Work Text:
“All right, class, now we’re gonna go over your work from, um, a couple of weeks ago…”
Noelle watched as her teacher began to hand out papers to the class. She gave a little smile as Alphys placed her paper in front of her, whispering “N-nice job, Noelle…!” as she passed by. But Noelle’s smile quickly faded as she went back to ruminating, like she’d been doing since the morning bell rang.
Her work sat in front of her, untouched, while her eyes flicked towards the door to the classroom. It wasn’t like she had to check over her work, she could literally see the bright red ‘100!!’ through the back of the paper. It was just some questions about the table of elements, something Noelle had memorized ages ago. Even so, she knew that she should at least take a look at it, that it would still be good to review her work. (If only for her teacher’s sake… most of the class wasn’t paying attention, either.)
But right now, she had something else on her mind. Or rather, someone.
“The hell took you so long? There’s only like five questions.” Noelle looked over her shoulder towards the voice as Susie held up her own sheet in confusion. Even from across the classroom, Noelle could see the little red marks all over her paper.
“I, um… l-look! They just released the new season of Mew Mew! I’ve been, er, pre-preoccupied! And, uh, language, please…”
The class erupted in laughter at their teacher's excuse. But Noelle was still focused on something else. Not Susie, who was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of her chair, or even Berdly, who was equally as disinterested as Noelle in the conversation, quickly comparing his work with his notes.
No, it was the empty desk in the middle of the classroom that drew her attention.
Class had started almost an hour ago, and Kris still hadn’t shown up. That was nothing new, of course; Kris did have a habit of coming in late for a long time. They would wander through the door ten, twenty, sometimes even thirty minutes, after the bell had rung, only to plop down in their chair and lie face-down over their desk until the next bell… or more likely, until everyone else had left the classroom.
That never sat right with Noelle, even before they started dating. But ever since that day, hardly more than a few weeks ago, Kris was actually… improving somewhat? They showed up mostly on time, and they even managed to keep their head up for more than an hour a couple of times… if only to stick their tongue out at her whenever she glanced over at them. (Which happened pretty often, as it turned out.)
Even then, Noelle usually ended up waking them at the end of the day, shaking them gently until they finally lifted their head. They’d always grumble about their sleep being disturbed, but they'd still insist upon holding her hand the whole way home.
(Heh, they’re so clingy sometimes… gosh, I hope they’re okay. They would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t they…? Maybe I could ask Ms. Alphys if I could go check on them? They don’t live very far, I could-)
*Click-
The classroom door slowly swung open. “Hm? O-oh, Kris! You’re a bit, um, late, but I’m glad you made it!” Alphys said, clearly grateful for the sudden distraction. And just like that, Noelle felt the weight in her chest disappear, all her doubts washing away as her partner Kris appeared through the doorway, cute as can be with their messy hair and signature green sweater.
"W-We were just reviewing your quizzes from, uh… from…" They walked past Alphys without acknowledging her, stepping towards their desk until their eyes met Noelle’s. She silently greeted Kris with a smile and a wave. They gave her a grin in return, though their eyes were heavy-lidded. They seemed really sluggish as they walked towards their desk, like they had just rolled out of bed and walked straight into class.
(...That’s exactly what happened, isn’t it?)
As they sat down, they didn’t even try to pay attention to the class; they simply crossed their arms over their desk and let their head fall forward, right on top of their graded quiz. Noelle couldn’t hold back the frown that appeared on her face as Kris’ eyes left her view.
(I guess old habits are tough to break…)
Alphys cleared her throat. "…ahem… W-well, anyways, can anyone tell me the answer to the first question…?"
Now that the case of the missing human was solved, Noelle found it much easier to focus on the class. But still, she found her eyes drifting back towards them every now and then. They hardly moved an inch all morning, even with Susie’s persistent poking and prodding to get their attention.
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, the final bell ringing loudly without so much as a twitch from Kris. They sat motionless, even when their classmates rushed out the door, leaving them in the classroom with only Noelle and Susie.
As she stood up, Susie grabbed Kris' desk and gave it a good shake, a final attempt to get their attention. When they still gave no indication that they were awake, she shrugged and gave them a pat on the shoulder before walking away. She stopped as her eyes met Noelle’s.
“You think they’re gonna wake up soon?”
“Yeah, I think so. They probably just stayed up too late last night, faha! Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on them until they're awake.”
“Heh… thanks, Noelle. See ya later.” Susie flashed her a toothy grin as she walked out the door.
“Bye, Susie!” she called out merrily, giggling to herself once Susie was out of sight.
(Hehehe… that was sweet of her, checking on Kris like that! Even if her tactics are a bit… rough…. Maybe I should invite her to study with us sometime?)
Putting that idea aside for later, Noelle turned around in her seat, towards the human. They were still fast asleep, somehow unbothered by the hard surface of the desk under their arms.
Kris' ability to fall asleep just about anywhere was truly a marvel of nature.
She sat there, resting her chin on her hand as she just… watched them rest. Noelle could’ve waited for hours, watching their back slowly rise and fall with each breath. Kris always looked so tired, so it put her at ease to see them getting some rest.
Not to mention, they looked freaking adorable while they were sleeping. If only she could see their face….
(…But sleeping through the entire day… how late did they stay up last night? Maybe there’s something I can do to help?)
Several different ideas floated through her mind as she watched Kris, until the human started to shift. They turned their head a couple of times, probably trying to find a comfortable position, before they finally gave up and revealed their face.
Kris' eyes wandered for a moment as they rested their chin on their arms, until they met Noelle’s gaze in front of them. Their lips immediately turned up in a smile, just like earlier that morning. They always looked so happy to see her, it just made her heart melt.
“Good afternoon, sleepyhead!” Noelle teased, rising from her seat and walking to their side. “Ready to get out of here?”
“...mmm… five more minutes…” they mumbled, turning away and laying their head on the desk again.
Noelle rolled her eyes. She'd heard that one before. “Yeah, right… Come on, Kris! You can nap at your house.” She grabbed their arm, slowly pulling them from their hiding place.
“…nnnngh… so mean….” they whined, though they showed no resistance as she pulled them up to their feet.
Noelle let out a sigh at that. “I know, I know, how cruel of me… oh! Don’t forget your quiz!” she reminded them. She turned around to find it by her feet, probably knocked over as they rose from their chair. But as she crouched down to pick it up, Noelle noticed something strange….
“...You didn’t answer any of the questions?” She couldn’t help but ask them bluntly as she looked over the unfinished quiz. There was nothing written across the whole page, not even their name.
“...huh? oh, uh… yeah, guess i didn’t….” they answered sheepishly, turning away as their cheeks went red. They were… embarrassed about it?
“Kris… don’t you think you should take your schoolwork a little more seriously?” she said gently, putting down the paper. Noelle knew that Kris trusted her, but she still worried about sounding judgmental.
Despite her efforts, though, Kris bowed their head at her question. “…i… i dunno… not like Alphys is gonna fail me, anyways…”
“But Ms. Alphys won’t always be here to give you a passing grade…” she countered, her expression filled with worry. How would Kris be able to graduate if they were failing their classes? “It’s not just about getting a good grade on a quiz, Kris. It’s about building good habits for the future. Don't you wanna go to college together one day? You can't just sleep through your classes there…"
"...” They stared at their shoes, shrinking in on themself as the silence grew. She felt bad, making them anxious like this, but she knew it had to be said.
After a moment, they let out a sigh. “...i… i know you’re right, but… i dunno… it's… it's hard.” They grabbed their arm anxiously. “...sorry… i know that’s kinda… pathetic, isn’t it? …can’t even… wake myself up….” they trailed off, turning away from her.
Noelle felt an ache in her heart, it was painful to hear Kris talk about themself like this. She stepped behind them and wrapped her arms around their waist, gently pulling them into her chest. They stiffened when she made contact, but quickly relaxed in her hold.
“Don’t say that, Krismas…” she whispered into their ear as they leaned into her. “I know you're trying your best. I know it's been… tough, these past few years. But you don't have to do it all by yourself anymore. Let me help you."
Kris was silent as she gently swayed them back and forth in her arms. They still seemed nervous, so she left a kiss on top of their head. She was patient as they seemed deep in thought, until they gently grabbed her hand. They lifted it to their face, leaving a kiss of their own across her knuckles.
She was glad they were facing away from her, otherwise they might've noticed the way her tail started wagging rapidly behind her.
Eventually, they turned their head back to look up at her. Their bangs fell away from their face, giving Noelle a clear view of their beautiful red eyes, gazing at her nervously. “...you’ll really help me…?”
She felt a grin stretch across her cheeks, already formulating a plan in her head. “Of course, sweetie! I know it’s not easy, but I promise I’ll be there for you the whole way.” She nuzzled their nose with her own, smiling brightly as they let out a giggle.
Kris turned around in her grip, returning the hug and looking up into her eyes. They looked so enamored by her, their eyes practically sparkling with joy.
“...o-okay, then. i’ll give it a try….”
~~~
"Why, good morning, Noelle! I am surprised to see you here so early!"
Toriel's face was filled with surprised as Noelle stood before her in front of the Dreemurr home. It was quite early to be fair, there was still about an hour left until school started. But Noelle knew the human was probably still fast asleep by now, so she figured she'd come over as soon as she could.
"Good morning, Toriel! And, um, sorry, I thought Kris told you I was coming?"
"Oh, they told me you two would be walking to school together, but I did not expect you to arrive before they have even woken up. Now, please, come in!" she finished as she stepped aside to let Noelle inside the house.
Visiting Kris's house always felt so… nostalgic. She'd been here a few times in the past few weeks, but every time, it still felt like she was stepping into a time capsule. She could still recognize all the little details from years ago, like the blanket on the couch that they had shared over many sleepovers, or the rug with the little stain from when Kris had spilled apple juice, or the lamp on the wall that was always just a little bit dimmer than the others. Even the little action figures that Kris and Azzy had lined up on the windowsills hadn't moved from their spots.
As she stepped towards the kitchen, Noelle noticed Toriel walking back towards the front door. "It was wonderful to see you again, my child, but I am afraid I must be going now. There is still much to prepare for class today. Please, help yourself to some pancakes, I made extra just for you!"
"Oh- er, th-thanks, but I've eaten already." She was surprised to see Toriel leaving so soon, didn't she say Kris was still asleep?
"I see… well, if you change your mind, feel free to take as much as you would like."
Toriel opened the door, stepping outside, before she stopped. She turned around, leaning into the doorway to look at Noelle one more time.
"Oh, and Noelle? Thank you very much, dear, for visiting. Kris has been so… quiet, ever since Asriel left. It makes me very happy to see them spending time with you again."
"O-of course! Kris is my pa- uh, b-best friend! My best friend! I'll always be there for them!" Noelle felt her face heat up, she almost just called them her partner!
Thankfully, if the goat woman noticed, she decided not to say anything about it. "Oh, that is so kind of you, my… "deer"! Hee hee… have a wonderful day!"
Toriel bid her farewell with a wave, then shut the door. As soon as she was gone, Noelle let out a shaky breath. That was close… she'd almost admitted that she was dating Kris! She wasn't ashamed of it, of course, but the human was adamant that their mom couldn't know yet.
She'd thought that maybe Kris was overreacting, that Toriel would accept their relationship with open arms. But it was hard for her to judge them, when she'd neglected to tell her own parents.
(I guess it's just easier this way, without them knowing…. Both of our Moms definitely wouldn't let us sleep in the same room if they knew. Maybe we could tell Dad, though…?)
Brushing that thought aside, Noelle stepped through the kitchen, stopping as she walked past the two plates of pancakes at the table.
(They do smell really good…but pancakes can wait! I've got a human who's waiting for me….)
Noelle walked up the stairs quietly, tiptoeing through the hallway and pushing their door open as gently as she could. She slowly stepped towards their bed, reaching out towards the lump of blankets in the middle of the bed. She pulled away the edge of the blanket to reveal Kris' face, gently snoring in their sleep.
Noelle checked her phone. (Only 6:55? Perfect.)
She knew school was starting in about an hour, but she had a plan to get them there on time. It was pretty simple: 10 minutes for breakfast, 20 minutes to bathe and get dressed, and 5 minutes to get their belongings ready for school. Then it would be a 10-minute walk to school, leaving them with plenty of spare time.
(…Which means there's no harm in letting them sleep just a little longer, right?)
Noelle sat down beside their bed, her face next to their own as she watched them sleep. She just couldn't help herself, they were so goshdarn cute! They looked so much more relaxed sleeping here, compared to their desk. Noelle brushed aside the loose hairs in their face to get a better look.
She really couldn't believe how lucky she was to have Kris back in her life. They were so much sweeter than they gave themself credit for, even to their own detriment. So when they opened up to her and admitted that they needed help… it felt like flowers were blooming in her heart.
She could've sat their for hours, counting their gentle breaths as their chest rose and fell…
*BEEP BEEP BEEP-
…if it weren't for her pesky backup alarm. She quickly shut it off, glaring at her phone for threatening to wake the human.
(That's my job, you little jerk…!)
With a sigh, she rose to her feet and gave them a gentle shake. "Kriiiiiiiis~… it's time to wake up, sweetie~"
She kept shaking them, but their eyes didn't budge, even as she put a little more force into it. "Oh, Kriiismaaaaas~"
She heard them murmur something quietly, but they didn't move at all. Noelle bit her lip, wondering how to proceed. She had an idea, but she needed to confirm something first. She pulled out her phone, looking through their texts from yesterday:
________________________________________
<3<3<3 Krismas <3<3<3
[ btw i give u full permission to wake my up by any means necessary ]
[ *me ]
9:13 P.M.
[ LOL Hopefully that won't be necessary! ]
9:14 P.M.
[ u may or may not have a choice ]
9:18 P.M.
________________________________________
(…Well, they did say 'by any means necessary'….)
"Come on, Kris, it's time to get up!" she shouted out as she yanked the blanket away from them. Clearly she'd underestimated how tightly they were tucked in, though, as all she achieved was rolling them slightly towards the edge of the bed. They groaned as they pulled the blankets back over their head, completely shielding themself from the outside world again.
Perhaps she had to change her approach…. Noelle reached for the blankets again, watching Kris' movements still as she stepped closer. She carefully grabbed onto a fold of the blanket, one that they were laying on top of, then….
*Fwoosh-
*Thump! "Oof-"
"OH MY GOSH!" Noelle covered her mouth with her hands, watching the human that she'd just flipped and spun onto the ground, leaving them face-down in a tangle of sheets and limbs.
"I'm so sorry, Kris! I didn't mean to pull so hard!" She knelt beside them, but they didn't move. "…Um, are you okay, Kris…?"
"…no… 'm dead… you killed me…." They mumbled from the ground.
Noelle gave them an unamused look. "Har har. Come on, Kris, we've gotta eat before you get ready."
They flipped over onto their back, their eyes still shut. "…can't get up… dead, remember…?" They stated, letting their tongue hang out of their mouth for additional effect.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time, ya goofball." She walked across their room, pulling two identical green sweaters out of their wardrobe. "Now, what kind of style are you thinking for today, Kris Cross?"
They peeked at her with one eye, only to immediately close it again. "…left…."
"Hee hee… good choice." She tossed the sweater on their bed and put away the rejected one. "Now hurry up! Your Mom made pancakes, so we have to eat before we leave."
Their head shot up from their laying position. "Pancakes?" they said, suddenly sounding like they were wide awake.
Noelle couldn't help but snicker, of course that was what got their attention. "Yep! And if you don't get your butt off the floor, I'm gonna-"
She stopped as a human-shaped blur shot past her and out into the hallway. "Wait! Kris! You'd better not eat all of them!" she called out as she rushed to catch up to them.
(Well, at least they're awake now.)
~~~
"…how could you make me do this…?”
Kris’ complaints fell on deaf ears as Noelle walked hand-in-hand with her partner, the sun still rising in the distance. She had hoped that eating some food would help to stave off the drowsiness, but it didn't seem to last for long. “Oh, come on, it’s not that bad… look how nice the weather is today!”
“…this weather is average at best. ugh…” they groaned, their head and arms going limp for dramatic effect. “...how am I supposed to stay awake like this?”
“Well, I did warn you I’d be at your house bright and early.” She said matter-of-factly, earning another groan from Kris in response. She gave their hand a squeeze, hoping to reassure them. “I know it feels hard now, when your body’s so used to sleeping later. But that’s exactly why we have to keep going! If we do this every day, I promise it’ll get easier.”
“…every day…? …don’t think humans were meant to wake up this early.”
“Heh… somehow, I doubt that.”
“...you never know… maybe we were meant to be nocturnal hunters. like owls. or raccoons.”
“Pffft. Well, luckily, you’re not a raccoon, so you don’t have to go scavenging for food in the middle of the night, silly!”
“...mom might disagree with that. she hides the chocolate for a reason, you know.”
"Fahaha! I guess you have a point!" she laughed as they rounded the corner towards the Librarby. Kris really was ravenous when chocolate was involved.
Despite their low energy, they were still holding Noelle's hand, gently squeezing it every now and then while they walked side by side. But eventually, it seemed like that wasn't close enough for them anymore. They let out a huff, before leaning into Noelle's side, resting their head on her shoulder.
Noelle swore she could feel her heart skip a beat when they made contact.
"Kris…? Are you okay?"
"…'m still sleepy…."
"W-well don't go and fall asleep on me now, dummy! We've only got twenty minutes until class starts!"
"…'s your own fault for having comfy shoulders…." they mumbled from beside her.
Any protest Noelle had died at their words. She had been worried about making Kris uncomfortable when she touched them, ever since they had reconciled. She knew things were different now that they were older, but they'd insisted that they still didn't mind, even saying that they preferred when she initiated contact with them. Even so, she still tried to keep her… clinginess in check, to not cross any boundaries and scare them away. But in moments like this, when Kris got just a bit clingy themself, it delighted Noelle to no end.
In moments like this, she knew Kris was exactly where they wanted to be.
Despite that, Noelle couldn’t shake that nagging feeling that she was doing too much. Glancing down at her human, she could see that they had given up on keeping their eyes open, simply letting Noelle lead them to their destination as they blindly pressed against her side. She felt a flash of guilt at their tired expression.
(They look so exhausted… I hope I’m not pushing them too hard….)
“Hey, um… I know you said you wanted me to help, but, uh… you know that… if you ever want me to back off or something, you can tell me, right?” She looked back at Kris. Their face hadn’t moved at all. They were still walking with her, but it was hard to tell if they were even listening.
Now the silence felt uncomfortable. Noelle looked away from them as her brain scrambled to ease the tension. “Er, n-not that I don’t wanna help, of course! I-I just don’t wanna make you think you’re not trying hard enough, or that I’m being too controlling, or- or- EEP!”
Her rambling came to a squeaking halt as she felt a pinch on her arm. She looked to her side and saw Kris… biting her shoulder???
“K-K-Kris?! What are you doing?!” she called out in surprise as she stopped them in their tracks.
“...yummy….” they mumbled as they continued treating her sweater like a chew toy.
“Wh- are you some kind of dog or something? Knock it off!” she said, flicking their nose with her free hand. But they were undeterred, gnawing on her sleeve like a hungry puppy.
“...grrrr…” Kris tried to growl, though it wasn't very intimidating. It sounded more like a purr. Noelle felt herself blush at the noise, they really did look like a cute little puppy. She almost considered letting them keep going; they weren’t really biting her, after all.
They were just… chewing on her sweater… in the middle of the sidewalk… where anyone could see them….
“Okay, that's enough! Down! Bad dog!” She scolded them with renewed fervor… then watched as they immediately dropped to their knees beside her, making a high-pitched whine as they sat dejectedly at her hooves. She stood there for a moment, wide-eyed while her face heated up.
(OH MY GOD did I really just say that?? And they really just??? Went along with it????)
Kris looked up at her face from the ground with a pout, clearly intending to guilt her. But as they saw her staring at them, her hands over her mouth, they seemed to also realize the… awkward position they were in. They quickly stood up, their face beet-red as they avoided looking her in the eyes.
“...let’s j-just… get to class…”
They suddenly seemed much less tired as they quickly scurried away. Noelle blinked, then rushed to catch up to her partner. Their eyes were locked on the road beneath them, though when her hand brushed against theirs, they immediately joined hands with her again.
She pointedly tried to ignore the way her heart was racing now; she was just worried about someone seeing the two of them like that, that was all.
She definitely was NOT imagining Kris with a pair of puppy ears.
~~~
"…So you have to look at the opposite side from the angle, then you… Kris, are you even listening to me??"
Noelle couldn't help but glare at the human next to her as they doodled in their notebook. The two of them were on her living room couch, surrounded by textbooks and papers as Noelle tried to explain trigonometry to Kris.
It had been a couple of weeks since Noelle had started walking to school with them, and they'd made some good progress so far! Kris wasn't late for class even once, and they were able to stay awake in class a lot easier now. They'd even woken themself up before she could get to their house in the morning a couple of times!
Kris was getting better at staying awake… but now they had a different problem. They could hardly focus enough to actually learn anything useful.
Noelle leaned over to look at what they were drawing… it was a little mouse sitting on a piece of cheese.
"…his name is Cheezums."
Noelle let out a sigh. "Well, Cheezums is very cute, but maybe we should focus on getting your work done? We've still got a lot to go through…." She gestured towards the stack of papers in front of them, a collection of unfinished homework from as early as the beginning of the year. If they were gonna get their grades in order, they would have to go back and catch up on all the things they'd skipped.
"… there's so much, though… can we even finish it all today?"
"Maybe, if we really focused on getting it done… but we can finish the rest another day if it takes too long."
"… guess so… 'm kinda hungry, though…"
"I guess we have been working for a while… alright, then how about this:" she started as she rose to her feet. "I'll go grab us some snacks, and you can try and finish that question I was showing you."
"…mmm… no promises…" they mumbled as she walked towards the kitchen, earning a ruffle of their hair from Noelle as she passed behind them.
"Well, maybe I'll just keep them to myself, then!"
"…noooooo, please… gonna starve… need… candy…." they groaned, falling dramatically onto their side.
"Hehe… no promises! Fahaha!" she joked as Kris whined from the couch, like a sad little puppy begging for a treat.
She stepped into the kitchen, walking straight towards the pantry and pulling out a bag of chocolate kisses. Kris's favorite, of course, she knew they wouldn't settle for anything less after that little display.
(Heh, they're such a goofball… maybe this will help them stay focused for a bit!)
Noelle was still chuckling to herself as she returned to the living room, fully expecting to see Kris doing something to distract themself again. Maybe they'd even prepared some kind of prank for her. But to her surprise, the human was leaned over the coffee table, scribbling away at the worksheet in front of them.
She looked over their shoulder as she approached, noticing that they'd actually answered the question she had explained to them. Not only that, they'd answered almost every other question in just the minute or two that she had been gone!
"Gosh, you've been busy!" Kris jumped at her words, she didn't realize they were so wrapped up in their work.
They turned to face her, opening their mouth to reply, until their eyes widened, locked on to the bag of chocolates in her hand. She let out a giggle as she noticed where their attention had shifted.
"Hee hee… okay, you did a good job, so here you go!" She unwrapped a piece of chocolate and presented it to them… only to quickly pull it back to avoid the snapping teeth threatening her fingers.
"AH- Hey! Stop that!" They retreated after she gave them a firm tap on the nose, though their eyes stayed focused on the treat in her hand. "Geez, so impatient… okay, no biting this time!"
She held out her hand again, the chocolate resting on her open palm this time. They stared at it for a moment, before carefully reaching for it and dropping it into their mouth. Noelle couldn't help but smile at the way they squeezed their eyes shut in delight as they chewed on the candy.
"…mmm… more, please?"
"Fahaha! You're insatiable, Kris!" Noelle laughed as they started to give her the puppy-dog eyes. That might've worked when they were younger, but they'd tried it on her too many times for it to have any effect on her anymore.
(Well, they did finish that worksheet on their own… maybe I could give them some more. Gosh, If I'd know that all they needed to focus was some treats, then I would've started bringing them brownies at school… Oh!)
Noelle's eyes lit up as an idea came to her mind. Kris didn't notice, still eyeing the bag of chocolates in her hand.
"Hmmm… I'll tell you what, Kris:" She reached over the table and pulled out another old homework assignment. It was another math worksheet, this one about algebra. "If you finish this one, you can have another kiss."
"…on the lips?" they asked, their cheeks turning pink.
"Wh- I meant CHOCOLATE kisses, dummy!" She felt her nose light up in embarrassment as she hid her face in her hands. It wasn't that she didn't wanna kiss Kris, she was happy to cover them in smooches whenever they would let her! It just felt like… kissing on the lips was a big step up from her usual affection, wasn't it?
But when she peeked through her fingers, Kris looked… disappointed? "…Um, maybe later, though…?"
She tried not to dwell on the way their shoulders quickly straightened at her offer.
Instead, she drew her attention towards explaining quadratic equations to them. Now that she'd promised them a reward for their efforts, they seemed much more interested in the material. And sure enough, before long, she'd walked them through the whole assignment, bringing them one step closer to catching up on their work.
"Nice job, Krismas! See, it's not so hard when you put a little effort into it!" she turned to face them, but their eyes were focused on something behind her.
"Oh, right! Since you did such a good job…" Noelle reached into the bag of chocolates and unwrapped one, offering it to her human. "Here you go!"
This time, they leaned forward and ate it right out of her hand. "Fahaha! Oh my gosh, stop it!!" She laughed as they swallowed down the candy. "Hee hee, you're so silly, Kris… like a puppy doing tricks!" She leaned over and ruffled their hair again. That earned her a growl from the human.
"Hey! Only good puppies get treats!" She held up another chocolate for them. Their eyes widened as they let out a whine, trying to guilt her again.
"Nice try, but you're not gonna get them THAT easily! Now, then…" She reached for another paper. "…how about some geography?"
"…ugh… fine…" they begrudgingly took the paper from her as she pulled out the corresponding textbook.
And so that's how the rest of the day proceeded, with Kris doing their homework while Noelle guided them, giving them a chocolate for each finished assignment. As the setting sun started to glow through the windows of her home, the bag of kisses had gotten considerably lighter, and the mess of worksheets and textbooks around the two of them had dwindled into just a single page of work left for the human.
""Gosh, it's already getting dark? I didn't realize we'd been working for so long!"
"…wasn't as hard as i thought… should've just done this a while ago." they said quietly as they put the finishing touches on their last assignment.
"Heh, well all that matters is that we finished it all in the end." Noelle wrapped her arm around their shoulder, pulling them into her side. "I'm really proud of you, Krismas."
"…for procrastinating?"
"No, silly! For working so hard! It's not easy to admit that you need help… that you want to make a change. But I'm so glad you asked me." She finished by nuzzling her cheek into the side of their head.
Kris rested their head against her shoulder, curling into her side. "…i know… just wish i'd done it sooner."
"Oh, sweetie…" She felt her heart twist at their words. She wished she could just squeeze them tight until all their doubts went away. "You don't have to keep beating yourself up over it. Sure, maybe you could've been a little more, er… 'proactive', but that doesn't define you, Kris. You're allowed to struggle, too. I just hope you won't be afraid to come to me when you need it."
Kris went still beside her, before they turned towards her, wrapping their arms around her waist and tucking their face into the crook of her neck.
"…you're awesome, you know that?" they said, their voice muffled by her sweater.
It felt like Noelle's heart was doing backflips, she felt so giddy. She pulled them closer, (Cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute-)
Kris let out a yawn, turning their head to rest their cheek on her shoulder. "Aww, are you feeling tired?"
"…maybe…" they said as they shut their eyes.
"Hee hee! You can take a nap now, if you want. You've earned it, Krismas." They didn't need anymore encouragement, sliding their head off of Noelle shoulder and letting themself fall into her lap.
Their breathing was getting steadier, when another thought came to Noelle's mind… she had mentioned a kiss earlier, hadn't she? She gently brushed their bangs out of their face, watching as they succumbed to their sleepiness. She slowly leaned forward, closer to their face… then she pressed her lips to their forehead.
"Mmm… sleep well, Krismas… Oh!" She couldn't help but let out a yelp as they turned over, wrapping their arms around her waist and pushing their face into her belly. "Hee hee… such a goofball!" She stroked their hair from above, working her fingers through their messy locks.
(…But you're my goofball.)