The Artist
First off, thank you to everyone who has viewed and commented my stories, it's really great to get your feedback. This story is based on an RP between me and a long-time friend of mine. It was our first RP together and we never 'ended' it, per se, but at the moment it seems unlikely that we'll continue it.
In any case, enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: The following story and its characters (minues Garrett Novak) belong to me, TheAwakeDreamer, please do not use without permission. Thank you.
WARNING: The story alludes to gay relations between two males. If you don't like that, do not read.
THE ARTIST
Aaron Skye was never really dealt a good hand in life, just a lot of crap as he watched the world change around him. His brother, Drake, became popular, becoming a graphic novel artist, getting contracted by big comic companies to bring their words to life. Aaron, however, simply sat at home painting random things that he never really got the courage to show anyone, despite all of the praise he got from his tutor at the art college he had attended.
Of course he would always remember his sister, Lily. It was unfair how she'd been taken from the world at such a young age, and it was his father's fault...everything was always his father's fault. Sometimes he forgot what she looked like, and that caused his chest to hurt like he'd been run through with a blade.
The fox sighed, running a paw through his snow white fur, his ocean blue eyes searching the canvas in front of him as he tried to think of what to draw, and as he thought, a smile found its way to his face.
He could picture him in his mind, clear as day. The chubby wolf he'd met with not long ago, well, met properly. The fox always had a crush on him, glancing at him from across the lecture room in their group at the college, in the classes they shared. It hadn't been long ago that they'd shared each other's bodies - a love made of awkward inexperience, loving smiles and tender kisses. It warmed Aaron's heart just to think of such things.
It wasn't long after thinking of him that he dipped thee brush in his hand into the paint of his palette and he begun to draw the wolf's face - the defined muscles under his fur, the handsome face, his loving smile and those eyes that the fox could lose himself in forever - he made sure that he painted those eyes perfectly.
Aaron could still remember the first time they'd met for real and, technically, the fox had initiated it. It was towards the end of the school day and he had a bit of free time to himself before the campus closed for the day and he found a place to paint. He searched for something to draw and his eyes focused on the wolf sitting in on his last class for the day.
The fox could remember the embarrassment he felt when the wolf caught him staring and as he caught on to the fact that he had become Aaron's subject for painting, he had begun to sketch in his pad. It made Aaron giggle to remember the cute little sketch and how the wolf had tried to justify it. He didn't need to of course, since the sketch was pretty neat and well-drawn, if rushed but then, it must've been very awkward to sketch while trying to not move.
Meeting him outside of the entrance to the campus was only the beginning, however, as the two soon found themselves in an Italian restaurant the fox frequented, knowing the owner and having dated one of his sons. The two learnt a little about each other then. Aaron chuckled to himself, blushing as he remembered his little slip-up as they talked with the owner.
"Ah, this is your new boyfriend, yes?"
"No...no, he's not, Lou...not yet..."
Yeah, that was real smooth. The fox found himself, now, as he painted, starting to add himself into the piece, two grey arms holding him close, bringing him in, comforting him. Aaron had no doubt that the wolf would always be there for him and that little detail in the painting represented that. The wolf had stayed with him the whole night; they made love for the first of many times then.
Of course, not everything was sunshine and rainbows. The fox remembered a few days later, after the two had decided to live together, that they found a rather unpleasant surprise waiting for them in Aaron's apartment as they went to pack his things.
Shane Taylor, Aaron's ex, decided to stop by. The fox had split up with him God knows how long ago before then. Definitely over two years had passed. Aaron had figured the feline wasn't right for him and when he'd said that he was thinking they wouldn't work out, he'd turned violent. That was the last nail in the coffin of that relationship.
Shane had attacked the two but they managed to subdue him for the police to take him away. The event had sent the fox into a small breakdown, one that had lasted a few days and only really settled fully when he woke up this morning.
Aaron sighed, leaning back in his seat as he heard the door to the lecture room being unlocked. The fox stood up and turned to see his tutor, Harold Evans. The leopard smiled at the fox as he walked up to him.
"Sorry Aaron, it's time to lock up. I've been a bit lenient with your time today as is." Evans said before noticing the painting and grinning as he examined it. "This is really good. Are you certain you aren't selling yourself short coming here?" He said, looking at the fox now.
"You really think so?" Aaron asked nervously, scratching the back of his neck with a paw as he examined his in-progress work himself.
"I really do. I can see the emotion clearly, if I had to criticise it, I'd say the anatomy is still a little wonky, but we're working on that. That's you and Mr. Novak, isn't it?" The leopard asked.
"It is, sir, I love him..." The fox said softly. Evans had known for well over a few months now that Aaron was gay and the trust his student had in him to tell him that just made their friendship that much stronger. The leopard would be lying if he said he wasn't sad to see that the fox would be leaving soon.
Evans put a comforting paw on the fox's shoulder. "I know you do, and so does he. You two have each other and I can tell from how you and Novak have been recently that being together has really brought out something wonderful in the both of you."
Aaron nodded in response before moving away from the leopard to begin putting the supplies away into the lecture room's closet. After everything was put away and the painting was covered and placed out of the way, the fox left the campus to head home to his boyfriend.
--
Aaron huffed softly, a big grin on his face. It had been three days in the making. Well, five counting the weekends, but three actual days of working on it, but the painting was done. He clutched it delicately, the art covered by a thick sheet, as he jogged home.
The fox walked into the apartment, giving a friendly wave to the landlord, a hawk named Charles, as said avian walked past with a toolkit. Aaron soon made it to the apartment door and he opened it, looking around to see if the wolf was anywhere in sight.
"Wolfie, I'm back!" Aaron called out as he shut the door, hearing the hatch lock in place with a click. The fox set his painting down, keeping the sheet on the surprise his mate...was he really his mate? They'd had sex, sure, by was that enough to justify being considered in that sort of relationship? After all, that was the closest thing to marriage that the two could be as two males in love. The fox soon heard the soft thumping of the wolf walking out of the bedroom.
The wolf grinned at Aaron, who looked a little flushed as he saw his boyfriend all dressed up in the closest thing to casual that there was for the canine. The wolf was decked out in a pair of black jeans, clean hi-top sneakers, a white, collared shirt with a black tie and a formal-casual blazer jacket.
"Wow, someone's looking smart." Aaron teased with a grin, getting a warm hug from the wolf in return. The two didn't part for a minute or so, but as soon as they did, it was clear that the canine was very curious with what was under the sheet.
"So, what's this thing? Smuggling things out of the college now, are we?" The wolf teased, though it soon turned into a look of bemusement as the fox crossed his arms and huffed.
"Well, if you think it's such a joke, maybe I won't show you..." Aaron said with mock-exasperation, though the smile that soon found its way to his muzzle gave away the ruse.
"Oh, come on, stop teasing and show me!" The canine said, his tail wagging back and forth behind him showing just how eager he was. The arctic fox rolled his eyes playfully before putting a paw on the sheet and removing it.
The two looked at it together, the fox occasionally glancing at the wolf as he slowly looked awed, mesmerised by the way his boyfriend had captured the two of them. As they stared, the painting slowly became some surreal mirror, the wolf's arms wrapping around Aaron just like in the painting, his head resting against his shoulder.
In that moment, in all of the moments the two shared like this, Aaron felt safe and loved. He felt like no walls, no boundaries could stop their love. That nothing would ever tear them apart. In those moments, Aaron felt untouchable, because he had the wolf by his side.
"I love you, Garrett..."
"I love you too Aaron..."