through coincidence, fate, or maybe just her caring assistant wanting ana to branch out and pick up actual hobbies besides work, she finds herself in a painting class sat next to a particularly cute boy.[break][break]

"oh, i wouldn't worry too much. it's been years since i last painted so i'm sure we'll be equally as bad."[break][break]

but like the kid in class who'd say they think they failed the test only to ace it, ana's painting will surely be among the best in the class. but with aaron on her team? not sure.[break][break]

at his question, she reaches a hand out to draw a line down the middle of the canvas.[break][break]

"we could divide the canvas into two and be responsible for or own sides?"

[attr="class","ooc"]aaron faust[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-rotom"]

not only is she smoking hot, but she's humble, too. aaron is immediately suspicious of the idea of them being equally bad. that's just the modesty talking — he's pretty certain that her side will be a masterpiece of the modern century and his will be, well, not that. 
[break][break]
"i'll do my best to keep up with you." the model finds a comfortable sitting pose. the room fills with the sounds of people rustling for their tools. "but feel free to have an off day so i don't end up embarrassing us."[break][break]aaron watches her take a pencil and draw a line down the middle of the canvas. she delineates the work in a way that they won't have to take responsibility for the other.[break][break]  "aight," he agrees after a beat. it would probably be harder to make the composition cohesive than if they just worked together in layers. she looks a lot smarter than he does, though, so she must know what she's doing. [break][break] aaron picks up his own pencil and begins to lightly sketch out the figure of the model sitting in front of them. he's delicate and concentrated as he works — two traits that no one has ever used to describe him.[break][break] "m'names aaron, by the way." might as well introduce himself since they'll be sitting together for a while. "you live around here at all?"[break][break]

+ ANA STONE  not me pretending i know anything about painting !!!

"and i'll do my best as well."[break][break]

modest as ever, ana starts on her side of the painting as well, though she takes a different approach than her partner does. no sketching and straight to painting.[break][break]

yes, they'll be sitting together for a while, so she figures it might be nice to get to know him as well even if he does seem a bit...interesting.[break][break]

"i do, actually. why? would you like to visit, aaron?"

[attr="class","ooc"]aaron faust[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-rotom"]

aaron pauses in his sketching once her side of the canvas is well underway. each brushstroke is deliberate, the swaths of color designed for their spot on the stretched linen. yep, she is definitely a pro. he turns his head away, renewed in his ambitions to meet her at her level. [break][break]
her question makes him push his pencil too hard into the canvas, leaving a dark line beside sketch-light strokes.
[break][break]holy shit, she wants me?
[break][break]
aaron clears his throat, mind oscillating between yes and no.
[break][break]
"whoa. shouldn't you take me out to dinner first?" he grabs a tube of white paint and fiddles with the seal. as long as he's busy putting paint to palette, he would be turned away just enough that she can't see the redness climbing up his cheeks. the pink coloring his ears? he couldn't help that. 
[break][break]
"i'm not that easy." his mock offense is coupled with a smile that can be heard in his voice.
[break][break]

+ ANA STONE  not me pretending i know anything about painting !!!

while he may fiddle with his tube of paint, she can practically see his ears turning a different shade, and it's one that makes her smile.[break][break]

she shrugs a shoulder, swirling her paintbrush in a cup of water to rinse it off before dipping it into a particular color.[break][break]

"i don't usually take cute boys out to dinner."[break][break]

she leans in, shoulder brushing against his as she whispers:[break][break]

"but for you, aaron, i'll make an exception."[break][break]

and when she pulls away, she lifts the paintbrush to gently smear a spot on his cheek: a matching shade of pink.

[attr="class","ooc"]aaron faust[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-rotom"]

aaron is beginning to suspect the woman beside him is flirting with him. or trolling hard. he's leaning towards the latter, the same way she's leaning into his side to whisper in his ear. a barely-suppressed chill threatens to run down his spine. this must be the ASMR tingles everyone insists they get from those suspiciously-erotic ear-licking videos.
[break][break]
he turns his head towards her, face hot and eyes colored an unreadable mix of confusion, distrust, naivety and interest — to put it in proboards-appropriate terms.
[break][break]
she places the tip of her brush against his cheek and draws a mark, the paint a welcoming cool against his cheek.
[break][break]
"i - i — " he's supposed to be the forward and flirty one in situations, so to be outdone by a girl of all people leaves him stuttering and uncharacteristically nervous. fuck, this is making his heart beat harder than that time he flirted with death on mount chimney. 
[break][break]
"— in that case, let's go out after this." aaron forces the phrase out in a breath, his hand subconsciously drawn to the wet sensation on his face. his fingers come away sticky and reddish-pink.  
[break][break]
"unless you're just teasing me." he draws his hand towards his chest, stopping just short of leaving paint fingerprints on his shirt. "but that would be kinda fucked up, p-playing with my poor, little heart like this."
[break][break]

+ ANA STONE                          

aaron's newfound courage (or hidden?) has her tilting her head at him in slight surprise; good or bad, they'll find out soon enough.[break][break]

"after this?"[break][break]

she hums, turning away to glance at the model still frozen in a pose before them. she briefly wonders how uncomfortable they must be to be stuck like that for hours on end.[break][break]

"i'll think about it. i'm leaning towards a yes, but you'll have to impress me with your painting."[break][break]

another flick of her hand draws a stroke on the canvas.[break][break]

"can you do that for me, aaron?"

[attr="class","ooc"]aaron faust[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-rotom"]

"after this?"
[break][break]
aaron nods, reaching for a paint-stained rag. he dries his fingers on it, idly examining the mottled spots of blush-colored dye that linger no matter how much he rubs at them. and he doesn't dare try and agitate the smear on his cheek — he can't risk looking like a total clown in front of her. semi-clown, though? so far she seems kinda into that.
[break][break]
all he has to do is impress her with his painting. her question strikes a chord, the paint on his cheek camouflaged against the redness of his face. she's giving big mommy energy. "b-bet."
[break][break]
aaron turns away to work on the base. the large swaths of color have no prejudice toward the tremble in his hand. [break][break]"quit distracting me, though." he says, voice thick with concentration. "it's cheating."
[break][break]after a minute, despite just asking her to stop distracting him, he asks, "so are you gonna tell me your name anytime soon, miss painting class girl?"
[break][break]

+ ANA STONE