fallen muses

for a moment, cleo just stared at him. she'd spent weeks, maybe months, preparing herself for every possible outcome except this one. the air seemed to leave her lungs all at once. "you⸺" nothing came out. she blinked. then blinked again. "what?" it was eloquent, really. her mouth opened, closed, then opened again. noel's words rattled around in her head, refusing to settle into anything that made sense. i need to ask you out on a real date. just tell me now if i got a shot with you. cleo barked out a laugh. not because anything was funny, but because her brain had apparently decided that was easier than processing what had just happened. "nah." another laugh as she shook her head. "absolutely not." she pointed at him. "you don't get to do that." the accusation would've landed better if she didn't look completely thrown off. "i've been over here having a personal crisis for, like, six months and you're just gonna casually drop that on me?" her eyes widened slightly. the second the words left her mouth, she realized what she'd admitted. "... fuck." silence. cleo squeezed her eyes shut. "forget i said six months. actually, forget i said any amount of time." she dragged a hand down her face before finally looking at him again. and there wasn't really any point pretending anymore. the fight had left her completely. "you serious?" she asked quietly. for the first time since the conversation started, there wasn't a joke hiding behind the question. just vulnerability. "like, genuinely serious?"

watching her react to his words makes something to his brain. she's fidgety and that causes him to start spiraling. did i read our vibe wrong? and then she mentions six months. six months! it was six months ago they started hanging out after he'd been buying her weed for a little less than a year. it was six months ago noel sensed something shift between them, and it was becoming clear he wasn't the only who felt that. cleo asks if he's serious. "is it weird?" he scoffs playfully, a shy smile creeping over his face. the musician can't help but blush, letting his guard down now that the wall has been cracked. "our chemistry is really good, isn't it?" he imperceptibly licks his lower lip. "and now i'm not your client anymore, so there's no conflict of interest there." the man shrugs his shoulders, slightly leaning closer to her. it was part of the reason he hadn't asked her out before. the strains she got him were so good he didn't want to lose that connection. and even though they were always flirty, he'd been wondering if she was like that with all her other customers. maybe she's just a flirty person. "i don't see any losses here."

cleo finally looked at him then, immediately regretting it. that stupid little joke shouldn't have gotten to her, but it did. because the thing was, if she gave him a last hangout, there'd be another last hangout after that. and another one after that. that's how they'd ended up here in the first place. "oh, now you want severance?" she snorted, shaking her head. "that's crazy. i cut off your supply and suddenly i'm responsible for your emotional well-being?" she tried to sound amused, but there was an edge to it. one she couldn't quite smooth over. "besides, that's exactly the kinda shit i'm talkin' about." cleo pointed at him accusingly. "normal customers don't ask for farewell tours, noel. normal customers buy their weed and leave." and there it was again. that look. for half a second, all the fight seemed to drain out of her. her eyes met his and stayed there. longer than they should have. long enough that she could almost imagine he'd understand without her having to say it. because that was the problem, wasn't it? he wasn't a customer. he hadn't been for a while. the realization flickered across her face before she caught it and looked away. "just ..." cleo swallowed hard. "don't make this harder than it already is, alright?" the words came out quieter than she'd intended. a beat passed. then she forced out a laugh and shook her head. "fuck, listen to me. i sound like i'm breaking up with you or something."

noel studies her face as she talks. her words don't exactly match her expression, especially at the end. he holds his breath as his throat tightens. cleo's trying to push him away, and he can tell. that same uncomfortable realization of this is not a simple interpersonal relationship has happened to him before. and at those times, it felt extremely awkward to navigate. and he remembers that every single time he tried to push someone away, it was a similar reason. it's the i'm scared to be vulnerable around you because i like you too much and i don't want this to end in heartbreak of it all. the forced laugh is so significant. "i mean," he sighs, heart pounding louder in his ribcage. "you do sound like that," it's a small joke, a weak teasing smile. "but like, i doesn't have to be hard. you know that right?" it's not just that he trusts her and thinks she's a good listener. noel likes her. her personality, her mannerisms and the edgier tone to her persona. he also fancies her. "listen. you can break up with me and i'll walk away and it'll be done, but i need to ask you out on a real date before that happens." there it is. "just tell me now if i got a shot with you."

She notices the light blushing of his cheek and it causes the smirk on her lips to sink deeper on her face; it feels like a game, they can't have each other and yet the chase is just as thrilling. Valeria was nothing but professional at her job, or at least she liked to think so, what happened between Noel and her, shouldn't have happened, and both of them agreed on that. Yet now that she knew just how good he made her feel it seemed harder to resist the impulse to just say fuck it and go for it. "Well, in that case." Valeria said interrupted by the bartender bringing their drinks over. "I'll tell that I'd rather be anywhere else but here." She should say that she place she would prefer to be in was specifically his bed, but she thinks better of it. "So, how about we go grab a drink somewhere else?"

he notices how easy their banter is. fun, flirty, dangerous. but how is a man supposed to move on that fast from such an ecstatic night? valeria gets him, he gets her. their chemistry is golden, and goddamn, that was a good night fucking they had. noel can't help the smile on his face as he nods to the bartender when their drinks are set on the counter. "i mean," he looks at his work collaborator in the eyes. the mood lighting around them, people distracted by a boring speaker -or maybe just their phones- feels immersive. and he's immersed in this tension with valeria. "let's be naughty and steal these," the blond grins, already bringing the bottle of beer close to his chest, gesturing at her glass of negroni . "it'll be a souvenir."

cleo's smile lingered for maybe half a second too long before she looked away, tongue pressing against the inside of her cheek. "because you're starting to piss me off." a lie. a terrible one, honestly. if anything, noel showing up all the time was becoming the highlight of her week and that was exactly the problem. she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket, rocking back on her heels. "you keep coming around here looking all pretty, smoking my shit, eating all my snacks, taking up my couch for hours⸺" cleo cut herself off with a scoff, shaking her head. "feels less like i'm your dealer and more like i'm getting emotionally held hostage by a blond dude with a dependency problem." her eyes flicked back to him then away just as fast. "so ... no more weed for you." another beat passed before she muttered, quieter this time, "for legal reasons. obviously."

noel notices the way her smile transforms into something else, she avoids him. he watches her hands in her pockets, trying to not jump to any conclusions. and then she talks. the first half has got him grinning softly. the second half makes his heart sink. "ouch," he sighs. yes, he is indeed a blond dude with a dependency problem. he knows that. cleo knows that. which is why it's hard to assimilate the dagger she throws him, out of nowhere in his eyes. the musician clears his throat and chuckles to ease, or maybe erase, the feelings her words bring up. "yeah, well..." noel tries to look into her eyes, but he can't find them. "i feel like you had to give me a two-week notice or something," he jokes. "you might as well give me a last hangout."

"okay, stalker." the irony made even cleo laugh. "i don't know how many times i gotta tell you⸺i'm not sellin' you shit no more."

"why not?" noel's half genuinely confused and half hoping she's joking. there's a small scoff, a silly grin on his face, disguising the tension he feels when he's around her. such a stoner, the musician grew reliant on cleo. but he also liked when she stayed around and they both got high. talking shit, talking deep and laughing at whatever, he really enjoyed those interactions. he grew dependent on them. his weed dealer being hot as fuck also factors into that. "give me one valid reason," the blond challenges her.

Valeria asks the bartender for a Negroni while she directs a judging expression towards Noel for asking for beer, only to be replaced by laughter shortly after. "You mean you can't believe I'd get you to do anything for me?" Valeria replies leaning in closer too him, almost too close and immediately pulling back. The flirtatiousness of her words is evident; she knew the more time she spent near Noel the harder it was becoming to keep herself together and away from him. They'd promised it wouldn't happen again but it still wasn't enough to keep him off her thoughts, and tonight was proving to be a little too much for her. "I'm afraid it's going to be very boring, unless, we find a way to sneak out." Valeria's body was leaning towards the speaker, every now and then turning to face Noel and then returning back. "Are you going to let me corrupt you?"

"bet," noel chuckles. he can absolutely believe that she can do anything for her. valeria's always been charming. she's always been funny and such a pleasure to be around. and now that there's this undercurrent tension between them, the musician sees how sex has complicated things for him, a little. the brunette leans in closer to him, and he blushes, a quiet grin plastered across his face. she pulls back, but the scent of her hair is already hazing his brain. there's a silly, amused scoff before his eyes land on her. "i don't know," he teases. "are you sure?" there's the rational part that says this is a mistake. and then there's the impulsive part that makes him want to throw everything out fucking the door. she's looking damn delectable tonight. "i can go from zero to a hundred real fast."

open to: anyone (m/f/nb) plot: exes/fwbs/friends crossing boundaries/anything?

noel looks into her eyes, quiet. they've been flirting for a few hours. they've been flirting for a few weeks. his smile is subtle and his skin bristles when she talks. time seems to stretch deliciously as the quarter twirls, their intense eye contact makes the whole thing even more exciting. the quarter loses its momentum and lies flat on the table. "shall we?" he grins.

he chuckles, amused and endeared. "am i not?" a smirk on his face as he observes his hands itching to touch her, he places his thumbs in his jacket pockets. "i know sets aren't places for intense pda but..." he leans closer only slightly enough to whisper, "i'm having dessert later in your office," noel's smirk doesn't fade. he knows damn well she understands him, he's always called her pussy his favorite dessert. she also knows he likes to eat her out when he's got a lot going on in his mind. it's comforting, burying his head between her legs. "so, whenever you're done. i'll be there."

Imogen sank back against the car seat, her breath catching slightly when Noel’s fingers brushed her thigh in a way that felt more affectionate than teasing, a gentle reminder of how aware he was of her presence. “Noel,” she murmured, her voice low and warm, turning her head to rest lightly against his shoulder, a small smile tugging at her lips, “don’t tease me,” though there was no real protest in her tone, only fondness. The dim light wrapped around them, creating a cocoon that felt separate from everything else, and she leaned into him, drawn by something unspoken yet undeniable, her hand rising to his cheek as she met his lips in a soft but lingering kiss that carried both hesitation and certainty at once. The moment stretched, unhurried and full of quiet emotion, as if time itself had softened just for them, and she shifted slightly, loosening the tension in her posture, wanting nothing more than to feel close. Her hand moved over his lap and over his crotch. "Touch me. Please."