Taylor

I’m not sure what Noah’s plan is, but apparently, my brain has frozen along with my little toe, and I simply follow his orders. No sooner have I taken off my jacket than Noah puts his much thicker and longer coat around me. Immediately, I’m enveloped by cozy warmth and a woody scent that I recognize from Noah’s room. His scent. I can’t help but take a deep whiff while I snuggle up in the coat. 

“Better?”

I wave with my hands hidden in the too-long sleeves, and the fabric flops back and forth. “Better.”

Noah’s eyes linger on the sleeves as an expression flits over his face that I can’t interpret. I wave with them again, liking the floppy feeling, and he laughs. It’s a free, startled sound, as if he hasn’t used it in a long while. And almost as startled, I think that I want to make him laugh like this more often. 

This day has been odd so far, but I find myself enjoying it. Lighthearted conversations, cheerful laughter, and an almost strangely happy Noah. I catch myself staring at Noah’s smile and clear my throat. 

“Let’s go, we need to check in with Aunt Susu,” I say, rolling up my sleeves, after buttoning up the coat. Noah takes my jacket while I carry the hot chocolate, careful to avoid the passing people on our way to the law faculty’s booth. 

From afar, I can already see a bunch of excited kids, fighting for the UV lights and putting their inked fingers anywhere but on the fingerprint papers.

I halt and stretch out one arm to stop Noah. 

“What?”

I turn to him. “Let me finish my drink first.”

Noah observes the monkeys' circus and nods slowly. “We haven’t eaten yet either.”

I take a look at the time. “Our shift doesn’t start until two. We still have twenty minutes left.”

Noah nods again. “Right. Let’s eat something first.”

I give him a conspiratorial smile and head towards the food area in an adjacent hall. 

I’m looking at the options of several food stalls, when Noah suddenly gets very close to me, his hand grabbing for mine. 

I lift my arm. “What? What are you doing?”

He leans in even closer and almost hugs me from behind. I turn my head. “What is it?”

He smirks at me, and the next moment, one of his hands finds its way into my coat pocket. Or should I say his coat pocket? I freeze to a halt, conscious of his hand groping close to my hips and–I squeak.

A second later, the hand disappears and I angrily turn around. My cheeks must be flaring. “What the hell are you-”

Noah holds up a bunch of coupons. “Mom gave them to me this morning. We can get free food for our help. I only remembered them now.”

“Well, next time tell me to take them out, instead of grabbing my a-”

I huff over the next word, suddenly aware of the volume of my voice. Noah tilts his head. “Your…?”

The amusement in his eyes tells me all I need to know. I push his shoulder and head to a stall offering Mexican food. “Stop messing around.”

I get in line, Noah close behind me. It still tickles where Noah’s hand brushed me by accident. I suppress the urge to rub my butt to get rid of the phantom itch.

“Here.” Noah holds out a coupon in front of my face. I snatch it.

“Do you want to get something else?”

Noah shrugs his shoulders. “This is fine. I’m not very picky.”

I don’t know what else to say. My head is spinning and I can’t find anything to talk about. Due to the food stalls, I’m getting quite warm, and I fan myself. Everything in my body is tuned into the itch in my back, the warmth of the coat, and the scent of Noah. I feel like I’m going crazy, and I finally shrug off the coat along with the hyperfixation.

“Take it back,” I tell Noah. “I’m no longer cold.”

Noah accepts it without a word and hands me my jacket instead. Only then do I realise he’s been patiently holding onto it this entire time. My hand finds its way into my hair, and I pull my curls for the rest of the wait.

We quickly get our food and find a table to sit at. Noah catches me off guard in the middle of a big bite when he says, “I’m surprised you didn’t ask me to apologize.”

He hasn’t touched his food yet, but watches me intently. I hastily put down my chicken quesadilla, sauce dripping down the corner of my mouth.

“Mmm?” is all I can manage. Amusement twinkles in Noah’s eyes. I hastily chew and swallow. “What do you mean?”

Noah huffs and shakes his head. “You’ve always been so forgiving, Tay.”

I frown, and Noah continues, “I don’t mean offense, Tay. It’s a good trait not to be resentful if you ask me.”

“I’m not offended,” I respond slowly, “I’m more wondering when the hell I gave you the impression I wasn’t resentful, ‘cause I am.”

Noah picks at his food. “Then why are you not angry at me for brushing you off last time?”

I laugh. “Oh, I am angry. I’m just good at compartmentalising. Why should I make this day miserable? I apologized; the ball is in your court. If you wish to keep being an insufferable block of ice, be my guest. Don’t worry. I will not ask you any more personal questions.”

I didn’t expect all of that to come out of my mouth, and by the end of it, I am no longer smiling. Nor is Noah. He looks rather uncomfortable, which is a rare sight.

“I do want to apologize,” he finally says. “I overreacted and shouldn’t have treated you as I did. I’m sorry.”

My eyebrows shoot all the way to Mars. Did he really say that?

Noah frowns. “What?”

Realising that I mumbled the last sentence out loud, I shake my head. “I’m surprised. I expected you to dismiss me, as usual.”

Noah flinches, and for a second, I feel sorry for being harsh, then chide myself for it. If Noah really wants to apologize, he needs to understand what he is apologizing for.

“I don’t dismiss you.”

“Yes, you do. Always did.” I take a bite of my food.

“Now that’s an unfair allegation.”

I shrug and lick some sauce from my lips. His eyes flit down to my mouth and back up. Tsk. If he wants to judge my eating habits, who cares? For good measure, I lick some sauce off my fingers. Noah averts his face. Heh. 

I lean back and cross my arms. “I accept.”

Noah whips back around. “What?”

“The apology. It wasn’t very good, but at least you did apologize.”

He doesn’t seem content with my answer, and when he finally starts eating, he does so with a dark expression.

Once finished, we get up and make our way back towards the law faculty booth. I watch the crowds when I feel a tug at my sweater. I look down and see Noah’s hand holding onto my sleeve, which seems like such a childish and endearing gesture that it stops me in my tracks. 

“Do you really think I always dismiss you?” Noah asks so silently that I can barely hear him over the buzzing noises. His nervous and sheepish demeanor is so unfamiliar that I don’t know how to react at first. 

I smile. “Don’t you remember when we were kids? I lost count of how many times you sent me out of your room or turned me away on your doorstep. I was honestly surprised when I heard you agreed to tutor me. I half expected you to send me away, that first day I came to your house.” I laugh halfheartedly. “I had the hope we could put aside those differences for good, now that we are adults. But in the end, you sent me away once again. I can’t say it didn’t hurt.” 

The admission surprises even me. Noah’s impossibly blue eyes are fixed on me as if I’m holding all the answers. But I won’t make it that easy for him. “Have a really good look at yourself, Noah. Can’t you answer that question yourself?”

His hand loses its hold of my sleeve and I turn around. “Let’s go. It’s almost time for our shift.”