Chapter Text
Tommy bounces his pencil off the side of his desk as he stares down at his sketchpad. Occasionally picking at the eraser, leaving him deep in thought. The blonde couldn't think of anything.
It wasn't unusual to get art block but this was ridiculous, he hadn't manifested a good piece of artwork in months and was starting to worry about his upcoming bills.
He of course had created beautiful pieces for books before, he had also drawn for the town newspaper on multiple occasions. But when you do it rarely it doesn't always foot the bill of an apartment.
The blonde man groans as he leans back in his chair, he pinches the spot between his brows as the sound of chirping fills his head. He directs his eyes out the window of his shabby apartment room and is met with the sun rising in the sky.
A lovely blue cascading across its features with dots of clouds here and there. He stood from his desk almost abruptly, having to pause for a second as dizziness overcame him. He shakes his head, his vision coming back to focus.
He sighs looking down to the streets of Brighton. He moved here about a year ago after he was done with his schooling. Being an aspiring artist in this day and age was horrible. With the outbreak of influenza and what not.
He didn't see much work for his career path, but none the less it still paid most of the bills. He had painted a few risque portraits in his time, but honestly, that was years ago and the pay was less than nominal.
Tommy turns away from his littered desk, feeling defeated. Maybe a walk down the street will clear his ever-wandering head.
He ends up hobbling around his messy living room, cluttered with art supplies and boxes. Making his way to the front door.
Where his jacket and shoes lay on the floor. The blonde made quick work of picking them both up and distributing them on his body, grabbing a hold of his keys.
With one last look to his home quarters he's out the door and down the various stairs leading to the streets of Brighton. He wondered if he could find any work while out today.
He assumed against it granted his recent luck dampening any hope of a good-paying job, especially for an upcoming artist with a minimal skill level.
The cold air of the morning kissed his cheeks as he enters the main paths of the day, his hair bristling around as he makes his way to a possible cafè for breakfast or to perhaps stumble upon inspiration.
On his travels, he ended up upon a quaint coffee shop in which he's been into many a time. The old man who ran it was sweet but senile and would misplace many of his things. But the food was good quality and relatively cheap.
He headed inside immediately being hit with the smell of baked goods and strong coffee beans, it made him want to relax and take a minute.
He walked over to the counter where a young woman was working, gazing at her dark blonde hair and kind eyes. “Hello Niki,” the blonde said in remembrance of seeing her a few times. She was the old man's granddaughter.
“Good morning Thomas, How are you today?” She says with a glint of mischief in her eye at addressing him by his full proper name. “I’m well actually, thanks for asking.” Tommy applies the same mischief.
“You want the usual?” She questions turning her back to him, already starting on his order. “Of course, today's no different than any other” He shrugs as he places a couple pounds on the counter.
Exchanging them for a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll, that she oh so graciously placed in cloth towels for him. “Thanks, have a pleasant day.” She snarks at him.
The blonde makes his way across the coffee shop and sits on a sofa at the very back of the seating area. He places himself in a chair and starts to sip at the scolding hot coffee.
He sighs and looks around the quaint coffee shop, trying to take in any inspiration that may make itself known to him. He ends up un-wrapping the napkin from his coffee.
Fiddling with a corner of it as he admired the soft patterns across its embroidery, the ripples of it felt nice on his finger tips. He brings his hand up to pat at his coat pockets in search of a pencil.
He normally brought one with him wherever he went, he digs into the inside of the covering and finds a busted pencil in the heart of the coat. He hums looking back up and around his small area for an idea.
His eyes landed on niki first as she busied herself with another customer, a smile comes to play on his tired features as a fond moment slips into his weary mind.
When growing up he knew a girl like niki, she had liked him very much. Like an extreme amount, even his own parents had said turning down such love would be idiotic.
But he did not love her the same, he saw her as a close friend. He adored there lighthearted rebellion and would do almost anything for her. But he has a problem that he has planned to take to his grave.
He was homosexual, it was heavily frowned upon In his family and any thought of it disgusted even himself. Which is why he chooses to stay away from the risque business of his work. He had drawn sodomy for a client before and was ashamed of how much he was in love with the visuals.
They had brought him in to work on a realistic piece and he was infatuated with the show they put on, they paid him well but the guilt of being in that room for so long had began to bubble in his throat everytime he found a man on the street attractive.
The two lords had sworn the young man to secrecy, with intent of hunting him down if he were to expose their identities and what had happened that day to the public.
But he would never, he knows how awful it feels to fancy such sin and has avoided it since. Almost entirely avoiding such a thing.
That is except for the dreams that would stir at night, of the hot and sweaty room. Lavish curtains and polished furniture, intense eye contact and maybe an offer for him to join.
His mind had been plagued by the two lords who went by Lord Frost and Lord Velvet, he gulped as he felt his face heat up as he spiraled deeper into the thoughts of skin on skin and hands in his hair.
“Excuse me?” Tommy is pulled from his thoughts as he turns to wear the voice is coming from, he is met with brown eyes way too close. He flinches back away and the man laughs apologetically, “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
The man had curly brown hair and wore a rather fancy outfit, given where he was currently stood at the moment. “It’s-uh fine big man.” Tommy clears his throat nervously not knowing what the man wanted.
“I just have a quick question.” The man had kind eyes and a voice that felt like honey on the ears, it made his heart thump a little louder and his breathing a little quicker. “Yeah shoot” Tommy says looking around anxiously.
“Did you.. Draw this?” The man motions to the decently sized napkin on the table, Tommy quizzically looks down to the object and immediately flushes in embarrassment.
There on the small woolen pattern was a fully detailed and rather lewd picture of sodomy and none the less a rather bold position as well. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry”, The blonde quickly scrambles to pick up the cloth and dispose of it.
But it is first picked up by the brunette, a fond smile on his face. He examines the picture running a thumb over the detailed aspects and laughs humorously. “This is amazing, do you do this professionally?” He asks as his eyes light up.
Tommy is baffled, how is this man so calm about this. How is he not disgusted and currently cussing him out right now. “Not Um this kind of art in particular.” Tom stumbles on his words.
“But you could do it?” A sly smile appears on the brunette's features and it makes Tommy’s stomach turn in uncertainty, “Yeah uh- I’ve done it before, like life sized ones…” He sorta mumbled the last part out, still unsure of if the man was fucking with him or not.
“Huh, like portraits you drew portraits of people, like this in person?” He questions as his smile widens he’s currently motioning to the fabric in his hand like they’ve both found real gold, making Tommy want to sink into the floor.
“Yeah?” He swallows, averting his gaze as he sees Niki come back into the main area from the back. “How much?” The carmel eyed man asked quickly, “P-pardon?”, “How would it cost for you to paint more of this? Of real people, in person?”
The man had gotten closer to him, “Listen pal, um-“ “Wilbur my name is Wilbur” He’s interrupted. “Right uh- Wilbur, I’m not really drawing this kind on thing anymore.” He laughs standing to his feet brushing himself off.
“But your so good at it, obviously a young man like yourself doesn’t care to much about what the public says, I’m willing to pay you handsomely."
Tommy sighs and looks around one last time, was he really going to do this… He needs the money, and he’s sure within a couple weeks he’ll be on the streets and without cash again…
“Sure fine, but you can’t publicly tell anyone I did any of it.” He says in a defeated tone.
“Great, you won’t regret it!” The man walks up close and locks their arms together, the younger flushes deep red as the man starts to lead them out. Tommy quickly having to clean up after himself and stow away his pencil.
“Where are we going?” Tommy asks quickly as they walk up upon a carriage, “My place.” He laughs, Tommy laughs back nervously.