created to create

It wasn’t until Ivan finally finished his near-speech to the particular community center art teacher that he’d processed her words, brows furrowing a moment. “My…voice?” Subconsciously, a hand reached upward until finally realizing that there were now several wandering eyes surrounding where they stood in the main meeting area. “Oh, yeah.” Great, not only had this probably back-fired again, he now had an unexpected audience this time around with his voice apparently speaking louder than he’d thought. But it was a good, valid point if he said so himself. After hovering up the specific watercolor painting for his so-called proof of entry to the building, Ivan carefully lowered it again in his hands, not wanting to wrinkle or ruin the surprise gift from her before getting the chance to frame it for the harbor tower.

Hearing Mira’s following confirmation, his expression instantly brightened, honestly reveling in the success. Although, this encounter was all thanks to her and her artwork, really. He didn’t have a chance to remark further until she placed her hand in his within one fell movement, leading him away. Truthfully, Ivan nearly missed her comments again, all too conveniently distracted by their joined hands, only looking upward once more upon the sudden silence. “Yes, you have.” He started by giving a knowing nod. “I know you’ve told me that, but all the more reason for people to hear me this time. If you don’t hear it enough around here, then someone had to say it out loud.” Ivan shrugged with an easily forming grin, giving her hand a gentle squeeze to attempt and garner her attention. “I technically wasn’t lecturing, that’s your job. I was complimenting. I’m here not to bother you for once, but to say thank you. This painting is amazing, not terrible, and I’m going to hang it up at the tower. Wanted you to know that and so the offer stood for you to come see it on display.” He proudly nodded.

It’s until his hand gently tightens around hers for the fraction of a second that she brings her eyes to meet his own. It takes her biting her cheek to let him finish his words without an interruption. When he finally does, Mira can’t help but give him a smile. The reaction less toward what he’d said and more at his proud little nod. It reminded her one of their talks by the port, when he’d first brought up the view from the tower. Maybe after the time that had passed since then she’d take him up the offer to go up. “That’s the second time you bring up bothering me in some way. I only give you trouble because you usually come in when I’m about to go into a class.” As she speaks, with their hands still joined, Mira leads them further into the room toward one of the high tables. Finally letting him go so she pushes herself up onto one of them, her legs hang off the edge and her eyes are back on his. “Plus, the people at the front desk like to talk. Reason number one why I wish you hadn’t been so loud out there.” She was bound to get an earful about his little moment later, and it’d be nothing but them reading into everything as usual. Even if all he’d wanted was to tell her he’d liked the gift, as he’d just reiterated. 

Truth be told, if she could’ve kept to not bringing up what he’d said about the painting she would’ve. But knowing Ivan he’d want to make sure she believed him. With that thought in mind Mira let out a quiet sigh, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. “When I said it wasn’t good, I didn’t mean it like it was the worst thing I’ve ever done. If it was I would’ve buried it away somewhere and you never would’ve seen it. I just meant... It’s not one of the better things I’ve done.” The transition colors into the water could’ve been different, and upon finishing it she wished she would’ve included the silhouette of one of the boats. “But that honestly doesn’t matter. I gave it to you because I knew when I was done that I didn’t care what anyone thought. Not even my thoughts on it mattered really, because it wasn’t for me. That view is yours. As long as you like it...” Words fading away she shrugs while giving him a reassured look, the corners of her lips lifting up slightly. “But let’s say I do take you up on that offer, can it be to see more than just where you decide to put it up?”

This was a chance for this to not be an entire train-wreck on his part for once, so of course Ivan wasn’t going to waste it. Nautical-themed drawing in hand, his eyes couldn’t help studying it, as if some more ideas of conversation would suddenly appear. Yeah right. This couldn’t be overdone either. Funny how he’d believe for certain that he likely ruined things entirely with getting to know one another little by little over the few years gone by, until this one single piece of art. If anything, he just had to ask from the note left alongside it, how in the world did she think the painting sucked? 

At the very notion, Ivan footed forward, entering the center and moving to wait in the seat he was pointed. At the first signal, he waited until she approached to stand up, yet wasted no time. “You can tell to leave all you want.” Ivan instantly started off, holding his hands up for emphasis. “But first, you can’t be serious that this is terrible.” He hovered up the page in his hands for indication before she could question anything. He’d directly quoted Mira’s left message after all.  “And no, I’m not just saying that either..because I’ve seen that horizon too many times, yours is exact.” Ivan continued on, hardly realizing he was practically preaching to her and anyone around. 

The more she’d stared at the setting sun’s reflection painted onto watercolor paper, the more Mira had been sure of her decision to give the piece to him. After all it was a similar view that was responsible for them meeting in the first place. Despite how he’d stumbled through almost every part of that initial conversation, he’d also paved the way for more to follow. The sketch from that particular day wasn’t something she’d part with, but the horizon in watercolor—though not especially proud of it—that one was his. At first thought Mira reasoned her giving it to him with the memory that he’d mentioned something about the colors. In the end she realized he could’ve said nothing and she would’ve still left it for him, if only for all he’d said about some of the other things he would catch her working on from time to time. 

Having left it with a note and not a single word, Mira was actually prepared for his arrival at the community center that day. With his other random visits she’d typically give him a hard time about letting her work, which is why his initial words bring a crooked smile upon her features. It’s as he continues that the smile slowly fades. With the slight echo in the room only bringing them attention, a warmth starts up in her cheeks. “Ivan, your voice.” Hearing him continue, she’s at a loss for words. In part because hearing how the painting compared to the real thing, from him specifically, meant a lot. Then there was the eyes she could feel watching her, the ears she knew were listening for a response. “I’ll take your word for it,” Mira finally breathes out. Looking around, avoiding all eye contact knowing full well her cheeks were flushed, she takes his hand after a small pause. Pulling him into a nearby room, she closes the door behind them. “You know there’s an echo out there. I’ve told you there’s an echo out there. Y– Are you all done lecturing me?” Fighting a smile, she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Tattered jeans? Jeans with holes in them are like….from the nineties. Even Brittany couldn’t bring those back even though she wanted to.” Maverick took another sip of his drink, motioning towards the stage, “You should go do some karaoke. Can you sing?”

       “Okay, serious question. Should I cut my hair?” he turns, nothing short of serious plastered all over his face. “Cus like, I’m tired of getting carded and getting pulled over. These old dudes keep thinking I’m like, fucking seventeen –when I’m pretty sure I’ve gone to their rooms at the nursing home to make sure they’re still fucking breathing.”

Having straightened herself up as he spoke up, she admitted hadn’t expected for his question to revolve around a haircut. “I think when they get to be that old they assume anyone who isn’t visibly forty is a child.” Reaching over to turn a lock of his hair with her fingers, Mira shrugged. “You need to trim your ends, but don’t chop it all off if you don’t want to. I’ll bet they nitpick random things about the rest of the staff.” 

           “Oh, man,” Rachael huffed, taking a seat as soon as she closed her umbrella, shutting the door behind her. “Insane weather, huh? It was all sunny yesterday, now it’s raining cats and dogs. I guess that’s global warming for you.”

“Did you catch me one? I need a pet.” Shaking her head, Mira made a face. “God, I’m turning into my mom,” she muttered. That sad excuse for a joke was straight out of her mom’s book, and she clearly remembered making fun of it when she was a kid. Standing to get the woman a drink, she called back, “At least you had the umbrella with you. Coffee or tea?”

       “It’s not my second home, Mira.” She could deny it all she wanted. It was true. In fact, it might even be considered her first home, considering she spent almost all of her time at the hospital and barely any time at her actual home. “Honestly, though, for the first time I’m probably going to have to agree with you. I couldn’t imagine anything better than a night out and a sleep-in. Ugh! A sleep in.. I haven’t had one of those in.. god, I don’t even remember.” 

“Sof, sorry to break to you, but you’re in denial.” Contrary to what some might be lead to believe by the way she gave the woman a hard time, Mira truly admired her friend. She knew how much Sofia cared about the work she did, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t stop and reminding her to slow down every once in a while. If it came down to the point of her being what stood between the hospital and her friend’s sanity, she’d pick that fight. “Isn’t there some study out there about doctors performing better when they’re rested? You people do tests on everyone and their cats, I refuse to believe you don’t run them for yourselves.”

“Bruh, you do not wanna park there.” Shay shifted to pry herself from the brick expanse of the restaurant front, her shift long over and yet the waitress remained tapping away at her phone for the past twenty minutes at least. “Legit saw the past three people get tickets. You can’t see the red line ‘cause it’s faded as all hell, but it’s there. Trust.”

“Well then get in and save me the ticket. Be my hero, Shay.” Reaching her hand out the window in the direction of her friend, Mira grasped as if she’d somehow be able to make contact from where she sat. “Come on, your chariot awaits.”

        She’d been sitting there less than twenty minutes, staring at her pager in fear it would go off and end her attempt at relaxation with a good glass of merlot after a thirty eight hour shift. Not usually one to be chatty towards others, she glances over at the person hovering adjacent to the bar where she sat. Although she lived for her job and was certainly something of a workaholic, Sofia needed a distraction from anything work-related, even if only for a short while. “Do you think it’s terrible of me to hope that I don’t get called into work for once?” 

It’d be a fair statement to make that bars weren’t usually her type of place. Not that she didn’t enjoy in the occasional drink, it just so happen that anytime she ended up in one it was more so by way of being led there. She was more of a beer or wine glass as she stared at her latest project for an hour type of drinker. One of the reasons Mira tended to end up in a place like the one she was in? The pretty doctor she’d just found sitting at the bar. “Oh you mean your second home? No. In fact, here’s hoping they leave you alone for the night...and then a few hours into the morning.” 

“That shirt does not go with your shoes.” He pointed down, though his smile faded only a little bit. He’d maybe had a little bit too much to drink, and he wasn’t being supervised, so everyone was fair game with their fashion choices at this point. “Oh god. I’m turning into a knock off version of Ru Paul. Whatever – you look fine. Ignore me.”