The Missing Years - a kissing booth fan fiction

Together

Elle

We kept talking that day, after we said I love you. Saying it doesn't make everything instantly better, but at least we know where we stand with each other. We both have a lot of regrets and there's a lot we can't change. But riding back along the coast in the late afternoon sunshine, playing tag with one another, I feel...happy, and...hopeful I guess would be the best way to describe it. Kind of like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, to finally have talked, really talked, with Noah.

To find out that he still loves me, after everything, and wants to try again, well I'd be lying if I said I wasn't overjoyed. Noah Flynn has always had a piece of my heart and I don't think I even realised how much I missed him. He'd become almost like this figment of my imagination, and now he's solid, real again. He follows me back to my apartment and after a brief goodbye, with promises to call each other this week to keep talking, he heads back to Lee and Rachel's. I smirk as I park my bike in its spot, thinking about the third degree he's probably going to face from them when he gets there.

My joy at not having to deal with that until tomorrow fades when I open the door to my apartment and see Steph sitting on the sofa, reading a book. Clearly she's been waiting for me to return. I think I might be in for my own version of the Spanish Inquisition, judging by the look on her face. She arches an eyebrow at me. "Well? Do we need bubbles or bourbon? Are we celebrating or commiserating?"

This is one of the many reasons we're friends. When I can no longer keep the smile off my face, I reply "Bubbles I think!"

Steph throws her book aside and leaps up to smother me in a hug, "Oh Elle! Yay! I'm so happy for you! Okay, first let's get the drinks and then you can tell me everything."

I follow her into the kitchen and watch as she grabs glasses and pops the cork on the champagne. She pours, hands me a glass and says, "Cheers to you, my friend. Now spill."

And I do. I tell her about the coffee, how he's moving here and the kiss afterwards. I tell her about how before that I'd almost convinced myself that I had just been imagining how crazy good kissing Noah was, how different it was than with anyone else. I tell Steph about our long talk, and about us saying I love you. I tell her about the conversation afterwards and how we'd agreed to phone each other this week while he was back in Boston.

"And? Does this mean you're getting back together?"

"Um, pretty much, yeah. We haven't put a label on anything yet though."

"Elle, did you actually tell Noah that's what you want?"

I pause to think. "I guess not in so many words."

"Well don't you think you should? It sounds like he's put it all on the line."

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Lee

Rachel has just left for a girl's night and I'm starting to worry about Elle and Noah. He left pretty early this morning and so far I've resisted the urge to contact either of them. But it's now dark and I'm wondering if somehow it all went to shit and Noah is off sulking somewhere. Do I call him or do I call Elle? Or do I just leave it the hell alone?

I'm still debating the best course of action when I hear the door unlock and Noah walks in, holding the spare key I lent him.