This is based on a Josh x gender neutral reader request I got on Tumblr a while ago :)
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He's been standing in front of the painting for almost ten minutes when I decide to approach. I haven't seen his face yet, but something about him amazes me. His choice of clothing is quite peculiar, he's pretty small, the curls hide the back of his neck almost entirely and the bracelets peeking through his sleeves when his hands fly up to touch the painting make my eyes shine.
"Did you like it?" I ask. His finger is gently tracing the lines inked on the canvas when I speak, making his hand fall back to his side and his face turn to me, startled.
He's beautiful, just like how I thought he would be, but his eyes are something I could never imagine, warm and familiar. They feel safe, reliable, makes me wanna live in them.
"I did, it's a very beautiful piece," he says. I like the sound of his voice a lot and also the way he pronounces each word.
"You've been staring at it for about ten minutes now," I announce, letting a small laugh escape between my lips.
"It really fascinated me," he explains. "I love the colors, the lines," he takes his hand back up, tracing the line once again, a smile playing on his lips. "It is so aggressive and, yet, romantic. It makes me wanna cry. It's amazing how art can have this kind of power over us. I wish I could congratulate the artist."
"You just did," I say, a warm, comfortable sensation taking over my soul at his words.
"You painted this?" He turns his body completely in my direction, his eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. My eyes fall to the necklaces resting against his shirt, the corner of my mouth quirks up as I move my eyes back to his face.
"I did, that's why I needed to come talk to you. I mean, this room is filled with amazing pieces and yet, you're stuck in front of mine for ten minutes."
"There are a lot of beautiful pieces in here for sure, but none of them touched me quite like this." There's something different in his eyes when he says it, the way he looks at me changes, like his looking for something inside of me.
"Are you an artist yourself?"
"I am, I write and I sing." I like the way he smiles, proud of himself.
"You write songs then?"
"Yes, but not just that. I make short films as well."
"So you have artistic eyes. Makes sense, not everyone can look at a painting and feel it the way you did. Art doesn't talk to you unless you allow it to." I let my eyes walk away from him, taking a look at my masterpiece. He doesn't say anything and when I turn back to him, his eyes are fixed on me, shining, the corner of his mouth quirked up the slightest, but enough for a dimple to carve a gorgeous hole on his cheek.
"Who are you?" He asks in awe, making me shiver. I point to the small plaque underneath the painting, where the black letters forming the name of the masterpiece and my own contrast to the white background. He chuckles, shaking his head to the ground before looking back up at me.
"Not what I meant, but your name will do for now."
"For now?" I ask, suppressing a smile.
"I was hoping to see you again, if you like."
Our eyes lock on each other, a veil of silence falls upon us, holding us comfortably. I take in every detail of his face, every inch of soft skin. The tip of his tongue moisture his perfect pink lips and I feel an urge to kiss him.
"Y/N." I turn away, searching for the voice calling my name. My art professor is looking at me, a very well dressed lady standing next to him. He motions for me to come over, to which I nod, turning back to the curly haired man in front of me.
"I never asked your name."
"I'm Josh," he answers, eyes wandering about my face.
"I'd like to see you again, Josh." The smile he gives me makes my heart drop to my stomach. I smile back before leaving.
I end up having to talk to a lot of people, losing track of Josh. I try to look for him again, but he's nowhere to be found. I missed the chance of asking for his number, the way he looked at me gave me the false hope he would stick around, but the sky outside looks like dark chocolate now and I should've known he wouldn't stay for so long.
I put on my coat and wave goodbye to the few artists who decided to stay a little longer, the cold air hits me hard on the face when I step outside, making me press the coat closer to my body.
"Hey, Y/N." A voice calls from the left side of the door as I begin walking to the right. I turn to the source fiding Josh leaned against the brick wall. "I thought you were never leaving." He walks to me, cheeks painted a light shade of pink from the cold.
"Why didn't you get back inside?"
"You were busy, y'know. Are you hungry?"
"I am, actually."
"I thought we could have dinner together, maybe I could get to know the person behind the artist." The yellow light from the light poles touch the tip of his curls, giving them a distinct color. He looks so beautiful under the stars that I could never say no to him.
"I believe the art is my true essence, but we can see if you can find something beyond that."
Is an hour enough time for you to fall in love with someone? If someone had asked me this an hour ago, I would've probably said no. But now that I find myself head over heels for the guy sitting in front of me, I'm pretty sure it is.
"Where do you live?" He asks me once we're out of the restaurant, back to the busy streets of the New York night.
"A couple of blocks away," I reply pointing in the direction of my building.
"Can I walk you home?"
"Please."
We walk side by side in silence, hands bumping on one another until he takes mine in his and my heart goes erratic. "This is me," I announce, stopping in front of the building. He intertwines our finger and comes to stand in front of me, toe to toe.
"Maybe I could write a song about you sometime, y'know. I like writing about beautiful people and kind souls. You happen to be both."
"I could paint you," I say, taking the hand he's not holding to his face, my index finger tracing a line down his forehead, nose and stopping when it reaches his bottom lip. He kisses the tip. "You already look like art."
"You could paint me naked." He gives me smirk and a confident look, but his pink cheeks give him away.
"I need to see it first, see if it's worth reproducing." He lets out a small, shy laugh, looking down at his feet. I place the finger he just kissed to his chin and make him look at me again. "Come up with me, I think I wanna take a look at it now." I lean in and give him a quick peck on the lips, feeling his hand tight the hold on mine as I guide him inside.
