"Juuuuuuuuuu!"
It's not quite the sound he wants to hear at 2am on a Saturday, and he's kicking himself silly for even picking up the phone, but he's awake now, so he responds, when he could have so easily just hung up.
"What, Noel?" He says, groggily, his tone unimpressed.
"Juuuuu! I need a ride home, Ju."
Julian rolls his eyes, sitting up in bed now and turning on his bedside lamp. He wants to say no, that he can't make it. He wants to remind Noel that's it's 2am and that Noel's done this twice already this week. He also wants to tell Noel off, because every damn time he's picked him up Noel's drunkenly given him a couple of sloppy kisses before curling up to sleep and the next morning when he wakes up he seems to have forgotten and it's never addressed (just like everything between them), which Julian can't stand. But, instead, for some unknown reason, he's climbing out of his warm bed and pulling on a jacket before picking up his car keys.
"I'm coming."

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"What the…" Julian sits up quickly, looking around for the source of the noise. He notices straight away that Noel is no longer in bed beside him, where he had curled up earlier that morning a while after Julian had picked him up. His mind wanders to what happened that morning, but is shoved out of his mind after he hears more strange noises.
Crash!
"Aw fuck!"
Julian jumps out of bed and heads for the kitchen, which is where he assumes all the noise, is coming from. Sure enough, when he enters the kitchen there is an inexplicable amount of smoke and Noel is jumping up and down, in just a pair of Julian's pyjama pants, in front of the fire alarm, waving his arms about to try and stop the beeping. On the floor is a broken mug, which must have been the source of the "crash."
"Careful!" Julian says irritably, seeing the broken porcelain dangerously close to Noel's feet. Noel stops jumping and turns around, startled upon hearing Julian's voice. "What have you done?"
"I just wanted to make toast." Noel says, running his fingers through his hair and wincing slightly as the beeping continues. Julian just shakes his head, as he pulls Noel out of the kitchen by his wrist, then swiftly detaches the smoke alarm, leaving it mute.
"Whatever." Noel muttered, as he got a dustpan and brush, to clean up the mess on the floor, but Julian took both things from him.
"Go sit down, you're not wearing any shoes and you're just going to get hurt." He said, his tone almost angry. Almost. Noel didn't say anything, just made a face, and sat down at one of the kitchen counter stools, watching as Julian cleaned up the mess, then put the kettle on. He looked resentfully at the toaster, then up at Noel, then back to the toaster.
"What?" Noel asked.
"You've got to be kidding. How did you manage that?" Julian gingerly picked out the burnt toast and chucked it in the bin. He put two fresh slices in, and then continued to make tea for both of them. He could tell Noel's hangover was slowly edging in on him, as he saw Noel drop his head down on the counter out of the corner of his eye, he wanted to tell him he deserved it, but instead he reached for the Panadol in the top cupboard. He put Noel's tea and two tablets in front of him without a word, then watched him slowly lift his head up, give Julian a weak smile and down the tablets in two quick gulps.
"A thank you would be nice." As soon as he says it, he regrets it, but it's out there now and he can't get it back. But Noel is too hangover to retaliate and just shrugs, he pushes the mug away from him and stands up.
"Should probably go home." He murmurs, but Julian doesn't reply. They just watch each other in complete silence until the pop of the toast finishing breaks it.
"Yeah." Julian says finally, turning his back to Noel. He hates that it's like this, he wishes that it wasn't, but there's something between them this morning that isn't going away, and his mood really isn't helping. He figures it's best just to let Noel leave, they'll catch up on Monday and everything would have gone back to normal, he knows that for sure. When he turns back around the kitchen and living room are empty, Noel must have gone back to his bedroom to get his stuff before leaving. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, Noel walks back in and gives Julian an awkward wave, he's put on his own shirt, but Julian notices that he's still wearing his pyjama pants and smirks a little.
"Yeah, see ya." Julian says, awkwardly waving back. The door clicks shut and Julian lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Julian wastes the day away, thinking too deeply about unimportant things and brushing over the things he should be thinking deeply about. By 6pm he's frustrated and just wants the day to be over, he's pondering actually going to bed, when there's a soft tapping at the door. Standing up from the couch, he finds himself checking if he's wearing pants or not, before going to the door. Just one of those days, he thinks, shaking his head. The soft tapping continues, more persistently now and annoyed slightly, Julian opens the door.
"Oh." Is all Julian can say.
"Oh?' Is that all I get? In a shit mood you are." Noel says smoothly, pushing past him, he's got a canvas under one arm and a satchel attached to the other. But Julian only notices that Noel's still comfortably in his pyjama pants and smiles.
"Fuck off. What are you even doing here?" He says, closing the door and following Noel into the living room.
"I need to paint you."
"What?"
"Come on, sit on the couch and look good. I mean, as good as you can look." Noel winks, but Julian just stands watching him, looking bewildered.
"This face isn't for painting, Noel."
"Come onnnn! I've been bored shitless all day." Noel pleads, he starts pulling off his shirt.
"Woah, woah, woah, what are you doing!?"
"I paint better with my shirt off, yeah." Noel says as if Julian should know this.
"No, no, no. No nudity in the living room!"
"No nudity in the living room?"
"Yep, that's the rule, can't change the rule." Julian says, but Noel takes his shirt off anyway, and he can feel his cheeks blushing red.
"I broke the rule. Tough. Now can you sit down please? I want to get my painting done."
Reluctantly, Julian sits down, only because he knows he'll never win. He's frustrated though; that they haven't spoken about this morning and whatever the hell it was that happened then. But that's the way they are when it comes to these sorts of things, they don't speak, everything hangs in the air, but Julian has started to worry about what will happen when there's too many things in the air between them, because they seem to be building up. It's not just the drunken kissing, or the weird, constant sexual tension, it's the interviews when they're always touching and there's been too many late night writing sessions with both them getting ultimately way too handsy then shying off, like they always do. Everything is left unsaid and Julian knows he will eventually snap.
"What's wrong with you? Can you relax, please." Noel's voice breaks through his thoughts and draws attention to his stiff shoulders, he quickly tries to look relaxed, but from the look on Noel's face, he must look constipated to say the least.
"I'm sorry." He mumbles. "Do we really have to do this?"
Noel gives him a look, but he's putting his paintbrush down.
"Thank you."
"This isn't you getting out of it, Barratt."
Julian rolls his eyes, "Yeah, yeah."
They're both quiet for a while and Julian is bracing himself for another awkward and weird afternoon, similar to this morning, but Noel obviously is not about to let that happen.
"Tea?" He jumps up and wanders to the kitchen, putting the kettle on. Julian follows him and they stand at opposite ends, leaning against the bench.
"Don't smash anything this time." Julian says, forcing a smile, he doesn't want it to be weird either, but he's so on edge, it's difficult and he can't help but notice that Noel still doesn't have a shirt on. Noel laughs, but Julian sees the flicker in his eyes, showing that he's obviously thinking about this morning. They fall silent again, listening to the kettle boiling.
"You-"
"How-"
They both begin to speak at the same time, and then both stop short, laughing awkwardly.
"You go." Julian says.
"You… alright?" Noel asks, he looks to the floor shiftily.
No.
"Just tired. Surprised you're so lively, though. Big night." He wishes immediately that he hadn't mentioned the night, because that would lead to him being picked up and then whatever the fuck it was that happened before Noel curled up to go to sleep, but it's too late now. Noel's cheeks fill with colour, he must be having the same thought process as Julian.
"Yeah." He pauses for a while. "Sorry I called you… Again."
"It's alright."
"I would've called Mike, but I was so drunk, I don't know, you're the first person I think of." Julian's stomach does a somersault.
"Yeah, 'course."
Another long pause.
Noel walks slowly over to Julian and nudges his legs apart to fit between them, Julian does his best not to look bewildered, but he must not be doing a very good job because Noel's eyebrows wiggle and he smirks. Noel pushes his fingers slowly through Julian's hair then lets his hands rest at the nape of his neck.
"Shut up."
"Didn't say anything." Noel says coyly, leaving a kiss on Julian's jawline. Julian's brain is yelling at him to make Noel stop and explain, but his heart and something a little further down lets Noel keep kissing him. His hands give in too and slide up to rest on Noel's bare hips. Noel smiles into the next kiss, pleased with the eventual reaction he gets from Julian, then he's sliding his hands down to Julian's waistband, tugging at it, asking for permission. Julian kisses him hard in way of saying yes and then Noel is unzipping his trousers and releasing he's already hard cock and Julian's breathing becomes heavy, needed Noel desperately to do more. And that's when Noel sinks to his knees and doesn't waste any time taking Julian's cock in his mouth. Julian lets out a moan and he clutches the bench till his knuckles shine white. Noel quickens his pace, bringing it in and out of his mouth, his eyes looking up at Julian.
"Please." Julian almost whimpers and clutches at clumps of Noel's hair firmly. Noel gently scrapes his teeth along his length and that's when Julian comes, he doesn't have time to warn, just shudders and lets out a long moan and comes in Noel's mouth, which he laps up immediately and with no complaint. Then Noel slowly stands, a shake in his legs as he does so, he gives Julian one last kiss, before turning his back to him and washing his hands. He re boils the kettle and takes out two mugs and two teabags. Julian hastily pulls his trousers back up and watches Noel's calm frame, his back still to him, preparing tea. He's furious. But as per usual, he doesn't say a word.