backdated for Frederick

[iwasmore]

Noah feels really guilty that his present to Freddie is late. He's seen firsthand how sucky a birthday can be here away from family and friends, and while some are lucky enough to have people from home in Darrow, Freddie isn't one of them. Though, Noah can't help wondering if there's even a person he misses badly. Every now and then he'll catch Freddie thinking of someone, but he's never brought them up.

Anyway, he's late because Whiskers had to be old enough to leave the care he was getting at the shelter. Noah couldn't have expected Freddie to bottle feed a kitten around the clock, he doesn't even know if Freddie will want a kitten at all, so he had to wait until Whiskers was ready.

And he's so not telling Freddie that that's her name, because it's super unoriginal.

So Noah has As Of Yet Unnamed Kitten tucked into a small basket underneath a blanket to keep her warm from the cold. He knocks at Freddie's apartment door, hoping he's home. He hadn't texted or anything first, wanting to make up for the belated gift by making it a surprise. "Special delivery!" he calls in a high-pitched voice.

Comments

[iwasmore]

Noah doesn't say anything at all, not wanting to make it about him. But it's not like anyone is lining up to date him. It's not like anyone ever has. Who's ever been interested in him? A couple girls in high school because he was friends with Barrington Whelk, a guy who ended up interested in literally everyone else, his best friend who's already with someone, and...Freddie, who's interested in literally everyone else, too, or at least sleeping with them. Freddie practically had a heart attack when he thought he'd asked him out on a date, so that's answer enough.

Noah still wants to be Freddie's friend because he cares about him, more than he wishes he did, but he's not holding his breath for anything else.

"I don't know, anything. Whatever you like. Drawing, or painting, photography," he suggests.

[thisfaceismine]

The trouble is, once again, Freddie doesn't know what he wants. He'd been into art back in secondary, enough that Sir had encouraged him into architecture. Which hadn't panned out, obviously. But even at uni, he'd liked some of his courses. Art history and drawing. He's never done photography, but there's something appealing in that as well.

"You're in school for it, aren't you?" he asks because he's fairly sure he remembers that. "What d'you want to take?"

[iwasmore]

"No, man, this is about you," Noah says, jabbing a finger (softly) at Freddie's chest. Which is slightly difficult since he has Freddie sitting against his own chest so the position is all wrong. "What do you want to take? Because I'll take whatever."

Noah wasn't actually planning on taking any summer courses, he doesn't even know if Barton offers them to be honest, but if it doesn't then the community college will and they can take something there.

[thisfaceismine]

It's not a particularly hard poke, but Freddie reaches up to wrap his hand loosely around Noah's finger and holds on. They're still pressed together and it's strangely comfortable. This isn't a thing he does often, touch normally reserved for the bedroom or activities leading up to the bedroom. Rarely for just... sitting and talking.

For friends.

"Photography then," he decides because he already knows how to draw for the most part, but he's never done much with a camera. "Or have you done that already?"