"I want you to be as assertive as you can."

Reese had regained at least a little lucidity by the time Noa returned to the bedroom. She'd been in there a while -- Reese guessed she was taking more than a body shower, given her expressed dissatisfaction with the state of her hair. So they had plenty of time to sprawl on the bed, stare up at the ceiling, and slowly will themself back to the waking world. It had been about twenty minutes or so, maybe slightly longer.

Clad only in a towel, leaning against the threshold, Noa was a vision. "Hi," she said, rubbing her leg with her foot. "You doing okay?"

Reese giggled. "I'm doing great." They pulled the blanket up to their waist. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful. And clean." She sighed. "It feels so good."

"Good."

"So... don't laugh at what I'm about to do." She picked up her bag and hefted it onto the bed, dug through it, and pulled out a faded black t-shirt. She laid the shirt flat on the bed, ducked her head into the center of it, and wrapped it around her hair before standing back up. The t-shirt was now a head-wrap of sorts, with not a single lock falling free. Noa made a face. "What?"

Reese giggled. "Sorry, that just... caught me off-guard."

"It's called plopping and it's how you take care of wavy hair like mine." Noa stuck out her tongue. "And before you ask, no, I'm not wearing it for the rest of the night." She raised an eyebrow.

"...I wasn't going to ask."

That accursed eyebrow.

"...okay, I was."

"Hmph." Noa giggled. "Twenty minutes!" She sat on the bed. Reese admired her body from this new three-quarter angle, briefly wondering how the towel was able to contain her curves. Noa stroked Reese's leg through the blanket. "So... have you, umm... made your decision?"

"About... oh! Umm... yes. I have."

"And?" She fiddled with the arm of her glasses.

"So I have this birthday cake --"

"Fuck. Off." Noa snorted. "I knew it. I knew you'd make that joke and I saw it coming and I did nothing to stop it." She rolled her eyes. "But seriously!"

"I am serious!"

Noa wore a look of pure exasperation. "It's okay, I was planning on being as conservatively-dressed as possible for the rest of the night, anyway. And tomorrow is Tracksuit Day, so..."

"No, I was joking!" Reese gritted their teeth. "Please, girls, don't leave me!" Pawing like a kitten at Noa's chest.

Noa looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. "Just remember, Noa, they're not always a total doofus. Just, like, 75% of the time."

Reese gasped. "You take that back!"

"Sorry, 80%."

Reese pouted. "Oh... you're right..." They started to pull the blanket over their head.

"Oh, my god."

Reese snorted under the blanket. They poked their head out. "Okay, do you really want to know?"

"Do I?"

"Maybe?"

"Okay, just tell me."

"Okay, so... I, umm... I want you to be as assertive as you can. Umm, as you're comfortable being, I mean." They swallowed. "I kind of wanna... relinquish control, if that's okay. And let you do what you want."

"Oh." Noa blushed. "Th-that's... but what if I do something you don't like?"

"I'll tell you. And I'll tell if you do something I really, really like."

"Yeah?" She crawled toward them. Her towel snagged on the blanket; she did nothing to stop it as it tore from her body, causing her assets to wobble slightly. "Maybe I should get creative, then..." She settled down beside them, making a point to arch her back and then flop down just enough to make her buttocks ripple. Noa giggled. "So..." She crossed her legs and brought them up behind her. "I don't think we ever decided on a timeframe."

"For --"

"When your, umm, reward kicks in."

"Ah. Umm... I mean, I was originally assuming it would start tomorrow -- like, new day and all that -- but, umm... I guess I've already asked..."

"So what you're saying," Noa said with a smile, "is that you want me to be assertive starting..."

"Now." Reese giggled and kissed her forehead.

Noa wrinkled her nose in response. "You sure?"

Reese nodded.

"You want me to tell you what I want?"

Another nod.

"What I really want?"

Reese blushed for some reason and nodded for a third time.

"Then, Reese..." She bit her lip. Reese felt a phantom throbbing in their loins. "I want you..." She traced her bottom lip with her fingertip.

"Yeah?" Their voice was a choked whisper.

"...to get me a snack."

Reese's face went completely blank. "What."

"Get me a snack," Noa replied, pursing her lips and looking up at them with those big brown eyes. "I'm hungry..."

"This isn't an innuendo, is it?"

Noa shook her head. "I worked up an appetite."

"I see." Reese made a face and huffed.

"Would it help if I said it'd go to my tits?"

Reese hopped off the bed. "Welp, what sounds good?"

Noa snorted into the comforter. "Holy shit, you are beyond predictable."

"Noooo."

"I am a master of emotional manipulation."

"Temptress!" Reese gave Noa's booty a light spank. She squealed and scooted forward, trying to dodge the inevitable followup... which also managed to connect with her pillowy buttocks, causing them to jiggle.

"Noooo!" Noa guffawed. "This was a mistake!"

"Too late!" Reese giggled as they delivered another quick spank to their lover's rear. They half-climbed onto the bed and rested their head right by the area they'd spanked. "Tell me what you want..." Their words were tickling fingers on the sensitive, pink spot.

Noa shuddered. "Wh-what are my options?" She hiked her butt up a little, making it easier for Reese to use it as a pillow.

"I've got cereal... ice cream... I could make popcorn..."

Noa swallowed. "What kind of ice cream?"

"Vanilla and coffee boba."

"Coffee boba sounds... heavenly..." She cooed as raised her butt and brushed it against Reese's cheek.

"Then I'll get you some."

"W-wait. First... umm... kiss it."

"Hmm?"

"Kiss it and make it better."

"Oh... I see..." Reese purred as they brought their lips to the area they'd spanked. They gave it the softest, gentlest kiss they could, followed by another, and another, and another... Noa shuddered as their lips touched her flesh. They moved over to her other cheek and kissed it as well. "Better?"

"Mmhmm..."

"Good. Let me get you some ice cream."

"Thank you, baby."

Reese grinned as they headed to the kitchen.

---

The kitchen was dark. The whole house was dark. The threshold of the bedroom was a glowing rectangle at the periphery of the darkness. And in the center of that yellowish frame, Noa.

Sometimes, late at night when the house was dark, Reese liked to pretend that they were in a survival horror game. It was this dumb thing they'd done since they were a kid -- all lights off, little stirring, and suddenly the world had ended, and a small, scared creature was left alone to navigate it. Back then it'd been the result of late nights spent double-fisting Mountain Dew and Resident Evil 2 (they weren't brave enough to play Silent Hill then), coupled with the ever-present background radiation of adolescent angst.

Looking back, Reese did have a lot to be angsty about... but they were also kind of an asshole back then. They'd never been the kind of kid who hurt animals or started fires or whatever. But their friends... Reese was never very nice to them, were they? They weren't nice to most people. They'd been the kind of person who called themself "brutally honest" while caring more about the brutality and less about the honesty. The kind of person who spent hours on imageboards and game sites acting like the biggest edgelord on the planet, only to turn around and bawl into their pillow when their favorite anime character died, or when the girl they liked rejected them, or when they realized they weren't a boy but that as long as they lived in their small town they would always be a boy... they grew to see themself as not so much a human but a creature, in the most neutral sense of the term, a thing that lived and breathed and ate and scampered about, alive but not human.

Reese had, over the course of a few years, convinced themself that they deserved to suffer for being a little bastard. They were locked in a cycle of hurting others, hurt themself for hurting others, and then hurting others because they were hurting. It was unacceptable. It was unjustifiable.

The change started in college. It didn't happen when they got laid for the first time -- they'd still identified, outwardly at least, as male then -- nor did it happen the first time they smoked a joint or took that one life-changing class that people always talk about, nor did it happen when they changed their hair and the music they listened to and the way they dressed. It started with a message board. A Japanese horror movie forum, of all things. They'd been on the hunt for a specific film -- a schlocky supernatural movie called Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness -- and they couldn't find a copy or a rip of it anywhere. The site was, like, two pages into the search engine results, so Reese went in assuming they wouldn't find anything. And they didn't. But they possessed a nerd's curiosity, so when they saw the screen fill with little avatars and quirky quotes and in-jokes they lingered, wanted to see what was going on. They would have left after reading some of the discussion but then they noticed a specific post. They couldn't remember the name of the poster, only that their avatar was a Neon Genesis Evangelion reference and that, under their name, was the word "genderqueer."

And that was it, basically. A door opened. A glowing rectangle at the periphery of darkness. They went to the user's profile, read their posts, scoured for explanations, for justifications, for... But no, there wasn't really that much. There was no key to the puzzle. They were just a normal person. They weaved the web of their life and moved along in it. This puzzled Reese: weren't trans -- no, they thought, I'm not trans I can't be trans -- people supposed to live short, tragic lives? Weren't they supposed to ignite, briefly, and be snuffed out forever? Weren't they... freakish?

By the time they graduated Reese pretty much only had queer friends. At least, queer close friends. By the time they graduated Reese's nails were painted, their hair was dyed, and they knew how to put on a full face of makeup. By the time they graduated Reese was Reese, not _________... in their more generous moments Reese looked at their deadname as an egg from which their real name hatched. Or a skin waiting to be shed.

Their nails weren't painted now. As they reached for the freezer door they stopped and regarded their nails, and felt a little pang of regret, the same scorpion sting that hit them in the chest every time they looked at the dresses and leggings and femme clothing they kept in their closet but rarely wore. Convenience won out over pretty much everything else anymore.

But, whatever. There was a beautiful woman in their bed, and she wanted ice cream. Serving her, even in this capacity, silly as it was, gave them purpose, and purpose gave them clarity, and clarity made the world sink into focus long enough for them to give a shit about it. They opened the door -- the rush of cold air was welcome on their face -- and withdrew the ice cream. Then they closed the freezer door, extinguishing the only light in the house, in the whole world, except for the bedroom. They grabbed a spoon out of the utensil drawer and headed back to the bedroom.

As they neared the threshold they stopped, swallowed, debated going in at all... for a moment it felt like they didn't deserve to be in the same room, on the same bed, with someone who didn't know these things about them. Who didn't know who they'd been. But then Noa smiled and waved and before they could come up with another reason to hate themself they'd stepped over the threshold.

---

Noa had dressed... in the loosest sense of the word. She'd zipped up the hoodie as much as it could go... which wasn't exactly far. She'd managed to cover up her belly button and the bottoms of her breasts and little else.

"Ice cream?" she asked, bringing her fist up near her mouth, index finger curled up like a question mark.

"Ice cream." Reese leaned down and handed Noa the tub of ice cream, careful not to let the spoon fall off of the lid. As she took it in her hands they cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead, just under the hairline obscured by her towel. They hung their forehead against the same spot for a moment, then kissed it again.

Noa squeaked out something that sounded like "hmmmm." She pressed her forehead against Reese's lips. "What was that for?"

"For just..." They blushed; surely Noa could feel the heat from their face, maybe even through the shirt. "You're just wonderful."

She giggled. It was like a gust of wind on a hot day. "Yeah?"

Reese nodded. They wished Noa didn't have to wear the shirt. They wanted to bury their face in her hair and breathe in her scent, to get tangled up in her essence, to shrink down and get lost in her.

"Kiss me," she whispered, already craning her neck in anticipation. Reese obliged her. Their lips lingered. Suddenly everything felt very bright.

---

"Holy fuck this is so good," Noa chirped, barely waiting to swallow. She looked at Reese, who was perched beside her, and tapped her chin with the end of the spoon. "How have I not had this until now? What the fuck was my life before this?"

Reese snorted. "B.B.C. and A.B.C.?"

Noa made a face as she handed them the tub and spoon.

"Y'know... 'before boba coffee' and 'after...?'" They took a bite.

"Reese, I need you to think about what B.B.C. stands for in the not-Reese world."

"British Broadcasting --"

Noa blew air threw her nose. "You're so cute and so naive." Reese gave her the ice cream. She took another bite and sighed. "I'm having a really good day."

"Me too."

"Yeah?" Noa rested the tub against her stomach.

"Of course I am." Reese's chest felt a little tight. "Do you not... think so?"

She tapped the lid. Her mouth pulled to one side. Reese could tell she was thinking about something, and that made their chest tighten more. They watched her dimple, admired it, wanted to kiss it right then and there if only to distract themself from the agony of the silence between the question and the response. "I dunno..."

"Noa --"

"You just seem so sad, all of a sudden." She drew her knees up and angled her feet toward each other, toes digging into the blanket in parallel. "Did I do something... wrong?"

I hate myself. "No." They scooted a little closer. "Not at all."

"Then why --"

Because I hate myself. "I just... sorry." A clipped sigh jolted from their lips and then they were silent, save a single pathetic swallow. "It's... I don't know what to say."

"Can you try?" Noa was tucking the bottom curve of her upper lip into her mouth with her teeth. "I'm getting really anxious."

I hate myself and sometimes I wish I was -- "No. Baby." They offered her their hand; she reluctantly took it. "I'm just... a very unhappy person."

"Oh..."

"And sometimes I make myself sad. And I don't know why." They sighed. "And sometimes it just... happens. Comes at me all at once. I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I didn't mean to make you anxious."

"It's not your fault."

"I think I'm a burden on people." Their face was a blank mask.

Noa squeezed their hand. "You're not." She cupped their cheek. "You're not."

"I really like you."

She smiled. "And I like you..."

"But I'm afraid I won't be fun to be around."

"You are, though."

"In the long term..."

"Oh."

"I'm not good at this. I don't know what to do. And I don't know how to be around people for very long. And..." They sighed, swallowed, looked at their lap. "I don't like myself very much."

"Baby..." Noa leaned over, set the ice cream and spoon on the bedside table, and scooted over until she could take Reese in her arms. She squeezed.

"I'm sorry..." They rested their head on her shoulder.

"It's okay. I'm... I'm sorry if I pushed you... we don't have to, like, date or anything --"

"No, I -- I want to. That's the thing. I want it and I don't know how to do it." They sniffed. "I think I'm fucked up."

"No..."

"I think I'm really fucked up."

"Reese..." Her breath was soft against their scalp. "Why do you think you're fucked up?"

"Because I didn't know who I was until college."

"That's --"

"I thought I was a girl. I started HRT and everything. I thought I knew who I was and then I didn't. And... and then I realized I was something else, and it was... and is... so hard convincing people that I am what I say I am, and --" they sniffled again "-- and I'm afraid of people and I'm anxious all the time. And I... I deserve it, 'cause I wasn't a good person before I went to college and I don't deserve to be happy. It's -- it's not like I hurt anybody, I just... I was a really mean person."

"Oh..." She squeezed. "Reese, you're... you're a good person, you know that?"

Reese shook their head. "I'm boring and sad and dumb."

"I disagree. Okay? I disagree."

"But --"

"I like being around you. You make me happy."

"But --"

"You checked my apartment for me and didn't complain. You were so nice about it." She nuzzled the top of their head. "That means a lot to me."

"Yeah?"

"I know it's stupid 'cause we really haven't known each other for very long, but I like you. Okay?"

"I like you too."

"Then isn't that all that matters right now?"

"I guess..."

"We can take things as slow as you want. I really don't mind. We, umm... we can even scale back on... y'know --"

"I don't want to do that," Reese said, clutching Noa's arm. "I really don't."

"I'm just saying."

"I know." They nuzzled her arm. "But thank you." They sniffled again; unwelcome tears gathered at the corners of their eyes.

"Baby... are you okay?" She cupped their cheek and tilted their head up so she could rest her forehead against theirs. She wiped a tear from their eye. "Please don't be so sad... it's okay." She kissed their forehead, whispering, "It's okay..."

Reese swallowed. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I promise."

"Thank you."

Her hand migrated to their chest. "Get comfy and lie down, okay? I'm gonna take care of you."

"Noa --"

"Hey." She smiled. "You told me to be assertive, remember? So get comfy." After a quick peck to Reese's forehead Noa climbed off of the bed, took the ice cream and spoon, and headed to the kitchen.

Reese's face was hot. They felt silly and stupid and naked and exposed... and yet a smile crept, millimeter by millimeter, over their face. For a minute the only sound in the house was Noa's feet padding on the hardwood floor.

They pulled on a pair of black sleep pants and crawled into bed. They didn't mean to, but the second they pulled the covers over their stomach they curled into a pseudo-fetal position, drawing their legs up against their stomach and squeezing the pillow against their face and chest.

The bedsprings creaked. Reese turned and regarded Noa. "That's probably enough time," she said to herself, carefully removing her head-wrap. Her hair shook free.

"You're so beautiful." Reese blushed.

Noa smiled. "Yeah?"

They nodded into their pillow.

Noa cooed as she settled in behind them. She wrapped her arm around them and squeezed. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little... I'm sorry. I feel so stupid --"

"Hey. No. It's okay to be down."

"But you're here, and --"

"And now I can take care of you." She squeezed them again. The fingers of her free hand had found the back of Reese's head. "Okay?" She played with their hair.

"But you shouldn't have to."

"I want to."

"Why?"

"Because I care about you."

"Even though --"

"We just met? Yeah. Yeah, I do." She kissed the back of their shoulder. "Is that okay?"

Reese nodded. "I care about you, too." They blushed.

Noa giggled sweetly. It was like music. "Good. Just try to relax, okay? Let me hold you."

Reese went slack in their lover's arms, letting her caress their chest and scalp, affording her total control. They tried -- they didn't totally succeed, but they tried -- to step outside of their brain for a few minutes. It was nice. And Noa was so warm... so sweet...

---

"Do you want to talk about it?" Noa asked. Her lips hovered over the back of their neck, and the moment 'it' came out of her mouth she kissed their naked flesh. "We don't have to."

Reese swallowed. "Do you... do you see me as, umm... as a man?"

"No. I've already told you that."

"Promise?"

"I promise." She nuzzled the nape of their neck. "I see you as you. And when I think about you I don't think of you as a guy. Or a girl. You're just you." She paused for a moment, and Reese could feel her breath against their baby hairs. "Do you believe me?"

"I do." Reese reached over their shoulder and found Noa's hand. They squeezed it. "Sorry. I'm just really insecure about it. Dysphoria and all that."

"I'm sorry." She squeezed their hand. "If it helps, I think you're super cute."

Reese giggled. "Thanks. I'm just a sad sack at heart and I'm really good at convincing myself I don't deserve to be happy."

"That's silly. I get it, though. I do the same thing."

"Really?"

"I make myself so anxious I feel like I'm going to throw up. And sometimes I do. And it sucks, but... I don't know any other way to be. I'm working on it, but... it's still hard. I slip up. So I get it, Reese." She brought their hand back and kissed their knuckle. "I mean... like, on my way back from the kitchen, I had to fight the urge to enter and re-enter the bedroom until my intrusive thoughts stopped. And I'm constantly, like, forcing myself not to count out loud or repeat things when I'm around you. I don't want to weird you out."

"That wouldn't weird me out."

"But I'm worried it would. And that worry trumps pretty much all rational thinking. Y'know?"

"Yeah. You know, umm... you don't have to stop yourself from doing those things around me. It won't make me uncomfortable. I might have to get used to it, but it won't bother me."

"Maybe... we'll see how tomorrow goes, okay?"

"So you still wanna hang out tomorrow?"

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I?"

"Because we've only known each for two days and I've already cried in front of you?"

"You didn't cry that much. And... if anything, that makes me want to be around you more."

"Why?"

"Because you were **** with me? Because I've already been **** with you and you returned the favor?"

"I didn't mean to --"

"And that's okay. I'm really, really comfortable around you, Reese. Of course I want to spend more time with you." She kissed their hand again. "Is that okay?"

"I really want you to stay," Reese said softly. They reached back with their foot and stroked Noa's leg with their toes.

"Then that's settled, huh?" She giggled. She released Reese's hand and migrated her own southward, down their back, down their side, tracing lines down their chest and stomach. Reese sighed as Noa gently lifted their shirt so she could sneak her hand inside and tease their bare flesh.

"That feels good," Reese purred, closing their eyes.

"Yeah?" Noa's hand explored Reese's torso.

"Mmhmm..."

She breathed deeply as her hand moved southward, toward the waistband of Reese's pants. She teased the top of their thigh.

Reese shuddered. "Noa..."

"I can stop," she said softly. "Seriously."

Their face flushed. "Keep going..." Barely a whisper.

"Okay." Noa snuck her hand past Reese's waistband and brushed her fingertips over the root of their cock. "Is this okay?"

"You don't have to..."

"I want to, baby..." Noa nuzzled the top of their head. "But only if it's okay with you. I can stop, for real."

In lieu of a verbal response Reese reached down until their hand found Noa's. They ran their fingertips over the top of her hand, then up her arm, until they reached up and cupped her cheek. She leaned into their palm and kissed their wrist.

"Okay, baby... tell me if you change your mind, okay?"

Reese nodded, sweeping their forehead against the underside of Noa's breast. They let out a soft, squeaking moan as Noa lightly gripped their penis and pulled it over their waistband.

She ran her fingers down their shaft, to their balls, which she carefully pulled over their pants as well. Then she resumed stroking them, fingers nimble and soft as butterfly kisses, occasionally tracing the spot where the neck met the head or teasing the slit at the top. They stiffened at her touch.

"Baby," Reese purred.

"Yeah?" she whispered back. She played with their hair with her free hand.

Reese nuzzled the underside of Noa's breast. They were growing harder, harder, as all thoughts melted away. Noa formed a fist around their member and jerked, still taking care not to push them too far too quickly.

Why are you so nice to me? The question turned over and over again in Reese's mind. They'd lost track of time... how long had Noa been doing this to them? For them? How long...

"Reese," she said softly, caressing the pinna of their ear as she said it. "Roll over." She stopped stroking so they could do just that, rolling from their left side onto their back. Noa repositioned herself so that she was half on her stomach, half on her side, and draped one leg over Reese's. She looked down at them, smiling, blushing, and brought her hand to her zipper.

Reese throbbed as Noa's breasts fell free from the hoodie. "Here," Noa whispered, taking her breast in her hand and guiding it to Reese's mouth. She sighed as they latched on and began to suck. Once she was sure her nipple wouldn't slip from their lips she cupped the back of Reese's head and resumed playing with their hair.

Why are you so nice to me? Reese didn't know. They didn't know how and why this amazing human being had entered their life... how and why they'd entered hers... but...

Noa moaned faintly as Reese suckled. She spat in her palm and brought her hand to their shaft; the lubrication made them throb in her hand. "Baby..." she muttered, so softly they barely heard it, "baby..."

She was surprisingly quiet. Until now sucking on her breasts was the quickest way to drive her wild with lust, but here... it was like she was restraining herself. Like she was trying her hardest to dull her senses and focus entirely on them.

Why are you so nice -- Reese shuddered and moaned into Noa's breast. They teased and lapped at her nipple, sucking rhythmically, determined to make her feel at least half as good as she made them feel.

They started to snake their hand between her legs; she caught it and gently moved it up to her stomach. "I wanna focus on you," she whispered, scratching their scalp. "Is that okay?"

Reese nodded into her breast. They gasped: they were getting close. Noa could tell, judging from the way she started jerking them harder.

Why are you -- Noa leaned over, careful not to let Reese break the seal around her nipple, and grabbed something. She laid it on her thigh; Reese glanced down and saw that it was the t-shirt she'd used to plop her hair.

Their toes curled against the comforter. They were so close it hurt.

"I want to make you feel good," Noa murmured. She gently pressed their face against her breast, keeping them there as they suckled. "Like you do to me..."

Why... Reese gasped into Noa's breast as they came. She quickly shaped the t-shirt loosely over the head of their dick. Their body jerked as a hot rope of semen erupted from their cock onto the shirt. It hurt, it was so forceful, so... Fuck. They spasmed again, contorting into Noa's chest.

She cooed happily as she continued to jerk them off, working semen out of them, coating her shirt in cum. "That's it, baby," she purred, "that's it..." She caressed their hair with her other hand. She kept jerking them, milking them of everything they had, and even when they'd finally given as much as they could give she continued to pleasure them. So they kept suckling, to her obvious delight.

Eventually Reese grew soft in Noa's hand. She tossed the t-shirt over the side of the bed and pulled her nipple away from their mouth. Then she slid down next to them and took them in her arms. "Was that okay, baby?" She squeezed them.

Reese reached up and cupped her face. "Thank you." They could feel the threat of tears stinging the corners of their eyes. "Thank you."

Noa's face softened. "What's wrong?" She wiped their eye.

They kissed her hand as it passed over their face. "Nothing." Reese smiled. "Nothing's wrong."

"Promise?"

"I promise." They pulled her in for a kiss. It really felt like everything was going to be okay.

---

Reese nibbled on Noa's thigh, making her giggle. "Want me to return the favor?"

"No," she purred, "I just wanted this. It was exactly what I wanted it to be."

"Really?"

"Really." She stroked their face. "You should get some sleep."

"What about you?"

"I'm kind of awake, to be honest."

"Want me to stay up and be cute?"

She giggled. "Nah. I'm okay, baby. I'll just mess around on my phone for a while."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhmm..." She patted the top of their head. "Are you sure that was okay?"

"It was wonderful," Reese replied, blushing. "You're wonderful."

Noa giggled. "Yeah?"

"And I like it when you call me 'baby.'"

"You've said that many times."

"Sorry."

"I didn't say I minded." She tousled their hair. "It just feels right."

"Good."

"Now get some sleep."

Reese's senses were dull. Everything was hazy. They were so tired, so...

They fell asleep, curled up next to Noa, lightly touching her thigh.