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“I would have never gotten back to you, though,” she defended.
“Oh, that’s sticking it to me.”
“Just let you wonder about that cliffhanger until you forked up the cash.”
“You deserved the cash,” I insisted. “After I got hooked, it reminded me of why I started drawing in the first place. Something so simple, but I still forgot it. I did this so I could comfortably make my art on the side. My Inkmic comic will never pay the rent or reach the audience of big-time companies, but with Harpy, I can still create. Because every time I released a chapter, I was reminding someone, somewhere, that not choosing, being “greedy”, is an option. They’re not disgusting or weird. They’re human. They're worthy.”
Noah blinked rapidly, and it took me a second to realize she’d gotten emotional.
“I hate that anyone made you feel less than human,” she said in a low voice. “If I’ve ever done that--“
“No,” I cut in. “Never. You’ve made me feel a lot of things, Pastel, but never less than. You’ve never seen me as less than. If anything, I was more when I didn’t deserve to be.”
“You’ll always be more to me, whether I want you to be or not.” She didn’t sound disappointed over the matter. In fact, it made her smile. Pride bloomed in my chest.
“Keep saying stuff like that, I might become wrapped around your finger.”
“Was the photo booth, awkward first kiss, and helping you dig yourself out of burnout not enough?” she teased.
I chewed on my bottom lip, trying not to smile too wide. “It's getting there.”
"There you go again," Noah complained. "With the voice and the eyes and the nonchalance."
"I only keep doing it because it works on you." I leaned forward and hooked my hands on the hem of her shirt. Noah's smile faded when her gaze landed on my hand.
"Doesn't it?" I asked to be sure. As much as I felt like I understood her, there were still parts of Noah that were foreign to me. I needed to tread lightly, make sure each step ahead was one we both wanted to take.
"It does." She nodded, looking back up at me.
I tugged on her shirt, a silent request for her to match my lean-in. As soon as she did, I kissed her. The night air was still cold and smelt of salt. Her lips were soft, warm enough for me to never want to part.
"Now that you know I have been a secret fan of your comic," I whispered against her mouth when we pulled away for a breath. "And I know you've always been a fan of my work…"
"That so?"
"Don't try to deny it," I said. "Which one of my characters do you like best?"
"This is a hard question, considering I barely have time to read what others write." She placed the back of her hand on her forehead, feigning exhaustion. "You know, since I'm a highly in demand artist and all. God, it's so draining."
I laughed. "Fine. Then tell me a favorite character in your own work."
"I'm just playing around."
"No, actually, I like this idea better. Which character of yours is your favorite?"
Noah sighed, swaying her head back and forth as she thought. "It's Rae."
"The goldfish?"
Noah frowned. "He's not just a goldfish. He's a loyal companion, a little guy surviving in a mermaid community that often overlooks him because of his size. Plus, he's cute. Every cute character gets extra points in my book."
I coughed, trying not to laugh in case she was being serious. "Noah, really? I'm trying to understand you better, and you say you like the goldfish?”
“I knew you were trying to be sneaky with that question. What are you going to do with what you learn, huh?” She ran out of napkins, so she tossed a cold fry at me instead. "How are you going to weaponize the information?"
"I'm not interested in weaponizing anything," I promised before kissing her again to make sure she felt the sincerity.
Her eyes remained closed when I pulled away, and I smiled at how comfortable she looked, how calm the space between us had become.
