Palette moved out to a little cabin in the woods to hone his skills as an artist. Three years into his seclusion, he stumbles across a red-scarved skeleton that changes his world.
Main story complete. May have bonus chapters written sporadically.
"This is a lake?" Goth asked, his eye lights glittering as he turned to Palette for confirmation.
"Yup," the taller laughed, "You can take a closer look if you want, I need to find a drawing spot. You might even see some fish in the water if you're lucky. Just be careful not to fall in, it can get deep in some spots."
One of their learning sessions had left Palette dumbfounded that the smaller didn't know what a lake was. Given his circumstances and the general lack of any knowledge outside of basic living, the artist really shouldn't have been surprised.
And so, Palette decided another field trip was in order.
I needed more sample sketches for my paintings anyway since I finished transferring the last image to canvas yesterday.
He positioned himself against a tree in the shade, pulling out his drawing materials as Goth dashed to the edge of the small lake, crouching down while keeping his scarf from dipping into the water. His eye lights shined in the sunlight as he rolled up a sleeve and dipped a finger into the water.
The taller skeleton groused a bit when a slight wind blew his hat forward, blocking his view of the scene.
Goth had begun filching the hat on occasion, claiming that he liked the feel of it. Palette had been willing to let him keep it, but the smaller skeleton always gave it back eventually. He said he already borrowed so much from the artist, so it didn't feel right to take his hat too.
Goth refused shoes as well for this reason, though he also preferred the feel of the ground under his feet, which Palette couldn't fault.
Since the storm, Goth had taken to making Palette sleep with him on the bed. He claimed it was because the bed was more comfortable than the couch, which was true... but he knew the real reason was that the attention-starved monster enjoyed the company.
Palette never fought that hard against it seeing as he now woke up with less stiffness in his bones now that he was back to sleeping on the bed. He also never had to worry about being cold, not to mention how cute Goth looked curled up against him.
I'm really becoming a sap for Goth's whims.
A gasp brought him out of introspection, prompting him to look up.
"Palette, there's little silver things... fish?" the monster inquired excitedly. Palette hummed jovially in confirmation. He went back to starting his drawing as Goth turned around to watch the fish swim about below him.
The artist took note of the way the sun shone on the lake, the wind creating soft waves that lapped against the banks. The way Goth's scarf and coat fluttered in the breeze when he dipped his feet into the water. The curious wonder in his smile...
Palette blushed as he realized he'd been including Goth in the sketch.
It didn't look bad, though. Far from it, in fact. His white and red silhouette would contrast wonderfully with the blues and greens around him once it was transferred to color on a canvas.
Setting aside the sketchbook and popping his joints, Palette stood up to join Goth by the water. It was only after leaving the shade that he noticed just how hot it was, even with his sleeves rolled up.
Goth's wearing a winter coat... isn't he hot?
Stripping off his suspenders, white button-down shirt, gloves, socks, and shoes, Palette waded three feet into the water in his khakis and a tank top before turning to Goth, "Care to go for a swim?"
The skeleton gave him a confused look, tilting his head to the side, "Swim?" Palette wanted to smack himself.
Of course Goth wouldn't know what swimming is, he didn't even know about baths until a week ago! Now that was an interesting experience...
Moving closer, Palette held out a hand, "C'mon, I can show you... you might want to take off the coat and scarf first, though."
The small monster hesitantly removed the garments, leaving him in a tank top and khakis similar to the other skeleton and grabbed the offered hand.
Upon being pulled in, Goth floundered, latching onto the artist's top as he began to sink, "P... Palette?! I'm falling, help!"
"Easy there, you're not falling. I won't let you sink," Palette chuckled, holding the smaller up by his upper arms. His smile took on a sad curve as the other clung tightly to him, clearly still nervous. "I won't let you go, Goth. Trust me," he stated.
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The nervous skeleton tilted his skull up, searching Palette's expression for a moment before giving a resolute nod.
His smile returning full force, the artist took hold of Goth's hands and walking himself backward. When the small skeleton balked, he instructed, "Kick your legs up and down, I've got your hands, so don't worry about sinking."
Goth followed along, with Palette gently correcting him whenever he misinterpreted the instructions.
It was a slow process, but he was eager to learn.
Once Goth began to get the hang of it, he asked, "Are you going to swim too?". The artist tilted his head in thought, then brought them back to the bank so he could look for something.
After perusing the various trees, Palette pried his fingers into one of them, digging into the wood until part of the bark came loose.
He returned to the edge with a triumphant grin, handing the large strip of bark to Goth, "Here. You can use this to float on. Now I can swim with you!"
Placing it down on the water, Goth held onto it and started kicking as he did before. The bark worked perfectly, sinking down but floating just enough to keep the small skeleton above water like a body board.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with the pair swimming laps around the lake and occasionally splashing each other. It wasn't until the sun began to set that the two returned to the bank and set off for their home once more.
Life had become so much more fulfilling since Goth arrived. Palette wished this could last forever.
