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The wintertime always brought certain holiday traditions to Hometown. Between the children adding decorations to Mayor Holiday’s antlers, and parents helping their children make their loved ones into gingerbread cookies, there was never a dull moment during the chilly weeks leading up to Gyftmas. Every year, Mr. and Mrs. Holiday would help their children make those cookies for their children’s classes. When Noelle moved on to Alphys’ class however, she would be old enough to make her own holiday cookies and help Dess with theirs. With Rudy in the hospital, Carol, their mother, would be out of the house more often, trying to occupy her mind with work to distract herself.
At least, that’s what Noelle thought.
But right now she needs to help Dess make cookies. She tied her yellow apron behind her back and smiled at Dess. “You ready?” Noelle asked. They smiled back at their sister, mouth full of red and green braces sparkling back at her. “Ready as I’ll ever be! I can start mixing the dry ingredients.” They bent down to grab a large mixing bowl and spoon.
Through Noelle putting frosting on Dess’ nose and Dess accidentally creating a large flour cloud in the large family kitchen, they eventually finished baking, frosting, and containing the gingerbread monsters for Dess’ class. Noelle untied her apron and set it on the rack where her father’s grilling apron was. Dess washed their hands from all the buttercream frosting. As they turned the tap off and grabbed a towel, they turned toward Noelle. “So how did your cookies turn out?”
Noelle turned to look at them. “Pretty nice! I hope everyone likes them!” She smiled and put her hands together, slightly anxious.
Dess rolled their eyes. “Oh please , ‘Elle. Yours always turn out perfect. It’s not like Kris is gonna spit them out, or Susie will deny hers. Like… they’re good,” Dess said exasperatedly. They lifted themself on the counter. “Speaking of Susie, have you asked her out on that date yet?” They wondered aloud with a furrowed brow, looking at their sister.
Noelle turned hot with embarrassment, letting out a breathy laugh and covering her face. “Eehhhh..,” her voice rose in pitch, “...I was sort of thinking, maybe, while I pass the cookies around… I could ask her then? It won’t be so awkward that way, I think. If she says yes, I don’t know what I would do. I might just melt.” Her face turned redder as she covered her mouth.
Dess rolled their eyes dramatically and sighed, “I literally hate you. You’re smart. Figure it out. You can do this. I refuse to believe you will suddenly make a fool of yourself because, as my sister, you’re already a fool.”
Noelle let out a stressful smile and rubbed her forehead, “Har har, very funny..!” Her expression softened to a warm smile as she got closer to Dess and wrapped her arms around them. “That sure is an interesting way to say I love you.”
They stayed in the same position for a few moments before Noelle let Dess go. They lifted themself off of their seat and started walking toward the carpeted staircase. They took one step on the stairs and looked once more at their sister, semi-dramatically. “You rock. Don’t forget the cookies in the morning. Goodnight. I love you.” They sang as they trudged upstairs.
Noelle looked down and sighed. She was sure everything was going to be fine. She kind of knew Susie would say yes to a date with her; Noelle wasn’t completely oblivious. She would catch Susie looking at her sometimes and quickly look away as if she were never looking. Noelle found it so sweet and thoughtful when she saw Susie on the bleachers, a poster with the words ‘GO NOELLE!’ on it in her hands and rallying with their other classmates. The mere fact that Susie, someone she found out was not-so-surprisingly introverted, went with Kris and
cheered
for her at her events? It sent her heart soaring.
Noelle wasn’t brainless. She was anxious, sure, but despite that she was very intelligent. She could owe it to herself to call herself smart. She was only nervous for the low chance Susie would actually say no, and that all her readings would be false. She really liked this girl, and she was fairly sure Susie liked her back. She was determined to get at least one date from her, and hopefully something would seriously spark between them. The amount of time she spent scribbling her name in the margins of her notes, or thinking about how they could hold hands or have a life together after school was almost embarrassing to her. It was only worth it to her to see Susie smile back when she waved to her in the hallways, or laugh (Oh god, that laugh..) at one of her jokes.
She put both containers of gingerbread cookies on the counter, one labeled ‘NOELLE’ and the other labelled ‘DESS.’ She made sure everything was neat and in order so as to not let her mother see any signs of a mess for when she came home. Turning off the lights, she made way to her bedroom and made an attempt to fall asleep despite her growing nervousness for the following day.
The cold had always made Susie feel more stiff and sluggish than usual. The harsh bite of December’s wind chill made her wince when wind would hit her face. It didn’t help that her clothes were mostly worn out and thin, or that her jeans conveniently had holes that exposed parts of her skin. She’s grateful, however. When her and Kris would hang out at their house, Miss Toriel had knit her gloves, scarves, beanies, and had been thoughtful enough to get her a cozier, warmer jacket that was just her size when she went to the store. Susie was very appreciative of everything Kris and their mother did for her. She had accepted the winter coat, somewhat reluctantly, because she knew she wasn’t helpless. Since she got the coat she hadn’t stopped wearing it, but it needed a wash at this point, so she was left with her original jacket for the day. She pretty much takes care of herself, and only recently started softening up with the introduction of a certain human.
And their family...
...And maybe a really friendly reindeer.
……
Nonetheless, she was still a hardass bitch- and she knew that. It did not matter that Jockington and Catti had started talking to her, or that her yearbook photo actually had a photo in it this year instead of listing her as ‘Not Pictured.’ Nevermind that she started attending Noelle’s cross country events with Kris and Miss Toriel, or that her and Kris ended up with a fairly high grade on their project. It did not take away from her tough-guy persona. The only thing that did, she considers, was when her friends (Geez...) complimented her hair when she put it into a ponytail. Everything else? Hell no.
She had gotten up that morning, begrudgingly, but somewhat more animated than usual. Ms. Alphys never had anything school-work related leading up to the days before a break, and the class would watch movies, talk to each other, and a few of her classmates would regularly bring food, snacks, or drinks, so it was a win-win for everybody involved.
She was excited to see what people brought this year. Noelle always brought in sick Gyftmas cookies with everyone's faces on them. Catti’s family would regularly make some kind of savory casserole, which was always appreciated. Even though her own family never celebrated much, she knew of certain holiday traditions, but never truly partook in them. Kris was surprised to hear she had never baked or decorated gingerbread cookies, or had a Gyftmas dinner. Toriel had invited her this year to celebrate in their house, and she was happy to attend. She figured she would have to find some kind of job to make money. She didn’t want to just take and not give back. She wanted to show her appreciation for Toriel in particular, for making and getting her so many things to make life less harsh on her, she thought.
As Susie made way to school, Jockington noticed her and slithered his way to catch up to the larger monster.
“Hey Suze! What is up my main man?” He asked and flashed his trademark grin. She almost rolled her eyes before answering, “You know, just freezing my ass off here. You?”
“Just got here! I think we’re the first two at school. Can you open the door so we can get in?”
“Didn’t even need to ask, dude.” She opened the doors to the school for them both to walk in. The purple monster let out a contented sigh as the warm air touched her cold, calloused skin.
As more students came into the school, the hallways became much more dynamic and full of life. Different monsters of various ages and sizes flooded the entrance, some parents letting their children go for the day and others quietly walking in, only to go straight to their classroom.
Susie noticed Noelle struggling to open the door with her arms full of containers and began to feel nervous. Taking a deep breath, she rubbed the palms of her hands against her jeans, and before thinking, went and opened the door for her with some kind of fake confidence. “Hey Noelle, can I, uh, help you with those?” She said while clearing her throat.
Noelle beamed at her. “Hi Susie! I-It’s okay! I think I got it.” She made her way through the door. Susie held the door for the other remaining students and then caught up to Noelle. “I hope you like gingerbread cookies! I made those cookies again this year. Not sure if you remember but I always make th-”
“Not remember?” Susie interrupted, emphasizing her words, “Psh, Noelle your cookies are one of the reasons I show up to school before break. Those things are addictive, I swear.”
Noelle gave her a friendly smile, “I'm so glad to hear that! Maybe I could um, make some for you..? Or maybe you can c-come over and we can make them together! That would be so much fun! How does that sound?” She looked up at her, surprised with how much confidence she gave.
Susie raised her eyebrows and smoothed the back of her head over. “I mean, yeah! Sure! I’ve never actually made cookies before so I don’t know how much help I’d be.”
Letting out a chuckle, Noelle shook her head. “That’s all fine. I would have fun with you regardless!” Susie tried to contain her smile, and Noelle tried not to notice.
Susie opened the door to Alphys’ classroom for her. Noelle silently thanked her with a nod of the head and set the containers down.
When everyone sat down, Noelle opened and grabbed a pack of napkins to pass out everyone’s cookies. Taking the initiative, Susie grabbed a few napkins herself and helped Noelle pass cookies to everyone.
As the day went on, multiple students started to leave early to begin their long break away from school. Noelle had stayed until the end of the day to collect her possessions and to confirm a time to go on that date with Susie.
With little effort, she found the taller girl conversing with her best friend. The human noticed Noelle heading towards them and motioned their head towards Noelle, which made the scaled monster turn around. “Oh, hey Noelle! What’s good?”
“Oh, nothing much! I just wanted to know what time you wanted to come over? I mean- I understand if you can’t today, but you know, I’m usually always uh, available! Just let me know beforehand to prep,” Noelle said, ears perked and eyes bright and hopeful. Susie thought it over and nodded, “How about I go home, drop my stuff off, and then come over?” The shorter girl enthusiastically nodded and smiled, exposing her bucked teeth. “Y-Yeah! Totally! Can’t wait to see you again, ahah..!”
It was Susie’s turn to smile, while Kris was behind her, listening to their conversation. They knew that Susie was at least somewhat interested in Noelle. The amount of time they saw Susie trying to get the other girl’s attention by throwing crumpled up bits of paper at her when their teacher was turned away was more than they could count. They were honestly more surprised to see Noelle engaging back with her, less focused on her work. They were happy for those two, though, and especially proud of both of them for getting past (most of) their insecurities.
Noelle parted ways from the pair, her hooves clicking against the tile floors of the school. Susie watched her until she left. “She’s so out of my league, I don’t think I could ever score a date with her,” she mentioned.
Kris raised their eyebrows as if saying ‘ mhm, suuuree, ’ with their face. “You do realize that- actually… nevermind.” With a dumbfounded face morphing into a loving smile, they put a hand on her shoulder. “You never cease to amaze me, Susie. You’re truly wonderful. Please never change.”
Tilting her head in confusion, the taller girl narrowed her eyes at Kris. “Explain…”
Shaking their head, Kris slowly slipped away from her. “I- Have fun with Noelle.”
Susie’s cheeks grew a dark purple color as she tried to choke out a response. “What?! I don’t even- You’re an asswipe, Kris!”
She sighed. There was no point in chasing them; she had to show up at a reasonable time to Noelle’s house. Chasing them would only waste her time. Showing up to her house impromptu had been done before, but the fact that Noelle wanted to hang out with her as a planned escapade meant their friendship was evolving. Soon enough, she would garner enough courage to actually ask her out on a date. Sure, they hung out at the diner- but that was always with other friends.
She came home that day, at a quicker pace than usual. Hoping no one was home, she opened the creaky wooden door and set her backpack down on the floor against the wall. She made her way to the bathroom, starting the shower to rid herself of the day’s grime. Even though it wasn’t a date, she decided she had to at least clean up her look. She was going into the mayor’s house after all.
After changing into a clean white T-shirt and black joggers, she checked the laundry room to make sure the leather jacket Toriel had given her was dry and clean. She felt it around, deciding it was dry enough to be wearable, despite it having damp spots on the backside. Rushing all throughout the house, she passed by a mirror and rolled her eyes, hurriedly grabbing a brush and stressfully combed through her thick mane of hair.
Suddenly, the distant sound of a door opening caught her attention. The loud stomping of who she assumed was her father went straight to their living room. She heard the old wooden floor creak as her father’s recliner pressed against it with his weight. The tv was turned on quickly afterward. Thinking, she decided not to make it a huge deal she was going out. The old man had a knack for making everything into a bigger issue than it was.
Taking a moment to collect herself, she grabbed her phone and keys before getting closer to her father. The large crimson monster noticed her, looked her up and down, only to turn his eyes away and grunt. “Where are you going, Susannah?” He took a swig from a can of… something she couldn’t recognize.
She inhaled sharply, “Out.”
He raised an eyebrow, scratching his big belly. “Okay… Don’t forget to turn the porch light on, heaven knows I won’t remember to turn it on for when you come back.”
The smaller girl let go of the breath she was holding, nodded and rolled her golden eyes. He couldn’t be bothered to turn on a light for her? Not that she’d expect anything else from him. “Okay Dad. Bye.” She made her way to the front door before her father could say anything else. She locked it once she got herself outside, flipped the lightswitch on and made sure she checked her pockets to make sure she had everything she needed to leave.
Noelle had come home that day with an extra skip to her step, Dess noticed. They smiled at her, curious. “What’s got you so bubbly, huh?” They asked while looking at their phone while writing a message to a friend.
She could barely contain her excitement as she set her cookie containers down. “Oh, you know... I only asked out my dream girl! I-It’s not like I’ve been wanting to do that for the longest time or anything..! Aah!” She covered her face, the red slowing creeping into her ears as her blush grew. Dess gasped, “No way! Oh my gosh, I didn’t think you’d actually do it!!” They got up to hug their sister, knowing she deserved it for putting herself out there. “You have to tell me all the deets. What did you say?” They laid down, belly flat, on the couch. The palm of their hands went under their chin, waiting in anticipation.
Noelle let out a cocky laugh, lightly flicking her sibling on the head. “Wouldn’t you like to know!!”
“Hey! It’s not every day you act on your feelings! Let me have this.”
Noelle chuckled, “Okay, fine..! I basically just asked her to come over and make gingerbread cookies with me…” She grabbed her bicep in a self-soothing motion. “She said yes, and then after class, I asked what time she wanted to come over. I think she’ll be here in a few, so I gotta look cute if you don’t mind me~,” she sang.
Dess frowned, forehead wrinkles exposed.
Noelle blinked, looking them up and down. “What’s wrong?”
They locked eyes with her.
“You asked her to bake with you..?”
“Yes.”
“And she’s only coming over today… This wasn’t planned out too much?”
“Yeah…?”
“Jesus, Noelle- I can’t believe you. You asked her to hang out! You’re not going on a date; at least not one that she knows about! If you still wanna go on that date, I would like, call or text her immediately, dude.”
The terrified look on Noelle’s face was all Dess needed to know that everything they said was true. Noelle didn’t realize that Susie didn’t know they were going on a legitimate date.
Noelle should have figured as such. Susie did have a tendency to be kind of dense- albeit in a kind of cute way. She should have realized that Susie’s jock brain wouldn’t have come to conclude what she had meant.
Without thinking too much, she grabbed her phone and looked for Susie’s contact info. With shaky hands, she pressed the ‘Call’ button and put her phone to her ear. Susie picked up almost instantly.
“Hello? Noelle? Everything okay?”
“Yyyeah… Um, Susie?”
“Mhm?”
“I'm just- I-I’m sorry for such a short notice but, did you realize that I basically wanted to.. Um..” The words couldn’t form in her throat.
“Wanted to what? Are we changing plans? I’m only like 20 minutes from your house.”
Noelle swallowed the lump in her throat. “Susie, you do realize that I.. phew..”
“Why do you sound so shaky? Are you sure you’re okay..?”
Noelle looked to Dess, who made a ‘Go on, just tell her!’ motion with their hands. She took one deep breath in and closed her eyes.
“Y-Yes… I.. Susie? I’ve liked you for the longest time, a-and I forgot to mention that I’d really like to hang out with you, b-but not as a friend thing...” She looked at Dess, hopeful.
Noelle gritted her teeth as she anticipated Susie’s response.
“I- You don’t wanna be my friend?” She asked, her voice breaking.
“WHA- NO!! I mean, yes, of course I want to be your friend! But I mean hanging out as like.. A gay.. thing..?” Her voice grew faint.
Susie, while yes, she liked this girl, did not anticipate this kind of response from her. Moments passed by, almost forgetting that she had to respond.
Noelle decided to speak first. “I-I understand if this is completely uncalled for, and we don’t even have to hang out anymore if you think this won’t work out- I understand!! I-I’ll just um, leave you al-”
“Fuck, sorry..! I’m just surprised you- woah? I don’t even know what else to say but yes?? I’d love to go on a date with you, Noelle. I- heh, cool. Thanks for uh.. Clearing it up.”
The reindeer looked at her younger sibling, who was beaming at her, urging her to go on.
Noelle however, panicked.
She swallowed a large lump in her throat. “Okay Susie! BYE!”
With her hands shaking, she cut the call, breathing short and unstable. She stared at Dess, not knowing what to say.
Dess was in disbelief. Giving her an incredulous look, they sighed and smiled to not make her anymore anxious. They had to witness the scene before them, thinking it couldn’t have gone that bad, right? ‘Of course not, ’ they realized, considering this was their sister, of all people. “I guess you better get ready before she gets here, yeah? I finished folding the laundry; everything should be in your hamper.”
They were right, Noelle thought, trying to rid herself of her nervous haze. She had intended to change anyway, and decided to make way to her bedroom. Deciding on a white sweater and slipping into a red A-line skirt, she attempted to pat down the stray hairs from the day’s activities, but ultimately only making things worse. She quickly made her way downstairs, making sure all decorations, picture frames, remotes, and consoles were organized and put away. She took out the trash, hoping to not catch Susie when she did so. The pit in her stomach only grew as she came back inside, realizing the other girl wasn’t there yet.
It was only Susie, she had to realize. It’s not like she would come inside and have a change of character, or make off-handed comments on how someone lived. Noelle had found out Susie was surprisingly soft, not the monster many people made her out to be. Of course she was still strong, not backing down from defending herself or someone she cared about when provoked. Susie wasn’t scary; far from it, actually. She still had that cool punk girl attitude Noelle loved, but by no means was she actually out to hurt anyone. Her reputation as a bully was little to none as of recently, and for that she was thankful.
Just as Noelle finished putting all the decorative pillows away, she heard her phone vibrate. Checking her messages, she saw they were from Susie.
> hey 5:23
> im at the gate and i cant get in 5:23
>should i jump over 5:23
Noelle smiled down at her phone, putting it to her chest and marinating in the fact that she had texted her. She looked to the side in thought and admiration for the time she’s going to spend with Susie.
Remembering that Susie was on the other side of the gate, she opened the door leading outside. The scene upon her surely was… something.
Susie had somehow climbed the gate, with one leg propped on the other side of it from the top. She noticed Noelle and sheepishly smiled at her, putting her other leg on the other side of the large gate. “‘Sup?”
Noelle chuckled and shook her head. Of course, Susie would do that. “Hey Susie! Sorry I didn’t um, see your texts. Can I help you get down from there?” She stretched out her arms for her to take them. Susie took her hand and jumped from the top with a loud THUD. Neither girl thought to let go, only quickly yet awkwardly letting go when Noelle realized they were holding hands. “S-So!! Let’s go inside, shall we?” She put her hand to her shoulder, massaging the area to not make it seem awkward, yet relishing the touch of their hands. Susie nervously rubbed her own hand on the sides of her pants.
She nodded, however, “Yeah! Let’s do this.” Both monsters made their way inside, the thick scent of cinnamon and pine hitting Susie’s senses the moment Noelle opened the large oak door. Easily the largest Gyftmas tree Susie had seen was to the right of her vision, decorated with personal family ornaments and lights. The interior of her living room was warm and inviting, feeling like a literal Gyftmas wonderland when she looked around. The indoors were warm in her house, she noticed, but the bricked fireplace added another layer of coziness Susie couldn’t explain. “Wow, Noelle. I didn’t expect it to be this… Big. Not that that’s a bad thing, but damn. It’s so nice.”
The reindeer monster turned red, “It’s kinda just how we do things around here, y’know?”
Susie nodded and looked around. “I like it. Feels warm.”
The two girls made way to the Holiday’s large kitchen. Noelle opened the refrigerator, scanning the items available. “So! We could make gingerbread cookies, chocolate chip, Gyftmas cookies, or snickerdoodle. Do you have anything specific in mind, Susie?” The purple girl thought over her choices, deciding to pick out and point to the chocolate chip recipe. “I want that one, that looks delicious.”
Noelle smiled up at her, “Of course! That’s always a good choice! If they come out good I’d want you to take some home to enjoy over the break!” She bent down to grab two large mixing bowls from the cabinets. Susie smirked and chuckled. “I mean, they’d be gone in an hour, but thanks! Is there anything I can do to help?”
“If you want, start by helping me reach the top of the shelves. Look for the mixer and spatula, and you’ll mix the butter, sugar, and eggs. I am going to start with the dry ingredients. Then were gonna make little dough balls! How does that sound?”
Susie nodded, “Hell yeah. Where’s the rest of your family by the way? I swear it wasn’t just you living here.”
“Oh you know,” Noelle studied and waved around a bag of semi-sweet chocolate morsels, “Mom is working, Dad’s getting treatment, and I think Dess is just in their room? You’ll probably hear or see them around.” Susie nodded in understanding. “Is your mom coming back anytime soon? I mean, it’s pretty calm here which is great, but I kind of expected your place to be more… I don't know, lively? I mean, it definitely is! I’m just surprised it’s so quiet here, you know??”
Noelle began mixing her ingredients together, taking into consideration what Susie had said. “I mean, before Dad landed in the hospital, he would always make things exciting. I’d come home and always get the biggest hug, and then we’d go out to get something to eat, and then pick Dess up from school. You would like him! He’s a really cool guy.”
Susie scraped off some wet ingredient with a knife, not knowing but assuming what to do next on the list. “He sounds like it. Hey, Noelle?”
Noelle looked at her, “Yes?”
Susie held up a bowl of crudely mixed eggs, butter, and vanilla extract. “What now?”
Noelle let out a breathy laugh, “Oh my god, Susie. Tch, hand it over,” She said while shaking her head, smiling, and finished mixing the remaining ingredients for her.
Susie picked up the chocolate chips and lifted them to show the fluffier monster. “So when are we gonna put these in there? It smells so good sealed that I might just eat the skin.” Noelle looked at her with furrowed brows and a confused look.
“The… skin? ..Susie??”
“You know… the skin.” She ripped a piece from the top and inhaled the sweet scent of the chocolate chips inside. “The skin is what holds the pieces together.”
The shorter girl blinked, taking a moment to process what ‘the skin’ was.
“...You mean... the plastic?”
“Yeah! The plastic, the skin... same shit in my eyes.”
Noelle had to laugh this time. Of course she would call it the skin.
As the two finished up the final process for the dough, it was time to actually put the chocolate in there. Noelle opened up a cabinet, scanning for a measuring cup. “Hey Susie, can you look on the higher cabinets for a glass measuring cup? I can’t seem to find it here…” She sighed, narrowing her eyes, thinking that would help her vision. “Why do you need a measuring cup?” Susie asked.
Noelle shrugged in thought, “It’s just that the recipe calls for half a cup of chocolate chips. I don’t want to mess it up.”
Susie raised an eyebrow, picking up the medium sized bag of morsels. “Oh please, I’ve never baked a day in my life but I’m pretty sure you measure that shit with your heart.”
It was enlightening talking to Susie. She could always manage to make you laugh or smile without really trying.
She was honestly just being authentically her, and she didn’t realize the things she says are hilarious.
Noelle laughed out loud, covering her mouth, letting out a snort or two. Susie soon realized why Noelle was laughing, and let out her own guffaw.
As the two girls calmed down, Noelle wiped a tear from her cheek, taking in a heavy breath. “I just, wow Susie. That’s probably my favorite thing you’ve ever said.” Susie let out a chuckle, rolling her eyes. “I mean, am I wrong? Forreal.”
“Absolutely not.” With that, the tall girl put the majority of the bag of chocolate in the bowl, mixing the dough and chips together. They made the mixture into small balls of cookie dough, plastering them on an oven tray. Noelle grabbed the tray at its sides, sliding it into the oven.
“So! Now that she cookies are in the oven, do you wanna go to my room and play some games? Do you have to be home at a certain time?” She asked while licking her fingers clean of raw cookie dough. With Susie doing the same, she responded, shaking her head. “Nope. I’m free for the rest of the night, as long as you’re okay with that. Aaaaand hell yeah! Let’s go!”
Noelle smiled and dried her hands off with a paper towel, leading her upstairs to her room. Opening the door, the flicked the lights on. Susie wasn’t sure what she had expected, but it was very on brand for Noelle. Small, white Gyftmas lights were adorned on the walls. The desk for her schoolwork was covered in all sorts of papers Susie hadn’t been bothered to do, and her laptop was half open, charging and to the side of all her homework. One of her walls had many photos of her and her family, friends, and events, all dated with neat handwriting. Susie noticed a few of them were with her, and suddenly remembered the memories the photos were attached to. Her closet was mostly open, and she saw some of Noelle’s iconic Gyftmas sweaters hanging on their racks. A small TV was perched on her vanity, along with its remote control, video game covers, and DvD’s. Finally, her bed, which she found looked… strange.
“Hey, why’s your bed look like that?” She pointed to her clean, crease free bed. Noelle looked to her bed, then back at her crush. “What do you mean? Like what?”
Susie furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her yellow eyes. “It’s like… flat. The blankets look smooth as hell.”
Noelle blinked, taking in the information. “It’s just my bed Susie? I make my bed every morning. I don’t- have you never made your bed??” She laughed for a second, making her way to her TV. “Come here! I want you to pick out a game or movie.” She grinned as she picked up and spread all the disc cases on her bed. Susie looked down at them, deciding on a movie with a 3D red car with eyes surrounded by other cars with eyes.
“Heyyyy, this one! I haven’t seen the whole thing but I remember starting it at school yyeaaars ago.” She opened it, accidentally leaving claw marks on the plastic wrap. Noelle’s face visibly lit up at the sight of the case. “Cars!! Yeah! I haven’t seen it in a while but I remember liking it.”
Susie handed the disc to her and Noelle put it in the DvD player. She moved a few things from her own bed to the side, letting her date sit down with knitted blankets and pillows, cross legged and comfortable. Noelle turned the lights off and made her way closer to Susie, but not quite ready to sit down and relax. Susie enjoyed the comfort of Noelle’s presence like always, but this was different.
This was the girl she had liked for a while, and now she was on a date with her in her bedroom. She had always viewed Noelle as pretty, but she had seen her as the shallow, popular girl that everyone liked. In the past, Noelle’s prettiness came from a place of social hierarchy. Of course the popular girl was going to be attractive. All of that was torn down when she had actually become her friend, however. Susie never truly realized that with Noelle’s compassion and friendliness for others, she was gorgeous . Everything about her seemed to radiate a beautiful aura, and when she showed Susie her full personality, she couldn’t get enough. She appreciated all aspects of Noelle; her pretty golden hair, her freckles, to her cute bucked teeth and her intelligence. Everything about her was beautiful.
Noelle could say the same thing about Susie. She had always been curious about the taller girl, wondering if she really was nice like Kris had said. Noelle always appreciated Susie’s height, loved how strong she looked. She had noticed her for a while, always looking but never approaching and feeling like a complete creep sometimes. She loved the way her presence was always known, compared to her own. Susie was always able to stick up for herself, and she admired that about her. Her favorite thing would probably be her smile, however. It was a privilege to see, and always admired from her when she got to see it.
As Noelle prepared the film, she sat down next to Susie, who made more space for her, not that she minded how close they were before. She pressed play on the remote, laying her head on the headboard.
The pair both visibly enjoyed their movie, both laughing at some of the jokes aimed for smaller children. As the film’s plot progressed, the smell of brown sugar and vanilla slowly began filling the house. Noelle excused herself to fetch the now baked cookies and made way downstairs, leaving Susie alone in her room.
The thick aroma of freshly baked dessert roamed the air as the blonde opened the oven door. Sliding her mitted hands inside, she grabbed the chocolate chip cookies and transferred half of them to a large decorated plate. Seemingly satisfied with her and her date’s work, she quickly made her way back to her room with cookies in hand, ready to eat.
Susie noticed Noelle waltz in and excitedly lifted her body to get a better view of the treats. “Oooughhh my god,” she rubbed her hands together, almost salivating. She went on the floor, laid down, and pointed to her open mouth.
Laughing, Noelle crouched to her knees. She picked up a cookie from the tray, splitting it in half and waved it above Susie’s face. The taller girl shook her head up and down enthusiastically, opening and closing her jaw repeatedly.
Noelle had thought she was going to be a nervous wreck throughout the entire date, but she did not notice that she was relaxed and actually enjoying herself without worrying about what to do next. She was always the girl people came to for knowledge or advice. Of course she loved her friends, but many times no one would ask how she was doing, or if she needed help with something. Her mother is the mayor, she’s pretty, smart, and is friends with everyone in class. Is there anything that could be wrong with her? She felt as if she didn’t have to worry about anything with the brunette by her side.
With Asriel gone, part of her wonders if maybe this was how he felt before he moved away for university.
As the two played a game of makeshift ring toss with cookies and sharp teeth and laughed, the evening grew darker and chillier.
The two girls found themselves on the Holiday’s front porch; the warm glow of the patio light shining on them as few cars drove just past the gates. The harsh contrast between the warmth of Noelle’s home and the chilly outside was enough to make Susie shiver for a moment upon stepping out.
Facing her, Noelle smiled, furrowing her eyebrows and reaching her hand out to rest it on the taller girl’s elbow. “Are you gonna get home okay? I know you can get real cold in this weather. I don’t want you to get sick.”
The fact that the shorter girl was concerned for her was enough to make Susie’s cheeks flush. Looking at her, she rubbed the back of her head. “I’ll get home fine... It’s just, um, really cold and I should’ve left some of that hot chocolate you made me to go home.”
Upon hearing this, the red-nosed reindeer attempted to go back inside her house to make Susie another hot beverage; this time to-go. “Why didn’t you say s-oH-!”
Slightly tugging, Susie pulled Noelle back and waved her hand. “Hey, it’s cool! But ah…” She looked away from Noelle, somewhat embarrassed. Noelle cocked her head to the side in confusion.
The taller girl cleared her throat, not being able to look at Noelle at all.
“So, would you wanna like…. Go on a long walk or something? Sometime soon…? Like to the lake? With me…?” She asked, unable to quell her racing heart.
Noelle’s features brightened in response, getting closer to the other girl with excitement. “If this is your way of asking me out on a second date then YES! Absolutely! If we’re going to the lake then maybe we could ice skate if it’s frozen! If that’s okay with you, of course,” she rambled.
Susie cheekily smiled at her, “Never done it before but first time for everything, right? And I’m sure you’d… y’know… make it fun and stuff,” Susie said quietly.
Noelle gave Susie a warm and inviting look, inching closer to the brunette’s face and planting a small kiss to her cheek. The warmth that radiated in Susie’s body was enough to last her the entire walk home. Her face was noticeably darker than it was a moment ago, unable to fully process what had just happened.
Going back inside her home, Noelle waved a star-struck Susie goodbye. Susie snapped out of her light trance and began to make her way past the large black gates. She was glad Noelle asked her out. She didn’t even know the blonde liked her until she called her earlier in the day. Suddenly, all of Kris’ hints at Noelle liking her were clear to Susie. It made her feel stupid, sure, but that was all her own fault. Noelle was a comforting person to Susie. She was her first real friend after meeting Ralsei and Lancer, and not to mention always being a nice person to talk to after a long day at school. She was the most inviting person Susie had ever gotten the chance of knowing. Everything about her was nice. Her hair, her smile, her clothing- heck, even her scent was comforting.
Susie came home that night was a slight spring to her step, reminiscing the day she just had. Ignoring her father’s snoring, she quietly headed straight to her bedroom to try and get a good night’s rest.
Noelle, on the other hand, checked her phone and was welcomed by a few messages from her father.
> Hey Honey!! How is my baby girl? 9:23
> I just wanted to see how you were 9:23 p.m.
>dad, you would not BELIEVE the day i had!!!! 9:31