"Walther let me go!" Noel struggled to break free in a panic. His body trembled under the young man's confinement, but Walther wouldn't let go until a sound of clashing skin filled the room.
Noel had just slapped Walther.
The young man stayed where he was. His expressionless face looked coldly at Noel as if his body had been frozen by the slap.
Noel didn't waste this opportunity, he pushed Walther's body out of the way, and it wasn't that difficult because the young man was now in a stunned state—as if his brain was shutting down. He dragged his foot towards the door, and just as his hand grasped the knob, Noel realized what he had just done. He had slapped Walther, his own lover. Running away from him like someone who wanted to be raped. It was basically natural for Walther to touch him since they were lovers.
Hadn't they also made love before? Noel had forgotten that fact.
"What's wrong with you?" The coldness in Walther's tone spread throughout his body, leaving Noel frozen at the door.
"Noel!" called Walther as he approached Noel and stopped to stand within a meter of the cute young man.
Noel held his breath as he turned his body around, his head bent down to stare at the floor. The tightness in his chest made him unconsciously touch his own chest.
"I ..." His throat constricted. His brain struggled to come up with words to answer Walther's question about what he had just done. But all he could hear was Matt's voice, which continued to rumble as if it were blasting his eardrums.
Was he just being used as an outlet?
Noel gasped as Walther's hands framed his face, forcing him to look up but in a gentle way.
"Tell me, did I do something wrong to you?"
Noel blinked and his white face paled even more, perhaps realizing what he was feeling.
"Did you really like me before? And not like me to forget someone?" Noel asked. The whole sentence slipped out of his mouth without him being able to prevent it. When had he gotten the courage to speak the truth? Noel said it just like that.
Walther's eyes rounded for a few seconds, surprised. Soon, he regained his calm expression even though his head was clenched at his sides with a rumbling in his chest. His jaw hardened, Walther desperately held it in and spoke softly to Noel.
"How could you have such thoughts?"
Noel swallowed harshly, unable to reply back even just to say the person's name.
"Tell me, is something bothering you? Who?" Although soft, his tone still sounded trembling from pent-up emotions.
Noel just shook his head back, his lips stiff and tongue—tied, unlike before.
And this time it was Walther who asked, "You love me, don't you? You want us to be together, don't you?" His hand touched Noel's chin, lifting his face so they could look at each other.
Noel nodded, nodded desperately. But he was honest from his heart.
"Noel, listen. Don't listen to what people say, especially if they say they know me. I have some people who hate me, don't you? So whatever they say, don't believe them." He meant it. "I love you, just you. Today, I invited you to stay with me so you wouldn't be lonely after work, don't you live alone? I'm afraid there's someone eyeing you. Alright forget about working, stop working, I already intend to enroll you in the same university as me."
"Walther!" Noel interrupted, his hands caught Walther's fingers that framed his face, and he clasped them tightly as they intertwined. Noel gave the sweetest smile, then he shook his head softly. "I can't accept any of that."
"Why?" The young man's intonation rose slightly.
"Because ... I might not be able to repay everything—"
"You don't have to return the favor, even if you don't it's fine with me. Because ... you are my lover, Noel."
"But I—"
"Does what I'm giving you feel like a burden?" Walther interrupted again, not giving Noel the slightest chance to protest.
A nod was all the young man could give in return, and that led to Walther taking a deep breath in response to Noel's reply.
"Alright this way, from now on, repay what I give you with your love. Promise me you'll never run away from me even if I tell you to."
Whether he realized it or not, the corners of Noel's lips tugged slightly at Walther's request and he finally opened his voice in a near whisper. "I promise, no matter where I go, even to the end of the world, I will eventually come back to you. You are my axis and my life will only revolve around you."
*
They arrived at Noel's house at night, when Noel was about to hold the door knob, the door was already opened by someone from inside.
"Dad!" Noel called out after finding out who opened the door.
The middle-aged man Noel called father was a little surprised, then smiled after seeing the figure of his son in front of the door.
"Where have you been? I was really worried about you." Noel's father, Mr. Vladimir said as he pulled his son's body into a hug. It had been almost four months since the father and son had seen each other.
After returning his father's hug, Noel said, "Dad, don't worry, I can take good care of myself." After releasing the hug, Noel turned away and pointed to someone not far behind him. "I came here with someone."
Walther who had been waiting outside the door turned away as soon as his arm was pulled by Noel, once he understood his lover's intentions even though he didn't say he wanted to introduce him directly, Walther just followed.
The handsome young man smiled kindly and said, "Good evening, I'm Walther."
Vladimir was a little surprised after seeing Walther. And vice versa. Now the young man and the middle-aged man looked at each other with expressions that were difficult to interpret.
Noel glanced at the two people in front of him in turn, for some reason he began to feel an awkward aura between the two. "Do you know each other?"
"Yes." they answered unintentionally together. "We're friends, more like my father and Mr. Baluev are friends." Walther said. Vladimir Baluev nodded back.
"Then I'll go home first." Walther smiled and waved briefly.
"Don't you want to stop by for a while?" asked Noel, Walther smiled and shook his head slowly before turning back around.
Noel's father stared enigmatically at the young man's back, his expression one of thought. After Walther left, Vladimir put his arm around his son's body. "Come on in, it's cold outside." And Noel nodded.
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