Talk Nerdy to Me

Chapter 12: The Past Returns

Summary:

In which the others see the drawings, and a blast from the past threatens all that Ra has gained.

Chapter Text

Chris wasn't sure whether he should or not. But his curiosity was piqued from her denial, and she had given her permission. He reached for the sketchbook. Careful not to jostle the sleeping women, he opened the page.

He froze. Of course he'd seen her work, seen her sketches in her sketchbook, seen her finished pieces.

It was a completely different feeling seeing IN, Felix, and Lee Know, all just existing on the page. Like a candid photo taken unawares, except these were lovingly rendered in pencil. There were tiny notes written around the heads, details like "ears point out and taper back, don't forget it" or "dat jawline could cut glass," or a tiny arrow "smooth slope on nose why is this so fine."

Felix's mouth was slightly open, and the note there with another tiny arrow read, "too damn easy."

He chuckled, trying his best to hold it back. Changbin glanced over Ra's shoulders, his hand clapping over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "No wonder she didn't want us to see them."

Han leaned over upon hearing this. He got up and ran on the other side of the other couch, doubled over in thankfully silent laughter.

Felix glanced at Han over the back of the couch, then met Chris' eyes. "What is it?"

Chris handed the sketchbook over. A half dozen different expressions passed over the younger man's face, before finally setting into a sly grin.

"Why is there an arrow pointing at my mouth, and why is it 'too damn easy,'" he said, giggling to himself. IN and Lee Know also looked at their likenesses. Lee Know's dark eyes were dancing with mirth, though he wasn't laughing. IN's eyebrows were hiding in his hair.

"Somehow it's different having Ra note that I have a sharp jawline from Stay saying it," he said at last. "And how closely she has to look to get it... right?"

Lee Know shoved him jokingly. "She has to draw us practically naked, dude, get used to it!"

"We're all gonna be Rose on the couch like on Titanic," Han said, sending himself into more laughter at the quip.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Chris growled, his voice low. "She's sleeping."

"Bangchan, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were sweet on her," Lee Know said, a devilish grin crossing his face.

Murder crossed the leader's face and everyone quieted. "She's going to have a hard enough time doing this job without us ribbing her over her drawings."

That sobered the group up, at least for a moment.

"What do we do, though?" Felix asked. "She's got to do the job, or we lose our friend."

"And I don't know about you guys," Han said, sitting back down next to Chris. "But I kinda like how she is when she's running a game. She's got this sparkle that just kinda disappears unless she's gaming."

"Or drawing," Felix added. "You guys didn't have the angle I did. Her whole face was lit up like Christmas lights."

So she drops the mask when she's gaming or drawing, Chris thought to himself. "We'll figure it out, guys. Together, like we always do."

Changbin studied her drawings, and then her sleeping soundly against Chris' chest. "Music."

"What?" No one even knew who'd asked.