LOSING IT [] RANBOO

// 20 //

Noel nodded in agreement, smiling slightly. He was looking forward to meeting Callum's uncle and aunt, who were basically his parents.

The kitchen smelled like smoke. Noel blinked as non-judgmentally as he could, staring at Clarice. She was holding a smoking pie, half out of the oven.

"Oh, my," Clarice blinked back. "You're tall."

Noel cracked a grin. 

"I think you're just short, Miss Clarice," He teased, making Callum's aunt laugh. 

Noel knew it was for sure Clarice because Callum had shown him pictures of Clarice before. She seemed like a very happy woman. Noel liked her already.

An old man with bad posture and a scowl fixed on his face came into the kitchen. Ah, that must've been Garrett; even once he straightened out his back upon seeing Noel, he was shorter than Clarice.

The scowl eased off his face. 

"You must be Noel." Garrett had a terribly gruff voice. Noel pondered if the man was a smoker, deciding against it. "Pleasure to meet ya, kid."

The two shook hands. Noel held out his hand to Clarice, as well; it made simply no sense to shake Garrett's hand and not Clarice's.

Noel's mother had taught him from a young age to shake everyone's hand regardless of their gender. His mother had always resented how men would shake each other's hands but not hers or the other women's.

Clarice shook his hand, placing the smoking pie onto the counter.

"Oh dear, it seems I've burned the pie." Clarice shook her head in dismay. "I hope you don't mind, kiddo, but you're still going to eat this."

Noel blinked.

"Oh, no, I'm alright--" He tried, but Garrett held up a hand.

"I'm allergic to strawberries and Clarice is diabetic, we simply can't eat it." The older man insisted before leaving the room again.

Clarice watched him go.

"...I'm only prediabetic," Clarice informed Noel.

Noel chuckled.

"I see you lot are getting on fine." came Callum's voice.

Noel immediately turned around with a big smile, excited to witness Callum's costume.

It did not disappoint. Callum was wearing a shiny plastic set of armor, complete with disgusting glittery silver boots and a helmet that seemed terribly uncomfortable.

Callum flicked up the part of the helmet that covered his face to reveal very pretty silvery makeup and Noel thought he might melt. There was silver eyeshadow very lightly dusted around Callum's eyes and silver on the tip of his nose and it made Callum look absolutely magical.

"H-hi." Noel waved, cursing his throat for giving him a voice crack at that exact moment. Clarice snickered behind her hand. Callum smiled back at him.

"Callum, you should take off the helmet," Clarice suggested. "It doesn't look comfortable--can you even see in it?"

Callum shrugged stiffly, removing the helmet. Noel decided he was going to faint.

Aside from the beautiful makeup, which Noel could now see was also on Callum's lips, there were streaks of silver glitter in Callum's hair. The boy's hair was also messed up in just the right way, exactly so that a little bit fell in his face.

Noel could not take his eyes off of Callum. Which was an issue, because his face probably looked like a tomato.

Clarice wordlessly gave Noel a glass of water, which snapped him out of his stupor. He laughed at his own idiocy and downed the glass, sighing in relief when he was certain the heat had drained away from his face.

"Are you okay?" Callum's voice was laced with concern, but also a vague hint of smugness. Noel felt embarrassment creep up at him; Callum knew exactly how cool he looked.

"Yep." Noel squeaked. "Just. Haha. Dehydrated. And all that."

"Sure you are, dear." Clarice snorted. "Callum, would you like some pie?"

"No, I'm good--"

"Callum, have some pie." Clarice smiled brightly and Callum laughed, knowing he had no choice.

The pair took their slices of pie to the family room, where Garrett sat reading a book. Glasses were perched precariously on the bridge of his nose.

Clarice was going to go have a shower, so Noel, Callum, and Garrett were left in the family room to sit awkwardly.

Callum was sat as comfortably as he could be in a suit of armor, awkwardly stretched out half on and half off the couch. Noel sat criss-cross, facing Callum.

Both of them absolutely devoured the pie. Burned or not, Claire knew how to make a damn good pie.

"So."

Noel turned to look at Callum, fighting down the urge to smile just at the sight of Callum's face.

"Wanna get goin'?" Callum offered, lazily stretching.

The sun had set a few minutes ago, but the sky was still soaked in beautiful shades of scarlett and orange.

"Sure," Noel shrugged in agreement. He acted as nonchalant as he could. Because he was very calm.

It wasn't like he was ready to absolutely scream. It wasn't like he was terrified his plan was going to fail.

It wasn't like he was nervous, no, of course not!