Poisoned Waters | ✓

|𝟐𝟓| "𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧"

𝐒𝐇𝐄 sniffed and then coughed at the flower's rancid, natural smell. "You know, I always thought flowers would smell different, like, roses or some shit." Zara grunted.

"So flowers should smell like other flowers?" Noah quizzed playfully, making her laugh.

"I mean, like, you imagine flowers smelling so different when people in romance movies will gather them up and take some big arse whiff and say it fucking smells nice. Think of something that smells so damn good to you, Reid," she looked at him, as she spun the stem of the pink flower that she picked between her fingertips.

"Easy. Shea butter." he responded. It was his favourite scent, reminding him of using it to detangle Norah's hair every time she wanted a new hairstyle. Zara seemed puzzled by the contentment that sat on his face but continued.

"Okay," she eased, "shea butter. Imagine a flower smelling like that. But then in reality, you smell the flower and it smells like what a bee's bum probably smells like; pollen and shit." Aside from how stupid the conversation was, Noah listened in amusement.

"So if flowers should smell like roses, what would roses smell like? Like flowers?" he questioned.

"Hey, leave me alone," she chuckled, nudging him as they walked through the park. The objectives for the Underground had gone to plan and Sebastian had gotten two of the many trains running. Zara's expedition to the museum was also a success. With successfully getting all that was planned done within the last few days due to Noah's reclamation of authority, a simple stroll in the park was well deserved.

"Roses probably smell better than whatever this flower is called." Zara scoffed.

"That's a rose-mallow. So, hey, maybe it does actually smell like roses." he replied.

"Har har, okay, the botanist. You like to prove you went to university in everything we talk about, don't you, Reid?" Zara rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Not everything." he said cheekily. She smacked her lips and threw the flower onto the ground, stepping on it as she walked. "Oi, you should've given that to Monet. We're collecting flowers, bruv."

"Huh, since when?" Zara's head snapped over to him, who was walking backwards and staring longingly at the crushed flower. He simply shrugged to her question with no immediate reaction in his expression. "You two have gotten real close, innit. You like her?"

Noah glanced at her, then turned forward. He stayed silent for a moment, wondering what tone would be the best for his response. "Uh... Yeah, yeah I do." he slowly answered. From her stare, she sharply exhaled and looked ahead.

"Like the other girls you've slept with, that I hope you've stopped messing around with? I'll bang you up differently, if so." she tilted her head.

"No, genuinely." To his surprise, she didn't react the way that he thought she would. Her lips held a gentle smile, as she sighed again.

"I'll seriously beat you up, if you're lying." she threatened, but Noah felt himself smiling also. Despite her implicit way of saying it, she was fine with it? It was odd, but he was glad that it seemed like she approved. To her, she saw no reason to fight for that spot anymore.

Above all else, she just wanted him happy. After meeting him at his lowest point and on the brink of literal death, his happiness was all she really wanted for him, and she realised that even if she wasn't the lucky one, she was happy for the girl that was.

"Zee, you know I love you, right?" he spoke up.

"Yeah." she nodded lightly, making her hair fall from her ear.