honeycrisp.

47

"you know we never got to talk about christmas?"

sei reminded pen.

"well let's talk about it."

pen finally showed her face on the screen, some of her hair in the smallest bun sei had ever seen, most of the back tickling her neck.

"i'll miss you."

pen laughed and her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked.

"i'll miss you too sei. we'll facetime like we're doing now."

sei raised an eyebrow,"really? facetime?"

sei sighed heavily,"but i get it though. not all the time we're gonna be in arms reach. anyways, it's only two weeks."

their heart crushed, trying to imagine being apart from her for that period of time. but there was time afterwards.

it would be okay.

pen was looking at sei with a tentive gaze.

"yeah it's just two weeks. it'll be okay." she tried to convince them and herself.

she smiled.

"you know i actually drew you before? like some time ago." she changed the subject.

sei's eyes lit up, adjusting the phone so they could sit in a more comfortable position.

"you did? how come i didn't see it when i was going through your sketchbook?"

sei was appreciated enough by someone that they needed to draw them and that felt really good.

"i skipped the page. i was embarrassed so i didn't let you see it."

"why? you're so talented."

"i'm mediocre. and i drew it a long time ago. like an hour after i first met you."

a smile lifted onto sei's face.

"don't laugh at me."

"i'm not laughing. i think it's a privilege to have caught your eye so early."

"it sounds like your mocking me."

pen pouted, her screen moving away from her face.

"i promise i'm not."

sei smiled.

"can i see it?"

pen moved the camera on her face, her eyes glancing somewhere else.

"sure. but don't laugh."

"okay."

"and it isn't that great of a representation of you since i didn't know you, and it was just based off what i saw only once."

"it's okay pen. that makes it even better."

sei waited, watching pen's off white ceiling, lots of ruffling happening on her side.

then pen showed up, what sounded like a bed, creaking,"i've got it. but just so you have reassurance, i have the one that i tried to draw of you recently. i finished it when you left."

sei sat, bouncing their folded knees,"okay. show me.

pen flipped some pages, and positioned the book in front of the camera.

sei leaned forward and observed the page with the largest smile.

"i like the touch with the earphones."

"yeah, i did that on purpose. it's kind of your staple accessory."

sei laughed and looked at it more, taking in pen's technique and how sei's middle and ring fingers were lifted from the table surface.
like they were tapping.

"you put so much detail into it. i really really like how you drew my hair. my hair was up that day."

pen put the book down, nodding,"yeah i remember. i thought that you were super...i don't know majestic. your hair is so-- i don't really know."

"you're right--there should be more words." pen laughed nervously.

"can you show me the other one?" sei asked with a smile.

"yeah, sure."

she flipped through a lot more pages and then lifted it up again, her nails showing a bright green color at the bottom of the screen.

sei was sitting with their arms stetched behind them, their legs folded with a small smile on their face.

"oh wow...pen, it's so good."

sei chuckled and shook their head.

"you need to give yourself more credit. you're so, so talented. and a lot more. you should know it."

pen smiled.

"thank you sei. really."

sei watched her from the screen.

"stay up with me." they suggested.

"okay."