dante and virgile in hell, detail (1850) – painting by william-adolphe bouguereau

***

harry

I excluded the days thoughts from my mind as I entered those large, art gallery doors. The fresh smell was inhaled along with the intoxicating aura of numerous artists energy, it made me smile so perfectly with those marble white floors below. I stand stiff and tall, grabbing the brochure from my back pocket. The gallery was brand new and was the new home to some of the worlds most classic artists and paintings, from Jan Vermeer to William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

I was at home between these walls of classic art.

"Keep up Harry," professor Thomas–or Paul as I was contorted by my mother to call him–spoke behind thick brows, I glared distastefully as he stepped into the art room.

"Don't want to miss anything do we?" A more feminine voice speaks to the left side of me, Amber appears with her eyes glowing the colour of melted honey today. Her sun kissed skin glowed against the lights of the gallery, I find myself staring far too long before she clicks a finger in my face. "Wake up." She giggles before we follow Paul into the other room.

"This two piece masterful exhibit is by Pierre-Auguste Cot, this first one is called "storm" and the one opposite is "springtime"." My eyes glowed against the colours of the painting, so wondrous and exhilarating. I bite into my lower lip as I take a step closer, an urge to examine the details perfectly and settle them into my brain forever.

The painting was of a curvaceous and bold woman posed against a nature inspired background, bare against the chest of a man holding her wet body. The white dress she wore clung to the curves of her porcelain skin and her breasts revealed through, almost too confident for such an intimate pose. Both pieces exhibited the same woman, a ethereal creature dawned upon by nature and man as she cradled the weight of her world. It was so beautiful, something I craved to create one day. Something this mesmerising was my goal.

"I love this one." A voice creeps up beside me and for a split second, I thought it was Lola. "So intimate." Amber says softly, eyes never leaving the canvas in front of her.

"It is amazing." I comment with a sigh. "I can only hope I create something this wonderful one day."

Amber lets a grin creep to her pink lips, and I almost see a resemblance to the woman in the painting. "You will." She says confidently, it felt like she knew my hearts desire in that moment and it made my blood buzz as I smiled.

We walked around the gallery some more, the group took their programmed route but Amber and I decided to explore on our own. It was a whole new experience to see the visuals up close, the sensations of inhaling acrylic and oil paint, the brush strokes circling around my sight and mind. I smiled as we stopped at a sculpture of a woman, the structure clean, white and porcelain, so delicate and perfect with detail.

"Wow," I gasped, admiring the structure with a smile, my eyes soon turn to the room around me. "This whole building makes me so inspired."

Amber smiles. I feel a tug in my stomach and with a feeling buzzing in my skin, I shake my negativity and decide to flow with the tug instead of resisting it. The artist inside my bones always won in the real world. I clear my throat, catching the honey eyes of the sun kissed girl again.

"May... May I propose something?" I question.

"Of course," Amber replies.

"This is strictly business, but it would be such an honour, if you let me paint you," I circled my hands around each other, tugging at the fingertips nervously. "Privately of course, my girlfriend Lola has a camera so we can take some photos and see what would be cool to paint–of course you don't have to do it if-if you don't want to. I just-I just thought it would be a great opportunity for us both-"

"You're rambling." Amber interrupts with a amused smirk.

"I do that when I'm nervous," I admit with distaste in my mouth, I felt so stupid being this nervous. I was training to be a professional artist, I should be more of a expert when it came to things like this. I pull at my collar, watching Ambers eyes on my own.

"You said your girlfriend could take some photos?" Amber replies.

"Yes."

"Lola?"

"Yes, my girlfriend Lola." I reply with a slight blush. I still wasn't fully adapted to the idea of Lola being my girlfriend, which was evident as my cheeks flamed unexpectedly. I find myself grinning with Amber as I chuckle. "She can take your photo and we can experiment with all sorts of different poses and whatnot, it'll be fun."

Amber grins. "I'd love too."

My heart flutters with the idea, I felt guilt sting in my stomach but I swallow it away as I remember Lola would be involved in this project. There was no need to feel guilty or ashamed for wanting to broaden my art skills, and Amber would help me do that.

***

"How much longer?" Lola's voice whines next to me as we both sat on the cold stairs, the building behind us was loud as college students arrived to their dorm rooms after a long day of studies. I exhale a tired breath, checking the time on my phone.

"She won't be long." I reply.

Lola sighs, silence falls over us once the voices dim down around us, the afternoon air whips at Lola's hair and I admire the strands dancing against the last of the day's light. It was much shorter than when I first met her, only coming up to her shoulders now, but it was still that dark, rich hair that smelt of strawberries when she laid against my chest.

I smile to myself, I felt privileged to have her as my own now.

"Harry?" My head twists and I see Amber walking towards us with her honey eyes twinkling under the sun, I smile and stand to my feet. "And, Lola." Amber reaches us and smiles to Lola next to me, something in her grin made me narrow my eyes at her. Lola shuffles closer to my body and stiffens as her eyes run up and down Ambers body.

"Amber? What the-" Lola is interrupted as Amber engulfs her in a hug, I cock an eyebrow as I watch them part and Lola's blue eyes flash with annoyance.

"You two know each other?" I question with a laugh escaping my parted lips.

"Yeah," Lola sighs. "We worked together last winter, around the time I met you."

"I always wondered about the hunk you left Louis for," Amber bites her lip as she smiles at me and I feel a churn in my stomach, my blood boils with even the mention of his name and somehow she seems to notice that.

"Yeah." Lola nervously chuckles. "Let's get going, we're running out of daylight."

The room light up with fluorescent lights, almost blinding at this time of afternoon. I feel the two girls behind me, a nervous breath inhales through my nose before I take a step inside the studio.

"This is the place," I gesture to the walls around me, most of them covered in some sort of graffiti or artwork. "Z is out of town for the week, so the place is all ours."

Lola steps in first, a knowing smile to her lips. Amber follows, her honey eyes dripped at every corner she looked at and a wonderful pout formed to her lips as she concentrated on the artwork around her. Lola and I share a look, knowing all too well what she was thinking of the unique taste our friend had in his art.

Z was my inspiration though, although we were close, he was a role model of mine. But as he grew more recognised in this world as an artist, I worried he would forget our small town and friendship soon. I swallow the thoughts harshly as I look at a few portraits on the wall, some were old and some new, all beautiful woman he'd shared intimate encounters with.

I almost chuckled when Amber gasped, the naked bodies startling her eager eyes. "He's-"

"Unique," I smirk.

"Raw." Lola adds.

"Yeah." Amber agrees. "And these are all real woman, that he's been in contact with?"

Lola stifles a laugh. "Yeah, Z is a charmer."

I chuckle along with the girls, watching as they admired the studio some more. I venture to the kitchen area, digging into the drawers before finding the keys to the art room. I dangle the metal in front of me, that familiar keychain of a woman's behind still fashioned on the device. I roll my eyes.

"Are we ready?" Lola and Amber turn to me, a smile on their lips.

"Yep,"

It was time.

***

Hi! I was going to make this chapter a bit longer, but the next part is important so I decided to make it a chapter on its own. Hope you enjoy this chapter though.

And thank you all so much for the amazing support on this story, it warms my cold dead heart so much.

-A