Highmauve: Tobi's Dorm

Tobi hears her wake up and shuffle over as quietly as she can manage. He's thankful for that, cause he isn't feeling up to anything right now. He feels everything a little extra as if his nerves have been scrubbed raw with a wire brush. They're exposed and being run through sand, the world a little too bright, a little too gritty.

'Least I ain't dead.' he thinks to himself as he rests his head on his arms. He takes a moment as he waits for the world to stop spinning. Waits another to be able to string together a sentence. He looks up at Noelle; his eyes blink into a hazy focus.

"Mornin'" she says. His voice is low and scratchy, sleepy and rough after losing everything in his stomach to the trashcan. "Guess now'd be a bad time t'ask fer another kiss?"

He tries to laugh, it comes out a hacking cough. The world spins and he has to lean forward on his arms again to steady himself.

"Lawd." he grumbles into the trashcan. It echos in the small, plastic space.

As soon as he starts talking, Relief washes over her.

When he leans into the trash can, she decided she was going to stay for a little bit longer, but she really needed to call home. But she needed to be there for a little bit. It was stupid how much you can miss a person even if they were in the same room for the whole night.

Noelle sits carefully down next to him and shrugs, saying in her softest voice “If we are able to get you to brush your teeth, I would have no problem with that. But-“ she plants a soft and tender kiss on his temple. Her own breath is a mixture of the moonshine and drool, so she didn’t really have room to talk. She can smell the vomit but chooses to not let it bother her “- that will have to suffice for now.”

She reaches for his hand, slowly and gently. Noelle felt incredibly selfish doing this, but she needed to know he was still there. Last night had been so crazy. She needed her rock.

"I'm sorry, but I ain't movin', darlin'." he closes his eyes against the light in the room. He vaguely feels her kiss his forehead and he can't help but smile a little tired smile. He sniffs, smells the alcohol on her breath even past the smell of the trashcan. "You been drinkin'?" he asks offhandedly. He looks up at her blearily, turns his head, looks around at his room.

He blinks through the haze of his vision. Past the blurriness, he can see something strange on his floor. There's rustling whenever the breeze sighs soft through the window, something that sounds a lot like...

"Leaves?" he murmurs, confused. "Why're there leaves in m'room? Wha'd you two e'en do last night, I swear t'God..." he sighs as he curls his fingers around hers. It seems like an instinctual reaction, one that he's doesn't seem to even realize he's doing.

Noelle nods, her fingers curling around his as well, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand. She hoped he didn't mind. The motion comforted her more than anything- she liked the feeling of him under her thumb, his roughed callused skin giving her a texture to memorize.

"Yeah. Agnes and I drank a bit last night. And the leaves... I need to talk to you about something." Her voice is still soft, but it is obviously serious "Your mother stopped by last night... And all I need to say is that I think you and Agnes should reach out and visit them. Wherever they are. Because they miss you so much, Tobi. So much that it hurts." Her hand absently squeezes his "And they can visit you, but I really think that you should go and spend some time with them. You miss that part of your life... I hear it in your voice when you talk about it. When you look at your quilts. When you are with Agnes. You miss it so much."

After a moment of silence, Noelle continues "Just reach out, okay? Also...." She pauses, her voice shaking a little bit "I think I'm going to go home for a couple days. After everything... I need my mom. I need to be a kid again for a moment and just... cry in my mother's arms. I'm going to stay here with you for a little longer, but I'll probably leave later today. It's only a three-hour drive and she has Sundays off."

That statement takes a lot out of Noelle. She leans her head back on the wall, closing her eyes. She looked and felt like a hot mess. The hole in her stomach was still there, but holding Tobi's hand kept it at bay. Kept it from growing.

Tobi stares at her half lidded as she speaks. He still a little woozy, his brain's a lot fuzzy, and he's only getting about every third word. He watches her mouth move as if in slow motion, the words coming through like they're both underwater. She's serious about something, that he can tell, but he's not sure what. He just nods at what he feels are the right intervals and prays that he's right.

She pauses. He blinks. She continues.

He listens to her, still only catching about every other word. They blur together in his mind, the words are somewhat clear but their meaning just isn't clicking quite right. He catches the word 'mother' a couple times, figures its about Noelle's mom. Maybe she's coming to visit? Or Noelle's going home. He can't blame her; after everything that's gone on, he'd go home if he had the chance.

He nods at her and settles on what he thinks is a safe guess. "You take care'a ya'self." With that he slumps against his bed. Maybe just a few more hours in bed, and he'd feel less like he's been hit by a truck.

Noelle sighs and sits there with him for a while until she was sure that he was asleep or close enough to it. It was at least an hour. She didn't expect Tobi to listen or fully understand what she was saying. She was going to have to reiterate later when he was feeling better.

Leaning down, Noelle gave him a soft peck on his hand, before getting up and gathering her stuff as quietly as humanly possible. She didn't have much, but she grabbed her still wet dress, her bag. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing, deciding that she would take them and get them washed before she returned them. She looks at the box on the ground. She carefully picks it up and puts it on the spot she slept on the couch. She still wasn't sure if it was intended for her, but she knew Tobi or Agnes would know. Noelle yawns silently and looks back at Tobi before she leaves.

One more for the road.

She gives him a gentle kiss on the bridge of his nose and quietly walks out and back to her own dorm.

________________________________________
A Couple Hours Later

Noelle is standing outside Tobi's door. She had cleaned up: showered, brushed, and dressed, the only thing that really stood out was her tired eyes and pale skin. She wears some jeans and a dark red and black flannel, her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Her glasses are on but rest further down her nose than usual. She has her leather messenger bag slung across her chest and is holding Tobi's clothes in one hand, which are neatly folded and washed. It was late afternoon, around 4 PM. She hoped enough time had passed.

While she was gone, Noelle had packed everything she needed for a couple days home, including her cat. But her mother had told her that she wasn't going to start her drive down unless she did something first. Noelle tried to explain that it wasn't nessacary and it would be best to wait on it, but Karen Scott was not a woman who took no for an answer. Obviously.

She's on her phone, looking slightly exasperated and annoyed. She says a quiet "Mom... Mom, he isn't feeling good. Yeah, he was awake... Mom... Ugh... Okay, I'll try. Okay, Okay...."

Noelle tentatively knocks on the door, ever so softly. The last thing she wanted was to make things worse than they already were.

The handle on the door clicks, and the door is swung open. Tobi stands in the entry way, a thick sandwich in one hand. He's in a newer, cleaner pair of sweatpants and a different dark green t-shirt. His hair is mussed and still wet from the shower. Crumbs stick to his mouth from the crunchy bread of the sandwich. His eyes widen fractionally when he sees Noelle and his lips tug up in a soft smile.

"You're back," he says. "What's up?" He steps aside to let her into the room. He takes the edge of his shirt as she passes and lifts it to wipe away the crumbs on his face.

The leaves have been cleaned from the floor, though a few have been tucked between some of his books on the bookshelf. Agnes is sitting on Tobi's couch with a laptop of her own in her lap and a pair of thick headphones covering her ears. She looks up as Noelle walks in, gives her a little wave. The box the twins' mother left is sitting open on the sofa next to Agnes. It's contents aren't visable from where Tobi and Noelle stand in the room.

The room smells cleaner, feels less musty. Tobi can honestly say he's feeling the same. He's gained back a bit of color and his head no longer feels like its being crushed in a vice. He regards Noelle with much clearer, brighter grey eyes and waits patiently.

Noelle gives a very soft smile, her body completely relaxing. She takes a step inside and is relieved that the room felt like Tobi's again. She hadn't realized how dark and dank it had become the night before. She notices that the leaves had been cleaned up, and returns the wave to Agnes.

She looks at Tobi with apologetic eyes "My mom wants to talk to you. She's not picking me up unless she does. I know you're really tired, but it'll be really quick." She offers the phone to him, gingerly.

Noelle notices the crumbs and begins to stare at his lips for a second, before blushing and looking back into his alert eyes. "If she's too loud, just tell her."

_________
Portland, Maine

Karen Scott is holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear while hand mixing what looks like cake batter in her much too small kitchen.

She's a dead ringer for Noelle. She's tall and slender, with dark, wide eyes and a thin face. Her hair, though a dark pewter brown and without bangs, was in a long low ponytail down her back, a few strands escaping and laying on top of her face. The only differences are that her pale skin was free of freckles, her button nose, and her face was covered in smile lines. She wears jeans and a t-shirt, both stained with batter. Her eyes shine with pride and appreciation, though she knows she isn't sharing them with anyone.

"Hello! Is this Tobias?"

Her Down East accent is extremely prevalent even though the normal tells aren't there in that sentence. Somewhere between a drawl and lift, it sounds like a long drink of water. Her r's are dropped, her word endings are nonexistent (especially when it came to g's), and her vowels were wide and broad. It's like Noelle's slip the other night, but joyful and unhiding. She's cheerful and chipper, her voice showing that.

"Ne'er too tired." he hums as he gingerly takes the phone from Noelle. He doesn't quite understand what's happening, but if it helps Noelle, well, it's just a phone call. He puts the phone to ear before realizing he's still holding his sandwich. That's probably rude. Especially to someone's Ma. She might not be in the room, but it still feels a touch disrespectful.

'Trade you,' he mouths at Noelle and holds his sandwich out for her to take.

He listens to the voice on the phone. She sounds just like a more chipper version of Noelle. She's got an accent too, something he's not too familiar with. He wonders briefly if Noelle carries it with her too, wonders if he could ask her about it someday. It'd be cute, he thinks. Shame she hides it if she does have it.

"Yes ma'am, Tobias Rudolf Maynard. Most jus' call me Tobi." he answers in his own Appalachian drawl.

Noelle takes the sandwich, but mouths back "I am so sorry about this."

She goes and sits n the bed, watching Tobi. Her mom was a lot. And Noelle knew Tobi's own mother now to compare it. In fact, her own mother would probably scare the poor boy half to death. Noelle could hear her through the phone, and turns bright red, hiding her face in her hands.

Sweet Jesus, here we go.

_________________________

Karen turns down the old style AM/FM radio that sits on the counter. It's playing an old 70s hits. Not disco, much more light-hearted and fun. She puts the bowl down and takes out a cupcake tray and cupcake liners, beginning to place them in each divot. All the while, she is talking "Thank the Lawd. I love my dahghter, but she has a tendency to be a lil shy about these thin's. I'm Karen. It'sa pleasuah ta meet ya."

She stops working for a moment, one hand on the counter to hold herself up "Now listen. I know tha' Noelle doesn' connect with people easily. She's been like tha' fah a while now. I am so grateful tha' you are a par; of her life. She needs someone like you tah keep her in check. I bet ya notice how she dives deep inta thin's without thinkin' and once she has huh hooks in, that's all she think's abou'. She stops eatin' and sleepin' and takin' care of herself. And I jus' wanna say, from the bottom of my hauht, thank you."

Now she stands up, and seats herself on the counter, leaning forward, a sudden intensity in her voice "Also, thank ya for protectin' huh from tha' boy. If I'd been down there mysel', you best believe I'd done what you did. T'aint righ' for a boy to do tha'. If you'd been there a secon' too late... I don' even wan' to think about tit." Karen sighs into the reciever "You bettah believe tha' next time I'm down there, I'm findin' you and givin you a real thank ya."

There's a pause and Karen's smile returns "Of course, I'm getting somethin' togethuh fo' you too. Noelle says you don' like sweets, so I'm tryin' to figure out what I should send ya. Jerky, maybe? One o' my own hand knit sweatuh's? Books?"

She gives a sweet-natured laugh "Course, tha's my Noelle for ya. I sen' her whah'evah I fin' in our secon' han' shop. But wha' woul' you like, sweethaht?"

Tobi stands in the middle of the room, slowly going more and more wide eyed as the conversation goes on. He doesn’t move from his spot, he’s more concerned with keeping up with the woman on the other end of the phone. It’s a lot to digest, a lot she’s trying to tell him.

“Aw, well, I jus’ did what were right, ain’t no need t’do nuthin’, ma’am.” He flushes slightly. The red tint spills across his cheeks and under his freckles. He raises the hand that isn’t holding the phone to the back of his neck and rubs it lightly.

Agnes catches a glance at her brother in the middle of the room, looking increasingly flustered. She’s curious and takes off her headphones to hear better.

Tobi’s blush deepens to almost a vivid red. “Nah, ma’am, ain’t no need.” He says. “You don’t gotta get me nothin’.” He starts to fidget in the small space of the dorm room. This woman on the other end seems so nice, so genuine, but talks so much. He doesn’t want to take advantage of her kindness just for doing the right thing. “I’s really fine, ma’am.”

Agnes giggles from her seat on the sofa; Tobi shoots her a dirty look.

Noelle groans, looking up, but only her eyes are visible. She watches the redness reach his cheeks, and her own flush deepens. Her mother was torturing the poor boy with her gratitude and gift giving. Noelle seriously loved her mom, but she was a lot.

Noelle snaps her attention to Tobi and mouths 'You can hand me the phone.'

She reaches out her hand, clearly mortified. She looks at Agnes apologetically as well.

___________________________________________________________

Karen smiles at his initial response. He was a polite young man, a perfect suitor for her daughter. Of course, she knew that by the way Noelle spoke of the boy everytime they had a conversation. Even with Evan, Karen thought with a grimace, Tobi was always her champion.

But when he said doesn't need anything, she hums, not believing him for a second "Bless yuh hauht, bu' I'm gettin' ya somethin'. Sendin' it ya way when Noelle get's back. So, ya can either tell me whatcha wan', or I'll pack anythin' an' everythin' I can think o' that you'll like. An' you can ask Noelle, I mean everythin'. An' don' think of it as a rewar' or nothin'. It's just' a small gif' from ya friend's mahm. No hahm in tha', righ' Tobi?"

She starts back to work, pouring the batter into the liners. It's meticulous and clean, reminiscent of Noelle whenever she works on anything. She's smiling, looking out the window right above her sink, which looked into her small backyard. Noelle's little sister Joy was sitting in the grass on a picnic blanket, reading.

Tobi strains to hear the woman on the other end of the phone. Even with the volume as loud as it could go, which he silently thanked Noelle for, phones were always a little difficult for him to hear. He pads barefoot across the room as he paces rounds.

This woman was so different from his own mom. He’s got no reference point here, no experience to pull from. What do normal care packages have in them? Peanut butter? Mac and cheese? Ramen? He hated the stuff.

He had heard kids talk about cookies or other baked goods, but he wasn’t overly fond of anything sweet. This woman seemed to know that, thank god, but that left him with nothing. He always appreciated what his own parents sent him, but he doubts Noelle’s mom would be willing to send him moonshine or anything else his parents do. He looks towards the leaves, animal skulls, and other handmade items his parents had made him on one of his shelves, looks away.

Tobi stares at the floor in confused thought. “I guess,” he starts. Decides to play it safe. “Whate’er y’pack woul’ be fine. I ‘preciate it.” He looks back up, catches Noelle looking fit to die on his bed and asking for the phone back. Agnes is watching the scene before her, silently amused.

He decides to take Noelle up on her offer. This was all a little bit much. The woman was so kind, so appreciative, so forceful in her kindness. His face burns bright red.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he watches Agnes mouth the word ma’am back at him with a smug smile, chooses to ignore her. “I think yer daugh’er’s askin’ for the phone back.”

"Well, I'm goin' to hafta take ya up on tha' offuh." Karen smiles, watching Joy outside. The youngest daughter was reading some books that she had picked up from the library- it reminded her of Noelle before she had the sudden turn and aversion to people. After everything that had happened, Karen would have to force her daughter out of her room for dinner. Sounds like that's changing a little. The thought makes her tone even cheerier.

When Tobi is offering the phone back to Noelle, she starts to put the cupcakes in the oven, thinking it over "Alrigh', alrigh'. Put her on. But, befuh I go, thank you again. For everythin' tha' you've done fo' huh. She's a tough nut ta crack, bu' it sounds like she has finally foun' a frien'. And I will forever be gra'ful tha' you ae in my dahghters life. She speaks so highly o' you- I sweuh, she has never spoken abou' anyone like she does with you. You mean a lo' to huh, and I hope ya treasuh huh fo' tha. I'll see ya soon. Get well soon, sweethauht!"

_______________________________________________________

As soon as Noelle hears the conversation peter out, she reaches for the phone and talks "Yeah? Yeah..... Mom... Oh my god, mom stop! Yes, he... Okay. Yeah... Seven? Yeah, I can do that. Yes. Love you too. See you soon. Bye."

She hangs up the phone, her face still was still bright enough red to compete with Tobi's. She doesn't look at his face to compare "I'm sorry... She's a lot. I love her. She's a lot. Too much sometimes."

The stark contrasts between their voices become apparent. While the lilt and tone were the same, the cheer and brightness in her mother's voice are replaced with a soft anxiety.

"Well, thank ya, ma'am. I 'preciate it." Tobi nods and hands the phone back to Noelle. He watches her stutter into the phone, trying to get a word in. It's cute, seeing her with her mom, even if it's just over the phone. He sighs out a shaky breath and wills the heat in his face to fade. A hand comes up to run through his hair and tangles into the curls there.

Noelle hangs up the phone and turns to him, face down and apologetic. He shakes his head in response. "She's nice." he answers. "She a lot, but she's nice." He pauses, thinks a bit.

"Got ya all flustered," Agnes chirps from her spot on the couch. Her voice lowers in imitation of her brother's. "Yes ma'am, thank ya, ma'am. I ain't e'er heard so many 'ma'am's in my life." She chuckles.

"Shut y'r mouth." Tobi grumbles. He can feel the heat rising in his cheeks again. Her mom asking to talk to him had him surprisingly nervous. He had wanted to make a good impression, he hoped he had. It's not like he hadn't dealt with parents before what with being an RA, but he'd never been interested in any of their kids. He smacks his hands to his face, rubs his eyes under his glasses. This weekend was going to kill him. Murder him dead.

"So, leavin' at se'en?" he asks Noelle as he sighs out, trying to change the subject.

Noelle watches the twin's exchange and it made her turn even more red-faced. She felt so embarrassed about the whole situation. She understood why her mom was doing this- Noelle hadn't been close to a peer in ages, and even as a child, she kept to herself mainly. Her mom hasn't had the chance to roll out the red carpet for a friend for a long time. But It mortified Noelle that her mother decided to tell Tobi how much she had talked about him with every call home. Also, her rigid gratitude- Tobi was clearly uncomfortable with the gift and praise-giving language her mother had.

She finally looks up at him when he mentions that she was leaving "Yeah. I'm going to gone for maybe two days. I've already emailed my professors and explained the situation at high, no detail level. I'm lucky that my midterm projects were mainly papers that I had finished a couple weeks ago or can finish at home and send in. I haven't heard any no's to that."

Noelle had to silently admit to herself she felt guilty about going home. Here Tobi was, receiving the short end of the stick all weekend, and she was the one who needed to go home. It made her feel weak. She didn't voice this because, deep down, she knew this was the right decision for her. She did hope to have a moment of privacy with Tobi before she left. She purposefully brushed her teeth twice. And that thought made her look away. 'God, I'm such a dork.'

"Sounds nice." He nods. "Glad you're takin' care of y'self. Y'ma sounds like a fun lady." He smiles at her. There's satisfaction there as well as a bit of relief. He wants her to be safe, to remove herself for even a little bit from the fallout from the homecoming dance. It had been hard on everyone involved and was only bound to get more messy, more tangled as time went on. He didn't want to think about the consequences, didn't want to think about the boy he had knocked out (though it still felt so damn good). Tobi's glad she's taking some time, finding some peace. She deserves it. He'll miss her for sure, but it won't be so bad. He's got midterms to keep himself busy.

He pauses, looks over at Agnes on the sofa, and the small box next to her. His gaze seems faraway for a moment.

"She left you somthin', by the way." he says. He assumes Noelle knows who he's talking about. With that he moves towards the box and pulls out the small package his mother had left.

They had both found the box this morning in the middle of the mess of leaves in his room. First, there had been confusion. It had taken them a bit, as well as Tobi recalling what Noelle had tried to tell him that morning as he lost his lunch into the trashcan. He loves the girl, really does, but that hadn't been quite the time to deliver the news that his Ma had visited them. Heck, she's probably the only reason he's standing so soon after the incident. They had cleaned up the leaves, gathering them and throwing them out the open window, before taking the box from the center and opening it.

Inside had been a plethora of the usual offerings. Another, albeit smaller, jar of moonshine was nestled in the box. It was blackberry this time, Tobi's favorite. His Pa had packed them a small wrapped package of young dandelions and a few wild mushrooms. A neat looking rock had been hidden underneath the plants as well a a single tooth from an unidentifiable animal, and these Agnes had claimed for herself. Finally, there was a small bundle wrapped in a leaf and tied with twine. Underneath, a handwritten note in his mother's elegant scrawl.

The scrawl of course was unreadable, in a language unique to her. A little drawing of a bird had been scribbled next to the words. Tobi had shaken his head and shoved the note on the top shelf of his desk with the rest of the things his mother had sent him, keeping the package in the box.

Inside the leaf and twine parcel is a necklace. The cord is a thin leather with no decoration save for the decent sized pendant that dangles from it. It's a chunk of purple gemstone worked inside a beautiful sliver setting. It's simple but elegant, earthy, and entirely handmade.

"Oh, lepidolite." Agnes says, looking over. "Ma's got you nailed."

"It's f'r stress relief." Tobi adds.

Noelle takes the box with shaky hands. It was obvious that her own mother had given her gifts before- she found she signified Fridays with a package rather than the start of a weekend. But she hadn't received a gift in this manner from anyone else.... ever. Evan's gifts were superficial- he'd gotten them because he liked them. But whatever was in the small parcel was special for her.

She carefully unravels the twine, slowly and purposefully. When she finally saw what was in it, a sound escaped her lips. It was between a squeak and a gasp. It was so simple yet so elegant- she touched the stone, extremely gently. Her eyes shined with admiration. A small smile plays her lips. She turns to Tobi "Could you thank her for me? Please?"

The utter appreciation in her voice was abundant, and it seems to have made her whole day so much brighter. She stares at it for a moment, then looks back at Tobi again "Can you help me?" She lifts the leather strap, carefully.

Tobi's lips tilt up. Noelle seems to obviously love the gift. Her face was delighted, the tone in her voice so much lighter. She asks for her to thank his mother, then for help and he's more than happy to do both. He moves into her space and takes the necklace from her, undoing the fastenings. He drapes it around her neck where it settles light on her chest.

"I'd be happy tah." He murmurs behind her. His eyes crinkle at the edges to match his smile. Broad fingers brush against the nape of her neck as he works the fastening closed. "Agnes and I might be headin' out there soon."

He and Agnes had talked it over ever since he remembered what Noelle had said. They wanted to see their parents, and it seemed like they missed them just as much if their mom had made the trip all the way over to Highmauve. It would be after midterms of course, Tobi had a few that he needed to be actually present for, but they would most definitely be leaving within the week.

"That's really really great." She sounds almost completely back to her old self- as if the chaos from the night before has finally left her. It hasn't, but she was relieved and, honestly, a little proud that he had listened to her about her thoughts. She felt a sudden pang of longing. It was highly unlikely that they would be able to see each other within the next week, now that they were both leaving. Tobi would probably miss her birthday.

But it was what was best for the both of them. In a moment of boldness, Noelle smiles a little bit more "Tell your parents I said Hello."

She looks down at the necklace and beams back up at him, turning, so her hair is now draped over her shoulder. She meets his eyes- her coffee brown one's were brimming with happiness. She knew things weren't perfect, but she chose to just live in this moment. To enjoy herself.

She's looking back at him now, her hair draped over one shoulder and a necklace his own family made. The sight makes something warm fill his own chest, bubbling up like warm sunshine at noonday. Her eyes meet his and he's lost. Lost in her eyes, lost in the feeling, lost in the moment. She makes him forget the world around him so easily.

"I'll let'm know." he nods and smiles at her, soft and fond.

"Thank you." Noelle's gaze softens, even more, but then she sighs "I have to go finish packing. I seriously hope that you have a great time at home."

She's about to lean in for a kiss, but she stops, turning bright red. This is because of two reasons.

1. She felt just a touch awkward kissing him while she was 3 feet away from his twin sister who would probably tease him to the nth degree about it.

2. She felt deeply insecure about where she stands with him. With everything that had happened, she was unsure that Tobi actually wanted to be with her. She knew her feelings hadn't changed, in fact, she felt an even deeper connection and appreciation between the two of them, but had his thoughts for her changed? The look on his face counter-argued, but she couldn't help but wonder-

She shakes the thought from her mind. Noelle needed to reset at home. She could talk to him about everything later. Or not. Whatever he needed.

During this time she is staring at him, her eyes soft and demure.

He sees her lean in for a kiss. He's prepared to meet her there, continue where they had left off at the dance, but she pulls away as if she's rethought. He's gotta admit, it hurts a little bit. Then his sister shifts on the couch, the gentle 'shh' of fabric on fabric echoing in the soft room and he remembers.

'Oh yeah,' he thinks. 'Agnes's still here.'

He blinks and looks at her. She's watching him with soft eyes and damn, if that don't make his brain go a little fuzzy. All he wants to do is lean in a press his lips to hers, but he respects her wishes. If she don't wanna, he won't.

"You have a great time a'home. Say hi t'ya ma for me." he says instead.

Noelle frowns slightly, but quickly resets "I will do both of those things."

She gets up to leave, disappointed in herself. She wasn't going to see him for a while and leaving it like this just made the emptiness inside of her grow. She realized how much she was going to miss him, She realized how much she had been leaning on him for the past couple of weeks. She remembered the protective and gentle nature that he radiated, the warmth she felt when he was near.

Ah, fuck it.

She turns back to him, and places her lips on his, kissing him tenderly. It's different than the night before. There wasn't hesitation or a reserved shyness to it. While she was still insecure, she knew that it was probably coming mainly from her side, from the anxiousness that climbed up in her chest.

She wraps her arms around his neck, losing herself for a moment.

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

6:00 PM

Noelle knocked gently on the door. It had been a long day- she had gone from work to class to class to tutoring to her first counseling session without skipping a beat. And along the way, she couldn’t shake the feeling as if Evan was near. Every blonde boy she passed warranted a double take and a spike of adrenaline. But her day was done, and she had texted Tobi a little earlier, asking to hang out. He had a really important meeting today, but she didn’t hear the details. She hoped it went okay, as she knew he was exhausted. A little R and R was just what they both needed, and Noelle was happy to supply.

So that is why she stood outside his door, holding her favorite knit blanket her mother had insisted that she have after her visit home. She wore some loose sweatpants and a large crew neck sweatshirt, her hair in a wet bun from her recent shower. Her skin was pink and fresh, and she smelled like soap and lavender. Of course, the lepidolite necklace hangs around her neck, as she very rarely takes it off. She had spent a couple minutes in the mirror, making sure each hair was in place, that her clothes weren’t too sloppy. She then fed her cat, grabbed her bag with a couple of the used books Tobi had given her for her birthday, and then was on her way. She walked across campus, excitement twisting in her stomach and chest, her lips playing a soft smile. She stopped at the campus coffee shop and got the largest cup of black coffee she could, as well as a medium cup of tea for herself. She then marched herself to his dorm, determined for a calm and relaxing night.

Noelle waits, silently for the answer, trying to contain her excitement from seeing him.  It had only been two days since they both confessed their feelings, so it all felt raw and new. It was exhilarating.