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Noah- to no one's surprise- has never been a party person. Not that he’s ever been popular enough to be invited really. Instead, he’s always been the type to stay tucked in and read, playing catch up later on instagram.
So that makes his current circumstance nothing more than an irritation. Tucked in the corner of a couch that has the smell of smoke wrapped around its threads. It’s damp and sticky with fluids that Noah doesn’t even want to think about.
He’s confident that if his heart stopped the bass bleeding throughout the house would be enough to resuscitate him. Though the words in the lyrics all bleed together into one mesh of vague coherency. The same way the bodies all around press together like it’s their only night alive. Connected by the alcohol that flows through them.
Noah refuses to conform to the irresponsibility of twenty somethings with no life and stays stubbornly invested in the book he brought with him.
He keeps having to trace back as the movement around him takes him out of the experience, but read he will, because what else is there to do? Dance? Socialize? No thank you.
Noah is finally able to reach a steady flow in his reading. Eyes gliding across the words like skates on ice. The book is nothing particularly interesting- just a re-read of something he had lying around- but it’s something to do, and that is enough for him.
At least until a shadow stays stubbornly over him, not moving like all the other bodies in the room. The ones that have been treating Noah as if he were part of the couch. Something to be ignored and waddled around. To let smoke drift over and vomit narrowly avoid.
“Can I guess that you don’t get out much?”
Noah looks up. What greets him is a sight he most definitely did not expect.
In front of him is a well sculpted man, dressed in a fitted vermillion button up, popped open at the top exposing a chest decorated in hair that Noah definitely does not look at as he does not drag his eyes up the other man's body.
And holy hell, the bass reverberating around the room might be the only thing keeping his heart pumping as he meets dangerously green eyes, curved by a sly smile. Framed by the perfect amount of loose hair from a ponytail that hangs off the man's shoulder.
“Star-struck? It happens often.” The man finished his sentence with a wink.
Noah comes back to himself, tucking himself back into his book. Getting chummy with the couch instead of thinking about the biceps that definitely weren’t bulging out the shirt, “Careful Casanova, might not fit through the door with the size of your ego. I’m surprised you could even get in.”
“Yes, well I can be humble. I’m sure you're not all too familiar with being grounded.”
Noah rolls his eyes, “Quite the charmer you are. You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
The couch dips down next to Noah, and suddenly there's heat seeping past his layers. Denim connecting with the exposed skin on Noah’s leg, sending goosebumps down his spine.
“No, but I could be kissing something else.” The man leans in. Hot breathe tickling Noah’s neck. He ignores the twist it gives his gut and shoves his book in the others face.
“That’s not the Segway you think it is. Gonna have to work harder if you hope to pick up any damsels tonight.”
The man grabs the book and studies it. Taking the time to lean more into Noah’s personal space, “Who said it’s damsels that I’m after?” He chuckles off at the end. Something rich in all ways imaginable.
Noah crosses his arms, turning away from the other, “You oughta start with a name. Unless Casanova is just who you happen to be.”
He humphs, “My name is Alejandro. May you grace me with yours?”
Noah eyes him, “No, I don’t think I will.”
Alejandro pouts. Whole heartedly pouts. Cheeks puffing and lips pointing out.
Noah turns away once again. Refusing to ignore the growing warmth on his face.
He waits for Alejandro to leave but he doesn’t. Instead the man skims pages in the book. Taking his time to turn the pages.
“It’s odd to come to a party just to read, no?”
Noah grabs his book back. Being met with no resistance along the way, “It’s odd to question people you’ve never met before, no?” Noah mocks Alejandro as he flips his book back open. He can’t focus on any of the words, too distracted by the hunk of heat next to him, but he pretends all the same. Noah would rather burn over in hell then let Alejandro onto the fact that his allure does in fact draw Noah in.
Alejandro leans further back into the couch, though he takes care to make sure his arms don’t make contact with it, “I apologise, my friend. I know my approach was not… ideal. It’s just not every day I see an intellectual- such as myself- indulging in the stupidities of our age.”
”Oh? Then what brings an ‘intellectual such as you’ to a frat party?”
He can feel Alejandro shrug more than he can see, “I have an image to uphold.”
Noah raises a brow, “And what image in that?”
Alejandro grins, showing off shining teeth. Canines sharp in a way that nearly looks fake. Is it hot in here or is Noah imagining things?
“That would be the image of a socialite,” he tosses his ponytail away from his shoulder, “I also simply have nowhere else to be. Living here and all.”
Noah sneers. Lip drawing up in an uncontrolled manner, “You choose to live in… in this?!”
Alejandor shakes his head and Noah tries not to follow the loose hairs that sway with him, “It is about net working, my friend. Though I would appreciate it if you kept that between you and me.”
Silence settles between them and Alejandro just seems to lean in more and more to Noah as the seconds pass by.
“Noah.”
“Hm?”
“My name is Noah.”
“Rest. It suits you well.”
Noah glances at Alejandro, fighting back a smile, “I see you’re more than just a massive ego and pretty boy.”
Alejandro perks up, “So you think I’m pretty?”
Noah scoffs, “of course that’s what you take from this.”
Alejandro presses his head onto Noah’s shoulder, rubbing gently against it, “Is that so wrong?”
He looks up at Noah in a way that heats him up. As if he were the only thing to matter at this moment. Like they weren’t sitting on a who knows how old couch from the side of the road, but somewhere quiet. Like on a field under a sea of stars.
Noah clears his throat, “I’m only here because of my friend, Gwen. She’s head over heels for this sorority chick- though she won’t admit it- and was begged by her to come to this, and so she begged me to come with them. I don’t get why seeing as well,” Noah gestures around to the couch, “Clearly I’m not essential to the party.”
“Well I’m glad you're here, Noah. It’s nice having company that cares about more than just a nice rack.”
Noah laughs, “Oh yeah? Who’s to say that I’m not into that too? Though…” He lets his eyes flicker down and feels heat returning to his face, “I wouldn’t say you're lacking.” His voice tapers off in the end, steadily losing confidence. He hides his face with his hand and turns away from Alejandro bursts out in a laugh.
He wraps an arm around Noah's, “You think so? And here I thought I wasn’t working my chest enough in the gym.”
Noah doesn’t pull away from the hold, and maybe he does lean into it.
They sit there for the rest of the night. Exchanging loose insults and disconnected stories, and if Noah makes a grab for his hand and giggles over getting the guys phone number… well it doesn’t matter. It’s covered by the bass and mass of bodies anyway.