Gardening for Deers

>Kris, to Toriel's slight dismay, starts helping Asgore at the florist's shop in order to earn spending money when he gets into high school
>It's not much money but it's something.
>Making bouquets and keeping flowers is quiet work, which Kris likes anyway
>And the lawnwork and gardening Asgore goes around town to do is good exercise as well. Maybe Susie will stop making so much fun of him if he stops being as scrawny as he is
>He can't bulk up for his life, but he is getting stronger
>Turns out he's got a green thumb to match his sweater
>Starts to genuinely enjoy the work and puts in more effort than he needs to get things just right.

>Noelle never expected to see Kris and Asgore standing at her door on an early Spring morning
>Apparently her mother had offered to host some small event on the family's back garden
>The garden noone has maintained in several years
>So Carol's bright idea was to hire Hometown Horticulture, Asgore owed her a favor anyway.
>Noelle showed the pair to the yard, not that either of them needed the directions since they had been there many times, and after Asgore exclaimed that the two would "Get this place just like it used to look!" and Kris gave her a thumbs up, she went back up to her room to do some reading.
>From there she could see Kris work in the yard, and while at first Noelle didn't mean to watch she keeps finding herself staring out at him
>Seeing him kneeling down to pull up weeds
>Watching him straining as he carries stacks of large plants pots
>His green sweater taken off and tied around his waist to reveal a tight undershirt beneath

>Maybe she'll go downstairs and do her reading in the kitchen
>The kitchen with the big bay windows overlooking the back yard where they're working
>Maybe offer Kris a glass of lemonade
>It sounds like a great idea to her

>Noelle eventually rips herself away
>She has a book report to write after all, can't slack off going slack jawed at Kris' ass all day
>Around 1 or so Mr. Dreemurr calls her to tell her that they're going back to the store for the day, they'll leave some things out and come back in afew days to finish up for Carol
>She thanks him and waves as his truck goes back up the driveway
>If they're coming back she'll have to clear her schedule.
>So she can be a good host for them, of course.
>Not so she can stare at Kris lifting up bags of mulch and carrying them around and imagining that she was that bag

>Afew hours later and Noelle's pacing around her house, having hit a roadblock with her assignment
>Noelle passes her mother's open bedroom door and sees her stack of cheap romance novels
>She feels a weird sense of solidarity with their protagonists with her newfound understanding of why housewives fuck the pool boy
>You know, maybe she's been so fucking weird today because she hasn't eaten. Definitely just weird hunger emotions. Dinner sounds good.
>A quick walk into the kitchen and up to the fridge later, Noelle looks at her shelves with no idea what to make
>There's a package of hotdogs but she knows that they're out of buns. Hm. Hotdog buns...
>Noelle sees where her train of thought is going and slams the fridge door to try and blow them away, and turns from the fridge toward the window.
>She will not think of Kris.
>She will not think of Kris calling her a silly doe while he has just the slightest amount of dirt on his face and hands.
>She will not think of Kr- Kris is still in her backyard.
>Noelle stared at him through the windows awestruck. His dad left so long ago, why was he still here?
>She watched him cut open a bag of mulch and spread it in a pile beneath a tree before turning to see her and giving a little wave
>The doe walks to the kitchen back door and calls out to him
>"Didn't you go home? I saw your dad leave, is something wrong?"
>Kris looked around the garden before responding. Him and his dad had made alot of progress, but there was still so much to be done. So much he could still do.
>"Wasn't done. He didn't tell you I'd still be back here?"
>Noelle looked around at the garden and noticed afew things, most noticably that his hair was pinned up out of his eyes for the first time ever and that he had more than just "abit" of dirt on his hands despite the gardening gloves poking out of his pocket.
>She closed her eyes so she could think clearly
>"It's almost 5, shouldn't you be home anyway? You're not still here for a setup to some prank, are you?"
>Kris tries to wipe some of the dirt off his hands and onto his pants but its net neutral given how dirty his pants already are
>"Lost track of time I guess. Probably should get going home for dinner."
>She stares as she processes for a moment, coming up with a good reason to keep him around
>"Do you want to stay for dinner here?"
>He looks at her and raises his arms, showing how absolutely covered in mulch and dirt he is as he steps in towards the door.
>"You sure? I probably smell like shit after all that mulch."
>Noelle couldn't argue that he smelled but it was the smell of hard work and the earth, and as she breathed it in all she could think of were his hands, roughed from the days work, brushing her cheek as the two sit in the garden he's cultivated
>And among the flowers he leans into her, and she leans back as-
>"Oh you can take a shower here if you need, you know where it is right?"
>Kris took the bobby pins holding his bangs up out and his hair flopped awkwardly into place
>"Well if you're this persistent, sure."
>He turns to get his sweater from the bench he left it on but she stops him
>"I'll get that for you, so just go and hop in the shower and we'll eat! It'll be nice, just take your shoes off so you're not tracking dirt everywhere."
>Her gusto worries Kris for reasons he can't place, but he nods and heads to the bathroom

>As soon as Kris was around the corner towards the bathroo-
>"Second door on the left, right?"
>"Yep! There should be dry towels in the cabinet next to the shower"
>As soon as Kris was around the corner towards the bathroom, Noelle ran out to get his sweater and rushed back in.
>She tucked it under her arm and stood next to the sink holding it
>The rational action would be to fold it up and leave it next to the bathroom door for when he got out
>But there isn't a rational thought left in Noelle's head as she brings it up to her face and breathes deeply through it
>Oh that is Noelle's good shit.
>He took it off awhile ago so it wasn't very fresh but that just meant she could still smell his apple scented laundry freshener still
>The drifting thought of putting it on growing stronger was her signal to stop huffing his sweater, so she finally did fold it up and walk over to the bathroom door to leave it for him
>She could hear the shower running through the door as she approached
>Noelle pictured her old friend in the shower just past the door, hot water running down his body carrying the day's hard work away down the drain
>How easy it would be to open the door and step through.
>Step through and into the shower with him. Run her hands down his chest and wash away everything for him
>To let him do the same for her
>Realizing this was so very nearly out of hand, she pulled her hand away from the doorknob she was about to turn and rapped on the door instead
>"K-Kris? I'm leaving your sweater out here, alright?"
>"Thank you, I'll be quick in here."
>Noelle's never been more concerned with keeping a level tone as she talks through the door to Kris, holding back more thoughts of him nude behind the door
>"Does mac and cheese sound good? It's all I have really, so you'll have to put up with it reg-"
>She hears him snicker through the door
>"Sounds fine Noelle."

>Cooking, even super simple cooking like mac and cheese, is a good distraction for Noelle.
>It lets her collect up the better judgement that she let go of when she saw Kris out there by himself
>She watches the water boil and goes to get a box from a pantry
>The half-full box from the last time she made herself dinner was normally a mocking presence.
>A sad meal that she would have to come back to eventually, but tonight was different
>Cooking for two meant there would be no leftovers. It was a joyous fresh box night.
>She pulls the powdered sauce out of the box and pours the macaroni into the pot as she hears Kris walk down the hallway towards the kitchen
>He was pulling his sweater on as he walked into the kitchen, his hair still damp from the shower
>"Thanks again, I hope you don't mind that I used your soap."
>Noelle smiled as she turned from the pot of almost-finished dinner and towards him
>"It's nothing to worry about, I'm glad yo-"
>Pulling away from the smell of processed cheese was a mistake
>Kris was clean but his clothes still smelled faintly of his work and of apples
>And now he smelled like her home, like she does, mixed in
>She pulls a breath in through her teeth to pull her back to sanity
>"Fahahaha... I'm glad you enjoyed it"
>Kris' face scrunches up in confusion
>"Do I still smell?"
>"Yes- I mean no, you smell fine. Just uh-"
>Noelle tries her damnedest to salvage the moment
>"Why don't you take those bowls and set the counter"
>He gave her an apologetic smile and complied, setting two places next to each other at the table as she walked over with their dinner
>"I'm not much of a cook, but it's not much of cooking making mac and cheese I think."
>Kris laughs as she spoons out both of their portions
>"I've had your Christmas cookies, I know your cooking is great Noelle"
>Dinner is really nice
>It's still mac and cheese, but even simple things are nice when they're shared like this.
>"You know-"
>Noelle took a drink
>"I heard you started helping out your dad with the flower stuff, but I didn't know you liked it that much."
>Kris looks out at the garden, the sun setting on it by now, and nods
>"Whether in the shop or at someone's home it's pretty good. Aside from some small talk with customers or dad, it's just..."
>He drums his hands on the table looking for a good way to put it, and settles for the easy way
>"It's just quiet and simple, and I get to step back at the end and see what all my work was for, which is nice. With this job too, I have so many memories of that garden so I want to see it finished"
>Kris tries to go back to eating but he's quickly interrupted by Noelle
>"So you'll have to come back again to finish it up?"
>She hopes that she kept the anticipation from her voice well enough as Kris thinks on it
>"Asgore owed your mom a pretty big favor apparently and we're going all out, so probably one or two more days to get it all ready I think."
>It took all of Noelle's restraint not to pump her fist in victory. That could wait for after he leaves.
>"And what about after that?"
>"After we're done? Then we're done."
>He looked at her quizzically
>"I mean, I'm sure after your done my mom won't really care enough to keep it up and like you said, its plenty of memories."
>Kris nods, starting to get where she's going with this
>"So, i-if you want to anyway, you could keep coming by once or twice a week to help me keep it nice?"
>Kris' face is inscrutable as ever, so she tries to sweeten the pot
>"We could do it up however you wanted, make it a garden for us two, have dinner afterwards and make some new memories mayb-"
>Noelle started to trail off at the end and was glad when he interrupted her
>"Sure, that sounds like a good idea."
>Kris pushed the last bit of his food around the bowl as he spoke
>"Dad's tells how it'd be good for me to work on something of my own, so he'd be on board with me taking some supplies for it. Probably."
>He takes a bite and gestures with his fork in the rough direction of his own home
>"I'd do it at home but..."
>If Noelle could see his eyes through his almost dry bangs, she'd see him giving her a knowing look. She can't see, but she still knows what he's going for
>"That's great then! After my Mom's party we can draw up some plans. Oooooh, I'm imagining it done up for Christmas again now, it'll be so good"
>She stands to take both of their bowls to the sink as he chuckles
>"Noelle it's not even April yet, don't you think that's alittle ear-"
>"You know it's never too early for a Holiday, Krismas."
>He sighs, knowing he'll get nowhere on this as she looks back at him
>"Do you want some dessert?"
>He takes this as his queue to stand up from the table
>"I think I should get home actually, Toriel will start calling sooner rather than later"
>Noelle's disappointed, but she can understand not chancing the risk of Kris' mom as he slips back on his shoes
>"I'll see you tomorrow then, alright? Thank you again for all the hospitality."
>Knowing she won't have to wait long brightens her mood
>"Tomorrow, for sure."
>Noelle walks with Kris out the back door, his work shoes are still muddy after all, and she follows him around the house and up the driveway as the pair trade ideas for the garden in the twilight
>When they reach the front gate and he starts to head home she stands there for a moment longer, watching him just a moment more before heading back herself
>Practically skipping up to her door she decides that she'll raid her mother's stack of books again tonight.
>Maybe she has one where the lovely protagonist woos her quiet reserved gardener
>Just for some inspiration