Chapter 6: Like the sea
Noelle felt a slight unease as he found himself under the intense scrutiny of Thorne's blue eyes. The gaze, though weak, was piercing, as if the man lying before him was trying to decode every part of him, putting together the pieces of the voice he'd heard for days. Those eyes, once dull with pain and emptiness, now glimmered with a faint spark of life, a sign of the strength that must have defined Thorne in his prime. Noelle couldn't help but wonder what kind of man Thorne had been before life had reduced him to this fragile state. Was he formidable, commanding respect with just a glance? The thought lingered for a moment, but Noelle quickly brushed it aside.
He offered a bright smile, determined to lighten the mood. "Watermelon?" he asked, his tone chipper, trying to coax some normalcy into their interaction. Thorne's response was barely more than a slight nod, hesitant as if he were unsure whether to accept or refuse. Noelle picked up the small pieces of watermelon he had been nibbling on earlier and held one to Thorne's lips. There was a moment of reluctance, a flash of doubt in those blue eyes, but Noelle simply raised an eyebrow in silent challenge.
With a resigned sigh, Thorne parted his lips, allowing Noelle to feed him. Noelle fought to suppress a smile of victory as Thorne begrudgingly accepted the offering. It was a small victory, but it felt monumental after weeks of one-sided care.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're awake," Noelle continued, his voice carrying a gentle warmth. He kept his tone light, as if chatting with an old friend, but there was an underlying sincerity that he couldn't quite hide. "It was getting a little lonely with all that silence, you know." He deliberately avoided meeting Thorne's gaze, focusing instead on the task of feeding him the watermelon.
Thorne's eyes, however, never left him. They were full of curiosity, lingering on Noelle with a depth that made Noelle feel strangely exposed.
Noelle shifted slightly, trying to ignore the way Thorne's intense gaze made him feel as if he was being studied. It was unnerving, but he pressed on, determined to fill the silence with something other than the heavy air of the room. He decided to introduce himself properly, even if it felt a bit ridiculous at this point.
"Anyway," Noelle began, offering a small, almost playful smile, "I'm Noelle, your spouse. No take backs, unfortunately. We're in this thing together."
Thorne's blue eyes remained locked on him, and Noelle could feel the weight of that gaze. It was as if Thorne was trying to make sense of him, trying to place the face that went with the voice he'd been hearing in his fragmented consciousness. Noelle found himself babbling, trying to break the tension.