Sketch Pad

By Raventonguethemalice (now know as Trey Terror)

Chapter 2

Reith put a shaky hand against his face, and put his bangs behind his ears. He eyed the man nervously, angling his face towards the ground, and only looking at him every so often (and then looking away quickly) The sky above them began to clap and crash, but did not cry its tears. The people that were usually hording the sidewalk were in their homes watching afternoon sitcoms.

After a few moments of silence Marcus stood and offered a hand to the boy, who reached up and, gingerly, clasped the offered hand. Marcus noticed the boy’s hands were finely manicured and gracefully thin. Oh how Marcus ached his sketchpad.

“I’m Marcus,” he said to the boy, who smiled and blushed again.

“I’m… Reith”

“Sorry if I um… crashed into you…”

“No it’s fine… I didn’t mind…” Reith blushed some more, giving his ivory skin a very lively glow.

“Oh well…” Marcus was at a loss of words “Um…”

“It’s ok… I know how you feel…” Reith looked to the ground. He started to turn around. Marcus grabbed Reith’s shoulder.

“No don’t leave…” Marcus let go when Reith turned around and eyed him innocently, “Come with me to uh…” Marcus looked around and saw a small coffee shop on the corner.

“The coffee shop?” Reith said, in response.

“Yes… will you?” Marcus asked, he considered his appointment and thought better if it waited.

“I…” Raith looked around nervously, then eyed Marcus, “Sure…”

The coffee Reith had ordered was black, strong. Marcus’s was decaffeinated with a little cream. The small table in-between them was a light brown color. A thin piece of cloth, the color of Reith’s skin, draped over the table. Marcus sat, with his left leg under the table and the other leg out and a little to the side. Reith sat with both of his legs (one touching Marcus’s) together with his knees touching. The steam from the coffee was like a mist between them. Marcus smiled over the rim of his cup.

“So what are you doing out here by yourself?” Marcus asked.

“What do I look like a ten year old that’s lost?” Reith replied, suddenly offended.

“No… I didn’t mean it like that I…”

“No… I know what you think. You think im some weak, gangly teenager that just roams the streets looking for money or something.” Reith looked at his coffee intently.

Marcus noted how Reith’s hands shook softly, and how he seemed so very fragile (like he would break if you flicked him)

“Look… I don’t think any of those things… I just meant that you don’t see people like you out …”

“People like me?” Reith asked, his voice wavering as he held back the tears.

“God I’m sorry… I can’t seem to say anything right around you… its just…” Marcus fell silent and it was his turn to blush.

“Ok now you aren’t talking, and your blushing!” Reith said playfully, suddenly turning giddy and bouncy “Why are you blushing? Oh, oh tell me!”

Marcus eyed the boy and smiled (despite his reddening blush)

“I…its just… when I said people like you… I meant… you don’t see such beautiful creatures walking down the street in this part of New York and…”

“You think I’m beautiful?” Reith asked, rubbing his right hand idly over his left arm while grinning very childishly. “Do you mean it? I mean… am I?”

Marcus had a thought for a second… then pushed it away. No, this guy would never allow him to draw, would he? Marcus smiled as he again though of his sketchpad in his bag and how easy he could have whipped it out and began tracing those amazingly fine angles of Reith’s face.

“Marcus…” Reith said, dropping his nervous hands in his lap and eyeing Marcus cautiously. “Are you ok?”

“Huh? Yea…” Marcus smiled, to reassure Reith. “It’s just… I have this idea… but I don’t want you to think I’m weird or anything…”

“Oh please, you are freggin awesome, I wouldn’t think your weird…”

“Ok I… well I am a artist… to be specific I draw people, I like sketching and well… your just that beautiful I would be honored if I could use you in my work and…”

Reith’s eyes began to tear up as he smiled wide.

“You really think that highly of my looks? I’ve always though of myself as being un-proportional and gangly… but you think I’m beautiful?”

“Yes” Marcus replied

“I…” he smiled, and quickly wiped away a tear that rolled onto the tip of his nose. “I would love to be your … model” he seemed to taste the word and smiled with approval.

As Marcus stood, Reith looked at him confused.

“I’m sorry did I…”
”No, No Reith, I just think we should get moving… I have an appointment with a client to sketch her and her husband… would you accompany me? Or would you rather finish your trip to the band store and meet me somewhere?” Reith considered for a moment.

“I should probably get that amp… but I would love to see you at work… perhaps, you could tell me where you are going and I can just wait outside?”

Marcus smiled and told Reith the apartment number. Reith wrote it down and smiled up at Marcus. Marcus looked down at Reith and put a hand along his cheek bone. ‘He’s going to kiss me’ Reith thought, just as Marcus pulled away and apologized.

“Sorry I was… getting ahead of myself…”

“No… I wanted you too” Reith said, looking at his feet “I did… do… and I…”

Marcus stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Reith’s back, placing his lips firmly upon the other boys. For a long moment, their lips did nothing but touch. Then slowly, ever so slowly, Reith’s lips parted just an instant and his tongue stuck out just a hair and touched Marcus’s lips. Marcus felt a quiver of heat shoot through his body, it was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time.

After another long second of just lightly passionate kissing, Marcus pulled away and looked around. No one had stopped and no one really cared. It was downtown New York, no one cared if two guys were embraced in a very steamy kiss… or at least, they were too busy to vocalize anything.