Bounded To You (Star-Crossed)

Chapter 55 - Dealing

"Not anymore." She insisted, "He is our brother now as much as Noah. A part of the Able family, or us the Delafontaine." She rolled her eyes, "I will make sure that stays the case."

"Just wait. We will talk to him together." Blayth assured.

"What are you two up to?" Edmur asked as he walked in, making both of them answer with 'Nothing' before Ren walked out of the room. "You two together always spells trouble. Please don't cause it for a while longer. Peace around here is so rare." The seer sighed as he took a seat with a cup of tea and a book.

"Nothing to worry about." Blayth assured before excusing himself.

***

Rob turned to Noah as they sat at the lake, having just shared a kiss that stole his breath away. He looked at him for the longest time before Noah asked, "What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking." Rob muttered as he looked away.

That night, as they sat in Noah's room, Noah on his rocking chair while Rob settled down on one of the widow seats, Noah said, seeing the man look into his eyes, "Tell me what you are thinking, Rob. You've been distracted all day."

"You might not like it." Rob shrugged.

"Trust me like I trust you." Noah told him with a small smile, "You can tell me anything."

Rob hesitated before nodding, his eyes dropping to his fidgeting hands as he muttered, "I think...I think I am starting to fall in love with you." When he got no answer for the longest time, he looked back at Noah, now frowning deeply, any hint of amusement having left him. The moment their eyes met, Noah looked down at where his fingers were running across a carving in the wood of the armrest, where it spelled Lucius's name. "You can tell me anything too." Rob encouraged, wanting to hear what Noah had to say about it.

Noah bit his bottom lip, still staring at the carving before he said, "I can't...I can't betray him. Not after everything."

"I understand that." Rob said, "I don't expect you to. I am just stating the feeling I have whenever I think of you, or even look at you."

"Rob, I am sorry if I have misled you. I am sorry to have used the kindness you have given me." Noah said, deeply frowning.

"You haven't." Rob said, finally making Noah meet his eyes. "You haven't, Noah. And I don't wish to make you betray Lucius. I didn't think I would actually tell you my feelings, but I have. Now that I did, I can't take it back." Rob shook his head as he looked outside the window at the night sky, "It is not like I expect anything from you. But... Can you answer me one question?" Noah nodded when Rob glanced at him, making Rob continue, "If... If he wasn't coming back, would you have considered it?"

Noah's persistent frown deepened, eyes falling on the carving again before he breathed, "I don't think so."

"Why not?" Rob asked with a frown of his own now.

"You are amazing, Rob. Beautiful, soulful. You are what I see when I think of life. You are funny, and thoughtful. Smart and kind beyond anything." Noah told him, finally looking up from where his fingers trailed, to meet the emerald eyes, "You are everything a man or a woman could ever hope for."

"Then why?" Rob asked again, really wanting to know, "Why wouldn't you even consider it?"

"Because... you deserve better than what I could offer. You deserve a happy life, away from the madness that comes with mine. Because..." Noah breathed, frowning deeply as he said, "You are not him..."

"Even if he wasn't to come back?" Rob asked, feeling the pain of the words cut deep into his heart.

"Even then." Noah answered, "Because, I vowed to love only him. I vowed that no one would ever have my heart other than him. He is my everything. My now. My future. If he wasn't here, I wouldn't be either." Noah smiled sadly, "Because if the afterlife is his home from now on, I will join him and pray with all my might that we share the same afterlife. Because the fact of the matter is... I do not feel alive when he is not here. You have taken my mind off things at times, made me forget some of the pain I feel, Rob. But the fact still remains..."