Brush Strokes ✓

8.

Aera had wanted to see Taehyung painting. She didn't really know why she asked him if he wanted to paint, but the atmosphere had been thick and the only thing she was comfortable with, was painting.

She had known that atleast art was something common between them and maybe it could dissipate that awkward air. But she didn't know that he'd decline the offer and see her paintings instead.

So, now, she watched him going through every single painting she had in her store room. Honestly, if it had been anyone else, she'd be okay with letting them see her paintings. But the quietness that surrounded them as Taehyung looked around with a critical eye, made her antsy.

Her poor lips were not going to survive the evening.

Taehyung was having the best time of his life. Even if they had started wrong, he was glad to meet an artist like Aera. She had a gift. He just didn't understand how she wasn't famous yet.

Going through all the different types of paintings, expressing singular emotions of humans to the mundane life painted in various shades of blue and red. He could tell she had a pattern with those two primary colours. It was her speciality until his eyes fell on. . .

His eyes met the painting that made him feel as if he was looking through a mirror. Infront of him stood a medium sized canvas. A pair of eyes stared back at him, peeking through black roses, drawn with painstaking details. He could almost feel each individual petal under his touch but the roses weren't the main attraction.

It were the eyes. They were drawn just as meticulously. Such detailing that he noticed one of the eyes was a monolid while the other was a double lid. The border of those lush black roses gave a mysterious vibe while the eyes expressed surprise in their wideness, annoyance in the crease between the brows and empathy in the dark chocolate orbs.

"This is amazing!" his voice rang in the silence, low and thick with wonder. It made Aera blush. "Ah, thank you, Taehyung. That means a lot to me."

"Are you exhibiting right now?" He asked, turning around with a spark in his eyes that wasn't there before. For a moment, she almost thought she had met him before, in another place, another season, as she focused on his eyes, but she couldn't remember.

"I will be in a few weeks but it's not a solo exhibition," she answered, following to point out the pieces that were going to be displayed. "These nine pieces are going to be displayed. I'm going for a theme of how the fiery red agression can be turned into calm blue gradually."

Now, that explained why so much blue and red, Taehyung thought before pointing at the painting of eyes behind him, "Why don't you put this up? I have a feeling that this painting could be your big break."

Aera's eyes widened in shock. Was he for real? "You really think so?" she asked, to which the young man nodded with an encouraging smile. She could only look back and forth between the smiling man and the painting.

"But I can't put it up for sale," she finally said, her shoulders dropping. Taehyung's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why not?" he asked.

"Many reasons, Taehyung. For starters, I don't have more painting ideas to go with the theme and I don't pick out random pieces. I like to tell a story. Second and the most important, it's a stranger. I drew a stranger without his permission and putting it for sale without him knowing is just not right. Third, I don't know if I will be able to create something just like that ever again."

The despondency in her eyes and the way she was murdering her lips with those teeth did something funny to him. It chaffed at his heart to see her look so lost and hopeless.

His warm hands were suddenly on her shoulders, drawing her attention to him as he bent down to look into her eyes. "Okay, for starters," he began, mimicking her. "You can come up with a story with that. I know you can. It could be the journey of the man in the painting or a love story if you include a woman.

"Second, there is a one percent chance you'll meet that man ever again but you can't wait that long. And I'm sure, the most that person would do, is ask for a modelling fee. Third, you can do it, Aera. Don't doubt yourself because you are amazing. So, cheer up! And start looking for inspiration. I believe in you."

I believe in you. . .

Those words made her heart swell as Aera looked into Taehyung's encouraging eyes. It made her feel more optimistic than she had been feeling ever since the day started. His words made her believe in herself.

Feeling overcome with emotions, Aera threw her arms around Taehyung's neck, shocking him to the core as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Taehyung. Thank you so much for coming here to apologise and then encouraging me like you just did," she said, pulling back, her lips stretched in the biggest grin he had seen on her face till now. It made his heartbeat to pick up.

"I think, we'll get along well," Aera continued, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil inside Taehyung's heart. "Do you want to be friends?"

That made a huge smile to brighten up the man's face, his lips forming a rectangle and his eyes turning into crescents. "I would like that very much, Aera. I'd really like to be your friend," he replied earnestly, gaining a high pitched squeak as Aera pulled him out of the room, wanting to feed him something.

Friends was definitely a good start, Taehyung thought as he watched Aera chatter away animatedly as if they had known each other their whole lives. And as if he hadn't made her feel insulted the first time they met.

~~~~
A/N:

I would really like to know how you are liking the story so far. Is it going too fast? Too slow? I'd really love to hear your thoughts.

Hope you liked this chapter and...

Thank you for reading 💜💜