,. you won't be alone

[kari]

It had been over a year since Noah September had moved to Milwaukee. Living in Ireland for most of his life, he'd been happy to have a change. After all, moving here meant getting away from his parents. When his older brother had moved here and left him behind, he couldn't pretend that he hadn't been hurt. After all, they were supposed to be not just brothers but best friends. And the fact that he would escape to another country without taking Noah had made him wonder if he really did like him as much as he said he did. For an entire year, he'd been forced to be the only child for his parents. Needless to say, it was not fun. The only thing that made staying in Ireland worth while was a certain brunette girl by the name of Melrose Ortega. She was a firey Spanish girl who had literally taken Noah's world by storm. Back when his older brother, Damian had still been in the country, the three of them were like the three musketeers. Partners in crime. But then Damien had left, which meant that Noah and Melrose were only to get closer and closer. She truly had been his closest friend. He felt as if he could tell her anything and she would know how to make him feel better about it. It may have come as no surprise, but over time, their relationship had turned into something more than just friends. Before he knew it, Noah September found himself falling head over heels for the young woman.

But then, this was when Damien asked him to move to America. On the one hand, this had been the opportunity he'd been waiting for for so long. A chance to get away from his family and to start a new life. One for himself. On the other hand, he would be leaving the person who meant the most to him in the world. It hadn't been easy, telling her his decision. But she had been supportive. Noah had even gone so far as to invite her to go with him, but she'd decline him. Obviously because of her parents. And so, the two were forced to say goodbye. If the young man recalled correctly, his last words in person to her was a promise that he would one day return for her. He didn't know when, and he didn't know how, but he did have the intention of keeping that promise. After all, he didn't see the point in most things when Melrose wasn't there to enjoy them as well. Even so, he knew that his decision had been the right one, in moving to America. Life in general was just so much easier for him. Without his parents there, he was able to finally feel free. Of course, he couldn't help missing Rose. He hadn't wanted to leave her behind at all. And he regretted it every single day. It only made it worse, every time he saw Damien and Savannah together. They were so happy, it was sickening. In love. Just like he was with Melrose.

For an entire year he'd had to deal with her absence. One would argue that it wasn't fair that he'd had to be without her, and he would agree whole-heartedly. Noah honestly hadn't expected anything out of the ordinary to happen on this day. He'd woken up in a somewhat unhappy mood, and had been in a quiet mood for the entirety of the morning. He'd elected to stay home, not wanting to go anywhere. This was the type of day where he wanted his alone time. Some people didn't understand why he liked being alone, but he did. It helped to clear his head when he needed it. In fact, for most of the afternoon, Noah had been holed up in his room with nothing but his guitar and a notebook for company. This was the kind of peace that the young man needed from time to time. And it was always the best way to write his songs. He didn't like trying to think of lyrics when he was in the middle of a crowded room. All of the noise and confusion defeated the purpose. No, he was much happier in his place of comfort. His own little zone, if you will. And as a matter of fact, he'd been able to do quite a bit of writing today. It wasn't a guarantee that he would keep everything, but still.

This was when he heard a familiar noise from his computer. Looking up from his guitar, a slight confused look crossed his features. He hadn't realized that he'd left his messenger open. Setting the instrument on his bed, he moved to his desk and took a look at who had wanted to say hello. To his surprise and enjoyment, it was the very girl he'd been hoping to hear from. The words that shone on the screen seemed like a trick of sorts. Could she really be telling him what he thought she was. Noah responded quickly, trying to get her to elaborate on what she meant. And apparently she meant that she was on a plane to him right that very second. Noah's heart leaped at the thought. In less than two hours, she would be there right in front of him. As the conversation went on, he began to get more and more suspicious. Noah knew what her parents were like and he knew that something was not right. He tried to get her to confess what was wrong, but she was being evasive and elusive as usual. Well, as long as she made it to him, that was all he cared about. Still, there was a sense of unquiet within him. Something he couldn't shake. When she finally told him that she was sick, he knew she wasn't telling him everything. But he accepted that much.

The minutes seemed to tick by in a painfully slow fashion. Luckily, he at least had the words on the screen of get him through the time. Still, he knew it wasn't enough and the moment that he finally saw her again was a moment that was taking entirely too long to arrive. Finally, what seemed like an entire day later, Melrose informed him that her plane would be landing in a matter of minutes. This got is adrenaline going and he said goodbye, signing off and jumping out of the chair. Immediately, he began collecting what he would need to drive out to the airport. Wallet, phone, keys. He was set. He checked his reflection for a few seconds, not bothering with it much. Melrose already knew what he looked like. As he walked out of his room and descended the staircase, he wished he had time to go pick up some flowers for her or something. Oh well. They could always make a pit stop or something. At that moment, he was focused on getting to the airport. Luckily for Noah, he knew just where it was. After all, it had been the exact airport he'd landed in a year ago. The trip felt entirely too long to Noah and he began to get fidgety. Why was it that people only drove slow when he needed to get somewhere fast?

Finally, he was there. Noah pulled into the parking lot and found a decent parking space. As soon as the car was off, he hopped out of it, tempted to run inside. But that just wasn't him. And so he merely walked. Quickly. He made it inside and immediately began searching for the proper gate. When he found it, he was unhappy to see that people were not piling out of it yet. He stood impatiently and uncertainly, waiting until he thought he couldn't take it anymore. This was when the first of the group came out. Random people found their loved ones, running excitedly towards them and making it all that much more annoying that he had to wait. Dark chocolate eyes searched every face, hoping it was the one he was looking for. She had to be there somewhere, right? She wouldn't lie to him like that. So all he had to do was wait for just a few more seconds. Just a few more, and he would finally see her again.

STATUS: finished!
TAGGED: melrose ortega
WORD COUNT: 1435
OUTFIT: you might fall off this track
NOTES: yayyyyy.

[rose]

Melrose Estelle Ortega’s week had taken a drastic turn. It had started off a normal one, going to school, coming home, doing homework, staying out of her father’s way. But you see, there was one thing about Melrose Ortega, and it was that she didn’t back down from anything. So when she got dared to do a rather dangerous stunt at school, she immediately accepted. Unluckily enough for her, that also meant that the detention she got later for that stunt meant she got home late from school, when she had something with her father planned. Rose never was afraid of much, she’d always been rather brave and fearless. But when it came to her father, she spoke of him in fear, and it certainly wasn’t the reverent kind. Ever since she’d hit her teens, she’d been her father’s punching bag whenever he got upset and wanted to take it out on her. She had been able to hide the bruises she got from each time her father took a belt or his hands to her soft skin, wearing long sleeved shirts or scarves. No one had ever really guessed anything other than the fact her father yelled a lot and he had wicked temper… no one except for Noah September. The boy had been her best friend ever since she’d know him, him and his brother, Damien. They’d all gotten along immediately, falling into a cycle that led to raising hell and not really having any regrets with the things they did with each other. They’d always been the three musketeers, but it was slightly difficult for Rose not to pick favorites, especially not when she always felt her heart fluttering when it came to the boy with the chocolate colored eyes and curly dark hair. The only negative thing she had to say, and it wasn’t really negative, only in her situation, was that he was damn perceptive. He was always the one, over his brother, who managed to catch a glimpse of new bruise she was trying so hard to hide. He’d always be the one to ask questions, nothing more than concerned, and she always had to lie to him, and she hated it. She hated her father even more for giving her a reason to lie to Noah.

Their relationship was unique and amazing, and it was Melrose’s saving grace. When Damien picked up and left two years ago, Noah and Rose had no where to go except closer to each other. Without Damien, their relationship grew and flourished into something that Rose would never have dreamed it to be… and also one that she would forever be grateful for. The girl had never been happier then in that year with Noah, spending time with him constantly, and watching their relationship grow from friends to more than friends. It took no time at all for Melrose Ortega to fall in love with Noah September. But then, things changed yet again. Damien invited Noah to join him in America, and Noah said yes. Of course, she wouldn’t tell him not to go. It was everything he’d ever dreamed of, having the opportunity to start a new life, and she knew that. She managed to hide just how unhappy she was about him leaving, because with him life was so much better. To describe the difference in her life before that year with just her and Noah, it was like everything had been black and white. But as they grew closer, things suddenly went to Technicolor, and nothing seemed as bad as it used to, not even her father. Truth be told, Noah kept her out of trouble. He was able to balance out her personality perfectly, which kept her more rebellious and daredevil side at bay, which led to her not getting in trouble, which consequentially led to less bruises to have to lie about and hide from Noah. Life had been amazing, and now it was all changing. From the moment he turned his back on her to go get on that plane to a new life, she’d clung to his promise that he’d come back for her. She trusted him with everything, and she wouldn’t doubt him on that. For now, the only thing she had to do was get through her time spent without him in one piece, which was easier said than done. With the one person she loved more than anything in the world gone, her life slipped back into the droning monotony it had before. The only thing she could really console herself with was her writing, which seemed to improved the more her heart seemed to break at the absence of the one person who meant the most ot her in the world.

However, with her down mood came her awful temper. The beatings her father gave her grew more and more frequent, and suddenly the bruises were showing on more than just her arms, back, stomach, and legs. When she came to school after trying to feebly cover up a bruise shaped like a hand print on her face, it had raised questions, which she had fiercely fought off. Even though she knew that if she told people what her father did, she’d be saved, she couldn’t do it. Despite the fact she hated her father for what he did, she couldn’t betray him like that. But that was just another excuse. The real reason was that she was scared shitless of what he might do to her if she told. Rose took the pain he dealt to her verbally and physically with a martyr’s façade. But that was one thing she wouldn’t be able to stand, because she wouldn’t put murder past her father if he got angry enough. She didn’t quite know why being late to meeting with him after school one day evoked such rage out of him, but it had. The moment she had walked through the door, he had been yelling at her. It was so hard for Rose just to take people yelling at her and insulting her, and she was close to the edge with her father’s shit anyway, so when she uttered a sentence back to defend herself, it shouldn’t have surprised her that she would get smacked. She’d taken a lot of beatings from the man, but none of them ever compared to what she felt that day. She was able to make it up to her room after her father was done, having a hard time breathing through the pain that was lacing through her ribs and her collar bone, but the moment she was able to close her door she collapsed onto the ground, clenching her eyes shut as she started to cry. She had to get out of here, but she had no place to go! She rolled over, trying her best to breathe as shallowly as possible so her ribs wouldn’t ache so bad. Her eyes roamed the walls of her room, before finally resting on a picture on her wall, one of her and Noah. That was when the idea entered her mind. She’d been putting money away for a long time, for a time exactly like this one, to use to get out of Ireland. A year and a half ago, she would never have thought she’d have to use it. But clearly, things were different now. Slowly, she made her way over to the corner of her room where she had a rug, flipping it up and using her nails to pull out a panel of wood, where her cash was stashed. She grabbed a bag, a pink duffel closest to her, and shoved it all in. She hadn’t counted lately, but if she had to guess, she had near over ten thousand dollars in it. Rose packed some other things, still slowly as she was careful to move too fast lest she be nearly debilitated in pain, and then grabbed her laptop.

Making it to the airport and buying her ticket had been shamefully easy. The moment she was able to collapse into one of those nice, roomy, upper class airliner seats, she felt relief coursing through her. She was finally out, and her parents wouldn’t know what happened to her until they found the note that she left in her room, simply saying that she’d had to run away. She wasn’t stupid enough to put where, because she knew that they would find her. Little did they know, she was on a plane straight to Milwaukee… straight to Noah September, the person who made her feel the safest in the world. When she was two hours away from Milwaukee, she drifted out of a pain filled sleep she’d fallen into, and reached for her laptop, signing on to her messenger and becoming extremely satisfied to see Noah online. She told him he was on a plane to Milwaukee, and despite the pain that plagued her every movement, she that familiar warm feeling flooding through her. However, at the same time, there was a cold sense of anxiety there as well. She knew that Noah would be more than just a little upset at her condition, which was strangely getting worse. She started getting the chills, as though she had a fever, and when she raised a hand to test her own forehead, she wasn’t surprised to find that it was very hot. When she told Noah she didn’t feel good, she knew he guessed something was wrong. She’d been stupid and had been letting little hints to her condition into the conversation, which was a major fail for her. Finally, though, he signed off just before she had to put her laptop away because they were landing. The plane’s wheels touched the ground, then they coasted to the gate they were coming in at. Melrose waited for everyone else to get off the plane first. She didn’t want to be rushed, especially when she knew she’d be moving more than just a little slowly.

Melrose finally lifted her hurting body out of the chair, surprised at how weak she felt. But that was probably just because she was sick. She slowly made her way towards the front of the plane, then out the door, and into the hallway which led to the outside of the gate where Noah would be waiting for her. Excitement flushed through her, and unconsciously she quickened her step. Soon though, she had to pause, leaning against the wall, trying to catch her breath against the fierce pain radiating through her ribs and her collar bone. Her father had done more damage than he’d ever done. Slowly, she allowed her quickened breathing to subside, before walking slowly forward, through the opening that led to where people could greet their loved ones. Her dark, tired, pain filled eyes searched the faces, until they finally met the eyes of the one she wanted. That warm feeling flooded through her belly, momentarily making her forget her pain as she gave him a slow, open, loving smile. She began her walk towards him, her breathing coming quicker and quicker as that feeling became overpowered by how sick she felt and how much she was hurting. Finally, she was in front of him, and she just let her laptop bag drop to her side as she reached out to gently hug him around his waist, her head falling against his chest. She went slightly limp as that feeling of being completely safe flooded through her, and she murmured softly, ”Don’t squeeze! I hurt…”

[/color] she faded off weakly, leaning back to look up into his face. God damn, he was just so beautiful. It was so easy to forget how much she hurt at that moment, but then she began to slowly falter. She closed her eyes for a second, growing dizzy. ”Noah… I don’t feel so good… I think… I…”[/color] Suddenly, she went limp in his arms, her head lulling against his chest as she passed out. So much for a happy greeting.

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STATUS: done
TAGGED: noah christian september <3
LISTENING TO: i'm yours, the script
NOTES: EPICCC. c:
OUTFIT: here

[/blockquote]

[kari]

Noah September was at least blessed with one thing. While his parents were terrible people, he still had one person to turn to when he needed it. He couldn't say that he'd ever been close to the people he called mother and father, but his one and only sibling seemed to make up for it. It wasn't normal for brothers to get along as well as they did, but Noah and Damien never claimed to be normal in any sense of the word. They were both dedicated young men who had good heads on their shoulders. How they managed it with their parents was a mystery, but young Noah was glad. He was glad that Damien wasn't anything like their parents. And he was glad that he could relate to him on so many levels. They may have seemed like exact opposites to most people, but to someone who really knew them, they were extremely similar. Which was why it had been so hard when Damien had left for America. He'd left behind everything that they were. It was almost as if he was leaving Noah behind because he knew he didn't need him. The older boy was easily the charming of two. He knew how to talk to people and he was constantly open and smiling. Noah, on the other hand, was quiet and reserved. And so it only made sense that he would think that Damien would grow tired of him. It seemed, though, on that fateful day when Noah received the call from his brother, inviting him to America, that maybe this wasn't true after all. Maybe.

So, in a way, Noah was lucky that he had that escape. There were other people that were not so lucky. Unfortunately, miss Melrose Ortega was one of them. She didn't have any siblings to help her through the bad times. She merely had her friends. And even then, he knew she didn't turn to them fully. Noah was a very perceptive young man, a result of constantly watching instead of talking. To him, it was as plain as day that all was not right within her family. As much as she tried to hide it, and all the feeble lies she'd fed him. He wasn't stupid. Something was very off. But he could never get her to admit it. And what could he do when she so forcefully disagreed? Noah had seen the bruises, and he'd noticed the way fear seemed to make its way into her eyes whenever her father was around. Countless times, he tried to get her to tell him the truth. But she simply wouldn't. Stubborn by nature, Melrose refused to let anyone in on her secret world of pain. Even the one person she claimed to care about more than anyone. It pained Noah to know she was going through such a thing and that there was nothing he could do to help her. It was only made so much worse when he had to leave. Melrose was the only reason he'd almost told Damien no when he'd invited him.

To leave her with such people would surely mean a terrible tragedy. But there was simply nothing he could do. The one thing Noah hated feeling the most was helpless. And he was exactly that. Helpless to get her to speak the truth. Helpless to make it stop. And helpless to stay near her. She was everything to him, and he had to let her go. She would never know just how hard it was to leave her. How very hard it was to get on that plane. For a time, he didn't know if he'd have the strength. What helped him to go through it was the promise of a better life, and that one day he would return for her. She'd tried to hide how much it hurt to see him leave, but Noah had always been able to read her so well. He knew he was causing her pain and it killed him. One day. One day he would make sure that all of her hurting was no more. He would finally be able to rid her of the constant bruises and the lies and the haunted look that was nestled so comfortably in her eyes. There was nothing in the world that he wouldn't give to see her smile genuinely, to laugh as if she didn't have a care in the world. The young brunette really had no clue how much she meant to him. How often he thought about her. Or how completely and irrevocably in love with her he was.

Now that he knew she would be there, in his arms, in a matter of moments, he had a feeling that this was a second chance. Here, in this typical American town in Wisconsin, he could finally make a difference in her life. He was very aware that her parents didn't know where she was, which would more than likely prove to be a good thing. They wouldn't be interrupting and stealing her away from him once again. No, he would finally have her all to himself. The young man had absolutely no problem in letting her stay with him and Damien, and he knew his older brother would feel the same. She was one of their closest friends. The most important thing in Noah's life. The year that he had spent away from Rose had been a tough one. He'd missed everything about being around her. The way she laughed, the way she smelled, the small smile that she reserved only for him. This list could go on and on, and he would never run out of things to add. Everything about her was what he loved. Maybe this made him a fool for leaving her. Was chasing his dreams really worth leaving her behind? Noah had questioned his decision every single day. But now that she was going to be here, he could make it up to her. He could finally keep that promise. The one where he would keep her safe.

It was very hard, standing in the middle of the airport, eyes trained on the crowd that oozed out of the gates. With every passing face that wasn't hers, his heart sank lower and lower to the ground. Where was she? And why was it taking her so long to get to him? Right when he was ready to march all the way to the airplane to find her, his dark gaze spotted her small form. In an instant, a love that he hadn't felt in ages, flooded through him. And there it was, that smile she only used for him. It was returned with one of his own. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. It barely registered in his brain that she hadn't been kidding about the hair cut when she started moving towards him. His feet took him forward, closing the gap between them that much faster. His arms wrapped around her torso and he was tempted to hug her tightly before she spoke. Obeying her command, he left his embrace gentle and loose. As much as he wanted to lift her up and spin her in circles, he knew that it was a bad idea. She was, after all, sick. And apparently hurting. A million questions littered his mind, but as he looked down at her, staring back up at him, he didn't need to ask them. How long had he been waiting for this moment? And it was finally here. Despite the fact that he was beginning to worry for Rose, he was truly happy.

And then everything shifted. His smile slowly faded as he watched her close her eyes and then begin to stumble. Something was very, very wrong. ”Noah… I don’t feel so good… I think… I…” He caught her as she fell against him. Sudden fear made it's way through the boy. His dark eyes went wide. "Rose?!" He uttered, unsure of what else to do. He moved a hand to wipe her hair from her face and as soon as he made skin contact, he felt the heat radiating off of her. She really was sick. With an almost shocking amount of ease, he scooped her up, cradling her close to his chest and grabbed her bag, slinging it over his shoulder. The worry that he felt would have to be dealt with later. He was going to get her home and make sure that her condition wasn't too serious. Obviously it wasn't minor when she was fainting, but maybe her long trip had something to do with it. He knew better, of course. But he didn't want to work himself up. Especially in public. If he was going to break down or anything, he would much rather do it in the privacy of his own home. And so he walked back out to his car, managing to get the back door open, laying her inside. He hopped in the front, throwing her bag in the passenger's seat. As he drove the relatively short distance back home, he checked the rear view mirror so many times that he was almost driving off of memory of the roads.

When he pulled up into the driveway, a sense of relief washed through him, but he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. Noah retrieved the bag and moved to the back seat to gently pick Melrose up once again. She was so light that it made him wonder if she'd been eating properly lately. Noah managed to open the front door and entered his home. For a moment, he was uncertain of what to do. In a split second decision, he carried the young woman upstairs and made his way into his bedroom. Carefully, he laid her down on his bed. The bag dropped to the floor and he left it there. His chocolate eyes scanned over her worriedly. She was still breathing, which was a good sign. Maybe she just needed to sleep it off. A hand went to her forehead, the burning that he felt caused his heart to leap. Just how bad was this fever? Maybe he needed to help cool her down. He thought about getting a wet wash cloth, but first, he figured he could remove the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing. She seemed to have something on underneath it. Noah was not the kind of guy who would be taking advantage of her in a situation like this. Or ever, and so as he removed the article of clothing, it was only in hopes that she would feel better. However, as his deep gaze got a look at the obvious reason as to why she'd worn this heavy shirt, his mouth went slightly agape. Dark bruises littered her beautiful skin. He raised the tank top slightly, exposing her stomach and had to let go of it to hide what proved to be even more bruises.

There were very few things that ever truly upset Noah. It took a lot to shake him to the core. But this, this was more than enough. It was all he could do to keep from causing a very loud scene. His entire body began a rhythmic shaking that he couldn't control. There was only one person he knew sadistic enough to do something like this. Melrose's father had to have been to blame. If Noah had been in the same country as him, he would have gone right up to him and beat the living shit out of him. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he was not there. Why? Why would anyone harm this innocent girl in such a way? Noah returned his gaze to her face, the anger only increasing. She looked as if she were in pain, even as she slept. This was something that he hadn't been prepared for and something he'd hoped she would never endure. In that moment he prayed for a way to take it from her, so that he was the one with the bruises instead. He certainly deserved them far more than she did. This was his fault. For not being there, for not helping her when he knew he should have. All of those bruises, all of the pain she was feeling. Noah was to blame, and that absolutely killed him.

STATUS: finished!
TAGGED: melrose ortega
WORD COUNT: 2106
OUTFIT: you might fall off this track
NOTES: idk how this happened! but omg this is so cute!

[rose]

It was true, Melrose Ortega’s life hadn’t been the easiest. Quite frankly, it had actually been quite hard, especially considering the things she bore alone. However, she was well aware that this was her own fault and she had no one to blame but herself for it. It was hard for her to share things that hurt her, or caused awful memories to be dredged up, even when it came to people she loved. Rose was well aware the Noah September realized something was very wrong with her life at home. But she also knew that he knew that she wasn’t going to give anything away. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell Noah, quite frankly, it was the exact opposite. But he was one of those boys that, when it was someone they cared about, reacted one of two ways: by being empathetic to the situation, realizing the pain their loved one was in and feeling that pain as well, or somehow finding someway to blame themselves for their loved one’s pain even happening. With Noah, Rose figured that it wouldn’t just be one of those things, it would probably be both. She loved him more than anything, she really did, but she wouldn’t let her pain be his pain, too, not if she had anything to say about. Which, at the time, she had. Keeping Noah in the dark had just been the easiest path of action for her, and after a while he learned to not bring the situation up at all, because she’d just shut him down. However, there was still a part of her that yearned deeply for sharing her dark secret. For not having to bear the weight of it alone, that maybe if she told someone, they’d be able to give her a way out of the situation, a way to help her. She knew most people’s logical solution to her problem would be to tell the police. However, there were a few things wrong with that. Melrose was afraid of her father, there was no doubting that, and she’d be horribly afraid of what he’d do to her if she ever told. Another thing was her mother, that spineless woman that said she loved her daughter. Mrs. Ortega was more than aware of her daughters situation, was aware that her husband beat her only child, the very same one she herself had brought into the world over seventeen years ago, and yet, she turned the other cheek. She turned her back on Melrose, leaving her with no one to turn to. The final most prominent reason was the fact that Rose had no place to run to if she finally left her family. Noah and his brother were long gone, and she didn’t trust anyone else.

Noah’s absence in her life had torn her to pieces in so many different ways. She missed his warmth, that smile of his, his laugh, the way his dark eyes seemed to burn whenever he was feeling something strongly. She missed their long talks, lasting until one of them fell asleep. She missed everything that he was, and everything that he made her. No one in her life even seemed to compare in the slightest. Melrose had no qualms about waiting for Noah to come back for her, and she would be more than happy to wait for only him and have no one else in her life. This was easier said then done. It wasn’t that she had been tempted to go to anyone else, it was just that as soon as Noah left, and word got around that the couple had split, she’d been having to beat the guys off with a stick. Melrose had never once in her life thought of herself as anything special. She didn’t think she was all that attractive, her personality certainly had it’s flaws. The only person who had ever made her feel like she was absolutely perfect was long gone by now. However, all these boys seemed to be drawn in by her exotic look, fragile frame, and daredevil personality. No, she had not once been tempted to give any of these boys a chance. They came asking for her heart, and often times something other than that, and she had shut them all down without a second thought, because she knew that she belonged to one person alone, and that person was going to come back to her, or she was going to somehow make it to him, instead.

She had no idea of the things that would come to pass before the year was up. She knew that living without Noah was going to be more than just a little difficult, there was no other way to get past that. He made up a large part of her life, and with him gone, that part of her was just missing, strangely vacant and leaving her feel slightly desolate and lonely. She didn’t have the luxury of turning to family members when life got bad, like he did. She was all alone, and it was all her own fault. She should have agreed to go with him when he invited her with him. But Rose had been stupid, and scared, and said no. And look where she was now? Bruised, hurting, sick, and running scared shitless away from the one man who terrified her more than anything. She couldn’t help a sense of relief, however, because she knew that it would be damn hard for her father to find her, even if he put his mind to it. Staying with the boys made this even easier for her, because she had enough money to get by for a while if she didn’t have to worry about paying rent and having to draw money out of her trust fund. So, that part was good… but she didn’t know how she was going to be able to keep her condition from Noah. She’d never been hurt this badly before, and honestly, she didn’t think she had the strength to keep her walls up much longer.

Seeing him, it made so many things fall into place for her. Like that lonely feeling she’d had constantly over the past year just disappeared. And the fear that had haunted her suddenly disappeared, because she couldn’t help but feel like nothing could go wrong when she was with Noah. However, this wasn’t how it was, and this became clear when she suddenly lost consciousness in middle of the airport. It was a strange trip, because at times she was close to consciousness, could hear a crowd, then a car. Then there was silence, darkness, and she knew nothing. The next time she came to, her eyes were hard to open. She was still cold, but she wasn’t as foggy as she used to be. Slowly, she was able to open her eyes, taking in her surroundings, and remembering what happened the moment she saw Noah standing before her. She looked down at herself, and her face grew pale, paler than it already was. The bruises covering her arms and upper chest were evident in nothing but a tank top, and taking another look at his face, she knew that he had figured it all out. That everything had been pieced together in his mind. And she also saw that he was angry, and that there was guilt written all over his face. Slowly, she rose, standing up, wavering slightly but managing to keep her balance. She then slowly began lifting her tank top above her head, until she was in nothing but a bra. Wincing as she threw the garment to the side, she let Noah have full display of every single bruise littering her skin. She had to look down as she turned, showing him her backside, and her gaze was still cast downward as she turned back around. ”this is why I had to leave.”

[/color] she told him softly, her eyes finally meeting his. She noticed that smoldering expression in his eyes, and instantly gather that he was angry, horribly angry. It showed in his eyes, the tenseness of his face. Rose started slowly forward, until her hands were on his chest, steadying herself as she looked up at him. Another hand went slowly to his face, touching his cheek gently as she whispered in a tortured voice, ”Please don’t be angry. Please.”[/color] She gazed up at him for a long moment, before leaning into him, her arms coming around his waist, her head tucking itself neatly beneath his chin, and despite everything, she felt happy to finally be in his arms again, and she knew that everything was going to be okay.

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STATUS: done
TAGGED: noah christian september <3
LISTENING TO: heads will roll, yeah yeah yeahs.
NOTES: asdfsdf. cute. shorter. but cute.
OUTFIT: here

[/blockquote]

[kari]

To say that living without Rose had been easy, would surely be the biggest lie that the young man could ever tell. From the painful moment that he'd left her in Ireland, things just hadn't been the same. Sure, he was finally getting away from everything that he hated, but he was also getting away from everything that he loved. He wasn't sure if Melrose realized how much she meant to him. Or just how very difficult it had been to leave her. When she'd declined his offer to come with him, he'd been half tempted to drag her along. But, he couldn't do that to her. Noah would never make her do anything. He just couldn't. But he couldn't pretend that he hadn't been upset when she'd said no. In fact, he'd been hoping she would say yes. It did make him feel better, though, to know that it wasn't because she didn't want to be with him. It was merely her family getting in the way of her life once again. Something that they were just a little too good at doing. All the while that she was not there, it took an obvious toll on the young man. While he knew better than to mope around, he wasn't truly happy. His brother could tell that all wasn't right, but then, Noah had informed him long ago of what had happened between him and Melrose. Even if they had been half a world apart, Noah still told him everything. It was just the bond that they had. Even if Noah had been left behind for a year.

The guilt he'd been feeling was only tripled as his dark eyes beheld the scene in front of him. Melrose's innocent form was battered and bruised beyond anything he'd ever seen before. So many emotions ran through him in the moment, it was hard to focus on just one. But in the end, he chose anger. As laid-back as he often was, Noah wasn't a stranger to anger. When someone upset him enough, he could fly off the handle. It was very hard to not do just that right then. Even if Rose wasn't conscious, he didn't want her waking up to him making a scene. And so, he merely settled on trying to calm himself with a few deep breaths and happy thoughts. Though the happy thoughts were not working out all that well, considering he couldn't stop staring at the agonized expression on her face. His anger was only rivaled by his sickening guilt. Memories from when he left Ireland invaded his mind and he couldn't help but wish that he'd done things differently. What if he hadn't left? Would he have been able to stop this from happening? If he'd been there for her when he knew he should have been, would she simply be smiling at him right then instead of having passed out from pain? Or even if he'd persisted until she'd agreed to come to America with him. Would she have been able to stay? It was possible that her parents wouldn't have let her, but she might have been happier than she was now.

And so, as he gazed upon her fragile and broken form, there was nothing more that he wished than to make it go away, by any means necessary. He was tempted to pick her up once again and take her to the hospital when she stirred. He watched her intently as she understood what he understood. They'd come to an agreement of sorts without having to speak a single word. What would she do now that she knew he knew the truth? Would she finally quit her feeble lies and just tell him everything that had gone on? And of course, the most important question was, would she be alright? It was obvious that she'd gone through something terrible. And she really hadn't gotten a chance to tell him all of her ailments. There was a possibility that there were broken bones somewhere. Noah's anger sizzled even more at this thought. He tried not to picture that horrible man hitting her hard enough to break her bones. That was a mental image that he just did not need. But Noah had a tendency to drive himself insane when he was feeling guilty about something, and this was no exception. No matter how hard he tried to feel better about anything, it only backfired, causing him to feel that much worse. Even so, his own emotional pain was not his top priority. What he cared about most was making sure Rose would be alright.

Before he had the chance to speak to her, he saw that she was trying to get up. His hands hovered over her worriedly, ready to catch her if she fell. At this point, the dominant expression in his eyes had switched to nervousness. He didn't want her fainting again. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. Why didn't she just sit still when she was in such obvious pain? She didn't need to prove anything to him anymore, or pretend that she was alright. Because, he already knew things were far from alright. She then pulled a move that he hadn't expected. She lifted her remaining shirt over her head, discarding it on the floor. Now that Noah could see all of the bruises in their full glory, he had to close his eyes for a moment and think about anything but what he'd just witnessed. Purely to avoid getting out of control and tearing up everything in sight. He didn't think that this would help Rose in any way whatsoever. Don't get him wrong, Noah was glad that she was finally being honest with him, but it almost felt as if she were trying to kill him. Surely he would explode with the mess of heated emotions that were churning at a rapid rate inside of him. The young man found the strength to open his eyes again and this was when she spoke. He fixed his gaze on her face which was pointed at the floor as if she were ashamed of what she was showing him. Melrose had no reason to be ashamed for this. It wasn't her fault in the least. If anyone should be ashamed, it was him. For letting something like this happen to her, for not coming back to Ireland for her sooner. He'd completely shattered his promise and he wondered if there was any hope of picking up the scattered pieces.

Her words finally registered in her brain. So, it had taken this much for her to leave. Young Noah September would never understand the devotion she showed to a man she was so terrified of. Then again, he knew that part of why she stayed was also his fault. He'd left the country, and Rose had no one else to turn to. But Noah could be thankful for the fact that she had left when she did. If her father had no problem doing this to her, who knew how much worse it could get? But now that she was here, he'd never let that happen. Now that they were together again, Noah would try his hardest to make sure that nothing like that ever happened to her again. He would rather die than have her go through this even once. When she met his gaze, the intensity of his expression increased. He wondered if she noticed how agonized he was over this. He'd rather she didn't, though. He didn't want to add any more stress than she was already under. It was then that she moved forward and Noah immediately reached out to steady her. He looked down as her small hands touched his chest and then he looked up to her eyes once again. The expression that she showed him had him internally begging for her to kill him right then. Noah felt her hand on his face and he subconsciously raised his own to cover it. Her tortured voice was enough to sap away all of his anger and leave him with nothing but agony. How could he not be mad, though? After what had happened to her, there was no way to not be furious at everything. Except her, of course. Because none of this was her fault. And she didn't deserve it at all.

After a moment, she finally leaned fully into him and he wrapped his arms around her frail frame as gently as he could while still being firm. He let his mind run around for a few seconds as he decided what he was going to say to her. It occurred to him that he hadn't spoken to her yet. Not that he'd had much of a chance before she'd fainted, but still. "Rose..." He began in a strained voice. It was becoming increasingly hard to speak in a controlled tone. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you." He paused once again and his voice was harder with his next statement. "But, I won't let it happen again. I promise you. I won't leave you again." Every word that he spoke was as true as anything he'd ever said. No matter what, he would find a way to keep her safe. He wouldn't let her go back to Ireland and he wouldn't let her father get a hold of her again. No, she was staying right here where he could take care of her. There was nothing in the world that he wouldn't do for her, and even if it meant climbing to great heights, he would keep his promise this time. She would be safe. No matter what.

STATUS: finished!
TAGGED: melrose ortega
WORD COUNT: 1684
OUTFIT: you might fall off this track
NOTES: eibbrkedihf. brb, dying from the cuteness.

[rose]

Melrose honestly couldn’t say the exact moment she started loving Noah September as more than just her best friend. For the longest time, it hadn’t been Noah she’d had a crush on, it had been his older brother, Damien. When they had been younger, and Rose had been inclined to being annoying as hell on purpose, she had followed the older boy around without fail. Even when Damien had tried to get rid of her, she’d somehow managed to stay close, and that might have been why eventually, they turned out having an amazing friendship. Had she realized at that point that her future was standing right there beside Damien, staring at her with his chocolate brown eyes and dark, curly hair? At that point, no. But it became clearer as she grew that she had been staring at the wrong person with that light in her eyes all along. Truth be told, Rose had never been in love before. She didn’t know what it would feel like or what it would make her want to do. But when she fell in love with Noah, it all became clear. The strength of her feelings for him baffled her, left her feeling slightly confused at how she could possibly contain so much emotion for one person. It was more than she could really put into words, at least, not as herself. While Noah had been busy with his music, she had been busy with her writing. Her heartbreak over Noah leaving had her inspired, and she began to pour their story onto paper. As she read over it some nights, growing teary eyed at some parts and smiling and laughing at others, she realized just how much she adored the young man, and how absolutely unfair this distance between them was.

Rose’s life, although it had taken a very sharp turn once Noah had left, she’d never lost hope. She’d had complete faith in Noah’s promise to her, because she trusted him. If it came right down to it, she’d put her life in his very hands. But, it would never come to that, and she just knew that when Noah came back to her, life would be set right again. However, that wasn’t how things were turning out. She was coming to see Noah instead of Noah coming to her, but she wasn’t taking it like he had broken his promise. She knew that eventually, he would have come. But her going to him had come first. It had been a necessary action, and she knew Noah would welcome her with open arms. She was confident in the fact that he loved her just as much as she loved him. She had no idea why, considering she was nothing special, but she knew it was true, because Noah wouldn’t lie to her, especially not when it came to something as important and emotional as that. Rose would forever remember him leaving her in Ireland, as he walked away as she tried to stay strong and not break down. She hadn’t succeeded, and had ended up running after him and jumping on him, wrapping her legs around him as she kissed him and told him to come back to her, and that she would love him every second he was gone. She’d kept true to that statement, and whenever Rose was able to talk to Noah whether it be over the phone or email, or instant messenging, she made sure he knew it. Rose was aware, even though she’d never been in love before Noah, she’d never love anyone else. There would be no one else for her like Noah.

Rose felt absolutely awful at that guilt she saw on his face the moment she first woke up. The fact that he was blaming himself was absolutely fucking ridiculous. How could any of this possibly be his fault? Rose was to blame. She was the one that practically stopped functioning properly the moment he left and she couldn’t see him, and that was her own fault. Noah’s leaving had been the best thing that had happened to him, and if it was right for him, then it was right for her. Chasing his dreams, and leaving her behind to do it, she couldn’t blame him. She wished so badly she’d agreed to come with him when he had asked her, but that was behind them now. And the priority at the moment was the fact that she was with him, at this very moment, and she was coming clean. Everything was changing for them now, she could feel the shift as well as a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. Noah understood, he understood what she had been hiding from him, and now she didn’t have to hide it anymore, and she didn’t have to be afraid, either. Life was going to start looking up for the two of them, she was confident about that. But first, she had to make that guilty and agonized look leave his eyes. She had to make him feel better. His pain overshadowed hers, and it took her breath away.

The look in his eyes killed her as their gazes finally met after she had exposed herself to him. She shouldn’t have done it the way she did, maybe a more subtler way would have been better, but she was going all out now. She wasn’t going to be afraid of letting him know exactly how things were, but next time, if there even was a next time, she wouldn’t do it like this. That agonized look that crossed his features was too much for her to bear, and the overwhelming need to comfort him came over her like a swift wind. When she stumbled towards him, and his hands reached out to steady her, her skin must have felt clammy and cold to the touch. She was freezing, still sick and suffering from a fever, but that wasn’t on her mind right now. Right now, she was going to try her damnedest to get that look off of his face. Telling him not to be angry wouldn’t do it, but it would be a start. She couldn’t allow him to keep doing this to himself. Melrose Ortega knew exactly how to read Noah September, whether he liked it or not. If he tried to hide something, it wouldn’t be completely hidden from Rose. Somehow, someway, she’d find out how he really felt. And that was no different with this situation. No matter how much he tried to hide his agony or his anger, he couldn’t keep it from her completely, though she lost wish he could. Rose laced her fingers through his as he put his hand over hers, sighing softly as she squeezed them gently.

His arms around her were more than enough to make all of her troubles slip away, but the gravity of the situation still weighed heavily on her. When she heard him speak, she leaned back slightly so she could gaze up into his face as she studied his tone and his expression. It was obviously strained and then, it was hard. Rose looked up at him for the longest time, and then murmured, ”I believe you, Noah. I know you will.”

[/color] she told him softly, her hand reaching up to gently caress the side of his face again. She hated that he was in pain over this, when it wasn’t his fault in the least. Rose looked up at him for a long moment, before finally leaning up, holding her breath so she wouldn’t give away the pain she was in by hissing out from between her teeth, and touching her lips softly, gently to his. She could go on for days about how that kiss was, about how much it truly affected her and shook her down to her very core. Her lips moved softly against his, and finally, she leaned back, allowing herself to stop stretching her aching ribs as she settled back down on the heels of her feet. She took a deep breath to steady herself, leaning her forehead against his chest once more, her arms going up to wrap around his neck as she leaned against him with her full weight, which probably wasn’t even all that much. She could have stayed like that forever, but there was something else that needed to be said. She leaned back once more, her dark eyes soft and open, tender and full of love as she murmured, tone equal to all of those things, ”I love you, Noah September.”[/color]

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STATUS: done
TAGGED: noah christian september <3
LISTENING TO: send it on, ft. jonas brothers, demi lovato, miley cyrus, selena gomez.
NOTES: yeah, i died. YOU GOT A PROBLEM!?
OUTFIT: here

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