heartscam

Malcolm found himself pacing around the station during his overnight. He’d tried sleeping, but tossing and turning were mostly the result of his failed attempts. Hearing some rustling going on in the main room, Malcolm made his way over, in hopes of finding entertainment. Being in luck, Noah was constructing a jenga tower that made Mac release an amused chuckle. “Is this what your boredom has resulted in?” He asked, successfully pulling out a piece and adding it to the top of the tower. “I’ll give you points for creativity.”

Noah grinned when Mac joined him rather than chastised him, even if he would of been right for doing so at this time of night. “Resulted in a feat of architectural genius, yes.” He pointed out, looking proudly at the tower that was soon going to require a chair to build on. “It was this or like, play solitaire. So, Jenga.” Noah continued, strategically placing a brick. “What about you, not getting your eight hours of sleep?”

“  well i also won’t be opposed to sharing the bed ,  “    he said ,    “  fair warning though :  i might lock you down in a hug the next morning so if you have early morning kittens to save ,   then you might want to throw me at the couch .  “     he missed this .    he knew things wouldn’t be the same between them but everything about the whole exchange made nolan nostalgic .   maybe they  did  have a shot at falling back into that .    he hopes .    “  so what’s jersey like ?  “

“good news for everyone involved.“ he grinned, nudging nolan. “i’m off tomorrow, so no kittens will need saving. a lock down wouldn’t be a bad thing.” it felt easier by the minute, and he liked to think that it wasn’t just wishful thinking. pancake came around sleepily to investigate the visitor as noah led the way to his room. “jersey is, something.” he joked, even if he missed it. “but i did love it, we had the whole like house with a yard and a porch thing going on. plus, i’m a sucker for the beach.” it made him feel guilty, knowing that nolan never got that same happier ending. he laid back down as he spoke, leaving room for nolan.

we’re no saviors if we can’t save our brothers                                                                  - noah rayen family tree

“I know. Tell me about it.” he sighed shaking his head as he sipped. So much had happened in what felt like such a short time. The fight with dylan, the peacher half of his friends leaving town and now he just felt sort of lost. “I know, I know but I can’t help but feel the guilt of it yano?” he laughed dryly, “My life is the definition of bad timing.”  he joked. Hearing the other out he knew the feelings part all too well, “Shit man. You sound like me damn.” he puckered his lips shaking his head. “Well at least we got eachother, and if I learned anything I say act on those feelings while you have the chance and when it comes to friends it’s never to late for a second chance.” he expressed. “But I’ll drink to that.” he raised his beer and finished it. 

Noah gave a snort at that, an eyebrow raising. “Trust me, I know.” The events in this town seemed to have a blast radius, and if you were standing too close you felt like you were the one who set it off, or that you could of done something to stop it. Of course, that was bullshit. “We’ve got each other, and our subsequent bad timing.” He agreed, thankful for that. “It’s too late to act on shit, now. The friend thing though, it’s one of the few things I have hope in right now.” Noah raised his beer in turn, taking another drink. “To, well, everything.”

she blinked, and swallowed as she tried to regain her composure. she was fine. “I don’t really sleep, often.” she laughed awkwardly, pushing her hair back. “I mean, I do. get the amount of sleep I need, to like function.” she was stumbling over her words and she knew it. “you can’t sleep?” 

noah laughed softly, nodding at that. “honestly, i don’t either. and, if you get the amount of sleep needed to function then i’m a little jealous, but i’ve got coffee.” he joked, hand coming up to rub at his eye. he was still a while away from being able to rest and he knew that. “nah, that’s why i’m out. sometimes i try to run and tire myself out but it wasn’t workin’ tonight.”

“ i don’t want to be a stranger , “    he chuckled as he let himself get pulled into noah’s hug ,   hugging him back tighter before letting go .     “ i ,  uh .   you don’t mind me crashing on your couch right ? “    he asked ,  a gentle smile at the other guy .    “ okay ,   in hindsight i didn’t really have a plan when i went here , “    he laughed ,  the  i really just wanted to be with you  unspoken but evident .    “ so uh ,   how’s the firefighting job ? “    nolan asked ,    “ saved any stuck kittens yet ? “

“i don’t want you to be either.“ he smiled against nolan’s shoulder, not wanting the hug to end now that it had started. nevertheless, he let nolan pull away. “you can crash wherever, honestly. i’m also not opposed to sharing the bed but i get it.” he’d get it if nolan was uncomfortable, they were still trying to know each other again. however, the sight of the orange friendship bracelet gave him a little bit of hope. “very funny.” he stuck he tongue out, but he couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped. “okay, like one. i can’t help that there’s less shit goin’ on here than in jersey.”

@ofbreeze​ (benji)

@seoxmina​

her eyes became glossy for a second before she blinked and snapped back to what was happening around her. ollie closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath before opening them back up. “i’m sorry. no.” she shook her head. “just–” ollie paused. “tired i guess.” her fingers fumbled together in front of her body. “you said noah? right? i’m ollie.”

noah recognized that glossiness, the sudden realization of where she was. it happened to him sometimes, walking around the town at night before realizing he had been walking back towards a house states away. “no worries.” he assured her. “yeah, it’s pretty late.” he joked, weight shifting between his feet. “yeah, it’s noah. it’s nice to meet you, ollie. i’m guessing you also can’t sleep?”

@scout-owen​

“  thanks ,  “     he smiled ,    “  i uh ,   i should get going then .  “      nolan hung up after .    he got up from his chair ,   headed towards his closet with his toes tipped in order to not wake up his roommate  (  he’s used to this don’t worry  )  .    he took his old blue down jacket ,    his old friendship bracelet from his nightstand and put on some shoes .    with his cellphone in hand and a wrist ringed with an old ,   worn and torn ,  orange friendship bracelet ,    he snuck out of the dorm room into the cold breeze of the night .    it didn’t take him a while to find the address noah gave him ,   his old friend just so happened to live a block away from a past hook-up  (  and a few more  )  so the streets were familiar to him .   getting up to noah’s door ,   he knocked .   

“anytime.” noah was smiling when they hung up, just immediately in a better mood. he pulled a hoodie on, growing a little restless in the few minutes it took for nolan to get there. it was stupid, really, how easy it was for noah to want to fall back into wanting to be near the closest person he had to a brother. noah smiled when he opened the door, stepping aside to let nolan in. “hey stranger.” he couldn’t help but pull him into a hug, content.

@malcolmvramsey​