Life Without Noah Flynn ✔️

Shock and definite awe.

I watch as if in slow motion as Marshal threw his fist up to Noah's face, grazing his chin so his head whipped back. I just sat there in stunned disbelief. I'd never seen someone get the drop on him before, not once and I'd seen plenty of his fights.
That changed in a heartbeat though; as Marshal, off balance from his initial swing tried to land another punch. This time Noah was ready and reached up to Marshals flailing arm, holding his fist in a vice like hold.
Getting his face close to Marshal he spoke in a calm but menacing tone.
"Now, I once promised someone special that I wouldn't keep getting into fights. So do me a favour Marshal, chill out and get. The. Fuck. Out of my house before I break that promise along with your pretty little face."

Marshal stood there for half a second and wisely decided he wouldn't win this one, as his brother walked over.
"Come on bro, I think you've made enough of a fool out of yourself. I'm so sorry Noah. I'll get him out of here." He grabbed Marshals arm and dragged him off to the door.
Noah stood there silently for a few seconds then heaved a big sigh. Coming back to my senses I jumped up off the couch to him to look at his chin. I put my hand up to his cheek but must have caught a part where he'd been punched and he winced.
"Sorry. Come on lets get some ice on that, there's a bit of a cut on it too I'll need to put something on it." As I pulled him by the hand into the kitchen.

Beer pong was well and truly underway outside. The little 'incident' had gone completely un noticed by the rest of the party goers. I led him to one of the tall breakfast stools and motioned for him to sit down.
"Honestly Shelly I'll be fine, the guy punches like a girl."
"Shut up or you'll get another one."
He starts to laugh but winces. "Punches like a girl huh?" I ask him as I reach into the freezer for a bag of frozen peas, wrapping it with a small towel.
Walking back round to him I delicately place it to his chin. He lifts his hand up to mine and holds it there for a moment making my hand go cold. I slide my hand out leaving him to hold his makeshift ice pack in place.
Moving closer to him, I stand between his parted legs and look him in the eyes.
"Noah, I promise you I was absolutely not flirting with him."
"I know, I caught most of it. I've seen him do shit like that before when he's had a drink. I really don't have much time for him. Part of me just wanted to, well.... to show you off."
I cock my head at him and smile. "You really are a dork sometimes you know that."
"Yeah I know. I'm a dork that's crazy about you though."
"Crazy enough that you actually didn't beat the living shit out of someone. I've seen you beat the pulp out of someone for something far less. You've impressed me tonight Noah Flynn."
"Like I told him, I made a promise." Giving me a half sided grin.

With his free hand he pulls me closer to him and takes the bag of peas off his face leaning in to kiss me. When he winced a little I pulled back not wanting to hurt him but he grabbed me back to kiss me more. "You're worth a little pain Rochelle Evans." He whispered to me when he finally broke away.

"Ok let's get something on that cut." He grimaced at me at that suggestion. "Now now Mr Flynn, we don't want that getting infected do we? If your chin falls off how would you kiss me then? We need to sort out that boo boo." I chimed in a motherlike tone.
I found some antiseptic and let him put that on himself. That stuff stings like a bitch so I didn't want to do it. Once done I popped a small band-aid on it and kissed it lightly.
He put the peas back on then, with any luck it wouldn't be too bruised. I stood there resting between his legs for a while watching the idiots play their game.

After a while of standing there, Noah begins to shift on the stool. "Come on Shells, my ass is going to sleep on this hard stool I need to move."
I move out from between his legs so that he can get up. He discards the bag of peas back into the freezer and grabs a bottle of beer, hands it to me before getting one for himself. Taking my hand he walks me back into the snug and picks up the game controller Dixon had dropped and sits down, patting the cushion beside him for me to sit.
And so we just sit and play Mario cart, sipping our beer. He's much better at the game than me but he lets me win a few rounds.

When we finish playing, I curl up into him and rest my head on his chest. Running his fingers through my hair I feel so relaxed. Just sitting there talking about various things.
He tells me that Justin caught up with him earlier and spoke about being in touch with Jacob.
"Jacob has been trying to coach him into coming out to his Mom and Dad. His parents are quite easy going but he's still terrified. Jacob's been out for a few years so Justin sort of looks up to him as he's not afraid to be who he is with everyone. I think their friendships really doing him some good. Weird though even though they've never even met. He's going to tell his parents after Christmas and will just tell the rest of his friends that don't already know once he's got that out of the way."

"I'm pleased, Justin has become a good friend to me while you've been away. He deserves to be happy with who he is. Everybody loves him anyway so I doubt anyone will bat an eyelid. Either way we'll be here for him no matter what."
Lee came in as I'd just finished talking looking slightly worse for wear then. "Shit Noah what happened to you?"
It really doesn't look that bad, but I think the Band-aid just draws attention to the blue hue that's starting to form on the right side of his chin.
I tell Lee all about the dick Marshal and, just like me he is aghast at the fact that Noah didn't beat the hell out of the scumbag.

"I think most of the guys are heading off now. Dixon really went for it out there, he's wasted. Joel's going to drive them all back. He's already gone with a few of them but'll be back for the rest of them soon. I'm beat so I think I'm going to head upstairs if you're ok to lock up?"
"Sure, what about Rachel?" Noah asks, no hint of any teasing for once.
"What about her? Shelly's allowed to stay with you so she's staying with me. Got a problem with that?" Drunk Lee is far more cockier with his brother than sober Lee it seems.
"No just checking, chill out"
"Man, what did they do to you at Harvard and what did they do with my raging brother."
"Nothing, Shelly's just made me soft is all." He replies with a dry laugh.

Lee and Rachel ran giggling up stairs not long after. Once the rest of them left we tidied up the mess. Finishing up outside where most of the congregation had been. 
I took the bulging trash bag back inside to put it out front, making sure to lock up afterwards. Flicking off lights as I went, I made my way back outside to where I'd left Noah.
I thought for a minute that he must have gone back inside, but then I notice a pile of clothes on one of the sun loungers. Then I saw him in the pool.
It's the middle of December and there was a definite chill in the air now it's dark but the pool is heated year round so it's not unheard of to go swimming at this time of year if it takes your fancy. Just that the act of getting out soaking wet can be a bit bracing!

Swimming over to the side of the pool that I'm stood at,  he props himself with his arms on the side, lifting himself slightly out of the water.
"Shelly, now the first time you slept in my bed you wanted to go skinny dipping. So here's your chance." He grinned at me wickedly.

Secretly I've always wanted to do just that in all the years they've had this pool but it had never happened. The one time it did come up I'd been saved from what would no doubt have been my most embarrassing moment, by the man now grinning at my feet.
He lifted his hand to tickle my foot. "Come on, you know you want to. It's nice and warm once you're in it, the cold parts only once you strip off out side."
"Noah, I can't what if Lee sees."
"Shelly, Lee is either otherwise engaged or already asleep with how drunk he was. Either way he'll not be coming out of his room anytime soon."

I caved at that, his reasoning is pretty sound, but I thought I'd have some fun first.
"Ok but it really is cold. I'm not getting in unless you get out and get me a towel ready for when I get out from the laundry."
He scowls at me. "You drive a hard bargain Rochelle Evens." Then he jumps out, covering his most delicate parts with his hand as he runs like a loon into the house, skidding slightly when he hits the tiled floor. Coming back momentarily with two massive towels as ordered.
"Jeez Shelly that was cruel my manhood feels like it's about to drop off." In a moment of daring I put my hand out and checked said area. "Nope, still attached." His moment of shock meant I could push him off balance into the pool. Something I've never managed to do in all the years I have known him.
I walk over to the lounger and deposited my clothes with his and hastily got into the pool swimming over to meet him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"You know you could have gone and got those towels while you were still dressed instead of putting me through that."
"Oh Noah. Now where would be the fun in that?"