congratulations on 100!! im new here but you absolutely deserve it!! #33 with noah x henry? thank you 💕
100 ways to say ‘I love you’
Czeng - 33. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”
[First of all, apologies for making you wait this long! Between life/work stuff and the simple fact that i wanted to do this well, it took a bit more time than I expected. This will be my first time writing them, so I really hope you like it. Thank you so much for following me!! <3]
In the grand scheme of things, Henry didn’t feel like he was contributing very much at all. Okay, sure, he’d cheerfully doled out slices of pizza and juice boxes with a bright smile. But he had a semi-selfish reason for volunteering to chaperon a group of kids for a museum sleepover. That selfish part was an excuse to be close to Noah Czerny. Not that being his boyfriend didn’t offer him many opportunities for that, but Noah loved kids, and this was a side of him the Aglionby high and mighty didn’t get to see. No, Henry tagged along at the rear of their excitable group, watching Noah point out the dinosaur bones with as much enthusiasm as the kids had. They’d taken a stroll through the precious gems exhibit, and as Noah lifted up a little girl to see an enormous sapphire on display, Henry longed to reach behind the glass of the most glittery stone just so he could press it into Noah’s hands and watch his face.
Henry had seen some very rare and beautiful things in his life, but none of them compared to Noah. The two of them spoke a different language that didn’t always need words. It was how Henry’s heart raced in the passenger seat of Noah’s shiny red Mustang, windows open wide. And how they both loved the feeling of getting away, even if it was just far enough to escape the light pollution and stargaze. Noah reminded Henry that it didn’t have to be complicated, and since there was a fair amount of complicated things in Henry’s life, he appreciated that with all of his being. All that and more made it worth sitting in a sleeping bag amid a group of overtired youngsters, listening to Noah read a story.
Who knew if all of them were actually asleep when Noah finished? Not Henry. In the dimmed lights of their little slumber party classroom, they were just lumps of bedding and hair. He focused on Noah, stepping over and around them to get over to Henry, and it surprised him that the smile on his face didn’t illuminate the whole room. Instead of getting into his sleeping bag, he reached down to tug at the shoulder seam of Henry’s t-shirt, jerking his head toward the door. Gansey, the third chaperon on this trip, just shook his head knowingly and went back to reading his book. Unspoken was the promise he’d watch over the kids while Noah and Henry went off to…do whatever it was Noah was plotting.
When Henry got to his feet, Noah took his hand immediately twining their fingers together. The stupid smile came to Henry’s face, an honest to God reflex at this point.
“Where are we going?” he asked when they were away from the kids. “And will we set off any alarms?”
“Not this time,” Noah giggled. “I know where it’s safe to go.”
And that was that. Henry would follow this beautiful boy into a hundred alarms. But as they padded through the empty hallways on socked feet, it felt like the best adventure. Before long, they were back in the precious gems room, faceted stones winking at them from under the lowlights. Henry couldn’t help feeling like they were inside one of Noah’s snow globes, like someone had shaken them up and left them quietly to catch the light. Henry’s heart was racing, and he wondered if words were even a thing he could manage. He adored Noah in his sleeping shorts and colorful faded tee. Would it be bad form to kiss Noah in front of probably a hundred security cameras? He was weighing that risk assessment to the backdrop of his speedy pulse when Noah let go of his hand.
“Okay, Henry, close your eyes and hold out your hands.” Noah’s eyes were bright, eager, and it was then Henry noticed that his other hand was tucked behind his back.
He stopped thinking altogether.
“O-okay, sure.” Did that come out as casually as he’d planned? Probably not.
Trusting Noah, he closed his eyes and held both his hands out. A moment later, something light and cool pooled into his upturned palms. Noah pulled back, and Henry heard a soft rustle.
“Can I open my eyes now?” he asked, mouth dry.
Henry looked into his hands, and there was a little silver puzzle piece charm looped to a necklace chain. He lifted his gaze to Noah to see a matching one already fastened around his neck. Weakly, he matched that to the rustling; Noah hadn’t been wearing that before.
“They fit together, like us,” Noah said happily. “Want me to put it on for you?”
Henry turned his back to Noah. “It is truly masterful how you do this to me. Our friends would be stunned to know how easy it is for you to rob me of speech.”
Noah made a ‘pfft’ sound, familiar in that way he tried not to let Henry make a fuss over him. They were both a little hopeless about that. “Mom always said actions speak louder than words anyway, right?” He reached around Henry to drape the chain around his neck, and now they were slotted up against one another so closely, Henry just wanted to lean in and be held. Once Noah fastened the chain, that was exactly what he did. “Thanks for coming with me tonight. I know this wasn’t exactly a date sitch.”
“Mm, didn’t have to be,” Henry replied, touching Noah’s arms with one hand affectionately while the other stroked the tiny shape of the puzzle piece.
They fit together, like us.
Noah made a happy sound against the nape of his neck and Henry turned to kiss him.
