・┈・୨୧・┈・

When you woke up, the room was still dark. You could tell the sun would soon be rising, the way the sky was beginning to get lighter, the light peeking through the edge of the curtains.

For a few moments you stayed exactly where you were, warm beneath the covers, Noah’s arm still draped around you from where he’d fallen asleep holding you. You smiled to yourself as you replayed last night- and the entirety of yesterday- over in your head. 

But then the smile slowly started to fade, because the second your mind caught up properly, you really remembered last night. Not just the way he touched you, or the bath afterwards, or how soft he became later when he held you against his chest like he didn’t want to let go…

But the things he’d said. The way his voice had dropped lower as he whispered filth into your ear, it was hot and teasing at first… until it became something almost colder. 

This is what I’m paying for.

At the time you were caught up in him and the heat of everything, but now in the quiet of the morning it replayed differently in your head. And the more you thought about it, the more it twisted… because you didn’t know if he meant it, if that was all this was to him.

He could’ve lied all along about having no expectations to get you right where he wanted you- and you were so stupid for falling for it. You were just a pretty girl he flew to Paris and spoiled for the weekend in return for sex.

You felt sick at the thought of it. 

Carefully, trying not to wake him, you turned onto your other side until your back faced him instead, pulling the blankets a little higher around yourself.

You stared at the wall silently, overthinking every little thing. The kisses, the teasing, the softness afterward. Whether any of it had actually meant something.

Behind you, Noah stirred in his sleep, his arm tightening around your waist for a second before relaxing again.

Your eyes shut for a moment and you told yourself to go back to sleep… but it was impossible. Because no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shut your brain off. 

A little while later, you felt movement behind you again. The mattress dipped slightly as Noah leaned closer, still warm and sleepy, and then you felt his lips brush softly against your bare shoulder with a lazy, absentminded kiss. Like he assumed you were still asleep.

Your heart ached.

He stayed there for another second before pulling away, and you listened as he climbed out of bed with a small groan and then disappeared into the bathroom. 

The sound of the shower started not long after, and you stayed exactly where you were. And by the time the water shut off, your stomach was tied in knots. You heard drawers opening, the soft rustling of movement, then eventually the bathroom door opened again.

You didn’t turn around, you didn’t move at all, but a second later, Noah’s voice cut softly through the silence.

“I know you’re awake, by the way.”

Your heart began to pick up as you slowly rolled onto your back, finally looking over.

He was standing near the bathroom doorway with a towel hanging low around his hips, his hair damp from the shower, shaving cream still spread across one side of his jaw where he clearly hadn’t finished yet.

But despite how unfairly attractive he looked, his expression had already changed into something more concerned. 

“Is everything okay?” He asked quietly.

“Yeah.” You said automatically, the lie coming out before you even thought about how to tell him the truth. And judging by the way his brows pulled together slightly, he knew you were lying. 

Noah held your gaze for another second, like he was trying to decide whether to push it or not. Then, gently, he nodded.

“Okay,” he said quietly, though it was obvious he didn’t fully believe you.

He grabbed his phone and disappeared back into the bathroom a moment later, and you heard the tap running again, the soft scrape of the razor against his skin while you stayed wrapped up beneath the covers, staring at the bathroom door.

Your chest still felt tight, because part of you wanted to brush it off, tell yourself you were overthinking, pretend you hadn’t been bothered by it at all.

But another part of you couldn’t stop hearing it in your mind, replaying it over and over. 

This is what I’m paying for.

Eventually, you pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed slowly, your tank top slipping slightly off one shoulder as you wandered towards the bathroom.

Noah looked up through the mirror the second you appeared behind him.

“There you are,” he said, rinsing the razor beneath the water before glancing at you properly. “C’mere.”

You stepped closer, stopping beside the sink while he turned slightly toward you. He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you into a hug before kissing your forehead. But when he pulled back, his eyes scanned your face carefully. Then his hand came up, brushing gently along your arm.

“Last night wasn’t too much, was it?” He asked quietly. 

The question caught you a little off guard, and when you hesitated, his brows furrowed slightly. 

“I just wanna make sure you’re okay,” he said, voice softer now. “You’ve seemed different this morning...”

Your stomach twisted, because now you had to decide whether you just lie about it and pretend everything's normal, or tell him the truth- though it’d feel a little awkward. 

You took in a breath, before shaking your head. 

“No, it wasn’t too much,” you said quietly. Then after a second you added, “…but there is something I wanted to talk about.”

Immediately, his full attention settled on you.

“Okay,” he said gently. “What is it?”

You opened your mouth, and then his phone started ringing. The sound cut through the quiet room, making both of you glance toward it on the counter.

Noah groaned under his breath.

“Sorry.” He shook his head, already sounding annoyed by it, “It doesn’t matter, what do you want to talk about?”

But the phone kept ringing, and you couldn’t ignore it. So you looked away and took a step back. 

“It’s okay,” you said quietly. “You should get that.”

He hesitated, and for a moment longer he looked like he was considering ignoring it. But then the ringing stopped… only to start again. It must’ve been something important. 

“…I’ll be two minutes,” he promised, his eyes drifting back to you carefully. “Then we’ll talk, okay?”

You forced a small smile.

“Okay.”

He reached for your hand and gave it a quick squeeze before taking his phone and heading back out into the room to answer it, leaving you standing alone in the bathroom while your heart sank just a little at the timing. You stayed there for a moment, just staring at yourself in the mirror while the muffled sound of Noah’s voice carried from the other room. 

You couldn’t help but notice how different he sounded over the phone- more closed off and professional. It reminded you again that there were parts of his life you still didn’t have any idea about, parts he didn’t want to talk about, he didn’t want to share with you. 

You sighed softly and turned away from the mirror, deciding to at least use the bathroom while he was busy in there. By the time you finished and washed your hands, he sounded quieter now, like he was trying to wrap up the call. 

When you stepped back into the bedroom, Noah was sitting on the edge of his bed with his phone beside him on the bed, his elbows resting on his knees. But the moment he spotted you, he looked up, and whatever tension had settled into his face during the call softened when he met your eyes.

“Sorry about that,” he said quietly as you walked closer, and Noah reached for your hand the second you were within reach, his fingers wrapping gently around yours. “It was something to do with work. I won’t bore you with the details.” 

“It’s okay.” You said with a quiet huff of a laugh… but Noah was watching your face, like he was trying to figure out how you were feeling. 

But instead, his thumb brushed over your knuckles before he asked softly,

“Do you wanna order room service for breakfast?”

The question caught you off guard slightly, mostly because of how normal it sounded after the heaviness hanging between you, but you nodded anyway. 

“Sure.” 

“What’re you feeling?” He asked. 

You shrugged a little, still sleepy, still not fully emotionally recovered from waking up and already being in your own head.

“I dunno… coffee for sure.”

That got the smallest smile out of him.

“Okay, coffee. Anything else?”

You thought for a second before smiling,

“A croissant, maybe?”

“Of course,” he said as he stood up, reaching for the room service menu before sitting back down again, gently tugging you closer until you were standing between his knees. “C’mere,” he whispered distractedly while scanning the menu. “You look like you still need cuddles.”

Your heart squeezed unexpectedly at that, because if this was fake, he was very good at making it feel real. Still, you let him pull you closer, your hands resting gently on his shoulders while he wrapped one arm loosely around your waist and started reading the breakfast options out loud… like the conversation from earlier hadn’t almost changed everything between you.

Noah was still looking through the menu when he glanced up at you again, his thumb rubbing absentmindedly against your side before he quietly asked, 

“What was it you wanted to talk about before?”

You looked down for a second, your fingers gently playing with the chain around his neck while you tried to figure out how to word it without sounding stupid, or too sensitive… but he noticed your hesitation. 

“Hey,” he said softly, setting the menu down on the bed beside him so he could focus on you properly. “Talk to me, baby. What’s wrong?”

You swallowed.

“Some of the things you said last night just made me feel a little…” You hesitated again, searching for the word. “...weird.”

His brows pulled together in an instant.

“What do you mean?”

You looked away for a second before forcing yourself to continue.

“When we were having sex,” you said softly. “You kept saying stuff about… this being what you’re paying for.”

The second the words left your mouth, confusion crossed his face.

Not defensive confusion, but like he honestly had no idea what you meant at first.

“What?” He frowned. “I said that?”

You nodded.

“More than once… just worded differently.” You said quietly, almost embarrassed. 

For a second he just stared at you, clearly replaying the night in his head. Then his entire face fell.

“Fuck,” he said quietly, one hand dragging across his jaw. “Baby…”

Your chest tightened slightly at the pet name, but it didn’t completely soothe the ache sitting there, and Noah looked genuinely frustrated with himself now.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said quickly, his voice softer now, more careful. “Jesus, I was so fucked out last night my brain wasn’t even working properly… you were making me feel too good.”

You stayed quiet, and then he stood up, his hands immediately finding your waist again like he needed to be close to you while he explained himself.

“I swear to you,” he said, looking directly into your eyes now, “That is not how I see you.”

“But you said it.” You whispered.

“I know.” He said, frowning a little with guilt. “And I’m sorry.”

You could tell that he meant it.

“I think…” he exhaled softly, trying to explain himself properly. “I think I was trying to lean into the whole dynamic we’ve been joking about, the sugar daddy thing, and it just came out wrong…” His hands rubbed gently up your arms. “I would never want you thinking I only brought you here for sex. I thought I made that clear.”

You nodded slightly, but the feeling in your chest didn’t fully disappear, because logically, you understood what he was saying. But emotionally, it didn’t change a thing. The doubt and insecurity still lingered. The reminder that Noah had money, power, and this whole life you didn’t fully fit into yet… that maybe you were just a pretty distraction for him. You heard the work call just now, and he sounded stressed, maybe you were just here to take his mind off it for the weekend. 

He noticed that you still looked uncertain, and his face softened even more as one of his hands came up to tilt your chin gently toward him.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Look at me.”

You did.

“You think I’d hold you all night afterward if you were just some girl on my arm? You think I’d wait this long to take you to bed?”

You swallowed hard. 

“I don’t know,” you whispered honestly. “Maybe that’s just who you are.”

You watched as his face fell, sadness creeping into his features, because now he was realising that this had gotten into your head far more deeply than he though. And for a moment, he looked like he was almost worried about losing you. 

The longer he looked at you, the more guilty he felt. Like the idea that he’d genuinely hurt your feelings was eating away at him already. His hands stayed warm against your arms, his thumbs brushing softly over your skin while he searched your face carefully, like he was trying to figure out just how much damage he’d done.

“Fuck,” he breathed, more to himself this time. “I’m an idiot.”

You shook your head immediately.

“No, you’re not-”

“Yes, I am,” he interrupted softly, though there wasn’t any sharpness in it. “Because you’re standing here thinking you’re just some pretty thing I wanted to sleep with, and that’s… sweetheart, that’s not even close.”

Your heart ached at how sincere he sounded.

Noah exhaled slowly before leaning forward and pressing a kiss against your forehead, his hands sliding around your waist afterward until he was holding you properly against him.

“You should’ve told me sooner, I wouldn’t have answered that call if I knew,” he whispered against your hair. “I hate that you woke up feeling like that.”

You melted into him a little despite yourself, your arms slowly wrapping around him too. And for a moment he just held you there quietly, like the world had paused for just the two of you. 

But eventually he pulled back slightly, enough to look at you properly again.

“Okay,” he said softly, more determined now. “I’m fixing this.”

You blinked at him.

“Noah it’s-”

“Nope.” He pointed gently toward the bed. “Sit. I’m ordering breakfast and then I’m spending the rest of the day reminding you how spoiled and happy you should be feeling right now.”

That finally got the tiniest laugh out of you.

“There’s that smile.” He teased, clearly relieved to see it.

He kept one arm around your waist while reaching for the phone to call room service with the other, and you stayed tucked against his side listening to him casually order enough breakfast for an entire family. He asked for pancakes, pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, extra whipped cream because apparently “she deserves it,” and you rolled your eyes at that while he smirked into the phone.

Once breakfast arrived, Noah carried everything out to the balcony for you, the morning air cool and fresh against your skin and you had such a lovely view of Paris before you.

You wondered if it’d feel awkward after having that conversation, but it didn’t. If anything, Noah seemed even softer now and more attentive.

You sat cross legged in one of the chairs with a blanket wrapped around your legs while Noah sat beside you, one arm lazily draped behind you while you both picked at breakfast. 

He watched you take a sip of coffee before speaking again.

“I have a few calls I need to take today,” he said carefully, like he was worried you’d take it the wrong way now. “But if I can get them rescheduled for when I’m back home, I will.” You looked over at him just as he reached over, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear gently. “The rest of today’s yours,” he said quietly. “I wanna take you wherever you wanna go. Shopping, lunch, sightseeing, whatever you want.”

A small smile tugged at your lips despite yourself.

“Whatever I want?”

“Mm, dangerous, I know.”

You laughed softly, but the relief on his face at hearing it again was almost heartbreaking.

“I’m serious,” he said, his thumb brushing lightly against your cheek now. “I wanna treat you like my princess today.”

Your stomach flipped embarrassingly at that, and you looked down into your coffee for a second, smiling shyly to yourself before glancing back up at him.

“Well, if I can get whatever I want… can my first request be cuddles in bed for a little longer?”

“Baby,” he leaned forward to press a kiss against your temple, “That’s the easiest yes you’re getting out of me all day.”

So once the two of you finished breakfast- once Noah was happy he had hand fed you enough strawberries, and got a laugh out of smudging a little cream on your nose- you found yourself back in the bedroom with him. 

The bed was still messy from the night before, blankets tangled and pillows everywhere, the sunlight softly spilling over the sheets through the gap in the curtains. Noah climbed in first, settling back against the pillows with a happy sigh before reaching one arm toward you.

“Get over here.”

You smiled and crawled across the mattress towards him, and the second you were close enough he pulled you against his chest properly, wrapping both arms around you this time like he wanted you as close as possible, like he wanted to make sure you couldn’t escape. 

You instantly melted into him. One of his hands slid slowly up and down your back beneath your tank top while the other rested warm against your thigh under the blanket, holding you there.

You stayed like this for a while, you just listened to his heartbeat beneath your cheek while his fingers traced little patterns against your skin. It felt nice. It felt safe and soft, it was the kind of comfort you didn’t realise you’d been craving until now.

“You still upset with me?” Noah asked eventually as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. 

You lifted your head slightly, just enough to look up at him.

“No,” you admitted softly. “I was just overthinking.”

“Still,” he gave a little shrug. “I hate that I made you doubt things.”

You looked at him for a second before asking quietly,

“What is this then?”

The question slipped out before you could stop it, and you could tell it caught Noah off guard by the way he paused. 

His fingers continued stroking slowly along your back while he looked down at you properly, like he wanted to answer you carefully.

“I don’t know yet,” he admitted honestly after a moment. “But I know I like spending time with you.”

Your heart fluttered at that. 

“I like waking up with you,” he continued quietly. “I like taking care of you. I like when you get excited over stupid little things and I love seeing you smile.”

A tiny smile pulled at your lips.

“And,” he added softly, brushing his nose against yours, “I definitely like this.”

Your cheeks warmed.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.”

You looked at him for another second before smiling shyly and hiding your face back against his chest, making him laugh quietly under his breath.

“You’re so cute.”

“Shut up.” You laughed.

His hand slipped up into your hair then, fingertips gently scratching against your scalp in a way that made you melt further into him with an embarrassingly content sigh.

You stayed tangled together for another hour after that, half dozing beneath the blankets while Noah occasionally kissed your forehead or rubbed your back, and every now and then you’d catch him just… looking at you. 

Eventually, after a while, Noah finally spoke.

“So… shopping?”

Your head snapped up.

“Oh, now she’s interested.” Noah chuckled.

“You promised princess treatment.” You smiled. 

“Did I now?” He smirked, squeezing you slightly closer. “Guess I better stick to my word.”

…

You stayed in bed for another ten minutes, until you decided you want to start getting ready for the day. There was no rush, no time limit, Noah was letting you take as long as you wanted. 

You stood in front of the bathroom mirror doing your makeup in your own time, and Noah stood beside you, doing his skincare. Even without looking directly at him, you could feel him watching you every now and then. You caught it in the mirror, the way his eyes drifted toward you while he rubbed in his moisturiser, the way he watched you do your mascara while he pretended to fix his hair. 

Then he stopped being so subtle with it. Noah was getting dressed, pulling on his trousers, then he stood in the doorway of the bathroom, and you caught him staring. 

“What?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Noah didn’t even pretend to look away.

“Nothing,” he said with a smile, his hands planted on the top of the doorframe. “You’re just pretty.”

Your stomach fluttered, and you looked away before he could see you blush.

“You’re distracting me.” You said, not looking back up.

“Mhm, too bad.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to hide your smile as you went back to your makeup, though it became significantly harder to focus once Noah disappeared to finish getting changed.

Because when he walked back out… Jesus Christ.

He looked delicious. He was wearing his pair of fancy black pants, paired with a simple black t-shirt and a jacket you’ve never seen before. It was a corduroy jacket, a pretty blue-grey colour, with a big buckle detail on the collar. 

God, he always looked so put together, and he made it seem effortless. 

You looked up through the mirror again and immediately caught the tiny smirk forming on his lips from the way your eyes lingered on him. 

“Don’t…” You warned playfully. 

“Don’t what?”

“Look at me like that.”

His grin widened slightly as he started closing the distance and wandered towards you slowly.

“How am I looking at you?”

You huffed softly, trying to focus on your lip liner instead of the fact he was now directly behind you, his chest almost brushing against your back.

“Like you know just what you do to me.”

Noah’s hands settled softly on your hips, his chin resting on your shoulder while both of you looked at each other through the mirror.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered, lips dangerously close to your ear now, “I absolutely know what I do to you.”

You felt heat rush to your cheeks, and he watched it happen in real time, and looked far too pleased with himself. Then he took a proper look at you in the mirror, your hair, makeup, outfit… and a little fond smile tugged at his lips. 

“You look gorgeous.” He said quietly, sincerely. 

Your heart ached at the softness in his voice, but before you could say anything, he let out a little chuckle under his breath, like he’d just thought of something. 

“We’re gonna have to buy you another suitcase today.” 

“What? Why?” You asked innocently. 

“Because,” he smirked, “You’ll look so cute carrying my credit card around Paris… I’d buy you the whole fucking city if you asked.”

…

You and Noah walked hand in hand down the street, until your eye caught one of the shops. You slowed down by the window and glanced inside, and Noah smiled in amusement. 

“You wanna go in there?” He asked. 

You looked at him cautiously, almost like you were checking whether he meant it.

“…Can we?”

Noah huffed a soft laugh through his nose, squeezing your hand gently before guiding you toward the entrance.

“I brought you to Paris to spoil you. Go nuts, baby.”

The second you stepped inside, it felt like entering another world. Everything looked expensive, the store smelled expensive, the employees were even dressed expensive. You felt a little intimated by it, but tried not to show it. 

“Don’t overthink it,” Noah whispered as he rested his hand gently against your lower back, “Just have fun. Buy whatever you think looks cute.”

You nodded your head, before making your way towards the perfume section. All the bottles looked so pretty, and you pointed a few out to one of the sales assistant as you asked to test them. 

You took one of them, spraying a little onto the tester strip before smelling it, and your eyes widened. 

“Oh my god.”

Noah watched you with amusement again.

“You like that one?”

You nodded quickly before trying another… then another. Within ten minutes your wrists smelled like heaven and you were happily pointing out your favourites to Noah as he leaned casually beside the counter listening to you ramble.

“Smell this one.” You said, holding out one of the tester strips to him. 

He leaned down obediently, taking a slow breath before nodding once.

“Mm,” he hummed. “You wear that around me and I’m cancelling our dinner reservations.”

Heat crept into your cheeks at his words, and like usual Noah looked ever so pleased with himself. 

Eventually you decided on your two favourites, fully expecting to put them back afterwards and move on through the store- but just as you turned to walk away, Noah waved to the sales assistant. 

“We’ll take both.” He smiled, pulling out his wallet. 

“Noah?” Your eyes widened, but he looked at you like he genuinely didn’t understand the problem.

“What?”

“They’re really expensive.”

“Mhm.”

“And you’re just buying them?”

He gave you another confused look.

“You liked them, didn’t you?”

He made it sound so simple, but you couldn’t help but hesitate. You’d never treated yourself like this before, no budget or spending limits, it wasn’t so easy for you to just pick something up and ask for it… 

But again, that’s why you’re here… 

So you let Noah pay for them, and he took the little bag for you, carrying it around the store while you looked at other things. 

Then something else caught your attention. The most gorgeous little black handbag. You must’ve stared at it for maybe a second too long, because Noah noticed, and a little smile spread across his face. 

“You like that too?” He asked. 

You tore your eyes away immediately. 

“I’m not saying that out loud.”

That made him laugh quietly.

“Why not?”

“Because that costs more than my rent!”

Noah glanced toward the bag before looking back at you again.

“…And?”

You stared at him.

“Noah-”

He stepped a little closer to you, his eyes meeting yours as he spoke again. 

“Tell me you’d like it.” He said softly, “I’m going to buy it for you, but I want to hear you say it. I want you to know it’s okay to like things and want things. We’re here so I can spoil the fuck out of you… but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what you want.” 

You nodded your head, swallowing hard before asking, 

“I’d like the bag, please.” You said slowly, feeling your tummy flutter. 

He smiled before kissing your cheek. 

“That’s my girl.” 

Before you could recover from that, he turned toward the sales assistant again.

“We’ll take the bag too.”

Twenty minutes later you walked back out onto the Paris streets carrying two luxury shopping bags in one hand while Noah held your other. 

You looked down at the bags that you insisted you carry, then up at him.

“This is literally the first store… we’ve got a whole street to get through.”

Noah grinned slowly.

“I know.”

…

You genuinely thought Noah was joking when he said you’d need another suitcase, but the more shops you walked into, the more you believed it. 

You spotted a pretty pair of sunglasses, and smiled the moment you tried them on, turning to Noah and looked up at him through your lashes as you said I’d like these ones, please. 

Then he walked you directly into the next store, and the next, and you bought at least something from each one. 

Another new bag, a pair of the most gorgeous heels you had ever set your eyes upon- there was also a lingerie section in one of the stores, and Noah was trying to talk you into buying a new set… little did he know, you packed the set he bought you a few days ago, and you planned on wearing it for him before the end of the trip. 

You found yourselves walking out of another store with yet another shopping bag, and Noah looked down at you with an amused grin. 

“You don’t have to hold all those y’know,” he reached a hand out, “You’ve seen how big these hands are, baby. They’re good for more than one thing.” He smirked, and your eyes widened in surprise. 

You blushed, and he used your surprise to his advantage as he took each bag from your hands. 

“Better?” 

All you could do was nod your head, and you forced out a little yep… of course he smirked. 

“Good.” 

You walked a little further, until he stopped outside a store, looking through the window. 

“Mind if we go in here?” He asked gently, and you nodded your head. 

“Of course!”

So you followed him in. This was a menswear store, and as you glanced around, you could see he fit right in here…

So why was he hesitating? 

He stood there for a moment, looking around without actually looking at anything. It was like he was deciding whether he even needed anything, like he was deciding if he should just walk out. 

“You wanted to come in here?” You asked, glancing up at him.

“Yeah,” he nodded, but it came out slightly slower than usual, and less certain. “Just… wanted to look at a couple things.”

You wandered a little ahead while he drifted toward the rails of clothing, your bags pushed up his arms so his fingers could brush along jackets and shirts, bt he didn’t pull anything out properly at first. He just looked.

And it almost felt like he was thinking too much about it.

“You don’t have to rush,” you said softly, stopping beside him, “We have all day.”

Noah glanced at you, and for a second his expression softened.

“I’m not rushing.” He said, but even he didn’t sound fully convinced.

You tilted your head slightly.

“Now you’re overthinking it.”

That made him huff a quiet laugh through his nose.

“Am I that obvious?”

“A little.” You said with a soft smile.

He looked back at the clothes again, his hand pausing on a black shirt before letting it go like he’d changed his mind at the last second.

You watched him carefully, and couldn’t help but think how strange this was. Because this was the same man who, less than an hour ago, had bought you perfume and a handbag without even looking at the price, he didn’t hesitate to buy you a Dior handbag or a pair of Prada sunglasses. 

But for himself he seemed almost unsure… 

“You don’t have to justify anything you pick up,” you said gently, stepping a little closer. “You know that, right?”

Noah didn’t answer straight away. After a couple moments, he just shrugged.

“I guess I just don’t really think about myself like that.”

That made your brows knit slightly.

“What do you mean?”

He exhaled slowly, glancing at you for a moment before looking away again.

“I’m used to buying things for other people,” he said simply. “Tour stuff, band stuff, gifts for friends… whatever. I don’t really-” He paused, then shook his head slightly like he didn’t know how to finish the sentence. 

There was a quiet moment between you. You stared up at him, before reaching for his free hand, and the moment you did, he curled his fingers around yours. 

“Noah, you just bought me half of Paris.” You chuckled softly, which finally got a small smile out of him.

“Yeah,” he admitted, looking down at your hands now instead of the clothes. “But you’re different. You know that.”

Your heart squeezed in your chest, and your face softened… but before could even say anything, Noah seemed to catch himself, like he didn’t want the moment to get too serious.

So he exhaled, squeezed your hand once, then nodded toward the rails.

“Help me pick something out then.”

You smiled a little.

“Bossy now?”

“Mm, only when I need to be.” He said, a hint of his usual teasing coming back.

So you wandered through the store together, picking things up and holding them up against him, giving him your opinions.

But then you pointed out a jacket. It looked like one he owned already, just with a few more details… but this one actually made him pause. 

“This one’s actually nice.” He admitted.

You grinned.

“Oh? We found something you don’t hate?”

He rolled his eyes slightly but didn’t argue this time.

Instead, he tried it on, and when he stepped out of the fitting room a few minutes later, adjusting the sleeves slightly… you went very quiet. You bit down on your lip, because somehow he looked even better. 

“What?” Noah asked, watching your expression change as your eyes dragged over him.

Then you stepped closer, tilting your head as you looked at him properly now.

“I think you should get it.”

“Yeah?”

You nodded your head, and he gave you a smile. 

“Guess I’m getting it then.”

You grinned back, pleased he also decided to treat himself. 

And after paying, your feet were aching and his hands and arms were finally full… so you both decided to head back to the hotel. 

…

“Tired?” Noah asked while the two of you stood in the elevator going up to your floor. 

You let out a small laugh. 

“A little.”

He hummed, stepping closer as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

“Good thing I’m feeding you next.”

You looked up at him as you followed him down the corridor. 

“Is that another expensive surprise?” You smirked. 

“No,” he said casually, unlocking the room. “Just lunch.”

You narrowed your eyes as he pushed the door open, because that sounded suspiciously simple… but he only smirked as he dropped the shopping bags down with the few that were already leaning against the sofa. 

You stretched your arms above your head with a groan, and Noah watched you for a moment, leaning against the edge of the table. 

“Wanna go freshen up?” He asked softly, “Then we’ll find somewhere to go for lunch?”

You nodded your head, reaching for your deodorant, perfume and makeup bag. But before you could step into the bathroom, he reached for your wrist, and pulled you close for a moment, just long enough for him to press a quick kiss to your forehead. 

You couldn’t help but smile as he let you go, and you shook your head as you disappeared into the bathroom. 

When you came back out, Noah was already waiting by the door, phone in hand, and he glanced up with a little smile as you reached for your bag. 

“Ready?” He asked, and you nodded. 

You complained about your feet still hurting, so instead of walking he called a cab for you two, and you got dropped off a few feet away from a fancy cafe. You thought it looked pretty on the outside, but your face lit up as you stepped inside. 

Noah pulled out your chair for you like the gentleman he is, and then he took the seat opposite you. You were sitting next to a window, which had a view of a gorgeous looking park, and you couldn’t help but just smile. 

Noah’s plan worked. You were happy, you felt relaxed… this trip was just what you needed. 

You two talked for a while, then you ordered. Your drinks came first, and you couldn’t help but steal a sip of his since it looked too good. 

At one point, he leaned back slightly in his chair, studying you for a moment before speaking again.

“You enjoying today?”

You didn’t even have to think about it.

“Yeah,” you said honestly. “A lot.”

You watched as your words made him smile warmly, and he nodded his head.

“Good.” He said softly, very pleased with your answer. 

It wasn’t long until your plates came… and a couple minutes later, while he was mid bite, Noah’s phone lit up on the table. 

You noticed it before he did, your eyes drifting to the screen as it vibrated softly against the wooden table. Noah saw your expression change and followed your gaze, then his little smile faded. 

“Oh shit.” He said under his breath.

You watched him pick it up, already knowing from the shift in his posture that this wasn’t one of those calls he could ignore.

He stared at the screen for a second longer than you liked, like he was wondering whether he should take it or not… but then he exhaled. 

“I’m so sorry.” He said quietly, looking up at you.

You shook your head immediately. 

“It’s okay, take it.”

But he didn’t look entirely convinced...

Still, he stood up, leaning down slightly to press a quick kiss to your temple, his hand resting on the back of your chair for a moment.

“I’ll be five minutes,” he said. “Just stay here, yeah?”

You nodded. 

“Yeah, of course.”

He hesitated again, like he didn’t want to take the call, he didn’t want to leave… 

But then he reached into his pocket, pulled out his card, and gently slid it across the table toward you. Your brows lifted, and you tilted your head up to look at him again. 

“Noah-“

“Just in case,” he said softly, cutting you off before you could protest. “Order more if you want, get another drink. Don’t wait for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

And then he left.

You stared at the plate in front of you for a moment, then at the practically untouched food on Noah’s side.

I’ll be five minutes, is what he said. So you waited… at first it didn’t seem like a big deal. You scrolled on your phone, sipped on your drink, glanced out the window. 

But then ten minutes passed, ten turned to fifteen, fifteen turned to twenty, and Noah still hadn’t come back. 

You eventually forced yourself to eat, picking at your lunch because you knew Noah said not to wait for him, and if he walked back in to see you had waited this long, he’d blame himself, and you didn't want that.

You tried to tell yourself it was fine, Noah was a busy guy, he told you so himself. He takes his work seriously, and some things you just can’t ignore. But it didn’t help the worry and slight disappointment from pressing on your chest. 

But even as you ate from your plate, your eyes drifted to his, his almost full glass and his empty seat. 

Every now and then you glanced toward the entrance again, hoping to see him walking back in with that apologetic look he wore this morning.

But he didn’t.

By the time nearly forty five minutes had passed, your chest just felt heavy. You weren’t even angry, you just felt sad. 

So you finally gave up waiting, quietly asking for the bill. The waitress smiled politely as she brought the machine over, and you hated how awkward you suddenly felt sitting there alone at a table meant for two. 

After paying, you took your things, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, and you stepped out of the cafe. You adjusted your bag over your shoulder as the door shut behind you, and you pulled your phone out to text him- 

But then you spotted him. 

He was a few tables down outside another café across the street, still on the phone, and he looked stressed as fuck. He had one elbow resting on the table, his hand tiredly dragging through his hair. His sunglasses sat abandoned on the table in front him, and even from here you could tell the conversation wasn’t going well.

“…No, because that’s not what I fucking said.” You heard him snap into the phone, and you felt your heart sink. 

You’d never really seen him like this before. No teasing or soft smiles, he looked exhausted, and under a lot of pressure. 

So this was the version of him he had clearly been trying to keep from you...

As if sensing you nearby, Noah suddenly looked up, and the moment his eyes landed on you, his expression softened. A sad little smile tugged at his mouth as he held one finger up toward the phone, as if he was silently apologising for still being on the call.

You walked over slowly and sat down opposite him without saying anything, and Noah’s hand reached across the table in an instant, his palm open like an invitation. So you rested your hand in his while he continued talking… or arguing. 

His thumb brushed over your knuckles absentmindedly while he listened to whoever was on the other end, his eyes shutting in frustration.

“No,” he said more tiredly this time. “I understand that, but that doesn’t change the fact that we only have two weeks. How the fuck are we going to find someone-”

You watched him carefully, and suddenly you felt everything click into place and make sense. Because Noah spent so much time trying to make your life easier, trying to take your stress away, trying to make you feel cared for and spoiled and protected. 

But clearly Noah was carrying a lot more than he let you see. 

You thought about the hesitation earlier in the clothing store, the way he found it easier spending money on other people than himself, the way he immediately panicked this morning when he thought he’d hurt your feelings, and now this, sitting outside in Paris, looking exhausted while trying to juggle work calls he clearly couldn’t escape from even here.

Your chest ached for him, and suddenly you didn’t just want Noah to spoil you. You wanted to take care of him too.

Noah glanced at you again while the person on the phone continued talking, and his expression softened further when he realised you weren’t upset, just worried. 

His thumb stroked slowly across your hand again, then he finally said into the phone,

“Look. I’m not even in the country right now, I’ll call back when I get home, okay? Thank you.” 

Before the other person could argue, he hung up. He tossed his phone down onto the table and let out a long sigh, rubbing one hand over his face before looking at you properly. 

“…I’m so fucking sorry,” he said quietly, “I didn’t realise how long I was-” 

“Noah,” you cut him off, shaking your head, “Don’t worry. You can’t help it.” 

He looked genuinely worn down, completely exhausted. So for a moment, you were both quiet, his thumb still stroking back and forth over your hand. 

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to-”

“You don’t have to apologise.” You said gently, cutting him off again. 

His jaw tightened.

“Yes, I do,” he said softly. “I brought you here and then left you sitting alone for almost an hour.”

You shook your head immediately.

“It’s your work, Noah.”

“I know, but-”

“But nothing,” you interrupted again. “You couldn’t help it.”

He looked down for a moment, clearly frustrated with himself anyway.

“I just didn’t want this trip turning into…” He exhaled sharply, gesturing towards the phone sitting on the table. “That.”

Your expression softened.

“You don’t have to hide it from me, y’know.”

That made him look back up at you again, and he looked a little caught off guard by that. 

“What?”

“You don’t have to pretend everything’s perfect all the time,” you said quietly. “I know you’re stressed.”

Noah’s thumb slowed slightly against your hand.

“But I made you a promise, I’m supposed to be taking care of you.” He said almost under his breath.

You smiled sadly.

“And who takes care of you?”

That question seemed to hit him harder than you expected, and he immediately went quiet. His eyes looked away from yours for a moment like he genuinely didn’t know how to answer, and then you realised… maybe nobody did.

Maybe he was so used to being the one everyone relied on that he didn’t even know what it felt like to let someone else carry some of the weight, and just the thought of that made your heart hurt. 

You squeezed his hand gently.

“You look tired.” You said, “Do you want to go back to the room?”

He didn’t answer that for a moment. You assumed he maybe wanted to say yes, but he didn’t know if that’s what you wanted. 

“Do you mind?” He asked, and you shook your head. 

“Not at all.” 

…

So after that, Noah ordered a car back to the hotel, and the ride was rather quiet. You sat beside him, your head resting on his shoulder, and he had his arm around you. He kept apologising, and you kept reassuring him… all the way up to the room. 

“Seriously, it’s not a problem.” You said as you stepped through the door, “But we are going to spend the rest of the day doing nothing, okay? It’s clear you need this break just as much as I do.” 

Your shoes got kicked off by the door, you tossed your bag down onto the sofa, and you two spent the rest of the afternoon here. At one point you ended up curled beside him on the sofa watching some French reality show, laughing every time Noah tried to translate despite clearly having no idea what was happening or what was being said.

But other times it was quieter, he’d be on the bed answering some emails from his phone with you laying half on top of him, his hand rubbing lazily up and down your back. You’d steal little kisses whenever you felt like it, until the two of you were smiling against each other's lips. 

Eventually, Noah relaxed. But every now and then, you still caught him zoning out, clearly thinking about work again, but instead of brushing it off, he’d just pull you closer and press his face into your neck, letting out a groan as he complained about how his mind would just keep going back to the phone call. But every time, you’d kiss his forehead and told him it’s okay.

Hours passed, and by the evening, the city outside had started glowing with golden lights, the sky deepening slowly into a dark blue, and you were both still laying together in bed when Noah finally broke the comfortable silence.

“You wanna go watch the tower sparkle tonight?”

You lifted your head slightly from where it rested against his chest.

“You’d go all the way back out just for that?”

Noah looked down at you like the answer was obvious.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Okay.” You smiled softly. 

So an hour later, the two of you were walking slowly through Paris again, this time in the cool evening air, and dressed a lot comfier. Noah was in a black hoodie and a pair of joggers, one hand tucked into his pocket while the other held yours, and you wore a comfy hoodie and a pair of leggings, not feeling so fussed about how you looked anymore. 

Eventually you reached the river again, finding a quieter spot where the tower stood glowing against the dark sky, and you leaned against Noah’s side while you waited, his arm settling around your shoulders to keep you warm.

Then suddenly, the lights came on, making the tower sparkle. You gasped softly despite already knowing it was coming, but still looking up at it in awe- and beside you, Noah looked down at you, since apparently your reaction was better than the landmark in front of him. 

Your eyes stayed fixed upward, your expression soft with wonder while the lights reflected softly in your eyes. 

“Glad we came to Paris?” He asked suddenly, and you turned to face him. 

“Totally.” You smiled, “Are you?”

“Of course.” He nodded his head, “This is what makes it worth it.” 

Once the twinkling lights stopped, you both slowly made your way back to the hotel, picking up a couple crepes on the way back of course. You talked the whole way back, and for some reason you couldn’t help but notice how much lighter you felt now compared to earlier- maybe because after today, after seeing a side of him he clearly didn’t let a lot of people see, you just felt closer to him.

By the time you made it back to the room, your cheeks were cold from the evening air and you immediately slipped off your shoes with a relieved sigh. Noah laughed quietly from behind you while shrugging his hoodie off, leaving him topless- you assumed he was about to shower anyway. 

“Long day?” He teased when he heard your sigh. 

You turned and narrowed your eyes at him.

“Do you realise how much walking we’ve done?” 

Noah grinned, shaking his head as he walked toward you.

“But was it worth it?” He asked, his hands finding your waist and pulling you gently into him until your chest rested against his.

“Obviously.” You smiled as you looked up at him.

He still looked tired, but not from stress anymore. His hair was a little messy from the wind outside, and his eyes looked heavy from the long day.

Your chest ached a little, because he’d spent so much time taking care of you, spoiling you, holding you together this morning when your mind had run away with itself. Taking you shopping, making you laugh, carrying your bags, carrying everything.

You lifted your hands slowly, brushing your fingers softly along his jaw, and Noah looked down at you immediately.

“What’s that look for?” He asked. 

“Nothing.” You smiled shyly.

“Mhm.”

His hands rubbed slowly against your sides.

“I just…” you started softly, your fingers tracing lightly over the back of his neck. “I know we did it last night... and I know you said it isn’t expected, it’s not part of the deal… but what if I wanted to show you how much I appreciate you…?”

Noah’s expression softened, and his forehead rested gently against yours.

“You don’t have to do anything for me.”

“I know.” You smiled a little. “But I want to.”

He just looked at you for a moment, and his eyes were saying everything his words couldn’t… then he slowly leaned down, and kissed you softly. This wasn’t teasing or playful, it was warm and full of everything he wished he had the words to say.

You kissed him back, your hands around his neck pulling him deeper into it. The kiss had started slow and warm, but it was quickly becoming needier and hungrier. 

You felt Noah’s hands- still cold from being outside- slide under your hoodie, coming up to your bare waist as he pulled you even closer. 

That’s when you pulled back just enough to rest your forehead against his, breathing softly. 

“I’m wearing something for you.” You whispered. 

Noah’s eyebrows lifted slightly, curiosity sparking in his tired eyes. 

“Yeah?” He asked, his voice low, “What are you wearing, baby?”

You bit your lip, suddenly feeling a little shy again, then took his hands and guided them to the hem of your hoodie. 

“Take it off and see.” 

Noah’s breath hitched, but he slowly pulled your hoodie up and over your head, revealing the beautiful red lace bra he’d bought for you just a few days ago, before you came here. The set he told you wasn’t for him… but you wanted it to be him (and only him) that saw you in it.

Noah froze for a moment, staring at you, his lips parted as his eyes drunk in the sight before him. 

“Fuck…” He breathed. 

“I wanted to surprise you,” you said, your cheeks suddenly feeling warm, “Wanted to make you feel good after taking care of me.” 

Noah let out a shaky breathy exhale, his hands sliding up your sides to cup your breasts through the lace. His thumbs brushed over your nipples, making them harden, making your head spin. 

“Baby…” His voice was now hoarse, “You have no idea what you do to me… walking around Paris looking so innocent… while wearing this underneath?”

He leaned down to kiss you again, deeper and needier this time. His hands roamed over the lace, squeezing your soft tits, then slid down to grip your ass. 

“You’re spoiling me now,” he smiled against your lips, “My sweet girl… god, I don’t deserve you.” 

You smiled shyly again, flustered now as you reached down, palming him through his joggers. 

“Let me take care of you tonight,” you whispered, “Please?”

Noah groaned softly, before hooking his thumbs into the waistband of your leggings, and slowly pulling them off, revealing the matching set. He took a step back, carefully putting your leggings down on the table, before taking in the sight of you. 

“Turn around for me, princess.”

You did, and he groaned a low curse, hands immediately gripping your hips, pulling your ass back against him so you could feel how quick he was getting hard for you.

“Look at you…” he whispered, kissing the back of your neck as his hands roamed your body. “So fucking beautiful. I’m never taking this off you. I might just keep you in lace for the rest of the trip.”

He took your hand, and pulled you along with him towards the bed. You lied against the pillows and he crawled over you, kissing you slow and deep while his hands explored every inch of the lingerie. 

“You want to make me feel good?” He asked against your lips. “Then let me fuck you in this pretty set.”

Kissed him back, suddenly feeling shy even though you were the one who started this. Your fingers traced down his chest, then lower, brushing over the obvious bulge in his pants.

“Actually, Noah?” You whispered against his lips, your voice small.

“Hm?”

You looked up at him through your lashes, cheeks warm.

“Can I… suck you first?” You asked softly. “I want to make you feel good.”

Noah let out a slow, shaky breath, his cock twitching under your hand.

“Fuck, baby,” he whispered, his voice already rough. “You don’t have to ask twice.”

He sat up against the headboard and pulled you between his legs. You knelt there in your pretty lingerie, looking up at him with nervous but eager eyes as he took off his joggers. Fuck, he was already hard, thick, and heavy in your hand...

You leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the tip, then slowly took him into your mouth. You swirled your tongue around it, kissed softly up the length, while watching his jaw tick as he tried to keep himself contained. You then tried to take him as deep as you could- but the moment he hit the back of your throat you gagged, eyes watering as you pulled back with a soft cough.

Noah’s hand immediately cupped your cheek, his thumb wiping the one tear that fell.

“Easy,” he said softly. “You don’t have to take it all if it’s too much.”

You nodded, but you were determined, and tried again. You took him deeper this time, but still gagged, pulling off with a wet gasp, strings of spit connecting your lips to his cock. Your eyes were glassy, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and effort.

Noah groaned quietly, clearly turned on by how hard you were trying.

“Oh baby…” he cooed, voice warm and a little condescending in the sweetest and sexiest way. He brushed your hair back from your face. “Look at you trying so hard to take my cock. You want to be good for me so badly, don’t you?”

You nodded, lips shiny, breathing a little shaky.

“I want to take you deeper… but you’re bigger than I’ve ever taken,” you whispered. “I just want to make you feel really good.”

Noah’s eyes darkened with lust and affection. He gently guided your head back down, not pushing, just resting his hand in your hair.

“You’re already making me feel so good, princess,” he praised. “But we’ll train this pretty throat, okay? We’ll work on it together. One day you’ll be able to take every inch like a good girl, but for now, just use that sweet mouth however you can. I love watching you try for me.”

You whimpered around his cock at his words and tried again, sucking him with everything you had- sloppy, eager, and determined. Even though you kept gagging, you didn’t stop, bobbing your head and stroking what you couldn’t fit.

Noah’s head fell back against the headboard with a deep groan, fingers tightening gently in your hair.

“Fuck… that’s it, baby. Just like that. You look so pretty with my cock in your mouth. God, you’re so good to me.”

He looked down at you again, his eyes soft but dark. 

“If it's what you really want, why don’t you let me fuck your mouth a little, baby?” He rasped, “I’ll be gentle, just relax for me. And if it's too much, just tap my thigh.”

You whimpered around his cock and nodded as best you could, so Noah started rocking his hips slowly, fucking your mouth with shallow and controlled thrusts. He didn’t go too deep, he was careful and he stuck to his word, but the wet, sloppy sounds of his cock fucking your mouth filled the room, and it sent shivers down his spine.

“Fuck… that’s it, just like that,” he groaned, eyes half-lidded as he watched you. “Look at you… taking my cock so well. You’re so perfect, baby…”

Drool spilled from the corners of your mouth, dripping down your chin and onto your chest. Your eyes watered, but you kept sucking, looking up at him with that desperate, eager expression. The more messy and sloppy you got, the more turned on both you and Noah became.

Which is funny, because you had never actually enjoyed sucking dick before...

But then he pulled out suddenly with a wet pop, breathing hard, his cock glistening with your spit.

“Come here, princess.” He said, his voice rough.

He grabbed you gently but firmly and pulled you up the bed, laying you on your back. When he started kissing down your body, you realised what he was doing.

“Noah… wait-” you protested softly as he kissed the waistband of your lace thong, your cheeks burning. “You don’t have to. I wanted to make you feel good tonight. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me because-”

Noah looked up at you from between your thighs, his eyes dark and hungry, but his voice was warm.

“Oh baby,” he cooed, pressing a slow kiss to your inner thigh. “Trust me… eating this pretty pussy brings me just as much pleasure as your mouth on my cock. Maybe even more.”

He kissed lower, right over the damp lace covering your pussy.

“I’ve been thinking about tasting you again all day,” he confessed. “Let me have you... please?”

You hesitated for half a second, then nodded shyly.

“Okay.” 

Noah smiled and pulled your panties to the side. But instead of feeling his mouth on you like you were expecting, you felt the bed dip beside you, and before you could process the way he moved, he was pulling you on top of him.

“If I’m eating this pussy I’m doing it properly. Sit, baby,” he ordered softly, hands squeezing your thighs as you straddled his chest. “Don’t hover. I want you to sit on my fucking face.”

Your face burned with embarrassment, but the way he was looking up at you- like he was starving- made you obey. So you slowly lowered yourself onto his mouth.

The moment your pussy touched his tongue, Noah groaned loudly and pulled you down even harder, making it impossible for you to move anywhere as he buried his face between your thighs. He ate you like a man starved, slow, wet, messy licks, sucking on your clit, then dragging his tongue through your folds and pushing it inside you.

“Fuck, you taste so good,” he moaned into your pussy, the vibration making you whimper. “Ride my face, baby. Use me. Make yourself feel good- your pleasure is my pleasure.”

His hands gripped your ass, encouraging you to grind against his tongue. He was completely lost in you- slurping, sucking, groaning against your soaked folds like nothing else mattered.

Your heart was racing as you braced your hands on the headboard, thighs shaking as he devoured you even with the lingerie still on. 

He groaned loudly against your pussy as you started to rock your hips and ride his face, his hands gripping your ass tightly, pulling you down impossibly harder onto his face. He sucked and licked at your clit, his eyes dazed but locked on yours whenever you looked down.

You were shaking now, your fingers tangled in his soft hair, little desperate sounds spilling from your lips as he brought you closer and closer to the edge

“Right there Noah, oh god-” You gasped as you felt his nose nudge your clit while his tongue lapped at your entrance.

He moaned into you and then moved back up and sucked your clit harder, flicking his tongue perfectly until your thighs clamped around his head and you came with a broken cry. Your whole body trembled as pleasure rolled through you, your hips rocking weakly against his mouth while he worked you through it, drinking you down like he couldn’t get enough.

When he was done with you, Noah gently lifted you off his face and laid you down on your back in the middle of the bed. You were flushed and breathing hard, your heart beating so hard you were surprised he couldn’t hear it. 

He hovered over you, peppering little kisses across your face as you slowly came down.

“You okay, baby?” He asked softly, brushing your slightly damp hair back. “You want more, or wanna call it a night?”

You shook your head, reaching up to touch his chest.

“More... just gimme a sec.”

Noah smiled, slow and warm. He hooked his fingers into the cups of your bra and tugged them down, letting your soft tits spill out over the lace, and the sight made him groan quietly.

“Fuck… look at you.” He whispered.

He leaned down and took one of your nipples into his mouth, sucking gently while his hand kneaded the other breast. At the same time, he rubbed his hard cock against the soaked crotch of your lace panties, grinding slowly, letting you feel how much he wanted you.

You whimpered, arching into his mouth as your hands found his hair again, holding him right there- but after a few moments, Noah pulled back, kissing you deeply as he reached down and pulled your panties to the side. He lined himself up, his tip nudging your entrance as he slowly eased inside you. 

Both of you let out soft, breathy moans as he sank in.

“Oh my god…” You whispered, clutching at his shoulders.

Noah buried his face in your neck, breathing hard as he bottomed out, staying there for a moment so you could adjust to him- and because if he moved too quick, he’d cum too quickly.

“You feel too fucking good,” he whispered against your skin before pressing a little kiss on your shoulder. “So warm and tight around me, baby.”

He slowly started moving with deep and tender rolls of his hips. There was nothing rushed about it. With every thrust, he made sure he was grinding against that perfect spot inside you while he kissed you softly, sucking on your bottom lip, whispering praise between kisses.

“That’s it, sweet girl,” he breathed. “Just take me nice and slow… let me make love to you, let me apologise for being a dick last night.”

His hand came up to cup your breast again, his thumb brushing over your nipple, before he gently pinched it between his fingers. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, eyes locked on yours. “So pretty… and you’re wearing this for me?… letting me have you like this? I’m so fucking lucky.”

Noah kissed you slowly again, but then he rolled onto his back, pulling you on top of him without ever slipping out of you. You were chest to chest, and his hands settled on your hips, squeezing the soft flesh gently.

“Ride me, baby, please,” he pleaded against your lips. “I want to watch you take what you need. Make yourself feel good on me.”

You sat up, and Noah’s eyes darkened as he took you in- your flushed cheeks, messy hair, lingerie slightly askew, your bra tugged beneath your tits, his cock buried deep inside you. Then you started moving, a little slow and shy at first, rocking your hips back and forth. Noah groaned, his hands sliding up to cup your breasts, his hands swallowing them whole.

“That’s it, sweet girl,” he praised softly. “Nice and slow. Use me however you want tonight.”

His words helped you grow bolder, bracing your hands on his chest as you started bouncing on him. The wet sounds of your skin slapping together filled the room. Noah’s eyes stayed glued to you, completely mesmerized.

“God, you’re so fucking beautiful,” he groaned, voice rough as he pulled the cups of your bra back up to cover your breasts again. “Look at how pretty your tits look bouncing in that lace.”

You moaned, moving faster, chasing the pleasure. Noah’s hands gripped your ass, helping guide you, occasionally spanking you lightly just to hear the sweet sound you made. 

But after a few minutes, he sat up suddenly, wrapping his arms around you and kissing you deeply.

“Come with me, baby.” He whispered.

He walked you into the bathroom, towards the mirror above the counter, and turned you so your back was against his chest. You could see everything- your flushed face, the way your tits were already spilling out of the lace bra again, Noah’s massive tattooed hand on your tummy, holding you in place as his cock rubbed against you from behind.   

“Look,” he whispered against your ear, “Look how pretty you are, baby. Now bend over, hands on the counter.”

You obeyed, and felt as he easily pushed back into you. You took in a sharp breath as he fucked you even deeper in this position while you both watched in the mirror. One of his hands wrapped around your throat gently, pulling you up so your back was against his chest, and his other hand slid down to rub your clit in slow circles.

“See that?” He groaned, his lips brushing your ear. “See how well your pussy takes me? Like you were made for me, baby.”

You whimpered, unable to look away from the reflection. The sight of his tall, broad body behind you, muscles flexing as he thrust into you, was overwhelming.

Noah kissed your neck, then bit down gently as he fucked you a little harder.

“Tell me how it feels, baby,” he ordered, eyes locked on yours in the reflection. “Tell me how good it feels.”

You watched yourselves in the mirror, mesmerized by the sight, and your voice came out breathy and soft.

“You feel so good,” you whispered, eyes locked on his in the reflection. “So deep… I love how full you make me feel.”

Noah groaned, pressing his lips to your shoulder as he rolled his hips deeper.

“Yeah? You like how I stretch you, baby?” He asked tenderly.

You nodded, cheeks flushed. 

“I’m so close already… but I want to cum with you… and I want it inside… please?”

Noah’s expression melted with affection. He kissed the side of your neck gently, then slowly pulled out of you. He turned you around and led you back to the bed, helping you lay down and making sure you were comfy. 

Then he hovered over you, brushing your hair out of your face.

“You sure you want me to cum inside you, sweetheart?” He asked softly, his eyes searching yours. “You’re on birth control, right?”

You nodded, pulling him closer. 

“Yes, I’m on it. I want to feel you, all of you.”

Noah kissed you deeply, full of adoration and warmth, then pulled back just enough to ask,

“What’s your favourite position, pretty girl? I want to make you feel perfect.”

You blushed a little but answered honestly.

“...missionary? I like being able to see you and hold you...”

He smiled softly and settled between your legs, spreading them gently. He lined himself up and slowly pushed back inside you, both of you letting out quiet moans as he filled you again.

“That’s it,” he whispered, forehead resting against yours. “Nice and deep. Just like this.”

He started moving again, keeping his slightly dazed eyes on yours. One of his hands then laced with yours, pinning it gently above your head. The other cupped your face, thumb stroking your cheek.

“You make me feel so good,” he breathed, kissing you softly between thrusts. “So warm and tight around me… I love being inside you like this.”

You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him even closer and deeper.

“I’m getting close again.” You whimpered, your voice shaky as your eyes fell shut. 

Noah nodded, breathing heavier but keeping his pace steady and deep.

“Me too, baby. Stay with me, okay?” He kissed you again, slower this time. “Look at me. I want us to cum together.”

He kept his rhythm perfect and hit exactly where you needed him. His hand stayed on your face, thumb brushing your bottom lip as he watched you intently.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “My pretty girl… cum with me, let me feel you.”

Your orgasm built and built until it became too much, and finally washed over you. You moaned his name, clenching tightly around him as pleasure washed over you like a wave. Noah groaned, burying his face in your neck as he followed right behind you, his thrusts suddenly getting quicker and deeper as he came hard inside you, spilling his warm release inside you, giving you every last drop.

He stayed buried deep, holding you close as your bodies both trembled. His arms wrapped around you tightly, one hand gently stroking your hair while he pressed soft kisses to your temple, your cheeks, your lips.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered softly. “I’ve got you, baby.”

He stayed inside you for a long time, just holding you, breathing with you, occasionally kissing you softly like he couldn’t bear to pull away.

“Thank you for tonight.” He said after a moment, “You were so perfect for me… shit, I can already tell I’m gonna get addicted to you.” He added with a soft, little chuckle. 

You kissed his cheek, then he carefully pushed himself up again and gently pulled out. You let out a small whimper at the loss of contact, to which Noah apologised, I know, baby, I know. 

He kissed you once more, then got up from the bed. He wandered into the bathroom, grabbing a cloth and running it under the warm water before rinsing it out and bringing it into the bedroom. 

He returned and settled between your thighs again, and he was incredibly gentle as he cleaned you up, wiping away the mess of your slick and his cum that had already started leaking out. But when the cloth brushed over your still swollen, sensitive clit, you flinched and let out a tiny gasp. 

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Noah frowned, “Gotta make sure you’re cleaned up.” 

Once he was satisfied you were clean enough, he wiped himself down quickly and tossed the cloth aside. He then looked down at the sheets and let out a soft, amused chuckle. 

“We made quite a mess of the bed, huh?” He said, glancing down at the damp spots with a fond smile, “Why don’t we take a nice warm shower, then sleep in the other bed tonight? Sound good?”

You nodded tiredly. 

“Sounds good.” 

Noah went into the bathroom and turned the shower on, so the water was warm enough by the time you got in. He got in first, making sure the temperature was perfect, then he watched with a smirk as you took off the now messy lingerie and held his hand out for you to join him. 

He picked up your body wash, squeezing some into his hands before gently lathering it over your skin. His touch was incredibly tender and careful, rubbing his hands in slow circles over your shoulders, down your arms, across your chest. He paid special attention to your breasts, carefully washing them, and smirking as he rubbed his thumbs over your nipples again.

Still, you leaned into him, sighing as he washed you under the warm water. Then you turned your head, looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes.

“Did I make you feel better?” You asked almost innocently, before suddenly feeling shy and embarrassed again and looking away. 

Noah paused, then cupped your face with both soapy hands, tilting your chin up so you’d look at him.

“Baby,” he said, voice warm and full of affection, “You were perfect. You’re exactly what I needed tonight. I feel so much better because of you. You took such good care of me.”

He kissed you slowly under the running water, then continued washing you, moving down your tummy, your hips, and between your thighs with careful, loving touches. You flinched a little when he brushed over your sensitive pussy, and he immediately softened his touch even more.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered, kissing your temple. “I know you’re sore.”

You then took his own body wash, squeezed some into your hands and started washing his chest, tracing your fingers over his tattoos and toned muscles. The water cascaded over both of you as you cleaned each other in the most comfortable silence for a moment.

Then you spoke again, shyly, because it’d been on your mind from the moment he mentioned it.

“…Were you serious? About training my throat?”

Noah looked down at you with gentle eyes. He brushed wet hair out of your face and nodded.

“I was serious,” he said softly. “But only if you really want it. We’d go very slow, and I’d never push you further than you’re comfortable with. If you trust me… we can talk about it more. Maybe try some things when you’re ready. But there’s no rush, okay? You already make me feel so good just like that… it’s only if you’d be into it too.”

You nodded, relaxing a little as you continued washing his tummy and hips.

“I do trust you,” you whispered. “And I want to be better at it… for you.”

Noah smiled softly and pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around you under the warm spray.

“You’re already more than enough for me, baby. But if you want to learn… I’d love to teach you. And that goes for anything, okay? Any fantasies or kinks you want to explore, toys you want me to buy,” he let out a chuckle, then his expression turned serious again. “We’ll take it slow and make it feel good, we’ll never do anything that makes either of us uncomfortable. Deal?”

You nodded against his chest, feeling more than safe and loved in his arms.

“Deal.”

He kissed the top of your head, then continued washing you gently, running soapy hands down your back, massaging your shoulders, taking care of every inch of you. You did the same for him, washing his back and arms while the water rinsed everything away.

By the time you both stepped out, you were warm, clean, and wrapped in soft towels. Noah guided you back to the fresh bed, where you sat as he searched the room for your pyjamas. He helped dry you off and dress you, and he slipped a pair of boxers on himself before climbing into the bed and pulling you into his arms under the clean sheets, tucking you against his chest.

“I’ve been all around the world,” Noah said quietly, “But I think this is my favourite trip I’ve ever been on.” 

You smiled into the warmth of his skin. 

“So where are you gonna take me next? What beats Paris?”

He looked down at you, his hand gently stroking up and down your back.

“If I tell you, it’ll ruin the surprise.” 

・┈・୨୧・┈・

to the anon who sent me the ask about throat raining with velvet!noah AUUUGHHH i don't know whether to write it into a chapter or as a oneshot yet 🫣 BUT IM WORKING ON IT!!

also, like i said in the last chapter, if anyone has any ideas of things they wanna see in this fic LET ME KNOW <3 if i don't write it into the story i'll 100% turn some ideas into oneshots, i just want to know what other people want from this!! <3

────﹒♡﹒────

You and your friends have been planning this trip for what feels like years, when you were back in school you brought up the idea of a girls trip when you get older and can afford it… but it never happened. Even years later, one of you would always be working in the summer, or not have enough money, or there’d be some other excuse that’d push the trip back. 

But this year it finally happened. Kylie found a lovely resort in Greece- adults only, right on the beach, all inclusive, beautiful spacious rooms with a sea view. Jess was always the most responsible of you, so she did the boring important things like booking the flights, sorting the travel insurance, the taxis to take everyone to and from the airports. You and James were both left feeling a little useless, but the others insisted that you helped, that they were more than grateful for your input on their outfit choices for each day. 

Then before you knew it, you were laying by the side of the pool on one of the loungers with your eyes closed, your legs stretched out in front of you as you soaked up the sun, your sunglasses perched on your nose and a drink in your hand, half listening to something Kylie was saying.

You opened your eyes for a second as you brought your glass up to your lips… but then something else caught your attention. 

There was a group of guys by the bar. A group of guys that seemed a little out of place here. 

Not in a bad way, but almost the opposite. Everyone else at the resort was all white linen shirts and pastel bikinis and straw hats… but them? A few of them had long hair that’d been tied into buns or ponytails, a few had piercings, but one thing they all had in common was the tattoos- each of the guys were inked almost head to toe, tattoos crawling up their legs, arms and necks… it made you giggle when the man at the bar handed their colourful cocktails with little umbrellas over to them, your lips curving into a little smile around the rim of your glass. 

“Kylie, look.” You said, not taking your eyes off them. 

She hummed in response, still mid-story, but then she turned her head to follow your gaze-

“Oh my god,” she laughed, “What are they doing here?”

“I don’t know,” you chuckled as you placed your drink back down on the table, “Looks like they took a wrong turn on their way to Inkcarceration.” 

Jess, ever curious, propped herself up and immediately spotted them. 

“Wait they’re kinda…” 

“Don’t say it.” You warned, already knowing what she was about to say- but James got there first. 

“Oh my god they’re so hot.” 

You rolled your eyes half-heartedly before glancing back over… and that’s when your gaze landed on him. God, how didn’t you notice him first?

He wasn’t doing anything particularly attention grabbing, he was just standing there with one arm resting on the bar, his hand wrapped around his drink… but there was just something about him that pulled your attention in like a magnet. 

Oh, he was tall. Easily the tallest in the group. He had broad shoulders too, and very nice arms… his hair was shorter than everyone else's, a dark brown, but in the light it almost looked auburn. He was wearing a grey tshirt, deliciously stretched over his broad back and shoulders, with a pair of black shorts, a chain around his neck and a pair of black sunglasses covering his eyes. Even without properly seeing his face, he looked gorgeous. 

But then he brought his drink up to his lips… and you couldn’t help but stare at his hands. 

Wow. Big, long fingers-

“Hello?” James poked you with his straw, “Earth to y/n?”

You blinked, suddenly realising how you’d gone completely still, utterly transfixed by this guy. 

“Sorry… I’m just observing.” You smirked as you picked your drink back up. 

“That’s one way to put it.” Jess scoffed, but you didn’t argue… and you didn’t look away from him either. 

He was talking to one of his friends, he was tanned, his dark hair tied in a messy bun, and he had stretched ears- then your guy suddenly pushed his sunglasses up, resting them on the top of his head, pushing his messy brown hair back and revealing his face. 

You felt your tummy flutter. Everything about him was just… wow. His pretty eyes, his lovely nose… you took a sip of your drink as you took in the sight of him. 

The advertisement was right. This place did have a great view. 

But then, as if he could sense it, he glanced over. 

Your stomach dropped. For a split second you felt like he was looking straight at you, and immediately you looked away. 

“I need to go inside!” You said quickly, making James laugh. 

“But you just got comfortable!” He teased. 

… 

You didn’t go inside, not straight away anyway. You stayed out there with your friends, pretending to listen to what they were saying, pretending you weren’t staring at the tall guy who was now in the pool with his friends- his shirt long gone, along with your sanity. 

Because somehow, he looked even better now. Not that you noticed, because you totally weren’t staring, and it did not affect you in the slightest seeing his hair wet and falling over his eyes. 

“Okay…” Kylie suddenly said, cutting right through your thoughts. 

“What?” You ask, turning your head to look at her. 

She pushed herself up onto her elbows, looking far too energised for someone who has spent hours laying in the sun. 

“Let’s get in the pool!!” 

“No!” You say immediately, feeling your heart start to race. 

“No?” She pouted. 

You shook your head. 

“I’m good here.” 

“She’s scared.” Jess smirked, not looking up from the book she was reading. 

“Pfft, no I’m not!” You protested. 

“Yes you are,” Kylie teased, “Does it have anything to do with tall, dark and tattooed over there?”

“Of course not! I just don’t wanna get wet.” 

You were waiting for James to make a remark… but when you glanced over at him, he was snoring, his face covered with a stupid straw hat that he bought for the trip, insisting it made him look stylish. 

Then without even realising, your eyes found him again. He was laughing at something his friend said, his head tipped back, shoulders relaxed-

“I’m staying here.” You said, more firm this time. 

Kylie watched you for a moment longer before sighing overdramatically. 

“Fine!” She groans, “Be boring then.” 

“I will.” You smile. 

“I’m getting in.” She grinned, swinging her legs off the lounger. 

“Have fun.” Jess said as she turned a page. 

And with that, Kylie took off her coverup and made her way over to the pool. She got in the water, and for a second you thought this was fine, she was just swimming, there was nothing to worry about… 

But then she made her way over to them. She slicked her hair back, blinking the water from her eyes and then turned to one of the guys… he said something to her, she laughed, and just like that, she was talking to them. 

Your stomach dropped so fast it almost made you feel sick.

“No…” You shake your head, sitting up a little straighter without even realising it.

Jess glanced up again, following your line of sight, and immediately grinned.

“Oh, yeah she’s evil.”

“She wouldn’t…” You started, but your voice trailed off as Kylie laughed with the guys again, this time louder, like she was doing it on purpose to get a reaction from you. 

This is fine! It’ll be fine! Just sit here, mind your business and act normal. 

But then Kylie turned around, shooting a knowing smile over your way. 

“She’s going to say something.” You say quietly, panicked. 

“She’s already saying something.” Jess chuckled. 

“I’m going to be sick.”

Jess nudges your leg with her foot.

“Relax… what’s the worst that could happen?”

…

You couldn’t stay there by the pool, so you complained about being hot and needing a shower, and snuck away when Kylie wasn’t looking. 

And the second you’re out of their line of sight, your pace quickened. 

Your heart was racing, your body hot for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the sun anymore. Still, you made your way up to your room, fumbling with the key card before finally getting the door open. 

The second you’re inside, you let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding. You dropped your beach bag by the door and flopped backwards onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

Why the hell were you feeling like this? You don’t even know the guy. You felt like a teenager at school with a hallway crush… 

You groaned and dragged your hands down your face.

You stayed there for another minute, maybe two, staring up at the ceiling blankly while your heart slowly stopped acting like you’d just run a marathon.

Then you sat up, wondering what you could do to pass the time. Dinner wasn’t for a while, but at least if you started getting ready now then you’d be prepared… and if you sat here thinking about him any longer, you were actually going to lose your mind.

So you grabbed your clothes and headed into the bathroom.

The shower helped to calm you down, you washed the remaining sand and sunscreen off your body, and tipped your head back under the water as you rinsed off your conditioner. 

But you kept seeing him in your mind, the way he laughed with his friends, the way he smile; the way- 

Stop. You don’t even know the guy. 

You got out eventually, wrapping yourself and your hair up in a towel, feeling somewhat human again. You sat on the bed for a while, scrolling on your phone before deciding to get changed, still way earlier than necessary. 

You changed into a cute two piece- a top and skirt- and you absolutely were not putting extra effort in just in case. You were only spending a little longer than necessary on your makeup just because it passed the time… and sure you may have changed your hair style a few times but that was completely unrelated! 

You were standing in front of the mirror putting on your lip gloss when the room door suddenly swung open.

“…Oh my god.”

You turned around, and immediately burst out laughing. James, who you were sharing the room with, stared back at you looking very unimpressed. 

“Don’t.” He warned, but you couldn’t help it. 

Because across his face, shoulders and chest were the most ridiculous tan lines you had ever seen. 

“This is all your fault.” He said. 

“You look like a neapolitan ice cream!” You wheezed.

James looked horrified.

“Oh, that’s so fucking nice, thank you.”

“I’m sorry-”

“This could’ve been avoided if you put sunscreen on me properly!” 

“I did!” You protested, “I covered you in it!”

“Well clearly not!”

“James. You’re a grown man!”

“A grown man that asked for your help!”

You laughed as he dramatically threw himself down onto his bed, groaning into his pillow.

“The whole trip is ruined.”

“C’mon, you’re being dramatic.”

“My skin feels hot and tight.”

“Did you pack any aloe gel?”

“…No. Did you?” 

“I think so. Check my bag.” You said, smiling as you turned back towards the mirror.

Then you suddenly remembered...

Slowly, you looked at him through the reflection, watching him dig through your bag. 

“Uh… was Kylie still in the pool when you woke up?” You asked, trying to play it cool- but he immediately caught on. 

He looked up and grinned. 

“Yep…” 

You didn’t like the look on his face. The look that told you he knew something you didn’t. 

“…And?” 

“Kylie told the big guy- Noah- that you’ve been drooling over him.”

Your mouth fell open.

“SHE WHAT?!”

James burst into laughter.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding…”

You stood there, frozen still at the mirror, your eyes wide and your jaw dropped. 

“Oh my god!”

He cackled. 

“Okay maybe I’m exaggerating! She didn’t say drooling-”

You stared at him in horror.

“…James.”

“But she did tell him you thought he was cute.”

“No she didn't...” You shook your head. 

“Yes she did. You know what she’s like.”

“So what did he say?”

His smile softened into a suspiciously smug look.

“I didn’t hear him, but he looked quite pleased.”

…

By the time the four of you were ready and made your way downstairs, the air had cooled and was now gentler and cooler, and the sky was a pretty pinky-orange with a few clouds around.

The restaurant was beautiful at night, most of the tables were outside, decorated with little flickering candles and fake flowers, musicwas playing softly, and strings of lights were hung up outside the building and stretching across the fences.

A lot of people were already seated, chatting over drinks and plates of food. For a moment, you let yourself relax, because they weren’t here. Maybe they’d come later, or maybe they-

“Oh my god!” Kylie grinned beside you.

Oh no… you followed her gaze, and there they were, already seated at one of the larger tables in the corner.

And you don’t know how it was possible, but they looked even better now. They looked a little more put together now they’ve changed out of their swim shorts… but again, your eyes lingered on him. 

So his name was Noah...

He wore a short sleeved black button up shirt over a black tank, and his hair looked softer now, dry and a little messy. And in the evening light, he somehow looked even prettier. 

This was becoming a problem.

“Nope,” you said immediately, grabbing Kylie’s arm. “No.”

But it was too late, because her entire face lit up, and she was already calling out one of their names. 

“Folio!”

Before any of you could stop her, she had practically skipped across the restaurant over to their table. 

One of the guys looked up immediately and grinned. That must’ve been Folio- the one she was talking to in the pool earlier before you left. He looked so happy to see her, like they were old friends, and not like they only met a few hours ago.

You watched her for a moment… until Noah looked up. But instead of Kylie, he was looking straight at you, and a little soft smile crept onto his face. 

You felt heat rush to your cheeks, and you immediately looked away- but Kylie didn’t give you the chance, because she had turned around, and with a grin she called out- 

“Y/N! JESS! JAMES!”

Every single head in your general vicinity turned, and you wondered why you even agreed to this vacation. 

“COME MEET MY NEW FRIENDS!” She yelled again, and you shook your head. 

“No, I’m gonna sit inside-”

James looked at you, Jess looked at you, you looked at them... but then they started walking over to Kylie and the guys. 

Fucking traitors. 

You stood there for a second longer, before realising standing there alone was somehow more embarrassing. So with a quiet groan, you started walking too.

And with every step, you suddenly felt hyper aware of everything. How did you look? Were you walking weird? God, why did he have to look so intimidating. 

“There you are!” Kylie beamed as you reached the table. 

Introductions started to blur slightly, because when you looked over at Noah again, he was still looking at you. His elbow was on the table, chin rested on his fist as he still had that soft smile on his face. 

Now you saw him up close, you noticed his eyes were prettier than you’d realised from across the pool, warmer too. His hair fell over his forehead and slightly into his eyes, and there was just something nice about his face up close. Like you could look at him all day without getting bored. 

“Hey.” He said quietly.

You stared at him for a second too long, swallowing hard before you finally said,

“…Hi.”

Wow. Great conversational skills! 

James clearly realised too, because from the corner of your eye you could see he was looking like he was fighting for his life not to laugh.

But then before anything else could happen, Folio suddenly shot up out of his chair.

“Why don’t you guys join us? I can grab a couple more chairs?”

“Oh!” Kylie grinned immediately. “Yes that’d be great!”

And before anyone could object, Folio was already moving, dragging over chairs from nearby tables.

“Folio, what the hell man?” One of the guys laughed.

“What?” He said innocently. “We’re making friends.”

Within seconds, chairs were scraping against the floor, everyone shifting around and squeezing in.

Kylie sat down next to Folio, and Jess sat down beside Kylie. You were trying to remember everyone’s names, a little embarrassed that you couldn’t remember if the guy James was sat next to was called Bryan or Byron. 

And there was one empty chair left. One that had been empty all along. Right beside Noah.

And he had his arm resting on it. 

Your eyes landed on it, but you immediately looked away… but when you looked back, Noah’s eyes were on you again, before they drifted down to the seat and looked back at you. Then he gave you the slightest nod of his head, as if to say sit here. 

Your heart pounded in your chest, but it didn’t feel weird or awkward like you thought it would. He was just watching you softly, his fingers tapping against the wood, like he didn’t mind either way, like he was leaving it up to you, since there was now another chair next to Jess.

Fuck it. You made your way over, and he moved his arm so you could pull the chair out. 

“Thanks.” You said quietly as you sat down.

“No problem.” Noah said.

Fuck, even his voice was nice. 

You hated this. You hated whatever weird little thing your body was doing where your stomach kept flipping every time he looked at you.

For a few seconds you focused very hard on the menu in front of you, pretending to read it despite not taking in a single word, anything to distract yourself from how close he was sitting beside you. 

But you couldn’t distract yourself, because he decided to speak. 

“So…” He said quietly.

You looked up, and he was already watching you, a playful smile on his lips. 

“You’re y/n, huh?”

Oh fuck. What the hell had Kylie told him?

“…Yeah.” You said slowly, feeling your cheeks heat up again. “What exactly has Kylie been saying?”

His eyebrows lifted, amused.

“What?”

“You know.” You narrowed your eyes a little. “About me.”

He let out a quiet laugh. 

“No need to look terrified,” he smiled. “It was nothing bad.”

Great. Now you were terrified. 

You stared at him for another second before deciding to change direction completely.

“And you are…?”

You knew exactly who he was, but there was absolutely no way you were admitting that. Because then you’d have to explain how you’d spent the entire day getting relentlessly teased by your friends because he was the definition of your type.

Noah’s smile grew bigger, like he knew… but thankfully he didn’t say anything. He just held out his lovely, big, strong tattooed hand.

“I’m Noah.”

You looked down at it and slowly slipped your hand into his. 

“Nice to meet you.” You said. 

His hand was warm, and it almost swallowed yours whole...

A waiter came over a couple moments later and took drink orders, since none of you had the chance to look at the menus yet. 

You didn’t feel so nervous anymore, though you were still hyper aware of every movement you made and how close Noah was sitting to you, but the panic had gone. You don’t know why you were so worried in the first place, because talking to him felt… nice. It felt easy. 

There weren’t awkward silences where you scrambled for something to say. There wasn’t that horrible feeling of trying too hard or overthinking every word coming out of your mouth.

You’d say something dumb and he’d laugh, or he’d say something and make you blush. But somewhere along the way, you’d stopped noticing everyone else around you, and it felt like the two of you were in your own little bubble. 

“So…” You said eventually, turning slightly towards him.

Noah looked over, his brows raising as he hummed a “hm?”

“What are you doing here?” You asked. 

He let out a chuckle. 

“Here?”

“Yeah, Greece. A resort on the beach.” You narrowed your eyes at him playfully. “You don’t exactly look like a beach guy.”

Noah let out a quiet laugh.

“I’m not. I can’t think of anything worse than this.”

You were suddenly confused, your brows furrowing, but then he continued. 

“The guys basically forced me into coming.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” He looked almost sheepish suddenly. “It’s because of work. I’m a musician, and I-”

Your eyebrows lifted, and you couldn’t stop yourself from suddenly asking,

“You are?”

“Mhm.”

“What kind of musician?”

“I write, I play, I produce… I sing in a band.”

“Oh my god.” Your eyes widened dramatically. “Are you famous?”

He snorted.

“No.” He shook his head, smiling down at the table. “But anyways, things have just been really busy lately… I work a lot, I don’t let myself take time off and it’s been starting to affect the band and everything.”

Your face softened.

“Oh.”

He shrugged again like it wasn’t a big deal.

“The guys kept telling me I needed a break and I kept saying I was fine.”

You raised a brow.

“Were you fine?”

Noah looked at you, then smiled a little.

“…No.”

You laughed quietly.

“So I'm guessing they kidnapped you and brought you here?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Pretty much.”

You glanced over at the rest of the table for a second, Folio and Kylie were both laughing at something Jess was saying. James and Nick were both deep in conversation, and Bryan was nodding his head at whatever he was saying. Jolly and Davis were too busy on their phones, not caring to socialise. 

“What about you?” Noah asked suddenly, and you turned to look at him again. 

“Huh?”

“What are you doing here?”

You smiled.

“Oh...” You sat back slightly in your chair. “This vacation has literally been years in the making.”

“Really?”

You nodded.

“When we were younger, we always said we’d go on some big summer trip together one day.”

You pointed around the table.

“But every year something happened. Kylie would be working, Jess had other plans, James would be broke…” You smiled. “Life stuff.”

Noah listened to you as you spoke, taking in every word you said, not just nodding along- something that didn’t go unnoticed by you.

“And then this year we finally did it.” You grinned. “We made it happen.”

That made Noah smile, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, Kylie interrupted everybody. 

“Do we all know what we’re ordering yet?”

Everyone nodded… except for you and Noah. You both glanced down at the menu, but there were too many options to choose from, and you were still feeling a little giddy just from being in his presence. 

“Know what you want?” Noah asked. 

Yeah, you. 

“Nope.” You shook your head, “Do you?”

He shook his head with a little laugh, as if to say we’re both hopeless. 

He stared at the menu for a moment longer, before looking back up at you. 

“How much do you trust me?” He asked, and you looked over at him, your brows raised to say are you serious. 

“I’ve known you for what… twenty minutes? Not at all.” You teased. 

“Ouch,” he chuckled, “Thanks.”

“I’m kidding,” you grinned, unknowingly leaning more towards him. “Why? What are you thinking?”

“…Do you have any allergies?” 

You shook your head. 

“Not that I know of.”

“Good,” he smiled, “Me neither.” 

“Noah, what are you-“ 

“What if I choose something for you,” he said, resting his elbow on the table, tilting his head and resting it in his hand, “You pick something for me?”

“Seriously?” 

He nodded his head. 

“What if you pick something I hate?” 

“Is there anything on the menu you hate?” He asked, his voice soft. 

You scanned it again before shaking your head. 

“Good.” He smiled again, looking pleased with himself. “So are we doing it?”

You let out a long, dramatic, exaggerated sigh before nodding your head. 

To keep it a surprise, you texted Kylie and explained what was happening- to which she was very excited to hear you both had hit it off so well. You asked if she could order for you to keep it a surprise, and Noah did the same but with Davis, who was a lot more confused about the situation. 

The time passed quicker than you expected, more drinks were ordered, and the entire table all got to know each other. Nick talked about how he tattoos when he’s not touring or travelling to record with the band, Kylie talked about the month she spent in Australia on a business trip, Bryan and Jess began to bond over similar tastes in movies… all while James practically interrogated Davis after he so casually mentioned that he had previously worked for Jeffree Star. 

Every so often, you’d catch Noah looking at you. Not in a weird way, his eyes were soft, his head tilted, and every time you laughed at something or grinned… a little fond smile would tug at his lips. 

Eventually, plates started arriving, and they were passed down the table. One was set down in front of you, and another in front of Noah. 

Your brows drew together as you looked down at yours, then over at Noah’s. Then you both looked at each other. 

“No way.” You said with a little giggle. 

“Great minds think alike, huh?” He smiled. 

Because sitting in front of the both of you, were identical plates. The same thing, with the same sides. 

“You copied me?” You asked with a teasing smile. 

“Nuh uh, you copied me.” 

You tried to ignore the blush creeping into your cheeks as you picked up your fork, thinking to yourself what are the chances. 

… 

People had started to leave the restaurant now, and you had now all finished eating. Plates had been stacked and pushed aside, glasses were pretty much empty, and everyone had a lot less energy now…

Well, almost everyone. 

“So…” Kylie began, a smile creeping up on her lips, “You guys all look like you’re ready for bed. Y’know the night is only just starting, right?”

There were a few groans, you guessed they came from Jolly and Bryan, who looked like they were forcing their eyes to stay open. 

“What’s your plan then?” Folio asked, and you watched as her face lit up. 

“We should all go to the beach! Let’s have a night swim!” 

“I’m in!” James grinned. 

“Yeah, that sounds fun.” Folio nodded before turning to the rest of the table, “What about you guys? You coming?”

Nick was the first to shake his head, saying he was going to go back to his room and call his girlfriend. Jolly and Bryan’s excuse was that they were tired, but Kylie wasn’t taking that for an answer. 

“You guys are so boring!” She groaned, “You don’t have to get in the sea… just come to the beach with us.” 

As Kylie argued with them, Noah slowly turned his head, his gaze drifting over you before he quietly asked. 

“What do you want to do?”

You shrugged softly with a little hum as if to say I’m not bothered. 

“What do you wanna do?” You asked, and a little smile tugged at his lips. 

“Dunno.” He answered, “I was thinking about going back to my room…”

You couldn’t hide the way your face fell. 

“Oh.” You said quietly, the word slipping out without you even realising. 

“But…” he continued, “I don’t really want to just yet. And like your friend said, the night’s only just starting.” 

“You wanna go to the beach?” You asked, trying to act casual. 

He looked like he was thinking for a moment, then he gave a gentle nod of his head. 

“Yeah,” his eyes met yours again, and he leaned over towards you just a little, “Just... maybe without the others?" 

Your brain short circuited. Was this a joke? Or was this his plan all along? Is he going to murder you?

But when you finally looked at him again, you saw the way he was watching your face, looking increasingly nervous. 

Hey, so what if he’s a serial killer? He's cute and you’re in Greece. It’s worth the risk. 

“You trying to get me alone, huh?” You teased, watching his face suddenly turn red. 

“No- I’m just… I mean-” 

You laughed, shaking your head. 

“I’m joking… kinda.” You smirked, “So how are we going to sneak away without this lot noticing?”

…

Everyone went back to their rooms to get changed and grab some towels, and you were all going to meet up again downstairs in ten minutes. While you and James were sitting on your beds, waiting for a text from Kylie or Jess to say they’re ready, he decided to torment you. 

“So… how’d you get on with pretty boy?” He smirked, making you roll your eyes. 

“He seems nice.” You said, trying not to smile.

He just stared at you, brows raised, looking unimpressed. 

“You were talking to him for almost two and a half hours, and all you can say is he’s nice?”

“Well, what do you want me to say?” 

James shrugged. 

“I just expected more, especially since you’ve had that I have a crush face ever since you laid eyes on him… are you gonna go for it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean! Are you gonna bring him back here tonight? Have I gotta sleep in the bath with earplugs in, because I bought them-”

“James!” You groaned, “I just think he’s cute, okay? He’s nice, he’s funny- and sure he has really nice hands but that doesn’t mean I want to sleep with him! I only met the guy today!” 

James, looking pleased with your reaction, was about to say something else, probably along the lines of don’t let that stop you! But then the door knocked, and you heard Kylie’s voice call out,

“C’mon guys! They’re waiting for us already!” 

You had never been happier to hear Kylie’s voice in your life, and you immediately shot up, grabbing your phone and towel and practically sprinted to the door. 

“Hey, don’t think this conversations over!” James laughed as he followed you to the door, but you ignored him as you opened it. 

“What were you two yelling about?” Kylie asked as the two of you stepped out. 

“She thinks Noah has nice ha-mmm!” Your hand slapped over James’ mouth just in time. 

“Nothing!” You grinned, “You guys ready?”

Kylie and Jess nodded, and you shot James a glare as you pulled your hand back, and followed the three of them downstairs. 

The lobby was pretty quiet, but it was 10pm so it was no surprise. There were a few couples wandering around, some sitting with drinks by the bar- but then you spotted the guys waiting by the entrance. 

And of course, your eyes were drawn to Noah first. He’d changed out of his dinner clothes and was now wearing a pair of black swim shorts and a black tshirt… yet he still knew how to make it look unfairly good. He had a grey towel slung over his shoulder, his hands tucked into his pockets as he talked to the guys, and his hair…. 

Oh, his hair. 

He had it tied half up half down, half of it in a little bun at the back of his head. But then as if he could feel your eyes on him, he looked up, and smiled the moment your eyes met. 

You smiled back, but it quickly faded when James chuckled beside you. 

“You two are so making out in the water.” 

“James!” You hissed, though he didn’t care. Instead, he gasped. 

“What if you two have a Mamma Mia moment, and you’re crawling across the beach- ow!” 

You swatted his arm, shutting him up as Noah started to wander over. 

“Hey.” He smiled. 

“Hi.” You said back, suddenly feeling shy.

“Let’s go!” Kylie’s voice boomed across the room and you watched as every started following her out… everyone except you and Noah. 

“Remember what we planned?” He asked, his lips twitching into a little smirk. 

You nodded your head. 

“Let them walk ahead… then we sneak off?”

Noah nodded. 

“C’mon, they’ll notice we’re missing.” He said, starting to follow them out. 

“They’ll notice anyway!” You laughed, quickly following behind him, but he just shrugged. 

“Maybe they’ll think we got lost.” He smirked. 

“We got lost? In a resort with signs all over the place?”

He smiled innocently. 

“Yeah, they went left, we thought they went right… then suddenly whoops! We lost them!” 

You couldn’t help but smile. 

“If they tease us for this-”

“I’ll take the blame,” he said, “Now c’mon.” 

You followed everyone out into the warm night air, trying to act normal while the group slowly drifted off ahead. You could see Kylie talking, her arms swinging about as she spoke to Folio and Bryan. James, Jolly and Jess were behind them, walking quietly. 

Nobody was paying attention to you or Noah. It was going perfectly. 

You glanced sideways at Noah, and he glanced sideways at you. You were wondering how much further you have to wait until the two of you disappear… 

But then you felt his hand brush against yours, down by your side. It must’ve been accidental, the backs of his fingers carefully brushing against yours for a moment, but then he did it again. 

You didn’t say anything, you just moved your hand a tiny bit closer… and this time when his fingers brushed yours, they stayed, and he slowly intertwined then with yours. 

“Okay,” he whispered, slowing his steps by the path that led to the beach, “Ready?”

You tried not to giggle as you looked up to meet his eyes. 

“They’re gonna realise-”

“So what?” He smirked, leading you right while the others walked left. “We thought they went this way.” 

You shook your head, not even trying to hide your grin anymore as you let him lead you down to the beach. 

… 

The resort felt miles away now the two of you finally came to a stop on the other beach. And it was so peaceful, no Kylie or James shouting, no arguing, no other people. Just you, Noah and the waves. 

The moon reflected over the water, turning the little ripples in the water silver every time they moved. 

“I know it’s dark, but I think I like this beach better than the other.” You said as you kicked your shoes off, letting your feet sink into the sand a little. 

Noah just smiled at that, then he caught the way you were looking over at the water. 

“...Wanna go in?” He asked, and you immediately shook your head. 

“No.” 

He laughed softly. 

“Why not?”

“Noah,” you said, meeting his eyes, “That water is going to be freezing.” 

He looked back at the sea for a moment, before agreeing. 

“Yeah, that’s true.” 

You looked at him suspiciously as he kicked his shoes off. 

“Is that it? That easy?”

“Huh?”

“No convincing me?”

“...No?” 

“You’re not gonna throw me in?”

He couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Of course not,” he said, “You don’t have to do anything you don't wanna do.” 

It was silly how that made your heart feel warm. If you were with Kylie right now she’d be dragging you in with her, laughing as you’d attempt to push her away.

You watched as Noah dropped his towel down onto the sand, moving it about a little before sitting down, and patting the spot beside him. You smiled and sat down next to him- but before you could properly settle, he laid back and reached out for you, before pulling you down with him. You giggled as you went down, but then the two of you were shoulder to shoulder, looking up at the starry night sky. 

You hadn’t realised just how much the lights in the resort hid the stars… because wow, there must’ve been hundreds, thousands of them.

For a while, neither of you said anything, you just laid there, watching the sky and listening to the sea… but then suddenly, Noah let out a quiet breath before he said,

“Y’know, I wasn’t expecting this.” 

You turned your head to face him. 

“This?” You smiled. 

“Mm,” he hummed, still watching the sky, “I wasn’t expecting to meet anybody here.” 

You let out a small laugh. 

“No, me either.” You said, “It’s something me and my friends joked about, that we’re gonna find a vacation boyfriend, but…” your words drifted off, and you gave a small shrug. 

Noah smiled at that, but then he went quiet again, and he looked like he was thinking. He looked over at you after a moment, but then his eyes were back on the sky.

“Can I be really honest with you?” 

You felt your stomach drop slightly. 

“Yeah…”

His thumb absentmindedly rubbed against his stomach, where his hand was resting. 

“I know we’ve only just met… but I like talking to you. Tonight's been one of the best nights I’ve had in a while, and I’d love to get to know you better…” 

Your heart skipped a beat, but you could tell a but was coming. 

“But…” yep, there it was, “I have to let you know this now, because I don’t wanna be one of those guys that gets to know you and then screws you over and breaks your heart. My life is just… crazy.” He laughed softly through his nose, “I’m always on the road, when I’m at home I spend most of my time in the studio, I hardly sleep, I never have time to text or call people back…” He looked over at you, “Relationships and me just don’t really work.” 

You stayed quiet, listening as he explained it to you, though you worried he might mistake that for you being upset. 

“I don’t want us to spend time together here, get to know each other, and… let this go where it goes, and pretend I’m some guy who’s gonna call every day and make it work out long distance… so I thought I'd let you know now, before anything happens.” 

Your expression softened as you looked at him. 

“Noah… I’m not expecting any of that.” You explained. 

He looked over at you, but you were now looking up at the sky. 

“I just got out of a relationship, and work takes up most of my life too. Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could make anything work either.” You looked at him, “And I know we’ve only known each other a few hours, but I like you too.” 

Noah went very still, and you pushed yourself up onto one elbow. 

“So…” you continued, “We’ve got a couple weeks here together… that doesn't mean we can't just have some fun?" 

Noah was quiet for a moment, like he was taking that in, and then he smiled. 

“Okay,” he nodded, “I can do that.” 

You grinned, laying back down. 

“Just try not to fall in love with me.” You teased. 

Giving Noah a camcorder is like giving a child free rein of a candy shop. He’s giddy the moment Bryan hands it off to him in the green room. His hands trail over the mixed-metal and plastic frame, eyes wide with awe, and he immediately presses the buttons, turning every dial and switch to figure out what it all does.

He jokes about bringing it on stage before he even attempts to use it. Unfortunately for Bryan, who will have more work to do, it’s a great idea. The lead singer getting footage of the crowd and showing his perspective? It’s amazing for social media.

So, to make sure Noah’s footage isn’t completely unusable, he plays around with it a lot to get used to it. He shoves it in everyone’s faces. Folio loves it, sticking out his tongue and wiggling as close to the lens as possible. Nicholas nods at it, trying to seem unamused, but fails miserably. Jolly swats it away as if the camera and the man holding it are incessant little bugs, but he can barely hold back a smile. 

Pointing it at you next is inevitable. You’re sitting at a small table in the corner of the room, working through emails during this little bit of downtime. Noah hunches his back, pushes his shoulders up to his ears, and sneaks up beside you. The over-six-foot-tall man can’t go unnoticed, especially when he’s your goofy boyfriend. You turn your head to face him, but keep your eyes on your laptop.

“What are you doing?” you ask.

“Nothing,” Noah sings. “Bryan gave me a toy."

You snort. “Oh boy, exactly what you need."

It’s only then that you hit send on your email and finally look at him. He’s got the camcorder up to his face with one eye squinted, mouth open, and eyebrows furrowed in concentration. It’s about an hour or so before showtime, so he isn’t fully dressed in his stage clothes. Instead, he’s only wearing a tank top, which shows off the vibrant colors of his tattoos. His hair is so long right now that it sticks up in various directions in the back, but you love it like that because it reminds you of his older hairstyles, which you miss dearly. Your eyes shamelessly drag over him, taking in the hard lines of his broad shoulders, the way his muscles strain underneath the thin fabric of his shirt. 

“You know I totally just caught you drooling over me on camera, right?" He asks, still recording. 

“I was not drooling,” you argue, making sure to look right into the lens so it captures your intense eyeroll. 

“Sure,” Noah teases, dragging the word out. 

“Why don’t you leave the camera work to professionals and go be pretty elsewhere?” 

“I am a professional!” Noah pouts, dropping the camera. “Bryan said I can use it on stage!”

“He’s going to regret that,” you laugh, reaching over to pat your boyfriend on the shoulder like a little puppy. 

~~~

Your words don’t ring true until days later. 

It’s the afternoon of a day off. Most of the crew is exploring the city and probably won’t be back until it’s time to start driving again. It’s just you, Noah, and Bryan left on the main bus.

Bryan sits at the small built-in table and drops all his gear as he prepares to work. You and Noah talk quietly among yourselves as you lounge on the couch, your head in Noah’s lap with his fingers trailing through your hair. 

This is a somewhat normal routine you three have built. Bryan likes to work with the people around him as his body doubles and to hold him accountable for his deadlines. You and Noah just enjoy having your friends around as much as possible. On tour, chill moments are few and far between. So relaxing with a little company is a win-win.

For the first half hour or so, it’s quiet. Bryan works diligently, and you scroll absentmindedly through your phone while Noah rests his eyes. The only noise is the click of Bryan’s mouse and the occasional TikTok video your friends send. That is, until a squeak startles you, sending your phone crashing to the floor. You frantically look around the space for the source of the sound.

Bryan’s cheeks are bright red, and the color trails down his neck and spreads across his nose. His eyes are wide but still fixed on the screen in front of him.

“Bry?” you ask, confusion in your voice. “You okay?”

He swallows hard, eyes slowly dragging up to meet yours. 

“I'm fine.” His voice cracks as he answers, and you raise an eyebrow at him, but he's already looking past you and up at Noah. 

“I'm just looking through your camcorder footage,” Bryan explains. 

Your brows furrow. What in videos of fans would make him react like that? It’s just clips from the very end of every set, each one full of the crowd as they yell, wave, and try to catch various goodies. It's incredible footage that has added a personal element to the nightly recap videos Bryan puts together. 

There's been another use for the camcorder as well—something a little more… intimate. 

The realization dawns on you far too late, and you scramble off Noah's lap, sitting up straight. Your boyfriend, on the other hand, doesn't move an inch. You don't have to look at him to know there’s a shit-eating grin pulling at his lips. Sometimes, he has an incredible poker face, but not when he's seconds from an absolutely insane idea. 

After the first show, Noah was far too excited to put the camera down. He didn’t give it back to Bryan, claiming that he could be responsible for it, so he brought it to your hotel room and tossed it on the couch on the other side of the room. You were stripping off your all-black leather outfit and giving him the eyes. It took only seconds for him to get a sinister idea, slinking off the bed and reaching for the camera once again. The rest is history. Well, recorded history. 

You have no idea what to say to Bryan right now. You don't particularly mind that he’s seeing it, but you know he's more than likely being blindsided by your entirely naked body on his laptop screen. 

“Bryan, listen—” you barely get the words out before you're stopped by Noah gently resting a hand on your thigh. 

“Don't be shy,” he says calmly. “Show us.” 

You whip your head to the side to look at him, eyes wide. “Noah—”

A squeeze to your leg shuts you right up. 

“Turn the laptop around, Bryan,” he commands in a slow, serious drawl. 

Bryan obliges, one shaky hand turning it around. Sure enough, right there on the screen is a frame perfectly paused on you sprawled out naked across a hotel bed. Judging from the comforter, this was only two nights ago in Chicago. Your skin looks soft through the vintage, film-like lens, glowing in the dim, warm light. There’s a shy smile spreading over your face and stars in your eyes as you look up at Noah.

You feel instantly transported to the moment. Noah stripped down to a fresh pair of boxer briefs just after a shower, standing at the foot of the bed with the camera held up to his face, and you squirming in the plush sheets under his intense gaze and demands. 

“Do you want to watch it?” Noah breaks the awkward silence and brings you back to reality, to the fact that one of your closest friends just saw something that was never meant to meet the light of day. 

“No, I lived it,” you respond, turning your head to the side to look at Noah. He's facing forward, eyes straight ahead. 

“I'm not asking you,” he explains calmly. 

You follow his gaze back to the only other person in the room. Bryan’s expression has morphed from shock and confusion to something far more complicated. Heavy-lidded eyes, parted lips, perfectly still hands balled into white-knuckled fists in his lap. 

Oh. Oh. 

“Bryan,” Noah says, nudging the other man with the word. You feel like a deer caught in headlights, frozen in place as you wait for whatever his answer will be. Do you want him to watch it? Or do you want him just to delete the video and laugh it off? 

“I do, yeah,” Bryan practically whispers. 

“Are you okay with Bryan watching it, princess?” Noah looks over at you as he asks. 

Your breath catches in your throat. This is real and happening, and you have to answer Noah honestly because he will know instantly if you try to lie. 

And the truth hits you hard, spreading warmth over your skin. Out of all of the guys, you might just be the most okay with Bryan seeing you naked and desperate. With how long he and Noah have been friends, there’s no chance he hasn’t already seen Noah, including every tantalizing inch of him. But you? You’ve only ever stripped down to a bathing suit around the band and crew, and even then, it was a quite modest one-piece. Noah has never even mentioned sharing you with any of them, so this is all coming out of nowhere. 

But you trust Bryan. With all the years spent touring together, you’ve gotten close to him. The static that makes your entire body feel like it is buzzing is enough to tell you you want this to happen. You want Bryan to unpause the video and watch as it unfolds. 

“Yes,” you whimper, unable to look anywhere but right at your friend, who is now holding your gaze with such intensity. 

“Good,” Noah coos, squeezing your thigh again in praise. “Do you want to watch with him? See how he reacts to you being fucked?” 

“I do,” you whine. “I really, really do.” 

“Then go ahead, Bryan,” Noah nods forward. “Press play.” 

There’s a moment where no one moves, like you’re all waiting for the shoe to drop, for Noah to snatch the laptop and remove all traces of your escapades. When Bryan realizes that the command is real, that he does have permission to watch, he positions himself on the edge of the seat, turns the laptop to make sure all three of you can see it, and then hits the space bar. 

The video starts right up. 

“You look so pretty, baby,” Noah murmurs, the sound crackling as he moves the camera closer to you to focus on the way your body reacts to his words. 

You wriggle impatiently, the clean white sheets bunching around you. Your skin is covered in goosebumps, partially from the overhead fan whirring at full speed and also from sheer anticipation, knowing what’s coming so very soon. 

“Thank you,” you whisper, eyes soft and wide. 

“You’re welcome,” Noah replies, voice growing rougher with every word. “Do you want to touch yourself for the camera, baby? Show off a little?” 

You hesitate, hands resting at your sides, but twitching in the blankets. Noah’s patience is obvious, simply keeping the camera steady and on your body as you decide. 

Instead of replying, you simply uncurl your fists and move your hands to ghost over your body. One starts at your neck, fingers barely grazing your skin. The other gently wraps around your breast, and you pinch at your nipple, mouth popping open in a tiny gasp. 

You can’t make yourself feel as good as Noah can, but this is really close, especially with his eyes—and a camera—on you. 

The hand at your neck trails down your body, passing your other breast, and instead moves to the middle of your stomach, where it splays out flat. You’re not purposefully covering yourself, but Noah growls unhappily nonetheless.

“Why are you hiding?” He asks. 

“I’m not.”

“I think you are,” he barks, leaning in closer. “Move your hand and spread your legs.”

“Noah,” you whine, thrashing nervously.

“C’mon, baby,” he beckons. “Show the camera what that pretty pussy looks like.”

You let out a shaky breath before removing your hand from your stomach, letting it drop down to the sheets again. After repositioning to lie straight in the middle of the bed, you pull your legs apart, bending your knees outward. 

You’re now on full display. Pretty, pink, and glistening with arousal. 

Noah’s breath catches, knuckles turning white as they grip the metal handle of the camera. He wants to reach out and touch you, run his fingers through your folds, cover them in your slick, and savor the taste as he licks them clean. You can tell he’s being good, keeping himself focused on getting every inch of you on film. There's no need to savor the moment when he can just record it, relive it over and over whenever he wants. 

“How do I look?” You ask, voice silky smooth as you barely reach over a whisper. 

Noah shakes his head in disbelief, letting out a long and uneven breath. “Absolutely breathtaking.”

His words make your head spin. No matter how many times he compliments you, it never gets old. Your muscles ache, legs threatening to close, but you reposition, pushing your hips up into the air to bring your core even closer to the lens. 

“Filthy girl,” Noah growls. “Touch yourself for me, for the camera.”

And you do. Fuck, you don't even hesitate. Two fingers slip inside with a soft squelch. Stretching around as you spread them apart wide, as far as they'll go. 

You peel your eyes away from the screen and let them wander to Bryan. He’s sitting completely frozen in place, focus glued to you from the past. His breathing is shallow, his chest barely rising and falling, and his hands are fixed perfectly to keep his true reaction just out of your view. You wet your bottom lip. 

Noah’s not watching the screen either; his attention going between you and his friend. He wants to know exactly how this is affecting both of you. He knows damn well that it's driving you crazy, making you desperate. The hand resting on your thigh releases its grip and instead wanders, teasing inward. You stiffen, turning your head to give him a look of warning—wide eyes and a quick shake of your head. 

Noah tuts, startling you and Bryan equally. 

“Why are you so stiff, princess?” He asks you, reaching his free hand up to your face, the back of his brushing against your flushed cheek. 

“Because,” you inhale. “Bryan’s watching me finger myself.”

The sentence feels foreign, practically insane, as you utter it. It makes Bryan twitch, which you only just barely see in your peripheral vision. 

“You said you wanted to show off,” Noah chuckles. “That's what you're doing.”

“Yeah, to you, to the camera. I never thought…” your words trail away, get stuck in your throat.

“You never thought one of our friends would want to watch.”

You nod, eyes softening. Noah coos, tucking stray strands of hair behind your ear. You’re becoming pliant under his touch, and he knows it, using it to his advantage to slip his resting hand just under the waistband of your biker shorts, fingers tracing against your bare skin. 

“Are you enjoying it, Bryan?” Noah asks. 

Bryan nods, but his eyes stay glued to the screen where you’ve still got two fingers deep inside of yourself. You snort in awe, completely taken aback by just how focused and in a trance he is. 

“I’m sure you are,” Noah says smugly. “But I want to hear you say it.”

Bryan’s head whips over to Noah. Your recorded moans and whines fill the space, and while it should be so fucking awkward, it’s not. It’s far from it. Every sound in the video thickens the tension, almost making it tangible as if it were happening right now in this very room. 

“I—” Bryan hesitates, swallowing hard and meeting your eyes. “I’ve always wanted to see you.”

“See her do what?” Noah asks. He’s being a pushy asshole, teasing Bryan like this, but it’s working. He’s slowly unraveling out of his shyness. 

“Touch herself. Get fucked. All of it.” 

The tips of your ears go hot as ringing echoes through them. You don’t even know what to say, opening your mouth, but staying quiet. 

“It’s a beautiful sight,” Noah comments. “The camera doesn’t do it justice.”

Something flashes in Bryan’s eyes, a mix of mischief and curiosity. Electricity sparks through the small space between the three of you, making the hair on your arms stand up straight. It’s as if you all understand the gravity of the situation at the same time. You feel frozen in the realization as Bryan’s attention flicks right back up to Noah. He’ll have to get through your boyfriend first.  

“Please,” Bryan begs. 

There are so many words left unsaid, so much context missing, but there’s no need. You know what he’s asking for, what he wants to see. You expect Noah to tense up beside you or tell Bryan to fuck off. But he doesn’t. Instead, he tilts his chin down to you. No fight, no denial. Well, fuck. That was easier than you expected. Does that mean he wants this, too? Wants Bryan to see what has been solely his for years? It’s all up to you to decide. And who the fuck are you to say no to something you’ve definitely fantasized about before? You’ve never told Noah that, of course. There have been a few times where you’ve been working with Bryan, running around venues together, and you’ve stopped to admire him as he used the bottom of his shirt to wipe sweat from his forehead, catching the tiniest hint of skin. You’ve seen him fully shirtless many times and even had the privilege of catching him in his boxers early in the morning on the bus. You’re just a girl with eyes. No one can blame you for looking. 

Noah’s territorial. He has never shown interest in sharing you in the slightest. But now, he’s changing his tune, and you have a chance to get something you’ve wanted. So you quickly nod in confirmation. 

“I want to,” you say, words catching in the dryness of your throat and making you swallow hard.

Noah chuckles softly. “Then you need to take these off.”

He’s tugging at your biker shorts, his fingers hooked over the top of them and already attempting to pull them down. You lift your hips and help him by shimmying them off and letting them pool at your feet. The kicker is, you’re not wearing panties underneath them. And you never do because no one wants to see underwear lines poking through tight cotton and spandex. 

Bryan’s breath catches harshly at the sight, his attention no longer on the video still playing. You look over at it, getting distracted by the sight of yourself with two of your own fingers plunged deep inside you. It’s empowering knowing that this footage has led you to this, and it leaves you in awe of yourself. 

Noah clears his throat. “Do I need to turn that off?”

“No!” You say quickly as you look away from it. “I mean—you can if you want.” 

“Is this about what I want?” 

Well, no. You guess it’s not. You look up at Noah through your eyelashes and shake your head.

“I have an idea,” Bryan says gruffly, cutting the conversation between the two of you short. “You should match exactly what you’re doing in the video. And if you do something wrong or different, you’ll be punished.”

All the air knocks right out of your lungs, making you lean against Noah’s side as dizziness hits. He doesn’t react, just simply slings an arm over your shoulder to steady you and places the other against your bare thigh, splaying his fingers out across soft, warm skin. 

“Do you actually think I’d let you touch her?” He asks calmly. 

Bryan bristles in his seat. “I’ll watch to make sure she’s following along. And you can punish her.” 

He doesn’t answer Noah’s question, but you all know the answer. He can look. He just can’t touch. Noah hums in approval at the idea. You desperately try to stay calm, but you can feel your heart beating out of your chest. This doesn’t feel real, and yet it’s happening. Noah’s fingers dig into the flesh of your thigh, and he uses his grip to pry them apart. 

“You'd better get started then,” Noah says to you as he stands up, his fingers tracing along your body until they can’t anymore. You follow the feeling, arching yourself toward him. The absence of his warmth makes you whine, but you don’t protest. 

He only moves over to Bryan’s side of the aisle, leaning against the wall behind the built-in chair. Bryan stays exactly where he is, eyes glued to you. And you scramble, looking back to the laptop playing your literal sex tape. 

At this point in the video, you’re a mess, writhing against the sheets and babbling incoherently. Noah permits you to add a third finger, and you do without hesitation. This action makes you balk in real life, throwing your head up at Noah in exaggeration. 

“I’m supposed to match the video exactly?”

Noah shrugs nonchalantly, a Cheshire cat smile pulling at his lips. “It was Bryan’s idea.”

You narrow your eyes. “I haven’t had a chance to prep myself. Three fingers are a lot to start.” 

Noah crosses his arms over his chest and presses his mouth shut in a thin line. 

“Do you want Noah to punish you?” Bryan asks, making your eyes double in size as you sputter. When did he gain enough confidence to speak up? 

You shake your head desperately. “No, I don’t.”

“Then I suggest you watch the video and do exactly as she does,” he answers, leaning towards you slightly. “That shouldn’t be hard, right? It is only you from a few days ago after all.”

You force yourself to keep quiet and not give anyone a lick of attitude, no matter how badly you want to. Noah and Bryan are both just as pent up as you are, so god knows what would happen if you went against their wishes. So instead, you take a steadying breath and reposition yourself on the couch. Now that Noah isn’t beside you anymore, there is plenty of room to sprawl out. You press your back to the cushions and scoot up to position your head against the armrest. The bus sofas aren’t exactly meant for someone to stretch out on like this, so you’re a bit scrunched, but you make it work, bending your knees out to spread your legs apart. Your pussy is on full display to the two men watching you. Neither of them makes a sound or reacts in any way, but you can feel their eyes boring into your skin, setting it ablaze. 

There’s no need to waste any more time. Your desperation has become unbearable, and it shows in the way your fingers tremble as they skitter across the bare skin of your legs and reach your aching core. You bite at your bottom lip to hold back a whine as you rub your three digits along your folds, purposely coating them in as much of your arousal as possible. The sting is inevitable as you push them inside, but you go slow and let yourself get used to the feeling.

Bryan blows out a breath. “Fuck.”

You look up at him through your eyelashes, lips parted as your breathing becomes shallow and choppy. 

“Isn’t she gorgeous?” Noah asks him. 

“Stunning.”

You preen at their words, offering a lopsided smile as you spread your fingers apart and attempt to stretch yourself open. It’s not like three is a lot normally. You’re a bit of a size queen and often beg Noah to fist you or use an extra-large dildo when you need more. It’s just that this isn’t exactly how you pictured your relaxing afternoon. Without any preparation or even proper foreplay, you’re just being extra careful to make sure you stay feeling good. And right now, it’s heavenly as you begin to move and pump your fingers in and out, you go weightless, your head lolling against the armrest. Your eyes squeeze shut with a surge of pressure. 

Noah tuts loudly, startling you not enough for you to stop, but just enough that your eyes pop open and you look at him through the static and haze.

“How are you supposed to be sure you’re following along if your eyes are closed?” He asks, tilting his own head to mimic your position. 

He looks so good like this, simply standing there watching you. His hair is a mess atop his head, sticking up every which way. He’s wearing the sweatpants and tank top he slept in since neither of you bothered to get ready for this lazy day. His biceps constrict as he keeps his arms folded, veins protruding and cascading down to his hands. You want to lick them, feeling the thrum of his blood and his pulse and just him.

Instead, you look back at the video and watch as intently as possible.

Only the bottom half of your body is in the frame until Noah steps back, the camera shaking as he does so. It unfocuses for a second as the lens adjusts to the new distance, showing off all of you. Your legs are spread wide, feet digging into the sheets to keep yourself anchored. You trail your free hand up your body, from your legs to your stomach, fingers dragging across your skin as you dig your nails in. You move up to your breasts, grabbing at one of them and pinching your nipple between two fingers. A moan works up your throat. 

You mirror the motion, snaking your hand up your shirt and wrapping it around your breast. 

“You think that’s good enough?” Noah asks.

“What?” You whine. 

“In the video, you’re naked,” Bryan explains for him. “Completely.” 

The two of them ganging up on you should make you feel small, weak. There’s someone out there who would be humiliated by it. But you? You fucking love it. A wicked smile pulls at your lips. You reluctantly pull your fingers out of your pussy, letting out a tiny whine at the loss, and use both your hands to peel off your shirt. There will probably be a stain on it from how wet your fingers are, but that’s a problem for a different day. Hopefully, the venue tomorrow has a washing machine. To antagonize the boys, you throw your shirt at Bryan. It plops against his chest and lands in his lap. 

“Funny,” he quips with a smirk. You giggle as he uses a finger to pick it up and drop it to the floor. 

Bryan’s eyes never leave you as he shamelessly soaks in your bare skin. Your nipples are pebbled, pretty, pink, and hard.

“I never thought I’d see you like this,” he admits as he blows out a breath.

“Better take it all in now because it’s not happening again,” Noah speaks up. Bryan steels his expression as best as he can, but you see right through it as disappointment slumps his shoulders. 

“Don’t pout, Bry,” you murmur. “Just watch me.”

With that, you put your fingers right back where they were, squeezing around them in pleasure and using your other hand to play with your nipples again. The video plays on.

You fuck yourself with your fingers hard and fast, pulling them out and pushing them back in. Your eyes roll back in your head before they squeeze shut, and your mouth is open, jaw slack. 

This isn’t enough. You drop your hand from your breasts and immediately move it to your clit, rubbing fast circles into the sensitive bud. Between that and your fast rhythm fucking your fingers, your body begins to tighten up. 

“Noah,” you whimper in warning. “I'm close. So fucking close.” 

You open your eyes and look at the camera, staring right down the lens. 

Noah lets out an aroused groan. “Go ahead, baby. Cum for me. Cum for the camera. Show it how pretty you look when you let go.” 

And you listen to him, crying out loudly as your orgasm wracks through your body. 

Watching yourself cum feels surreal. You get lost in the right, pounding your fingers into yourself faster.

Noah tsks. Your movements stutter, and you give him the biggest puppy dog eyes you can to try to soften the blow. It’s useless. He drops his arms to his sides in disappointment. 

“Now, princess,” he coos. “What is it that you’re doing wrong?” 

Like you don’t already know. 

“I can’t cum yet!” You whine. “I’m not close.”

“That’s too bad. Do you need some help?”

You perk up, nodding enthusiastically. “Yes, please.”

“Video off, Bryan,” he orders as he moves back over to you, leaving Bryan at the table by himself. 

Bryan listens, then hits the spacebar and closes his laptop. While that was fun, seeing it happen in real time is much better anyway. 

Noah must feel as desperate and hungry as you do. He grabs your legs and swings them over the cushion. “I’ll fuck you, but you can’t touch yourself or me. Hands above your head.”

It’s hardly a punishment when you’re this desperate and far gone. You oblige, lifting your arms and putting your hands on the armrest of the couch. 

Noah lets go of your legs long enough to push his sweatpants and boxers down, freeing his cock. It springs up against his stomach for a moment, making you bite at your lip to stifle a moan. It doesn’t matter how many times you see him, something always stirs awake inside of you. His cock is perfect. When he’s hard like this, it’s just about seven inches, and his girth is enough to fill you up but not hurt. You love it, love the way he feels buried deep inside you. 

Noah reaches over to the counter that the couch is against. The bus’s front lounge isn’t very big. Most things are all compact and next to each other. It’s only then that you realize what your true punishment is. There are a few bowls on it with all sorts of stuff, like fruits and keys. The one he reaches for, however, makes you sit up.

“What are you doing?” You ask.

Noah doesn’t look at you. He knows you’re smart enough to have already put together what’s happening. He wants you to feel the disappointment. 

“Noah,” you whine as you watch him take a condom out of the bowl and rip it open.

“What, princess? You have to be punished, don’t you?”

You’re several years into your relationship with Noah, and it’s been a long time since you regularly used condoms. You both love the way it feels for him to take you raw, and you've been on birth control for a while. So there really is no use except for when he's trying to tease you. He’s going to give you what you want, but not quite allow you to feel it all. 

You watch him roll the condom onto his cock and keep a hand on his length, using it to guide himself into your aching pussy. When he pushes inside, you let out a whine. Not one of satisfaction, though. No, it's full of want and lust. You feel good, of course, but you know it can be more. 

Noah uses his other hand to grab your cheeks, pushing your lips together.

“Be fucking grateful,” he grits out, spitting in your face. You blink up at him but don't speak. “I'm fucking you in front of our friend. Don't pretend like you haven't wanted this.” 

He knows you so well. It's no surprise he's already aware that this is quite a fantasy for you. Nonetheless, blush spreads across your cheeks, down your neck, and covers your chest. 

Noah’s back is to Bryan, which means the other man can just barely see you. The moment Noah pushes forward and starts a pace, fucking you with abandon, Bryan groans. Your curiosity gets the best of you, eyes sliding past Noah’s shoulder and over to him sitting at the table. His legs are spread into a wide stance, one hand palming his erection through his jeans and the other balled into a fist at his side. You've never seen him like this, long hair disheveled, face completely flushed, pupils blown wide. 

You watch him with no shame, whimpering and whining from Noah fucking you, and also how hot Bryan looks right now. It's overwhelming, being between the two men like this, but you fucking love it. 

Noah’s still holding onto your face, eyes intently watching you. A harsh laugh bubbles up his throat when he realizes where your focus is. 

“Really?” He asks, voice gruff. “Are you watching Bryan? Do you want him to show you more?” 

You meet Noah’s eyes and let out a tiny noise of agreement. His lips curl into a smirk as he continues his pace, not looking away from you as he speaks. 

“Wanna show her, Bry?”

“Yeah,” he answers huskily, hastily unzipping his pants. He lifts his hips, lets the jeans, along with his boxers, drop to his ankles. He doesn’t bother to kick them off, just lets them pool on the ground. You whine at the sight of his cock. It’s not as big as Noah’s, but that doesn’t make you want it any less. 

He wraps a hand around his length, gripping it tightly. It’s obscene to watch the way he’s fucking into his fist, bucking forward. Heat pools in your stomach, tightening your muscles. 

“Oh, you like that? You like watching Bryan fuck himself? Now you know how he felt watching you, mhm?” Noah chimes in again, dropping his hold on your face to put his hands on either side of your hips. He uses the newfound grip to change his pace and drill into you, hunching over and mounting you properly. His hips snap forward, and the spot he hits inside of you is perfect. 

“Fuck!” You cry at the new sensations. 

You want to close your eyes, give in to the feeling, dig your nails into Noah’s back. But you can’t do any of it. Instead, you watch Bryan, who's staring back at you sharply, eyes tracing over every inch of your body to see exactly how you react to Noah’s punishing speed. Bryan’s sloppy, pumping himself with a sharp flick of his wrist. Noah’s grip on you is getting stronger, fingertips digging into your skin. 

All three of you are coiled so fucking tight, getting closer and closer to the edge. You’re probably the furthest away, though. You can feel it inching closer, but it’s just out of reach. It’s from the condom and your inability to touch what and where you want. There’s no pressure on your clit, just Noah fucking into your cunt harshly. He’s bottoming out, hitting deep into you with every thrust.

“You don’t get to cum until after Bryan and me? Understood?” Noah asks. 

You nod repeatedly, the words catching in your throat. 

It’s not much of a punishment since you know they’re both close. Groans spill from Bryan as he speeds up again, his movements becoming more erratic and desperate. You watch as streaks of white spill from the tip of his cock and down his tattooed hand. He relaxes, his body slumping against the cushion of the chair behind him. You give him a lopsided smile and finally let your eyes close, squeezing them tightly. 

Noah groans, breath stuttering. “I wish I could cum in this tight little pussy instead of a fucking condom, but you just had to disobey. Can you feel my dick twitching, princess? How close I am?”

“Yes,” you whimper. “Please cum for me. Please.”

Your words are all it takes. You can feel the warmth of Noah’s cum streaming into the condom, and it makes you wild. So wild, in fact, that you disobey his rule and drop your hand, pressing a few of your fingers into your clit and rubbing quick circles against it. Noah doesn’t stop you. He simply chuckles at your desperation and keeps himself buried inside of your pussy, staying still so he can watch you. You grind against his length as the pressure builds and builds. 

It hits you hard and fast and feels amazing. Your toes curl against the side of the couch, and a string of whispers escapes parted lips. It doesn’t last long, but it’s good, really good. You drop your hand when your orgasm is finally over and open your eyes to look at Noah. He smiles softly and slowly pulls out. You hiss at the loss, watching him carefully slide off the filled condom and discard it. The room smells like sex, and all three of you look like a mess. You wiggle to sit up and gather your clothes. Bryan coughs awkwardly as he situates himself, pulling his jeans back up. He grabs his laptop, tucking it under his armpit and standing up, walking toward the bunks and presumably the shower. 

“Hey, Bry,” you call out, making him stop in his tracks and look at you over his shoulder.

“Yeah?” 

“Keep the video,” you say with a wink.

Bryan rolls his eyes but gives you a smirk as Noah’s chuckles fill the room.

________________________________________________________________

The stale smell of the port filled your nostrils making your stomach twist in disgust. You could hear the distinct screech of seagulls which were flying above the gigantic cruise ship docked at the pier. 

“MSC Sinfonia” was painted in a navy blue color on its bow. 

“What’s it called again?” you said to Chloe, pointing at the letters. 

“It’s the name of the ship” she quipped “it’s italian for symphony. Isn’t that poetic?” a grin plastered on her face. 

“Oh yeah, greeeat” you retorted dripping with sarcasm. Your forced smile morphing into a frown. 

“Oh c’mon Y/N It’ll be amazing! We get two whole weeks for ourselves, to relax, to unwind and maybe, who knows? We get to pick your date for Sarah’s wedding” Emma winked at you. 

“I’d like to point out that I had to get quite a hefty chunk of time off work and my boss wasn’t exactly pleased” you answered “Besides, we’re the ones who lower the average age of our “fellow passengers”, who am I supposed to bring to the wedding? My sugar daddy?” 

Your three friends erupted into a loud laughter. Your statement wasn’t exactly false. Sarah booked your trip with a company far too expensive for your age-group and off-season. 

So there you were, in line with a bunch of 75 year olds, compression socks and all, waiting for your check - in under the midday sun. 

The four of you have been best friends since middle school. You’ve always been a tigh - unit that managed to survive the awkwardness of your teenage years, the very first heartbreaks, morphing into full adult women who now shared glasses of wine and discussed work drama.  Thinking about Sarah getting married felt surreal. It was a stark reminder of how time slipped through your fingers without any intention of slowing down. 

There was something so sweet being a silent witness to each other’s milestones. Although you weren’t that excited about being trapped on a floating boat with a gang of retirees, you couldn’t say no to her. Not for this. 

Your heavy luggage hit your shins repeatedly while you were dragging it into the cabin. With a frustrated huff you took the cruise card out of your pocket to unlock your door. Sarah really did splurge on the cruise. Each of you got a separate room; “Just in case something risky happens” Sarah’s words echoed in your head. You couldn’t help it but chuckle to yourself thinking about the elderly crowd you were surrounded by. 

Your cabin was nothing less than a hotel room. Though smaller, it had everything you needed: a big queen-size bed, your private bathroom, but especially, a fantastic ocean view. 

Although still docked at the pier, you could see the gentle ripple of the ocean, little waves lapping against the hull. Hearing the water splashing, gave you a peaceful relief. 

This might actually be fun, you thought to yourself. 

A soft knock on the door pulled you out of your thoughts. You found Emma in front of you. “Hun, it’s time to hit the pool” she sang. She was wearing a sheer white cover - up, with her bikini already on. 

“How do you manage to get ready this fast?” you asked, incredulous. “There will be time to sort your stuff out, now just bring out your bikini and come with me. Sarah’s orders”. 

“Emma we’ve not even left the port, why do we need to get half naked where there’s not even a breath of air softening the heat” you answered frustrated. 

“Sometimes I still marvel at how clueless you can actually become” she snickered “Look outside your window.” She pointed out and, lo and behold, the ship actually left the port now cutting through the waves. 

The first thing you dug out was your lilac bikini with its matching sarong. You packed your sunscreen, your water and the book you were currently reading, ready to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. 

The gentle breeze shaking through your hair was a welcomed sensation against the scorching heat of the sun. You laid out your towel onto the lounge chair ready to spend the next few hours in a world where work and worries didn’t exist. 

Sarah and Emma took a plunge into the fresh pool water, lost in their own little world, where the first one was keeping her friend up to date with wedding preparations and the trials and tribulations that were brought with it. 

On the other hand, Chloe had managed to steer you away from your book, describing to you the latest fling she had with one of her coworkers. “Here, I need to show you his texts.” 

You were so focused on your friend, that the both of you couldn’t hear the girls calling you out. You snapped out of it because a splash of water soaked your feet. 

Emma had her arms crossed against the edge of the pool “Don’t look, but there is a group of guys, like four, no, no five of them, hot. And I mean the Y/N version of hot!” she yelled - whispered, wiggling her eyebrows. 

“C’mon Em, I just want to finish with Chloe and go back to my book, I don’t have time for this,” you quipped, annoyed. 

She rolled her eyes at you, moving swiftly out of the water, sitting on the lounge chair right in front of you. “They’re covered in ink, would that be interesting to you my darling?” she added suggestively. 

For sure, that piqued your attention. As nonchalantly as you could, you tilted your head behind your shoulder, gauging the truth of your friend’s words. 

As soon as you laid eyes on them, your body tensed instinctually. Your heart picked up a frantic pace. 

They couldn’t be… 

They surely weren’t…

On the other side of the pool, huddled up over a few of the lounge chairs, the Bad Omens band, and Davis, was chilling with a few beers in their hands. 

You whipped your head back, fixing your gaze on the ocean in front of you as you mumbled something incoherent. 

“Oh look” added Sarah, now fully facing them, Emma followed suit. “The tall one is looking over here.” That earned Chloe to look in that direction too, all three of them giggling. Promptly Sarah waved enthusiastically at them “we could go and grab drinks near them or directly with them” she proposed. 

“We’ve been here for less than 24 hours and things just got more interesting” Chloe concluded, a sparkling look animated her face. 

The three of them stood up ready to make their way. The guys were now all looking at the four of you, amused expressions on their faces. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” you started, nervousness seeping through your tone. “They’re your type hun” added Emma “I can’t lie they’re all gorgeous, we’re playing your wingwomen; can we get, like, a cool name? Maybe Y/N’s angels”. The three of them were far into whatever was building in their imagination to notice how you definitely weren’t laughing. 

Panic now fully settled. You needed to get out of there before you could embarrass yourself in front of one of your favourite bands. 

As calmly as you could you scrambled “You go ahead, I have to pee real bad, I’ll catch up to you in a bit.” 

Without waiting for a comeback, you hastily took your towel and you sarong, nearly tripping over your flip-flops, your eyes focused on the exit. Your feet hurried you along. Phone long forgotten on the lounge chair beside your sunscreen. 

Once you felt safe, you released a long breath: let the hide and seek game begin!

You knew your friends had very good intentions towards you, and, specifically, they lacked the very fundamental information of who the boys were. As much as you tried to present your music taste to the girls, it never really caught on among the group. 

They were just aware that tattoos were somewhat attractive to you and knowing all too well about your disastrous past experiences in love matters, they decided to take the matter into their own hands. 

What started as a temporary cover up, turned into a full blown retreat from social life. You picked up your book from the pool and, without your phone, managed to finish it in one go. 

A hard knock on the door startled you awake. When did you fall asleep? You could feel the corner of your mouth slightly damp with drool. You shot up on your bed, confused, having lost track of time. Artificial lighting filtered through the curtains. 

Did I really sleep that much? 

You didn’t even fully open the door that your ears were hit with a cacophony of voices. Three pairs of eyes landed on you: bikini still on, hair tangled from sleep, a light redness covering your skin from suntanning. 

“YOU HAD US SCARED SHITLESS Y/N” Chloe shouted, colliding heavily with your shoulder getting into the room. 

“Yeah, hun” continued Emma “what happened?” her voice was laced with worry. 

Your head was still groggy from sleep attempting to scramble something coherent for them. You managed to croak out “Sorry girls, I know, I just… I don’t know what happened.” 

“You know, at one point even Nick started to get preoccupied,” Sarah added. “We thought that something was wrong, but Jolly reassured us that, if that were the case, the loudspeakers would’ve been activated” she concluded. 

You sat at the edge of your bed, loudly leaning back on the mattress, arms coming up to rest on the headboard. “I guess you met the group of men we saw this morning, then.” You tried to sound disinterested. 

A knowing smirk circled through the girls giggling together. That sound brought you back when you were teenagers facing your first crushes. “Oh yes we have” Emma started “and I think it will be an interesting two weeks” she nodded frantically. 

Instinctively you rolled your eyes at them “Are you already so captivated with them?” 

“They’re fascinating, what can I say?” Chloe quipped, going through your closet, scattering clothes onto your bed. 

“Wait, what happened to “the Y/N’s version of hot”? you retorted, giving a really bad impression of Emma’s voice. 

“You are dirty minded, aren’t you?” Emma came into view, nudging you. Propping yourself to your elbows just to assess what was happening you heard Sarah say “WE” gesturing the three of them “WE wouldn’t fuck ‘em. They’re not our type. But you, on the other hand” she said suggestively “you’d be having fun babe.” 

“They’re very interesting people, easy to talk to,” added Chloe. “They are musicians” Emma cut through a grin plastered on your face. 

“Oh, I see” the color drained from your face. 

“Yeah right? H O T” Emma and Sarah, now, turned their attention to Chloe, still focused on choosing your clothes for dinner. 

Your surprised realization didn’t stem from finding out what they did for a living, obviously, rather from the sudden epiphany that the band didn’t scare the girls away. They welcomed them with open arms. 

FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

Dinner passed through a haze of swirls of voices mixed together, the buzzing of the lights above your heads and the occasional clicking of glasses every time one of the girls wanted to toast about something. 

Fortunately for you, the boys didn’t show up during dinner. 

“Now, Y/N, there’s a surprise for youuu” Chloe sang while taking a sip of her wine. You chuckled, amused by the tipsy singsongy tone of your friend. “Aren’t we here to celebrate Sarah’s engagement?” 

“Duh, but when life gives you lemons…” Sarah answered promptly. 

“Anyways, because you were MIA, we got drinks with them whilst waiting for you. Turns out, they very kindly offered us four spots for a private boat excursion tomorrow.” 

Your mouth dried up. Since when do you offer a trip to four strangers, like out of the blue? 

A tight smile appeared on your face “Fantastic” you blurted out. 

“Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about” Emma added “no retirees, no dentures and compression socks, just us the “inked - up crew”.  You visibly cringed at their nickname. 

Silence fell at the table, everyone was lost in their own thoughts when, all of a sudden, Chloe added “Just fyi Y/N, there’s your grumpy counterpart even in their group”

“I’m not grumpy” you retorted a bit too quickly, earning a laugh from your friends. 

“He mostly keeps to himself, doesn’t really talk and I feel like he just resents everything and everyone” Emma spoke deep in thought. 

That comment didn’t put you off in the slightest. On the contrary, it gave you a very good detail about their humanity; in a way that seemed to be grounding. They were there not as international rockstars but as five friends seeking some good time and relaxing. 

________________________________________________________________

The next morning you stood over the coffee station, humming in appreciation of the smell surrounding the small space. Your undereyes matched in colour with your black hoodie you put on for breakfast. 

You didn’t get that many hours of sleep last night, nervous about how today was going to unfold. You must’ve bore a hole into the ceiling. 

You felt so annoyed with yourself because of the way you were reacting. It wasn’t so much about the guys but what they created. Bad Omens has been a trusted witness to different difficult moments in your life, giving voice to the pain and suffering otherwise unspoken. What if meeting them meant losing the spark, the magic behind every listen of their music. 

You hugged your mug tightly still basking in that delicious smell. You spotted your friends. They had carefully annexed a couple more tables to the one they were creating, basically, a VIP area in the lounge. 

“Are we having breakfast or are we banqueting with the Queen?” you asked dryly. 

“Good morning to you too sweetheart” answered Sarah, a bit too brightly considering the amount of alcohol she consumed last night. 

Without even looking up from her breakfast sandwich, Chloe said “we’re waiting for the guys, silly, we talked about that last night.” 

“Actually” Emma whispered, nudging you, “they were right behind you.” 

Perfectly timed, you heard seats screeching across the floor. A sea of ink and black garments settled onto the chairs. 

“Good morning ladies” Jolly opened the conversation. There was a collective nod from each of the boys then, quietly, everyone got on eating their breakfast. 

That gave you the perfect excuse to look properly at them. Your friends were right, they were even more handsome than the photos led. 

Yet, it wasn’t their beauty that caught your attention. It was their deeply human and raw features. Through the gentle light of the lounge room, you could make out their acne scars littering their faces. Folio’s face was shadowed by a light stubble. Ruffilo’s complexion had acquired a warm, suntanned tone, allowing his clear eyes to pop out more. 

But what struck you the most was observing their postures. Now a bit slumped, relaxed, stripped of their rockstar presence. They didn’t have the magnetic lore of performing anymore. In that moment, you felt like the invisible barrier that you put on was crumbling piece by piece. You were convinced that, to an outsider, you could potentially be seen as a bunch of ordinary thirty-somethings year, old looking for a good time. 

“So, I guess we’re finally introduced to the fugitive,” Ruffilo said, a warm smile on his face. “I’m Nick, these are Folio, Jolly, Davis” he continued pointing to his friends, each of them giving you a nod of acknowledgement. 

“Sooner or later we’ll be joined by Noah” Davis cut through. “He’s probably still sleeping,” he chuckled. 

You smiled politely, nursing your cup of coffee whilst listening to what day was ahead of you. But then, you heard it: heavy footsteps approaching your table. A very hard pull of the chair right across from you and a silent thud once he was seated. 

Noah. 

He didn’t even acknowledge you or your friends. He just gave a little nod to the boys, just to pick up his phone, scrolling mindlessly. 

The air definitely changed once he came. From the corner of your eye, you could see Sarah straightening her posture, Chloe’s genuine smile, turned into something more forced. Emma just lowered her gaze, now fully focused on her fruit salad. 

What happened to the approachable, kind, fascinating guys? 

“So, y/n” Davis was the first one to break the tension “last night we heard all about you,” he smiled warmly, attempting to dissolve a bit of the tension. 

“Yeah, we heard you are the brains of the group, a very clever woman,” Jolly added. 

As if the rainy cloud of Noah’s attitude was lifted, Emma nodded frantically “Yes, she just finished her phd. Tell ‘em hun.” 

Folio’s brows shot up “A phd? Damn, It’s my first time meeting a doctor” he quipped, sipping his coffee. “How would you prefer to be called from now on? Doc? Doctor? The cleverest of them all?” he laughed. 

That earned a genuine reaction from everyone at the table, snorts and giggles followed. Everyone did, except Noah who stubbornly kept his slumped posture and his eyes on his screen.  

“It’s in forensic anthropology” added Chloe, swirling around her glass of orange juice. “It’s so cool, basically she just digs up bones and analyzes them, right babe?” 

A flush of heat crept up your neck and your cheeks. “Yeah, it’s basically it. It’s for legal investigations. Nothing too interesting. Mostly it’s just time in a lab and then a ton of paperwork for the legal part of it” you downplayed, not wanting to attract more attention to you. 

“I guess you ladies chose the right trip” Noah chimed in out of the blue looking at you through his lashes. “Play your cards well, and you’ll get a couple of real - time field consultations before we hit the next stop” he mocked. Before anyone could reply, he just resumed whatever he was doing with his phone. 

The table went dead silent. 

Ruffilo glared a sharp look towards Noah, while your friends' movements stilled. 

That little comment ignited something deep, furious inside you. He just devalued years of hard work and sacrifices just to get what? A cheap joke at the expense of the elderly you were sharing the cruise with? 

The silence that followed was heavy, thick with tension. Everyone was ready to pick up the pieces once it was snapped. Their eyes darted between each other, worry flashing through their faces, waiting for your reaction. 

Though surprised and hurt, you kept your cool, shoulders squared, you retorted in the calmest way you mustered: “I’ll keep that in mind. I do, in fact, analyze beings with no brain activity and social responsiveness. But they’re usually dead” a pitying look blooming on your face. “Looking across the table, it’s wonderful to see someone who meets all the criteria while still breathing. If you want to come by, I’d like to deepen my knowledge of your wonderful case” you finished, a smug look on your face. 

You could feel the suppressed laughter from the boys, Folio choking on his breakfast sandwich, while Davis was suddenly interested in stirring his cup of tea. 

For the first time, Noah put away his phone, locking his gaze with yours. The condescending look he had before twisted into something darker, defiant, challenging, as if a new pact had just formed between the two of you. 

After what felt like eternity, you gently stood up “I’ll go get changed then, see you in twenty?” Your friends nodded dumbfounded as you left. 

The tables had just turned. Now that you knew Noah wasn’t exactly keen on having you and your friends around, you just had the perfect excuse to keep your distance after this trip. 

Just this trip Y/N, it will all be over before you know it and then, you can go back to the regular schedule: celebrating Sarah’s wedding.  

________________________________________________________________

Pressed between two elderly couples, you felt restless, your foot bounced up and down in anticipation. You were disembarking for the first stop of the cruise but, of course, you being late, lost the others ending up there. 

Irritation began prickling your skin, now sticky because of all the sunscreen you had to put on. You didn’t know what to expect, and new situations experienced with strangers wasn’t your top activity imagined on this cruise. Doing them while sweating through your clothes added an extra layer of challenge that you definitely didn’t want. 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of your phone: Chloe was calling you

“Y/N where are you?” her voice popped through the speaker.

“I’m trying to get to the pier, but I’m surrounded by sloths” you growled, annoyance clear in your voice 

“Please, hurry along because I think Noah’s getting frustrated” she said

“And what am I? Some sort of antidote to his frustration? I don’t need to calm him down, I’m not being intentionally late.” You could feel your stomach burning more and more with sheer anger.

Once freed from the sea of pastel colour shirts and straw hats, you rushed to the pier. The sight that greeted you, was hilarious: a bunch of tatted up dudes wearing exclusively black, the only pop of colour given by the art on their graphic shirts, talking animatedly with the girliest of girls you could imagine: pinks and lilacs bikinis with their matching scrunchies, raffia beach bag on one hand, sunglasses on the other. 

Between these two worlds colliding, stood, propped on a wooden piling, Noah. Even if he had his sunglasses on, you could clearly see the frustration in his features: his jaw was clenched shut, arms tightly crossed on his chest, tapping his foot onto the wooden pier deck. He wasn’t involved in their conversation, you just assumed that he was brooding over whatever was on his mind. 

Once you reached the group, a little out of breath, you puffed: “Sorry guys, didn’t mean to be this late”

“Don’t worry darling,” said Jolly warmly, “we’re on vacation! We can have some leniency on punctuality:” He pointed at the white small catamaran docked a few feet away. 

“C’mon man, “leniency”? Have you started to use big words just to impress her?” joked Folio, slapping his mate on his shoulder. 

A few chuckles broke within the group while you all made your way toward the boat. 

“Don’t waste your time Jolly” Noah muttered sourly, placing his sunglasses over his head “she lacks the basic manners to know that being late isn’t a quirky personality trait but a very impolite thing” his voice dripping with disdain “we’ve been baking under the sun for twenty minutes because she just couldn’t get ready before breakfast?” 

In a swift motion, he moved so that his tall frame was towering over yours, his eyes piercing through yours “Just a friendly reminder that you are not the main character here. So get your shit together” he concluded. 

You were frozen on the spot. Heart racing so fast that you feared it could burst out of your chest. Your mouth dried up instantly, heat rising from your chest up to your cheeks. 

With a triumphant smile, Noah moved towards the catamaran. His strut was suddenly stopped by a big hand planted on his chest, holding him back. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Nicholas said through gritted teeth. “What’s wrong with you man?” Jolly chimed in, frustrated. 

Davis got closer to Noah, looking him straight in the eyes “You’re behaving like a spoiled brat ever since the very beginning of this trip. We can tolerate your hissy fits, but taking them out on them, on HER” the man pointed at you, now practically screaming on Noah’s face “that’s when I draw the line.” 

“We’ve invited them to this trip” Folio added “WE” gesturing to the four boys “enjoy their company, so, if you don’t, you can get lost. Get the fuck away. We don’t need sulking shadows hunting the boat. Get fucked Noah, we’ll see you on the cruise ship at dinner.” 

Noah’s frame flinched backwards imperceptibly  as if he was taken aback by the harsh words his friends gave to him. For a fraction of a second, you could see that his face went through several emotions: surprise, hurt, but then hardened into something unreadable. He closed his fist on both sides and, without saying another word, started walking back, in long strides, towards the little coastal village. 

Once Noah’s frame was out of sight, a collective sigh ran through the group. “Y/N are you okay?” Sarah waltzed closer to you, putting her hands on your shoulders. That touch made you realize that you were still frozen in the same position from a few minutes before, muscles beginning to ache from the strain. You timidly nodded, afraid that, if you spoke, all hell broke loose. 

Ruffilo came into view, his eyes sporting a very worried expression. “We’re so sorry sweetheart. I don’t have any justifiable reason for the way he’s been treating you. I don’t know what got into him.”

You cleared your throat, trying to compose yourself. “That’s alright guys, you don’t have control over the behaviour of another person.” A small smile appeared although your eyes were swelling up with tears. “I can understand that we were not planned, in your trip itinerary, so I can see why he’s not that happy about it” a dry laugh left your mouth “my friends can be” you paused looking for the right words “a bit pushy, if you will”. 

“Don’t you even say that” Jolly cut in “we really like you, we want to spend time with you all. It was a welcomed surprise when we realized we were not the only young people out of the hundreds of passengers.” He practically bear hugged you. Although very welcomed, you couldn’t help but be very aware of the light sheen of sweat covering both of you making the hug a bit sticky. 

“Well” Folio quipped enthusiastically “I guess we should board, Noah’s tantrum made us even more late.” 

The mood suddenly shifted, laughter and banter filled the air, as if the dark clouds disappeared and the sun came through once again. 

Unfortunately for you, you couldn’t shake it off as easily as the others. Frankly, you weren’t already in the mood for the excursion before all the theatrics went down, now you just wanted to get into your bed and disappear for the rest of the trip just to be sure to never meet Noah ever again. 

“You guys just go ahead, I think I’m going back to the cruise ship, I feel a headache coming on and direct sunlight is not the best way to fight it” you waved weakly to them. 

Your friends just saw right through you. Sad expressions adorned their faces but they didn’t push it. Not even the boys. 

“You have fun guys, I’m curious to know all about it tonight” a warmer, more genuine smile now on your face. You waited for them to set sail waving at them goodbye. 

The walk back to the ship felt way longer than the hurried run you had to do on the way out. 

The whole interaction was replaying frame by frame in your head. Thoughts and emotions were swirling around. You were confused and surprised about how the whole situation changed multiple times in a matter of a few hours. 

Finding out you were sharing a cramped cruise ship with one of your favourite bands; 

Them being very sweet and down to earth; 

Noah being an asshole. 

The irony hit you there and then: “Just a friendly reminder that you are not the main character here”. How rich coming from the fucking frontman of a band who performs in front of thousands of people every night. A bitter laugh came through. 

Questions remained unanswered: 

Was he always like this or was it a special treatment just for you? 

Did you do anything wrong to upset him? 

On one hand you could understand the irritation coming from him, he was always around people and the one time he could enjoy some peace and quiet, he was surrounded by a very loud, very chaotic group of girls. But then, he didn’t have any right to treat you all this way.  

The hot midday sun was burning your skin, so, once the Sinfonia opened its door welcoming with the cold air of the AC, you couldn’t help but relax in relief. 

The ship was eerily quiet. Everyone was out, enjoying and exploring the village. Even some parts of the ship were shut down, the staff seeming more laid back. The hallways swallowed the clacking of your flip flops. 

Your phone buzzed in your hand

Coco: sent a photo 

Coco: missing you hun. The sea is perfect! Sarah’s having a blast and Emma is talking Davis’ ear off about comics. We love you 💜 

You: you all look soo good. Tonight in my room I WANT THE JUCY PARTS. Thank you very much. 😌 

Coco: oh trust me, it is happening. Just don’t rip Noah’s face off until we’re back. 

You: 🙄 

You decided to get to the highest deck possible, and be there for a while. If you couldn’t be on the boat with your friends, you should be able to enjoy the ship you were on at least. 

The room was a semi-open lounge, with big clear windows that offered a panoramic view of the ocean. 

The view was breathtaking. From where you were, you could admire the whole coast line dotted with beaches. Stone pines gave the scenery a beautiful deep green colour that made a fantastic contrast with the golden shade of the sand and the deep blue of the water. 

A light sea breeze picked up, combing through your hair. You closed your eyes, basking in that feeling, even tasting a faint hint of salt on your lips. 

Once your breath evened out, you turned around in order to find a spot to curl up and dive into the story you were reading. Scanning through the room, your heart dropped to your stomach. 

Slouched on an armchair, legs propped against a coffee table in front of him, stood Noah. This time he didn’t have his hood pulled up or his phone under his nose. He simply was staring outside the windows, jaw clenched, fingers rhythmically tapping against the armrest. He looked irritated, defeated, his usual delicate features seemed harsher, brows furrowed into a pained expression, lower lip caged between his teeth. 

Your very first instinct was to bolt out. He didn’t even see you, you can flee, now. He looked angry, you didn’t want to fuel that. 

Unfortunately pride, and a bit of desire to stir him up, to gauge his limits, took over. Running away meant declaring defeat, that he had absolute power over you. So you straightened up, gripping at your bag, you tried to relax your muscles just to give that nonchalant look. 

With a blank expression on your face, you made your way towards his section of the lounge. Your frame missed his by mere millimeters. 

You deliberately chose to sit on the armchair just across from him, both of your figures separated by that tiny coffee table with Noah’s feet on top. Not even sparing him a glance, you cuddled up, knees to your chest, beginning to read. 

Noah didn’t move a muscle, he just followed you with his gaze. A teeny faint of amusement colored his face. He knew exactly what you were doing. 

Neither of you said a word.

The silence that settled was suffocating, heavy with an unspoken, dragging friction. The lounge was completely deserted, making the low, rhythmic hum of the ship’s engines feel entirely too loud.

You were too aware of the energy radiating from Noah. Your plan of blending in with the background was failing miserably. From where you were sitting, you could feel his heavy breathing, his hand flexing against his thigh every few seconds. Your stomach flipped, an instinctual reaction that you couldn’t control. Your eyes were fixed on his hand, now rubbing small, agonizing, circles on the exposed skin from his shorts, too aware of the slight outlines of his veins popping out of his forearm when he flexed it.  

Your mind betrayed you. It conjured up fantasies that had no business being there given what was said to you a few hours before on the pier. It was an involuntary, cruel reaction. Your body wasn’t innocent either. It set a trap for you, clearly not caring about what memories served you. Your hands gripped tightly the edges of the book, concentrating on evening out your breathing which, once again, was getting more uneven. 

You hated him. You needed to hate him. Your pride was hurt. You’ve been humiliated. 

Apparently, your body gave zero fucks about pride, because pressure was building between your thighs and it was growing fast. 

Abruptly, his movements stopped, your breath hitched but you stood still, just refocusing your eyes onto the page, pretending to be deeply interested in the story. 

From the corner of your eyes, you noticed Noah shifting his weight, lowering his legs from the coffee table, now leaning forward. His elbows rested against his knees. He was so close, that you could smell mint from the gum he was chewing. “Careful doc” he started. He stared at your face, gaze heavy and completely amused. “You’re gonna bore a hole through the page” his devaluating tone from before left space for dangerous mockery laced with something else that you couldn’t identify yet. 

What a prick! You though

The air between the two of you was getting more and more charged. His words hung in that space mixed with a not so quiet smugness radiating from him. 

He thought he had you cornered. Didn’t he? Oh Sebastian, how wrong you are! Two can play the same game. 

Slowly, deliberately, you uncurled your legs beneath you, mimicking his current position. You snapped closed your book, placing it onto the table. The gap closed even more, bringing your faces just a couple of feet away from each other. 

You didn’t look away. Instead, you took your sweet time to shamelessly take in his frame. From his tattooed hands, your gaze moved onto his wrists, where a few bracelets sat, to, then, lifted up to his throat and then his lips. You lingered there, your tongue absentmindedly wetting your own lips, before locking eyes with him. 

An intensely sweet smile formed on your lips “I was just wondering: all that twitchy energy you have, is it because you’re about to snap…” you tilted your head now getting even closer to him, eyes darkening “or are you just in desperate need of a distraction?”  

The smug expression on Noah’s face faded completely. He froze. His shoulders went completely rigid. You could see his knuckles under his chin, getting whiter. 

You wanted to take control and you had it now. It made your head spin. Revelling in that sensation was intoxicating. The final confirmation was hearing his breath hitch.

Though, his eyes never left yours, now scanning your face just to assess even a hint of bluffing or hesitation. But you held your stance, your eyes focused, dark. Yet, your heart was hammering against your ribs, you couldn’t tell if it was from fear or from seeing him completely breathless. 

No one dared to back down. You were observing, studying the other person. In real time, you watched Noah’s shocked gaze melting into something primal, almost predatory. He got even closer, you could now feel the warmth of his breath. “Beware, babygirl, if you play with fire long enough, you’ll get the burn you’re looking for.”

Before waiting for a reply, Noah crashed his lips into yours. It wasn’t sweet, it wasn’t delicate. It was desperate, raw, as if, in that kiss, Noah put all the pent up tension he had. His large hand found your clipped hair, flicking the clip open. He tangled his fingers in the loose strands, tugging just enough to tilt your head back . That earned a gasp from you. He took the chance to use his tongue deepening the kiss.

It was a power play, a battle over who was the first to submit. Your hands found the back of his neck and, with all the force you had, pressed his head against yours as if the closeness you were experiencing wasn't enough. 

The kiss broke, both of you a bit out of breath. Your head was buzzing, the logical side of you completely switched off. You didn’t care about understanding what was happening, figuring out what this meant;  you just wanted him, and that was all that mattered. 

On the other hand, you could tell that Noah was a bit more grounded, his mind realising what he, well you both, had just done. “I didn’t mean to be this rash” a tinge of worry in his voice “I don’t know what came over me.” He was already moving away from you, when you stopped him, hand still on the back of his neck. 

Tentatively he asked “do you want this?” looking at you square in the eyes. You nodded. “I need words baby” he said, still a bit out of breath. 

“Yes, I want it Noah, I want you” you said firmly. “Do YOU want this?” 

“C’mere” he rasped, pulling you onto his lap. 

He snaked his arms around your naked back, feeling his warmth envelopping you. Your bikini and his shorts already gave away your excitement. Capturing his lips into your, you tentatively rolled your hips onto his already half hard cock earning a deep growl from him. 

“Just like that babygirl, let me feel how eager you are” he purred into your ear. “Do you want me to fuck that pretty little pussy of yours?” you whined picking up the pace. 

All too aware of the surroundings, you muffled your moans by nipping at his neck, a dance between teeth and tongue, with the sole goal of leaving visible marks on him. 

The power shifted once again. Noah gripped your hips, his fingers digging into the plush skin as he ground them against him. Now, his movements were deliberate, heavy, his crotch meeting your clothed center. 

“Ride my thigh” Noah moaned into your hair. The words didn’t register at first, too blissed out by the friction. 

Suddenly, he halted all of his movements. Moving you like a ragdoll, he lifted you up. You whimpered at the loss of contact. “Already too gone to follow simple orders, kitten?” His voice dropped an octave. “Be a good girl and take your bottoms off.” You obliged. Goosebumps broke out across your skin. 

It was dizzying, the friction of skin to skin, the way his tight muscles mirrored your every movement. 

“Noah” your voice broke into a high pitched moan escaping your lips. He looked down at you, a smug smirk settling on his face “You’re making a mess angel. I can feel how wet you are.”  The sheer arrogance in his tone did nothing to hide his hard on straining against the fabric  of his shorts. 

He looked completely focused on you, while keeping his desires under lock and key. His jaw clenched, his throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, love bites starting to bloom on his tattooed skin. 

He was a vision.

You shifted your attention, hands now sliding down to his toned chest, feeling the frantic thud of his heart against his ribs. 

“Look at me” you commanded. His half-lidded eyes locked into yours, sporting that ever present smugness. Resuming your movements, dragging your skin against his, you began caressing his mid section getting lower and lower. You smiled, feeling his muscles contracting under your touch. “Let me feel you,” you drawled. 

Your fingertips traced the soft hair on his happy trail, following the dark pattern that dipped lower, disappearing underneath the drawstring of his shorts. 

The smugness faltered on his face. His smirk vanished, replaced by a sharp, ragged intake of breath as his muscles contracted under your hands. 

You took your time exploring him still under the fabric. His cock felt heavy in your hand, you could tell he was thick, long. That sensation was enough to unravel the darkest fantasies you had. 

The flickering of a light bulb was enough to activate the ticking clock in the back of your mind: you were too aware of your surroundings. The threat of someone walking in on you fueled the frantic desire coursing through your veins. 

There was no time for gentleness. You hook your fingers under the drawstrings of his shorts, tugging them down. Noah let out a ragged groan as his cock sprung free, heavy, thick, pre-cum glistening his tip. He was magnificent, making your mouth water with anticipation. 

Without breaking eye contact, you brought your hand to your lips, spitting directly into your palm, a thin strand of saliva still connecting it with your mouth. 

The lewd, sloppy sound echoed through the room, making Noah’s pupils even darker, his breathing picking up. 

Your wet fingers wrapped around his length, slowly begging to stroke, coating him from top to bottom. Noah let out a deep, defeated gasp, giving up any restraint that he had before. 

He was completely at your mercy. And God, you absolutely loved it. The shift in power was intoxicating, being the one to coax those delicious sounds from him was the best reward. Your pleasure momentarily forgotten, you focused completely on him. 

“Fuck Y/N” Noah moaned. His head dropped forward, nestling into the crook of your neck. You could feel his cheeks heating up, flushing up a deeper pink colour. His labored breathing hitched against your skin, shoulders beginning to tremble a little. 

Pumping him, you could feel his cock starting to twitch and pulse in your hand. “Let me hear you sweet boy. How are you feeling?” A choked, desperate sound left his mouth. His hips involuntarily started to buck into your fist. A particular hard stroke had Noah almost scream out your name. 

But your thirst for him wasn’t quenched yet, you needed to see him unravelling completely. 

“Pretty boy” you purred, your voice laced with a cruel and sweet authority. “Eyes on me. I wanna see you cum.” Your hand shot up, gripping his jaw, forcing his head back. 

His gaze devoid completely of the arrogance he had before, now glazed over raw desire and complete surrender. 

“I’m gonna cum…Fuck…please Y/N” yelled Noah, already too far gone to keep his voice in check. 

“Where do you want me, babe?”

“Your…your mouth” he huffed. 

A slow, wicked smile spread across your face. “I’ll accommodate just this once” you murmured, sliding off his lap and dropping to your knees on the floor between his thighs. “Only because they could be back any second.”

You looked up at him from below your lashes, your hand never leaving his length. Noah’s chest rose and fell in heavy, ragged cycles, his eyes tracking your every movement with desperation. This fucked out look particularly suited him. Hair tousled, clinging to his forehead, lips slightly parted red and swollen, a pink hue dotted on his cheeks. “You’ve been such a good boy for me,” you whispered against the swollen head of his cock, letting your warm breath ghost over his skin until he whimpered.

Without making him wait another second, you wrapped your lips around him, taking him deep into your mouth. Above you, Noah choked out a sob, his fingers instantly flying to your hair, anchoring himself. It didn’t take long for you to feel his release, warm and thick, covering your throat. His orgasm hit him hard, head flying back, limbs shaking violently. You rode it out with him, swallowing every last drop. 

Noah was slumped against the armchair, completely drained, his eyes closed. The frantic rhythm of your breaths slowing down was the only sound that filled the empty room and the lingering scent of heat and skin the only witness of what’d just happened. 

You stayed there for a moment, still on your knees, your arousal aching between your own legs. You couldn’t tell why, but the thought of having given pleasure to Noah far outweighed the possibility of your own orgasm. So, you chose to ignore it, prioritizing the quiet shift in the air.

As repetitive as it sounded, he looked divine. The post sex glow really did look good on him. Hair stuck on his skin, his head was resting on the chair, exposing his neck. Chest still heaving, panting, trying to catch up on his breathing. You reached out, your thumb brushing over his damp forehead, pushing back a strand of dark hair. He leaned into your touch with a sigh. He opened his eyes, dark and glassy, looking at you with a softness that felt like miles away from the man you encountered the day before or even this morning. He looked unguarded, his arrogant persona completely deconstructed for a glimpse of just him. Noah. You couldn’t tell what that implied, but you felt like something shifted. Not just between you two, but, especially, in you. Softness warmed your chest. 

He didn't say a word, just let his hand rest on the nape of your neck, pulling you just a fraction closer so your foreheads rested against each other. The closeness was overwhelming; you could feel the erratic beat of his heart slowing down against your hand gently spread across his chest.

"My turn next," he muttered, his voice a whisper, his thumb tracing the line of your jaw. "I owe you. I'm going to make sure you…" he was cut off by an aggressive vibration that shattered the stillness. Your phone, tucked into your discarded bag, lit up. You didn't move at first, but the persistent ding of a facetime call, cut through the haze. You glanced over, an annoyed huff leaving your lips. The screen flashed a group name: your friends.

Just as quickly as it came on, the spell snapped. The little bubble of intimacy, of lingering gazes and hungry touches was on the verge of bursting. The outside world called, intruding in a space that, you both wished, was just yours a little bit longer. Noah’s hand dropped from your neck, his expression hardening into the one you were introduced to as reality rushed back in.

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