BETWEEN ME AND YOU

The Painting (1)

"Krist?" A voice calls out from the door, calling out the man who was staring at a canvas. Surprised since it's been a while since Krist came to his studio. The man whom he thought had lost his passion suddenly appeared in the middle of the night.

"God. You scared me. What are you doing at the studio at this hour?" The man who had just come in asks, making his way to the man standing in the middle of the room, in front of the painting.

Confused when the other man hasn't replied, nor did he even spare a glance at the intruder. The tall tan man walked towards the pale and somehow frail body.

"Krist? Are you okay?"

All lights were dim except for the one in the middle. Krist standing there. At the middle. A paint brush threatening to fall down from his loose grasp. All messy with paint on his clothes and hands. Chest panting. It was like he was frozen. Stuck in a daze at the rectangular portrait.

The tan man walks behind Krist and looks at the painting. It was amazing. The detail, the color schemes, the emotion.

"Krist. This is beautiful." The man says as he admired the portrait of an unknown man. He was gorgeous.

"I dreamt about him." Krist suddenly speaks.

"What?"

"I dreamt about him P'Tay." Krist repeats. Head now turning at the confused man standing beside him. He sighs and runs his free hand on his hair. Brushing it up, sweat seeping through his locks. He looks at the senior and signs him to sit down at the sofa located at the end of the room.

Tay nods and follows Krist. The young man turns on the lamp located beside the sofa and seats at the chair adjacent to his senior's. Hands clearing out the bottles of vodka he had consumed just a while ago. He takes out a cigarette box from his bag and even offers it to the senior.

Tay, though hasn't smoked in a while because of strict orders from his own lover, takes one stick and waits for the younger male to finish lighting up his own.

"Mind telling me why you're at my studio in the middle of the night?" Tay asks after blowing out some smoke from his lips. Krist watches the white smoke float around the air before speaking.

"Painting. Obviously."

Tay rolls his eyes. What did he expect from this stupid brat anyways?

"Just spill whatever it is on your mind before I call New and tell him that his dear brother trashed the studio again and brought not only 1 but 2 bottles of vodka. How did you even managed m to drink all that?" The senior asks in disbelief. Huffing on the glowing stick before sighing.

"Practice. And well, like usual, I was drinking my miserable life away and ended up here at the studio where I lost everything-"

"Krist. She rejected you but that doesn't mean the end of the worl-" Tay cuts off but was also cut off by Krist who was glaring at him.

"Shush. Shut up. I'm speaking." Krist takes the cigarette to his lips and breathes in deep. Feeling the strong smoke line up in his throat and lungs.

"I'm sorry. Go on." Tay speaks. He was actually growing tired of this. Krist was such a talented and smart kid. He didn't deserve someone like her; and, in all honesty, Tay was relieved when she turned him down that day.

"Like I said, I ended up here and of course, as you can see, quote unquote trashed everything." Krist says, eyeing the mess he had done in the room. He'll clean it up late anyways and pay for the damages, like he always did.

"And well, while on my third bottle, I sat here at this very spot and that was when I passed out." Krist says casually like it was the most normal thing.