as he could manage without rubbing the paint off. "Thanks for being my canvas."

"Thanks for letting me," I replied, pecking his cheek.