Whenever Monarch was defeated, we thought that everything would go back to how it was before. We thought we could express ourselves freely. We could feel what we wanted to feel. And we were able to. Just not for long. Lila Rossi as we know her, but...
As I strolled into the painting studio near my house, my heart did a little flip at the sight of Adrian Agreste, my Prince, waiting for me. With a smirk playing on my lips, I sauntered over, unable to resist a playful jab. "Well, well, well, look who decided to join the paw-ty," I purred, earning a chuckle from Adrian.
He shot me a sly grin. "Couldn't resist the chance to paint with the most purr-fect artist in Gotham," he retorted, his eyes dancing with amusement.
This was our first real date. We had minor dates before like going to get pastries, walking around The City of Love, watching movies. I will say, my favorite not-date-date is when we went to get ice cream at Andre's. The guy looked completely stunned for a second then smiled. He gave us three scoops. Strawberry, 'for the love to burn brighter'. Mint, for 'his mysterious eyes'. And chocolate, for 'her warm and kind gaze'.
He was a weird one that guy, but it made Adrian happy that 'he found what his heart needed, not what it wanted.' Whatever that meant.
Grabbing my paintbrush, I shot him a teasing glance. "Better be careful, Chat, or you might end up with a hairball of a painting," I teased, relishing in the cat-themed banter.
Adrian raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. "Oh, I see how it is. Just wait until you see my masterpiece. You'll be feline pretty impressed," he countered, his playful tone matching mine.
As if this cat was gonna beat me, he was a piano playing model, I was an artist of all kinds. I did painting, drawing, some mild dance and my mom is a professional singer. I get my creativity from her so bring it on Kitty Cat.
As we got to work, it became evident that I had the upper hand when it came to painting skills. My strokes were fluid and confident, while Adrian's attempts were... let's just say they were a bit more abstract. He showed me his progress so far, let's just say he would make a great Picasso. I showed him mine and he glared at me teasingly, then grumbled something under his breath before returning his attention to his messy art.
I couldn't help but tease him as he struggled with his canvas. "Looks like someone's feline a little catty about their painting skills," I teased, earning a playful roll of the eyes from Adrian.
But amidst the laughter and banter, there were moments of quiet connection, stolen glances and shared smiles that spoke volumes.
As the evening drew to a close and we put the finishing touches on our paintings, once done we stood up from our stools and glanced at each other's work. No freaking way!
"Is that supposed to be me?" I point at the canvas. It had brown and tan, and green, some red. It looked like a giant blob. Far worse from what he showed me earlier.
He rubs the back of his head, blushing slightly, "Yeah..."
I burst into giggles, "I... love...it...it's...it's..." I try to form a sentence between breaths.
"Yeah, yeah I know. Mine looks like trash compared to yours. Did you paint the Eiffel Tower?" He walks closer to mine, trying to see more of the details I put in, "Did you paint us having a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower?!" He screeches then looks at me in bewilderment.
"Hey, just giving ideas for a future date." I playfully punch his arm. He grabs my wrists, flips my hand in his and kisses it.
Adrian's gaze softened as he looked at me. "You know, Lizzie, spending time with you like this... it's been pretty amazing," he said, his voice sincere.
My heart skipped a beat at his words, and for a moment, all I could do was smile. "Yeah, it has been," I replied softly, feeling a warmth spreading through me.
And then, in a move that felt both inevitable and exhilarating, Adrian leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, the kiss gentle yet filled with an undeniable spark.
As we pulled away, our eyes met, and I couldn't help but grin. Best. Date. Ever.
