Another sleepless, relatively quiet, television-filled night had, unsurprisingly, come my way.

Quincy and I had returned to the dorms at around four p.m., and before he could even get a word out, I collapsed onto the bed and stayed there for the next eight hours.

I woke to darkness, and I shuddered, my eyes not yet adjusting to the severe lack of light. With a swiftness I didn't even know I had, I flicked the lamp on, soft light falling onto the walls and calming my nerves.

Sighing, I reached for my laptop, which sat beside the lamp, still plugged in. By the time I'd settled in with the contraption on my lap, my earphones in my ear, and my eyes on the screen, I couldn't have been more ready to ingest the rest of Orange is the New Black.

Quincy had said it was worth it, at some point during the day. We'd soon see.

My stomach grumbled-loudly-and I cringed, glancing at my still-packed bags that were huddled around the bed's frame. Pausing the show, I glared in the direction of the desk, making out the familiar shape of the lunch bag Mom had forced me to bring along.

If there wasn't food in there, my life would be over. Simple as that.

With another sigh, I stumbled out of bed, the floor welcoming my bare feet gladly. My hands reached for the bag, and as I lifted it up with surprisingly little effort, I tore it open, only to find absolutely nothing.

Quincy had scavenged through every single thing my mother had packed; we're going to need to have a serious discussion about boundaries, especially concerning food.

Why didn't I fight him off the first time? I scolded myself. Always protect the babies, Dan. Always protect the babies.

Frowning, my stomach let out another growl, reiterating its need.

When last did I even eat? I thought, drifting towards my messenger bag. Clearly, it had been a while.

Working fast, I pulled out the rules regarding the dorms, my eyes skimming over everything until I found something about times. Nothing was mentioned about leaving campus unannounced, and I grinned, frantically searching for a pen, my wallet, and the car keys.

Once I'd scribbled a note onto the page, I left it on Quincy's bedside table, and dangled my keys around my finger, searching for pants and pulling out my phone.

me: mcdonlad's?

The jeans I'd worn earlier were thrown into a corner, and I lunged for them, forcing them up my bare legs. I squished my feet into my Converse-the ones Noah had bought for me years ago that, somehow, never lost their meaning-and hurried out of the dorm, both my car and room keys twirling around my index finger from the key-ring.

The hallway was still impressively lit, with low hums of noise emanating from the dorms around us. My phone vibrated in my hands, and I checked it swiftly, already beginning the walk towards the front entrance.

shit-face: HELL YES

shit-face: wait, how are you getting off campus?

me: very good question. i'll let you know when i figure it out.

Sliding my phone into my pocket, I reached the front door, seemingly locked. I frowned, my hands tightening around the knob and shifting to no avail.

Crap.

"If you're trying to leave, that's not the way to do it." A familiar voice said. My heart throbbed for a fraction of a second before the familiarity kicked in, and I spun around, my eyes landing on none other than Kansas, looming over me as he stood on the last step of the staircase that probably led somewhere a lot more interesting. His hair was pulled back into a cute bun, and nuances of fatigue rested below his droopy eyes. A loose grey shirt hung off of his torso, accompanied by baggier grey pants and a pair of grandpa slippers.

Aw.

"You're everywhere," I muttered, furrowing my brows at him, unable to ignore how strikingly familiar this kind of behaviour had been. "Can you help me get out?"

"Where are you going?" he inquired, his bushy eyebrows perking.

"I need food," I replied, "now, where's the way out?"

He grinned, stepping down from the stair.

"You're cranky in the mornings," he mentioned, his smile all too visible without the stubble overshadowing it.

"I'm always cranky," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Escape route, please."

My phone vibrated in my hands once more, and I glanced downwards, quickly tapping away.

shit-face: sent directions.

shit-face: found one close to you, I'll be there in 30.

me: thank you x

me: currently attempting to breakout w/o a jacket, wait eagerly with results

"Boyfriend?" Kansas inquired. I raised my head, nodding slightly.

"Are we going or nah?" I retorted, earning a slight frown from him. Then, as I locked my phone, he turned around, making his way up the stairs.

"Are you coming, or nah?"

"Don't test me, son." I huffed under my breath, obediently following him up the stairs. "Anyway, onto more important matters, why is a senior in the freshman dorm building?"

Our steps were unbelievably loud against the relatively quiet background, and I flinched, attempting to move more softly.

"Do I look that old?" he queried, his thoughtful tone bouncing off of the stone walls.

"No comment." I replied, staring down at my phone while we breezed over the last step. "Why are you even awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm hungry," I snapped, my eyes fluttering upwards. He'd turned right while I'd remained stagnant, and I quickened my pace, throwing cautious glances at the light leaking from beneath the doors of a few dorms. "Your turn."

"Maybe you're just cranky when you're hungry."

"Always cranky." I corrected. He laughed lightly, leaning into the hallway to our left. Windows lined the outer wall, and I blinked, taking in the random bursts of light that were littered across the next building, set perfectly against the backdrop of the clear, dark night sky. "Where are we even going?"

"Watch, and ssh."

My gaze soared back to him-or, more accurately, the back of his dark shirt-paying severely draining attention to his every move.

The hallway, which had been darker than the rest, seemed to go on forever, harbouring echoes of the vastness I stared into yesterday.

Smiling softly, I continued to follow, until he stopped, raising his long, freckled hand. Or were those scars? Squinting, I halted, my shoes squeaking against the linoleum.

"There," he whispered, pointing and taking a step back to make sure I'd heard. Definitely scars. "Right in front of us, there are steps leading to an emergency exit. Open it slowly and close it the same way; it bangs when it shuts, and, apparently, the housemasters on the other side of the building will hear it. And don't worry about security-as long as you've got your student card, you can leave as you please."

Turning to face him, I smiled, sending him a thumbs-up.

"Thanks," I said softly. He nodded, his eyes barely visible in the poor light. "If you ever want to start a gang, or become bandits, let me know."

His chuckle tickled my skin as I pulled out my phone, illuminating the simple path before me.

"Be careful." He warned, eyes vanishing for a moment. I laughed lightly, stepping forward.

"We can't try to be what we aren't." I replied quietly, eyes on the ground. With that, I scurried away, gliding down the stairs with ease.

I reached the door, and my fingers tightened around the handle, pushing leisurely. The large red door obeyed, separating itself from its beloved door frame. Once I slid out, my eyes couldn't make out a single thing in the hallway, earning a subtle, barely-there frown.

With a quiet, slow push, I shut the door, only a small sound emanating from its reunion with its frame.

shit-face: progress report? also: 15 minutes away. the roads are clear af.

me: you actually used 'af' in an actual sentence, i'm such a bad influence on your poor fetus internet soul

me: anyway, mission accomplished. next stop: mcdonald's. my everywhere is screaming "YASS" right now.

shit-face: see you soon, lover-moon.

me: in a few, baby blue.

*

"We both need to start actually sleeping," Noah sighed, sliding into the booth, his body slumping over immediately. I frowned, sliding his food over to him. A small smile lit up his face, even reaching the parts of his eyes that the fatigue had overwhelmed.

We'd met up at a McDonald's about fifteen minutes away from Orson, clearly open to the hungry and sleepless.

"This is true," I replied, stuffing a handful of fries into my mouth. A soft, tired chuckle left the beautiful boy across from me, still sounding like Heaven once it reached my ears. "There's no one else I'd rather fight off fatigue with, though."

"Likewise." He dipped his fries into the ketchup, swallowing them whole. "How's Orson treating you?"

I winced, taking a sip of my Mountain Dew, pulling myself deeper into his soft, flowy cardigan that I'd convinced him to buy, specifically for times like these; I'd found myself stealing his clothes so much that I probably had more of his shirts than my own.

He frowned, more heartbroken about the effort it would take to laugh than he was about how my lack of sleep seeped into everything else.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

"I got sent to the Dean's office yesterday," I grunted. Light danced in the oceans of his eyes, like rays of sunlight hitting a wave's surface, bringing out the beauty hidden in its motion. "Apparently, I made tons of noise during the briefing situation, and when I got called out, I managed to drag Quincy and another chicky-Zelda-down with me."

"Is that the hella fine girl you mentioned earlier?" he asked, his Big Mac in his unsteady, beautiful hands. I nodded, a grin planting itself on my face.

"Quincy was so quick to help her today," I chirped, twirling my soda around the container. "I have never seen someone swerve up so hard."

"Swerve up?" Noah repeated, brows fumbling into that adorable crease on his forehead. If it's deepened since we started seeing each other, that's nobody's business but ours.

"You know," I muttered, perking my eyebrows suggestively. "He got in there."

Noah shook his head, smiling as he chewed, a slice of lettuce hanging from his lips.

If that isn't a sign from whatever deity that controls my life, I don't know what is. Grinning, I leaned in, placing a quick peck on his lips, and pulling the lettuce away with my teeth. He grunted, flicking my ear, and I shrieked, retreating instantly.

"Rude." I huffed, glaring at him from the other end of the booth. He rolled his eyes, a grin playing on his lips.

"I was going to eat that," he pointed out, chuckling lightly.

"It wouldn't have lettuce-"

"Stop right there," he deadpanned, his teeth flashing in a bright, truly joyful grin. "I don't have the energy for your lame puns."

My mind roared with laughter as I dropped a nugget into my mouth, a piece of me remembering the one Kansas had told me.

"Then laugh at those of others," I replied between chews. "Why do people love Dans so much?"

Noah paused, eyes boring deeply into mine, his grin fading into a softer ghost of it-gentle and certain, like a firefly hovering around in the dark of the night.

"Because they're the only people who make me feel alive," he whispered, his voice sending the hairs on my neck writhing with need, and temporarily shutting my brain down as it attempted to recover.

Blush soared to my cheeks, the burn almost equivalent to the campfire raging somewhere deep in my soul; at one with the rest of me, but not quite.

His gaze darted back to his burger, his teeth swooping in for another bite.

"No, they're better Dan everyone else." I replied. "But your answer's good, too."

His lips simply stretched, almost falling into his dimples as he chewed. Somehow, he brought an elegant simplicity to the arduous act; his teeth crushed against his food-and each other-because they needed to, while the rest of us pranced around, our food serving as nothing more than a means to appease our cravings and take artsy pictures of.

"Where'd you hear that one from?"

"Kansas," I answered, picking up another nugget. Noah's brows perked curiously, his smile faltering for only a second. I snuck a bite of another nugget, chewing perfection and swallowing it down, too. "He's this guy I met in the bathroom the other morning. He seemed nice enough, and he has great hair, and he referenced Teen Wolf, so he has to be a good person, right?"

"You are a fabulous judge of character," Noah sighed, low-key amused. "But I wouldn't recommend making friends in bathrooms anymore; we know what happened last time."

I shook my head, pointing the rest of my nugget at him.

"We're not going down that road again," I grunted, wagging the nugget. "And even if we did, I've got you."

He placed the rest of his burger in the box, brushing the crumbs off of his hands and onto his sweatpants.

"I've got you, too."

His hand stretched over the table, and mine fell to meet it, our weaknesses merging into one another, galvanized by this and nothing else.

Sometimes, I wonder how he'd managed to wait for so long. I'd think it over and fail to understand how he wouldn't leap, wouldn't decide that his happiness was important too. Even after he poured his heart out to me on the night before graduation, it still baffled me-he waited graciously and unselfishly for years, all for this.

"Did you know?" I asked softly, gazing at him. His brows furrowed adorably, and I let out a soft laugh, our gaze still as locked as ever. "I mean, did you know that this would happen?"

"On some level," he replied with a shrug. "But those were just hopes and dreams."

I nodded, watching the waves crash against the shore of his iris before flowing back into the ocean, the cycle bound to repeat, just as I would be bound to watch it go on forever.

We bickered endlessly and Noah told me about Enderdale-so far, everything was going great. His try-out had gone well, and his roommate, Griffyn, had been there to support him throughout. Classes started the next day for them, too, and he'd briefly ranted about how he'd survive if he could barely keep his eyes open.

"I guess leaving home is a lot harder than I thought," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. I nodded, my hand still clutched tightly in his.

"It'll get better," I whispered. He nodded, gazing at me through half-shut eyes. "We should really get going―it's three a.m., and I'm afraid we'll fall asleep here if we don't leave."

He nodded again, his fingers squeezing mine before pulling away, moving onto our empty food parcels. Lifting my tray, I stood up, strolling towards the nearest bin. He'd breezed right behind me, his hand falling on my hip as we shoved our trash into the bin and dropped the trays on top of it.

I frowned, my head finding his chest all too easily.

His heartbeat brushed against my ear canal, soft, gentle, and calm. Hopefully, not the one before the storm―I'd never been good at walking in rain.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, guiding me towards the entrance.

"Yeah," I replied. He halted a few booths from the door, his fingers grazing against my chin and lifting it slightly. Our eyes locked once more, the worry appearing in dark, hurried strokes among the refined, elegant blues.

"I don't believe you," he sighed, a slight frown making itself at home on his forehead.

"I'm okay, Noah." I told him assuredly. "Really. It's probably just the lack of sleep."

He held my gaze for a beat longer before nodding and walking on, his arm still around my body, a reminder of the safety that he'd always provide.

We strutted into the slight breeze of the night, the sky a sheet of darkness, with only a few pinpricks of light scattered across it.

With our breaths filling up the quiet, empty air, we moved towards our cars, as silent as we were close, as in sync as we were together.

He halted once we'd reached the Jeep, my Audi R8 parked next to it. His other arm snuck around my body, drawing me into the chest that I'd never wanted to leave. He rested his chin on my head―there had to be a dent by now-letting out a deep breath, his chest pulling in ever so slightly.

"Let me know when you get to the dorms, okay?" he whispered, his hold on me tightening. My hands met at the small of his back, and I caressed it softly through the fabric of his white shirt.

"Will do, buckaroo." I breathed, his chest swallowing the words soon after they'd left me.

"I love you."

My heart stopped for a fraction of a second before stepping right back into beating, immersing itself in the mighty declaration.

"I love you, too."

We'd known it long before―we had to, right?―but now that the words were out there, as strong and bold as they were quiet and homey, it brought in another layer of frightening reality.

We were here, in a McDonald's parking lot, refusing to let each other go. If this wasn't exactly what I'd mindlessly dreamed of, I didn't know what was.

We stayed like that for a little longer; his body engulfing mine, my hands tightly cupped against him, proving to be the only other things that kept me whole.

Then, all at once, he breathed in and let go, the warmth of his presence suddenly disappearing from my body. I raised my head and our eyes met once more, electricity crackling through the gaze.

"Drive safely."

"I shall, pen-pal." I smiled, fishing for my keys. He stood there quietly, watching. He'd always been vigilant; he could see storms coming from a mile away, but the first crack of thunder never left his mouth. Instead, it roared in his soul, as he hoped that the clouds would fall away and the sun would shine again.

It always did.

I found my keys and unlocked the car, its headlights flashing briefly. Noah smiled, swiftly leaning in, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Until next time, my sleep-deprived lover," he whispered, chuckling, his teeth grazing against my forehead. I grinned, raising my head and lifting my body to meet his soft lips. They caught mine instantly, and we hovered there, becoming one all over again.

He pulled away, smiling down at me.

"I'm not leaving until you do," he pointed out, biting his lip. I rolled my eyes, my fingers tightening around the door handle and pulling it open.

"Your turn." I muttered, glancing at the Jeep. He frowned, gracefully stepping towards the door and opening it. His brows furrowed in my direction, forcing me to slide into the front seat, and watching as he did the same.

I shut my door, started the car, and stared at him through the window. His eyes were downcast, a soft light illuminating his lovely, tired face.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, hurriedly checking my text.

shit-face: we don't have all morning.

me: fiiiiine

Sighing contentedly, I glanced at him once more, waving slightly. He returned the gesture, and I backed out of the parking spot, my phone vibrating again

shit-face: i win.

XXX

can i just say that i really, really love writing anything that has to do with doah? like, they're my jam.

okay, this chappie is over now, and i hope you like it. see y'all soon?

- jay.