She ordered the biggest bucket of popcorn available, the one that was so large it looked like it could double as a small family's bathtub. "Extra butter," she said, then added with a charming smile, "please."
The employee blinked, then grinned back and without hesitation added a generous amounts of melted butter on top. He leaned in conspiratorially. "On the house."
Ren's jaw dropped slightly. "You have powers," he said, staring at her like she had just performed mild sorcery.
Noelle gave an overly graceful curtsy. "No, just charisma," she said with mock elegance, before winking and taking the popcorn like it was a royal treasure.
The employee's grin lingered a second too long.
Ren noticed before he meant to.
He stepped a little closer to Noelle without thinking, hand settling lightly at the small of her back, casual, almost absent but unmistakably there. When the employee looked up again, Ren met his gaze with a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Thanks," Ren said evenly, already steering them away.
Noelle glanced up at him, eyebrows lifting just a fraction. "Well," she murmured once they were out of earshot, "someone's feeling protective tonight."
Ren felt his ears warm. "Was I?"
She smiled, slow and pleased and nudged the popcorn bucket into his chest. "A little."
He took it without argument, their fingers brushing and something quiet but electric passed between them.
Ren, meanwhile, fell a little more in love.
As they entered the theater, Ren tried to play it cool but the seat squeaked loud enough to make the entire row of chairs echo. He tried to adjust but it only squeaked again. After the third time, he froze, his body stiff as a board. Noelle nudged him gently.
"Relax," she whispered. "The seat is just cheering for you."
Ren's eyes widened. "You..." He couldn't help it. He burst out laughing but it was the kind of laugh that came out a little too loud, making a couple of people look in their direction.
Noelle was already laughing too, her eyes dancing. "You're welcome."
They settled into their seats with the popcorn between them and the glow from the screen washed over their faces. Ren tried to hold the bucket casually but he was painfully aware of how close Noelle's hand was to his. When their fingers brushed as they both reached for a handful, they froze for a heartbeat. The contact was light, barely anything but Ren felt it like a spark. Noelle looked up at him, a shy smile forming before she let out a quiet laugh. Ren laughed too, soft and breathless, the kind that made his chest feel warm.
Halfway through the movie, Noelle leaned in, her shoulder brushing his, her voice a whisper meant only for him. She murmured an observation about one of the characters' unruly hair and Ren tried to hold in his laugh. It escaped anyway in a soft, unexpected sound he really hoped didn't count as a snort. A couple of people looked back, but before Ren could feel embarrassed, Noelle's quiet laughter reached him. It was genuine and warm, her hand lightly resting on his arm as she tried to contain herself.
"That was perfect," she whispered with a smile that made Ren forget anyone else even existed.
He shook his head, still embarrassed but smiling. "Pretty sure that was an actual snort."
"It was adorable," she said, gently nudging his shoulder. "I liked it."
The movie went on but Ren barely registered most of it. All he could focus on was how close she was, the sound of her breathing, the way her presence settled into the space between them. Near the end, as the music softened and the final scenes played, Noelle leaned her head onto his shoulder. Ren felt the shift of her weight, the warmth of her and something inside him melted. He didn't move. He didn't want to. He just let himself exist in a moment that felt quiet and perfect and entirely theirs.
When the credits rolled and the lights rose, they both stretched with the easy, shared comfort of people who felt good in each other's company. Noelle let out a soft sigh. "That was really nice," she said. "I haven't laughed like that in a while."
Ren smiled, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. "Me too," he said. "Though I think most of mine caught me by surprise."
They walked out into the cool night, the world quieter and softer than when they'd gone in. As they made their way toward the parking lot, their hands brushed again. This time Ren didn't hesitate. He reached out gently and took her hand, giving it a small, hopeful squeeze.
Noelle's fingers curled around his in an easy, familiar way. She looked up at him with a tenderness that made his breath catch. "Best part of the night," she said softly.
"The popcorn?" Ren teased, though his voice was warm.
She smiled, shaking her head. "No. This." As she leaned in for a kiss.
Ren felt that warmth spread through him again, settled and certain. He squeezed her hand back, and for once, his mind didn't race or question or overthink. He just walked beside her, grateful for a night that had been simple, sweet and exactly what they needed.
Ren was still holding Noelle's hand as they reached his car, and with every step he felt like he was floating. His brain, however, was not cooperating. It was doing that thing where it could not keep up with his emotions, every thought bouncing around like it was on a trampoline.
Standing there beside her, fingers still loosely intertwined, it hit him all at once that he had missed her without even realizing it. Not in some dramatic, aching way, but in the quiet spaces of the week. In the moments he had almost reached for his phone just to say something pointless. In the way everything felt sharper now that she was here again.
Noelle leaned casually against the passenger door, looking so effortlessly cool that Ren briefly considered pretending to be equally cool by leaning against the driver's side in the same way. Unfortunately, his attempt at coolness came with a twist. The car responded immediately with a loud, synthetic warning tone and flashing lights, the kind that sounded less like an alarm and more like the vehicle was personally offended.
Ren jumped at least a foot back, nearly tripping over his own feet. His brain simply could not handle the sudden betrayal.
Noelle stared at the car, then at him, one eyebrow slowly lifting as a grin spread across her face. "Did your Tesla just scold you," she asked, "or are you secretly training to become a ninja?"
Ren blinked, then gestured vaguely at the car. "It's very judgmental," he said. "I think I startled it."
Noelle laughed, the sound warm and easy and when Ren finally regained his composure, she leaned her shoulder against his in that effortless way that had his heart doing its best to outrun his common sense.
"So," she said, her voice soft with a playful edge, "what do you want to do now? The night is still young."