Chapter Text

After the experience that Love Island had been, the real world felt different to Artemis. The disappointment of being dumped and not winning was still stinging inside her, although it had never even been about the money, she had never auditioned for the monetary prize but for the chance to meet someone she really clicked with and then steadily take that person to the end and have their grand ceremony to celebrate their newlyfound love. None of that happened to her. If anything, her stay in the Villa made her more insecure and more exhausted but the one good thing she had returned home to was the mostly positive public opinion on her and her cozy bed.

The first night at her own house was the weirdest. She came home to an empty house that looked exactly the same way as she had left it. Clothes scattered around from her packing to go to the Villa, her car waiting for her in her designated parking spot outside the building and settled dust. At least the were no new family members like rats or any other scallywags. It felt strangely lonely. She had always loved living alone but after sharing a bedroom with so many people for a month and cuddling every night, her solitude now made her sad. She missed her friends and the long days in the sun, the funny games they were all playing all day, Bobby’s pranks, the nerdy conversations with Carl, Noah and Rahim and gossip time with her girls.

That should have been a happy moment, she thought as she poured some wine in a Halloween mug. Her phone had been blowing up all day from her friends and family texting her and she wasn’t happy about that either. It wasn’t her Villa phone announcing some cheeky challenge but her normal life barging in through the door, coming to grab her by the neck and body slam her on the hard floor. Her last year in university was also coming very soon. The thought of all the old chores coming back made her chug her wine faster and then settle in her living room and watch nothing else on TV but her own performance, because of course, it made sense to boost her nostalgia as hard as she can and drunkenly cry wrapped in her blanket. She had the chance to see everything the public had seen and used to judge her and what the other Islanders had been saying about her.

It took her a couple of weeks to be fully done with her season and completely dissociate by the concept of watching herself on screen as if she was some movie character. Chelsea had made sure that a group chat was made to keep in touch and discuss the episodes as apparently everyone was watching them but no one dared to address the toxicity of Hope and Noah and how manipulative and possessive she had been towards him and how unloyal he had been towards her after Artemis had kissed him. Not to mention that the Nope discussion between Rahim, Bobby, Artemis and Priya was a complete taboo and was to never be talked about. Maybe the reason why none of the Islanders wanted to discuss it was that Nope weren’t together anymore after their dramatic breakup on the show that made the air around them very awkward. After Noah’s breakdown and finding out that he had hooked up with Artemis twice in secret, Hope had completely lost it too and there was no chance that they could be friends ever again and Artemis wasn’t bothered by that. She was bothered by the fact that her mind still lingered around his mysterious being and that she wanted to talk to him and had almost messaged him so many times but never fully committed to it out of fear. What if he was mad at her after seeing all the episodes and never wanted to talk to her again and she ended up looking like a complete idiot once again? What if he wanted to be with Hope again? What if he had someone else already? What if, what if, what if…

Artemis had never been in love before and she didn’t know much about love as her past relationships had been a nightmare after nightmare, toxic destruction leaving her a broken misery and somehow her experience on Love Island had failed to show her the better side of dating and getting swept off one’s feet. But as far as her knowledge went, not being able to focus on anything but a single person and everything they do and say, was a part of “Falling in love 101”. The idea of falling scared her. She had a degree to pursue, exams to take, now that she was almost a celebrity, different brands and media were looking for her for all kinds of interviews and brand deals. Her life had gotten significantly busier and still, all she could think about were his kisses and the way his fingertips glided over her skin or how his accent shifted around her name and the shivers it sent whenever he pronounced it out loud or the way he laughed at her jokes or how she pretended she hadn’t already read all the biology books he recommended her because of the excitement note in his voice. He even told her he will make her a library card if she ever visited him which always made her smile like a fool, no matter the surroundings but there was one moment that threw her over the edge of her own sanity. The day of her breakdown in the dressing room when she had fallen apart right in front of him and how he wiped her tears away and kissed her so passionately and the whole scene that had followed. None of her hookups and sexual prowess couldn’t explain why it made her so weak to think about it, weeks after it had happened.

But her heart could.

According to it, it was long past the falling and it was more about the damage of the fall at this point, and from a good look at it, it was a lot of damage. Proof of that was her, sitting in her car, after an annoying interview about drama in the Villa, blasting the radio loudly, so she could cover her own screams of frustration. She thought it was unacceptable. It was absolutely bizarre and gross and it made her do stupid things like the next thing that came to her mind that she took no time to consider truly.

Chelsea and Priya would support it, she thought as she got on the highway. She wasn’t even completely sure she could find what she was looking for, but she hoped that the universe would be on her side that day and the whole Noah saga could be wrapped up, so she could carry on with her life and be her old adult self whose dream was to crack into the secrets of genetics and how to block the Grim Reaper gene and stop the aging and dying process in humans and animals, not day dream about a beautiful boy that had no idea what he wanted and if he wanted it. She had actual goals and dreams that didn’t involve the presence of a sappy, bubbly, heart and brain farts.

Half-way there, she started panicking and realized that what she was about to do was a horrible idea and she shouldn’t do it and she should just turn around and go back home and call the girls and rant to them for an hour and finally admit how lost she was feeling and how much she missed the Villa and specifically Noah.

However, the exit to Romford was before the one back to London and her arms turned the steering wheel before her consciousness could stop her and realize her actions.

She took a moment to scream and be angry with herself once again.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Fucking stupid.

Once she started seeing the outlines of the city, her lungs became too small for the oxygen she needed to function properly. She didn’t even know why she was so scared. She tried to calm herself down before she passed out while driving and ended up breaking not only her heart but her whole body as well. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Every inch of her body started tingling with anxiety but she quickly remembered to try and fool herself that she’s excited, not anxious.

Excited, not anxious. Excited, not anxious.Excited, not anxious.Excited, not anxious.

Excited.

Excited to see him again in the real world after indirectly causing the whole fallout of him and Hope and making the most dramatic episode of the show’s running history.

She pulled over to put the address of the town’s library on her phone, only to find out that there are like five of them there. How many libraries did Romford even need?

Think. Think. Think.

In the few times when he had talked about the library, there was nothing interesting about it except…

Perfect. He had mentioned once the high number of ambulance sirens and how disturbing it got sometimes because of the hospital right next to it.

That narrowed it down to exactly one location and there was an hour until closing time which was perfect.

The closer she got, the giddier she felt and that scared her. The whole evening could be a massive disaster or a huge success.

So close.

Fortunately for her, the library had its own parking so that definitely saved her time that she used to make herself leave the car and walk inside. Her heart was about to burst into a million pieces and her hands started shaking.

Fucking hell, she thought.

She proceeded to slap herself twice and check out her reflection in the mirror and she walked out of her car, locking it behind her.

Her feet felt like heavy cement blocks and as if her vehicle was suddenly calling her to go back inside and never move again. It was like high school all over again, when she had that massive crush on a girl from the grade above hers and she was so desperately trying to ask her out but this time she was an adult that had a massive crush on a boy that happened to be very shy and confused.

The click of the door knob clicking open, detonated all the fireworks in her heart and she started feeling her heartbeat in her throat as well as in her feet and hands and stomach. She stepped inside and quietly closed the glass door behind her back trying to be as sneaky and stealthy.

The library was beautiful on the inside. She had no idea what to imagine, as Romford seemed to be not a greatly fancy town but that was definitely a pretty old library with long and proud book shelves everywhere and the familiar smell of old paper and dust filling the air. The walls were decorated with different paintings and event posters and also several scattered tables with flowers vases on them and some extra pamphlets about the different clubs and activities that were taking place there. It was quiet too. So quiet, she thought everyone would be able to hear the blood rushing through her veins or maybe her steps were too loud or her breathing too hard.

Artemis loved libraries. They inspired her to study harder and she had the annoying habit of checking out way too many books that she never managed to read before they were due and she definitely preferred the printed copies rather than the e-books. She loved the feeling of the old yellow paper and how the covers cracked when she opened whatever book she was reading and often thought about all the people that had picked up and read that exact edition. The smell of old had something mystical about it that made her happier.

She walked around, hiding behind the bookcases in an attempt to collect whatever courage she had hidden in her cells and possibly calm down her nerves before she made a complete fool of herself in front of the boy she was there to see.

Back in the Villa, she had imagined that moment so many times. She imagined them hiding between all the books to kiss and how they would play pretend and how once he knew what she liked to read, he would give her all the best editions there. But back in the Villa, it felt like the wildest of dreams and all of a sudden she was there and so was he. Somewhere in the same room that was filled with hundreds of stories describing love and heartbreak similar to theirs and so much knowledge but not a single word that could help her not melt at the sight of him. Not a single word that could make her desire him less. If anything, they deserved a story of their own.

As she explored the isles and isles of books, she thought about the fact that he was probably the one who arranged them there and imagined him thoughtfully putting them back every time after someone returned them with so much care and love. That vision made her calmer and even stretched her lips in a smile that she tried to shake off but resulted in failure.

He was in that same library in that same moment and neither one of them knew how their day would end. She walked to the far end of the long hall and as she was approaching the reading area, she could hear the low hum of a voice. A voice she could recognize anywhere under any circumstances. A voice so soft and smooth, it made her feel like sheets of silk were caressing her soul and it made her feel safe.

It was completely silent except for that dreamy sound and the occasional giggle that sounded like it belonged to kids.

It dawned upon her that it was a Tuesday and she went all the way back to the first days in the Villa and how she had asked him for a random fact about him and he had told her he reads books to kids and he even does the voices matching all the roles in the magical tales his lips breathed life into.

Noah was sat on a wooden chair surrounded by a group of kids and toddlers that were sitting on a carpet, all of their eyes pointed in his direction as the words slipped from his mouth in different intonations and pitches. Every once in a while, he stopped for a short second to look at them appreciatively as they laughed and he smiled back at them as if he was there for them and not the other way around.

He was wearing a pair of reading glasses and a white hoodie combined with a pair of dark blue jeans and the white sneakers she had already seen during their time as housemates.

Truth be told, that was the most attractive she had ever seen him, and she had seen him in all of his nude glory when they had hooked up on the terrace and then in the dressing room and until then, she could swear nothing could beat those two images but there she was, scratching them and replacing them with the one of him doing what he loved most.

That was the moment she realized that she was truly in love with this man and as much as it scared her, she knew she wanted to sacrifice all of her pride and put all of her cards on the table for him to pick up and flip around until he decided whether he liked them or not.

His soft smile only stretched wider and wider as the kids were falling back laughing until he couldn’t handle but laugh himself. Ah, that sweet ring of his laughter.

Artemis leaned on a tall bookshelf, making sure he couldn’t see her if he looked up and embraced the beautiful sight that was in front of her eyes. She couldn’t imagine Hope putting up with that particular hobby of his or understanding the love that he was putting in every breath he used to entertain all of those little angels. In a few minutes, she found herself completely mesmerized, her head blank for everything else but the story he was recreating.

She dreamt of him reading to her, cozied up in a blanket on his couch or on an endless grass field with birds up in the sky and the sun kissing their skin ever so softly, where all the drama from the Villa was so far away they could barely remember it and there was nothing else but the excitement and adoration they had for each other. No guilt, no anxiety, no pain or fear.

In a little while, as closing time approached, the parents of the kids came to pick them up, Artemis returned back to Earth from her journey and realized he was about to close the book soon and stand up from his seat and then she had to approach him.

Her heart choked up in her throat as she looked at him send a final smile to the kids and say “The end.” and then carefully close the paper pages and tuck them under his arm.

She stayed frozen as he sat up and politely shook hands with some of the parents and then said goodbye to each and every kid and told them to come back next week. Seemed like most of them were regulars based on how they jumped around him, wrapping their little arms around his legs in excitement for the new adventure the next Tuesday had in store.

“Bye Noah!” a few of them chirped and he sharply turned around towards them and waved goodbye one more time.

Artemis smiled and patiently waited until all of them were gone, leaving a couple of lonely readers scattered around the desks and couches, trying to read as many pages as possible before they got kicked out. Noah headed to the front desk that was back at the front of the big hall and Artemis walked along with him hiding behind a long wall of shelves and once she reached its end, she peeked to see where he was.

She noticed he looked so different in his element. Confident in his own little safe haven, surrounded by all the journeys and adventures he ever needed at an arm's reach. It highly contrasted the Noah she had gotten to know, that lounged around an infinity pool, quietly staring at the Spanish vistas while Hope was blabbering about god knows what and called him out every time she noticed he wasn’t paying attention. No, this Noah was relaxed and knew exactly what he was doing. He was in complete control and that gave Artemis a little extra courage that he wasn’t going to freak out and run away at the sight of her.

She let out a deep breath and made the first step once he sat down on his chair and typed something in the computer that sat hidden under the desk. She pushed herself to walk a little faster and once she was a couple of feet away, there was officially no turning back.

She leaned her slim arms on the surface separating the two of them and tried to make her voice sound as calm and pretty as she could.

“Excuse me, uhm, do you think I could have a library card made or am I too late today?” she said, her voice landing softly in a deep mellow pitch. Her hands rested firmly in front of her as she tried to hide how shaky they were and pushed down a violent panic attack.

He froze for a second and then slowly looked up, annoyance creeping behind his glasses but it quickly melted away as he saw who was standing in front of him. His mouth gaped open and his warm brown eyes widened in shock.

She prayed that the ground opened and swallowed her whole, rescuing her from whatever scene was about to unravel upon her.

He came back to his senses and jumped out of his chair to walk around the desk and finally stand tall next to her. Then he lightly shook his head and his lips raised in a smile before he pulled her in his arms for an embrace that lasted longer than either of them expected.

Artemis wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest like all the times he had comforted her and made her feel accepted. He squeezed her harder and then released her from his clasp but still held onto her arms.

“What are you doing here, you nerd?” he asked, his face glowing with pure joy. That was better than she ever thought she would get. He looked happy to see her. She felt like crying and doing back flips and then jumping in his arms again and then kissing him over and over again until she stopped missing him so hard and her need for his affection was satisfied.

“Obviously coming to pick up my library card that I was promised a month ago. “ she tried to force a serious face but failed miserably as Noah’s smile was on the opposite side of her. “I even saw you read.”

He looked down and blushed for a second before his eyes met hers again.

“Oh no. That makes me a proper melt. “ he grinned again as she nudged him in the stomach.

“I loved it. It was the cutest thing I’ve seen. You weren’t joking about the voices. That was some quality acting. “

“You’ve seen nothing. Today was mellow. Sometimes we go all out with the characters. “

She had no idea her cheeks can stretch more than they already were but there she was, giggling and smiling at him.

“I would like to see that.”

His cheeks flushed again and she saw him think of something to get out of his nervousness.

“Seriously, what are you doing here? There’s no way you drove an hour and a half for a library card. London’s libraries are way bigger and better. “

“Well, there was a certain someone I wanted to see but you can never be subscribed to enough libraries either, so I figured, why not score two birds with one stone?”

He laughed quietly.

“You do realize you can’t have a card here while you live in London, right?” his expression was still happy and as beautiful as ever. She couldn’t even believe she was seeing him again after almost a month of thinking about it and revisiting the old wounds from the show.

“Then I guess that leaves one bird with a single stone for the certain someone I want to see. “ she shrugged playfully and bit her lip as he graced her with his pretty laughter once again. He didn’t respond for a few seconds and just as Artemis began to panic he looked back at her with a decision made.

“I just have to close up here but...what do you say we go for a walk or get dinner or something to catch up? Unless you have any plans for tonight and need to drive back soon? “

She almost screamed. Yeah, this definitely was beyond any scenario she had planned or imagined.

“Absolutely. I would love that. I can even possibly help. Not that I know anything about book codes and that whole book arranging scheme but I’m at your service. “

“You can keep me company. I know that’s for sure something you can do very well. “ he winked at her and walked back behind his desk to take all the books that were stacked and gestured lightly with his head for her to follow him. Her heart still pumping fast in her chest, was freaking out significantly less as he appeared to be happy she was there and she walked right behind him. He looked at each book and carefully put it back on its rightful place so lovingly, she found it fascinating. Her previous visions had proven to be true.

“So, how is the life of Artemis Addams after Love Island? I see they’ve been keeping you busy lately. “ he asked as he placed yet another book on a dusty shelf. She was surprised he remembered her last name as it wasn’t well known and she could swear she had only mentioned it once before and not even to him but to Bobby which meant that he had been eavesdropping.

“You could say so. I’m not sure I like all that....fame. However it does pay my horrendous student debt, so you gotta do what you gotta do, right? What about you? Anything new and exciting?”

“No. Except that more teenagers and less kids are coming here now. I guess some of the parents didn’t like what they saw on the show.” he smirked and sent her a meaningful look. Yeah, he was absolutely referencing their sexual endeavours that her own mother had called her to scold her about although the production hadn’t shown more than them making out on Artemis’ vanity.

“Oh, someone’s becoming popular among the teen girls, huh?” she grinned widely at him and picked up some scattered books from around the reading area and held them for him.

“It’s very uncomfortable, really. You don’t have any boy fans that follow you around?”

“Nope. “ she almost laughed at the word after she said if and figured it would have been very inappropriate but she officially decided that it was forever ruined. “I only receive hate tweets from your fans, actually. It’s not too bad though. I find it kinda funny and also kinda sad, but mostly funny. “

His face fell and he shook his head but once he got her song reference he went back to his charming smirk. He had no idea apparently as he wasn’t the biggest fan of social media and being a public figure as some of the other Islanders had become.

“I’m sorry about that.” he sighed and stopped in his tracks and swiftly turned to face her. “I’m actually sorry about everything. Once it was all over and I was back home I realized I never got to apologize to you about ...Hope. That was proper ugly and unfair to you. I wasn’t sure what to do and I was so ashamed. I couldn’t just text you a crappy apology and then I had no idea how to approach you and ask to see you to do it, so I guess you coming here fits the situation perfectly. So with that - I’m sorry, Artemis, about what Hope said to you and about the public being after you and my outburst in the Villa. I really thought you didn’t want to see me again. I know I wouldn’t want to see me. “ his light brown eyes traveled across her face looking for any miniscule movement to analyze and figure out how she felt and what she was thinking.

“It’s okay, babes. It’s not your fault.” she stretched her arm forward to grab his hand and he quickly laced his fingers with hers and squeezed lightly.

“Except that it is. I should have stood up for you. I should have come to you when we were still there and told you how I feel and should have taken action. I watched the whole season and it only made me feel sick. Seeing you talk and cry with Priya and Chelsea over and over again because I was a coward was the worst and it made me feel even more like I don’t deserve you. “

He looked mad. Mad at himself to the point where he couldn’t even face her anymore and looked absolutely everywhere else but her eyes. She released her hand from his grip only to cup his face and softly caress his cheek with her thumb and that’s when he finally gave in, relaxed his face into her palm and met her gaze.

“It’s really okay. I promise. You were in a horrible position. Hope wasn’t easy to deal with. I wish you had asked for help earlier or told someone how she was with you. I’m sorry too. I know I didn’t make it any easier for you there. “

His expression mellowed and he melted in her hand once again with a deep sigh. He was looking at her through his glasses with the same look like all of those times in the Villa and it made her nervous and tingly and suddenly she felt the strongest urge to drop all the books in her arms and kiss him fervently. She missed the feel of his lips on top of hers more than anything and the taste of his sweet kisses and how his tongue always smoothly glided over hers with so much hunger. The memory of those kisses were so vivid in her mind, she could almost feel it and apparently he felt it too as their bodies slowly began to move closer and closer, as if suddenly enchanted by each other’s auras and it was crucial that their lips met before they combusted.

“Excuse me, I’m just looking for the bathroom? I promise I’m leaving after that.“ a voice interrupted them behind Noah and the two of them jumped back to reality, aggressively pulled away by the girl who the voice belonged to.

“Yes, of course. It’s right over there to the right of the front desk. “ Noah pointed to the direction and forced a polite smile. The stranger eyed Artemis before sending Noah a cute smile and then walked away.

She stood there smitten at how intense the previous moment had been and how much she suddenly hated that girl for interrupting their bliss.

They finished putting away the books almost without saying a word and after everyone was out, they locked up the whole place and awkwardly stood in front of the building.

“So, what do you feel like doing? Hungry?Tired? Bored?” he asked forcing any leftover nervousness far away.

Artemis thought for a second and then linked an arm with his. He flexed his muscles as she grabbed him and damn, he was strong.

“Maybe you can just show me around? I’ve never seen Romford. I’d like a nice walk and the weather is perfect too. “

“A walk it is then. “ he nodded cheerfully and started leading her away from the library and through the streets of his city talking about the most random stuff they could think of, laughing freely at stupid jokes and enjoying the freedom and the lack of cameras around them or angry eyes following their every move.

At one point during the walk, he dropped her arm from under his, so he could hold her hand instead and laced fingers with hers but not without checking her face to see if she minded it.

She didn’t. In fact, her whole face beamed with happiness as she looked down at their hands holding.

“Can I ask you something?” he said as they carried on walking. That definitely didn’t make her feel too excited as judging by his voice, he was not about to ask something funny but something serious and she didn’t know if she was ready.

“Whatever you want. “ she replied, trying to hide her sudden anxiety.

“Do you think we could have won if we had coupled up again?”

She stopped walking and pulled him lightly, so he could face her.

“Probably, yes. Do I care that we didn’t win? No. I think it all happened for a reason and we’re now stronger than we were before we entered the Villa. I know it taught me a good lesson or two. “

“Yeah, and what’s that?”

“To never let the man I’m in love with sit around a stupid edgeless pool all day, in a glamorous villa, next to a woman that makes him unhappy day after day and not do anything about it.”

His mouth almost fell open but he quickly recovered from her response and he found that there was only one way to respond.

He pulled sharply, forcing her to lose balance only, so he can catch her and wrap his arm around her waist and sweep her in for a long craved kiss. She slowly relaxed her body once she knew he was holding her steadily and eased into his soft lips that she had been dreaming about so many times. Everything around them stopped existing in the moment of their embrace, all the sounds muted down and all the bywalkers just magically disappeared within the background noise. She felt safe and protected, pressed against his firm chest. She finally felt wanted and not like the dirty little secret that she had taken the role of back in the Villa.

After a whole month of her twisting and turning in her bed and also in her head, it turned out that he had been doing the same, trying to figure out how to see her and she couldn’t even believe it.

The kiss prolonged to what felt like ages and it once it was over, they both took a sharp breath and met each other’s eyes only to realize they needed more. Another kiss followed, this time a softer one, to confirm all the things the first one had tried to say. Artemis caressed his face and ran her fingers through his hair, recognizing its familiar softness, except it had grown a little bit and it made it so much easier for her to hold onto it as their lips went back to each other again and again.

The sound of a loud thunder startled them both and they giggled as their lips were still touching after they had jumped. Artemis was the first one to pull away, so she can look in the sky and to her wonderful surprise, it looked like it was going to rain soon.

“Looks like you’re lucky today.” he whispered warmly and kissed her temple.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because you love the rain.”

She looked at him unbelievingly at the fact that it was yet another random thing he remembered about her. “You’re right. We should make the most of it before it starts pouring. “ she pulled him by the hand and they carried on walking, hands holding, completely comfortable in each other’s presence. A moment later, she realized that she had just basically confessed she was in love with him and his response was to kiss her but not say anything less or more about it. It made her worry. Yeah, it was a very very good kiss but the lack of words or agreement on his side made her feel like he didn’t like her as much as she liked him and maybe the kiss was just a way to dodge a spoken reply.

They spent the next hour walking carelessly around, enjoying the dark skies and the setting sun until the first drops of rain fell from above and quickly turned into a downpour.

Artemis’ first instinct was to stretch her arms forward and look up to appreciate the droplets and Noah found himself at a loss of words at the gentle vision she had become at that moment. Her face was soft and calm, a tiny smile hiding in the corners of her lips as the little shiny droplets fell on her skin.

She finally snapped out of her moment and blushed. “I’m sorry, I probably look crazy.”

“No. You look beautiful. “ his hand made its way to her cheek, neatly tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear and after another look at her face he lowered to kiss her again, giving them both the cheesiest memory ever, breaking all romance novels and other scenes of rain smooches.

Regardless of the rain and the night approaching, Artemis felt like sunshine gleamed inside her and her knees suddenly couldn’t keep her standing, so she rested in his embrace.

With another loud thunder, the rain got heavier and before their clothes could get completely soaked, they ran to the nearest dry spot that happened to be the entrance to an apartment building. They could wait for the rain to slow down there.

The wetness in her clothes and the drop in temperature made Artemis’ body shake lightly and even if she tried to conceal it, Noah still noticed the goosebumps on her skin as she was only wearing a tshirt. His brows furrowed disapprovingly and without even saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her and held her closely. Artemis was tense at first but as she started warming up, her muscles began to relax and she let out that one breath she had been holding for a while. Her mind couldn’t wrap around what was happening. From her finally gathering all of her existing courage to driving up to Romford to telling Noah she was in love with him to him kissing her in the rain like in some sappy rom-com. None of it made sense in her mind and no matter how much she tried to convince herself it was real, it still somehow felt like a dream.

But he was right there, arms tightly wrapped around her, his chin leaning on top of her head as she had rested it on his chest, both of them watching the rain flood the streets in front of them for a quiet perpetuity.

“So...are you seeing someone?” he finally spoke and Artemis almost choked.

“Are you joking?” she huffed and pulled her head back, not breaking their embrace, so she could make sure he wasn’t pulling her leg. He looked somewhat like he was joking but he mostly wasn’t, his lips were pursed tightly and his eyes met hers in an attempt to figure out what the answer was and be prepared for anything that was going to run out of her mouth. Hers widened in surprise and then she almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in.

“You know damn well I’m not seeing anyone, babes. That’s ridiculous. Are you seeing anyone?”

His serious expression broke and he huffed out a short laugh.

“Okay, it does sound ridiculous when you turn it around. I guess it’s odd to come back to the real world’s dating rules after the Villa.”

“I guess so, huh. Going back to all the responsibilities that don’t include grafting all day and smooching on the terrace and trying to figure out who to couple up with or will you be chosen by the person you want. I never thought I would see a day when you and Lottie snoring all night like a couple of closet monsters will be something I miss. “

He finally laughed properly and shook his head. “It wasn’t that bad. “

“Oh yes, it was. You know damn well it was.”

“I can’t believe you remember me for my snoring, Artemis. Nothing else happened there to keep a good one in your mind?” he carefully hinted where he was going with a playful grin that she couldn’t resist but respond with the same to. Hope’s lack of control over him surely had made him braver and she could finally see a better glimpse of who Noah was and she liked him even more.

“Maybe you should remind me. “

He definitely was surprised to hear her say that but he didn’t think too long about it.

There was no one around them on the street, as the weather and sunset had sent everyone inside, so he pushed her against the cold stone wall behind her in one swift movement. She gasped in shock but then sudden surge of arousal shot through her as there was no trace of that sweet, angel boy she had seen in the library but the frustrated version of himself that had the habit of making her legs shake in pleasure and her toes curl. She had long forgotten about how chilly it had become too. Her blood had become boiling hot in the matter of seconds under the way his gaze showed how much he craved her. The longer they stayed frozen, the longer time seemed to stretch until it became unbearable for either one and he cut the short distance between them by locking his fingers in her hair and pulling her closer so her lips could meet with his. The kiss started as a gentle peck and quickly grew into a famished grasp for love and affection. She slid her hands under his white hoodie and moaned lowly at the touch of his soft skin and hard muscles. God, she missed the touch of his skin more than she had even realized. She wanted to explore him and taste him and catch up on all these weeks she hadn’t seen him and all the days in the Villa that she had spent pining after him. She needed him to touch her and crave her back. She needed to never be far away from him again.

Once his own hands made their way under her shirt, they both realized that this could never end in an easy good night and a see you later someday. He broke out of their passionate kiss and looked at her once again to see where she was in her thoughts. She looked just as flustered, blushing and turned on, her green eyes begging him to take her away and never let her go.

“Do you...would you like to come over?” he finally whispered after couple of minutes of an internal pep talk.

She bit her lip and nodded quickly. “I would love to.”

Fortunately for them, the rain had slowed down to a light sprinkle and the night had fully settled down. The air smelled fresh like trees after rain and the streets were romantically illuminated by tall street lamps. He grabbed her hand and led her in the direction of his home. They weren’t very far either but the walk was going to be long enough for them to feel like they’re bursting at the seams before they could jump on each other.

“Will you show me your Squiddles collection?” she finally asked to diverge her thoughts from the image of his naked body that she couldn’t wait to see again to something lighter and soften down the tingle between her legs and limbs.

Noah burst in an adorable laugh.

“No. I gave those away. However, I do have other collections you might like. “

Right. Hope had become the one who shall not be named and everything that reminded him of her was long gone from his life as Artemis was about to take the throne as his rightful queen.

She couldn’t even believe she was going over his house. Noah’s house. She was going to get a different peek into his life and that was exciting. The idea of her walking inside his apartment made her giddy and her hand tightened its grip on his and he responded with the same.

So many doors were about to be opened, and the night was very young.





















































































