gayopolis: dnt. (066)
ᴊᴜsᴛɪɴ ( ··sᴜɴsʜɪɴᴇ·· ) ᴛᴀʏʟᴏʀ ([personal profile] gayopolis) wrote in [personal profile] administration 2016-11-16 04:34 am (UTC)

[ The thing is, the invitation is more. Justin's not the type of person that tries to hide that he's an artist, and he's not ashamed of his art by any means, but sometimes sharing it with one individual person is very different from hanging a handful of his pieces up in a gallery for strangers to see and forget about less than an hour later.

It's almost kind of funny to think that once upon a time, Justin gave up on art entirely. He'd had his reasons, and plenty of obstacles that seemed easier to avoid than to overcome, but pushing through it all just made him a better person, and a better artist than he was even before Chris Hobbs' attack.

Now, art is a significant part of who he is, and sharing his work is like sharing a part of himself. The mural in his bedroom hasn't been seen by many. It's the first piece he started working on when he'd first arrived in Eudio. It's the piece that took him the longest to complete, and, perhaps, the piece he poured the most of himself into. It's messy and chaotic, blurred in some places and sharp in others, and when you stand back and really look at it, it all comes together into one beautiful piece that's very uniquely Justin.

Raphael may have his eyes trained on the painting, but Justin's eyes are on Raphael, like he's waiting for some kind of reaction. Approval, disapproval, something. Justin might not be ashamed of his work, but that doesn't mean he isn't his own worst critic. It doesn't mean he doesn't seek some kind of reassurance every now and then that he's not completely wasting his time and that good old Chris Hobbs doesn't still have some kind of hold on his life even now, years later.

But the reassurance isn't the only reason Justin's looking at Raphael, it's just the most obvious one. He's looked at the mural countless times, spent his time studying it, finding the flaws and all the little things he doesn't like about it. He's stared at it long enough that if he looks at it any longer, the image might just burn itself into his eyes.

He's looked at Raphael plenty of times, too, unavoidable when you consider the amount of times they've seen each other since the first time they met at Pandemonium what feels like ages ago. Looking at him now, really looking at him, Justin thinks he's like art, too — preserved in his most beautiful state, a moment in time captured forever, only he won't fade with time.

Justin looks away when Raphael glances toward him, though he doesn't try to play it off as if he wasn't looking at him. There's no point, because Justin never tries to play it off when he's been caught looking - it's just not like him to be embarrassed or ashamed for taking the time to admire something he thinks is worth the admiration.

Somehow, Raphael's comment takes him a little bit by surprise, however nondescript. If there's anything Justin's learned about Raphael, it's that he's not incredibly expressive, and that he's somewhat difficult to please. He's a challenge, to put it simply, and winning him over is a victory in itself.

Justin turns his head to look at him again only to find that Raphael's already looking back. He doesn't look away this time, and instead just holds his gaze. Raphael is a little bit hard to read, but perhaps that's what keeps Justin's interest - wanting to know what he's thinking beyond 'I like it', if he's thinking anything else at all.

And then Raphael smiles, and that's all Justin really needs from him. His own smiles pulls at the corners of his mouth, spreading into something bright and reminiscent of his nickname. He laughs quietly under his breath. ]


... I didn't think you would either. [ It's not a slight towards Raphael, just a little bit of honesty. Justin's style of art is quite different, and it's not to everyone's taste, but art usually never is.

Justin breathes out quietly, a sense of relief flooding through his veins. ]
But thank you. I'm glad that you do.

[ He looks back toward the mural again, but his gaze isn't focused on the art itself. Instead, his eyes shift back and forth as he thinks, his expression somewhat contemplative. He bites at his lower lip for a moment, and then suddenly looks at Raphael right before he steps up onto his bed. ]

I want to show you something else, [ He says, padding across his bed to the opposite corner. Justin bends to pick up a book from the bedside table, hardcover and bound in black leather, and then he brings it back, sitting down at the edge of the bed near Raphael's knees. He looks up, silently inviting Raphael to sit, too. ]

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