I Shall Not Want
-March 13th, 11:00 PM-
Miko Abrams returns from a late shift at the clinic, tired and surprised the lights are still on. Even her son learned when he was young that his mother worked late sometimes and that it was more helpful for her to know that he was in bed on time. She was surprised to see not just Noah hard at work in the kitchen, but her husband sitting by and watching him a mix of concern and fascination.
Miko gives a kiss on the cheek to her spouse as she slips her shoes off, looking to him and then at Noah:
"Emergency White Day preparation for McCathy-chan I assume?" she asks
"Yes, he's been quite busy, Fumbling around with marshmallow fluff since he got back from helping at the homeless shelter"
"He usually just bought them before, I assume he had some inspiration?"
"He was reading some verses from John before he just ran to the store for marshmallow fluff, I didn't know how to help him so I've been staying out of his way since I got back"
"Oh, I'll see what I can do to speed things along then"
Miko cradles her head in the palm of her slender, quick hands: she was making chocolates since her mom taught her it was the key to winning student council elections when her charisma alone was not enough. A quick smirk runs across her face as she approaches Noah and watches him work. He's a bit clumsy working with the raw dark chocolate, having kept all of the rejected chocolates to give out to others later. He had globs of marshmallow fluff all over his fingers while his wings were gently tied back to keep them from getting in the sweets and spoiling the flavor with feathers.
"I can see your problem, you're not putting enough inside of the molds," Miko says as she sidles up by her son and puts her hand forward, offering her skills.
"Thank you Mom, but Noah needs these to be gently done or the fluff will leak out and make the whole thing look unsightly," he says with determination as his mom looks over the molds he's using: dark chocolate angel of grace and androgynous variety. The figure was simple: A gown with long hanging sleeves and dove wings on its back with an odd stare, like it was perfectly neutral about its situation.
"It's a complicated shape dear, it's alright if they're a bit messy since it's half the fun when you're baking with marshmallow fluff" Miko says with a smile as Noah sighs, tiredly handing the white-filled baster to her.
Miko is precise with her release of the fluff, squeezing on the tops and letting it escape a little. She takes one of the rejects and bites into it, nodding at the mix of compelling bitterness one gets at the start and the finishing sweetness within.
"They're delicious, Noah" she says as her son's wings flutter.
"Noah is glad the flavor isn't too jarring, Noah did his best to make these feel... personal"
Samuel tries one of the rejects and has a similar reaction: "Reminds me of a place in Vermont I'd go to in between courthouse work: They made all kinds of weird combos"
Noah looked at his creations and tried one: It tasted like it felt like knowing Sally.
She was bitter and hard to approach.
She was noticeable and loud.
But still an angel with a sweet soul.
As Noah was the Archangel Gabriel who saw to show the strength of God's virtues, Sally was the disciplined hand of Micheal who boldly fought against the corruption she saw in the world. He felt his heart beat a bit faster thinking of her: the cute faces she would make at church, her limitless resolve to keep fighting against the parts of her that would commit self-sabotage, her swift calls to action during prayer, and the amount she has improved since he started dating her.
It made him smile as he packed the chocolates in a lace bag tied with a white bow, ready for tomorrow.
-March 14th, 5:00 AM-
Noah's love for White Day was limited given the reputation he often cultivated as a cute foreign girl. He could never hate anything of course, but this was the day he traditionally received lots of chocolate from people thinking he was a girl.
If his experience in middle school taught him anything, he can avoid uncomfortable confessions and gifts by arriving very early to school and helping out with class duties. As he lands in front of Shiketsu he is thankful to see nobody waiting for him, but he starts to feel bad by the time he reaches his shoe locker: Already 2 confessions with chocolates. He tucks them into his bag, hoping they signed their name so he can politely inform them of his masculinity and his girlfriend.
He walks up to 1-D's homeroom, surprised to see someone else here as early as he was: His Sensei, Rosethorn. The woman wore a cream-colored pantsuit with her usual long ponytail hairstyle as she looked at the seating chart.
"Good morning, Sensei" Noah says politely as he takes the broom out of the closet, noticing some dust around the desks.
"Good morning, Abrams, your here quite early"
"Noah just.. has problems on White Day Noah would prefer to avoid this year"
Rosethorn nods: his reputation did proceed him: "And you’re worried McCathy may have a bad reaction to that sort of behavior?"
Noah nods as he places the bag of chocolate angels on his desk and starts sweeping.
Rosethorn smiles a bit toward the diligent boy: "Given how considerate you are, it must be hard informing people of their misconceptions about you"
"It hurts Noah to hurt them like that, and some years Noah would just go along with it in middle school but... Sally is not in the place for games like that. She deserves the best"
"How many boys did you have to turn down last year?"
"Noah believes it was twelve"
"Why not just ignore the love letters? You don't have to respond to those"
"It would be rude not to give them closure at least, even if Noah has to cause pain to someone else over something so minor..."
"I do have to wonder if that is your compulsion talking or just personality"
"Noah... Noah has difficulties separating them"
"Does it bother you that they gel together?"
Noah takes a few moments to think of a response, considering where he began and his quirk compulsion ended. He'd lived with it since he was 5 and simply felt it was his something divine keeping him able to save others. Hero work challenged that and asked him to make hard decisions regularly with little time to think or pray it through. Despite that, he was still able to make those decisions and live with himself.
"Noah...Noah worries when Noah will have to solve a trolley problem"
"You'll find the right answer when it comes, Abrams: I know it" Rosethorn says with an encouraging smile and a hand on his shoulder.
-March 14th, Lunch Hour-
Sally sat atop the roof, awaiting Noah. She'd been trying to keep him safe from the many boys wanting to hand him chocolates, to which she was eager to explain he was her boyfriend. While she was ready to fire warning shots at the idiots who kept insisting she was just his bodyguard and that they were no threat(even eating their own chocolates to prove they were not poisoned), Noah didn't want her to get detention today of all days and made her promise to get caught for unsanctioned quirk use on a holiday.
She fiddled with her hair, using some ribbons she brought to tie it into low twin-tails. It was a bit messy but still gave her the degree of cuteness she wanted. Just as she's using her phone camera to get a look at herself, Noah comes back, lunch and chocolates in hand: both look handmade. While the lunch was a simple pair of BLT sandwiches on white bread, the chocolates intrigued her.
A solemn, dark angel in a simple gown with its wings spread outward, with fluffy white marshmallow oozing from its core.
She looks at Noah with a smile: "Thank you, I'm glad you made something. I was worried I'd have to make chocolates again before Inigo told me it's not how this holiday works"
"Noah would have accepted them all the same, Sally. Your chocolates for Valentine's day were delicious" he says with a smile as Sally opens the bag, biting off the head of one of the angels and savoring the flavor.
"These are awesome! Dark Chocolate was a trip to the grocery store so I only got it around easter or Christmas... how did you know I liked it?"
"Noah wanted to make something that nicely reflected you, Noah is very happy you like it though"
Sally stared into the large, simply shaped eyes of angel chocolate. Its mouth was a mere line as its arms were outstretched in a seemingly welcoming position. The desire for compassion was there, but its expression spoke of darker deeds. She hugs Noah and lays her head atop his, closing her eyes as she feels a feathery blanket conceal them.
"I never... saw myself as an angel, even when I was little. You are the first person to ever give me that much credit"
"Noah knows you can save people: You are neither weapon nor monster. God made you exactly how he intended to, and gave you the tools to help others see that"
The two lovebirds embraced and shared the chocolates, sure of their trust in each other. When the worldly demands of school came back, the two packed up their food. Noah slowly approaches the gun nun and plants a quick peck on her cheek, causing her to blush gleefully.
"It still feels like... I don't deserve you"
"A soul in peril like yours can be a geyser of faith when given tender care: You don't need to fight for Noah"
"But I will if anyone tries to hurt you, never forget that" Sally says serious smile while Noah gives a nervous grin.
HAPPY WHITE DAY