Be Mine Tonight.

Name's Noah. 25. I thought I wanted to create buildings for a living, but life gave me a deeper purpose. Nashville's newest rookie firefighter.

[daebom]

Bill Skarsgård as Willard Russell in THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME (2020)

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley​:

Life was good for Mia Riley. She had recovered fully from the incident on Halloween, left with multiple scars and a leg that killed her when the weather was right, but she had recovered. After a year off from school and physical therapy as much as she could handle she was walking normally again. And now that she was back on track with school and her career goals were once again in sight, not to mention having a man willing to go to the ends of the earth for her at her side, she couldn’t see anything going wrong for her. Life was indeed good.

A knock at her door had her shooing away the woman she was facetiming with. She hadn’t been expecting company and was distracting herself with the latest conquest but all plans had changed with the short wrap to her front door. The doorman must have let someone in, someone familiar if he hadn’t informed her they were coming, which meant it could be one of two people. Suspicions were confirmed when she opened the door to find Noah standing there, a bright smile lighting up her features as soon as she laid eyes on him. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming by. How did you give Leonard the slip?”

She stepped aside after her teasing, letting him know to come in as she walked to the kitchen and left the door open. “You want something to drink? I was just about to make tea. Or we could break into my stash of tequila?” She flashed Noah a teasing smile, knowing he wasn’t one to drink too often but hoping that maybe he’d give in for the night. She wanted some fun and hers had been interrupted, it was only fair that he make up for it, right? “What’s up? Normally I get a phone call before I’m blessed with your pretty face.”

.

He had hated just dropping in. His grandmother had taught him better than that, but if he had told Mia they needed to have a talk, he was sure she was going to be in a mood worrying about what he had to say. In fact, he had almost backed out of it. He didn’t want to hurt her. It was the last thing he had wanted to do, but it wasn’t fair to him. His love for her was unlike any other love he had experienced. And he wasn’t sure if it was because she wouldn’t just outright admit she felt the same way or what, but in the moment she opened the door and spoke; eyes bright, his heart started pounding harder than before, “Guess I’m just a ninja.”

The ninja line sent him back to their first date as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. The Color Run. He had had so much fun that day with her. And their date afterwards getting pizza and winning little rubber ducks from claw machines. And every other plan they had ever made. She made him feel like a kid again. Giddy with excitement when they went and did things together, and the day he almost lost her, was the day he knew he truly wanted to be with her, “Uh, tea’s fine. You know me, not big on day drinking, especially since you’re looking at one of Nashville’s newest firefighters.” He smiled, a little unease in his expression.

Walking to her couch, he paced back and forth mumbling to himself, before deciding to sit down. He didn’t want to hurt her. He loved her too much for that, but he also didn’t want to feel regret or frustration every time he looked at her. Noah wanted to be able to see Mia for the woman she was and loved. Fun. Sweet, when she wasn’t a spitfire trying to talk him into something. Compassionate. Smart. And the list could go on. It’s why the words almost choked him coming out of his mouth, as he hoped she hadn’t heard him, “Hey...I...we need to talk...” Had she caught onto to what he said while she was in the kitchen? I mean, it wasn’t like he was speaking through a wall or a door.

[noahwxlker]

It had been one of the hardest years of his life training to become a firefighter. Not as hard as the day he lost his parents, but a personal battle he, at one point, believed he wouldn’t succeed in. But he had Mia to thank for that. It was memories of Halloween night that had kept him pushing forward, knowing that if something like this ever happened again, he wanted to be prepared. But also the desire to save lives was the thing that had sealed the deal. A little over 14 months of true handwork and dedication, and here he was ready to start the first day of the rest of his life. There had just been one thing he was still dealing with. Something that had been weighing on him heavily for quite sometime, and now, it was time to face the facts.

Inhaling deeply, Noah wrapped a fist on the locked door in front of him; Mia’s door. It was time she own up to the truth of whether or not she really wanted to be with him. He had played cat and mouse with her since day one, and his heart was starting to falter. The woman he had fallen madly in love with seemed to only want to do things on her terms, and he had allowed her that space. Firefighter Academy had deeply played a hand in that with his time being occupied, but now that he was out and had more time to focus on the rest of his life, his new career, and the woman of his dreams.

He had practiced the conversation in his head over and over again. Hell, Noah had even consulted with a few of his close friends from the academy, his grandparents, and his little brother. Some had suggested a proposal, while others had said move on. And as much as he had even contemplated getting down on one knee at some point, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not until he knew Mia was truly his and loved him just as much as he did her.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

She had never wanted to resort to whiskey and Chinese in the first place but Mia refrained from saying so. He was being nice. Most people didn’t even bother these days and believe it or not after months of trying to resist it she was starting to be okay with accepting his actions as nothing more than him being him. Why she wasn’t running for the hills was beyond her but for some reason she just wanted to stay…to let him be nice to her whether she deserved it or not. She did have to admit she was curious though. The brunette never thought she was someone worth sticking around for and Lord knows she had done her best to break him of the habit over the months so why was he still there? “We’ll see about that. I quite enjoyed my liquor filled holidays ignoring the angry shoppers and eating my orange chicken. I don’t know if you could make the day much better than that.” Just because she wanted him to stick around didn’t mean she had to make it easy. Mia would most likely fight this as long as she could.

Especially with him brushing off her advances. She had wanted to get her lips on his since she’d first laid eyes on the boy but he was not making it easy. Maybe that was why she was sticking around? She liked the challenge of getting him to give in to her seduction. It was pretty good excuse if you asked her. Reaching up, she placed her hand against his jaw, her thumb gently running over his bottom lip while she moved her face closer to his. “You sure you don’t want to share? I bet you I taste even sweeter.” But the surprise he held at her major had her pulling back, the girl not sure if she should be offended by the look on his face or not. “Well, I am. My goal is to cure diseases. You might know someone who cures diabetes one day.” She hadn’t known his major. Now she was realizing that she did everything she could to make sure they didn’t share much information with each other. Leaning back more, she furrows her brows and lightly shrugs a shoulder at the information, not sure why he needed to talk to her about it. “Okay…I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Surely she was being sarcastic. After she tasted his turkey and dressing though, she’d be back for more. It was his grandma’s recipe, and he had wanted to share that with her. She couldn’t exactly go home with him back to North Carolina. Not that he expected her to want to anyways, but she did deserve a nice Christmas of her own, “Just wait...I’ve got a surprise that will kick your liquor and orange chicken to the curb.” A smile spread across his face, before she tried to seduce him.

Not falling for her ways, Noah leaned back, “Yeah, no. Not right now. Maybe later.” He let his hand meet her’s and with a gentle kiss to the top of it, he pulled it down, with his, to his lap. He had never been one to give in so easily. Partly because he didn’t want to feel the heartbreak he had felt in the past with the one girl he thought he was going to marry, “That would be amazing actually. And I have no doubts in you. Heck, you’ll probably cure a lot more than just diabetes. And while you’re fighting some of the world’s deadliest diseases and saving lives...if all goes well, I’m going to be fighting fires and saving lives.” He wasn’t sure how she’d take it, or if she even cared at this point, but she was someone important in his life, and he wanted to tell her the big news.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

Rolling her eyes at his reply, the gesture is only refuted by the fact that her smile was palpable at the moment. Someone willing to celebrate a holiday considered to be one for families was really nice to her. She’d always resorted to staying in her condo alone during the Christmas holidays, or worse, bringing one unlucky person back with her after a night of drinking so she could have her fill of them before kicking them out. “I only ask because Chinese take out and whiskey are usually the only things keeping me company throughout the holidays. I don’t even bother with decorations anymore.” Which was evident if you looked around her place. It was bare, would be considered so even if it weren’t the Christmas season, with no photos or nice little sayings covering the walls. It was mostly just furniture and that was only so she didn’t look too sad to people who came over. “So yea, drinking cocoa and watching a holiday movie while cuddling up on the couch seems a tad fake to me.”

She didn’t want to admit to herself that it was nice but still that smile of hers lingered to give away her true feelings here. That is until he said no to the booze. Sighing, she looked down at her leg before gazing back up at him. “Excuse me, I could have gotten that marshmallow off for you. All you had to do was say the word.” A smirk accompanied this, her flirting still a constant in their friendship or relationship or whatever you wanted to call it. “Do you really think I haven’t mixed alcohol and painkillers before? I am studying to be a microbiologist, remember? I know what dosages I can mix.” Wait, had she ever told him what she was studying? So far she’d been really closed off with this boy to prevent exactly what had seemed to happen anyway so she really wasn’t sure if she had revealed that part of herself to him before. “But, fine, I guess we’ll live without the whiskey I have in my medicine cabinet. Get it? Because self medication and all.”

He still couldn’t understand how she could think such a warm holiday could be fake. But the idea of whiskey and Chinese takeout seemed to give him some idea of what she felt the way she did. To him, Christmas was something to look forward to, and maybe now that she wasn’t actually spending this one completely alone, she might change her idea of what was fake and what wasn’t. It was more so that he had just wanted her to be happy. They had both deserved happiness after all they had been through, “Well, miss, I’m here to change your mind, because after you spend Christmas with me, you’ll never want to go back to whiskey and bad takeout again.” What he hadn’t told her was that he had managed to cook up a nice meal and stick it in the fridge upon arrival to her place. He would reveal that surprise later, after the movie was over.

“Thanks for the offer, but the marshmallows are my favorite part, and the idea of sharing them just not in the cards.” He winked at her. Noah had been around Mia long enough to get her jokes and her flirty plans, and his embarrassment wasn’t as frequent as it once was. However what he didn’t expect was her reply about being a microbiologist, and, in all honesty, it was kind of surprising, “Uh, no...I don’t think you ever shared that with me...And I get it.” He laughed shaking his head. “But I do want to bring something up with you, now that you’ve mentioned what your major actually is...” He had been thinking about it more and more since the accident, and now he was ready to come clean, “I don’t know if you knew mine was architecture, but I’m thinking I might switch mine...” By now the movie was just sort of background noise.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

@noahwxlker​

It had already been a few months since Mia and Noah had barely made it out alive in the Halloween attacks but Mia was still having difficulty moving around on most days. Her father, instead of showing up himself, had sent her old nanny to be by her side as she went through her recovery. She supposed she should be grateful that he’d even thought to do that, and she did care for the woman who practically raised her, but the girl was glad that Noah had stopped by that day for them to celebrate a little bit of the Christmas holidays before he was off to his grandmother’s house.

She took a sip of the hot cocoa she had in hand, leg propped up on the coffee table in front of her and crutches laying against the couch next to her, and she looked over at the man who was putting in a Christmas movie she’s never had the chance to watch. “You really are into this holiday, aren’t you? I honestly thought people only did stuff like this in the movies.” She could only remember one good Christmas she’d has in her lifetime, one before her mom left and her parents had decided to spend their vacation at home with her. It was probably the most perfect time she’d eve had in her life. “You sure I can’t put a little something in these cocoas to make them warm us up a little more?”

Life had been quite a task for quite a while doing everything with one arm, but once Noah had gotten the okay to leave the sling behind, things started to go back to normal, aside from the pain he still felt. He hadn’t wanted to worry his grandparents or little brother, and instead, kept the Halloween incident to himself. The only person that had really known of his injuries was Mia. The girl he was now spending Christmas with, at least until he headed back to Wilmington for the holidays.

“You better believe it. This is probably my favorite time of year.” He looked back at her with a smile, before he resumed getting the movie ready. Christmas had been one of the few good times he could remember with his parents and little brother, before their parents had been killed. And even though it wasn’t the same afterwards, his grandparents had always made it a point to make it special for the boys. “And nope. Christmas is a real holiday. Just like I’m a real boy.” He laughed as he pushed play. With a quick turn, he made his way back to the couch to be next to the girl he was easily falling in love with, “Warm them up? I think the melted marshmallow that coated my lip earlier was proof enough of how warm they actually are. Besides, the doctor said no alcohol with the pain medicine you’re taking.” He leaned back and settled in, debating or not if it would be okay that he put his arm over her shoulder.

[noahwxlker]

Noah is going as a sailor.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

When he reached out his hand to her Mia just felt soft laughter bubbling up insider her, the paint covering him in a sort of rainbow making it hard not to giggle. His look was perfect at the moment but she made sure to place her hand into some green paint that matched the color of the Seahawks before she allowed him to pull her to her feet. “I might take it easy on you but you’re going to have to represent the colors.” She reached up and slowly wrote the number of her favorite player in that green paint onto his cheek, her bright smile evident that this win had made her feel greater than she had in a while. 

Afterwards Mia looked around them to all the people covered in paint and heading towards showers that were set up for them to try to get most of it off before they took off to wherever they were going and she absentmindedly grabbed Noah’s hand and lead him towards them to wash off what she could. The water was cold which was nice for a hot day and she did her best to wash off the majority of the paint from her hair and face before walking out from under the water and looking over to the boy.

“You up for some pizza? I’ll only tease you a little bit while we eat but once the meal is done all bets are off. I can’t help this gloating personality of mine.” She flashes him a smile as she wrings out the water from her hair unaware that the boy had let her win or why she was trying to prolong this more than she usually would. She was having fun, that’s all her mind was focusing on, but she also kind of wanted to keep hanging out with this guy. Whether it was because she believed he was actually different or just because she wanted to see where this was going was the question.

Noah shook his head as he felt Mia write something on his cheek. He had let her win, so he couldn’t complain, “Yeah, yeah.” Rolling his eyes he laughed as he ran his hand down his cheek to smudge the number leaving a green blob on the side of his face. What was a little more paint anyways? It was the showers that she had led him to that he was excited about. Noah could feel his arms and face already sunburned from their fun day in the sun, so the cool water raining down on him was a relief.

Stepping out from under the portable shower, Noah took his shirt off and rang out the excess water. His naked torso and chest glistened in the sun revealing just how in shape he was, “Pizza would actually be great. Who knew playing in paint could be so exhausting...” He laughed as he began walking towards the exit and the tables to pick up the little packet of goodies being offered to the people who completed the course in a certain amount of time, “And I figured...You look like the gloating type.” He winked at her as he picked up his packet. Slipping on a fresh t-shirt that had Paint Run 2019 on it, and tossing his dirty shirt in the bag, he waited on Mia to pick up her own packet.

When they were both ready, the pair walked down to a nearby pizza shop just a few blocks away. While the day had started out as one he was hesitant to participate in, it ended with a new friendship, and hopefully the start of something good for the pair. It was a day he wouldn’t forget anytime soon, and he had hoped that more days with Mia Riley were on the horizon, because there was just something about her that had taken hold of his heart.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

Mia had to admit that the wall she had to climb at the end of this thing was a little intimidating but that wasn’t going to stop her from enjoying the last part of this race. When she reached the base of the wall her eyes started to trail up the length of it to make sure she wasn’t about to run anyone over as she made her way up. With the coast clear the only thing left to do was to decide if she should take this slow and easy or if she should try and do this as fast as she could. Mia being someone who threw caution to the wind most days decided that as fast as possible was the best solution and so the brunette, covered in different colored paint, started to place her hands in the little footholds and climb as fast as she could. 

She didn’t think about the fact that the paint would make he whole body slippery at this point so when she nearly reached the top it shouldn’t have been a surprise to her that her foot decided to slip out of the foothold it had been placed in. It almost caused her to fall but she grasped with her hands the best she could and soon Mia was able to pull herself up into a place where she had all four points of contact instead of just the two. The last bit of energy the girl had was used to hoist herself over the edge of the slide and she suddenly felt her body moving quickly down the slant into gallons of paint below. Her eyes searched the place to see if she had made it before Worker Bee, her smile never once faltering while adrenaline raced through her veins.

They were at the homestretch, and it was make or break time. Noah had been on Mia’s heels most of the race, and now was his chance to take the win, but something inside of him said no. He was going to let her have it. Noah had always had a bit of a competitive streak, but he liked this girl, and he wanted to have another shot with her.

Staying on her heels, he neared the top of the wall, until he let his foot slip, giving her the advantage over him. Scurrying to the top, he watched as she slid down, and when he felt the time was right, he hit the slide and went barreling down coming in just behind her for the loss. Of course, he knew he was never going to hear the end of it, but if it meant he got to see her again it didn’t really matter.

Climbing out of the paint laughing and fighting to catch his breath, Noah stuck out a hand to help up his new friend, “Good race. It was close, but I guess I just wasn’t fast enough. You’re never gonna let me hear the end of this are you?” He gave her a warm smile feeling happier than he had in quite a while.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

The last thing that Mia had expected was the boy actually getting into this event and start globbing handfuls of paint on her face. The shock of the moment, not to mention the slight shock that he had her straddling him in the presence of so many people, had her dazed for a second. That was before she snapped back into her playful mode and laughed loudly at how she must look at the moment. She didn’t care though, in fact the most shocking thing about all of this was that she had let that defensive guard she wears like clothes down and was just having fun with someone without any of the manipulation she usually threw into situations like this. It was a sobering thought, her laughter dying but the smile still glued to her lips as she looked down at his multi colored face. 

“That was a declaration of war if I’ve ever seen any.” Her voice was soft, the girl gazing down at him with this wonderment that she hadn’t felt in a long time until more paint was splashed on them when a passerby slid by. Flinching slightly, the moment was broken with that simple act and Mia took advantage by rolling off of the boy and carefully getting to her feet. “Yea but now I have the lead and you’re still stuck in the paint.” She laughed again as she started to move forward, her mind completely at ease with this person and that nagging feeling that was telling her to abort this mission buried deep within her. 

In that moment it had seemed as if the world around them had stopped. Nothing matter, but her. It was all on a whim. He had literally just met this girl and here they were laying on the ground together covered in paint. He didn’t even do this with his old girlfriend; the girl that had taken his heart when she had left him. The girl Noah was ready to marry. But just like that, the moment was gone, and he was back to reality. Which, considering their little bet, was probably for the best, “Well, you just assumed I played nice. I never said I actually did.” He grinned, but as soon as he could say anything else, she was already back on her feet and headed towards the next leg of the course.

Rolling out of the paint he was currently stuck in, Noah forced himself to his feet. He knew a long, hot shower was definitely in order after this. Rolling in paint was fun, but it was a lot tougher than it seemed. Once he had found his footing again, he hauled ass and took off to catch up with her. The biggest obstacle, yet, a wall with a slide on the other side of it, standing in their way. It was going to be interesting seeing who could make it up it first, without falling to the paint bath below, and as he approached it, Noah was mentally starting to prepare himself. 

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

“Well, that would have been nice to know before we started this! Did you tell me that?” She didn’t remember the boy ever telling her about him working on a boat but there’s a lot of things Mia had forgotten in her life. She stuck her tongue out as him as the boy passed her before she did her best to regain her footing. It was on now. The brunette decided that Worker Bee’s idea to slide head first was the best way to go and she launched herself down the slide as paint coated her body but she was passing more and more people as she catapulted forward.  

A sneak attack was probably the best way to go here and she was glad that her body was basically covered in a rainbow at this point. She stood carefully before running towards Noah. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily!” Mia launched onto his back laughing as the two of them went down and landed in a big swirl of colors. “You’re forgetting that I’m pretty damn competitive, Worker Bee. What cha gon’ do now?”

He was proud of himself for getting ahead of the girl. He had to win this. He couldn’t watch the Seahawks all season. He just couldn’t. However, her voice had carried and before he knew it, Noah had felt something on his back sending him crashing into the paint face first. The liquid covered his features leaving him unrecognizable and blowing paint out of his nose. He felt defeated, but he wasn’t going to let this get him down. Instead, he rolled over on his back, pulling her on top of him. Letting his hands drop to both sides of his body, he scooped up handfuls of paint, “This is what I’m gonna do...” Without hesitating, Noah smeared globs of paint in Mia’s face, while a wide grin spread over his revealing his pearly white teeth, the only clean part of his face at that moment in time.

Laughing, he watched and waited for her next move. People were passing them left and right, but he didn’t care. He was having fun right where they were. He had found himself caught up in the moment and not caring about the world around him; something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. He had hoped she was feeling the same way. And if Noah was being completely honest to himself, he didn’t want the moment to end.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

Mia had all intentions of not letting him catch up to her all while trying to flick paint in his direction. But she couldn’t help but laugh when she saw the boy throw himself head first into the paint, almost doubling over as all the colors started to cover at least sixty percent of his body. As a result she had slowed down to the point where she had almost stopped, almost causing another person to collide into her as they slid forward. She tried her best to hop out of the way before bodies collided and she was successful…only for her to slip and fall onto the giant slide.

Her laughter rang out over all the noise of the crowd around them as her back and side became covered in the glow paint, Mia now a nice shade of red while she tried to stand without falling again. Her eyes lock on Noah who was now closer than before and she searched for anything that resembled the colors of the Seahawks. Neon Green was the first thing she found, Mia scooping up a handful and tossing it towards Noah before she started to move down the course again. “Keep dreaming, Worker Bee! You’ll win eventually but it’s not going to be today…or against me for that matter!”

Noah was soaking wet in the rainbow of paints, but it was worth it. The dive and slide method was something he could get behind if it got him to where he needed to be quicker, but keeping his footing was an entirely different challenge. With each step he took, he felt as though he were going to slip, until he found an equal amount of control and balance. Luckily though, he had noticed Mia had stopped. Her quest to cover him in Seahawk colors overpowering her desire to win at the moment. However, as he inched closer, he noticed she was soon chucking a handful of green paint at him and then well on her way again.

“You’re forgetting something though...” He yelled out at her, but went quiet as he quickened his pace passing people left and right, until he was almost beside her, “I work on a boat. I’m used to wet, slippery floors.” Grinning at her with his mouth wide, he passed her and climbed the next obstacle with ease, before sliding down the other side. Quickly getting back to his feet, he yelled back at her, “Hope you like cats, because you’re going to be learning a lesson in Panthers come football season!”

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

She appreciated the way this guy seemed to be genuinely good. Nothing his said seemed to be an act just to make her throw herself at him and no matter what Mia was throwing at him his answers were always something along the lines that called heart melting. And yet…her heart was just as frozen as ever. The last time she had let her defenses down was just that…the last time. Things were not going to change just because some handsome as hell sweet talker came along. “I think I can pretty much handle anything at this point.” But could she? She was losing sight of the goal here and letting herself just have fun with someone without the motives behind everything. Could she handle that?

She didn’t bother to answer him as the two came up to a street that was lined with a long tarp covered in glow paint. Tunnels had been built and it all seemed to lead into a building where they could continue there fun. Moving past the whole subject of being saved and striking chords without saying anything else she grinned and turned her head to look up at him. “Here we go.” And with that the girl took off towards the beginning, bypassing registration since she’d already signed up, and heading towards the tent to grab their wristbands. She pointed out Noah to the woman she was speaking with to let her know he was her second before grinning over at him. “Can’t wait to see you slathered in green and blue, worker bee. Come catch me if you can.” She had called out across the crowd to him before catapulting herself onto the slide. Forget late nights out, her energy had suddenly shot sky high as paint under her feet had her sliding forward and she couldn’t wait to get this war started.” 

“Hey! No fair!” He watched as the woman had hauled ass past registration and to the check in table. Picking up the pace, Noah met up with the lady with the wristbands and quickly secured his onto his wrist, “Thank you. It seems, my friend, here just couldn’t wait to get started.” He smiled at the lady, before taking off and launching himself head first onto the slide and down a trail of paint. Nerves didn’t have time to take over, when there was a battle ensuing, and it was something he could appreciate.

Back on his feet and down the slide, Noah paced himself knowing that if he went full force, he would surely be out of energy before getting halfway through the course, and he was banking on her continuing her lightening pace, so she would tire out by the time he caught up with her, “You better run, because I’m going to catch you, Mia! And you will be sporting blue and black by the end of this!” He was laughing as paint splashed up onto his face and all over his clothes. This was the most fun he had been a part of in a long time, and it was something he could be appreciative of, even if Mia did end up winning in the end.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

“You think I need someone to save me?” She raised her eyebrows with the question, the brunette amused but deep down she could feel herself basically longing for him to do just that. Mia wasn’t someone who thought she needed anybody else and yet if anyone really knew the girl they would realize that she most certainly needed saving. “I think you’d be surprised at how little of a damsel I can be.” 

The slip she had made by saying all season surprised even herself. She had never planned to be in anyone’s life that long and the mocking way he had said that kind of struck a chord in her. She wasn’t angry, more perplexed at herself. “I’m tiny though, slip right through your fingers. And yes, if need be I will bug you all season long with my bragging rights. I like messing with you, Worker Bee, you make it so much fun.” Mia avoided eye contact after the statement as the two made their way through the city, the paint war close by. She could feel her competitiveness rearing it’s ugly head and she was pumped. “Besides, who passes up the chance to gloat for a full football season?”

Noah shrugged. It was a new world out there. Women no longer needed saving by knights in shining armor. If she could handle herself, then so be it, but he would still be hanging out in the background, if she ever needed him, “Well, I don’t know...do you? I mean I like this whole new era of female empowerment, but just know that I’ll be a phone call away if you need help with anything. I am a pretty tough guy.” He smiled softly at her.

Continuing the walk, he couldn’t help but notice her slight shift in mood. Had he said something wrong? Maybe she did need saving, “Sorry, if that struck a chord, but you’re the one who said it. Not me. And besides, when I beat you at this thing, I’ll gladly hang around all season and continually tell you how great the Panthers are.” Noah could hear the sound of music and screaming coming from just up ahead. His nerves had started to force their way upwards, but he wasn’t going to let them show. He had a war to win, because hearing her gloat about her team all season was something he could do without, no matter how cute she was.

[noahwxlker]

Going Home.

Noah paced anxiously as he tried to phone his Grandparents and little brother. He had been in touch with them just days prior before the storm was supposed to hit and knew that his family were planning on evacuating inland and getting as far away from Southport as they could. However, the texts from his brother had stopped coming about midday yesterday leaving Noah without any communication.

Giving up for the time being, he scanned the internet tirelessly for information, but after failed success, stopped. Feeling like the only thing left to do was to take a few days off and head back to his home state in hopes of finding his family, Noah packed his needed belongings. But before he could go there was one thing he had to do...

“Hey, Mia. Guess you’re out with your friends. Um, I’ve gotta head back home for a few days. I can’t get a hold of my grandparents or brother, and I’m starting to get worried. I’ll call you again when I get into North Carolina. Make smart decisions while I’m gone, and uh, this may be too soon to say, but I’m gonna say it anyways...I love you.” Hanging up the phone, the twenty-two year old grabbed his duffel bag and keys to his truck giving his apartment one last scan, before shutting off the lights and locking up.

His next stop would be North Carolina, and what he was about to face...he would soon find out.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley‌:

“How do you expect me to go to a beach and just stay out of the water? What’s the fun in that?” Her smile turns playful again as he breezes past the subject of the ex. Maybe this guy wasn’t hopeless after all…he probably just needs to realize that getting over someone who breaks your heart is as easy as getting under someone else. She didn’t bother bringing up the subject again knowing that the pain was probably too much at the moment. “Wait, are you knocking the Seahawks right now? Someone who enjoys the Panthers should not be knocking the Seahawks. We’re going to have to hash this out on the battle field of glow paint. You represent the Panthers, me the Seahawks, and winner get bragging rights for the rest of football season.”

He laughed at her reply about the beach, “I don’t know, but whose going to save you if you get stung?” He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner. This girl was fun, and while he had been nervous to go out with her, he wasn’t regretting his decision at all. 

“I am.” He nodded smugly in agreement with her question about knocking her team.  “And fine, but you may want to watch your back. I am pretty fast...and wait a minute...all season? Does this mean you plan on bugging me all season?” He was messing with her, and he had hoped she would see that and wouldn’t be offended. Whatever was going on here, he was starting to like, especially now that any nervousness he had previously held was beginning to disappear.

[noahwxlker]

mia--riley:

“Good to know. Never know when I’ll end up getting stung while being a beach bunny.” Mia gave him a look of bewilderment before biting the inside of her lip. So not only was this guy as innocent as Rainbow Brite but he also came out with random facts without warning. What was she getting herself into? She was contemplating just forgetting this date altogether until he started talking about this girl. It was the look and the way he spoke about her that had her curious but what really caught her attention was the way he tried to move on so quickly from the subject. “She break your heart?” The question was asked gently, no hint of the teasing tone she usually spoke with whatsoever, as her eyes went to her own shoes. If there was one subject Mia knew way too much about it was heartbreak. She was quiet as she stepped into the elevator, the brunette throwing him a disingenuine smile when his last question arose. “The Seahawks. They were my first football game I ever went to live and my faith in them as never wavered.”

“Just stay out of the water and you should be fine.” He winked at her watching her get on the elevator. It was the tone of her next statement that had somewhat caught him off guard and left him silent for a moment. She had been kind in the way she had asked if his heart had been broken. For someone who loved to poke and pry, she actually showed heart, “Uh, yeah. But today is about you and me. Not her.” He quickly moved on and was glad when she did too by mentioning the Seahawks, “The Seahawks? Really? Well, at least you’ve got a good reason, I guess.” Stepping onto the elevator himself, Noah turned around and pressed the button for the main floor, “I’m a Carolina Panthers guy myself. I don’t care if they’re underrated. Gotta root for my home state.”