And we are back with Noah! This chapter takes place about a week after the previous chapter. Hope you all enjoy! :D

({No POV})

It was late afternoon on a Friday as Noah was working ahead on his work quota, mainly because he didn't want to bother with work later that night or over the week for a couple different reasons.

One was because he and his gaming alliance had a tournament on Sunday for Kosmic Kaos, but also because he and Emma made plans to go out for a date after his work day and her back-to-back Friday classes.

Even just thinking out that sentence was still incredibly weird for Noah.

Because even though he was adjusting to his 'new reality' all things considered, he was still at times trying to grasp how much of a 'regular life' with a schedule he was now living. But, at the same time, he also really couldn't complain since in the grand scheme of things, he was still keeping everything in his life that he actually wanted to have.

He still gets to game with his alliance regularly, he gets to wake up whenever he wants to start on his work-from-home days since all his employer cares about is the work getting done by or before the deadline, and… Emma.

Right then as Noah finished up his current task before logging out of the work interface, he leaned back in his gaming chair at his desk and stretched out. He ran his hands through hair and pushed himself out from his desk after checking to make sure Casper wasn't sleeping behind him.

In the process showing that he was just wearing a white T-shirt and boxers, something he does a lot when he worked from home and didn't have to leave his condo.

But, looking at the clock, he saw Emma's last class was going to let out in about an hour and he should probably get dressed to meet her outside her lecture hall for their date.

Right as that thought clicked, Noah immediately looked at an envelope sitting on his desk that he got earlier in the week.

Again, while not something he ever thought he'd do in a million years, he knew it was something he couldn't pass up for Emma, considering he knew this would be something important to her that she'd appreciate. Then add that on to finding out about said thing in a work email offering an employee discount… he really knew he couldn't pass it up, or at least had no excuse to.

But, before that, he had to get dressed first.

He sighed as he got up and walked over to the closet in his room, about to go for the usual clothes that he always wore… until he saw and remembered the clothes Emma picked out. He kept looking at the pairs of casual men's slacks, button-up vests, and new button-up long-sleeve shirts.

All the while he kept going back and forth between his usual clothes and new clothes in confliction.

And he kept going back and forth until finally his eyes settled on the new clothes Emma got him.

Despite Noah not really knowing exactly how to feel still when it comes to changing something like this, he couldn't help but remember when he went to grab a coffee with Emma the previous weekend and had someone recognize him from TV at the coffee shop.

Indicating to him that despite growing a beard, he still seemed WAY too recognizable from the everything else about him. Particularly because he was wearing his usual clothes also probably gave him away to anyone who's seen him on TV since he was 16.

Finally, Noah shrugged to himself and took off his T-shirt and exchanged it for his usual sleeveless undershirt, gradually grabbing and throwing on one of the new button-up shirts and one of the business casual button-up vests Emma matched with it.

After putting on a pair of the relaxed fit men's slacks, he looked at himself in a mirror in the corner of the room that was left behind by the previous owner of the unit that Noah didn't bother to care to get rid of.

He kept just analyzing himself, almost like he was trying to get used to 'who he was looking at'.

For Noah, growing out a beard was one thing and that took almost an entire month for him to get used to as a new part of his 'identity' after reality TV. At first, his skin finally getting used to the beard 'existing' after spending almost a decade shaving it off constantly was incredibly annoying, but… he also realized he didn't hate it as much as he thought he would.

Well, that and Emma liking his 'new look' to the point of running her hands over and through his beard and hair a little whenever they made out was also something he was not complaining about, considering that recently became one of his biggest turn-ons in situations like that with her.

And right now, he felt all those similar feelings coming back as he looked at himself in his new clothes.

Eventually, after taking a long look at himself, Noah remembered what Emma did back at the suit shop when she rolled up the sleeves on his dress shirt to make it look more relaxed and casual. He cuffed up his sleeves the same way Emma did, but still not seeming completely sold.

Well, until his eyes went wide as he heard Emma's voice echo in the back of his head from when they were in the suit shop together.


"...take it from me here… I think you look really good right now."


At the time Noah really didn't entirely know what to make of that, but now… it was almost like the eureka moment finally kicked in as Noah's eyes went wide about exactly how Emma thought he really 'looked' when she was having him try on the clothes she picked out.

During that whole shopping excursion Emma took him on to get 'professional-appropriate attire', Noah was honestly hardly paying attention to anything else other than his own opinion on how much of a 'sell-out' he thought he looked like that he almost realized everything Emma was hinting at just went right over his head in that same time.

Mainly that he was just now fully realizing that Emma was trying to subtly hint to him about exactly how he looked to her.

Noah swallowed hard a bit as he kept looking at himself in the mirror at the realization.

Throughout his entire life so far, Noah never cared about anything. And Noah especially didn't care about what anyone thought.

Noah knew and accepted he was not like anyone else in his family and never cared to be like them, because he had something they didn't.

Brains.

Because even though he was never big or strong enough to throw a punch, he didn't need to.

He survived the school playground and his home life by outsmarting everyone. Verbal insults that would bring anyone down a few pegs, bribing dumb school bullies into being his personal bodyguards, and destroying the self-esteem and ego of anyone who dared to try him.

The time he made the primary school bully Kenny Brennan cry during assembly just by making fun of his shoes was still one of his greatest achievements in proving he did not want to be messed with.

And Noah was fine with it.

He didn't care about 'popularity' or 'being famous'. All he ever wanted out of life was to make a crap ton of 'easy cash' to help him create his 'fortress of solitude' from the world and be entirely left alone.

Even if that meant 'playing a part' in order to get there.

He found the audition ad for Total Drama as a spam email that showed up in his inbox and was about to roll his eyes and delete it… until he saw the $100,000 cash prize.

As brainless as he thought the show concept was, all teenage Noah saw was potential and dollar signs.

He had get on that show.

And having recently just turned 16, he didn't even need his parents' permission for the terms of the contract set out. All he needed was an audition tape and $20 for the application fee.

So, despite already being graduated from high school, Noah paid off some random guy named Joey he knew from his former high school's AV club to help him film a 'sham audition tape' by some lockers pretending to be 'class president' was all he needed to seem interesting enough for a dumb reality show.

And it worked… just not in the way he planned.

Looking back now, Noah knew he got a bit too cocky too early during the Dodgeball challenge and should have put in at least one round's worth of effort to at least more successfully fade into the background and avoid screwing up his chances.

At times, Noah thought back to what would have happened had he never been on TV. Definitely would have spared him a lot of humiliation, that's for sure.

But, had he not done it… he would have missed out on a lot of things he never expected.

Making actual solid friendships with people he didn't hate in the form of Owen and Cody, the periodic opportunities to disappear for months and avoid his parents constantly asking him to go to school or get a job, and… Emma.

Because as much humiliation as he went through for money on reality TV, he never would have met Emma had he never signed up way back when he was 16 and did that all on a whim for some 'easy cash'.

And even though he never admitted it out loud, Emma changed him in ways that he never expected anyone could. Sure he still felt like himself, but… he just wasn't expecting Emma to make him 'care' as much as she unintentionally did.

He likes seeing and making her happy, he cares about supporting her and what she wants to do, and even though it was not something neither of them has actually talked about yet… he has realized especially recently that he does love her.

And he knew that all those feelings were mutual from Emma too.

Because as cynical and sarcastic as they both are, Noah knew how much both of them care about each other, especially now.

Because even though he initially decided to 'grow up' to keep Emma from leaving him for some guy more ambitiously equal to her, even he had to admit that his now 'adult life' was not as bad as he thought it would be.

Looking around now, Noah was realizing how great his life really was.

He somehow got a first job that pays him fairly well, he owns his own place, he has a hot and smart girlfriend… what more could he possibly want?

Noah eventually smirked at himself again before eventually tying and situating his necktie around his neck, looking more comfortable if not liking what he was now seeing of himself in the mirror.

With that, he grabbed the envelope off his desk and went to head out to meet up with Emma.

(Noah's POV)

Okay, seriously, why did I decide to wait outside?

It's February in Toronto and I'm pretty sure my balls have receded so far into my body for warmth that they are barely still functional. It was almost as bad as when I stupidly decided to jump into the semi-frozen river outside suanas during the race to try and impress Emma.

Seriously, I could have just waited in the vestibule of Emma's lecture hall or something?

Ugh, whatever, she's going to get out any minute anyway and then it'll all be worth it.

As I kept contemplating if I was going to be able to have any feeling in my butt later at the restaurant when I'm sitting, I saw people starting to walk out, including Emma.

Agh, FINALLY!

I was about to meet her halfway when I heard what sounded like some guy calling out, "Emma, wait up!"

What?

Emma stopped and looked behind her and all I saw was this yuppie-looking guy about the same age as me and Emma who looked like he was grown in a pod beneath the stock exchange with his argyle sweater and long jacket over it.

I stopped and quirked up an eyebrow as I saw Emma and whoever the hell this guy thinks he is talking right now.

Well, Emma seems to be talking to him pretty 'normally', but this guy… I wasn't buying anything. Especially after Emma looked like she was excusing herself (not really looking particularly interested in talking to him) and walked away, I almost felt like my knuckles were going to break through my skin when I saw him definitely 'checking her out' as she walked away.

But, then I was snapped out of it when I heard, "Noah! Hey!"

Then before I could even react, Emma immediately hugged me. Even though my immediate reaction was to smile and hug her for obvious reasons, I almost instinctively looked back up to see if the Pomade Hair Poser Extraordinaire was still there… and he was.

Except now he was looking at me and Emma with wide eyes and all I was feeling was just absolute satisfaction that almost bordered on vindictive as I wrapped my arms around her a little more as I smirked in his direction in absolute satisfaction.

It was about as good as how it felt when I finally made that last dig at Chris before walking out but multiply that by about a thousand.

Eventually, this guy just gave us (mainly me) a look for 'obvious reasons' before just putting his hands in his coat pockets and walking off.

Yeah, that's right, Ivy League. She's not interested and she's taken… by me.

Right then, Emma pulled me out of it as she said, "Hey, what's going on?"

I didn't really want her to know I was watching her and also watched some other guy checking her out, so I tried to play it cool as I shrugged and said, "Eh, nothing. But, who was Argyle Albert back there? Was he looking for the trust fund that he dropped somewhere?"

She snorted out a laugh which immediately made me smirk, knowing she definitely knew what I was talking about, or who I guess? But, she immediately just rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, don't worry about it. That's just Richard. He's asked me out at least once a week since pre-law. Even though I have told him 'no' probably a million times already or that I already had a boyfriend when we started dating and even showed him proof that you existed from when we were on race, but he still was not buying it because it was 'on TV'. Honestly, I was glad I saw you out here just to have an excuse to get out of whatever idiotic cover question he uses to try to ask me out. Nothing weird or anything, just kind of more annoying than anything."

Wait… Richard? Seriously?

Heh! Of course, that dude's name is Richard. Why am I not surprised by that?

A guy like him having one of the preppiest names ever is like looking at a guy like any of my brothers or even Tyler and saying they are jocks with the IQ of a tree stump.

It pretty much almost goes without saying.

I smirked and said, "Well, luckily, I think it was 'message received' that you weren't lying just now, at least if the look on his face as he looked over here meant anything."

She snorted out a laugh, making me smirk again as I kept looking at her until she reached out and grabbed my hand as she said, "So, ready to head out for dinner?"

I just smirked and grabbed her hand back as I motioned out in front of us with my other hand and responded, "Ladies first."

She just shook her head, snorted out another laugh, and rolled her eyes with a playful smirk, making me smirk and laugh back as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and she immediately wrapped her arms around my waist as we started walking.

40 minutes later

(Emma's POV)

Noah and I were just wrapping up our dinner date and even though I was still starving and trying to focus on eating, I still couldn't stop myself from looking up at Noah right now.

Sure I noticed he was wearing the dress pants I picked out for him, but it wasn't until we got to this Thai place around the corner from his condo and he took off his jacket that I realized he was wearing one of the full outfits I picked out for him initially at that suit shop.

Not because I told him to wear it or mentioned anything about it. But, like he was actually wearing it on his own volition. Sure I know we had that incident at a cafe recently where someone recognized him in his usual clothes despite having a beard, but… still, I was surprised.

Not complaining! Don't get me wrong here, but… still.

It wasn't until I saw him with this off look on his face that he looked like he kept pursuing his lips and looking anywhere but at me.

Eventually, I quirked up an eyebrow as I questioned, trying to figure out what was going on with him, "Um, hey, Noah? Are you… okay?"

At first, I thought he was thinking about what happened with Richard earlier, and that even was still kind of annoying to me that he didn't take a hint until now that I was not interested and also had a boyfriend already.

But, then things shifted when I saw Noah eventually sigh and start to reach into his vest before saying with a smirk, "Okay, I have no idea if you even want to do this or not? Honestly, you might even think this is stupid and even I still can't believe I'm doing this, but… hey."

Right then, he pulled an envelope out of the inside breast pocket of his vest before sliding it over to me on the table.

I quirked up an eyebrow and gave him a look of total skeptical confusion about whatever was going on.

But, eventually, I grabbed the envelope off the table and opened it.

At first, I still had no idea what this was even about until I took what looked like two tickets out. But, it wasn't until I read them as my eyes went wide in shock as it all just clicked and hit me like a truck.


Admit One: Toronto Metropolitan Charity Adult Prom; Friday, February 14th, 6 PM-1 AM. Formal Attire only.


Below that was the address to what looked like a hotel ballroom and a list of company sponsors that included the company Noah works for.

I was still processing this until I realized it was also on Valentine's Day as he said, "So, if you don't think this is totally stupid and even though I thought I'd never do this in my entire life, but… wanna go to prom with me?"

Okay for those of you who have been paying attention since Chapter 3, this is something I've hinted at for a while and in multiple chapters after that with Emma still being insecure about her embarrassing high school prom situation with being snubbed by every guy at her school and then ended up taking Kitty with her instead. And even though I could very much see Noah despising any concept of a dance since 'jumping around like a buffoon' on a dance floor is not reall 'his thing'. But, because he loves Emma and knows how important it was to her that she didn't get the prom experience she wanted, so… Noah decided to be a good boyfriend and take advantage of an employee discount on the tickets to take Emma to an adult prom event downtown. Now, I will be honest, I have gone to an adult prom before as a date a few years ago and they are actually VERY fun! Honestly, I actually enjoyed the adult prom I went to more than my high school prom if I'm being honest. Seriously, look up if you have any adult prom events going on near you if you want to try it. I'd recommend it! Lol. XD Anyway, I also hope you enjoyed Noah getting a look at the types of guys that Emma has trying to ask her out because of how pretty and smart she in the academia setting. Even though, much to Noah's satisfaction, she still only has eyes for him. Haha. ;) Then I of course hoped you liked the look into Noah settling into his new identity as 'Post-Reality TV/Normal Life Noah'. But, either way, look forward to another cute Nemma chapter of them going to an adult prom together. What will ensue? Stay tuned to find out, ya'll! Lol. ;) Anyway, thank you again so much for reading and constructive feedback is always appreciated if you can spare it. ?

Stay Classy!

Dexter1995