Paintbrush

↬fourteen.

A/N: I do not take credit for any images above. They are simply added for visual purposes.

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  He sat in front of the painting. He gazed at every detail, every perfection.

It was unbelievable to him, how even an accidental smear could appear so flawless. The artist was extremely skilled.

His eyes flickered down to the bottom, to the signature.

  "P.B., " he sighed. The mysterious artist had a special place in his heart; he held so much respect for them.

  Every time he looked at one of their works, he fell in love. A different love, one which that could not be grown from intimacy.

  He stood, turning to the drugstore. His heart felt new and inviting. His mind thought only of one person.

  The bell rang above him as he went straight to the cash register. He leaned over the counter, and his eyes widened.

  She was asleep. Her back was against the cold wall with her legs in an awkward position.

  He smiled softly, knowing how tired she always was. As quiet as he could, he walked behind the cash register and joined her on the ground.

  For a moment, he sat still. She breathed quietly, murmuring indistinctly.

  Finally, he carefully moved her body towards him. He laid her head on his lap, and gently pushed her hair back.

  She let out a yawn, shifting her weight. He held his breath as she found a comfortable position.

Their closeness had his heart pounding and his stomach making somersaults. He gazed down at her, admiring the look of complete tranquility in her expression.

  She was beautiful, and that was something he always knew.

  Suddenly, the bells above the store door rang, and he craned forward to catch a glimpse of the stranger. It was a young woman, seemingly in a hurry.

  He slowly took off his jacket, folding it, before moving away from the drugstore girl. The jacket was thick enough to be used as a pillow.

  Blowing out a breath, he stood behind the counter and squinted at the cash register. The woman rushed over, setting a few items down.

  He casually scanned the items, pressing random buttons on the cash register, and hoping for the best.

  "Uh, will that be all?" he cleared his throat, trying to sound professional. The woman nodded in response while the receipt printed out.

  Once the stranger left, he sighed in relief.

  "Not bad, " she commented, startling him. "For a beginner, anyways."

  He smiled down at her sleepy face. "Oh, thanks, Aurora."

  "I prefer Ariel."

"And I prefer Eric, " he replied, and she chuckled nervously. "Works well, doesn't it?"

Instead of answering, she handed him his jacket and ran her fingers through her hair to fix it. He watched as she sighed in frustration before finally tying her brown locks into a ponytail.

"Thank you for taking care of the register while I was asleep, " she smiled softly at him.

"Of course. I figured you needed some rest."

She nodded. "You're right about that. I've had trouble sleeping these days."

"Oh? How come? Maybe I can help, " he suggested, and she gave him a wary glance. As she walked around the store, organizing misplaced items, he helped and continued to press on the subject.

  "I'm just a worrier, okay? It's been pretty stressful these last few weeks, and I just keep thinking about it at night, " she explained curtly, not wanting to talk about it anymore. "All I have to do is think less, and sleep more."

  He stayed silent for a moment, thinking. "Do you live alone?"

  "I moved into an apartment by myself two months ago."

  "Oh, nice. So did I, " he murmured, and she turned to him with a curious expression.

  "Hey, you know, you never told me what you do. As in your job, " she pointed out.

  "Right. I guess it never came up in our conversations, but I'm actually an art gallery assistant."

  She froze, gaping. "Wow, really? For which gallery?"

  "It's called Sight Gallery. You probably haven't heard—"

  "Sight Gallery? That's amazing! That's my favorite gallery! They have so many spectacular works there, " she exclaimed, utterly fascinated and enthusiastic. "You are so lucky to work there, and always be in the presence of masterpieces. Wow."

  He laughed, loving her unexpected bubbly reaction. "You like it that much? You should come by once in a while. I could give you free admission if you tell me beforehand."

  "Oh, I'd love that! Thank you so much!" she smiled, and surprised him with a tight hug. A grin grew on his face as he put his arms around her.

  "I'd give anything to make you happy."

A/N: so sorry for the late chapter! I've been searching for inspiration, and I finally found a speck to keep me going.

  Please vote and comment your thoughts on this chapter! Thank you for reading.