Chap 29: Responses

" Why are you not saying anything?" Noah asked desperately when he saw Aiden simply sitting there looking stunned.

" Ummmm... I..." Aiden was lost for words. He was so overwhelmed by Noah's proposal that he still couldn't believe his ears. Noah's genuine emotions showed in his eyes, and Aiden wanted to hold on to him.

He had been deprived of love and care for years. His own parents didn't want him, nor did his adoptive parents. Dylan, whom he thought could be his brother, regarded him as nothing but an object in his possession. And now, a person he knew only for a month claims to be in love with him. Was it not too good to be true? Do such things actually happen? " I-I still don't see how would you love a person who is so weird and aloof. "

" Do you want me to prove it to you?" Noah asked huskily. He took Aiden's hand and placed it on his heart. Aiden felt Noah's heart beating fast, and in turn, even Aiden's heart was racing. " This is what you do to me. Whenever I am with you, I cannot control myself."

Noah smirked when he saw Aiden stiffening up and said, " You are getting affected too." He now placed Aiden's hands on his heart. " See, even your heart is beating fast."

Aiden blushed and quickly retreated his hands while Noah chuckled silently. " You look so cute when you blush."

This caused Aiden's face to look as red as a tomato, and Noah took a heavy breath. " Don't be so adorable, or I might kiss you."

" W-What?" Aiden was so flustered he turned around to avoid looking at Noah. When he was about to move, Noah stopped him. " Please, don't go."

Noah suddenly hugged Aiden from behind, and he felt like a current passed through his body. He spoke in a hoarse voice, " Give me a chance. You don't have to respond to my confession now, but I request you to keep your heart open for me so that I can fill it with my Love. "

Aiden felt Noah's breath on his neck and moaned. Noah smiled and slowly blew air on Aiden's neck, making him moan again.

Noah giggled, and Aiden soon realized what he was doing. He was so lost in Noah's embrace that he didn't even know he was moaning shamelessly. Once he was back to his senses, he asked in a soft voice, " A-Are you not s-scared?"

" Scared? What for?" Noah asked, confused.

" We are both men. Are you not scared of what others would say? How will your family react?"

" My friends and family already know about it."

" What?"

" Why do you think Jay would leave this room for me? Why was my mother so happy to see you?"

" Y-You told them already?" Aiden asked, shocked.

" Yes, I told them the day I fell in love with you. They already knew I was gay and were ecstatic to see me fall in love for the first time."

" So they don't mind that you are g-gay?" Aiden asked again.

" Not at all, Noah said casually. " If this is the thing that is stopping you from being in a relationship with me, then be rest assured my friends and family like you a lot and have already accepted you."

Aiden stayed around homophobic people for the past few years, so it was surprising to know that even Noah's family was okay with it.

" Why do you think so much?" Noah asked, hugging Aiden even tighter. " Just enjoy this feeling. I surely am," Noah said and closed his eyes to enjoy the moment.

" I-I don't think I-I can ignore what others say," Aiden stuttered. He was someone who wanted to be invisible and stay out of trouble.

" Why do you care?" Noah asked, moving Aiden around. "I don't care what people think about me. They aren't the ones who help me when I'm in trouble; it's my friends and family. I only care what they think. You should do the same."

Aiden was still reluctant and looked down without answering. He thought of the times Dylan and his friends bullied the guys for being gay. Could he handle it if someone bullied him? Definitely not.

Noah huffed when he saw Aiden's reaction. This was not going to be easy. " What are you so scared off? Can you tell me?" Noah asked softly.

" Ummm..." Aiden couldn't bring himself to tell Noah about his past. What if Noah realized that he was pathetic and hated him. No, he couldn't risk it. " I-I don't like the attention."

" Okay, I understand," Noah assured him. Seeing how Aiden was so introverted, obviously, it would be hard for him. " You don't have to tell anybody until you are comfortable with it. Just allow me to hold you and love you. Please don't reject me."

Aiden had not even considered rejecting him. Noah was the first person to love him, and Aiden wanted to be with him too, but at the same time, he was scared to lose him. Was Aiden willing to risk getting hurt later? Was Noah worth it? Of course, he was. " Okay," Aiden said with certainty.

Noah couldn't believe his ears. " That means you are willing to...?"

Aiden simply nodded his head, blushing and looking down, while Noah hugged him so suddenly that Aiden almost lost his balance.

" Thank you, thank you so much," Noah said, smiling excitedly. " I am so happy. Can I kiss you?"

" Huhh?" Aiden's eyes were as wide as saucers.

" No, No, my bad," Noah said hurriedly. " I was just so excited that I couldn't control..."

Noah abruptly shut up when Aiden placed his lips on his. For the past few days, Aiden had the urge to kiss him, and this time even he couldn't control himself. Noah was so shocked that for a few seconds, he stood still as a statue. Seeing that Noah didn't respond to the kiss, Aiden was so embarrassed that he backed away from Noah and apologized profusely, " Sorry, I-I am sorry."

Noah held Aiden's hand, stopping him from moving further away, yanked himself against him, and bent his head to kiss Aiden. Aiden melted into him as Noah's fingers tangled in his golden hair. Aiden's mouth opened to Noah's, and their tongues met. Noah responded with such hunger that he softly pushed Aiden towards the wall and deepened the kiss. This was real. It was finally happening. The taste of Aiden on his tongue was like honey. Noah stilled for a breath, and he knew they were lost. He wanted the time to stop so that he could stay like this forever.

Aiden wasn't sure if his mind tricked him, but for the first time since he had known himself, he didn't feel shy. If anything, the warm feeling of Noah's lips was rather inviting. They parted away from the kiss only when they were out of breath. Both were panting and trying to gather some air into their lungs.

" T-That was awesome," Noah chirped, trying to gather himself.

Aiden was so flustered that he avoided looking at Noah and stuttered, " I-I need to use the washroom." Aiden rushed to the bathroom and locked himself while he heard Noah chuckling at his reaction.

After a few minutes, when Aiden was out, Noah kept staring at him without blinking. Aiden could feel eyes on him, but he was too shy to even look at Noah.

" Shall we go on a date?" Noah asked unexpectedly.

" Date?"

" Yes, I want to take you on a date."

" But we have classes tomorrow," Aiden said without thinking.

" So, is that a yes?" Noah asked, smiling.

Aiden nodded and scurried towards his bed to hide. He got under the blanket facing the wall, when he felt Noah beside him on his bed.

" Does it hurt?" Noah asked, tracing his fingers through the bandage on Aiden's arms.

"No," Aiden whispered.

" Why did you say you are used to the pain?" Noah asked, and Aiden stiffened up.

" You can tell me anything, Aiden," Noah said softly. " Please open up to me so that I can get to know you better. I want to know everything about you, " Noah slumped down beside Aiden and slowly hugged his waist. " I won't judge you, and whatever you say will not decrease my love for you," Noah whispered in Aiden's ear.

Aiden's heart skipped a beat, and Noah turned him around and asked in a hurtful voice, " You don't trust me?"

"No, I trust you," Aiden said hurriedly as he didn't like to see Noah hurt, especially because of him, and he didn't know why but he trusted Noah completely. His instincts told him that this guy would never hurt him.

" M-My parents abused me when I was young," Aiden said, and Noah's expression changed from hurt to horrified.

" What?" Noah seethed in anger.

" It was long back," Aiden added. " They were arrested when I was eight for child abuse." Aiden still didn't tell about his parents being thieves for obvious reasons.

" I am sorry," Noah said and snuggled against Aiden's neck. Though Noah didn't know what to say, he still wanted to comfort Aiden.

" You don't have to be sorry, and I haven't seen them after that, so it doesn't matter anymore," Aiden replied, enjoying Noah being so close to him.

" So, where did you live after that?"

" I was sent to an orphanage."

" So you stayed in an orphanage after that?"

" I-I was adopted by a family after two years."

Noah seemed relieved to hear that. " I am glad you had a family."

Aiden smiled awkwardly, thinking he instead preferred to stay in the orphanage than be with the Hunt family.

"Your story and mine are somewhat similar."

Aiden was terrified to hear that. " W-What?" he asked in fear.

" My parents died in a crash, and their friend's family adopted me. "

" So your Mom and Dad...?"

" Yes, they are not my biological parents, but they love me like their own son.

Aiden signed in relief. His and Noah's story was by no means similar. His adoptive parents never considered him as a son.

" Are you not in contact with your adoptive family?" Noah asked.

" No. We are not t-too close."

Noah could hear the reluctance in Aiden's voice, and he knew there was more to it. When Aiden didn't say anything further, Noah didn't pressurize him again.

" But I want to be close to you," Noah said cheerfully to lighten the mood and pecked Aiden on his cheeks. " I want to stay like this forever."

Aiden looked flushed and gave a shy smile, and Noah felt his whole world had brightened up. Now that he had Aiden in his arms, he would never let him go.