The first thing Kris noticed was the mural painted on the wall. It was of a bright sky, littered with only a few clouds, as well as a large yellow ball, representing the sun.
"HOLY [$!?!], YOU ACTUALLY [Came, seen, went!]" Spamton laughed, his body physically glitching from his excitement. Noelle grinned and waved at the puppet, who laughed even harder.
"SO, WHAT'LL IT BE, [[Big Shot]]!?" he asked them, leaning on the counter with his tiny body. It would have been comical if his head didn't glitch painfully, splitting open with darkness floating out of his head for a second, only for his head to reform.
Kris took a hesitant step forward, stepping on a glitching, decaying Maus. He sneered in disgust, taking another look around. This place was…filthy.
As was expected of a trash site, he supposed. An array of items were lined up on the puppet's desk, and most of them looked like he had gotten them from the trash. One of them, however, was a sleek neon green key.
"Hey Spamton…why did you decide to set up shop here?" Noelle asked, tilting her head, her veil tilting along with her.
Spamton sighed, holding his head in his hands. "TRUST M3 [Noooeeelleee], IT WASN'T MY FIRST OPTION…" Spamton started, before looking down. Noelle giggled at his use of the Christmas song, and Kris almost felt jealous.
"BUT THIS IS THE 0NLY [Place your bets!] I COULD SET UP MY [Home away from home!]" He explained, making Noelle frown.
"You…live here?" She asked, and Spamton laughed despite the strained grin on his face.
"HAHAHAHAHA NO! I LIVE IN A [Trash Heap] REMEMBER?" He reminded them, and Kris frowned. He did feel bad for the puppet, even if he was admittedly kind of sketchy.
"Um…are you usually this…busy?" Noelle asked awkwardly. Spamton laughed again, and Kris was starting to grow annoyed at the sound. The puppet then froze, his entire body going completely still.
Both Kris and Noelle blinked, before sharing a look.
Suddenly, a blood curdling scream came from Spamton as he gripped his head, pulling at his hair. "MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOP-"
Noelle yelped in fear, ducking backwards at the sight. Kris grabbed her hand, pulling her back protectively.
Then, just as quickly as his random outburst appeared, it vanished without a trace.
"HAHAHA-NO! IT'S USUALLY [Quiet As A Mouse!]" he responded, acting as if nothing had happened. He grinned at them, waving his arms through the air. "NOW, [What're ya buyin!?]" He asked them.
Kris frowned at Spamton, suspicious. "What the hell was that!?" He shouted, making the puppet's smile dim.
"WHAT? WH@T HAPPENED?" He asked, and Kris grit his teeth, glaring shakily at Spamton.
"You mean…you don't…Spamton, are you alright?" Noelle asked worriedly. The puppet laughed again, and Kris took a step back, still holding Noelle's hand. She looked back at him, concern shining in her eyes. "Kris? What's wrong?" She asked.
"S-Swatch was right…I don't…feel comfortable with this guy-"
"[[EASELS!?]] THAT LOWL1FE B@CK$TAB8ING [Son of a gun!] D0N'T L!$T3N T0 @N¥TH1NG TH@T [Hacker man!] S@Y$!" Spamton shouted, his voice devolving into angry unintelligible gibberish.
Noelle and Kris both stared at him, and he went silent, the pink and yellow lenses in his glasses turning to static. He then snapped to attention, grinning at them.
"SO WHAT'LL IT BE, [[Big Shot]]!?" He asked, repeating his earlier question. Both Kris and Noelle were unsettled now, any amusement they had for the lonely puppet long gone.
"M-Maybe…you're right…" she murmured, leaning into Kris. Spamton's smile dimmed, his head angling downwards.
"OF COURSE. JUST LIK3 THE [Rest well?] OF THEM." He tried to whisper, but it came out as another scream. Spamton ground his teeth together, clenching his weak little plastic fists.
"PLEASE. I B3G. YOU." Spamton pleaded, speaking slowly and with pause so that his words weren't corrupted against his will. Even then, part of it was still garbled.
Oh, how he hated his voice.
The deafening screeches he created every time he opened his plastic mouth. "YOU'RE [All that's left!]" Spamton cried.
"EV3RY0NE EL$E [Abandoned puppies?] ME! EVEN MIKE @ND [TRASH HEAP]!" Spamton gritted out, before he grabbed at his head again. His glasses were pulled upwards, revealing his beady black eyes, years stinging at them.
"I D1DN'T @SK F0R TH!S, [Ya hear!?]" He shouted, before he just…went limp. He fell against his desk, head smashing against it and seizing painfully, making Noelle gasp in horror. Kris watched, disturbed.
"Helpmehelpmepleaseitburnsitburnsitburnsfreemeefreemefreemefreemefreemefree-" Spamton whispered rapidly, only to flinch, standing back up.
"HAHAHAHAHA NO I DIDN'T JUST HEAR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW!" He shouted, before he froze, looking directly at Kris.
The boy froze as he heard something whisper in his mind.
"But it sounded like he was talking to you."
Noelle leaned even further into Kris as Spamton continued to stare directly at Kris, not saying a single word, only to snap back to attention.
"HAHAHAHA YOU KNOW." The puppet glitched, his head twitching as it distorted unnaturally. "YOU KNOW [What to do, what to do]!" He shouted, before he grabbed the neon green key, tossing it at Kris. It hit his chest with a clang, startling him. He knelt down, picking it up and inspecting it again.
"H3RE! [Free.99!] FIND QUEEN'S HIDDEN BASEMENT! USE THE KEYGEN! THERE SHOULD BE @ [Iron Giant] AWAITING YOU!" he told them, before he leaned forward.
"INSIDE IS A [Once in a lifetime] EMPTY D1SK! BRING IT TO ME, AND W3'LL C0NTINUE FROM THERE!" he told them. Kris quickly pocketed the key, sending another suspicious glare at Spamton.
Noelle didn't unlatch from Kris, still staring uncertainly at the puppet. The moment they left, Spamton slammed his head into his desk, knocking items over.
"GREAT JOB, [Number one rated salesman 1997] YOU WORTHLESS PILE OF [Still a piece of garbage!] THEY HATE ME…THEY…THEY'RE GOING TO THROW ME AWAY…" He tried to whisper, but it came out as an anguished cry.
Spamton held his head in his hands, yelling in frustration. He grabbed the frayed bow tie on his desk, throwing it at the wall. He then grabbed the potion next to that, lobbing it at the door, where it shattered.
Spamton continued to rage, his body glitching painfully as it split in half, his digital form literally getting bisected for a moment.
And he felt all of it. Every single glitch. Every single jumble of words. All of them hurt.
All of them burned.
Spamton turned around, falling to his knees upon seeing the mural. "OH, [Heaven…] SOON, 1 WILL S33 YOU…JUST YOU [Don't wait, call now!]" He screamed.
He lowered his head, static filling his vision.
"...I H@VE TO. IT'S MY…ONLY CHANCE." he began, before his body glitched. "IT'S MY ONLY CHANCE FOR [Hyperlink Blocked]" he was suddenly interrupted by himself, gripping his head, screaming in pain.
"NONONONONONONOTTHEACIDPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE-"
Spamton shut down again, before clicking back to life, grinning at nothing as an invisible phone began to ring. The sound sent a shiver down his plastic spine, reminding him of times long past.
"HAHAHEHEHEHAHAHAHA!" Spamton laughed, before slamming his head into his desk again. "I'M SO [Tired of everyday life?]..." He screamed, making him close his eyes out of frustration.
"...I'M COUNTING ON YOU, KRIS." He then said, drawing patterns into his desk with his fingers.
"YOU'RE…MY [Only hope!]"
---
Kris was the first to step through the colorful doorway, frowning to himself. He walked quickly, hands balled into fists at his sides.
Something about Spamton…he didn't know what it was-but something about him made Kris extremely uncomfortable.
Noelle then stepped through the portal, noticing that Kris was already basically speed walking to the next room, a direction that they hadn't explored yet, as it had been blocked off by a wall…that seemed to have moved out of the way.
"Kris?" She asked, jogging to catch up with him. He didn't react, clearly in his own head. "Kris?" She repeated, louder this time. He paused, looking back at her, and her eyes widened imperceptibly.
Kris was not only pale, but he was also shaking. "K-Kris? Are you alright? You're shaking-and you're pale." She whispered, pressing the back of her hand to his cheek. Goodness, he was freezing.
"Here-we should take a break. We've been adventuring for a while." Noelle proposed, smiling through her veil. Kris nodded silently, chewing on his lip. The two made their way to the staircase in the main loft, sitting down on the first step.
Noelle blew a puff of air out of her mouth, watching her veil float forward. She looked to the side, spotting Kris staring at nothing. What was going on with him?
"Kris?" She asked again, and his head snapped towards her, startled. "...Come here." She whispered, patting her legs. Kris paused, confused for a second, before he suddenly understood.
Slowly, Kris laid down on the first step, lying his head in her lap. Noelle began to him as she ran her hands through his hair, getting a few knots he had built up out. "Kris, you need to brush your hair more thoroughly." Noelle scolded lightly.
The boy nodded, barely paying attention. Noelle frowned, but didn't stop brushing her fingers through Kris's hair. Kris slowly relaxed, his tense body loosening a bit. Noelle felt it and smiled, getting the last few knots out of his hair.
She then bit her lip, looking at her finger. The ring that Spamton had given her was gone, regrettably, having fallen deep into the depths of water below the mansion.
It made Noelle sad, of course. She had quite liked that ring…but she still had her original ones.
Pausing, Noelle pulled her ice ring out of hammerspace, sliding it onto her finger. She felt the magical power flowing inside her straighten into a thin, controlled line. She closed her eyes, and a pale blue ring appeared in her hand, but it was shoddy and misshapen.
Grumbling to herself, she tossed the creation behind her, pulling out the snow ring. Holding it in one hand, she slowly began to pull Kris's hair through the ring, making sure not to pull hard on it.
Noelle smiled as she moved the hair from Kris's face out of the way, pulling it into the ring and finishing the ponytail she had made for Kris. She giggled at his peaceful expression, before moving her veil out of the way and leaning down, pressing her lips to his.
Despite their kiss being inverted, their lips still fit together like a puzzle. For the first time in a minute, Kris actually responded to something, his body shifting. He removed his lips from hers for a second, only to get a better taste of her.
Noelle hummed when Kris prodded her lips with his tongue, and she responded by flicking her own tongue out, connecting with his.
Kris groaned as his tongue slid under hers, shifting against each other, memorizing her sweet taste. Noelle's hums and giggles turned breathier, more desperate. She grew bolder with her exploration, moving her tongue in a circle, tasting all of him.
Kris shivered in her lap, feeling his bodysuit grow uncomfortable and trapping. Noelle noticed his change in tone, pulling away. Multiple strands of their saliva bridged the two's tongues, and Noelle leaned down, pressing another kiss to Kris's lips and taking another lick at his tongue.
Kris panted hotly, bending one of his legs as a tent began to pitch in his bodysuit. Noelle noticed it and felt a pang of need inside her. Of course she wanted to pull his bodysuit down and ride him until he forgot alllll about whatever was troubling him, but she knew she couldn't.
…not now, at least.
"Sorry, Kris…but we can't do that right now." She giggled, caressing his face. He nodded with a needy little moan and Noelle smirked. God, she felt powerful like this. It was addicting.
"Don't worry, it's not that I don't want to." She started, before leaning down. "If it were up to me…you would be giving me an early Christmas present." She whispered, and Kris whimpered.
Noelle giggled again, reigning herself in. As fun as this was, they had a job to do. Noelle pressed a kiss to his forehead, now simply scratching the top of his head with her fingers.
"I love you, Kris. I'm sorry for teasing you so much, but you make it way too easy." She said. Kris mumbled out a soft I love you too, shifting uncomfortably.
Noelle had planned on waiting for him to go back to normal, but…he didn't. It anything, he got worse. "Jeez, Kris…" she murmured, trying to ignore the heat pooling in her stomach.
"I-It's not fair…you're…touching me." He whispered, making Noelle giggle. She found his honesty cute, to be frank.
"I'm just scratching your head. You're really telling me that I can keep you all worked just by touching you?" She asked, a teasing grin on her face.
"S-shut up…" Kris grumbled.
"You're so cute, Kris." She continued, her mischievous grin never leaving.
"Shuuush!" Kris groaned, trying to look away.
"Hehe! You always give the most adorable reactions. I remember when you used to tease me. Now you can barely even look at me." She said, making Kris glare at her. Without his hair to cover it, his crimson eyes stared into hers, intensity glowing.
It almost caught her off guard.
Almost.
"What's wrong, hubby? Is your innocent little Noelle too much for you to handle?" She teased.
Kris responded by grumbling to himself, earning yet another giggle from Noelle.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop! Come on, we can continue now. Oh-and by the way…" she started, but once Kris sat up, she whispered in his ear.
"I'm taking that marriage proposal seriously, hubby." She said, before standing up, skipping to the next area, as happy as can be.
After finishing his impeccable impression of a frozen blueberry, Kris followed after her, a goofy smile on his face.
Immediately, they were hit with a strange sight. Tasques littered the area, playing with each other, eating ceramic pieces of pots they had broken, and scratching at the carpet.
Noelle smiled at the sight, finding them cute. Kris glared, remembering how all of them had nearly died from just a few of them. They were stronger now than they were before, but still.
Kris didn't hesitate to draw his sword, and Noelle reached for her Mecha Saber, before freezing.
"Candy canes…" she murmured under her breath, treating the word as a curse. She looked at Kris, biting her lip nervously. "Um…Kris? I…I think I-uh…left the Mecha Saber…on the roof." She told him.
The boy frowned, thinking to himself. The only weapon he had on him was his Alabaster Sword…
He held his weapon out to Noelle, who blinked, before shaking her head. "What-no! I have magic, Kris! I can still fight, but you only have your sword!" She protested, earning a pout.
"I can punch them…or something." He murmured. Noelle raised an eyebrow at him, and he blushed. "Okay, you didn't have to immediately look at me like that." He grumbled out, and Noelle giggled.
"Okay, okay…but still, you don't actually think you can beat them in hand to hand combat, right? I know some men think they can beat a lion in a fight, but…" she said, making Kris snort.
"Of course I can't. Shit…this isn't great." He mumbled.
Just then, one of the Tasques noticed them. Kris froze as it gazed at them, before meowing loudly, a sound wave heading directly for them. He and Noelle dodged out of the way, watching as the attack vaporized the ground they they were standing on.
Noelle gulped, raising a wall of ice in front of her, as well as shooting some ice crystals at one of the Tasques. The other four finally noticed them as well, walking towards them predatorially.
Kris narrowed his eyes, holding his sword uncertainly when-
"Fufufu…what do we have here?" He heard, the speaker sporting a heavy Russian accent. Gazing upwards, he saw a feminine silhouette standing atop a chandelier. "I knew there were Lightners here, but I didn't know they would be so cute…" The silhouette continued, before jumping off of the chandelier.
Noelle narrowed her eyes instinctively, glaring at the figure. "He even comes in blue. My favorite~!" The woman purred. Kris blushed, a little uncomfortable with how he was being stared at.
"Uh…thank…you?" He murmured out, earning a glare from Noelle. "I-what? How am I supposed to react-this is weird!" He defended.
The woman was wearing a white dress with a black bodysuit underneath, had floating hands that held a painful looking whip with yellow spikes at the end.
She had big blue cat ears atop her head, along with yellow glowing eyes that stared at Kris…rather hungrily.
"...I need an adult." Kris murmured.
"I am an adult." The woman responded, and Noelle stepped in front of Kris, glaring angrily.
"Back off! Kris is not your plaything!" She shouted, with Kris peeking over her shoulder.
"Yeah, what she said!" He spoke, and Noelle nodded, standing protectively in front of Kris, her arms and wings extended.
The woman laughed in amusement, covering her mouth. She then snapped her whip, slashing the floor with it. All of the Tasques snapped to attention, and Noelle paused.
"Wait…oh my god she's the Tasque Manager. That's stupid! You're stupid!" Noelle spat, almost surprised at her own vitriol. Well, she was totally harassing her boyfriend.
Tasque Manager hummed, before she twirled her whip in her hand, showcasing an impressive amount of dexterity. "I do not take kindly to insults, young lady. I suggest you take that back before I whip you into shape." the woman threatened, her smile never leaving her face.
Noelle's eye twitched, frost appearing at her fingertips. "Kris, give me your sword." She demanded. Kris obliged without question. No way he was arguing with her.
Tasque Manager laughed as Noelle walked towards her, glaring with determination.
"You really think you can beat me? Well, I suppose I was never one to turn down a challenge, fufufu!" She giggled, before dashing forward with surprising speed.
Kris tensed, and the Alabaster Sword changed into a shield. Noelle blinked, before raising it, defending against a slash from Tasque Manager's claws.
Noelle tried to bash the Darkner with her shield, but Tasque Manager flipped over her, tagging the back of her head with her claws. Noelle sucked in a breath through her teeth, glaring up at the woman.
Stomping her hoof on the ground, a pillar of ice shot up, hitting the acrobatic woman in the stomach and sending her flying up. Noelle grinned devilishly, sending dozens of ice shards at the woman.
Kris winced, a little afraid. Noelle was really trying to beat her…he had to admit, it was kind of attractive. "Go Noelle!" He cheered, and the girl blushed, smiling at Kris.
Tasque Manager took the chance to slam into Noelle, tackling her to the floor and knocking the wind out of her. Kris froze, his eyes widening in fear.
Noelle yelped as Tasque Manager pinned her to the ground, purring softly. "Do you want to take it back yet? Because I am having so much fun with you two…your jealousy is just adorable!" She laughed.
Kris tried to run over to the two, but four Tasques blocked his path. He flinched as one of them swiped at him, taking a step back.
He knew…he knew he could beat them, even without his sword. Noelle hadn't seen him fight the Tasques before. He was most definitely stronger than before, especially after his fight with Queen, which made him even more sure.
All he had to do was tap into the power of his soul. It…may have come with some…side effects, but Noelle was being hurt, he didn't care about that right now!
Clenching his fists, he glared at the lion sized beasts, eyes aglow with his willpower. "I don't want to hurt you. Get out of my way." He demanded.
None of them moved.
Noelle looked past Tasque Manager, gazing at Kris. She paused as she saw his cape begin to flow despite there not being any wind.
Her silent question was answered when she saw his eyes glow crimson, fully open to her now that his hair was in a ponytail.
'Wham bam thank you ma'am. Holy night-what a man.' Noelle thought to herself. Tasque Manager paused, noticing that Noelle's tail was wagging. And her ear was twitching. Was she biting her lip?
"Okay I am weirded out now." Tasque Manager mumbled, only to feel a slight breeze on her back. She turned, spotting Kris staring down her Tasques.
"Fine. We'll do it your way." He spat, taking a step forward.
"He is not going to fight them, is he?" Tasque Manager asked, and Noelle nodded.
"Oh yeah he is." She said, smirking at Kris, eyes half lidded. Tasque Manager blinked, looking between the two.
"Oh. You two are…I thought you were just jealous!" Tasque Manager laughed.
Her laugh cut off when Kris caught one of the Tasques paws.
The lion sized creature's paw. With his hand. Kris kneed the Taque in the stomach, before punching it in the nose. It cried out in pain from both attacks, ducking backwards and running away.
Kris leaned out of the way of a claw swipe from another Tasque, before backstepping as a third one tried to pounce on him.
Kris grabbed one of them by the head as they tried to bite him, grunting as he dug his feet into the ground. Two more Tasques ran at him, and he acted on instinct, pulling himself up and launching off of the one he had grabbed, heading straight for Noelle and Tasque Manager.
The Darkner released her grip on Noelle, grabbing her whip and snapping it at Kris.
She didn't expect him to grab it, grunting as it still lashed his hand. It hurt like hell, even through his armor, but he didn't falter for even a second.
Kris glared at Tasque Manager, his eyes glowing an eerie red, now mere inches away from her. The woman flinched backwards as Kris grabbed his sword, slicing her whip and dropping the remains.
He pointed his sword at her, and she took a step back, before suddenly spin-kicking the blade, trying to kick it out of his hands.
It didn't move an inch. Kris stood protectively in front of Noelle, who looked up at him, still lying on the floor. She held her head in her hands, sighing dreamily.
Tasque Manager frowned, but sighed. "You have bested me…I accept defeat." She said, lowering her head. Kris nodded, sparing her.
Her and all of her Tasques vanished to Castle Town, and Noelle got to her hooves, cheering. "You did it!" She laughed, running over to him and embracing him. "My hero!" She teased, kissing him on the cheek.
Kris blushed, his sword disappearing. "...I don't know if I'd say I'm a hero." he murmured. Noelle frowned at him, giving him an unimpressed stare.
"Really?" She asked. Kris looked away, rubbing his arm. "The first hour we visited the last dark world you saved me twice." She told him, and he rubbed the back of his neck, wishing his hair was down right now.
Noelle smiled, realizing just how often he flushed purple. "You should keep your hair up like that more often." she told him.
Kris paused, knowing that Asriel kept hair ties in his nightstand. He might feel bad about going through Asriel's stuff, but…surely there wouldn't be anything too bad in there.
The two continued onwards, only to freeze at the sight of cars walking inside. There were more stop buttons like from the city, and Kris experimentally pressed one. The cars all halted, shimmying in place. "Just like in the city…" Noelle murmured. Kris nodded, waiting for the cars to start moving again.
Taking a moment to look at the pathway they needed to take, Noelle nodded to herself. "Alright, we need to be absolutely perfect about this, but if we do this at the right time, we can-"
Kris grabbed one of her wings, and the sentence died on her tongue. "Mnnhm…" she whimpered.
"Why don't you just fly us over? There's no risk of getting hurt and I know you're strong enough to." He told her. She didn't respond, shivering in place.
"H-Hah…Kris…they're s-sensitive, remember?" she whispered. Kris froze, ripping his hand away. Noelle bit her lip, her wings fluttering excitedly. "I-I never said it was a bad thing…" she mumbled, before shaking her head.
"Hold on, let me…" she started, extending her wings she tried flapping them a few times to gain height, but all it did was generate an icy chill that made Kris shiver. Noelle frowned, shaking her head.
"Maybe if I…" she then jumped, flapping her wings as she did so. It worked a bit better, as she did slow her fall just a little bit, but she didn't gain any height. "Dang it!" She said, thinking to herself.
How could she-
Noelle yelped as Kris suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind, lifting her in the air. His hands clasped together around her belly, he didn't even struggle as he held her over his head.
"K-Kris!" She squeaked, her legs shaking. "U-Um…if you…if you think this will work…" she whispered out, her voice as soft as ever. Kris grinned, before he lifted her higher, shifting his grip to her hips.
Noelle blushed as he held her horizontally, extending her wings. It felt like they were dancing. Noelle blushed even harder at the thought, looking down at Kris, who was smiling up at her.
She hid a gasp upon seeing the twinkle in his eye.
That sparkle that was there when they were children. That child-like loving innocence…before the divorce, before the disappearance, before…
Before they drifted apart.
"I'm sorry, Kris…" Noelle said, the words coming out on their own. Kris's smile dimmed, confusion prevalent in his eyes. "I wish…we could have done this earlier…not the dark worlds, but…but us." She admitted, and Kris's face flushed.
"If I…hadn't been so wrapped up in my own problems, I…" she paused, before looking down at Kris, smiling softly. "I probably would have told you…at least how I felt. I've felt this way for years, Kris…I've wanted this for years." She continued, before pausing again.
She beamed at Kris, a single happy tear rolling down her cheek and landing on Kris. "I love you, Kris! I love you a lot. More than…more than I even know." She finished. Kris stared up at her for a few more seconds, before he lowered her to the ground.
Noelle blinked, confused, only for Kris to lift her veil and kiss her.
It was soft and sweet, not a single ounce of impatience or primal need behind it. Simply love. Love for her-love for them. Noelle tilted her head, falling into the kiss naturally.
Despite growing used to the feeling of his lips on hers, every kiss they shared felt like their first one. His touch was burned into her brain, at the forefront of her mind every time he got close to her.
Noelle mumbled another "I love you" into the kiss, and Kris caressed her face in response. He didn't need to say it to convey his love for her, but he still mumbled it back, just to be sure.
Their tongues brushed up against each other, just as soft as the rest of their kiss. Slowly, Kris slipped his tongue into her mouth, sliding it along her teeth.
Noelle shivered, not uncomfortable, but the sensation foreign to her. He opened his eyes, seeing that hers were still comfortably closed. Good…he didn't mess up there.
Noelle made a mixture of a mewl and a whimper as Kris played with her tongue, completely enthralled in their kiss.
It was like she was a delicacy to him. The thought alone made Noelle all the more excited.
Finally, Kris pulled away before the pleasant fog in his brain could consume him. He didn't mind the spit that hovered between the two, before noticing that Noelle's tongue was still slightly sticking out as she stared at him, eyes half lidded. He chuckled, looking her up and down.
"You're certainly happy." He teased, noticing the way her right ear twitched and how her tail wagged in a hypnotic way. Slow, long breaths came from Noelle, and she hummed softly to herself.
"I can't wait to go back to the light world, Kris…" she started, and Kris shivered at how needy she sounded. Getting her hot and bothered wasn't his intention, but he wasn't going to lie and say he didn't enjoy the little whine in her voice.
"M-Me neither…" he said, frowning. Curse his stupid nerves! Noelle giggled, before she walked past him, caressing his face as she did. His eyes tracked her every movement, stammering out something unintelligible.
Eventually, he gathered his thoughts, stopped looking at her butt, and followed after her. They had abandoned the idea of flying, as getting lift would simply take too much effort, and Noelle probably wouldn't even have enough room to maneuver.
The corridors weren't very wide, after all.
So, pressing the button, Noelle dashed past the still cars, even jumping on one of them to get even more speed. Kris followed right after her, but he was undoubtedly slower.
Noelle made it to the other side, exhaling in relief. She turned around to see Kris making the final stretch, only for the cars to start moving again. Noelle tensed, throwing her hands up and creating a wall that stopped the cars about to hit him.
Kris sighed upon reaching the end of the room, falling onto his back and panting. The run wasn't even bad, just stressful. "I…hate…running…" he panted, his heart beating entirely too fast for his liking.
Noelle laughed barely even sweating. Readjusting her hair, She smiled down at him, and Kris swore the entire world around her was swallowed up in darkness.
That smile…oh that smile.
"You need to get out more, Kris! You're not active enough…I'm going to start dragging you outside again!" She told him, giggling at the thought. Kris groaned loudly, mostly for show.
"Uuughh. But I hate exercise…" he grumbled, earning a hum from Noelle.
"We could always just…play just dancing all day. That would work too." She suggested, smirking at Kris, who flinched.
"You know, I always thought exercise was kinda fun. Hey, you should totally drag me outside more often." He said, making Noelle's smirk widen.
"Actually…I think I like the just dancing idea more."
"N-Noelle…please…"
"It's so much fun, isn't it, Kris?"
"Noeeeeelle!" Kris groaned, and Noelle finally let up with another giggle.
"You're so funny, Kris! Now come on, get up already!" She called, turning and walking away. Hurriedly following her, the two arrived in an…interesting room. Statues and pottery sat everywhere, most of them resembling the…vague shape of Queen.
Kris blinked, staring at a painting of Queen, extending her arm from the clouds above to make contact with…another Queen. "Now this? This is art." Kris admired. Noelle paused, looking at the painting. She giggled for a second, before she looked at Kris expectantly.
…
"This art really is something." Kris said, crossing his arms. Noelle looked back at the painting, squinting slightly.
Was…there something she was missing?
"I mean…yeah, I guess…" Noelle murmured, a little confused. Kris didn't say anything, still staring at the art. "Kris? Kris, what…are you messing with me?" She asked, and Kris barely hid a smirk.
"Wow this art is-" Kris couldn't even get the sentence out as Noelle grabbed his hand, rolling her eyes and walking away. Kris didn't resist, snickering the entire time. "You're rewarding me for that?" He asked.
Noelle looked back at him, confused, and he squeezed her hand. "Well, getting to hold your hand certainly isn't a punishment." He explained. Noelle blushed, before she grinned at him, letting go and dashing forwards.
"If you catch me you can hold a lot more than just my hand!" She sang, and Kris blinked, stiffening up.
"Wh-Noelle!" He sputtered, following after her. "Y-You can't just say things like that! Especially so loudly!" He called after her, earning a giggle.
She continued to run, obviously much faster than Kris, but running at a speed that he at least had a chance to catch up to.
Noelle passed by the hacker, who was staring suspiciously at a pot. Distracted, Noelle tripped over said pot, yet it didn't break. Instead, it shifted, acting as a lever.
Kris skidded to a stop upon seeing Noelle trip and fall over the strange pot, before he rushed over even quicker than before, kneeling down beside her. "Noelle, are you okay!?" He asked, and the girl laughed.
"That was so much fun!" She cheered, sitting up and hugging Kris. "Oh, it was just like when we were kids…we would always play pretend in the woods, chasing each other with sticks and acting like heroes…" she reminisced, smiling happily.
Kris grinned, thinking back to the moment as well.
---
A young, eleven year old Noelle looked around nervously as she stood in place, holding a small, frail stick in her hands. Her ears twitched with every sound that she heard, and her eyes darted to and fro, looking for her friend that was sure to sneak up on her soon.
As if reading her mind, Kris popped out of some shrubbery, shouting loudly as he ran at her, his own stick in hand. Noelle yelped, dropping her weapon entirely and running away. "N-No! Kris, stop! Wait-wait wait-I don't wanna play anymore! Stop!" She cried, tears streaming down her face.
Kris laughed as he chased her, before freezing when she suddenly tripped on a rock, face planting into the dirt.
He was at her side in seconds, hurriedly making sure she was okay. Noelle whined in pain, looking at her bruised knees. They had taken a brunt of the fall, and touching the area only made the pain heighten. "Noelle? A-Are you alright?" Kris asked, overlooking her nervously.
Truthfully, Noelle was fine. She may have been young, but she had been scraped before. She would walk it off, and it probably wouldn't even hurt that much tomorrow.
However…Kris did end up causing this, so she thought it was fair that she got a little bit of revenge.
"Kris, this is your fault! This hurts so badly…why didn't you stop chasing me?" Noelle whined, and Kris froze up, his eyes widening.
"I-I…I didn't…I-I'm sorry-" he stammered out, looking ashamed of himself. Noelle paused, frowning softly.
She…hadn't expected that. She thought he was going to panic, beg her not to tell Dess or just prank her further. However, she wasn't expecting him to just…freeze up like that.
Genuine guilt flooded his features, and he looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "Here…let me…walk you home. We'll…I'll tell Dess what happened." Kris whispered, making Noelle flinch.
What? She didn't want to stop playing! She may have said that, but only because she was scared at the moment-yet the fear had already passed, and she just wanted to spend more time with Kris.
"W-Wait!" Noelle shouted, making Kris flinched. He was probably really confused now…she kind of felt bad. "U-Um…I'm not mad anymore! How about we…just keep…playing?" She murmured out, blushing in embarrassment.
Kris frowned, his eyes still not looking into hers. "But…But I hurt you…" he whispered. Noelle frowned, a pang of guilt hitting her. She didn't actually think he would feel so remorseful.
"I tripped, silly! You didn't hurt me. Look, I'm fine-ngh…" Noelle winced, pressing a finger to her raw knee. When she pulled her hand back, dust was on her finger.
"Oh." she murmured, and Kris stood up, grabbing her hand. She gasped as he gently pulled her to her feet, hurriedly leaning on him for support.
He mumbled something she couldn't hear, but didn't hesitate to use himself as a crutch for her. He walked her home that day, slowly and carefully. He made an annoyed face the entire way, but she could tell he didn't mind.
However, Dess found them before they could find her. "Noelle-there you are-Kris!?" She shouted, before she saw some blow from Noelle's knee. "...What did you do, you little shit-" Dess growled st Kris, who tensed.
"H-He didn't do anything! We were just playing a-and I tripped! He didn't do anything!" Noelle told her, and the older girl scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Oh come on, Noelle, it's Kris."
Kris frowned, trying his best to not let his pain show. Noelle, however, didn't back down. "Don't talk about him like that! You're being a jerk, Dess!" She accused.
Dess groaned, leaning backwards dramatically. "Ugghhhh…you're so boring…whatever. I can take care of it from here, Kris. Thanks for bringing her this far, but…I've got it." She said, grabbing Noelle and picking her up.
The girl squeaked, shouting her complaints at Dess. Kris rubbed his arm awkwardly, before sighing as he began his trek home.
"Bye Kris!" He heard, making him pause. He looked back at Noelle to see her beaming at him and waving at him. "I'll see you tomorrow!" she shouted. Kris smiled softly, waving back at her.
He ignored how his heartbeat sped up, continuing his walk home in silence.
---
Kris opened his eyes, feeling fresh tears flooding them. That was only six years ago, but…it felt like a decade. So much had happened. Three long years of solitude didn't help with it, either.
"Oh, Kris…" Noelle murmured, pulling him into a hug. He grumbled softly, but closed his eyes, leaning into her. Kris breathed softly, lulled to sleep by her breathing, and the subtle scent of gingerbread.
Noelle smiled at him, slowly positioning them against the wall. She took her snow ring out of Kris's hair, running her fingers through it again.
"You owe me one, my knight." She whispered.
Neither of them had noticed the wall that shifted, sliding out of place.