Chapter Text
“ Hey, Elly. It’s me. I’m running a bit behind, but I’ll be home soon m’kay? ”
“ I love you. “
Ping.
Staring up at the ceiling, Noelle closed her eyes as the beep sounded from her phone. A shaky exhale fell from her lips, arms wrapping around her body. Half a year had passed since Dess' disappearance. Not only that, but Asriel had gone off to college and her mother was far too busy wrapped up in her role as Hometown's Mayor. As for her father, it was hard to say. The distress from losing Dess caused his already declining health to worsen. His hospital 'visits' weren't necessarily short-term stays anymore. He hadn't been home to stay for months now. There were times when he would accompany them to church services to hear her sing in the choir. Those days always put a smile on her face for the time being, but even then, she could see the exhaustion in his eyes.
Brown doe eyes flickered toward the phone on her bedside table. Its glow illuminated the walls around it, brightening places that the moonlight could not. They lingered there for a moment or two before she was reaching over to play the audio message once more. Picking it up, she placed the phone beneath her pillow and held it close. Her sister's voice repeated the same message again and again, leaving Noelle's chest tight with a longing to see her again. She wanted to hear her actual voice instead of some voicemail she left over a year prior, she wanted to see her. In her dreams though, she hoped that maybe her sister would be there waiting for her. Under her breath, she whispered a prayer in hopes that the Angel would make it come true.
Before long, Noelle had fallen fast asleep.
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Come morning, Noelle awoke to her house empty once more. Over the years, she had gotten so used to the TV playing downstairs while her mother lectured her father about the volume or the soundwaves of Dess' guitar traveling through the vents and to her room. Even late at night when she couldn't sleep, she would typically find her father or Dess still up, unable to do the same. After playing a round or two of video games or watching TV, one of them would always be there as she fell asleep. Silence was so foreign to her up until recently.
Her eyes found their way to the digital clock at her bedside to find that she had slept in a little too late. Begrudgingly, the doe lifted herself up from her bed and slipped her hooves into a pair of holiday-patterned slippers. She lifted her arms high above her head and shifted her weight from side to side to stretch her body while a big yawn left her. Covering her mouth with her hand, she lowered her arms and rolled her shoulders before making the walk out of her room and to the bathroom just down the hall to get ready for the day.
Once she was done, she headed back toward her bedroom to change out of her pajamas and into an outfit for the school day ahead of her. Slipping on a white button down and black pleated skirt, she layered a matching black long sleeve shirt with a red and green checked sweater vest atop it. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she fixed herself up before taking a deep breath in and letting it out. On her way out, she took her watch from her vanity and secured it onto her wrist while descending down the staircase to the ground floor. Glancing at the time, she was right on track! A relieved sigh left her as she fixed herself something to eat before beginning the walk to school.
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The day in particular left her feeling uneasy. In class, she was unable to be fully present or focus well enough to exceed in her assignments like she usually had. Berdly had picked up on it as did Alphys, but she dismissed their concerns and chalked it up to a poor night's rest. Her mind was just somewhere else entirely, though she couldn't quite make out where it was. No thoughts in particular passed nor went. It was just static. Her gaze often focused on things like the chalkboard to the floor in front of her desk.
Once the bell had sounded, Noelle was quick to leave today. She strayed from lingering around in hopes Susie would talk to her or sticking back to ask a question or two about that night’s homework. Something inside of her just needed to leave.
Pushing the door open, Noelle began her walk. She didn’t necessarily want to go straight home. The silence was chilling, and her mother’s presence left her feeling even colder. Carol typically spent most days out of the home. It was like that before everything had gone so downhill too. She was always out at business meetings, dinners, and traveling for whatever organization called for her presence. A painful uneasiness rose from her stomach to her chest at the thought of going back so soon. Going home meant being in isolation; she couldn't do that.
Moving through Hometown, Noelle aimlessly walked. She contemplated going to the library at some point but decided against it for the time being. Eventually, she wanted to go in and do her schoolwork, but the last thing she wanted was to be sitting still.
Hooves clicked and clacked against the cobblestone paths. The sun was beginning its descent upon the horizon, hues or warm oranges and yellows dusting the sky. Dark brown eyes stared up at the sky that rested just above the forest. She didn't keep track of how long they had been fixated on the sight until something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Her heart plummeted as she snapped her head toward the tree line.
Antlers, like her own. A beanie. Tall stature.
Noelle felt her breath catch in her throat. It was only a split second she caught a glimpse of the figure for, but she couldn't help the thoughts that screamed at her to go. It could have been her sister.
It took everything in her to break out of her trance and dash toward the forest. Her breaths were ragged and awkwardly spaced, her legs stumbling here and there due to the uneven cobblestone and the transition to grass as she strayed from the path.
"Dess!" She called out, her voice desperate as she clambered into the forest. The girl's chest rose and fell at an accelerated pace, ignoring the sharp twigs and rocks that slashed at her skin. She hesitantly took a few more steps into the forested area.
Even with the chirping of birds flying to their homes for an evening's rest, she could hear her heart thumping and her chest closing in. Her were trembling terribly, one latching onto the red and green fabric over her chest as the other held onto her wrist, keeping it in place. Her mind was running hundreds of miles a minute as she stood there, attempting to pick up on any noises with her heightened sense of hearing, but she came up empty.
Why did she see her?
How did she?
The tightness living in her chest heightened to a new level she wasn't used to. A hitched breath involuntarily left her as her knees buckled. Her form descended to the forest floor, strained gasps and shallow inhales leaving her. Tears formed in her widened eyes, struggling to find a way to stop it. They stared down at the sticks and leaves that were beneath her, the droplets wetting them drip by drip.
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"Noelle?" A deeper voice asked, concern lacing her tone. The doe could see the figure's shadow form over her own. The sun must've been close to setting now. She hadn't realized.
Turning around, she was met with Susie standing before her. The indigo girl's eyes were wide with worry, a kind of worry she wasn't used to seeing on her face. Even with that worry, she kept her distance from the doe. "Susie- I.. I.." She attempted to speak, but it all came out so unsteady. Her tone trembled almost as much as she was. The chill of the early winter's night had surely set in by now. She opted to not speak any further, her eyes avoiding her friend's. Normally, she would be a blushing mess in front of her, but not now. Not when she was like this.
"Hey, hey.. let's just- get you out of here." Susie interjected, unsure of how to really approach the situation. "Sound good?" Satisfied with the nod she earned from Noelle, she couldn't help but notice the way she struggled to stand up again. Whatever happened to her, she could tell that it had her completely spooked.
A sharp inhale left Noelle the moment her leg tried to support her weight. A cut deeper than the rest was visible on the backside of her leg just above her hoof. Grasping onto it, she flinched at the stinging sensation. Pulling it away, she noticed the dark red that tainted the white fur of her hand. Trying to stand up once more, she latched onto a tree trunk and placed her opposite leg onto the ground. She was able to lift herself up that way, Susie cautiously watching and ready to help if she were to fall again.
"Shit.. That looks pretty bad." The much taller girl remarked, getting a better glimpse at the cut long her leg. There were others, but those were just scratches. Seeing as Noelle was only standing on one leg, unable to do so with the other, she glanced away as if contemplating something. A sigh escaped her before she gave into the thought. Taking off her jacket, she scooped Noelle up into her arms without much of a warning, Susie kept a careful yet secure hold onto her body, making sure that the jacket would protect her from the cold night's air.
"Wh-What are you-?!" A yelp left her as she was so easily snatched up. Her face grew red, the color even spreading to the tips of her ears and nose. She couldn't help but feel the warmth of the jacket alongside the warmth that emitted from Susie herself. Her protests stopped there and then.
A laugh left the indigo girl at the reaction, a small smile on her face. "You gotta go home somehow." She answered, exiting the forest with her bridal style in her arms. Though it was relieving to know she had gotten out of there before the sun had completely fallen, something gnawed at her heart. Holding Noelle in her arms, she could feel her body shaking like a leaf on a windy day.
The mention of going home caused Noelle's ears to perk up. She felt scared to return to the loneliness of her home, though she didn't know where else she could go. Her hand held onto the fabric of Susie's shirt, allowing herself to greedily savor this moment. Being so close, she could smell her cologne. It was soothing to be so close, her exhaustion from her episode helping her not freak out too much.
They stayed like that for a while, only the sound of footsteps on the cobblestone ground filling the silence.
"Susie..?" She asked eventually.
Glancing down, Susie was met with rounded, dark-colored doe eyes looking right up at her. Her heart skipped a beat at the slight, her eyes averting from her gaze.
Noelle smiled softly at the way Susie looked away. She could've sworn she saw her face turn a little pink too.
"C-Can you stay with me? I don't want to be alone." The Holiday asked, her head lowering back down to rest against her chest.
Looking back, Susie contemplated the offer. Her brows furrowed as she knew she didn't have anywhere else to really go. Not to mention, she couldn't get the sight of Noelle in the forest out of her head. She always knew that there was a kind of sadness to her, but seeing her show that side was a whole other thing.
"Yeah, sure."