Nightmares on a Snowy Lane

NOAH

I wait and tell myself "life ain't chess,"

Noah Olson, a hunter of Halo, had never stayed in bed all day in his entire life. He always had things to do, tasks to accomplish, people to feed. When duty called, the man was known even to move out to work even while under a fever. Some might think him foolish for living such a life, but Noah did not know any different. Even Hotaru, another blonde woman he had met briefly, had tried to convince him to take a vacation. Noah mentally protested his brother's leaving for weeks because he thought his brother's selfish (self-caring?) act was not the right thing to do.

Despite that, laying there beside Delphine, did not seem so unfathomable to him.

He let his breath out, slow and deep and warm, and spoke. "We can do whatever you would like." He meant what he said, too. If she wanted to lay in bed all day and talk, or not, he would. If she wanted to bundle up and explore parts of Snowcloak, he would. If she wanted to rearrange and paint the house, he would. All he wanted, more than anything now, was to be with her, to feel happy.

She was right, though, about the hangover. He could feel the beginnings of a headache start to throb in the back of his skull, now that the aftermath glow of sex was starting to wear off. For being a man with such hard and strict rules in his life, how to act and how to be, having let himself devour and entire bottle of whiskey was starting to feel heavy on his chest. He knew that familiar feeling--it was shame.

But no one comes in and yes, you're alone...