“But you spent so much time on it,” Ryan mumbled, cautiously allowing his fingers to run over the brush strokes on the canvas. 

“How the hell would you know?”

“Eh—“ Ryan flinched. There was no way he could admit he had come and watched him work multiple times these past two weeks; if he admitted to it, he’d die on the spot. 

“I—I just assumed—It looks like you put a lot of work into it, because it’s so good, and, and—Can I seriously have this?” 

“…” Elias grumbled, and walked over towards a few lockers within the atelier. He rummaged through it, only for some loose brushes and pencils to fall out of it, and clatter onto the ground.

“Can you sign it, then? When you become famous, this will be worth millions! It’s a one-of-a-kind piece!” 

“Take off your pants,” was Elias’ rather surprising, cold response. Ryan’s gaze flinched upwards, peeling away from the painted canvas in his hands, and a terrorizing blush covered his face.

“E-Eh? Right here? Hold on, t-that’s a bit—I mean, we could go somewhere more private—“

Immediately, Ryan wanted to disappear forever when Elias pressed a pair of jogger pants right against Ryan’s chest, dropping onto the canvas in his hands right after. 

Elias’ blank, loathing stare were as sharp as daggers through Ryan, and his embarrassment only grew. “Oh. You—You meant, so I can change my pants. Yeah, that makes sense. My pants are drenched in paint, so—“

“What the hell did you think I meant, you loser?” Elias hissed, and Ryan’s heart flinched all the more.

“Nothing! I—I’m just—Nothing, nothing!” Get a grip, Ryan!

“Take them off.” 

“You—But—You’ll turn around, right?”

Elias scoffed with rolling eyes. “As if there’d be anything to see.”

“H-Hey!”

“Are you a virgin, or what? Why do you care?”

“I’m not a virgin,” Ryan pouted. “It’s just, you know …” Carefully, Ryan placed the canvas onto the table beside them, already opening the buckle of his belt. At first, Elias had stared, eyes drooping lower, but in the end, he did decide to turn around, as if he’d gotten embarrassed all by himself.

In an awkward smile, Ryan dropped his sullied pants to the ground, and reached for the black joggers Elias had given him. “They’re a bit small, but it should do until I get home,” he mumbled. 

“Not my fault you’re so tall,” Elias hissed, but now that Ryan was fully dressed once more, he did turn back around, staring at the joggers that didn’t even reach Ryan’s ankles, and tightly wrapped around his calves. 

“Thanks! I had a growth spurt just after I graduated high school. Too late, sadly, since the girls would always bully me for being so short before.” 

“That wasn’t supposed to be a compliment.”

“Oh…” Ryan cleared his throat, and gazed over at the painting. “Are—Are you sure I can take it home?”

“Burn it, for all I care.”

“I’d never do that!” Ryan yelled, only for Elias to hiss in response.

“You’re so fucking loud!”

“S-Sorry…” Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Ryan debated his next step, no possibilities coming to mind. “I’ll keep it until you want it back! It’ll be super safe with me! It’s seriously so pretty!” 

With his arms crossed before his chest, Elias simply shook his head, letting out an even louder sigh.

“Do—Do you really not think so?” Ryan whispered. “But it’s so beautiful. I could stare at it for hours.” 

“I wouldn’t expect someone’s untrained eyes to know anything about what’s good and what’s not.”

“It’s amazing, and that’s all that matters! Don’t obsess over random details no one can even see!”

“As if you know anything,” Elias grumbled.

“Maybe—Maybe you just need a break! Some time away from the painting, and then, you’ll realize how amazing it truly is. When was the last time you did something else? What do you do for fun?”

“For fun?” Elias grumbled. “I paint.”

Elias’ body seemed tense every time Ryan had seen him through the little window at the door. Every now and then, he’d sigh and slouch, back crooked, brushes drooping as if he’d given up. 

Fun? There wasn’t even any glow in Elias’ eyes when painted, only intense focus. 

“B-But … you already do that every day, and its for school, and you didn’t look like you were having fun.” 

Ryan’s words offended Elias, who snapped right back and stomped his foot onto the ground. “What do you know, huh?”

“W-Well—What else do you do? When you need a break from painting?”

“… ?” Elias gawked, as if he had no idea what Ryan had just said, as if those words were the strangest he’d ever heard.

Elias … had no hobbies. Besides painting, drawing, sketching, he did nothing. Obsessing over art, it was all he did. 

“You—You need a hobby to let off some steam whenever you get fed up,” Ryan mumbled. “For example, I game with my friends. We’re not that good, but it’s really fun.” 

“Of course, you game. Geek.” 

“H-hey! It’s got millions of players!” 

Elias grumbled, but Ryan wouldn’t let it go. “Let’s do something fun! Maybe you’ll get inspired when you see your painting again the next time! Take a night off for once!”

“I’d rather die.”

“Come on, Elias …” Ryan pouted. “We could go eat something you’ve been craving, or watch a show you’ve been meaning to watch, or a movie that recently came out? Do you want to try the game? I’ve got my laptop with me, so I could teach you!” 

“What is wrong with you?”

“H-huh?” Ryan jerked away. “I’m just … It’s such a shame, for you to think so badly about your work, when it’s this good. Anyone would agree that this is amazing, but you can’t even see it. Just … allow yourself to get distracted for a bit.” 

“Engineering students have got that much free time, or you just like slacking off?”

“That’s not it! I do well exactly because I know when to take breaks!” 

“Sure. Whatever.” 

“Then—My—My pants! I won’t charge you for cleaning them if we go do something fun right now?!”

“What are you even talking about! Just throw some rubbing alcohol on the stains, and it’ll come right out, you dumb-ass!” 

Ryan’s shoulders slouched — nothing he tried seemed to work, and it made him sulk deeper and deeper, awkwardly standing there in his graphic tee and the joggers that were too small for him, pinching him in all kinds of places. 

As he lowered his gaze, Elias clicked his tongue in an annoyed manner, something making his body squirm as if he was uncomfortable, and Ryan wondered whether it was his face, again, that bothered Elias. 

“There is something I’ve been meaning to do, I guess.”

Ryan’s ears perked up immediately, and his eyes shone brighter, and he approached, like a puppy wagging its tail. “Really? What is it? Tell me, and we’ll go!”

“There’s this new café, with art on their coffees.” 

“It’s art-related again!” Ryan was about to lose his mind, but if this was the best Elias could do, he’d gladly accept. “Fine! Let’s go, and you better forget all about how you hate your own painting, yeah?”

“Why the hell would we go together?!”

“Well, I need to make sure you’re actually having fun!” Ryan countered, but Elias didn’t seem to have any of it.

“Are you—“ Before Elias could finish, though, Ryan picked up another defense and tried his very hardest to be convincing.

“My shoes! They’re ruined because of the paint, so I need to buy some new ones! Let’s go together, and then we’ll go to the coffee-shop!”

“Are you kidding me?!” Elias hissed. “You just want a free ride, and free meal, that it?”

“It’s your paint on my shoes!”

“It’s more your own stupidity than anything!” 

Ryan pouted, drooped his head down, and glared at his white shoes — but it was somewhat of an act, since he cared little about this old shoes he had sullied. Sure, some new ones would be nice, but … 

He knew Elias didn’t want to be indebted to anyone for anything. Ryan had already learned that much through their call about tutoring, where Elias had tried his very hardest to push some kind of payment onto Ryan. 

Elias wasn’t going to let this slide, not even in the slightest. 

And it worked. 

He hissed all the louder. “Dammit,” he whispered to himself. “Fine! Let’s get you new shoes, then!”

“Yay!” Ryan’s eyes lit up, and like a well-trained pup, followed Elias right out of the atelier and towards his car, all while carrying Elias’ painting in his hands.