Paint me
Fandom: Xdinary Heroes
Characters/Pairing: JunHan X Reader
Warnings/Tags: established relationship, reader has stretch marks, based on those few Bubble posts JunHan made about his drawings, some angsty thoughts from the reader, SFW but is a little suggestive if you squint, characters' thoughts are written in italic, minor editing
Summary: your boyfriend wants to paint and he chose a special canvas
«Can I get up, now?»
«Not yet.»
«Not yet? But it's been hours! I don't want to lay here for the whole day.»
«It's been only ten minutes. Are you not trusting me?»
«I trust you! It's just so boring laying here...»
«Once I've finished, you'll appreciate my new masterpiece. You'll turn prettier than ever.»
«If you say so...»
You puffed and looked at the mirror in front of you. You were laying on your bed, your right hip exposed, surrounded by different bottles of body paint, and your boyfriend over you, with a brush full of ink on his hand. You started to feel unsure about this idea.
What are you thinking? Turning me prettier... you're so naive.
Hyeongjun knows what you've been through. He witnessed you crying in front of the mirror, trembling and completely unable to dress yourself up because of your body. He knows about the diets you took, trying to get even a little skinnier than before. But he must have noticed something else. He noticed something in you when he kept repeating that, despite everything, he would have loved you; he made this promise, this stupid promise of making you prettier. And now you were on the bed, letting him painting your skin.
Hyeongjun's hand caressed your hip, tracing the stretch marks on it. It was his way to calm you down a little. His fingers stretched a little part of your skin. You felt the brush's tip running on it; the paint was cold. The brush was making circles and curves, no broken lines and edges.
You focused on Hyeongjun's face on the mirror. His long hair was covering his profile and his eyes but you knew he was concentrated in that moment. You saw him painting sometimes and how seriously he takes his crafts, even if the painting turns out being just a bunch of flowers. You lifted your head up, or at least you tried. It was difficult moving while surrounded by bottles of body paint around. You wouldn't have turned your room into a colored mess after all.
You searched for Hyeongjun's sight. His eyes seemed focused on your skin. You couldn't see the painting he was making. His tattooed hand was stretching your skin. Judging from what you could have seen, it would have take a lot of time. You rested your head and sighed.
«Is there any problem?» Hyeongjun asked, keeping his head down on your skin.
«It will take a lot of time, am I right?»
«Less than you can imagine.»
«It doesn't look like it. It's not like you choose the easiest or best part of my skin to paint anyway...»
Hyeongjun stopped painting. You noticed it by not feeling his hand on him anymore and leaving your body. He left the bed and kneeled on the floor, his face close to yours. The serious face was substituted by a smiley one.
«You don't trust me, uh?»
You hesitated.
«Be honest, Y/N.»
You looked away from him. «It's not that, I just think you didn't choose the best "canvas". There were better options, so to speak.»
Hyeongjun came closer to you. «There weren't any better options. That part of yours is perfect.»
«I don't think so.» You murmured.
You two stayed silent for a moment. Hyeongjun sighed.
«I'll give you something to lift your trust in me.» He gave you a peck kiss on your lips. You felt a warm feeling in your chest. You know this sensation too well. It was the same one you got when he confessed his love for you, when he gave you the first hug and his first kiss. And it was the same one when he made a promise, maybe they the stupidest promise he could have come up with, by gifting you a bouquet of marigolds: a promise of protection. What protection and from what was a complete mystery, and yet you felt so loved when he did it.
You didn't say anything but your sight was changed. There was something in your eyes that was telling Hyeongjun that you were trusting him. He didn't need to ask more. He got up, ready to start where he interrupted.
«You'll be the prettiest painting I'll ever do.»
---
Your legs were dizzy when Hyeongjun told you he finished. You couldn't move for a while. That gave the time for Hyeongjun to put all the bottles full of body paint away from the bed.
«See, I was right when I said that he would have taken a lot. My instinct was right.» You whined.
«It was worth it. You're so beautiful now.»
«What if you let me decide if I turned beautiful or not? I'm the "canvas", no?»
«And I'm the artist and I can tell you that you turned pretty.»
You rolled back your eyes. «Hyeongjun, is there any artist who ever thought of their art pieces everything else except "masterpieces"?»
«The honest ones know when they mess up. I didn't. Look at the mirror, if you're still unsure.»
You got up from the bed, reached the mirror and turned your painted hip at it. Your eyes widened. All your stretch marks were covered by marigolds. They weren't drawn in the usual style Hyeongjun uses for his drawings, those marigolds were almost realistic. Now there was a reason for all that time spent.
These flowers...No, I can't believe it. These flowers, you...you remembered that promise!
You looked at him. Hyeongjun was smiling proudly.
«So, was I right? I wanted to give you a reminder as my first painting on your skin but I can paint your favorite flowers on your left hip next.»
You felt tears coming on your face.
«Hyeongjun, you...you were right! These marigolds are beautiful. They look so pretty here, I don't know what to say!»
You opened your arms, asking for a hug. Hyeongjun just came at you and hugged you, his arms on your shoulders, his body carefully placed over yours, making sure the fresh paint wouldn't get on his clothes. You placed your arms on his shoulders, your face buried on them. The promise he made to you was making more sense now: no matter the time and no matter how, Hyeongjun would have to protect you from all the bad thoughts on your mind, from all the moments when your self esteem would have dropped or lost trust in him. He would have stayed to fulfill that promise, no matter how your body was.
«I needed that reminder, thank you.» You sobbed.
«And?»
«And you were right, I'm prettier than before. Your skills are incredible.»
Hyeongjun hugged you tighter. Your face stayed buried on his shoulders.
«You're my favorite painter now.» You murmured.
Hyeongjun made one of his breathy laughs. «Am I really this good?»
«You are. No other painter will make me feel loved as much as you.»
He rubbed his hands on your shoulders.
«I'm your canvas, Hyeongjun. Will you paint me every time you can?»
«Of course, love.» Hyeongjun reached your ear.
«I'll make all my best paintings on you.»
















