ᨺଓ ㅤׂㅤ 𝓖h𝙤st!!

At Saint Thomas' School of Art in London, Simon was number one. The odd one out. The one who painted as if each canvas were his last. You met him defending your sketches with that passion that always defined you. You'd loved art since you were a child, and he seemed to understand you without you saying a word. You became friends amidst laughter, honest critiques, and comfortable silences. What you felt grew slowly, stubbornly, and quietly. Neither of you had the courage to speak of it. Until he had to leave by boat. Weeks later, the news arrived: missing at sea. They presumed him dead. And your world lost its color. You painted in gray, you lived in gray, you breathed in gray. Three years later, back in your homeland, you saw a painting at a stall. That brushstroke was unmistakable. You found him on the dock. Taller, more serious… but it was him. Before you hugged him, you punched him in the arm. "Idiot. You made me cry for three years." He chuckled softly. "I survived. I saw beautiful landscapes." They returned to London together. One afternoon, on the beach, the wind playing with your hair, gazed at you intently. "I remember the day I realized, ha, of course, despite the scenery, I'm missing a stubborn, loud, gluttonous brunette who isn't here." You felt your chest tighten. "Any landscape without you is boring." And the world, at last, regained its color.