for some unearthly reason, i felt this weird attraction to your dark aura. but i liked it and i liked you.

"You should try painting, Jeongguk. I feel like you'd be good at it." Taehyung speaks while admiring the work of the brunet, said male blushing with his clammy hands gripping the spray can as tight as he could. Maple irises scan the awe elder, liking the side view he had very much.

Green was lightly sprayed up tanned hands, making Jeongguk shake his head in amusement as the indigo and lime bled together. Taehyung always managed to get paint of any sort on his skin and Jeongguk always wondered how.

"I don't know... It's never really come across my mind." He shrugged, putting the caps on all of the cans while Taehyung raised an eyebrow, soon following suit.

"You work at an art supply shop. And you say you've never thought about doing art, even though you're surrounded by the equipment to do so?" He asks while they walk back through the glass door, Taehyung giving a gentle kick to close it. Jeongguk sighed once more as the two set the spray paints back in a plastic container, looking back at the covered canvas and letting his imagination wonder.

Is it incomplete? Is that why he's covered it up, to make sure no one sees it before it's finished? Or is it of something or someone personal? Does it hurt him to see it even though he created it?

"Don't bother asking what's under there," His deep voice startled an absentminded brunet, making his body jolt and eyes widen. Taehyung doesn't look at him however, instead gazing at the tarp covered work with an expression of upmost pain. "I don't want anyone to see it. Not even myself."

Jeongguk turned back around, taking in sharp breaths in comparison to the shallow ones Taehyung took. With a set mind, he takes brace smooth steps towards the canvas, surprised that the secretive artist didn't shout nor grab him. No, he just simply...stood there.

"Can...can I look at it?" Teasing fingers trail along the edge of the tarp, snapping the elder out of his senses and makes him step forward.

"No! Don't, Jeongguk, please... It's... It's personal, very personal and I don't want those...things, to be remembered."

Jeongguk, knowing quite a bit about privacy and personal life being invaded, let his light feather grip go of the cover and walked back over. Tears flooded the sea foam orbs, guilt swimming laps in the younger's just from pressing the subject a little too much.

"I'll take the couch again," Taehyung muttered. "You can sleep in my room... Goodnight Jeongguk."

✧✦✧

Taehyung watched as Jeongguk entered the room after hours since he went to sleep. Jeongguk should've been asleep; he should be wrapped in those cheap white sheets and be protected from the sharp chill that ran through the studio, he should be having those sweet fluffy dreams while smiling during slumber.

But no.

He was standing at the bedroom door, fists rubbing at his tired eyes like a child would, wearing nothing but a striped button-up and boxers, short white socks different lengths up his milky legs. Taehyung held back raw sobs, wiping away tears with the back of his paint-smeared hands to get a proper look at the brunet.

"Oh my god, Tae, are you okay?" Jeongguk rushed over to the artist who sat on the floor, dismissing the uncovered canvas as the glossy irises of a distressed Taehyung met with his.

"I-It's too much, J-Jeongguk." His eyes.

They were like those stormy times on a Sunday beach day, where the ocean was a murky grey and smacked against the saddened sand, rain spitting down and sky just a blanket of glum.

"What is? What is hyung?" Taehyung gripped the thin material of Jeongguk's button-up, a few of the white buttons coming undone but completely ignored, the younger's skinny arms wrapping around the shaking elder's figure.

The brunet's knees were scraped due to the speed he fell at, so a small whimper escaped his pink lips from the added pressure of the artist. Taehyung immediately sprung upwards, looking at the boy with wide doe eyes, dark green strands brushed in a mid-parting as he wiped at the sweat lining the bridge of his nose.

"Did I h-hurt you? I-I'm sorry-" Jeongguk pulled the crying man back in for an embrace, proving that everything was okay once he adjusted his sitting position.

"It's okay. Everything's okay."

The painting caught Jeongguk's eye, and as much as he wanted to keep the unspoken promise he made to not see it, pure curiosity got the best of him. Maple irises scanned at the canvas, the one he brought at the shop that was 'window sized', his eyes widening.

It was of a woman. Chocolate locks fell in gentle curls around her sweetheart face, her skin sprayed with a light tan that complimented the forest green dress she wore and the soft silver necklace adorning her neck. A male toddler grinned along with her, their hair matching.

But it was those sea foam eyes that proved who she was.

The painting was for his-

"Mother," Taehyung whispered through sniffles. "And she hates me with every inch of her body."

✧✦✧