2nd Sketch
A No. 6 oval wash brush was dipped into a shallow well of paint before the black fibers were delicately poised to create water color petals onto the white surface with a steady hand.
Classical music was playing on the radio, the sun filtered into the pristine area.
'I still can't believe I'm here but…this is so nice…' Yuri confirmed. 'It's calm...God I needed this…" he set his brush into the water and let his eyes wonder around the room, 'especially after yesterday…oh wow…'
Every once in a while, the young painter couldn't help look over his shoulder to see Victor concentrating on his work.
'The ropes around her waist and jewelry are exquisite! Jeez, I might as well have a coloring bo- aw crap he saw me!'
Instead of a pointing finger, Victor pointed with an angular shading brush. "Yu~ri, if you're not careful you'll smudge your work if you keep looking over here," he teased.
"G-Gomen," Yuri stammered, whipping back around to look at his piece.
Four strides and a pat on his shoulder and Yuri's back was suddenly stiffer than his easel.
"Come now, what did I say about being formal?" Victor teased. "We've only been here a couple hours."
"Right," Yuri exhaled. 'Might as well ask…'
"S-Since you're here…um…I need your advice on this -uh- shade."
At first he looked happy to help, but a puzzled look soon came after. "It's um… a little flat still isn't? We're you planning on a mix medium, Yuri? For highlights?"
'Crap, crap, crap!'
Yuri leaned forward to look closer and then drew back, pretending to study his work. "Too, um, dark?"
Victor nodded. "Opaque maroon right out the gate is a little rich, yes? To use such for water coloring might hinder you later unless you want to use acrylics." He gave a shrug. "Of course, I don't know what you're after. Hard to give an opinion so early on."
'Maroon?'
He had used what was described to him as a rich purple-red.
'Association: Velvet. ….kuso!'
Wouldn't have been too big of a deal, if he had known his random selection, he would've started more diluted, added layers for shading.
'You know…like not a noob? Gah! I should've done that from the get go!' Yuri fidgeted on his stool, kicking himself he was too wrapped up in where he was. "I-I…ano…you see, since you showed me you tape over the industry labels I had to guess and went with it."
'So?! That's no excuse!'
Victor nodded. "I see, so you were surprised also, huh?"
'Eh?'
"Like I said this morning when I showed you the paints, I prefer to not have fancy names get in the way of my vision." He gave a small chuckle. "That said, however, one time I grabbed an acrylic I was sure was a sun yellow, turned out to be lemon. Yakov was not pleased to hear I needed an extension, heh." Victor scratched his cheek with the handle tip of his shading brush. "You see, I like my method as it has potential to surprise me and I find surprises motivating."
'Must challenge his vision to pick unusual color combinations…he's been heralded as bold for a reason so can't fault his methods.'
"Something else troubling you?" Victor asked.
His bit his lip in thought. 'Stay cool about it…nothing to be ashamed of…' He turned towards Victor on his left and looked up. "Um…see the thing is I uh…"
'I'm colorblind. The doctor said the world will look like black and white photography. Just say it, Yuri, why not?'
Victor's face lit up. "Oh! Did you have a new technique you wanted to try? If so I'll let you get to it while its still wet."
The sudden cheeriness cut through Katsuki's loaded thought. "Y-Yeah -ahem- yes, I wanted to try a mix medium idea."
Victor shot a smile and started to go back over to his side of the space. "Very good. I like that kind of thing. Experimenting and inspiration keeps us going, da?"
"Uh huh." Yuri nodded and turned back to his work. 'Whew…crap! No! This isn't good! If nothing is labeled I'm going to come up with garbage for sure- wait…what brand is this pallet?'
It wouldn't have mattered, his idol had set up the pallet for his needs and he was simply borrowing it.
'Crap…color theory is going to kill me…ok…keep to the lighter, grayer-looking wells, Yuri…'
The petals turned into splotches only to be met with lighter speckles, mixed with streaks of what he could only hope were a complimentary vividness. The splatters across the canvas ended up of a multitude of shades he could only pray his background wasn't muddy or flat out ick as he blotted here and there with a paper towel to achieve an acceptable marbling texture. 'Okay…I'll let this dry and ask for a tube of white acrylic to paint over it, a tree or something…'
"Yuri…?"
He jolted a little. "Ah -um- sorry, yes?"
"What are trying to do?"
Katsuki cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Lemme guess you're going to let this dry and paint a silhouette over it?"
"So…?"
"Why do I sense you want to cover mistakes, Yuri?"
Katsuki impulsively shook his head but gave into a sigh. "Yeah…"
Victor tilted his head. "Hmm?"
"It was hurried." His shoulders fell. "Um, I felt hurried and so…it shows…"
"Why so sad about it? Why did you feel hurried?"
Yuri fought with the rising heat in his cheeks. "I don't know…I knew I had another route originally but…."
'I got embarrassed. I got embarrassed and I wasted it…'
Nikiforov pivoted around on his heel and headed to a cupboard. "Hmmm, well, the beauty of a canvas is," he pulled out small can of white gesso paint, "you can always start over."
Yuri stared between the can and Victor before reaching out for it. "Ariga- thank you."
Victor didn't let the can go. "Yuri… do you think my art is on a 'pure' canvas?"
The Russian saw those beautiful brown eyes blink a few times behind dark blue frames, staring back him before switching over to glance to his oil painting across the room.
"It…it's not?"
Victor shook his head. "It's really not that uncommon for artists to start over, however, art is never a mistake until you feel it is. That said, it's up to you. Don't be ashamed of that."
'He…but he never makes…he made…I don't…ugh does not compute...' Yuri's inner fanboy cried.
Victor chuckled when he saw the self-battling etch into the young man's brow and let Yuri finally take the can. "I'm not that perfect, silly. Relax."
'Are too! And I'm trying, okay?!'
Yuri exhaled, remembered to release his pelvic floor to calm down (1) and set the can to the side. "Um, I still have to let the watercolor dry first before I can paint over it. Can I ask if it's okay to watch?"
Victor smiled and turned to walk towards his piece once more. "Sure, don't see why not. But I'd like to see you try a new piece tomorrow, okay?"
"Deal."
He sat on his hands to not ring them together. 'I should tell him one day…maybe…gah I don't know…no…focus. Just relax…you may learn something hundreds of artists would kill for, breathe...'
Victor stopped half way from reloading his brush when there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Sorry, Vitya, pardon the intrusion.'
"No worries, Yakov, what is it?"
"I came in to have Mila tell me Mr. Katsuki was hanging out today?"
Victor smiled. "Yes, he is."
Yakov raised an eyebrow. "Again?"
"Is there a problem?" Victor asked.
The old man shook his head. "Actually I was hoping the lad was on a break? I'd like to have a young back lift some pieces for me."
Victor's smile faulted. "Are you all right-?" His eyes wavered. "What did Chris do-?"
"Nothing," Yakov clipped. "Don't let that creative mind of yours worry about me when Time doesn't stop me from getting older. It will take twenty at most I'm sure as its almost lunch."
Yuri got off his seat. "I'd be happy to. Is that, okay, Victor?"
Victor appeared a little lost in his worry but pulled through with a nod. "Y-Yes, I'll be here."
Yakov shut the door behind the two of them and had Yuri follow him down the tiled hallway and onto the polished wooden floor of the Galleria's small exhibit and office space. There, the two stopped in front of Yuri's piece.
Immediately, Katsuki had noticed Mila was gone. 'Probably on lunch herself…okay he's grown too quiet...'
"Sir…?"
Yakov turned around and rubbed his left shoulder.
"There's no paintings are there," Yuri mustered to confirm when he saw Yakov wince in pain. "Where is Christophe?"
The man gave a hard snap of his fingers and instantly Yuri felt he was six again, being disciplined. "Listen. I've done what I've could, all right? Not like I could keep him at the motel…or stop him from landing one on me before I could leave."
"Are you all right though?"
"It's just a little bruised, I have a physical later this week so don't worry…and don't worry him, all right?"
Yuri shook his head. "I don't like keeping secrets, sir and you should tell him."
"I respect you don't, but we weren't talking about one of the most brilliant yet fragile minds here."
"Everyone has their flaws, but none of us are meek enough to be undeserving of the truth. If Chris hurt you, please report it and-"
"Ruin is Chris' art career for good?" Yakov shook his head. "Love to lad, but there's baggage here you don't understand." Yakov took a small step forward. "Listen. I know this whole situation must be overwhelming, but Vitya is like a son to me. I don't need you to understand when I tell you to keep yourself strictly professional as an artist, especially when I have zero idea where I should stand with you."
Yuri balled his hands into fists at his sides and stood a little straighter. "I know it hasn't been long, but, Victor has only been a gracious host, sir," he nearly hissed, insistent between them as he tried to not let his words echo within the space. "None of us planned, obviously, for the events of yesterday to happen but I won't just walk out on him when doing so will clearly worry him more. I mean, especially after seeing what I saw, I don't feel right to leave this kind man while his abuser clearly has to either get serious help or go back to his country, or both, and the pyro incident has yet to be resolved. Heck, I don't even know if I have international clearance to even leave as the hotel may want to press charges and I am a victim thus I have to give my testimony. Then again, it may be as simple as a 'no sir you gave your testimony to the police and you're good to go', but, once this is all settled, and I don't even care about being compensated, I'll be out of your hair."
Yakov's face relaxed as Yuri held his ground. "Very good…and sorry. I just…" he gave a long sigh. "I've seen up and down with that bastard and I just can't have Victor more distracted right now seeing as important commissions are due shortly after the show. Plus, to finally see the light of being free from Chris in his eyes…I care for him so much I don't want his heart to go through a blender again so forgive me if I am leery."
"I understand, but he and I aren't like that at all." Yuri eyed the clock. "I'm going to see if he wants to break for lunch now, if there isn't anything else?"
The man shook his head. "I'm going to still need your help from time to time but not at the moment if that's all right? I'd at least like to not cause him worry."
Yuri nodded. "Of course." He started to head back to the workspace. "Ask anytime, it's the least I can do around here."
"Sounds good."
Yuri went around the corner to head back down the hallway, took but a step or two to realize Victor was there.
Katsuki halted in surprise. "Vic-" He impulsively, though needlessly, looked over his shoulder to make sure Yakov didn't see or hear his loud whisper and faced back forward. "Victor, what are you-?"
The impressionist, leaning back on the wall, turned his head to Yuri when he arrived, but placed a slender finger on his lips immediately when Yuri was about to ask a question.
Yuri shuffled a small step forward and then another. While those depths he'd never meet their true color, the inner struggle was plain as day.
Words weren't needed, their eyes spoke volumes. Yuri felt Victor could just read his mind as they were in the hall and hoped Yakov and gone somewhere else to work for now. One step closer, their eyes never broke away. 'We're ok. You don't need to put up a front around me.' Yuri raised his right hand and put on Victor's upper arm and firmly squeezed. 'I won't be bothered one bit. I'm right here.'
Victor's distraught face relaxed with him falling into a slump, his head ended upon Yuri's shoulder. 'Thank goodness someone understands…'
To be on this side of the fence for once. 'Just how many times did Phichit have to pull me out of this kind of hole?' Yuri wondered.
Didn't matter when, what you were doing, or how old you were. All those times he had felt exhausted from worrying the world would never spin the right way again within about of panic, 'I hope he knows it's okay to be sad or feel blue for whatever reason,' Yuri thought.
Victor rose his head up when he was ready. "Sorry…" He whispered. 'You must be incredibly disillusioned…'
"I'm like the last person to judge," Yuri gave Victor a reassuring smile, "so there's no need for that, right?"
Victor's eyes widened a little when he heard the same words he had used yesterday and smiled back. "I guess not."
"Wanna go get lunch? I bet food will help both of us out-" Yuri slapped a hand over his stomach. "Yep. Definitely."
"Heh, sure."
"Honey~ I'm home!"
The poodle came a padding towards the door, her collar bell shaking as she had a happy tail and big, panting, smile.
"Who's a good girl? Come here, cutie!" Victor knelt down and scratched his beloved dog's ears while Yuri undid the buttons to his borrowed coat and hung it up on the rack next to the door, stuffing the gloves and hat into the deep pockets for safe keeping.
A tongue licked Yuri's hand.
"O-Oh! Well hello there," Yuri knelt down too. "I wish I could give you a treat but I don't have one on me." He looked over the dog's head to see Victor was looking back with such cheeriness.
'It's infectious when he smiles like that,' Yuri admitted to himself. 'It's hard to imagine someone would aim to take that away with their selfishness.'
"What ya thinkin' about, Yu~ri?" Victor playfully scooted forward and started to pet his dog's back.
"O-Oh um…not much…"
A silver brow rose. "Oh? I didn't know my 'infectious smile' was 'not much'."
"Ahha~rg!" Yuri slapped both hands over his blushing face. "Can I not keep my thoughts in my head anymore?"
Victor let out a loud laugh. "You should learn to be more honest with yourself! Hahaha!"
Thank you for reading! :)
(1) In concentrating to release your pelvic floor is to relax your gluteus and muscles around your hips and pelvis. To do so is to help your body out of a state of tension and/or reduce panic/stress.
