Chapter Text
Noodle padded to the kitchen, stumbling clumsily from lack of sleep. Her hand glid across the aged wallpaper, not a sound to be heard but her own breathing and the heels of her feet hitting the hardwood.
The lights came on with a flicker, no doubt a sign that it was time to finally change the lightbulb, after having dismissed it for such a long time. Not that she would be the one to do it. It was cold and she was tired, also most definitely thirsty and maybe feeling for something sweet.
She opened the cabinet with bleary eyes, blindly reaching up for the metal tin on the topshelf, which she knew had been left here, untouched for the longest of time in favor of the bag of coffee beans on the counter. The tips of her toes straining, a small smile of triumph spread on her face as the cheesy print of Santa Claus and polar bears entered her field of view. She looked at the small container, blowing away the gathered dust from lack of use. A dopey smile curled her lips as she remembered the package of marshmallows still hidden away in one of the cupboards. Just what she needed.
Noodle grabbed the smallest pot she could find, only slightly bigger than her splayed hand, and set it on top of the rusting stovetop. She fiddled with the switch, watching as a tiny flame bloomed to life under the dim kitchen light. She waited for the pan to heat up before turning to the refrigerator to get the milk.
A few seconds later she swirled the hot beverage with a wooden spoon, letting it sit in the pot as she was lost in thought.
2D had always made her hot chocolate. Had made it for her since she was just a small girl, warming her from head to toe after arriving back inside from playing in the snow with Russel. She remembered the taste, how sweet and smooth it was, with the hint of butterscotch always being her favorite part. She had seen him do it once, opening the clear wrappers off the small circles and dropping them into the pot, giving her a sneaky grin when he popped one into his mouth and handed her a piece as well. She laughed then, hands covering her mouth, the butterscotch on her tongue like a little secret.
He also made it for her then, when she arrived on the beach. When neither could sleep from the adrenaline rushing, the sounds of engines roaring and bullets flying, the frantic beep of the alert system still pounding in their ears. He took her hands, placing a dinky little cup in them, steam wafting. She recalled him looking, the cup in her hands, the way the bags of his eyes looked like bruises on his skin, and the small intake of breath when she reached up to lift her mask just barely enough to expose her mouth.
It had tasted salty, more like sea water than hot cocoa and it was grainy and somewhat fishy but it was warm and the little bit of butterscotch that didn't melt away felt like a kiss as it sat pressed against her lip. She had felt so warm then, the way her ears warmed as she found herself smiling at him then.
Back in the present, Noodle was still dreaming of long gone times, her face content and without worry. That was.
Until she noticed the smoke.
Her sleep deprived brain took a second to catch up with what was going on. With squinting eyes she stared at the end of her wooden spoon. Which was on fire. Alright.
Wait.
No.
Not alright.
Her instincts suddenly kicking in, she threw the stick across the room, instantly regretting her action.
She could only watch in horror as the old, dry wallpaper caught fire, the smoke already gathering under the roof.
Curse Murdoc and him insisting on not getting a fire extinguisher. Or anything else ensuring the safety of this house that is.
She gathered up the discarded towels thrown across the counter and sprinted towards the fire, her own safety be damned. Before she could do anything though, a sizzling sound made her stop. Her eyes torn wide open, she turned around, expecting the worst.
She should have probably turned off the stove first.
What should she do what should she do whatshouldshedowhatshouldshedo?
With her hands in her hair, she looked from one side of the room to the other, the panic slowly taking over. This wasn’t what she was trained to do. She could handle taking two or three or fifteen men at once, but how the hell was she supposed to contain a fire? After all she never…
She slapped herself.
Get yourself together.
She’s been through so much worse. She travelled the world, lived in a country without even knowing the language as a little child, no one she could turn to. She lived with these three chaotic men, found her origins on her own without any help or even clues.
If she could live through all that, she could also extinguish a tiny fire.
She moved fast, rushing back to the stove and twisting the switch off before grabbing the pot and tossing it in the sink, blasting chilly water and soaking the towels up. She ran away from it after a quick breath, allowing the pot to fill, and towards the burning wall, the sopping towels in hand. Noodle batted at the fire, light and swift thumps when the towels smacked the burned wood, water droplets flying into her face through the smoke. She worked furiously, her frustration of the night coming up like acid.
The band had fought over Monopoly, Russel being in the lead of them by a fragile hair and Murdoc as the unhonest banker. She thought of the tense atmosphere as the dice rolled lamely, falling between 2D’s legs, his jolly claim of rolling a double six and landing on the unpurchased Boardwalk enough to have Murdoc scrambling across the table, the cards and pieces and paper money fluttering about like confetti, and over to the singer, his green claws aiming for his neck. She and Russel tried to separate the two, that was, until someone’s boot kicked his chin and caused him to jump in too, shouting about lousy cheaters.
And then they left, one by one, without a single word to her aside from the door slamming each time, as if unaware that the others had left hours apart.
Noodle beat away at the last of the dying fire, the towels, now stained black with soot, dropping to the ground with a muted splat. She would deal with it later.
She turned back to the kitchen sink sluggishly, lazily turning off the valve.
Daylight started to filter through the windows, but she didn’t care anymore, taking her time back to her room and dropping on top of her mattress face first with a loud groan. Without looking, she grabbed for her phone from under her pillows, the bright LED causing her to squint with minor discomfort.
She swiped through her notifications, thumb stilling when she spies 2D’s name amongst them. She presses his name, eyes widening just so when she reads his messages.
[3:00AM]: i’m going to get some air.
[4:15AM]: it’s a bit unfair, i really wanted to win this time.
[5:38AM]: do you know how cold it is right now?
[5:53AM] met the guys at the mart, muds is buying us beer for once.
[6:10AM] getting more cocoa powder too, be back soon.
Noodle lets out a tiny and happy huff, ears picking up the sound of the front door creaking and shoes scuffling around.
[6:41AM]: ready in ten?
[6:42AM]: extra butterscotch please.
[6:42AM]: always.