oh, f*ck! i'm lonely.

three days ‘til christmas . only a few hours ‘til the day he was told he was born , his birthday . are you sure you don’t want to do anything ? it was a question his mother asked every year , with two gentle hands placed on either side of his face . “ positive , ” he’d say with a perfectly crooked smile , charming twinkle alight in the corner of brown eyes . somewhere , up north or on the other side of the country , it was snowing , but christmas lights and a dreary drizzle were all victoria had to offer . his younger brother clung to odette’s leg as she slipped into her jacket , bringing a more genuine grin to his lips . “ alright , kid , ” he knelt down , “ paws off . you’ll see her again in a couple’a days . bright and early christmas morning . ” nicky scowled , giving her one last squeeze before barreling over to his older brother with a quizzical look on his face . noel , he whispered , how come you never want birthday presents ? his cheeks flushed and he cleared his throat , sparing a glance in odette’s direction . he hadn’t mentioned anything about a birthday , and he hadn’t intended to . lips pursed , he answered matter - of - factly , “ because then i wouldn’t get as much from santa on christmas . ” a ruffle of his hair , a kiss on the top of the head , and a couple of goodbyes later , noel reached out for odette , interlacing their fingers and pulling her close , wrapping their intertwined hands over her shoulder . that soccer mom car of his was parked just down the block . “ i’m starting to think they like you more than they like me , ” he said softly , hoping to avoid  the birthday conversation altogether . he pressed a quick kiss to her temple , “ nicky especially . then again i can’t blame them . ”

“ certainly not a nicolette , ” he’d laugh , and a mess of curls — beginning to get a little too long — bounces in the motion . two blondes , living in a house like a mini modern day castle , had the allure and the looks of a pair of princesses , but certainly not the kind that would close their eyes and wait for life to begin with an awakening from a prince . caroline was far too free spirited , and odette was far too feisty , a force of nature in herself . her fairytale started with a fight for survival and ended somewhere in the cradle of a dream , where maybe she’d take over the world , and maybe the world would be better for it . . . and maybe he’d be allowed to witness it all from such close proximity . his body rocks back into her , but she’s glanced at the shade of soft pink on his fingertips , and there’s a wavering grin on his lips . “ yeah . i thought you might , ” shoulders lift in a shrug as his hands dip under the water , but the paint doesn’t come off — similar to the way odette’s perfume seemed to linger even after she was long gone , “ kind of reminds me of you , actually . ” a subtle flicker of warm , brown eyes steals in her direction , back to the water just as quickly , and he’s reaching down to splash water over percy’s paws . it’s only when a tiny phrase falls from her lips that he sputters with a breathless laugh . because noel silva knows what it’s like to feel love . he knows because he’d felt it in the way his little sister — before they even shared a last name — would poke his cheek and whisper today is the day with a blind optimism . he’d felt it in the way his mother wrapped her arms around him and refused to let go and the way his father cried when they welcomed him home . he’d felt it the first time he held nicholas , how tiny he was , and how the silva family only grew , and the love two young parents had for a child of their own didn’t change the love they had for two kids that weren’t biologically theirs . he’d seen it , too . in music . in movies . in his friends . in his parents . but , noel , had you ever been in love ? had you ever gotten that far ? was falling what it felt like to lose your breath when a girl’s blushed a bright red and a scrunch of her nose accented laughter ? they’re both laughing , and only moments pass before the bathroom’s a mess , soap bubbles and splatters of water dampening the bath mat and the floor around it . “ un accidente . mierda . absoluta mierda . pero , ” it’s mumbled in a fit of laughter , and he’s still spraying her as she buries into the crook of his neck , one hand laced through blonde locks as the other holds a shower head , effectively soaking himself as well . she’ll pull away , and he’s still laughing , “ but you make a very pretty liar . ” she’s leaned into him , closer and closer , and his heart is racing like it hadn’t in a long time , maybe ever . the sound of her laughter slips into the back of his mind , and it’s a song he’d like to keep on repeat for as long as possible . he’ll cry out , dramatically , in between bouts of laughter as teeth sink into his shoulder , and he loses his grip . percy barking , odette laughing , his heart pounding . . . it was a symphony of utter happiness , and he’ll let her ease him back onto the bathroom floor , rolling his eyes as she’s got him cornered with a faucet pointed in between his eyes . “ in my own house , ” he shifts , eyebrows raised and hands up , as though to tell her his movements were innocent . . . even though he wasn’t sure they were , as one hand brushed against her hip , wrapping around her petite frame as he sat up , holding her there still . the other reached over and tapped a rod that rendered shower head useless , and water fell from the tub’s faucet instead . “ you don’t need that , you know , ” his laughter has subsided , and fingertips brush along her wrist before pulling the sprayer from her hand and letting it drop back over the tub , swinging slightly , “ if you want something , you could just . . . tell me . ” one arm still around her waist , he’ll lean closer , using his free hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear . “ i’d say ask nicely , but , ” a grin stretches across his lips , and he’ll lower his voice , “ you’re kind of bossy , duquesa . ” it’s a grin that softens as his hand cups her cheek , and his thumb brushes up the curve of high cheek bones , blue eyes sucking the air from his lungs , “ it’s as simple as telling me what you want , odette . ”

“ you’re not scary , you’re just — . . . ” lips purse into the faintest of smiles as a dark gaze lightens in the light of platinum blonde and stormy blue . there were a lot of words you could use to describe a girl — a woman — like odette nicolette , but most of them were underserving . because beautiful couldn’t exactly pinpoint the way harsh lines of high cheekbones warmed red under the subtle scrunch of her nose as she leaned too close , and intelligent was far too plain for someone who could rattle on and on about street artists or greek mythology while organizing an apartment with her hands and a coup of the government in the back of her mind . “ intimidating , ” he nods , with a gentle lift of his eyebrows , “ in an intriguing kind of way . ” his hands , faintly stained with brushstrokes of blush pink , reach down to unfasten the collar around the pup’s neck , “ and if it’s anything , i’ve always found maleficent to be much , much more dynamic of a character than sleeping beauty . ” he’ll lean in , slightly , to the gentleness of a kiss pressed against his cheek , smiling at the way it warms his chest , and there’s a pattering in its depths , brought about by a girl who seemed miles out of his league , and far too pristine for an apartment with iron windowsills and brick walls . a hand moves up over one of hers , enveloping it completely , and giving it a soft tug . towards his lips , where a chaste kiss presses against the inside of her palm . as a puppy , decidedly named percy , settles down into an empty bathtub , noel shifts his attention for just a moment , leaning back to look up at her , eyes warmed with curiosity . this girl . cheeks stretch in blatant laughter , at the way her words almost seem threatening . intimidating , for sure , as his heart races with the kind of nerves that bring about bubbling pop love songs . “ dually noted , duquesa , ” he shakes his head , and drops her hand as she moves to sit down and he leans forward , rising slightly on his toes to reach up and tug down a shower head . water is turned on , warm and flowing gently from a faucet , with the shower head now dangling nearby for rinsing purposes . “ logically compromising people — . . . ” and noel can’t help but laugh , hands wrist deep in water , as he slides the puppy in between him and carefully tries to hold him in place , “ see that , that is what makes you sound like a some sort of super villain . though , for the record , batting your eyelashes works just fine for you . not quite as well as the way you scrunch your nose , but just fine , nonetheless . ” as she reaches in , he pulls back , leaning behind him to grab a small washcloth from a shelf , and laughing still as percy gives a dramatic shake , spraying odette with water . “ or , instead of badgering , there’s also the option of detailed and thought out power points . complete with visual aids , ” it’s lighthearted , as he gently wipes droplets of water from the bridge of her nose , only to toss the cloth inside the tub . moments later , she’s leaned in too far , and there’s nothing he can do to stop her from slipping , from sloshing water up over the edge and across the front of his shirt . “ oh , was it ? ” but his tone of voice , is brimmed with laughter , and percy splashes in a chorus of yips and yaps , “ because at this point i think you’re just trying to find excuses to get me out of my shirt . ” and in a moment of her being slightly flustered , noel flicks a silver knob on the faucet and snatches the shower head with one hand while using the other to loop around her waist . “ oops , ” he laughs , as spray douses her shirt and percy , half covered in bubbles pipes up again , “ you were in on it , too ! ” and he’s spraying the dog’s fur , as he takes tiny nips at oncoming water . “ both of you ! in my own — . . . ” and the water is back on odette , holding her tighter still as it faintly wets the ends of her hair , “ house . ”

AS HE TOOK HER HAND ,  HE GAVE HER ALL SHE’D BEEN WAITING FOR . A SHIVER DOWN HER SPINE .

his lips are pressed against the corner of her mouth , and she’s talking about medusa . a hand reaches up in the most gentle touch , brushed under the line of her jaw and tickled by platinum blonde locks as he tilts her chin up , and she’s taking medusa’s side . a lingering kiss stumbles into another , then another , faint as the fluttering of her eyelashes as he leaves a gentle trail from the corner of her mouth to the skin tucked below her ear , and she’s still going , a million miles a minute , never fumbling a single piece of information . the spiral itself was so very odette that he couldn’t help but smile against her skin , sighing as he dropped his head , curls brushing the skin at the crook of her neck , then stood to his full height again . “ you remember all that from when you were seventeen ? ” his brow furrows , gaze flickering between two pools of deep , deep blue . . . intelligent eyes that narrowed at the sight of a challenge . he shakes his head hands brushing back and forth through tousled curls as he pads across the apartment , sliding to a stop on mismatched socks before bending down to scoop up a wriggling and dirty pup . “ ‘bout as vicious and terrorizing as you are , ” neither of the words exactly what he’d peg on a girl who blushed at the smallest compliment ; intimidating , maybe , but she still filled a canvas with brush strokes of warm pinks and faint yellows . rings of abstract flowers spiraled around a summer scene where a field sways in an invisible wind and a girl turns her back to the viewer , wandering into the background , with platinum blonde hair . she smiles , as puppy kisses scatter across her cheek , and the little leap in his stomach , the faint tightening in his chest , is exactly what he hopes people might feel when seeing his paintings . . . if they ever made it off of the easel , out from underneath paint stained sheets that blocked their surfaces from the sun that leaked in through a wall of floor - to - ceiling windows . he pushes into the bathroom and pulls back a shower curtain , setting the dog down in the basin of a tub , grinning at the tiny sound of yips and clattering claws . “ just a second , ” he whispered , index finger pointing helplessly as he stood again and poked his head out of the door , wry grin curving his lips at the sight of her on her toes . “ well , ” his voice was quiet , matter of fact as his eyebrows raised , “ you don’t have to live here . so towel placement isn’t really up to you and your serious lack of height . ”  there’s a subtle smile , settled onto his features , and a twinkle in those brown eyes that — despite their lack of shared dna — he must’ve he’d gotten from his father . it was a sparkle , practically cartoonish , just in the corner of deep brown , that appeared in the presence of a girl who made him nervous , who made him blush , who made him want to pick up a paintbrush . . . odette . . . who he was completely fond of . “ i’ll try to remember to move ‘em next time you come over , ” there’s another clattering from the bathroom , and noel dives back in with startled urgency . laughter bellows from his chest as a shampoo bottle has been knocked down and pooled open , now effectively all over the pup’s paws . “ see what i mean ? destructive . which is why i like percy for him . . . ” his nose scrunches as he places his hands on his hips , looking down and over at her . “ you think you’re up for the challenge ? the guy is a nightmare . batting your lashes won’t work , but you might be able . . . scare him into it , ” he smiles , tilting his head , “ or maybe put those debate team skills to use . ”

striped socks skid across hardwood floors , and he’s scrambling to keep up . in a matter of a week , his life had been turned on its side by a particularly tiny blonde and then an even tinier ball of yipping fur . there’s a clattering followed by the sound of a particularly displeased orange tabby screeching as he attempts to get away from the tiny monster . “ he wiggled out of his harness , ” noel slides to a stop in the living room , watching as a puppy terrorizes the clear alpha of the house , retreating only for a moment when he gets swatted at before diving back in with a series of high pitched barks . “ we went for a walk , and it was fine , and then he wiggled out of his harness and went barreling towards the trash can , knocking it over . then , while i was picking up the trash , he found jim under the bed , and it’s been chaos ever since — . . . ” a hand ruffles through thick curls , and his attention is immediately stolen by the sound of her laughter . his head turns , eyebrows slightly quipped upwards , as he takes her in and allows his features to melt into a grin . happier than he expected to see her , no doubt . “ cute , yes . but also extremely destructive , ” he shakes his head , watching as the tiny pup nuzzled against odette’s hand before turning back at the sound of jim leaping onto a countertop . “ no chip . no fleas , anymore . and on a rigorous diet to gain weight , ” he sighs , crossing the room with careful steps and a gentle shake of his head . he’ll break her gaze , for a moment , in order to watch as once again the tiny thing is off with a start , galloping after a cat that was far too good to play and far too out of his each , “ no name yet , either . though i’m toying with the idea of percy , . . named after greek titan perses . god of destruction . which seems . . . . fitting , to say the least . ” it had been complete chaos , over the past few days , and maybe that , among other things , was the reason he was so happy to see her . odette nicolette , a sliver of serene sanity , there to make sense of the mess he was . . . or try to , anyway . “ the most annoying toys you could find , huh ? ” and he’s reaching out , fingers brushing the inside of her wrist before wrapping his grasp around it , with a gentle tug closer . “ thank you . really . so much , ” it’s sarcastic , but leaned in with each word , eyes flickering down to the curve of her lips before he’s slipped right past them , leaning down to place a calculated kiss of warmth on her cheek , towards the corner of her mouth . “ despite that , i’m happy to see you , " it’s genuine , but he pulls away with a grin that’s more playful than anything else , adding , “ because he needs a bath . and that’s apparently a two person job . ” he’ll step away and take a few long strides , scooping up a wriggling puppy who was stagnant in a moment of focus on the fridge , and now . . . captured . “ you were right , by the way , ” he brings the dog back to odette and lowers him , just enough to for a sloppy puppy kiss along her cheek , “ rotweiller . vicious creatures . i’m not sure my landlord allows them . ”

noel: oh jim hates him! absolutely hates him. so it’ll be an adjustment but idk i’d like to keep him i think