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Not like that…
And to Noelle's mind, if she couldn't have what she wished for, she would never settle for anything less.
They spent the rest of the day together and Noelle prized every little interaction. It was rare for her to have company—and pleasant one at that. As such, she strove to ground herself in the present and enjoy it.
After Yuyu put Val to bed, the three of them gathered in Cisco's study to play board games, one of their favorite pastimes.
Noelle enjoyed herself as she hadn't in a long time. For a few hours, she put aside the stress of the competition and her fear at not being enough—not being perfect.
As she laughed and chatted with Cisco and Yuyu, she brought forth another part of herself—one that had been there all along, but had never been welcomed before.
For all their closeness, though, Noelle never shared with them her deepest worries and the fact that she felt she was drowning in the expectations placed upon her—by her family, her teachers, and especially byher.
That didn't mean it went unnoticed.
When everyone went to bed that night, Cisco couldn't help but note a tinge of worry on his wife's features.
"What is it?" he asked as he approached her.
Fresh from the shower, she'd donned a white silky nightdress. She was brushing her hair in front of the mirror, her hand hesitating every now and then as she lost herself to her thoughts.
Placing his hands on her arms, he caressed her gently, bringing his lips to her shoulder in the softest kiss.
"You've been deep in thought since we came back," he noted as he took the brush out of her hand, proceeding to slowly thread it through her hair.
Yuyu's cheeks tightened with a sad smile.
"I'm just worried about her," she reluctantly admitted.
"Why? She's doing much better," Cisco frowned. "She hasn't gotten into a conflict in years, and her teachers truly appreciate her."
"She doesn't have any friends, love," she sighed. "Did you notice her tonight?"
"What about it?" Cisco blinked, playing back the interactions in his mind. "She seemed perfectly fine to me. And she had a lot of fun with the games, didn't she? I know you let her win a couple of times," he chuckled.
He didn't know how it was possible to love a woman more, but Yuyu proved him wrong every moment of every day. He was in absolute awe of her—not only her intellect but also her soul.
The way she'd taken care of his sister over the years floored him and filled him with so much emotion—a lot of which he would have thought foreign if not for her.
It had beenherwho'd taught him the meaning of love. And it was her who reminded him what it meant on a daily basis, teaching him something new every day. Without Yuyu, he would still be alone, in his own world, caged by his own intellect that struggled to make sense of humanity.
More than anything, it had beenherwho'd taught him how to be a better brother to Noelle. As such, he had absolute confidence in her instincts and observations.
"She has matured, that is for sure. But there is something that's lurking just beneath the surface," she turned to face him, taking the brush from his hand and placing it on the table.
"Noelle's always been a loner," Cisco said pensively.
"But do you think she wants that?" Yuyu parried, the question serious.
"I think she wouldn't know what to do otherwise," Cisco answered immediately, drawing from his own experiences.
"And that's what worries me, love," she admitted, raising her big eyes towards him and regarding him with apprehension. "She reminds me too much of you when we first met," she continued, cupping his cheek with her hand and stroking him lightly. "So closed to the world, so against it."
"Was I?" his lips quirked up.
"You rationalized every little thing, every emotion. You still do, sometimes," she smiled.
"Hmm, do I?" he lifted a brow. "Maybe I need another lesson," he drawled suggestively as he brought her wrist to his mouth, laying a chaste kiss.
