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Uranus dipped the end of his paintbrush into the yellow paint and leaned forward, carefully drawing the brush down the canvas. He was almost done, just the last few touches and - “Uranus!” he suddenly heard, arms closing around his chest. Immediately recognizing the arms around him, Uranus sighed and let his paintbrush go, leaning back into the touch.
“Saturn,” he replied after a moment, the ghost of a smile on his face. “You almost scared me, you know.”
“But I didn’t!” Saturn wheeled around and pressed a quick kiss onto his cheek - Uranus leaned into it before reaching out and picking up his paintbrush again. Saturn just watched him, a bright smile on his face; he followed Uranus’s every movement with a close eye, his head tilted slightly to the side. “So, what are you painting, Uranus?”
“Oh, the usual, mate,” Uranus said, waving a dismissive hand. “Just a solar system portrait. I’m putting the finishing touches on the sun now, see?” He moved to the side so that Saturn could look at the painting - and he did, studying it for a long moment, his smile growing fonder by the second. Finally, he looked back at Uranus and pulled him in against him with a hand around his waist, his eyes crinkling in the corners.
“You’re always so good at this, Uranus, I’m amazed.” Uranus resisted the urge to cough and look away as a slight warmth blazed across his face, still unused to having Saturn’s undivided attention.
“I have been doing it for a long time, mate,” he finally said, ducking his head and keeping his eyes on the painting. “I hope I’d be good at it at this point.”
“Trust me, Uranus, you’re good at it,” Saturn replied, his hand tightening on Uranus’s waist. “Why do you think I asked for so many of your paintings even before we got together?”
Uranus blinked, his eyes shooting towards Saturn as the flush on his face intensified. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Saturn repeated, shooting Uranus a wink. “And you know Jupiter’s the same. But come on, finish your painting! I want to see the finished product.” He finally let go of Uranus, instead pressing his elbow against his leg, leaning against a closed fist. “I’m sure it’ll be perfect as it already is.”
Uranus shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek as he dipped the paintbrush back in the yellow paint. Saturn and his infernal ability to know exactly what Uranus needed to hear… He bit back another smile and drew the paintbrush down the canvas again, painfully aware of Saturn behind him. It was like his focus was divided in two - part of him wanted to keep talking to Saturn, but the other part wanted to finish the painting - and for now, the painting was winning.
Silence reigned for a while, but even so, Uranus could tell that Saturn was still laser-focused on him. Finally, he couldn’t deal with knowing that he was still looking at him and turned to meet his eyes. “Do you want to paint something, mate? I feel bad you’re just sitting there staring.”
“I’m fine with staring,” Saturn said, pressing his hands together as his rings clinked against each other. “I like staring at you.”
Uranus bit his lip and shook his head, pushing back a laugh. “Mate, just let me get you a canvas and a paintbrush. I’ll feel bad.”
“Oh, fine, Uranus, if it makes you feel better.” Saturn stood up and put his hands out in the air - Uranus materialized a canvas and a paintbrush and put them in his hands, ignoring how Saturn’s eyes stayed locked onto him.
“You can use my paints, mate, I don’t really mind,” he added, waving his paintbrush in the air when he finally grabbed it again. “I only have these ones, anyway, so you’d have to.”
“Okay,” Saturn replied easily, still smiling. Uranus turned back to his painting but kept glancing out of the corner of his eye at Saturn as he floated the canvas in front of him with his gravity, staring at it in silence for a couple minutes before finally speaking. “Hmmm,” Saturn hummed, twirling the paintbrush between his fingers. Uranus’s hand paused in mid-air, a glob of orange paint falling off the brush and drifting onto his hand before he could stop it. “What should I paint, Uranus?”
Uranus’s brow furrowed, and he refocused on the painting in front of him with a tiny shake of his head, ignoring the new orange spot on his hand. “Oh, mate, I dunno. Paint something you love? That’s always my first thought.” He carefully applied the orange in spots and lines, but when he suddenly felt something cold against his cheek, his eyes widened and he jumped slightly, taking a single step back.
“Oh, sorry, Uranus! I didn’t mean to startle you.” Saturn gave him a concerned look, his brow furrowed - and then his eyes landed on Uranus’s cheek, and he grinned instead.
“What did you do, mate?” Uranus said, confused - he tried to draw a hand up to his cheek, an uncomfortably wet feeling still obvious, but Saturn reached out and caught his hand.
“Oh, I wouldn’t touch it, that’s wet paint, Uranus.”
“Wet- Saturn, did you paint on me?”
“You said to paint something you love,” Saturn replied, his grin growing, a mischievous edge sliding in, his fingers intertwining with Uranus’s. “So, I painted something I love.”
Uranus blinked, another furious flush suddenly spreading over his entire face. “I didn’t mean me,” he spluttered, resisting the urge to duck his head, pull his hand away from Saturn’s, and hide his face in his hands. “I meant on the canvas!”
“Hmmm,” Saturn responded, another hum, before he let go of Uranus’s hand and pressed a finger to his chin in a mock-thinking pose. “I like my idea better.” He reached out again with the paintbrush, bright red paint still collected on the bristles - and Uranus took another step back. “Come on, Uranus, just let me finish it, it looks incomplete,” Saturn pouted, and Uranus sighed but stood in place. “Good!” Saturn crooned, gliding forward and placing one hand on the crown of Uranus’s head to keep him in place.
The cold, uncomfortable feeling of the bristles against his face almost made Uranus shiver, but he kept himself still, waiting for Saturn to finish whatever he was painting. “Done!” Saturn finally said, letting go of Uranus and walking back over to the paint. He dropped the paintbrush into the red again, and then he paused, another mischievous smile crossing his face. He reached over and picked up the brush again, and Uranus’s eye twitched as he realized what Saturn meant to do.
“Oh no you don’t, mate,” Uranus said, taking a step back as Saturn advanced towards him. “One is enough!”
“Come on, Uranus,” Saturn said, almost singing the phrase. “Just let me paint more!”
“Uh, no, mate - I don’t think so,” he said, again, turning around and bolting straight for Jupiter’s orbit. Saturn followed him with a laugh, and Uranus couldn’t push back a smile, a giddy feeling rising in his chest. “I’m not letting you paint any more, Saturn!” he called behind him, “Give up!”
“You give up, Uranus, I’ll get you eventually!”
Already knowing that Saturn was letting him win the race to Jupiter’s orbit (he was faster than him after all, so he could’ve easily caught up to Uranus the second they started towards it), Uranus looked up, eyes scanning around for Jupiter. He had to be on this side of the solar system, so… there! Uranus grinned and looked back at Saturn, who looked like he was taking a leisurely stroll around the solar system, paintbrush still held tightly in one hand.
“Jupiter!” He called out once he was close enough; Jupiter was looking down at his book, seemingly entirely focused on it. “Jupiter!” Jupiter finally looked up just as Uranus skidded to stop in front of him before clutching a hand onto his arm and wheeling around him. “Would you stop Saturn from painting me more?”
“Painting you-” Jupiter looked confused - he reached up and took his glasses off, hanging them on his shirt before he studied Uranus again, his eyes widening slightly when they landed on his cheek. “I see what you mean, Uranus.”
“Uranus!” Saturn crooned, his voice sing-songy. “Come on, it’s just a little paint!”
“Saturn,” Jupiter interrupted, a laugh in his voice. “I don’t think Uranus wants to be painted.”
“But he’s so cute with the heart on his face,” Saturn said - when Uranus looked at him, he was pouting with the paintbrush in hand. “Come on, don’t you agree? I want to add more.”
Jupiter looked at Uranus’s face again, another smile drawing across his face as he huffed a laugh. “Saturn, I’m not going to disagree, but-”
“But what? Come on, Uranus,” Saturn sing-songed again. “It’s just a little paint!”
“It feels weird,” Uranus replied, his hand tightening on Jupiter’s arm. He paused for a second, hand flexing, and then sighed. “How about this, mate-” He stepped out from behind Jupiter. “If you let me paint one onto you, I’ll let you paint more onto me.”
“Okay!” Saturn eagerly replied, holding the paintbrush out to Uranus. Uranus blinked - he really hadn’t expected Saturn to agree that easily. “Paint me!” Uranus rolled his eyes as another smile crossed his face, but he plucked the paintbrush out of Saturn’s hand and glided towards him, pushing the hair off the side of his face so he could paint - what had Saturn painted onto him, a heart? - a bright red heart onto his cheek. Saturn shuddered. “That does feel weird, eugh.”
Uranus bit back a laugh. “I told you, mate.”
He let the paintbrush go, and Saturn scooped the end up in one hand, turning to Uranus with a grin. “My turn,” he said, his tone musical again. Saturn’s hand pressed into his chest, pushing him back into Jupiter. “Hold him still, Jupiter,” Saturn said, the mischievous grin back on his face; Uranus narrowed his eyes, letting out a tiny sound when Jupiter’s arms wrapped around his chest.
“What are you-”
“I’m just painting, Uranus, don’t worry! But I didn’t say how many,” Saturn replied, grin widening. He leaned forward, eyes locked onto Uranus’s face, and slowly started painting more hearts onto his skin, one after the other - the feeling was weird, almost ticklish but not quite, leaving Uranus squirming in Jupiter’s hold. Time passed, but Uranus wasn’t even sure how much, too focused on Jupiter and Saturn.
“How many of those are you going to paint, mate?” Uranus finally asked, Saturn now tracing the paintbrush on his neck.
“Oh, the paint’s almost gone, anyway,” Saturn answered, sounding disappointed. He drew back and showed Uranus the paintbrush, which was practically bone-dry; apparently all of the paint Saturn had caught on it earlier was wiped off… onto Uranus’s skin. Uranus was almost amazed the paint lasted as long as it did. He grimaced at the weird feeling of the pain drying and sighed and relaxed against Jupiter’s grip. “Do you want more?”
“Saturn, I don’t even know how many you’ve painted onto me already, let alone how I even look,” Uranus replied, giving Saturn a deadpan look. “I’m fine without more, mate.”
Saturn grinned and leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss onto Uranus’s lips before he leaned back, just enough to look into Uranus’s eyes with a soft look that made Uranus blink hard. Then he spoke, “Stay here for a bit, Uranus. We’ve missed you,” the last part almost a whine.
Uranus paused, warmth flooding back into his face. “I need to go put my painting away, mate,” Uranus finally replied, pushing Saturn back with the hand he wasn’t holding. Jupiter’s arms finally released him, and Uranus brushed at his clothes, ducking his head to hide flush crawling over his cheeks (though it probably blended in against the hearts, anyway). “I’ll be right back, I promise.”
“Oh, fine,” Saturn pouted, leaning into Jupiter. “But hurry!”
When Uranus finally got back to his orbit, his moons were gathered around the painting he’d left behind, admiring it. “Hey, mates,” Uranus offered, waving at them. They all looked back and waved before looking back at the painting - and then their heads shot back around, all of them doing a double-take.
“Uh, Uranus,” Titania finally said, her voice hesitant as she blinked. “Did you know you have paint… like everywhere on your face.”
Uranus sighed and threw his head back, failing to bite back a grin. “Just ignore it, mates. I’ll wash it off eventually. Anyway - I’ll be over in Jupiter’s orbit for a while, so feel free to hang out with the other moons if you want.”
“Sure, Uranus,” Titania replied, now smiling. “I’ll make sure everyone stays together.”
“Thanks, Titania,” Uranus said, dematerializing the canvas and paints before sending all of his moons another wave. “I’ll see you all later, yeah? Stay safe.” Then he turned around and headed towards Jupiter’s orbit, where he could see Saturn and Jupiter both looking towards him. Uranus ducked his head and hid a smile, the giddy feeling from earlier erupting in his chest like it’d never left.