When Noah showed up Monmouth was vacant. He had been popping in and out a lot lately, but never for more than a few minutes at a time and never when Blue wasn't around. Clearly, she had to be nearby for him to have been able to materialize. Curious, Noah glanced out the window. Sure enough, Blue was out there. She was sitting on the trunk of the pig, Gansey right beside her. He wanted to go to them, let him know he was there, see if there was any progress in the search for Maura. But something about the way their shoulders were touching made him hesitate. This looked like a private moment- the kind you're not supposed to intrude upon. So he settled for eaves dropping, but hard as he tried, he couldn't make out what they were saying.
Noah had only been watching the pair talk for a couple of minutes when the rain started. It wasn't the type of rain that began with a light drizzle- it was the kind that came without warning and threatened to soak you to your bone. Blue lifted herself off the trunk of the car and threw her hands up. She looked as though the rain was her long lost friend, and she was eager to greet it with a hug and a smile. Gansey, on the other hand, resembled a frightened feline. He ducked into the car which sent Blue into a fit of laughter. Noah watched as she danced her way around the pig, stopping in front of the headlights. She seemed to be mocking Gansey, teasing him through the windshield, to which he responded by honking the horn and flashing the high beams at her. Blue's smile widened as she knelt down, as if retrieving a fallen ear ring from the ground beneath her feet. Except it wasn't jewelry she held in her hands when she stood again- it was mud. Without warning she flung two fist fulls of wet earth at the windshield, causing Gansey's jaw to drop as he set the wipers to work. Noah was sure that Gansey would be livid. He considered running out and trying to defuse the situation, save Blue from what was sure to be an intense lecture about the proper way to treat a camaro. But what happened next sent Noah into a temporary paralysis.
Gansey was out of the car in a heartbeat. He met Blue at the front of the car, where she stood with her hands tucked behind her back. For a moment they just stared at each other, her eyes claiming innocence and his daring her to try that mud stunt just one more time. She did. But this time she took aim at the boy in front of her. He ducked to avoid the mud bomb she had just tossed at him, narrowly escaping the hit. Then a chase ensued. She took off and he followed, running circles around the car. When he caught her, she let out a playful scream as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, lifting her off the ground. She put her hands up, calling a truce so that he would release her. But when he did, she turned to face him and revealed her muddy palms. He backed away slowly, playfully, until he was halted by the hood of the pig. It was then that she leapt at him, smearing mud on his polo with a wicked grin on her face. Gansey would not accept defeat though, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her once more. This time he would not show her the mercy of a swift release. Instead, he placed her on the hood of the pig, where he could hold her down with one hand while retrieving a bit of mud that lingered on the windshield with his free hand. Gently, he smeared mud across her forehead and down the bridge of her nose. He drew two lines on each of her cheeks with his muddy index finger. She laid back, on the pig's hood and put up no fight.
Noah watched as they laid on top of the car, muddy and soaked, letting the rain hit them as they carefully touched each others faces. He was aware that this was an intimate moment, and that he should look away, but he couldn't help himself. He was curious. Surely they weren't going to kiss, they wouldn't be that reckless. But they were so close, their faces just inches apart. It was beautiful and tragic and it made Noah so incredibly sad. Sad for Blue, who he knew longed to be kissed. Sad for Gansey who had the misfortune of falling for someone so terribly off limits. Sad for Adam who's heart would splinter if he ever found out about this. So many reasons to be sad in this moment, watching two of his closest friends battle the urges violently rising up inside of themselves. And yet, when he looked at them he couldn't help but smile. There was definitely something beautiful happening outside of Monmouth, something worth withstanding the sadness.