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Everything that happened after Kris slid the thorn back into Noelle’s finger was a blur. Afterwards, it was like she’d woken from a dream; she could only recall fragments. Flashes. Heavy breaths, skin and fur, heat. Kris crying. Kris mumbling apologies under their breath. The distant, glassy look in their pretty red eyes. The way they’d swayed on unsteady feet when they’d gotten up, after, and left her room.
It was like the world outside Noelle’s bedroom didn’t exist. She lay there for what felt like hours, where nothing reached her. Her ring finger ached, and all Noelle could think of was the way she’d caressed her hand over Kris’ flushed, freckled cheek and left a streak of red behind.
Then, something knocked against her door, and a familiar voice cut through the air like a frozen knife.
“Noelle?”
This was enough to finally rouse Noelle from her stupor, if only because she was confused. Why was her mother here? Shouldn’t she still be at work?
“Noelle, I’m coming in.”
The handle clicked, and Carol stepped into the room, narrowing her eyes at her. Noelle sat up to greet her, carefully hiding her wounded finger against her skirt.
“Mom?” Noelle asked. Her voice rasped a little.
Carol crossed the floor in a few strides and bent her knees to level with Noelle. Her cool hands gripped Noelle’s shoulders, ice-blue eyes round in concern. It was such an unusual expression on her that Noelle wondered if she’d fallen asleep on the couch.
“Noelle, are you alright?”
“I—I’m fine, Mom,” Noelle stammered. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
“Kris called me. They told me you’d been hurt.” Carol’s blue lips curled down as she spoke. “I had to throw out that delinquent dragon girl. She’d been rooting around in Dess’ room. It was her, wasn’t it?”
Noelle’s head spun. Kris had called her mother? Because she’d been hurt? Susie? Susie had been in Dess’ room? Noelle—she’d completely forgotten Susie had been over, too. Had she—she hadn’t heard or seen anything, right…?
Carol’s long fingernails dug into her shoulders, through the fabric of her shirt. “Noelle, you didn’t tell me when I called that you had guests over,” she said, voice low and hard. “If I’d known, I could have prevented this—”
“M-Mom, it’s fine! I’m fine!” Noelle said, quickly. “It’s—it’s my fault, anyway, I…I was so distracted that I forgot…”
“Distracted with what?”
Noelle swallowed. “Well, um…I mean, Kris was here, too, and, uh—I invited them to my room to talk, but we got…a little carried away…”
She couldn’t think of a good excuse on the spot, and Carol would see through any lie she tried to tell. Noelle only hoped her mother would let her off with a mere lecture, like always.
Carol relaxed her grip, but her eyes narrowed again. “Carried away?”
“I, u-um, well—you know…”
Noelle pressed her uninjured hand to her mouth, her face heating as images and sensations returned to haunt her. Kris’ lips crushing against hers, stealing the breath from her. Their heated touch on her bare thighs. At one point, they jerked away, eyes wide and teeth clenched, looking as if they would run for the door, so Noelle grabbed them by the front of their hoodie and—
She was startled by cold on her cheeks as Carol cupped her face in her hands and fixed her with a serious expression.
“Noelle,” she said, low but firm. “Did Kris force themself on you?”
“N-no!” Noelle exclaimed. “No, it wasn’t like that! Kris would never! I—”
As soon as they’d pushed the thorn back into her—as soon as they’d slid the ring back on her finger—Noelle had understood. She’d understood everything. That hadn’t been a dream, and Kris cared for her. They loved her. They wanted her. They needed her. Her, and her alone.
“I was the one who…”
She’d taken their face in her hands and kissed them, again, for the first time in years. The next thing she’d known, Kris had been pinning her against the couch, sliding a trembling hand up her shirt. Noelle hadn’t tried to resist.
“…came onto them,” she finished in a murmur.
It was like the thorn had shattered something inside of her: the fear that’d always stopped her at the last moment. She’d become stronger, after all. Strong enough to take the things she wanted. She’d wrapped her arms tight around Kris, and she’d refused to let them go. Not again. Never again.
Carol stared at her, as if trying to see through her. She was almost deathly quiet for a tense, terrifying moment.
Then, at last, her expression relaxed. She withdrew her hands from Noelle’s face, and her lips quirked up into a satisfied, almost smug, smile.
“I’ve been telling you for years that Kris was the one for you, Noelle,” Carol murmured approvingly. “I’m glad to see you’ve finally understood that.”
Noelle gaped. “Y-you’re…okay with it, Mom?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Kris is a valued family friend, and they’ve been your closest friend since you were both tiny. Who else would know or understand you better than them?”
Relief flooded Noelle. “Yeah, I—I can’t believe I almost forgot how much they mean to me.”
Carol squeezed one of her shoulders. “You’ve both been going through a lot these past several years. It’s not unusual,” she said, soft with sympathy. “All that matters now is that you’ve finally reconnected with them.”
It was the most warm and affectionate her mother had been with her in so long, too. Noelle couldn’t help smiling, her chest swelling with victory. It was all thanks to Kris. Kris had made her stronger, and now—
“Well, Noelle, what will you do next?”
Her ring finger throbbed dully.
Noelle didn’t need to even think about it. “I’m going to take Kris to the festival tomorrow.”