Summary: Something inside her was moving; she knew it. But even if she wanted to, she couldn’t tell you how she felt. She couldn’t form it into words. All she knew is that he did something to her...something that she would never have fathomed that she would have experienced.

Nightlight

Chapter Two:

Noir: The Newest Member of the Green Arrows

Noir woke up later on in the day…or more so the night since everyone who owned the rest of the beds were occupying them happily, snoozing away. Noir yawned quietly as to not wake the boy beside her as she watched him sleep. His mouth was wide open and he was snoring quietly. He was lying peacefully on his back, with a hand on his chest. Overall, he looked completely serene.

She chuckled lightly at him, musing at how cute he looked like that. Noir had a feeling that if Pierce heard her say that out loud, he’d probably blush; he just seemed the type to do so. He would probably chew her out and say that he wasn’t cute. These were just assumptions, of course, since she didn’t know the boy that long.

She stood up out of bed and felt her stomach rumble harshly. She smiled sheepishly and began to head out of the room in search for the kitchen. Hopefully she could still get something to eat even though it was past eating hours for the orphanage.

She soon found the kitchen and noticed that someone was already there at the table. It was a boy that looked her age just like Pierce did, but was her height. He was a blond as well with hazel eyes that looked dark brown in the darkness of the night and his skin was pale. He looked up at her from the kitchen table and glared at her harshly. She flinched but moved forward anyway, really wanting to get something to eat.

She passed the boy and went to the fridge nearby. The boy eyed her with a wary gaze that seemed hateful and filled with anger. Noir felt very uncomfortable, but built up enough courage to ask what his problem was. After all, she didn’t even know the guy. “What?” asked Noir.

“You’re the new kid, aren’t you?” asked the boy with a scowl.

“Yeah. So?”

He laughed and eyed her with a cynical glare. “To think. The new kid is hanging out with a Green Arrow member.”

“Green Arrow? What’s that?” said Noir appearing to be very clueless.

“Pfft, please. Don’t act like you don’t know. He and his brother is part of a stupid gang! They’re the strongest gang in this entire orphanage and beat up random people for enjoyment! I bet you’re one, too, aren’t you?” verbally attacked the boy with a smouldering glare.

“What are you—?!”

“Shut up! God! I hate your kind! Acting all clueless and like I don’t deserve your time. All you gang members are the same!”

“Be quiet, Kyle. You’ll wake up the others and you know how much they would love to beat up the one that interrupted them sleeping.” Noir turned around to the entrance of the kitchen and saw Pierce standing there with a positively murderous expression on his ten year old features. Kyle met his glare bravely.

“What’s this, Pierce?” he spat, “I never knew you were into the whole knight saving a princess role.”

“You should really learn some tact, Kyle. She’s new and she doesn’t even know you. You don’t even know her for that matter. Leave her alone.”

“Why should I? Just because you said so? I’m not afraid of you Green Arrows. I thought that you didn’t accept girls into your gang. Becoming sissies now?” mocked Kyle with a cynical smile.

“The rule’s still the same and she isn’t part of our gang. She’s as neutral as you are.”

“Ha! You expect me to believe that?! What a load of crap.” shouted Kyle as he stood and walked over to Pierce like he had just signed a death warrant and Kyle was ready to seal the deal. Noir noticed this and tensed as Pierce and Kyle stared each other down like enemies ready to rip out each other’s hearts.

“Damn, neutrals…always willing to pick fights.” said Pierce as Kyle grabbed him by his shirt collar. Noir snapped and pushed Kyle away as he raised his fist to hit her friend. Her eyes were slightly welled up with tears because of the hurtfully things that Kyle said, but it was also because of her frustration. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want people hating her for no reason. They didn’t even know her and she knew how hard it was to break first impressions.

She stood in front Pierce with her arms spread and her unshed tears shining in he eyes. Her face was twisted into one of anger. “Leave him alone.” she whispered forcefully. Kyle’s eyes widened and then narrowed into tiny slits as his fury flared. Pierce was shocked, but he promised himself, from then on, not to let Noir be hurt. He put his hands and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her behind him and keeping his arm out so that she wouldn’t move forward just in case Kyle snapped.

Kyle’s face then turned to one of absolute cockiness as he crossed his arms and chuckled like he was older than he was. He narrowed his eyes in a taunting manner and began to walk past the two friends. “You guys are made for each other.” said the boy mockingly.

Noir’s tense form fell into an easy stance, but Pierce still held on to her just in case. Noir unconsciously leaned on Pierce’s body and the blond immediately tensed. He wasn’t used to girls leaning on him like the way Noir was doing, but he knew that it was because that she was relieved. That thought alone made him a little more relaxed. Noir looked up at him with a smile and Pierce blushed at how cute she looked, but it was only a small blush and it was hardly noticeable. “I guess I should thank you.” said Noir quietly.

“No need. Did you come here to get something to eat?” asked Pierce ruffling her hair and patting it after. Noir didn’t mind him doing it; actually…she found that she enjoyed it more than when that idiot policeman did it to her.

“Yeah, but then he just started yelling at me.” said Noir sheepishly.

Pierce laughed and went to the fridge. “Heh. Kyle’s like that. I hope your not upset about it.”

“I’m not. I was for a second, but…I try not to let it get me down.”

“That’s a good thing to do.” Noir went behind him and looked into the fridge with him, “What do you want to eat, Noir?”

“Well…maybe a sandwich…?” whispered the black haired girl.

Pierce nodded. “Alright. I’ll make it for you.”

Noir tried to push him away, but it didn’t work and he just chuckled lightly at her. “You don’t have to do that.” whispered the dark haired girl with a small blush. Pierce couldn’t help, but think how cute it looked. He ruffled her hair, now getting used to the affectionate gesture he used with Noir. Her hair stayed ruffled a little after he was done and he laughed at her displeased frown. “I’ll just do it for you, ‘kay?” he pressed and Noir gave in as she moved to sit at the kitchen table.

Pierce pulled out the items out of the fridge and frowned as he noticed that the lights weren’t on. He went to turn them on only to realise that the light bulbs needed to be changed; they weren’t working. He sighed and went back to the counter to proceed with the sandwich. It didn’t take long for him to make the sandwiches and he and Noir soon began to dig in.

“This is really good…” mused Noir as she took another bite and swooned at its tastiness.

“I’m just that good, Noir.” said Pierce with a playful grin.

Noir returned it. “Yeah, you are that good.” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t believe me?”

“No. I truly believe you.” More sarcastic words. Pierce laughed and continued to eat his sandwich happily; he was starting to like Noir more and more as the hours passed. She smirked at him and then it blew into a full out grin.

When she stopped eating her sandwich, she looked at Pierce with a calm look that seemed like she had questions waiting asked. Pierce raised an eyebrow and posed a question of his own. “What is it?” he asked.

“What are the Green Arrows?” she asked with a small, confused frown.

Pierce thought for a moment and then smiled sheepishly. “They’re a gang that lives here. Technically, this is HQ for’em. I part of that gang since my brother is the leader. I’m second in command.” said the boy with a happy grin.

Noir looked at him and then smiled. “Must be fun.”

He sighed. “Sometimes…but other times…we truly hurt people and that in turn makes them hate us. People in the gang get protected by their gang members, but the others outside of the gang are fair game in gang fights. So, being in a gang is a whole love/hate relationship.”

“Sounds hard.” sympathized Noir with a sad look, “Do you participate in the gang fights?”

“No, I’m too young, so they keep me out of most fights, but I guess when I’m older I’ll have to fight in them, too. Especially against our enemies, The Shadow Hawks.”

“Shadow Hawks?”

“Another orphanage gang; the sixth’s orphanage’s gang. They tend to pick fights with us ‘cause our gang is practically the same size as theirs.”

“So their afraid of being run out, is that it?” said Noir with a small, playful grin.

Pierce joined her. “Pretty much.” They both chuckled a little bit and then stood up as the contemplated going back to their room or hanging out a little longer. Pierce looked at Noir and smiled invitingly as he held his hand out, acting very gentlemanly. Noir giggled and took his hand as he led her outside the kitchen and away from the stairs that led to the orphanage bed rooms.

Noir faintly wondered where the boy in front of her was taking her, but she felt safe enough and didn’t feeling like he was leading her to a dangerous area. So she followed without question; no worries at all. But curiosity did call out to her. “Pierce…where are we going?” she asked quietly.

“To one of my favourite places in the orphanage: the recreation room.” he explained simply, “They’ve go nice couches and stuff. Even a game consol!”

Noir laughed. “Why are guys obsessed with those things?”

“‘Cause it’s cool. Now c’mon and follow me.” he said as he led Noir through a door and pulled her into a large room with every possible plaything that she could think of. There were basketballs and baskets in one end of the room and it could be doubled as a soccer field. The soon left that room and went through another door that lead to a smaller room that looked like an arcade at the mall, except a lot homelier. “How can this orphanage afford this?” whispered Noir, aghast.

“This orphanage is more well off than the others. I’m not really sure of the details.” sad Pierce as he pulled her over to a couch and both sat down. In front of them was a large tv with a gaming console and two controllers. He turned it on and gave on controller to Noir while taking one for himself. The game started with the opening screen and Noir was really curious about what they were playing. “What’s Dead or Alive?” asked the girl with a curious frown.

“A fighting game. It’s really fun. You get to kick, throw, punch, anything you can think of, and cause them to fall off ledges or higher areas! It’s kind of funny in a twisted sense.” said Pierce with a grin.

“Sounds interesting. Have you played before?”

“Obviously.”

“Alright then, go easy on me, okay?”

Pierce smiled and wrapped an arm around Noir’s shoulders in a reassuring manner. “Sure. But once you get good, I’m going to start playing to my fullest.”

“Alright.”

They played for awhile where Noir was actually putting up a fight with a girl she took a liking to. The girl had long blond hair and it was in a ponytail. Pierce had chosen a girl too, saying that the girls were the strongest and the fastest fighters. Plus, they looked better than the guys did. Noir laughed when he said that comment, but she quickly realised that the girl he was using was slowly becoming faster and delivering stronger hits than before. Soon enough, when both finished playing, Pierce had 22 wins and Noir had 6 wins.

Noir pouted at her friend and he laughed at how cute she looked. He ruffled her hair and then tensed as she lied on his lap. He looked down at her and she smiled up at him sleepily. She felt comfortable enough to do so and decided to take the opportunity; plus she was too tired to walk up to her room anyway. “Can we just stay here…?” whispered Noir quietly.

Pierce blushed at her and turned his head so that she couldn’t see the full of it. She smiled warmly at him and soon closed her eyes, quickly falling into a peaceful slumber. “You’re warm…” she murmured as she fell deeper into sleep.

Pierce watched his friend sleep and smiled gently at her peaceful form. He soon began to feel the affects of fatigue and gave into it. The feeling of warmth that her body gave off allowed him to drift into comfortable sleep. So the two slept peacefully with each other, snuggling together as both equally reached out for each other’s warmth.

To Be Continued…