Crave

07

Romans POV

It was around midnight and I'd been out with Atlas and the other guys at a local bar after our late night practice, burning off a bit of steam. They were at least. I couldn't drink away what clouded my mind, and believe me I tried. So tonight I was the DD. Fun, right?
Atlas had a bit too much to drink and we decided to call it a night, the other guys would figure themselves out.
As I pull him out of the bar and over to my truck, we both get in, him stumbling slightly as he gets in, I chuckle dryly, turning my truck on and starting to head to his house, glancing to him as he speaks, well, tries to. " man- what's going on with you lately? I me- mean the guys we've all noticed. You're- different" he mumbles and I shake my head lightly, sighing a bit " just do me a favor and shut up, hm? You're wasted man." I mutter and turn up the music.
Fuck I needed to get my act together, I hadn't realized that I was making it that fucking obvious that they were all noticing my change in behavior.

As we stumble through the hallway toward his room I hear the faint music coming from Valentina's art room, I smile lightly and guide atlas into his bedroom.
Once he was set I close the door behind myself and quietly walk down the hallway toward the door to her art room, leaning against it slightly and listening to the music coming from her record player, before slowly twisting open the door handle, as soon as I open the door my eyes land on her.
Fuck.
She was standing by an easel, wearing a pair of shorts that barely covered her ass. They were tight against her skin, leaving little to the imagination. My eyes run over her bare legs, up to her ass again, before slowly looking to her back, the twisting designs of her back tattoo showing just enough to drive me fucking insane.
As she turns slightly, my eyes move up toward the white tank top that clung to her breasts, and the black and white paint scattering her skin and the fabric of her clothes. I take a deep breath, forcing my eyes to move up toward her face, looking immediately to the paint brush she held in her mouth, her beautiful lips catching my eyes. Fuck all I wanted was to kiss them. I can't help but smile as I see a bit of paint in her hair, but as she turns and sees me I pull my eyes away, standing up straight and smiling lightly, watching as she puts the paint brush down and walks over to her record player, I pull my eyes from her over to the painting on the canvas and hold my breath for a moment. There was only one other thing that could catch my breath like she did, her paintings. Id never quite seen anything so beautiful. I loved looking at all of her paintings, feeling the emotion in each one. I didn't understand how one girl could be so fucking perfect.
I slowly pull my eyes away as she looks to me again, a small smile playing on her lips " can I help you with something Wade?" She asks and I can't help but drag my eyes over her again, pausing at her nipple piercings poking through the fabric of her shirt, and then again at the tattoos covering her skin. I stop at the bellybutton ring dangling over the lace of her shorts, and force myself to speak before she sees me staring if she hadn't already " right uh- atlas just had a bit much to drink so I was just dropping him home.. heard the music and well.. I was curious" I pause as I take a small step into the room, not wanting to intrude in her space but unable to keep my emotions in check.
She glances to the painting before looking back to me and smiling lightly " you can come in" she says and that's all it takes for me to nod lightly and slowly close the door behind myself. Carefully making my way over to the painting, not wanting to knock anything over.
As she speaks I slowly look over to her again " I just finished that one.. took me admittedly a bit long" she pauses, letting out a slight laugh " I think I finally got it though." She says quietly as I can't help but take in every detail of the painting. It was fucking devastating.
I slowly look over to her, speaking softly " Val this is - holy shit" I chuckle lightly, shaking my head a bit " absolutely un fucking real. This is- this is I think your best work ever. I mean the- the emotion in this is just.. fuck" I murmur, slowly looking back to the painting as if it was pulling me in, just like her. I couldn't find the right words to describe it, to do it justice.
Exactly like her.
After a moment of silence, I slowly pull my eyes away again and over to her. My eyes stopping briefly at the shorts she was wearing yet again. God she was killing me. Slowly. Painfully. And I fucking loved it.

As she straightens her posture I slowly look back up to her face, into her eyes that somehow consumed all the light in the room. " thank you Roman. That means a lot" she smiles lightly, and I can't get myself to look away from her. She was going to be my undoing, and I was completely okay with it.
Hell I wanted it.
I wanted to count every single freckle on her face, trace the curves of her body slowly. Memorize the tattoos covering her flawless skin.
After a few more minutes of silence, my eyes pulling from her to the painting, then back to her. I slowly move toward the door, I needed to get out of this room before I did something I shouldn't. " I'll leave you alone now. Heads up, I'm staying the night. Goodnight little Nyx" I smile and slowly make my way out of the room. Every step was fucking torture, all I wanted was to grab her and fucking worship her.
But I force myself to walk away.

2 days later

I had spent the past two days trying to free my mind of her, of that painting. And I couldn't.
I'd been spending hours upon hours on the ice, trying to get the hell out of my funk. I didn't deserve to be the captain if I couldn't score a fucking game.

I'd finally headed home, needing a hot shower and maybe a distraction.
As I walk into my bedroom, closing the door behind myself, I turn on the light and drop my bag on the ground, starting to pull of my clothes, but stopping as I notice the large flat object wrapped on my bed. Slowly dropping my shirt on the ground and taking a few steps over to my bed, leaning down and picking it up with careful movements, slowly pulling on the string binding it together, watching as it falls onto the bed, I unwrap it carefully, my breath catching in my throat as my eyes take in what I was holding.
That fucking painting.
I try to start breathing again, to keep my heart beating. Fuck.
Fuck.
My mind was whirling, she gave me this, after spending weeks on it. She just.. gave it to me.
I knew it was a simple gesture.. but fuck it didn't feel like it.
At all.

I attempt to pull myself together, finding something to hang the painting with and carefully securing it on my wall. Right above my bed.
And before I could stop myself I was pulling on a shirt and making my way out of my house in hurried movements.
One thing on my mind.

I park my car in her driveway, noticing that atlas was gone. Good.
I get out of the truck, closing the door and starting to walk to her front door, pausing as I hear her voice echoing from the backyard. I make my way toward the gate, placing my hand on the lock and opening it slowly just as rain starts to fall, hitting my hot skin as I walk into the backyard, the gate closing behind me as I see her, standing in the backyard with her dog malek.
I stop and stare for a moment, the rain soaking her skin as she laughs and continues to play with her dog.
After a moment I continue my movements toward her, as I get closer I call out her name " Achelios."