tumblr prompt - "I could punch you right now."

"Alix, I really don't think using spray paint as a tool for sketching the human body is the way to go."

"Oh be quiet tomato, I am using my creative intuition and here you come along and utterly wreck it!" Nathaniel rolled his eyes, inwardly groaning at Alix's remarks. "Hey! I see you moving that arm! Sit still and be a better model, pretty boy."

"Hmph, I should move around just to spite you! Maybe that'll teach you to think twice before you waste all my paper with spray paint of all things." He stretched his arms, moving free from his position and earning a bitter growl from the girl at the stand. "C'mon, your dad works at the Louvre, are you sure you don't have anything for impressionism? Maybe all these paint fumes are getting to your head."

"Hoo boy, you are being a stubborn prick right now, you know that Nath? I could punch you right now and not feel bad in the slightest! Maybe some of us," Alix lightly traced her pencil across the canvas, "just weren't born with innate talent like you."

Nathaniel watched as Alix began scrawling onto her canvas feeling somewhat bemused. "Well I'm flattered that you like my art so much." He rose from his modelling position, ignoring his best friend's forced scowl. "It's really just practice, y'know. If you keep working at it like I've been doing over…"

The easel had suddenly rotated to face him, and Alix stepped towards the side, triumphant as she messily tucked her pencil behind her ear. "Now how's that for impressionism?"

Nathaniel examined the portrait of himself, surprised that a spray-paint artist like Alix managed to capture the waves of his hair. There were details in there that he didn't think she'd catch. The wrinkles in his clothes, the creases from the book he held. It was rough, it was definitely rough, but charmingly enough, he could see how it was Alix's piece alone. The one thing that felt out of place was, "That smile… It doesn't really look like me, does it?"

"I mean, what's wrong with it? Y'know Nath, I thought you would've made some dry comment on how this isn't actually impressionism, but a smile?" She peered over towards her drawing. "I just thought… Well, you're always scowling! Of course it needed a smile. I think it's fine the way it is."

"That's… actually kinda cu-"

The door slammed open, revealing an exhausted Marc with a clutched manuscript. "Oh, hey! I just wanted to know if everything was okay, I heard yelling and then some arguing- Oh wow, nice drawing Alix! Is that- is that Nath? Did I, uh, interrupt something?"

Nathaniel laughed, and Alix merely rolled her eyes. "You've got nothing to worry about Marc, I was just being Alix's model for the day. You know how things can get with her."

"Oh-! I, I see." He glanced nervously at the canvas. "For what it's worth, I think it looks really nice! I'm impressed."

"Heh, thanks Marc. If I'm being honest, I could punch you right now for scaring the hell out of us. Nah, nah, I'm only kidding!" Alix smiled, giving him a thumbs up. "Thanks for the compliment, and thanks Nath for being oh so very cooperative."

He smiled.

wow! i actually did it, i finally published my writing to the internet! i'm glad i finally got the courage to do so, it's been a long time coming. it's short, but i'm happy with it either way. welp! hope you all enjoyed it! you can interpret the relationship here as romantic or platonic, it's ambiguous either way!

thank you for reading!

~Kyn