9. Paint.
He couldn't paint to save his life. That was my first thought when i met him a few weeks ago in my art class. Nothing I said to him or showed him worked, he just could not paint. I grabbed the paint brush from his hand as I passed him, swapping it with a thinner one.
"Here this will help with the lines," I muttered moving back to watch him paint and to try and figure out what it was he was actually painting. He never brought an object with him or used the subject matter that was provided always preferring to paint from memory. It looked like he was painting flowers today, a field or something of the sort. I watched as he added what could have been a person to the back ground before moving on to instruct other students. I had to wonder if anyone had mentioned his lack of skill to him, surely someone had mentioned it to him. A few of the more superior painters had taken it upon themselves to weed out the weaker painters. He was definitely one of the weaker painters. None of his pieces ever matched up with the image he described, but it was still intriguing to watch him paint. A sigh escaped my lips, I had to focus on other people not just him. In an attempt to do so I grabbed the colour pallet of another student suggesting they work with the lighter colours for the face, I think she thanked me but once again my attention was drawn back to the landscape painting that didn't look like a field of flowers. I stood there staring at it until the alarm on my watch went off, scaring the shit out of me.
"That's it for today class, we resume class again tomorrow morning. Keep working on your notes about the oil painting and how it's going for you, I'll see you all tomorrow," I said, walking to my desk to sit down and calm my heart. I vaguely waved at a few students as they said good bye, trying to answer the questions of others at the same time. He was still sitting there painting. I waited until everyone else was gone to talk to him.
"Class is over with for the day Grimmjow," I murmured dragging a stool up to sit beside him. It was clearer now that it was a poppy field a woman standing at it's centre bending to pick up flowers.
"I know but I don't feel like stopping right now, I'm rarely in the mood to paint. I like drawing more," he explained, it was a shock to me since this was a painting class, I had never seen him draw before. I didn't even know he liked to draw.
"Would you mind if we put this aside for now and worked on something together, I feel like painting as well and it has been a while I feel like I'm going to be rusty." He laughed a little, putting the paint brush down.
"You're an amazing painter Ichi I don't think you could ever be rusty." I raised a brow the scowl more evident on my face.
"Kurosaki not Ichi," I said, moving to get another canvas, a nice big one. Smirking he grabbed it off me, helping set up the two art easels needed to hold it.
"So Ichigo what did you want to paint?" He asked, still using my first name, I guess it was better then Ichi and he was a stubborn man.
"How about the painter and his subject? You can choose the subject and I'll paint the painter," I said wondering what subject matter he would choose.
"Can I paint birds?" He asked, arranging a bright colour pallet, I nodded. Grimmjow really seemed to like nature paintings.
"I think I'll turn this into a little bit of a private lesson," I muttered walking over to my desk to pull out my drawing equipment. I dug through my pencil case, pulling out a tiny black pencil. I had had it for years, used it for ever to mark out all my paintings.
"First things first, mark out whatever it is you're going to paint. It doesn't have to be detailed, here use this," I said handing over my tiny pencil, it looked ridiculous in his giant hands.
"Oh sensei's letting me borrow his personal art tools, I think our relationship is raising to a new level." I snorted whacking him in the ribs lightly. He just smiled at me. I stood back and watched as he divided the canvas into two with a faint line, my tiny pencil even tinier in his massive hands. Slowly he marked out the lines for his side, and I watched transfixed as he drew vague outlines for the canvas and birds. For once I could actually tell what the image was meant to be, he really was better at drawing.
"Your turn Ichigo," he said, offering up the pencil. I frowned at him, wanting to remind him again I didn't want him using my first name but didn't say anything about it.
"Is there anyway to make you stop?" I asked, hand gliding over the canvas with ease and speed.
"You can call me Grimm if it makes you feel better," he said, ignoring my question completely. I just rolled my eyes studying his half of the image, the birds looked so real, it made me wonder why he took up painting in the first place.
"No, I'm good with Grimmjow in fact i might even go back to using Jeagerjaques," i said teasingly, almost laughing at the distraught look on his face. He scowled, clearly miffed by my words but he actually mumbled an apology finally calling me Kurosaki. It didn't sound right coming from him, i snorted and shook my head. Now was not the time to get distracted, i really need to concentrate he's drawing skills were a notch above my own.
"Tell me Grimmjow why painting? Why not take up the drawing class? Your drawings are amazing," i muttered, standing back to get a clearer view of the whole image.
"Because you don't teach the drawing class, so i decided i'd try my hand at painting. You've got some real assholes in this class you know? Fucking tried scaring me off cause i can't paint as well as them, called em' a bunch of fucktards an said i wouldn't be here if i could paint, its a fucking class after all. They backed offa everyone after that, the idiots," he grunted, rambling a little. So i had been right about that, at least he had stopped it.
"You could have taken Shuuhei's drawing class, he's a great teacher. It would be better for you then this Grimm." He looked at me, cerulean blue eyes full of shock at the use of the nickname, for a few seconds before finally speaking.
"I was here looking for a teaching job actually when i saw you waltz into the building, felt like i was gonna die of a heart attack at the sight of you Ichi. Ended up asking the secretary what class you taught, said you taught art but only painting, signed up in a heart beat. 'M here because i like you." I stopped wide eyed, hand uselessly hovering over the canvas as my brain slowly processed the words that came out of his mouth. It got stuck at like.
"Do you teach here?" I asked lamely, avoiding his confession for the moment. I wasn't going to completely ignore it i just needed a minute. Or maybe an hour. His words had actually made my poor heart go into over drive. I was pretty sure I was bright red all the way down to my neck. There was no denying Grimmjow was a gorgeous man.
"Yep, night classes. I teach the advance drawing class, you should drop by some time Ichi." Yeah, i think i would, it would be interesting to see him teach. Oh god i was just stalling now but from the grin on his face i think he was enjoying my panicked reactions. I hurried turned away going back to the drawing, trying to calm down.
"Ichigo," he murmured, his voice had gone all husky and deep. Lord love a duck, i was trembling from the sound. The pencil slipped from my fingers, i tried to reach for it but Grimmjow grabbed my wrist stopping me. The other hand slipped around my waist settling on my hip, pulling me close. I glanced up at him, almost regretting it when he kissed me. All my worries melted away at his touch, the kiss was soul searing and before i could realise what was really happening he pulled away. I whined at the loss, threading my free hand through his hair and pulled him back down for another kiss.
"If i had known that was going to be your reaction Ichigo i would have kiss you sooner." I turned myself around in his arms in an attempt to hide my blush but i could feel it spread down on my neck. He laughed softly, kissing the back of my neck.
"Why don't we continue," i muttered, my heart feeling like it was going break my rib cage, "i don't think my heart can take much more." He laughed loudly bending down to retrieve my dropped pencil.
"Sure Ichigo lets paint."