XANDER'S P. O. V
Leaving the bar and his friends was probably an overreaction on his part. Still the point is he left, he could not voice his displeasure so he ran like a coward. What is wrong with him? Lucas and Leo warned him about Noah's past. Apart from the woman he was with, what hurt the most was how much he cared. As if his pain was not enough his mom sent him a message saying Parker wanted to speak to him. To apologize. To give them a chance. Never. No thank you. He would rather get shot five times and jump off a cliff to a pool of starving sharks. Sometimes good people are hurt by monsters and are shamed for being victims. That the norm, right? The world sucks. He sucks. His life sucks. Crying sucks.
He decided to do the one thin that distract him enough to ignore his demons. Whipping out bowels and ingredients. In the black of night Xander was cracking then whisking. Frustrated, hurt and tired. The doorbell brought him out of his stress control tactic. Might it be his best friends? They know not to bother him when he receives a call from his mother, he told them not to bother him.
looking trough the peep hole he saw Noah staring directly at him and he groan of his hopelessness. The kitchen was a mess, he is a mess, his whole life is proving to be a mess. Now this guy is crazy enough to want to be apart of this...mess for lack of a better word. Noah waited outside with no plans of leaving and outside has to be cold, again he despises how much he cares. Resigned, he opened the door and took a step back allowing the alpha to enter.
"Mmn. It smells good."
"Yeah? It is just muffins. Cupcakes and cookies."
His mind went back to working on his problems, about an hour later he took out the final trey he switched everything off. Clean up time. A hand held him back and led him back to the sitting room and pushed him on the couch, next to him lay his art book with his pencils. Water was placed next to him and the man removed his jacket. What is he doing? Xander got his answer when the alpha began cleaning the kitchen.
His mind still raging, he had no idea what he drew but the pencil felt like a paint brush. Moving like a waterfall it kept flowing until he realized the eyes are coxing him to relax. He did not notice how much time passed but when he turned to see the kitchen spotless, dishes placed in their respective places. Xander was in awe that he was able to do that a short period of time. Xander has never seen a alpha that treats him like Noah. No one has ever been so nice to him, literally if it was not for Lucas and Leo he would been a loner. A Rouge as he initially expected, especially because he did not deserve to be forgiven even if he is the one that has been wronged.
"Wow. This is beautiful. Perfect and I'm not saying that because it looks like me. You are really fantastic and talented Xander."
"Xander?"
Looking down he saw what Noah saw. It was him, the reason he did not hurt that bad, scream or throw a sissy fit. It was him, in the kitchen cleaning the mess and him sitting on the couch watching him.
Eyes meeting his he saw the sympathy and he hated it. Hated reactions people gave him when they saw the disarray of his life. As if it was not sympathy sometimes it was pity. He did not want either, those looks did nothing to solve his problems. Xander most hated the look Noah gave him. It look like he wanted to protect him from the world, hold on to him until its daybreak and promise he will not let go. Romantic... Shit his falling. No.
Noah made him feel like he wanted to take all his pain away, not wanting to cry in front of him he disappeared into the bathroom. He locked the door and took a long deserved shower.
His apartment was quite. That means Noah must have left. Why wouldn't he? He probably have better things to do. As usual he apartment was quite and lonely, memories threatened to bring back what he could not forget.
Exhausted beyond belief, wearing his favorite pajamas. He locked the door after going against calling either Lucas or Leo to keep him company tonight. When he entered his bedroom the sight surprised him.
"You still here? "
His alpha sat paging through a magazine, he often paged through when he could not sleep which was often.
"I did say I want to be there for you now and if you give me forever."
"Ridiculous."
Inwardly he smiled, this man was threatening to break down his many walls and if Xander was not smart he was going to hand him the tools.
"If you do not complete drying your hair, you will properly get sick. Common give me the towel, I will do it for you."
Not saying a word when he took the towel from his hands. Xander sat the awkwardly, he now regretted abandoning Noah at the club for such a stupid reason in his eyes.
.
.
.
NOAH'S P. O. V
Something more than what he said bothered him. When he arrived at the door the look in his fated eyes they told him that he is lost. Whatever happened to him must have really damaged him.
While cleaning he kept stealing glances at his fated mate where he sat. At first he was angrily scribbling, then after a while the pencil slowly relaxed. After sometime Noah finished cleaning up he was transfixed. Looking at the baked goods he could not help but steal one of each delectable goods before using the biggest containers he had to package them. Delicious.
Eventually after sometime he joined him in the living room. He studied the man with a lost look, as hand continued its movement. When Xander glanced up at him he felt his heart skip a beat. This is love. Jayden and Leo are making it work, besides there is no way he can let his fated mate go.
After complimenting him Xander finally looked down at his art. Seeing the amazement in his expression as if seeing the drawing for the first time. There was a sadness that transfixed him.
An unusual surge of possessive, obsessive urge to ensure he never saw this look in his Xander's eyes surprised him but also felt right.
When he went to go shower, Noah decided to walk around the small apartment placing every detail to memory. No family pictures, his best friends had two frames each and one where they are all together.
He found his room and sat on the bed and he took one magazine out of stack of 'Medical Facts.' It looks like the kitchen is Xander's solace indeed because that was the only room with real light, the rest of the house was empty almost depressing.
Drying his hair, he was patient enough to hold off his concerns but found every excuse to touch him. He would never pressure Xander, touching him just assured him that he was safe and protected in his arms. Xander did tell him he does not like being alone and Noah had a feeling that he did not want to be alone tonight. So he stayed, the rest was up to him to kick him out.
"Thank you."
"Always."
Laying on his chest, Xander once more broke the silence. Noah playing with his hair, than thanked the wolf goddess and fate for this opportunity.
"Do you want to hear a story?"
"I want to hear every story told by you, Xander."
"Why are you calling me Xander? Since I started here everyone called me by my birth name but I introduced myself as Xander. I hate my birth name, you immediately started calling me Xander."
"Xander, from the beginning I have always followed my instincts with you.."
"Haha. You ridiculous."
Noah was serious.
"Story time?"
"Right. There is no main character. The characters are those in my drawing book. I will tell you the story from my point of view. Noah. Please do not interrupt me."
He pleaded and he nodded, he would be his safe place for as long as Xander wanted him. He understood what this meant and he would honor it like a gift it was. He pressed an encouraging kiss on his forehead. He yawned before he continued.
"I chose this university because its far from home, my mom and stepdad. They do not know where I live or perhaps they think I live in one of the campus dorms but I have to lie to them.
Before it was 'them'. It was just my mother and I. She was the closest thing I had to a friend back then. Although we did not have much we were happy or so I thought.... After we received what must be terrible news she changed then left me home alone. She left for months. Thankfully during that time I was smart enough to save money, the old neighbor gave me food so without her I could just get by.
She eventually came back but she did not return alone, she found her perfect match. She found a man for herself and I was happy for her because I knew she deserves happiness. Besides it had been more than eleven years since dad left us, I was never going to be against her happiness.
My step fathers nephew came to visit for the week my before mother got married and my mom asked him to look after me when they went on their honeymoon.... It was not a big deal we were about to start with finals and really he was not a bad guy, so I thought. I never took his advances as something to be majorly concerned with, it was like his close perhaps he sees me as his little brother.
One of the nights he came back drunk barged into my room and-... The next days after my parents left for their honeymoon he turned to a completely different person. He started forcing me to be with him and I never once agreed to his advances. Noah his an alpha he was stronger than I was.
And because of that I hated returning home after my papers, I even stayed an extra hour outside the library after it close before going home. I did not really have friends I trusted enough so I was trapped. I hid all the drinks in the house but he got drunk somewhere else and came back more furious.
When my mother came back I thought I would be safe, that my mom would see the bruises and come with me to file a report. Her husbands family now, hers. So she told me to not lay any charges and in return her husband would pay for my studies at the local university. I couldn't believe her, they used the fact I am- never mind but they assumed it was my fault.
I didn't want to accept the facts and what made it worse the last few weeks of exams they permitted him to be there.
You know, I needed her to support me. You hear about violation but when it happens to you, you freeze it is traumatic and if you have no one it is depressing. Again I have a brain condition I constantly gives me the unfortunate privilege relive the worst time of my life, at the worst times. So I ran away from everything before being trapped with a monster forever.
I applied to universities very far from home. Used the money I was paid off with for the university scholarship and accommodation fees.
Tonight she called me just to tell me Parker wanted 'us'. I do not even think I can ever forgive her after everything, I can not and I tried too. Imagine. I hate him, I hate my pack. I would rather be Rouge than go though that again."
He buried his head in his arms. The urge to protect his little Xander even against his family intensified. From this day on- wards, his mine. No one would hurt or even touch what belonged to him. He is too playful but when the need arise for his seriousness he vowed all involved in his mate's misery would never hurt him again.