Story WIPS

dark moon tingz

Noa is quiet. 

Noa does not get in people's way.

Noa heads to class and heads out. 

Of course, making friends does sound interesting, but he has his brothers for that. Lifelong friends that understand who he is, who he truly is: the boy in the shadows.

It's one of the reasons why people don't come up to him. Shadows are scary. They sneak around unannounced, pop up silently when you don't expect them. They follow you quietly, eyeing you from the edge of your peripheral vision.

Shadows hold power. And they are Noa's comfort.

Unfortunately, except for his brothers, no one else seems to think that way.

…Except for one.

Except for her.

Noa's eyes open immediately upon hearing rustling in the woods as if something is approaching him. The woodland creatures that had made themselves comfortable around him flee for their own safety. He tenses, shadows swirling around his hands in preparation for whatever or whoever may be waiting for him between those bushes.

But when he sees two familiar pink eyes, his hands slowly fall to his side. He sighs softly, shaking his head quietly as part of him wishes Sooha had been quieter. He'd almost finished naming those new baby bunnies…

Sooha greets him as happily as always, smiling awkwardly. Noa finds her…strange. Not just because of how drawn to her they all seem (Heli especially, but he teased him about that in private), but because she's just…weird. What kind of person is this comfortable around seven vampires that keep getting her in trouble?

She's also, to Noa, Jakah, and especially Jaan's chagrin, incredibly clumsy and accident prone. But out of constant duty, they run to her aid time and time again.

Still, how did she find him? Usually she's out with Heli, studying with Heli, hanging out in her room with Heli, hanging out in their room with Heli…

Noa is not Heli. So why is she here?

He nods back to her quietly, waving once before just sitting and…staring.

She blinks at him curiously, clearly burning under the heat of awkwardness and the intensity of Noa's stare (Shion always complained he looked too intimidating, but he didn't really see it), before she realizes that it's going to be up to her to speak since Noa was not going to.

"Hi! Sorry, uhm. Heli kind of sent me after you…"

So they were hanging out, he thinks to himself.

[Heli,] Noa mentally shoots out as Sooha fidgets awkwardly, [why is your girlfriend here?]

Noa can't help the small smile that appears on his face when he can almost see the blush his older brother now wears. [She's not–whatever. She was asking for you.]

"You were asking for me?" Noa says aloud, eyes widening a bit in surprise.

Sooha blushes. "Yes."

"Why?" Noa narrows his eyes at her, suspicious.

"Well, uh, haha…" she begins awkwardly, fidgeting. Noa sometimes wishes she'd just gain a bit more confidence. Although he wasn't really one to talk considering he hardly spoke at all.

Clearing her throat, she presses on, seeming to gain more confidence. "I wanted to practice."

"Practice?" Noa repeats inquisitively.

She nods. "If we're constantly being attacked, then I should at least learn how to better defend myself, right?"

Noa's surprise only grows. "And Heli sent you here for this?"