Spring Sunset

[engel-sehnsucht.livejournal.com]

Title: Spring Sunset
Pairing: Noelian
Summary: Noel's birthday isn't complete without Julian
Rating: U/G
Warnings: none
Notes: just a fluffy little piece for Noel's birthday. I don't own any people mentioned or The Mighty Boosh. I'm not making any money from this, I'm just playing. This never happened (to our knowledge). Cross-posted to AO3.

Noel sat at the window, staring out at the setting sun, content with a steaming cup of tea in his hands. He sighed softly, blowing on his tea before taking a sip. Leaning his head against the window frame, his eyes scanned the horizon lazily, thoughts swirling slowly around in his mind.

Another year gone, another year older.

He didn’t feel any older. What Julian had said was right - 40 was the worst, the birthday after felt like a shower of pebbles. Julian.

Noel hadn’t seen him all day. Which was understandable, and to be expected - Julian had warned him he’d be busy with the twins and work all day, they weren’t on half-term yet and would need him all evening, after Julian had worked a long day. Noel just couldn’t help but miss him a bit, and the missing-him turned into a dull ache, one that he couldn’t shake, one that had been hanging around for a bit now. It was periodic - he’d see Julian, they’d part happily with promises not to leave it as long next time, their texts would be less and less frequent, and eventually one of them would feel the ache too much and call the other with a suggestion (gentle request) to meet up within the next week. Noel took another sip of his tea automatically, the comforting heat soothing the ache. Soon, he thought, leaning down to set his cup on the floor, and tucking one leg underneath himself as he sat back up. Getting comfy on the window seat, he settled down to watch the sun dip below the horizon, feeling bathed in the tranquility of a spring sunset.

The annoying buzz of his doorbell cut through the quiet, persistent in its mission. Noel sighed, pushing himself up and wandering downstairs, undoing the latch and pulling open the door. Upon his doorstep stood Julian, looking as awkward as he always did after they’d spent some time apart, wrapped box in his hand.

“Ju,” breathed Noel, a wide grin breaking across his face.

“Hi,” Julian replied, dark eyes, which had been fixed on his scuffed shoes, darting up to meet Noel’s. “Hi,” he repeated, smile growing to match Noel’s; bending down, he placed the box on the floor and straightened, pulling the smaller man into a tight hug. “Happy birthday, little man. I’ve missed you,” Julian whispered into Noel’s ear, his voice trembling from emotion, feeling rather than hearing the shaky intake of breath his words caused.

“Thank you,” Noel whispered back, warmth blooming inside him at the use of the old nickname. “I’ve missed you too.” He squeezed Julian for a second before stepping back, wiping tears away before catching Julian’s eye and laughing shakily. “Shut up.”

Julian merely smiled, picking up the box from the floor and following when Noel walked back into the house, carefully kicking the door shut behind himself.

“Cup of tea?” Noel called, hovering between the kitchen and the living room.

“Nah, I’m good, thanks,” Julian replied, toeing off his shoes and walking over to Noel, taking him by the elbow and steering him gently into the living room, depositing the smaller man on the sofa and dropping down beside him. “You had a good day?”

“Yeah, great - I saw my parents and Mike this morning, they came over and my mum cooked breakfast, y’know those great pancakes she makes, you should come over sometime and I’ll get her to make them, and we spent the morning together then Mike and I went out and had lunch with Dave, and I was having a quiet evening in, just watching the sun set and now you’re here,” Noel beamed, practically lighting up the room.

“Good,” said Julian, his demeanor becoming more shy; he shifted his weight on the sofa before handing the box he was still carrying over to Noel. “I hope you like it, it took me ages to decide what to get you and then I had to find the things and- yeah, anyway. Happy birthday.”



“Aww, you shouldn’t have done, mate!” Noel grinned even wider, something Julian hadn’t thought was possible, and set about getting into the present, carefully sliding his forefinger under flaps of paper that had been sellotaped down meticulously, his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth as he tried not to tear the paper. Julian fidgeted as Noel took painstaking care with the paper, gently peeling it back. He pulled it away and flicked back the folds of the cardboard box nestled in the paper still in his lap, and lifted out a small piece of paper.

Happy birthday, Noel, it read, there’s so much I want to say but can’t, so I’ll keep it short. Here’s to our years of friendship, and many more to come.

Julian x

Noel bit his lip, attempting to sniff quietly to hide his crying from Julian.

“I hope you know you aren’t fooling anyone, Noel - you cry at plastic bags rustling.”

Noel glanced up at Julian. “Hey! That rustling is a symphony of sadness, they’re devastated all they’re made to do is to be used once and then thrown away to decompose in a waste site. They just want some purpose, you know?”

Julian quirked an eyebrow at him, smirking softly. “Yeah, and I’m an orange.”

Noel smiled back, setting the note by his side and peering into the box, a soft gasp escaping his lips. A Kiss patch, identical to the one that had been lost from his Zooniverse jacket, the Boosh logo patch, the word Zooniverse embroidered beneath the monkey face, handwritten lyrics for Killeroo and underneath were the words 10 Years. Julian had thrown in an eyeliner pencil and a bottle of the nail varnish Noel used to favour, back when they were Vince and Howard every day. And beneath it all, a framed picture of them both on their first day on set; a candid shot taken when they had been making each other laugh to distract each other from their nerves, the love between them showing clearly.

Julian cleared his throat as Noel sat there, frozen, staring at the picture in his hands. “Sorry it’s not much, I-”

Noel set the picture down on the sofa cushion gently, making sure it was safe before launching himself at Julian, pressing himself to the broad chest and wrapping his arms around Julian’s waist. “It’s perfect,” he whispered, breathing deeply, the scent that was pure Julian whirling around in his lungs. “Thank you.” He nuzzled into Julian’s chest, resting his head above his heart and listening to the steady beat. He felt Julian press a kiss to the top of his head and straightened up, his arms coming from around Julian’s waist so he could entwine the fingers of his right hand with Julian’s left.

This time the kiss was pressed to his lips, and was short and sweet, filled with promises of things to come.

“You’re welcome,” Julian murmured, his lips attaching themselves to Noel’s pulse point, tickly butterfly kisses moving up the pale skin of Noel’s neck. “Happy birthday again, little man. I love you.”



Noel shivered as Julian mouthed underneath his ear. “I love you too, Ju.”

He squeezed Julian’s hand as the man he loved kissed him softly, holding him close.

Comments

[speccygeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥ So sweet.

[engel-sehnsucht.livejournal.com]

Thanks! ♥