When Hands Touch

36. sunshine

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

SUNSHINE

—

"I want to paint you."

Choking on air, Xen coughed violently, patting his own head to ease his hacking. "Like, paint on me? Milo, that might get a little sexual, don't you think?"

Eyes immediately widening, Milo shook his head, thoroughly alarmed. Unless? No. Brain, no. "No!" Milo cried out, nearly tripping over his own feet. "I want to paint you. As in, I want to paint you. On a canvas," he explained as he waited for Xen to finish tying his shoelaces.

It had been exactly four days. Four days since Milo realised that he was so unbelievably in love with Xen that he could barely function around him. Four days since Milo had decided that he wouldn't say anything to Xen, because that would make their living situation very awkward to deal with, and he was sure that neither of them needed that.

"I mean, if you want to paint me, you can. I'm not a very good model, I can't stay still at all," Xen stated, pausing in his tracks and holding out a rubber band for Milo to tie his hair for him. I love him so much.

He had finally taught Xen how to do it a few days ago, but he still insisted on asking every time. He claimed that he liked the feeling of Milo's hands on his neck, that it gave him chills, which was... Interesting to hear, to say the least.

"Okay, wait." Milo looked around the park, searching for a spot where he could paint Xen without any interruptions from random strangers. "Got it! There's a bench there. Ooh, and flowers! I can paint you with like, flowers surrounding you. You'll look like an angel, I swear."

You always look like an angel. I love you.

He didn't really want to paint Xen as anything serious, so all he had brought along with him was a canvas, bottles of paint, and his paint brushes. All he wanted to do was capture Xen when he was at his happiest; as it turned out, Xen was at his happiest when he did things that he hadn't done throughout his childhood.

Like going to the park. Staying out after six in the evening to watch the sunset. Sleeping in. Listening to podcasts without earphones.

Xen deserved the fucking world.

Yanking at Xen by his hand, Milo ran all the way to the bench, making himself comfortable on it and urging Xen to sit down on the grass. Despite it being December, it wasn't all that cold— something that Milo was grateful for. He didn't particularly want his hands to shake because of the cold, and ruin his entire painting.

"Throw some flowers on your hair," Milo instructed, unzipping his bag and pulling out his canvas. "I can't fucking wait to paint you. You're so pretty, and your smile is so perfect. You have the prettiest face ever, bye. I don't like you." I love you. I need to tell you. Right now.

Xen laughed, picking up a bunch of flowers. "If I do this, you have to wash my hair for me. These flowers have been on the ground. People have probably stepped on them," he pointed out, reaching into his own bag and pulling something out of it. "I got you something when you were taking a piss during lunch, by the way. Had to sneak out of the restaurant and sneak back in again, but it was worth it."

Groaning, Milo rolled his eyes. "You always buy me shit! What did you do this time?" he complained, pouring water into a bowl and trying his best not to spill it in the process.

"I literally just bought lunch. That's it," Xen defended. "And that was only because you paid the last time, so shush. Anyway," he drawled, handing Milo a small tube. "I bought you bubbles."