Chapter 6: Capturing the Visage

Ivan nearly bounded out of his house that fine Friday morning, excitement bubbling within his chest. He was ready for the school day to end before it could even begin. He walked slightly faster, with a tiny skip in his step too, but not enough for his sisters to take notice though. Ivan was delighted to actually go and stay the night at someone's house, but he couldn't help but feel that most of his eagerness came from the fact that it was Matthew's house he would be staying at. Matthew, who in a mere three weeks, had managed to become one of Ivan's favorite people, Ivan wasn't sure how else to describe how happy the thought of Matthew made him feel, he wasn't even sure of all the ways Matthew made him feel.

All five students gathered together for their daily walk to school, and everyone was engaged in the conversation, even Natalya. Their bright behavior seemed out of place in the dreary English clouds, but did not lessen until they parted for their morning classes.

The day could not go by fast enough for Ivan. He passed his time in class by staring blankly out of the windows when he could, barely paying attention to his teachers.

The clouds slowly made their way across the sky and let the sun shine through the late in November day. It was nearly December, and that meant winter was right around the corner, yet Ivan found that he could not be bothered by this as he and his sisters reached their house. Ivan quickly headed up to his room, Matthew had told him to come over to his house about 4 o'clock. Using the hour he had until then, Ivan double checked his bags and made sure he had borrowed all of the correct supplies he needed to create the portrait of Matthew.

4 o'clock rolled around and with a goodbye shouting up the stairwell so that his sisters could hear him, Ivan left his house with his sleeping bag, clothes, and art supplies in tow. The air was crisp and cool. The sun shown far to the west, but was not quite ready to set. The only sound Ivan heard were his footsteps, heavy, rapid, and not slowing down for anything.

Within a few minutes he stood before Matthew's house giving the door a quick glance over for any sign of a doorbell, when one wasn't found, Ivan brought up his hand to knock on the door. He heard stomping from inside the house and before he could knock, Matthew opened it up for him.

"Bonjour Ivan!" Matthew said in with a slight pant, as if he had just been running.

"Uh... Privet Matvey," Ivan responded, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air.

"Please, come in," Matthew stepped aside for Ivan to enter his house.

"Of course," Ivan responded taking a step inside.

The house was cozy, filled with various warm colors from the furniture and minimal decorations. It was nice, comfortable; it was exactly the kind of house Ivan imagined someone like Matthew to come from.

"You can kick off your shoes here," Matthew said gesturing to a small carpet next to the door covered with a small pile of shoes. Ivan slipped his large feet out from his shoes, placing them on the little carpet as neatly as he could.

"Can I take your sleeping bag?" Matthew politely asked, holding his hand out for Ivan.

"Oh, sure," He murmured placing the sleeping bag in Matthew's arms.

"Come this way, we can put your things into my room and then start on the project," Matthew said spinning around to head up a narrow staircase just past a well-used kitchen.

The walls of the staircase were littered with photographs. Many of which didn't even have frames around them, simply being tacked up onto the wall in every corner that they could take up. Ivan could spot a painting among the hundreds of photographs every once and a while as they slowly migrated up the stairs. Ivan found it fascinating. Matthew's family was cheerful in each of their pictures, none of the smiles were strained, and everyone was happy to be with their family. Thoughts of his father being vacant in the few pictures Ivan and his siblings took together burned in his head momentarily before he shoved them away.

"You can set your bag down at the end of the bed," Matthew said as they entered his room.

Ivan looked out Matthew's window as he did so and saw that Matthew's room looked out onto the park across the street. Ivan spotted Sadik, an older student who he had little interaction with, but still recognized. He watched as Sadik exited the park and followed the sidewalk to his mysterious destination.

"Does Sadik live on this street?" Ivan asked, he could not help but wonder.

"I don't think so," Matthew thought for a moment, "Doesn't Katyusha always hang out with him? I think they like each other."

"…What," Ivan held a breath. He remembers how they would hang out from time to time, but he never felt that they might like one another in a romantic sense, though he had always been bad at telling that kind of thing. Ivan glanced out the window once more; Sadik was out of sight.

"Ivan? Shall we get working on our project?" Matthew questioned breaking Ivan from his thoughts. Ivan merely nodded in response. Crouching next to a desk in his room, Matthew rummaged around for a moment before he pulled out some charcoal and a large empty canvas, "Do you have your supplies?"

"Oh, yes I do," Ivan quickly grabbed out his own blank canvas and pastels from his bag.

"I was thinking we could work outside, seeing as the sun decided to join us this afternoon," Matthew suggested leading the way out of his room.

Ivan followed Matthew in agreement.

In the backyard, Ivan and Matthew stood facing each other a few meters apart. They decided that Ivan would draw Matthew first, seeing as he took longer when drawing. Both set down the short stools they had dragged outside along with their supplies.

"Are you sure you don't want an easel Ivan?" Matthew sat down awkwardly on his stool, unsure of how to pose.

"No worries Matvey, I draw like this all the time," Ivan responded settling down on the stool that was too short for him.

"Ok then. How would you like me to pose? Like this?" He leaned back and grabbed his stool while jutting his leg in the air with a wicked grin, Ivan quirked an eyebrow, "Or this?" Matthew leaned forward on the tiny stool in the infamous 'Thinker pose' putting on a serious face.

Ivan giggled. "But Matvey, I am supposed to capture you in a pose that is very 'you'," Ivan made bunny ears at the word you and it was Matthew's turn to quirk an eyebrow, "So please, slouch over."

"Are you implying something?" Matthew gave a fake scoff.

"Am I?" Ivan could not hide his smirk.

Matthew shook his head before asking again, "Seriously, how would you like me to pose?"

Ivan thought for a moment, "Lean forward on your mini stool," Matthew adjusted himself, "Put your legs in front of you and keep them bent. Rest your elbows on your knees and interlace your fingers."

"Like this?" Matthew asked pulling his body into the position Ivan described.

"Good," Ivan looked over Matthew's position again, "Now place your chin on your fingers and look past my left shoulder."

"Wouldn't this be considered slouching?" A smile played on Matthew's lips as he posed and looked over Ivan shoulder.

"Keep still, just like that," Ivan said, ignoring Matthew comment.

Matthew kept still as Ivan began to outline him. Matthew looked... remarkable, incredible. Ivan felt himself suddenly want nothing more than to stare at Matthew for days, taking in every physical aspect that came with one of his favorite people. Ivan brought his focus on the colors of Matthew's hair in the glow of the sunlight, while he did not have days, he would take in the couple of hours that he was allowed to just stare and attempt recreate Matthew.

Matthew used swift, large movements of his arm, erasing the layers of charcoal to bring light and Ivan's shape to it. They sat closer together for Matthew to get a better look at Ivan, every once and awhile adjusting his glasses on his nose. Ivan sat still, straight, with his hands in his lap and his eyes closed, he looked relaxed which is exactly what Matthew wanted.

He smiled as he occasionally glanced down at his work; the almost setting sun cast an enamoring angle of light on Ivan's face. There was absolute silence between them as Matthew drew, the same silence as when Ivan drew him, yet unlike other silences these two had experienced with other people, this wasn't awkward. The silence was comfortable.

"Done," Matthew finally said after giving his piece several looks over.

"May I see?" Ivan asked opening his eyes. Those hard amethysts Matthew couldn't add to his image; they were captivating, and forever held a torment that Matthew would never know. But Ivan made Matthew feel calm and happy, and he wanted to convey that feeling through the portrait, so he made Ivan close his eyes.

"Only if you let me see your painting first, eh," Matthew insisted. Ivan hadn't let him look before.

"..." Ivan frowned slightly, but it had a playful tone to it, Matthew could tell, "Fine then, we do not have to look at each other's pieces."

"So be it," Matthew laughed, something he felt he could do freely with Ivan.

A/N: Another 2,000 words of nonsense taken out of this chapter. And honestly I'm surprised that this is the gayest chapter so far, actually overall? Because it's there in the later chapters but not as predominant as it is here? And then it gets really dramatic and tragic after those. :/ Sadik is Turkey if ya didn't already know.