Of all the memories Noel could have picked up from him that would make her blush, she happened across a memory of when he was Lori. ”That… Was an experience.” Ranger said after a moment. ”I was her, Lori, f’r two weeks.” His face spoke volumes regarding his experience. It was not his favorite time. First he engaged in the ultimate act of narcissism and then he got to experience Lori’s time of the month. And that was just near the beginning of the two weeks.

Go back to the first time they met? Ranger was about to say something when Noel remembered that she should be trying to not pick up memories.

”Maybe use that as y’r target f’r when y’r power starts? Before y’ can shut it down. Over time y’ll get t’ see it.” Ranger suggested. ”Practice shuttin’ it down an’ see what y’ want.”

He leaned his head closer, ”Runaway bride, ninja, combat medicine, an’ dancin’.” Ranger said before kissing Noel again.

An "experience" was an understatement. There was something niggling her about the whole thing, but whoever Lori was, Noel didn't ever really get a good look at her in Michael's memory, considering that at the time that the memory was made, he was her.

"I'm not even going to ask how that happened." Instead she sipped her coffee and worked on being in the here and now so that she could let it go. The less consequential it was, the more likely she was to overwrite that memory and forget the whole thing.

Still. There was that something at the edge of what she could remember.

The Ranger had a decent compromise on letting her see the first time they met. Go for it. Then pull back. That way she started somewhere safe. Of course that would be easier if she knew where she was going in the first place. Noel kind of knew. There were ninja scars, after all.

Michael pulled her close and leaned in closer while spouting off a string of what seemed like random words at first, but the ninja gave it away. Their first meeting.

She saw herself. A younger Noel that looked, somehow, freer.

"Try lying now."

His mind was quick on the uptake and the words came easily, almost as if he'd pre-prepared them.

"Nashville produces the best music." And that almost hurt him to even say it. Michael could feel his own mouth twisting up and he couldn't even taste lies like Noel.

She made an absurd face and then accidentally snorted her drink. Noel could feel the grin in his memory spreading across Michael's face.

To see herself. Laughing. That was jarring enough to remember she wasn't supposed to be there. She was supposed to be here. Now free of his memory, she was a lot more present. Noel fumbled to set her coffee aside and twisted her hands up in his hair. What counted as a kiss? How long would she be free? Noel pulled away to pepper the edges of his mouth and cheekbones with kisses while she wrapped herself around him. He was a treasure back then and even now.

"How-" His stubble was prickly on the sensitive skin of her lips. "-much-" But she didn't mind the stubble. "-practice-" It was just another texture to explore and appreciate. "-you think?"

There was the sounds of a mug on counter as Noel set it down. Then her now free hands worked their way into his hair and she broke away to kiss… his face. Working her way around his mouth and cheekbones like she was exploring his face with her lips.

Between kisses she asked, “How-much-practice-you think?”

”Daily practice… Multiple times a day.” Ranger said before kissing Noel on the cheek. ”Every day.”

As he continued Ranger returned fire, punctuating his words with kisses around Noel’s face, not limiting himself to her lips and jaw… Eyes need love too.”In the SoF...Community … We always… practiced… five-thousand… Trigger squeezes… With any new… Weapon system…” Then with a final kiss to the tip of her nose he finished, ”Sounds like a good place t’ start t’ me.” He then just rubbed his stubbly face against hers for good measure.

Ranger of course had a vested interest in Noel practicing this particular thing. Actively benefiting from her practice.

Daily? A mix of chill and thrill ran up through her chest. Daily was totally outside the realm of her expectations. Daily was… wait, more than once a day? They didn't even always see one another every day now!

He kissed her on the eye, forcing her to close it first. It also kept her from thinking too far in any direction. 5,000 was a lot. How many had they tested? What was her accuracy rate so far? She made a sort of snort, sort of giggle and hated the noise, but she could in no way blame him for tricking it out of her. She tried for a short while to chase his lip around, but when he started cheating by rubbing his scruff against her smooth cheek that was the last giggle straw.

She got a good grip on his shirt good and pulled him back around.

Where was that remote?

”And she’s been on the show forever, it’s gonna be really hard to fill her shoes.”

Ah! Michael dove when he saw a corner of it peeking from beneath a cushion.

“Yeah-yeah.” Ugh. Ross was so annoying. Michael brought the control around, trigger finger poised at the ready. “Help me out here, when you come out of the "brain transplant," you are going to be her?”

At that he did hesitate.

“Yes, but in Drake Remoray’s body.” He snorted along with the laugh track. “Why is this so hard for you to get? I thought you were a scientist!” The screen disappeared to black and—

—and Noel felt a hand at the small of her back. She groaned in frustration, her hand still being balled in his shirt let her know it hadn’t been that long, but she was still disoriented. One second she’s watching TV, the next moment she may as well have been on fire. ”I’m not doing very good.”