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 Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:08 pm
It was raining.
Or more accurately, it was raining with the intent to storm, because Noah could see the impending clouds in the distance, enormous, roiling, black things that were threatening to open up and dump hundreds of gallons of water and icy sleety mix down onto Destiny City. It was already March, but that had never stopped a wintry mix storm before, and this one looked bad.
Also bad because Noah and Ellis had been planning on taking a walk after dinner, and now they both stood hand in hand on the edge of the restaurant's covered patio, staring out at the slowly darkening sky.
A sharp streak of lightning split the air off to Noah's left, momentarily illuminating one of the taller office buildings downtown. A few seconds later - too few for Noah's liking - an all-too-close rumble of thunder followed, cracking and tumbling across the city to reach them.
The weather, which had been cold earlier, had called only for rain. Noah had pulled out his phone and was now scrolling down all the weather alerts, from drastic drop in temperatures to winter storm warning in effect from now until eight PM tomorrow. There was a chance of hail as well, the report said, accompanied by the rain and the snow and the wind.
There was another crack of thunder. Noah lifted his head.
"Well, s**t."
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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:46 pm
"This definitely not what it said this morn-" The redhead's words were drowned out as a clap of thunder rolled overhead and he jerked his bright eyes up instinctively to the dark, roiling clouds as if they had personally tried to smite him. It was a wild storm, untamed and fierce, and though his fingers were curling tighter in Noah's with every flash of lightning and gust of wind, there was an electricity to it that made him part his lips as he stared at all that raw, terrible power. He would have loved it if he had been safe and warm on a balcony somewhere or sitting in front of a giant, clear window. He found storms to be particularly inspiring, especially when he could drink warm coffee and write for hours. Only, to get to a warm balcony or a window, Noah and Ellis were going to have to get through all of this somehow. He brought his eyes down from the sky as a crack of lightning split from one corner of his vision to the other and another loud, booming crash rattled the metallic table tops of the patio furniture. He sucked in a deep breath and leaned closer so that he could look at the alerts on Noah's phone. A free hand reached out and scrolled down the screen to see what he had missed. "Yeaaah," he drew out the word, "that seems... bad. What are we supposed to do now?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2019 7:00 pm
Noah curled his fingers more securely around Ellis' hand as the other moved a little closer. He was trying very hard not to be totally freaked out by the storms because to be completely honest, he wasn't a very big fan. The thunder was shivering up and down his spine, and the louder it got, the more Noah wished they were inside, safe and warm and away from the cold wind that was also threatening them with snow.
It was March. There shouldn't be snow in March.
Ellis, on the other hand, seemed perfectly okay with the impending doom, his eyes wide and bright in the darkness. Noah felt his shoulder pressing into his as they both looked down at his phone, Ellis reaching to look further down the article to see if there was any more news.
It felt absurdly - and wonderfully - domestic. Noah didn't so much as blink in reaction it felt so normal.
"Run around screaming like chickens with their heads cut off?" he suggested with a grin, and then winced as another crack of lightning split the sky. "Uh...well, good question. I think our nice little walk is gonna be interrupted, and there's no where really close around..."
Except there was. One place was very close around, just a block and a half to their left, in the towering brick and glass building that was wildly visible from every window in the nearby area. Noah had been avoiding this particular building, but choices at present seemed to be limited.
He gave a small sigh, then turned to look at Ellis.
"Do you...wanna come over?" he asked. "I, uh. I live down the street a bit. We can wait out the storm over at my place."
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 6:36 pm
Noah had always sort of avoided talking about where he lived and, honestly, Ellis had never felt it was his place to push. He knew what it was like not to want to bring people home and even though he never thought anything bad of him, he had made up a dozen stories about why he might not want to let him see his place. It was possible he was more poor than Ellis, but he didn't think so. Maybe he just lived with his parents and didn't want Ellis to know. Maybe it was something weird, like he collected porcelain plates painted with kittens. No matter what Ellis could think of, none of it made him want to be with Noah any less and none of it made him worried over what he might find. "I didn't know you lived this close," he mumbled, offering him a smile that he hoped did not seem too eager. After everything they had shared so far, seeing his place shouldn't have seemed like such a big deal to Ellis - but it did. "I'd like that a lot, though. You're always at my place, you know. It makes me feel bad for keeping you away from home so much." His fingers curled around Noah's a little tighter. Bright blue eyes glanced from one side of the street to the other, picking out awning they could run for, but he had no idea which direction they even needed to run to get to safety. It made him look back at Noah expectantly with that pleased smile still plastered on his pale face.
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:45 pm
It wasn't that Noah didn't want Ellis to come over. He absolutely wanted Ellis to come over, so badly that he'd had to restrain himself from asking, because he'd had silly and probably embarrassing visions of the two of them curled up on his couch together, drinks on the living room table, watching some stupid movie or whatever.
But he knew what his place looked like and he knew what it would look like in comparison to Ellis', and that had kept him from doing it for a multitude of reasons, the primary of these being that when it came to money, things were always awkward, regardless of who you were talking to.
Ellis didn't have a lot of money. That much was obvious just from his apartment, but Noah had never pried, and never asked, because that had seemed rude. And it had prevented him from doing the obvious of inviting his boyfriend over because the fear of Ellis misunderstanding or thinking badly of him was stronger than anything, even if, logically, Noah knew that Ellis wasn't that sort of person.
But still.
"I, uh - yeah," said Noah, grimacing, though the smile on Ellis' face made his heart lurch. It simultaneously warmed him and worried him, Noah's fingers curling a little more securely around Ellis' fingers as, as if understanding him, Ellis' fingers did the same, so that they were both gripping a little tighter.
"No," he said quickly, "No, I love coming over to your place. I love seeing you and Poe, your place is great."
It was a sincere and entirely truthful statement. The warmth of being able to cuddle up with Ellis and Poe in the soft environment of where he lived was a wonderful thing and Noah had always felt comfortable there every time he had stayed over.
But now felt like a moment of truth somehow, and Noah felt nervous, which was odd, because he never felt nervous.
There was another crack of lightning, this time closer and louder, and Noah jumped, feeling his pulse skyrocket. "Uh - okay, so we're just gonna make a break for it, okay?" he said, glancing over at Ellis. "It's only a little further than a block, and the rain's let up a tiny bit because I think we're kinda in the eye of it, so, uh - just hold on, okay?"
He clutched Ellis' fingers tightly and then, as the rumble of thunder grew a bit louder, he ran for it, dragging Ellis along with him.
It was still raining, even if it had lightened somewhat. Icy drops spattered Noah's face as he bolted towards the next street over, keeping such a firm grip on Ellis' hand that it was probably a little too tight, but he didn't want to lose him in the slippery wetness of a wintry mix that was going to be pelting down any second now.
It only took a few minutes, though Noah's clothes were sodden and freezing by the time they reached the awning of his building - Eastbrook View Lofts. His chest was heaving, Noah finally stopping, hand still clutched with Ellis'. His other reached into his pocket, fumbling around until he could pull out a keycard, which he held up and slid through the black strip at the glass front doors. There was a small beep and then a click.
"Uh - I'm on the third floor," said Noah, pulling Ellis inside and dripping all over the glossy floor in the process. "You okay?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 4:34 pm
If it hadn't been for the way Noah seemed a little unnerved by the storm, Ellis would have found the entire experience thrilling and even a little romantic. The way Noah clung so tightly to his hand and pulled him down the sidewalk made him smile even for all the chill, biting rain that nipped at his cheeks and sank into his clothes. It was like a scene from a movie, their movie, and though he was winded and soaked by the time they found their safety beneath the awning, there was a dreamy smile pulled across his lips. It had all happened with such haste that Ellis had barely even noticed where his boyfriend was taking him. It wasn't until Noah fumbled in his pocket for what he assumed was a key or a card or something that the redhead even bothered to look at where they had ended up - Easybrook View Lofts? He had never heard of it. Then a beep was dragging his attention back to the door and the hand in his tightened and pulled him forward into a lobby that was much nicer than the shabby hallway outside of his own apartment door. "I, yea, I'm fine, just cold. And wet." His smile was a little dampened but not because of the chill or the storm. Immediately he felt out of place here in this nice, neat foyer, doubly so because his clothes were drenched and dripping onto the slick floor beneath his worn sneakers. He wasn't going to make a big deal out of it though, not yet, not when Noah had seemed so strange about all of this in the first place. Whatever waited for him on the third floor was just another part of Noah; he was determined not to let Noah think he was put off by it. Instead, he squeezed his fingers around Noah's darker ones, and let his eyes drift out to look for an elevator. "C'mon, lead the way."
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:05 pm
Noah was also cold and wet. And a little nervous. And a little uneasy, which for him was both an unusual and an unfamiliar thing, because he wasn't the sort of person to be easily anxious. But the impending storm, combined with the fact that he was about to show Ellis the part of himself that he'd tried to keep separate, made him slightly antsy.
"We can warm up at my place," said Noah. "There's a fireplace."
The foyer had a concierge, who was sitting at a U-shaped desk made of glossy dark wood. Noah had forgotten the guy's name, but he gave him a nod as he half pulled Ellis across the glossy tiled floor, feeling Ellis give his hand a reassuring squeeze. It did help.
A little. Now if only he could convince his mind otherwise.
"This way," he said, and rounded a corner where three elevators were found. Not normal elevators; they were the sort that had grills in front and were handled exclusively by the operator, or, failing that, the residents themselves. Noah pulled on the chain to let the gate up and then stepped onto the elevator with Ellis, yanking again to shut the grill behind them.
It was clear, as they reached the third floor, that when Noah had said he lived on the third floor he had meant the entire third floor.
The elevator opened up onto a small, dark hallway that only had a single door slightly off to the side. It was a large, metal sliding door instead of a normal door, bolted securely. Noah unlatched the grill, led Ellis off, and then sent the elevator back down before fumbling in his pocket again for a set of real keys, which he stuck into the bolts. There was a jangle and a few clicks, and then Noah turned around, one hand resting on the metal latch of his door.
"Uh," he said to Ellis, feeling his pulse rising a little anxiously. His wet hair was plastered to his forehead, and his clothes were sodden, but he didn't want to make this awkward. He'd had to let go of Ellis' hand to work the elevator, and now he wished he had it back.
"So," he said, and swallowed. "This is, uh. My place."
He slid open the door and gestured Ellis in.
"Uh. Yeah."
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 4:33 pm
Ellis felt like he was dreaming, but not really in a good way. Just when he thought that this place could not seem any more alien to him, it continued to surprise him, from the man dedicated to sitting at a desk in the foyer to the gates that covered the elevators, to the fact that Noah lived on an entire floor of a building that could have fit his tiny apartment at least a half dozen times over. Without Noah's hand to anchor him, he could feel his thoughts spiraling out of control no matter how desperately he grabbed at them and it was hard, so hard, to even convince himself to step out of the elevator once it dinged quietly at Noah's floor. He did, though, even if his heart was beating rapidly beneath his sternum. They weren't connected anymore but he followed Noah like a puppy on a leash despite it - he was the only thing that offered him any sort of comfort in this strange, foreign place. He was unsure of where he was meant to be, where he was supposed to stand or what he could touch, and too aware of the fact that he was leaving a trail of water in his wake; would they be mad at him for that? Pale hands were latched around the strap of his leather bag where it sat diagonally across his chest, squeezed so tightly that the backs of his knuckles were turning white. The harder he tried to get a hold of his anxiety the more it seemed to spiral out of control, twisting and writhing in his grip. Ellis had never been in places like this - he had never felt comfortable even looking at them. Now that he was here, watching his boyfriend open a set of bolts that he had clearly opened a hundred times before, it seemed unreal. How had he really not known? There seemed to be so many signs. He always paid for everything, he didn't care if Ellis accidentally ruined his clothes, he didn't want Ellis to have to work so late just to pay the bills. It made him draw a breath through his nose that was meant to steady him but did nothing to help. "Noah, I-" He started, then stopped. How did he even tell Noah all of this without seeming like some pathetic, worthless thing? It took a lot to convince himself to walk through the door when Noah gestured for him to take the lead and when he finally did, he stopped just on the other side, afraid of ruining something with his dripping clothes. Baby blues roamed through the loft with an anxious awe; he didn't want to touch anything. He was sure one of the square tiles under his feet cost more than anything he had ever bought in his life. Pale hands were working at the strap of his bag, curling and uncurling, over and over and over. At last, he managed to bring his gaze back to Noah. He was rigid and still save for the wringing of his hands. "You never-" he started, then stopped. It wasn't Noah's fault. His eyes dropped and he drew a deep, uneasy breath. Exhale. "I don't... I don't belong here, Noah."
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 5:57 pm
He felt more nervous in this moment than he had about anything else, and that felt significant somehow - and at the same time, ridiculous, because it was just a loft, albeit a very, very expensive one. And it was just a place for him to live, and it shouldn't have been that big of a deal.
Except it was, and he knew it, because this was so vastly, so unbelievably, so embarrassingly different than what Ellis was used to. Noah had been over to his shabby, comfortable apartment enough times to understand and recognize the stark difference between their two living situations, and it was exactly why he'd been so reluctant to bridge that gap between the two of them.
And now Ellis was standing in his place, staring around with enormous, baby blue eyes, looking a mixture of what might have been terrified and stunned silence all at the same time. They were both sopping wet and dripping everywhere, hair a tangled wet mess, though it made Ellis look no less appealing or beautiful, in Noah's mind.
He was on the edge of a precipice and it was a stupid precipice, because now he'd ******** up everything, and all because he hadn't wanted to face the facts or be honest about the fact that his obscene wealth was more than he'd ever needed in his life and it showed. It was such an overwhelming chasm between his place and Ellis' and Noah knew which one he preferred, because it was where Ellis was.
Ellis, who was still standing there, clenching and unclenching fists on his bag. Noah had seen that look of panic on his face before, and it made the anxiety rise.
I don't belong here.
Something in Noah's stomach plummeted horrifically. He reached forward, taking hold of Ellis' hands and gripping them where they rested against his bag, Noah's heart hammering in his chest.
"Ellis, no," he said. "Please. I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, I just...I didn't want you to think worse of me, or to think that I was just messing around, or whatever the case was, but - don't say that. Please."
His grip tightened, fingers slippery with rain. "Don't go."
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 6:22 pm
It was strange because even for all that he felt like a stranger in a different world, a world that Noah was inexplicably somehow a part of without him even realizing it, Ellis still felt grounded as strong hands slid over his and held him in place. He was cold and shocked and his chest ached the way it always did right before a panic attack gripped him; only Noah was keeping him on the edge of reason and safety. Somehow it seemed unfair. "I don't want to go," he whispered. It took a lot of effort but he twisted his hands in that desperate grip so that he could slide his palms against Noah's and lace fingers in the spaces between his. "I just don't understand why you would even bother with someone like me when you're obviously..." He wanted to say rich but that wasn't even what this was about. Ellis had grown up knowing that most people were better off than he was, that most families did not struggle, that most families were not a single mom working at a diner, that most families could afford gas and groceries in the same week. Knowing people that were better off than he was had simply become a part of life - a long time ago, it had been part of what tied him to K. He knew how to exist with someone who was struggling like he was. He knew how to sympathize with loss and ache and worry. What did he have to offer to someone like Noah? "I don't have anything worth while, Noah, you... know that, right? I'm just some guy and people will think that I just like you for your money, won't they? Isn't that a... thing? That's definitely what they'll think I'm doing here." Maybe Ellis had seen a lot of movies with jealous ex-girlfriends and angry mothers who disapproved of everything but that was as close as he had ever been to someone like Noah or a place like this. His mind was spinning out of control and conjuring up a thousand scenarios that all ended badly and because of it, his mouth was moving too quickly and everything he wanted to bury down and hide from Noah, all of his fears and insecurities, were bubbling up to his tongue. He wanted to fidget, to push his hair out of his eyes or cross his arms, anything that would give him something else to focus on but somehow it felt like if he let go of Noah in that moment that he would not be able to grasp hold of him again. His fingers tightened, desperately clinging to his boyfriend even as his words continued to breathe his defeat into being. "I don't think worse of you," the words were low, aching, "I just don't understand why you don't think less of me?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 7:16 pm
They were dripping water all over Noah's floor, but he hadn't even noticed this and couldn't bring himself to care. His mind was still laser honed into Ellis, trying to gauge whether or not this was a deal breaker, or if he had somehow ******** things up enough by not telling Ellis about his money.
He felt marginally better as Ellis slid his cold fingers through his, but his voice was still low and confused and distraught; Noah wanted to drag him into his arms, but he wasn't even sure whether that would be appreciated right now, because clearly everything was just overwhelming enough. And Noah had already promised Ellis that no matter what, he was never going to push him farther than he was ready to go. That was non-negotiable in Noah's mind; he was not the sort of person to go that far and never would be. Everything had to be consensual between both of them or it wasn't worth it.
His mouth opened and then shut again. Noah stared at Ellis for a moment, eyes wide, because something in his head wasn't quite comprehending right. The words were there between them, but it was like the full meaning of them was somehow stuck elsewhere, not reaching its end point.
Noah's brows drew together in bemusement. The hands holding onto Ellis' tightened, fingers curling together.
"Ellis," he said, still staring at him. "Are you serious? Wait, no don't answer that - are you really asking me if I think you're not worthwhile because you think you don't have anything to give me?"
He knew it didn't just mean the material things. Ellis clearly meant more than that, and the constriction in Noah's throat grew just a little, his heartbeat loud in his own ears. It felt like a miracle that Ellis couldn't hear it, the steady drip drip of their clothing the only sound, and the crack of thunder outside, not quite deafening yet, but getting there.
"Ellis," Noah said again, and his voice was lower, a little cautious, almost. "It's not about that. You have everything I want. I've never wanted anything more than you. Not ever. You're - okay, look."
Noah shifted a little, taking a breath. "You know how when you do one of those giant puzzle things, and you're missing a piece, and yeah the picture looks really beautiful and it's all shiny but it's never really finished because all you see is that one missing piece, and then when you do finally find it, it makes everything else look better because of that one piece?"
He squeezed Ellis' hands again. "That's what you are to me. You make the rest of this perfect, because you're what I was looking for this whole time. So don't ever say that you don't have anything to offer me or nothing worthwhile, because you have everything."
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 11:44 am
It took a lot for Ellis not to interrupt Noah; it was the redhead's nature to try and retreat from or talk over situations that made him feel uneasy and since he knew he could not just run away from this, not if he had any hope of holding onto it, then the only instinct he had left was to try and fill the awkward spaces when Noah paused to gather his thoughts. His mouth opened and closed, again and again. What did he say? What was Noah going to say? He was obviously struggling and so unsure. The only thing that filled the space was the growing crash of thunder outside and the splatter of water droplets into the pool that was spreading out beneath their feet. Noah was never lost for words but as he spoke and cut off, shifted and took breaths, all these things that Ellis expected from himself but not from Noah, it made his heart stutter in his chest and he knew he was holding a breath because his lungs felt like they were going to explode. It was almost too much for him to take - but then Noah had found his voice at last and he was spinning out an image that Ellis could see in his thoughts as clearly as the emerald eyes looking back at him. It made his brows furrow but his breath deflated in his chest while he listened, like Noah had plucked free the stitch that held it taught. A missing puzzle piece? The squeezing fingers around his were the only thing that anchored him. He could feel the tears brimming at the corners of his eyes and though he had never considered himself a person that cried a lot, it felt like Noah reached in and played his heart strings like a harpist. Not for the first time, he felt himself unwinding for this man, opening up and letting him sink back into the fragile, broken places he hid away from the world. "Noah..." It was a breath of a name because the lump in Ellis' throat squeezed harshly, strangling his voice.When he blinked, the tears gathered on his lower lid tumbled free - he wanted to reach up and scrub them away stubbornly but he didn't. Doing that meant letting go of Noah and he couldn't. His lips parted and then closed. What did he say? He wanted to tell him not to be silly, that there must have been so many better options than him in this world, that he was just some poor kid struggling to make it through life with his best friend and complicating everything along the way, but he didn't. Suddenly, Ellis wanted to be selfish for the first time in his life. He felt safe here, protected and adored and wanted. When could he ever say that he had felt that way? He had never had anyone in his life that simply wanted him, that hadn't needed him to survive or cope or exist. The tears spilled fresh and hot down his pale cheeks and even though he couldn't say a damn thing, he wrenched his hands free and lunged so that he could circle his arms around Noah's neck and crush himself against the damp, chilly fabric that separated them. "You don't make- it doesn't make sense," it was a broken whisper but his face was burying into the crook of his neck and his arms held on tight, like he was afraid Noah might melt away from him. He wasn't letting go, not for anything. His chest ached and he was so confused, but Noah wanted him and that was enough for him. His heart thundered inside of his chest and was as loud in his ears as the storm outside of Noah's walls but it was okay. This was okay. They were okay. "I'm sorry, I promise I'm not leaving, Noah." It was broken and quiet even to his own ears. "Just forgive me if I'm weird."
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 2:55 pm
Noah was good at pretty words. He was good at flirting, good at knowing what to say to make the other person feel good, good at knowing how to read an atmosphere and understand how to shift things to make it easier, lighter, more fun. He knew how to talk, and that had always been something he'd never really even thought too hard about, because it had always come naturally to him.
And they were true; he knew what to say because it was what he believed already. He could tell Ellis that he was gorgeous and that he was incredible and that he was a wood nymph after his own heart and all of that would work because it was all true, and that was the most important part of all: the fact that Noah was not and never had been a liar. He simply said out loud what other people only thought, and it wasn't always good, but it was always the truth.
Which was why he needed, desperately, for Ellis not to go. Because talking to Ellis wasn't like talking to everyone else, and that was the whole point. Noah didn't want anyone else, he didn't want Ellis to act like everyone else, and he wanted, desperately, to be able to say what it was that was on his mind, like he always had, except he felt unsteady and flustered in a way that was unfamiliar for him.
Maybe because he knew how important Ellis was to him already. Maybe because he didn't want to lose this precious, fragile thing that was between them.
Noah could see the droplets on the ends of Ellis' lashes and knew it wasn't rainwater. Something about his overbright eyes made his stomach flip, made Noah want to...he wasn't sure. Try and take away everything that had ever made Ellis sad? He had no idea whether or not this was a deal breaker, whether or not this was the last straw for Ellis, and every part of him was screaming for it not to be, because he didn't want to see this end.
And now Ellis was crying outright, tears running down his face, and Noah opened his mouth, his heart clambering in his throat, but whatever he'd been going to say died as Ellis ripped his hands away. For one heart stopping, horrifying second, he thought that Ellis was going to turn and leave - but instead Ellis was flinging himself forward, and Noah caught him instinctively, startled, feeling the crush of Ellis' body against his own, the desperate grip. His own arms tightened automatically, wrapping around Ellis, Noah's chest feeling tight.
Ellis was still crying against his neck. Noah swallowed hard against the sudden obstruction in his throat.
I promise I'm not leaving.
Pure, sweeping, overwhelming relief crashed over him. Noah almost sagged with the weight of it disappearing, but instead his arms seized around Ellis, holding him so tightly it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. His pulse was so erratic it felt unsteady, Noah turning his face into Ellis' wet hair, breathing ******** making sense," Noah mumbled. "And you're not weird. I - "
He stopped, throat working.
I think I'm falling in love with you, he'd almost said, and couldn't do it. Not now. Not yet. It felt too soon, even if everything between them had been an immediate, intense thing. But he'd already sprung this surprise over Ellis, he couldn't possibly do more than that, not when he wanted to keep Ellis in his life and make sure he could stay there without fear.
Noah pressed lips to Ellis' temple, eyes closing momentarily.
"Just remember that you're the missing piece to all of this," he said. "I don't need anything but you as you are, okay?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 4:15 pm
It was enough, for a moment, to just rest in the safe circle of Noah's arms and focus on the way he could feel his boyfriend's heart thundering wildly against his own. With his eyes shut it was no different than it had ever been. In that peaceful darkness behind his eyelids, they could have been standing still in the park or Ellis' kitchen, in a back alley or the coffee shop. No matter where they were, Noah's arms felt the same. Strong, reassuring, and safe. It was that, coupled with his gentle coaxing, that pulled Ellis back from the precipice of his panic. Pale, chilled fingers slid up into the damp locks as the base of Noah's skull and at last, very slowly, he managed to pull away and look into his face with watery eyes and tear stained cheeks. "Okay," it was low and weak, but it was affirmation none-the-less. His head dipped down and pressed a kiss, lingering and sweet, against Noah's lips. When he pulled back, he changed his mind and did it again, stealing affection for himself to beat down the nerves that stitched his shoulders tight and the lingering, anxious curling in his gut. "I trust you. It's weird for me to be somewhere like this because, holy s**t Noah," he did smile, weakly, but leaned forward to rest his head against the brunette's, "but I'll try really hard not to be too weird about it." He couldn't promise that he wouldn't be weird, but he could try. With a shaky breath, he sat up straight again and look past Noah to the room that he hadn't really studied before he started freaking out. It was a slow, careful drag of the eyes, picking out his L-shaped couch and the ivy that crawled over the window, the staircase up to the loft above them and the fireplace. That was enough to remind him how cold he was and how wet they both were. "Oh, Noah," he pulled back a little and looked down at his feet to the growing puddle,"we're making a mess."
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 6:10 pm
Water was sliding slowly down the back of Noah's shirt, slithering uncomfortably down his spine, but he wasn't paying attention to that, only to Ellis, clutching him as though he didn't want to let go. He was rocking a little without thinking; an unconscious attempt at reassuring.
There was a shift as Ellis pulled back, but cold fingers were sliding up Noah's neck, and Noah's gaze tracked the tear stains on his flushed cheeks, the redness of his eyes. His heart gave a painful sort of lurch against his ribcage, and as Ellis leaned in, his own eyes fluttered shut, Noah leaning into the kiss, needing it more than ever.
Definitely falling in love with you.
The second kiss was just as needed as the first, Noah's lashes lowering, his mouth moving against Ellis' with soft, sweet kisses that made it feel that with each press of their lips together it was adding that much air to his lungs, making it easier to breathe.
Noah's hands rose to cradle Ellis' face, forehead to forehead. "I know," he said, with a slight grimace. "But it's...I mean, it's not whatever, but it's not what it's important to me. You are. And fine, if you're weird, I'll be weirder, we'll be weird together."
He let his thumbs smooth over Ellis' jaw, and then leaned back as Ellis did, taking a breath. Noah was watching Ellis look at the rest of the room, taking in the industrial style, the comfortable leather couches, the brick and glass and metal fixtures. Wild plants were strategically located at random places, and there was an entire shelf off to the side of the living room that had nothing but old, vintage cameras placed carefully along the wood.
Noah's gaze moved back to Ellis. "s**t," he said, as though just realizing the fact that they were both drenched and shivering. "We gotta get you out of these clothes. Here, this way."
Seizing Ellis by the hand, he towed him towards the bathroom, which was located just to the left of the kitchen. It was a wide, open room with another sliding door, and inside it was warm and cozy, everything bathed in a glowing yellow light once Noah flicked on the light.
"Take off everything," Noah instructed. "I'll get some clothes, you can wear some of my stuff, we're about the same height."
They might be a little big, since Ellis was more slender than he was, but that was fine. Noah paused at the doorway, turned back, and took Ellis' face in his hands again, leaning to press a firm kiss to his lips, mouths a little cold from the rain. A clap of thunder outside made him flinch a little as he pulled back.
"You're beautiful and I like you," said Noah. "Now get naked while I get clothes," he added, with a hint of his teasing grin back again, disappearing out of the bathroom.
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