"ugh, why does it look like that?" jisung groaned for the fifth time that evening and ripped his page up from the almost vertical drawing board. chenle was sitting with his legs parted and hands on the table between them, an innocent pose for an innocent boy.

"look like what?"

"it's all...i don't know. it's getting animated again, you know? i draw thick lines and it comes out two dimensional, even with a skeleton."

"can't you like, shade it or something? don't artists do that thing where the lines are faint and they build it up with shadows instead?"

"you're telling me? here's my attempt," the taller brandished the sheet in front of his model and sighed with aggravation. "what's happening?"

"um...i don't know. it's just...a cartoon almost. it's like you've placed emotions on me that aren't actually there, and the creases and whatnot in the clothing are defined and dark, not shadowed. it's good though."

"it's difficult. maybe i should accept a fail, because i really can't do this."

"don't give up that easily, we've only just started," chenle whined. "this is the first night, yeah? every night you'll work something out and improve, that's how practice works."

jisung hated to admit it, but his hidden partner was right. he was being too hard on himself too soon, and there was still plenty of time to get this right. he ruffled his shaggy hair and tried again, this time swapping out his 6b pencil for a hb one and going extra light. he wasn't fond of light nibs since he liked thick, dark lines with definite structure to the work and all areas of building present. but that wasn't what mrs. jo was looking for, so he'd need to fix that.

another while passed, maybe half an hour. chenle had switched from that stance to a relaxed one so that he could rest while jisung was sketching him. it was already getting close to eight, and this heavy focus was draining them both. it wasn't for naught, however, when finally the seventh picture actually turned out quite well.

the ebony student kept adding to it, fixing it, improving the skills he'd left dormant until this year. each time he glanced at the older boy, he'd find something he'd missed and would insert the observation into the artwork. the artificial lights of the room were waning now at this hour, and the shadows in the corner of the large room were extending and creeping the artist out.

"okay, i think i can sleep a bit better tonight," the pinkette hummed happily and placed his pencils and the one charcoal he'd relied on down. he cracked out his knuckles and stretched his arms back, each joint in his shoulders and back popping from stiffness. "chenle, you can go to bed if you want." when he didn't get a response, his brows furrowed and concern settled in his chest. "chenle?"

after walking around the easel and having a look at his model once more, he found the teen fast asleep while sitting up still. his head would lull from one side to the other every time he tried to awaken, but never succeeded.

"fuck, you must be exhausted, huh?" the younger chuckled with a small smile and hesitantly reached his hand out to touch his hair. he faltered though, curling his fingers back in and pursing his lips in thought. should i wake him? would he be awkward about it? embarrassed?

in the end, he couldn't have known had he not made the discovery. so, he manned up and tousled the boy's heavenly, silky black hair and elicited a small mumble from him.

"what...?" chenle yawned, leaning into the palm and almost falling back asleep with the support from it.

"you're still in the art room. time for bed, hm?"

the chinese male blinked once or twice to clear the blurriness in his hickory eyes and broke free of the hand on his head just to glance around blearily. "o-oh. are you done?"

"all finished. thanks for tolerating my impatience and failures and all that. i know there are probably loads of things you'd rather do than sit in an art room on a hard-as-hell desk well into the night."

"it's totally okay," the ivory student hummed and smiled ever so cutely, sliding down off the table and stumbling a little on weak knees. jisung held his hands out in case, but alas the boy didn't fall so his support wasn't necessary. "i don't mind sitting here for hours if it means you get better, y'know? how did it turn out? the last one?"

"oh! here," the pink-haired boy grinned excitedly and pulled it up to show him. "look, it's actually a mixture now, do you see? like, there's a bit of a surreal, unrealistic touch that i'm trying to abolish, but i thought about what you said. shading and building instead of etching lines."

"this one looks quite close," chenle beamed, rubbing his eyes to take a better look. "i can see the improvement with the lighting and stuff. but really, don't take my advice. i like to sing and act, not draw and paint. i don't know the rules for your world."

"well you helped me nonetheless. so thank you for that."

the pair started to pack away their things, or more-so, jisung did while the slightly shorter male picked up his jacket and slung it over his frame to cover up the black button up. they didn't say much after that, but they'd definitely grown more accustomed to each other since the day before. it even the couple of hours prior.

once the younger locked up the room, they both briefly surveyed the hall to make sure nobody saw them together. something about the secrecy and the inbuilt fear was a bit exciting, and the two started on their journey towards the dorms, they started to realise that.

"so um, you said a girl asked to model for you, right?" chenle whispered to keep them hidden and quiet.

"yeah. she was pretty too, so be glad i'm faithful to you," he joked. but the humour was lost of the ivory boy who's cheeks flared up in the darkness.

"why'd you turn her down, though? you don't actually have any obligation to use my services here."

"because i've made a deal with you, haven't i? we shook on it this morning, and i don't break my promises. i said i'd give you a chance," the pinkette subtly turned to view him as they walked. "and you stuck it out for me. i'm still really sorry i was so late tonight, i promise it wasn't on purpose."

"i know, i know. thanks for showing anyway, though...f-for making sure i wasn't still standing around in there."

"next time i'm majorly late like that — if by some freak occurrence it happens again — then leave after fifteen minutes, okay? don't wait up."

"i'll probably wait for you anyway," chenle sighed and covered a yawn as they reached the entrance to the shared dorm building. this was where they had to part ways.

"why?"

"because i'm your model, aren't i? you're my artist."

as the older adorably waved and bowed politely before heading off before him, jisung dumbly stared at his back and wondered why the hell those words felt like a butterfly in his stomach. his teeth dug into his lip and he shook off the strange thought and feeling, walking onwards as well once there was enough distance between them to be deemed 'not suspicions'.