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The school bell rang with a metallic finality, echoing down the hallways as students poured out into the chilly November afternoon. The air outside bit softly at exposed skin—not quite winter, but a polite warning that sweaters were about to become mandatory.
Noelle stood by the front gate, skirt shimmering faintly with the glow of tiny, multicolored Christmas lights stitched carefully into the hem. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her shirt, nervously glancing down the road.
Susie was a walking contradiction—as always. Her usual jacket was unzipped today, revealing a dark oversized sweater with skulls on the sleeves. Her ripped fishnets peeked out from under frayed black shorts, and her boots clomped against the sidewalk like she owned the world. Her purple hair was messier than usual, maybe from rushing, or maybe because she didn’t care. Probably both.
Noelle felt her breath hitch.
Susie waved in that awkward way she always did, like she wasn't sure what her hand was supposed to be doing mid-air. “Yo.”
“H-hey!” Noelle greeted, her voice a little too high-pitched. “You, um… wow. You look…”
Susie blinked. “What, weird?”
“No! No no no no! I mean—yes. Not like yes weird. Just… cool. Like, edgy. Like a biker? In a good way. A cool biker. Not that bikers are uncool or anything! I mean—”
Susie laughed, the sound scratchy and warm. “Noelle. Breathe.”
Noelle let out a sigh like she’d been holding it for three hours. “Right. Breathing.”
They started walking, their footsteps in sync, crunching over the occasional dry leaf. Houses along the street flickered with early holiday lights. Some orange from Halloween still lingered, clashing with reds and greens that were just starting to take over.
“You cold?” Susie asked suddenly, glancing sideways.
Noelle was trying very hard not to stare at Susie’s legs. The fishnets were distracting. Not in a bad way. Just… new.
“I’m fine,” Noelle said, arms crossed, which was definitely a lie.
“Uh-huh.” Susie rolled her eyes but started pulling off her sweater anyway. “Here.”
“No no no, really—”
“Just take it,” Susie mumbled, pushing the oversized fabric into her arms. “You’re shivering.”
“But you’ll be cold!”
“I’m a lizard, remember?” Susie smirked. “We’re like, already cold—or something?..”
“That’s not how that works,” Noelle muttered, but her cheeks were pink, and not just from the weather.
She slipped the sweater over her head, the sleeves drooping past her hands. It smelled like Susie—she wasn't sure just what Susie smelt like, but it was Susie and it felt.. nice.
They didn’t talk for a bit after that. It wasn’t awkward silence. Just… thinking silence.
When they reached Noelle’s house, Susie whistled low. “Geez. Your place looks like Santa’s personal Airbnb.”
There were wreaths on the porch. Lights twined around the banisters. A snowman, plastic and unblinking, stood sentry by the mailbox even though there hadn’t been any real snow yet.
“Yeah,” Noelle said with a shrug. “My mom starts decorating—well, more—in September.. I think she’d turn the whole town into a winter wonderland if the mayor’s budget allowed it.”
Susie snorted. “Your mom is the mayor.”
“Exactly.”
They stepped inside to the smell of cinnamon and peppermint and something else—safety, probably. Home.
“She’s not home,” Noelle said quickly, dropping her bag by the door. “She won’t be back till late. Like really late.”
Susie exhaled. “Cool.” good she meant.
There was something in her voice. Something like relief.
They flopped onto the couch together, close but not too close. The movie menu played softly on the screen, waiting to be picked.
Noelle fiddled with the remote. “Um… do you wanna talk about… the kiss?”
Susie looked like she’d just been caught shoplifting—eyes avoiding Noelle's at all cost. “Uh. What kiss.”
“The one after the mall,” Noelle said, voice shrinking. “I mean… we kissed. You kissed me.”
“I—I mean, it was like… barely a kiss,” Susie blurted, clearly panicking. “It was more like—like face bumping.”
Noelle giggled. “Face bumping?”
“Yeah. Totally different than kissing. Kissing’s like… serious. That was just like…” She trailed off, cheeks purple.
Noelle turned, tugging the oversized sleeve over her fingers. “Do you… wanna try again?”
Susie blinked. “Right now?”
“I mean, unless you’re scared,” Noelle teased, eyes twinkling.
“Pfft. Me? Scared?” Susie shifted toward her, clearing her throat. “Alright. Yeah. Okay.”
They both leaned in a little. Then a little more. Then paused, close enough to count each other’s freckles.
“You’re shaking,” Susie whispered.
“So are you,” Noelle whispered back.
And then—soft. Clumsy. Quick. but definitely.. more than face bumping—a kiss.
Susie's hand—hesitant—cupped Noelle's cheek, the other resting just by her thigh, making sure she knew she could pull away.
the kiss grew less practiced, then Noelle pulled away first, trying to catch her breath.
Then: “That was…” Noelle began.
“…less face-bumpy,” Susie finished.
They both burst out laughing.
By the time the movie started playing (some kind of goofy romantic comedy Noelle insisted wasn’t her favorite even though it very obviously was), the two were curled up under a shared blanket. Nail polish bottles lay open on the coffee table, glittery colors half-spilled across a paper towel.
“Your hands are tiny,” Susie grumbled, trying to paint Noelle’s pinky without messing it up.
“And yours are huge,” Noelle shot back. “You’re holding the whole brush like it’s a weapon.”
“It *is* a weapon,” Susie muttered. “A weapon of mass embarrassment.”
Noelle smiled. “You’re doing great.”
Her polish was done in about thirty minutes, not countinf drying time—Susie seemed to be quite foucased when they went quiet.
Noelle picked up a bottle of deep, sparkly purple and wiggled it at Susie.
“My turn?”
Susie raised an eyebrow. “You seriously think you can handle these claws?” She held up her hand dramatically, fingers splayed like talons.
“I’ve painted Berdly’s nails—well, feathers?— before, hes oddly into pink..” Noelle said with faux seriousness. “I can handle anything.”
“That’s not exactly comforting,” Susie muttered, but she rested her hand in Noelle’s lap anyway.
Noelle carefully unscrewed the cap. The polish smelled sharp and chemical, and her fingers trembled just a little as she held Susie’s. Her hands were warm—bigger, rougher, with faint little scars over the knuckles that made Noelle wonder about the stories behind each one.
“Okay, try to hold still,” she murmured.
“I *am* holding still,” Susie said, even though her thumb twitched.
Noelle giggled softly. “You’re worse than me.” She concentrated, tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth as she guided the brush over Susie’s nail. “See? Not so bad.”
“Feels weird,” Susie admitted, watching her with a skeptical side-eye. “Like, ticklish weird.”
“You’re just not used to being pampered,” Noelle teased. She blew gently on the first nail before moving on, completely oblivious to the way Susie’s cheeks went a little purple at the word *pampered*.
By the time Noelle finished, Susie’s nails shimmered dark purple with flecks of glitter. Noelle held up Susie’s hand for inspection.
“There! Not bad, right?”
Susie stared at her own fingers like they belonged to someone else. “Huh. Guess I don’t totally hate it.”
“That’s practically a five-star review coming from you,” Noelle said, grinning.
They both laughed, the sound dissolving into an easy, comfortable silence. The movie played on, its silly dialogue filling the room as they curled back up under the blanket. Susie slung an arm along the back of the couch, and when Noelle leaned into her, she hesitated for a fraction of a second before resting her arm fully around her shoulders.
It felt… safe. Warm. Right.
In no time, Noelle's head was resting against Susie's side, one of her hands mindlessly playing with the fishnets below the blankets—Susie couldn’t bring herself to mention it, too embarrassed.
The rom-com ended in a predictable swirl of confessions and kisses, but by then Noelle had half-dozed off against Susie’s side, her head nestled into the soft fabric of the borrowed sweater. Susie shifted a little, careful not to wake her, even though the weight of Noelle’s body against her shoulder made her heart race in a way she didn’t want to think too hard about.
When the credits rolled, Noelle stirred, rubbing her eyes. “Hey… do you wanna… go to my room? It’s warmer there,” she mumbled.
Susie swallowed, suddenly very aware of her pulse. “Uh… yeah. Sure.”
Noelle led the way upstairs, her skirt lights twinkling faintly with each step. Her room was exactly what Susie expected—soft colors, fairy lights strung across the ceiling, a pile of plush animals in the corner. A faint pine-and-vanilla scent hung in the air.
They both flopped onto the bed, lying side by side. For a moment, neither moved, just breathing in the quiet.
Then Noelle shifted closer, tucking herself against Susie’s side. “Is… this okay?” she asked softly.
Susie’s throat felt dry, but she managed a quiet, “Yeah… totally.”
Noelle’s arm curled over Susie’s middle, and Susie hesitated only a moment before draping her own around Noelle’s shoulders. The blanket was warm, the mattress sinking just enough beneath them, the room lit by the soft glow of fairy lights. Noelle’s breath evened out, steady against her collarbone.
Susie let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “This… isn’t bad,” she murmured to the ceiling.
Noelle smiled into her sweater. “You mean… cuddling?”
“Y-yeah. That.”
Noelle giggled softly, the sound vibrating against her. “Yeah… not bad at all.”
They stayed like that, tangled in warmth and awkward comfort, until sleep finally crept in.
At least, that’s what Susie thought.
Noelle wasn’t asleep.
She could hear the steady rhythm of Susie’s breathing, feel the slow rise and fall of her chest beneath Noelle’s cheek. The borrowed sweater was soft and smelled like something she couldn’t name—something that was just *Susie*. She let her gaze wander up, just a little, careful not to move too much.
Susie’s hair was still a little messy from the wind outside, strands falling into her face in a way that should’ve looked careless but somehow didn’t. The fairy lights strung across the ceiling painted her skin in warm gold, catching along her jaw, making the sharp lines of her face softer, almost delicate.
Noelle’s heart skipped. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until she finally exhaled.
*Why does she have to be so—* pretty wasn’t even the right word. Pretty didn’t cover the warmth in Susie’s sleepy eyes earlier, or the way her lips had trembled before their kiss, or the careful gentleness in her hand when she’d cupped Noelle’s cheek. Noelle’s stomach fluttered, heat rising up her neck.
She shifted slightly, tucking herself closer under Susie’s arm, pretending it was just to get comfortable.
Susie murmured something incoherent, her arm instinctively tightening around Noelle’s shoulders.
Noelle froze for a second, then melted. She could feel Susie’s heartbeat, fast and sure under her ear.
Her own pulse felt like a tiny hummingbird.
She tilted her head just enough to see Susie’s face again. In the fairy light glow, her lashes were long shadows against her cheeks, her lips parted the tiniest bit. Noelle bit the inside of her lip, suddenly dizzy with the urge to reach up and brush the hair away from Susie’s forehead.
*She’s so…*
The thought trailed off, incomplete, too big for words.
So she stayed like that, caught between nerves and awe, heart tripping over itself in the quiet. Susie shifted again, letting out a small, sleepy breath that ghosted across Noelle’s hair.
Noelle finally closed her eyes, committing the image to memory, letting the warmth of the moment soak into her.
And for the first time that night, she felt like she didn’t have to think so hard. She could just… *be*.
Noelle’s eyes had only just fluttered shut when Susie stirred beneath her.
A low, gravelly hum escaped Susie’s throat, the kind of half-asleep noise that came out without permission. Her arm shifted, flexing around Noelle’s shoulders before settling again.
Noelle stiffened, frozen in place.
Then Susie’s voice, husky and heavy with sleep:
“...You’re staring.”
Noelle’s breath caught. “I—I wasn’t!” she whispered, too fast, too defensive. “I was just—uh—resting my eyes! For a second.”
Susie cracked one eye open, violet irises hazy and unfocused in the fairy light. “You *were* staring,” she mumbled, a slow smirk creeping across her face.
Noelle’s stomach somersaulted. “M-maybe a little,” she admitted, her voice tiny. “You just… looked so peaceful. And… pretty.”
That made Susie’s eyes actually open. “Pretty?”
Her tone wasn’t teasing. She sounded genuinely confused—like the word didn’t quite compute.
Noelle’s face went hot. “Y-yeah,” she stammered, fingers nervously twisting in the hem of the blanket. “You’re always… kind of pretty.”
Susie blinked at her, utterly still, and Noelle felt the air between them change—like the pause between heartbeats. She wanted to bury herself under the covers, but at the same time, she couldn’t look away.
In the soft glow of the fairy lights, every sharp edge of Susie’s features seemed gentler—her strong jaw, her lashes curling against her cheeks, the faint freckle near her temple Noelle had never noticed before. Her messy purple hair fell across her forehead in uneven strands, and Noelle had the strangest, almost dizzying urge to reach up and brush them back.
*She’s so unfair,* Noelle thought, pulse quickening. *How can someone look like this without even trying?*
“...You’re weird,” Susie finally muttered, though her voice had lost its usual sharpness.
“You always say that,” Noelle whispered.
“’Cause it’s true.” Susie’s gaze lingered on her, something quiet and unguarded flickering behind her tired eyes. “You really think that? That I’m… pretty?”
Noelle nodded, her cheek brushing the warmth of Susie’s sweater. “Yeah,” she breathed. “I do.”
For a suspended moment, the room felt hushed, like it was holding its breath. The only sounds were the faint buzz of the fairy lights and the twin rhythms of their hearts.
Then Susie huffed a laugh, small and uneven, and a crooked smile tugged at her lips. “Man… you’re gonna make it impossible to sleep if you keep saying stuff like that.”
Noelle giggled, nervous and giddy. “Sorry…”
“No, you’re not,” Susie teased, tugging her closer until Noelle’s forehead rested against her collarbone.
Noelle hid her smile in the fabric of Susie’s sweater. “Maybe not,” she admitted, her voice muffled.
Susie’s fingers flexed against her back, hesitant for a moment before settling in a loose, protective curl. “Hey, uh… for the record,” she mumbled, already sliding back toward sleep, “I think you’re pretty too. Like… stupid pretty. All the time.”
Noelle’s breath hitched, her blush threatening to set her entire face on fire. “Oh…”
“Yeah,” Susie murmured, eyes drooping closed again. “So, like… quit staring. Or… I dunno. Don’t.” She smirked faintly. “Not like I can stop you.”
Noelle laughed softly, the sound barely more than a breath. Her fingers twitched, the urge to push Susie’s hair out of her face almost unbearable. She didn’t, though—afraid the moment might break if she moved even an inch.
Instead, she tucked herself a little closer under Susie’s arm, listening to the steady beat of her heart. It made her own feel steadier somehow, even as it skipped and fluttered at every little shift of Susie’s breathing.
She let her eyes close one last time, the soft afterimage of Susie’s sleepy smile burned into her thoughts.
And this time, when Susie finally drifted back into sleep, Noelle followed—wrapped up in warmth, nerves, and something new that she was finally brave enough to call happiness.