She still had plenty of reason to worry — Noah could still have feelings for someone else, the new islander could still steal one of them from each other, the new islander could be someone that one of them fancies. It was probably best never to be comfortable on Love Island, especially not this early in.
After her conversation with Noah earlier, Rose was feeling as confident as she could possibly be about the new prospect of a new islander. In stark contrast to the worried expressions and shaking hands of the other women in the dressing room, Rose touched up her makeup in a relative state of calm. She thought about her sweet conversation with Noah, about the careful kiss he’d placed on her cheek, his comment about keeping things fair. She’d managed to keep her gushing to a minimum when she ‘debriefed’ with Lottie, mostly focusing on listening to complaints about Rocco — of which there were many. He was a huge flirt and seemed to like all of the girls just as much as the one he was partnered with, which was already making the larger-than-life Lottie feel small.
“You don’t deserve that, babes,” Rose said, smudging her brown eyeliner with a q-tip. She was going with a slightly more natural look for their first party, having already removed the caked makeup from the day and started anew. “You have to have some sort of respect for your partner, even if you’re not set on staying with them.”
Lottie, in stark contrast with Rose’s toned-down makeup look for the night, was sharpening the wing of her eyeliner and applying an even deeper shade of plum to her lips. “Right? Disrespectful, that’s exactly how it is.”
“What’s wrong, Lottie?” Marisol asked, peeking around the mirror that divided them to intrude upon a conversation she was not a part of. “Things going poorly for you too?”
“I’m just hoping it’s a new guy tonight.” Lottie pouted.
“What about you, Rose?” Marisol asked. “Feeling alright?”
Rose smiled, thankful at least that Marisol had dropped trying to call her nicknames. “I had a nice conversation with Noah earlier, we agreed to stick together for now as long as we have a choice. He’s a good guy.”
“Aww,” Lottie drawled. “Look at Noah being a gentleman.”
Marisol rolled her eyes. “At least one of us is doing well.”
Rose shrugged. She felt as though Marisol was oversimplifying things. She still had plenty of reason to worry — Noah could still have feelings for someone else, the new islander could still steal one of them from each other, the new islander could be someone that one of them fancies. It was probably best never to be comfortable on Love Island, especially not this early in.
“I’m going to get changed,” Rose said. Marisol’s negativity was infectious and negativity was the last thing she needed. “I’m pretty sure the guys are already out on the lawn waiting for us.”
Lottie agreed, “Good call.” And, before Rose had even gathered her clothes to go to the bathroom to change, Lottie had dropped her swim top and started changing in the middle of the dressing room.
Rose tried to hide her blush, looking away and back to her clothes cubby as quickly as possible once she realized what was happening. She grabbed the first dress she saw, a silky green mini dress with spaghetti straps, and all of the necessary undergarments, and ducked into the restroom. The bathrooms were as private as the Villa got, but even then there were a few cameras directed at just the right angles to catch important conversations by the communal sink and cheeky shots of islanders showering. It was a careful geometry looking at the mounted cameras trying to locate possible blind spots. After just one day in the villa, Rose was already tracing sight-lines every time she walked into a room.
She chose a corner by the toilet — undignified but certainly private — and began undressing. Perhaps, by the end of her time in the Villa, Rose would be less of a prude. Perhaps she’ll eventually become used to her body being seen and then blurred in post-production by some poor media intern. But she wasn’t going to press herself too much on the first day.
Rose dressed as quickly as possible, also aware that other girls getting ready may also barge in at any moment — there were no locks on any of the doors in the Villa — and mussed her hair once more in the mirror before returning to the dressing room. Thankfully, all of the girls were clothed once she returned.
“Ready, babes?” Lottie asked, flashing her stiletto nails as she held out a hand. She was dressed in a sleek black dress with mesh sleeves that showed off her tattooed arms. Her hair was pinned back to one side with a vintage-looking silver clip.
“You look nice.” Rose touched the clip on the back of Lottie’s head. “This is gorge.” She took Lottie’s offered hand and gave it a squeeze.
“It was my grandma’s,” Lottie said. “I’m wearing it for luck.” Rose found Lottie’s superstitions charming, especially in a place that felt so outside of reality as the Villa. It made her wish she’d brought something to be made a talisman herself, even if she’d never been the type to believe in that sort of thing before.
“Ready girls?” Hope called. She was standing with her arms crossed in the doorway, looking impatient even though she’d only just put her shoes on. “The boys are waiting.”
Lottie rolled her eyes. “And they can wait a bit longer.”
Marisol trotted out of the bedroom, her shoes in her hands. “I’m ready!” She hopped on one foot to fasten a strap on her heel and then switched, fastening the other just as quickly. “Let’s go.”
Hannah, who had been much quieter in the dressing room than she had been the rest of the day, stood from her dressing bench. She wore a grave face and a simple sundress, looking much the same as before, the same long braid in her hair and the same light makeup on her face. Rose’s chest panged. She hoped Hannah didn’t feel underdressed. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she said.
Hand in hand with Lottie, Rose took the steps down from the dressing room and then to the deck. Relief washed over her at the sight of Bobby and Noah idly chatting, it was heartening to see them getting along. It meant that whatever flirting she’d engaged in — purposeful or not — was not enough to create a rift in the Villa. Early days, she reminded herself, she had done nothing wrong.
“Hey girls!” Gary waved from the lawn. He had a completely different vibe in his evening clothes, looking much less like a typical lad in square glasses and nice jeans. “We waited for you!”
Lottie gave Rose a look and Rose understood her meaning at once: Gary cleans up well…
He wasn’t her cuppa but he could certainly be Lottie’s.
“We had to get our look right, you know!” Hope laughed. “Now the party can get started!”
The islanders whooped along with Hope, doing their best to shake the uneasy feeling left by the bombshell text.
“Thank you for waiting for us,” Rose said as she and Lottie separated, drifting towards their respective partners.
Instead of Noah, whom the thanks was primarily directed at, Bobby responded, “We didn’t mind one bit, lass.” He winked at her.
Rose smiled in kind, but took Noah’s hand and said, “Thank you both.” Being near the two boys at the same time felt like walking into an active war zone.
“Let me get you a drink?” Noah asked, ducking his head closer to hers as he spoke, effectively cutting Bobby out of their circle. “They’ve got all sorts.”
She squeezed Noah’s hand. “Lead the way.”
“So,” Noah said, voice quiet as he spoke only to her. “I heard talk of a girls-only full moon ritual tonight. Are you planning to take part?”
Rose laughed, recalling Lottie’s insistence that the full moon on the first night of filming was an omen and that they should take care to honor it by convening in the moonlight. She’d gone along with it in the moment because she wanted to befriend Lottie and earn her trust. She shrugged. “Might be a laugh,” she said. “Lottie is really something.”
Noah pouted. “I was hoping you’d prefer to get a head start on sleeping with me—“ He cut himself off with a startled expression. “I mean, er, on sharing a bed.” Shaking his head, he started over. “I was hoping you’d like to cuddle instead.”
For his sake, Rose demurely hid her giggle behind a hand. “I knew what you meant,” she reassured him. “But, sorry, I’m all about the girl code.”
“Was afraid you’d say that.”
“I was going to ask how you felt about sharing a bed, but I suppose I’ve got my answer.” From the corner of her peripheral, she saw the rest of the group descending upon the bar, she had to shift gears quickly in case she didn’t have time for this conversation later.
Noah seemed to understand her meaning perfectly, grinning ever-so-slightly and nodding in confirmation. “I’d be up for it as long as you are,” he said. “No funny business, of course.”
She leaned in conspiratorially, easing her nerves with a joking tone. “Do you think any of the couples are going to be up to funny business right off?”
“Lottie and Rocco I could see,” he said with no hesitation. “I feel like Rocco would try it with anyone, though.”
“He hasn’t much flirted with me,” Rose corrected. “I think he knows I’m not the type to try it with.”
“Or that you’re a terrible flirt,” Noah teased. “Can’t be bothered.”
“Hey!” She lightly smacked his arm. “Your manner of flirting isn’t much better, so I don’t want to hear it.”
He shrugged coolly. “Takes one to know one.”
Rose huffed and rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face, she could tell that Noah’s teasing was affectionate.
“What are you two on about?” Gary asked as he shuffled back behind the bar. It was now too late for Noah to make Rose that drink, so she hoped Gary’s bartending skills were up to par.
“Just chatting,” Rose said, sharing a sly grin with her partner. “Where’s Hannah?”
Gary rolled his eyes, not a good sign. “She’s upset about something again. I swear that girl has cried on me twice and we’ve just met.”
“Poor thing…” Rose took a seat at the bar and watched Noah do the same. She turned so that her knees were facing his, doing her best to keep him in the loop while she talked to Gary. Normally, at a pub with her friends, she wouldn’t be concerned with making such clear delineations between platonic and romantic encounters, but things were different within the context of Love Island. She didn’t want to strike up a conversation with a guy that she wasn’t interested in and have her actual crush get the wrong idea. Noah, for his part, seemed to get the message. He laid a hand carefully on her knee, glancing up for permission and gracing her with a smile when she gave it.
“I feel for her,” Rose said. “This is all a touch overwhelming.”
“But you’re not crying all over your lad, are you?” Gary scooped ice into a shaker with an unsteady hand. It was clear that he’d expected to have a much more enjoyable first day, Hannah must really be getting to him. “Do you want a drink?”
“What can you make?” She wanted to humor him while also changing the subject. She hoped he would launch into trying to impress her with his bartending knowledge.
“Not much, I was just going to make some vodka crans,” he said. Then, “Do you think there’s anyone else I can pawn Hannah off onto?”
As she thought of what to say, Rose felt Noah begin tapping his thumb on her knee. She wondered if the gesture was simply absentminded movement or if he was anxious. It made her wish Gary would leave them alone so that she could find out. She said, “I don’t think that’s a nice way to think about your partner. I mean, it’s fine if you don’t like her but she is a person, no?”
Gary seemed to deflate. “You’re right,” he said. “Sorry.” As he began shaking the cocktail shaker, the other islanders gathered around.
“What are you making?” Lottie asked, shouting over the din of ice rattling against metal.
“Vodka cran.” Gary stopped shaking the drink. “Want one?”
Rose breathed a sigh of relief as the two began a conversation of their own, cutting her and Noah back out and into their own bubble. She leaned in close to his shoulder and waited for him to incline his ear. “You planning on doing any grafting?” She asked in a whisper, shooting a grin to let him know that she was half-teasing. At this intersection, though, she wouldn’t mind either way. There were people they both wanted to get to know better, but she also didn’t want to push Noah away if he happened to want to stay by her side.
He gave her a look. “You trying to get rid of me?”
“Not at all!” She frowned, trying to seem cool had backfired. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to stay glued to me out of obligation.”
Noah gave her knee a light squeeze. “It might be good to chat with some other people, but only if you’re okay.”
“I can take care of myself,” she assured him, and she expected him to politely reassure her again. What she didn’t expect was for him to immediately excuse himself, leaving her alone with Gary and Lottie. She hadn’t been lying when she said his grafting other girls wouldn’t bother her, but she couldn’t help but feel discarded in the moment.
“Everything alright, love?” Gary slid a pink cocktail toward her. “Where’s laddy off to?”
She took the drink and stirred it dejectedly with the tiny plastic straw he’d garnished it with before taking a sip. “Grafting.” The drink tasted much stronger than she would have liked, which is what she got for letting a crane operator bartend.
“Rose?” A warm hand landed on her shoulder, and she turned to see Bobby smiling wide at her.
She smiled back though her mind reeled, feeling a little like he’d caught her momentarily playing the role of damsel in distress. “Hi,” was all she managed to say to her knight in beachy, floral armor.
“Noah leave you all alone?” Bobby asked. “I thought better of him.”
Rose sighed, seeing no point in hiding what was obvious. “I told him he could,” she explained. “I just didn’t think he’d be so eager.”
“Well lucky for you—” He slid into the barstool Noah had left open with ease, his knees almost knocking with hers as she hadn’t had a chance to turn away. If he minded the proximity, it didn’t show. “I’m here to keep you company all you like.”
Despite her mixed emotions, Rose chuckled at Bobby’s cheerful demeanor and stayed put, allowing their legs to remain touching. “To be clear, I told him he could go.” She allowed her face to fall into a full-on dejected pout. “I chased him off.”
Bobby rolled his eyes. “Forgive me, lass,” he said. “But I overheard. He’s not supposed to actually take you up on the offer like that.”
Not in the mood to chastise her partner, even if Bobby’s words were vindicating, Rose changed the subject. “How are you feeling with Marisol?”
He tapped his nose, then pointed with his thumb in a smooth motion, indicating Marisol’s approach to their left. He stood and offered a hand. “Fancy a chat on the daybeds?”
Rose nodded, taking his hand and sliding off the barstool before Marisol could interrupt them. She called to Gary, “Thanks for the drink!”
The dismissive way in which Noah had abandoned her may have left a bitter taste in her mouth, but it did its job to make her feel significantly less guilty in her desire to entertain Bobby’s advances. She allowed him to keep his hand wrapped around hers as they walked to the daybeds, ignoring a look from Noah and carefully dodging Marisol and Hannah along the way. When he finally let go, they were seated on the edge of one of the daybeds and far enough away from the other islanders that they wouldn’t be overheard. Of course, the cameraman that followed them was an exception, but he did his best to make himself scarce.
“I feel we haven’t gotten to chat at all.” Bobby’s hand fell gently to her bare thigh, grounding Rose in the conversation and making her forget the camera operator entirely. “I wanted to ask you something, though.”
Something about Bobby’s effortlessly casual way of speaking put Rose at ease. She’d never gotten along with men like Bobby before, usually finding quiet guys like Noah to be more her type, but Bobby gave her the impression that he was concerned only with her the entire time they were speaking. So far, all of her conversations in the villa had been distracted ones — the cameras and bright lights and new beginnings making it that much harder to connect — but speaking with Bobby was completely different, the conversation felt as intimate as speaking with an old friend.
“What’s that?” Rose asked, leaning closer to him as if she could further close off the rest of the world. She cracked a smile and joked, “And don’t ask where my head is at.”
“Damn.” Bobby sucked his teeth, feigning disappointment. “That’s exactly what I was going to ask, though!”
Rose shook her head, giggling. “I think I’ve already had enough of the villa speak.”
“Same here, actually,” Bobby said. Then, “I was actually going to ask you if it was alright that I kissed you during the challenge.” His voice was matter-of-fact, conveying uncharacteristically earnest thought behind the question.
“Oh…” Rose flushed, remembering the warmth of his rough hand on her chin, tilting her face up towards the sun so that he could kiss her cheek. The gesture had been so caring and intimate in the way he’d sensed her apprehension and asked permission. She almost couldn’t believe he was asking for reassurance when he’d been so careful in the first place. “Of course it was alright.” Her voice came out stilted, overwhelmed by the memory and by his thumb tracing intrepid circles above her knee.
Bobby took his hand away and leaned back on the daybed. A flicker of something resembling self-consciousness passed across his face, so quickly that Rose thought she might have imagined it. “You’re a shy one,” he said. His voice was soft like he was trying to match her level of energy. “I don’t want to — I don’t know —” He frowned, struggling to find the words. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable if…” He trailed off.
It was a strange feeling, the ache Rose felt seeing Bobby shrink into himself. His confidence seemed to come so easily that seeing it slip — even momentarily — was jarring. She reached for his hand without a second thought, the desire to reassure him overpowering any apprehension or guilt she may feel about reaching for a man who is not her partner.
“Do you really fancy me the most?” She asked, laying her hand gently atop his. “That’s who you were supposed to kiss.”
Bobby grinned, confidence back in a burst. “I do.”
“Then I see no problem, you just followed what was written on the card.”
“Is that okay?” Bobby asked. “That I fancy you? You and Noah seem to be getting on for the most part.”
“It’s day one, yeah? I don’t think it would be wise to put all of my eggs in one basket already.” That was how she felt, but it sounded much simpler said out loud. Inwardly, her head was already beginning to be done in by trying to quantify her feelings for the two men.
Bobby turned his palm up to face hers and closed his fingers around her hand, using their linked hands to pull himself closer. In a deepened voice that made butterflies swarm in Rose’s abdomen, he asked, “Are you saying you’d like to put some eggs in my basket?”
“If you’ll have them,” Rose laughed, answering without hesitation.
“Oh, I’ll have ‘em, lassie.” His accent went gruff, emphasizing just how keen he was. It struck Rose that this felt like a far cry from the conversations she’d had with Noah so far. While Noah was committed to playing it cool and only just letting her know how he felt, Bobby seemed to lay his intentions bare. “And for the record,” he added. “I’m prepared to earn a proper kiss from you.”
“Earn?” Rose’s voice caught in her throat, only allowing the one word to pass.
“Aye. Earn.” He raised her hand to his lips and ghosted a searing kiss to her wrist. The way Bobby cycled between easy jokes and confident flirting was dizzying, but the natural magnetism he possessed allowed him to pull it off quite well.
At a loss for words, Rose smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. In opposition to the burning stare she’d felt from Noah, Bobby’s gaze betrayed obvious infatuation. She could not be sure whether it would last, but she felt comfortable, for the moment, to bask in it.
-
hiii it’s been a second, so sorry!! thank you all to everyone who has commented, reblogged, or messaged me about this fic, i’m glad you’re excited for it!! also i was gonna put a real kiss in this one but no. slow burns only. <3
Fresh from the shower, towel wrapped around his waist, Noah headed through the flat, leaving the steamy bathroom for his bedroom.
The sun beat against the curtains he’d forgotten to open earlier. He could feel the heat radiating through already, and briefly thought about leaving them shut while he changed, but ahhh, the nice days were few enough that he wanted to make the most of it.
Noah threw open the curtains, and the sun poured through, making the beads of water that still clung to his tone torso gleam. He opened up the window, really welcoming that glorious day into his space.
His eye caught across the street; an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous girl was at her car. He’d never seen her nor her apple green Fiat 500 in the neighbourhood before. It was a cute car, for a Fiat 500, and an even cuter owner, for being the owner of a Fiat 500. Especially for being the owner of a Fiat 500.
He watched her waving away a man in a business suit that Noah had seen about a couple of times, but not often. She had her car keys in one hand, and some house keys propped in her other. As the man disappeared into his white BMW M3 that was for sure a late model version, and, God, had personalised plates - Noah had to roll his eyes at how much the car alone screamed ‘I’m a showy asshole’ - she stuck a copy of the house keys onto the ring of her car keys. Was she … just moving in? He hoped so, damn, she was really hot. He wouldn’t mind seeing her around a lot more.
That’s when she looked up; right at him; caught him watching her as he stood in just a towel at his window. Fuck.
Her eyes went wide and Noah leapt out of sight, his heart hammering and cheeks burning red. Damn, he hoped that maybe she wasn’t moving in now.
He pushed the beautiful stranger out of his mind, wanting to go about his morning in peace. He had just been opening the curtains, that’s all, nothing weird about that. Yeah, she happened to be on the street across from him, and he stood there staring at her, but he was just being curious, not pervy.
As he made himself coffee and toast for his breakfast, he thought about going over to explain all of that. He was hesitant that it might just make him look weirder. Was it better to never address it? As he got dressed, he had to conclude that maybe he was just thinking about it too hard.
But then, dressed, watered, and ready, he was stuck with nothing else to do on his day off. He had been planning on just reading until the afternoon, but his head was too caught up with what happened.
He had resigned himself that he was going to see her again and he would have to live the rest of his life reminded of this one moment where he was caught watching this pretty girl across the street while he stood naked in a towel.
Great.
Hands on his hips, he stared at his door. He needed to get out, to go do something. It was a nice day after all, he should go out to the park or something and read out in the open instead of cooping himself up all day.
Noah grabbed the beaten up James Bond book he was trying to get through, and with his keys and wallet in his trouser pockets, he headed out the door.
It was even warmer outside; there was no breeze sweeping down the street, so it was just the full sun hitting his brown skin, feeling like a blanket, engulfing him all around. He could get used to more days like this.
The radiance of the sun shot his mood up considerably, and melted all his worries and ill-will out of him, leaving him to jauntily skip down the steps to the street, not something he found himself doing often.
Someone was playing music. It was just the radio, the hosts of Romford’s number one station interrupting the song before it had a chance to completely finish so they could say what a brilliant tune they thought it was.
And he realised it was coming from the Fiat.
She wasn’t inside. The doors facing onto the path were wide open directly in front of the open door to the flat that sat across from his.
Noah paused.
He hesitantly stepped across the street, and had just made it up onto the opposite pavement when the girl came out of the flat. She was quietly singing under her breath, a notable skip in her step as she launched down from her door to the path.
Her singing stopped when she spotted him, but that might have just been because she hadn’t expected to see anyone. Noah raised his brows, putting a half smile that he hoped was full of ease on his face at the same time she gave him a welcoming, bright smile. Already she was turning away, her focus on her car.
Noah stood awkwardly to the side while she bent over and stretched inside the vehicle. He had to drag his eyes away, not looking at what he really wanted to see because he’d already fumbled with being caught staring.
When she came back up, a small box in hand, Noah again tried not to look too weird. “Hey,“ he began, but she looked surprised to see him still standing there.
“Oh, hey, sorry,” she said, brows knotting together in a frown of concern, “I’m not blocking the path, am I?”
His brows shot up in an instant. “Oh, no, not at all! I actually - are you moving in? I wondered if you wanted a hand?”
Her expressions went through all manner of changes in a fleeting second; she was surprised, thoughtful, frowning, and eventually burst into a huge grin.
“Whoa, I never thought it would happen,” she says, a giggle in her voice that was as light as the breeze. She had a Scottish accent, he wasn’t too sure whereabouts, but it was pretty distinctive, and insanely attractive.
“What would happen?” He asked in reply, unable to help his own grin. Her good mood was infectious, and it warmed him inside.
“Well, you know, you see it in the movies and the sitcoms all the time, right?” She grinned, eyes narrowed on him, but it was all in good humour. “Cute guy offering the girl unloading her car a hand to move in. If it were a sitcom, though, you probably wouldn’t see me again after the initial episode I’m in.”
He couldn’t help but grin even wider, a chuckle escaping him. “Oh, am I the main character, then?”
“Well, the whole window flashing thing is for sure main character energy,” she joked, barely suppressing a laugh as he tried not to go red. “Not really girl-of-the-week vibes, but don’t worry, I’m the main character of my own story.” She winked.
“Well, I’m more of a book guy, myself,” he said, holding up the James Bond book. “And usually this type of scenario is the set up to the premise, rather than a one off.”
She hums, still eyeing him like she’s working him out. “So, I guess we should figure out what we’re in then. Though, if you look in the boxes of my boot, you’ll see what kind of girl I am, too.”
“Well, I have to find out now,” he says, passing her to go to the back of her car. “Is it unlocked?”
She nods.
He couldn’t help giving her another sneaky glance before he pressed the button to open up her boot, anticipating what he might find. His heart beat ridiculously fast. They were both still smiling, almost stupidly. At least he was anyway. Hers was as warm as the sun, hypnotic and enchanting, making him want to stop and stay still in the moment, basking in it, letting it envelop him like there’s nothing more in the world he might need or desire. Her smile was everything.
When the boot was popped, it revealed an entire trunk full of boxes of books. It took him a moment to take it all in; the host of colours putting rainbows to shame; from romance to horror to the classics to a pile that exclusively had shirtless men on the cover, Noah thought she must have had all her bases covered.
He had never felt such a host of emotions at once. His heart thumped away like crazy, and he felt a twinge in his trousers.
“No James Bond, unfortunately, but I think I’ve got a decent variation,” she said.
“You’ve got your own little library in here,” he says, gawking up at her.
“I mean, it’s only a tiny drop of what I actually have. I packed in a hurry, so I only took my favourites,” she says, eyes darting away uncomfortably.
Needing to pack in a hurry? His mind went immediately to a break up and he hadn’t realised how much he had been hoping she was single until now.
“Oh? I mean, not to intrude, and feel free not to answer me,” he says, picking up one of the larger boxes of books, wanting to impress. It was incredibly heavy and he had to put a significant amount of attention into making it appear like it wasn’t. “But is everything okay? You aren’t in any trouble, are you?”
She shook her head, her dark hair shaking out and catching the sun like the glistening waves at a sunny beach. “I’m all right. Just my ex - he refused to move out of our place, so as soon as I got the go ahead for this place, I packed up everything I could fit into Betty here,” she paused to adoringly pat the roof of her Fiat, “and left.”
“Well, hey,” he said, taking a step towards the flat - the box was really, really heavy - “if you need a hand getting anything else back, I’d be happy to lend any help I can. My sister’s ex was an ass when they broke up and he wouldn’t give her any of her stuff back until me and my brother showed up at his door. We never did anything, just pleasantly said we were there for her belongings and that was it.”
“Ridiculous that that’s all you need to do. I would sigh and say ‘ugh, men’, but,” her smile slowly stole back onto her face, “there’s for sure plenty of good ones out there.”
Noah swallowed.
She led them up into the flat, and he allowed himself the chance to eye her from behind this time. Her shorts were tight and fitted. He had to tell himself to cut it out when he realised he was biting down on his bottom lip.
Instead of checking out her ass, he got to looking about, and couldn’t help but compare it to his own place across the street. “It’s nice,” he said, “small, but, it’s just you, isn’t it?”
She nods. “Sure is. It’s only temporary anyway, so I wasn’t looking for anywhere big or flashy.”
Noah left the box in the main room, near a built in shelf so she wouldn’t have to drag it over later. He glanced out the window, and pointed out. “Hey, you can see my place from here,” he joked, hoping to make her laugh.
She sidled right up beside him. “You know, the landlord hadn’t mentioned anything about the nice views. Absolutely nada.”
Damn. He felt heat rising in his cheeks and something else rising between his legs.
“Shall I expect that sight every morning?” She asked, hands on her hips, leaning towards him. She clearly wasn’t shy and, even better, did not think he was some weirdo creeper.
“Just the nice ones.”
“Just the nice ones? You know, having you shirtless and wet at the window would make every morning a good one.”
“Well, now that you mention it, seeing your neighbour shirtless and wet would make a good start to any morning.”
“Sounds like a considerate thing to do,” she smirked, then very abruptly held her hand out to him. “You know, all this talk and I’ve not even introduced myself yet,” she went on, shaking her head in disbelief at herself. “I’m Daphs.”
“Noah.”
He took her hand. Electricity passed between them, and he felt like he knew her already, there was suddenly something so familiar about her, like he’d known her in another life, like this was almost how it was meant to be.
She looked him dead in the eye and gave him her charming smile again. “It’s very nice to meet you, Noah.”
Finally getting what feels like their happily ever after, it’s time for Noah and Inès to settle back into real life. All while also looking back at the events that happened in the villa, reliving the events as they happen on screen – both good and bad – while also moving on, together.
it’s taken me so long, but I’ve finally started updating my first ever fic and dear trash baby: the triumph of time. It’s still not a piece of art, but I’m definitely happier with the writing now. For everyone unfamiliar, it’s a Noah x MC fic that covers both the their post-villa and villa life in alternating chapters, and was originally written in early 2020
“I wanted to see you again right away. I called you so many times inside my heart — And then, like, you really appeared!”
LITG ships as Ghibli!edits: Noah x Inès as my personal favourite couple, Seiji and Shizuku (Whisper of the Heart, 1995) for the incomparable @ariendiel ✨
Hello, and welcome to the first instalment of Mirrored Hearts: Beach Hut Confessions! Today, we’ve got our very own Noah with us, to answer a few questions about his first days in the Villa… If you have any more questions yourselves for our usually so quiet librarian, feel free to send them our way and we’ll make sure they get to him.
What did you expect coming in to Love Island? Did you have some sort of plan or idea of what your stay would be?
“Hm, let me think for a moment. I wouldn’t say I had a plan or set expectations, but maybe an idea? Or a hope more like it. It feels naïve now, but I actually hoped I’d find love, and it’s early days still so who knows.”
What was your first thought when Clarice said your name?
“Good question, and I’m not sure what my first thought was… I think maybe I worried about Zane for a moment. I don’t know her that well yet, but she seems nice and kind, and I’d like her to stay. But I also know I wasn’t her first choice, and that we’d probably be nothing more than friends even though I’d be willing to give it a go maybe. So in that sense, I guess I also thought that I’d have to give Clarice a chance too. She’s new, which can’t be easy, and I’m looking forwards to getting to know her.”
Did you expect to be the first boy stolen by a bombshell so early in the game?
“No at all! I’m not sure how one could ever expect something like that to be honest. I mean, the other lads are all amazing and Clarice seems great – if a bit intimidating. I knew there was always a risk of course, but I went onto Love Island with no expectations really and that’s true for being stolen by a bombshell too.”
Since all this journey was your siblings idea, what do you reckon they think about your first days in the villa?
“I can see my brother rolling his eyes at me not being more proactive, but my sister would be more understanding. I think, maybe. Actually, probably not. I think they’re also arguing over which girl they think I ‘fit’ best with, as they have, uhm, very different ideas when it comes to that sort of thing… Actually, I think I could’ve done with their advice, as it’s only been a couple of days and I’m already a bit lost.”
At least Jake and MC waited until they were a proper couple to do any couple shit. Noah trying to be with Hope, Priya, and MC at the same time? Trash. Sorry not sorry.
Hope was annoying at times about the relationship, but at least she stayed true to him the whole time. She may have liked Lucas for a little bit, but there was no active pursuing, and there certainly wasn’t any shady shit about it.
Yikes, day before the finale, banging MC on the rooftop behind Hope’s back—AND HE’S NOT EVEN ENDING IT WITH HER.
BIG YIKES. Poor Noah stans got backstabbed, and they’ll probably still come out looking like the bad guy while Noah pretends it didn’t mean anything. Sorry you gotta go through this Noah stans.
