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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Coming to Terms
Fandom: None, original fiction
Pairing: past Noah/Mason, hints at possible Noah/Cooper
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,640
Summary: Noah is coming to terms with the loss of his ex-boyfriend, Mason, while looking at a possible future with his friend, Cooper.
Author’s Notes: Written for the last four color prompts in the end of the year drabble challenge at 1_million_words. Still trying to decide whether I want to pursue these two more or not. I guess we’ll see if they continue to inspire me I suppose.
Purple
He tucked his shirt into his jeans and zipped up. Looking in the mirror, he frowned at himself. No matter how much work he put into himself tonight, he wasn’t ever going to be presentable. Not in the shape he currently was in. The hazards of working graveyard, he supposed.
Although he knew this wasn’t a ‘date’ by any stretch, he still wanted to look his best for Cooper. The guy had done so much for him over the last few months, the least he deserved was a halfway decent looking person to accompany him. Someday, he hoped that they’d move past being buddies and on to something more, but that was still a long way off.
Get a grip, Noah, he told himself.
Remembering that there was a bottle of hair mousse in the medicine cabinet he grabbed it, foamed a bit into the palm of his hand, and ran it through his short, dirty blond hair, spiking it into a field of miniature pikes. “Eh, it’ll have to do, I guess.”
There wasn’t any hope for the lavender shadows under his eyes or the purpling bruise on his right cheek, however. Freaking Mason anyway. The asshole left him, not the other way around. What right did he have to come back into Noah’s life and demand a reconciliation? Apparently Mason thought that he had every right, despite Noah’s protests to the contrary.
Noah looked at his cellphone and contemplated calling and canceling on Cooper. No, that would only worry his friend and besides, he could use the companionship tonight. Taking a deep breath, he shoved his phone into his back pocket and scrounged up his keys. It wasn’t going to be the night he’d hoped for, but at least he’d be with someone who cared for him. It was a start.
xx
Orange
“But if orange is the new black, what does that make black?”
The guy’s name was Aaron and he’d tagged along with Cooper. Noah couldn’t say that he’d been all that thrilled so see his friend arrive with someone else in tow, but what could he do? Nothing, unless he wanted to come across as a jealous, petty person. So, he kept his frustration – and yeah, jealousy – to himself.
“Not sure I can answer that, Aaron,” Cooper was saying. “But I thought that according to Vogue magazine, pink was the new black?”
“That’s not what Netflix says,” Aaron said, slapping Cooper on the arm. “What do you think, Noah?”
That you’re a freaking idiot and need to go home? No, he couldn’t say that, not out loud at least. “I think that orange is orange and black is black. The properties of light don’t change despite what might be fashionable at the time.”
“Uh-huh,” Aaron said, tearing his napkin into tiny bits and dropping them onto the table. “What did you say you did for a living?”
He hadn’t said because whenever he told someone, he was written off as an idiot who couldn’t get a ‘real job’. But to do what he did, he had to have a degree in broadcast journalism at the least. “I’m the overnight disk jockey on KCYJ.”
Aaron made a face. “That’s a country station.”
“Yeah, it is,” Noah sighed. God, he hated music snobs. “But it pays the bills. Cooper? I think I’m going to head home.”
Cooper’s eyes rose to meet his. “I thought you had tonight off?”
“I do, but I didn’t sleep well earlier. Do you mind?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. Thanks for coming out, we’ll have to get together again soon.”
Yeah, Noah thought. Like later tonight at my place. But again, not something he could say out loud, ever. He said his goodnights and walked out of the little coffee shop on the corner, about four blocks from his apartment. Noah could see Aaron leaning into Cooper’s shoulder and it made his blood boil in his veins. So much for his hopes of finding a possible future boyfriend.
Sometimes, he hated his life.
xx
Pink
Houdini, Noah’s hamster, poked his nose out of the little pink castle he liked to sleep in. Seeing the man who provided food and clean bedding standing by his cage, Houdini waddled out of the castle and pressed his paws against the clear plastic of his cage’s top.
“Hey little buddy,” Noah said, squatting in front of his hamster’s mini-mansion. “What’s new with you? Nothing much, eh? I bet you want a grape, don’t you?”
Houdini’s whiskers twitched and Noah took that as an affirmative answer. He didn’t find any grapes in the fridge, but there was a strawberry and a handful of blackberries. Noah picked one of each berry and supplemented it with a couple peanuts, dumping it all on top of Houdini’s alfalfa pellet mixture.
Watching as the hamster gave him an appreciative nose twitch, Noah smiled. “At least someone is thankful to have me around.”
He went back to the refrigerator and dug around until he found something he could have for dinner. A couple of nuts and berries weren’t going to cut it for him, unfortunately. Noah set out the components for a grilled cheese and began to berate himself for the way he’d acted earlier. It wasn’t Cooper’s fault that Aaron had been an ass, but he couldn’t move past it either. Why had he even insisted on following Cooper to the coffee shop like he had? Was there something going on between them that Noah didn’t know about?
Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts to the side. He’d never get any sleep if he kept going down that path. Seeing as he hadn’t been lying about not sleeping well earlier, that wasn’t something he wanted to deal with right now. Promising himself he’d take it all apart later, Noah set to making his sandwich. If nothing else, he still had Houdini.
xx
White
“I know you’re in there,” Cooper’s voice said from the other side of the door. “Open up, Noah. Let me in.”
He wanted to, god did he ever, but he was afraid. “I’m tired, Cooper. Go away.”
“That’s not like you, Noah,” he said. “Open the door, let me in and tell me what’s going on.”
Sighing, he knew that Cooper wasn’t going to let up until he gave in. He unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Come on in since you’re not going to go away.”
“Of course I’m not,” he said, coming inside and shutting the door behind him. “I promised you I’d be here for you no matter what. But it worries me when you bolt like you did earlier. Explain that to me, please.”
“Aaron was getting on my nerves,” Noah admitted. “Where did you find him anyway?”
“At the center where I work.” Cooper made himself at home on the couch, looking expectantly up at Noah. “He’s one of us and he needed my help.”
Shit. Noah had been afraid of that and now he felt awful for having hated on him. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For all the things I was thinking about him on the walk home,” Noah confessed, shoulders slumping. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Nah,” Cooper reassured him. He patted the cushion next to him and looked at Noah. “Come sit and let’s talk about this jealousy issue you seem to have.”
“I don’t –” but then he realized that he did, so he shut up.
“What’s going on, Noah?”
He sat and stared at his feet. “I like you, Cooper. A lot. I know that you said –”
“Forget what I said for a minute and just talk to me.”
“I want someone who will care for me and take care of me when I need it,” Noah said. “And over the last couple months, you’ve been that person.”
Cooper was quiet for a long time. So long that Noah began to fear he’d said the wrong thing – again. Just as he was about to apologize and go hide in his bed, Cooper spoke.
“You and I both know that right now isn’t a good time for either of us,” he held an arm out and wiggled his fingers at Noah. “But I can see a future for us if you’re only patient.”
Noah leaned into Cooper’s side, reveling in the feel of that long arm draped across his shoulders. The worn, white fabric of his t-shirt was soft against Noah’s cheek. Lying here felt like heaven. “I can’t make any promises, but I can try, Cooper.”
“It’s all I can ask, Noah.” Cooper gave his shoulder a squeeze. “For both of us.”
xx
Black
The darkness crept in from the corners of his room to meet the spot where the moonlight shone against the floor. Cooper had left over two hours ago and, despite his exhaustion, Noah found himself unable to sleep. The talk they’d had after Noah had come down off his jealous high had been a good one, one full of promise and hope. He just hoped that it all panned out in a way that worked for them both.
Noah rolled onto his side and looked out the window. Life with Mason hadn’t been easy, but it had been predictable. He knew what he was supposed to do and the things he never should say or try. With Cooper however, everything was new and unexpected. Even the chances of establishing a relationship were uncertain. He hated not knowing what was waiting around the corner, but in an odd sort of way, Noah found himself anticipating the unknown.
Flopping onto his back, Noah closed his eyes and felt sleep encroaching. Maybe Cooper would be the one or maybe he’d fall by the wayside just as Mason had. Either way, he thought he was finally ready to move on. Time would tell.
Fandom: None, original fiction
Pairing: past Noah/Mason, hints at possible Noah/Cooper
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,640
Summary: Noah is coming to terms with the loss of his ex-boyfriend, Mason, while looking at a possible future with his friend, Cooper.
Author’s Notes: Written for the last four color prompts in the end of the year drabble challenge at 1_million_words. Still trying to decide whether I want to pursue these two more or not. I guess we’ll see if they continue to inspire me I suppose.
Purple
He tucked his shirt into his jeans and zipped up. Looking in the mirror, he frowned at himself. No matter how much work he put into himself tonight, he wasn’t ever going to be presentable. Not in the shape he currently was in. The hazards of working graveyard, he supposed.
Although he knew this wasn’t a ‘date’ by any stretch, he still wanted to look his best for Cooper. The guy had done so much for him over the last few months, the least he deserved was a halfway decent looking person to accompany him. Someday, he hoped that they’d move past being buddies and on to something more, but that was still a long way off.
Get a grip, Noah, he told himself.
Remembering that there was a bottle of hair mousse in the medicine cabinet he grabbed it, foamed a bit into the palm of his hand, and ran it through his short, dirty blond hair, spiking it into a field of miniature pikes. “Eh, it’ll have to do, I guess.”
There wasn’t any hope for the lavender shadows under his eyes or the purpling bruise on his right cheek, however. Freaking Mason anyway. The asshole left him, not the other way around. What right did he have to come back into Noah’s life and demand a reconciliation? Apparently Mason thought that he had every right, despite Noah’s protests to the contrary.
Noah looked at his cellphone and contemplated calling and canceling on Cooper. No, that would only worry his friend and besides, he could use the companionship tonight. Taking a deep breath, he shoved his phone into his back pocket and scrounged up his keys. It wasn’t going to be the night he’d hoped for, but at least he’d be with someone who cared for him. It was a start.
xx
Orange
“But if orange is the new black, what does that make black?”
The guy’s name was Aaron and he’d tagged along with Cooper. Noah couldn’t say that he’d been all that thrilled so see his friend arrive with someone else in tow, but what could he do? Nothing, unless he wanted to come across as a jealous, petty person. So, he kept his frustration – and yeah, jealousy – to himself.
“Not sure I can answer that, Aaron,” Cooper was saying. “But I thought that according to Vogue magazine, pink was the new black?”
“That’s not what Netflix says,” Aaron said, slapping Cooper on the arm. “What do you think, Noah?”
That you’re a freaking idiot and need to go home? No, he couldn’t say that, not out loud at least. “I think that orange is orange and black is black. The properties of light don’t change despite what might be fashionable at the time.”
“Uh-huh,” Aaron said, tearing his napkin into tiny bits and dropping them onto the table. “What did you say you did for a living?”
He hadn’t said because whenever he told someone, he was written off as an idiot who couldn’t get a ‘real job’. But to do what he did, he had to have a degree in broadcast journalism at the least. “I’m the overnight disk jockey on KCYJ.”
Aaron made a face. “That’s a country station.”
“Yeah, it is,” Noah sighed. God, he hated music snobs. “But it pays the bills. Cooper? I think I’m going to head home.”
Cooper’s eyes rose to meet his. “I thought you had tonight off?”
“I do, but I didn’t sleep well earlier. Do you mind?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. Thanks for coming out, we’ll have to get together again soon.”
Yeah, Noah thought. Like later tonight at my place. But again, not something he could say out loud, ever. He said his goodnights and walked out of the little coffee shop on the corner, about four blocks from his apartment. Noah could see Aaron leaning into Cooper’s shoulder and it made his blood boil in his veins. So much for his hopes of finding a possible future boyfriend.
Sometimes, he hated his life.
xx
Pink
Houdini, Noah’s hamster, poked his nose out of the little pink castle he liked to sleep in. Seeing the man who provided food and clean bedding standing by his cage, Houdini waddled out of the castle and pressed his paws against the clear plastic of his cage’s top.
“Hey little buddy,” Noah said, squatting in front of his hamster’s mini-mansion. “What’s new with you? Nothing much, eh? I bet you want a grape, don’t you?”
Houdini’s whiskers twitched and Noah took that as an affirmative answer. He didn’t find any grapes in the fridge, but there was a strawberry and a handful of blackberries. Noah picked one of each berry and supplemented it with a couple peanuts, dumping it all on top of Houdini’s alfalfa pellet mixture.
Watching as the hamster gave him an appreciative nose twitch, Noah smiled. “At least someone is thankful to have me around.”
He went back to the refrigerator and dug around until he found something he could have for dinner. A couple of nuts and berries weren’t going to cut it for him, unfortunately. Noah set out the components for a grilled cheese and began to berate himself for the way he’d acted earlier. It wasn’t Cooper’s fault that Aaron had been an ass, but he couldn’t move past it either. Why had he even insisted on following Cooper to the coffee shop like he had? Was there something going on between them that Noah didn’t know about?
Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts to the side. He’d never get any sleep if he kept going down that path. Seeing as he hadn’t been lying about not sleeping well earlier, that wasn’t something he wanted to deal with right now. Promising himself he’d take it all apart later, Noah set to making his sandwich. If nothing else, he still had Houdini.
xx
White
“I know you’re in there,” Cooper’s voice said from the other side of the door. “Open up, Noah. Let me in.”
He wanted to, god did he ever, but he was afraid. “I’m tired, Cooper. Go away.”
“That’s not like you, Noah,” he said. “Open the door, let me in and tell me what’s going on.”
Sighing, he knew that Cooper wasn’t going to let up until he gave in. He unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Come on in since you’re not going to go away.”
“Of course I’m not,” he said, coming inside and shutting the door behind him. “I promised you I’d be here for you no matter what. But it worries me when you bolt like you did earlier. Explain that to me, please.”
“Aaron was getting on my nerves,” Noah admitted. “Where did you find him anyway?”
“At the center where I work.” Cooper made himself at home on the couch, looking expectantly up at Noah. “He’s one of us and he needed my help.”
Shit. Noah had been afraid of that and now he felt awful for having hated on him. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For all the things I was thinking about him on the walk home,” Noah confessed, shoulders slumping. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Nah,” Cooper reassured him. He patted the cushion next to him and looked at Noah. “Come sit and let’s talk about this jealousy issue you seem to have.”
“I don’t –” but then he realized that he did, so he shut up.
“What’s going on, Noah?”
He sat and stared at his feet. “I like you, Cooper. A lot. I know that you said –”
“Forget what I said for a minute and just talk to me.”
“I want someone who will care for me and take care of me when I need it,” Noah said. “And over the last couple months, you’ve been that person.”
Cooper was quiet for a long time. So long that Noah began to fear he’d said the wrong thing – again. Just as he was about to apologize and go hide in his bed, Cooper spoke.
“You and I both know that right now isn’t a good time for either of us,” he held an arm out and wiggled his fingers at Noah. “But I can see a future for us if you’re only patient.”
Noah leaned into Cooper’s side, reveling in the feel of that long arm draped across his shoulders. The worn, white fabric of his t-shirt was soft against Noah’s cheek. Lying here felt like heaven. “I can’t make any promises, but I can try, Cooper.”
“It’s all I can ask, Noah.” Cooper gave his shoulder a squeeze. “For both of us.”
xx
Black
The darkness crept in from the corners of his room to meet the spot where the moonlight shone against the floor. Cooper had left over two hours ago and, despite his exhaustion, Noah found himself unable to sleep. The talk they’d had after Noah had come down off his jealous high had been a good one, one full of promise and hope. He just hoped that it all panned out in a way that worked for them both.
Noah rolled onto his side and looked out the window. Life with Mason hadn’t been easy, but it had been predictable. He knew what he was supposed to do and the things he never should say or try. With Cooper however, everything was new and unexpected. Even the chances of establishing a relationship were uncertain. He hated not knowing what was waiting around the corner, but in an odd sort of way, Noah found himself anticipating the unknown.
Flopping onto his back, Noah closed his eyes and felt sleep encroaching. Maybe Cooper would be the one or maybe he’d fall by the wayside just as Mason had. Either way, he thought he was finally ready to move on. Time would tell.
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no subject
Date: 2016-01-01 08:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-01 03:37 pm (UTC)But yeah, there sure is a lot of hurt and angst that Noah's dealing with. So, he's going to be a challenge I think, but what a better way to start out the new year, right?
I do agree though - there needs to be a variety or the reader will get bored. I've experienced that myself with published authors. But again, thank you and Happy New Year (now that it's probably Saturday for you)!
no subject
Date: 2016-01-01 11:18 pm (UTC)I must say it wasn't meant to be a complaint that your writing was boring (although I'm sure you didn't take it that way), but I know you are capable of different things - this demonstrates that so well - and I'm dying to see some of them as well as the wonder that the other stories are!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you too - yes, it is Saturday, but 2016 is still so very new, I'm bound to forget a dozen times between now and going back to work on Tuesday! ;-P
no subject
Date: 2016-01-02 02:22 am (UTC)Oh no, of course I didn't think that you meant that. I was agreeing with you in a roundabout way. :D But sometimes you do get stuck writing the same ol' thing all the time (either with a fandom or a certain type of character) and in order to become a better writer, you have to step outside that comfort zone and try something new. Right? And thank you - it's always wonderful to get that positive encouragement to venture into that new fandom, even when it's one I've created myself.
Hee! I so know that feeling. I'm such an airhead that I'll be forgetting in March still, I think!
no subject
Date: 2016-01-02 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-03 12:24 am (UTC)This is only the second thing I've written with these two, so hopefully they don't take off and leave me stranded, I'm sure there's much more to be discovered. :)