We Can’t Go Back.
Pairing: Noel x Hope
Rated for everyone.
An encounter with a Plasma Ball proves that Noel's curiosity is better left alone than acted on.
Enormous bolts of blue electricity sprouted from the center of the Plasma Ball, colliding with the glass sphere around it. It was entrancing to watch. It seemed as if someone had put lightning from the sky into a fishbowl and somehow contained it.
Noel reached out and put his hand on it, giving the energy inside a conductive spot to reach out to. Bolt after bolt visited his palm and fingertips. He took his hand away and watched a little more, vaguely listening to the recording and it’s explanation of how humans conduct energy. All around him were other museum visitors shuffling about and chatting with each other.
Once again he reached out, placing just one finger on it and smiled. He could produce lightning, but not colored like this. If he had been paying attention to the video, he would probably know how it was done.
Without warning the color changed. Suddenly, it was purple. Curiosity was beginning to set in. Noel placed his whole right hand, then his left and watched as the rays inside split and started attacking his hands. He stared into the center and focused. His fingers began to tingle and he wasn’t sure if it was the ball, or himself. You never forget how to use magic.
A moment later, small white flickers of light were coming from his fingertips. Inside, the purple bolts were becoming much more excitable. They sensed more energy and they started pulsating harder against the side. Noel could feel his wrists trembling. The hair on his arms were standing on end as he pushed just a little harder. His lightning started to reach away from him, wrapping around the glass and sending the trapped energy into a frenzy as they found all these new points of energy to respond to. Some held on to one while others were jumping around spot to spot unable to decide.
Whispers were all around him. People had started to crowd.
“Woah...”
“How is he doing that?”
In the Plasma Balls center, the main conductor started to flick. For a second the ball went off, but exploded on again, with even more arms of electricity shooting out as fast as they could, desperate to touch every small white bolt just on the other side. Then, the hum started. The ball was becoming crowded with too much energy, and the glass cracked.
As quickly as he could, Noel pulled away. Even with the absence of his hands, the ball continued to hum louder. It had been taking in his magic and with the split in the glass, the two were colliding with one another, making something the didn’t even know. Purple and white were fighting with each other inside the globe and everyone started to back away. Without warning it produced a huge flash.
That was all Noel saw. Someone grabbed him from behind, and spun him away from the sight, shielding him with their arms as the display exploded. It didn’t just break the glass, it shattered it in a way that it expanded into the air and came down in tiny pieces. It sounded like rain on the tile floor. As soon as it had happened, it was over.
Looking up, Noel saw familiar eyes. It was Hope, slowly pulling his arms back and resting both hands on his head, closing his eyes. Hope didn’t even want to turn around and see what was waiting for them. He opened them and stared at Noel, who wore the same surprised expression as everyone else.
“What in the world did you do,” he whispered.
“I’m not sure,” Noel replied reluctantly.
Outside the museum, Noel sat as a brunette paramedic gently shook her hand through his hair, trying to remove glass and checking for cuts. The hunter had already given his statement to police. He watched while Hope carried on what looked like a very apologetic conversation with museum docents. As much as he wanted to go over there, he was stuck where he was. Hope was better as smoothing things over anyway.
Before long the conversation was over and Hope headed his way with a small smile. The paramedic released him and they started down the majestic front steps on the Science Museum.
Hope had some news, but he didn’t want it to be the one to disappoint by being too serious. Perhaps if he was casual, Noel wouldn’t take it too hard.
“Well,” he sighed with a smile, “we can’t go back there anymore.” He gave a small chuckle.
Noel continued down the steps for a moment before looking over. “What,” he asked. “You don’t want to go back? Come on it wasn’t that bad. You didn’t even do it so you have no reason to be embarrassed. They’ll forget after a while anyway.”
Hope stopped halfway to the next step, confused. “Emabar-wait.”
Noel thought this was a public embarrassment issue. That Hope wouldn’t want to show his face in there again. He looked at Noel, realizing he didn’t catch on to what he was trying to say. That’s what he gets for trying to beat around the bush.
“Noel,” he explained, “it’s not that. This, this has nothing to do with embarrassment or the scene. I mean we can’t go back, they,” he dropped his voice to a whisper, “banned you. You can’t go there. You’re not allowed on the property or anything.”
“Well that’s a bit of an overreaction,” Noel stated.
“You destroyed museum property, used magic and could have started a fire.”
“Wow,” Noel said, shaking his head sarcastically. Hope was totally agreeing with them.
Hope stammered, “L-look it’s not that I’m siding, but from an administrative perspective I mean what you did-”
“Wow...” Noel replied, straight faced as he could be.
With an exasperated sigh, Hope stopped talking. He could see Noel breaking the fake hurt facade, his smile coming through. “Let’s just go wash off whatever glass we’re carrying and just stay in for dinner.”
They pressed their foreheads together at the bottom of the stairs, taking in each other eyes.
“You know,” Hope whispered, “I could even tell you what happened in there. The chain reaction and interaction between magic and man made electricity.”
Noel raised his eyebrow, “Oooo, sexy.”
Hope pulled away, laughing. Together they headed home. They would have to find something else to do on Thursday nights now... maybe bowling.
