Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The doors of the music room slammed open with a bang. Noel startled, spinning around. He, along with the other three member of the choir, saw a boy walk in, not bothering to close the doors behind him. They all knew this boy, though no one had ever spoken a word to him.

His name was Mischa Bachinski. He'd moved to Uranium a couple weeks ago. Everyone in the school knew him. No one in the school liked him. He was violent and rude, ignoring people when they attempted to speak to him. A backwards cap sat on his head, and his collar was undone. Not the kind of guy you would usually see in a place like this.

But the director, Father Marcus, welcomed him with a smile nonetheless. "Ah, you must be Mischa!" He addressed the rest of the choir, who all wore looks of mass confusion. "I must have forgotten to mention our latest addition. Everyone, Mischa Bachinski. He will be joining our lovely choir. Mischa, have a seat."

Mischa scoffed and sat down in the only empty seat, which Noel realized with horror was right next to him. He subtlety turned away. Boys like this were the kind of people he preferred to avoid. Not that Mischa seemed interested in him at all. He was just staring at his phone.

Father Marcus's voice cut across the room. "Mischa, if you would please set your phone down, we're starting rehearsal. Don't worry, you'll pick up on things pretty quickly."

Mischa reluctantly put his phone in his pocket and turned his attention to Father Marcus. Everyone else did the same.

Chapter Text

Noel left the school the second rehearsal was over. He didn't want to sit next to that Mischa guy any longer than he had to.

He started walking in the direction of his house, letting his mind wander. Mischa hadn't even been singing. Sure, he was new and probably didn't know their music, but it wasn't like he was making any effort either.

What was he even doing in choir, then? Noel had heard plenty of rumors, but he never believed rumors. He wasn't stupid. Well, not *that* stupid. But he'd heard a lot of people talking. Something bad, he guessed. Noel didn't care that much.

He arrived home to find his mom's car not in the driveway. As usual. He sighed and unlocked the door, immediately going to his room and laying on the bed, not bothering to even take his shoes off.

After just laying there for a while, he opened his phone to find a text from Ocean.

Ocean: Noel.

He sighed.

Noel: what do you want

Ocean: Wow, rude. I was just checking in.

Noel: why

Ocean: Today was weird.

Noel: wow really

Ocean. Have you heard about what that Mischa boy did?

Noel: no

Ocean: He stole wine and gave it to his cousin.

Noel: thats not too bad

Ocean: His cousin was in FOURTH GRADE.

Noel: oh

Ocean: Yeah. He's being forced to join choir as like a punishment I think.

Noel: weird punishment

Ocean: Yeah. Just be careful okay?

Noel: im not stupid ocean

Ocean: Whatever.

Noel turned off his phone and set it down on his bed. Exhausted, he let his eyes close and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Mischa left choir as soon as he was allowed. It had only been an hour and a half, and he had already had enough of Ocean O'Connell Rosenburg for a lifetime. Her voice was annoying and she clearly hated him almost as much as he hated her.

He quickly walked back to the house. Luckily it was only a ten minute walk or so. Seeing a car in the driveway, he went around back to go through the basement door. He didn't want to even risk seeing his adoptive parents.

He sat down on his bed and pulled out his phone. No new notifications. As expected. Mischa grabbed his headphones off his desk and put them on, putting on his rap playlist and turning the volume up to deafening levels. The best way to listen, he thought.

He lied back on his bed, closing his eyes. He lost himself in his thoughts, which never ended well for him but there wasn't much else he felt like doing. He vaguely heard the sounds of his adoptive parents arguing upstairs, but he just turned his music up louder. At least if he developed hearing loss he wouldn't have to put up with everyone's bullshit.

He drifted in and out of conciousness for a while, but he kept getting awoken by the yelling upstairs. Mischa couldn't tell exactly what they were yelling about. Probably him.

He groaned and pulled a pillow over his head, which worked. He must've been laying there a while, because his head started hurting. He reluctantly removed his headphones and just sat in silence for a minute.

Getting bored, Mischa stood up and stepped outside. He started walking, not sure where he was going but glad to be out of the house.

Mischa walked for a while, feeling the light, cool breeze on his face. As much as he hated this town and everyone in it, the scenery wasn't too bad. The sweet sound of birdsong and the smell of freshly bloomed flowers filled the air, and the grass was a beautiful shade of green. Green was Mischa's favorite color.

It was a nice day outside. Not too hot or cold, just cloudy enough that the sun wasn't blinding him but not so cloudy it felt gloomy. The perfect weather for a nice, relaxing walk. The sun was starting to go down, and the sky was beautiful. The previously blue-gray sky now painted with countless shades of red and orange brought a small smile to Mischa's face. He loved sunsets. They reminded him of back home in Ukraine.

Mischa thought about Ukraine. He remember laying in a field of beautiful flowers, watching the sun go down. A frequent occurance during his childhood. He missed those days. Now he was stuck here, in a shitty town in a shitty country with shitty adoptive parents. At least he still has sunsets. And rap music.

Chapter Text

After taking a short nap, Noel started to get bored sitting in his room. He felt like writing, but he couldn't seem to clear his head. Grabbing his notebook, phone, and earbuds, he headed downstairs and out the front door.

It was a good day for a stroll, Noel thought. Perfect weather. Nice breeze. He smiled, putting his earbuds in. Nature was calming, a much nicer place to daydream than his bedroom. A couple minutes away from his house was a nice lake. He always went there when he got writer's block. Today was no different.

That is, until he collided with someone, dropping his notebook.

"Oh my God, I'm so-" Noel started, looking up and freezing. "-sorry..."

The stranger, Noel realized mid-sentence, was none other than Mischa Bachinski. Just his luck. He'd never really gotten a look at the boy before; he'd been more focused on avoiding him. He had dark brown hair, greenish-brown eyes, and an angular face. He was pretty, but Noel chose to ignore that adjective.

Mischa quickly bent down and grabbed Noel's dropped notebook, handing it back to him while muttering, "Was not paying attention. Sorry."

Noel hesitantly took his book back and nodded. "Yeah...me neither." They held eye contact for a moment, before Mischa started walking away. Noel called after him, "have a nice day..."

Mischa stopped and looked back. He blinked, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile so slight Noel wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't paying attention. "Yes. You too." With that, he kept walking.

Noel stared after him for a moment, before realizing he was being weird and putting his headphones back in his ears, turning away. His mind lingered on the boy.

That was weird. Noel had heard people talking about Mischa like he was some aggressive, evil prick who killed puppies for fun. But based on the 5 words they spoken to eachother, he didn't seem that terrible. He'd even smiled, if barely. He shouldn't be so quick to form an opinion, though. Maybe he was just in a good mood. Why though? Noel shook his head. Whatever. He had better things to think about.

Chapter Text

Mischa walked as quickly as he could without seeming weird. He wasn't prepared to have to talk to someone today.

He recognized the guy, even. From choir earlier that day. Couldn't remember his name though. Something stupid, probably.

He felt bad, though. Thinking back, he'd seemed nervous. Almost scared. Mischa didn't blame him, but for some reason it still hurt. He felt lonely sometimes, but at least if people were scared of him they'd probably leave him alone.

Mischa walked for a little while longer, but it was getting dark and he didn't want to be out at night. Not that he was scared or anything, obviously. He wasn't scared of anything. He just preferred it when he could actually see. Like any normal person.

When he got back home, he was happy to see the absence of a car in the driveway. That meant he had the house to himself. He wasn't sure how long; his adoptive parents probably didn't care to leave a note. But he was glad that he had an opportunity to raid the kitchen again. He was running out of good food down in the basement.

He went inside, beelining to the pantry. He grabbed as many snacks as he could hold. There was so much food in that goddamn pantry he doubted anyone would notice.

He went downstairs, and just in time, because he heard a car pull into the driveway. He dropped his phone on the bed and stuffed all the food into the closet. He sat down, staring at his lock screen for a moment, opening YouTube and putting on music.

Pretty soon, however, he heard a car drive up. The front door opened, and there were voices. Not like usual though. There were more than two voices upstairs. He rolled his eyes and turned his music down. Only a little though; he didn't care that much.

Unexpectedly, however, he heard the basement door open. He froze, hitting pause immediately and watching his adoptive father, Todd, descend the stairs.

Todd looked at him angrily. "We have guests over," he growled.

Mischa just blinked at him. "So?"

"So, you'd better shut the hell up. Turn off that rap shit. This is an important business opportunity, I won't have you ruining everything. Understand?"

Mischa rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Fuck off."

His father looked like he was about to yell at him, but he just stormed back upstairs, slamming the basement door.

Mischa rolled his eyes and lay back on his bed. Sighing, he grabbed his headphones to listen to music again. He had homework, but he obviously wasn't going to do it. He didn't care enough. He hadn't been paying attention anyway, and he'd never liked math.

As he closed his eyes and zoned out, his brain went over the events of that day. There wasn't a whole lot to think about, but he thought about it anyway. The only interesting thing that had really happened was choir, and that was boring. Sure, he liked music, but not choir music. He preferred rap. Plus that ginger girl was really annoying.

He hadn't paid much attention to the other people in the choir. There weren't many of them. He had run into that one boy earlier, though. Literally run into him. He seemed alright. But he'd only said maybe five words, so there wasn't much to go off of. With that last thought, Mischa fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Noel woke up the next morning feeling strangely rested. He didn't hear an alarm sound, which was unusual. Did he wake up early for once? He picked up his phone to check the time. Oh. Shit. He was late. He must have slept through the alarm.

He jumped out of bed and got changed, quickly running a comb through his hair. He hated going out with it messy but he didn't have time to fix it, so he'd have to deal with it.

He rushed downstairs and made himself a coffee, waiting impatiently for the coffee machine to finish before grabbing the cup and heading out the door.

He walked as fast as he could without actually running, thankful that his house was so close to the school, making it to his math class and sitting down just as the bell rang.

Exhausted, it took Noel a minute to catch his breath. He handed the teacher his homework (which he obviously got from Constance; Ocean would never let him copy answers and Ricky had a different class) when she came around to collect it. Looking around, he saw Ocean looking at him. She gave him a thumbs up and a questioning look, which he responded to with another thumbs up. He looked away, seeing her staring at him for another moment out the corner of his eye. Noel zoned out for the rest of class.

Finally, school was over, and Noel could go home. There was choir rehearsal today, but he had to cover a coworker's shift so he couldn't make it. He sighed, putting his earbuds in and walking toward his house.

As he walked, he became aware of a presence behind him. Not surprising, other people obviously lived on his street, but he felt weird. He discreetly looked behind him and saw the very person he was praying not to see, the Ukrainian boy he'd bumped into yesterday. Mischa looked angry. Of course, he always looked angry, but that didn't calm Noel's nerves. He crossed the street, even though he would have to cross again when he got to his house. He kept walking. After a few moments Mischa turned into a driveway, but instead of going through the front door he went around the side of the house and disappeared into the basement. Noel frowned, confused. Why would he go inside that way? It seemed suspicious, but basements were always creepy to Noel so he brushed it off, Instead focusing on the fact that Mischa lived on the same street as him. Not just the same street; only a few houses down. Noel didn't know why he cared, but he did anyway.

Noel sighed, going inside when he got home. He didn't have much time before he had to leave for work, so he went straight to the bathroom to fix his currently fucked up hair. Twenty minutes later, he was satisfied, and he went to his room to get changed for work.

He made it to the bus stop just in time, sitting down near the back where there weren't many people. He always felt awkward sitting near strangers on the bus. Noel stared at the window at the scenery he'd seen so many times he could describe it perfectly in his sleep. He couldn't wait to get out of this goddamn town. He'd always dreamed of moving to France, but being realistic that wasn't going to happen. At least not anytime in the near future. But he would at least settle for a town with a population in the triple digits. It was exhausting when every single person knew who he was. It was even more exhausting when "who he was" was the town queer.

Noel was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed his stop, quickly getting up and out before the bus doors closed. The Taco Bell he worked at was pretty much right next to the bus stop. He sighed, preparing himself for another boring shift before walking inside.

Chapter Text

Noel sat behind the counter at Taco Bell, resting his head on his hand. There hadn't been many customers today, and he was bored out of his mind. Usually Ocean would come and talk to him, but she was busy today. Which meant he was just sitting there by himself, waiting for the occasional person to walk in and annoy him.

The door opened, and Noel sighed, looking up to see, of course, Mischa Bachinski. Why did he keep running into this guy?

Mischa looked as surprised to see him as Noel did. "Hi."

Noel looked at him. "Hi...what do you want?"

"Right. Bean burrito. and Dr. Pepper," Mischa quickly ordered.

Noel put in his order on the screen in front of him. "Alright. Your total's $5.99"

Mischa handed him the money, pulling up a chair to sit by the counter. Noel eyed him nervously as he put the money in the cash register, but Mischa seemed casual. Like your average guy.

Mischa looked at Noel. "You work here?" he asked.

Noel shook his head. "No, I just really like sitting behind the counter for hours on end."

The boy laughed. "You are funny."

"So I've heard."

"You were not at choir today. I assume is because you were here, then?"

He'd noticed Noel's absence? And thought about it enough to bring it up? "Uh...yeah, I've been here all day. I don't usually work Fridays, but I had to take over someone else's shift. So here I am. Having fun."

"Delightful," Mischa agreed with a nod. At that moment, someone brought Mischa's food to the counter. He took the bag and stood. "Have to go now. Was nice talking to you."

Surprisingly, Noel agreed. "Yeah. You too."

"See you at school tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

Mischa paused. "Of course. Was just testing you to make sure you were paying attention."

Noel smirked. "Sure you were. I'll see you around?"

Mischa smiled at him as he turned to leave. "Yes. See you around."

Watching him walk out, Noel found himself in a better mood than he was in before. Mischa didn't really seem like the cold angry dickhead everyone made him out to be. He was alright. Nice, even. Maybe people were wrong about him.

As Noel left work for the day, he checked his phone and saw a text from Ocean, as usual. She somehow managed to text him the second work ended. Every time. He opened the notification.

Ocean: Hey, how was work?

Noel: less boring than usual actually
Noel: mischa showed up

Ocean: Mischa? As in the creepy European Mischa?

Noel: no the other mischa

Ocean: There's two Mischas??

Noel: no idiot its the same mischa

Ocean: Oh.
Ocean: Very funny.
Ocean: What did he do?

Noel: he blew up the building

Ocean: ????

Noel: im at the hospital now
Noel: almost died very tragic

Ocean: Noel.

Noel: he ordered food ocean idk what u want me to tell u

Ocean: Oh shut up.
Ocean: He wasn't like weird or anything?

Noel: no he was just a guy
Noel: we talked for a minute
Noel: tbh he doesnt seem that bad

Ocean: He's creepy. Don't trust him.

Noel: but like he seems nice

Ocean: Whatever. Have a safe trip home.

Noel: yeah u too

Ocean: I'm already at home.

Noel: dont care + didnt ask
Noel: byeee

Ocean: Bye.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Noel woke up surprisingly early. It was only 8:30am, which was far earlier than he ever got up on Saturdays. He almost went back to sleep, before he smelled what had woken him up.

Breakfast.

That was weird.

His mom rarely cooked, except on special occasions. Usually they just ate cereal or something else that was quick and easy. Noel didn't think anything important was going on today. Shit, did he forget someone's birthday? He sat up, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes, and got out of bed. He slowly made his way down to the kitchen, Where his mother was humming something familiar. He spoke up, "Mom?"

She spun around, seemingly surprised. "Oh! Noel, you're up early. Perfect timing, though. Breakfast is ready." She took a step sideways, revealing a plate of pancakes. "I made pancakes! Your favorite."

Noel just blinked at her. "You...made pancakes? Like made pancakes? Did I forget someone's birthday again?"

She laughed sweetly. "No, sweetie, I just wanted to spend time with you again."

"Wow. Can't remember the last time that happened," Noel said under his breath, but his mom didn't seem to notice. She grabbed the plate and moved it to the table, where another one, presumably hers, was already resting. "Come on, sit."

Noel did. He grabbed his fork and took a bite. Wow. He'd forgotten how good his mom's pancakes were. He smiled a bit despite himself.

His mother also sat down. She took a breath, speaking quietly. "There was actually something I wanted to say..."

Of course there was. Noel mentally sighed and took another bite of his pancakes before responding. "Yeah?"

She nodded, looking reluctant to elaborate. "Well...I've decided to take on some more overtime at work, so I won't be home on Saturdays anymore."

Noel stopped, looking up at her. Was she fucking serious? "Are you fucking serious?"

His mother sighed. "I've told you to stop swearing, Noel. But yes, I am 'fucking serious.'"

"Why. You work so much already. You're barely here."

"I'm here on weekends?"

"But you're always 'too tired' to do anything!" Noel was getting agitated now. "On the rare occasion you're actually home, you're either sleeping or doing some shit on your computer. I barely even see you anymore!"

His mom was getting mad too. "Well I'm sorry that I care about you and I want you to have a house to live in and food to eat!"

"Oh but I guess I don't need a loving mother, then?"

"I do love you!" She was starting to raise her voice, still trying her best to stay composed. It wasn't working. "Everything I do is for you! You think I want to work so much?? I would love to spend more time with you, but I need enough money to support the both of us too!"

Noel raised his voice right back. "Well maybe you should get a better job that actually pays you."

Maybe he shouldn't have said that. She was looking pissed. "Maybe you should take some responsibility and work more at your job."

"We've had this conversation so many times, Mom. I can't do that," he hissed at her. "Did you forget about this little thing called school? And don't even think the words 'dropping out.' I'm not getting another job or giving up choir, either, so don't even bring that up."

Noel could tell he was getting on her last nerve. He hated it, but sometimes pissing her off was the only way to get through to her. But it seemed to have the opposite effect this time. She stood up from her chair, glaring at him. "You know what?! If you wanna be like that, if you don't like how things are, then you can just piss right off. Maybe I wouldn't HAVE to work so much if it's just me I'm providing for!"

She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth, but what was said was said. Noel just stared at her, the anger in his eyes replaced purely with hurt. He stood up as well, both of their pancakes forgotten. When he spoke, his voice was small and shaky. "You know what? Maybe I will piss right off. Have fun with your lessened financial burden."

His mom, her face full of guilt, started to call after him, be he was already gone. He walked as fast as he physically could, trying to get as far away from the house as possible before he broke down. He walked for a long time before collapsing onto a park bench. The park wasn't even that close to his house. He must have walked for a while.

Noel sat, staring at the ground, for a few minutes. He was so still he could've been a statue. He almost wished he was. Obviously he knew money was tight, and obviously he knew he was a financial burden on his mother, but it still hurt like a bitch hearing her say it out loud. He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and knew she must be calling him, but he ignored it. He could barely hear the ringing over his own thoughts. She'd probably been calling nonstop since he left. probably would be calling for a while. Noel wouldn't answer. He didn't even give enough of a shit to hang up. She'd told him to piss off, and he'd do just that. Though he wasn't sure what he'd do when night fell. He doubted Ocean's parents would let him stay there. Constance's family was nice, maybe they wouldn't mind. If all else failed, the park bench was comfortable enough...

"-oel?" He suddenly became aware of someone's hand on his shoulder and a familiar voice calling his name with growing panic. He slowly looked up, meeting the eyes of a tall, dark haired boy he'd been unable to get rid of.

Mischa looked concerned. Very concerned. "Oh, good, you are not dead. You would not move. I've been standing here for past few minutes. What happened? You okay?" He talked very fast, and it was a little hard for Noel to understand him, but he got most of it.

Noel took a moment, looking back down. He realized he'd been crying; tears were streaming down his face. He quickly wiped them away. "Oh, uh...yeah, I'm alright, I just..." He sighed. He might as well explain. It wasn't like he had anyone else to talk to. "Me and my mom...had a fight. I won't get into it, but she basically told me that I'm the reason we're so poor. And to get out. So get out I did."

Mischa sat down next to him, his eyes big with sympathy. "I am sorry. That sounds bad. She should not have said that to you."

Noel shrugged. "Yeah...She was right, though. She'd be better off without me. We already don't have enough money, and it'd be easier for her if I-"

"NOEL," Mischa raised his voice sternly, and Noel flinched. "Sorry. Did not mean to yell. But you cannot say things that that. She would not be better off without you. Do not tell yourself that."

"I-" Noel started, but decided it was best not to argue. "Fine. Whatever."

"Do you need place to stay?"

That caught Noel off guard. He looked up and stuttered out, "Um...I mean yeah, but...I was just gonna ask Ocean or something."

Mischa raised an eyebrow. "You want to be stuck with Ocean for indefinite amount of time?"

"Good point," Noel agreed, nodding.

"You can stay at my house if you want."

"Oh, you don't have to-"

"You want to go back home?"

Noel thought for a moment. "...No." He turned his head away. "You're parents won't care?"

Mischa laughed humorlessly. "My parents do not like to remember I am there. Won't notice."

Noel argued with himself in his head. Why was Mischa even doing this? They barely even knew each other. They'd spoken maybe once. Maybe he was just a really good person. Or maybe he was a murderer and Noel was his next victim. But would a murderer be looking at him so kindly? Probably not. But maybe Mischa was just a really good actor. However, Noel also very much did not want to return home. Or sleep outside. Or, as Mischa pointed out, be stuck with Ocean. Who was almost always at Constance's house, so that was out too. He supposed he'd have to risk it.

Noel sighed. "Okay. If you say so."

Mischa smiled, standing up. "Let's go, then."

Noel stood up as well, his tears dried and his mood significantly improved.

Chapter Text

As Mischa walked to his house, side-by-side with Noel, he replayed the interaction in his head over again. Why had he even invited Noel to stay with him? He hardly knew the boy! Poor Noel probably thought Mischa was going to kill him. He wasn't, of course. Then why was he doing this? Because he just wanted to help? Well, yes, but he was still basically inviting a stranger into his house. And on such short notice. The basement was barely fit for one person, much less two. And what would his parents think? The worst, probably. He told himself they wouldn't even notice, but just two days ago his adoptive father had descended the stairs to speak with him, so he couldn't know for sure. But it was too late to second guess himself; they were already in his yard. As Mischa walked around the side of the house to the basement entrance, Noel stopped.

"...Why are we going in through the basement?" Noel asked, confused. He sounded nervous. Scared, even. He was picking at his fingernails, glancing around. Specifically, Mischa noted, at the car in the driveway.

Mischa looked at him. He realized how weird this looked. "Oh. Do not want to run into my adoptive parents. Trust me, neither do you." Believing that was a satisfying answer, Mischa turned back around and opened the basement door.

Noel, after a moment's hesitation, followed him. He was still visibly anxious. Mischa didn't know why Noel was so quick to trust him. By the looks of it, Noel didn't either. Mischa frowned. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Huh? Oh, no, yeah, it's alright. You seem alright. Pretty sure you're not gonna murder me." Noel tried to laugh, but it was clear he didn't fully believe what he'd said. He still looked nervous, picking at his already chipped nail polish.

Mischa didn't believe him either, but he shrugged. "If you're sure." He gestured for Noel to go inside, which he did. Mischa followed him. "Sorry it's so messy...was not expecting company, of course." Looking around, Mischa realized just how messy it really was. There were clothes covering pretty much every square inch of floor, God knows how dirty those are. His desk and the ground around it was littered with dishes and empty bottles.

Cursing under is breath, he did his best to quickly tidy up. Meaning he tossed most of the clothes into one corner. He didn't touch the dirty dishes. He'd get rid of them later. "Uh, make yourself at home I guess."

Noel cautiously sat down on the edge of Mischa's bed. "You...live down here?"

Mischa glanced around his shitty basement, we'll aware of how bad it seemed. "Yeah...pretty much. It's not too bad once you get used to it."

"Uh huh..." Noel didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press further. "Your house is pretty nice, though. This is really the only place you can stay?"

Mischa nodded simply. "Parents don't like me. I don't like them. They stay up there, I stay down here, no problems. Best for all of us."

"Oh," Noel said. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

Mischa shrugged. "Is not big deal. They are assholes." It was, in face, a big deal, but that wasn't something Mischa wanted to get into.

Noel nodded. "Sounds like it." He looked around. To Mischa's relief, he looked a lot less anxious. "So, what all do you do down here?"

"I make music. You want to hear? You know, I am best rapper in Northeastern Saskatchewan."

Noel laughed. "Good for you, but I'm alright. I'm not really a rap fan."

"No?" Mischa stared at him, shocked. "You are missing out, my dude. Rap is awesome. I am well known as Badegg on the YouTube. Search me up sometime."

"Alright, maybe I will," Noel, still smiling, agreed.

Mischa smiled as well. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What do you like to do?

Noel looked down. "I um...I like to write. Poetry. Helps me get my feelings out."

"You are poet? That is awesome."

Noel shrugged, looking embarrassed. "I guess. I'm not very good though."

Mischa shook his head. He wasn't going to let Noel say that. "Nonsense. I'm sure you're great."

"Whatever you say."

They sat in silence for a minute. Mischa broke it. "So...did you have any plans today?"

Noel shook his head. "Nope. I have work at four, but that's all.

Mischa nodded. "Me neither." He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you want to, y'know, do something?

Noel's face flushed. It was barely noticeable, but Mischa noticed. He brushed it off as Noel spoke. "I mean, I'm a little hungry. I sort of walked out in the middle of breakfast. We could go get something to eat?"

Mischa was a bit confused by his wording. "Go get something? Like at a restaurant?"

Noel shrugged, still not looking at him. "I mean, yeah. Could be fun. And I get the feeling you don't get out much."

That was true. He didn't get out much. Standing up, Mischa grabbed his keys. "You're right about that. Let's go, then."

Noel stood up as well, and Mischa started upstairs. The two boys emerged from the basement. Mischa smiled as he stepped into the light and locked the basement door behind them. He was happy that after months of being in Uranium, he'd finally found someone willing to give him a chance.

Chapter Text

As they sat in silence in Mischa's car, Noel stared out the window. Only one thought was going through his mind.

What the hell was he doing?!

A little over an hour ago, he'd been fighting with his mom, who had finally given up on contacting him.

But now, he was going on a date- no, he reminded himself. They were just going to get breakfast. Normal friends get food together all the time. Nothing weird about it. Definitely nothing weird about the fact that he was in a car with the most gorgeous man he'd ever laid eyes on. Who also had a rep for being the Angriest Boy in Town. Not that Mischa had been anything but kind to him. Noel still didn't know why.

Noel realized then that Mischa was saying something to him. He blinked at him. "What?"

Briefly taking his eyes off the road to look at Noel, Mischa repeated his question. "I asked where you want to eat."

He hadn't thought about that. He was only thinking about the growing pit in his stomach. He racked his brain for the best places for breakfast in Uranium. "We could go to the Blackwood Cafe?" He suggested. He was pretty sure Constance wouldn't be there. She would think it was very weird that Noel was hanging out with Mischa of all people. He wanted to avoid that awkward interaction if he could.

"The one that girl from choir's family owns?" Mischa asked in conformation.

Noel nodded. "That's the one. Constance and her family are such good bakers. Their food is delicious"

"Have not been," Mischa said. "Blackwood Cafe it is, then."

Noel smiled. He loved going to the cafe.

It wasn't a long drive, so they arrived within a few minutes. Which was good, because Mischa drove like a maniac. Mischa got out of the car and quickly ran to open Noel's door for him before Noel could do it himself. Noel smiled at the gesture as he got out of Mischa's car.

They walked together into the Blackwood Cafe. The air inside smelled like freshly baked bread. A woman, who Noel recognized as Constance's mother, stood behind the counter. She looked up and waved at them.

"Noel! Lovely to see you again," She greeted, stepping out and giving him a hug. Her eyes flicked over to Mischa, "I don't think we've met." She held out her hand, smiling warmly. "I'm Victoria Blackwood. I own this café."

Mischa politely shook her hand. "Mischa Bachinski. Very nice café."

"Thanks, dear. Now what can I get for you boys?"

Noel answered almost as soon as she finished the question. "Black coffee and a blueberry muffin, please."

Mischa thought for a moment. "Just a coffee. Black."

Victoria nodded along as they ordered. "Alright, it'll be out in a minute."

Mischa looked confused. "How much?" He asked, reaching into his pocket.

She shook her head as he attempted to pay her. "Don't worry about it. This one's on me."

Mischa looked like he was going to argue, but instead he just returned his wallet to his pocket. "Thank you."

She smiled and retreated back to get their orders, and Noel sat down at the nearest table, Mischa sitting across from him. Noel studied the boy. He seemed to get prettier the longer Noel looked at him. His deep brown eyes sparkling like gemstones, his hair always messy yet always perfect, his sharp, angular face, the slight pink color on his cheeks...

"Are you okay?" Mischa asked, tilting his head slightly.

Noel quickly looked away, feeling his face heating up. "Oh, um, yeah, why?" he asked, hopefully not too nervously.

"You were staring," Mischa replied simply. Shit. How long had Noel been looking at him? Probably a normal amount of time. Though a normal amount of staring probably wouldn't warrant questioning.

"Oh, sorry. Just zoned out," Noel explained. It technically wasn't a lie.

Saving them from the awkwardness, Victoria Blackwood brought out their coffee and Noel's muffin. "You boys enjoy, now."

They thanked her and sipped their coffee. Noel took a bite of the blueberry muffin; absolutely delicious.

His satisfaction must have shown on his face, for Mischa held out his hand. "Give me a bite."

Noel shook his head, smirking and hiding his muffin from view. "Nope. All mine."

"Come on, I'm starving. It looks delicious."

"You should have gotten your own, then," Noel teased.

Mischa sat back in his chair, crossing his arms in mock anger. "You are cruel man, Noel Gruber."

Noel rolled his eyes, dramatically tearing off a piece from his muffin. "Fine. I suppose you can have some."

Mischa took it from him and ate it. His eyes lit up. "Wow. That is mad wicked awesome."

Noel laughed. What an interesting choice of words. "It is indeed."

Just then, the door opened, and both of their heads turned to see who walked in. It was Constance, who waved as she entered. "Hi Mom! Hi Noel!" Her voice shook a bit. "Hi Mischa..?"

Before any of them got the chance to greet her back, a certain ginger ran in right behind Constance. "Hi, Mrs. Blackwood!" She called. She noticed that their were other people inside. "Oh, hi Noel. And..." Her eyes narrowed. "Mischa."

Noel rolled his eyes. "Hi, Constance. Ocean."

She just glared at him. "What is he doing here?" She asked rudely, obviously referring to Mischa. He was glaring right back at her.

"Drinking coffee," Noel answered simply. He really didn't want to deal with her today.

Ocean scoffed. "I can see that, Noel. Let me rephrase that. What is he doing here with you?"

"Drinking coffee," Noel repeated. "Use your brain for once, maybe."

She was clearly offended by that comment. "I use my brain all the time, I'll have you know. More than you can say yourself."

"And what would ever make you say that?" He asked sarcastically.

Ocean answered honestly. "Maybe the fact that you're currently hanging out with Mischa Bachinski?"

Noel gasped. "Oh my God, really? I thought I was having coffee with Elvis. Thanks for letting me know, Ocean. What would I do without you?"

"You're hilarious. Why are you even with him?" Ocean, it seemed, had forgotten that Mischa was sitting right in front of her. "He's so aggressive. And creepy!"

"He's not," Noel argued defensively. "He's just a normal guy, Ocean. He's nice. Maybe you should give him a chance."

She scoffed, throwing her hands up in annoyance. "Have I ever told you how much of a moron you are? So many lovely people around and you choose to hang out with the angriest boy in town. Do you ever use your head?"

"Do you?" Noel retorted. He was getting sick of her. "Have you even spoken to him? Once?"

"Well, um, no," She stammered out. "Why would I do that?"

Before either of them could continue, Mischa suddenly stood up. He was glaring daggers at Ocean. Anger was plastered all over his face, but Noel saw a flash of something else in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to punch her, but instead he just stormed out, muttering under his breath in what sounded like Ukrainian.

Noel rolled his eyes. "Nice, Ocean," he said, quickly following Mischa.

Thankfully he hadn't driven off. Noel found him around the side of the building, smoking a cigarette. Had he had those with him the whole time? Noel slowly approached him, putting a hand on his arm. "Misch..? Are you alright?"

Mischa didn't look at him. "Of course. Am perfectly fine."

Noel frowned. He was very clearly not. "Don't lie to me, I'm not blind. What's wrong?"

Mischa sighed in exasperation. "Told you. I am fine. Just needed a smoke is all."

Noel decided not to push him further. He didn't know this guy that well, he wasn't going to force Mischa to spill all his personal shit. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm here for you though, okay?"

Mischa looked at him, almost in shock. He slowly nodded. "...Thank you."

Noel smiled. "Of course."

"We should go back. To my house, I mean."

Noel was in no way opposed to that. "Good idea."

Mischa put out his cigarette on the ground before heading back to his car, Noel close behind him.

When they got in the car, Noel turned to Mischa. "I'm sorry about Ocean."

Mischa shrugged. "No big deal. She is asshole like most people in this town."

Noel shook his head. That wasn't right. "I know she can be...a lot, but she's not an asshole. She's a bit of a prick sometimes, but she's not too bad once you get to know her." Noel had known Ocean since they were 5, and he'd met Constance a year later. Sure Ocean annoyed him sometimes, or most of the time, but she was like a sister to him.

Mischa looked skeptical as he started the car and backed out of the parking lot. "Will take your word for it. Will not attempt to get to know her."

Noel laughed. "That's fair."

Mischa shot him a smile as he drove. He had a nice smile.

Chapter Text

As they arrived back at Mischa's house, Noel found himself much less nervous than he was earlier. He wouldn't say he felt comfortable around Mischa, but he was confident he wasn't a serial killer so that was a plus.

Noel wasn't exactly pleased to be back in Mischa's cold basement, but he supposed it wasn't too horrible. He sat down on the small couch in the corner. Mischa sat on the opposite side.

Mischa broke the silence. "Have you spoken to your mother at all since earlier?"

He hadn't. "No, not yet. I probably should let her know I'm alive though. She'll be freaking out, I bet." His anger at his mom had settled down, and he felt guilty leaving her worrying. He opened his phone, sending a quick text to her, contrasting her thousands of messages and calls she'd sent.

Noel: at a friends house not gonna be home for a bit

She answered within seconds.

Mom: NOEL! Where the hell are you? Which friend? How long is a bit?! Please call me.

Noel didn't call her. He left her message on seen and put his phone away. "All taken care of," he said, ignoring the buzz of his mom calling one more time.

Mischa eyed his phone, nodding in uncertainty. "Uh huh..."

"She knows I'm not dying or dead, that's enough for now," Noel explained. Maybe he was still a little mad at her.

Mischa was looking at him. "Do you and your mother fight often?"

Noel hesitated before deciding to answer honestly. "Yeah. Not usually super bad, but we'll yell at eachother quite a bit. Well, she yells at me and I wait for her to shut up so I can leave." He sighed. "I mean, I don't hate her for it. I get that she's trying, and I love her, but sometimes she just gets so invested in her work. Which gets her in a bad mood. One minor fuck up on my part and she's going off. I stopped listening after a while."

Shaking his head, Noel continued. "Today was worse, though. I yelled back. I never do that, I just...I guess I just had so much built up anger at her. She's never around anymore. I swear she forgets she has a son sometimes." Noel took a deep breath, blinking a couple times to prevent his eyes from watering. He wasn't about to cry in front of Mischa. "Wow. I've never really talked about this with anyone. Barely even Ocean, really."

Mischa's eyes were full of sympathy. "That is horrible you have to deal with that. You deserve better."

Noel shrugged, looking away. "Eh, I guess." Looking to change the subject, Noel asked, "What about your parents? Your real parents, I mean."

Mischa's gaze hardened. Noel suddenly felt bad for bringing it up. Mischa's parents were probably a sensitive topic. He was about to apologize when Mischa started talking.

"My father left when I was young. He was asshole. My mother was not asshole. She was most wonderful woman in the world, as far as I am concerned." Mischa's breath shook as he paused. "She was dying when she sent me here. Uranium exposure. Chernobyl." The sadness in his eyes faded to anger, but he didn't continue.

Noel slid closer to him, hesitantly putting an arm around his shoulders. "I'm so sorry. I'm sure she was lovely."

Mischa nodded. "One day I will return to Ukraine. To visit her."

Noel felt a pang in his heart. "I hope you're able to soon."

Mischa's voice was almost a whisper. "Me too." Noel could tell he was near tears, no matter how well Mischa thought he was hiding it. They sat there for a long time, Noel with his arm around Mischa.

Eventually, the Ukrainian boy broke the silence. "What time is it?"

Noel completely forgot he had work today. He whipped out his phone and turned it one. 3:30. "Shit, It's like three-thirty. I've got to go now or I'll be late for work."

Mischa stood up with him. "Do you need ride? My car is probably faster than the buses."

Noel was grateful for the offer. "That'd would be awesome, thank you," he answered, smiling.

"No problem," Mischa said as he grabbed his car keys and they headed out the door again.

Chapter Text

Noel got in the passenger seat of Mischa's car for the second time today. What a strange day it had been.

Noel put on his seat belt and held onto the seat as Mischa started driving. The way he navigated the roads definitely couldn't be legal. Or safe. But he would rather ride with Mischa than use public transportation, so he'd have to deal with it.

It took about 20 minutes to get to the mall where Noel worked. The car was silent for most of the drive. Noel hated it. He wanted to break the silence somehow, to start a conversation with the boy next to him, but he didn't know what they'd talk about, so he kept his mouth shut.

They pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes before Noel's shift started. They hurried across the lot and into the mall. The food court was pretty close to the entrance, so they didn't have to walk far. Noel took his place behind the counter, slipping on a spare apron from the back. He technically was supposed to wear his work shirt, but he'd left that at home and had no interest in going there, so hopefully his boss wouldn't mind.

Mischa sat at a stool in front of the counter. Noel shot him a confused look. "You don't have to stay, you know. My shift ends at nine. You could go home and pick me up later."

Mischa shook his head. "I want to stay."

Noel wasn't sure why anyone would want to stay in Taco Bell of all places, but he wasn't complaining. He could use the company.

It being a Saturday evening, there were a good amount of customers. Mischa sat there by the counter the whole time, occasionally checking his phone, but mostly just watching Noel. Noel tried not to think much of it. His whole shift was filled with small glances as people ordered. Short, meaningless conversations that were ended when someone walked up to the counter, not to be continued again. Rolling their eyes at eachother when someone was rude. Smiling at eachother when someone was nice. Both of them ignoring the slight pink tint to both of their faces.

For a moment, Noel was, for the first time in a long time, enjoying himself at his job. He didn't remember the last time he'd had a shift and not hated every second of it. He was glad Mischa was here. That is, until he heard someone approaching.

Noel looked up, ready to take another order, and instead found himself face to face with none other than his mother. Words couldn't express how much he did not want to talk to her. He sighed, glancing at Mischa with the most irritated look he'd even given, and turned back to the woman.

"What."

The smile she'd put on when she walked in quickly vanished. "That's not a very polite way to greet a customer, Noel."

"You're right. But I'm getting the sense you aren't here for a taco." She never came to his work. His mother didn't like Taco Bell.

She sighed. "I'm not. I'm here for you. I was hoping you'd show up...I thought you'd be so worried about talking to me that you'd call in sick."

Noel almost wished he thought of that, but he knew they couldn't afford for him to miss work for a petty reason like that. He was mad, but he wasn't stupid. "Well, I'm here. So what do you want."

She looked sadly into his eyes. "I want to apologize. What I said was...horrible."

He was glad she'd at least apologized. Maybe she even meant it. "Yeah, it was," he agreed.

"I think we should talk. How about after your shift? You and I can go get some ice cream-"

"No, thanks."

His mother stopped mid-sentence. "What do you mean, 'no, thanks'?" She sounded genuinely confused. Had she really expected him to agree immediately?

Noel shrugged. "I mean no. I don't want to. I don't want to talk to you right now." Their earlier conversation was still fresh in his mind. He couldn't just sit down with her and talk it out. Not yet. It would either turn into another fight or it'd go absolutely nowhere. Noel wanted neither option. He needed to calm down first, distance himself from her a bit. Obviously they'd talk. He lived with her, they had too. But not right now.

She had other ideas. "Well when? You have to talk to me, Sweetie. I'm your mother. You live in my house. Are you going to just come home and ignore me all weekend?"

Noel shook his head. "No. I'm not coming home this weekend."

She didn't like that. "What? What do you mean? Where will you go?"

Noel looked at Mischa for conformation, who nodded. Noel turned back to his mother and gestured at him. "Mischa's."

Noel's mother looked at Mischa suddenly, like she'd just realized he was there. "Mischa? Who is..." She trailed off, the gears turning in her head. It didn't take too long; Mischa was someone most people knew. Not in a good way. "As in Bachinski? Isn't he—Noel, really? What are you thinking?!"

Noel glared at her. "I'm thinking that I don't want to be around you, and Mischa is kind enough to let me stay at his place for the weekend." He was getting sick of his mother already.

"Why him, though?" She asked in disbelief.

"Why not? Keep in mind he's sitting right there, Mom." He looked at Mischa, who was sitting on a stool by the counter, awkwardly watching them. He clearly wanted to be anywhere else. Noel didn't blame him. Noel's mother turned her eyes on Mischa, before sighing and closing her eyes.

She looked back at Noel, grabbing his hand. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I mean, don't you know what t-"

"Thanks, Mom, I'll be fine. He's fine. I'll see you Monday." He was getting sick of people getting mad at him for hanging out with Mischa. They didn't know him. Sure, Noel had been a little freaked out by Mischa when he first saw him, but he was wrong for that, which he now realized.

She glared at him, about to argue, before sighing in defeat. "Right, yeah. Monday. Love you."

She turned, walking swiftly out of the Taco Bell and out of the mall. Noel groaned and held his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry about...her."

Mischa shook his head. He looked mostly unbothered. Noel hoped he felt the same way on the inside. "Is fine. Am used to it."

Noel felt bad for him. "It sucks that everyone treats you like that."

Mischa shrugged, though Noel could tell he was more affected than he let on. "Does not bother me. People don't like me, I don't like them. Not problem."

Noel shook his head, but he saw some people approaching the counter and he had to get back to actually doing his job. He gave Mischa an apologetic glance before turning to the waiting customers.

Noel and Mischa left the mall a little after nine. Despite the encounter with Noel's mother, they both smiled at eachother as they got in Mischa's car. The drive was still silent, but it was more of a comfortable silence than an awkward one. Like they had no need to say anything rather than not knowing what to say.

Noel was getting tired by the time the boys got back to Mischa's house. The darkness of the basement didn't help. He yawned. Msicha noticed.

"Are you tired?" He asked.

Noel looked up at him. Mischa looked tired, too. It had been a long day. He nodded. "Very."

Mischa nodded. "Me too." He hesitated, looking between the bed in the corner and the couch on the far wall. "You sleep on bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

Noel denied almost immediately. "No. It's your house, you sleep on the bed. I'm fine on the couch."

"Absolutely not," Mischa told him, shaking his head. "Couch is uncomfortable. You are guest, you shouldn't have to sleep on uncomfortable couch."

"Well I don't want you to be uncomfortable either, Mischa."

Mischa frowned. Noel glanced at the bed. It wasn't huge, but it could fit two people if it had to. Noel cleared his head. Not gonna happen. He sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll sleep on the bed. But if I hear you complaining for even a second in the morning, I'm taking the couch tomorrow night."

Mischa nodded, satisfied. He sat down on the couch.

Noel frowned. It was cold in the basement. "You don't want a blanket?" There were two on the bed, Noel saw. Neither looked very warm.

Mischa shook his head anyway. "No, is fine. I don't get cold."

That wasn't a good answer. He'd freeze down here without a blanket. Noel walked over to the bed, grabbing one of the thin blankets and throwing it at him.

The blanket, catching Mischa off guard, hit him in the face. He grabbed it off his head, looking at Noel in confusion. "I said I didn't-"

"No," Noel cut him off. "It's cold down here. You need that." He sat down on the bed, leaning against the pillow.

Though he clearly didn't like it, Mischa accepted the blanket, laying down on the couch. Noel fully laid back on the bed, pulling the other blanket over himself.

"Night, Mischa."

"На добраніч красивий."

Noel didn't know what that meant, but he didn't get the chance to ask, for he quickly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Mischa blinked his eyes open. This wasn't his bed. Where was he?

After a moment of confusion, Mischa remembered. He was on the couch. He had slept on the couch last night. He had slept on the couch last night because he let Noel sleep on the bed.

Noel. Right.

Mischa sat up on the couch, rolling his neck. It cracked. Loud. Ouch. That couch really wasn't comfortable. Oh well, Noel would only be there one more night. He could handle it.

Mischa checked his phone. 8am. Not too early. He glanced over at the bed. Noel was still asleep. He was laying on his stomach, stretched out across the bed. Mischa had never understood how people could sleep like that. He usually slept on his back. It was most comfortable.

He considered waking Noel up. It was early, sure, but it also felt weird being the only one awake. He quietly called out his name. "Noel?"

No response. Mischa tried a little louder. "Noel??"

Still nothing. Mischa wanted to let him sleep, but it was Sunday. His adoptive parents would have probably left for church by now. They'd be gone for a bit. Mischa could use the kitchen. Of course, he could just go up there and make something while Noel slept, but he didn't want Noel to wake up alone in his basement. Mischa stood up off the couch, making his way over to the bed. He stood to the side. "Noel?"

"What."

Noel's face being buried in the pillow, his voice was muffled. But he was awake. Now Mischa just needed to get him up. Which would prove to be much more difficult.

"It's morning. Get up."

Noel cracked one eye open, looking tiredly up at Mischa. "What time?" His voice was lower and raspier than it usually was. Likely because he was barely conscious

"Eight," Mischa told him.

Noel turned his head away, muttering "too early" under his breath.

Mischa crossed his arms. "You're in my bed," he argued. "Come on, aren't you hungry?" Mischa certainly was.

"Nope," he responded simply. Noel sighed deeply, seeming to somehow sink even further into the pillow.

Mischa rolled his eyes. "Do you at least want coffee? Maybe that will wake you up."

Noel lifted his head almost immediately. Now he was paying attention. "Coffee?"

Mischa smiled. Now he had leverage. "You have to get up, though. Sleeping people don't get coffee."

"Five more minutes?" Noel suggested hopefully.

"No."

Noel groaned, slamming his head softly down into the pillow. "Fine," he mumbled after a moment. He pushed himself into a sitting position, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Good. Come on." Mischa waved a hand, heading towards the stairs and up to the rest of the house, assuming Noel would follow him.

He did. Mischa heard him grumbling as he ascended the stairs. "Can't believe you're making me get up at eight. On a weekend."

"You'll live," Mischa said dismissively. He opened the door, stepping out into the living room. He took a quick peek out the window to confirm no one was home, before turning to make sure Noel actually came up.

Noel shook his head, closing the basement door behind him. "No, I won't. I'm going to drop dead right here, right now, and it's all your fault," he explained dramatically, raising a finger to point at Mischa.

Mischa started making a pot of coffee, turning around and leaning back against the counter. "Shame. Guess you won't need coffee, then?"

"You are so mean to me."

Mischa raised an eyebrow. "Name one time I've actually been mean to you."

Noel stuttered for a moment. "...It's too early for you too be using facts and logic," he concluded, sitting up on the counter and yawning.

Mischa hummed, pouring two cups of coffee. "If you say so. How do you like your coffee?" Mischa added a spoonful of sugar to his own cup, stirring it in.

"Black," Noel answered, reaching his hand out and making a grabbing motion. Mischa shrugged, handing him the cup. He never understood how people drank black coffee. Too bitter.

Noel, however, did not share his opinion. He happily sipped the drink. "Thanks."

Mischa nodded, drinking his own coffee. He pushed himself off the counter, opening the fridge. "Are you hungry now?"

"I could eat."

Mischa considered his options. "Eggs good? Scrambled?"

"That works," Noel said, nodding.

Mischa took the eggs out of the fridge, cracking a few into a bowl and whisking them, sprinkling in some salt and pepper. He poured the eggs into a pan, turning the stove on low heat and lightly stirring them around with a spatula.

As Mischa cooked, he could feel Noel's eyes on him, watching his every move. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't turn around. "What?"

"Hm? Um, nothing."

Mischa turned his head to look at Noel. He was no longer staring at Mischa, instead looking down into his coffee. Mischa shrugged, turning back to the stove. He added some shredded cheese to the eggs, cooking then for a minute longer before taking them off the heat and separating them onto two separate plates. He added a bit more salt and pepper before handing one to Noel. "Насолоджуйся своєю їжею."

Noel smiled softly, taking the plate. "Thanks," he said, taking a bite. His face lit up. "This is good."

Mischa ate some of his own eggs. They weren't really anything special. He just made them the way he always did. "Yes?"

Noel nodded. "I didn't know you cooked."

"I learned from my мама. She let me help her in the kitchen," Mischa explained, reminiscing fondly on the memory of his mother. He always felt closer to her when he was in the kitchen. It felt like cooking was the only thing he had left of her. He didn't have many things from his home country. He couldn't bring much with him when he left.

"You okay?" Noel's voice pulled him from his thoughts. His face felt tense. Mischa tried to relax.

"Yes. I just miss her is all." Mischa looked down at his plate, eating his eggs in silence.

Noel didn't say anything. The two of them just ate quietly. After a bit, Noel slid off the counter, his plate empty. Mischa looked up. "Just leave that in the sink. Adoptive parents will do dishes."

Noel raised an eyebrow, confused. "You don't want me to at least rinse it off?"

Mischa shook his head, leaving his own dish in the sink. "Do not worry about it. Is just two plates, they can do it."

Noel didn't seem content with that. He frowned. "That just sounds disrespectful..."

"They do not deserve your respect." Noel had a point; under any other circumstances, Mischa would have cleaned his own dish. It was the polite thing to do. His mother had taught him that. However, his adopters didn't treat him with a single ounce of respect, and Mischa would do the same.

Noel nodded, setting his plate in the sink. "Fair point."

Loosely crossing his arms, Mischa leaned back against the counter again. "So. Is your turn to talk."

Noel cautiously looked at him. "What?"

"I know almost nothing about you. You work at Taco Bell and have a complicated relationship with your mother. Is all I know."

Noel wrapped his arms around himself, shifting his weight. "I mean, there's not really much to tell. I'm not a very interesting person."

Mischa frowned. "Nonsense. Must be something. What do you like? Hobbies? Interests?"

Noel leaned his side against the counter, looking around. "Well...I like French new wave cinema. And music. I like poetry. I write it, sometimes..." He trailed off.

"You are poet? That is awesome, dude!" Mischa was never a huge fan of poetry, reading it bored him, but he respected it as an art. Writing poetry was a lot like writing lyrics, and he knew how to do that.

Noel glanced at him, almost surprised. "You think so?"

"Yes, is very cool. Much like rap, just without the awesome beat," Mischa said with enthusiasm. They almost had something in common. That was good, right? They both wrote stuff. They could bond over that. For some reason, that excited Mischa.

Noel laughed. "That's...certainly one way to put it."

Mischa nodded. He thought for a minute. Noel had said he'd check out Mischa's YouTube and listen to his raps. Maybe Mischa could return the favor? "So, you write, yes? You have any poems you want to share? Would love to read some of your writing."

Noel's eyes widened. Mischa got the sense no one had ever asked him that before. "I mean, you could, if you really wanted to, but, I'm not that good." He spoke softly, stuttering a bit.

Mischa waved him off. "Whatever you make is good. Because you make it. Is the point of art, yes?"

Noel smiled. His face was just slightly more colored than usual. Mischa supposed he was embarrassed of his writing. "I guess...I'll see if I can find something good, alright? My stuff is all at home...I'll look through my notebook tomorrow."

Mischa smiled, satisfied. He observed Noel drinking his coffee for a moment before speaking. "Did you want to do anything today?"

Noel shrugged, looking into his cup. Judging by the minor annoyance on his face, it was empty. "I didn't have anything in mind. No plans."

"Do you play video games?"

Noel laughed. "Not really, no. Nothing you'd like."

Mischa tilted his head. He liked a lot of video games. "What do you like?"

"Like...relaxing indie games. Ever played Stardew Valley?"

Mischa thought for a moment. "I think so. Seemed boring, though. Nothing to do." He liked games with more action. Something where he could fight stuff.

"Nonsense. There's plenty to do. I can play that shit for hours," Noel said. "We need to play. We'll start a co-op. It'll be fun, trust me."

"Hmm...alright, fine." Noel was very convincing. "Come on," he said, leading the way back to the basement. Noel hopped off the counter, setting his empty coffee cup by the sink and following. Mischa hoped this 'Stardew Valley' game was as fun as Noel insisted.

Chapter Text

The two boys went back down to Mischa's basement. Mischa dug out his laptop and opened Stardew Valley. Noel played on his phone, so he loaded into the game as well.

They had been playing for the past few hours. Mischa actually had fun. He'd stopped playing the game when he first downloaded it after only a few days, because he couldn't really figure out what to do. He wasn't used to the calm, relaxing nature. But Noel made it fun. He clearly played Stardew Valley a lot, and knew how to quickly get resources and build up their farm. Noel's favorite character was Elliot. Mischa personally liked Sam. He was cool.

Unfortunately, they couldn't play forever. Mischa was getting hungry, and he figured Noel probably was too.

After the next day was over, Mischa turned to Noel, moving slightly away. The couch wasn't very big and they had migrated to sit right next to each other. "Are you hungry?"

Noel immediately nodded. "Very."

Mischa looked around the basement. His adoptive parents were still home, so they couldn't both go up to the kitchen. They didn't know Noel was here. "Um...there's not really much here...most of what I eat is either snacks that don't require cooking or just microwaveable stuff..." His adopters used to bring him some of whatever they were having for dinner, but they'd stopped doing that. Mischa wasn't sure why. "You deserve more than that, though. You're my guest." Hospitality wasn't necessarily the only reason. Mischa liked Noel, he was nice and he was the only person who hadn't immediately decided that Mischa was a terrible person. Mischa wanted to offer him more than shitty store brand macaroni. Plus, Mischa was sick of microwaved meals.

Noel was looking at him with sympathy. Mischa hated sympathy. "Microwave meals are fine. I eat them a lot at home, too."

Mischa shook his head and stood up. "No, we're going to actually go eat somewhere."

"Where?"

Mischa frowned. There weren't a lot of good restaurants. All Uranium had was a bar, a café, and the mall. "Pizza? I think there is pizza at the mall."

Noel frowned. "I prefer not eating at the mall, but I haven't had pizza in a while. That works."

"Then we will have pizza," Mischa decided.

Shrugging, Noel stood up to follow Mischa. They went out to Mischa's car.

The drive to the mall was only around 20 minutes. There was no traffic on the road, there never really was in Uranium. One of the few perks of living in such a tiny town, he supposed.

They pulled into the mall parking lot for the second time that weekend. Noel released his death grip on the ceiling handle (he was overreacting, Mischa didn't drive that crazily), and they headed inside.

There was a bit of a line at the pizza place, but it wasn't horrible. The two boys only had to wait for a few people. That gave them enough time to argue about what to order.

"I'm only going to eat one slice," Noel said. "We don't need a whole pizza."

"But I will eat many slices. I don't just want a single slice."

"You can get two, I think. They're really big slices."

"I have a really big appetite," Mischa insisted.

"What kind of pizza do you even like?"

"The Meat Lovers one."

"I'm not eating that," Noel told him. "If you're insisting we get a whole pizza, it's going to be half and half."

Mischa rolled his eyes. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Hmm...Spinach and mushrooms," Noel decided.

Mischa raised an eyebrow. He never understood people who liked vegetables on their pizza. It's pizza. "You are weird," he told Noel as he turned to order.

Mischa paid for the food and they hung out around the counter for a minute, waiting for their pizza.

"Want to eat here?" Mischa asked, taking the pizza box and walking to a table as Noel nodded.

"Sure, might as well. It's still hot." Noel sat in the seat across from Mischa and opened the box. Noel took one slice out of the four on his side. Mischa took two, for now. They were really big slices.

They returned to Mischa's house a little over an hour later. There were three pizza slices left over; two of Noel's and one of Mischa's. They stuffed the box in Mischa's mini fridge and sat down on opposite ends of the couch.

Mischa checked the time. 10:30pm. Not that late, at least not for Mischa. He was going to suggest they keep playing Stardew Valley when he realized something. "You don't have your things. For school."

"I don't have my things for school..." Noel repeated. "I wasn't exactly planning on not being home all weekend. Everything I'd need for school tomorrow is at my house."

Mischa should have thought of that earlier. Noel would need his uniform and his books. He probably had homework, too. Homework that probably wasn't started. Not that Mischa did his either, but still. "So you'll probably need to stop by your house at some point before school, then..."

Noel sighed, crossing his arms. "Ugh. Yeah. I can either go tonight or early tomorrow morning." *He narrowed his eyes, weighing his options. "I'll just wake up early and go over before school. It'll be easier than leaving again tonight."

Mischa nodded. Their school day started at around 8am. Noel would be able to get to his house and gather his things without rushing too much. "Is not too far from here to your house to school, yes? If we leave at 7, that is enough time?"

Noel looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "'We?' You don't have to come, you know. You can sleep in a bit longer."

"No, I will walk with you. I do not mind," Mischa insisted. He wanted to walk with Noel. He liked spending time with Noel. And since Noel wasn't going to be back at Mischa's house tomorrow, Mischa wanted to at least walk to school with him.

"Alright, if you must," Noel agreed with a smile. He yawned. "Well, I'm tired. You're definitely okay on the couch, right? You looked a little stiff this morning, and all I did was sit on it and my back hurts. It can't be comfortable.

Mischa shook his head. "No, it is fine. Not super uncomfortable." It was, in fact, super uncomfortable. His back was begging him not to sleep on the couch again, but he ignored it. It was only one more night. And while the bed wasn't that much better, it wasn't exactly a brick like the couch was. Noel was his guest, and Mischa would treat him as such. Even if that meant sleeping on a one-way ticket to neck pain.

Noel clearly wanted to object, but seemed to decide there was no point in having this conversation again and nodded. "Goodnight, then."

Mischa watched him lay down and turn away, facing the wall. "Солодких снів, Ноель"

Chapter Text

Heyy guys, been a while (again)

In case it wasn't clear from the fact that it has been almost a month since I've updated this, it probably isn't going to be finished. There really isn't a fleshed out plot AT ALL, which I doubt is fun to read and it certainly isn't fun to write :) Also the fact that I have a whole other fic I'm supposed to be working on. I think my brain decided that the obvious solution is to work on NEITHER of the things instead of trying to work on both. So hopefully taking away some of the work will get me to actually write the other one LOL.

Have definitely learned my lesson that writing without any sort of plan is, in fact, not a good idea. Especially trying to write two things that both have very little planning. Not smart! Won't happen again probably :)

Not sure if anyone is actually reading this and enjoying it but if so I'm sorry :) I'm going to do my absolute best to write my other fic more consistently now and hopefully not have over a month between updates anymore <3 soo buh bye I guess :)