Q: what's more difficult to draw than hands?
A: a kiss.
It looks like neither of them are tilting their head sideways! Either their noses permeate each other, or their lips aren't touching!
(Yes, I know, it's difficult to miss these
important details when you're busy squeeeeeing. I don't blame you.)
I like to imagine that claire is just new at this, and with her eyes closed, she's completely missing his face and ends up on his shoulder. But nah, that'd ruin an otherwise beautiful moment.
(Then again, I also really really like to read
#2804 without the fourth panel. The look on his face in the third panel says it all: "I broke into your house and brought you pancakes!"
)
Yeah. I like the arc. Wrt marten's character development, he has taken step after step, lesson after lesson to get where he is now. It was neither a sudden character change to get them to hook up, nor do I expect the development to stop after he got the girl. Jeph certainly has a plan, and I can only guess how much fun he had watching the community squirm over the last few strips. And squee today.
Some have said that Marten has been smoother than any human can be. Probably. And Claire was way less freaked out than she usually would. That's fine. For once, let Jeph and his characters and all the squeesquad have their one perfect fairy-tale moment. With all the things Jeph puts them through for the sake of the narrative, they deserve that.
Ah, whatever. I just may squee a little. All the cool kids are doing it. The ship's left port and it'll be an interesting voyage. Marten's all grown up and he finally knows what he wants in a woman. Claire is inexperienced, but she's a smart woman, and with all the soul-searching her transition has forced her to do, I think she's better prepared than anyone of us was for their first relationship. Everything else she will learn, and Marten's patience and understanding are just what she needs for that.
There are several indications that this relationship won't turn sexual anytime soon, which leaves more time for actual healthy interaction and bonding. It's important to get that done before the initial hormone-dominated everything-is-butterflys-phase ends[1].
As always, there are blocks along the road - her anxieties, his career - but none of them are dealbreaking, and they both seem ready to tackle them. They got together for all the right reasons, and if they do this right, it could last forever. Time (and Jeph) will tell.
[1] Without going into too much speculation, Marigold and Dale might have a problem there. If watching anime, playing WoW and having sex is all they do, that may yield a strong emotional bond, but not an intellectual one. A longterm relationship needs both, with the latter becoming more important the longer the relationship lasts.