dreamscapes {gyuricky}

•9•

gyuvin stared at ricky, who was looking everywhere but at him. he hoped he'd respond soon because people were looking at them.

"you're right," ricky admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "i...i don't want to talk about it."

gyuvin could sense the weight in ricky's words, a vulnerability that hadn't been there before. he studied the other's downcast gaze, recognizing the turmoil within him. the tension in the air was palpable as if their silence was shouting louder than any words could.

deciding to respect ricky's prior wish of "taking this slow", gyuvin nodded gently as he let go of his hands. as he turned away, he couldn't shake off the weight of the unspoken conversation lingering between them.

he went back to looking at the artwork of his soulmate, and he found solace in the familiarity of the colors and strokes that seemed to dance with his emotions. each brushstroke held a piece of his heart, a fragment of his longing to understand the intricate connections that bound him to ricky.

"you're good at this, you know."

"of course i am!"

gyuvin chuckled at ricky's response, his worries momentarily forgotten in the playful banter.

"modesty isn't your strong suit, huh?" he teased, a grin playing at the corners of his lips. gyuvin began to wonder what ricky would be if he just let him in. he continued to walk along the path that followed suit with ricky's paintings.

not before long, gyuvin came across a painting of a sun rising with pink and blue hues. it interested him, so he smiled and turned around to see ricky, trying to think of the origin story. "i made this one while i was in china. i remember waking up at 4:30 in the morning so i could draw it."

"it's pretty, i wish i could draw like this."

"it's a gift and a curse for me, at least. i try to put no effort, and i end up with stuff like this painting." whispered ricky, giving gyuvin a remorseful look. gyuvin leaned in closer, studying the painting ricky was referring to.

the strokes were chaotic yet purposeful, colors blending in unexpected harmony. "it's beautiful," he said softly, catching ricky's eye. "can you draw something like this for me?"

gyuvin watched as ricky shook his head no profusely. although he understood why, gyuvin wanted ricky to realize that, unlike junsung, he liked his art skills and found them fascinating.

so he placed a hand on ricky's shoulder, wanting to convey his appreciation more explicitly. "ricky, listen," he began earnestly, "your art speaks volumes, not just in its visual form but in the emotions it evokes."

gyuvin heard footsteps approaching them. as the footsteps drew nearer, he withdrew his hand from ricky's shoulder, maintaining a respectful distance.

"gyuvin, what are you doing here?!" yelled yujin, eating a piece of candy. gyuvin turned to face his brother, a surprised expression crossing his features before he composed himself.

"you know how you've been complaining about some time off from your internship?" he said, smiling. "your supervisor gave you a month!"

gyuvin's smile widened as he saw yujin celebrating, but it quickly faded when he noticed ricky's reaction. sensing the other's discomfort, he moved to sit beside him on the bench, gently patting his back in a gesture of support.

"hey, ricky, are you okay?" gyuvin asked softly, concern evident in his voice. "i won't talk about the supervisor if you don't want me to."

"thank you." ricky said, getting up from the bench. "i need to go home. my grandma needs help with the new television she bought."  gyuvin nodded as he motioned for yujin to follow them. as they walked ricky to the front entrance, gyuvin felt he had made some progress with him.