End of an Era

After running into her in Diagon Alley, Noah had invited Marlowe over to their flat for some drinks and casual banter. Mia was at work, and Noah had nothing to do that day, so why not spend it with an old friend? “I haven’t taken up the rest of your afternoon, right?” he laughed as they entered his and Mia’s apartment. “I mean, I wouldn’t be terribly offended if you only stayed shortly. I know that life is busy lately.”

.

Even though Amos knew Noah all the way back from Hogwarts, not to mention their intimate encounter a few years back, he had no reason to suspect that the other man was great with kids. But it wasn’t all too surprising given the nature of his work. In some way, it gave Amos comfort knowing that Noah was just as good with children as his dad who helped Amos find his wand back when he was still a small lad.

Noah looked happy for him even though the two rarely crossed paths. Amos hoped that he came across the same way. The other man looked genuinely curious upon learning that Amos and Mia spoke to each other during Halloween. Suddenly, Amos wasn’t too sure whether that was the right information to pass on. “We just know each other from Hogwarts. That’s all. It was just a brief conversation really,” he added. Just in case Noah was feeling the slightest bit jealous.

He pulled Cedric closer to him unconsciously. Suddenly, he was worried if Noah could see Mia’s resemblance in their child. “It wasn’t. I promise. We just caught up. That’s all.”

.

Noah knew that he should dial it back a few notches before he started to sound suspicious of the two of them. He trusted Mia, so there was no need to think anything more of the fact that the two of them had a conversation. There was nothing odd about knowing other witches and wizards, of course, especially since it wasn’t like there were thousands of them around England. The chances of knowing the same people and being a closer knit group was perfectly reasonable. “Of course. I’m glad to hear that, then.”

Wondering if it was worth mentioning to Mia that he ran into Amos, Noah suddenly had a thought. “Well, why don’t we all have dinner sometime? We can all catch up a bit. Of course, you’re more than welcome to invite your partner. It could be like a double date.” Would it make things a bit awkward that the men themselves had a history? Probably. He had to admit there was also a curiosity in the man’s affiliation with Mia. But really, he thought it might be a polite offer. “No pressure to answer straight away, of course.”

.

Walden’s eyebrow perked up. “Complicated how?” He knew about the dangers of Isaac coming forward with everything he knew but perhaps there was more to the story that Walden wasn’t privy of. “Lucky for you. Lucky me, I suppose.” After all, it wasn’t only Noah that Isaac interacted with among the Death Eaters. “I don’t think it’s luck,” he said as he shook his head. “You’re telling me that not one of us intervened when that guy was getting his memories screwed with? A fat chance in Salazar’s hell.”

He shrugged. Walden had suspicions but they were totally only out of his own personal biases and maybe even hopes. “Well, it’s not like he made a move on me. But I’ve always thought that the man was rather fishy. Besides, an aspiring Death Eater? That already ups his chance of liking cock as far as I’m concerned.” Maybe a controversial thought, but given that Walden has already slept with a bunch of other male Death Eaters should be proof enough. “Okay… Okay, I get it. You two are just perfect for each other,” Walden teased with a playful smile on his lips. “Good job, Malfoy then.”

...

Noah contemplated whether or not that he should let Walden in on the reason he spoke with Isaac anyway. It only seemed fair, he supposed, and he did trust the other. “Let’s just say right before he disappeared, I paid him a visit. He was supposed to carry out a task for me, but apparently he chickened out.” Now Aila was still around, still running her mouth, he was sure. While it was irritating beyond explanation, Noah wasn’t sure he was ready to try again.

“You’re right, but who do we think might have done it? Guess it doesn’t matter, really, but... they’re owed a thank you, at the least.” Surely Noah was thankful for them. He couldn’t afford to get himself wrapped up in some sort of scandal right now. The conversation shift amused Noah, laughing as Walden made that brilliant observation. It was true, of course, though he wouldn’t have been the first to say it. “Oh, come off it. There’s history there, that’s all. So if you’re not off the market, who have you been entertaining as of late?”

edgarboncd​:​

Edgar still didn’t know how he got roped into helping these two move.

Of course, it was Mia, and he’d give his left arm for her if she’d asked him to, but he’d shown up, holding a six pack and a poorly wrapped house warming gift ( because that was what you were supposed to do when someone moved into a new home, and while this home wasn’t particularly new, it was new for Noah ). It was a pillow, one he wasn’t sure Noah would even like, but mostly it was the gesture. He’d been a right hard-arse with him lately, and he knew that so when the door opened, Edgar managed to smile quickly before holding up the bottles in his hand. “Hope you haven’t finished the kitchen yet.”

Edgar headed inside, almost shocked at how similar everything looked. Of course, it was as if nothing had changed. All that had was a few pieces of furniture; Mia stood in the living room, and he reached out, gently pressing a kiss to her cheek before setting down the poorly wrapped present and crossing his arms at the both of them. “So, what did you need help with? Any big pieces of furniture I can lift with one hand or something?”

@miastravers​

…

She wanted to give him more trouble, but she was distracted by the knock on the door.  It was far too boisterous a knock to be their neighbor, Mrs. Sampson.  “Who is that?” she muttered suspiciously.  He looked far too unsurprised for this to be just a random drop-in.  “Noah.”

“Oh,” she was surprised when Edgar made his way through the hall and into the living room.  She wasn’t displeased to see him, but she hadn’t been expecting it.  “Did you two… talk?”  It was very confusing.  “I – am confused?”  She smiled at the gift though.  “Did you wrap that in the dark, Edgar?”  She teased, glancing at Noah and gesturing to it.  “You do the honors, you’re the one who moved.”

“Hmm,” she murmured thoughtfully, thinking that his presence offered some serious possibilities.  “This makes a lot of sense, actually.  So this is why you didn’t want to take a break.”  She sat down on the couch, putting her feet up on the coffee table.   

@noah-ollxvander​

...

Noah figured he might as well have gotten something out of the charity auction, so what better idea than to ask Edgar to help them move out? Or in, he supposed, but that didn’t really matter. There was the tiniest hint of guilt in not telling Mia that he was coming over, though Noah really didn’t think she would have minded given that the two were so close. “Something like that,” Noah nodded in response. The gift was by no means wrapped the neatest, but somehow it fit the aesthetic of moving, and he could appreciate that. 

“If you insist,” Noah smiled, unwrapping it to reveal a pillow. Oddly enough, he had a liking for decorative objects like this. “It’s nice, thank you. Though you really didn’t have to get a gift, but it’s appreciated.” At Mia’s subtle call out, Noah tried to react neutrally, setting the gift aside. “Well, just because I asked him to come round and help doesn’t mean we should leave all of the work until he shows up,” he stated, playfully swatting at her legs so that he could get by.

“Actually, we do need to figure out what we’re keeping for lounge furniture, and how to reorganize everything. Mia is far more sentimental about things than I am, it seems,” he explained, teasingly. “Probably should start with figuring out what’s actually staying, and then we can get a better layout. I’ve also got a bookshelf that we need to bring from mine as well.” It might have seemed like a silly addition, but Noah favored this particular bookshelf as he’d had it his whole life, and kept his most precious novels there.

.

Walden rolled his eyes so hard, he almost saw the back of his skull. “Of course. Your favourite colour being forest green is very interesting.” If he were being honest, Walden would admit that he’s not actually sure if Noah told him about his favourite colour or not. That was simply the kind of information Walden never retains. “That hardly counts. Plus, I’m sure I would have found out about poker night eventually anyway.” Noah’s retort only earned him a shrug. “Why not? Of course, you could also share… other things.” Like what Noah has been doing for the cause lately. After Isaac and his release, the two just hadn’t talked shop like they used to.

“Well, good job I suppose. But I gotta tell ya, you’re already a wanker mate,” he teased. Walden visibly recoiled when Noah said something about Rabastan not being far from his type but he stopped himself from making further comments until Noah finally finished. However, his answer about the American was worthy of a reaction. Walden pointed a finger at Noah almost accusatorily. “I fucking knew it, mate. That guy totally fucking swings. Does the wife know?” he asked, immediately interested in the potential gossip. Walden almost didn’t realize that Noah first refrained from answering his question until the wandmaker finally did. “Huh. Well, I guess that’s just bound to happen. You both see each other a lot around, don’t you?”’

...

At first, Noah wasn’t entirely sure what Walden was referring to, but as he thought for a moment, and saw the look on his friend’s face, it became clear that he meant to talk about the war. It only made sense, seeing as how they were both on the same side and things were quiet lately. “I see. Well, after that bloke Buchanan went and got himself arrested, things got a bit... complicated,” Noah sighed, taking another sip of his drink. “Luckily it doesn’t seem that he remembers anything of what happened that night, or before.” If Isaac had retained any of the information that Noah had given him before he’d gotten himself caught, it could have jeopardized his position. He was lucky, in that regard, but Aila was still a piece of the puzzle that needed to be taken care of.

“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I mean, I thought so,” Noah laughed, shaking his head. Over the years he’d learned to tell when someone was hiding the fact that they liked a certain sex, but it hadn’t been such a secret when he met the other. It was pretty easy to tell that the man had been flirting with him early on. “I don’t think that’s my place to say. And, quite frankly, I’m not sure.” Truth be told, there wasn’t exactly much mention of a wife when the two crossed paths. He supposed it didn’t matter much now, though. “I should hope so. We live in the same building, and have been friends since year one, I think I would see her at least every so often,” he joked. “Though I have to give credit where it’s due; the only reason I admitted that I liked her was because Lucius got me to.”

…

He was being far more polite than she deserved.  When she was twelve she burnt off her eyebrows trying to make her father eggs for his birthday.  A house elf had been all that had saved the rest of her hair.  When she was nineteen she had managed to start a small, legitimate fire when no one had told her that metal and microwaves didn’t mix.  In her early twenties she had watched Noah and some of her other closest friends choke down a burnt meal or two.  She was a terrible cook and he knew it.  She flicked her wand at one of the drawers on her hutch.  She flicked it a second time, nodding with satisfaction and is rolled open.  “There.  That’s as good a place as any to store cookbooks, I guess?”  More likely than not they wouldn’t be getting all that much use.  Noah cooked more often than she did, but most often they simply ordered take out.  

“Yes,” she insisted, trying to glare at him but was sure her amusement leaked through.  “I made you eggs back in November.  They weren’t good, but it did happen.”  She perked up a bit at the idea of shopping.  She didn’t like shopping for clothes, but home decor was fun – the kitchen was less fun, but she didn’t imagine she’d change his attitude once they moved into the living room or the bedroom.  “I like the sound of that.”

“Keep your glasses,” she agreed easily.  Glasses were glasses, and she didn’t much care which set they used.  “I have enough mugs – some are chipped, so we can clear a few of mine out to make room for yours.”  She waved her wand at the glassware cabinet, watching silently as her glasses dropped into an empty box.  “We can take this down to the chute in a bit.”

...

Noah didn’t want to outright say that Mia was a terrible cook, but it was sort of this unspoken thing that the both of them realized. Even after they had that terrible fight, and she made that awful breakfast, he had still tried to eat it, to prove a point. Of course, neither of them ended up eating it, since it would have likely made them more sick. Still, it was the sentiment behind it that mattered. As he watched Mia open up one of the drawers, Noah carried the books over, stocking it with some of his favorites on top. “Good enough, anyway. We can always move them later,” he reminded her. They just needed to get things out of boxes. Where they went later on or ended up months from now, well, that was a later problem. 

While he didn’t expect Mia to get so excited about shopping, Noah was sort of pleased to hear it. He liked spending time with her of course, but shopping for home décor together would make things feel more official. Sometimes it was hard to forget that anything was different from being friends to being in a relationship. Well, of course, the fact that they’ve kissed and slept together reminded them. But as for their daily lives, nothing really had changed.

“Perfect.” With a simple wave of his wand after Mia rid of her glasses, he sent his to replace them. They went back and forth with a few other important kitchen related items before finishing, Noah feeling pretty satisfied. “Well, that takes care of the kitchen. Which room next, do you reckon?” he asked, just after, hearing a knock at the door.

.

As far as Amos knew, Ollivander didn’t have a child. But given the way, he handled Cedric, Amos probably could have been convinced otherwise. His ease with children no doubt was refined after working at his family’s shop so much which primarily sold to children. Amos returned the man’s smile, grateful that he played along. “What do we say to the kind mister, Cedric?” The child was definitely still discontent, but he was already mature enough to know that whining won’t get him anywhere. “Thank you, Mr. Ollivander.”

Amos nodded, simply because it was the norm after hearing that something has been going well with another person. “Yeah… He’s my boyfriend. Been together for a few months now.” Even though talking with Noah had been awkward at first —could you really blame him when he’s someone whom he slept with trying to distract himself from Mia’s pregnancy all those years ago — talking about Gideon gave him enough confidence. Perhaps too much… “Yeah, Mia, isn’t it?” Amos spoke before realizing that he probably shouldn’t have said anything. “We uh… Talked. During the Halloween Masquerade.”

...

Noah was good with kids. He had to be, of course, given that his family served mostly young wix, but of course they were typically a bit older when they came in to get their wands. He’d just recently seen Andromeda with her daughter, who was practically of the age to get one. Time had certainly flown by since graduating Hogwarts, it seemed. Still, Noah enjoyed seeing families come in with their children, and would always talk up their skills far more than necessary, since it boosted their confidence. “You’re very welcome. In a few years, I do hope to see you coming around.”

Even despite whatever history the two of them had, it was nice to hear that Amos had found someone who made him happy. It wasn’t as though the two of them were ever going to be something more serious anyway, but it was still always a bit odd to see someone you’ve slept with down the line. Unaware that Amos and Mia had spoken much at the Halloween Masquerade, he was suddenly intrigued. “Oh? I didn’t know the two of you were close.” It wasn’t jealousy that lead the conversation now, since Noah was secure in his relationship with Mia, but sheer curiosity. He wondered what they could have talked about, if it was important. He wasn’t conceited enough to assume it was about him, though he hoped not. “Not a bad talk, I should hope,” he offered, trying to ease some of the awkwardness with a chuckle.

…

It was a mark of just how long they had been friends that she could see the recognition in his eyes.  She knew that he knew exactly what she meant, and she genuinely enjoyed knowing him so well.  Her least favorite part of dating was what came between those first few, purely physical, encounters and the moment you knew you truly liked someone.  For her, getting to know people felt far more like a job interview than it did anything else.  There wasn’t much she enjoyed about learning someone’s favorite color or the restaurant they preferred.  She didn’t much care to dig until she found their favorite holidays and the things they cared about the most – she liked the moments after all those bits were done.  That was her favorite thing about dating Noah – they got to skip all of the awkward, get to know you, bits and just be together.  To try and see what came of all of this.

“Handful of them,” she agreed.  “sprinkled around here and there.”  He had some good ideas, but if left to his own devices Noah hovered a bit too near prejudice, if not taking a flying leap in that direction.  He worked better with someone there, reminding him that he was capable of better.  She didn’t blame him – she didn’t blame most of the people they were raised with.  It was far too easy to believe you were right when it was what you were taught, day and night, from when you were young.  It was easy to look at Noah’s loving family and feel envious of it all – but perhaps it was her father’s neglect and the ways her aunt filled in the gaps that saved her from thinking the same as her peers.  Maybe there was one thing to be grateful for through it all.

“You can keep as many as you want,” she shrugged.  “We can charm a drawer to fit them all in, I think.  I don’t have any, so as long as you don’t have any repeats I suppose you can keep them all?  You never know when we’ll need a recipe.  The cookware though, we may have to do a bit of an inventory.  I’ll admit, you probably use it more than I do.  So whatever you prefer is fine with me.”

...

Maybe Noah did need a bit of redirection now and then, but that was why he had always valued Mia as a friend. She was someone he could count on to keep him grounded so that he didn’t completely go off of the deep end. Even when he had found out about her pregnancy, as much as it had hurt at the time, and despite the decisions it led him to make, he still stood his ground and vouched that Mia drew him back in. It felt impossible to drown when she was near. Maybe that was why he fell for her in the first place, as cheesy as that sounded. And when she wasn’t around... his decision making process faltered. 

Mia was no chef, this was common knowledge to the both of them. Noah was the better cook, but it still felt right to ask for her opinion. “That’s true,” he nodded, having not thought about that. It made things easier, magic did. Muggles could never understand the perks it came with, and for that reason he sort of pitied them. “Alright, these we’ll keep. Have you even touched your cookware in the last few months?” he teased. “There’s only a few things I’m attached to, I’ll set those aside. Whatever else we find we need later, we can purchase new.” It wasn’t like money was that big of an issue for either of them, and with the amount they’ll be saving on only renting one apartment, they can afford to buy some nicer things. 

“What about drinkware? Mugs I didn’t bring a lot of, but glasses, well, we should probably go with the better quality.” A good glass to drink from was essentially after a long day.

.

“Uhuh. Right,” Walden tilted his head ever so slightly downwards and gave Noah a look that told him that he was clearly not convinced. “And what kind of things do you tell me exactly?” he challenged, confident that he’d be able to prove his point. “I mean not everything, Merlin. Especially not if it’s a fucking bird. But at least tell me the interesting parts. I’d rather hear from you rather than fucking… I don’t know… Crabbe or Goyle.”

He paused to study his friend, trying to figure out if Noah’s only fucking with him. “Are you saying them as in there are multiple people or are you just trying to be an even vaguer wanker?” A list of names immediately came to mind and Walden didn’t even bother to give each one more careful thought. “Is it Mia? That hot American who has a wife? Don’t you dare fucking tell me it’s Rabastan Lestrange.”

...

Noah opened his mouth to answer, but the words didn’t come out, hesitating as he thought about it. He was sure that Walden knew more than he was letting on, but about what excatly, Noah wasn’t sure. Perhaps this was a mistake, he thought to himself. “I’m positive I’ve told you my favorite color, forest green. And, you know about poker nights.” Noah chuckled, shaking his head as he tried not to comment on the bit about Crabbe and Goyle. “Interesting meaning sex?” he asked in retort, raising a brow.

“The latter,” Noah smirked. “See, I tell you things.” Sure, it was a sassy remark, but he didn’t care all that much. “It’s not Rabastan. If you look at my track record, I suppose he’s not that far off from my type, but no. I will confess, I have entertained the company of said hot American, though.” Noah hadn’t told anyone about that, but since Walden guessed, it was only fair he responded. “No one knows that one, you should feel special.” Taking another sip of his drink, he casually stalled on answering about Mia’s name. “Those were pretty good guesses. The first one is correct, though. See? You know more about me than you thought.”

.

Walden grabbed the nearest object he could find which just happened to be a lid of a box meant to case a wand before playfully flinging it towards his friend. “Because you never tell me anything, you wanker. As for me,” Walden knocked back another swing, fully enjoying how the afternoon was going so far, “I’m practically an open book. It’s just not fair.”

“Oh, have you now?” Curiosity pulled Walden in. A grin appeared on his lips as he studied Noah’s face. It was a shame that Noah was taking himself off the market but that didn’t mean Walden couldn’t enjoy new information from a juicy piece of gossip. “Come on then, out with it. Do I know this person? Is it a Death Eater at least?”

...

Noah swatted the object away from him playfully, laughing as it hit the floor. It’d been a while since he allowed himself to be this loose and open with friends, and he had to admit, that he was enjoying it. “Not true. I tell you some things, just not... everything,” he teased, shrugging his shoulders. “Would you really want to know everything? It’s pretty boring, for the most part.” Noah didn’t consider his life any more exciting than the next person’s, but then again, maybe that was because he kept it secret. 

For a moment he pondered over how long he would let Walden sweat it out. He could just tell him, but what fun would that be? No, he figured it might be more enjoyable to let the man guess. “You do know them, and, yes.” It wasn’t a lie. Mia’s allegiance might have been questionable but Noah wasn’t about to admit that to anyone. He knew her feelings weren’t as strong as his, not even the same as his, but that was between the two of them. “I must confess, I’m intrigued to know if you have a guess.”

…

It was easy to get what she wanted out of Noah, but that was equally the fact that she had known him for so long as it was her purposefully manipulating him.  She shook her head fondly without looking at him.  “That’s your favorite thing about me and you know it,” she chuckled, brushing her hair out of her face as she looked at her lists.  “We can take a bedroom break later,” she reassured him.  “don’t act like it’s off the table, you nerd.”

“Maybe I just wanted to see you convince me,” she gave him a look, smiling before turning her distracted eyes back to her lists.  “or maybe I just needed to be reminded the economic advantages to cohabitation.  Either way, I suppose you’re right about that.  You were due for a good idea, anyway.”  Mia glanced back at him, raising her eyebrows with the hint of a smile, daring him to respond sarcastically.  “But yes, the kitchen is fine.  Let’s go through your boxes first – we can either put the things away, or if it’s a duplicate decide which of ours we like better and put the other in storage.  Sound okay?”

...

Mia did have a point. Noah would be the first person to admit that he did in fact like her manipulative side. It came in handy a lot, and not just when it was being used against him. She’d used it plenty of times to benefit the both of them, but in any which way, he had to confess it was attractive. 

Noah rose a brow at that fact, wondering if that was truly the case or if she was playing devil’s advocate here. “I have plenty of decent ideas, I’ll have you know,” he playfully argued with her, heading over to the boxes labeled kitchen. Mia was a much more organized person than he was, surely, but as Noah had a photographic memory, it was extremely easy for him to remember which things were in which box and where in the box he would find them. “That sounds good.” Opening up the first one, he pulled out his set of dishware, gently setting it to the side as he continued to grab some cooking utensils, and cook books. “I’ll admit, I don’t remember buying all of these,” he chuckled, thumbing through the books. “How many do we think we’ll actually need?”

…

It was a double-edged sword, because as fun as distracting him was, she also didn’t want to leave the boxes unpacked for any longer than was necessary.  It would make her mad, dodging the stacks they had haphazardly balanced along the edges of the room.  “They were very heavy boxes,” she protested.  They hadn’t been very heavy, and he absolutely had a point.  “So we unpack the very heavy boxes and then give ourselves a reward?” She suggested, eyes lingering on the door to their bedroom before turning back to him.  “but I suppose you’re right.  Let’s make a bit of progress first.”

Stepping between a twin tower of boxes she made her way to the couch, grabbing her clipboard from the side table.  “Okay, I’ve got a list for all of the major rooms and two for the bedroom and office, considering they’re going to take a bit more work.  Where do you want to start?”

...

Noah opened his mouth to respond, but as he saw her eyes wandering to the door to the bedroom, suddenly all of the words he had planned to say slipped out of focus. Narrowing his eyes at her playfully, Noah shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. “You’re very manipulative when you want to be, did you know that?” he asked her, one brow raising slightly higher than the other. That was one of things that hadn’t really changed now that they were in a romantic relationship. They would both try to distract each other in other aspects of their lives before, but now it was much easier to do so, which in turn made it harder to get important things done. 

As much as he now wanted to change his mind, it was very clear that Mia had switched into focused mode. He had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing as she mentioned making a list. It was so official, he thought to himself. “You know, for someone who needed convincing to agree to this plan in the first place, you’ve really stepped into a leadership role here,” he teased. “I say we should try to tackle at least two rooms before considering a break. Emphasis on try,” he smiled at her. “Perhaps the kitchen first? Work our way up to the bigger commitments?”

.

Cedric hesitantly waved back, still a little wary of the stranger, but the promise of having a wand instantly made his eyes light up? “I have a wand?” he repeated before turning to look back at Amos. “Can I get it, dad?” Amos chuckled at his son. “You heard the man. He said when you’re old enough. You still have a long way to go before you can have your own. Besides, don’t you already have one at home? What’s wrong with that?” Cedric frowned, knowing perfectly well that his toy wand could only conjure confetti in the air. “In the meanwhile, Mr. Ollivander here will save you the best wand there is. Isn’t that right, Mr. Ollivander?”

“Ah. I see.” Amos wondered if Noah was referring to the war but he didn’t dare to ask. He didn’t like talking about it in front of his son. “Everything going well with the shop, I hope?”

“You know, just work as usual. Spending time with Cedric here and Gideon. My uh… partner.” Amos hesitated only ever so slightly, knowing the history between them two. The last time they properly spoke, Amos committed himself only to one night stands with people he knew he wouldn’t impregnate. Even though it has been years since then, Amos thought it was still going to be weird to hear he’s with someone.

...

It always gave Noah a bit of joy to see kids get so excited over their first wands. He could remember the exact day his father gifted him his own, and still had that first wand somewhere in his belongings. Wands of course needed to be replaced now and then, especially when they were hit with damage irreversible. Still, he could never part ways with it, when he first had to replace it. It was like when parents kept their children’s firsts as a reminder of them growing up. “Your father is right. Even if I do have the perfect one for you already in stock, it knows when you’re ready, and won’t reveal itself to you until then,” he explained, smiling softly. Looking back at Amos, he gave a reassuring nod. “I can promise you.” 

There was hesitation in the man’s voice that Noah knew all too well. Whether it was because he didn’t know what to make of the comment, or some underlying trust issue, Noah could tell there was something he wasn’t saying. Likely questions that he couldn’t ask. Not with his son there, anyway. A wise move. 

“The shop is great, yes. Not too busy these days, but I still find plenty to do,” he assured the man, giving a slow nod. While it was a surprise to hear that Amos had a partner, Noah was intrigued to hear more. “Your partner? You don’t say. Well, I’m glad to hear that. I must confess my time’s been split more recently as well. I’ve been helping my girlfriend with a side project. It’s been rather time consuming.”

…

Pride made it impossible for her to outright ask him for her apartment, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t toss out some breadcrumbs, making it as clear as she could without outright saying that she wanted to keep her current space.  And those breadcrumbs had led to a more successful outcome than she had allowed herself to consider.  

She carefully put down the last box in her.. their… entryway.  She knew what she wanted to do.  She wanted to unpack his boxes, take a careful inventory of their belongings, and paint the living room before getting things in order.  But maybe they deserved a bit of a reward.  “That depends.  Are we attempting to be responsible adults today?  Or do you think we deserve a bit of a treat?  That was a lot of heavy lifting.”  She raised her brows and smirked at him, letting him read into that what he will.

...

Noah placed his hands on his hips, trying to make a mental plan of what they should do first. When Mia suggested that they reward themselves for their work, he rose a brow at her, shaking his head. “For moving some boxes? You can’t keep trying to distract me like that, you know...” The way she was smirking at him felt like she was up to something, and though he wanted to know what was on her mind, he had a feeling that he could likely guess. 

“I think we should at least unpack one before we consider taking a break,” he decided, looking back at the boxes. There weren’t that many, but that didn’t mean he wanted them to still be there a week from now. Or worse, they leave them there as long as he had left most of his things packed up in his own apartment. He worked too much before to bother with them, but he was starting to think as of lately that he could use a bit of a break. 

“I think that’s the last of it,” Noah said, looking around at all of the boxes they’d already moved as he sat the last down. There weren’t that many, but they needed to go throw them to make sure they weren’t keeping two of everything in the apartment now. “Where should we start?”

…

In his refusal to deny it she was fairly sure that it had happened, and carefully noted the way he said he had never slept with Lucius.  Honestly, that was a bit of a relief, all things considered – Lucius was the worst and she would have questioned Noah’s taste if he had shared a bed with him.  “I don’t know,” she laughed.  “honestly, I’m not sure that I’m the jealous type.  It might be interesting to know, and I’m sure that I could make a handful of educated guesses.  But it’s not really my business, so if it makes you uncomfortable you don’t have to.”

“But is it really wrong to provide some extrinsic motivation?”  She raised her eyebrows, countering him.  “Yes, we absolutely should make it a competition.”  She steered him in the direction of the sign up table.  “Then prove it.  Let’s sign up.”

...

Noah was glad that they were in agreement on this. It would be fun to have a little friendly bet, especially when charity was involved. They both had friends and acquaintances that could donate large sums as well, so it would be beneficial all around, he assumed. “Alright, let’s.” Noah led them over to where the sign ups were taking place, putting his name down swiftly and then waiting for Mia to put hers. 

Extending his hand to her with a mischievous smile, Noah waited for hers. “It’s a bet. Whoever wins, will get to keep their apartment, and maintain bragging rights.” Shaking her hand was to make it official, though as soon as the formalities were done, Noah snuck a kiss from her to add to the deal. “Come on, we’ve got some time to kill.