Disclaimer: I claim nothing. Please don't sue.
Author: KK
see part 1 for warnings, notes

Captured in Charcoal + Part 5

As fate would have it, Duo was the model for the second half of the class; a young model to contradict what they drew in the first half. Heero's mind was bustling. What did Duo mean by that comment?? DID he mean anything by it? He could barely concentrate on his work as he tried to think what the young model meant. Dare he hope?

"Heero… you're working slowly…"

/Shit/

"Ah…"

He glanced up to see his tutor smiling encouragingly at him. Heh… Right. He'd better press on… With an air of determination to get through this second sitting, he looked up, ready to draw the eyes in greater detail. He looked up to the model to find glittering, rich depths focused on him. He looked back for a moment, eyes challenging until he felt stupid and looked away. He glanced up again. Duo was now looking slightly to the left of him and Heero quickly made a move to get working. He shook his head at himself. He was being so stupid about this.

Flickering his gaze up, he looked closely at Duo, studying him. His eyes moved down to his page to mark down his observations. He continued like this, doing the observation drawing in high detail, trying to be precise as possible in his findings. Duo's face was neutral and relaxed, the warm and friendly depths of his eyes occasionally flickering around at things he found of interest. It wasn't until Heero was halfway drawing the second eye that he noticed that Duo's attention was focused on him again.

He glanced up, holding the model's gaze until the violent eyes glanced away briefly, flickering back at him then lowering. Heero blinked for a while, work forgotten. He quirked his head slightly. Duo confused him immensely he decided. One moment suggestive, and the next almost coy, Heero sighed, looking at the model. He was so stunning… The pencil he held rest against the smooth surface of the paper, held stationary as he admired the beautiful person in front of him.

He slowly returned to his work again, rubbing away some visible guidelines he had put down earlier. Having tidied that up, the art student lightly etched in the elegant arch of Duo's eyebrows, proceeding to give them more definition when he was satisfied with the shape.

+

Heero looked at his watch. Twenty minutes left. His ass had gone numb. He shifted slightly, eyeing his work as he did so. He subtly stretched his arms in front of him and arched his back upwards, muscles cording and pulling as he tried to stretch the cramp away. Clenching his fists tightly, he proceeded to stretch his fingers out. Geez… who knew that sitting still was so tiring?

He glanced at his page. Somewhere in the last forty minutes he had relaxed more into the class, enabling him to get a fair amount of work done. Almost everyone was done now. Just a bit more work on the mouth, the ear and the little bit of clothing he had put at the very bottom. Duo's presence in the room didn't make him as edgy now. He thought for a moment. This was the… third sitting that Duo had modelled for. Maybe it was the brief talk at break, or the friendly, almost encouraging glances that the model had thrown to him, but his heart was only lurching occasionally now. Some sort of comfortable agreement between both of them was established. He didn't have to wipe his clammy hands against his trousers as frequently, and he could think in coherent sentences whereas before, he could barely think. He paused again when Duo looked over at him again. His arm paused; Heero unable to concentrate on drawing when caught in that mesmerising bluey violet gaze. He watched as a small, acknowledging smile brightened Duo's face and sat, mind blank for a moment before hesitantly returning it.

+

Heero admired, while Duo talked.

He watched the happy expression and bathed in the laughter as they emanated easily from the model. He glanced downwards to check where he was putting his finished piece, carefully sliding it into the correct place in his portfolio.

He slyly watched from the corner of his eye as he packed, trying to prolong having to leave. Duo was heartily chatting and joking with the people from his school that attended the class. He pouted internally to himself; wishing that he was in the popular crowd of people so that he could be among the group, interacting with Duo. Feeling somewhat inadequate, he sped his actions up, zipping up the large, dark portfolio and throwing his jacket on before breezing past them and leaving the room.

+

Was it wrong to dream, if dreaming was better than living?

Heero laid atop the sheets, the cotton of his shorts and T-shirt whispering against his skin when a breeze would interrupt the silent of the night and come trough his open window. He arms were folded behind his head, supporting him in a relaxed position as he thought to himself.

His skin was still hot from his shower, and his thoughts swirled about chaotically, more often than not settling on a certain chestnut-haired person. His thoughts had started when he saw the letter from college on his desk, forcing him to consider his college/university application again. He only had a couple of months left. They had shifted from college, to wondering what Duo was going to be doing come September. He sighed. He didn't know what he wanted to do with his life, what to become.

He rolled over, burying his face into the soft, cool pillow. He grunted irritatedly into it before turning his face to a side. Sighing, he let his thoughts ease from him as he slid under the covers. However, one thought that wouldn't be budged remained. Duo. Heero opened his eyes, blinking into the darkness of his room. He felt inexplicably alone all of a sudden, the quiet of his room which was usually a comfort, feeling hollow and empty. He shut his eyes against it, pushing his face into the pillow again and pulling the covers in closer to close off the feeling of too much space for one person. The image of Duo, laughing among friends danced in his mind as he moved to hold the corner of his pillow. He realised with a sinking heart that he wasn't included in the group of people that was taunting his imagination before falling into a dreamless sleep.

+

04/04/2002
~KK

[part 4] [part 6] [back to Singles a - k]