here's to my future

      he lets his hand run down his chin for what felt like the hundredth time this morning. it felt different, foreign, almost wrong. but it was just his skin right ? the skin that was normally covered by a thick layer of hair, was now bare.    "   cassandra !   "    he's yelling, even though she's only a few steps away from him, body turning to look at her, eyes conveying worry.    "   i can't do this, i don't even look like me.   "    he wasn't entirely wrong either, noah with facial hair looked very different than noah without. he wondered if he'd be called the wrong name now.

      a light blush graces his face at her words. him, in her bed, pant less. it was a dream he'd had once or twice. of course he was a gentleman, and gentleman don't have inappropriate dreams about their best friends, so he never thinks about them. his eyes watch her movements and just as she's turned around, ready to pounce next to him, he lets his feet find her floor.    "   maybe your brother has some sweats i can borrow. i'll be right back.    "   he lets his feet move him towards the door, a smile pulling on his lips as he turns back towards her.    "   don't start the movie without me, morgan, or so help me god   ---   "    he leaves the poor veiled threat hanging as he steps backwards out of her room, before making a quick dash to her brother's room. the small screaming voice was back : you're an idiot !    this time, he listened.

      there was no hiding the soft red tint that flooded his cheeks at her comments. sure, he'd been flirted with since the accident,    (  hell, even the nurse had taken a few swings at it, he always resented the stranger for that  )    but it was never RIGHT. the right time, the right feeling, the right person. this time, it was. she was. and even after one date he found himself wanting to take her to his house   ---   not for anything intimate, no but rather to drink wine on his back porch and talk about all her hopes and dreams. if noah wasn't noah, he'd probably think there was something wrong with him. in hopes of covering the ever growing blush rising underneath his facial hair, he brings his hand to scratch against his face, letting out another chuckle, this one slightly less nervous, but still nervous nevertheless.    "   it is pretty fun, yeah. really ? not half - bad ? that's  -  that's more than what i hear from most girls.   "    most girls of course being his daughter. was it the right time to pull out the    '   i have a child   '    card ? he doubted it.    "   is it too soon to ask you out again ? maybe for dinner instead of coffee ? or am i supposed to wait twenty - four hours ?   "    he lets out a soft laugh as he looks over towards her, being star struck all over again.    "   i don't usually date.   "    he wondered if that would make her feel more confident or less.