HELLO MATES!

How are y'all? Good, I'm hoping. This whole chapter legit came from the effects of a sleepy me having a late-night idea of Couple Paint Fight and deciding to just fucking run for it lol

Anyway! I hope you all enjoy this! Much love, mates! Cheers!

If you told me a year ago that I would become stable enough not just to have a healthy relationship but move in with said significant other, I would look at you as if you had two heads before asking if you need professional help.

I dragged my fine-tipped paintbrush softly across the wall with a smile as I heard the soft guitar playing off of my loudspeaker.

But here I am. In my new home. Seemingly having one of those happily ever afters I only ever heard of as a child.

My smile only widened as I heard the soft singer's voice echo off the walls of my new mural room that Jim and I had set up a little over a week ago.

To think such a thing even truly existed.

I laughed a little to myself as I continued working with the mural I was painting.

When I was fifteen, I was certain I wouldn't make it to my graduation. Either I would lead to the end of myself or the weight my mother's expectations were going to suffocate me until I just finally collapsed from it all. Either way, I never thought I would end up the way I am now.

I think though, when Douxie first took me in, that I had faith in myself for the first time. It took a little bit and I slipped up a few times along the way, but I found my love of life I had a kid again. I was still a pessimist a lot of the time, but I saw myself getting older. Living life. Just living in general. Didn't mean though that I was daft and thought it would be that way forever. I just figured that when Douxie, Zoe, and Merlin realized what kind of disaster they signed themselves up for, they would leave. Just as all the others have done.

I took my paintbrush and swished it around in the little cup I had sitting on the floor beside me before dragging it over the sides to get the excess out of it.

But then I met Jim. And Toby. And all the others within his life that somehow I never knew before. I didn't think at first that meeting a soft momma's boy would change my life very much, but after a few months of being friends, I couldn't see my life without him. It was like I have found not my other half, but the person that made me feel as if I was whole already. That all I needed was a little bit of love and some patience and I could take on anything that came before me. Someone that defended me without question and loved me and my broken pieces without hesitation.

I wiped away a tear that escaped my right eye with the back of my left hand as I dipped my now dry brush into a small bit of red for the mural.

It frightens me how much one encounter had changed my life for the better because I know deep down, that life is a bastard. He likes to take everything I've ever loved and use it against me in the sickest of ways. There are times I lay awake resting my head on Jim's chest and wonder when I'll wake up and he'll change his mind about me.

But he always finds a way to prove me wrong. He always seems to find a way to prove even more how much he truly loves me instead. Starting with this little mural room where he even built the god damn drying rack for smaller paintings that was standing in the corner.

I dropped my paintbrush in my cup after I finished what I wanted with the rose I now had done on the mural before pushing myself up onto my feet and making it over to where my phone was resting on my old desk.

Enough with my emotional runt though.

I grabbed my phone and started sifting through my songs to try and find one that would lighten up the mood for me. I smiled as I came across an old favorite of Douxie's and started playing that instead of the soft styles of Clara Morrison.

Yellowcard has never done me wrong anyway.

I smiled as I took my helmet off my head and placed it onto my handlebars as I've always done over the years. The engine no longer being a melody to my ears as I cut it off shortly after arriving back home.

The few weeks after Claire moved in have been blissful.

My smile only widened more as I looked up toward my house and knew almost exactly what it had in store for me.

At first, I was afraid. I've heard horror stories of relationships running sour shortly after moving in together. Hell, my mom once told me that she believed for the longest time that if she and my dad didn't move in together so soon after they started dating, they would have lasted a bit longer.

I got off my bike and started making my way to the house as I shook my head a little.

But Claire and I? I was starting to think we should have done this sooner. We complimented each other perfectly. It was like being puzzle pieces. Everything seemed to just fit with us. It was beautiful.

I unlocked the door to the house, expecting Claire to be at her usual spot either at the dining room table or on the couch sketching away for a client, but she was nowhere to be seen. I felt a curious look take over my face for a second before pulling off my gloves.

Huh. That's odd.

"Claire?" I was worried at first but was instantly relieved when I heard her cheerfully reply from down the hall.

"Painting!" I smiled as I heard her call back to me from Toby's old room that she's quickly turned into her art studio. I shrugged off my jacket and hung it up onto the wall hanger and slipped off my shoes without a second thought. I started making my way toward where I knew Claire was, but as I got closer, I could hear a familiar song playing from outside the door.

"There's a place on the corner of Cherry Street. We would walk on the beach in our bare feet!" I felt myself smile and opened the door. I was greeted instantly by the sight of Claire jamming around the room with her paint-covered sweatpants and tank-top. She was tossing her head back and forth a little as she thrashed a little bit. Her hair flipped around a little as the few hair clips seemed to fight against the motions just the slightest, but failed for the most part. I felt my smile grow wide and toothy as I watched her lose herself to the music as well as the painting she was working on.

Sights like these, I wouldn't change for the world.

I leaned against the doorframe as Claire took some of the paint she seemed to just have calmly on her arm like a makeshift pallet board and started brushing lightly against the wall once more. Her right foot still tapping to the beat as she seemed to calm herself from her dancing around.

And it made living with her not just bliss.

I pushed myself away from the doorframe as I made my way over to the paint-covered punk.

But heavenly.

"Whatcha working on?" Claire smiled toward me as dropped her paintbrush into the cup she had in hand.

"Just a little something. Random flowers and such." I nodded as I looked over her painting to see it was just that. Some roses as she normally did, but there were a few lilies and lilacs and a few more in between, yet they were beautiful all the same. I smiled as I brought my attention back toward the slightly shorter woman beside me. My arm instinctively wrapping around her shoulder as my smile widened.

Just like their creator.

"How long have you been painting for?" Claire just shrugged a little as she put her cup in her left hand so she could wrap her right arm about my waist.

"I don't even remember, honestly. Just felt like painting today since I didn't need to do anything else." I chuckled as I looked down at her left arm that she used as her pallet. The multiple different dried as well as wet specks of paint still resting on her arm telling me enough that she was there for a few hours at the very least.

"Did you enjoy it though? Just chilling here all day?" I watch her grin widen before she reached out to place her cup on the table behind her so she could wrap her other arm around my waist with ease.

"I enjoy it more since you're home." I felt my heart flutter within my chest as I brought my arm back from around her shoulders so I could cup her face within my hands. My thumbs grazing her cheekbones as I just enjoyed looking at the woman before me.

That was. Until I felt wet splotches touch my back. Right where Claire's hands and arms were resting.

"Claire?" She just hummed in response as I felt her lean her face into my hands. "Do you have paint on your hands at all?" I watched as she pulled back her right hand curiously until a smirk appeared on her face.

"Huh. Look at that." I tilted my head a little at her as she then proceeded to tap my nose with her index finger. A small splotch of wet adding itself to my face as I saw a mix of colors took over her hand. I couldn't help but smirk in reply as I dropped my hands from her face so I could gaze my hand across her still paint-covered pallet of an arm. My hand taking up the leftover wet paint from her arm as an idea formed in my head.

If that's gonna be how we're going,

I smiled as I flicked my now wet paint fingers at her as a chuckle escaped me.

Then why not have a little fun?

Claire screwed her eyes shut for a moment as the paint hit her across the cheek before opened her eyes immediately after and gave me a smirk.

"You bastard." I gave Claire an innocent smile as her smirk widened. Her hand reaching up to graze my cheek with her paint-covered hand, but instead of just letting her get me, I jumped back out of her grasp.

"Nope!" I gave her a cheeky smile as she just giggled in reply.

"Come back here, Lake!" I slipped away was her once more as she reached out toward me. The two of us made chase after one another throughout the painting room as I continued flicking paint at her all while she got a few swipes at me with her paint-covered palms. After about ten or so minutes of our small little chase until I was able to trap her against her art supplies desk as we just stood there panting at one another. We were both covered in specks and swipes of paint as I found myself pressing my forehead against Claire's as her hands placed themselves on my shoulders.

Nothing can beat the beauty that had now graced my everyday life.

I smiled like a fool as I felt Claire's left hand place itself across my face, small smudges of paint now grazing my skin as I found myself leaning forward and taking her lips with mine.

And I would never regret anything that has led us here. I would never change anything about the life I have now with her. I couldn't be happier at this moment.

My smile widened against Claire's lips as she pulled me closer to her. Her other hand reaching up to cup my face as I felt her believe that any space between us was too much already despite the mess we have created with one another.

Nothing could change the love ragging within my chest.

We pulled back from one another and just pressed our foreheads together once more.

Not even the feeling of wet paint.