Exit Wounds | Noah Sebastian

F I F T E E N

I wake to Noah molded to my body, his long arm still wrapped around me protectively.  A contented sigh escapes my lips as his hold on me tightens slightly.

"Good morning, Delaney," Noah says lowly in my ear and a chill snakes down my spine, his voice is raspy and raw with sleep.

I twist in his arms so I can look at him, his eyes hooded with sleep.  He uses an arm to prop his head up, he grins cheekily at me as he watches my eyes rove over his face, memorizing this moment.  This shaky foundation we have laid, ready to cave in at any second.  I might never have another chance to see him like this, vulnerable and without a mask on.

"Morning," I smile up at him.  He brushes the hair from my face and presses a kiss to my forehead.  I close my eyes as the grin on my face grows at the attention.  "I should probably get going, Finn won't know where I am."

Noah reluctantly releases his hold on me, and I slip out of bed.  I wrap my arms around myself, because I'm not drunk anymore and it's light outside and my nipples are hard.  Noah grins at me as he follows me out of bed, he's only wearing a pair of black briefs.  He unashamedly pulls on a pair of basketball shorts while I try to cover myself up.  Wordlessly, he hands me a hoodie from his closet and I hastily pull it over my head, thankful for something to hide under.

"Thanks," I say, wrapping my arms around his waist and reaching up to kiss him softly.  Noah walks me to the front door and I try to open it, but he places his hand on the door before I can get it open.

"I would like to formally ask you on a date, and I promise no physical activity," he pauses pensively, "unless..."

I purse my lips at him and it causes a grin to split his face, "Yes to the date, no to any physical activity you might have in mind."

"Great, Friday at 8," Noah says pressing his lips to my forehead and opens the door.

I am on cloud 9 as I make my way downstairs to wake up Finn.  However, he's already up, looking stressed and pacing the living room.

"Where the fuck have you been?" I open my mouth to reply, but before I get a word out he says, "is that Noah's?"  Again I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off, "did you sleep with him?"

"Someone was hogging my bed last night, so Noah generously offered his bed.  Nothing happened, we just slept, and then he gave me this hoodie this morning because I was cold," I explain, making coffee for the two of us. 

Finn perches on one of the barstools while he waits on coffee, "tell me everything."

And I do.  I tell him all about the feelings I have for Noah.  I tell him about the night we kissed, and how he locked me in his car last night and we got everything out in the open.  I tell him about finding him taking up the whole bed and Noah inviting me to share his.  And I tell him that we are going out Friday.

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"What?" I ask genuinely confused, he had been pushing me to go for it for months now.

"Getting involved with Noah, I don't want to bad mouth him because he's my friend too, but you said yourself he's always with someone new every night.  Leslie was here just last night," he says gently, not quite meeting my eyes in the way I know means he doesn't want to say what he's saying, but he can't stop himself.

"I thought you wanted this," I say, handing him a up and joining him at the bar. 

"Lanes," he starts and cuts himself off, "You should meet someone nice.  Not that Noah isn't nice, he just might not be the right choice right after getting cheated on."