All The Ways We Touch [MxM]

four - he's all that

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your help but I don't feel like you're doing this out of the kindness of your own heart." After a long walk from the parking lot, Ant sighed, carrying a large canvas in one hand, and a smaller one in the other.

With Ant's easel under one arm and an ornate wooden box of Ant's art supplies in his other hand, he followed him across campus and towards the art building which was situated near the science building. Aside from meeting with Ant once, he'd never had a reason to go inside and was unfamiliar with its layout. Staring off at the trees near where they'd smoked, his mind was firmly set on Jamison and how focused he'd been on the bark. 'It makes sense that he's interested in other textures. It must be isolating not being able to touch people.'

After lingering in silence, Ant cleared his throat. "So what're you gonna say if you see him?"

Exhaling heavily, he looked back at the other, frowning at him. "Despite your suspicions, I'm just trying to be helpful. I mean, I guess I could've just let you take two trips but I thought I'd be nice and arrive a little early so that I could help you carry all of this shit back to the lab."

"Yeah, well, I appreciate it and all, but," Ant paused, nudging him with his elbow. "I know you wouldn't mind if this good deed was rewarded."

"Why do you have to make it sound so creepy?" Rolling his eyes, he shifted the easel, trying not to grimace at how uncomfortable it was under tucked into his armpit. He'd certainly not grabbed it correctly, though he hadn't noticed it at the time, and Ant didn't pay enough attention to care whether he did or not. "Why're you bringing all of this back anyway? I thought you could skip the lab and draw elsewhere. Why do you want to go back all of a sudden?" After all of this talk about Jamison, he couldn't deny that he was a tad anxious about Ant's seemingly sudden decision to return to the art lab.

"These are completed and I'd like to submit them," Ant explained, turning down a hallway. "And why not? Maybe I've been missing out on the social element of creating art. I mean, I'd seen him before during other submissions, but who knows if we could've hit it off had I stayed in class. Or someone else. You know I'm open."

The cold air nipped harder at his cheeks now that they'd flushed red enough to be hot. Tilting his head towards Ant, he tried to keep his voice smooth. "So...you're going back because you want to see if you have a chance with him?"

Scoffing, Ant made another turn down the hallway. "I'm returning to art lab because I want the lighting in here for some of the next pieces I'm planning. The fact he'll be there is unrelated," he explained, though he knew what Elliot was actually getting at. "But, since you're probably worried because I'm incredibly talented and handsome, I'm not interested in him. He's cute but not my type. No offense to him but I just doubt he's hiding a bunch of muscles under his clothes."

At least that provided him with some relief, however small it was now knowing that Ant had thought about what he'd look like undressed. He hadn't even gotten that far ahead of himself. It wasn't out of character though, as Ant was only focused on hookups. "You know, I dunno the last time I heard you talk so much."

Truthfully, Ant was a great friend and a talented artist, but he tended to be a bit oafish about most things. While the rest of them had been accepted into the UFG because of their grades and carefully crafted extracurriculars, Ant's father had donated a sizable amount of money to the school's foundation before he applied, and suddenly his middling grades were enough to earn him a spot. "I thrive between 6:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m."

Elliot laughed, unsure if he believed him. A waste if it was the case, with the group normally fast asleep until later in the morning unless it was a school day. "Your easel is killing me."