"Hey, Zhalia?" Dante Vale asked as he headed toward the blue-haired woman sitting in his couch. The house was awfully quiet without the kids around, having them back at school. Guggenheim didn't have any missions for the two Top-Seekers, the detective didn't have any cases to work on. All in all, life was pretty boring for Dante at this moment. One thing that cheered him up every day, was the sight of Zhalia Moon walking around in his house. She stayed in the guest bedroom of his, a shame really. He'd prefer to have her closer, he just didn't know how.
He leaned over her from the back of the couch, his face awfully close to hers as he looked over her shoulder to what she was doing. The answer? Drawing, Zhalia has bought a few notebooks in which she draws, almost everyone with a different theme. Her yellow book is one she is very secretive about, she never shows the contents. The green one is for landscapes and the blue one is a sketchbook, Dante had noticed as he studied her drawing. She was so soaked up into her drawing that nothing could distract her.
In her hands, she held the green one, making a skyline that gave Dante the feeling he was in a city like New York, with high skyscrapers and bright lights from taxi's, the black mass colored by neon lights. Dante gasped, her artwork forever taking his breath away. He knew she was creative, but it seemed like every next drawing was even prettier than the one before.
"Oh, hey," Zhalia said, not stopping with shading her drawing, making it look even more realistic than it already was. "What is it?"
Dante had forgotten his question, her drawing and presence had taken him off guard as he blinked rapidly, "Maybe this is a weird question but, can you draw people as well?" He looked at her, while her eyes were still focused on the page in front of her. She seemed to have zoned out in her thoughts, taken aback by his question. She could make a guess what his next one would be when she would say that she can. Yes, of course, she can draw humans. She's been drawing him for a while, gotten used to his anatomy in all sorts of positions with all sorts of clothing. Her yellow notebook was filled with drawings of him, she studied every detail about him. Not that she would ever tell him that, no definitely not.
"I can try, what have you gotten into that mind of yours, Dante Vale?" She teased, looking at him for the first time. It was hard to keep her movements in check when he was so close to her, trying to resist the urge to answer the call of his lips. No, not yet.
"Could you draw me?"
She smiled, having expected that question, "I could." She taunted him. Oh yes, she'd love to see him pose for her, having the control of his movements and the ability to draw him without being secretive about it. Without the constant fear of his reaction if he would find out. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"Would you do that for me?"
"What do you have in mind?"
He smirked, she was willing to do this. He could feel it. A wave of excitement changed his mood. No longer was he bored, he found something to do. "Okay, well, not really much. I just know you can draw so very well and I was wondering if you could draw me. I'm putty in your hands, mold me how you like." Good, this was good. She would be free and he would be more than happy to oblige to her every order. He walked over and plunged down onto the couch. He turned his body to her and smiled, "This good?"
"Perfect, now sit still and do not move a muscle." She sighed, though she was thrilled to do this, she couldn't let him know that. He felt the same, finally having gathered the courage - Mr. Confidence had his weak moments - to ask her such a thing, to tell her he was all hers and to hear her oblige to his request, couldn't be that exciting. She'd see right through his act.
Except, she didn't. She was too focused on keeping up her own poker face to even think that Dante might want something more. She turned the page and started to sketch him, barely needing to look at him. She knew his facial structure too well.
"Take off your jacket." She instructed. He didn't second-thought anything, just took off his jacket and moved back into the same position as he was before. "Get Caliban's amulet and put it around your neck." Again, Dante obliged and put his power-bonded-titan around his neck.
She loved the structure of his chest - especially after 'Jason and the Argonauts', the mission where Dante went waterskiing shirtless. His grey sweater leaving his collarbone uncovered. She smiled into her drawing, capturing him as how she saw him: a loving and warm smile on his face, his neck and collarbones drawn rather detailed, his broad shoulders and the top of his chest contrasting his red hair with the grey mass of his sweater. She moved over to the table to fetch the pencils in red shades. He tried to catch a glimpse of her drawing but failed to see more than a grey spot.
"Don't look yet, you'll see when it's finished."
That didn't take long. She showed him the portrait she made, excusing herself with words of insecurity. 'Sorry it took so long, sorry it's messy, sorry if I got things wrong'
"I love it!" He took her notebook and studied the details of his own face, it looked like he faced the mirror. "Can I keep it?"
"I don't-"
"I never knew I was this handsome," he teased, looking her into her eyes. He moved closer and hugged her tightly, "It's beautiful, thank you, Zhalia."
She blushed and smiled into his arms, hugging him back carefully. "Yeah, yeah. I can't promise I'll draw you more though."
She didn't promise, but she did draw. Having lost a little bit of insecurity, she became more bold with drawing him. Trying different positions and such. He was always so happy to see her busy as he found her passion. She could get lost in her drawings for hours, hardly speaking to others as she tried to get the picture in her head printed perfectly onto paper. She dared to ask more of him, felt especially inspired when he was around. So one day, when the two headed out to cool down from the hot Italian weather, Zhalia took the opportunity of having him already half naked on this speedboat.
He obliged as he laid down.
"Don't look at me, look in front of you."
"Remove your pants or lift them up, I need to see your leg muscles."
"Lift your knee."
"Not so forced, make it casual."
"Both hands on the ground."
"Yeah, that's it." She smiled, he was a perfect model and she always had the aspiration to draw him as a god. This occasion could not be left unused. She drew him as even more handsome than he was, wherever that was possible. His abs, muscular chest and arms filled the page. His hair hung freely in front of his eyes, his jawline had its own shadow.
She smiled when she was done, ready to get the details, the little laurel wreath around his head and the leaf that covered the only piece of skin she did not yet want to see. She made him entirely golden.
"Done."
"Show me!" Dante nearly shouted, unable to hide his eagerness. Today, Zhalia was bolder than ever with her orders, almost no piece of skin left undiscovered. It must've had a purpose. Which it did: she made him a god. The god of her imaginary world, in the same book as the landscapes she would wish, were a reality.
He hugged her, holding her close. Unable to resist himself, he kissed her on her cheek in his enthusiasm. Catching her by surprise.
"It's not that special." She whispered, humbly.
"It is! And I love it! Thank you, my dear!"
"Yeah yeah, shut it. Summer vacation is almost over so the kids will be back. I won't be drawing you then, that's weird."
Dante no longer believed her, she would be powerless against her own desire to draw. The ink on paper was her addiction, an addiction she couldn't easily let go of. And a few kids couldn't stop her.