The falls

chapter 17

The soft hum of the television filled the quiet room as Jessica and Neomi lay sprawled out on the floor, their legs stretched out in front of them and their heads resting on pillows. The Mystery Shack's living room had an air of calm to it, with the last remnants of New Year's confetti still scattered about from the earlier celebration. The clock had already struck midnight, ushering in a new year, and things had been surprisingly uneventful since Christmas. Not that Jessica was complaining—after everything that had happened with Santa's sleigh and the clones, she was kind of relieved to have a break from all the strange happenings.

"I can't believe it," Neomi said, breaking the silence. "No pterodactyls, no gnomes, no memory-erasing cults. We actually made it to New Year's without running into anything weird."

Jessica chuckled softly, her eyes half-closed. "I know, right? I'm kind of happy about it, to be honest. I could use some normal for a while."

They both lapsed into silence again, just enjoying the calm. The clock on the wall ticked softly, and Jessica let herself sink deeper into the quiet, feeling content for the first time in a long while. But that peace was interrupted when Neomi, her voice hesitant, spoke up again.

"Hey, Jessica... Can I ask you something?"

Jessica turned her head slightly to look at Neomi. "Sure, what's up?"

Neomi fidgeted a bit, her fingers playing with the fringe of her pillow. "Remember what you said... after Christmas? About asking first next time... if I wanted to kiss you?"

Jessica felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn't expected this conversation to come up again, not so soon, and especially not tonight. She propped herself up on one elbow, watching Neomi's expression carefully. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well... I've been thinking about it, and... that kind of implied there might be a next time, right?" Neomi asked, her eyes wide with curiosity, her usual bluntness softening with uncertainty.

Jessica blinked, not sure how to respond at first. Neomi had been a good friend to her since she'd come to Gravity Falls, always there to share the adventures and weirdness of the town. Jessica hadn't thought they'd ever be more than that—just friends, partners in crime, nothing romantic. But now that Neomi had brought it up again, Jessica found herself wondering.

Did she want there to be a next time?

She stared at Neomi, her heart racing a little, and then finally, she made a decision. "You can... if you want to."

Neomi's eyes lit up with excitement, and before Jessica could second-guess herself, Neomi leaned in, her lips brushing gently against Jessica's. It was a soft kiss, hesitant at first, as if Neomi was testing the waters. But then Jessica kissed her back, feeling a warmth spread through her that she hadn't expected. She closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy the moment, and realized that—yeah—she really did like this.

When they finally pulled away, Neomi was grinning from ear to ear, her face flushed. "That was... nice."

Jessica smiled, feeling her own cheeks warm. "Yeah, it was."

They lay there for a moment, both of them a little breathless, the weight of what had just happened sinking in. Jessica still didn't know what it all meant—if they were just two friends who kissed or something more. But for now, she was okay with not having all the answers.

Neomi, as usual, broke the silence first. "So... does that mean I can kiss you again sometime?"

Jessica laughed softly, her heart lighter than it had been all night. "We'll see."

They both lay back down, the soft glow of the television flickering over them, and for the first time in a while, Jessica felt like everything was exactly where it was supposed to be.