young blood

Deep down, Florence had a feeling she knew where Noël was going with all this. The two of them had no secrets, she had told him about her relationship with Clayton and, knowing her as well as he did, he had read between the lines. Except Flo was fully in denial about this and, despite Noël’s calm demeanour, somehow felt like she had betrayed him. “That’s… Clay’s in the past, Noël. It didn’t work out and there’s probably a reason for that,” she said quickly, trying to convince herself as well as him. Truth was, she had no idea what the reason was exactly, which wasn’t helpful in terms of closure. 

“I’ve done plenty of exploring back in L.A. Seriously, way too much exploring. Those days are behind me, now I have to be solid and grown-up. For you and Rory. When would I even have time to date with a baby permanently attached to my boob?” Dating was always dramatic and complicated and she was a mother now. Mother’s didn’t just take the night off for a date with a man that wasn’t their significant other. Her upbringing had been so atypical and she wanted the opposite for Rory. She wanted normal and stable. “Not to mention you assume Clay wants to be with me and we don’t know that. What if I say something and he just… I don’t know, laugh? i would never live down the embarrassment.” 

-&-

“If he is in the past, then that is fine. And if he resurfaces, that is also fine.” Noël looked at Florence, unconvinced by her words, but never willing to accuse her of their own invalidity. When she was ready, if she was ready, she would face her heart knowing she had his support to do so. “It is not that kind of exploring.” He trumpeted out a sigh. “This would not make you any less solid. That is what I am trying to say to you. Trying and failing.” Noël’s hand would leave Florence’s, only to cup the side of her face as he met her gaze, thumb gently stroking her cheek. “He would not laugh. I have seen the way his eyes light up when you’re the topic of conversation. And I see it in you, too.” 

A smile pursed on Noël’s lips, subtle but present. “I am mad about you, you know this. But there are many ways to form a family. And this is no less valid just because it is not conventional. I loved Hilarie and Gavin’s children as my own. They are no less well-adjusted for having had me in their lives. I know what is in your heart, your fear, your desire for our daughter to have more than what you had. But I also know that our daughter would want a mother who is fulfilled, completely fulfilled. But if you are telling me there is nothing, then I will never bring it up again.”

While Florence was one of the most emotionally stunted person ever, Noël was one of the wisest. At least that’s how she saw it. She didn’t feel quite inadequate, but part of her did wonder what he thought of her difficulty to communicate clearly and how terrible she was at understanding her own fucking feelings. She never got an annoyed or frustrated vibe from him, but it couldn’t be easy for him to constantly be forced to guess what went on in her mind.

“I haven’t reached that level of maturity yet. I’ll get there eventually,” she said with an apologetic smile. Wherever she thought he was going with all this, what actually came out of his mouth was enough to completely rattle her. She looked at him with a mix of shock and horror. Did he think she was a bad mother? He must have if he thought she believed her own daughter wasn’t enough for her. “I love you and I love her,” she said quietly, justifying herself, as he squeezed her wrinkly fingers, her gaze fixated on them as he kept talking. “I don’t understand where this is coming from. You have told me about them, but I haven’t… I haven’t been seeing anyone else. Did I do something wrong? What did I do to make you feel like you weren’t enough?” It might have something to do with her lack of experience when it came to anything but a monogamous relationship, but she struggled to grasp what it was exactly he was offering. “Do you want to break up?”

-&-

Noël watched Florence’s expression change, hurt that manifested in her face and in her body language as her fingers grabbed firm hold of his. “I know you love us.” He replied with a calm sureness. The language barrier that existed between them was not insurmountable, but it did become obvious to Noël from time to time that his expression in the English language could be unintentionally hurtful when trying to communicate with Florence about already tedious topics of conversation. “No, mon amour. You haven’t done anything wrong. This I promise.” A smile grew into a quiet laugh of disbelief, Noël’s head shaking fervently. “That is the last thing I want. I want us to be together, more than anything.” He took a moment to breath, to try to navigate this situation as thoughtfully as he could, without causing Florence any further distress. “I am talking about... Clayton.” He had wanted to be delicate, to try to lead Florence to water in a sense, but it was clear he would need to be completely straightforward. 

“What I am attempting to say to you, what I am trying to offer you, Florence, is the chance to explore feelings that were prematurely cut off. I know how it all went, when you ended things with me, and pursued things with Clayton, just for that to end rather abruptly. It does not offend me, or give me cause for worry, because I know how much you love me. But I also know it is possibly to love more than one person. It is human. And I am secure, here. With you and with our daughter. If you need to... Explore.” He looked at Florence with complete adoration, hoping that in trying to reach out to her, he had not instead forced her to retreat into herself. 

As content as Florence felt when it came to the current state of her life, there were still some loose ends she needed to tie up. Her relationship with her father being one, always. He was around and they were both trying to make up for lost time, but there was still a part of her that felt like a lot of things were left unsaid. Like the part where he had just skipped out on being her father. That was pretty major. On the other hand, there was also her unexpected meeting with Clayton on the beach that one night. Loving Noël, but still feeling the desire to explore what could’ve been with Clay was… confusing, to say the least.

How was she supposed to bring that up to Noël—a man she very much loved, no matter her lingering feelings for Clayton. She wasn’t sure how long she had been staring out the window over the sink, looking at the beach, but it must’ve been awhile given her gross wrinkly fingers. She wiped the water off hurriedly, turning to face Noël. “Uh oh. Should I be worried? I feel like no good conversation ever starts this way.”

-&-

Noël considered himself to be a man in-touch with his emotions. He did not often struggle to express himself, and found being straight-forward and honest the easiest route. He also understood that it was not so simple for other people, to open themselves up to difficult conversations. For some people, variables were far too overwhelming, even the thought of them was too much. So he tried to tread carefully with Florence, to allow the woman he loved to come to terms with her own thoughts, and once he could surmise she had broached a juncture where she could discuss her feelings, he tried to seize the opportunity. 

“You know I try to only have good conversations. Perspective. That is everything.” He smiled, a gentle offering that all was truly well. “You do not have to worry when you think of me. I told you this.” He maintained his casual lean, watching the blonde with an unmasked appreciation. “I will be straightforward. I worry... That we are not enough. Lorelai and me.” His expression did not falter, his tone did not seize. For Noël, this was a matter of practicality. “And I do not say this with any malice, that you are not fulfilling some duty or role, or not giving us all that you have. I know that you are. And you are a wonderful mother. You are a wonderful partner. But I know you. I have not stopped knowing you.” Noël pushed off from the doorway then, taking a few steps towards Florence, his hands closing around her damp and wrinkled fingers. “All I mean to say, is that there are perhaps things you have not explored. If you need to do this... I will be here, and I will support you. Do you... Understand my meaning?” He gave her hands a gentle squeeze, as if to comfort her. “I do not lead an unexamined life. I have had many experiences, with many different people. And in the past... I have known more than one lover. And for me, that has worked. I have told you about Hilarie and Gavin, no?”

It was a quiet afternoon, that lull in the day when Lorelai was asleep and Noël had not yet left for the restaurant. He watched as Florence hovered near the sink, drying her hands off with a dish rag. “Mon amour,” Noël spoke forth with a delicacy, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the doorway. “I have been meaning to discuss something with you. Unless you would rather it wait until tonight. But I will be home wait.” 

// T A S K  F I V E  - G E T T I N G  T O  K N O W  Y O U //

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Noël Henri Dupont BIRTH DATE: February 25th, 1991 AGE: 31 years old ZODIAC: Pisces GENDER: Cis male PRONOUNS: He/him ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Polyamorous SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual NATIONALITY: French ETHNICITY: White CURRENT LOCATION: Eureka, California LIVING CONDITIONS: Middle Class

Florence had an inkling of where Noël was going with this, but didn’t want to jump the gun and completely scare him off. She knew how this wasn’t the kind of life he had always envisioned for himself and, despite having a feeling he didn’t feel that same way anymore, she was always worried she might do something that could scare him off. It wasn’t even a reflection of him, it was most so about her insecurities. 

Her smile widened when he confirmed her suspicions, bringing up the home they had been talking about. She didn’t even care that he had found the house without her, that he hadn’t waited for her to see it before renting it. The house itself mattered very little, it was more so about having a space for the three of them. Their little family. “You’re forgiven,” she said immediately. “There’s nothing to even forgive, honestly. House hunting is not my idea of fun.” Give her a bed, a yard for Rory to eventually play in and a nice tub and she was happy. Flo took in the house, her vision turning blurry as emotion overwhelmed her. “I love it. It’s perfect. You love it too, right? This is what you want?”

-&-

Noël watched Florence with anticipation, knowing to some degree she would be pleased with the choices he’d made for them, but wanting to be certain of it. “And it is not mine, either. But your mother and brother were helpful in pointing out the things I would not have known to look for or ask about.” He felt embraced by Florence’s family, even if Benjamin was a little harder to win over than the rest. He was still supporting them, in his own, more quiet ways.

“Of course I love it. It is home, now.” He looked at the blonde before him with serene fondness, stepping over to dab a thumb at the welling corners of her eyes. “There is nothing in this world I want more, Florence. I made choices in my life, choices that, when I made them I was quite happy with. But I am also flexible. And I am happy to readjust, to make this life with you and Lorelai. You do not ever have to doubt my willingness to participate, here. I am completely yours.”

As rough as the last few months of pregnancy had been, life with a newborn was on another level entirely. Rory was the most beautiful thing Florence had laid her eyes on, but she had inherited Flo’s difficult streak. She cried a lot, slept very little, but looked damn cute doing it. All that to say that she was sleep deprived, hadn’t been outside or interacted with a human other than Noël and their kid for three days straight. This walk couldn’t have come at a better time.

Florence was fussing with Lorelai’s blanket when Noël spoke, giving her pause. She was, of course, intrigued. “I’m already interested, go on,” she said, letting go of the blanket that was already perfectly fine to begin with.

-&-

Noël could not have contrived the life he was leading now if he had wished to, but found himself terribly content with the randomness of the universe and his slice of it. He could not muster more admiration for his daughter or his mother if he tried, as was evident in his day-to-day interactions with the two of them. He dreaded those hours away, working and wondering what the women of his life were up to without him. What was worse, in it all, was the lack of permanence. Home was a feeling, yes, but it was rather nice to have the privacy of one’s own home to rely upon as well. 

“It is only that we have talked of finding a home for you and I, and little Lorelai.” There was a glimmer of mischief in his eyes as Noël spoke, the lilt of a storyteller’s conspiracy marking his accented tone. “I thought it would be nice to find something, something that would work for the three of us. And then, while I was doing all of this thinking, I thought, would it not be nice to have a home that was near to your brother? And, on one of my many walks, I found the solution to our housing needs. Now, if you hate it, you will have to endure it for the year’s lease I signed without your permission, but, I think you might just forgive me.” Noël treaded forward with confidence, approaching a home with a hole on the yard where the post of a ‘For Rent’ sign had once rested. “Just a brisk walk away from the rest of your world. But a fresh start for ours.” He presented the home with the wave of a hand, before procuring a set of keys. “What do you think?”

The family was out for a walk in Bayview, having carried on a ways from Benji’s own home. “So I think that I might have some information that will interest you.” Noël offered, steady as he pushed his daughter’s stroller along the sidewalk.

As always,  Florence’s overthinking had led her to jump the gun completely. If anyone was used to her eagerness, however, it was Noël and she hadn’t scared him off yet. “I don’t want you to feel obligated. Plenty of parents choose to live separately and make it work. I know you’re all in, with the baby, but I hope you know I wouldn’t hold it against you if you weren’t all in when it comes to me,” she said seriously, wanting to make it clear that the choice was his. She liked him. More than liked him, but she knew that relationships in the traditional sense weren’t necessarily what Noël had imagined for himself. “Yeah, I didn’t have that and I want nothing more for our daughter, but only if that’s what you want for yourself as well because, you know, I love you.” 

-&-

“I do not feel obligated.” Noël promised, even-toned and with surety. “Florence, believe me when I tell you that I want the both of you.” He was therefore taken aback by the casual nature by which the blonde confessed feelings in such a nonchalant manner. He sat there, momentarily stunned by the revelation. “No, I did not know.” Noël replied, finally managing a cheeky grin. “I love you, too. In case you were wondering.” The moment they were sharing felt as though words were no longer sufficient in expressing emotion. Instead, he reached out, a hand caressing Florence’s cheek as his thumb made idle strokes. There was that last moment of hesitancy, a reticence to destroy their current relationship in exchange for something far more precarious, and with a great deal of risk attached. Rather than contemplate the off-chance of disaster, Noël simply closed the distance between the two, meeting Florence’s lips in that tantalizing and achingly familiar dance. 

Florence held his breath while he seemed to think over his response, hoping she wouldn’t turn out too embarrassing for her. She knew Noël reciprocated her feelings to some extent, but she also knew he was serious about doing what was best for her. For her recovery. That was just the kind of guy he was and it was why she was falling for him a little more each day. She felt ready to take the next step with him, but her judgement wasn’t always to be trusted in situation like these. She loved hard. So hard that she could be blinded by that love sometimes. “I don’t disagree. I’d like for her to grow up in a place where there’s room to run around,” she agreed, still unclear on what exactly that meant for them. She didn’t seem the two of them crashing at her brother’s place for very much longer. At some point, her own life had to begin and she had to stop relying on other people constantly. Her fingers wrapped around his own and tightened slightly as her excitement grew. “I would like that very much. Not that you have to work very hard to make me happy. You do that naturally already and I have no doubt you’ll make this little one very happy as well. Maybe we can start looking after the baby comes, once we get used to everything.”

-&-

The most formative relationship of Noël’s life had been with Hilarie and Gavin, and the two had effectively made Noël deeply wary of further deep romantic and emotional entanglements. He had come to enjoy his freedom after he had arrived in Eureka, but plans, as they often did, changed. He couldn’t imagine a life different than this, without Florence or their baby on-the-way. More to the point, Noël didn’t want to imagine alternate realities. He was completely happy in the present reality where he found himself. “I was planning to broach this same subject, you know. Once the baby is here.” He glanced down at their hands, his smile waning but ever present. “When I look back on my childhood and think about how my parent’s happiness impacted me, it gave me a very deep confidence. I felt like a... hm. A superhero, I suppose. I would like our child to feel the same way. To have that same confidence about you and I.”

「 T H E  B I R T H  O F  L O R E L A I  A N A Ï S  D U P O N T  」