"The art of love" by Sara Jaye ~ "Damn it!" Nuriko flung down his pencil and glared at the paper in front of him. "I'll never get this stupid picture to look right!" he sighed as he tore the paper off his sketchpad and threw it to the floor in a crumpled ball. Along with the 20 other attempts he'd drawn in the last hour. "Those artists make it look so damn easy!" He stared at the picture he'd been trying to emulate. It was of an ancient god and his beautiful goddess, standing nude in a field of stars. Surrounding them were waves of the four elements-water, fire, wind, and earth. The god and the goddess were locked into a passionate embrace, looking into each other's eyes. It was one of the most beautiful things Nuriko had ever laid eyes on. "So of course I can't even begin to get the style right! Figures, I spend 15 friggin MINUTES just drawing the eyes..." Nuriko sighed deeply. All it really showed of the figures was above the hip, and the goddess's chest wasn't even visible, being pressed against that of her lover. "Why did I even try? This is just...sublime. I could never do it justice," he said quietly, feeling rather dejected. Again he looked at the picture. "The god...looks so much like Hotohori-sama," he mused. Hotohori was much more beautiful, of course, but the resemblance was striking. "Okay, I'll try this one more time..." Nuriko picked up his pencil and began to sketch the image again. This time, he managed to draw as far as the shoulders before he gave up. "I'm gonna be here all night drawing this thing!" he wailed as another attempt fell to the floor. Maybe he could try drawing something a little easier...like flowers, or a starlit sky, or even a sunset on a hill. "I've already done about 20 of those this week, what's a few more?!" he grumbled angrily. He was sick of just drawing boring scenery. He wanted to draw something truly romantic and beautiful. Something he could pour his very soul into, so much that the moment anyone saw it, they'd know it was Nuriko. But so much like a certain unrequited love for an emperor, it was a dream that would probably never come true. Nuriko sighed and looked at the painting yet again...then got an idea. "Maybe if someone helped..." Nuriko smiled. He knew just the person... ~ "Hotohori-sama?" The emperor looked up from his book as he heard the familiar voice. "Nuriko?" "Hi...sorry to bother you, if you're busy I'll leave you alone." Nuriko turned around and began to leave. "No...it's all right. I was almost done with this chapter anyway. What's on your mind? I thought you were painting." Hotohori put the bookmark between the pages and set the book down. "I was. But it's utterly impossible to get the style right, even with the picture right in front of me." Nuriko sighed. "I'm sorry...maybe you just need some more practice?" "I've been practicing for over an hour, Hotohori-sama...I need help." "Help?" Brushing a bit of stray hair away from his face, Nuriko smiled sweetly at Hotohori. "Will you model for me, Hotohori-sama?" ~ Back in Nuriko's room, Hotohori sat down on the bed as Nuriko began to set up the 'studio'. "Now...I'm just supposed to stand here while you draw me, right? Should my arms be wrapped around anything, like a pillow?" he asked. "No, just stand there. I'll let you know when I need to sketch the embrace," Nuriko said. "Okay...now, stand over there," he instructed. Hotohori got up and walked over to the backdrop Nuriko had set up against the wall. "Is this all right?" he asked as he assumed the pose. Nuriko looked from the painting to Hotohori and back for a minute, then nodded. "Perfect. Now, take off your robe and your shirt." Hotohori stumbled back against the wall, blinking several times. "What?!" "I can't draw a nude god if my model is dressed, can I?" "Nuriko..." Hotohori tried to force back the blush spreading across his face. He was mildly annoyed that Nuriko hadn't said anything about posing nude, yet at the same time, a bit glad. He wasn't surprised Nuriko had asked him to be his model, of course. He knew how beautiful he was. But even so, he just felt so...awkward about this. "Hotohori-sama..." Nuriko sighed. "I'm sorry, I should've told you this earlier, that you would have to get undressed halfway. But I was afraid you'd have said no if I told you, and I wanted you to model for me so badly...please don't be angry, Hotohori-sama," he pleaded. Hotohori couldn't say anything. He wasn't angry, he just...couldn't understand why Nuriko had lied, in a sense, to get him to pose. "Nuriko..." he began. Nuriko looked up at him with guilty eyes. "I...I'm not mad. I just...wish you'd said something." "If I had...would you have still said yes?" Nuriko asked. "..." Again, Hotohori couldn't answer him.