Noah Brown. A collection of Alaskan Bush People Fan Fiction stories

The Airport

Noah stepped off the plane into the busy LAX airport. He hadn't taken more than two steps into the gate waiting area before he saw you. With one overstuffed, heavy bag slung over your shoulder and another hanging from your arm, you weren't moving very fast.

"Here, let me help you with that." Noah grabbed for one of your bags and you instinctively shrank back.
"No! I've got it." you said loudly.

You weren't too sure who this guy was but you knew enough about airport security to not let a strange man carry your bags. Who knew what he might try to slip in there. Looking up at him, you had a moment to take in a sweet smile and gentle blue eyes. But then your eyes fell on his long black jacket and black pants and your mistrust came back again. 

"Thanks, anyway. But I'm fine." You huffed a little as you shrugged the heavier bag up onto your shoulder.

Moving sluggishly with your load, you checked the monitor and made your way to your connecting gate. Spying a seat near the large windows, you dropped your bags and plopped down into the seat with a groan. This trip was turning out to be long and tedious and you were still so hungry you could eat all the peanuts they had stashed on the next plane.

"May I sit here?" The man in black spoke softly and pointed with a walking stick to the empty seat next to you.

"Sure..." You drawled, realizing now he wasn't dangerous at all. Just looking to flirt. "But I need to tell you. I'm married. Plus I have six children and a big old dog with tummy trouble waiting for me at home."

"No you don't." He smiled and looked you up and down.

"No. I don't." You admitted and gave him a tiny, but tired smile. "But I'm really not interested in talking. It's been a very long trip and it's not over yet."

You tried to be nice but firm. And you were so grateful that he understood. He nodded his head a little formally at you and pulled out a small, old book from his pocket and bent his head to read. Turning your head away, you kept one eye on him and tried to sneak a look at the title of the book he was reading.

"Functional Circuits and Oscillators by Herbert J. Reich." He waved the book at you and smiled.

"Yikes." You couldn't think of anything else to say so you pulled out your own worn paperback, folded your feet underneath you on the wide seat and hunched down to read.

"Rachel's Holiday, by Marian Keyes?" He read aloud from the cover of the book you were holding.

"Yes. It's a classic." You didn't really think it was a classic but he said the title with such a snooty air that it kind of ticked you off.

"I see." He didn't really see and you didn't really care.
"Piss off." You muttered under your breath and bent your head back to your book.

After re-reading the same two lines on the page for the third time, you slowly turned your head and looked directly at him. You had felt his eyes on you and sure enough, he was still looking at you, that maddening small smile on his face.

"My name is Noah Brown." He spoke softly but his voice was deep and clear.
"I'm sorry. Did I not say 'piss off' loud enough for you to hear?" You faced him squarely.

"It's a shame such a pretty girl has such an ugly mouth." He said with a tone that cried out for you to knock him out of his chair.
"And Noah Brown? It's a shame such a handsome man is such an arrogant pest."

He didn't flinch and that little smile never left his face.
"So you think I'm handsome?" He leaned closer and lifted one eyebrow.

You laughed out loud before you could stop yourself.

"You completely missed the part about being an arrogant pest and you focused on the handsome part, huh?"

When Noah laughed, something turned inside your heart and you had to look away quickly. Your hands shook a little and your brow furrowed. What in the world was going on? It was cool in the airport, almost cold. So why was there now a light sheet of moisture forming on your forehead and neck? Keeping your head down, you lifted your eyes back to his and his gaze held yours so strongly that you couldn't look away that time.

"They're calling our flight." Noah said as his eyes flicked from your face to the two bags at your feet. "Please, may I help you carry your bags?"

This time when he asked, you gave him a genuine smile and nodded. He stood up and handed you his cane. Noah lifted your two heavy bags over his shoulder and then his own with what seemed to be no effort at all.

"You're used to heavy lifting." You said it as a statement because there was no question at all.

"It's what I do for a living." He smiled and reached for his cane.

"Do you really need this?" You pulled it out of his reach playfully.

"Only sometimes." He admitted.

"Then I'll hang onto this until we're on the plane then I'll give it back to you."

You wanted to laugh at how quickly you had gone from wanting Noah to jump off a high bridge without a parachute, to wanting to hear his laugh again and again. It was so confusing but at the same time one thing was clear. Noah was unique and different and you hoped you could get to know him better.

Boarding the airplane for the flight from Los Angeles to Seattle, you glanced back once at him as you walked down the narrow aisle. His eyes immediately locked onto yours and his smile expanded.  You already knew you would ask to change seats to be able to sit next to Noah. It was bold and a little risky. He might see that as way too pushy or forward, but you were willing to take the chance.

Finding your assigned seat in a two-seat row, you turned back to Noah.

"I'm right here if you want to put that one up there," You pointed to the overhead compartment. "I'll put that one under my seat." You took the second bag from him and handed him his cane.

By the time you had settled yourself in the window seat and fumbled with the seatbelt, you were sure Noah would have moved on to his own seat. But when you looked up, he was still standing there watching you.

"Are you finished?" He asked with that little half smile.
"Yeah. What? Why?" You were genuinely confused.

"That's my seat." He pointed with his cane to the seat next to you and your eyes widened and your first thought was that couldn't have gone any smoother for you unless it had been staged by a fiction writer.

"Oh. Well. Cool!" You gestured to the seat beside you.

You let your eyes travel over his body as he reached up to put his cane in the overhead bin. He wasn't a thin man. He had some weight on him that made you ache to be wrapped in his arms. When he dropped into the seat beside you, he was so close that you could smell his clean fresh scent.

"You think it's cool that you'll be spending the next two and a half hours with an arrogant pest?

"Oh, piss off, Noah." You joked and when he laughed again, you knew two and a half hours wasn't going to be nearly enough time with Noah Brown.