Elann reacted in a way Noah couldn’t predict, joking that she was fiery before complimenting him. He smiled at her smile, not the compliment, and recoiled a bit as she clambered him, hands on his knees, to peck away at his clothed knees repeatedly. It happened far faster than he expected and he failed to understand her kissing in that place, thinking it humorous and odd. Elann pulled back though, asking what spurred him to illustrate her.

Noah spoke truthfully, “I liked how you looked there. I haven’t been able to do anything else, really, and I said I would think about drawing again in Syliras, remember?”

The answer was simple but honest in the way it was told. He studied her face, searching it for the way she would take his words. She held features he found interesting, most notably her eyes, but her hair and skin were appealing as well. He had studied the nuances of her being, the way her body curved and how her frame was built. He was able to see her naked being after all so long and committed it all to memory. He felt confident enough to draw her without even needing her to pose, she was the object of his fascination and one of the sole bearers of his affections.

Noah looked at the picture again in his lap, the pencil set off to the side on the floor as he had braced himself for her advances. He wasn’t overwhelmed by her, just shocked she reacted in the way she did. It wasn’t extreme, just sudden.

“Do you really like it?” he asked, really hoping her compliments weren’t given for his ego’s sake.