Heterochromic Haze

3- Graphite

After that I work day and night on sketches, spending every minute available to me working upon recreating perfection.

The sketches have now filled a book and have overflowed onto the walls of my flat. His profile, his individual features, with a smile, without, the delicate pinch of his brow. I've documented everything but it's still not right.

I pack my best sketches into my folder, my eyebrows forced together in an untidy scowl.

I shove them in my bag and head toward the studio, cursing the man for ever entering my life. He's all I think about now, it's like he's taunting me.

I race up the stairs of the studio, slamming my folder down onto the desk. Amyas raises a brow but doesn't comment. I return to my unfinished project with a look of disdain, but it doesn't torture me quite so much as my sketches, so it's a start.

"What's wrong with you?" Amyas asks pleasantly, his eyes still fixated on his painting.

"Nothing." I grumble, unpacking my tools. I've been up till 3am every day this week, the little sleep I do have plagued with images so bright I don't know what's real and what's not.

Amyas' eyes glance over to me, taking in my appearance.

"You have graphite smeared under your left eye and clay on your neck." He says blandly and I roll my eyes.

"You always have paint on your hands." I mutter and Amyas raises an argumentative brow.

"But never on my face." He retorts. No, the golden boy is far too fastidious for that, I think crabbily. I rub a hand beneath my eye roughly, ignoring his know-it-all tone.

"Whatever." I mutter, dragging out my sketchbook.

One of my sketches drifts out of the book and I reach to grab it, cursing when Amyas snatches it first.

He looks at it curiously before glancing at me.

"Is this your next project?" He asks, looking back at the sketch.

"No! No, I don't..no." I stutter, reaching to grab it.

Amyas is faster than I am and snatches my folder, flicking through the rest of my sketches.

He's quiet for a moment, his keen eye taking in every detail.

"They're excellent." He says quietly, meeting my eyes as he hands them back.

"They're not right." I mutter and he laughs.

"What do you expect? You did them from memory." He says and I nod, not wanting to comment on my stalker behaviour in the cafe.

"Even a photographic memory doesn't do reality justice." Amyas adds and I groan.

I hate it when he brings that up. Vivid reality burnt into my mind, tattooed by my eyes, and I still can't recreate the perfection of Everett.

"You should ask him to sit for you."

I scoff at this, shaking my head.

"No Amyas. He's your brother." I say firmly.

"You don't have to sleep with everyone who models for you, you know." Amyas says and I smirk.

When you swing both ways, it opens things up a little more, what can I say? My smirk slips slightly thinking about doing that to Everett. He's not like the rest, he's not just a model. I don't know why and the thought terrifies me.

"You're no saint." I retort and Amyas laughs.

"75% of my work is landscapes." He points out, a small blush on his cheeks and I smile.

"Maybe you should do more portraiture." I say, my hands soon getting to work.

Amyas sighs but doesn't let the subject drop.

"You should ask. These are the best work you've done all year."

I shake my head, frowning. I've never had trouble convincing someone to sit for me before, but this feels different.

It feels like this would be my masterpiece, my Mona Lisa. It would be different, intimate. The undeniable need to take him all in, to touch him. I shake my head.

He would consume me if I let him. A small part of my mind worries that he already has.

I wouldn't be able to just sketch him.

"Everett understands art. He took the time to understand me when no one else did. Even if he's not artistic, he understands." Amyas says and I groan.

That's even worse.

"No. I can't." I whisper.

We go back to our projects, Amyas floating away as I try and forget about the man that haunts my mind. 

_

A/N As promised the next installment of HH :) This chapter is pretty much non-existent, so I'm going to post another one too, you lucky devils. Don't get used to it.

Hope everyone is having a great day, please comment on what you think so far! I'd love to know. 

Francesca