Gray kissed the finger on his lip, smiling against her touch.
“Yeah, we should,” he agreed. “Come on.”
Laura paused, casting her eyes down on the ground. She really hadn’t expected that question.
“You keep looking forward,” Laura answered quietly. “You accept new things. Continue looking forward to life, I guess.”
Twenty minutes later, Violeta was pushing the door to her room open, tugging Gray inside. She fumbled around for the light switch before flicking it on——and froze.
Her paintings. Her paintings, which were in plain sight.
Her paintings of him.
Violeta flushed a deep shade of crimson as she looked them over. Would Gray like them?
The first was the ‘Mystery Man’ picture she’d painted in class, the one with the smudged face. The second was a blur of vibrant blues shot through with silhouettes—lovers. The third…. the third was Gray himself, a soft, caring smile fixed to his face.
Josh accepted this with another nod. “I might eat the pain away…. I just bought a whole packet of marshmallows. Does that count as moving forward?”
Gray froze when he took in the paintings. He knew she was amazing. He’d seen her artwork before but the sight that beheld him at that moment was enough to steal his breath away.
That was him. In those paintings, it was him. She had drawn him with a smudged face, it was easy to tell. She’d drawn him with a smile on his face. That smile—he didn’t even think it was his. Was that how she saw him? Beautiful?
“Vy—that—“ He stammered, speechless. “That’s me?”
Laura chuckled, shooting him an amused look.
“I’m pretty sure that’s called drowning in your misery, but hey, whichever works,” she grinned. “We should probably go now. It’s getting a little chilly. Shouldn’t have worn this dress.”
Ashamed, Violeta dropped her eyes to the floor. Her hand tightened around his wrist——would he be upset?
“That’s you…” she confirmed softly, chewing on her lower lip. “Are you—Are you mad? I’m sorry…”
Josh jumped down from his swing, but he landed funny, the jarring movement causing his glasses to slip off his nose upon impact. Cursing under his breath, he dropped to his knees.
After a minute or so of fumbling around in the dark, his fingers finally wrapped around something metal and cold. Sighing with relief, he pushed the glasses back into place and stood—-and almost collided with Laura.
Gray’s eyes fell back to her in surprise.
“No—why would I be?” He breathed, pulling her into his arms. “Vy, that’s amazing. You’re amazing. I just can’t—you see me like that?”
Laura hopped off the swing with ease, feet landing on the ground with a ‘thump’. She furrowed her eyebrows when she heard something fall to the floor.
“Is everything—?” Laura walked over to make sure Josh was all right when the boy stood up, nearly colliding with her. The pink-haired girl’s eyes widened, her hands wrapping around his biceps to prevent herself from stumbling. She swallowed, looking up at him in alarm. “I—sorry…”
Heat flooded her cheeks, and she averted her eyes, the shame leaking from her body once relief had taken root. “I—I see you much better than that. I just couldn’t capture it in a painting..” she admitted softly. “You like it that much?”
Josh’s eyes flew open the moment Laura’s fingers made contact with his arms. “I—sorry,” he stammered at the same time as her, but try as he might, he could not make himself move back. “Sorry—I didn’t mean to—“
“Of course I do,” Gray said, still surprised and deeply touched. “Vy, what kind of a boyfriend doesn’t appreciate his girlfriend making a painting of him? And you captured it perfectly. You are so goddamn amazing and you keep proving it every second.”
Laura swallowed thickly. He wasn’t moving away. Why wasn’t he moving away? She removed his arms from her grip, albeit hesitantly as if waiting for him to pull her back. She took a step back, still a little surprised.
“It’s okay,” she breathed.
Violeta’s blush deepened. Her heart pattered helplessly——no one had ever told her that before. “I—I’m glad you like it…” Her voice cracked a little. “I started another one…”
Josh exhaled harshly, his fingers trailing down her forearms as he pulled them away. “Sorry..” he murmured a second time, unable to shift his eyes from hers.
Gray kissed her cheek, feeling the warm skin beneath his mouth. He smiled.
"Did you?" he murmured against her cheek. "Any chance I get to see it before you finish?"
Laura shivered involuntarily, and definitely not because of how cold it was. Her exposed skin tingling from his touch and for the first time, Laura felt like crumbling, unable to hold on to the eye contact. She bit down on her lip.
"Josh…" she started quietly. "What are you thinking about?"
Violeta bit her lip, leaning unconsciously against his touch. “Maybe… I’d rather show it to you when it’s done. I’ve got other stuff though, if you want to see…
She trailed off, peeling away from Gray to look around her room. What did it look like from his eyes, she wondered? The walls were a subtle shade of cream, covered in a variety of posters, photos, and art. Lillian’s side was largely plastered with Queen and punk rock merchandise, but Violeta’s was filled with accents of colour. Musical merchandise, paintings, Polaroid photographs. A guitar case leaned against the wall, right beside an easel and a pile of canvases.
Josh inhaled sharply. Dangerous question…. he thought, And I’m not quite sure anymore.. But in the end, he played it safe, pushing his hands into his pockets and forcing a humorous smile onto his lips. “The huge bag of marshmallows I’m going to gorge myself on as soon as I get home.”
Better to stay quiet until he had his feelings sorted out.
“What are you thinking about?”
Gray followed her eyes, landing on her room. He smiled. Trust Violeta to turn her room into colors.
"Do you remember when I was giving you a hint about the girl I like?" he said to her, looking back at her. "That she paints my world in color? This is what I meant. Everything about you is bursting with such vibrant intensity. I don't want it to ever change."
Laura followed though she pulled on an irritated expression. She masked the disappointment she was feeling and tugged on her black dress.
"I'm thinking of throwing this damned dress away the second I get home," she said before crossing her arms over her chest. "It's so tight. And uncomfortable."
A huge smile overtook Violeta’s lips. This boy… he really was something special, wasn’t he?
“Thank you..” she murmured, ducking under his arm and leaning against his side. “I think you’re the sweetest boy I’ve ever met..”
Josh caught the flash of disappointment across her features and swallowed, suddenly flooded with guilt. But he stuck to his diversion, struggling to keep his smile in place.
“It looks nice, though. I guess you an stick to trousers next time, if it’s really that bad?”
Gray snorted but held her tight, trying to keep the smile off of his face and failing.
"Ask Laura and she'd tell you I'm the crappiest boy you'll ever meet," he said to her, pinching her nose. "But I'll only be like this with you. You deserve it."
Laura unbound her hair, running her fingers through it. She put her hair clip in her mouth, pulling her hair up again and twisting it before she clipped it again.
"Hey, you gotta look attractive," she said with a grin. "You can't deny I'm looking pretty, even though this dress is hell. Ah, the struggles. I'm glad I chose not to wear heels today."
Violeta began to blush again, and pressed her face against his shoulder. “You’re too tall…” she complained, though her voice was muffled against the fabric of his shirt. “Why am I so short?”
The faintest of blushes rose to Josh’s cheeks. “No, I can’t deny it..” he murmured, almost to himself. “And yeah, heels might have been a bad idea. Did you enjoy the party?”
"Because it makes us look cuter together," Gray chuckled, cupping her cheek again. "You're the cute one. Adorable Vy. God."
Had it been lighter, Laura would have caught the blush on his cheeks. Unfortunately, it was dark and she couldn't.
"Hm? What did you say?" Laura tilted her head to the side, missing what he said first. "And yeah, it was fun. The party was fun, and uh so were the games." She willed her cheeks not to burn when she recalled what she had been dared to do, "Did you enjoy?"
“I’m not cute,” she grumbled half-heartedly, tugging lightly on his hand. Tentatively, hesitantly, she perched on the edge of her bed and patted the spot next to her. “Should we.. talk? Set boundaries?”
Now, his blush deepened, crimson blooming across his freckled face. “Very much…” he mumbled, glancing away. “It was fun.”
"You totally are," Gray said, sitting down next to her, making sure to keep a slight distance so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. "And yeah. Tell me what your boundaries are. And don't ever think it might offend me."
"Mhm," she nodded, fumbling with her dress. "I should probably relieve you of your babysitting duties now. Well, in a few more minutes since you're walking me home."
Violeta slipped both hands into his pockets his, glancing away. “No hands below my waist..” she murmured quietly. “Or… or chest. No marking. What about you?”
Josh gave a small nod, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Which way are we going?”
Gray rested his head on top of hers. “Understood. What about cuddling? That okay?”
Laura turned around and pointed ahead. “That way. It’s on street 2-A. House 9006.”
“Definitely,” Violeta affirmed softly, letting her eyes drift shut. “What are your boundaries?”
Josh bobbed his head a second time. “Do you want me to walk you there or stay here?”
Gray fell back on the bed, pulling Violeta down as well. “May 7th. September 26th. I’m gone those days, so don’t look for me. If you see me anywhere, don’t ask me what’s wrong.”
“Walk with me,” Laura said without thinking, but she didn’t show it. “Might as well, right? Unless, of course, you want to go home. I’ve got pepper spray on me, as well as a small staff thingy so I’ll be fine walking back.”
Violeta curled up against his side, committing those dates to memory. May 7th. September 26th. Her heart ached for him. What could’ve happened on those days that impacted him so badly?
“Oh—“ Suddenly recalling something, she bit down on her lip. “Try.. try to avoid a lot of yelling at me. If you’re mad. I just—I don’t like remembering.”
“No, I’ll walk with you,” Josh answered quickly—a little too quickly. What was with this girl, and why didn’t he want to leave her presence so soon? What about her drew him in like this?
Gray draped an arm around her waist, breathing her in, thankful that she hadn’t inquired anything about those dayes.
“I won’t yell at you,” he murmured. “I don’t think I could ever yell at you, even when I’m angry. So don’t worry. And if I ever do, just tell me.”
Hearing his words, Laura’s smile immediately brightened. She hoped the walk back home took as long as possible.
“Awesome,” she tugged on his sleeve, pulling him along. “So, Josh, tell me about yourself.”
Violeta nodded slowly. After a moment, she spoke again. “Can we play Twenty Questions? I just realized that I don’t know that much about you…”
Josh let himself be pulled along, a more genuine smile tugging at his lips. “I… sing. And act. I like photography and… pour my milk before my cereal.”
"Yeah, let's do Twenty Questions," Gray agreed, caressing her cheek softly. "You ask first."
When Laura saw the smile on his lips, she grinned brighter. She felt something tug at her chest, but she chose to ignore it.
"Ooh, you do have a nice voice," Laura said, letting go of her sleeve once she noticed she was still holding on to it. "I'd like to hear you sing one day."
“Hobbies,” Violeta answered immediately, “What are yours? Other than—Other than being ridiculously attractive, that is.”
Josh felt a twinge of regret when Laura released his sleeve, but he ignored it. “Maybe if you gave me a song, I would sing it for you,” he answered after a pause. “Now it’s your turn. Tell me about yourself.”
Gray smirked.
“Being ridiculously attractive isn’t a hobby of mine, Vy,” he pinched her nose. “But I’m glad you think so. As for hobbies… I like to cook. I plan on joining Amanda’s kitchen one day. I’m just like, a normal worker. Even for her foster son, she’s cruel.”
“I’ll hold you on to that,” Laura nudged him in the side. “I love Froot Loops and no other cereal. I put in whatever reaches my hand first. I like to shop. I work at a bakery. And I’m extremely flexible.”
“You’re a good cook,” she complimented, recalling the night she’d eaten at his house. “Do you like baking, too? Would you bake me muffins if I asked nicely?”
“A baker?” he echoed, smiling. “What do you like to bake, then? And can you do backflips?”
"I'm glad you think so," Gray kissed the top of her head. "And yes, I like baking as well. Whatever you want to eat, I'll make for you. Your personal chef at your service."
"I'm in charge of baking the cookies and walnut cakes. I don't really have the ambition to be a chef, but yeah. I like to keep myself busy, so I try to keep my schedule tight," she shrugged before shooting him a grin at his next question. "Oh yes, definitely. I'd show you, but I can't due to this dress that I'm wearing." she pointed to her long, flowy dress.
Violeta laughed softly, nestling deeper into his embrace. “Thanks, Gray. It’s your turn now—Ask me something?”
“Right, yeah,” Josh mumbled awkwardly, rubbing at his nose. “Are you a gymnast, then?”
