Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight. (A noco fanfiction)

Celebrity manhunt special

It was early March, and the Gemmie awards had certainly been a ride.

All in the space of a few hours, Noah had been fired, and then reunited with the rest of the cast, as well the addition of a crazy Cody obsessed fan/presenter. They'd lost in the 'Best Ensemble' category, and they were back to being nobodies. Noah was secretly relieved at that, instead his rage was targeted at Chris for just tossing him away like he was yesterday's trash, no recognition for all his hard work!
Then it had gotten even worse. The new girl, Sierra, had convinced them all to get in DJ's bus and drive through the night to New York City for the Orpah show, creating some high-speed chase with the members of the Dirtbags bus like this was a Fast and Furious movie. Whichever idiots let Courtney drive and let Duncan be unsupervised needed a punch in the face, as the on-off couples stupid making out had led to them all almost dying, falling off a cliff and totalling the bus.

"And then when I come back, we will partayyyy!" Geoff danced enthusiastically. He didn't seem too banged up after the crash and was grouping together people to join him on a search party.
Noah considered for half a second about going with the cowboy, but then Justin agreed to go along, and the momentum went right out of the metaphorical window. Instead, he settled against the base of the clifftop, his bones sore from being crushed under Owen and whoever else had used him as a cushion during the crash. Noah was only half paying attention as other's jumped in on Geoff's offer, and Bridgette setting down a towel with her top missing a few feet away from him. Noah heard her call back that she'd rather stay and sunbathe, as he lay down onto his side and held his head up with his hand when he felt Cody sit down next to him, cross legged and wincing. Courtney and Duncan also sat down a few feet away from them, seemingly happy with each other again.

"Who am I to come between a hottie and her rays? Let's go guys!" Geoff shrugged it off, leading his troupe of Katie and Sadie, Trent, Justin and for some reason, DJ's mama off down the canyon into the beyond.
Noah was quite happy where he was, the others chatting around him, exclaiming about their near-death experience. Cody didn't speak directly to him, his back against the wall and his arms crossed, but there was nothing strange between them, it was companionable silence. Occasionally he would join in the conversation, and Noah contributed when he felt like it, making Cody snicker at his sarcasm a few times. Noah kept his smile to himself, his insides melting at just being back in Cody's company, that even though they were stranded in the middle of nowhere with no help in sight, he could just lay back and bask in Cody's magnetic aura. Noah felt himself drifting off to sleep as the sun began to set, the stony ground irrelevant compared to how tired he was after being up for nearly 48 hours straight. As long as it didn't end up like the awake-a-thon, he wasn't too fussed how he slept.

He jinxed himself, it was just the same as the first week of Island.

Noah awoke to searing heat and vultures cawing above him. His neck felt like he'd been stabbed, and his spine felt ready to snap. The toll of sleeping on desert rock had hit him at last, and Noah groaned, ready to sit up and complain, but a sleeping Cody stopped him. They'd resumed their position on Island, Cody using his arm as a pillow, and Noah had his knees tucked behind Cody's, his hand resting gently at the others waist. After everything between them, he still cringed for a moment, panicking that Cody would wake up in a moment and run off and scream again.

"Hey...Hey Noah. Psst!"
Noah prised himself up awkwardly onto his free elbow, trying his best to not shake too much and wake Cody up. He looked too cute right now.
"What?" Noah whispered to his best friend, Owen a few metres from him, hunched on his knees.
"Want a granola bar?" Owen offered.
Noah blinked at him, trying to process what was going on. Geoff still hadn't found help? "Where's Geoff and the others?" Noah edged his arm out from under Cody and accepted Owen's contraband.
"Still not back." Owen munched on his own bar. "But I'm sure it'll be fine!"
"Mm, or we'll die alone in the middle of nowhere." Noah grinned at him. He was mostly just trying to freak out Owen, but a niggling little pinch of worry began to seep in, what if they really did die here? Surely Geoff will come back, or even Chris and Chef?
"Don't say that!" Owen wailed, making Cody mumble back something in his sleep, and wriggle around uncomfortably.
Noah took pity on him, Cody's face smudgy with dirt and dust, so Noah lifted his head gently, laying him down again with his head in Noah's lap. He was a better pillow than gravel and beetles. Cody didn't wake, but the soft smile had returned to his lips.
"Cute!" Owen giggled at him. "Have you talked to him yet?"
"Shut up!" Noah hissed, trying to keep their voices low and not let Cody hear this conversation he did not want to have for the hundredth time. "No...I might if we live." He answered honestly. He did still want to see what Cody felt for him. At least that was something to aim for.
"Ok buddy!" Owen left it at that, taking Noah's empty wrapper and hiding it in his shorts, before tossing another to Noah to keep for later, a finger to his lips in secrecy.