Too many times have they run here to not have found this cave. It stands strong, looking just like how it did since discovering it.
Tracing the stone, his fingers graze particularly odd bumps, and Noah stops there. Inspecting the bumps, Noah sees the carvings and laugh, the odds now amusing.
"Even at a time like now I'm drawn to traces of you."
It was carvings Tulip and Noah made, dating to when they met to sometime last month. The one he found and looks at are words they wrote with stones they broke to sharpen.
Noah remembers how startled Tulip got when he threw a load of stones to get the perfect one. He even got the feeble-looking girl to throw some herself.
They got their individual stones and started carving the cave all over. They weren't so immature to vandalise the whole cave but there's a significant amount.
The one Noah faces says 'Tulip x Noah'. A trend people would write if they had stones and something to draw on.
That one is one of the first of many carvings. That one was essential though, for a place full of memories you have to write your names.
By his memories, there's another below that one. This one was carved a year before than the other one, the height difference proving that.
A drawing Tulip sculpted, a butterfly.
Noah bursts out laughing thinking back to it, this was fundamentally the beginning of when he learnt of Tulip's infatuation of butterflies and insects as a whole.
Yellow summer butterflies, blue ones, white, and even moths that gave Noah the creeps.
They had a conversation, when Tulip started to go to school. It felt like it would never happen, she could finally say her own words and sentences. One day when they were at this very place, Noah asked her what her name meant.
Tulip shrugged, saying there isn't much to it. Then disclosing she came up with it on the spot.
Noah who heard this for this first time was dumbstruck. Tulip said it so casually, but to Noah and other ordinary people would find her words wild. He shouted 'on the spot?!' and hysterically asked what that meant.
That day Noah found out because Tulip had no idea of what he was saying at the time, she said some random word that caught her interest and proclaimed it was her name, and because she has no problem with it being her name she hasn't said anything.
So stunned, the only question that he gathered was what her name was if not Tulip. Until this day Noah isn't sure if Tulip told him, he's certain she said something afterwards but it's all a blur.
That's what happens when you have a bad memory, but Noah does remember Tulip isn't her name.
No one would expect someone's name who they're close to-to be false this entire time, but it's partly Noah's fault. He assumed that her name was Tulip knowing how clueless she was at the time. Names are universal you know, can't blame younger Noah thinking she knew what a name was.
The name 'Tulip' suits her so well that it's truly mind blowing it isn't her birth name. Although it's ironic he thinks so, recalling the time he thought Tulip lied to him after telling him the nonsensical name.
After telling him that it was made up on the spot, Tulip justified the reason she picked the name; the first butterfly she ever saw landed on Tulips when they bumped into each other, waiting for her on a batch of Tulips. Telling him that she didn't care at all at the time what Noah was saying to her, single-mindedly spellbound by the creature.
A small bug like butterflies they see every summer and other seasons, Noah doesn't understand why Tulip is so interested in them. Regardless, it's so innocent Noah can't judge.
Every colour of the rainbow is Tulip's favourite, dark, light or neon, she loves them all. Same goes for insects including the poisonous colourful ones. She got really upset finding out she can't get near colourful ones, his Mum knew Tulip would keep it as a pet.
They don't have pet butterflies, or beetles, or an ant farm, but Tulip has attempted to have some.
They'd often die by Tulip confining them then feeding the wrong stuff, she would go depressed after that, isolating herself or not eating saying she didn't deserve it. When she learnt of the word 'murderer' she called herself one.
So he bought and borrowed from libraries books about insects and whatever she struggled on.
Good times. Noah smiles thinking back at those times., mixed emotions subsist. It's all so bittersweet and he knows he's the reason this push and pull game is prolonging.
He acts so clueless, and you can say he is. Noah knows of the reasons of these feelings, but he doesn't know if he's ready to accept them, so he doesn't. Not even acknowledging them, shoving it farther away then needed.
"I knew you'd be here."
A voice Noah recognises appear a few steps away from him, slightly husky shor of breath.
"Why are you here?"
Noah asks, still facing the carvings and stroking it.
"Don't you see the sky? It's night. Extremely late too."
Looking up at the sky, Noah confirms it is night. Though he doesn't know if it's as late as Lincoln says.
"…"
"Your Mum is worried, Tulip is worried, she had to come to me asking for help. I looked around for hours. What are you doing?"
Flattening his hand on top of the initials, Noah turns to Lincoln and in a soft faint voice mumbles.
"Tulip asked?"
"Yeah, she did. Looked like she was about to cry. So go home."
"You're not mad at me?"
"What? That's not related."
"Tulip's mad at me too you know? Left me today."
Sneering, the words sounds bizarre to Noah himself who experienced it. The bittersweet expression that subsists screw to a stinging sensation that jab at his chest. He can't feel resentment, not when this was prepared for.