12. Noec
Noec
Still clutching each other tight, they shared a smile as their heaving breaths steadied into sighs of comfort and bittersweet relief. Noec wiped the tears from her eyes, and Flora reached to dry his own tears, ones he hadn’t even known were there.
There was a crunching noise nearby. They turned to look.
Davy was lounged on the loveseat, frozen with a cheesy puff halfway to his mouth, the TV blaring across the room. Flora cleared her throat and straightened her dizzied stance.
“Good morning,” Noec greeted, and Flora’s broken heart was healed at the sound.
Davy looked back and forth between them, still frozen. Flora sniffled and rubbed her nose, and Noec waved politely like he hadn’t just been mauled by a wild animal.
“You’re back?” Davy whispered, leaning forward. “It’s only like one in the morning.”
“Yeah… exactly,” Flora whispered back. “Why are you up right now?”
“Mind your own business,” he said with a crunch. “Hey,” he asked, pointing to Noec with a cheesy finger, “is that my shirt?”
“Oh.” Noec tugged at what was left of it. “I’m so sorry.”
“Also, you appear to be very wet.” Davy raised a brow and glanced at Flora. “Nice.”
Flora seethed, “Shut the?—”
They could hear someone’s dragging steps coming down the stairs.
Davy grinned at his sister, licking the cheese dust off his fingers like a gremlin. “Still can’t sleep?” he called out, and Noec and Flora were frozen stiff.
A tired grumble came in reply. “She back yet?” Mrs. Fray trudged into the living room in a T-shirt dress and sighed.
“I give up on sleep. And your father keeps trying to sell me drugs in his sleep.” She collapsed in the loveseat next to Davy, pried a cheesy puff from his hand, and leaned back. “Thanks for keeping watch, buddy.”
Sleepy, she looked up.
“Howdy,” Flora greeted nervously.
Mrs. Fray blinked, and her eyes flicked to Noec.
“It was an accident this time,” Flora said quickly.
“Mhm,” Mrs. Fray said. “I remember when I brought your dad home on accident.” Thoughtful, she tilted her head and studied Noec. “You’re very wet,” she observed. She glanced at Flora. “Nice.”
Flora groaned. “Lunara blind me,” she muttered.
“Snake-eyes isn’t looking too hot,” Davy noted.
“Davy!” Mrs. Fray threw the cheesy puff at Davy’s face. “Don’t listen to him, Noec, you’re very… ” She trailed off, looking Noec up and down. “Oh, no, Davy’s right.”
“Stop objectifying my friend,” Flora scolded. She grabbed Noec’s arm and looked up. “Oh.” Noec’s eyes were clenched shut, his brows scrunched as though he were in pain. A remnant pang of urgency struck her chest.
“Noec?” Flora pressed, panic rising in her voice. “Noec?”
“I’m fine, Pixie,” he assured her, but his reassuring smile was more of a wince. “I haven’t slept for days, and I think… I think my body’s taken a beating.”
Flora exhaled deeply. “That would be an understatement,” she muttered. “I have a bed?”
“Absolutely not,” Davy asserted.
“No, it’s fine,” Mrs. Fray shrugged. “Just don’t tell Dad.” Davy stammered in protest. Mrs. Fray shot back a searing look. “She’s a grown-ass adult, Davy. Stop hoochie-blocking her.”
Noec glanced at Flora. “What… does that mean?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
Davy gagged and set the cheesy puffs aside. “Please… don’t ever say that again.”
At Mrs. Fray’s insistence, Flora and Noec crept as stealthily as they could up the stairs, and Noec’s weary eyes lit up just a bit as he stepped into her room.
In the dim lamplight, Noec looked around in wonder, admiring the paintings on the wall, the most precious of which she had painted with the help of his own sister, Feya.
“I forgot about this one,” he said, with a glint of nostalgia in his eyes. He stared at it, a sweet look on his face. But in an instant, that soft expression seemed to harden, staring at the painting as though an angry, bitter thought had overcome him.
“You okay?”
Noec furrowed his brow, trapped in the sight of the painting. “I hate them so much, Flora,” he said quietly. “Those scythes.”
“I know,” Flora replied gently, placing a hand on his back. “I do, too.”
His focused glare broke to glance at her. There was an oddness in his eyes beyond the bloodshot red, something familiar that she couldn’t quite place. Flora blinked.
“Noec, I’m worried about you,” she said. His eyes widened, and that harsh gaze softened.
“Don’t be,” he said. Carefully, he wiped a strand of hair from her eye and added, “You need a break from worrying, Pixie.” Weary, he stared at her for a long moment, and Flora’s heart fluttered just a touch. “May I… hug you?” he requested.
She nodded, and with a bittersweet sadness in his eyes, Noec wrapped his arms around her. They fell into each other, and as they held on like it would be a sin to let go, it occurred to her that they were safe at last.
“Are you okay, Flora?” he muttered into her hair.
“My best friend is alive,” she replied, squeezing him tight as he rocked her. “I’m much better than okay.”
Smiling, Flora opened her eyes to find her mom lurking in the partly-open door.
“DO YOU NEED ANY CONDOMS?” Mrs. Fray mouthed through the doorway. Flora could only blink back in shock. Mrs. Fray then made a suggestive gesture with her fingers to explain.
“No!” Flora hissed aggressively, and she swallowed the urge to scream.
Noec stepped back, startled. “Oh. I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Holy fucking hell,” Flora muttered, and Noec followed her gaze to the doorway.
“That’s okay!” Mrs. Fray said with a thumbs up. She placed a fresh set of clothes on the dresser top for Noec and crept back. “I want grandchildren sooner than later,” she said, carefully closing the door.
Noec’s jaw fell low, as though it had all just clicked. Flora met his startled gaze with lingering fury in her own, and after a moment, he puffed a laugh.
“Your family is wild,” he commented. He grinned. “I love it.”
Flora sighed. “I wish I could say I’ve never been more humiliated,” she said. “But you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my parents line dancing in a Waffle House.”
He laughed wholly now, enough to have to muffle his laugh with his hand.
His laugh slowed, and it was all Flora could do to stay standing while she took in his smile.
But, after a moment, Noec’s eyes shifted to the painting on the wall, and his bright smile was broken by a grimace.
Flora tilted her head, glancing between him and the picture as he seemed to zone out.
“Yep,” she noted, “it’s bedtime for you.” Gently, she guided him over to the bed and pulled back the blanket.
Noec replied with a grumpy grumble. He shot a sideways glance at Flora and smirked. “Real pillows today?” he said tiredly. “I must be moving up in life.”
“Actually,” Flora stopped him as he reached longingly for the mattress. “You should change clothes first.”
“Okay,” Noec murmured. He started peeling off his shirt.
“Oh. Goddamn,” Flora blurted out loud.
Noec paused and glanced back at her, turning red like he hadn’t been thinking.
“Goddamn,” Mrs. Fray whispered from the doorway.
“MOM.”
“I had to bring socks, FLORA,” she replied. “I didn’t know things would be happening this fast. I thought there’d at least be some canoodling first. Jesus.”
Flora choked on air, grabbing the clothes and shutting the door in one panicked motion. She threw the clothes at Noec and blocked her eyes.
“I changed my mind,” she said, leaning against the door. “This is worse than Waffle House.”
“Look away, please,” Noec instructed, snorting with laughter. “And guard the door while I change.” Flora turned abruptly to face the corner like a kid in time-out. “Can’t have me soaking your sheets,” he added, which sounded way worse than he probably thought it did.
“Kill me,” Flora murmured, pressing her forehead against the wall.
“I’m decent,” he said after a minute, but Flora felt like she couldn’t move. She looked back to see him sitting on the bed in cozy clothes, staring at the pillow like it was calling his name.
She smiled. “Plop,” she allowed him, and he slowly tipped over and plopped onto the pillow, exhaling a pleased sigh as he did. Noec grinned as he huddled himself beneath the covers.
Flora gripped the doorknob to leave, but something made her hesitate. She was scared to let him out of her sight. For just another glance, she permitted herself to take in the peaceful sight of him.
He was here, safe and sound. But having seen his body broken had snapped something inside of her—something that could never be undone.
“What?” Noec asked, catching her melancholy gaze with one eye open.
Flora’s brow furrowed. Quietly, she said, “You have no idea what you just put us through, do you?”
“Flora… I can’t imagine.”
“I thought you were gone.” She rubbed her nose and sniffed. “Not just injured. I—We lost you.”
Noec’s brows knit together, confused as though he hadn’t really known a thing.
“I’ll check on you in a bit,” she said, trying her best to smile. “But sleep as long as you need. I’ll fend off my family.”
Quietly, she stepped outside, her fingers lingering on the glass knob as she shut the door behind her. She sighed deeply, haunted by the fear that there was something more she should have said.
But there was still time, she thought. She wasn’t out of time.
“So,” Davy began, chewing louder than could ever possibly be necessary. “I take it he doesn’t get the well-rested bonus like you do?”
“Guess not,” Flora replied. “Hitchhikers still need sleep, apparently.”
“So, uh…” Davy began tentatively. “Wanna talk about… stuff?”
“Nope.”
“Sweet. Bye.” Finally, Davy was free to retire to his room, and he was thoughtful enough to steal another bite of Flora’s breakfast on the way out.
Flora leaned back in her chair and stared at the clock.
By now, Flora was accustomed to being wide awake while the rest of the world was still sleeping.
She always had to be awake before the rest of her family, lessening the chances of being found missing from bed.
Right now, though, maybe the last thing she needed was to be alone with her thoughts.