Mitch and Noah

Noah~ Road Trip Start!

Breathing a heavy sigh, Noah looked back at Grace's waiting car in the parking lot. Mimicking her encouraging smile, he turned again to the door, knocking softly.

He still couldn't understand how Grace had been able to get him out of his panic attack and into the idea of helping Mitch out so quickly, and he marveled once again at the only woman he'd ever really been comfortable around.

"Noah, welcome!"

Upon the door opening, the smell of carrots wafted strongly from the apartment, and Noah looked questioningly at Mitch as he was guided in.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, haha. Just wondering why your house smells like carrots."

"Carrots? Um...that's weird, considering I HATE carrots. Are you sure that's what it smells like in here? I'm horrified to think my house smells like my least favorite vegetable."

Grabbing a spray from his bathroom, Mitch dramatically sprayed a lavender smelling air freshener, which succeeded in turning the smell into a lavender carrot mix that actually smelled good to Noah.

Like REALLY good.

"Don't worry, it smells nice."

After Mitch let out a few loud sniffs and a shrug, Mitch and Noah laughed in unison, Mitch's loud bellows intertwining with Noah's soft chuckles in a way that made the room fill with a happiness that he was not used to experiencing.

The electric blip to the chest as their eyes locked was concerning.

Noah wanted to look away, but the heated desire in Mitch's eyes had him stuck like a deer in headlights.

Luckily, Mitch seemed to blink it away, replacing the heated look with a tired expression of thanks.

"I have a lot of shit going on in my life right now, and honestly, I am so grateful to have someone to take along for this ride, so thanks again. I'll take your bag and pack it in my car. Is there anything you forgot that you might need us to grab before we start? It should take about 16 hours total for me to drive, though we'll be making a small pit stop at my aunt's nursing home at the 12-hour mark, just to see how she's living."

"You're not planning to drive it all in one shot, are you?"

Mitch glanced sheepishly at Noah.

"I kinda was, but now that I'm really thinking about it, I'm tired already, so maybe just a few hours tonight, and then we can find a room or something? If that works for you? I guess I should have waited until tomorrow morning or something, but it's only 4, so I think I can get in a good 6 hours before I'm ready to crash."

"I'll go along with whatever you want. I'm at your disposal, though I wish I had a driver's license."

"Hey, driving for me is no problem. My hope is that you're good with kids. Cause that's the one thing I'm scared of."

Noah smiled. He had always loved kids, probably more than adults. He'd always gravitated towards nurturing them, even with all the other drama that had taken over his life.

Probably because he understood firsthand how scary it was to be a child and alone, with nobody to rely on to help care for you.

"I have years of babysitting experience, if that's what you mean, considering I had to watch my ex's nieces and nephews constantly."

Noah could see Mitch's interest peak at the mention of Lulu, but he would not be indulging him with THAT information any time soon; or ever if he could help it.

His emotions as Lulu's evil, black eyes invaded his mental space, attempted to get him running panic stricken for the door, and he held his breath for a second before changing the subject quickly.

"So, the baby is 14 months?"

"Yeah, a year and two months. His name is Rowan."

"Aww that's a nice name. That age means he might still be on the bottle and diaper."

The panic that Noah had just gotten rid of showed up on Mitch's face at the mention of diapers.

"Possibly."

"And he's your cousin's son?"

Noah didn't want to push to the point of uncomfortable, but was curious, as Grace hadn't spilled too many details except to say that sexy Mitch was desperate for his help in transporting his new ward over a couple of state lines.

Noah had not only felt good that Mitch had wanted his help, but also that it was something he really WAS good at and could help with.

"Yeah, she and her husband passed from drug overdoses, it seems."

The words settled in the air as Mitch grabbed Noah's bag and headed out the door to pack it and another duffel of his own.

"I'm so sor-"

The door clicked closed as Mitch was gone to fill his car, with Noah feeling guilty that he had taken so long to respond to the news that had shocked him.

He couldn't exactly imagine what Mitch must be going through, losing his family, and acquiring a baby all in such a short period of time, and he hoped that somehow, he really would make everything smoother sailing for Mitch on their trip together.

Mitch came back inside to grab a last-minute charger, leading Noah to the car as he explained more in detail.

"Honestly, I never even knew my cousin really existed, considering my family is broken and nobody talks to anyone, unless forced to legally, it seems. I'm still processing it all, not sure what the heck I'm going to do except make sure everything is squared away legally, and that my aunt is ok."

"So, your aunt is Grandma to little Rowan then?"

"Yes, but in talking to her on the phone, it seems she is not well mentally, as she couldn't remember me, the family, or her grandson."

"How scary for her."

"Yeah, probably. Plus, the fact that the nursing home she's in has some pretty disturbing reports coming out of it regarding elder abuse, among other things, so It makes me worry that I may not like what I find when we get there."

As they climbed into the car, Noah felt a warmth spreading through his body at the knowledge of just how good a person Mitch was turning out to be.

It was almost surreal to be surrounded, for the first time in his life, with people who cared more about others than themselves, put the needs of others before their own, with almost no resentment or malice.

Noah knew he never wanted the feeling radiating through him to leave, and he smiled as reassuringly at Mitch as possible.

"Your aunt is really lucky to have you, so is Rowan, and he doesn't even know it yet."