Colored memories

I was going through some old drawings and I remembered this kind of painting book series I wanted to do before so I thought I should write it down while I still remembered it. It was supposed to be longer but this is a draft of sorts XD

Also, I started something OwO but I'll write about that on Friday

Graduation day. For someone in fine arts, it meant their grand debut into the art scene. Not like they didn’t establish a name for themselves while studying, they did. But this… this was different. Each candidate for graduation had only one chance to show off the best of the best among their creations. 

Graduation night meant that all the available alumni, known art collectors, and curators would be there, and they will be looking for an artist to sponsor and to help out in the industry. It would be a nerve-wracking moment but what was more nerve-wracking was waiting for the announcement of who will get the center spot. The wall that has always been given to that batch’s top student. Everyone wanted that spot, and if given the chance, they would definitely fight for it. But who that spot will go to, that will always be up to the college dean to decide. 

Monday,  May 3rd

The year head for the graduating batch came into the year lounge to post up the much-awaited announcement of who will get which spot. From their current batch of 17 remaining students… the one that received the was someone none of them expected. Elton Hornee. The silent guy that always seemed so anti-social. The guy that always seemed to run off, only to miraculously pop up again with all the requirements for the course. He was always the mysterious figure of the batch but to think that he would be getting the center wall. It was unexpected. And the fact that he didn’t seem particularly amused with the news was worse. But being himself, he again vanished without a trace. They had a week to prepare. That was all. 

That very day, Elton came back to his flat exhausted and evidently stressed. Luckily, his partner, Cenrick, was there waiting for him. 

“How was the announcement?” Cenrick greeted the tired Elton with open arms

“It was okay, I got center wall” Elton said nonchalantly as he deflated into the other’s hold, obviously exhausted from the day and from the number of orientations and warnings given to them when they were shown the venue for their graduation exhibit “What did you cook for dinner? Today was tiring” He said with a sigh as he looked up to Cenrick who smiled proudly at him.

“Since I knew you would be the top student, I made your favorite burgers” Cenrick said lovingly as he tightened his arms around the other’s frame

“More like you just wanted to comfort me in the case that I got a bad spot” Elton teased but he couldn’t help but smile as they both waddled over to the dining area of their flat. 

“Whatever works for you,” Cenrick says with a shrug before pulling out the chairs “As long as you get fed your favorites and you help me choose what you’ll put up anyways,” He said cheekily as he gestured for Elton to sit.

“But you’ll be helping anyways, it is your face that will be all over my wall” He muttered sheepishly while seating himself in his usual spot. 

For the rest of dinner, they went about their usual day of teasing and then desert! After cleaning up everything, they both headed to Elton’s studio (What was supposed to be his room) 

“So which ones to put up,” Elton thought aloud as he uncovered the canvases that lined the room’s wall. Some were hung and some were just on the wall but one can’t deny the fact that he only had eyes for Cenrick.

“How about a theme of sorts” Cenrick was helping him uncover some of the paintings, sometimes he would cough from all the dust the room had somehow accumulated. 

“Never thought my art could have themes. A theme of you?”  Elton grinned cheekily yet with the number of years that they had been together, Cenrick grew immune to the cute pick up lines the other could say

“Come on, be serious! This is your graduation we’re talking about” Cendrick said with a light smack on Elton’s arm “You draw in monotones. Does that give you ideas?”

“A rainbow? All the shades of you and me?” Elton started his train of thoughts again, yet the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. 

Soon enough, he was dashing around the room, inspecting each piece he had made. Those he thought were good, he placed outside the room and those that he wasn’t so sure of, he placed to another side of the room. It went on like that for an hour and by the time he was done, Cenrick was already moving the pieces to the living room where they all stood evenly spaced against the wall.

“So which ones do we pick?” Cenrick hummed in thought as he eyed each painting one by one “These are old ones. Don’t you have better new ones?” He eyed Elton curiously.

“Because… they’re the most memorable to me” Eton muttered sheepishly “I thought… they were colored memories” He then reshuffled each of his paintings by color “First is red. Red like the lights of the club where we first met” 

How could they forget those lights, especially Elton. The moment he saw this man before him, he came to the point if he was simply intoxicated on the booze or was it simply by this man’s presence. He could still remember how he just stood there and watched as the red glaring lights he hated so much, graced this man’s skin and basked him in such a sultry glow. 

“Then brown and yellow because you know I hate orange. And this is our favorite breakfast spot” Elton said with a chuckle

It was a painting of the first cafe they had visited together… After an eventful night, they went off to a cafe Cendrick recommended. Elton was pretty sure the brown ambiance of the cafe and the soft warm light that seeped through the windows made Cenrick glow as if he was also made of light. But when he thought back on the memory, Cenrick probably did glow. He still did when they went there for breakfast on Sunday mornings. 

“Why the green then?” Cenrick pointed out, yet he couldn’t hide the sheepish smile that graced his lips

Elton grew flustered because that painting was of him sleeping under a tree. It was drawn in their local park yet if anyone would look at the bigger picture, they wouldn’t notice how detailed cenrick was despite how well his figure was hidden among the crowd. Elton had wanted to say that it was because in their favorite park, even if he faded into the greenery, he would still notice him. But just the thought of saying it out loud made his cheeks flush a bright red

“I-it’s our favorite park! That’s why!” Elton said in a rush as he quickly picked up the next painting “Blue and gray… like you on a rainy day” 

It was among the pieces that was the most memorable to him. It was on the night of their first fight. The rain poured hard that night and Elton could do nothing but watch Cenrick brood over their dining room table. He thought that nonsense fight would have ended them but as soon as Elton finally put his brush down, Cenrick called him over and for a while, they just muttered apologies and relished in each other’s hold. It was a painful memory yet it was the first of the many trials they had together. 

“Why is pink at the end?” Cenrick pointed out “And you’re going to put one of your colorful pieces in?” 

“This wasn’t supposed to be here but you looked too pretty in this that I had to include” 

The pink one… it was from the day Elton had finally had the courage to ask Cenrick to officially date him. Both were incredibly flustered by the event yet when Elton presented the bouquet of pink carnation, he couldn’t tell if Cenrick was the one blushing or if it was just the carnations tainting his skin so brightly like that. After he asked, he took Cenrick to an open field where wildflowers grow. It was one of his surprises for Cenrick since the man always talked about his hometown that had such a field. 

It was a beautiful sight to see Cenrick be covered in petals. It was like all the colors in Elton’s life. It was a sight indeed. 

On the day of Elton’s graduation exhibit, the couple walked to the spot hand in hand. They didn’t care about the stares they got. It was the artist and the muse he so proudly shows the world. None dared question what Elton had decided to put up but it was clear as day that he had eyes for no one else but the man beside him