Exo Imagines

95. Tao (cute)

All matters of different coloured paints covered your fingers, hands and forearms, your overused paint pallet balancing on the finger tips of your left hand as you held your paintbrush in your right, chewing on the end as you looked over your huge canvas settled before you on your a-little-too-small easel.

Humming joyfully to yourself you whisked the bristles around in the jar of water to remove the milky peach toned paint and left it in there as you swirled around on your stool to reach into your large artists box, retrieving a 200ml tube of light brown acrylic, popping the lid off and squeezing a good helping on to the pallet next to the other skin toned colours.

You retrieved a smaller brush and dampened the bristles before dipping the end into the paint and saturating the brush a lovely shade of earth brown, pressing it against the canvas and following the sharp jawline you had draw out before, the brown mixing the the paler pink tone underneath the create a realistic shadow.

Holding the brush between your teeth you used the tips of your middle and index finger to blur the colours together, smoothening out the harsh lines to form one soft shadow.

"Who is that handsome devil?" a deep jokey voice called out from behind you as he walked through the door and into your studio.

A pair of gentle hands settled against your shoulders and soft sculpted lips left a lingering kiss against the crown of your head. "Tao, I told you not to come in yet!" you whined and let your shoulders slump in annoyance and disappointment, your surprise for your partner was now ruined.

"Sorry baby," he apologised and bent down to your height and dotted three quick pecks against your flushed cheek in a small triangular shape. "I just love watching you paint, and when you said it was a surprise I had to have a quick peek."

You twisted the top of the stool round to face Tao, looking up at him with pouted lips, your cute expression only causing him to giggle and press a warm, slightly dampened kiss to your lips. "You've got paint in your hair," he informed with a chuckle, his hand reaching forwards to twirl the long strands of your hair that had fallen from your messy up-do around his fingers, making sure the his skin brushed along your cheek bone as he tucked it behind your ear.

Tao's eyes bore into yours, his dark enticing orbs sparkling as the corners of his lips twitched up into a smile. Removing his gaze from your eyes he looked back at the painting, and then down at the small 6 inch by 4 photo set on the shelf under the easel. "I love this photo," he spoke softly as he reached for it, running his fingers across the image, gliding down your side profile. You also loved the photo, it was a photo taken on your wedding day, it was a close up of your kiss, a smile evident on both your faces as your lips locked, Tao's hand reaching up to cup your cheek hidden from the camera.

"I thought it would be nice if I painted it and got in mounted in our dining room," you quietly mumbled as you swept your fingers down the drying brown paint.

Tao sighed out of content, his heart aching with joy as he looked upon your beautiful face. "You always have the best ideas," Tao complimented as he moved to stand behind you, his hands set against your shoulders as his thumbs worked the knots out of your back.

Tao bent down again, resting his chin on your head and he wrapped his arms loosely around your neck, you falling back slightly to lean against his toned chest. "You know how they say a picture holds a thousand words?" he mumbled as his hand gently caressed your shoulder.

"Hmm," you answered with a weak nod, your energy being drained at his soft, lingering touch.

"Well, when I look at that photo all I see is three words."

You twisted your head to look up into his glittering eyes, them curved up into those beautiful crescents. "What are you talking about?" you chuckled. "I think the paint fumes have gotten to your head," you teased and nudged his chest with your shoulder, earning a gleeful chuckle from him.

His lips moved down to meet with yours, them latching together like a lock and key, his tongue teasingly flicking out to swipe across your bottom lip. Breaking the kiss he mumbled, "Those three words are 'I love you'," against your lips.