Dawn

You could say that the rest of the fair passed in a pretty hectic way. While Noah and I were lining up for yet another cupcake, a girl who I later realised as Kathleen knocked into me when she 'dropped' her bag, making me crash into Noah, who grabbed my shoulders while asking me if I was okay. I was ninety percent sure Kat was hoping there would be some sappy romantic crap where Noah caught my waist and leaned in for a kiss and she could report it back to Aria, but she was sadly disappointed. 

While we were just poking around and having a look at some of the other stalls, she stupidly stuck out her foot as she walked past me, thinking that I would trip and that Noah would catch me again and she could have another shot at the sappy romantic kiss, but smart little me hopped over it, then turned and stuck out my own foot which she tripped over almost instantly. Of course, no one was bothered to catch her. 

After that, Kat left the fair after cleaning up a small scratch on her elbow, but not before trying to glare at me and then bursting into what could only be described as an evil cackle. 

It didn't scare me or Noah.

"I think it's safe to think that we won," I laughed as Noah and I walked back to my house. It was a little chilly now, and the wind was picking up the slightest bit, so we'd decided to head home. 

"Yeah," Noah agreed, capturing my hand in his large one. I tried not to let on the burst of excitement that I felt. 

"So... you're coming home with me now, huh?"

"Well..." He paused for long enough that I turned to look at him. "I... if you don't want me to..."

I squinted. Was it just me, or was there a tiny bit of colour on his cheekbones...?

"Are... are you blushing?" I got out, amazed. 

"I... what? No!"

I did a little inside squeal. "Did I get the ever-stoic, hardcore, total badass Noah Griffins to blush?"

"No! It's... it's the cold. You know, cold. Chilly. Um, windy." He sounded so adorably desperate that I did another squeal... inwardly, of course. 

"Huh, sure. And not that I told you that "your face is freaking adorable and I bet the rest of you is too"? Oh wait, I don't think I've ever said that, have I?"

Oh yes, I was enjoying this way too much.

He seemed to blush harder. Yes, there was definitely a little bit of red on his cheekbones. 

"Um, n-no?" 

Was that a voice crack? A stutter? A-

"Have I ever told you that we're overdue for kiss number two?" Noah broke in, his confident smirk back in check.

"Um... no?"

My confidence evaporated like the weather had shot up fifty degrees. 

*

"You do know that you've basically been having dinner at my house for the past few days?" I questioned Noah as we sat down to watch a movie. 

"Yeah. My dad's overseas now to visit his own dad and mum's shifts are really awkward so they're just telling me to fix my own dinner and stuff."

"You can come over tomorrow too if you want," I offered. "Mum will be back on Monday or Tuesday I think, so Sunday night might be the last time we see each other until something else comes up."

"I don't think you gave me a choice," Noah laughed, and I blushed a little bit, the movie selection forgotten. 

I checked my watch and jumped up. "Can we go for a night walk? I just feel like it, but you don't have to." 

"I'll come. Gotta keep all the scary monsters away." Noah stood up too and walked to the door, opening it and poking his head out. "It's warm, so don't bring a jacket." 

"Okay!" I called from the kitchen. To be honest, it was a little weird to have Noah walking around my house as though... we both lived here. Like it was our house. It was like something had shifted with our relationship- we were more easygoing around each other. 

"Are you coming or will I have to go by myself?" 

"I'm coming!" I said hastily, slamming the cupboards shut and hurrying to the front door, where Noah was putting on his shoes. 

"Keys?"

I held them up as they jingled, then turned to lock the door. "Let's go." 

We set off along the path, listening to the sound of the night- the animals, the insects, the faint sound of humans, our footsteps. It was an utterly peaceful night- calm and warm, but not muggy. Maybe clear was what I was trying to say. 

After a few minutes, we turned off the main path and started walking along a sandy pathway that led to a small lake, not quite into the bush but close enough. There was a small wooden walkway that stretched over a narrow creek that looked silver in the moonlight. 

"Do you want to sit down?" I asked, my voice barely audible against the rippling stream. 

Noah nodded, and we settled down, our legs swinging just above the water. 

We didn't speak, because we didn't need to. His hand eventually crept towards mine, but in those minutes, it felt like we were tuned into the world around us and each other. 

*

"I think we should go now." 

It was Noah who finally broke the silence. I supposed he was right- my watch said that it was nine-thirty and my eyelids were feeling rather heavy- from all the other late nights. 

"Okay." My voice cracked a little because it'd been at least an hour since I'd last spoken. We'd just been staring the the night sky that was sprinkled with diamonds at the silvery lake, listening to the sound of nature. 

He got up and the wooden boards of the bridge creaked as he helped me up too. I stretched then chuckled. "That was way better than any movie." 

"Agreed," he replied. I could make out most of his expression in the dark, which was a small smile which made his brown eyes light up.

We walked home with his arm around my waist and my head resting on his warm shoulder. Silently, I hoped that we would always stay this way, that we wouldn't fall apart like so many others did. Well, Jaria was still sailing pretty smoothly, but you never knew, right? Their ship could sink anytime. Though obviously I was hoping it wouldn't. I bet Kat was, the little feminist sneak. 

My house (or mum's house) came into sight way too soon and I sighed as we reached the front door. "I should probably leave now, before mum starts worrying," Noah said, turning to face me. "Thanks for having me over. Tomorrow, right?" 

"Yeah." I swallowed, my nerves sparking again. We stared at each other through the dark, and then he leaned in and pressed his lips to my forehead.  

"You missed," I pouted. 

"I what?" Noah smirked. "I never miss a chance to kiss a girl on the forehead." 

"You idiot," I responded, then wrapped my hands around his neck. "Do you seriously find foreheads more attractive than lips?" 

"Well," he started, but I was already pressing my lips to his soft full ones.

I pulled away after what seemed like years. "Did you prefer my forehead or my lips?" I asked smugly. 

"You win," he grumbled back. 

"Thank you." I smiled. "Goodnight." 

"Night," he said, a smile gracing his lips again, and lifted a hand as he stepped off the porch and started the short walk to his house. 

I grinned to myself as I turned to unlock the door, then opening it. As I quickly checked my phone, I blinked at the fifty messages and ten missed calls from Aria. What had happened now?

I hurried to call her back, listening to the ringtone worriedly. Maybe she'd had an accident! Maybe she'd cut herself on glass, and hadn't had a friend to tell. Maybe I'd let her down. 

When she finally picked up, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Hi Aria, I just got back-"

"DAWN I'M SO EFFING PISSED-"

"Jesus Christ, calm the heck down!" I shouted over her startling response. 

"NO, BUT-"

"Breathe in, breathe out. Deep breaths, Aria." I cut in again and let her choke in some rattly breaths, and then finally asked in silence, "Okay, what happened now?"

"Ugh, so I was walking to the cafe today after school, and when I got there I saw Jason talking to this random pretty-in-a-forgettable-way girl, and they were like, laughing together, and, um, she was like, holding his hand and stuff. Obviously I got pissed, so I walked up to them and asked the girl if I could have a word with her, so I did... and then I was going to ask her who she thought she was, talking to my boyfriend, but before I did, she gestured that she wanted to tell me something, and then whispered to me that she really liked him and it looked like he liked her back so could I please not barge in on them because it looked like he was really growing on her."

"Ooohh," I said, feeling anger spark inside me, but she wasn't done. 

"I just turned back around and walked out of the cafe, but the thing is, I really don't want to ask Jason because I'm really nervous on what he'll say."

"Aria," I said sternly, "You guys are, like, together, right? So you have a right to ask him what he was doing with the other girl. Maybe they were just friends, except she likes him and he doesn't know that? But you can't just ignore him. That's stupid."

I could hear her exhaling. "I don't know," she finally said doubtfully. 

"Oh my gosh Aria, I'll come with you if you really want me to." 

"Okay." 

I rolled my eyes. I was sure she was taking this all the wrong way; Jason was a genuinely nice guy, and though the girl might like him, he probably didn't like her back, or even knew of her true feelings for him. 

After she hung up, I slouched over to the couch and curled up on it, then closed my eyes.

I could almost say that the couch was my second bed.

*

Sunday afternoon found me in a grumpy mood. 

"No milk," I stated, frowning. "No eggs, no chocolate, and oh my gosh, no goddamn sugar!" 

Noah, who was sitting on the kitchen bench, resting on his elbows, laughed. He laughed at me. 

I slammed the fridge door shut and then slammed the cupboard doors too for good measure. "You did not just laugh at me. What the hell are we going to have for tomorrow's breakfast?" 

"Um, there are some really slimy worms in the backyard I've been meaning to try for a while-" 

I pulled a magnet off the fridge door and threw it at him. "You are coming to the shops with me right now." 

"Fine, fine!" He rolled his eyes, holding up his arms to cover his face as more magnets pelted him. "Can you please stop throwing magnets at my face?" 

He ducked as another magnet with a smiley-face whizzed over his head and crashed into the wall. 

"Okay," I replied, dusting my hands off and grinning. "Maybe it should just be you going to get the stuff I need... well, we need, if you're gonna keep eating all your meals here. I'm not even joking- you're a good cook, yet you insist on having breakfast, lunch and dinner here at my house!"

"Oh hell no, we are going to the shops together."

"You. Are. Practically. Living. In. My. Goddamn. House. You can go get the groceries."

"Fine," Noah said in an adorably cute whiny voice. "But you're coming."

"Sure," I agreed, then crossed my arms. "As long as you get your ass off my mum's clean bench right now." 

He jumped down instantly, then stepped towards me and saluted, and gave me a kiss on the nose. "Let's go then."

"You got that right," I grumbled. 

I followed him to the door of the house and practically shoved him out the door playfully, then turned to lock it. "Repeat for me what we need to get," I ordered as we set off. 

"Milk, eggs, chocolate, sugar." He rattled off immediately. 

"You remembered!" I smiled. 

"Yeah, I have a brain." 

"Wow, who would've guessed." 

"Me."

Thank you @goddess7533 for all the wonderfully cute prompts.