Just Your Average College Life

Chapter 7

Monday, 21st October, 10am:

“On the bright side, Professor Thace being off sick means we get to spend this lovely morning together” said Shiro, rubbing his boyfriend's shoulder as the other scribbled furiously into his journal.

“There is no bright side, Shiro! I needed to go to class this morning so I could figure out what the fuck to do about my shitty artwork!” Vented Keith, still drawing in his journal (well, scribbling) and shoving Shiro's hand off of his shoulder.

Last week Prof Thace had told Keith his art, though beautiful and well drawn, lacked individuality. 99% of artists out there used their soulmates as their muses, it was simply predictable. And sure, if Keith did something groundbreaking he might be noticed among the literal millions of other lovestruck aspiring young artists, but until then he had little hope.

“Look, even if your artwork is inspired the same way almost everyone else's is, they can't hold a candle to you. And besides, it's not like I'm the focus of everything you create” assured Shiro kindly, placing his left hand on Keith's own left hand (as the fiery artist differed from most of the population and was left handed) to stop his boyfriend from ripping through a page with how hard he was pushing down with his pencil.

Too late.

“Shiro, look at this” the smaller man opened his journal up to Shiro on the day they met and started flicking through “every drawing in here is of you. Every. Single. One.”

“Ah” Shiro began, not sure what to say but happily surprised by how handsome and muscled Keith had drawn him.

“This is you, you again, you and me, your face, oh it's you in your football jersey, you again. I can't seem to help it! Whilst you were at Matt's last week I tried to paint some fucking fruit, and guess what?!”

“Uhm… What?” replied Shiro hesitantly, not sure if he wanted his boyfriend to go into full rant mode so he could get his feelings off his chest or if he wanted him to just go take a nap. Truthfully it was the latter but Shiro knew better thanks to his classes in psychology. And thanks to knowing Keith.

“I inscribed the bowl with: 'to my dearest, Takashi. Your love is the fruit of my life’! And one of the peaches had your nose!” Keith yelled, throwing his arms up in defeat and pushing his journal away from him to the far side of the table, not prepared at all for the joke Shiro was about to make.

“Well it's a good thing you're not an English major- that inscription was terrible and rather tacky.” Keith turned slowly to stare at Shiro, fire in his eyes and very close to strangling his well meaning boyfriend who was currently laughing quietly. “Look, Keith, I think you need a breather and some time to get your inspiration flowing. It's 10am so anyone who's not still in bed will be in class, let's go for a quiet walk on this lovely Autumn morning.” Shiro finished, taking Keith's hands and intertwining their fingers.

Damn, Keith was weak to that tone of Shiro's voice, he could almost feel himself leaning into kiss the older man. However, he stopped himself wanting to keep up his stubborn persona and feeling the need to rant a little more.

“com’n, please, babe?”

__

Keith had decided to join Shiro on his walk (or more melted into a puddle when Shiro called him babe, making it easy for the football captain to drag him outside with him) and the couple were now walking in a comfortable silence through the empty grounds near the physics building. Keith was leaning on Shiro, nuzzling into his shoulder whilst Shiro kept his flesh arm wrapped around Keith's waist. Keith had been about to try and start some form of conversation, though that was usually Shiro's job, when he saw a small figure swaying on his feet a short distance away.