noah

I slid the backyard door shut and padded over to the sink. My hands were dirty from opening the side gate- I'd forgotten to take the keys and when I'd left this Sunday morning for Dawn's house, mum had locked the door. Luckily our side gates were able to be opened easily from the outside- dad was always saying how we needed to fix them. 

I turned the tap on, absent-mindedly thinking about how much time I was actually spending with Dawn since my dad had gone overseas, and mum's shifts had become more crammed. It was like Dawn was a magnet, pulling me to her. I was unable to go a day without thinking about her- or staying away. And having just finished dinner at her place, my home was honestly unfamiliar to me.

I froze when I realised that there was, in fact, no water coming out from the tap. Frowning, I turned it to hot water- but still no water came out. 

I took a step back and walked upstairs to the bathroom, then turned on the sink tap. Silence. The shower tap. Silence. The bath tap, for god's sake.

Silence. 

What the hell?

How had water suddenly been cut off from our house? 

That was when I realised that since our hot water system had broken yesterday, mum had called a guy to fix it. Though I hadn't seen him arrive today since I had been at Dawn's, he must've forgotten to turn the water system back on once he'd fixed it. 

And I certainly didn't know how to turn it back on, and in the dark too...

Scowling, I stalked down the stairs and picked up my phone uncertainly. I wasn't going to call mum, especially because she told me she might not be back until late. And I was definitely going to need water...

Was there anyplace I could go to or something? Just to shower maybe, then come back?

I scrolled through my contacts, pausing at Jason's name, then continuing on. His parents were almost always around, and they were the strict type, the ones that only invited somebody over if it had been planned beforehand. 

But Dawn though... I could feel a smile coming along as I thought about how her mum wouldn't be at home until tomorrow at the earliest. Plus, it would be interesting to see her reaction. 

Grinning, I called her. 

*

Dawn

It was evening by the time Noah had left and Aria had invited Kat and I over to help support her as she interrogated Jason. 

"Alright, let's do this," I said, rubbing my hands together. Aria looked at me nervously, then darted her glance to where Jason was waiting at her doorstep. "Maybe we shouldn't have asked him to come," she whispered. Kat, who was munching on chips, shrugged. "You don't need a boy. Come join me and we shall bring down the world of men."

We both rolled our eyes simultaneously and Aria crossed her arms. "We'll see what you're doing in twenty years, Miss Kat."

"Ooooh," I grinned, much to Kathleen's annoyance. 

"We'll see what you're doing in twenty years, Aria. Probably sobbing over some random guy," she shot back. 

Aria glared but I could tell she was still nervous. 

I nodded at her and pushed her gently towards the door, while Kat and I hid in the kitchen as Aria's backup. 

"Hi," we heard her say, her nerves evident in her tone. "I just wanted to ask you something..."

Jason's reply was too quite to hear, and so was whatever Aria said next, but what happened afterwards was expected. 

"Oh, thank god. Did you know she likes you too?"

"No," Jason replied. "Ugh, that's... awkward. I think I'll have to tell her to stop."

Kat rolled her eyes and quietly stuffed her hand into the chip packet. "As I said; hopeless. You guys are all hopeless. When women are ruling the world-" her whispers were cut off as I shushed her. 

The door slammed and Aria bounced into the kitchen, where we were standing. "Problem solved!" She said excitedly, seemingly not seeing our anticlimatic situation. 

"What did I say?" Kat grumbled. "You pulled me here for no reason. When women are ruling the world-"

"Oh shut up," Aria and I exclaimed at the same time, just as my phone started ringing. I pulled it out and Aria made a funny, excited noise. "Answer it!" She whisper-yelled as Noah's name flashed across the screen. 

She grabbed Kat and hauled her into the living room to give me some privacy. 

"Hi," I said. "What's up? Seriously? You have no water? You want to shower at my place?"

Something loud shattered in the living room. Aria. Of course she overhead that. 

"Uh... sure..."

*

"Did you seriously have to come to my place... again?" I sighed as I dragged the door open. It was now quite late, around my normal bedtime, and I was already ready to go straight to sleep. 

"What do you think?" He winked at me, then closed the door behind him. 

"Yes," I grumbled, walking upstairs. "And I can feel you judging my pajamas," I called over my shoulder. It was still weird how the house only felt right or normal when Noah was around.

He laughed as he followed me, carrying a bag. 

"The shower is to your left," I directed, with a calmness I wasn't sure I had in me. "I'm just going into my bedroom. Tell me when you're done." 

"Thank you," he told me genuinely. I waved it off and threw myself onto the bed, savouring the hours I had as a wild teenager before mum came home either tomorrow or the day after. 

I rolled over onto my stomach and buried my face into my pillow as the sound of water started up. I tried not to think about who was in the bathroom, I really did...

Oh god. I flipped onto my back again and closed my eyes. The fact that Noah was showering in the same shower I was going to use tomorrow was killing me. 

Also, the fact that he was...

I was not going to complete that sentence. 

I pulled my pillow out from underneath my head and dumped it across my face, sighing in relief as it blocked out the sound of the shower. 

At least I could cut off my disturbing thoughts. 

A few minutes later I was actually drifting off when a deep voice said in my ear, "Is this seriously how you get to sleep?" 

I jumped as if I'd been electrified, the pillow sliding onto the floor and my eyes flying open. 

"Freaking hell!" I exclaimed when I saw a shirtless Noah sitting next to me on the bed, not bothering to sit up from my comfortable position lying down. "Didn't I tell you to tell me once you finished?"

"I just did," he pointed out. "Just not using those... exact words." 

"Oh you damn well didn't! You criticized me instead."

"Is that actually how you get to sleep then? With a pillow over your head?" He would've looked genuinely curious, had it not been for the teasing glimmer in his eyes. 

"No!" I rolled my eyes, then closed them. We stayed that way for a few peaceful minutes, with me horribly aware he was watching me but at the same time loving the way his warm presence made me feel safe. 

Until a wet drop plopped onto my nose. And then another. 

And another. 

"Jesus, can you stop dripping water on me?"

My eyes shot open as I watched a glistening drop of water slid off his wet hair and land on my nose. 

"Ugh," I complained, still not bothering to get up from the bed. 

I could feel his chuckles from the way the bed was vibrating a little. 

I swatted his arm lazily and muttered, "Put a shirt on already." 

"Alright then." 

I couldn't help opening my eyes as he got up from the bed. Don't look at his body, don't look at his body, don't look don't look don't look-

"WHY is a towel wrapped around your waist?"

He jumped, then looked down apologetically. "Wasn't bothered to put on any clothes." 

"Oh, sure." I grumbled. "Are you trying to make me nervous or what?" Why couldn't he have put on something instead of a towel? Like, seriously. I was hyperventilating. He was wearing nothing underneath that towel. Nothing. 

"Get out and put on some goddamn clothes." 

I could hear his laughter as he walked out of my bedroom. 

Exhaling slowly, I got up and turned on my bedside lamp, switching off my bedroom light. 

I was heading downstairs to turn off the rest of the lights when Noah called, "Okay, I'm decent."

"Yay," I yelled back. "So, when will you leave?" 

"I don't know," he replied, appearing on the stairs with his bag in his hand. "Do you want me to stay a little while?"

I padded back to the foot of the stairs, still trying to ignore the fizz in my blood from seeing him wet and shirtless. "I don't mind, really." I leaned against the wall, averting my eyes so I wouldn't see his reaction. "But, um... I'd like if you stayed for a bit."

"So would I," he replied, and I dared to look up at him.

*

"Mum'll kill me if she comes back early tomorrow morning with you in my bed," I murmured, but didn't stop Noah from sliding under the bed covers with me.

"I'll only stay here for a little while," he reassured me. I could feel the places where his warm skin touched mine heat up.

I emitted a squeak of sorts when his strong arm curled around my waist, holding me against him. "What are you doing?"

In the shadows that my lamp was throwing the walls, I could see him smirking, his eyes glimmering. "Getting comfortable." I squeaked again when he rested his chin on my shoulder, feeling his chuckle from the way his hard chest was pressed against my back.

"Did you know your hair is really soft after you wash it?" He whispered in my ear, his rough voice making my toes curl.

I was immensely glad that it was dark enough that he couldn't see my blush, especially when he began to run his fingers gently through my hair.

When his lips brushed the spot right under my ear, I froze. I could feel his warm breaths against my skin; feel my own breathing accelerate.

"Much as I would like you in my bed," I announced, "I have decided that we are going to keep things PG between us."

"Aren't they PG enough right now?" He said quietly. "Or should I..."

My body whined as he scooted back until his warmth was completely gone. "Is that PG enough for you?"

"I... come back here!"

Laughing, I breathed a sigh of relief as his arms curled around me again and he resumed brushing my hair with his fingers, his lips trailing featherlight kisses along the side of my neck.

"So," he murmured against my skin. "When should I leave?"

"Umm... not yet?"

I jumped a little when I felt him tracing my leg with a soft finger. "You were meant to say never," he whispered through the darkness.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I shot back, a little breathless. His finger was circling higher, and I could feel his heart pounding against my back. His other hand slid under my shirt and rested on the plane of my stomach.

"PG," I told him sternly.

"Fine," he complained, his finger instantly gone, and his hand slipping away, replaced by more soft kisses on my shoulder. "Good?"

I nestled against him in response, my head on his warm chest, then muttered, "You're my new pillow."

After a few minutes, I could feel my eyelids starting to droop.  "I think I'm gonna drop off any second," I muttered thickly. He was now kissing my wrist. I was betting he could feel my pulse.

"Good night then," he whispered. "I'll go soon."

"Thank you," I found myself saying, though I didn't know why. "I... um... I really..."

"Oh, I know you love me," he said cockily, and kissed my ear without waiting for me to finish my sentence, then turned my face to the side with a finger and kissed my cheek, then my lips softly. 

I was quite sure he hadn't caught the way my body had locked up. Did he really just say that to me? Did he feel the same?

As I drifted off to sleep, I realised I should've known that things were going to go downhill. The past few days had been going along so awesomely that something bad was bound to happen.

And when it did, everything would crash and tumble down, down, down...

okay, lets face it, i've never written a scene like that before in my life. at least it's all PG right? safe and sound...

also I dedicated this to my very innocent friend. (who's actually the darkest person you'll ever meet) it just suits this chapter, right?

thanks @goddess7533 for the rest of the prompts (i love them so much) 

going to hide now... *slinks away*

*curls up in the shadows to await judgement*