Flynn - a kissing booth fan fiction

Encounters

Walking through the front door, the thing that hits me first is the smell. The combination of a huge Christmas tree and way too much baking means that our house always smells like a mixture of pine, ginger and cinnamon at this time of year. It's heady and familiar and I feel another layer of stress dissolve the moment I step inside the entry. I was pretty relaxed after spending last night and all day today with Elle, but there's something about being in your own house that just feels good.

"I'm back!" I call out, Elle following behind me.

"Noah!" Mom cries, barreling down the hallway and wrapping me in a huge hug. I've been taller than her for years now, but somehow she still seems able to completely envelop me when she hugs me. I'm not complaining. It feels as good as it always does.

"Hey, Ma," I say into her hair.

"Ah, I'm so glad to have you home."

"It's good to be home."

She pulls back a little then, peering up at my face carefully, like she's searching for answers to questions she hasn't asked, at least not out loud. Finally she settles on one.

"How was your flight?"

I'm not about to tell her that I actually arrived last night. That can stay as mine and Elle's little secret. But I'm not about to lie, either. An omission of the whole truth, at worst.

"It was fine. I slept most of the way."

"Oh, you must be exhausted. And hungry." She all but shoos me away. "Go dump your things in your room and come downstairs, dinner's almost ready."

I do as I'm told while Mom turns to Elle, giving her a quick hug too. By the time I make it downstairs and say hi to Dad and Lee, Mom's herding us all to the dinner table. There's a lot for me to catch up on, and after answering the usual questions about classes and college life, I let everyone else's conversations wash over and around me, mostly just listening to them all talk, not saying much myself. When we're done eating, I help Lee and Elle clear the table and load the dishwasher before we head into the den.

Mom and Dad are already there in their usual spots, and Lee and Elle take theirs, while I stretch out on the couch next to Elle, my head on a cushion in her lap. I'm not sure how much of the movie I even see, because the combination of a full stomach, Elle's fingers combing absently through my hair, and the fact that I'm still a little sleep-deprived, have me closing my eyes and dozing off pretty quickly. At some point Elle shakes me awake, whispering in my ear that I need to get up and go to bed. I manage to drag myself upright, waving a drowsy goodnight to my family as they smile indulgently, and get up the stairs to my bedroom. Elle trails along behind me, chuckling when I nearly stumble into the wall walking down the hallway.

"Are you this bad when you're drunk?"

"Worse, probably. Don't remember," I mumble, pushing open my door and heading towards the bed.

"Oh, no you don't," Elle says, rushing to grab me by the back of my shirt, steering me towards the bathroom. "Teeth first."

"Bossy," I grin sleepily, moving the direction she's aiming me.

"Yeah, well, I'm the one who'll have to deal with your morning breath tomorrow," she laughs.

"Bossy and presumptuous," I smirk, picking up my toothbrush from the counter and squeezing toothpaste onto it before handing the tube to Elle, who rolls her eyes at me in the mirror.

"Please, as if you won't be kissing me in the morning."

As it turns out, we don't have to wait until morning, assuming you define morning as after the sun has risen. Because at some point while it's still very much dark outside, I wake to the feeling of Elle kissing my neck. Her legs are tangled with mine and her small hands are tracing paths all over my bare chest and stomach. All of that would be pretty hard to sleep through, even if it weren't for the fact that she's grinding her hips against me, making something else very hard too.