Archive of Our Own

There will always be things you don't like, and that’s okay. But learning about them, and experiencing them, will make them so much less scary. All you have to do is take that first step. Try.

Those were words that Noel had heard time and time again, most often from the kind woman who so generously treated him as one of her own. Noel wouldn't call himself afraid – he wasn't the most carefree person in the world, and sometimes he did suffer from sudden anxiety attacks, but didn't everyone?

But either way, Noel stood right in the middle of an airport, extremely lost and even more so exhausted. So much for thinking back to Dorothy's words of assurance… now, he just wanted to go home. Admittedly, this airport seemed rather small and quaint, and it was almost a surprise to how Noel had managed to get so lost. He'd tried texting the friend he was staying with, who was supposed to have picked him up, but perhaps his messages weren't going through, because they kept popping up with a red error message. Every time he tried to call, he was greeted by immediate dialtone.

Noel sighed, glancing around the airport. Maybe he'd just sleep here… he'd packed a blanket and some warm clothes, so he probably wouldn't get too cold. As for food… well, he had some cookies from the plane. He'd be fine.

Just as he was half-prepared to roll his suitcase into a corner and lie down, a sudden shout interrupted his train of thought, steering it far southwest and crashing it into a nearby tree. "NOEL! HI, NOEL! IT'S ME! NOEL!"

He jumped a little, his phone slipping through his grasp – he fumbled for a moment, though thankfully caught it before it hit the floor. He frantically glanced around, eyes searching desperately for the source of that voice–

Someone poked him from behind. "I'm right here, silly! Turn around!!"

And so he did. And standing right in front of him was, indeed, Claire Elford, grinning with the glimmer of a box full of glitter (which in itself was something she'd like). She was a bit taller than he remembered, but that was to be expected, given they hadn't seen each other in… what was it, three years? He couldn't remember.

"Hi, Claire," was all he actually said aloud, returning her grin in a much more dumb manner.

They remained like that for a little too long, and Claire averted her gaze. “Your voice is so deep now too! Oh, and you look great, too!”

Noel’s smile softened a bit, though he looked away as well. “Ah, um… Thanks. You look great too.”

Claire giggled, then paused, furrowing her brows. "Sooo, Sirius was supposed to come get you, right?"

He nodded. "I tried contacting him, but… well, maybe I'm just not suited for this century's technology."

"Aww, you too? You should see Sirius with his phone. All he knows how to do is block people… then he just blocked me and a couple other people. Really sucks."

Block? Actually, Sirius probably did block Noel, just for the sake of it. Noel sighed, pocketing his phone. "I see. That certainly does sound like him."

Claire nodded. "You're probably tired from the plane ride, huh? C'mon, me and Sirius don't live too far from here! He'll be really happy to see you, I swear!"

Considering Sirius hadn't even shown up, Noel highly doubted that, but he nonetheless followed Claire as she darted through the airport with the confidence of a regular… which, in itself, was interesting. Claire wasn't really one to travel, not particularly. She wasn't nearly as vacation-allergic as Sirius, certainly not, but she didn't often stray far from home, other than for a particularly pretty patch of flowers or such.

Regardless, the next thirty minutes went by in a bit of a blur as Claire led Noel out of the airport, ushering him into her Honda CR-V as they cruised down the highway with the custom moonroof open. In any other case, this might've been quite the lovely or even romantic experience, other than the fact that Noel had spent the past 24 hours stressing his way through traveling and wasn't about to stop now. Not to mention how his brain hadn't even adjusted to the point of fully registering his childhood friend sitting next to him.

Night had fully set by the time they'd reached Claire's apartment. It was a quaint little space with a couple rooms, including a small living room, a well-kempt kitchenette, and a set of closed doors that likely led to the bedroom. Claire seemed excited to show off her home, so Noel tried to push through his exhaustion, nodding and giving small intrigued remarks. That didn't last long, though, and after Claire showed him to the bathroom, he ended up passing out on the couch right after showering.

The next morning, he was rather unpleasantly awoken by the sound of several metal pots clattering to the ground, followed by a familiar shriek.

"CLAIRE! I TOLD YOU TO PUT THESE AWAY!" Sirius shouted from the kitchenette.

"I WAS BUSY!" Claire replied from the bathroom, yelling over the running shower.

Noel laid there for a moment, slowly processing whatever on earth had happened last night. Why was he here? Wasn't he supposed to rent a hotel? That had been the plan, so…

And that was when he noticed the cold glare Sirius was giving him.

"Good morning, Sirius," Noel muttered, sitting up.

"It's 3 PM," Sirius responded shortly, turning back to the forlorn dishes.

3 PM…? "Well, it's nice to see you," said Noel, staring down at his sweater with the mild confusion of do I own this? as he spoke. "How have you been?"

As he gathered various cooking items that Noel couldn't begin to assume the purposes of, Sirius grumbled something incomprehensible beneath his breath before turning on the stove.

"Sorry?" Noel tried.

Sirius ignored him, but not for long. Only a couple minutes passed before the shower water shut off, and Claire's voice rang through the small apartment: "SIRIUS, WE'RE OUT OF CONDITIONER!"

The pot lid that Sirius had been holding clattered to the ground as his eyes widened in horror, and he whirled around, stepping toward Noel in an almost intimidating manner.

"I brought my own conditioner," Noel clarified on impulse. "I didn't touch yours, I promise."

"But you are freeloading here, yes?" And all of a sudden, Sirius was digging a $10 bill out of his wallet. "Go to the store and get a new bottle."

Noel stared at him blankly for a few moments, then nodded a little, gingerly taking the money. He wasn't sure why Sirius had been so cold to him, but maybe it was just nerves – they hadn't spoken in years, after all. No, Noel did know why… but he would stay positive for now, at least.

Sirius rattled off a few directions and the very specific, shockingly expensive brand he wanted before hurriedly shooing Noel out the door. He hadn't even gotten to greet or thank Claire yet, either… Oh, well. He'd do that once he got back.

After getting a little bit lost in the apartment complex, Noel found himself standing in front of a very empty intersection. Right across the street was the store Sirius had described, and after looking both ways, Noel dashed across the crosswalk and stepped through the store's doors.

It looked to be a general convenience store, what with plenty of random aisles lining the tiny building, along with a rather dead inside-looking cashier staring at him. Noel mustered a polite smile, approaching the counter with a small wave. "Good morning, um… Do you have any R'Oreal conditioner in stock?"

The cashier immediately sighed, dropping his head into his ring-adorned hands. "You're Sirius's friend, huh?"

Noel blinked. "You know Sirius?"

"He's the only guy who buys that shit. Aisle 3, bottom shelf on the right."

On one hand, Noel was near certain that employees weren't particularly allowed to cuss, better less when talking about their customer… but he didn't particularly mind (it was Sirius, after all), so he just thanked the man and followed yet another set of directions. After quite a struggle to find the conditioner bottle, he quickly grabbed it and made his way back to the counter, taking the money Sirius had given him from his pocket.

The cashier shot him a look. "You new here? Haven't seen you around before."

"Oh, um… Yes, I only arrived last night," Noel replied, handing the bottle to him. "I ended up accidentally freeloading, so now I'm here…"

"'Accidentally freeloading'," the cashier echoed with a short scoff, the ghost of a smile flickering across his expression. He then dropped the bottle in a paper bag and handed it back to Noel. "Good luck. The Elfords are one hell of a family, even if there's only two of 'em."

"I'll do my best," Noel muttered, holding out the money. "Here."

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it." Surprisingly, the cashier just waved Noel's hand away. "Take this as a sorta welcome gift or somethin'. Me and my friend'll be placing bets on how long 'til you move away, so don't let me down."

Noel blinked, suddenly very concerned at that, but only smiled and nodded. "I'll do my best, thank you."

Once outside the store, Noel took his phone out, checking his contacts.

noel levine: I got the conditioner

sirius: hii good job noel!! cmon back home :D

Noel quite literally dropped his phone in shock, then proceeded to panic to grab it before it could fall into the street or such. Kneeling down, he checked his texts again.

sirius: this is claire btw <3

Oh, thank goodness.

sirius: turns out sirius had u blocked? idk he blocked everyone except 4 wilardo

sirius: no fairr :T

noel levine: Whos wilardo?

sirius: one of our friends!! youll prob see him around hes a little quiet but cool

sirius: and hes one of sirius's only f

sirius: HELPHES TRUINF TO RKA ETNE LHONE

sirius: Hello. Who is this?

noel levine: Noel

noel levine: Hi Sirius (Message failed to send. Find out why here .)

noel levine: Sirius? (Message failed to send. Find out why here .)

Noel grimaced, shoving his phone back into his pocket. Oh well… He had the conditioner, so might as well head back to the apartment. Wasn't that what Claire had asked, anyway…?

Considering how close the apartment complex was to the general store, it wasn't long before Noel was knocking on the door, as Sirius seemed to have forgotten to give him a key. Unfortunately, neither of the Elfords seemed to be very present right now – he once again checked his phone.

Unknown Number: hii its claire!! got ur number from sirius's phone hehe

Unknown Number: im headed to the gym so just knock on the door and sirius should let u back in

Of course, Noel prioritized setting Claire's contact before anything else – then he turned back to the apartment door, knocking again. "Sirius? Are you there…? I have your conditioner…"

Something fell from inside, and the door's peephole shifted.

"Leave it by the door," Sirius responded. "As it turns out, Noel, I have a few errands that I'd like you to take care of. Simple things, of course."

"Errands?" Noel laughed nervously. "Um… I don't know if I can remember them all, but okay."

"I suppose texting is out of the question. I'll write a list," Sirius muttered. "Do hurry up and take care of them, though."

Noel blinked. "All right." To tell the truth, he was really quite exhausted, but if running these errands meant acquiring any sense of Sirius's trust, then Noel would give it his all.

The door opened a bit, and a few more dollar bills, along with a shred of notebook paper, slid through. "Use these at your discretion. If there's any leftover money, go ahead and buy something for yourself," Sirius said.

"Thank you," Noel replied, once again taking the papers.

"Don't take too long."

And thus, off Noel set on his first errand run in this new town. First on the handwritten list was… "protein bars + Hatorade" (and in parentheses, "for Claire"). Where would those be? Noel didn't recall seeing them at the general store, so… perhaps a grocery store? That couldn't be hard to find, surely.

Thirty minutes had passed when Noel came to a stop in front of a surprisingly modern grocery store. Unlike the run-down general store, this place was well-lit and clean, and there were actually a few customers milling about.

Noel checked the list again – was there anything else he could find here? Milk… feta cheese… kaasaggio cheese, asiago cheese… comté cheese… well, someone certainly liked fancy cheese. Noel wasn't sure if he could find much of that, but he'd try. Further down the list, there were a few more Claire-type things (dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, Lucky Runes cereal, rainbow mini marshmallows) and a few more Sirius-type things (expensive salad dressing, pumpkin pureé, vegetarian mini marshmallows).

This time, it took roughly two hours to find everything detailed on the shopping list (mostly because Noel couldn't decide whether or not to ask the rather intimidating, dead inside-looking employee pacing around the self check-out area for help), and while that had taken a decent chunk out of the errands, there was still much more left to be done.

Next, he was to pick up an order for Sirius at the post office. This post office wasn't actually very difficult to find, as it was right next to the grocery store, but actually convincing the skeptical employee that Noel was, in fact, Sirius's friend proved quite difficult. It was only when another employee showed up for his shift (who looked really quite dead inside) and took over that Noel finally got a hold of this package, and that alone had taken around another hour.

The bakery was next. Claire loved sweets, so Noel figured the strawberry shortcake and double-white chocolate fudge cake were both intended for her sake. Not to mention, Noel hadn't eaten at all today and had neglected to buy anything for himself at the grocery store, so perhaps he'd have a quick breakfast-slash-lunch-slash-dinner there.

Unfortunately, this bakery was not very close to the post office – across town, in fact. By the time Noel got there, he really was starving – perhaps this was some kind of business tactic? Regardless, the bell chimed merrily as he stepped inside. There was nobody at the counter, but the display cases were filled with plenty of delicious-looking sweets. Noel paused, checking the list to match up with the handwritten signs by each item – this bakery definitely had what he was looking for, but Noel was beginning to doubt if there were even any employees here… The food seemed fresh, and the bakery smelled amazing, but Noel wasn't too sure about ringing that countertop bell. Wouldn't it be a little rude, considering there was already a bell attached to the door?

Finally, the kitchen doors opened, and out stepped a man who didn't seem dead inside in the slightest. As soon as he saw Noel, he broke into a bright grin, bounding toward him.

"Hello, hello! You're new here, aren't you?" The man beamed at him, holding out his hand. "I'm Ashe Bradley, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! What's your name? Where did you move here from? Why did you move here? Actually, is that a shopping list? Where are you staying? What did–" The man suddenly cut himself off, clearing his throat. "Sorry, sorryyy, I get excited when I see someone new!"

Noel laughed nervously, offering him a small smile as he shook his hand. "It's okay. I'm Noel, and, um… My childhood friend offered to let me stay at her apartment for a bit. I… guess."

"Ohoho? And who might this childhood friend be?" Ashe leaned forward, his golden eyes boring into Noel. "Could it be… Miss Claire?"

Noel's eyes widened. "How did you…?"

Ashe straightened, laughing a little. "Ah, she's just been talking about a friend visiting recently, that's all! Not to mention, you seemed to be eyeing her favorite desserts just a second ago… Miss Claire and I are best friends, you see! The bestest of best friends, as best as one can best without becoming too best, which we shan't speak of!"

Noel didn't quite understand that last sentence, but still nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Ashe. I'm glad that Claire's made such a nice friend."

Ashe nodded, grinning. "Yes, yes, as am I! Miss Claire certainly is a kind soul!" As he spoke, he reached into the display case, sliding the desserts in question into a paper bag – but then, he abruptly stopped in his tracks, his gaze glazing across Noel as though he were an open book.

Noel blinked. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no, very sorry for staring! You just seem rather peaky, is all… Have you been eating well?" Ashe quickly finished bagging the sweets, his brows furrowing into a concerned expression. "We have much more than just desserts, you know. I can throw together something nutritious, if you aren't feeling well…"

A chill shot down Noel's spine, and he raised a hand to his neck – while his hand was cold, the rest of his body was practically sweating from heat. A bit taken aback by not only the sudden oncoming of this episode, along with a complete stranger noticing it before he did, Noel mustered a thin smile. "Don't worry, this happens sometimes. I haven't eaten, no, but… please, don't make any special effort on my account. I'm sure Sirius will have something once I get back…"

At that last sentence, Ashe wrinkled his nose a little – but he quickly turned away, opening a small fridge behind the counter and pulling out a plastic water bottle. "I'll make a sandwich for you, alright? For now, take this! If you start feeling too nauseous to drink, just press the cold bottle to your skin, and that should help."

"Oh, um… Thank you," Noel mumbled, gingerly taking the bottle as Ashe rushed off to the kitchen. There was no harm in denying Ashe's help, although he definitely felt rather guilty… either way, he sat down at one of the tables, popping open the water bottle (after a bit of difficulty with that lid) and taking a small sip.

This was… well, no, he was used to this by now. Every now and then, Noel would experience sudden flare-ups of weakness and nausea, sometimes to the point of considering going to the emergency room… according to his doctor, it wasn't caused by any physical condition, and likely triggered by stress. It wasn't even close to fun, but at least it was manageable… usually.

Before long, Ashe emerged from the kitchen again, this time carrying a plate that did, in fact, hold a sandwich, along with a few slices of apple and several almonds. He clutched a glass of orange juice in his other hand, and quickly unloaded all of this onto the table where Noel sat.

"Are you feeling any better?" he began. "I wasn't sure if you eat meat or not, so I left it out, but…"

Noel offered him another smile. "Don't worry, it's okay. Thank you very much."

Ashe nodded, his eyes still studying Noel as though he were an injured puppy. "Yes, of course! If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call for me!" He proceeded to take the small bell from the counter, placing it beside Noel's plate before rushing away.

Noel spent a rather long time at this bakery, his senses gradually returning to normal as he slowly chipped away at the food that Ashe had so kindly prepared for him. He wasn't sure how long it took, exactly, but he eventually finished eating and stood up, approaching the counter.

Ashe was now shooing away a rather rude, middle-aged lady, who seemed to be complaining about the menu lacking Dr. Salt soda and requesting a manager. Noel didn't really want to interrupt that, so he ended up waiting a little more until the woman finally left.

"Ah, Noel! How are you feeling?" Ashe turned to Noel.

"I'm a lot better now, thanks," Noel responded. “But I really should finish those errands, or Sirius might get upset… How much did all that cost?” He reached into his pocket, taking the money Sirius had lent him – well, what was left, at least. He grimaced a little – just $10? That was humiliating…

Ashe blinked, his eyes trailing to the money in Noel’s hand, and he quickly shook his head. “Oh, don’t worry about that! The food was free, anyway.”

Noel paused, hesitating for a moment. “Are you sure? It was a lot of food to just… give away.”

“Really, it’s okay! Any friend of Miss Claire’s is a friend of mine, after all,” Ashe insisted, reaching behind the counter and pulling out a paper bag. “These are the sweets you came for, along with a couple more that you might like!”

“That’s… very kind of you,” Noel said slowly, taking the bag. “Thank you so much, Ashe.”

Ashe nodded, grinning. “Of course, of course! I’m glad to have helped! But it’s getting dark, so do be careful on the way home!”

Noel returned his smile, waving a little before gathering his shopping bags from the table and stepping outside. Ashe seemed like a very nice person… Noel had been rather worried for Claire these past few years, moving to a new town with only her brother to keep her safe, but now… Well, he was glad that Claire had somebody like Ashe.

Regardless, Noel really was feeling much better now, and there was only one destination left on Sirius’s errand list. Right across the street from the bakery was a small building, which had flowers of all kinds decorating the windows and exterior. Noel pushed the door open, admiring the vast array of different plants – there weren’t only flowers, although that appeared to be the dominant product. One corner was dedicated to succulents, and another for small trees and such. The front desk contained several racks for seed packets, and leaning on the countertop was a very dead-inside looking cashier.

Wait.

“You’re the guy from the general store…!” The words impulsively slipped out of Noel’s mouth. “You work here, too?”

The cashier tilted his head a little, a small grin crossing his features. “Small town. But hey, I was at the grocery store, too. And I was the one who told Cindy to lay off at the post office.”

Noel blinked slowly. He really wasn’t in his right mind, huh…

“Anyway. Good to see you survived your first day,” the cashier went on. “Careful, though. Monsters come out at night.”

“Mon– wha…?”

“Eh, I’m just pullin’ your leg. What’re you here for?”

Noel quickly checked the list. “Green roses, and… purple lilies.”

The employee nodded, stepping around the counter. As he approached the rose section, the light caught on his nametag – “Wilardo – General Manager” .

Wilardo… “Are you one of Claire’s friends?” Noel blurted out. “I know you mentioned Sirius before, but Claire said she knew someone called Wilardo…”

Wilardo’s gaze flickered down to his nametag for a brief moment. “I guess. She likes hanging out here when she’s bored.” He shrugged, taking a pre-made bouquet of green roses.

Noel tilted his head a little, watching Wilardo work. This was a small town… it’d be a little weird if someone as outgoing and sweet as Claire didn’t know pretty much everybody here.

“I’m guessin’ you and Claire are pretty close,” Wilardo went on, now making his way toward the lily section. “That’s her second-favorite sweater, y’know. Not that she ever wears it, ’cause she doesn’t like warm clothes.”

Noel’s eyes widened, immediately panicking. “Wh– What? You’re… You’re just joking again, right?”

Wilardo glanced over his shoulder. “What, you didn’t know? That’s hers, yup. Surprised she didn’t say anything.”

Claire hasn’t seen me at all today, Noel thought to himself, biting his lip. “Really, I’m more surprised that Sirius didn’t mention it…” Or, wait, could that have been why Sirius had been so cold to him? Certainly not, but… Noel wasn’t sure now.

“Hey, it’s not the end of the world or something,” Wilardo muttered. “Ashe borrows Claire’s stuff all the damn time. Except he doesn’t actually give it back, and she doesn’t care.”

Noel grimaced, pulling out his phone to stare down at it. No new notifications, no texts from Claire or Sirius.

“That’ll be $9.99,” Wilardo said, returning to the front desk with a small bouquet.

“Oh– right,” Noel mumbled, taking the $10 bill from his pocket and handing it to Wilardo. “You can keep the change.”

Wilardo raised a brow. “Nah, I dunno if Sirius would like that.” He dropped a single penny in Noel’s palm, passing him the bouquet. “You’re pretty lucky that you got here during our Monday sale, or that’d cost way more.”

Noel nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. Thank you.”

“See ya.”

And with that, Noel was once again walking down the street, although they all looked just about the same in the dark. Maybe he should’ve asked Wilardo for directions, or even Ashe… but it was too late for that now, given he had absolutely no idea where he was. Nothing looked particularly familiar, and Noel was fairly certain that he might’ve literally ended up on the completely different side of town.

After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out his phone again, opening his texting app.

noel levine: Hi sorry im kind of lost, wheres your apartment?

It wasn’t long before Claire responded.

claire<3: OH!! where r u rn? liiiike do u see any signs or anything?

noel levine: Moonlit styles

noel levine: Thats the place im closest to, looks like a clothing store

claire<3: OMG IK THAT PLACE

claire<3: dw im sending sirius to get u<33

noel levine: Ok thank you

claire<3: NP !!!!

Noel wasn’t very sure as to how he felt about Sirius picking him up, considering he hadn’t seen Sirius at all at the airport, but he trusted Claire’s persuasion skills. And so, he sat down beside the fashion store, pocketing his phone as–

The store’s doors swung open, and Noel nearly shrieked. The lights had been off inside, so he’d figured it was closed– oh no, what if this were a robbery that Noel had gotten himself involved in–

“Noel, get up.” Sirius’s voice snapped, and Noel moved the hands that had been covering his eyes – standing there, arms folded, was indeed Sirius.

“How did you…?” Noel glanced from Sirius to the street to the store and back again. “That was, um… very fast.”

Sirius frowned. “Yes, I’m aware. Luckily for you, I’d just closed shop. Come along, the apartment isn’t very far.”

So Sirius… worked at this place? Well, it made sense that Sirius would have a job, of course it would. Still, Sirius hadn’t seemed particularly interested in fashion as a kid… then again, maybe Noel just hadn’t noticed it. Nonetheless, Noel quickly followed behind Sirius as the latter began down the street.

It wasn’t long before Sirius broke the silence, though. “Did you get everything on the list?”

“I think so,” Noel replied, glancing down at the sheer amount of shopping bags he was carrying. “You have very nice friends.”

Sirius’s eye twitched a little. “I see. So they ignored my messages…”

Noel wasn’t sure what that meant, but he chose not to question it. “How’s Claire?”

“Weren’t you planning on staying at a hotel?” Sirius shot back.

Noel blinked. “I… Yes, I was, but Claire wanted me to stay at your place instead. I thought you knew that…?”

Sirius only grumbled something semi-audible under his breath before falling completely silent. Noel hesitated for a moment – Sirius didn’t really seem in the mood to talk – before failing to keep his mouth shut.

“Sirius, you… seem a little upset with me lately, and if this is about Nicholas, then… I really am sorry, I–”

“What?” Sirius looked up sharply, his eyes finally finding Noel’s. “Why would you bring that up? What?”

Noel winced. “I just… I know how much you care about Miss Dorothy, and it was my fault. So, um… if you don’t want me around, I understand.”

Sirius blinked slowly, studying Noel’s expression for a moment before looking away again. Another short silence stretched on, one in which Noel deftly regretted ever saying anything, before Sirius spoke again.

“We’ve already discussed this, Noel. That… man sued Lady Dorothy simply because he could, and he used you running away as an excuse.”

A little taken aback by that, Noel shook his head. “But if I hadn’t come to live with you guys, then Dorothy wouldn’t have–”

“As I said, you were just an excuse for that wretched man to ruin another life. And in the end, he only ruined his own reputation, so what does it matter?”

Noel knew that Sirius didn’t mean that, and perhaps Sirius knew as well, because he quickly followed it up with an, “After all, Claire seems to enjoy having you around. She would’ve been very lonely without you, especially back then.”

“I see,” Noel muttered, nodding a little. He knew he shouldn’t have brought the lawsuit up, so he opted to keep quiet.

Unfortunately, that didn’t work.

“Besides, I haven’t been upset with you. I’m not sure why you’d think that,” Sirius went on. “That being said, your relationship with Claire has certainly been getting on my nerves. I don’t like how you two are suddenly living together.”

“Huh…?”

Sirius scowled. “I’m no fool, Noel. The way you two are constantly beating around the bush… It’s infuriating to watch. Clearly, nothing has changed since when you two were kids.”

Noel blinked. “I… don’t really see what you mean.”

“I refuse to be a third wheel in my own house,” Sirius grumbled. “You and Claire can have your dramatic little Rapunzel story or whatever, just don’t try dragging it around me.”

Oh.

“Um, Sirius, I… I think you have the wrong idea,” Noel nervously began. “Claire and I, we’re– we’re not–”

“Don’t start. You’re not as smooth as you think.” Sirius then motioned to the sweater Noel still wore. “Neither is my sister. She only lets people she trusts leave the house with that ugly thing, and if it were a real issue, she would have called you up and taken it back by now.” He folded his arms again.

Noel didn’t exactly have a response to that, so he only looked away. “I’ll find a hotel to stay in starting tomorrow, then, if that’s okay,” he decided. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. It is your home.”

Sirius nodded slowly. “I could arrange for you to stay in an actual apartment, if you’d prefer. It would cost considerably less, and an acquaintance of mine has been whining about his insidious loneliness for far too long. It’s rather annoying.”

“I’d appreciate that a lot,” Noel said. “Thank you.”

Sirius only hummed a little in response. Noel bit his lip, glancing around for a minute before reaching into his pocket.

"Oh, um, Sirius?" He held out his hand, along with the single remaining penny of his errand ventures. "Here, uhm… The last of the money. It's yours, so…"

Sirius blinked slowly, and for a moment, he seemed on the brink of laughter. "Just keep it."

"Are you sure…? It's–"

"I have no need for a singular cent," Sirius went on, but to Noel’s surprise, he was almost grinning now. "Keep it."

Noel hesitated before hesitantly nodding, reluctantly slipping the coin back into his pocket. They didn’t talk at all for the rest of the walk, but the air was considerably less tense – perhaps that was just all in Noel’s head, though. Either way, it really wasn’t long before they arrived at the apartment complex, even though it was pretty much completely dark outside now. After scaling a few sets of stairs, Sirius dug his key out of his pocket, unlocking the door.

Claire sat on the couch, her eyes glued to the television – but as soon as the door clicked shut, she glanced up. “Oh, hey, you two! Thank goodness the monsters didn’t get you!”

“Again with that monster thing?” Sirius shook his head, snatching a grocery bag from Noel’s grasp. “You know Wilardo’s just making that up, Claire.”

“He’s not!” Claire exclaimed, pouting a little. “I’ve seen the puddle demon, Sirius! It attacked me once!”

“That was just a mouse,” Sirius replied. “Monsters aren’t real, unless its name starts with Ashe and ends with Bradley.”

“Nooo, Ashe isn’t a monster!” Claire cried. “And besides, who was it who kept the bedroom light on for two weeks after watching A Silent Place?”

“That was you,” Sirius shot back.

“Prettyy sure it was you…”

During Claire and Sirius’s back-and-forth, Noel silently got to work on putting away the groceries, leaving the flowers carefully leaned on the countertop. Now that he actually looked at it, it was a very pretty bouquet – Wilardo was definitely good at his work. Noel didn’t know much about flowers or art, but it looked really nice.

Wilardo, too, seemed like a good friend to both Claire and Sirius. Noel was sure that Wilardo’s quiet and laid-back mannerism balanced out Ashe’s easily excitable optimism, and when that was added to how outgoing and friendly Claire was, the three made for a rather nice friend group. Noel still wasn’t sure how good friends those two were with Sirius, but… if he had to guess, he’d figure that they got along okay.

After Nicholas had sued Dorothy for kidnapping, Noel had stopped living with the Elfords, running away yet again in a desperate attempt to cease his father’s wrath. But in the process, all he’d really accomplished was distancing himself from those he cared about, those he loved. It was… shameful at best.

"Oh, Noel!" Claire's voice snapped Noel right out of his reverie. "That's my sweater, right? You've been wearing it all day? Do you like it??"

Noel glanced over to Sirius, who didn't seem to be paying attention, before giving Claire a smile. "Yeah, I do. Sorry for taking it, I must've totally blacked out last night…"

Claire shook her head, grinning back. "No, no, I don't mind! Sirius was just talking about finding you your own apartment, so I was thinking, why don't you keep it? That way, you'll always remember me, even if you decide to move away or anything!"

"I'd never forget you, Claire." The words slipped out without Noel thinking, and he thought he heard Sirius gag – that might've just been Noel's imagination, though. "But, um… if you're sure, then okay."

Claire nodded, her grin only widening. "Yup, I'm so sure! The surest of sures, actually!" She held up a thumbs up. "It looks way better on you than it does on me, anyway!"

"Ah, don't say that, I'm sure you look stunning in it… but thank you, really. I'll take good care of it."

Claire giggled, turning back around if only to snatch the TV remote from Sirius. Apparently, now they couldn't agree on which movie to watch between The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast, and they were fighting over the remote while squabbling like children.

Noel glanced back down at all the shopping bags, this time unearthing the box from the bakery. Ashe had mentioned that there was more here than just Noel's order, right? He carefully opened the box, as to not tear it – and indeed, Ashe had packed a few extra desserts. Noel had no idea what they were, but they looked amazing – Ashe must've had plenty of experience with baking. Though perhaps that was a given, considering he owned his own bakery and all… But still, these were extremely impressive.

He closed the box again, carefully sliding it into the fridge before turning back to his friends. "Are you two hungry? I could, um… microwave something."

"Huh? I didn't know you could use the microwave, Noel! That's a big improvement from last time," Claire exclaimed.

"I'll handle dinner," Sirius quickly said. "Thank you for the offer, Noel, but it might be best for you to just rest tonight. After all, you'll have new living accommodations starting tomorrow."

"He's leaving tomorrow?" Claire asked, pouting a bit. "But why?"

Sirius paused for a second, shooting Noel a look – which, unfortunately, Noel caught onto. Noel didn't know what to say, and he couldn't bring himself to lie to Claire, but…

"We just don't have the space or funds to provide for another person right now, Claire," Sirius replied airily. "He won't be very far away, though. I already texted Ashe, and he seemed only too excited to–"

"Ashe?" Noel thoughtlessly interrupted, eyes widening. "I didn't know that…"

"He appears to like you," said Sirius. "And he was included when you called our friends 'nice', was he not?"

"Ah, no, no, I didn't mean anything rude," Noel said, verbally flailing. "That's good. And nice. Thank you."

Sirius simply turned away. "Claire, what about Rapunzel?"

Claire gasped. "Ohh, that's a great idea! Let's watch it, let's watch it!"

Noel paused, momentarily recalling Sirius's prior Rapunzel metaphor, then smiled to himself. Sirius really wasn't that scary, not even now… He was just the same as when they were young. "Is it okay if I join you two?" he asked, shutting the refrigerator door.

"Yes, of course!" Claire exclaimed.

"I don't see why not," muttered Sirius.

Noel smiled, making his way to the couch. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank us, silly," chided Claire, reaching around Sirius to poke Noel's shoulder. "It's just like when we were kids! Siriuuuus, can we have popcorn?"

Sirius sighed. "You and Ashe ate all of it last night. What about your dinosaur chicken nuggets, though? Noel picked those up while he was out."

Claire lit up. "Really!? Thank you so much, Noel!"

Noel blinked. Sirius was definitely doing something here, but Noel doubted he was smart enough to figure it out. So instead, he just nodded. "Right, of course."

"But Sirius, just microwave them, okaaay? I want them now!" added Claire.

"Microwaving strips all the flavor from them," Sirius protested, standing and circling behind the couch to the kitchenette while Claire snatched the remote again. As she searched for the movie in question, Noel took one of the pillows from the couch, curling around it as he stared mindlessly at the screen ahead.

It almost felt surreal, everything that had happened today… Not only was he really, actually still friends with Claire, but Sirius didn't hate him after all! And as for their friends, Wilardo and Ashe… they were lucky to have people as kind and caring as those two.

The microwave beeped, snapping Noel out of his thoughts. Claire clapped her hands, giving a little cheer.

"I'll never understand you and your simple-minded approach to food," Sirius grumbled, approaching to hand Claire a paper plate full of dinosaur chicken nuggets. "You could at least add a couple spices."

Claire raised a brow. "Cooking them in the oven means waiting longer, though! I like them just like this!"

"The only seasoning is salt??" Sirius reminded her in what appeared to be horror. She didn't seem to care, though, and continued munching away as she reached for the remote.

Sirius's hand shot forward, snatching it from her reach. "Don't touch the remote with those greasy hands! Here, Noel, you deal with it."

"Huh?" All of a sudden, Noel found the remote in his hands as Sirius headed back to the kitchenette.

"Hit play, hit play!" And now, Claire scooted next to Noel, practically bouncing up and down.

"Three feet apart!" Sirius shouted. Noel felt all the blood in his body rush to his face.

"Whuuhhh? Three feet for what?" Claire furrowed her brows, but sat back.

Noel hit the play button, and Claire's attention immediately shifted unblinkingly to the screen. Sirius quickly rejoined them, if only to sit in between Noel and Claire – though he soon left again to make salads for himself and (to his surprise) Noel as well.

The rest of the night passed by in a bit of a blur, but a fun blur nonetheless. Claire had been right – it really did feel like they were all kids again. And although Noel understood why it was best for him to not live with Claire right now, he couldn't help but feel a bit of bittersweet sadness. He'd missed this feeling, one he couldn't quite describe in a single word… Something warm and fuzzy, but it couldn't be summed up with something as simple as happiness or belonging. No, it was far more complex than that.

But… did he really need to find a name for it? Right now, his head was a maze and he knew his heart was even worse, but he also knew that he wasn’t alone. Claire and Sirius cared about him, this was clear to him now. Tomorrow, he’d be moving in with somebody as kind and considerate as Ashe… and knowing how many places Wilardo apparently worked at, Noel was certain he’d be seeing him around quite often too.

Things were better now, Noel knew. He’d been so nervous to board that plane before, because he was clueless… He didn’t know what his friends would think of him, given how long it had been. He’d been worried that the Elfords might’ve hated him for everything that had happened because of him and his father, or even if they’d forgotten him… But he understood now.

At last, at long last, everything really was going to be okay.