Okay, I've been taking a class, plus my career, and then having a loaded social calendar this month, so… I have had NO time. So I decided to do a little update in the meantime since I've had this chapter in reserve for a while and just wanted to put something out there for you guys. This one is going to be a 'Noah-specific' chapter set a couple of days after the previous chapter with Noah just about to start his new job and life as a 'real adult'. Haha. XD Anyway, hope you enjoy it!

(Noah's POV)

I took off my headset after wrapping up another Kosmic Kaos strategy meeting for an upcoming tournament with the guys. After we did our 'regroup' to plan ahead for regionals though, I finally decided to just 'put it out there'.

Ever since I sold out… I mean, got a job, I've been trying to figure out a good time to tell the guys in my alliance about it so they know that I might go AWOL again soon, but for a different reason.

Since I'm also looking into getting my own place out in Toronto to be closer to Emma along with starting my job and going into the office a few days a week once I move out… yeah, being 'readily available' for strategy meetings and raids is probably going to be something that's not gonna happen as much as I'd want it to.

But… I slowly looked over until I saw the picture of Emma I had with me during my last "Total Drama" season.

Agh… seriously, who even am I anymore?

I mean, look I am NOT regretting anything that has to do with Emma. Definitely not regretting anything.

Dude…

I checked behind my gaming chair to check how close Casper was since he usually likes to lay behind or next to me and nap while I play video games ever since my parents got him.

Luckily he was passed out next to my chair this time so I was able to back up to get up from my desk to go to the bathroom since I saw it was almost 10:30 PM.

Because now that I'm 'an adult', I needed to go to sleep to be up and at least dressed from the waist up for my virtual 'employee orientation' at 8 am.

And that is a sentence I never thought I would be saying even internally in my whole life so far.

But, then again, I never thought about a lot of things since from the ages of 5 to 20, I pretty much had the same life plan.

In my 'ideal picture', all I wanted was to find a way to win a ton of cash so I could move out of my parents' house and get my own 'gamer den' to just play and design video games all day and be completely alone.

Not even anything fancy, I would have been happy basically living in a studio apartment or even a converted storage container/tiny house.

Just a place with internet, water, food, electricity, and a bed to crash where I was away from my dad constantly asking me when I was going to go back to school/get a real job every 5 seconds.

But, hmph… look at me now.

I became the thing that I never thought I was ever going to be in the entirety of my life.

I mean, yeah I'm finally 'becoming an adult' (according to societal standards) with a normal day job, but… none of this probably would've happened if I never met Emma.

Up until the race, I was still going by my same 'life plan'.

Competing on reality TV for quick cash, never making it remotely far enough to win any real cash, and then falling into the same vicious cycle of idiotic insanity of just signing up for show after show until 'something stuck' so I could pretty much vanish from the face of society with no other human interaction than gaming with my alliance and living a life of solitude surrounded by my tech in a 'gamer den' like I always wanted.

And then… Emma happened.

Before her, and still shocking for me to admit, the only two human beings I could remotely tolerate being around in person for years were Cody and even more surprisingly Owen.

I mean, I guess Izzy, but… yeah, she's still a Brazil Nut-sized nutjob as far as I'm concerned.

So when I met a girl who I had a lot in common with, was my complete trifecta by having almost everything I could possibly want, and made me actually 'care'… I felt like I spent the majority of the race honestly questioning everything about myself.

Because… seriously, who am I?!

From my perspective with Emma, I was almost acting as stupid and weird with her as my ape brothers did with girls. Well… I guess not that level of absolute stupidity since I come from a family of grade-A roid monkeys, but pretty close to it even by my standards. But, even me during the race has nothing on me after the race when Emma and I actually started dating. All I did when I had nothing else to do was think about her and want to do anything to get out of the house just to go see her (at least until she kicked me out so she could study).

Right as I got outside the bathroom door, I stopped short for just a second as I remembered that painfully awkward as-all-get-out dinner I had with her parents and then heard them basically saying I was 'a loser'.

Which, I didn't really care so much about what they thought about me but… when I saw how embarrassed Emma looked during dinner when her dad was pretty much picking me apart like vultures on a carcass and then I heard her mom say I was 'just a phase' that Emma would 'get over' once she found someone else?

Again, I feel like I wouldn't have cared less what anyone, much less people from my parents' generation, thought about me.

But… then I thought about the 'reality' that Emma could meet some other guy in law or med school at her university.

And that they could just come right in to make her break up with me for real for someone who had more to offer her than some guy who did nothing other than lose on reality shows with a college degree that he didn't even use and who still lived with his parents?

And… look at me now...

I finally made my way into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face before crashing for the night until I looked at myself in the mirror again. And even though it was 'me' that I was looking at, it was still a 'me' I was trying to get used to.

Sure the fact that I finally gave in and grew a beard to keep people from recognizing more from TV and also because Emma likes it which is beside the point, but… it was like I totally forgot how long it's really been.

I've been doing reality TV since I was 16 and now I'm 21, am now flat-out blacklisted from TV period now, and am about to start my first job in the tech industry tomorrow doing coding and looking to buy my own place just to be closer to my girlfriend.

Wow, hehe… look at you now, Noah?

But, thinking about how happy and proud of me that Emma was when I was telling her about all that last week… why does none of this feel that wrong right now? Besides, I'll be making a pretty good chunk of cash with my new job and will have pretty set hours to give me time in the evenings to work on video games and see Emma.

I actually smirked to myself in the mirror and let out a slight scoff.

Oh yeah, I've changed.

But, then I heard behind me with a knock on the door frame of the hall bathroom, "Hey, if you're not doing anything, got a second?"

I looked behind me and saw my dad standing in the doorway, but unlike the usual look of annoyed disappointment that I was used to him giving me my entire life, I couldn't even tell what kinda 'look' he was giving me right now.

But, not knowing what else to do, I shrugged before remarking, "Well, other than crashing before officially selling myself out tomorrow morning for my employee orientation… I guess I've 'got a second'."

Usually, my dad would've just rolled his eyes at me giving him a 'smart-ass response', I actually saw him crack a smirk as he crossed his arms. And I probably would've felt more shocked by that until he nodded his head to the hall and said, "C'mon, I got something to show you in the shop."

Uh… what?

But, now that I think about it, I've been noticing my dad going to his shop in the garage more and more lately ever since that morning he found out I was interviewing for the job that I have now.

For as long as I've remembered, my dad has had the same routine after dinner for as long as I could remember. After dinner was over and he'd give me and all my siblings these hard glares until all of us were done and then watched us all like a hawk until we cleaned off our plates in the trash and sink before putting them in the dishwasher, he'd go right to the fridge to grab a beer before sitting in the living room to watch whatever sport, nature, or home improvement show he could find on TV.

But, lately (and because my mom and dad still insist I need to eat dinner at the table with them every night since I still 'live under their roof and rules' but whatever) my dad still takes his usual glass bottle of beer but goes right into the garage after dinner.

Even my mom's been a little 'weirded out' by it.

But, I decided not to think too much about it as I shrugged and gave my dad a nod before following him downstairs to the garage, knowing I wasn't going to be able to go to bed anyway until I did what my dad wanted.

We started to go downstairs as my dad asked, "Been looking into any condos lately?"

Okay, seriously, what is happening?

I quirked up an eyebrow before responding, "Uh, kinda, but haven't really found anything good from the online listings yet. Why?"

All my dad did was shrug as he said back, not really answering my question, "Eh, just askin'. What about furniture? You looking at any stuff to start yourself out yet? Like a bed or couch or anything?"

Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on?

I kept giving him a weirded-out look as I responded skeptically confused as we got to the door leading to the garage door, "Uh… no. I was just going to take my furniture from my room for now. There's nothing wrong with any of it anyway."

Then almost immediately after I said that I heard my dad snort out the most well-defined scoff-like laugh… and I would know.

I immediately gave my dad a look as I questioned, "Seriously? What?"

Right then, my dad turned back before quirking an eyebrow back at me and crossing his arms before remarking, "Really? You see nothing wrong with using a lofted twin bed in your future condo as a grown-ass man?"

Uh… is this some kind of trick question? He's talking to me like I'm still sleeping in a crib or something?

Look, I know I volunteered to be pushed around in a baby carriage once when I was 18 for a challenge, but that was more out of laziness and not wanting to take part in any aspect of that idiotic challenge.

And at least I got a semi-decent nap out of it before I was woken up by some woman screaming.

I kept giving him a look as I responded pointedly, "Well, no. It's just me living there and I'm already using it here to sleep in. Besides, who was the one who built that bed for me to sleep in when I was 7 anyway?"

Immediately I was cut off when my dad put his finger right in my face before almost squaring up to me and saying while looking me dead in the eye, "Alright smartass, just listen up here. Yeah, I did make that bed. But, and to take some words you just said, it was a bed I so generously made for you when you were 7. 7-years-old… are you gettin' the picture now in your giant head? Or did all those 'A grades' you got in school go over your head? Cuz look at yourself. You are not a kid anymore and you are for sure not gonna be a kid livin' in a bedroom under your mom and I's roof anymore when you move to your future place in Toronto. You are a grown-ass 21-year-old man with a job and a girlfriend now. And maybe you haven't thought about this, but you do realize that when your girlfriend comes over that she might expect 'something' more if she ever wants to 'spend the night'. Understand?"

My entire body locked up and my eyes went wide at my dad bringing that up. Then before I could even cut in to stop my dad from talking about this, he kept going as he continued staring me down.

"Well, at least I can see that giant brain of yours is still working. Unless your girlfriend also sleeps on a lofted twin bed at her apartment for school; which I doubt, you need to join the rest of the adult world and have an adult bed… And that is what I'm gonna show you."

I continued to give my dad a beyond-annoyed and confused look until he opened the door and motioned inside. My eyes went wide at what I was seeing.

Front and center in the garage was a pretty large bedframe with dark staining on the wood as my dad started, "Now this is a bed. Say or think whatever the hell you want and I know you were sayin' Emma has her own student apartment, but I think you and your girlfriend will like this more than 'child furniture' when she comes over to your place. 'Sides, who knows? In the future, you and her can use this if she moves in after she graduates to get yourselves started or something else that could happen even before then."

My eyes went even wider for a second at what was being implied before I quirked up an eyebrow and pointed out, "Uh dad, still kinda early for thinking about that, thanks. Besides, knowing Emma she's probably not going to want to move in much less get married to anyone while she's in law school anyway. Or have you forgotten it's not the 1970's anymore?"

My dad just narrowed his eyes at me before crossing his arms and retorting, "Hey smartass, I'm just saying, by the time I was your age, I was already married with 2 kids. I know things are different now, but I'm just saying that life's gonna happen and things are gonna happen. And it's better to be prepared for it than be caught with your pants down. Besides, this is something that's gonna be built to last. It's a solid oak, Queen-sized bed. You and your girlfriend aren't that tall so it'll work for the two of you just fine and it'll easily fit into a condo to give you space to spare. All you gotta do is buy a mattress and you'll be set. Speaking of all set, I got somethin' else for you."

My dad went to his workbench and I kept getting more and more confused as he grabbed a piece of paper.

Then just as soon as he grabbed it, my dad came right back over to me and held the piece of paper out to me. I looked down and saw it was actually several pieces of paper stapled together and a business card for a real estate agent with a Toronto address.

Huh?

"Look, I know you use your damn computers for everything and maybe I'm 'old fashioned', but in my opinion when it comes to buying property… you need an agent. I don't care what those websites tell you that you can do most of it yourself, but these people know what they're doing and they can find you a place that you want faster. So, I found an agent out there and just got the info back yesterday. I gave them a call today and told them to call you tomorrow to get your search started." After continuing to give my dad a confused look before looking at the papers after what he just said, I looked back up and smirked before saying, "Trying to expedite kicking me out of the house?"

At first, I thought my dad was going to give me that same pissed-off and annoyed glare I've been used to him giving me my entire life, he actually smirked before saying, "You put the words out there, not me."

We both scoffed out a laugh slightly in knowing yet dry amusement since my dad trying to get me to move out is 'nothing new'. It was quiet for a second before my dad started, "Look Noah… I know we've never agreed about pretty much anything, but… you're still my son and I only got on your ass about this crap because I just wanted you to succeed and do something for yourself. And now that you're finally going for it, you got my backing on it."

Right as I was unpacking all of that, dad held out if hand to me again (reminding me of that handshake we had in the bathroom after the last time we remotely talked to each other).

Eventually, I smirked and took his hand before saying, "And I'm guessing you're referring mostly to 'financial support' in terms of my downpayment and not to 'moral support'?"

My dad smirked back before saying, gripping my hand a little more back, "Don't make me take back whatever the hell I just said, smartass."

We both chuckled a little as we shook hands.

I really hope you all enjoyed what I did with Noah's arc of 'growing up' through this fic. Since Noah by nature was pretty much a total lazy, sarcastic jerk (and you all know that's correct as fellow Noah fans) at his core in TDI and then went through progressive development over the following seasons and I really wanted to continue that gradual development of Noah's character in this fic to show how Noah would realistically become more mature and want to do more for himself if he wants to be in Emma's life as her boyfriend and just gaining his own independence to better his future growth as a person. Sure Noah's always going to be the 'snarky know-it-all' that we all know and love, but… he's growing up in his own way and I am proud of him for it! As well as his dad seems to be too, even if just to finally 'push Noah out of the next to fly on his own' while expressing how proud he is of Noah at the same time in their 'complicated relationship'. Haha. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and constructive feedback is always appreciated!

Stay Classy!

Dexter1995