Charcoal Ch. 02

"Later I learned that you had been born, then a little after a month after that, that your mother had disappeared. I spent years looking for her, all across the country and world, until I found you here. I introduced myself to your mother, and she remembered me after all those years. I watched you grow up, from afar, and after you began to draw, more than just what you could see I knew you had the Talent your mother lacked. She knew it too and that is why she tried to protect you, by keeping you in the dark. When you came to this school I wanted to honor her wishes, to tell you nothing. But what you draw suggests that there are changes coming, and we need to know what this means. You have to develop you Talent so you can interpret your own works. That is what I have learned, both teaching and studying art and your family, no one but the artist can truly interpret the meaning."

Soul sat back in his seat and considered what the professor was saying. "You still haven't explained yourself very well. How am I supposed to learn? I just draw what comes to mind. It isn't some magical prophecy."

The professor nodded.

"That is where Scott comes in."

Scott turned slowly in his chair, still not looking into Soul's eyes, and began his own story.

"When you were born, my family claimed you as my intended. It is not a practice that is often observed anymore, and many on the counsel though it had been made illegal, well it hasn't been. I was bound to you; I don't think you mother finished your side of the bond. But I can't break it ever. And I always felt something was missing. Until I started drawing. There was always a figure that I wanted to draw, but never came out right, until I drew you sulking in the window." Scott laughed. "I asked my mother, and she told me I was stupid, that it was impossible. She told me what she has always told me, that she is very sorry the bond wasn't finished, but that I should get used to the idea of being alone. I had hope when I first met you, that maybe- but after I talked to you it was certain that you didn't feel the pull." Scott finally met Soul's eyes; Scott's were glossy like he was close to tears. Soul broke the gaze first. He had never been one to like eye contact, especially after such an intimate confession. He turned to Professor White who simply smiled.

Soul felt quite uncomfortable. He had to admit that keeping him hidden was something his mother would do. She was terrified of letting him go to school. He had never gotten his license because she 'couldn't find his birth certificate' now he wondered if he even had one.

"Even though you were gone, the bond didn't resolve. They know you are still alive, and assume your mother is too. It's hard for me not to tell them, but it would hurt more for you to be taken away. I want nothing more than for you to be happy." Scott looked broken. Nothing like the arrogant jerk that Soul had seen that first week.

"I had to do something with my life, since I couldn't have you, I don't have the Talent, but those around me seem to get better at it. I learned how to help people use their Talent, how to protect their minds from getting too caught up in the Unworld. I would like nothing more than to help you." Soul sank back in his chair slowly. It was too much to take in. Professor White watched quietly. He hoped that everything would end up okay, but knew that there would be a long way ahead of the boys. Even if Soul did agree to work with Scott.

"It sounds like there are a lot of creepy obsessions going on." Soul looked down at his hands and wondered if it could all be true. Could his forest of hands and smoke mean something? He wondered how his mother had gotten away, if she really had no skills. How he could learn a skill he didn't even believe in. "First you and my mother, now Scott." He ran his fingers through his hair and thought.

"Your mother was amazing. Even after she was pared with someone she didn't love she had a wonderful life, she could have anything she asked for, she gave it up for you, she didn't want you bound, and didn't want you to be forced into a loveless match. She gave it all up for you. If it was a wrong choice, or even a drastic choice, she still made the only sacrifice, the only decision she knew how." Professor White looked determined, like he was expecting argument. Soul didn't have the words to disagree, or to inquire more. Scott looked like his heart was breaking, and Soul wondered how Scott's life was so different from his mother's, they had both given things up, both for him, both out of love, or some twisted version of it.

"If I did agree, what would I have to do?" Scott's eyes brightened to an almost fanatical delight. Soul leaned away, unsure if he was making the right decision. Scott saw the reaction and tried to temper his own.

"I don't mean to be too, forward. It is just hard to be away from you, and it had been years." Scott smiled and sighed reaching out a hand to Soul's face, drawing away at the last second. "We were supposed to be a powerful pair, that is the only reason they put us together, apparently both our families Saw it. I don't know though. You really seem to hate me." Soul sighed.

"I don't hate you. I just-" He didn't have the words to explain himself, he still didn't know if he believed any of it. "What would I have to do?"

"To start," Scott began "you have to trust me."

Soul didn't do very well with trusting people. And the task of trusting such an outlandish claim was even more difficult.

The barista was now watching with interest, so the new trio headed to Professor White's office. It was a small, cozy room in the art building. It smelled slightly of acrylic paint, turpentine, and coffee. There were two soft armchairs not unlike those in the coffee shop.

Scott gently pushed Soul into one of the chairs and perched on the desk. The pleading look was gone from his eyes now that he had a purpose.

"Close your eyes." Soul did what he was told. His heart was beating harder than he had ever felt, and yet, he knew Scott wasn't going to do anything he wouldn't like. Not yet at least.

Soul could feel Scott moving around the room, but dutifully kept his eyes closed, when he felt hands over his closed eyelids he jumped, but Scott's warm dry hands were oddly comforting. It wasn't like the stifling closeness of a hug, but still had enough contact that Soul was secure that Scott was where he thought he was.

"I want you to go to the place you go when you draw." Soul frowned. This sounded rather new age-y and maybe a bit Freudian.

"I don't go anywhere when I draw, I just do-"

"Shh." Soul would have gone on, but now that he had agreed to do this he didn't want to mess up, or disappoint Scott. He didn't like how his feelings were all over the place lately, he wanted to go back the steady, calm, unemotional Soul from before, but knew that wouldn't, couldn't happen now.

"You aren't trying hard enough." Scott sounded like he was smiling. Soul sighed and tried to imagine drawing, but without paper in front him no image would come.

"I can't do this. I can't just imagine drawing. I just do it."

"Try harder." Said Scott. Soul tried. He pictured a pencil in his hand, the blank expanse of paper in front of him, but nothing would come. For an artist Soul had a very non-visual mind. He couldn't picture things, he imagined the descriptions of them, instead of seeing paper he thought of the idea of paper.

"I can't!" Soul sat forward in his chair ready to leave. He hadn't agreed to be tormented, there were enough people willing to tell him his problems, he didn't need a whole new task to fail at.

"Maybe you need to try something else?" Professor White spoke quietly. The hands left from Soul's eyes.

"What do you suggest, now that you are the expert?" Scott sounded angry, frustrated. All the times Soul had been mean, Scott had never gotten angry, but now he sounded livid. Professor White also seemed surprised.

"I just thought maybe-" The professor set his hands palm up on his knees, it seemed an odd gesture to Soul but Scott seemed to recognize it, and calmed- just a bit. It made the professor seem nicer, less hostile.

"Well I don't need you telling me how to do my job how to deal with my Arima." The professor nodded slowly. Soul wanted to know what Arima meant, but didn't think it was a good time to interrupt; he filed the information away for another time.

"I don't think I can be of any further help this evening. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you boys." The professor stood to leave the room closing the door softly behind him. As he left Scott let his hand cup the back of Souls head.

"There may be a better way to do this. But that is for you and I to figure out. Not him, not any other randoms, yes?" Soul nodded and swallowed hard. He didn't know if he liked this new Scott. "What do you feel when you draw?" Scott knelt down so he was face to face with Soul, who shrugged.

"Nothing, I just draw what wants to be drawn." Soul spoke quietly. He felt so lost. The day had been such a roller coaster and didn't look like it was going to be over any time soon. Scott bit his lip and studied Soul's face closely, Soul noticed how long his eyelashes were, he reached out a finger before he could think about what he was doing and brushed them slightly. They were soft, but didn't move much under his touch.

"I would draw you if I could." Soul's heart beat hard enough he could feel the echo in his throat. He could feel a blush working up his chest.

Scott smiled and ran his thumb over Soul's cheekbone.

"I'm quite sure you could. In fact do it now." Scott got a pad of paper and a pencil down from a shelf. Soul wondered how many times Scott had been in this office to know where things were so easily.

"I've said before, I can't draw people." Soul though back to the other times he had drawn from sight, or tried to draw figures, he didn't want to embarrass himself any more than he had already.

"This time will be different, I'm sure of it." Scott stood to sit on the edge of the desk.

"You can't watch me!" Soul could feel his blush spreading, he felt too hot, too closed in. He wished the door were open. Scott smiled again and sat in the chair the professor had recently vacated. He sat crooked in the chair, offering Soul a three-quarter view.

"Is this my good side?" Soul ignored him and began to draw. He began from the middle, with Scott's eyelashes. Soon Soul felt nothing, not the heat of the room, not the stifling embrace of the chair, he simply drew, not realizing that the moment the pencil hit the paper he stopped looking at Scott and simply drew.

As Soul was putting the finishing touches on Scott's hair he crossed his legs in the chair, his hips popped and a he sighed softly. Scott caught his breath. After Soul had slipped into his art Scott had been almost holding his breath, the bond made him constantly aware of Soul's beauty, but watching him draw was something else entirely, he was more than beautiful. Scott wanted to hear that sigh again, and many other involuntary noises from that mouth.

Soul bit his lip and straightened his spine and sat the picture on the desk.

"I think I'm done." He looked up and was surprised not to see Scott sitting in the chair across the desk, and even more to feel Scott's breath on his cheek. He turned to see Scott's reaction to the picture and to have room to breath, but was again lost in the length and thickness of his eyelashes. Scott was likewise lost in the haunting green of Soul's eyes. They really did seem like they were seeing more than other people, and at the moment they were taking everything in. Scott could see the emotion in them, the confusion, and longing, and loss. When Scott felt Soul's soft chai scented breath across his lips, any restraint he had dissolved. Scott bridged the short distance between them and brushed his lips against Soul's.