runningincircl3s

[runningincircl3s]

Totally hooked bring on the next chapter of Who Are You!

yaayyy!! 🫶 i’m actually so surprised at how much love this silly story is getting, but i’m so glad everyone’s enjoying it :)

[runningincircl3s]

"Who are you?" is so good, it's literally my new favorite story. Can't wait for the next chapter 😘

awww thank you so much!!! 🥹🥹

i was trying to get the next chapter finished and posted last night but i kinda fell asleep lmao so hopefully it’ll be posted tonight or tomorrow 🫶

[runningincircl3s]

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A post shared by 𝑵𝑶𝑨𝑯 (@noahsebastianfa)

I still love every second of this. This was one of their best recorded shows!

[runningincircl3s]

hello lovelies

i have always tried to keep this blog a positive and safe space for everyone and i have only shared my art and things i like, but right now things are different and i don't think i can do that anymore.

i am writing this with tears in my eyes because i have no idea how life changed so fast; most of you don't know anything personal about me but i'm from Iran, last week (on june 13th) Israel attacked my country (and my city). some of the strikes were very close to my apartment and i had to leave and take shelter with some people i know in another part of the country that felt safer at the time but right now the city i'm in isn't safe anymore and i might have to move again.

it hasn't been a week and i have lost my job, i don't think i can keep my apartment and there's no guaranteed safe way to get back to my apartment to get my belongings. i am miles away from my family and it's not safe to travel to the other side of the country right now.

if i could do commissions, i would. but right now it's not possible for me to do that.

i will open my commissions as soon as i can find the mental strength and safety to do art but right now any help would mean a lot to me.

internet connection barely works here and i might not be able to come on here again to post but if you want to help, you can dm me and i'll try to send you my wise or paypal account info in the dms when i have internet again.

be safe everyone ♡

[runningincircl3s]

[runningincircl3s]

Drummer boy. 🥁

[runningincircl3s]

hehehe🤭🤭

Who Are You?

Kickboxer!Noah x Reader

Chapter Four

chapter warnings: i wrote the majority of this at 2am so reading it back i was like wtf. just the usual warnings, reader and her friends being too real, quick aaron taylor johnson mention (love of my life <3) gets a little nsfw at the end!

sorry for the wait for this one! i was debating whether or not to rewrite the ending as i wasn't sure if it was too soon for this to happen, but it's kinda important for the rest of the story so i kept it in!

┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈

A few days later...

You hadn't been able to focus on anything, you've been ignoring messages from your friends, not getting dressed for days at a time, oversleeping or not sleeping at all... basically just spiralling.

Just because of Noah? Not really. That certainly played a part in it. It was also because of work... The mistake you made had a major impact, and management hadn’t been subtle in their response. You’d been given a formal warning and told to work from home “until further notice.” Apparently, showing up to the office looking like you were about to cry wasn't inspiring.

But being stuck at home had only made things worse.

You barely left your home since, you'd just been sat on the couch, on your laptop, half working half pretending to be okay. The TV played constantly in the background, something just to make you feel like you weren't entirely alone. Laughter tracks and show intros constantly filled the room, but none of it touched you. You haven't laughed since the last time you were with Noah.

You kept glancing at the clock.

11:51.

Nine minutes until lunch.

You decided today you would finally go out. Just for some air. Maybe if you were feeling up to it you'd grab a coffee, maybe a pastry, anything that might lift your mood. You told yourself you’d feel better once you were walking. Once you had the cool air on your face, and something warm in your hands.

The clock ticked slow, but eventually, mercifully, it hit 12:00.

You stood with a quiet sigh and shuffled toward the door, throwing a hoodie over your tank top- which had a curious stain- and pulling your hair into a loose clip without bothering to check a mirror.

You didn't care if you saw anyone. There was only one person you wanted to see, and you were convinced you and your friends had scared him into moving to the other side of the country.

As you stepped outside, the sun hit your face, and you took your first deep breath in days. It was warmer out than you’d expected. The breeze was nice and gentle. You blinked up at the sunlight like someone just waking from hibernation.

Maybe this would help. Maybe this was all you needed.

You decided to go to your usual café, the one just down the street from you. You passed by a couple people you knew, but didn't stop to chat, just offered them a polite smile as you walked on.

But maybe you needed somebody else's company.

Because you were still thinking about him. You were always thinking about him.

Still replaying your last conversation.

Still wondering why he hadn’t come back. Wondering if it'd even be worth showing up to the class tomorrow.

So you told yourself not to care.

You told yourself it didn’t mean anything. It was bound to happen at some point, he would surely miss classes. Noah had his own life.

Maybe he was seeing someone. A girlfriend, or a boyfriend- James had been very convinced about that theory. Or maybe he’d just gotten bored. Maybe he found a better gym. One without a girl who clearly only came to flirt and couldn't do a proper roundhouse kicks!

You told yourself all of that, and it only made things worse. You only got further and further stuck in your brain.

Not knowing was just the worst part. Not getting to ask. Not even getting the chance to be let down properly. Not knowing truly why he didn't come.

With a frown, you pushed open the café door, the little bell above it chiming softly as you stepped inside.

You were greeted by the smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastry, but it barely registered in your brain. You were simply moving on autopilot, shoulders hunched in your hoodie, eyes glued to your phone. The line was short, only two people ahead, so you barely looked up.

When they called, “Next!” you shuffled forward, mumbled your order, your usual drink and a pastry you probably wouldn’t even eat, and reached into your pocket for your card.

But just as your fingers brushed the edge of it, the payment machine beeped.

You froze, quickly glancing up.

A part of you felt warm, a kind gesture from a stranger who may have seen you looked like you were having a rough time. Maybe it would blossom into a romance, and you'd tell your grandkids about this exact moment...

But then you saw it. A familair looking hand... long tattooed fingers, that belonged to a large tattooed hand hovering near the card reader.

And then your eyes slowly travelled up the length of his arm, past the dark hoodie sleeve, the curve of his shoulder, the tattoo on his throat, until you met his eyes.

Holy shit.

Noah.

Standing right beside you.

A small, soft smile played on his lips, like he hadn't just ruined your life. Oh fuck, what you were just imagining him here. What if you've missed him so much that your brain-

“Thought I recognised you,” he said, like he hadn’t just vanished from your life. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

You blinked once. Twice. Opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

He handed you your receipt like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like you hadn’t spent the past week convincing yourself he was gone forever.

“I... thank you." You finally managed, voice a little shaky.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you (and probably the stain on your hoodie.)

“You okay?” He asked carefully.

“Yeah." You nodded too quickly, "I just… I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Noah’s smile deepened, just a little.

“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”

"I... I only live down the street from here. I come here pretty often."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow, "I've never seen you in here before."

You chuckled softly, standing to the side to wait for your order.

"You come here often?" You asked, looking up at him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged, "I don't really drink coffee anymore, but I like the tea here."

"Oh," you smiled, "I've never tried their tea before, but I like their lattes."

He held his cup out for you, with a look that said try some.

You hesitated for a moment before taking it gently from his hand, your fingers brushing his for the briefest moment, yet it still made your tummy feel fuzzy.

You lifted the cup to your lips and took a sip, your eyes never quite leaving his. It was slightly sweet, a little floral and calming in a way you hadn’t felt in days.

“That’s really nice." You murmured, surprised.

“Told you.” He said with a little proud grin, taking the cup back from you.

And then your drink was called, your name echoing across the café, pulling you back to reality again. You stepped forward to grab it, feeling the heat of Noah still close beside you.

You turned back to him with both hands around your cup, unsure of what to say next. Unsure of what this even was. But he beat you to it.

“I'm sorry for missing the last class,” he said gently, as if reading your mind, “I had to go out of town for a few days... work stuff. I didn’t mean to vanish. I was supposed to let Tasha know, to tell you, but I kinda forgot.”

You tried not to show how relieving that felt to hear.

“I thought maybe I’d scared you off.” You said, only half joking.

“Because of your friends?” He laughed softly.

"They can get a little too much sometimes... I'm sorry-"

“No,” he said, still smiling. “I liked them.”

“You… liked them?” You blinked, perplexed.

“I thought they were funny,” he admitted with a nod, “But they clearly care about you a lot. That’s cool.”

You stared at him, warmth creeping into your cheeks.

"I felt a little lost without you there," you confessed, taking the conversation back to the class, "I had no one to laugh at me when I tripped!"

That made him chuckle, and the two of you began to move away from the counter, realising you were getting in the way.

"Well," he began, a small smirk playing on his lips, "If I get your number, I can let you know if I ever have to miss a day again..."

"Really?" Your eyes widened in shock, finally realising that maybe your friends were right...

Noah reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out his phone, offering it over to you.

"Really." He nodded.

You looked down at the device like it was something sacred, then up at him again.

“You sure?”

"Yes." He laughed, the sound warming your heart, "Unless you want to keep living in suspense every week."

You playfully rolled your eyes, trying to disguise the way your cheeks were burning and thumbs a little shaky as you typed in your number, and your name, followed by a heart emoji, which you regretted the moment you handed it back.

Why the fuck would you put a heart next to your name?

“There,” you said, “Now you can’t disappear without warning.”

He glanced at the screen, reading your name and the little heart emoji you’d added without thinking. The corners of his lips tugging up into a grin.

“A heart?” He teased, one brow lifting.

“Shut up. I panicked.” You waved a hand, trying to play it off, but your cheeks betrayed you, warming fast.

Noah laughed again, pocketing his phone.

“No complaints. It suits you.”

You took a sip of your coffee to hide the way your lips curved, suddenly hyperaware of how close he was stood, how normal it felt to be talking like this again, like the week of silence hadn’t been eating you alive.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you like he was about to say something else, and then your phone buzzed rather violently in your pocket.

You pulled it out and groaned. Your work app flashing a very unwelcome notification: “Where are you? Meeting started 3 mins ago!!!”

“Shit,” you muttered. “I’ve gotta run... I'm working from home and I'm supposed to be on a meeting... my boss is going to kill me.”

Noah stepped aside, letting you pass.

“Go. Save your job. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded quickly, already halfway to the door.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Same time?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He smiled.

You paused only once as you pushed open the café door, glancing back over your shoulder.

He was still standing there, watching you. And when your eyes met, he gave you the tiniest wink.

You would be replaying that in your mind all day.

...

You burst through your apartment door like a woman possessed, nearly dropping your coffee as you kicked it shut behind you.

Laptop. Where the fuck was your laptop

“Shit shit shit…” You muttered, searching the room.

You spotted it on the couch, still open on your email inbox. You threw yourself down, loaded up the meeting app and clicked join with audio off, camera off, and tried to sit still as your heart pounded through your ribcage…

Because Noah had just paid for your coffee. Because Noah had smiled at you. Because Noah had just asked for your number!!!!

You’d barely got through the last week thinking you’d scared him off, or your friends had, and now he was letting you sip his tea and winked at you like you were in some cheesy romance movie.

You had to tell your friends.

You: GUYS HOLY SHIT

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT

James: girl we thought you died where have you been??

Kylie: WE HAVENT HEARD FROM YOU ALL WEEK WHAT THR FUCK HAPPENED

You: ok so he didn’t turn up to the last class so i kinda assumed he fled the country BUT I JUST SAW HIM AND HE ASKED FOR MY NUMBER

James: you saw him at work???

Kylie: no dumbass she’s been working from home

Kylie: wait… where did you see him then?

You: THE CAFE

You: THE ONE I ALWAYS GO TO!!!

James: hold up HE ASKED FOR YOUR NUMBER????

James: DID YOU GIVE IT TO HIM

You: DUH!!!!

James: is that all you gave to him😏

You: shut up

Kylie: girl get the fuck back to work before you lose your job for good and save the story for later!!!

James: hell yeah!!

You: okay fine

You put your phone down with a sigh and tried to pay attention to the meeting, though it was boring you to death. You weren’t even sure what you were supposed to be doing.

Then your phone buzzed again.

Annoyed, you picked it up, ready to tell your friends they had just told you to get back to work…

But then you saw it was from an unknown number

Unknown: Hey it’s Noah :)

Unknown: Good luck with that meeting

You nearly choked on your own breath.

You quickly saved his contact, then your thumbs just hovered above your screen, wondering what the fuck to say to that.

You: thanks :)

You: and thank you for the coffee!

You put your phone back down, a grin still plastered across your face as you turned back to your laptop…

Wait…

Why were you still staring at the ‘join’ screen?

You clicked over to your work chat, heart already hammering. And there you found a long, irritated message from your boss.

You scanned it quickly, eyes darting past the passive aggressive “hope everything’s alright” and “you’ve been very unfocused this month” stuff until you hit the final line.

“…And I’m working late tomorrow, so I would like to see you in my office. 5pm. No excuses this time.”

You felt your heart sink straight to your toes.

You slumped back in your chair, dragging your hands down your face. Why did the universe always have to throw something at you the second things started finally going right again?

FUCK.

You sent a polite reply to your boss, saying how you had tried to join the meeting but you were having some internet issues. And next, you had to tell Noah you’d be missing tomorrow’s class.

What the hell were you supposed to say?

You typed out six different messages, but hesitated after each one, deleting it and typing again. Eventually, you settled on:

You: okay so i’ve just been called into the office tomorrow at 5, so i’ll have to miss class 🥲

Noah: Oh shit

Noah: Well I was thinking about staying late at the gym tomorrow to make up for last week. If you let me know what time you’re back maybe I'll stay and we could have a private session…

Internally, you were screaming.

You: but i don’t think i’ll be back until pretty late :(

Noah: The gym shuts at 8??

You: fuck i won’t make it back in time…

Noah: Then maybe we could do it at your place?

You: yeah sure!

Noah: Great :) Let me know when you’re home and I’ll come over

Noah: Get ready to sweat😏

You stared at your screen, heart jackhammering in your chest.

Okay. Okay. So he’s coming over.

Noah is coming over.

To your apartment.

You let out a soft, panicked laugh and flung your phone face down on the couch. Then immediately flipped it back over and reread the messages. Twice.

Get ready to sweat😏

He was definitely talking about the workout... Probably.

But even right now you could feel yourself sweating, just at the thought alone.

You were spiralling, again.

You leapt up, did a frantic 360 spin in your living room, then made a mental checklist.

And it began with cleaninb the place. There was rubbish all over the place, the floors needed vacuuming, and for some reason you had odd socks in the most random places, some with holes in- and they definitely needed washing.

You looked around and immediately hated everything about the place.

The kitchen was a mess, the cushions on your couch never looked right, the whole place was cluttered and you hadn’t showered in days.

And now Noah was going to see all of this…

You quickly texted your group chat.

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT CODE RED!!!!

You: [sent a screenshot of your texts with noah]

You: GIYS HES COMING TO MY PLACE TOMORROW

You: FOR A PRIVATE SESSION????? WHAT THE HELL???????

Kylie: OH HOLY SHIT

James: bitch what about US???

James: or are we invited too…

You: NO!!!!

You: we’ll have to reschedule sorry guys

Kylie: usually i’d be pissed but i’m actually really happy for you

Kylie: girl get that dick!!!

You: 😟

You: excuse me.

Kylie: oh c’mon. “get ready to sweat” ??????

You: yeah. you haven’t seen me after a round with him. i’m dripping by the end.

James: OKAY IM NOT SAYING ANYTHING!!!!!!

You: guys you aren’t helping :(

You: be honest with me do you think he’ll think my place is nice

Kylie: yes!!!

James: just don’t let him see aaron.

Ah, yes. The mini Aaron Taylor Johnson cardboard cutout you kept by your tv, the one James gave you for your birthday last year, which you maybe got a little too excited about. You dress him up for the holidays, and he currently had a pair of pumpkin sunglasses on, though halloween had long gone. You quickly got up and threw him in a cupboard.

You: ok aaron’s been dealt with.

Kylie: honestly honey i don’t think you need to worry so much. he clearly likes you, and the state of your apartment won’t change anything :)

James: unless he’s an interior designer and he sees your mismatched kitchen chairs.

Kylie: IGNORE HIM I THINK THEYRE CUTE!!!

…

The meeting dragged on for almost an hour.

Your boss had been calm, which somehow made it all worse. There was no yelling, no grand confrontation. Just quiet disappointment and polite professionalism, words like “inconsistent,” “final warning,” and “you need to be more focused.”

By the time you made it to the train station, your face hurt from forcing composure. The train was packed, so you stood the whole way.

The thought of going home and seeing Noah was the only thing that had got you through the meeting, but he didn’t have to know that. You didn’t want to inflate his ego anymore after he found out he was the Hot Gym Guy.

You got off at your stop at 7:48. And then you had to walk home.

Your legs ached. Your bag dug into your shoulder. Your chest still felt tight from everything you didn’t say, but wanted to.

When you turned the corner onto your street, there he was.

Noah was leaning casually against the wall next to your front door of your apartment building, hood up, phone in hand. He was wearing a hoodie with a some band name you vaguely recognised on it, and a pair of black shorts.

He looked up the moment he saw you.

“Hey, you made it.” He said, straightening. His voice was soft, and the sound of it alone made your day a little better.

“Barely. I’m so sorry,” you blurted, breathless from the walk. “That meeting ran way over, and then the train was hell, and I-”

“Hey.” He smiled. “It's fine.”

You stopped in front of him, staring up at him like he wasn’t real, which you still had your doubts about.

He held up a bottle of water.

“Brought this. Figured you’d need it after all that.”

“Thank you,” you said, reaching for the bottle, your fingers brushing his, “Wanna come up?”

“Lead the way!” He smiled, holding the door open for you.

…

The elevator ride to your floor was quiet, maybe even a little awkward. You were just tired, still feeling deflated from the meeting and exhausted from the commute.

When the doors opened, you led the way down the hall to your place. Your keys fumbled once in your fingers, but you managed to get the door open without dropping them- a miracle, honestly.

You stepped inside and kicked off your shoes, brushing your hair off your face with a soft sigh.

“Sorry it’s a little messy, I tried to tidy but I didn’t have much time…”

Noah followed you in, calm as ever, water bottle tucked under his arm, gym bag slung over his shoulder.

“Looks fine to me,” he said, glancing around. “It's very cute, cosy even."

You dumped your bag by the couch and turned to face him, only to find him tugging at the bottom of his hoodie.

“I should probably warn you,” he said, giving you a slight, crooked grin. “I don’t have a shirt on under this. I was working out earlier with Matt and Davis, the shirt got gross so I took it off and threw it in my car… figured you wouldn’t want me stinking your place out before we even got started.”

You blinked. So he was wearing nothing beneath his hoodie?

You had seen slithers of his stomach before, and his back, but you never thought you’d get to see it all.

“Oh,” you said, already feeling slightly flustered. “Right. That’s… yeah, fair.”

“Cool if I take this off?”

Your brain was short circuiting. But you managed a nod.

“Yeah. Totally fine... I don’t want you overheating or anything…”

He raised an eyebrow like he was trying not to laugh, then pulled the hoodie off over his head in one smooth motion.

And just like that, he was shirtless in your living room.

Your mouth went dry, but between your thighs was another story.

He wasn’t showing off, and that was the worst part. He just tossed the hoodie onto the couch like it was no big deal and then reached for his water bottle.

Meanwhile, you were suddenly aware of every inch of him, his chest, his arms, his stomach… he was covered in tattoos, and as he turned around you felt your knees go weak.

Never had you found someone’s back attractive before, but holy fuck.

Sorry, Jesus.

“You okay?” He asked, his voice casual like he hadn’t just turned your entire brain into mush.

You nodded, forcing a laugh.

“Yeah. Just… um. Still recovering.”

“From your meeting?”

You stared at him.

“…Yeah.”

He smirked but didn’t press.

“You wanna go and get changed, then we can start?”

You nodded, quickly heading into your bedroom, changing into the gym set you had left on the edge of your bed before you left for your meeting.

Once you had gotten changed, put some deodorant and your favourite perfume, then you stepped back out of your bedroom, finding Noah stood in the middle of your living room like he belonged there, relaxed, arms crossed loosely over his chest, glancing around like he was assessing floor space- which you didn’t have that much of.

“I should probably move the couch.” You muttered, half to yourself, stepping forward and bracing your hands against the armrest. You gave it a push.

Nothing happened.

You pushed harder.

The couch barely budged.

Noah stepped up behind you, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Need help?”

“No,” you said, still pushing. “…Okay, maybe.”

He laughed quietly and moved beside you, pressing his hands to the back of the couch next to yours.

“On three?”

You barely had time to say “wait-“ before he shifted his weight and moved the whole damn thing like it was made of feathers.

“Okay, no one likes a show off.” You teased.

He shrugged like he hadn’t just casually embarrassed you in your own home. To hide the blush on your cheeks, you turned back around, opening the cupboard under the TV unit and dragging out two rolled up yoga mats, ones you had bought many years ago from your short lived new years resolution where you told yourself you'd finally start getting your life together. (You used them once with Kylie, pulled a muscle and never got them out again.)

“They’re a little dusty.” You warned, handing him one.

“That's fine.” He chuckled, already unrolling his onto the floor with a soft flap.

You tried to copy him, but the mat curled back in on itself. You had to step on one end to keep it flat.

Noah didn’t comment, but his grin said enough.

You knelt down to adjust it, tucking one corner under your coffee table to hold it in place.

When you straightened, he was already stretching, his arms over his head, back arching slightly, muscles flexing. Completely unaware, or pretending to be unaware, that you were watching.

You looked away fast, dropping to the mat and forcing yourself to focus.

“Okay,” you said, clapping your hands together like this was a totally normal event. “What are we starting with?”

“Let’s warm up your shoulders and legs,” he said, kneeling beside you. “We’ll go light today, so nothing too intense.”

You nodded, following his lead as he shifted into a forward lunge. He glanced over to watch your form, and you immediately forgot how legs worked.

Then he moved behind you.

“Just gonna check your stance.” He said, one hand brushing your hip, the other on your upper back.

You nearly tipped over.

“Loosen up. You’re stiff.” His voice was right by your ear now, calm and warm.

“Sorry, I've just... had a really bad day.” You mumbled.

“I can tell.” He said, not unkindly.

You exhaled, tried to relax your shoulders.

His hands lingered just a second longer than necessary. Then he stepped away.

“You’ll feel better after this, though.” He said, standing back in his place again, like nothing happened.

…

You were already flushed, hot and sweating by the time you finished warming up, and as usual, he looked untouched.

Whilst you were taking a quick water break, opening more windows to let some air in, he threw his spare wraps at you.

“Wrap up,” he said simply, winding his own. “We’ll do a few light rounds, I don’t have any pads or gloves though.”

You caught them clumsily, still breathless as you sat down beside him on the couch.

“We’re sparring?”

He nodded, already securing the wrap.

“You got some steam to let off. Better to do it with me than your boss.”

“You just want to laugh at me.” You said with a smirk.

“Why would I do that?” He asked, voice almost too casual, but there was something teasing behind it. A glint in his eyes that made your hands fumble with the wraps.

“Because I still suck at this,” you mumbled, trying to loop the fabric over your wrist the right way. “And I know you enjoy watching me suffer, especially when it comes to the roundhouse kicks.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“That’s not true.” He said, and you gave him a look. “I don’t enjoy it,” he continued, standing slowly. “But it is cute.”

Your breath caught. Cute.

You opened your mouth to fire back something, anything! But then he stepped toward you, holding out his hands.

“Give me them.” He said.

“What?”

“The wraps.”

You hesitated. Then handed them over.

He took them without another word, his fingers brushing yours briefly before he crouched in front of you, dropping to one knee. He took your wrist gently and began rewrapping that hand.

“You always pull too tight." He murmured, not looking up.

“I like it tight.”

His lips twitched.

“Yeah?”

You flushed, immediately regretting your choice of words. He briefly looked up and you swore he was biting back a laugh.

“Shut up.” You glared at him.

“I didn’t say anything.” He finished the wrap and ran his thumb over the back of your hand once, just softly, before starting on the other.

When he finally stood, he didn’t step back, just looked down at you and offered his hand.

“You ready?”

You nodded, even though you weren’t. Not really.

“Remember,” he said, guiding you into position. “Focus on control. You don’t need to prove anything to me, or show off.”

You exhaled. Tried to settle your stance. His hands came down on your hips lightly, just adjusting you.

“Widen your base,” he murmured. “There, that’s perfect… Good girl.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You weren’t even sure he meant to say it, it came out softly, quiet, but it landed like a sucker punch to your stomach.

You looked up at him sharply.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”

You shook it off. Focus!

…

You weren’t sure when the sparring became funny, but somewhere between the fourth time Noah made you miss on purpose and the second time he caught your punch mid-air just to spin you and tickle your sides, you were losing your composure.

“Noah!” You half shouted, half laughed as his fingers found your ribs again, wriggling at your sides.

"It's conditioning," he said, smug, biting back his own laugh, "If you don't want me to tickle you, don't be predictable."

"You're the worst." You gasped, breathless as you wiped the sweat from your brow and staggered back, still a little giddy.

He just stood there, hands on hips, calm as ever.

"You'll thank me when you become untouchable."

You shook your head, pacing in a slow circle around him, catching your breath.

“Okay,” you muttered. “How’s this for predictable?”

Before he could answer, you launched.

A roundhouse kick, not perfect but it had power. Noah’s eyes widened just enough to let you know you’d surprised him.

Except… your foot didn’t quite land how you wanted it to, and you lost balance.

“Shit-”

Noah moved to steady you, but too late. Everything spiralled out of control in a blur of limbs...

And the two of you tumbled backwards, straight onto the couch.

With a heavy thud, he landed on his back with a soft grunt, arms instinctively around your waist, making you land on top of him with a soft, shocked oof. You tried to process what just happened, as you pushed yourself up, your hands on his chest, your legs either side of his.

“Shit-“ you gasped, “I… didn’t mean to do that.”

Noah wheezed a laugh.

“You okay?” He asked gently.

“Yeah- yeah, I just… oh my god, I wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“You sure?” He chuckled.

You shifted your weight a little, trying to find a better position as to not fall off the couch completely… and accidentally rolled your hips right over his.

Noah sucked in a sharp breath, and you froze.

Because you felt it.

Oh.

“Oh...” You whispered, eyes going wide.

His jaw flexed, his eyes screwing shut.

“Dont… Don’t move.”

And of course, you immediately moved again, flustered and clumsy, trying to do the right thing, your hips moving again as you tried to roll off of him.

And that only made it worse.

Noah exhaled hard through his nose, grabbing your hips to still you completely.

“I said don’t.”

Your cheeks burned.

“Sorry!" You quickly apologised, now breathless, "I didn’t mean-“

“I know,” he said, voice tight. “It’s fine. Just… don’t panic-“

So you didn’t. You didn’t move. Didn’t dare look at him…

But then you did. And your breath caught in your throat, and you felt that pulse between your thighs.

He was already looking at you, his eyes dark, lips parted, bare chest rising and falling beneath you. His jaw clenched, the muscles in his arms flexing as he fought to hold you still. And yet… his grip wasn’t forceful, or rough.

You didn’t move, he did. Just a little. His thumbs shifted along your hips, guiding you forward slowly, as if to test. You followed the motion instinctively, and your body rocked against him.

The friction made your thighs tremble.

Noah inhaled sharply, his hands tightening just enough to tell you he felt it too.

“Fuck.” He breathed, his head thrown back.

Your palms braced against his chest, but you didn’t pull back. You stayed there. Hearts pounding. Lips parting.

He looked up at you.

His eyes lingered on your lips, before dragging back up to your eyes, as you continued to gently rock against him.

Neither of you said anything, but neither of you stopped either.

He moved your hips again, just once, and this time you whined, gasping as your forehead dropped to his shoulder.

Then, slowly, the front door opened...

-------------------------------------

the next chapter is already pretty much finished btw so i might post it in a couple days :)

@dragoncopper @renegadebirch @super-btstrash-posts @pipidoll @xslavicprincess @foliosgirl @h4tef6ck @Jesuisunchaton @saythatuwill @astronoids @missduffsblog @montgomery-929496 @lonelydragonlady @happyclifford @popularpopularmonster @bluehairpunklol @bruce9818 @itsyaboinoah @mayaslifeinabox @lonesomegrace @dominuslunae @lacy1986 @jesuisunchaton @overmydeadbodysblog @kenjipepsi1 @onlyethereal @theright-wrongway @geminigirlfromfinland @miss570 @trvshdxddy @spookieolson @sugaruapologist @latenightmusiclover @eversiincenykenjipepsi1 @shuiguans @lyschko666 @XxKatsatwatwafflexX

if i forgot you (IM SORRY) or you want to be added to the taglist, the link is here! or just comment or message me i don't mind! :)

[runningincircl3s]

i miss the way you say my name???

the way you bend?? the way you break???

your makeup running down your face???

the way you fuck???? the way you taste??????

[runningincircl3s]

[runningincircl3s]

it’s coming soon🤭🫶

Who Are You?

Kickboxer!Noah x Reader

Chapter Four

chapter warnings: i wrote the majority of this at 2am so reading it back i was like wtf. just the usual warnings, reader and her friends being too real, quick aaron taylor johnson mention (love of my life <3) gets a little nsfw at the end!

sorry for the wait for this one! i was debating whether or not to rewrite the ending as i wasn't sure if it was too soon for this to happen, but it's kinda important for the rest of the story so i kept it in!

┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈

A few days later...

You hadn't been able to focus on anything, you've been ignoring messages from your friends, not getting dressed for days at a time, oversleeping or not sleeping at all... basically just spiralling.

Just because of Noah? Not really. That certainly played a part in it. It was also because of work... The mistake you made had a major impact, and management hadn’t been subtle in their response. You’d been given a formal warning and told to work from home “until further notice.” Apparently, showing up to the office looking like you were about to cry wasn't inspiring.

But being stuck at home had only made things worse.

You barely left your home since, you'd just been sat on the couch, on your laptop, half working half pretending to be okay. The TV played constantly in the background, something just to make you feel like you weren't entirely alone. Laughter tracks and show intros constantly filled the room, but none of it touched you. You haven't laughed since the last time you were with Noah.

You kept glancing at the clock.

11:51.

Nine minutes until lunch.

You decided today you would finally go out. Just for some air. Maybe if you were feeling up to it you'd grab a coffee, maybe a pastry, anything that might lift your mood. You told yourself you’d feel better once you were walking. Once you had the cool air on your face, and something warm in your hands.

The clock ticked slow, but eventually, mercifully, it hit 12:00.

You stood with a quiet sigh and shuffled toward the door, throwing a hoodie over your tank top- which had a curious stain- and pulling your hair into a loose clip without bothering to check a mirror.

You didn't care if you saw anyone. There was only one person you wanted to see, and you were convinced you and your friends had scared him into moving to the other side of the country.

As you stepped outside, the sun hit your face, and you took your first deep breath in days. It was warmer out than you’d expected. The breeze was nice and gentle. You blinked up at the sunlight like someone just waking from hibernation.

Maybe this would help. Maybe this was all you needed.

You decided to go to your usual café, the one just down the street from you. You passed by a couple people you knew, but didn't stop to chat, just offered them a polite smile as you walked on.

But maybe you needed somebody else's company.

Because you were still thinking about him. You were always thinking about him.

Still replaying your last conversation.

Still wondering why he hadn’t come back. Wondering if it'd even be worth showing up to the class tomorrow.

So you told yourself not to care.

You told yourself it didn’t mean anything. It was bound to happen at some point, he would surely miss classes. Noah had his own life.

Maybe he was seeing someone. A girlfriend, or a boyfriend- James had been very convinced about that theory. Or maybe he’d just gotten bored. Maybe he found a better gym. One without a girl who clearly only came to flirt and couldn't do a proper roundhouse kicks!

You told yourself all of that, and it only made things worse. You only got further and further stuck in your brain.

Not knowing was just the worst part. Not getting to ask. Not even getting the chance to be let down properly. Not knowing truly why he didn't come.

With a frown, you pushed open the café door, the little bell above it chiming softly as you stepped inside.

You were greeted by the smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastry, but it barely registered in your brain. You were simply moving on autopilot, shoulders hunched in your hoodie, eyes glued to your phone. The line was short, only two people ahead, so you barely looked up.

When they called, “Next!” you shuffled forward, mumbled your order, your usual drink and a pastry you probably wouldn’t even eat, and reached into your pocket for your card.

But just as your fingers brushed the edge of it, the payment machine beeped.

You froze, quickly glancing up.

A part of you felt warm, a kind gesture from a stranger who may have seen you looked like you were having a rough time. Maybe it would blossom into a romance, and you'd tell your grandkids about this exact moment...

But then you saw it. A familair looking hand... long tattooed fingers, that belonged to a large tattooed hand hovering near the card reader.

And then your eyes slowly travelled up the length of his arm, past the dark hoodie sleeve, the curve of his shoulder, the tattoo on his throat, until you met his eyes.

Holy shit.

Noah.

Standing right beside you.

A small, soft smile played on his lips, like he hadn't just ruined your life. Oh fuck, what you were just imagining him here. What if you've missed him so much that your brain-

“Thought I recognised you,” he said, like he hadn’t just vanished from your life. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

You blinked once. Twice. Opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

He handed you your receipt like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like you hadn’t spent the past week convincing yourself he was gone forever.

“I... thank you." You finally managed, voice a little shaky.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you (and probably the stain on your hoodie.)

“You okay?” He asked carefully.

“Yeah." You nodded too quickly, "I just… I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Noah’s smile deepened, just a little.

“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”

"I... I only live down the street from here. I come here pretty often."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow, "I've never seen you in here before."

You chuckled softly, standing to the side to wait for your order.

"You come here often?" You asked, looking up at him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged, "I don't really drink coffee anymore, but I like the tea here."

"Oh," you smiled, "I've never tried their tea before, but I like their lattes."

He held his cup out for you, with a look that said try some.

You hesitated for a moment before taking it gently from his hand, your fingers brushing his for the briefest moment, yet it still made your tummy feel fuzzy.

You lifted the cup to your lips and took a sip, your eyes never quite leaving his. It was slightly sweet, a little floral and calming in a way you hadn’t felt in days.

“That’s really nice." You murmured, surprised.

“Told you.” He said with a little proud grin, taking the cup back from you.

And then your drink was called, your name echoing across the café, pulling you back to reality again. You stepped forward to grab it, feeling the heat of Noah still close beside you.

You turned back to him with both hands around your cup, unsure of what to say next. Unsure of what this even was. But he beat you to it.

“I'm sorry for missing the last class,” he said gently, as if reading your mind, “I had to go out of town for a few days... work stuff. I didn’t mean to vanish. I was supposed to let Tasha know, to tell you, but I kinda forgot.”

You tried not to show how relieving that felt to hear.

“I thought maybe I’d scared you off.” You said, only half joking.

“Because of your friends?” He laughed softly.

"They can get a little too much sometimes... I'm sorry-"

“No,” he said, still smiling. “I liked them.”

“You… liked them?” You blinked, perplexed.

“I thought they were funny,” he admitted with a nod, “But they clearly care about you a lot. That’s cool.”

You stared at him, warmth creeping into your cheeks.

"I felt a little lost without you there," you confessed, taking the conversation back to the class, "I had no one to laugh at me when I tripped!"

That made him chuckle, and the two of you began to move away from the counter, realising you were getting in the way.

"Well," he began, a small smirk playing on his lips, "If I get your number, I can let you know if I ever have to miss a day again..."

"Really?" Your eyes widened in shock, finally realising that maybe your friends were right...

Noah reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out his phone, offering it over to you.

"Really." He nodded.

You looked down at the device like it was something sacred, then up at him again.

“You sure?”

"Yes." He laughed, the sound warming your heart, "Unless you want to keep living in suspense every week."

You playfully rolled your eyes, trying to disguise the way your cheeks were burning and thumbs a little shaky as you typed in your number, and your name, followed by a heart emoji, which you regretted the moment you handed it back.

Why the fuck would you put a heart next to your name?

“There,” you said, “Now you can’t disappear without warning.”

He glanced at the screen, reading your name and the little heart emoji you’d added without thinking. The corners of his lips tugging up into a grin.

“A heart?” He teased, one brow lifting.

“Shut up. I panicked.” You waved a hand, trying to play it off, but your cheeks betrayed you, warming fast.

Noah laughed again, pocketing his phone.

“No complaints. It suits you.”

You took a sip of your coffee to hide the way your lips curved, suddenly hyperaware of how close he was stood, how normal it felt to be talking like this again, like the week of silence hadn’t been eating you alive.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you like he was about to say something else, and then your phone buzzed rather violently in your pocket.

You pulled it out and groaned. Your work app flashing a very unwelcome notification: “Where are you? Meeting started 3 mins ago!!!”

“Shit,” you muttered. “I’ve gotta run... I'm working from home and I'm supposed to be on a meeting... my boss is going to kill me.”

Noah stepped aside, letting you pass.

“Go. Save your job. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded quickly, already halfway to the door.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Same time?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He smiled.

You paused only once as you pushed open the café door, glancing back over your shoulder.

He was still standing there, watching you. And when your eyes met, he gave you the tiniest wink.

You would be replaying that in your mind all day.

...

You burst through your apartment door like a woman possessed, nearly dropping your coffee as you kicked it shut behind you.

Laptop. Where the fuck was your laptop

“Shit shit shit…” You muttered, searching the room.

You spotted it on the couch, still open on your email inbox. You threw yourself down, loaded up the meeting app and clicked join with audio off, camera off, and tried to sit still as your heart pounded through your ribcage…

Because Noah had just paid for your coffee. Because Noah had smiled at you. Because Noah had just asked for your number!!!!

You’d barely got through the last week thinking you’d scared him off, or your friends had, and now he was letting you sip his tea and winked at you like you were in some cheesy romance movie.

You had to tell your friends.

You: GUYS HOLY SHIT

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT

James: girl we thought you died where have you been??

Kylie: WE HAVENT HEARD FROM YOU ALL WEEK WHAT THR FUCK HAPPENED

You: ok so he didn’t turn up to the last class so i kinda assumed he fled the country BUT I JUST SAW HIM AND HE ASKED FOR MY NUMBER

James: you saw him at work???

Kylie: no dumbass she’s been working from home

Kylie: wait… where did you see him then?

You: THE CAFE

You: THE ONE I ALWAYS GO TO!!!

James: hold up HE ASKED FOR YOUR NUMBER????

James: DID YOU GIVE IT TO HIM

You: DUH!!!!

James: is that all you gave to him😏

You: shut up

Kylie: girl get the fuck back to work before you lose your job for good and save the story for later!!!

James: hell yeah!!

You: okay fine

You put your phone down with a sigh and tried to pay attention to the meeting, though it was boring you to death. You weren’t even sure what you were supposed to be doing.

Then your phone buzzed again.

Annoyed, you picked it up, ready to tell your friends they had just told you to get back to work…

But then you saw it was from an unknown number

Unknown: Hey it’s Noah :)

Unknown: Good luck with that meeting

You nearly choked on your own breath.

You quickly saved his contact, then your thumbs just hovered above your screen, wondering what the fuck to say to that.

You: thanks :)

You: and thank you for the coffee!

You put your phone back down, a grin still plastered across your face as you turned back to your laptop…

Wait…

Why were you still staring at the ‘join’ screen?

You clicked over to your work chat, heart already hammering. And there you found a long, irritated message from your boss.

You scanned it quickly, eyes darting past the passive aggressive “hope everything’s alright” and “you’ve been very unfocused this month” stuff until you hit the final line.

“…And I’m working late tomorrow, so I would like to see you in my office. 5pm. No excuses this time.”

You felt your heart sink straight to your toes.

You slumped back in your chair, dragging your hands down your face. Why did the universe always have to throw something at you the second things started finally going right again?

FUCK.

You sent a polite reply to your boss, saying how you had tried to join the meeting but you were having some internet issues. And next, you had to tell Noah you’d be missing tomorrow’s class.

What the hell were you supposed to say?

You typed out six different messages, but hesitated after each one, deleting it and typing again. Eventually, you settled on:

You: okay so i’ve just been called into the office tomorrow at 5, so i’ll have to miss class 🥲

Noah: Oh shit

Noah: Well I was thinking about staying late at the gym tomorrow to make up for last week. If you let me know what time you’re back maybe I'll stay and we could have a private session…

Internally, you were screaming.

You: but i don’t think i’ll be back until pretty late :(

Noah: The gym shuts at 8??

You: fuck i won’t make it back in time…

Noah: Then maybe we could do it at your place?

You: yeah sure!

Noah: Great :) Let me know when you’re home and I’ll come over

Noah: Get ready to sweat😏

You stared at your screen, heart jackhammering in your chest.

Okay. Okay. So he’s coming over.

Noah is coming over.

To your apartment.

You let out a soft, panicked laugh and flung your phone face down on the couch. Then immediately flipped it back over and reread the messages. Twice.

Get ready to sweat😏

He was definitely talking about the workout... Probably.

But even right now you could feel yourself sweating, just at the thought alone.

You were spiralling, again.

You leapt up, did a frantic 360 spin in your living room, then made a mental checklist.

And it began with cleaninb the place. There was rubbish all over the place, the floors needed vacuuming, and for some reason you had odd socks in the most random places, some with holes in- and they definitely needed washing.

You looked around and immediately hated everything about the place.

The kitchen was a mess, the cushions on your couch never looked right, the whole place was cluttered and you hadn’t showered in days.

And now Noah was going to see all of this…

You quickly texted your group chat.

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT CODE RED!!!!

You: [sent a screenshot of your texts with noah]

You: GIYS HES COMING TO MY PLACE TOMORROW

You: FOR A PRIVATE SESSION????? WHAT THE HELL???????

Kylie: OH HOLY SHIT

James: bitch what about US???

James: or are we invited too…

You: NO!!!!

You: we’ll have to reschedule sorry guys

Kylie: usually i’d be pissed but i’m actually really happy for you

Kylie: girl get that dick!!!

You: 😟

You: excuse me.

Kylie: oh c’mon. “get ready to sweat” ??????

You: yeah. you haven’t seen me after a round with him. i’m dripping by the end.

James: OKAY IM NOT SAYING ANYTHING!!!!!!

You: guys you aren’t helping :(

You: be honest with me do you think he’ll think my place is nice

Kylie: yes!!!

James: just don’t let him see aaron.

Ah, yes. The mini Aaron Taylor Johnson cardboard cutout you kept by your tv, the one James gave you for your birthday last year, which you maybe got a little too excited about. You dress him up for the holidays, and he currently had a pair of pumpkin sunglasses on, though halloween had long gone. You quickly got up and threw him in a cupboard.

You: ok aaron’s been dealt with.

Kylie: honestly honey i don’t think you need to worry so much. he clearly likes you, and the state of your apartment won’t change anything :)

James: unless he’s an interior designer and he sees your mismatched kitchen chairs.

Kylie: IGNORE HIM I THINK THEYRE CUTE!!!

…

The meeting dragged on for almost an hour.

Your boss had been calm, which somehow made it all worse. There was no yelling, no grand confrontation. Just quiet disappointment and polite professionalism, words like “inconsistent,” “final warning,” and “you need to be more focused.”

By the time you made it to the train station, your face hurt from forcing composure. The train was packed, so you stood the whole way.

The thought of going home and seeing Noah was the only thing that had got you through the meeting, but he didn’t have to know that. You didn’t want to inflate his ego anymore after he found out he was the Hot Gym Guy.

You got off at your stop at 7:48. And then you had to walk home.

Your legs ached. Your bag dug into your shoulder. Your chest still felt tight from everything you didn’t say, but wanted to.

When you turned the corner onto your street, there he was.

Noah was leaning casually against the wall next to your front door of your apartment building, hood up, phone in hand. He was wearing a hoodie with a some band name you vaguely recognised on it, and a pair of black shorts.

He looked up the moment he saw you.

“Hey, you made it.” He said, straightening. His voice was soft, and the sound of it alone made your day a little better.

“Barely. I’m so sorry,” you blurted, breathless from the walk. “That meeting ran way over, and then the train was hell, and I-”

“Hey.” He smiled. “It's fine.”

You stopped in front of him, staring up at him like he wasn’t real, which you still had your doubts about.

He held up a bottle of water.

“Brought this. Figured you’d need it after all that.”

“Thank you,” you said, reaching for the bottle, your fingers brushing his, “Wanna come up?”

“Lead the way!” He smiled, holding the door open for you.

…

The elevator ride to your floor was quiet, maybe even a little awkward. You were just tired, still feeling deflated from the meeting and exhausted from the commute.

When the doors opened, you led the way down the hall to your place. Your keys fumbled once in your fingers, but you managed to get the door open without dropping them- a miracle, honestly.

You stepped inside and kicked off your shoes, brushing your hair off your face with a soft sigh.

“Sorry it’s a little messy, I tried to tidy but I didn’t have much time…”

Noah followed you in, calm as ever, water bottle tucked under his arm, gym bag slung over his shoulder.

“Looks fine to me,” he said, glancing around. “It's very cute, cosy even."

You dumped your bag by the couch and turned to face him, only to find him tugging at the bottom of his hoodie.

“I should probably warn you,” he said, giving you a slight, crooked grin. “I don’t have a shirt on under this. I was working out earlier with Matt and Davis, the shirt got gross so I took it off and threw it in my car… figured you wouldn’t want me stinking your place out before we even got started.”

You blinked. So he was wearing nothing beneath his hoodie?

You had seen slithers of his stomach before, and his back, but you never thought you’d get to see it all.

“Oh,” you said, already feeling slightly flustered. “Right. That’s… yeah, fair.”

“Cool if I take this off?”

Your brain was short circuiting. But you managed a nod.

“Yeah. Totally fine... I don’t want you overheating or anything…”

He raised an eyebrow like he was trying not to laugh, then pulled the hoodie off over his head in one smooth motion.

And just like that, he was shirtless in your living room.

Your mouth went dry, but between your thighs was another story.

He wasn’t showing off, and that was the worst part. He just tossed the hoodie onto the couch like it was no big deal and then reached for his water bottle.

Meanwhile, you were suddenly aware of every inch of him, his chest, his arms, his stomach… he was covered in tattoos, and as he turned around you felt your knees go weak.

Never had you found someone’s back attractive before, but holy fuck.

Sorry, Jesus.

“You okay?” He asked, his voice casual like he hadn’t just turned your entire brain into mush.

You nodded, forcing a laugh.

“Yeah. Just… um. Still recovering.”

“From your meeting?”

You stared at him.

“…Yeah.”

He smirked but didn’t press.

“You wanna go and get changed, then we can start?”

You nodded, quickly heading into your bedroom, changing into the gym set you had left on the edge of your bed before you left for your meeting.

Once you had gotten changed, put some deodorant and your favourite perfume, then you stepped back out of your bedroom, finding Noah stood in the middle of your living room like he belonged there, relaxed, arms crossed loosely over his chest, glancing around like he was assessing floor space- which you didn’t have that much of.

“I should probably move the couch.” You muttered, half to yourself, stepping forward and bracing your hands against the armrest. You gave it a push.

Nothing happened.

You pushed harder.

The couch barely budged.

Noah stepped up behind you, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Need help?”

“No,” you said, still pushing. “…Okay, maybe.”

He laughed quietly and moved beside you, pressing his hands to the back of the couch next to yours.

“On three?”

You barely had time to say “wait-“ before he shifted his weight and moved the whole damn thing like it was made of feathers.

“Okay, no one likes a show off.” You teased.

He shrugged like he hadn’t just casually embarrassed you in your own home. To hide the blush on your cheeks, you turned back around, opening the cupboard under the TV unit and dragging out two rolled up yoga mats, ones you had bought many years ago from your short lived new years resolution where you told yourself you'd finally start getting your life together. (You used them once with Kylie, pulled a muscle and never got them out again.)

“They’re a little dusty.” You warned, handing him one.

“That's fine.” He chuckled, already unrolling his onto the floor with a soft flap.

You tried to copy him, but the mat curled back in on itself. You had to step on one end to keep it flat.

Noah didn’t comment, but his grin said enough.

You knelt down to adjust it, tucking one corner under your coffee table to hold it in place.

When you straightened, he was already stretching, his arms over his head, back arching slightly, muscles flexing. Completely unaware, or pretending to be unaware, that you were watching.

You looked away fast, dropping to the mat and forcing yourself to focus.

“Okay,” you said, clapping your hands together like this was a totally normal event. “What are we starting with?”

“Let’s warm up your shoulders and legs,” he said, kneeling beside you. “We’ll go light today, so nothing too intense.”

You nodded, following his lead as he shifted into a forward lunge. He glanced over to watch your form, and you immediately forgot how legs worked.

Then he moved behind you.

“Just gonna check your stance.” He said, one hand brushing your hip, the other on your upper back.

You nearly tipped over.

“Loosen up. You’re stiff.” His voice was right by your ear now, calm and warm.

“Sorry, I've just... had a really bad day.” You mumbled.

“I can tell.” He said, not unkindly.

You exhaled, tried to relax your shoulders.

His hands lingered just a second longer than necessary. Then he stepped away.

“You’ll feel better after this, though.” He said, standing back in his place again, like nothing happened.

…

You were already flushed, hot and sweating by the time you finished warming up, and as usual, he looked untouched.

Whilst you were taking a quick water break, opening more windows to let some air in, he threw his spare wraps at you.

“Wrap up,” he said simply, winding his own. “We’ll do a few light rounds, I don’t have any pads or gloves though.”

You caught them clumsily, still breathless as you sat down beside him on the couch.

“We’re sparring?”

He nodded, already securing the wrap.

“You got some steam to let off. Better to do it with me than your boss.”

“You just want to laugh at me.” You said with a smirk.

“Why would I do that?” He asked, voice almost too casual, but there was something teasing behind it. A glint in his eyes that made your hands fumble with the wraps.

“Because I still suck at this,” you mumbled, trying to loop the fabric over your wrist the right way. “And I know you enjoy watching me suffer, especially when it comes to the roundhouse kicks.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“That’s not true.” He said, and you gave him a look. “I don’t enjoy it,” he continued, standing slowly. “But it is cute.”

Your breath caught. Cute.

You opened your mouth to fire back something, anything! But then he stepped toward you, holding out his hands.

“Give me them.” He said.

“What?”

“The wraps.”

You hesitated. Then handed them over.

He took them without another word, his fingers brushing yours briefly before he crouched in front of you, dropping to one knee. He took your wrist gently and began rewrapping that hand.

“You always pull too tight." He murmured, not looking up.

“I like it tight.”

His lips twitched.

“Yeah?”

You flushed, immediately regretting your choice of words. He briefly looked up and you swore he was biting back a laugh.

“Shut up.” You glared at him.

“I didn’t say anything.” He finished the wrap and ran his thumb over the back of your hand once, just softly, before starting on the other.

When he finally stood, he didn’t step back, just looked down at you and offered his hand.

“You ready?”

You nodded, even though you weren’t. Not really.

“Remember,” he said, guiding you into position. “Focus on control. You don’t need to prove anything to me, or show off.”

You exhaled. Tried to settle your stance. His hands came down on your hips lightly, just adjusting you.

“Widen your base,” he murmured. “There, that’s perfect… Good girl.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You weren’t even sure he meant to say it, it came out softly, quiet, but it landed like a sucker punch to your stomach.

You looked up at him sharply.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”

You shook it off. Focus!

…

You weren’t sure when the sparring became funny, but somewhere between the fourth time Noah made you miss on purpose and the second time he caught your punch mid-air just to spin you and tickle your sides, you were losing your composure.

“Noah!” You half shouted, half laughed as his fingers found your ribs again, wriggling at your sides.

"It's conditioning," he said, smug, biting back his own laugh, "If you don't want me to tickle you, don't be predictable."

"You're the worst." You gasped, breathless as you wiped the sweat from your brow and staggered back, still a little giddy.

He just stood there, hands on hips, calm as ever.

"You'll thank me when you become untouchable."

You shook your head, pacing in a slow circle around him, catching your breath.

“Okay,” you muttered. “How’s this for predictable?”

Before he could answer, you launched.

A roundhouse kick, not perfect but it had power. Noah’s eyes widened just enough to let you know you’d surprised him.

Except… your foot didn’t quite land how you wanted it to, and you lost balance.

“Shit-”

Noah moved to steady you, but too late. Everything spiralled out of control in a blur of limbs...

And the two of you tumbled backwards, straight onto the couch.

With a heavy thud, he landed on his back with a soft grunt, arms instinctively around your waist, making you land on top of him with a soft, shocked oof. You tried to process what just happened, as you pushed yourself up, your hands on his chest, your legs either side of his.

“Shit-“ you gasped, “I… didn’t mean to do that.”

Noah wheezed a laugh.

“You okay?” He asked gently.

“Yeah- yeah, I just… oh my god, I wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“You sure?” He chuckled.

You shifted your weight a little, trying to find a better position as to not fall off the couch completely… and accidentally rolled your hips right over his.

Noah sucked in a sharp breath, and you froze.

Because you felt it.

Oh.

“Oh...” You whispered, eyes going wide.

His jaw flexed, his eyes screwing shut.

“Dont… Don’t move.”

And of course, you immediately moved again, flustered and clumsy, trying to do the right thing, your hips moving again as you tried to roll off of him.

And that only made it worse.

Noah exhaled hard through his nose, grabbing your hips to still you completely.

“I said don’t.”

Your cheeks burned.

“Sorry!" You quickly apologised, now breathless, "I didn’t mean-“

“I know,” he said, voice tight. “It’s fine. Just… don’t panic-“

So you didn’t. You didn’t move. Didn’t dare look at him…

But then you did. And your breath caught in your throat, and you felt that pulse between your thighs.

He was already looking at you, his eyes dark, lips parted, bare chest rising and falling beneath you. His jaw clenched, the muscles in his arms flexing as he fought to hold you still. And yet… his grip wasn’t forceful, or rough.

You didn’t move, he did. Just a little. His thumbs shifted along your hips, guiding you forward slowly, as if to test. You followed the motion instinctively, and your body rocked against him.

The friction made your thighs tremble.

Noah inhaled sharply, his hands tightening just enough to tell you he felt it too.

“Fuck.” He breathed, his head thrown back.

Your palms braced against his chest, but you didn’t pull back. You stayed there. Hearts pounding. Lips parting.

He looked up at you.

His eyes lingered on your lips, before dragging back up to your eyes, as you continued to gently rock against him.

Neither of you said anything, but neither of you stopped either.

He moved your hips again, just once, and this time you whined, gasping as your forehead dropped to his shoulder.

Then, slowly, the front door opened...

-------------------------------------

the next chapter is already pretty much finished btw so i might post it in a couple days :)

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[runningincircl3s]

Sure Noah, sure

he definitely was not just doing that for a reaction…

That’s cute🥺🥺

cute and hot he’s a double threat :(

That’s a way to end a chapter🤭🤭

hehe🤭

Don't fucking tell me that James and Kylie did not listen and came for a visit to ruin this potentional smut that l've been waiting for since the first class😩😩

they just have the worst timing!!

Who Are You?

Kickboxer!Noah x Reader

Chapter Four

chapter warnings: i wrote the majority of this at 2am so reading it back i was like wtf. just the usual warnings, reader and her friends being too real, quick aaron taylor johnson mention (love of my life <3) gets a little nsfw at the end!

sorry for the wait for this one! i was debating whether or not to rewrite the ending as i wasn't sure if it was too soon for this to happen, but it's kinda important for the rest of the story so i kept it in!

┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈

A few days later...

You hadn't been able to focus on anything, you've been ignoring messages from your friends, not getting dressed for days at a time, oversleeping or not sleeping at all... basically just spiralling.

Just because of Noah? Not really. That certainly played a part in it. It was also because of work... The mistake you made had a major impact, and management hadn’t been subtle in their response. You’d been given a formal warning and told to work from home “until further notice.” Apparently, showing up to the office looking like you were about to cry wasn't inspiring.

But being stuck at home had only made things worse.

You barely left your home since, you'd just been sat on the couch, on your laptop, half working half pretending to be okay. The TV played constantly in the background, something just to make you feel like you weren't entirely alone. Laughter tracks and show intros constantly filled the room, but none of it touched you. You haven't laughed since the last time you were with Noah.

You kept glancing at the clock.

11:51.

Nine minutes until lunch.

You decided today you would finally go out. Just for some air. Maybe if you were feeling up to it you'd grab a coffee, maybe a pastry, anything that might lift your mood. You told yourself you’d feel better once you were walking. Once you had the cool air on your face, and something warm in your hands.

The clock ticked slow, but eventually, mercifully, it hit 12:00.

You stood with a quiet sigh and shuffled toward the door, throwing a hoodie over your tank top- which had a curious stain- and pulling your hair into a loose clip without bothering to check a mirror.

You didn't care if you saw anyone. There was only one person you wanted to see, and you were convinced you and your friends had scared him into moving to the other side of the country.

As you stepped outside, the sun hit your face, and you took your first deep breath in days. It was warmer out than you’d expected. The breeze was nice and gentle. You blinked up at the sunlight like someone just waking from hibernation.

Maybe this would help. Maybe this was all you needed.

You decided to go to your usual café, the one just down the street from you. You passed by a couple people you knew, but didn't stop to chat, just offered them a polite smile as you walked on.

But maybe you needed somebody else's company.

Because you were still thinking about him. You were always thinking about him.

Still replaying your last conversation.

Still wondering why he hadn’t come back. Wondering if it'd even be worth showing up to the class tomorrow.

So you told yourself not to care.

You told yourself it didn’t mean anything. It was bound to happen at some point, he would surely miss classes. Noah had his own life.

Maybe he was seeing someone. A girlfriend, or a boyfriend- James had been very convinced about that theory. Or maybe he’d just gotten bored. Maybe he found a better gym. One without a girl who clearly only came to flirt and couldn't do a proper roundhouse kicks!

You told yourself all of that, and it only made things worse. You only got further and further stuck in your brain.

Not knowing was just the worst part. Not getting to ask. Not even getting the chance to be let down properly. Not knowing truly why he didn't come.

With a frown, you pushed open the café door, the little bell above it chiming softly as you stepped inside.

You were greeted by the smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastry, but it barely registered in your brain. You were simply moving on autopilot, shoulders hunched in your hoodie, eyes glued to your phone. The line was short, only two people ahead, so you barely looked up.

When they called, “Next!” you shuffled forward, mumbled your order, your usual drink and a pastry you probably wouldn’t even eat, and reached into your pocket for your card.

But just as your fingers brushed the edge of it, the payment machine beeped.

You froze, quickly glancing up.

A part of you felt warm, a kind gesture from a stranger who may have seen you looked like you were having a rough time. Maybe it would blossom into a romance, and you'd tell your grandkids about this exact moment...

But then you saw it. A familair looking hand... long tattooed fingers, that belonged to a large tattooed hand hovering near the card reader.

And then your eyes slowly travelled up the length of his arm, past the dark hoodie sleeve, the curve of his shoulder, the tattoo on his throat, until you met his eyes.

Holy shit.

Noah.

Standing right beside you.

A small, soft smile played on his lips, like he hadn't just ruined your life. Oh fuck, what you were just imagining him here. What if you've missed him so much that your brain-

“Thought I recognised you,” he said, like he hadn’t just vanished from your life. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

You blinked once. Twice. Opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

He handed you your receipt like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like you hadn’t spent the past week convincing yourself he was gone forever.

“I... thank you." You finally managed, voice a little shaky.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you (and probably the stain on your hoodie.)

“You okay?” He asked carefully.

“Yeah." You nodded too quickly, "I just… I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Noah’s smile deepened, just a little.

“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”

"I... I only live down the street from here. I come here pretty often."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow, "I've never seen you in here before."

You chuckled softly, standing to the side to wait for your order.

"You come here often?" You asked, looking up at him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged, "I don't really drink coffee anymore, but I like the tea here."

"Oh," you smiled, "I've never tried their tea before, but I like their lattes."

He held his cup out for you, with a look that said try some.

You hesitated for a moment before taking it gently from his hand, your fingers brushing his for the briefest moment, yet it still made your tummy feel fuzzy.

You lifted the cup to your lips and took a sip, your eyes never quite leaving his. It was slightly sweet, a little floral and calming in a way you hadn’t felt in days.

“That’s really nice." You murmured, surprised.

“Told you.” He said with a little proud grin, taking the cup back from you.

And then your drink was called, your name echoing across the café, pulling you back to reality again. You stepped forward to grab it, feeling the heat of Noah still close beside you.

You turned back to him with both hands around your cup, unsure of what to say next. Unsure of what this even was. But he beat you to it.

“I'm sorry for missing the last class,” he said gently, as if reading your mind, “I had to go out of town for a few days... work stuff. I didn’t mean to vanish. I was supposed to let Tasha know, to tell you, but I kinda forgot.”

You tried not to show how relieving that felt to hear.

“I thought maybe I’d scared you off.” You said, only half joking.

“Because of your friends?” He laughed softly.

"They can get a little too much sometimes... I'm sorry-"

“No,” he said, still smiling. “I liked them.”

“You… liked them?” You blinked, perplexed.

“I thought they were funny,” he admitted with a nod, “But they clearly care about you a lot. That’s cool.”

You stared at him, warmth creeping into your cheeks.

"I felt a little lost without you there," you confessed, taking the conversation back to the class, "I had no one to laugh at me when I tripped!"

That made him chuckle, and the two of you began to move away from the counter, realising you were getting in the way.

"Well," he began, a small smirk playing on his lips, "If I get your number, I can let you know if I ever have to miss a day again..."

"Really?" Your eyes widened in shock, finally realising that maybe your friends were right...

Noah reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out his phone, offering it over to you.

"Really." He nodded.

You looked down at the device like it was something sacred, then up at him again.

“You sure?”

"Yes." He laughed, the sound warming your heart, "Unless you want to keep living in suspense every week."

You playfully rolled your eyes, trying to disguise the way your cheeks were burning and thumbs a little shaky as you typed in your number, and your name, followed by a heart emoji, which you regretted the moment you handed it back.

Why the fuck would you put a heart next to your name?

“There,” you said, “Now you can’t disappear without warning.”

He glanced at the screen, reading your name and the little heart emoji you’d added without thinking. The corners of his lips tugging up into a grin.

“A heart?” He teased, one brow lifting.

“Shut up. I panicked.” You waved a hand, trying to play it off, but your cheeks betrayed you, warming fast.

Noah laughed again, pocketing his phone.

“No complaints. It suits you.”

You took a sip of your coffee to hide the way your lips curved, suddenly hyperaware of how close he was stood, how normal it felt to be talking like this again, like the week of silence hadn’t been eating you alive.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you like he was about to say something else, and then your phone buzzed rather violently in your pocket.

You pulled it out and groaned. Your work app flashing a very unwelcome notification: “Where are you? Meeting started 3 mins ago!!!”

“Shit,” you muttered. “I’ve gotta run... I'm working from home and I'm supposed to be on a meeting... my boss is going to kill me.”

Noah stepped aside, letting you pass.

“Go. Save your job. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded quickly, already halfway to the door.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Same time?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He smiled.

You paused only once as you pushed open the café door, glancing back over your shoulder.

He was still standing there, watching you. And when your eyes met, he gave you the tiniest wink.

You would be replaying that in your mind all day.

...

You burst through your apartment door like a woman possessed, nearly dropping your coffee as you kicked it shut behind you.

Laptop. Where the fuck was your laptop

“Shit shit shit…” You muttered, searching the room.

You spotted it on the couch, still open on your email inbox. You threw yourself down, loaded up the meeting app and clicked join with audio off, camera off, and tried to sit still as your heart pounded through your ribcage…

Because Noah had just paid for your coffee. Because Noah had smiled at you. Because Noah had just asked for your number!!!!

You’d barely got through the last week thinking you’d scared him off, or your friends had, and now he was letting you sip his tea and winked at you like you were in some cheesy romance movie.

You had to tell your friends.

You: GUYS HOLY SHIT

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT

James: girl we thought you died where have you been??

Kylie: WE HAVENT HEARD FROM YOU ALL WEEK WHAT THR FUCK HAPPENED

You: ok so he didn’t turn up to the last class so i kinda assumed he fled the country BUT I JUST SAW HIM AND HE ASKED FOR MY NUMBER

James: you saw him at work???

Kylie: no dumbass she’s been working from home

Kylie: wait… where did you see him then?

You: THE CAFE

You: THE ONE I ALWAYS GO TO!!!

James: hold up HE ASKED FOR YOUR NUMBER????

James: DID YOU GIVE IT TO HIM

You: DUH!!!!

James: is that all you gave to him😏

You: shut up

Kylie: girl get the fuck back to work before you lose your job for good and save the story for later!!!

James: hell yeah!!

You: okay fine

You put your phone down with a sigh and tried to pay attention to the meeting, though it was boring you to death. You weren’t even sure what you were supposed to be doing.

Then your phone buzzed again.

Annoyed, you picked it up, ready to tell your friends they had just told you to get back to work…

But then you saw it was from an unknown number

Unknown: Hey it’s Noah :)

Unknown: Good luck with that meeting

You nearly choked on your own breath.

You quickly saved his contact, then your thumbs just hovered above your screen, wondering what the fuck to say to that.

You: thanks :)

You: and thank you for the coffee!

You put your phone back down, a grin still plastered across your face as you turned back to your laptop…

Wait…

Why were you still staring at the ‘join’ screen?

You clicked over to your work chat, heart already hammering. And there you found a long, irritated message from your boss.

You scanned it quickly, eyes darting past the passive aggressive “hope everything’s alright” and “you’ve been very unfocused this month” stuff until you hit the final line.

“…And I’m working late tomorrow, so I would like to see you in my office. 5pm. No excuses this time.”

You felt your heart sink straight to your toes.

You slumped back in your chair, dragging your hands down your face. Why did the universe always have to throw something at you the second things started finally going right again?

FUCK.

You sent a polite reply to your boss, saying how you had tried to join the meeting but you were having some internet issues. And next, you had to tell Noah you’d be missing tomorrow’s class.

What the hell were you supposed to say?

You typed out six different messages, but hesitated after each one, deleting it and typing again. Eventually, you settled on:

You: okay so i’ve just been called into the office tomorrow at 5, so i’ll have to miss class 🥲

Noah: Oh shit

Noah: Well I was thinking about staying late at the gym tomorrow to make up for last week. If you let me know what time you’re back maybe I'll stay and we could have a private session…

Internally, you were screaming.

You: but i don’t think i’ll be back until pretty late :(

Noah: The gym shuts at 8??

You: fuck i won’t make it back in time…

Noah: Then maybe we could do it at your place?

You: yeah sure!

Noah: Great :) Let me know when you’re home and I’ll come over

Noah: Get ready to sweat😏

You stared at your screen, heart jackhammering in your chest.

Okay. Okay. So he’s coming over.

Noah is coming over.

To your apartment.

You let out a soft, panicked laugh and flung your phone face down on the couch. Then immediately flipped it back over and reread the messages. Twice.

Get ready to sweat😏

He was definitely talking about the workout... Probably.

But even right now you could feel yourself sweating, just at the thought alone.

You were spiralling, again.

You leapt up, did a frantic 360 spin in your living room, then made a mental checklist.

And it began with cleaninb the place. There was rubbish all over the place, the floors needed vacuuming, and for some reason you had odd socks in the most random places, some with holes in- and they definitely needed washing.

You looked around and immediately hated everything about the place.

The kitchen was a mess, the cushions on your couch never looked right, the whole place was cluttered and you hadn’t showered in days.

And now Noah was going to see all of this…

You quickly texted your group chat.

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT CODE RED!!!!

You: [sent a screenshot of your texts with noah]

You: GIYS HES COMING TO MY PLACE TOMORROW

You: FOR A PRIVATE SESSION????? WHAT THE HELL???????

Kylie: OH HOLY SHIT

James: bitch what about US???

James: or are we invited too…

You: NO!!!!

You: we’ll have to reschedule sorry guys

Kylie: usually i’d be pissed but i’m actually really happy for you

Kylie: girl get that dick!!!

You: 😟

You: excuse me.

Kylie: oh c’mon. “get ready to sweat” ??????

You: yeah. you haven’t seen me after a round with him. i’m dripping by the end.

James: OKAY IM NOT SAYING ANYTHING!!!!!!

You: guys you aren’t helping :(

You: be honest with me do you think he’ll think my place is nice

Kylie: yes!!!

James: just don’t let him see aaron.

Ah, yes. The mini Aaron Taylor Johnson cardboard cutout you kept by your tv, the one James gave you for your birthday last year, which you maybe got a little too excited about. You dress him up for the holidays, and he currently had a pair of pumpkin sunglasses on, though halloween had long gone. You quickly got up and threw him in a cupboard.

You: ok aaron’s been dealt with.

Kylie: honestly honey i don’t think you need to worry so much. he clearly likes you, and the state of your apartment won’t change anything :)

James: unless he’s an interior designer and he sees your mismatched kitchen chairs.

Kylie: IGNORE HIM I THINK THEYRE CUTE!!!

…

The meeting dragged on for almost an hour.

Your boss had been calm, which somehow made it all worse. There was no yelling, no grand confrontation. Just quiet disappointment and polite professionalism, words like “inconsistent,” “final warning,” and “you need to be more focused.”

By the time you made it to the train station, your face hurt from forcing composure. The train was packed, so you stood the whole way.

The thought of going home and seeing Noah was the only thing that had got you through the meeting, but he didn’t have to know that. You didn’t want to inflate his ego anymore after he found out he was the Hot Gym Guy.

You got off at your stop at 7:48. And then you had to walk home.

Your legs ached. Your bag dug into your shoulder. Your chest still felt tight from everything you didn’t say, but wanted to.

When you turned the corner onto your street, there he was.

Noah was leaning casually against the wall next to your front door of your apartment building, hood up, phone in hand. He was wearing a hoodie with a some band name you vaguely recognised on it, and a pair of black shorts.

He looked up the moment he saw you.

“Hey, you made it.” He said, straightening. His voice was soft, and the sound of it alone made your day a little better.

“Barely. I’m so sorry,” you blurted, breathless from the walk. “That meeting ran way over, and then the train was hell, and I-”

“Hey.” He smiled. “It's fine.”

You stopped in front of him, staring up at him like he wasn’t real, which you still had your doubts about.

He held up a bottle of water.

“Brought this. Figured you’d need it after all that.”

“Thank you,” you said, reaching for the bottle, your fingers brushing his, “Wanna come up?”

“Lead the way!” He smiled, holding the door open for you.

…

The elevator ride to your floor was quiet, maybe even a little awkward. You were just tired, still feeling deflated from the meeting and exhausted from the commute.

When the doors opened, you led the way down the hall to your place. Your keys fumbled once in your fingers, but you managed to get the door open without dropping them- a miracle, honestly.

You stepped inside and kicked off your shoes, brushing your hair off your face with a soft sigh.

“Sorry it’s a little messy, I tried to tidy but I didn’t have much time…”

Noah followed you in, calm as ever, water bottle tucked under his arm, gym bag slung over his shoulder.

“Looks fine to me,” he said, glancing around. “It's very cute, cosy even."

You dumped your bag by the couch and turned to face him, only to find him tugging at the bottom of his hoodie.

“I should probably warn you,” he said, giving you a slight, crooked grin. “I don’t have a shirt on under this. I was working out earlier with Matt and Davis, the shirt got gross so I took it off and threw it in my car… figured you wouldn’t want me stinking your place out before we even got started.”

You blinked. So he was wearing nothing beneath his hoodie?

You had seen slithers of his stomach before, and his back, but you never thought you’d get to see it all.

“Oh,” you said, already feeling slightly flustered. “Right. That’s… yeah, fair.”

“Cool if I take this off?”

Your brain was short circuiting. But you managed a nod.

“Yeah. Totally fine... I don’t want you overheating or anything…”

He raised an eyebrow like he was trying not to laugh, then pulled the hoodie off over his head in one smooth motion.

And just like that, he was shirtless in your living room.

Your mouth went dry, but between your thighs was another story.

He wasn’t showing off, and that was the worst part. He just tossed the hoodie onto the couch like it was no big deal and then reached for his water bottle.

Meanwhile, you were suddenly aware of every inch of him, his chest, his arms, his stomach… he was covered in tattoos, and as he turned around you felt your knees go weak.

Never had you found someone’s back attractive before, but holy fuck.

Sorry, Jesus.

“You okay?” He asked, his voice casual like he hadn’t just turned your entire brain into mush.

You nodded, forcing a laugh.

“Yeah. Just… um. Still recovering.”

“From your meeting?”

You stared at him.

“…Yeah.”

He smirked but didn’t press.

“You wanna go and get changed, then we can start?”

You nodded, quickly heading into your bedroom, changing into the gym set you had left on the edge of your bed before you left for your meeting.

Once you had gotten changed, put some deodorant and your favourite perfume, then you stepped back out of your bedroom, finding Noah stood in the middle of your living room like he belonged there, relaxed, arms crossed loosely over his chest, glancing around like he was assessing floor space- which you didn’t have that much of.

“I should probably move the couch.” You muttered, half to yourself, stepping forward and bracing your hands against the armrest. You gave it a push.

Nothing happened.

You pushed harder.

The couch barely budged.

Noah stepped up behind you, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Need help?”

“No,” you said, still pushing. “…Okay, maybe.”

He laughed quietly and moved beside you, pressing his hands to the back of the couch next to yours.

“On three?”

You barely had time to say “wait-“ before he shifted his weight and moved the whole damn thing like it was made of feathers.

“Okay, no one likes a show off.” You teased.

He shrugged like he hadn’t just casually embarrassed you in your own home. To hide the blush on your cheeks, you turned back around, opening the cupboard under the TV unit and dragging out two rolled up yoga mats, ones you had bought many years ago from your short lived new years resolution where you told yourself you'd finally start getting your life together. (You used them once with Kylie, pulled a muscle and never got them out again.)

“They’re a little dusty.” You warned, handing him one.

“That's fine.” He chuckled, already unrolling his onto the floor with a soft flap.

You tried to copy him, but the mat curled back in on itself. You had to step on one end to keep it flat.

Noah didn’t comment, but his grin said enough.

You knelt down to adjust it, tucking one corner under your coffee table to hold it in place.

When you straightened, he was already stretching, his arms over his head, back arching slightly, muscles flexing. Completely unaware, or pretending to be unaware, that you were watching.

You looked away fast, dropping to the mat and forcing yourself to focus.

“Okay,” you said, clapping your hands together like this was a totally normal event. “What are we starting with?”

“Let’s warm up your shoulders and legs,” he said, kneeling beside you. “We’ll go light today, so nothing too intense.”

You nodded, following his lead as he shifted into a forward lunge. He glanced over to watch your form, and you immediately forgot how legs worked.

Then he moved behind you.

“Just gonna check your stance.” He said, one hand brushing your hip, the other on your upper back.

You nearly tipped over.

“Loosen up. You’re stiff.” His voice was right by your ear now, calm and warm.

“Sorry, I've just... had a really bad day.” You mumbled.

“I can tell.” He said, not unkindly.

You exhaled, tried to relax your shoulders.

His hands lingered just a second longer than necessary. Then he stepped away.

“You’ll feel better after this, though.” He said, standing back in his place again, like nothing happened.

…

You were already flushed, hot and sweating by the time you finished warming up, and as usual, he looked untouched.

Whilst you were taking a quick water break, opening more windows to let some air in, he threw his spare wraps at you.

“Wrap up,” he said simply, winding his own. “We’ll do a few light rounds, I don’t have any pads or gloves though.”

You caught them clumsily, still breathless as you sat down beside him on the couch.

“We’re sparring?”

He nodded, already securing the wrap.

“You got some steam to let off. Better to do it with me than your boss.”

“You just want to laugh at me.” You said with a smirk.

“Why would I do that?” He asked, voice almost too casual, but there was something teasing behind it. A glint in his eyes that made your hands fumble with the wraps.

“Because I still suck at this,” you mumbled, trying to loop the fabric over your wrist the right way. “And I know you enjoy watching me suffer, especially when it comes to the roundhouse kicks.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“That’s not true.” He said, and you gave him a look. “I don’t enjoy it,” he continued, standing slowly. “But it is cute.”

Your breath caught. Cute.

You opened your mouth to fire back something, anything! But then he stepped toward you, holding out his hands.

“Give me them.” He said.

“What?”

“The wraps.”

You hesitated. Then handed them over.

He took them without another word, his fingers brushing yours briefly before he crouched in front of you, dropping to one knee. He took your wrist gently and began rewrapping that hand.

“You always pull too tight." He murmured, not looking up.

“I like it tight.”

His lips twitched.

“Yeah?”

You flushed, immediately regretting your choice of words. He briefly looked up and you swore he was biting back a laugh.

“Shut up.” You glared at him.

“I didn’t say anything.” He finished the wrap and ran his thumb over the back of your hand once, just softly, before starting on the other.

When he finally stood, he didn’t step back, just looked down at you and offered his hand.

“You ready?”

You nodded, even though you weren’t. Not really.

“Remember,” he said, guiding you into position. “Focus on control. You don’t need to prove anything to me, or show off.”

You exhaled. Tried to settle your stance. His hands came down on your hips lightly, just adjusting you.

“Widen your base,” he murmured. “There, that’s perfect… Good girl.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You weren’t even sure he meant to say it, it came out softly, quiet, but it landed like a sucker punch to your stomach.

You looked up at him sharply.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”

You shook it off. Focus!

…

You weren’t sure when the sparring became funny, but somewhere between the fourth time Noah made you miss on purpose and the second time he caught your punch mid-air just to spin you and tickle your sides, you were losing your composure.

“Noah!” You half shouted, half laughed as his fingers found your ribs again, wriggling at your sides.

"It's conditioning," he said, smug, biting back his own laugh, "If you don't want me to tickle you, don't be predictable."

"You're the worst." You gasped, breathless as you wiped the sweat from your brow and staggered back, still a little giddy.

He just stood there, hands on hips, calm as ever.

"You'll thank me when you become untouchable."

You shook your head, pacing in a slow circle around him, catching your breath.

“Okay,” you muttered. “How’s this for predictable?”

Before he could answer, you launched.

A roundhouse kick, not perfect but it had power. Noah’s eyes widened just enough to let you know you’d surprised him.

Except… your foot didn’t quite land how you wanted it to, and you lost balance.

“Shit-”

Noah moved to steady you, but too late. Everything spiralled out of control in a blur of limbs...

And the two of you tumbled backwards, straight onto the couch.

With a heavy thud, he landed on his back with a soft grunt, arms instinctively around your waist, making you land on top of him with a soft, shocked oof. You tried to process what just happened, as you pushed yourself up, your hands on his chest, your legs either side of his.

“Shit-“ you gasped, “I… didn’t mean to do that.”

Noah wheezed a laugh.

“You okay?” He asked gently.

“Yeah- yeah, I just… oh my god, I wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“You sure?” He chuckled.

You shifted your weight a little, trying to find a better position as to not fall off the couch completely… and accidentally rolled your hips right over his.

Noah sucked in a sharp breath, and you froze.

Because you felt it.

Oh.

“Oh...” You whispered, eyes going wide.

His jaw flexed, his eyes screwing shut.

“Dont… Don’t move.”

And of course, you immediately moved again, flustered and clumsy, trying to do the right thing, your hips moving again as you tried to roll off of him.

And that only made it worse.

Noah exhaled hard through his nose, grabbing your hips to still you completely.

“I said don’t.”

Your cheeks burned.

“Sorry!" You quickly apologised, now breathless, "I didn’t mean-“

“I know,” he said, voice tight. “It’s fine. Just… don’t panic-“

So you didn’t. You didn’t move. Didn’t dare look at him…

But then you did. And your breath caught in your throat, and you felt that pulse between your thighs.

He was already looking at you, his eyes dark, lips parted, bare chest rising and falling beneath you. His jaw clenched, the muscles in his arms flexing as he fought to hold you still. And yet… his grip wasn’t forceful, or rough.

You didn’t move, he did. Just a little. His thumbs shifted along your hips, guiding you forward slowly, as if to test. You followed the motion instinctively, and your body rocked against him.

The friction made your thighs tremble.

Noah inhaled sharply, his hands tightening just enough to tell you he felt it too.

“Fuck.” He breathed, his head thrown back.

Your palms braced against his chest, but you didn’t pull back. You stayed there. Hearts pounding. Lips parting.

He looked up at you.

His eyes lingered on your lips, before dragging back up to your eyes, as you continued to gently rock against him.

Neither of you said anything, but neither of you stopped either.

He moved your hips again, just once, and this time you whined, gasping as your forehead dropped to his shoulder.

Then, slowly, the front door opened...

-------------------------------------

the next chapter is already pretty much finished btw so i might post it in a couple days :)

@dragoncopper @renegadebirch @super-btstrash-posts @pipidoll @xslavicprincess @foliosgirl @h4tef6ck @Jesuisunchaton @saythatuwill @astronoids @missduffsblog @montgomery-929496 @lonelydragonlady @happyclifford @popularpopularmonster @bluehairpunklol @bruce9818 @itsyaboinoah @mayaslifeinabox @lonesomegrace @dominuslunae @lacy1986 @jesuisunchaton @overmydeadbodysblog @kenjipepsi1 @onlyethereal @theright-wrongway @geminigirlfromfinland @miss570 @trvshdxddy @spookieolson @sugaruapologist @latenightmusiclover @eversiincenykenjipepsi1 @shuiguans @lyschko666 @XxKatsatwatwafflexX

if i forgot you (IM SORRY) or you want to be added to the taglist, the link is here! or just comment or message me i don't mind! :)

[runningincircl3s]

Who Are You?

Kickboxer!Noah x Reader

Chapter Four

chapter warnings: i wrote the majority of this at 2am so reading it back i was like wtf. just the usual warnings, reader and her friends being too real, quick aaron taylor johnson mention (love of my life <3) gets a little nsfw at the end!

sorry for the wait for this one! i was debating whether or not to rewrite the ending as i wasn't sure if it was too soon for this to happen, but it's kinda important for the rest of the story so i kept it in!

┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈

A few days later...

You hadn't been able to focus on anything, you've been ignoring messages from your friends, not getting dressed for days at a time, oversleeping or not sleeping at all... basically just spiralling.

Just because of Noah? Not really. That certainly played a part in it. It was also because of work... The mistake you made had a major impact, and management hadn’t been subtle in their response. You’d been given a formal warning and told to work from home “until further notice.” Apparently, showing up to the office looking like you were about to cry wasn't inspiring.

But being stuck at home had only made things worse.

You barely left your home since, you'd just been sat on the couch, on your laptop, half working half pretending to be okay. The TV played constantly in the background, something just to make you feel like you weren't entirely alone. Laughter tracks and show intros constantly filled the room, but none of it touched you. You haven't laughed since the last time you were with Noah.

You kept glancing at the clock.

11:51.

Nine minutes until lunch.

You decided today you would finally go out. Just for some air. Maybe if you were feeling up to it you'd grab a coffee, maybe a pastry, anything that might lift your mood. You told yourself you’d feel better once you were walking. Once you had the cool air on your face, and something warm in your hands.

The clock ticked slow, but eventually, mercifully, it hit 12:00.

You stood with a quiet sigh and shuffled toward the door, throwing a hoodie over your tank top- which had a curious stain- and pulling your hair into a loose clip without bothering to check a mirror.

You didn't care if you saw anyone. There was only one person you wanted to see, and you were convinced you and your friends had scared him into moving to the other side of the country.

As you stepped outside, the sun hit your face, and you took your first deep breath in days. It was warmer out than you’d expected. The breeze was nice and gentle. You blinked up at the sunlight like someone just waking from hibernation.

Maybe this would help. Maybe this was all you needed.

You decided to go to your usual café, the one just down the street from you. You passed by a couple people you knew, but didn't stop to chat, just offered them a polite smile as you walked on.

But maybe you needed somebody else's company.

Because you were still thinking about him. You were always thinking about him.

Still replaying your last conversation.

Still wondering why he hadn’t come back. Wondering if it'd even be worth showing up to the class tomorrow.

So you told yourself not to care.

You told yourself it didn’t mean anything. It was bound to happen at some point, he would surely miss classes. Noah had his own life.

Maybe he was seeing someone. A girlfriend, or a boyfriend- James had been very convinced about that theory. Or maybe he’d just gotten bored. Maybe he found a better gym. One without a girl who clearly only came to flirt and couldn't do a proper roundhouse kicks!

You told yourself all of that, and it only made things worse. You only got further and further stuck in your brain.

Not knowing was just the worst part. Not getting to ask. Not even getting the chance to be let down properly. Not knowing truly why he didn't come.

With a frown, you pushed open the café door, the little bell above it chiming softly as you stepped inside.

You were greeted by the smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastry, but it barely registered in your brain. You were simply moving on autopilot, shoulders hunched in your hoodie, eyes glued to your phone. The line was short, only two people ahead, so you barely looked up.

When they called, “Next!” you shuffled forward, mumbled your order, your usual drink and a pastry you probably wouldn’t even eat, and reached into your pocket for your card.

But just as your fingers brushed the edge of it, the payment machine beeped.

You froze, quickly glancing up.

A part of you felt warm, a kind gesture from a stranger who may have seen you looked like you were having a rough time. Maybe it would blossom into a romance, and you'd tell your grandkids about this exact moment...

But then you saw it. A familair looking hand... long tattooed fingers, that belonged to a large tattooed hand hovering near the card reader.

And then your eyes slowly travelled up the length of his arm, past the dark hoodie sleeve, the curve of his shoulder, the tattoo on his throat, until you met his eyes.

Holy shit.

Noah.

Standing right beside you.

A small, soft smile played on his lips, like he hadn't just ruined your life. Oh fuck, what you were just imagining him here. What if you've missed him so much that your brain-

“Thought I recognised you,” he said, like he hadn’t just vanished from your life. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

You blinked once. Twice. Opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

He handed you your receipt like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like you hadn’t spent the past week convincing yourself he was gone forever.

“I... thank you." You finally managed, voice a little shaky.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you (and probably the stain on your hoodie.)

“You okay?” He asked carefully.

“Yeah." You nodded too quickly, "I just… I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Noah’s smile deepened, just a little.

“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”

"I... I only live down the street from here. I come here pretty often."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow, "I've never seen you in here before."

You chuckled softly, standing to the side to wait for your order.

"You come here often?" You asked, looking up at him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged, "I don't really drink coffee anymore, but I like the tea here."

"Oh," you smiled, "I've never tried their tea before, but I like their lattes."

He held his cup out for you, with a look that said try some.

You hesitated for a moment before taking it gently from his hand, your fingers brushing his for the briefest moment, yet it still made your tummy feel fuzzy.

You lifted the cup to your lips and took a sip, your eyes never quite leaving his. It was slightly sweet, a little floral and calming in a way you hadn’t felt in days.

“That’s really nice." You murmured, surprised.

“Told you.” He said with a little proud grin, taking the cup back from you.

And then your drink was called, your name echoing across the café, pulling you back to reality again. You stepped forward to grab it, feeling the heat of Noah still close beside you.

You turned back to him with both hands around your cup, unsure of what to say next. Unsure of what this even was. But he beat you to it.

“I'm sorry for missing the last class,” he said gently, as if reading your mind, “I had to go out of town for a few days... work stuff. I didn’t mean to vanish. I was supposed to let Tasha know, to tell you, but I kinda forgot.”

You tried not to show how relieving that felt to hear.

“I thought maybe I’d scared you off.” You said, only half joking.

“Because of your friends?” He laughed softly.

"They can get a little too much sometimes... I'm sorry-"

“No,” he said, still smiling. “I liked them.”

“You… liked them?” You blinked, perplexed.

“I thought they were funny,” he admitted with a nod, “But they clearly care about you a lot. That’s cool.”

You stared at him, warmth creeping into your cheeks.

"I felt a little lost without you there," you confessed, taking the conversation back to the class, "I had no one to laugh at me when I tripped!"

That made him chuckle, and the two of you began to move away from the counter, realising you were getting in the way.

"Well," he began, a small smirk playing on his lips, "If I get your number, I can let you know if I ever have to miss a day again..."

"Really?" Your eyes widened in shock, finally realising that maybe your friends were right...

Noah reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out his phone, offering it over to you.

"Really." He nodded.

You looked down at the device like it was something sacred, then up at him again.

“You sure?”

"Yes." He laughed, the sound warming your heart, "Unless you want to keep living in suspense every week."

You playfully rolled your eyes, trying to disguise the way your cheeks were burning and thumbs a little shaky as you typed in your number, and your name, followed by a heart emoji, which you regretted the moment you handed it back.

Why the fuck would you put a heart next to your name?

“There,” you said, “Now you can’t disappear without warning.”

He glanced at the screen, reading your name and the little heart emoji you’d added without thinking. The corners of his lips tugging up into a grin.

“A heart?” He teased, one brow lifting.

“Shut up. I panicked.” You waved a hand, trying to play it off, but your cheeks betrayed you, warming fast.

Noah laughed again, pocketing his phone.

“No complaints. It suits you.”

You took a sip of your coffee to hide the way your lips curved, suddenly hyperaware of how close he was stood, how normal it felt to be talking like this again, like the week of silence hadn’t been eating you alive.

He tilted his head slightly, watching you like he was about to say something else, and then your phone buzzed rather violently in your pocket.

You pulled it out and groaned. Your work app flashing a very unwelcome notification: “Where are you? Meeting started 3 mins ago!!!”

“Shit,” you muttered. “I’ve gotta run... I'm working from home and I'm supposed to be on a meeting... my boss is going to kill me.”

Noah stepped aside, letting you pass.

“Go. Save your job. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded quickly, already halfway to the door.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Same time?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He smiled.

You paused only once as you pushed open the café door, glancing back over your shoulder.

He was still standing there, watching you. And when your eyes met, he gave you the tiniest wink.

You would be replaying that in your mind all day.

...

You burst through your apartment door like a woman possessed, nearly dropping your coffee as you kicked it shut behind you.

Laptop. Where the fuck was your laptop

“Shit shit shit…” You muttered, searching the room.

You spotted it on the couch, still open on your email inbox. You threw yourself down, loaded up the meeting app and clicked join with audio off, camera off, and tried to sit still as your heart pounded through your ribcage…

Because Noah had just paid for your coffee. Because Noah had smiled at you. Because Noah had just asked for your number!!!!

You’d barely got through the last week thinking you’d scared him off, or your friends had, and now he was letting you sip his tea and winked at you like you were in some cheesy romance movie.

You had to tell your friends.

You: GUYS HOLY SHIT

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT

James: girl we thought you died where have you been??

Kylie: WE HAVENT HEARD FROM YOU ALL WEEK WHAT THR FUCK HAPPENED

You: ok so he didn’t turn up to the last class so i kinda assumed he fled the country BUT I JUST SAW HIM AND HE ASKED FOR MY NUMBER

James: you saw him at work???

Kylie: no dumbass she’s been working from home

Kylie: wait… where did you see him then?

You: THE CAFE

You: THE ONE I ALWAYS GO TO!!!

James: hold up HE ASKED FOR YOUR NUMBER????

James: DID YOU GIVE IT TO HIM

You: DUH!!!!

James: is that all you gave to him😏

You: shut up

Kylie: girl get the fuck back to work before you lose your job for good and save the story for later!!!

James: hell yeah!!

You: okay fine

You put your phone down with a sigh and tried to pay attention to the meeting, though it was boring you to death. You weren’t even sure what you were supposed to be doing.

Then your phone buzzed again.

Annoyed, you picked it up, ready to tell your friends they had just told you to get back to work…

But then you saw it was from an unknown number

Unknown: Hey it’s Noah :)

Unknown: Good luck with that meeting

You nearly choked on your own breath.

You quickly saved his contact, then your thumbs just hovered above your screen, wondering what the fuck to say to that.

You: thanks :)

You: and thank you for the coffee!

You put your phone back down, a grin still plastered across your face as you turned back to your laptop…

Wait…

Why were you still staring at the ‘join’ screen?

You clicked over to your work chat, heart already hammering. And there you found a long, irritated message from your boss.

You scanned it quickly, eyes darting past the passive aggressive “hope everything’s alright” and “you’ve been very unfocused this month” stuff until you hit the final line.

“…And I’m working late tomorrow, so I would like to see you in my office. 5pm. No excuses this time.”

You felt your heart sink straight to your toes.

You slumped back in your chair, dragging your hands down your face. Why did the universe always have to throw something at you the second things started finally going right again?

FUCK.

You sent a polite reply to your boss, saying how you had tried to join the meeting but you were having some internet issues. And next, you had to tell Noah you’d be missing tomorrow’s class.

What the hell were you supposed to say?

You typed out six different messages, but hesitated after each one, deleting it and typing again. Eventually, you settled on:

You: okay so i’ve just been called into the office tomorrow at 5, so i’ll have to miss class 🥲

Noah: Oh shit

Noah: Well I was thinking about staying late at the gym tomorrow to make up for last week. If you let me know what time you’re back maybe I'll stay and we could have a private session…

Internally, you were screaming.

You: but i don’t think i’ll be back until pretty late :(

Noah: The gym shuts at 8??

You: fuck i won’t make it back in time…

Noah: Then maybe we could do it at your place?

You: yeah sure!

Noah: Great :) Let me know when you’re home and I’ll come over

Noah: Get ready to sweat😏

You stared at your screen, heart jackhammering in your chest.

Okay. Okay. So he’s coming over.

Noah is coming over.

To your apartment.

You let out a soft, panicked laugh and flung your phone face down on the couch. Then immediately flipped it back over and reread the messages. Twice.

Get ready to sweat😏

He was definitely talking about the workout... Probably.

But even right now you could feel yourself sweating, just at the thought alone.

You were spiralling, again.

You leapt up, did a frantic 360 spin in your living room, then made a mental checklist.

And it began with cleaninb the place. There was rubbish all over the place, the floors needed vacuuming, and for some reason you had odd socks in the most random places, some with holes in- and they definitely needed washing.

You looked around and immediately hated everything about the place.

The kitchen was a mess, the cushions on your couch never looked right, the whole place was cluttered and you hadn’t showered in days.

And now Noah was going to see all of this…

You quickly texted your group chat.

You: NOAH ALERT NOAH ALERT CODE RED!!!!

You: [sent a screenshot of your texts with noah]

You: GIYS HES COMING TO MY PLACE TOMORROW

You: FOR A PRIVATE SESSION????? WHAT THE HELL???????

Kylie: OH HOLY SHIT

James: bitch what about US???

James: or are we invited too…

You: NO!!!!

You: we’ll have to reschedule sorry guys

Kylie: usually i’d be pissed but i’m actually really happy for you

Kylie: girl get that dick!!!

You: 😟

You: excuse me.

Kylie: oh c’mon. “get ready to sweat” ??????

You: yeah. you haven’t seen me after a round with him. i’m dripping by the end.

James: OKAY IM NOT SAYING ANYTHING!!!!!!

You: guys you aren’t helping :(

You: be honest with me do you think he’ll think my place is nice

Kylie: yes!!!

James: just don’t let him see aaron.

Ah, yes. The mini Aaron Taylor Johnson cardboard cutout you kept by your tv, the one James gave you for your birthday last year, which you maybe got a little too excited about. You dress him up for the holidays, and he currently had a pair of pumpkin sunglasses on, though halloween had long gone. You quickly got up and threw him in a cupboard.

You: ok aaron’s been dealt with.

Kylie: honestly honey i don’t think you need to worry so much. he clearly likes you, and the state of your apartment won’t change anything :)

James: unless he’s an interior designer and he sees your mismatched kitchen chairs.

Kylie: IGNORE HIM I THINK THEYRE CUTE!!!

…

The meeting dragged on for almost an hour.

Your boss had been calm, which somehow made it all worse. There was no yelling, no grand confrontation. Just quiet disappointment and polite professionalism, words like “inconsistent,” “final warning,” and “you need to be more focused.”

By the time you made it to the train station, your face hurt from forcing composure. The train was packed, so you stood the whole way.

The thought of going home and seeing Noah was the only thing that had got you through the meeting, but he didn’t have to know that. You didn’t want to inflate his ego anymore after he found out he was the Hot Gym Guy.

You got off at your stop at 7:48. And then you had to walk home.

Your legs ached. Your bag dug into your shoulder. Your chest still felt tight from everything you didn’t say, but wanted to.

When you turned the corner onto your street, there he was.

Noah was leaning casually against the wall next to your front door of your apartment building, hood up, phone in hand. He was wearing a hoodie with a some band name you vaguely recognised on it, and a pair of black shorts.

He looked up the moment he saw you.

“Hey, you made it.” He said, straightening. His voice was soft, and the sound of it alone made your day a little better.

“Barely. I’m so sorry,” you blurted, breathless from the walk. “That meeting ran way over, and then the train was hell, and I-”

“Hey.” He smiled. “It's fine.”

You stopped in front of him, staring up at him like he wasn’t real, which you still had your doubts about.

He held up a bottle of water.

“Brought this. Figured you’d need it after all that.”

“Thank you,” you said, reaching for the bottle, your fingers brushing his, “Wanna come up?”

“Lead the way!” He smiled, holding the door open for you.

…

The elevator ride to your floor was quiet, maybe even a little awkward. You were just tired, still feeling deflated from the meeting and exhausted from the commute.

When the doors opened, you led the way down the hall to your place. Your keys fumbled once in your fingers, but you managed to get the door open without dropping them- a miracle, honestly.

You stepped inside and kicked off your shoes, brushing your hair off your face with a soft sigh.

“Sorry it’s a little messy, I tried to tidy but I didn’t have much time…”

Noah followed you in, calm as ever, water bottle tucked under his arm, gym bag slung over his shoulder.

“Looks fine to me,” he said, glancing around. “It's very cute, cosy even."

You dumped your bag by the couch and turned to face him, only to find him tugging at the bottom of his hoodie.

“I should probably warn you,” he said, giving you a slight, crooked grin. “I don’t have a shirt on under this. I was working out earlier with Matt and Davis, the shirt got gross so I took it off and threw it in my car… figured you wouldn’t want me stinking your place out before we even got started.”

You blinked. So he was wearing nothing beneath his hoodie?

You had seen slithers of his stomach before, and his back, but you never thought you’d get to see it all.

“Oh,” you said, already feeling slightly flustered. “Right. That’s… yeah, fair.”

“Cool if I take this off?”

Your brain was short circuiting. But you managed a nod.

“Yeah. Totally fine... I don’t want you overheating or anything…”

He raised an eyebrow like he was trying not to laugh, then pulled the hoodie off over his head in one smooth motion.

And just like that, he was shirtless in your living room.

Your mouth went dry, but between your thighs was another story.

He wasn’t showing off, and that was the worst part. He just tossed the hoodie onto the couch like it was no big deal and then reached for his water bottle.

Meanwhile, you were suddenly aware of every inch of him, his chest, his arms, his stomach… he was covered in tattoos, and as he turned around you felt your knees go weak.

Never had you found someone’s back attractive before, but holy fuck.

Sorry, Jesus.

“You okay?” He asked, his voice casual like he hadn’t just turned your entire brain into mush.

You nodded, forcing a laugh.

“Yeah. Just… um. Still recovering.”

“From your meeting?”

You stared at him.

“…Yeah.”

He smirked but didn’t press.

“You wanna go and get changed, then we can start?”

You nodded, quickly heading into your bedroom, changing into the gym set you had left on the edge of your bed before you left for your meeting.

Once you had gotten changed, put some deodorant and your favourite perfume, then you stepped back out of your bedroom, finding Noah stood in the middle of your living room like he belonged there, relaxed, arms crossed loosely over his chest, glancing around like he was assessing floor space- which you didn’t have that much of.

“I should probably move the couch.” You muttered, half to yourself, stepping forward and bracing your hands against the armrest. You gave it a push.

Nothing happened.

You pushed harder.

The couch barely budged.

Noah stepped up behind you, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Need help?”

“No,” you said, still pushing. “…Okay, maybe.”

He laughed quietly and moved beside you, pressing his hands to the back of the couch next to yours.

“On three?”

You barely had time to say “wait-“ before he shifted his weight and moved the whole damn thing like it was made of feathers.

“Okay, no one likes a show off.” You teased.

He shrugged like he hadn’t just casually embarrassed you in your own home. To hide the blush on your cheeks, you turned back around, opening the cupboard under the TV unit and dragging out two rolled up yoga mats, ones you had bought many years ago from your short lived new years resolution where you told yourself you'd finally start getting your life together. (You used them once with Kylie, pulled a muscle and never got them out again.)

“They’re a little dusty.” You warned, handing him one.

“That's fine.” He chuckled, already unrolling his onto the floor with a soft flap.

You tried to copy him, but the mat curled back in on itself. You had to step on one end to keep it flat.

Noah didn’t comment, but his grin said enough.

You knelt down to adjust it, tucking one corner under your coffee table to hold it in place.

When you straightened, he was already stretching, his arms over his head, back arching slightly, muscles flexing. Completely unaware, or pretending to be unaware, that you were watching.

You looked away fast, dropping to the mat and forcing yourself to focus.

“Okay,” you said, clapping your hands together like this was a totally normal event. “What are we starting with?”

“Let’s warm up your shoulders and legs,” he said, kneeling beside you. “We’ll go light today, so nothing too intense.”

You nodded, following his lead as he shifted into a forward lunge. He glanced over to watch your form, and you immediately forgot how legs worked.

Then he moved behind you.

“Just gonna check your stance.” He said, one hand brushing your hip, the other on your upper back.

You nearly tipped over.

“Loosen up. You’re stiff.” His voice was right by your ear now, calm and warm.

“Sorry, I've just... had a really bad day.” You mumbled.

“I can tell.” He said, not unkindly.

You exhaled, tried to relax your shoulders.

His hands lingered just a second longer than necessary. Then he stepped away.

“You’ll feel better after this, though.” He said, standing back in his place again, like nothing happened.

…

You were already flushed, hot and sweating by the time you finished warming up, and as usual, he looked untouched.

Whilst you were taking a quick water break, opening more windows to let some air in, he threw his spare wraps at you.

“Wrap up,” he said simply, winding his own. “We’ll do a few light rounds, I don’t have any pads or gloves though.”

You caught them clumsily, still breathless as you sat down beside him on the couch.

“We’re sparring?”

He nodded, already securing the wrap.

“You got some steam to let off. Better to do it with me than your boss.”

“You just want to laugh at me.” You said with a smirk.

“Why would I do that?” He asked, voice almost too casual, but there was something teasing behind it. A glint in his eyes that made your hands fumble with the wraps.

“Because I still suck at this,” you mumbled, trying to loop the fabric over your wrist the right way. “And I know you enjoy watching me suffer, especially when it comes to the roundhouse kicks.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“That’s not true.” He said, and you gave him a look. “I don’t enjoy it,” he continued, standing slowly. “But it is cute.”

Your breath caught. Cute.

You opened your mouth to fire back something, anything! But then he stepped toward you, holding out his hands.

“Give me them.” He said.

“What?”

“The wraps.”

You hesitated. Then handed them over.

He took them without another word, his fingers brushing yours briefly before he crouched in front of you, dropping to one knee. He took your wrist gently and began rewrapping that hand.

“You always pull too tight." He murmured, not looking up.

“I like it tight.”

His lips twitched.

“Yeah?”

You flushed, immediately regretting your choice of words. He briefly looked up and you swore he was biting back a laugh.

“Shut up.” You glared at him.

“I didn’t say anything.” He finished the wrap and ran his thumb over the back of your hand once, just softly, before starting on the other.

When he finally stood, he didn’t step back, just looked down at you and offered his hand.

“You ready?”

You nodded, even though you weren’t. Not really.

“Remember,” he said, guiding you into position. “Focus on control. You don’t need to prove anything to me, or show off.”

You exhaled. Tried to settle your stance. His hands came down on your hips lightly, just adjusting you.

“Widen your base,” he murmured. “There, that’s perfect… Good girl.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You weren’t even sure he meant to say it, it came out softly, quiet, but it landed like a sucker punch to your stomach.

You looked up at him sharply.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”

You shook it off. Focus!

…

You weren’t sure when the sparring became funny, but somewhere between the fourth time Noah made you miss on purpose and the second time he caught your punch mid-air just to spin you and tickle your sides, you were losing your composure.

“Noah!” You half shouted, half laughed as his fingers found your ribs again, wriggling at your sides.

"It's conditioning," he said, smug, biting back his own laugh, "If you don't want me to tickle you, don't be predictable."

"You're the worst." You gasped, breathless as you wiped the sweat from your brow and staggered back, still a little giddy.

He just stood there, hands on hips, calm as ever.

"You'll thank me when you become untouchable."

You shook your head, pacing in a slow circle around him, catching your breath.

“Okay,” you muttered. “How’s this for predictable?”

Before he could answer, you launched.

A roundhouse kick, not perfect but it had power. Noah’s eyes widened just enough to let you know you’d surprised him.

Except… your foot didn’t quite land how you wanted it to, and you lost balance.

“Shit-”

Noah moved to steady you, but too late. Everything spiralled out of control in a blur of limbs...

And the two of you tumbled backwards, straight onto the couch.

With a heavy thud, he landed on his back with a soft grunt, arms instinctively around your waist, making you land on top of him with a soft, shocked oof. You tried to process what just happened, as you pushed yourself up, your hands on his chest, your legs either side of his.

“Shit-“ you gasped, “I… didn’t mean to do that.”

Noah wheezed a laugh.

“You okay?” He asked gently.

“Yeah- yeah, I just… oh my god, I wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“You sure?” He chuckled.

You shifted your weight a little, trying to find a better position as to not fall off the couch completely… and accidentally rolled your hips right over his.

Noah sucked in a sharp breath, and you froze.

Because you felt it.

Oh.

“Oh...” You whispered, eyes going wide.

His jaw flexed, his eyes screwing shut.

“Dont… Don’t move.”

And of course, you immediately moved again, flustered and clumsy, trying to do the right thing, your hips moving again as you tried to roll off of him.

And that only made it worse.

Noah exhaled hard through his nose, grabbing your hips to still you completely.

“I said don’t.”

Your cheeks burned.

“Sorry!" You quickly apologised, now breathless, "I didn’t mean-“

“I know,” he said, voice tight. “It’s fine. Just… don’t panic-“

So you didn’t. You didn’t move. Didn’t dare look at him…

But then you did. And your breath caught in your throat, and you felt that pulse between your thighs.

He was already looking at you, his eyes dark, lips parted, bare chest rising and falling beneath you. His jaw clenched, the muscles in his arms flexing as he fought to hold you still. And yet… his grip wasn’t forceful, or rough.

You didn’t move, he did. Just a little. His thumbs shifted along your hips, guiding you forward slowly, as if to test. You followed the motion instinctively, and your body rocked against him.

The friction made your thighs tremble.

Noah inhaled sharply, his hands tightening just enough to tell you he felt it too.

“Fuck.” He breathed, his head thrown back.

Your palms braced against his chest, but you didn’t pull back. You stayed there. Hearts pounding. Lips parting.

He looked up at you.

His eyes lingered on your lips, before dragging back up to your eyes, as you continued to gently rock against him.

Neither of you said anything, but neither of you stopped either.

He moved your hips again, just once, and this time you whined, gasping as your forehead dropped to his shoulder.

Then, slowly, the front door opened...

-------------------------------------

the next chapter is already pretty much finished btw so i might post it in a couple days :)

@dragoncopper @renegadebirch @super-btstrash-posts @pipidoll @xslavicprincess @foliosgirl @h4tef6ck @Jesuisunchaton @saythatuwill @astronoids @missduffsblog @montgomery-929496 @lonelydragonlady @happyclifford @popularpopularmonster @bluehairpunklol @bruce9818 @itsyaboinoah @mayaslifeinabox @lonesomegrace @dominuslunae @lacy1986 @jesuisunchaton @overmydeadbodysblog @kenjipepsi1 @onlyethereal @theright-wrongway @geminigirlfromfinland @miss570 @trvshdxddy @spookieolson @sugaruapologist @latenightmusiclover @eversiincenykenjipepsi1 @shuiguans @lyschko666 @XxKatsatwatwafflexX

if i forgot you (IM SORRY) or you want to be added to the taglist, the link is here! or just comment or message me i don't mind! :)

[runningincircl3s]

HELLO???? VINNY??????

[runningincircl3s]

If you’re offering😏😏

[runningincircl3s]

I NEED to sit on his face

[runningincircl3s]

Nutmeg Chapter Ten

TITLE: Nutmeg

PAIRING: Noah Sebastian x Reader (dom/sub)

SUMMARY: Due to really bad anxiety, you sign up at an agency that matches you with a dominant partner. 

WARNINGS: 18+ DOM/SUB. (more under the cut)

WORD COUNT:

Nutmeg MASTERPOST | Chapter 11

@chey-y @bloody-spades @overmydeadbodysblog @kenjipepsi1 @ami--gami @renegadebirch @geminigirlfromfinland @fadingintothegrey @ladyveronikawrites @flowery-mess @woozionascooter @dsireland86 @trvshdxddy @xmads-omensx @lacy1986 @athenexe @xxrainstorm @shaydayhere @sophroniaa @lobolocaamo @spookieolson @mothmanenthusiasts @super-btstrash-posts @h4tef6ck @runningincircl3s @bluehairpunklol @lilcrazy011 @thenmaybehellaintsobadafterall @superpiratecriminalchef @brutallysoftmuse @cheyyyyr @respectfulrebel @hskcut-blog

WARNINGS: new location, gifts, fluff, oral, piv, mentions of biting (let me know if I need to add something.)

You are sitting in your car, parked outside of a house that you are pretty sure is the correct one.  The house is plain from the outside, fairly large with a small garden.  Clean and neat. You were not sure why your anxiety was through the roof.  Your stomach in knots.

You take a few breaths and then tell yourself out loud to just do it already.  You grab the small bag you packed and put it on your lap.  You were really not sure what to pack, because you had no idea what to expect.  And even though you wanted to pack and pack and pack everything for every eventuality, you tried your best to be sensible. 

You check your hair in the rearview mirror. 

You grab your phone, wanting to just check the time but you had a message waiting for you.  ‘How long are you going to sit in the car?  Come in.’

You blush all alone in the car.

You get out, taking your bag and lock the car as you head for the front door.  He opens it before you can knock and then leans against the door frame.  ‘How anxious are you right now?’ he asks with a sweet smile on those lips.

‘I don’t know why, but I am very anxious,’ you say honestly as you step closer to him. 

He reaches for you and kisses you before he hugs you right there in the door.  ‘It’s something different, don’t be so hard on yourself.’

He smells so good.  ‘Show me your house,’ you say when the hug ends and he lets you inside and closes the door. 

‘It’s just a house,’ he says.  ‘This is the living room, through there is the kitchen.  Stairs,’ he points and you follow closely behind.  ‘My roommates live upstairs.  In here is the office,’ he makes air quotes with his fingers.  ‘But this is my room,’ he says standing in front of the door with a grin. 

You laugh softly at him.  ‘Please don’t say that this is where the magic happens.’

He snorts.  ‘I would never.’

He opens the door and steps inside and you follow immediately looking around and taking in as much information as you can.  The room was really big, having its own little living room there in the entrance where he had a grey couch and a table with his computer, a mounted TV.  And on the far end was his bed. 

‘This is my bathroom,’ he points to a door to his right.

You walk inside a little further and notice that he has put effort into the space.  ‘My biggest fear was you had a bare mattress on the floor.  With like just a lamp in the corner.’

He laughs loudly.  ‘I have sheets.’

‘Thank god for that,’ you laugh in relief.  He stands with his arms folded as he watches you look. 

His room was extremely neat.  Anime figurines arranged neatly, vinyl records on display.  A keyboard, and many lamps and lights that create a unique and welcoming atmosphere. 

You turn to look at him and he is looking at you with anticipation.  ‘I am very pleasantly surprised.’

He smiles, showing his teeth.  ‘Good.’

‘You are so neat, though,’ you add.

‘Mmm, a bit of a neat freak,’ he shrugs his shoulders.

You pull a face.  ‘Does my place bother you?  Because I am not this neat,’ you gesture to the entirety of the room.

‘It does not bother me,’ he shakes his head.  ‘Put your bag down.’

You place it neatly next to couch, out of the way.  ‘So, where are your roommates?’

‘One of them have gone home to Sweden for a few weeks.  And the other one is on a work trip.  It’s rare that they both are gone at the same time,’ he tells you.

‘Do they not know about…’ you think how to word it.  ‘Your involvement with the agency?’

He drops his head shyly.  ‘No, they don’t.’

‘I also haven’t told anyone in my life,’ you say.

‘Jesse knows about you, though.  It was him I called when you had the migraine.  So, while he does not know exactly what is going on, he knows you exist,’ he says running his hand through his hair a few times. 

‘I don’t know if I should ask this, and feel free to not answer if you don’t want to, but how many times have you been someone’s Dom?’ you ask.

He shyly rubs his hands together.  ‘I have never been someone’s Dom before you.’

‘Really?’ you ask, shocked by what he said.

‘Yeah, really,’ he nods. 

You frown and sit down on his couch.  ‘You are so good at it, though.’

He sits next to you.  ‘I’m not.’

‘Yeah, you are,’ you turn towards him. 

‘I try really hard,’ he says like that is all he can concede.  ‘I want to be a good Dom for you.’

‘Oh, Noah,’ you say and you scoot closer and put your head on his shoulder.  ‘I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky to have a Dom that knew what I needed like you do.’

He tilts his head to rest on yours and there is a comfortable silence between you.  ‘Alright,’ he says after a while, like he was giving in to himself.  ‘I spent so much time thinking about what you said last week.  About how I pushed you gently.’

‘I remember,’ you say. 

‘I am really bad at showing my feelings sometimes, and I don’t want that for us.  So, I just want to tell you that it meant so much to me,’ he says and you could tell that he found it difficult to say.  ‘I have a gift for you.’

You want to say many things, but you couldn’t decide on what before he was literally sitting on the floor in front of you.  He reaches for a small black box on the TV stand and hands it to you. 

‘Before you open it, let me explain,’ he says. 

‘Okay,’ you say and you slip down off the couch to sit with him on the floor.

‘I really hope you don’t think that this is too soon.  But I felt like maybe it was appropriate,’ he starts explaining.

You are still lost about what he was talking about so you just nodded encouragingly, trying to get your expression to say that you are listening.  ‘I trust you.’

He raises his eyebrows and smiles.  ‘Well, that’s the thing.  I trust you, too and this is to symbolize that.  His fingers twist together.  He is nervous.  ‘It’s a symbolic collar,’ he says looking at you shyly.  ‘It is meant to represent trust and respect, I feel we have that.’

You have an immediate image in your head of what the collar could look like.  ‘I completely agree,’ you say softly, wishing you could make him feel less nervous. 

‘So, it’s not really a collar in the traditional sense.  It’s a piece of jewellery that I put way too much thought into.  Something I thought would suit you and would be practical for wearing every day.  Because I would be honoured if you would wear it, at all.’

‘Can I look?’ you ask for permission and he simply nods.  You open the box and inside you see a silver chain.  It takes you a moment to recognise that it’s exactly the same as the chain he wears around his neck.  The difference is that it’s a lot smaller, like it’s meant to be a bracelet.  The clasp is also different.  You are deeply moved by this.  Your chest is already feeling tight with emotion.  ‘This is…’

He leans closer and he takes it out of the box.  ‘The clasp is adjustable, so you can either wear it as a bracelet or around your ankle.  I was thinking that I’ve never really seen you wear jewellery, so I thought an anklet would not annoy you.  But then I thought having something around your wrist could give you something to fidget with if you feel anxious.’

He rambles when he is nervous.  ‘I love it,’ you whisper, already blinking at tears in your eyes.  ‘It’s the same as your chain.’

His hand touches his own chain.  ‘Yes, so we match,’ he says with a blush. 

‘What does the collar mean?  Besides the trust and respect, I mean.’ you ask, wanting to be clear on everything.

‘It means whatever we say it means.  But for me, I guess it’s my way of saying that I am committed to this,’ he stares at you with those brown eyes.

You hold it in your hands and touch it and process his words.  Then you look up at him and hold the bracelet to your heart. 

He smiles softly at you, his whole face just so soft.  ‘Does it mean you’ll accept?’

‘Yes, Noah,’ you say nodding with small movements. 

‘Where do you want it, then I’ll put it on for you?’ he asks.

‘You choose,’ you say.  You quickly wipe at your tears. 

‘I think let’s put it on your wrist for now,’ he says and he carefully clasps it onto you when you hold out your arm and looks at it for a long time.  Then he wipes your tears with his thumbs.  ‘Thank you, my Peach.’

‘I must thank you,’ you say quickly.  ‘This is seriously one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me.  I cannot tell you how much I love it,’ you try to explain.

With his hand still on your cheek, he leans in and kisses you.  And the kiss is deep and needy and makes the oxygen leave your chest.  You feel it even in your toes.  A lot of things are being communicated without words.  You feel his gratefulness at your acceptance and you feel his relief.  You feel the trust and respect that the ‘collar’ around your wrist represents.  You try to tell him how much it meant to you via your lips touching his.

When the kiss ends and you see his face, you are sure you see some wateriness in his eyes too.  You grab his hands and say, ‘I actually have a gift for you too.  But mine is comically stupid now after this,’ you lift your wrist.

He huffs out a laugh.  ‘I’m sure I’ll love it,’ he says his face hopeful.

You give him a look and then crawl over to your bag and open the zip.  Uggggh.  ‘Please don’t judge me too harshly.’

‘I won’t,’ he laughs.  And then you hand him a value pack of three boxer briefs.  He looks for a second or two and then giggles.  You decide that it is one your favourite sounds in the world.  ‘They have peach emojis on them.’

You nod, ‘You will not believe how excited I was when I saw them.  I ordered them right after your birthday, they just took a moment to get here.  So, it’s a belated happy birthday gift.’

‘I love it so much,’ he says as he opens the package and takes one of them out to see the full glory.  ‘Thank you,’ he kisses you. 

You feel a little bashful as he smiles at his gift.  You touch your new adornment around your wrist and is overwhelmed by what it makes you feel. 

‘Are you sure you’re alright with me asking you to stay the night?  It feels risky for you to travel at night.  I don’t know, maybe I’m paranoid, but it makes me feel uneasy,’ he says still playing with the boxers in his hands, but he was looking you in the eye.

‘No, it’s fine, especially now that I’ve seen you have a bed,’ you joke. 

‘You are obviously free to change your mind, but I wanted you to know you’re welcome,’ he gets up from the floor and stands in front of you.  ‘I am going to get some ice from the kitchen for your water.’  He kisses your forehead.  ‘When I come back, you should please be kneeling on the floor right next to the bed.  You’ll see I put a pillow down for your knees.’  He smiles innocently and then he leaves.

You feel a thrill and get up to quickly undress, get your clothes put away in your bag and you head over to kneel next to his bed.  He has grey sheets, everything very tasteful.  You wait for quite long – it shouldn’t take this long to get ice.  But it gave you some time to breathe and settle down.  Where you were gripping your wrists behind your back, you kept feeling the collar. 

You hear him enter and you keep your eyes down.  He takes a few short moments and then he is in front of you, fully naked.  Gloriously naked and beautiful.  You feel his energy while you are looking at his shins.   ‘Tell me what the rules are, Peach.’

He hasn’t made any specific rules for the evening, so you go for the usual.  ‘I have to ask for permission to come.  I am not allowed to feel self-conscious.  I have to tell you if I am not comfortable with something.’

‘Good girl.  Stick out your tongue and look at me, please,’ he says. 

You raise your eyebrows a little at his instruction and do as you are told.  His arms are at his sides and his cock is hard and flexing in front of your face, but you are looking at his eyes. 

He grabs his cock after a few seconds and lightly tap it on your tongue twice.  ‘I don’t want you to do anything, just hold me in your mouth.’  He pushes himself into your mouth about halfway and stops.  You close your lips around him and he stays there, you are focusing on breathing through your nose.  He is heavy and firm on your tongue, twitching a little every now and then.  ‘That’s right.  You listen so well, just hold me there.’

You feel how your whole body responds to him.  You skin feels alive with tingles even though nothing is touching you, your nipples are hard.

‘You have been keeping to the rule of nothing but me goes inside your pussy, right?’ he asks.

You hum in response and try to nod with small movements.

‘Fuck that turns me on so much,’ he says his voice low.  ‘I’m going pull out,’ he slowly moves his hips backwards.  ‘Please use your fingers and show me how wet you are?’

You use two fingers to gather some of the mess you’ve made. 

‘Lovely,’ he says after looking.  ‘Get on the bed, quickly, legs nice and wide.’

You get on the bed and move backwards to make room for him and he gets on his stomach his head between your legs.  But he is touching your inner thighs and kissing at your lower stomach, he gets dangerously close to touching you where you want him, but he doesn’t.  He works his way up.  He is paying attention to your body, touching, stroking, squeezing, kissing.  He is on your stomach, and you bite your tongue through your insecure feelings and let him.

‘This body,’ he groans.  ‘I love this body and how you react when I touch you.’

When he reaches your chest, he takes his time exploring each one with the sweetest kisses and gentlest licks.  He loves to test how his hands fit over your breasts, you’ve noticed.  You are squirming with need underneath him. 

‘Are you alright, baby?’ he asks after a while.

‘Yes, I am just impatient,’ you groan out while struggling to keep still for him.

‘Impatient for what?’ he asks.

‘For you to touch me, I’ve waited so long,’ you say, knowing your voice is bordering on whining.

‘I am touching you,’ he says emphasising his words with a lustful swirl of his tongue around a nipple.

‘I mean inside me.  Inside my pussy,’ your hips cannot stop moving a little.

‘Soon, my sweet,’ he moves upwards and licks at your neck.  Goosebumps explode when his tongue goes inside the shell of your ear.

While you wait for him to give you what you want, you take the opportunity to touch him too.  You loved running your hands over his upper arms, where you could feel the lean muscle and how it connects to his bones in his shoulder.  His skin was smooth.  Your hand in his hair that was always soft and almost fluffy.  You loved running a foot over his leg, where you could feel the hair. 

‘I’m going to enter you now, and you are going to keep very still for me, alright?  No hips,’ he smiles when he waits for you to nod in confirmation that you understood him.

While he guides himself inside you, you watch his face and how he scrunches his eyes shut when the head is inside and you squeeze him.  You watch as his mouth hangs open in pleasure as he works himself deeper and then bites his bottom lip as he sinks all the way home.  You let out a sigh of relief.  ‘Finally,’ you whisper.

He exhales a small laugh.  ‘I’ve missed you,’ he says as he rests his head next to yours.  You hear and feel him breathe.  ‘Do you feel how our bodies crave each other?’  he whispers.

‘I feel it,’ you say softly.  ‘Can we move?’

‘No, baby.  Just feel me all the way inside of you,’ he breathes. 

‘I think I can feel you throb,’ you say ready to start begging. 

‘Do you feel how I stretch you open?’ he asks.

‘Yes, it hurts a little bit,’ you say.

He pulls his head back.  ‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ he says.

‘It always hurts a bit at first.  I’ll get used to you again,’ you explain trying to put him at ease. 

‘You’ll tell me if it’s too much?’ he says a frown between his eyebrows.

‘I will,’ you nod.

He leans down and kisses you slowly.  His tongue dragging lazily against yours.  Sucking on your lower lip.   Just so gently taking you apart with the tenderness and care that he conveys with his lips.  All while he is unmoving inside you.  He ends off with kisses on your nose and then forehead.  ‘I’m going to pull out now.’

He slowly pulls out and then sits back on his heels. 

‘Can you come clean my cock, baby?’ he asks.

You are surprised by what he says, but willing.  ‘With my mouth?’

He nods with an encouraging smile. 

So, you get closer and take in the fact that he was shiny and wet, covered in you.  You take his head in your mouth and suck him clean.  It was a strangely appealing mixture of bitter and salty.  He moans and rests his hand on your head in your hair as you concentrate on getting him clean.

‘How do we taste?’  he asks.

‘Good,’ you say looking up at him.

‘Come let me taste,’ he leans down to kiss you, running his tongue across yours like he wanted every bit of the taste he could get.  ‘Alright, now lay back.’

When he buries his face between your legs, the first things he does is push his tongue as deeply into you as he could, wanting to taste.

‘That is so goddamn good,’ he pants.  ‘Perfect combination.’

He spends time circling your clit with his tongue, sucking lightly and just devouring you.

‘I can’t decide what’s my favourite,’ he says as he positions his hips between your legs, holding his cock at the base to press it to your pussy and kind of flick it through your mess of your wetness and his saliva.  ‘Eating your pussy, or being inside your pussy,’ he finishes his sentence.

You try to process his words. 

‘But for now, I want to be inside, because I want to give you my cum.  I want to put it really deep inside of your body,’ as he says this, he pushes inside again slowly.  You are sure he is thinking about how you said it hurts a little.

You tilt your hips to accommodate him, wanting him as deep as what he is saying.  ‘Please just stay inside me.’   You don’t want to say out loud that you feel whole when he is in you.  Like every second without him feels like you are missing an essential part of your puzzle.

He starts thrusting shallowly, like he does when he doesn’t want to leave you, exactly what you need.  You feel him so deep sending sensations through your body that are too much, its all-consuming.  ‘Oh, baby,’ he almost sobs.  ‘You feel so fucking perfect.’

You are grabbing onto him, trying to pull him closer in every sense.  ‘Noah,’ in a whisper is all you can manage. 

‘I want you to try and cum from just me inside,’ he manages to get out a sentence while not faltering in his thrusts.  ‘Can we try?’

‘Yes,’ you moan out. 

‘Good girl,’ he exhales.  ‘Don’t worry about it, though.  There is no pressure.  We are just going to try.’  He comes almost to a stop to say this to you.  He kisses you a few times. 

He speeds up again, and its intense.  You hear your bodies come together and his ragged breathing.  ‘You feel so good,’ you say.  You wanted to try and explain what you did not understand yourself.  ‘I cannot put into words what it feels like when you are pushing into me.’

He slows again, to listen, to pay attention.  ‘It’s alright, baby.’

‘It should make me cum, it really should.  It feels amazing, it’s all over my body.  Its all-consuming,’ you tell him, and it’s all true.

‘You don’t have to explain, baby,’ he is frowning.

‘I want you to understand that it’s not your fault.  It’s not you doing anything wrong,’ you say, desperate for him to understand.

‘Oh, Peach,’ he smiles and kisses you.  ‘Thank you, for saying that.’  He moves a little faster.  ‘Now I need you to stop thinking.  Just feel.  Just concentrate on what you are feeling and stop analysing.’

‘I’ll try,’ and your voice hitches as he puts more energy into his movements again and it does not take long before you are clinging to his shoulders.

‘Oh, fuck, I’m going to cum,’ he grunts out.  His hips slow and his thrusts are so deep and his head had dropped to your shoulder.  ‘I am right against your cervix, do you feel me?’

‘Yes,’ you say, stroking his hair.  ‘I feel you.’

‘I hope I’m not hurting you, are you alright?’ he says out of breath.

You kiss his temple.  ‘No, baby, you’re not hurting me.’ 

‘Like this, we could not get any closer than we are,’ he says softly against your skin.  ‘We belong to each other in this moment.’

‘We do,’ you agree and you try to hold him as close as you can. 

After a few moments of him catching his breath, he starts grinding against you.  ‘I’m still so hard,’ he says. 

The way he moves, it stimulates you differently, not directly on your clit, but you feel something near it, or something you were not sure of.  But it feels so good.  ‘Right there, please.  That feels so nice.’

‘I tried to not touch myself either this last week,’ he admits suddenly.  ‘I have craved you all week.  I am not going anywhere.’

‘What do you mean you tried?’ you ask.

‘I couldn’t control myself one night.  I came my brains out thinking about how badly I wanted to bite you.  Bite your nipples and your clit.  Bite into the flesh of your tummy, your thighs,’ he says.

‘Oh my god,’ you moan.  ‘Tell me more.’

‘It’s after I got the updated list from the agency,’ he says.  ‘You were open to so many things.’

‘Noah, please can I cum?’ you ask.

‘Yes,’ he grunts.  ‘I’m right behind you.’

The build was beautiful.  You were right on the edge for so long, that when you finally went over, your back arches, your thighs shake.  And Noah was growling into your neck for the second time before you were completely finished.

You felt emotional again to the point where you had to blink tears away.   Noah laid down on top of you and he was breathing against your jaw.  ‘Thank you,’ he says first. 

You hug him close and wait while both of you catch your breaths. 

‘I’m going to get up in a minute,’ he mumbles.

‘You don’t have to,’ you say softly. 

‘I’m going to have to clean you up, I came in you twice,’ he explains. 

‘Don’t worry about that,’ you try to get him to stop worrying.  After a while you say, ‘The list from the agency?  It was so much easier to be open to things if I know it will be you guiding me through them.’

He is quiet for a while.  ‘I cannot tell you what that means to me.’

The two of you shower lazily, later on, quietly washing and touching and kissing under the warm spray.  You get into bed and cuddle close when you fall asleep, and you notice that Noah wants to touch the collar around your arm, like it reminded him that you are his in a way.

The next morning, he cooks you breakfast and you play silly games on his X-box and by the time you get home it was past midday.  You were already looking forward to next week.

Chapter 11

[runningincircl3s]

Blood Sport

Noah Sebastian x Reader

Chapter Sixteen

masterlist

chapter warnings: none? kinda leads into smut at the end but i'm saving that for the next chapter...

sorry for the late post! i was soo tired last night so i didn’t get round to editing it all :(

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

You closed the bathroom door gently behind you and leaned back against it, exhaling slowly, preparing yourself for what you were about to do.

Quietly, you locked the lock, hanging up your dress and lingerie on the back of the door, and setting your hair tools and makeup bag down on the counter. This was your space for the next hour or so, and you needed it.

The bathroom, like the rest of Noah’s house, was pretty cool. Black and grey tiles, matte black walls, wooden accents, and a faint lingering scent of whatever body wash he just used in the shower.

You were already in Noah's robe, your hair tied up as you started your makeup. The music you’d put on was playing quietly, just some background noise to distract your focus from the swirl of nerves in your tummy.

You had barely finished your foundation when you heard him knock at the door.

“Babe?”

You paused, sponge in hand.

“Yeah?” You called, a little cautiously.

“Can I come in? I really gotta pee.”

Your eyes went wide.

“No!”

For a moment, he went silent. You thought he went away, until...

“Why not?”

“I’m not ready yet!”

You heard a muffled laugh, followed by his forehead lightly thunking against the door.

“Baby. You know we’re not getting married tonight, right?”

“Yeah… but that’s not the point.”

“Pretty sure it is.” His voice was warm, amused. “You’re treating this like some big reveal.”

“I want it to be a big reveal.” You twisted your mascara open. “And you’re not ruining it.”

Noah groaned playfully.

“Noah. Use the bathroom downstairs.”

“But I’m up here!”

There was another pause.

“…Just a peek?”

“No.”

“Not even a-“

“Noah.”

You could hear the grin in his voice.

“You’re so lucky I love you.”

You smirked, brushing mascara through your lashes.

“You’d better after all the effort I’m putting into tonight.”

He paused for a little longer, you assumed he must’ve finally gone downstairs, until he spoke again.

“I’ve seen you in a million different ways. With bed hair, with no makeup, after crying through a movie, riding me in nothing but your socks… but you getting ready in my bathroom like this? Won’t let me see until you’re fully done? Baby, I think this is the hottest thing you’ve ever done.”

Your hand stilled mid brush, your head turning to the locked door.

“I’m being serious,” he went on, voice quieter now. “Just knowing you’re in there getting all dressed up? Putting in this amount of effoty? That you want to look perfect for tonight, for us… Fuck, I'm so lucky.”

You swallowed hard, mascara wand still in your hand.

“…Okay, now you’re kind of making me want to let you in.”

“Don’t tease me like that,” he laughed softly. “I’m seconds away from picking this lock.”

“Don’t even think about it!” You laughed.

…

You gave your reflection one final once over.

Hair done just the way you liked. Makeup perfect. Dress zipped and settled over every curve like it had been crafted just for you. You smoothed your palms over the fabric and took a deep breath.

You looked so fucking hot.

“Noah?” Your voice was soft as you opened the bathroom door.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling through something on his phone, he had gotten changed into his black dress pants and shirt, your mouth almost watering at how his sleeves were rolled up...

Then he looked up, and completely froze.

His phone slipped from his hand and landed on the bed without a sound.

You stepped fully into the room, the light catching on your jewellery, your heels tapping gently against the floor. You weren’t even trying to pose, just standing there like it was the most natural thing in the world, and that only made it worse for him. Or better?

Noah stood slowly. His mouth opened, then closed, like he was trying to speak but forgot how to form words.

He exhaled a breath that sounded almost pained.

“Holy fuck.”

“Too much?” You asked with a small smile, already knowing the answer.

“No.” He took a step closer. “No. You could never be too much…”

He was still staring, eyes trailing down from your lashes to your lips, to your dress, your shoulders, your chest, your waist… he swallowed visibly.

Then he said it, voice hoarse, like he hadn’t spoken for days.

“You’re gonna be the death of me.”

You tilted your head.

“I thought you wanted to make it to the party.”

“I did. I do. But now…” he ran a hand down his face, raking it back through his hair. “Now I’m trying to decide if I should call and tell them we're gonna be late.”

The butterflies in your stomach fluttered, and he stepped even closer, hands hovering near your waist, but not touching yet.

“I don’t even know what to do. Cry? Pray? Drop to my knees and fucking beg?”

You lifted a brow.

“You okay there, Noah?”

“No,” he whispered, still not touching you, “I’m not okay. You look like… like a work of art…”

Finally, you reached for him, smoothing your hands over the front of his shirt.

“And you,” you said, your voice teasing, “Are getting wrinkled.”

He laughed breathlessly but didn’t move.

“You wore that set, didn’t you?”

You bit your lip, smiled wickedly.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

He groaned and pressed his forehead to yours.

“You’re so evil.”

You kissed him gently, just once, before stepping back.

“Now come on. We’ve got a party to get to.”

He looked at the time on the bedside clock, then back at you, clearly torn.

“Three minutes,” he muttered. “That’s all I need."

You rolled your eyes, laughing as you grabbed your clutch.

“You were never this horny before.”

“I was never this in love before.”

…

The car ride to the party was only short, it took about ten minutes to get there from Noah’s place, but it was quiet.

Noah had his hand resting on your thigh, his thumb tracing lazy circles over your dress. Music was playing quietly, the driver turned on whatever was on the radio. You were staring out the window, watching the city pass by you in blurs.

You should’ve been excited.

You were excited…

And yet, the closer you got to the venue, the heavier your chest began to feel. Like something was pressing against your ribs, a pressure you couldn’t ignore. A thought you’d been doing so well at silencing these last few days started to sneak back in.

You don’t deserve him.

You shifted slightly in your seat, looking down at your hands folded neatly in your lap. Your nails were done- he had paid for you to get them, despite you telling him not to. Your lipstick was perfect. Your dress hugged you like it had been made just for your body.

But you felt like you deserved none of it. You didn’t even deserve to be sat next to him in the backseat right now.

He took you back. Loved you with every little inch of his soul. Treated you like something precious. Even after you had-

“Hey,” Noah’s voice broke softly through your thoughts. “You’ve gone quiet on me.”

You blinked and turned your head toward him, smiling a little too quickly.

“Just tired, I think.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“Is it the party? We don’t have to stay long. Just make the rounds, say thank you, I’ll do my speech, then we can sneak out halfway through…”

“No, it’s not that.” You shook your head, trying to wave it off. “I’m fine.”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he reached over and gently tucked your hair behind your ear. His touch was feather light, so careful with you.

“You’re doing that thing,” he murmured, “Where you shrink into yourself, when you go all quiet. I know something’s up.”

You bit your lip, but he didn’t push. He wanted you to speak to him on your own terms.

“I just…” You exhaled, looking down again. “Sometimes I still don’t understand how I got so lucky. Like… what did I do to deserve this? A second chance? You?”

Noah’s brows furrowed slightly, not with confusion, but with hurt.

“Don’t say that.” He said softly.

“I know. I’m sorry, I know we’ve talked about it and I’m okay, I just…” you swallowed the lump rising in your throat. “It sneaks up on me sometimes, when I don’t want it to.”

He reached out, turning your face to look at him.

“Hey, we’ve both made mistakes, okay? Neither of us are perfect, I wouldn’t want you if you were,” he said with a breathy chuckle, “Everything we’ve been through just proves we really love each other, right? And if you’re sitting there thinking you don’t deserve that?” He leaned in a little, eyes searching yours before continuing. “Then I’m gonna spend every day proving you do. Until you see yourself the way I see you. Until you love yourself the way I love you.”

You blinked, tears beginning to fill your eyes, blurring your vision.

“I love you,” he repeated. “So, so much. I know what happened before. We were both hurt by it. But I forgave you, I wanted us to move on. Because I want you. I want this. Nothing you did ever made you unworthy of love, especially not mine.”

You sniffled, wiping under your eyes carefully to avoid smudging your makeup.

“I love you too.”

He leaned over and kissed you, quick and slow at the same time.

“We’re going to walk into this party,” he murmured, lips brushing yours, “And everyone’s going to see you for what you really are.”

You pulled back slightly, blinking in confusion.

“What’s that?”

He smiled.

“The most important person in my life.”

You didn’t say anything at first. You just leaned forward, resting your forehead against his and breathing him in.

Then you whispered.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

…

You and Noah walked hand in hand through the doors of the venue. The room that the party was being thrown on was through the hallway a little… and up some stairs.

You sighed, slowing down to a stop at Noah’s side and turning to look at him.

“Great time to be wearing heels. You guys couldn’t have picked a normal venue?”

Without missing a beat, Noah turned to you with the most serious expression imaginable.

“I’ll swap with you.”

“You’ll what?” You blinked up at him.

“My boots for your heels.” He shrugged. “I’ve got great calves. I can pull them off.”

You stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“You’re ridiculous!” You said, carefully lifting your foot onto the first step.

He followed after you, his hand finding the small of your back almost instinctively as he stood by your side.

“You say that now,” he said with a faint grin, “But if you twist your ankle halfway up, I will carry you. We can make a dramatic entrance.”

“Yeah. I bet you would.”

You took the first step, holding the rail lightly as you walked, but his hand stayed steady at your back.

Every few steps he murmured something.

“You good?” “Not too fast?” “Want me to carry you yet?”

And each one made your heart feel warm, your stomach feeling fuzzy.

When you finally reached the top, slightly out of breath and blinking against the shift in lighting, you turned to him with a grin.

“No twisted ankle. I’m stronger than I look.”

Noah smirked.

“Still would’ve carried you.”

You didn’t even get a chance to respond before he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, hand smoothing down your spine like he just needed to touch you, even in the briefest way.

“Ready?” He asked.

You nodded, trying to ignore the nerves in your stomach.

He pushed the door open for you, the music and the sound of chatter immediately getting louder.

You had just stepped through the door, and you weren’t sure if you’d make it any further. You barely recognised a single face.

Noah had told you that they had to invite a lot of people they would’ve rathered to have not. Industry people, friends of friends, but there were also the other people who worked on the album, and real friends of the guys…

And here you were, walking into the Bad Omens album release party on Noah Sebastian’s arm.

No pressure!

Noah’s hand slid down to intertwine with yours.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured, just for you. “We’ll walk in together, okay?”

And so you did.

Your heels clicked softly against the hard floor as you moved in time with Noah, trying to keep your eyes forward instead of letting them dart around. But your grip tightened slightly on his hand when someone nearby glanced in your direction. Then again. A double take.

You swallowed, already anticipating the questions.

“Hey, Noah!”

It was Michael, one of the first people you’d spotted that you actually recognised, his face lifting into a smile as he made his way over, arms open in greeting.

“It’s been a while, huh?” Michael said with a smirk, pulling Noah into a quick hug, patting his back before turning to you. “And you must be…”

You told him your name.

“Oh, so you’re the one he’s not shut up about for years… Most of us didn’t believe you were real.” He chuckled, before quickly offering you a hand to shake, “Hi, by the way. I’m Michael. Sorry if that was-”

“No, no- hi!” You laughed, cheeks warming as you shook his hand. “I’ve heard all about you! Nice to finally meet you.”

Michael leaned in with a conspiratorial grin.

“So… you two walked in holding hands...”

Before you or Noah could say anything back, someone else called his name.

“Nowahhh!”

Jesse, curly hair pushed back and glass in his hand, wove through the crowd toward you. Behind him, a couple more members of Erra followed, you knew these were friends of the guys, not just collaborators on the album. Jesse looked between you both, then to Noah’s hand still clasping yours.

“No fucking way.” He laughed, clapped Noah on the back, then turned to you with a big grin. “Hi. I cant remember if we met before, I’m Jesse.”

“I know, I’ve heard all about you,” you smiled shyly, before telling him your name.

Noah squeezed your hand.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

“Ohhh shit,” Jesse grinned. “Well it’s about time we finally met, y’know he’s been talking about you since I first met him.”

You assumed you’d hear a lot of this tonight.

Before you could answer, you felt a set of eyes on you from across the room. Slowly, you turned… and there he was.

Bryan.

Standing by the bar, half a glass of soda in his hand, staring directly at the two of you.

He raised an eyebrow as he took a slow sip.

“Wanna tell me what’s going on here?” He asked after the two of you approached him.

Noah laughed under his breath, and you groaned quietly, already bracing yourself.

Of course Bryan was the first to actually call it out.

“Bryan…” You began. But before either of you could say another word, a familiar voice cut through the music and conversation.

“So…”

You turned to see Jolly approaching with Nicole on his arm, his expression somewhere between amused and smug.

“I’m guessing you two kissed and made up, huh?”

Nicole elbowed him lightly, but she was smiling too, smiling at you, not daring to let him know she knew.

You froze for a second, your hand still loosely laced with Noah’s. But Noah didn’t falter. He gave Jolly a slight grin and squeezed your hand a little tighter.

“Yeah… it’s kinda hard to stay mad when she looks this good.” He said simply.

You shot him a look.

“Noah!”

“You two are adorable.” Nicole laughed.

“And when were you gonna tell me? Or tell all of us?” Bryan raised an eyebrow.

You hesitated, but Noah spoke before you could.

“Now!”

“That’s convenient.” Jolly chuckled.

Nicole rolled her eyes and looped her arm through yours, tugging you gently to her side.

“Honestly? I’m just glad you’re not miserable anymore. You’ve both been walking around like sad little ghosts for months.”

“So, what is this…?” Jolly asked, hand motioning at the two of you.

“We’re together. We’re dating.”

“He took me on a real date and everything,” you grinned, “Then I stayed at his place and he asked me to be his girlfriend.”

“Yeah,” another voice called from behind you, sounding a little too excited, “And then I walked in on the two of you the next morning when you were about to-“

“MATT!” You warned, turning quickly to point a finger, telling him to shut up.

“Wait…” Alyson, who has walked in beside him, turned to look up at her husband, “You knew too?”

“You knew?” He furrowed his brow, making you and Nicole chuckle.

“You told her?” Noah asked as he leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“I couldn’t not… And Nicole knew too.”

“So…” Matt began, trying to piece things together, “If we know, and they know, and Folio knows that leaves…”

“Folio knew before me?!” Bryan gasped, scandalised.

“Ruffilo.” Noah nodded, ignoring Bryan entirely as he scanned the room, “Where is he?”

As if on cue, the doors opened again, making everyone turn.

Late, Ruffilo strolled in like he owned the place… wearing dark sunglasses indoors and holding hands with a woman none of you recognised. Tall, gorgeous, dressed in sleek black from head to toe.

“Fashionably fucking late.” Matt muttered.

“Who is that?” Alyson whispered.

“I think that’s his new girlfriend,” Jolly whispered back, “He said something about meeting someone the other week, she was a client of his, I think.”

“Well, this explains why he hasn’t been answering my texts,” Matt scoffed, arms crossed, “Too busy with his new hot girlfriend.”

Ruffilo spotted the group and raised a hand.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late. Traffic was awful. Also… this is Tiffany.”

Everyone murmured some variation of hi, but you were too busy sharing a quick glance with Noah. He leaned into your side a little closer, like he was thinking the same thing you were…

Now or never.

You squeezed his hand once, and he squeezed back.

“Wait,” Ruffilo said suddenly, looking between the two of you. “What’s going on here?”

“If you weren’t so late, you wouldn’t have missed it.” Nicole snorted.

“Wait…” Ruffilo narrowed his eyes. “Are you guys…?”

“Together,” Noah said simply, wrapping his arm around your waist. “Yeah.”

“Like… dating?”

“Yes.” You smiled.

Ruffilo blinked, slowly taking off his sunglasses.

“…Shit.”

“Surprised?” Noah grinned.

“Absolutely not.” He laughed.

“Wait…” Tiffany softly said, “Are these the two you were telling me about, Nicky?”

You tried not to laugh at the nickname, it was cute, you just weren’t expecting it.

“Yeah… I sorta told Tiff about how the two of you are always on again and off again.”

You groaned, hiding your face in Noah’s chest while everyone laughed, but Noah just kissed your temple.

“Yeah, well… there’ll be no more off again.”

…

Everyone knew. They finally knew.

Or at least, the people who you both wanted to know knew. You weren’t sure about the rest of the world, Matt and Alyson were even still a secret and they’ve been married for months now.

The night was getting on, and you were now sat with Folio, who had been chatting to other bands when you came in, whilst you watched Noah do his rounds, talking to the important people who helped make this record possible.

As you watched your boyfriend, you couldn’t help but think about how good he looked tonight. He also looked a little tired, you knew how he hated big events like this, but he was still putting on a smile for everyone.

“He really loves you, you know.” Folio’s voice broke through your thoughts.

You turned your head toward him, raising a brow.

Folio shrugged, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

“I’ve seen him go through some shit over the years… And you make him smile like I’ve never seen before.”

Your heart ached a little.

“I just hope I don’t mess it up again.”

“You won’t.” He said it so surely, it startled you. Then he gave a small shrug. “You’re not the same people you were a year ago. Or even six months ago.”

You followed his gaze, he was watching Noah now too.

“I really hope this works out for you this time,” he added softly, voice dipping with sincerity. “Both of you. Because… if it doesn’t, I don’t think he’ll ever love someone like this again. And honestly, I don’t think you will either.”

You blinked fast, your eyes suddenly stinging.

“God, Folio,” you said with a watery laugh, nudging him with your shoulder. “You’re gonna make me ruin my mascara.”

He leaned over quickly, assessing your face. He wiped a small tear away that had escaped, then leaned back again.

“Nope. You still look beautiful.”

“Thanks.” You said with a gentle smile.

You glanced over at Noah again. His eyes were already on you, and he was already smiling.

Then you turned back to Folio.

“Y’know, Nick, you’re really an amazing guy, and you’re gonna make someone really happy one day.”

Folio laughed under his breath, shaking his head.

“Don’t go getting all sentimental on me now.”

“Hey, you started it!… But I’m serious,” you said, resting your chin in your hand as you watched him. “Don’t tell Noah I said this, but you’re the kindest, most sweetest man I know. And I hope one day you find the one, and I hope she treats you right.”

“Then why do I always end up playing third wheel to my friends’ romances? Matt and Alyson, you and Noah-“

“Because you’re the glue that holds everyone together,” you teased softly. “And glue doesn’t always get the spotlight.”

He turned his head to look at you, expression a little softer, quieter.

“Maybe. But sometimes I just wanna be someone’s spotlight too.”

You reached out and looped your arm through his, resting your head briefly against his shoulder.

“You will be. She’s out there. And she’s gonna be so fucking lucky when she finds you.”

The two of you sat like that for a moment, in your own little bubble away from the rest of the party… Until the clinking of a fork against a glass echoed from somewhere near the front of the room.

“Speech time!” Folio said, straightening up as he craned his neck to look.

Matt stood on a small raised platform near the DJ booth on the main stage, Alyson beside him in a slinky navy dress, complimenting her blonde hair perfectly, her hand resting casually on his chest. Matt held a half empty glass of coke and cleared his throat dramatically into the mic.

“Alright!” he grinned. “I’m not gonna lie to you guys, I had a speech written out… but then I spilled barbecue sauce on it.”

A ripple of laughter followed.

Alyson rolled her eyes beside him and took the mic.

“He never wrote one.”

“Okay, okay,” Matt chuckled, taking it back “Fine. I didn’t. But I didn’t need to, because all I really want to say is… thank you. To every single person in this room. Whether you played a note on the record, helped out on the production side, or just helped to keep the guys sane during the recording of the album…”

You felt Folio quickly stand beside you and rush to the stage as everyone applauded, and you glanced back toward Noah, he was walking toward the stage now too, Jolly and Ruffilo not far behind.

Matt spotted them and gestured to the side.

“Now I’m gonna shut up and let the guys say something before we play the album in full for the first time!”

The guys all looked at each other awkwardly, and you could imagine they were saying “you go first” “no, you go first!”

Noah finally stepped forward, taking the mic from Matt, who gave him a brief pat on the back as he passed. His eyes scanned the crowd, catching yours for a brief second. It grounded him. You could see it, his shoulders loosened just enough, his jaw unclenched. He took a deep breath.

“Uh… I’m not really good at this part,” Noah began, voice low and steady through the speakers. “I don’t really love parties or speeches or being the centre of attention, believe it or not. But this record… it means a lot.”

He glanced over at Folio, who nodded once, and then to Jolly, who gave a small smile.

“It took a lot out of us. In the best ways, and the hardest ones. There were moments where it felt like this album was writing us instead of the other way around. A lot of the time we were just having fun with it, but then the stress came afterwards when we actually had to make it sound good,” He chuckled, “But it got finished, and somehow, it became something better than any of us imagined.”

The room was quiet now, everyone listening.

“We wanted to make something we were all happy with. And we did, eventually. And we’re proud of it. So… thank you, for supporting us. For being here. And for helping in any way that you have.”

There was another pause, as if he was trying to think of how to word whay he wanted to say.

“And while I’m here… I really want to thank my girlfriend,” Noah added, and it made your heart skip. “For sticking by me through the shit I put you through, for still loving me, for still being there for me after everything. I love you more than you can ever imagine, I always have, and I always will.”

…

The album was still playing through the speakers, there were a few songs left, but that was the last thing you could care about in this moment.

Becasue right now you were curled up beside Noah, sitting along the back wall, away from the rest of the room. The crowd had thinned throughout the night, but neither of you made a move to leave. There was no rush, no pressure. Just you and him.

Your head rested on his shoulder, his hand warm on your thigh. He hadn’t stopped touching you since you sat down together, his thumb rubbing circles, fingers occasionally lacing with yours, as if grounding himself with you beside him. As if making sure you wouldn't slip away again.

You had both been sat in a soft, comforable silence for a while now, neither of you really needed to say anything.

And then, softly, he spoke.

“You know I’ve loved you since that first night, right?”

You blinked, lifting your head a little to look at him.

“What?”

He turned slightly, eyes searching yours.

“Bryan’s birthday. That house party in New York. The night he wanted to introduce us to his best friend... From the moment we first spoke I always hoped that we’d end up like this eventually,” he continued. “Even if we didn’t speak for years.”

You stared at him, throat feeling tight.

“Noah…”

“I never stopped thinking about you,” he said, voice gentle but certain. “I’d see something that reminded me of you, something you said that night, or the way you laughed too loud at my dumb jokes, and it’d all come rushing back.”

Your chest ached, painfully tender.

“I didn't reach out for years because... I was just scared,” he admitted, eyes flicking down for a second. “That you wouldn’t feel the same way. That maybe I’d made it all up in my head, and I’d been holding on for years to something that meant nothing to you.”

Your hands came up to cup his face before you even realised you were moving.

“Noah…” you breathed, eyes swimming, “You...” but your voice broke off.

Tears slipped down your cheeks before you could stop them.

He caught them with his thumbs, brushing gently.

“Hey…” he whispered, soft and calming, “Why are you crying?”

You tried to speak, to form the words, but all you could do was shake your head.

“Because,” you finally managed, voice cracking, “I didn’t know. I didn’t know you felt that way for so long… I didn’t think I mattered to you like that. I was so sure it was just me.”

“It was never just you,” he said firmly, forehead resting against yours now. “I've always loved you. Always... Hell, even after I deleted all my socials I used the bands account to keep up with you.”

You broke.

Tears spilled faster, and he pulled you into his arms, his hand holding the back of your head as you pressed your face into his neck. He didn’t shush you, didn’t try to stop you, he just held you through it, his other hand rubbing your back slow and steady.

“I wish I could go back,” you whispered into his skin, “To that night, and tell myself it was real. That it was you.”

“You don’t have to,” he murmured. “Because we’re here now. We made it eventually.”

You nodded, still pressed to him, your body shaking gently with the force of your relief, your joy, your love.

Eventually, he tilted your chin up and kissed you. Soft and slowly, like it was the only thing grounding him too.

When he pulled back, his hand still cupped your face.

"It might sound crazy, but I'm glad we waited to do this." He said.

"Why?" You blinked up at him, still a little dazed from everything he’d just said, and everything you had just felt.

Then, he gave you a soft smile, the kind only you ever got to see.

“Back when we first met… I wasn’t ready for you. I thought about it a lot, like what if we had started something back then? But I was never home, my biggest priority was the band. I wouldn’t have been able to give you what you needed... and I hate to think about how it would’ve ended badly. I'd have dreams about it, us, and you would always ask me to choose between you or the band.”

"Noah, I'd never-"

"Baby, it was just a dream, I know you wouldn't. But this was years ago. Then last year, Bryan asked about bringing you on tour with us. Even then, I was worried about what could happen to us on tour, the stress of it always brings out the worst in me... But then we started our thing and I knew then that this was finally our chance, and I didn't want to mess it up."

"...But I did." You said, no emotion in your voice as you felt your heart shatter in your chest, "And, Noah, please believe me when I say that not a day goes by when I don't regret what I did. I should never have slept with-"

"Hey," he stopped you carefully, placing a hand back on your knee, "Things happen for a reason, okay?"

His thumb moved in slow circles on your knee.

“I don’t want to erase what happened,” he continued gently, “As much as it hurt. Because if none of that happened… maybe we wouldn’t be here right now. Like this.”

You blinked, lips parting to speak but nothing came out. The only thing you could do was nod.

“I told you I tried to hate you for a while,” he admitted quietly, “But it wasn't because of what you did, iy was because I still loved you, even when I didn’t want to. Even when I tried not to.”

Tears pricked at your eyes again.

“I thought I’d lost you forever.” Noah moved closer again, pressing his forehead to yours. “But then you came back.”

“I didn’t think you’d want me back,” you whispered, voice shaking. “After everything…”

“I didn’t think I would either,” he said honestly, then let out the smallest, breathiest laugh. “But I’ve never stopped wanting you.”

He leaned in, kissed the tip of your nose.

“And I sure as hell don’t plan on losing you again.”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know,” he murmured into your hair. “I forgive you. You’ve got to forgive yourself now, baby. That’s the only part left.”

Your chest ached so deeply it felt hollow.

“I’m trying.”

He kissed the crown of your head. Held you a little tighter.

“Like I said earlier... I’ll help you.”

You let out a soft exhale, like the stillness after a storm.

The music was still playing somewhere behind you, but it had long become background noise. All you could focus on was the man in front of you. His eyes. His hand still on your knee. The safety of his presence.

You shifted slightly in your seat, moving impossibly closer, your cheek brushing his as you leaned in, voice barely above a whisper.

“…Think anyone would notice if we left?”

He stilled. Then slowly leaned back enough to look at you.

“You wanna go?” His brows lifted, but there was already a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

You nodded, catching your lower lip between your teeth.

“I think I’ve had enough emotion for one night. I just want to be with you... preferably in bed.”

His smirk widened.

“Babe, you can’t say shit like that when you look like that and expect me to be normal about it.”

You laughed under your breath, wiping the last of your tears from your cheeks, and murmured.

“Take me home, Noah.”

He was already standing before you’d even finished the sentence, offering you his hand as he pulled you up with him. He didn’t bother saying goodbye to anyone, he'd send a text once he got back, he just led you through the room with his hand tight in yours like a man on a mission.

...

The taxi slowed to a stop outside Noah’s place, and the moment he handed the driver a few bills, you were already climbing out, dress hitched just enough to let you move quickly. The cool night air nipped at your skin, but you didn’t care, your heart was thudding too loudly in your ears to notice anything else.

Noah was close behind, the door shutting with a loud clack, and then he turned to you, lips twitching into a smirk.

“You’re running,” he said, voice low with amusement. “Should I be worried?”

“You should be chasing me.” You countered, shooting him a look over your shoulder before taking off toward the front door.

It took all of five seconds for him to catch up.

Noah fumbled with his keys as you practically bounced on your toes beside him, both of you trying not to laugh too loudly as he unlocked the door, trying to at least act normal until you were indoors. The second it swung open, you slipped inside and darted for the stairs.

“Oh, you wanna be like that?” He laughed, chasing you like thunder up the stairs.

You yelped when he caught you halfway up, arms circling your waist as he pulled you back into him.

“Noah!” you shrieked, breathless from giggling.

“Too slow, baby!" He growled playfully into your neck before hoisting you over his shoulder like you weighed nothing.

“NOAH SEBASTIAN PUT ME DOWN!!!”

“I will. Onto the bed.” He said playfully, you heard him chuckle before his hand landed a smack on your ass.

You smacked at his back, laughing so hard your stomach hurt as he carried you down the hallway and into his room.

With a dramatic spin, he tossed you onto the mattress, and you bounced once, hair fanning out beneath you.

He followed you down instantly.

Looming over you, his knees straddling your hips, Noah grinned down like a man starved. His hands planted either side of your head, eyes dark with want but something much softer was buried beneath.

“Been thinking about this moment all night,” he murmured, nose brushing yours. “You’ve been teasing me in that damn dress for hours.”

Your fingertips toyed with the collar of his shirt.

"Oh yeah... Well, what 'cha gonna do about it?"

With that, his mouth crashed against yours, hungry and hot and breathtaking. You gasped into the kiss, grabbing the fabric of his shirt and dragging him closer.

His hand slid to your thigh, pushing the dress up higher, fingers finding the waistband of your lingerie. He groaned into your mouth.

“Fuck, I knew you were wearing this one.” He whispered, biting down gently on your bottom lip.

“Is that why you couldn’t focus all night?” You grinned, breathless.

“You think I heard a word of the guys’ speeches?”

You giggled, tugging at his shirt again, and he sat back just long enough to strip it off, tossing it somewhere across the room. Then he was back on you, kissing down your throat, across your collarbone...

“Take it off,” you whispered, arching up into him. “I wore it for you.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, baby.”

--------------------------------------

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