A/N from the present (2022): three weeks into the quarantine, I mention a story named "House mates" which will be at the end, plus I was wrong anyways as technically this is the 19th story addition lol. enjoy the small rant and story.

A/N from 2020: No sexy times, just a story involving nudity. Sorry if you were waiting on some hot and heavy material, not to worry you'll get that sooner than you think. This is just my way of easing into other territorial fiction, I believe I am aiming to create like a hundred Lapidot fics before the year ends.

HOUSEMATES counts as one story, so including this new one (MUSE) and excluding future and available sequels, that's 20 stories!

Sorry for complaining, it's just I haven't mixed a drink for anybody in awhile. I'm a bartender if you didn't know that, due to the virus I can't work. It's miserable, but this time to myself and not spent freelancing at nightclubs has been very good to me.

Without those cyclings strange occurrences and interesting people to get drunk, my life hasn't seen purpose for awhile now.

But with extra time to read and write for my favorite fandoms, (also performing angry workouts), I find myself smiling as if I never left the city.

Rant over, here's MUSE.

A battered Peridot returns to her dorm mid -evening after an eventful shift at the campus coffee store. Not one but two hot beverages were spilled on her accidentally in two separate instances all before lunch. Some erratic cursing from a customer who didn't find the humor of her name being misspelled on a drink Peridot made wrong. Along with a huge trash bag exploding all over after attempting to toss it. In short: she hates her new job, finally relieved to return to her dorm where nothing chaotic ever happens.

Peridot blew off a sigh as she entered, only to find her dorm completely taken over with a plethora of art supplies scattered around the confines of her room. Lapis greets her roommate with a smile and throws the magazine she was reading while awaiting her return.

"What's all of this?" Peridot asked not knowing what confused her more, the mess or the huge guilty grin behind the mess.

"Peridot, I have a huge favor to ask you." Lapis looking desperate for a yes, she joined Peridot on her bed who was struggling to take her boots off.

"Does it have anything to do with why our room looks like a craft store?"

"Precisely. As you know midterms are this week, I need to turn in a portrait by Friday, or no contest or a degree for that matter. I was wondering if it wouldn't be any trouble if you could help me out by being my muse?"

"Muse? You mean like a model?" Peridot smiles at the idea of her modeling for someone, it was a weird feeling knowing someone needed to gain inspiration from her face and recreate it on canvas.

"Yes. All I require is two hours of your time doing absolutely nothing."

"Sounds like my dream job, I was going to do that anyway," Peridot jokes.

"So you'll do it?" Lapis efforting confirmation with her voice strained with hope.

"Of Course! Why not."

"There's just one teeny tiny thing I need you to do for me once we get started."

"What's that?"

"Well I wouldn't be asking you if I had no one else to turn to. I mean the class had a model for us to portray, but that day I was sick remember?"

"Mmhmm." How could Peridot forget sleeping in a surgical mask for a full week straight.

"I talked to my art professor about it and she didn't have any models left, so we came to an agreement that would find someone on my own."

"So what's the thing I need to do?"

"Well it's supposed to be an intimate portrait, so in order to achieve that I need to get an intimate look at my model."

None of the bells set off in her head, still very dull from work earlier, but Peridot finally comprehended what Lapis was asking.

"You're asking me to be...nude and you're going to put that on a canvas?"

"Nude like the Venus de Milo!" Lapis exclaims, "I'm glad you're cool with this, really you're saving my ass with this one."

Peridot held her hands out in protest, "I-I don't think that would be appropriate, I mean can't I just wear a tank and some shorts and leave the rest to your imagination.

"Peridot I wouldn't have asked if I knew you couldn't handle this. Honestly this could be really special, don't you want me to express how magnificent you are through my artistic vision."

"I guess that would be cool, I'm still a little unsure."

"No one is going to see it if that's what you're hung up on; only you me and my professor, that's three females and an easy A."

"It's not that."

"Peridot please express what's making you uncomfortable and I promise I'll see to making this more passive for you.

Peridot wonders that herself, she knows she could trust Lapis with this project and wandering eyes on her painted body. It's just...

"No one has ever gotten to see...me like that."

"At all?" Lapis asked, Peridot shook her head, too embarrassed to say the word no.

Lapis throws her arm around Peridot, "well that's okay, just think nothing of it, it'll be like a physical at a doctors office except I'm only observing!"

Peridot still wasn't sure until Lapis began to beg.

"Listen I know I've never told you this, but you've got to believe me when I'm saying you're hot." That perked Peridot's attention, unfolding a blush over her cheeks. No one had ever complimented her in that fashion, "please Peridot, for me."

After the day Peridot had, if that's all it took to put this ordeal to bed and out of the way then so be it.

"Fine I will do it, but let me take a shower first."

Lapis threw her arms hugging Peridot jolting her back and forth, until she caught the stench of her work clothes. "Yeah that shower sounds like a good idea."

"Don't push it."

-

After 15 minutes in the women's shower, Peridot returns to her room with her hair in a towel wrap and a robe.

Lapis in her paint stained smock greets her, "whenever you're ready, Peridot."

A blush formed throughout her body before she even activated her blow dryer and while she's maintaining her hair to model, Lapis' words never left her mind.

She called me hot. Well she would've said anything to get me out of my clothes. But still it feels nice to know.

Peridot smiles in the mirror, with one final check in the mirror she musters enough courage to actually go through with this.

"Just sit on that stool, don't worry it's padded."

Peridot took her seat with her hands squeezing the knot of her robe's sash. Lapis turned on her tripod klieg light she borrowed from the art studio, which made Peridot squint at first until Lapis found an acceptable tint. Then she picked up the television remote and flipped to the Science Fiction channel, Peridot's favorite.

"This might take awhile, I'd figure you wouldn't want to be bored."

Bored? I'm letting you paint me nude, I literally can't even get my nerves to rest right now.

"So are we ready, Peridot?"

Peridot glared at her feet on the floor, burning to ask her, "Lapis, before I expose myself to you-"

"Yeah?"

"I need to ask, if you weren't totally desperate tonight for a model, would you still think I'm hot in a different context?"

Lapis pulled her head out of her canvas with an eyebrow raised and a grin, "Of Course I would. I mean yeah I'm dying for your cooperation here but what you have to realize that you are a complete catch girl, don't you ever forget it," Lapis reassures with a wink.

Peridot couldn't hide from her flushed state due to the bright lamp casting her well lit stature. Hearing Lapis come clean, stripped Peridot of her weariness and fear of exposing herself for all the wrong reasons. She knew better and now she knows even more, and with that knowing gave her a boost of confidence she never thought she had.

"When you're ready, Peridot," Lapis said gently with a warm smile.

Her nervous shakes turned to excited rumblings, Peridot began fumbling with the sash until the knot unraveled. With a few deep breaths, she felt her robe slip over each shoulder and welcomed the new air brushing her skin. Peridot didn't look at Lapis yet, but she felt Lapis' eyes watching.

The windows of her clothing opened, in one quick move, her whole robe bunched up to cover her chest. Then she looked back at Lapis, who understood her muse' frustration and gave her an encouraging nod. It took everything out of her to throw the robe away onto the bed.

Peridot's eyes closed shut, feeling her breasts free from their silk imprisonments. Hoping to hear something, anything positive or negative, just a reaction to put the millions of thoughts roaming around in the poor girl's head.

"Wow." Lapis breathlessly replied.

"Wow, what Lapis?"

"Nothing um, just a bit of a surprise is all."

"Well don't have me assume the rest of the night away, what's so 'wow' about me right now?" Peridot regained some composure with her hands dug on her hips in demand of answers.

"They're just so perky, wow, and I would kill to have those nipples."

That commentary earned another smile, "Oh thanks. I guess."

"See? Nothing to worry about right?"

"Yeah it feels liberating, almost."

"Yeah almost, it will be completely liberating once you lose those shorts."

"My shorts?" Peridot's worries started to reel back filling her with slight anger, "But you said it's going to be like the Venus de Milo, last time I checked Alexandros of Antioch never carved her fucking vagina!"

"Yes Peridot, I am familiar, but as you can see I'm not a sculptor. Painting your blessing on this canvas won't work if I'm not physically seeing it."

"I-I don't know about this, Lazuli." Peridot confesses, "I mean I got uneasy showing you my bare chest, what makes you think—"

"And you're still doing a good job at that. What's showing a little more going to hurt?"

Lapis got up from behind the canvas which made Peridot fume from the neck up. She got a little defensive by covering her chest when Lapis made in contact with her personal space, and when she did Lapis got down on her knees in front of her.

Lapis was so close, Peridot could smell her shampoo. "Peridot I'm begging you. I don't like to half-ass when it comes to art, so believe me when I say that this isn't to shame you, this is to celebrate you. Once you'll see the finished product I'll swear you'll love it."

Peridot felt as though she's crammed in between a rock and a hard place. Never in her wildest dreams would she ever considered her body to be celebrated in any fashion. The idea struck a vibrant chord within her that turned her on to the idea. To be seen as a woman and not just a coffee barista that customers shit on. Peridot did have a perverse feeling seeing Lapis on bent knees pleading before her.

"Fine. I'll do it. Just go back over there before I chicken out."

Lapis, regaled by Peridot's compliance, shared nothing but gratitude. She swiped Peridot's hand that was once covering her extremities, accidentally scraping over the sensitive nub followed by a sharp moan that went unnoticed to the artist. Lapis kisses that hand over and over in her expressions of thanks.

"I don't really see how this is putting me at ease, Lazuli."

With one last peck, "You're correct! Let's strike while the iron is hot, now lose those shorts!" Lapis sings returning back to her easel.

Peridot arrived at the point of no return. She's on edge, looking at her own shorts as if they were going to disappear all on its own. She could see the hair on her forearms stand on end and riddled with goosebumps. All she could manage with her trembling hands slipping in the inside of the hem. She thanked the universe, everything's in order to her aesthetic below the belt. Peridot's stalling went noticed by Lapis, who took the hint not to goad her on any further and allow her model to get ready on her own.

Lapis on the other hand is peacefully organizing her brushes for the tenth time. There was a twinge of guilt within her, hoping that this wasn't all for nothing. Lapis felt bad that she didn't give Peridot much of a choice, it took a lot out of her pride just to beg for her to go through with it.

Maybe I was too brash, I should've made clear to her that she's free to say no.

Lapis was very close to calling it quits, but when she looked back, her model was more than ready at this point. It took the artist by surprise, Peridot's unsure face paired with a look that screams 'get it over with. Her arms now at her sides, gripping the padded stool she sat on. Her shorts look like they were flung onto her bed haphazardly, now they are left with two legs so close together you have to pry it open with a crowbar. Lapis feels bewitched, embarrassed, as well as hot under the smock. But most importantly she felt inspired.

"Beautiful." The artist whispered.

Peridot heard her loud and clear but decides to play dumb, "what was that?"

"I can work with this. Now all I need is you in a comfortable position for the next 2 hours or so."

"Should I cut off my arms?"

"HA! Get over that, why don't you."

"I think I'll manage," Peridot puts one hand on her hip the other behind her head. Peridot relaxed her legs, giving an unwarranted peek of her privates, "How's this?"

"Looks like I nailed the right shade pink, huh?"

Peridot furrows her brows and immediately crosses her legs and curses herself for forgetting who's watching.

"I only tease. I'm good at crossed legs anyways. Okay I can work like this! Better get comfy."

Peridot felt like she's been watching tv all night, Lapis gave her arms a rest, saying she captured the figure, now that was left was detail work and colors. It's funny, Peridot was ready to crash in bed and put this day to rest, now she won't be able to get a wink of sleep until she lays eyes on the finished product.

Instead she stripped all her clothes and sat for two hours for an overdue art project. Praying that this all worth it. Peridot knows her roommate is quite the talent when it comes to the brush, her reimagining of of Starry Night but on the moon, was a real eye grabber in the art building. Peridot was also worried that it might be too good not to display it for the entire student body. Nevertheless, she's not doing anything else until she sees.

"Just a few more strokes hun, you're doing wonderful!"

"You said that thirty minutes ago."

"Well thirty minutes ago I wasn't close to finishing. Okay you may relax. Another Lazuli masterpiece has been born."

"Thank the stars." Peridot huffed, going back for her robe and didn't bother with the shorts, she only stepped towards Lapis to see it.

A very intense gasp came from the muse, Lapis looks up and smiles at her and looks back to the painting.

"See? Not too shabby right?"

Peridot is at loss for words, troubled at the fact that Lapis depicted her face and body in such a glorious array of colors and tones. As if she is rediscovering herself, she didn't even mind the nudity, it screams her modesty in a tasteful fashion. On the verge of tears, she grips the artist's shoulder trying not to faint or feel weak from sitting so long.

"Lapis...it's majestic. I never knew... I'm—"

"That big smile on your face speaks magnitudes." Lapis held her hand, "Easy A! You've been so good to me tonight, I never would've asked if I knew you couldn't handle it."

"No um, I'm glad I did. Thank you."

"I should be thanking you. Without my muse there would be no masterpiece."

"I hope you'll keep it afterwards."

"It's going right on that wall after I receive my marks."

In silence, for about five minutes, they took in the painting before them.

Lapis got up from her spot and began to yawn followed by a rejuvenating stretch. "Alright I'm going to wash this paint off of me. Don't bother with the mess, it's all mine." Lapis stood in front of her muse and gave her a hug, "see told ya...beautiful." They both look back at the painting, like two parents meeting their child for the first time. Lapis left the dorm with her shower caddy.

Lapis returned thirty minutes later to see Peridot fast asleep under her covers. The artist also noticed that easel turn faced towards Peridot's bed as if it was the last thing she saw before the slumber embraced.

"Oh my someone's a little vain." she whispered to herself and then climbed into her own bed.