Better - FE8 Sacred Stones - Forde and Eirika - Romance - Rated K+
Better
Painting a beautiful face on a canvas is every artist's dream. Knowing that his creation brings a smile onto onlookers' faces is every artist's happiness. Waiting days and days for inspiration and supplies is every artist's dilemma.
But watching as the love of his life poses for him to paint is every artist's wish. That is what he lives for.
Forde painted for his late mother, who passed while holding his portrait of her. It was arguably a work-in-progress, if only because he was still so young when he painted it, but for some reason, whenever he looked at it, he remembered everything about his mother that he loved so much. There was so little detail in the drawing itself, but his mind embedded every last crevice of her face into the canvas. Nobody else, not even his father or brother, would be able to see the beauty in that one portrait, and Forde persuaded himself so many times to redo it, but there was one thing stopping him.
It was the essence of beauty itself, a young princess named Eirika. Her blue eyes shined in the bright light of the common room, reflecting the smile that adorned her lips, causing Forde to smile as well. Eirika's long, silky hair threatened to sway in the breeze coming through the open window and the blonde insisted on closing it but she stopped him.
"You're almost done, right?" she asked, making sure not to move any part of her face. Her smile returned instantly after she spoke her words, as if she was afraid she would screw up the results.
Forde simply stared for a few moments, forgetting about the breeze which was now dissipated, halfway standing and sitting to close the window. After her words, however, he sat back down and nodded.
"Yes. Just a few more minutes, if you don't mind."
She made no movements but he wasn't concerned she didn't hear him. He picked the brush back up and resumed his work, making careful, fine lines for her hair now. It seemed the wind hadn't messed it up too much – nothing he couldn't fix with a few more careful strokes, anyway.
Forde used to paint for his mother, the few paintings he had created bringing happiness to her face in the form of smiles. Her radiance emanated from her and inspired him to do more; however, when she passed, he lost all of it.
All of his inspiration disappeared with his mother, and all he had left were his skills with the blade. There was nobody to praise his works. Why would he create something nobody would ever see? The life of an artist, especially an aspiring one, is meaningless without someone to share it with, to share the happiness, sadness, anger, apathy…
But all that changed when Eirika came along. She was the hope which he held onto ever-so-tightly. He would never let her go.
His mother's portrait had aged rather well, and it probably looked better in his mind because of what it added, but he had still despised it for so long. Eirika encouraged him to keep it, if only as a memoir of his mother, and her kind words inspired him to start painting again, to start living again.
So he was definitely going to make Eirika's portrait better.
A/N: Eh, sorry for not updating! It's not like I forgot...just, other stuff came up, heh. Anyway, here's thinkaman22's request! It probably isn't that good cuz I whipped it up in about 20-30 minutes, but it's good enough, I think ^^
I imagine Forde as one of those 'cool' guys, not really showing his feelings that often, but when he's doing something he absolutely loves - painting - he can express himself in so many more ways than with words. That's how I see him and Eirika, like a mutual relationship built on understanding. They don't need to be all lovey-dovey to remind each other that they're in love :)
I'm done blabbing! Thanks for all the feedback, everyone :) I'll keep blowing through the requests like this, hopefully!
~CGA